omo-omo-omo

Hmm I can understand you - but then we cannot really do anything about people's taste, they are entitled to love/hate as they feel. And accordingly that's how more shows in similar lines are getting created - in general.

Guess just need to keep watching and finding our own gems of drama/movie that we love and then can recommend it to others so that it does not become lost.

It is one of the oldest K-drama tricks - to make the main leads believe they are siblings and therefore add on to a list of issues on why they cannot be together. But ultimately they never are and it is all just a misunderstanding and convulated family ties created by the real evil people [ I am guessing here it would be Deokhui, with help from Secretary Gong and Ildo]

While even I think there could a slight chance Ildo is Dongju's real father - but then why would he leave him?

Other things could be he is Deokhui's son, and Eunnam is actually adopted [probably cause her father could not have kids]. Which is why only Deokhui and Secretary Gong are affected.

Or maybe he's just Secretary Gong's son from chairman? Eww and why - but you never know.

I’m struggling to piece together the origin of DongJu’s parentage after Episode 10. While it’s still unclear, it feels like the drama is employing a classic K-drama trope: introducing the biggest obstacle just as the main leads, Eunnam and DongJu, are overcoming prior challenges to be together—making them believe they might be siblings or half-siblings. (*Winter Sonata* flashbacks, anyone?) My theory: either Eunnam or DongJu is the real child of the man in question, likely Eunnam, and this sibling revelation is just a shocking twist to stall their relationship. Deokhui and Secretary Gong seem central to unraveling this mystery.

As for DongJu’s real parents, here are some theories:
1. Secretary Gong and Daesan Chairman: A possibility, though admittedly strange and unsettling.
2. Deokhui and another man (before her first husband): Perhaps this explains why she gave him up before marrying Eunnam’s father and adopting her cause maybe Eunnam's father could not have kids [she later has a son with Ildo]. If this is true, Deokhui might already know who DongJu is—which raises the question: why act against him now?
3. Ildo and another woman [not Deokhui] - and Deokhui tells him to give him up in order to marry her, maybe? Which explains why Ildo is looking at the child - but it seems like he is looking at the man. But then is ildo so power hungry to kill his own child? He obviously knows somewhere deep down, or maybe this will be a shock to him when Dongju will kill him or beat him in the end?

DongJu’s childhood also seems significant, as Seonho* often visited Daesan affiliates, the doctor’s father (the landscape gardener), and the Yeom household. Clearly, he holds importance—but if Chairman Cha was aware of him back then, why didn’t he question DongJu’s parentage then like he's doing it for Baker's son?

Things that are clear - Dongju was found by Agnes mother, and after he was the photoshoot scene happened. Sometime later the accident happened killing Agnes mother and Eunnam's father [why were they together tho?]. Agnes and Dongju are sent to orphanage or raised by Madam Pi. Agnes traces back her father - Prof Lee and Dongju believes he too is the son until Professor Yeom clarifies everrything.

It’s a tangled web for sure! If anyone has theories to share, I’d love to hear them.
As one can make out from this long confusing post - THIS MYSTERY is eating me up!

She is really amazing - I had seen her the first time in Reborn Rich and she was almost similar there too but more whiny/pouty - spoilt brat daughter of a rich family, as needed of her in that show. Here too - I love how she can get maniacal and switch up to being super serious.

Phenomenal actress!

Like I shared with above comments - every viewer is different and so are their likes/dislikes. For you a show maybe overrated for others it might be the best and for others it might be somewhere in between. Can't really generalise but rather enjoy/respect the different perceptions as one would like the same for their own.

Sorry to hear that you did not enjoy Study Group - hope UHS is going better for you!

Not sure if it needs 16 episodes or they could have packed in more in a single episode. Either case - it is a bit lacking for sure, we all wanted more I guess.

yes, could be - I like the whole awkward, over-the-top comedy too. But at times and not with all the scenes. Sometimes it just seems overdone, inspite of the actors delivering it.

Its more of a personal preference as is with every single viewer of show. Many things will be common for all and many wont - maybe the comic timing is one of those things for me and some others...

Tragic :/ But yes,lets see what the finale holds...

It would be great if the father is alive but the probability is less.
I think the watchman/guard (ex-NIS?) found it in the old building basement where we think he was lurking around but was actually finding clues or answers himself given his NIS background.

Since he was there before ML - could have found the notebook there.
OR just like how the Planner (4th Story) was somewhere within school and Su A found it, maybe the notebook was also hidden by father - but watchman found it.

Different for everyone, I guess because it came before UHS - could be a reason why I am feeling that way. Also more on the fact that there are many shows where we know the comedy timing was better

so given this a new and latest show, in comparison, to me it seems off.

Guess it is different from people to people. And also could be because Study Group came earlier. And I don't mean the show specifically more on the fact that there are more examples of shows where comedic timing was better as compared to UHS. Just my perspective...a

1/ Given how close we are to the end - and the fact that had his father been alive, he would have tried to make it back home. He was an NIS agent too afterall so absence for so long does not make sense. Which is why seeing Ep 10 - though tragic, I think this is the end for the character and also Hae Seong's search for his dad :(

2/ I was not a child but yes, it is one of the early dramas that I saw.
There used to be a site that used to tell about K-drama locations, which unfortunately is down (https://koreandramaland.com)

Not sure if others feel the same - but it is that feeling when you come across a familiar face or place in a drama which you are so sure you have seen in another past drama and you just want to know if you are right. Guess am having that feeling and hence I posted it. Let's see if anyone is able to guess it

With the finale just a week away, I wanted to share my thoughts. I was excited about this show because of the lead cast and promising story. While it's good, not great, the comedic timing feels off and often cringey—especially after watching excellent shows like *Trauma Code* and *Study Group*, where the comedy was spot-on.

The romance also feels underdeveloped. If the leads come together in the final episodes, it’ll make sense, as they’ve liked each other since childhood. However, it won’t spark excitement or make us root for them—it feels predictable, more like a box checked than an emotional payoff.

Despite these two shortcomings, the show retains its charm and is definitely worth watching at least once. It feels like a story that would be more enjoyable when binged, as the weekly episodes didn’t quite captivate me (especially since latter half) & felt more like an obligation to complete and not drop.

Ep 10 - Some Thoughts:

1) Heartbreaking for Hae Seong to find his father like that. Though a tragic end was expected, it still stings. Theory: His dad found the gold and contacted Director Kim, who betrayed, killed him, and took the gold. In his last moments, Hae Seong's dad called Agent An (mentioned in Ep 9). The tragedy echoes the Signal drama's phone call, where the main lead detective was also killed by his friend/superior, and he somewhat made a call to leave a clue.

2) Fans of *Taxi Driver* might notice similarities between the dungeon setting in this show (where the gold was supposedly hidden) and the dungeon in *Taxi Driver* where criminals were held. With Kim Eui Sung acting in both shows, the resemblance stood out to me—though it could just be coincidence. If anyone knows more, feel free to share!

3) Su Ah's mom being a former gangster and leader was hilarious. It reminded me of her *Study Group* role—not identical, but she’s a fighter there too, and tries to steer her son away from that life. Similar vibes - the whole fight/gangsta role!

It explores all forms of love, not just a BL. Which is what makes it interesting and a heartwarming watch. Would highly recommend giving it a try!

I have not watched the drama of the same name, but that is primarily a BL.

Thanks for recommending - will definitely check it out.
I like mystery genre in general - but yes, 2024-25 it seems they are set up in high school. Guess if I can't relate to high school romance, mystery is the way to go LOL!

some would find it so, some would not - all are different opinions and I believe welcome in an open forum like MDL.

I kind of new someone would comment this when I was writing my original post.

The subtitle "Ahn Hyo Seop is returning to the K-drama scene, possibly with another rom-com" feels more appropriate as the main title. It highlights his overall return to K-dramas rather than limiting the focus to rom-coms specifically.

While it's true that rom-coms are among his most notable works, he's not exclusively returning to that genre. His return is broader, encompassing K-dramas as a whole, even if romantic themes have been a prominent element in his career. Additionally, his gap from the screen seems relatively short—perhaps just a year, likely due to ongoing projects in 2025.

Essentially, the current phrasing feels a bit narrow, as it might give the impression that he's solely returning to rom-coms, whereas his comeback spans a wider variety of projects, rom-coms being just one part of it. At least that's what I feel...

Hmm - I just read Lily's comment above which is opposite to your recommendation, but thank you to both for sharing your respective views.

At least it helped removed the confusion on what I can expect with the story - given the synopsis was super weird to me.

Let me give the initial episodes a try - I am really intrigued by the curse/mystery aspect more than anything. If 2-3 episodes are not enought to arrest my attention, I think I will have my answer and will have to drop.

Appreciate your views, thanks for making the time :)

Thank you for sharing your views - I understand the other comments as well, and overall I think the appeal for me would be to know about the "curse"/mystery more than the romance. Pacing is slow, but you already shared - I can watch it in 2x.

I had been looking forward to it given its been sometime since I saw a drama of Jinyoung's + the cast for the ML and FL's parents are some of the greatest artists I know, so I thought it would be good. But the ratings and synopsis made me confused.

Let me begin with a fast speed approach and see how it goes. But thank you for taking the time to patiently explain your views :)