It's an American drama series based on Lee Min Ji's bestselling novel about a South Korean family. It's currently showing on AppleTV. Lee Min Ho has a pivotal role in the show.
Haters are the main reason I soured on kdramas. I can't stand the injustice of quality dramas being downrated by haters and low-quality dramas being uprated by rabid fans. I've limited my viewing of kdramas to lessen my contact with this toxic world
There was one comment here that intrigued me. It posited that viewers are just feeling nostalgic about old kdramas…
Have you noticed both of these dramas star the same actor? The hapless fellow is one of the most bullied actors in kdramaland. He is the most popular kdrama actor internationally, or at least he was, before I took a break from kdramas. So, his bullying was probably due to ENVY - fans and other supporters of other actors were envious of his global popularity. But it appears the bullying is still going on. Whoever wrote the comment that intrigued you sounds like a hater. And this is why I've stayed away from kdramas - the vitriol is non-stop.
One thing that struck me, you correctly summed up the ML characters as bullies, initially. Considering how the actor got bullied in real life, I wonder if his bullies saw themselves in his characters and their self-hatred somehow twisted into hatred for the actor.
Oh my God, the alchemy of souls one was mind-blowing!! People were spamming GYJ's accounts with hate comments…
Yup, the toxicity of antis is really disgusting and off-putting. I had to distance myself from the toxic kdrama environment for a few months to get rid of my indignation for unfairly attacked dramas. When I came back, I had shed my former "love" for kdramas and just watch a couple or so a year nowadays.
If you like a drama just ignore what people/haters write about it, don't let other people destroy your enjoyment…
It wasn't as simple or subjective as "drama is boring". The saboteurs nitpicked the drama to pieces, even an object that was on camera for a split second became a big deal. It was ridiculous. The sabotage was overt. It originated from the kdrama industry itself and was repeated in social media. That's why I got disillusioned with kdramaland as a whole. Petty, nasty and toxic.
Hang on a second - who exactly got snubbed in acting awards and which actors didn't deserve their awards? There's…
It's exceedingly unfair not to be nominated just to give others a chance. The title "Best" should live up to its meaning. Always. Had Hollywood followed the "give others a chance" nonsense, there would be no Meryl Streep.
If you like a drama just ignore what people/haters write about it, don't let other people destroy your enjoyment…
That's what I'm doing with the new kdramas I'm watching. It's a pity though. The main reason I joined MDL was because I love discussing dramas with others who like them too. It enhances one's enjoyment when one can laugh and swoon with others. It's too bad there are those who seem to relish ruining others' enjoyment.
If you like a drama just ignore what people/haters write about it, don't let other people destroy your enjoyment…
Sadly, easier said than done. I did tell myself not to get affected by the sabotage the drama got subjected to, but, though I still love the drama, every time I think of it, my blood boils at the injustice it suffered. It has totally soured me on the kdrama industry because it wasn't just the fans that joined in the sabotage, Korean newspapers too.
I got turned off kdramas due to toxic fans who sabotage other actors' dramas. My enjoyment of a kdrama I loved was traumatically spoiled by arguments with haters of the drama here in MDL. I also got turned off by what kdrama industry seems to think is good acting - over-acting. Actors who are cool and don't overact tend to get snubbed in acting awards. Frankly, I cringe when I hear kdrama actors yell. Why would I want to be subjected to such abuse? Toxic fans can have their kdramas. I'm not anymore as fanatic about kdramas as I used to be. Nowadays, I watch 2 or 3 a year compared to more than 10 a year before. Currently, I'm checking out cdramas and I actually like that actors are cooler, with nuanced acting. However, toxic fans also abound, downrating cdramas and leaving bad reviews on dramas of actors perceived as competitors of their favorites. It spoils the enjoyment of cdramas as a whole. So I'll probably go back to western shows.
Guardians of the Dafeng is #1 on WeChat Index ranking for dramas that released materials for Qixi Festival on 8/10. Its heat index was almost 3x higher than the #2 drama.
So true! Even Douban can't be trusted anymore, or any publicly available online rating. On one hand we have the antis and blackmailers who downrate the dramas. On the other hand, we have the fans who uprate them. And it can't be assumed that these two sides cancel each other out. So, these ratings are basically useless.
Wow, the FL is the most egocentric female lead character I've ever seen in any Asian show. I'm in the middle of…
This drama is about flawed individuals, like in real life. It's about loving somebody despite his/her flaws. Shu Yi is self-centered and lies a lot, but she has fine qualities - she can't be bribed and is hard-working, doesn't believe in taking short cuts at work. She also detests negligence, shirking of responsibility.
This drama is also about growth, showing how a loving partner can help one become a better person. In the end, Shi Yan sheds his jealousy and Shu Yi becomes less self-centered and deceitful.
Here are discussion points that might help you understand the lead characters better:
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2 
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/article-pachinko-on-apple-tv-is-one-of-televisions-most-beautiful-shows-in/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/emmys/pachinko-season-2-reviews-the-historical-drama-is-astonishing-one-of-the-best-shows-of-the-year/ar-AA1pjsCk?ocid=BingNewsSerp
https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/apple-tv-plus-top-10-shows-here-s-the-3-worth-watching-now/ar-AA1pA57k?ocid=BingNewsSerp
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/22/arts/television/pachinko-season-2-apple.html
https://variety.com/2024/tv/tv-reviews/pachinko-season-2-review-1236115706/
https://www.theringer.com/tv/2024/8/26/24228258/pachinko-season-2-apple-tv-plus-review
One thing that struck me, you correctly summed up the ML characters as bullies, initially. Considering how the actor got bullied in real life, I wonder if his bullies saw themselves in his characters and their self-hatred somehow twisted into hatred for the actor.
https://x.com/dafengguardian/status/1824621248917455011
https://x.com/dafengguardian/status/1824660161946103817
Source:
https://x.com/dafengguardian/status/1822488825329045613
This drama is also about growth, showing how a loving partner can help one become a better person. In the end, Shi Yan sheds his jealousy and Shu Yi becomes less self-centered and deceitful.
Here are discussion points that might help you understand the lead characters better:
https://mydramalist.com/discussions/cuo-liao/121097-choosing-a-partner-like-a-venture-capitalist-with-shi-yan-long-analysis
https://mydramalist.com/discussions/cuo-liao/126949-why-this-show-doesn-t-suck-episode-review-summary-focused-on-the-leads
https://x.com/WangHediFolder/status/1815637753708912839/