John Smith

I think they both followed instead of being lead on by her. And I see nothing wrong with keeping score, as we all have some sort of scorecard we use for various purposes. If you notice, the one with the higher score did not "win", and it served as a catalyst that influenced her decision about who and what she wants.
I think the whole situation is actually pretty apt for the FL. It seemed like something she would do. Her love and relationship naivety leaves her feeling pretty unsure about what to do or how to even go about deciding what to do. A scorecard was suggested by Jing Jing and that is totally in the safe and analyzing style of the FL. Of course she realized that if lists and scores were all there was to a relationship, why was her heart and mind not in agreement?

Do you wish to see Kim So Yeon... You can stop right there. Yes.

I tend to agree with your assessment of the ML. I do not think there is any doubt that if he did not try to draw her out of her shell, she would still be the same person that was clueless and scared of love and relationships. She needed someone like the ML just like Mr. Xu needed someone like Li Yan Ran to enter into his life. And vice-versa. I think there is a layer of tacit understanding between each pair. While I hope things heat up between the main couple, I think I want the second couple to move more slowly to give weight to their previous feelings (like Zheng An's cousin and Li Tian from My Fated Boy).

I just think it is unfair to those who love unconditionally and are willing to share their whole selves (good and bad) to call his love pure or deep.

That is not pure love. That is selfish and one-sided. He could have told her and let her decide. By your logic, the best spouse would be no spouse.

You are welcome.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that historical dramas by their very nature lend themselves to being romantic. I find it easier to enjoy a drama when it is not complicated by my knowledge of today's world. I am not saying all historical romance dramas are better, and definitely not saying there are no good modern romance dramas. In my view, there is an added layer of reality to modern romances that even if I can relate to them more, I am clearly able to see their problems as well. If I were to study Asian history, my perception might change. I think there is more potential in historical dramas before I even start viewing, and that might be the "more romantic" you write about.
I do think that fantasy based historical dramas offer even more potential to be thought of as romantic. It has that added layer of fantasy built in before you even start watching as well. Romance can be a feeling or an action, so feeling like something will be romantic can make it seem more romantic as well.

I saw it more as he wants to make changes in his life to be the person he wants to be instead of just saying it and hoping it happens. He is maturing. I am sure there will be bumps along the way (especially since it is a drama), but I have confidence in him, the FL, and his mother to eventually find a balance that works for all of them.

She seems like she is a nice person and would have gotten the best doctors regardless. I hope that what she has done, and is doing will help her son in the long run. At least that is how I would like the story to go.

True. I think that this one could have been edited to about 12 to 16 episodes and been better. Although people probably would complain about how short it was. I appreciate a 12+ episode drama that left me wanting more versus a 24 or 36 (or more) episode drama that makes me leave after 18. Or one that I have to force myself to get across the finish line, and regret that I started it.

I think so too. I hope they pick and choose the parts they want to rush. It is aggravating when the last few episodes seem like you are watching a bunch of episode previews bunched together.

My hope is that the mother is doing all of this for her son and the FL's sake and not being the "evil mother" that we see in other dramas. I cannot say I get the plot at all, so it trickles down to not really understanding the mother either. You would think that the mother would be thrilled to find out that not only has her son become a better person, but the person he loves is someone she trusts and who helped him (and her) along the way.

I suspect that they will either end up back together or at least on the road to being back together. I just think the seriousness of the situation deserved more than what we are getting. We have seen him a few times and most of the time, he was not nice to Jing Jing. I personally do not care about his situation because that is now how it was written. Now I am supposed to root for them to waste screen time trying to resolve this? We have the ex-manager coming back to take over, the second leads, the cute couple, the best friend in the hospital, the championship race, and ex-girlfriend showing up, dealing with his mother, and now I have to see how that situation will play out too? My math may be wrong but that leaves about two and a half minutes an episode (yes, I am exaggerating) to focus on the main reason I am watching which is the main couple and their chemistry.

I was thinking instead of the married best friend divorce drama. That way she could have stayed the happy love guru, and we could have gotten more of the office workers besides the post-episode scenes.

I meant the idea of a couple that split while still in love, and then going to see a therapist might be a good start of a romantic comedy.

Yeah, but there were also plenty of other people in that office that could have used a romance story. That is why I watch dramas and not write them.

I think she has a kind heart and deserves better than to be pining over someone she can never have.
The fact that Jing Jing was plotting to make him fall back in love with her just to dump him makes me wonder what kind of advice has she been giving over the years. I do see this stuff a lot in dramas and I suppose I am either use to it, or actually have come to like the zany logic and somewhat wishy-washy resolutions that come from it. Sweet fluffy frosting it is.

That sounds like something that has the makings of a good spinoff drama with Jing Jing and her ex-husband.

I am more of a fan of spoilers if I like the drama or movie than if I do not. So if I get caught up in it, I will check it out.

I like the main couple (and their chemistry), Jing Jing, Li Yan Ran (she was not that bad), and the second couple is cute in the classic fluffy sense. Every time we saw the guy, which was not a lot, he did not make me care about his situation at all. It was a story line that just never really needed to exist, or at least in the form that made it on screen. In the best world, they would wrap it up quickly and I would just say that is Dramaland for you. My biggest worry is that dealing with all of this will take away from the best part of the drama which is the main leads.