Eleison

In theory I get what you mean, but when you say the men are feminine in this drama, what is the specific quality of "femininity" you're saying they're showing? That looks good in a female but bad in a male?

Interesting, I don't disagree with you about Hollywood portraying people this way, but as far as Kdramas go, I feel like I've seen these tropes galore in older Kdramas, too? It doesn't seem like a trend they're moving more towards, at any rate (in my opinion and from what I've seen). I see these caricatures and cliches as purposely written lamely so the main characters of a story have to rise above their toxicity or stupidity, etc. or who become a foil to their thriving that they have to overcome. So, more for storytelling purposes than social commentary (though I'm sure that can't be removed entirely).

I also find the use of "feminine" here, sandwiched between "weak" and "irritating," to be a bit demeaning. Are you saying women are, by their very nature, pathetic? You use it as a derogatory word, which is why I ask. I mean, if the quality you describe as "feminine" in the male characters was removed from the man and assigned to a woman, would it suddenly not make it a negative connotation? I can't help but wonder that it wouldn't... 🤔

Yes, someone on this thread shared that this is from the novel.

But Squid Game also has a lot to live up to.... and won't it be released all at once like the last season?

I wonder if they'll show that he noticed the "kidnapper" stopped stuttering (or as that something the kidnapper pretended to do? 🤔). Maybe the ML has suspected but has also been intrigued and confused? And Kdramas like to circle back and reveal things characters knew or noticed that led up to a reveal. 🤷‍♀️

Knight Flower, for instance, got in the high teens, I think? But yes, that makes sense!

But I already did! 😅 So now I hope it ends well, haha!

That's good to hear! :)

The only reason I've backed off from currently airing dramas is that so many of them that start well end lamely. And then you feel like you wasted your time. 😭 But I did start this one... 🫣

Yeah, he's quite beautiful in Dr. Romantic, but his character for 2/3s of the drama is a first class jerk. He often plays jerks. Was he nice in Hospital Playlist? 😅 I feel like I've also heard that he's hard to work with (in real life). Korea does a good job curating people's experiences of their actors. Often hard to know what they're really like. 😏

For Nielson ratings, I think that's on the lower end. The really, really successful dramas (released by networks) get into the high teens or low twenties (unless I'm getting my rating metrics mixed up). 😅

👍 Haha, got it.

Oh, thank you! They usually try to keep the real culprit's actor under wraps, but I was curious if you knew or had a hunch. Thanks for the details! A wild ride ahead, it looks like!

P.S. And by 675 you mean the ML, right? 😅

Oh, I didn't know PDJ was a double agent; interesting! I feel peremptorily sad for the ML when he finds out. 😧

We haven't met BHJ in the drama, yet, right? We've just heard about him? Do you know which actor in the cast list is the real BSE?

How can you say a drama is a flop before it's even done airing? 🤔

I experimented once (because I noticed the same thing and thought it was a bit fishy) and discovered not only can I like my own comments, I can add more likes on the same comment every time I revisit a page after leaving it... It's never occured to me personally to do this beyond my experiment because it feels icky, but someone very interested in garnering attention for themselves or their comment with loose forum etiquette might be willing to attempt it. 🤷‍♀️

I guess it's not possible for MDL to set up the software to only allow a user one like per comment. I think that would be ideal, but I guess it's not a thing. Oh well!

Thank you! I also got some makjang-ish vibes, but I see a bit more of what you mean now and I think I agree with you. Thanks for taking the time to explain! I am curious to see if it will stay strong or fall into the category of many, many Kdramas where the writing drops off halfway through or near the end. 🤷‍♀️ We just have to wait a bit of extra time to found out now, it seems!

What do you mean by "manipulative shows"? And can you say more about what you mean by "That's a clever and legit use of the cold domineering ceo trope and miscommunication as a plot device"? I'd like to hear more of what you mean cause I'm still on the fence about whether this is doing something new or not with both the ML and FL, and I am intrigued by your comment.

I binged the first four episodes and I did like it, and there is something fresh about it (I can't put my finger on what, just yet) but the ML does feel unnecessarily harsh with the FL, and I can't see how they'll explain it away with anything that makes sense (unless we're just talking about "what makes sense" in a makjang world, in which case it wouldn't need to be a very good explanation to pass as "making sense" 😅). I'm used to Kdrama chaebol types having a "backstory" that account for their "jerkness," but so far it's unclear yet if he's changing/improving before our eyes and he was indeed just a jerk to her previously or if they're going to explain away how coldly he's treated her (since they're implying he has had feelings for her, right? Or at least he's pitied her, at the very least). I can't then wrap my head around the pretense of disliking her and also how he rudely bosses her around. And why not learn sign language so that they cab properly communicate? I know there's obviously still stuff that's not clear, but I'm not so sure he'll be anything very new on the rich, heir chaebol-type where all of his flaws get explained away with reasons that don't hold much water if you look too closely...

(I will say, it's sort of giving me Flower Of Evil vibes!).

I think I tend to prefer plots where the flawed MLs grow into better versions of themselves (BOFs, The King 2 Hearts) over plots like "he wasn't as bad as I thought" for x, y, and z reasons (What Happened To Secretary Kim?, Flower Of Evil). So I'm interested to see which way this drama will go.

(Actually, I will say, this drama IS kind of giving me Flower of Evil vibes! But also a dose of makjang-ish with ever-so-slight Tunnel/Signal vibes as well. 😅).

I personally love Chae Soo Bin. I think she's a wonderful actress! She's versatile, too, but because she's so petite and adorable it's hard not to find her endearing even when she's playing someone awful. She's one of my favorite Korean actresses. Everything else I've seen her in she nails her part. She also has a very distinct, unique voice.

So different people are making this season?