Am I allowed not to like Young Hoon? I mean I don't want to get spoiled or anything, so I guess no one answer…
1) He is an ineffective character. He is always telling everyone what to do. Making executive decisions about situations, and being a sort of dick. But, nothing he chooses helps anything. He hasn't fixed or remedied any situation so far. In fact, most of his decisions have cost the main character and made some situations worse. Yet, everyone still follows and listens to him. Why?
2) I don't think he is a good guy. I don't trust him. After episode 5 (9/10 of the 30 min version) I was going to come here and do this..but talked myself out-of-it. Said to myself "MJ, it is early on you are probably jumping to conclusions."
It was the escape scene that got me. When there is a flashback of the real Shin after he has been brought back from somewhere trying to get away from the family and his grandfather. He is laying there on the sofa and says "I keep running away and you keep dragging me back. No matter where I go you find me."
This let me know that Mr. Ji wasn't really on his side. We know the grandfather is a monster, we now the director is a monster, we know that our Shin was threatened as a child and forced to be separated from his mother and live in this world and house and be subjected to everything there. Yet, Mr. Ji keeps bringing him back. Keeps forcing him to return. Knowing, Shin wants out and not to be there. It shows that Mr. Ji is not really on Shin's side.
But, again everyone trust him, follows him, and calls him Shin's friend....I don't understand why.
3) He sold himself to Chairman or evil grandfather. He tied his life to Shin's. I just learned this and it made me finally come here and write this. If Shin leaves and is free, then Mr. Ji's livelihood is gone. His stature, place, and privileged goes with it. Everything that he is doing, he is doing for himself. He cares not for Shin at all, but for himself. He will endure being ridiculed, punished, hit, and demoralized. In return he controls, forces, and jails Shin making him follow the footsteps the Chairman has laid out for Shin.
While before this revelation I didn't trust him, and was already borderline not even liking him, now that I know this piece of information I also do not respect him as a person. Korea's whole orphan thing is disgusting. Looking down on people adopted or who don't have parents is starting to be a prevalent plot line that I can't stomach as a westerner. Here it really just bums me out. AS this story actually makes Mr. Ji into scum. He sold himself and his future for money, the Chairman even telling him that was what he was doing, and he accepts this and now has subjected Shin to this world and abuse in order to keep himself here. He is the actual lowest of the low and reinforces the idea that orphans are trash. Cause Mr. Ji is trash.
It makes me hate him more. Especially since he is an orphan knowing what it is to not have parents, while knowing that Shin's mother is out there in the world, and he is keeping Shin from her.
4) Tying back to number 1, Why would he not tell the chairman that Director Seo burst into the operating room and interfered with the surgery of his son? That would have easily gotten him thrown out, or at least put in his place. I get that the AI car went bad, but why, again, does he not tell the chairman about Director Seo hiring a spy to live with and follow the grandson. Again, this would only benefit the situation. There are all these pieces of information he knows and are useful that he tells no one. Just like knowing about he kill switch in our Android main...
There are a few more points, but this is way too long and I think I've made my stance clear on why I don't like him. But then again, and this is a HUGE gripe I have about the series as a whole, I don't like anyone really.
I like Android Shin, but he is our protagonist, so I'm clearly supposed to be on his side. The female lead I'm trying to like. Her narrow mindedness, self serving personality, and duplicitous nature are huge negatives for me. That she is part of this story because she was trying to destroy the main lead and working for the big bad is something, no matter what the plot wants, I can't just get over.
But everyone else outside of this I detest. I just talked about Mr. Ji, then there is Mom, who is cold, self serving, and mentally scarred who has blackmailed people, threatened others, and installed a kill switch to the Android who has loved and been by her side for years as if he is nothing when her true son wakes up. The guy that wants to be called father, does everything wrong constantly and seems generally good, but has caused multiple problems and I'm hoping in the end stands with the Android..but really I'm not sure.
The Grand father, Th Daughter (Or SHin's Aunt), Director Seo, the board members who plot with Director Seo, Director Seo's daughter........On and on and on and on, it is one evil, bad, or just annoying character after the other.
If you didn't like the Android, then there would be nothing. Why are so many Kdrama stories written where everyone is an asshole, even the Romances?
Just finished episode 4 and I dunno. I came for Seo Kang Joon but I don't know if I can stay through this for…
Like the AI Road Test that finally drove me to make a comment.
1) They (Our Android and his human keeper) put him becoming the heir of the family and business on the line for an AI road test....okay.
2) They know that Director Seo is vying for the throne of the company and is evil and has actively attempted to hurt the real Shin and will not allow him to take the role of Chairman from him. They also figure out our female lead is working for Seo and been spying. And yet, with them raising the stakes of this road test and the Automated car being the crux in their plan to beating Director Seo, they take no precautions regarding its debut.....again okay.
3) Our Android is able to communicate with all technology, control and command it like a technopath...or at least the show has shown this previously. Before the road test our Android "connects" with the AI of the car and activates and controls it.......
YET, he doesn't stay connected with the car when knowing how much hinges on this being a success. He does not notice the autonomous car is being hacked or that it is behaving inaccurately. It takes the female lead notifying him. He then just watches idly as the automated car begins terrorizing the road and most likely killing a large swatch of people in the process. Even though he has a cardinal directive to save lives. He simply watches this for a VERY LONG TIME and does not attempt to reconnect with the car using his technopath skills. Instead, it boils down to an action sequence where he must get inside the now going crazy car open the dashboard and hit the kill switch (Like its a bomb)
Of course the human that was originally in the car, sits in the backseat for half the time not doing anything either...so whatever.
So in short, a human hacker being paid to kill people using laptops at a far destination ends up being stronger than a technopathic android on the scene.....
Fine....the story needs it so.
Also, since he knows the female lead is lying to him from the start with his lie detector skills, and he knows he is supposed to be passing as human, and he even now knows she is working for the enemy. Why does the android keep saying he doesn't have a heart or emotions, or need to breathe or any of that stuff....even after his human handler has told him not to?
Just finished episode 4 and I dunno. I came for Seo Kang Joon but I don't know if I can stay through this for him.
I really like sci-fi and AI stories. So I thought this would be up my alley.
Ignoring bad action sequences with poor special effects is easy enough, but I can't reason through how the plot forces the main android character to constantly be slingshoting from capable, intelligent, and advanced to dumb, ineffectual, and inconsistent.
It seems when we are done with plot points he is suddenly a badass robot that solves everything and uses his "gifts" of technology to his advantage. But until the plot is ready for him to do this, he just sits idly by incapable of any action other than pining for his mom.
Dude. You are only on 3 of 16. Give it time. You will see why he acts like this!
So our male lead is degraded by the competing 2nd male lead. He degrades him in his own restaurant. Demoralizes him in front of our female lead. Accuses him of deeds, and basically lets him know that he will never be their equal, and that he isn't worthy.
Now compare this scene back to episode 3. Our male lead comes into our female leads place of business and degrades her. Demoralizes her in front of her staff. Accusers her of deeds, and basically lets her know that she is his debtor and he her creditor and that nothing else will exist between them. He threatens that he will sell everything she has for his money....THIS WHILE SHE IS GRIEVING HER FATHER'S DEATH.
Now one was done by a "bad guy" or "evil character" to the male lead and one is done by our male lead to our female lead (who is supposed to be a romantic partner)
Should someone tell me that we will see why the evil 2nd male lead acts this way? Should I be told my opinion is valid on the topic of him being an asshole? Should I be told "sorry that I feel this way" about the bad guy.......
No? Yes?
That's only reserved for when its the guy everyone is shipping right? Then we can explain it all away and over look it. But when its the bad guy....god he's a real piece-of-work and asshole.
And then unlike our female lead, who in the next scene acts like nothing is wrong, and doesn't hold it against the male lead, and actually has a romantic interaction with him.
Our male lead refuses her phone calls, leaves her on the side of the road like nothing, and then has fight with her on front of his house. SHE ISN'T EVEN THE ONE THAT DEGRADED HIM, but it happened in front of her and by someone she was with. So she carries the brunt of his anger.
Really...so not only do you all, the audience give him a pass on his behavior, not only does the show, ignore this treatment and make our female swallow it as if nothing.....
But it turns around and allows our male lead to get hurt and angry over it being done to him, and even has our female lead apologizing for it, when it wasn't even her words.....
HE STILL HASN'T APOLOGIZED FOR HOW HE ACTED AND THE THINGS HE SAID.
And then what is GREAT!!! Is that he gets so heated he tells her to get his 2 million back by sleeping with 2nd male lead...she could probably get 20 million doing it.,....
Yes he calls our female lead a whore. An out and out whore.
And then they start making out. HONESTLY!!!!
Your a whore lets kiss....is the scene.
And everyone here is telling me...oh hes great, I love him so much. This is the best couple ever. So healthy. The female isn't degraded...its your opinion......on and on and on and on......
Dude. You are only on 3 of 16. Give it time. You will see why he acts like this!
I am perplexed. Honestly.
The double standard of this show....
I complain about what the male lead did to the female lead in episode 3 and I've been met with, "you will learn why he is like that," "sorry you think that," "your opinion is valid but hide this under spoilers" and then posts after mine... claim "best couple of the year"...."doesn't degrade the lady" etc....
And not one like...by anyone...cause I'm just that unpopular here....
And then there is episode 10. Yes, I'm giving this show every opportunity and not giving up. And under the above spoiler, I talk about how characters are growing on me etc....and also some stuff I'm not liking.....
But seriously episode 10 is such a conflicting episode and seriously highlights all my complaints regarding the treatment of the female lead vs the male lead.
Case of Episode 1+2, why did the nurse bother reporting anyone? They were down to hours until she would be forever…
I love me a good rant, going to write one now on another show I'm watching.
Let it out!
The sexism is strong in this one. I didn't expect it honestly. One of the central characters being a hard nosed female cop I thought it would have some empowering plot lines. I expected obstacles, like in the past when she is joining the force, and evil characters to be jerks becuase she was a woman ..but not this.
This show basically had women in it just to victimize them and make all the men heroes.
And her character, was built to be so much more than what we got.
Dude. You are only on 3 of 16. Give it time. You will see why he acts like this!
Since everything is under spoiler tags now, I will be a little freer in bringing in plot points. So beware for those who haven't yet watched as I am now deep into the series, just finished episode 8.
Now, the leads have started to grow on me or re-grow I suppose since originally I loved both of them...and the story made me dislike them.
Like I said 2 posts ago, our female lead is growing a backbone and that has continued. She even has now openly admitted that she is not happy with herself and recognizes that all these men keep saving her. Now, I really like that she address this, and I also like that she does seem to be trying to regain the reigns of her own life, and claim her agency once again. But, let us hope this isn't lip service, because she is still getting a lot of help from the men in her life whether she now claims she wants it or not.
Our Male lead is being kind and adorable. And if I came into the series as his character is being now, I would adore him, just as I did in the beginning. However, I still can't let go of how poorly he treated the female lead from episodes 3-5. Especially the original office meeting at the beginning of episode 3.
I can't let go of these actions and let them be okay even if the story and main character are going along with his treatment of her and being okay with it. I still can't swallow him never apologizing and admitting his wrongdoing. I know, I've said this already. But I really want the show to give this to me. I can like him, I can love his character, and I can root for them to be together.
But I need this from him and the series to let myself.
Why is everyone else evil? There is her cop friend, who she lives with, who is like a brother, but he is amazingly never in the show or plot lines....he is good...so far....but absent. There is the one "older" female employee who actually fights at the side of our main lead and supports her. And that is it.
Every one else, degrades her or is against her. Or they are outright evil people trying to destroy her and take what she has left so they can become more wealthy. Everyone else, including her one remaining family member is a villain. It sucks.
Where is the happiness and fluffiness everyone talks about?
Speaking of her family member, can he please get off my screen. He is always at level 12 on a 1-10 scale. Every line screamed at the top of his lungs. His eyes always bugging out of his head. Always making the throaty SHEEESH sound. Yeah, I get it, you a bad guy, but can you dial it back...by a lot. I fight to not to skip every scene he is in.
Compare him to the female co-worker in cahoots with him. Hate her, true blue hate, possibly the most hate of any of the characters....though I do reserve a decent amount for some select others. (Step brother/ex boyfriend). And she doesn't act at level 12. She hardly goes above a 3, yet is more effective in being a villain.
Lastly, as for the ending of episode 8. It was like a bad horror movie. Who goes into their apartment when their front door is ajar and the lock and knob broken. If you do go in and find the place ransacked the moment you walk through the door, who doesn't immediately get on the phone with the police or at the least turn and run (especially since you've already been robbed violently and were having fear panic attacks afterwards). Who then sees a moving flashlight and knows someone is in the apartment and stays? Who answers the phone call of their roommate (WHO IS A DETECTIVE) understanding that whomever is in the apartment isn't him, and then NOT tell him, A COP, what is happening and hang up? HANG UP?!!!!
Who wrote this scene? It is horrible and just utterly unbelievable and ridiculous.
Dude. You are only on 3 of 16. Give it time. You will see why he acts like this!
Sure,
Sorry, since I only mentioned things that happened in the first 3 episodes of the series I didn't consider anything I said spoilers, because its information and plot points that happen in the very beginning, or in the set-up.
I'm now halfway through the series and have specifically kept plot points and story line details out of anything I've written in my last couple of posts to keep from giving spoilers. I try to be very careful of this to not spoil anything for others.
Now I've just been talking about my feelings and take-sways and not divulging anything at all that happens in the series or with its plot.
Dude. You are only on 3 of 16. Give it time. You will see why he acts like this!
She's growing a backbone!!! Praise Jesus Hallelujah, she's growing a backbone!!!!
How many bad guys are we up to now in this? Everyone says this is light and fluffy, but I count 7 bad guys, with at least 3 out of the 7 BIG bad guys.......and that doesn't include the motel thief that beat her up. We also have a government corruption scandal breaking out as well. Sigh
Male lead is still a loser. He has brief moments of cuteness. But, still hasn't been properly put in his place by anyone, still doesn't feel remorse over how he behaves and what he has done. Still hasn't apologized or asked for any forgiveness over previous actions......at least he isn't straight degrading the female lead anymore.
Dude. You are only on 3 of 16. Give it time. You will see why he acts like this!
I want the fluffiness, I really really do. It is why I came. I actually held off watching this until all episodes aired so I could binge.
I'm getting really let down.
About to start episode 5.
I still don't like the ML, he hasn't pulled himself back up into anything I feel worthy of swooning. I miss the way I viewed him before episode 3.
I'm not laughing anymore, because they are just delivering comedy and cuteness regardless of who the characters are at this point or how one is treating the other.
I'm going as far as beginning to really not like the female lead. She has gone from being kind, well educated, and worldly to powerless, weak, and lost. She is unable to handle any situation that arises. Every decision is poor and not thought-out. She keeps needing to be saved by the rich men around her. She keeps accepting the horrible stuff everyone says about her from all directions. Even more, she is allowing herself to be degraded by the male lead while simultaneously building a cutesy relationship with him.
He is being painted a hero, while he simultaneously watches her become destitute and, though has guilty feelings, continues to demoralize her, shame her, and control her.
Nothing the main lead does seems cute to me anymore. And the whole show seems to be a satire of an abusive relationship.
But here I go...pressing play, hoping at some point these characters grow. i hope he is forced to face his ugliness and ask for forgiveness. I hope she grows a spine and learns to stand on her own to feet. I hope that the relationship falls apart for at least a while and the leads are split as they realize it is built on abuse.
Then maybe we can get to him winning her heart, and mine, as a good man and ending on a note of hope.
But those are some lofty expectations, that as much as I want them, will likely not be what this show delivers....considering how it is going now.
Dude. You are only on 3 of 16. Give it time. You will see why he acts like this!
And nope, I actually might have to drop this.
I had dinner, watched Shang Chi, did some other stuff and now it is hours later and I pressed play again.
I'm now 30 min in to episode 3....and the characters have met back-up.
The show is playing cute happy music and having them fall all over each other with romantic eye staring scenes.
The female lead is acting perfectly okay with everything that happened. Everything that he did to the museum, did to her, said to her, and how she was treated. She is acting like none of it mattered at all. She has spent her entire day, her entire staff has, trying to smooth the public incident over with banks, artists, and contributors. She has been demoralized in front of her own staff. He ridiculed her to the point of being nothing.
But oops, she tripped...giggle....ahhh there they are in each other's arms on the sidewalk. I hear upbeat guitar music....
"Mr. Mr. Mr. are you alright?"
I paused to come here and word vomit again.
The show is treating it like its nothing and has decided to the go the route of just ignoring his actions and telling us to just focus on the cute blossoming love. Nothing is really that bad. Everyone he is still a likable guy.
Look he gave her the cute light-up shoes.....
No. This is borderline sickening.
And how am I supposed to respect the female lead after this?
Dude. You are only on 3 of 16. Give it time. You will see why he acts like this!
That is the whole point. I know they will feed me an excuse. I know that I will learn to forgive him, or at least be told to forgive him. (I'm pretty good at holding grudges) Or they will just ignore the events as if we should have enver been upset about it to begin with. Just move past them like its a Monday afternoon and just show us them falling in love regardless. And I know that I will keep watching because there is so much I DO LOVE about this show so far and want to continue.
But again, there really isn't an excuse for someone to act like this. And, in the real world, she would never have a thing to do with him again, and no one else would either. That is too much, way too much to ever be swept away and forgiven.
And why is it always the men that are written this way? Why do they always do crap like that, and why are the women, and us as an audience, always being told to forgive them for this or that reason through the course of the series. Over and over and over and over again.
Episodes 1 and 2 were treats. I mean, even dealing with the horrible "Kdrama white actor issue" this one pulls it off stronger than any other I have seen so far. The leads spark with each other. The characters are well drawn and stand-out. The cinematography is unique and, I love the artistic sky renderings, and even the director takes risks with angles and camera movements not normally found in the stoic straight forwards approach Kdramas use.
In short, there is a WHOLE lot to love.
But now I am 8 min into episode 3....and the male lead is dead to me. I am tired of this in Kdramas. Seriously tired. I am sick of the male leads being written as blatant assholes and me supposed to still want them with the female leads. I'm tired of fandoms that ship this ideal of a relationship and couples together.
Our main male lead is painted as not the brightest of the bunch, I get that. But, up until now he still came off as likable. Short sighted, unintelligent, rude, crude, selfish and childish. Yes, but not an asshole. Not a complete dick. But here he is finally crossing that line. Just straight up no holds barred crosses that threshold.
Can he really not put 1+1 together, because he seems really good at math, his one strength. 1)The girl works for art galleries and was kind to him. 2) He sees her crying and almost collapse over a phone call and then disappear. 3) He shows up at an art gallery in Korea where the owner has just died and finds her there as the single heir and daughter.
1+1+1= Dude you're an asshole.
Not only does he degrade her, treat her like nothing, demand what is his, and act like a total worthless piece-of-trash (FAKE TATTOOS AND ALL) but he does this to a girl who is grieving the loss of her father. A man that has only died with-in days, and is demanding something that could destroy her livelihood and her fathers legacy. A girl who only days ago stole his heart with her kindness, wit, and comradery when he was destitute and in need.
Seriously?
I'm supposed to like him? Oh what the show is going to give me valid reasons why I should accept this from him? There is an excuse. SERIOUSLY in REAL LIFE, would any one watching this talk to this fool after him doing this to you. Have you all lost parents? The state she is in and what she is up against. He knows as well the the gallery and family is facing bankruptcy. So he knows the straights she is in. He also knows that she didn't steal his watch and run-off. She came home to handle her dead father and family affairs.
Why do I have to accept this in characters in Kdramas? I feel I keep writing this same post over and over and over again about the male leads......
Why do I have to grow to like him? I already liked him, now I hate him.
It just sucks.
I was really happy watching this and having a good time. Why is this the direction they took with him....
AND HOW IS HE NOW HAVING FLASHBACKS AND THINKING POSITIVELY ABOUT HER AND THE TIME THEY SPENT TOGETHER?
There are some beautiful stories in this series which is honestly more an ensemble drama than a straight romance. There are a lot of different kinds of love on display here, and a running theme seems to be how much we devalue and hate ourselves because of the expectations of society.
It isn't perfect, and has some glaring flaws, but I still personally loved it.
Now that I'm done...I wrote my full review which is very spoiler light!
Why are we spending so much time with Jae Shin? It is beginning to make me feel like he is the ultimate end guy. I mean is the whole back story supposed to be painting him in a good light? Am I supposed to feel sorry for him? Am I supposed to forgive him?
This is a very single minded focused man. Song Ah was a deviation. He, since youth, decided who and what he wanted to be and has dedicated his life to that. He will be rich, powerful, and equal to those who have looked down on him. And he will do everything in order to reach that.
When it comes to the marriage, I get it. He doesn't love her and doesn't want to marry her, but in order to keep what he has, and continue is upward path, he must do it.
BUT THAT IS HIS CHOICE.
If he really loved Song Ah and wanted her he would still choose her. But he chose wealth, power, and money.
At the least he could have told her what was happening and been honest with her. Given her the chance to decide to stay with him as a secret side piece because they loved each other while allowing him power or giving her the choice of ending it. If he really loved her that is the only thing he could have done besides walking away from her or the wealth and power from the start. It at least would have shown he respected her.
But he didn't want to give her that choice because she could have chosen to leave and he isn't willing to let her go. He wants her and the power. So he lied to her, hid her, and cheated on her. No matter if the reasons aren't the same simple reasons cheating normally entails.
Also, am I understanding this right. He was going to send her off to Europe for years so she wouldn't know he got married. They would be there together even though he had a wife back in Korea. Was that his plan. So then they would only deal with it when and if they came back after 3 years. SERIOUSLY? Also, how long has he been with both women and how many times has he lied, broken plans, or hurt our FL over it?
And we are supposed to still have pity on him.....? I don't get what the show wants from me regarding him.
Last...am I picking up clues that he is doing illegal stuff and being the son of his father. The mascara drying out for some unknown reason that our female lead is tracking. The team being told to tally and deliver inventory stock when its not actually being asked for. Having 300,000,000 won to pay off his father.......
Is the whole point of his character to be an ultimate evil guy that gets destroyed in the end and loses everything after showing he has been ripping off the family that he is marrying into provided him a future, and been a friend/gofer of?
If so, then why do we have to deal with him at all?
Because all this side story has nothing to do with our main character or our 2nd male lead. It deals with the rich conglomerate owning family, the fiance, and his friend, his dad, and the old chairman. Thus it is an entirely separate show and story.....
UNLESS THEY WRAP THIS AROUND AND OUR MAIN LEAD GETS BACK WITH HIM AS AN AFFAIR, which will make me hate the show and her......there is no point for us to pay all of this attention and spend so much screen time watching.
So um..yeah...I don't get what they are doing here.
Yes, episode 3 made the story about our two leads and focused almost solely on their development together and was a joy to watch.
If I were to rate each episode, the premier was solid somewhere in 7.5-8 territory, but episode 2 fell to a very average 5.5-6, and had me worried.
But episode 3 swooped in and showed what this series may be capable of delivering with the strongest episode so far, very much in an 8.5-9 arena.
I really do enjoy our main leads together. Ohm and Nanon do spark and they do prove they have more to offer acting wise than the average Thai BL leads. While Ohm I have come to love from The Shipper (Yes I am a fan of that show, it has a great META dissection of the psyche of female shippers of gay romances and problems that exist in BL as a genre. I loved it) and He's Coming to Me, this is my first time with Nanon. While I found him cute enough, he didn't have that instant sex appeal at first glance that other stars carry. However, his charisma, charm, and acting are winning me over and raising his desirability quickly.
I also want to give a shout out to Jimmy who plays Wei. I have never seen him before, and he is proving a fresh face to watch. Cute, expressive, and up-to-the-task of his role, Jimmy is so far the largest carrier of story outside our main leads and he is doing a very good job with the material. I am taking notice of him, and I like him, and that says a lot considering most of the friends have been around Thai BL for a while and even had lead roles and yet here are as utterly forgettable as they come.
The gear shift in this episode was needed, and it moved the story forward. You finally got to spend entire segments in the energy of just the two leads being together and yes I found myself whole heartidly smiling (Elevator Scene for example). Here is hoping we stick to them moving forward as much as possible.
This was laughable. Oh God the ending was horrendous. If you scroll down exactly 1 week ago, you will find my knee jerk reaction to episodes 5/6, when I was still invested in this "series," and where I thought the drama was going for its last 2 episodes.
I also specifically stated what they should not do and what I would NOT accept as a viewer.
And everything I thought was going to happen happened like check-boxes on a checklist. Every damn thing I said I didn't want and that I thought they would do just to muster a "Happy Shipper Ending" for everyone point by point by point. Showing how uninspired and insipid this plot and script were....
This was ridiculous, so so so plastic, empty, and fake and yes nonsensical.
Whatever...
And if you ever become senile and forget the meaning of anticlimactic, bookmark this page...so you can quickly be reminded its definition.
If you ever want to teach a class on how NOT to write conflict resolution, or you maybe have your own story you are working on, then this can be played as a step by step warning guide.
And lastly, If you ever want to know what its like to watch two straight guys who have no connection what-so-ever pretend to be in love, and all the squirmy cringe moments it brings.......
1 
2 
2) I don't think he is a good guy. I don't trust him. After episode 5 (9/10 of the 30 min version) I was going to come here and do this..but talked myself out-of-it. Said to myself "MJ, it is early on you are probably jumping to conclusions."
It was the escape scene that got me. When there is a flashback of the real Shin after he has been brought back from somewhere trying to get away from the family and his grandfather. He is laying there on the sofa and says "I keep running away and you keep dragging me back. No matter where I go you find me."
This let me know that Mr. Ji wasn't really on his side. We know the grandfather is a monster, we now the director is a monster, we know that our Shin was threatened as a child and forced to be separated from his mother and live in this world and house and be subjected to everything there. Yet, Mr. Ji keeps bringing him back. Keeps forcing him to return. Knowing, Shin wants out and not to be there. It shows that Mr. Ji is not really on Shin's side.
But, again everyone trust him, follows him, and calls him Shin's friend....I don't understand why.
3) He sold himself to Chairman or evil grandfather. He tied his life to Shin's. I just learned this and it made me finally come here and write this. If Shin leaves and is free, then Mr. Ji's livelihood is gone. His stature, place, and privileged goes with it. Everything that he is doing, he is doing for himself. He cares not for Shin at all, but for himself. He will endure being ridiculed, punished, hit, and demoralized. In return he controls, forces, and jails Shin making him follow the footsteps the Chairman has laid out for Shin.
While before this revelation I didn't trust him, and was already borderline not even liking him, now that I know this piece of information I also do not respect him as a person. Korea's whole orphan thing is disgusting. Looking down on people adopted or who don't have parents is starting to be a prevalent plot line that I can't stomach as a westerner. Here it really just bums me out. AS this story actually makes Mr. Ji into scum. He sold himself and his future for money, the Chairman even telling him that was what he was doing, and he accepts this and now has subjected Shin to this world and abuse in order to keep himself here. He is the actual lowest of the low and reinforces the idea that orphans are trash. Cause Mr. Ji is trash.
It makes me hate him more. Especially since he is an orphan knowing what it is to not have parents, while knowing that Shin's mother is out there in the world, and he is keeping Shin from her.
4) Tying back to number 1, Why would he not tell the chairman that Director Seo burst into the operating room and interfered with the surgery of his son? That would have easily gotten him thrown out, or at least put in his place. I get that the AI car went bad, but why, again, does he not tell the chairman about Director Seo hiring a spy to live with and follow the grandson. Again, this would only benefit the situation. There are all these pieces of information he knows and are useful that he tells no one. Just like knowing about he kill switch in our Android main...
There are a few more points, but this is way too long and I think I've made my stance clear on why I don't like him. But then again, and this is a HUGE gripe I have about the series as a whole, I don't like anyone really.
I like Android Shin, but he is our protagonist, so I'm clearly supposed to be on his side. The female lead I'm trying to like. Her narrow mindedness, self serving personality, and duplicitous nature are huge negatives for me. That she is part of this story because she was trying to destroy the main lead and working for the big bad is something, no matter what the plot wants, I can't just get over.
But everyone else outside of this I detest. I just talked about Mr. Ji, then there is Mom, who is cold, self serving, and mentally scarred who has blackmailed people, threatened others, and installed a kill switch to the Android who has loved and been by her side for years as if he is nothing when her true son wakes up. The guy that wants to be called father, does everything wrong constantly and seems generally good, but has caused multiple problems and I'm hoping in the end stands with the Android..but really I'm not sure.
The Grand father, Th Daughter (Or SHin's Aunt), Director Seo, the board members who plot with Director Seo, Director Seo's daughter........On and on and on and on, it is one evil, bad, or just annoying character after the other.
If you didn't like the Android, then there would be nothing. Why are so many Kdrama stories written where everyone is an asshole, even the Romances?
I mean I don't want to get spoiled or anything, so I guess no one answer me. But, I'm just saying, I don't like him.
I'm on episode 6 (11/12 of the 30 min version) and I'll put the reasons below in spoiler.
1) They (Our Android and his human keeper) put him becoming the heir of the family and business on the line for an AI road test....okay.
2) They know that Director Seo is vying for the throne of the company and is evil and has actively attempted to hurt the real Shin and will not allow him to take the role of Chairman from him. They also figure out our female lead is working for Seo and been spying. And yet, with them raising the stakes of this road test and the Automated car being the crux in their plan to beating Director Seo, they take no precautions regarding its debut.....again okay.
3) Our Android is able to communicate with all technology, control and command it like a technopath...or at least the show has shown this previously. Before the
road test our Android "connects" with the AI of the car and activates and controls it.......
YET, he doesn't stay connected with the car when knowing how much hinges on this being a success. He does not notice the autonomous car is being hacked or that it is behaving inaccurately. It takes the female lead notifying him. He then just watches idly as the automated car begins terrorizing the road and most likely killing a large swatch of people in the process. Even though he has a cardinal directive to save lives. He simply watches this for a VERY LONG TIME and does not attempt to reconnect with the car using his technopath skills. Instead, it boils down to an action sequence where he must get inside the now going crazy car open the dashboard and hit the kill switch (Like its a bomb)
Of course the human that was originally in the car, sits in the backseat for half the time not doing anything either...so whatever.
So in short, a human hacker being paid to kill people using laptops at a far destination ends up being stronger than a technopathic android on the scene.....
Fine....the story needs it so.
Also, since he knows the female lead is lying to him from the start with his lie detector skills, and he knows he is supposed to be passing as human, and he even now knows she is working for the enemy. Why does the android keep saying he doesn't have a heart or emotions, or need to breathe or any of that stuff....even after his human handler has told him not to?
It's all frustrating to watch.
I really like sci-fi and AI stories. So I thought this would be up my alley.
Ignoring bad action sequences with poor special effects is easy enough, but I can't reason through how the plot forces the main android character to constantly be slingshoting from capable, intelligent, and advanced to dumb, ineffectual, and inconsistent.
It seems when we are done with plot points he is suddenly a badass robot that solves everything and uses his "gifts" of technology to his advantage. But until the plot is ready for him to do this, he just sits idly by incapable of any action other than pining for his mom.
The end of episode 15.
I don't care if he lives or dies. I'm fine either way.
That is bad.
Let's finish this now. Hi final episode.
Now compare this scene back to episode 3. Our male lead comes into our female leads place of business and degrades her. Demoralizes her in front of her staff. Accusers her of deeds, and basically lets her know that she is his debtor and he her creditor and that nothing else will exist between them. He threatens that he will sell everything she has for his money....THIS WHILE SHE IS GRIEVING HER FATHER'S DEATH.
Now one was done by a "bad guy" or "evil character" to the male lead and one is done by our male lead to our female lead (who is supposed to be a romantic partner)
Should someone tell me that we will see why the evil 2nd male lead acts this way? Should I be told my opinion is valid on the topic of him being an asshole? Should I be told "sorry that I feel this way" about the bad guy.......
No? Yes?
That's only reserved for when its the guy everyone is shipping right? Then we can explain it all away and over look it. But when its the bad guy....god he's a real piece-of-work and asshole.
And then unlike our female lead, who in the next scene acts like nothing is wrong, and doesn't hold it against the male lead, and actually has a romantic interaction with him.
Our male lead refuses her phone calls, leaves her on the side of the road like nothing, and then has fight with her on front of his house. SHE ISN'T EVEN THE ONE THAT DEGRADED HIM, but it happened in front of her and by someone she was with. So she carries the brunt of his anger.
Really...so not only do you all, the audience give him a pass on his behavior, not only does the show, ignore this treatment and make our female swallow it as if nothing.....
But it turns around and allows our male lead to get hurt and angry over it being done to him, and even has our female lead apologizing for it, when it wasn't even her words.....
HE STILL HASN'T APOLOGIZED FOR HOW HE ACTED AND THE THINGS HE SAID.
And then what is GREAT!!! Is that he gets so heated he tells her to get his 2 million back by sleeping with 2nd male lead...she could probably get 20 million doing it.,....
Yes he calls our female lead a whore. An out and out whore.
And then they start making out. HONESTLY!!!!
Your a whore lets kiss....is the scene.
And everyone here is telling me...oh hes great, I love him so much. This is the best couple ever. So healthy. The female isn't degraded...its your opinion......on and on and on and on......
REALLY????
The double standard of this show....
I complain about what the male lead did to the female lead in episode 3 and I've been met with, "you will learn why he is like that," "sorry you think that," "your opinion is valid but hide this under spoilers" and then posts after mine... claim "best couple of the year"...."doesn't degrade the lady" etc....
And not one like...by anyone...cause I'm just that unpopular here....
And then there is episode 10. Yes, I'm giving this show every opportunity and not giving up. And under the above spoiler, I talk about how characters are growing on me etc....and also some stuff I'm not liking.....
But seriously episode 10 is such a conflicting episode and seriously highlights all my complaints regarding the treatment of the female lead vs the male lead.
ll put it under spoiler.
Let it out!
The sexism is strong in this one. I didn't expect it honestly. One of the central characters being a hard nosed female cop I thought it would have some empowering plot lines. I expected obstacles, like in the past when she is joining the force, and evil characters to be jerks becuase she was a woman ..but not this.
This show basically had women in it just to victimize them and make all the men heroes.
And her character, was built to be so much more than what we got.
Now, the leads have started to grow on me or re-grow I suppose since originally I loved both of them...and the story made me dislike them.
Like I said 2 posts ago, our female lead is growing a backbone and that has continued. She even has now openly admitted that she is not happy with herself and recognizes that all these men keep saving her. Now, I really like that she address this, and I also like that she does seem to be trying to regain the reigns of her own life, and claim her agency once again. But, let us hope this isn't lip service, because she is still getting a lot of help from the men in her life whether she now claims she wants it or not.
Our Male lead is being kind and adorable. And if I came into the series as his character is being now, I would adore him, just as I did in the beginning. However, I still can't let go of how poorly he treated the female lead from episodes 3-5. Especially the original office meeting at the beginning of episode 3.
I can't let go of these actions and let them be okay even if the story and main character are going along with his treatment of her and being okay with it. I still can't swallow him never apologizing and admitting his wrongdoing. I know, I've said this already. But I really want the show to give this to me. I can like him, I can love his character, and I can root for them to be together.
But I need this from him and the series to let myself.
Why is everyone else evil? There is her cop friend, who she lives with, who is like a brother, but he is amazingly never in the show or plot lines....he is good...so far....but absent. There is the one "older" female employee who actually fights at the side of our main lead and supports her. And that is it.
Every one else, degrades her or is against her. Or they are outright evil people trying to destroy her and take what she has left so they can become more wealthy. Everyone else, including her one remaining family member is a villain. It sucks.
Where is the happiness and fluffiness everyone talks about?
Speaking of her family member, can he please get off my screen. He is always at level 12 on a 1-10 scale. Every line screamed at the top of his lungs. His eyes always bugging out of his head. Always making the throaty SHEEESH sound. Yeah, I get it, you a bad guy, but can you dial it back...by a lot. I fight to not to skip every scene he is in.
Compare him to the female co-worker in cahoots with him. Hate her, true blue hate, possibly the most hate of any of the characters....though I do reserve a decent amount for some select others. (Step brother/ex boyfriend). And she doesn't act at level 12. She hardly goes above a 3, yet is more effective in being a villain.
Lastly, as for the ending of episode 8. It was like a bad horror movie. Who goes into their apartment when their front door is ajar and the lock and knob broken. If you do go in and find the place ransacked the moment you walk through the door, who doesn't immediately get on the phone with the police or at the least turn and run (especially since you've already been robbed violently and were having fear panic attacks afterwards). Who then sees a moving flashlight and knows someone is in the apartment and stays? Who answers the phone call of their roommate (WHO IS A DETECTIVE) understanding that whomever is in the apartment isn't him, and then NOT tell him, A COP, what is happening and hang up? HANG UP?!!!!
Who wrote this scene? It is horrible and just utterly unbelievable and ridiculous.
Sorry, since I only mentioned things that happened in the first 3 episodes of the series I didn't consider anything I said spoilers, because its information and plot points that happen in the very beginning, or in the set-up.
I'm now halfway through the series and have specifically kept plot points and story line details out of anything I've written in my last couple of posts to keep from giving spoilers. I try to be very careful of this to not spoil anything for others.
Now I've just been talking about my feelings and take-sways and not divulging anything at all that happens in the series or with its plot.
But I will put them under spoiler.
How many bad guys are we up to now in this? Everyone says this is light and fluffy, but I count 7 bad guys, with at least 3 out of the 7 BIG bad guys.......and that doesn't include the motel thief that beat her up. We also have a government corruption scandal breaking out as well. Sigh
Male lead is still a loser. He has brief moments of cuteness. But, still hasn't been properly put in his place by anyone, still doesn't feel remorse over how he behaves and what he has done. Still hasn't apologized or asked for any forgiveness over previous actions......at least he isn't straight degrading the female lead anymore.
So, its getting better?
I'm getting really let down.
About to start episode 5.
I still don't like the ML, he hasn't pulled himself back up into anything I feel worthy of swooning. I miss the way I viewed him before episode 3.
I'm not laughing anymore, because they are just delivering comedy and cuteness regardless of who the characters are at this point or how one is treating the other.
I'm going as far as beginning to really not like the female lead. She has gone from being kind, well educated, and worldly to powerless, weak, and lost. She is unable to handle any situation that arises. Every decision is poor and not thought-out. She keeps needing to be saved by the rich men around her. She keeps accepting the horrible stuff everyone says about her from all directions. Even more, she is allowing herself to be degraded by the male lead while simultaneously building a cutesy relationship with him.
He is being painted a hero, while he simultaneously watches her become destitute and, though has guilty feelings, continues to demoralize her, shame her, and control her.
Nothing the main lead does seems cute to me anymore. And the whole show seems to be a satire of an abusive relationship.
But here I go...pressing play, hoping at some point these characters grow. i hope he is forced to face his ugliness and ask for forgiveness. I hope she grows a spine and learns to stand on her own to feet. I hope that the relationship falls apart for at least a while and the leads are split as they realize it is built on abuse.
Then maybe we can get to him winning her heart, and mine, as a good man and ending on a note of hope.
But those are some lofty expectations, that as much as I want them, will likely not be what this show delivers....considering how it is going now.
I had dinner, watched Shang Chi, did some other stuff and now it is hours later and I pressed play again.
I'm now 30 min in to episode 3....and the characters have met back-up.
The show is playing cute happy music and having them fall all over each other with romantic eye staring scenes.
The female lead is acting perfectly okay with everything that happened. Everything that he did to the museum, did to her, said to her, and how she was treated. She is acting like none of it mattered at all. She has spent her entire day, her entire staff has, trying to smooth the public incident over with banks, artists, and contributors. She has been demoralized in front of her own staff. He ridiculed her to the point of being nothing.
But oops, she tripped...giggle....ahhh there they are in each other's arms on the sidewalk. I hear upbeat guitar music....
"Mr. Mr. Mr. are you alright?"
I paused to come here and word vomit again.
The show is treating it like its nothing and has decided to the go the route of just ignoring his actions and telling us to just focus on the cute blossoming love. Nothing is really that bad. Everyone he is still a likable guy.
Look he gave her the cute light-up shoes.....
No. This is borderline sickening.
And how am I supposed to respect the female lead after this?
But again, there really isn't an excuse for someone to act like this. And, in the real world, she would never have a thing to do with him again, and no one else would either. That is too much, way too much to ever be swept away and forgiven.
And why is it always the men that are written this way? Why do they always do crap like that, and why are the women, and us as an audience, always being told to forgive them for this or that reason through the course of the series. Over and over and over and over again.
Its a problem.
Episodes 1 and 2 were treats. I mean, even dealing with the horrible "Kdrama white actor issue" this one pulls it off stronger than any other I have seen so far. The leads spark with each other. The characters are well drawn and stand-out. The cinematography is unique and, I love the artistic sky renderings, and even the director takes risks with angles and camera movements not normally found in the stoic straight forwards approach Kdramas use.
In short, there is a WHOLE lot to love.
But now I am 8 min into episode 3....and the male lead is dead to me. I am tired of this in Kdramas. Seriously tired. I am sick of the male leads being written as blatant assholes and me supposed to still want them with the female leads. I'm tired of fandoms that ship this ideal of a relationship and couples together.
Our main male lead is painted as not the brightest of the bunch, I get that. But, up until now he still came off as likable. Short sighted, unintelligent, rude, crude, selfish and childish. Yes, but not an asshole. Not a complete dick. But here he is finally crossing that line. Just straight up no holds barred crosses that threshold.
Can he really not put 1+1 together, because he seems really good at math, his one strength. 1)The girl works for art galleries and was kind to him. 2) He sees her crying and almost collapse over a phone call and then disappear. 3) He shows up at an art gallery in Korea where the owner has just died and finds her there as the single heir and daughter.
1+1+1= Dude you're an asshole.
Not only does he degrade her, treat her like nothing, demand what is his, and act like a total worthless piece-of-trash (FAKE TATTOOS AND ALL) but he does this to a girl who is grieving the loss of her father. A man that has only died with-in days, and is demanding something that could destroy her livelihood and her fathers legacy. A girl who only days ago stole his heart with her kindness, wit, and comradery when he was destitute and in need.
Seriously?
I'm supposed to like him? Oh what the show is going to give me valid reasons why I should accept this from him? There is an excuse. SERIOUSLY in REAL LIFE, would any one watching this talk to this fool after him doing this to you. Have you all lost parents? The state she is in and what she is up against. He knows as well the the gallery and family is facing bankruptcy. So he knows the straights she is in. He also knows that she didn't steal his watch and run-off. She came home to handle her dead father and family affairs.
Why do I have to accept this in characters in Kdramas? I feel I keep writing this same post over and over and over again about the male leads......
Why do I have to grow to like him? I already liked him, now I hate him.
It just sucks.
I was really happy watching this and having a good time. Why is this the direction they took with him....
AND HOW IS HE NOW HAVING FLASHBACKS AND THINKING POSITIVELY ABOUT HER AND THE TIME THEY SPENT TOGETHER?
It isn't perfect, and has some glaring flaws, but I still personally loved it.
Now that I'm done...I wrote my full review which is very spoiler light!
https://kisskh.at/profile/soundinfinite/reviews/175751
And as always you can see my instant reactions to certain plot points and episodes by scrolling through this comments section...
This is a very single minded focused man. Song Ah was a deviation. He, since youth, decided who and what he wanted to be and has dedicated his life to that. He will be rich, powerful, and equal to those who have looked down on him. And he will do everything in order to reach that.
When it comes to the marriage, I get it. He doesn't love her and doesn't want to marry her, but in order to keep what he has, and continue is upward path, he must do it.
BUT THAT IS HIS CHOICE.
If he really loved Song Ah and wanted her he would still choose her. But he chose wealth, power, and money.
At the least he could have told her what was happening and been honest with her. Given her the chance to decide to stay with him as a secret side piece because they loved each other while allowing him power or giving her the choice of ending it. If he really loved her that is the only thing he could have done besides walking away from her or the wealth and power from the start. It at least would have shown he respected her.
But he didn't want to give her that choice because she could have chosen to leave and he isn't willing to let her go. He wants her and the power. So he lied to her, hid her, and cheated on her. No matter if the reasons aren't the same simple reasons cheating normally entails.
Also, am I understanding this right. He was going to send her off to Europe for years so she wouldn't know he got married. They would be there together even though he had a wife back in Korea. Was that his plan. So then they would only deal with it when and if they came back after 3 years. SERIOUSLY? Also, how long has he been with both women and how many times has he lied, broken plans, or hurt our FL over it?
And we are supposed to still have pity on him.....? I don't get what the show wants from me regarding him.
Last...am I picking up clues that he is doing illegal stuff and being the son of his father. The mascara drying out for some unknown reason that our female lead is tracking. The team being told to tally and deliver inventory stock when its not actually being asked for. Having 300,000,000 won to pay off his father.......
Is the whole point of his character to be an ultimate evil guy that gets destroyed in the end and loses everything after showing he has been ripping off the family that he is marrying into provided him a future, and been a friend/gofer of?
If so, then why do we have to deal with him at all?
Because all this side story has nothing to do with our main character or our 2nd male lead. It deals with the rich conglomerate owning family, the fiance, and his friend, his dad, and the old chairman. Thus it is an entirely separate show and story.....
UNLESS THEY WRAP THIS AROUND AND OUR MAIN LEAD GETS BACK WITH HIM AS AN AFFAIR, which will make me hate the show and her......there is no point for us to pay all of this attention and spend so much screen time watching.
So um..yeah...I don't get what they are doing here.
Starting episode 8 now.
If I were to rate each episode, the premier was solid somewhere in 7.5-8 territory, but episode 2 fell to a very average 5.5-6, and had me worried.
But episode 3 swooped in and showed what this series may be capable of delivering with the strongest episode so far, very much in an 8.5-9 arena.
I really do enjoy our main leads together. Ohm and Nanon do spark and they do prove they have more to offer acting wise than the average Thai BL leads. While Ohm I have come to love from The Shipper (Yes I am a fan of that show, it has a great META dissection of the psyche of female shippers of gay romances and problems that exist in BL as a genre. I loved it) and He's Coming to Me, this is my first time with Nanon. While I found him cute enough, he didn't have that instant sex appeal at first glance that other stars carry. However, his charisma, charm, and acting are winning me over and raising his desirability quickly.
I also want to give a shout out to Jimmy who plays Wei. I have never seen him before, and he is proving a fresh face to watch. Cute, expressive, and up-to-the-task of his role, Jimmy is so far the largest carrier of story outside our main leads and he is doing a very good job with the material. I am taking notice of him, and I like him, and that says a lot considering most of the friends have been around Thai BL for a while and even had lead roles and yet here are as utterly forgettable as they come.
The gear shift in this episode was needed, and it moved the story forward. You finally got to spend entire segments in the energy of just the two leads being together and yes I found myself whole heartidly smiling (Elevator Scene for example). Here is hoping we stick to them moving forward as much as possible.
https://kisskh.at/profile/soundinfinite/reviews/175453
I had fun writing it, more fun than watching the show.
I also specifically stated what they should not do and what I would NOT accept as a viewer.
And everything I thought was going to happen happened like check-boxes on a checklist. Every damn thing I said I didn't want and that I thought they would do just to muster a "Happy Shipper Ending" for everyone point by point by point. Showing how uninspired and insipid this plot and script were....
This was ridiculous, so so so plastic, empty, and fake and yes nonsensical.
Whatever...
And if you ever become senile and forget the meaning of anticlimactic, bookmark this page...so you can quickly be reminded its definition.
If you ever want to teach a class on how NOT to write conflict resolution, or you maybe have your own story you are working on, then this can be played as a step by step warning guide.
And lastly, If you ever want to know what its like to watch two straight guys who have no connection what-so-ever pretend to be in love, and all the squirmy cringe moments it brings.......
Then this is for you!!!!!