John Smith

I do think Asian entertainment overall is getting more popular internationally, but still a long way to go to be popular in most other countries (United States included). Language and cultural barriers, but that may be a good thing if you like Asian dramas how they are now.

I do not think so. They might read comments on their own social media posts, or certain popular forums or feeds, but likely not MDL. For all intents and purposes, this is an English language fan site on Asian dramas. Why would they really care? I would be shocked if they knew it existed although MDL comes up in Google searches quite often. They probably would be using Baidu or other local search engines.

I enjoy reading compliments towards me by commenters because you seem to know what you are talking about.

If common sense ruled the day in dramas, they would all be about six episodes of twenty minutes. The difference is that the really good drama writers dress up the obvious to make it more palatable.

I agree. They actually act like they are in love with each other instead of filling out a checklist like they do in some dramas. One kiss, check, cold and boring, sweet moment, check, more boring... end episode. Since they admitted their feelings for each other, they have been kissing, hugging, sweet talking, and touching each other constantly like two people who are attracted to each other would be.

A note for anyone who is thinking about entering a contract marriage with a rich and attractive spouse (admit it, there are more of you than you think), and then falls in love. The second you fall in love, get rid of the contract. DO NOT be reading it at work. DO NOT just simply place it down when you know there is a snake in the hen house. And surely DO NOT walk away from the snake while leaving the contract unguarded. This is what I dislike about most Chinese romantic comedies. They lack consistency in dealing with the plot and moving it forward. You can have a really powerful scene, then something that looks cut and pasted from a high school drama writing class.

In a lot of these 24 episode Chinese romantic comedies, it is hit or miss as far as chemistry and acting, even from scene to scene from the same actor. In other dramas, the ML might have went in angry or domineering, usually overboard. Or the opposite with fake sadness that comes with a confused look wondering how and why to express how they are feeling to the viewer. She was pretty much teasing him the last half of the episode and he was trying to be so tough. A small part of me wants to think she did not wake him up because she might not have left otherwise. I thought the shop was just a stopover to find out she was not there, and race to the airport to find out she left with a time skip. I was not expecting that emotional cliffhanger. I hope the momentum carries to the beginning of the next episode.

I thought the last part of episode 20 was one of the most emotionally unexpected scenes in a drama I have seen in a long time. If one of the trademarks of a great actor is being able to pull you in and feel what they feel, then mission accomplished.

There are three sides to a story. Your side, my side, and the truth.

I am waiting (hopefully) for that "finally" moment when the reason for having the second couple is revealed. Both are connected through the ML, but not really connected to the story so far. I do think it is different than most dramas of this type. Usually a leads' best friend will have a love interest, or the co-worker of the leads (boss/secretary) will. The other couple here seems disjointed from the story and really not having a story of their own outside of getting together.

I think it is more of a rare opinion than an unpopular one. We do not get to see much of her outside of the business and FL related interactions the SML has.

Chinese dramas are all over the place when it comes to dealing with second leads. And the punishment does not always fit the crime. I am always amazed how these mature, intelligent people manage to become various degrees of foolish, ignorant, and careless when it comes to romance. Leads, seconds, and supporting roles.

It is rare to come across someone as perceptive as you. Usually my genius goes over the head of most people. but you nailed it. I am not just saying that because you agree with me or laughed at my humor.
I have read some of the comments on this page about the SML and the FL, and some of them sound like victim blaming (on the FL) rather than placing the fault squarely on the SML where it belongs. I do think out of the two second leads, he is the one that may get a bit of redemption since he has not tried to harm the leads versus the SFL who seems like she would do anything.

Of course the SML has stalking and obsessive traits. He has done things to keep the FL around him and also keeps tabs (stalks) on her though various means, both officially (investor checking on his investment) and unofficially (though the FL's best friend as an example). He is also really obsessive. He recognized her as the little girl from when he was younger almost immediately and had seemingly been in love with her since. He constantly tries to intrude in her life and has not once changed his target. He even used his other identity (masked) to swindle a hug. Hug thief! (I never thought I would use that phrase.) To say his actions have not had a negative impact on the FL would be minimizing how his actions have affected the FL, the ML, and their marriage. Perhaps the SFL has been more willing to harm the FL to get what she wants, but the SML has hurt the FL, and the ML, by his actions.
Maybe one second lead is worse than the other, but they are both wrong in this aspect.

One of the things I do not understand is as soon as a contract couple actually falls in love (which always seems to happen in the drama), they never think to get rid of the contract. I doubt the validity of any contract signed under duress or without legal advice, but you think once both profess their love, the couple would want to get rid of anything that might cause conflict or trouble. I suppose that would shorten a drama by a few episodes though.

I think that this was the type of article I was expecting for the first article on consent you wrote. I do agree with your assessment about the difference in some Chinese and Korean dramas. "While C-dramas often offer more light and fluffy romance with a side of assault, when I choose to watch K-dramas I often look for some complexity and depth accompanied with a side of romance, that empowers." I think that you took the opposite approach with the articles in respect to them. You showed the complexity and depth of the issues surrounding how some Chinese dramas use consent as a means to develop romance while being really light and fluffy on the Korean take of consent. I have seen some of the Korean dramas you mentioned, and perhaps they are written better overall which means a better resolution to the issues of consent, or perhaps you enjoy Korean dramas more than Chinese dramas and that might cloud your perspective, or a bit of both. None of that is wrong, and I would go to academic journals if I was looking for just facts, but I enjoy reading my articles with a side of passion as well.
I do have a question about this particular sentence. "Note: For those of you who happen to misinterpret signals, I urge you back away, reflect over your behaviour, and apologize, it is your fault, but an honest apology is always a good start ." Are you implying that it is not the other person's fault as well? In the dramas I have seen, it is usually both sides that have a misunderstanding. The same seems to be true in life as well. Even if you just narrow the scope to romance, it still seems to be true. I think that this could be made clearer.
I cannot say I remember if any Korean drama made use of clear verbal consent, especially if you want to include from the very beginning, but I do think that while it may be important, it is not as important as you think. If I have learned anything from these two articles, it is that consent is easier said than done. Consent is not a color, but a palette. It is not a sentence, but a story. It is not an image, but a movie. True consent is not an action, but a result of many actions. That is what I think.
Thanks for taking your precious time to share your thoughts and feelings with us. The reminder that dramas draw inspiration from real life, and that we can make difference in own own life or someone else's life by simply caring for people in the way we might a character who goes through the same thing is commendable.

You can get a pizza anywhere, but you cannot get a great pizza just anywhere. After the two most recent episodes (17-18), I am still really enjoying it. Yes, I have seen enough contract relationship dramas to open up a law firm. Yes, I have seen so many toxic second leads that I should work at poison control. And yes, even the worst fortuneteller in the world could tell you how the story unfolds. In spite of all that, I cannot help but to be impatient about the wait for new episodes. For me, this drama punches well above its weight, and that is only because of the ML and the FL. I have not seen any of their other works, so I cannot say if it is their individual ability added together, or if it is the pairing of them together that brings out the best in each other. I do look forward to the rest of the episodes.

I am glad you took the time to respond. You are correct in that i saw the difference in confidence and focus in the articles themselves, not any lack of knowledge on your part. When one tackles such a heavy subject, it seems reasonable that the weight you bear in showing respect to it and your intended audience shapes the way the article is created. MDL is not some literary journal, and sometimes it can be a benefit to have articles that come from real people, thinking about real issues, and expressing them in a way that connects with readers rather than with cold and complicated words that you might need to have a PhD to understand while being afraid to be wrong. I do my best to view my interactions on MDL as a conversations (casual to serious) between peers (Asian drama lovers) rather than some formal setting where I might be more guarded.

I have commented on few articles with the fact that it takes a lot to put yourself out there and be open for criticism. I might not agree with every article I have read, but I salute writers who are willing to share their thoughts with the world, while knowing there is a comment section that is waiting for you to reload the page and see what others think.

You are welcome. 15 and 16 are more of the same. I think the drama made a good decision to minimize any other couples or potential couples in favor of focusing on the main couple. Not to be critical of other cast or characters, but the main leads (especially as a couple) are incandescent, making it hard to see anyone else.

My thoughts on the article as a whole is that it seemed to lack the confidence and focus that your previous article on consent had. I do think that the subject of gender, even narrowed to equality, can be complicated whereas consent seems to garner wide understanding and a consensus in its ideal. My thoughts on the topic of this article probably mirror my thoughts of your article on consent. Drama is not reality, nor should they be a textbook on how to live. Dramas are exaggerated works in almost every shape and form. I do think that writers should be mindful of how they tell their stories, and hopefully written in a way that is respectful to them, the characters, and the viewers. I do not think there is much of a difference between using cross-dressing as comedy and using lack of consent as romance in dramas. I do think it is possible to explore gender issues like cross-dressing in a comedy if done right, just like you can shed light on lack of consent problems in romance based dramas as well. I cannot say that I have an obvious favorite drama where cross-dressing is part of the theme, but I do find it fascinating when I watch dramas (usually historical) to see the inequality between genders that create situations where a female pretends to be a male just to be taken seriously. I suppose if I had to state how I wish dramas would treat cross-dressing and gender issues (and consent as well), I hope it would be with respect and understanding. Even for comedies and makjangs, where more effort seems to be required (and needed) to avoid falling into these unnecessary tropes, I think it is possible to make them better.