John Smith

For me, the boss has to be lying since that is Drama 101. I have no clue as to what will happen, but it is always something dramatic and unexpectedly expected. The good thing is that it is the two male leads that have the issue. No FL's father killing the ML's brother, or the ML family bankrupted the FL family or something that is written just to have them breakup in anguish to have to overcome it.

I thought his father died right around the time he left the FL, which is why he left her in the first place. I do not recall if there is an age gap between the leads, but the ML could have been just a member of the team and not the captain during that operation. Dramas love their plot-forwarding coincidences.

I thought he explicitly said he was going to keep in contact versus almost all other Korean dramas that assume there are no forms of communication between the United States and South Korea. They never showed anything about his trip, but I thought it was to the US to visit his mom, tell her about his father, and rehab his image. I thought they just did not show them keeping in contact to keep the suspense for the viewers, not for her sake. I also thought his "have you been waiting" line was more about him having something cool to say, and not him coming back a conquering hero looking for his woman. I do think that their relationship is not the healthiest, but there are very few healthy relationships in dramas, even ones that have a happy ending. When the Camellia Blooms was a Korean drama I thought had a healthy relationship, and Forever Love is a Chinese drama that I thought had a healthy relationship.

I hope MRIAG maintains its excellence. I was just pointing out they both have the same type of story as MDG. Overpowered male, strong female on paper, and once romance starts, the female does not seem as strong. I cannot remember all of Angel's Last Mission Love, but it might have done a better job keeping the balance in the relationship, especially since she was the cold one.

Ah, so it is okay to be rude or arrogant if the other person is a troll? I think they want you to be rude or arrogant so they can feel their words are justified somehow. Like you, I do not usually engage with troll commenters, but sometimes I just cannot help but to comment to see if they thought past their comment.
Grapeshot? The 18th century wants their word back.

Most of the quality comments you will read probably stem from only a portion of a commenter's thoughts. I have started to comment, the reins come loose, and I either end up with a totally different reply or lose the original enthusiasm I had to reply in the first place. We are not writing for an academic journal, and a lot of the comments tend to be more casual in relation to the commenter.

I do find it funny that you think saying an actor/actress's acting skill is bad is a better thing to say than they are unattractive. I think an actor's skill is probably more personal than their looks. Apparently, neither have much of a scientific basis because thoughts on a particular actor can range from terrible to great with just about every positive and negative adjective being used.

While I do think it would be great to be able to watch dramas or movies given another viewer's point of view, in practice, it seems impossible. I can keep something in mind but as soon as the episode or movie starts, I think about the episode or movie and not even my thoughts, let alone, anyone else.

I do think you do a bit of a disservice to a drama by trying to capture the essence of it with a selective two hour view. This drama really used strong colors and a heavy hand to paint a picture of the star and anti-fan, along with the jealous ex-friend and the depressed lover in a gilded cage. In the beginning, the drama went overboard on all of the main characters. Admittedly, the second "couple" was poorly executed. I do think the main leads and their romance was nothing out of the ordinary you might see in other dramas. I am not saying right or wrong, but I am saying that it was not unusual for an Asian drama. I have said, and most would agree, that there are problems with characters and the writing. I think there is a clear difference in the two "couples" (I cannot really accept the second couple). The main couple got better as the drama went on, the second couple was forced together by writing in the end.

We all have different eyes and the way we see certain scenes can differ, especially if you do not watch the entire drama. I am not saying it is wrong, but I am saying that you cannot walk into the middle of a lecture and expect to know what happened, especially if you never ask.

The drama really picked up steam when Geun Young got fired. But it was not Hoo Joon that got her fired. It was the boss that fired her because of layoffs and the fact she stole ideas from Geun Young.

About the stalker fan. Yeah, she seemed to be a classic stalker and bullied GY, but that was shown not to be exactly the case. She ran away from home and GY let her stay in part so she could keep an eye on her. Eventually GY and HJ took her back home and left words of wisdom and motivation for her to become a better person.

About the reality show. If GY did not realize how she was going to be portrayed, that is a GY problem. I do think they had fun at her expense, but do you really think they were going to have fun at the star's expense? The same with the friends. I do not report everything to my friends and GY did not either. She did not even share the truth until much later. I do think there was only so much she could or chose to share with her friends.

I do not think you need to be forgiving or generous to see how HJ and GY could fall in love. I think seeing the entire drama might have helped. But that becomes a matter of how you value your time. There is no guarantee you could watch the complete drama and see what others saw. You might even be more entrenched in your position. It certainly did not help matters that JJ was just toxic and IH was let down by the script.

I do see that you allow your dramas to have some uncomfortable aspects. It is almost impossible to find a show that does everything right. We all have our checklists of what we look for and limits on what we are willing to accept. For you, this drama did not check off the boxes, or went past the limits you are willing to accept. I am much more willing to accept a rant with some thought than the "Drama A is terrible because Actor B is trash and you are stupid if you watch it" style comments I come across.

I think I ranted too.

I know you probably know this by now, but the ML in one is an angel and in the other a supernatural being. They are not exactly on equal footing with the FLs. I have seen Angel's Last Mission Love and thought it was really good. Shin Hye Sun has got skills. I am also watching My Roommate Is a Gumiho. That one is really good. A romantic comedy where there is plenty of both. The ML role seems like it was written for Jang Ki Yong, and Lee Hye Ri is just brilliant.

You missed it. He has a copy of an article about a drug raid. I am assuming that is when his father was killed. In the photo, you can see the ML. Of course he not wearing a mask like every other member of the special forces and SWAT units. Convenient right?

Most of the Chinese romance based dramas (especially romantic comedies) I have seen always tend to veer towards the FL accepting the ML as the dominant partner regardless of how strong, smart, or independent the FL might be perceived. Even the drama Begin Again (an excellent watch), which had a role reversal of the mains with the FL being the dominant CEO and the ML being the warm and gentle one had the same thing happen. It seems to be the only way to tell a "sweet" love story.

Perhaps the FL is not written the best, but I do think that making the ML a captain of an elite Special Forces unit took away some of the equal footing that might have existed between them had he been just a soldier. Making him just a member of the Special Forces might have been enough to make him heroic without making him seem like a super hero. I think there is an overall problem, but I think it should be tackled from both ends. You mentioned Love O2O. He was written as rich, smart, athletic, had his own company, and was a top gaming player. Regardless of how well a FL is written, when the ML is written as Superman, you will get romance like MDG, Love O2O, and most other romantic comedies. And it is what a lot of people like and want.

One thing that I do not really think is necessary, and I have seen it in many Asian dramas (this one included), is the head patting. Maybe it is meant to be affectionate, comforting, or praising, but it also seems to reinforce the idea of a dominant and submissive role. It may be trivial, and not mean much in the grand scale of things, but when you have characters and romance written as they often are, I think it takes on a different meaning. Same thing with a wrist grab.

I do really like My Dear Guardian and Love O2O.

You are welcome.

No. The main couple stay together throughout the whole drama and they get engaged while the second leads also end up together.

It makes much more sense as I read it again if I view it in the context of a rant. To say I have not done the same thing would be misleading. I usually do not make it public, but I have blistered dramas and characters that I have either only read synopses or summaries, or seen a few episodes and either stopped watching or skipped to the end. And if someone were to say "shut up, what do you know?", I would probably be arrogant and say "what do you know?", but realize they might have seen something I did not or I was unwilling to take the time to see. For this particular drama, it definitely had triggers, issues with writing, and confounding plot resolution. I wrote as much down in the comments as well. I guess I was a bit shell-shocked that what you got from the drama was very different than what I got from the drama, and felt that perhaps the issue might have been the time spent. Presumptuous of me since like you said (I am paraphrasing), time is the most valuable commodity we have, and one that we are the most personally responsible for. No one should be forced to watch 100% to share their thoughts, nor does watching something to 100% mean you automatically have something worth sharing. Maybe I should take to ranting on the dramas I really did not like, but I tend to NOT be as nice as you are, so I avoid doing so.

Hoo Joon said he was going to keep in touch. I was shocked because there are apparently no forms of communication between the US and South Korea in most dramas. I thought I was going to see it for the first time, but no. I guess he only kept in touch with Geun Young in private, and not the viewers. I assume he went home to see his mother which is something I would have liked to have seen (and not the super sweet happy endings everyone got).

You should probably move the fact you watched a 16 hour drama in two hours to the disclaimer section. I think it would explain your ranting, and how serious people should or should not take it.

This drama was best viewed in two parts, Enjoy episodes 1-13. Enjoy all of the drama, comedy, and romance. Now forget all of that and watch 14-16. Really. Forget 1-13 because it will not make much sense if you try to view it as a 16 episode drama. Enjoy a mini-drama where the male leads fight back through adversity to be with the women they love. It was syrupy sweet overload. Overall, the first part was pretty good, and the second part was cloud nine for happy ending lovers. Both together make no sense.

I do think it could have been written better, but even you get the gist of what the drama was trying to do. I have to admit, even I am guilty of doing the same thing with people I care about. "Do not forget to lock up." "Call when you get home." "Be careful, that knife is sharp." These are all common knowledge, but I still find myself saying these things to people I care about. If I had to say the thing that bothers me the most, it is that she does not know how much danger she is really in. She had to have that incident happen, but I wonder how much will the ML tell her.

I am torn with three responses to you.
One, you are a genius. Perhaps we are in a subset of viewers who are geniuses and cannot help but to notice and pick out inconsistencies. Yes, it can ruin things like dramas, movies, jokes, and magic tricks, but we are smarter than most people so it kind of equals out. I tolerate with reservations, while trying to turn my brain down to enjoy a guilty pleasure.
Two, almost all dramas are like that, but there is something about this particular instance that really bothers you. Soldiers and their dependents, police and their families, doctors and their families, patients and their loved ones, or anyone in related fields might take exception to the way characters here are portrayed. It is easier to find a unicorn in a drama than it is to find a drama that true to life.
Three, you are right. It happens, but I hope that since you are commenting on it, you are still watching and trying to enjoy the drama.
I would not hold my breath waiting for the industry to produce intelligent romantic dramas. If you go by MDL's list, the most popular Korean drama is Goblin, and the most popular Chinese drama is Love O2O. That is the kind of dramas people want and that is what we are getting. I would say sorry, but I actually like this drama, Goblin (maybe not quite as much), and Love O2O (I really enjoyed the simple romance).

I find it refreshing that the drama has chosen (so far up to episode 10) to have them switch once, and only briefly. Other dramas I have seen have had them either switch multiple times, or the switch would last deeper into the drama. It has worked better as a catalyst for the plot than making it the plot itself.
The way Liang Jie played Jiang Yi in Yu Sheng Sheng's body was brilliant. From the posture, tone, and speech, she delivered. She is also doing a really good job at slowly, and somewhat unknowingly, falling for the male lead. I should not be surprised. She has been really good in the dramas I have seen her in.
My only complaint would be that it is almost halfway over, and it feels like it barely started. It is a good complaint because it means I have really enjoyed it so far.

Asian dramas. I remember watching What Is Wrong With Secretary Kim and when the mains got together, the ML (Vice-Chairman) just started taking days off to date. Romantic comedies focus on the romance. Medical, legal, or police dramas are the ones that more accurately portray professions.

My comments have been known to be wordy, so no need to apologize. Plus, with a name like OhSoEnthusiastic, I expect a passionate flow of thoughts, ideas, and opinions from time to time.

I will acquiesce to your idea that help is redemption.
I am glad to see you had mixed feelings on 14. I agree that the moment with HJ was not earned nor even needed. It even seems a bit insulting to HJ. HJ had been looking for his father for years, chasing every scrap of a clue, and JJ find out more in a few weeks, and HE literally found him, plus he was in JJ's circle not HJ's.
About IH, we have different opinions. She had been stepping up and trying to get away from JJ and being more independent before episode 14. I know she had tried to hurt herself in an earlier episode, but I thought she was doing much better and much braver. He was frantic the first time and pretty much drove her into the road to get run over. For IH herself, it made her seem as weak as she was the first time we saw her try to hurt herself (there may have been others), and at the same time made JJ look even worse, regardless if he rushed out to try to save her. (Did she choose death over JJ's abuse?)
We also disagree about the role GY played in JJ's life. At first she "hated" HJ and they seemed to want to bond over that. I do think that their interactions seemed to be sort of a pressure release valve for JJ where he could be more vulnerable than the might be with either HJ or even IH. As soon as GY began falling for HJ, the nature of their meetings and conversations became awkward. Had the drama been longer, I felt that JJ would have probably tried to treat GY the way he treated IH. Without help, I just think that would have been his nature.
I know it happens more often than not, but draggy tropes, sloppy writing, and rushed endings all bother me because it does not have to be like that. Every drama has issues and things that could be better, but for about 13 episodes, this drama was much better than I thought it was going to be. I was watching it mainly because Choi Soo Young was excellent in Run On. Even though this was made before that, I was glad to be able to see another drama with her as a main. I found myself really enjoying the episodes. I guess since I thought it was better than I thought, I had my hopes up that it would maintain its form until the end. I still plan to watch the final two episodes. I still think the drama is good, and maybe the final two episodes will change my current thoughts.