AH

Thanks for the comment. I didn't include Hwarang because I felt like it didn't fully meet the prompt. From what I remember they barely lived together and didn't know each other very long. Haven't seen LBtI so not sure about that one.

Thanks love. I don't normally add dramas I haven't watched to my lists, but appreciate the comment.

The trailer for Yoo Teo's romance movie Past Lives is out if anyone's interested ^^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA244xewjcI&ab_channel=A24

This drama (Love to Hate You) wasn't directed by a female director, and most of the western series I mentioned had women involved in the writing and directing stages. The Vampire Diaries had a male shower scene and the others famously have male wet-white-shirt scenes.

So I'm not sure I'm following your point. It sounds like you're saying you (a person who happens to be female) don't like the content in western dramas (because it's disgusting?) but you do like the content in Korean dramas (because they include male shower scenes?). I don't think that necessarily equates to "ONLY k-drama is made for the female gaze", but maybe I'm nitpicking. I'm glad you've found content that you like.

Plenty of western dramas that are adaptation of books are catered primarily to female audiences (the Vampire Diaries, Outlander, the Bridgerton series, any Jane Austen novel...). But there are definitely big gaps that korean dramas fill well.

https://kisskh.at/list/b3EKBgD1

For real XD He says he first fell for her when she threw the boomerang, but really the *romantic wind chimes sound* first plays right after she first twists his arm and makes him scream in pain.

At the very end of the drama, the FL's most recent ex (who becomes one of her colleagues) works with more of her colleagues to help find women from her past to testify that the FL helped them by punishing their cheating or abusive boyfriends so they can improve the FL's reputation in the public's eye. I guess you could say that sort of sanitizes her cheating and high body count by turning it into a righteous act... but near the end of the drama the FL also has a conversation with that ex where he asks if she dated awful guys on purpose, and the FL says (with no shame or remorse) that cheaters are easier to seduce, fun to hang out with, and dumping them was fun. So not all that sanitized really.

I'd say at the end of the drama the FL is still careful about trusting men (and still doesn't want to get married), but she no longer believes that 100% of men are completely untrustworthy. She can now say "I love you" (and mean it) to the ML at least. Separately, she's definitely still a feminist (meaning someone who believes that men and women should generally have equal rights, opportunities and treatment) at the end of the drama. That part of her worldview never changes.

The ML has an anxiety disorder and his episodes are triggered by physical contact with women. When the ML stars in romantic dramas, he has to take medication before skinship scenes with female actresses, and he practices those scenes with his male friend / manager / CEO of his management company. That involves a lot of intimate touching and almost kissing, as well as one accidental kiss. The ML and his friend are both portrayed as straight (the possibility of either of them being bi is never contemplated). At one point the ML's friend says that this arrangement almost made him vomit (not sure if he was exaggerating because that's how he and the ML tease each other or if that was a bit of homophobia showing, but either way the ML responded that that choice of words was a bit much).

One of the antagonists uses the ML's circumstances and close relationship with his friend to create a rumour that the ML is gay in order to hurt his career. While the FL says (at her law firm to no one in particular) that there is nothing wrong with being gay, many people (at the ML's management company, at the FL's law firm, and amongst the ML's fans) react to the rumour as a terrible thing (and to the rumour being proven false as a big relief). When that happens, it's not always clear whether those people think the possibility of him being gay is a bad thing itself or if they're only worried about how the rumour will affect his career.

There are a couple other bromance moments (including a scene where the ML gets excited about a movie role and kisses his friend on the cheek and tells his friend that he loves him and separately a reference to the ML buying his friend underwear as a gift), but (from what I can recall) not really anything else I would personally call "queerbaiting" (e.g., where the writers tease the possibility of either the ML or his friend actually being gay or bi in order to trick people who want to see queer characters / romance into watching more). It's more like... on the ML's side he's gotten rid of any shame about these kinds of things that would come from toxic masculinity or homophobia. He can't touch women and he isn't gay, so he's gotten comfortable being very affectionate with his friend.

For anyone worried about comments referencing queerbaiting, I've included some details under the spoiler tag below.

He's also one of the romantic leads in an American movie (so not listed on MDL) called Past Lives. https://www.imdb.com/video/vi1148699929/?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_2

She has a conversation with him later on where he asked if she only dated awful guys on purpose with the intent of punishing them, and she says "cheating men are easier to seduce..." (she did mention she enjoys having sex) "... are fun to hang out with and it feels good to dump them." Other female characters also reveal that they told the FL about issues they were having with their boyfriends (e.g., cheating or abuse) and the FL "used her skills as a pickup artist" to start dating those guys in order to punish them (sometimes by beating them up).

Like others noted above, based on her experience she didn't believe that any men were trustworthy or that real love was possible, so she wasn't pursuing emotionally committed romantic relationships with guys that seemed decent at that point in her life.

Okay I'm confused... Are you unhappy with my opinion? Because I (drumroll...) also liked this drama. I gave it 9/10 and listed double the amount of things I liked vs. didn't like. But even if I hated it and posted a comment saying so... we're all entitled to our own opinions. Just in case it was lost in translation, "IMO" means "in my opinion". I'm not claiming to be the ultimate authority on what's good or bad in this drama. I made a comment covering what I liked and didn't like to help others who are trying to decide whether to watch it by providing some information that might help their decision. Much like a review would.

IMO, the bad: (1) the leads start out with certain flaws that are genuine turn-offs (gender prejudices influenced by their parents and exes) and a propensity for excessive violence on top of that on the FL's part; (2) the second leads start out promising but end up being quite boring; and (3) the pacing is off in a few places, including the finale.

IMO, the good: (1) the leads' flaws are acknowledged as flaws and they grow past them; (2) the leads have a number of moments where they are unexpectedly honest with each other, which are quite satisfying; (3) the FL is genuinely competent at almost everything she does (but not impossibly perfect - e.g., she failed to become a prosecutor) and that doesn't suddenly go away at any point; (4) the ML also shines and has plenty of quality moments himself; (5) both leads are likeable despite their imperfections and have great chemistry with each other; (6) and there are lots of great bromance moments, sismance moments, and enjoyable moments with secondary characters. There was very little filler or dead weight.

Super enjoyable and nice and short. Definitely recommend it.

I wrote that comment when I was on episode 7 and ended up dropping the drama, and the childhood thing is mentioned in the synopsis, but okay. Guess it doesn't hurt to mark it.

For as long as Zhu Zhan believes (but doesn't *know*) that she's Jiu Ling and for as long as Jiu Ling unconvincingly denies it, she's like Schrödinger's childhood love. He can only treat her as simultaneously his childhood love and not his childhood love until it's confirmed. Tricky!

I'm in the minority I guess. Felt like the frustration of the Mr. Queen finale was stretched over an entire season.

Visuals: Very pretty.
Intimacy: Plentiful and enjoyable.
Plot: Absolutely non-sensical.

Certainly short and sweet, but not a drama I think I'll ever re-watch.