This review may contain spoilers
pathetic Oldboy
This drama was honestly difficult to watch. The male lead, Lee Jung Jae, behaves like a teenager half the time — crying, whining, and even talking to himself in childish aegyo. It’s not cute or funny when a middle-aged ajusshi does that; it just feels awkward and forced.
Lee Jung Jae is a skilled actor, but comedy clearly isn’t his zone. Watching him act overly youthful while playing a grown man only makes the scenes feel more cringe than comedic.
The 17-year age gap between him and Im Ji Yeon completely kills any romantic chemistry. Instead of a couple, they come across like a father–daughter or older brother–younger sister pairing. There’s no spark — just mismatched energy. Im Ji Yeon does her part well, but the imbalance between the leads makes the romance feel unnatural from the start.
Then comes Episode 5, and things go from childish to outright sexist. The male lead actually wonders whether calling the FL “hostess” — basically suggesting “prostitute” or “slut” in a more crude sense — was wrong. This isn’t just tone-deaf anymore; it’s a slap in the face to women. Calling a journalist a “hostess” and looking down on her profession is wildly disrespectful. And honestly, who is he to judge? He’s an actor — a profession constantly objectified too. If someone threw money at him to take off his clothes, would that make him any less respectable? The hypocrisy is insane.
By Episode 6, things hit rock bottom. The male lead falls to a new level of absolute trash — to the point where you stop considering him human. The way he acts and treats the FL is garbage. This 52-year-old man, who graduated college when the FL was basically five, is giving straight-up pedophilic vibes while behaving like a 15-year-old high schooler. His mannerisms? Horrible. Professionalism? Zero.
She literally protected him by not starting rumors or reporting what she saw. Instead of being grateful, he starts crying and acting in the most immature, embarrassing way possible. He chats like a teenage boy texting his crush after school. How is this how a grown man — someone who has already spent half his life — behaves?
What’s worse is the FL liking him unconditionally for absolutely no reason. He is a walking red flag. His behavior should have turned her off instantly unless she has no self-esteem and is written to accept any humiliating treatment just because she “loves” him. This is exactly how real toxic relationships start — where lovesick women end up in abusive dynamics, sometimes leading to violence, even murder, because they fall for unstable man-child boyfriends.
Whoever wrote this drama seems disconnected from reality, almost sadistic in how they portray women while glorifying an egotistical, immature male lead. Women in real life are far ahead of these outdated, patriarchal caricatures.
Overall: What should have been a fun rom-com turns into an awkward, cringey, wildly sexist mess. I’m dropping this garbage.
Lee Jung Jae is a skilled actor, but comedy clearly isn’t his zone. Watching him act overly youthful while playing a grown man only makes the scenes feel more cringe than comedic.
The 17-year age gap between him and Im Ji Yeon completely kills any romantic chemistry. Instead of a couple, they come across like a father–daughter or older brother–younger sister pairing. There’s no spark — just mismatched energy. Im Ji Yeon does her part well, but the imbalance between the leads makes the romance feel unnatural from the start.
Then comes Episode 5, and things go from childish to outright sexist. The male lead actually wonders whether calling the FL “hostess” — basically suggesting “prostitute” or “slut” in a more crude sense — was wrong. This isn’t just tone-deaf anymore; it’s a slap in the face to women. Calling a journalist a “hostess” and looking down on her profession is wildly disrespectful. And honestly, who is he to judge? He’s an actor — a profession constantly objectified too. If someone threw money at him to take off his clothes, would that make him any less respectable? The hypocrisy is insane.
By Episode 6, things hit rock bottom. The male lead falls to a new level of absolute trash — to the point where you stop considering him human. The way he acts and treats the FL is garbage. This 52-year-old man, who graduated college when the FL was basically five, is giving straight-up pedophilic vibes while behaving like a 15-year-old high schooler. His mannerisms? Horrible. Professionalism? Zero.
She literally protected him by not starting rumors or reporting what she saw. Instead of being grateful, he starts crying and acting in the most immature, embarrassing way possible. He chats like a teenage boy texting his crush after school. How is this how a grown man — someone who has already spent half his life — behaves?
What’s worse is the FL liking him unconditionally for absolutely no reason. He is a walking red flag. His behavior should have turned her off instantly unless she has no self-esteem and is written to accept any humiliating treatment just because she “loves” him. This is exactly how real toxic relationships start — where lovesick women end up in abusive dynamics, sometimes leading to violence, even murder, because they fall for unstable man-child boyfriends.
Whoever wrote this drama seems disconnected from reality, almost sadistic in how they portray women while glorifying an egotistical, immature male lead. Women in real life are far ahead of these outdated, patriarchal caricatures.
Overall: What should have been a fun rom-com turns into an awkward, cringey, wildly sexist mess. I’m dropping this garbage.
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