Aramintai

Yea, the problem that these types of villains are basically in every kdrama. Once they appear, you can't take a drama seriously anymore, it turns into eyeroll worthy circus. And it has stopped being fresh or entertaining long time ago, but seems like writers are just plain lazy and continue copycatting each other, instead of making an effort of creating a good villain.

It's bold of you to assume I'm younger than you or that I frequent social media. Also, it's childish from you to try diminish my opinion with these sort of remarks that try to invalidate interlocutor themselves instead of the argument.
I've watched quite a lot about serial killers though and most of them have one thing in common - they can't function normally in society and are usually weird, low intelligence creeps living on the fringes. This here villain though is a high functioning sociopath, a serial killer and a megalomaniac. Writers should have chosen some of these instead of all, just makes it super unrealistic the guy's still walking free.
And yea, I prefer realism where it is warranted. This is not some crazy sci-fi and the first 4 episodes were clearly a bait for upcoming mediocre cliches beaten to death. I'm debating whether makjang here is more ridiculous than the Graceful Family, the epitome of over the top ridiculous bs.

I was talking about the Front Man in the Squid Game.
And there's nothing wrong with wanting realism, this drama hooked me because of the first 4 episodes. But then the trololo villains got introduced and all serious buildup went down the drain.
And it's my business whether to drop it or not, whether to write criticism or not. You like this brainless chewing gum, good for you, there's no point in arguing with you. I'm writing my thoughts for people on the fence whether to watch it or not.

You can't survive in a society for long if you're a serial murder hobo. No matter how much cash you splash. That junkie guy who killed one girl could have gotten away with it, but not a crazy killer who murdered looks like a hundred or so people already. And his last crazy bout was an assemblyman and whole house full of chaebol relatives. Give me a break. It would have been all over the news and everybody'd be on his ass.

The only villain that I liked watching recently was in the Squid Game. That guy had reasons and they weren't just because trololo I like killing people.

This isn't a fan site, but a discussion board. I can write whatever criticism I want.
Furthermore, villains are cringe, over the top, unnecessarily bloodthirsty and have infinite power. A very overused combination in kdramas that immediately turns off any sort of suspension of disbelief. Irl, those guys would long be sitting in mental asylums or max security prisons. And you can't massacre dozens of people, very influential among them, and hope to buy everyone to cover this up. Too many relatives, friends and public would be looking for answers.
The show started great, but unfortunately cartoonish villains dragged it down to the bottom. I wish at least once in a while in kdramas a villain was someone cold, calculating and not a crazy delulu monster with delusions of grandeur.

Eh, this turned into a dumb makjang circus with those cringy villains. Just end it already. Disappointing drama, the beginning was great.

I dropped it last week, just too boring.

Exactly, SML gotta get sh*t together.

He friendzoned himself, FL was there for years. He just didn't want to, suspiciously until ML has appeared. It's just dumb jealousy, people be like that, like a dog in the manger. I can guarantee you nothing would have happened forever if she stayed boyfriendless.

Everybody talks about ML and SML, while forgetting SFL being completely bonkers as well. She aims to marry ML while basically openly stating that she's gonna cheat on him right then and there. Is ML seriously planning on going through with this?
I hate that ML shows no signs of coherent thought about his future plans.

SML is disgusting because he leads on SFL, while also suddenly developing feelings for FL, even though he could have made his move for years. Also, when the heck did that happen? Before or after his wife left him? Completely unnecessary ruination of a character, but what else can you expect out of SMLs, they're hopeless and always wedge themselves into main couple's relationships.
And you can't blame ML here, FL leads him on as well. People wanting other people and getting swayed is why there are so many divorces nowadays.

But the main point is, ML is not disgusting because everybody else are lying to him. He really tries to stay away from FL as well, like a true gentleman, but it's getting harder the more he gets to know her. Her behavior is also not helping, she's not pushing him away, on the contrary. And he didn't use her debts or his position to force her into anything, so you can't really say anything bad about him, the guy's just struggling because he's in love.

And you're wrong about ML's thoughts on cheating in marriage. He wished for his mother to get divorced from her cheating husband for years, because of her mental health. That's not a healthy relationship that they keep on playing in public and he knows it. That's why he forced his father to finally divorce her if he stays in the company.

Leave poor ML out of it. He can't help his feelings and since he now strongly suspects SML is cheating on FL, he'll become a home wrecker if he has to. Personally, I don't believe that one should stay married no matter what if feelings are gone, especially if the other party's cheating already. Sure, the kid's gonna suffer, but parents arguing and hating each other isn't a comfortable atmosphere to live in either.

Also, that whole "marriage" is a sham, you should be looking at the real culprits here. FL is the biggest idiot here, just stop fkn lying for a sec. And SML is the one who's plain disgusting, but again, he also can't help his feelings.

Everybody knows except ML. That's the only drama about this kdrama. Once he knows as well, there'll be little to go on with, but we're all waiting for that with suspense, lol. I'm not sure this plot merits 14 episodes though.

The term is called " the dog in the manger". The dog lays in the hay and doesn't eat it, but doesn't allow anobody to eat it either. When FL was without a man on the horizon, SML was fine. But as soon as ML has appeared, he suddenly realized he had feelings. 🙄 There are whole plots about it, the best one being the classic "The Dog in the Manger" itself, but this one here is rather unbelievable. It doesn't seem like it's serious, more like regret or smth, and SML doesn't mind getting together with SFL as well, which makes his behavior rather shitty.

SML, my man, you had one job here, one! And you blew it! 😂
And I don't appreciate him starting to appreciate FL ever since he saw ML appear on the horizon. You had 20 years to make a move, just drop it whatever it is and get together with SFL, looks like you want to sit on that chair as well.

You've answered your own question. She has inferiority complex and has to prove to her father and everybody else she's superior and a worthier heir than ML.

Yea, definitely getting better. That last episode's ending, lol. Just gotta resign that it's fate, come clear and confess already. And props for ML for not wanting to sit on both chairs and getting stuck in the middle, but he has managed to dig a hole for himself anyway, lmao.

That writer/director-nim character is pretty funny, btw.

Just like in every other kdrama.

I feel like with every new episode this plot is getting better. This drama has a very messy start, but now that everything is established and the main couple have started getting to know each other irl and anonymously through the Onion, it's actually a nice watch. The only thing that wastes screentime atm is the secondary couple. I don't care about them, they're not interesting to watch. I've seen another drama with a very similar situation to theirs and actors there really got into their roles, here I'm not feeling the effort. The main couple are nice though, I like both actors' performance and their characters.

Why are people fighting over whether ML is a red flag or not, lol? Besides the common power discrepancy trope between ML and FL in dramas such as these, what did you expect?
He fell for FL real hard, but she left him without explaining anything and then it turned out that she lied to him big time. Who wouldn't go on a power trip to make her pay for hurt feelings? The only ones who wouldn't are those without means. ML's got the means, though, so he's using them. And he could have used them real hard and fired her or done something nastier. But he didn't. Yea, he made her work overtime one time and threw a report in the pool, that's about it. I'd say it's a pretty mild punishment. And now that he's got the chance to learn more about her situation, I'm sure he won't do anything else, he's too soft on FL.
Also, he doesn't care about what's going on at work, because he was forced into that position. But in the last episode FL has motivated him to start caring, because she's there and needs his help to succeed at her job.

If anyone's a red flag here, it's FL. She's been lying non-stop since the beginning. Yea, she's got big money problems, but stacking lies upon lies will eventually bite her in the ass big time. She keeps torturing ML with her lies and pretends to be oblivious to his feelings. She's probably gonna get fired anyway when the truth will be revealed, and not by ML but by his sister or father. Moreover, that'll likely hurt SML and his kid, whom she also got involved in this. It's like that meme song: "Stop fkn lying!".

Personally, I don't understand the debate over this. It's just like those countless other dramas about a boss and a secretary, where a nasty (but actually very nice, with a tragic backstory) boss be trippin' and a (poor, but spunky) secretary be sufferin', and then she be makin' a fluffy bunny out of a boss. It's one of the most common tropes out there. If you don't like it, don't watch it. But don't be saying that it doesn't work, because this trope is also one of the most popular ones. Most people don’t care about timid green flags, because they’re just plain boring to watch.