Watering down kangho’s character in ep 9 turned this show into just another played out good guys vs bad guys kdrama with no moralistic nuance or complexity
I love how almost all characters are multi-layered, fleshed and morally complex. A child-like black and white…
Her throwing kangho in the water shows she still has traits from his childhood. She is still capable of desperate and cruel actions if she believes it’s “beneficial on the long run”, even at the cost of hurting his son again.
I love how almost all characters are multi-layered, fleshed and morally complex. A child-like black and white moral ground is not based on reality and the main reason I grew tired of kdramas.
The main Leads are both flawed, interesting and humane. Both youngsoon and kangho have the capability of making morally good and bad decisions. All the side characters are fun and realistic.
Rather than watching this for the plot, I’m watching it for the way human relationships are portrayed.
I looked forward this because I’m intrigued by female centered plots but im dropping it. Black and white morals and rich people bad poor people good stories are so played out and repeated. It’s just clichés repackaged as feminist “women power”. I wanted to like this because I like the main actresses but the fl cutting her hair short and ripping out her corset was ridiculously cringy lol
This was overall enjoyable. However the lack of moralistic nuance and one dimensional leads made this mediocre for me. The ML had the potential to become interesting but they watered him down by the latter part. Antagonists’ acting were excellent but their characters were all caricature-like clichés. I enjoy wrathful revenge but the good people vs bad people plot was ridiculous at times and honestly lazy writing.
I’m really conflicted about this. I’m about to start ep 5 and I’m really enjoying the drama, so I’m sad…
His “phobia” is just misogyny lol. He has social anxiety which gets better but he shows no apparent character growth. He hates his mother for marrying a rich guy 2 years after his dad’s death yet fails to consider korea at the time of his childhood was/is still a hell for single mothers. God forbid his mother (who grew up poor) dared to secure her and her children’s future and ensure them financial security. He reaps the fruits of what his mother sow (going to seoul uni, not having to suffer in poverty, affording to pursue acting) yet paints her as a bad woman. The fl’s character growth is her suddenly being fine with men who hate women as long as they like her lol. The writer needs a grip
Miran’s character is stripped down to not like other girls trope in the latter part while the ML character development is minimal. His decade long misogyny is over being dumped once, which is pathetic.
Throughout the show there is hypocritical moral ground set for women. The ML wastes his company’s money again and again for causing trouble with actresses because of his hatred for women. Yet Miran is implied to be expected to refuse the money both parties agreed on despite having her privacy invaded and becoming a victim of a public character assassination. It’s shown how job market is unfair to women yet Miran says she hates women who accept gifts / have their meals paid by men because she is not like other girls. The writer implies that women caring about their social standing and daring to accept anything from men makes them an evil gold digger/bad woman.
The actresses are stripped down to being one dimensional “vain airheads” so viewers can excuse the ML’s misogyny. Misogyny is fine when the targeted women are socially accepted to hate. The ML is basically like “I hate all women except you because you’re soo different” and we are supposed to swoon.
You can’t help but think the writer hates women who care about money in a capitalist society when all the bad women are supposedly “gold diggers” who refuse to sacrifice their lives’/well being for men. The ML’s bestfriend uses a rich women for her connections and influence yet it’s considered acceptable but Sena dating a chaebol makes her a bad woman. Sena breaking up with a man makes her a bad woman, sena not sacrificing her career makes her a bad woman, sena wanting to apologize makes her a bad woman, sena not being able to do action scenes that weren’t part of the script is used to praise our FL. Sena being reserved and doing evil feminine things like baking cookies for the staff is used to showcase how much cooler our FL is for beating up staff on set and showing her martial skills!
Tldr; despite presenting itself as female empowerment, this show is just another not like other girls trope where the ML hates all women except his chosen one who is soo different for beating people up
Nam kangho’s backstory, which is supposed to explain his decade long misogyny, is so insignificant I can’t take this corny show and their “romance” seriously
9 episodes in and I’m enjoying it by far but the main couple have no chemistry whatsoever. Eugene gives me the ick and I can’t warm up to his character at all. Lee byunghun was terrible choice for the role and it doesn’t help his lines make me cringe.
The main Leads are both flawed, interesting and humane. Both youngsoon and kangho have the capability of making morally good and bad decisions. All the side characters are fun and realistic.
Rather than watching this for the plot, I’m watching it for the way human relationships are portrayed.
Throughout the show there is hypocritical moral ground set for women. The ML wastes his company’s money again and again for causing trouble with actresses because of his hatred for women. Yet Miran is implied to be expected to refuse the money both parties agreed on despite having her privacy invaded and becoming a victim of a public character assassination. It’s shown how job market is unfair to women yet Miran says she hates women who accept gifts / have their meals paid by men because she is not like other girls. The writer implies that women caring about their social standing and daring to accept anything from men makes them an evil gold digger/bad woman.
The actresses are stripped down to being one dimensional “vain airheads” so viewers can excuse the ML’s misogyny. Misogyny is fine when the targeted women are socially accepted to hate. The ML is basically like “I hate all women except you because you’re soo different” and we are supposed to swoon.
You can’t help but think the writer hates women who care about money in a capitalist society when all the bad women are supposedly “gold diggers” who refuse to sacrifice their lives’/well being for men. The ML’s bestfriend uses a rich women for her connections and influence yet it’s considered acceptable but Sena dating a chaebol makes her a bad woman. Sena breaking up with a man makes her a bad woman, sena not sacrificing her career makes her a bad woman, sena wanting to apologize makes her a bad woman, sena not being able to do action scenes that weren’t part of the script is used to praise our FL. Sena being reserved and doing evil feminine things like baking cookies for the staff is used to showcase how much cooler our FL is for beating up staff on set and showing her martial skills!
Tldr; despite presenting itself as female empowerment, this show is just another not like other girls trope where the ML hates all women except his chosen one who is soo different for beating people up