npatch

I think I did write my issues about ghost then, but perhaps it was after you had sent the list?! Otherwise I never saw it. Anyhow, there arent many shows with that theme so its fine but I expect prople with that background will be a bit disappointed.

hahhaha were they your recommendations? have you watched it?

One thing I remember is that when it mattered they did not back evidence up, which was pointed out in the beginning of the show that it's protocol. When something is protocol means it's repeated all the time so it becomes a second nature. And seeing how digital evidence are useless if the medium is destroyed, or they can be distorted to the point they don't hold up in court, it is imperative. A lot of other dramas use this mechanic where someone comes across evidence but they don't try to keep them safe in a smart way, thus losing said evidence and then they have to go at it from another angle. But you'd think this drama wouldn't fall into this trap when it's common procedure, and when the person making the mistake is someone who is a hacker and the team leader of this unit. I could understand if it was in the hands of some rookie, but the team leader? Nah, this is immediately a bad grade for me.

I remember I was very disappointed with Ghost from a technical point of view. I do understand how it'd be a default choice for this list though.

For some reason, when I saw the notification popup, I immediately thought of this review. Don't know why :P.
I guess it depends on the priorities. I see many a drama with weirdness in their stories and plots. And many a drama with meh characters that rely on the actor to carry them. This one has good characters and consistently crazy or annoying or cute or wise etc. Although to be fair, casting does matter. It was so well fitting that it obviously enhances the point.
So I thought it was a refreshing extra point that separates this from the clutter, which also has more weight in the overall rating system(at least to me).

I guess it's because in one case it seems like attempted murder while the other as a coverup. These two are different. Sure it spiraled out of control with the coverup which cost the life of SML's mother but it wasn't intended. On one hand it seems incredibly selfish of SFL but on the other hand, the revenge was more malicious than the coverup.
Like I said, both side made mistakes. Both are equally responsible. And in the end, SML did actually rescue his nemesis which SFL appreciated. Also it'd be a shame had he actually attempted murder like that. But the fact that her father did what he did, does not mean that she did not love him or would not mourn him or would allow the SML the right to kill her father as an eye-for-an-eye kind of thing. Not like we haven't seen countless people move mountains to save their loved ones from some mistake they made or from immediate danger of whatever form, that did not also cost other people's lives(metaphorically or literally). It's reasonable, although it comes off as annoying.

Dr. Stranger always gets debates going. For me, I rooted for Jae Hee and contrary to others, I actually liked her acting. It felt as reserved and pained as her situation made it for her. She went through a lot and has returned to Park Hoon but through a blackmail of sorts. She has no reason to stay in NK anymore, her only solace on earth is Park Hoon but to be with him, she had to get out of the concentration camp. She had no help to do so, she was probably gonna get executed if not for accepting the deal for the assassination of the SK president. But she knows the stakes. She knows that last time they tried to get away, they got shot at and she ended up back at their clutches. She knows that she has to become cold hearted if she is to succeed and have any chance of being with Hoon again. Perhaps that's a bit naive, I doubt the NK agents would let them go, they are not as honorable to their promises, but I also figure that she was desperate. You put people through all that torture and see what they can do in their desperation. At the same time, she knows Hoon. Hoon is hella reckless when it comes to Jae Hee. He'd do anything for her, including putting his life on the line. Jae Hee doesn't want that, so she has to play the cold hearted, annoyed lookalike to avoid him getting too close to her, because he would eventually learn about everything and get into trouble again. And as you know, one very familiar pattern is that people who want to protect others out of love, often end up taking more risks and acting alone, although it rarely ends well or remains hidden. On the other hand, while she used to be happy and cheerful, she has now gone through a harsh reality and is now more fearful of the stakes so she disciplines herself to be mature and controlled. That's why when she sees him again, she does not dare to show she is his long lost love, or allow him to keep interest in her by trying to annoy him. She obviously doesn't succeed because Hoon is head over heels for her that it kinda makes him more drawn and curious(again, we've seen this before where people who lost a loved one tend to see them in others and get drawn immediately thinking they got their loved one back). And let's not forget that Jae Hee was no agent. She was trained for it, but it's not like she had any experience in the field. She was just driven to succeed in her mission. I got all that from her acting. Now I don't know what Jin Se Yeon did in other shows, but in this one I liked her acting. It aligned with all the above.
As for the SFL, she is a different sort of case for me. She lived in a weird household and was doted on by her father, but her brother was probably gonna end up in a higher position than her. Amidst all that, she was also in a relationship with the up&coming start surgeon her father also doted on. He approached her as a means for his revenge(his mistake), but ended up falling for her. At the same time though, it's not like there was true love between them. Like many other Chaebol stuff we've seen, they would likely end up married to satisfy her father and allow the guy to rise higher, position wise. They did like each other and he was conflicted about it, but he still pressed on with his revenge. So technically it's not like they were in love. SML was just the only person in her vicinity she could potentially be with. Enter Park Hoon, like the tornado that he is, and she found herself being more attracted to him, nothing wrong with that. Eventually, she figures out she can never win against FL and sees SML for who he is. They both made mistakes, they both reflected on it, they ended up together. And while she was annoying at first, she did display character growth by the end, just like SML did.

Ok, I'll say it. I have yet to watch any of the dramas above, although all of them are in my PTW. But sigh not, I consider this a good thing. So long as I know I have yet to watch all the good content, I feel blessed.
Now, on to the actual comment I wanted to make. I read the intro and I have to say, I got reminded of a conversation I had with someone from work about old movies. That conversation was sparked when I told him I had watched Touch of Evil and that I got really annoyed by the female lead as she was the ultimate personification of "bimbo". And he told me, having watched way more old movies than me, that that's a common trait of much of the content up until the 70s at the very least. I'm quite conflicted though because I realize that the same concept is quite evident still in kdramas and not as much in western movies.

Sorry, read it the wrong way. As in "it's mysterious that he hasn't given a statement so far like he has something to hide". Read too much into it I know, but it made sense then :P.

Anyhow, my point stands. When agencies and reps are involved, people like BJH won't go into it. And it's not like he's the type of person to disregard experts and start answering anyone on interviews or making noise on TV channels.

Not everyone is quick to answer such questions, especially when agencies and lawyers are involved. He will do what his reps tell him to.
And I don't see what more he could possibly say. He gave valid explanation way before any plagiarism claims had emerged.
Anything he says now is going to sound like an excuse. And it's a common thing in KDramas as well. Cast doubt on someone even if it's false. Doesn't matter how they justify it. Creative process is not exactly proven to be unique. It's not tangible. He could have thought of it on his own without prior knowledge of either the Papin Sisters or the Tamil movie and he'd still not be able to prove it.
And again, it's only a part of the movie, not the whole thing. There's no way this stands in court. Had he plagiarized the whole story, it'd be one thing, but when it's part of it and one that is not even original, good luck proving plagiarism.

Are you talking about BJH's lack of statement or the tamil director's?

Bong Joon Ho has actually mentioned about the inspiration about the secret identities of the people working for the rich folks back in January and it was based on the Papin sisters.
https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/parasite-ending-explained-by-bong-joon-ho.html

And he's repeatedly mentioned that Ki Woo was based off of his own experiences tutoring rich kids when he was in college.

Lastly, when the director of the tamil movie backs out of this ordeal while the producer alone is trying to make noise, should tell you something. The director doesn't believe it's valid.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned the first time, romance is pretty much in all shows so it becomes expected of any show. It's a pattern. But expecting fluffy romance of any show, and a dark show at that, is just unreasonable. The only reasonable explanation is if they haven't watched many shows or they didn't bother reading the description etc.

I fully agree with not criticizing it on the amount of romance. If you see the description and tags, everything about it screams pain, death, violence and betrayal with some romance in the mix. How can anyone, for crying out loud, expect fluff, other than in a few moments of respite, is beyond me. Even if there is romance, it's gonna be the serious-life-or-death situation. If it wasn't, it would have diminished the seriousness of the non-romance part of the show, which is the main point. That means that romance can still be big part of the show but it'll definitely not be fluffy, but instead it would be of a more serious tone so it matches the overall show.

It's a shame though, I have yet to see dubbing done the right way. I mean, you lose part of the nuances just by reading subtitles(same applies to books and the author's style, lost in translation, pun intended) and especially when subtitles are not carefully written to convey subtle details etc. Dubbing loses even more of that. Let's also not forget that seiyuus in Japan have made voice acting an art form. It'd be fine if someone was put off by a language, but if it's down to being lazy, then it's a real shame. The content can then become but a shell of its actual self, depending on how well the dubbing or even the subtitles were done. I can offer an example for books. I've read the complete series of the Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist, about 17 books. I bough the first 2, translated in my language. Had the second book half read in my shelf for one and a half year because it was too boring to read. Finally decided to finish reading it and then bought the next book in English. You have no idea how different it was. I read it in a matter of 3-4 days. The writer's style was really easy to read and polished. Got me hooked. Haven't bough a single translated book since. Ofc, I haven't tried to read a book that wasn't natively written in English, but I at least acknowledge the difference and the fact I could be missing out incredibly, even if I eventually do.

Not gonna claim TTB was the best thing ever, but I liked the photography, the limited setting(mostly in train) and the performances of the main cast. The rest are debatable. Watched it at the cinema so it got boosted a bit due to the ambience and the sound effects being loud. That's about it. Hopefully the second will be better , writing wise.

I saw the Devil is more my speed, though not sure if it counts as horror.

Let me get this out of the way, the things you like about horror, I don't :P. I only watch horror if my peeps want to watch one when we gather. Even then I'm not keen on that. I do like psychological thrillers like Silence of the Lambs and the like though.
That said, zombie content, I don't really consider horror. Perhaps because it's become mainstream?! I liked Train To Busan, despite the cliches.
But I never thought there's an issue with horror film fans to be honest. I thought everyone gathered together to watch horror films and eat pizza and I was the odd one out who'd rather watch a drama or a comedy. Just like someone else in these comments, I'm 30, so I grew up when The Ring and Sadako, as well as Ju-On and Saw etc, became popular and then the trend of Paranormal/Supernatural horrors, so I thought it was the norm to watch these, at least in groups. Leaving aside any personal preferences at the very least(as you said, each to his own).
The argument about becoming a murderer due to watching horror is as utterly ridiculous for movies as it is for games. So many people grow up with movies and games featuring murder or massacres etc, but I have yet to find a case attributed to them. Trump recently tried to pin the staggering increase in mass shootings in the US on games, all the while scrapping most of the anti-gun legislature for pro-gun. One of those ridiculous urban myths people like to delude themselves with.

Could be. Haven't watched it yet. But there is another kdrama I've found about farming. A rock band can't make it financially and they move to the boonies to the house of one of the people and start farming and then get famous making music while farming.
Called Modern Farmer.

Heirs and Playful Kiss got nothing on Nightwatchman's Diary. To this day, it's my absolute worst and I wonder how people paid money to make it.

Just to play the devil's advocate, apart from the shows that are specifically romance, pretty much most of the other shows contain romance to some degree. It might not be the main point of the show but they do have it. The shows that don't contain romance are the minority here. So I can see how the sample you look at can be so unbalanced towards one side of the spectrum.
As for the romance related comments, I'd say the description is misleading. The first sentence literally mentions pains of love and a couple paragraphs below the part about Soo Min falling in love with Si Hyun. So how can anyone not expect romance to be a prominent point, even if not the main point?
I'll refrain in voicing comments here. I have posted my thoughts in personal posts instead. Whether they are negative or not, no one should complain that way right?