A Story That Reinforces Superstition Instead of Challenging It
The drama centers on a minor girl labeled a “witch” because unfortunate events occur around her. Instead of questioning superstition or exploring empathy, the narrative leans into cruelty. For a modern society, this feels regressive and disappointing. The female lead, played by a capable young actress, is treated as an outcast and scapegoat when the story could have explored compassion, trauma, and resilience.
A Misleading Premise and Hollow Romance
The synopsis suggests the FL remembers the male lead, Lee Dong Jin, from high school — yet after six episodes, she doesn’t recognize him at all. Their supposed “connection” doesn’t exist. She interacts more with other characters than with him, and nothing about the relationship feels earned. If the show later claims this is “love,” it won’t feel believable.
The pacing makes this worse. More than halfway through a 10-episode drama, we are still stuck in flashbacks, with almost no meaningful progress. A balanced structure between past and present would have served the story far better.
The Male Lead: Obsession Disguised as Romance
Calling Lee Dong Jin a romantic lead feels misleading. He hasn’t built a relationship with the FL — he’s simply collecting information about her life from a distance. His behavior is invasive, cold, and analytical, treating her like a research subject. Sharing this information with professors and colleagues without her consent only makes it worse.
This isn’t love. It’s obsession — and the show frames it as intellectual curiosity or emotional depth, which is troubling.
The Female Lead: A Side Character in Her Own Story
Despite being the supposed protagonist, the FL receives shockingly little focus. Her feelings, fears, and inner world are barely explored. Instead of telling her story, the drama keeps centering the ML’s perspective, reducing her to an object of fascination rather than a human being.
Beautifully Shot — But Morally Confusing
Yes, the visuals are polished. But great cinematography can’t save a script that normalizes stalking and strips agency from its heroine. By presenting obsession as devotion and ignoring issues of consent, the drama sends a harmful message.
Well I liked this drama for atleast showing the hard side of korean corporate culture.
**Well, for me C-dramas are a huge ocean — you really have to fish out the good ones. You’ll definitely run into more useless dramas than useful ones, but when you find something great, it really shines.
My all-time favorite Chinese movie is Better Days (2019). It’s on another level. And Ode to Joy season 1 and 2 are also top tier for me — it’s about five women living on the same floor of an apartment building: a rich brat, a successful CFO, two struggling young girls, and one poor HR manager.
Well I liked this drama for atleast showing the hard side of korean corporate culture.
**Well, there’s a difference between what I said about that movie and Nice to Not Meet You. In the movie I suggested, the ML clearly acknowledges he’s older — he isn’t hiding it or acting childish.
But in Nice to Not Meet You, the ML behaves like a teenager even though he’s 52 in real life. And off-screen he’s dating the ex-wife of the Samsung chairman… yet in the drama he plays this cutesy high-school-boy type.
So when you said he doesn’t suit her in the movie I suggested — that’s actually the whole point. Other people in their world might see them as an odd couple. It’s not for us to judge; it’s their relationship. We’re just observing their story, not deciding who “fits.”**
Well I liked this drama for atleast showing the hard side of korean corporate culture.
Well, as for Japanese movies, I personally find them lacking when it comes to emotional connection. Their characters are so polite, reserved, or indirect that sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between being honest and just being socially “proper.” Because of that, the emotions don’t always land for me.
For emotional depth, I think Korean directors and actors do a much better job. Korean actors are expressive — their facial expressions, body language, even the way they hold silence feels intentional and alive. Japanese actors, at least for me, come across a bit dull or too restrained in comparison. That’s why I usually connect more with Korean romance and drama overall.
Well I liked this drama for atleast showing the hard side of korean corporate culture.
Well, that India was way, way in the past. The India you’re describing doesn’t really exist anymore. There’s no “Brahmin caste ruling” anything now. These days caste only shows up during marriage talks, and even there most people don’t really care — especially in metro cities. Cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi… they’re more westernized than what media shows.
And yes, I’ve watched The Truman Show already. For the rest of the movies you mentioned, I’ll give them a chance for sure. Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1980) is actually my favorite from Russia.
For Hollywood, I’m more into movies like Predestination, Prometheus, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, that kind of vibe.
Well I liked this drama for atleast showing the hard side of korean corporate culture.
Hey @InspectorMegre, I wanted to recommend Chini Kum to you — it’s an Indian film from 2007 that tells a very mature but completely non-explicit love story. The romance is built through conversations, humor, and personality rather than physical scenes. It follows a 64-year-old chef and a 34-year-old woman who form an unexpected, thoughtful connection. If you want something warm, charming, and grown-up without being heavy or sensational, you might really enjoy this one.
Oh sure, thank you for showing me how you are thinking, I did NOT mean to say THAT :) I will fix it. I will change…
In my understanding, many viewers watch a drama purely for the emotions, but they don’t put themselves in the characters’ shoes. If you try to see the situation from the FL’s perspective and not just as a viewer, the picture changes completely.
Yes, she lied — and that is wrong. But she lied because she felt she had no power. Meanwhile, the ML acted out of entitlement, confidence, and the authority he held over her. Those are not the same type of wrongdoing. One is a survival tactic; the other is a conscious use of power.
If the roles were reversed — if the FL were a wealthy, well-connected heir and the ML were just an intern — would he walk away from the job? Most likely not. And if a powerful female CEO cornered a new male intern, blurred boundaries, inserted herself into his private matters, and assumed ownership of his time and emotions… would people call that “love”? Or would they call that coercion, workplace manipulation, and inappropriate use of authority?
So when fans justify his behavior as “because he loved her,” I personally see that as excusing workplace abuse and romanticizing coercion. Love does not cancel power dynamics.
Oh sure, thank you for showing me how you are thinking, I did NOT mean to say THAT :) I will fix it. I will change…
Of course, yes — you can quote me in your review. Since you’re writing it and I’m just helping you shape the words, feel free to use anything I said.
WOW, YOU ARE MATCHING MY VIEWS ON DYNAMITE KISS EXACTLY. You can even check my review on that drama — it’s almost identical to what you wrote. I had written it after dropping the show, titled:
“Dynamite Kiss: A Social Commentary on How Not to Be a Human Being.”
A lot of people commented defending the male lead under my review too, so I completely understand what you mean about the MDL audience blindly supporting that dynamic.
I also agree with you — I liked the drama initially because the first episode had potential, but after that it just turned into:
abuse = love a system that too many viewers somehow romanticize.
Oh sure, thank you for showing me how you are thinking, I did NOT mean to say THAT :) I will fix it. I will change…
Or maybe you should write the review — I can’t, because I dropped the show too early. I don’t want to write a review without giving it a proper chance, and honestly I’m not free enough right now to continue watching it. Better someone who saw it through writes the detailed review it deserves.
The drama centers on a minor girl labeled a “witch” because unfortunate events occur around her. Instead of questioning superstition or exploring empathy, the narrative leans into cruelty. For a modern society, this feels regressive and disappointing. The female lead, played by a capable young actress, is treated as an outcast and scapegoat when the story could have explored compassion, trauma, and resilience.
A Misleading Premise and Hollow Romance
The synopsis suggests the FL remembers the male lead, Lee Dong Jin, from high school — yet after six episodes, she doesn’t recognize him at all. Their supposed “connection” doesn’t exist. She interacts more with other characters than with him, and nothing about the relationship feels earned. If the show later claims this is “love,” it won’t feel believable.
The pacing makes this worse. More than halfway through a 10-episode drama, we are still stuck in flashbacks, with almost no meaningful progress. A balanced structure between past and present would have served the story far better.
The Male Lead: Obsession Disguised as Romance
Calling Lee Dong Jin a romantic lead feels misleading. He hasn’t built a relationship with the FL — he’s simply collecting information about her life from a distance. His behavior is invasive, cold, and analytical, treating her like a research subject. Sharing this information with professors and colleagues without her consent only makes it worse.
This isn’t love. It’s obsession — and the show frames it as intellectual curiosity or emotional depth, which is troubling.
The Female Lead: A Side Character in Her Own Story
Despite being the supposed protagonist, the FL receives shockingly little focus. Her feelings, fears, and inner world are barely explored. Instead of telling her story, the drama keeps centering the ML’s perspective, reducing her to an object of fascination rather than a human being.
Beautifully Shot — But Morally Confusing
Yes, the visuals are polished. But great cinematography can’t save a script that normalizes stalking and strips agency from its heroine. By presenting obsession as devotion and ignoring issues of consent, the drama sends a harmful message.
Disagreeing doesn’t mean enforcing. It just means… disagreeing.
go produce your own dramas.
focus on lee bo jin marriage life ( sugercoated)
My all-time favorite Chinese movie is Better Days (2019). It’s on another level.
And Ode to Joy season 1 and 2 are also top tier for me — it’s about five women living on the same floor of an apartment building:
a rich brat, a successful CFO, two struggling young girls, and one poor HR manager.
In the movie I suggested, the ML clearly acknowledges he’s older — he isn’t hiding it or acting childish.
But in Nice to Not Meet You, the ML behaves like a teenager even though he’s 52 in real life. And off-screen he’s dating the ex-wife of the Samsung chairman… yet in the drama he plays this cutesy high-school-boy type.
So when you said he doesn’t suit her in the movie I suggested — that’s actually the whole point. Other people in their world might see them as an odd couple. It’s not for us to judge; it’s their relationship. We’re just observing their story, not deciding who “fits.”**
For emotional depth, I think Korean directors and actors do a much better job. Korean actors are expressive — their facial expressions, body language, even the way they hold silence feels intentional and alive. Japanese actors, at least for me, come across a bit dull or too restrained in comparison. That’s why I usually connect more with Korean romance and drama overall.
And yes, I’ve watched The Truman Show already. For the rest of the movies you mentioned, I’ll give them a chance for sure.
Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1980) is actually my favorite from Russia.
For Hollywood, I’m more into movies like Predestination, Prometheus, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, that kind of vibe.
I wanted to recommend Chini Kum to you — it’s an Indian film from 2007 that tells a very mature but completely non-explicit love story. The romance is built through conversations, humor, and personality rather than physical scenes. It follows a 64-year-old chef and a 34-year-old woman who form an unexpected, thoughtful connection. If you want something warm, charming, and grown-up without being heavy or sensational, you might really enjoy this one.
Yes, she lied — and that is wrong. But she lied because she felt she had no power. Meanwhile, the ML acted out of entitlement, confidence, and the authority he held over her. Those are not the same type of wrongdoing. One is a survival tactic; the other is a conscious use of power.
If the roles were reversed — if the FL were a wealthy, well-connected heir and the ML were just an intern — would he walk away from the job? Most likely not. And if a powerful female CEO cornered a new male intern, blurred boundaries, inserted herself into his private matters, and assumed ownership of his time and emotions… would people call that “love”? Or would they call that coercion, workplace manipulation, and inappropriate use of authority?
So when fans justify his behavior as “because he loved her,” I personally see that as excusing workplace abuse and romanticizing coercion. Love does not cancel power dynamics.
WOW, YOU ARE MATCHING MY VIEWS ON DYNAMITE KISS EXACTLY.
You can even check my review on that drama — it’s almost identical to what you wrote. I had written it after dropping the show, titled:
“Dynamite Kiss: A Social Commentary on How Not to Be a Human Being.”
A lot of people commented defending the male lead under my review too, so I completely understand what you mean about the MDL audience blindly supporting that dynamic.
I also agree with you — I liked the drama initially because the first episode had potential, but after that it just turned into:
abuse = love
a system that too many viewers somehow romanticize.