wonhwa

Thank you!

It seems like episode 21 hasn't been posted to Viki even though episode 22 is up. Is anyone else able to access it or is it just missing?

I agree - I thought it was really well done, but often quite hard to watch.

If I remember correctly, somewhere in the early 20's episode-wise. His appearance definitely kicks the show into a higher gear.

Yeah, the writing of the female characters left a lot to be desired.

The female lead's acting can be a little rough at times, but her character is really well written and the show itself is fantastic. I also found she got better as things went along (or I just got so caught up in the story that I stopped noticing the issues).

Two others to add - Jumong has a prominent queer character (not explicitly defined but could be interpreted as gay, trans or nonbinary) who gets an adorable romance with another male character. Also the main character of Painter of the Wind is clearly portrayed as queer - again, not fully specified, but could be read as trans, lesbian or bi. Their relationship with the second female lead is without question the main love line of the show, something that caused a good bit of controversy when the show first aired.

I love all three of the Korean dramas you mentioned (Six Flying Dragons is my favorite drama of all time), and I also adored The Untamed. It's definitely more of a fantasy piece which may or may not be a plus for you, and I did find it took a few episodes to get into it. However, like Six Flying Dragons, Jumong and Nokdu Flower, it's a show that knows how to build set-ups into early episodes that pay off big down the line and it also features complicated characters who don't slot easily into "good" or "bad" categories. It also upends a lot of the standard tropes around masculinity, honor, and warrior culture in ways that I personally found incredibly subversive and powerful. The acting and technical elements can be uneven at times, but the storytelling just keeps getting better and better as the show progresses. You'll have to decide if it works for you or not, but if you loved those other shows I'd give it a few more episodes.

An explicit verbal consent request does appear in Because this is My First Life - I remember it because it was surprising in a good way!

Yes, I really like how the show plays with different types of prejudice and highlights how each lead's strengths bring their own weaknesses and blind spots. I also appreciated how this episode acknowledged that it's possible to both remember just how much you once loved someone and to still know that you need to move on.

The ending is gorgeous - one of the most beautiful ones I've seen in K-drama. It's not "easy" but I think it will leave you feeling the opposite of hollow and devastated.

It's the first Taiwanese drama I've watched, and I highly, highly recommend it - it's fantastic!

Yeah, epic historical shows are their own special kind of addictive. I also loved Six Flying Dragons, enjoyed Nirvana in Fire, and am currently watching Joy of Life.

Ambiguous, but leans sad?

It just got added on Kocowa if that's an option for you.

Yay! Glad it's still available somewhere!

Unfortunately I watched most of it on a site that no longer exists. It was up on YouTube as well several years ago, but I don't know if it's still there or not.

It might be available in your region on Viki - i watched it years ago on sites that no longer exist unfortunately.

It's now available on Tubi if that works in your region (tubitv.com).

There were some interesting moments in the later episodes but nothing that really lived up to the first two episodes. The pacing was also ridiculously slow by the end