John Smith

The article can also serve to make you think about related subjects as well. It made me ask myself if there were any scenes that are common in dramas that I would like to see removed, especially if they serve no purpose or could be written better. One for me is the physical interaction between spouses or family members out of anger. Slapping, punching, and kicking can be uncomfortable to watch and not a healthy way to vent.

Dramas also provide a common topic to discuss with others. MDL is a good example of using dramas to be able to interact with others, often on a global scale. The reward can be a new friend made. That is food for thought.

I agree with you. We only see the shirtless scenes in the context of our screen. When I watch a drama, I view it as a personal experience. I do not worry if someone else is watching or what they are thinking and I do not really wonder what the actors themselves are thinking when they are off screen. Shirtless scenes are not very deep because they are shallow. They appeal to a fan base that can draw viewers and advertisers to a drama and they are also useful for those video clips that can get thousands and millions of views across various platforms. I think anyone who takes the time to think and research a subject should be able to argue for or against it. I generally do not have a problem with shirtless scenes in dramas. I do wonder if it is part of a larger issue in the entertainment industry and society as a whole . I am not going to boycott a drama because of it, but I also reserve the right to be critical about it. Like life itself, maybe this issue does not have an absolute right or wrong , but exists in the infinite shades of grey in between.

If you follow any line of thought to find some ultimate conclusion, you would end up with some ridiculous result that would probably be far from the original intent. I do believe that the writer should have moved the last paragraph closer to the top. It kind of read as "you are bad if you look at shirtless men because you are objectifying them", but I do not believe that was the tone the writer was trying to get across. I read it more as "there is more to a shirtless scene than just an actor missing a shirt, but how much more is there, and is that something worth thinking about." Judging from the various comments, if awareness was the goal, it definitely spoke to some readers.

I did not say they were the same problem. I said they are part of the same problem. A general lack of respect and abuse of power. I do not think every shirtless scene is a problem.
I would imagine there are ways to make a person feel forced to comply without resorting to that particular motivation. We all make calculated decisions based on various facts and interests. Sometimes we even have to choose between a bad decision and a really bad one.
Not all actors are big and famous enough. And even the big and famous actors did not start out big and famous.
Putting aside the fact that actors can be forced into what you call sexual "slavery", how can we know how many actors lives have been ruined for not taking off their top. In an industry where there are the fit and beautiful, the talented, and most who are in between, who is to say an actor lost a part or parts because of his fitness or refused to audition for a role because of his own self perceived image.
I tend to agree that the dynamic of power and the consequences are different when it comes to a shirtless scene and forced into favors for job opportunities. I would view a drama that has an unnecessary shirtless scene as a small weight on the scale that has over time led to more serious consequences for others.
Having said all that, I agree that shirtless scenes do not make a difference to me whether I watch a show or not. If I chose to not watch a drama because it had questionable content or because of questionable actions of companies, cast or even advertisers, I would have to forget just about all the dramas I have seen.

On a lighter note...
I feel like every third (and fourth) word I type is "shirtless scene" now. I also still see the title "Shirtless Scenes In K-Dramas Are Problematic" and a photo of Seo Ye Ji and get shocked about the content. I have also misread the title and think it would be about how rare it is to use the bathroom in dramas.

I think the article was not saying that shirtless guys are a problem, but more that unnecessary shirtless scenes in a drama can be problematic in the context of being sexually objectifying and potentially contribute to issues with the actor, the industry, and society itself.

My opinion is that one shirtless scene is not going to be the downfall of humanity. That is also part of the problem. Small issues may be big issues for others, and sometimes we have so many other important things going on in our lives that it might seem irrelevant to even think about such things. Sometimes we think if it is okay with me then it must be okay with everyone. Plus it can be hard just to live your own life let alone wonder if the rich and the beautiful are being mistreated.

When you made reference to an actor taking a shower or changing his shirt and then poor actresses being forced to have sex with powerful people, did it not occur to you that both might be part of the same problem. Maybe limits are tested and lines are crossed because the line keeps moving little by little by those in power and those who are powerless feel they have no choice.

I would like to think that having a discussion does not always mean one person is right and the other is wrong, but more that people can learn and empathize with each other. I do not refuse to watch dramas with shirtless scenes, but I have found myself questioning if certain scenes, words, or actions were necessary in a particular drama. If the goal of the article was awareness, then I think that more people are aware or have at least given the subject some thought.

I have read enough comments and articles to know that pacing is a personal preference so I understand someone's relaxing pace may be another person's frustrating drag.
I thought the second male lead was a creepy wimp most of the time. He let his mother control him (she basically disappeared in the later episodes with no mention of the stolen design of LXC's dress), his father misunderstand him, did not seem to have any friends, made poor business decisions, kept invading TXY's personal space, could not take hints, was obsessive, and just seemed scared to be himself. Then there was that uncomfortable ten second hug that he went in for with the emphasis on her limp arms not hugging back, the ring he wore as a sort of trophy that they made to replace the one she lost for LXC, and the puzzle piece he kept in a box and the puzzle of her that was hanging on the wall even in the last episode.
It could be argued that LXC's actions were not perfect as well, and perhaps TXY might have said or done things that gave LYZ false hope. I would also add that all three had family issues. It becomes a bit harder to explain the hug and the puzzle in the context of SLS.
Speaking of pairings, I am glad that the drama did not try to find a way to pair LYZ and JY in the later episodes like some dramas do.

I do have to admit that this is an issue that gets rarely discussed because it affect men. Problems with beauty standards and women have been discussed in many different forums for a long time. Men not so much. I read the article but I did not notice any mention of the fact that most shirtless scenes involve fit actors with ideal or "perfect" bodies which can put pressure on men to conform to those standards. There is a reason why the phrase "sex sells" exists, because it does. Who decides what is necessary shirtlessness? (That is a question I never ever thought I would type.)
Overall, it is a topic that can get deep and divisive pretty quickly. If the goal was awareness, then count me as being aware.

I thought this one was just as good as Another Miss Oh. I would encourage people to give both dramas a shot. Maybe not one after the other. One plus is that it was like I got to watch Another Miss Oh without having to watch it again. Same but different. If I had to mention something that I did not like, it would be the same as the original. The way they differentiated between the two females. One was "plain" and the other was "pretty" when in fact both were pretty. Almost everyone seemed too comfortable saying Ploy and Pretty Ploy, even Ploy herself.

I thought there was plenty of romantic chemistry between the leads. A person could do much worse than to be in a relationship where they consider their significant other their best friend and they get to kiss from time to time. Sounds like a win-win.

I just finished this drama earlier and thought it was really good. I liked watching it and I would recommend anyone to give it a shot. I commented earlier in this section that I was worried since there was going to be more episodes instead of 24 (that a lot of fluffy Chinese romantic comedy dramas have) that we were going to be bombarded with tropes, angst, and drag the rest of the way. I was glad to see that it did not happen to the extent given the episodes that were left to watch. They just slowed the pace and narrowed the focus of the drama. The end was a bit scattered and definitely rushed, but I have been used to that since I started watching Asian dramas.

I just finished it, and it is not like she becomes a better person. She is a poorly written character in the context of the drama itself.

No problem. I look forward to your thoughts.

I thought it was okay, not great. The story was average, the writing was good, the acting was better, and Seo Ye Ji was great. The drama has issues, like all dramas do, but nothing that made it unwatchable for me. Seo Ye Ji was such a shining star that I did not really care to notice them.
I was not the biggest fan of Goblin either. Between these three dramas (since we are in BR comment section), I liked BR, then IOTNBO, and then Goblin.
If you are able to watch IOTNBO, I would give an episode or two a shot. your opinion is the one that matters most.

Great question. A lot of dramas and actors get shortened via abbreviation, acronym, or initialism. IOTNBO is short for It's Okay to Not Be Okay.

I guess it is a compliment to you that I thought English was your first language. I know that there are subtle differences in the way language is learned and used, so I feel relieved that it was more misunderstanding than conflict. I ended up in my own drama with the misunderstanding trope but glad there was a happy ending. I rate it an 8.5/10 with a 15 for the cast.

Discussions about sexual orientation and particularly how it is portrayed across entertainment media are very complex, often divisive, and cannot help but to be deep. That is why my response was so long.
I feel I really understood your meaning. My orientation has nothing to do with my comprehension. I just felt it did not apply to that particular scene, and it bared out through the rest of the drama. I attempted to explain why.
If you really respected my opinion you would not have used "but sure" and "lmao" when you said you respected my opinion. It came across as dismissive. Then you just did the same thing again when you used the phrase "you know what, I'm tired" before you said you wanted to move on. Thanks for your time and consider me moved on.

One of the first things I did at the beginning of the scene is to imagine that. I wanted to see how much she knew about her son, I wanted to know what her reaction would be if she thought he was gay and what she thought of him and Kim Mi So together romantically among the dozens of things that went through my mind while that scene was playing out. If his mother were truly like that, the drama would have made attempts to show she was an unsympathetic tyrant, which the drama never really did. I would argue that the fact she was not sure if he was gay or not, calmly talking to Kim Mi So about him, and not interfering in his romantic life up to the point shows she was reacting more from the shock of asking itself rather than the response she was going to get. I know it is apples and oranges, but I compare it to pregnancy. Sometimes when a woman finds out she is pregnant, she thinks "no way" but that does not mean wants to get rid of it. Also, sometimes when the significant other finds out, their reaction might be shock or upset at something unplanned but does not mean they are not ready to be a parent. Through the entire drama, the mother was never written to be a bad character or a terrible mother. There were several points in the drama were that was painfully shown. I would say that understandably, your personal experience might have tinted the way you viewed the situation. You only saw a small part of the drama as well, but I believe that you misjudged her character. I truly feel that if other viewers were to share their thoughts, they would tend to think she was understanding, and not intolerant.

I only take a small offense at your slight because I know first hand when people feel angry or upset, it is hard to stop it from coming across in their words regardless of how nice they are 99.9% of the time. I am more disappointed that you used the phrase "respect your opinion" but clearly you did not mean it. Understanding works best when it is a two way street, not a one way road. Which one are you on?

We will definitely have to disagree on that point because it did not come across to me as a joke. Nor is there anything wrong with not wanting her son to be gay in the context of the conversation in the drama itself.
I have continued watching it (on episode 14), but do agree that the story is not what I expected either. I found it to be more comedy than romance with little drama.

In my opinion, that particular scene was not an anti-gay joke. You seem to have recalled it incorrectly. The part of the conversation you referred is actually different then you stated.

Viki translation follows.
YJ's mom: So, our Yeong Joon... perhaps... is he ga- ga- ga-... ga- ga- ga- ga-...
SK: Gay? Oh, its not anything like that!
YJ's mom: Really?
SK:Of course. I've been by his side for a long time, so I know better than anyone.
YJ's mom: I'm so relieved. To be honest, even if the chairman and I couldn't say anything, we were very worried.

His mother seemed to insult SK later in the conversation, but nothing that appeared to be an anti-gay joke. I usually am the first to say everyone is entitled to their opinion, and of course you are. Your opinion seems to be based on a misunderstanding of the facts. Perhaps you need to give the first episode a second watch. And if you have other reasons to drop it, then leave it dropped. I do ask that you check to see the conversation (near the 29:00 mark) for yourself.