Eleison

Thanks! I liked My Mister. It was definitely very somber and felt very heavy, so I'd never rewatch it, but I thought everyone did such a good job in it. And it's such a unique drama, and it still felt very Kdrama despite the bittersweet feel to it and the unique storytelling/themes. Maybe it's the character arcs? Watching characters transform and grow before my eyes is still my favorite thing about Kdramas. ☺️ But I can't do TOO much sad, or only in small doses.

Yes, sort of! But I would say Miraculous Brothers is more crime and mystery and Circle is more supernatural/dystopian and futuristically trippy. They don't do a ton to develop Kang San's powers or build much of the plot around what he can do.

So, true, some dramas can only be finished if binged or some can only be finished if watched in bite sizes. Definitely know what you're talking about! Old dramas like this I rarely watch in their entirety. They have lots of skippable scenes.

Very few actors in old Kdramas acted like real people. It was part of their charm, I think. But they still had well-written character arcs (even if the characters themselves weren't realistic, their arcs were lovely to watch, which is still a common feature of the best Kdramas today).

I can appreciate that era for what it was, and still enjoy it even though it's very much NOT for everyone and the newer Kdramas certainly appeal to a wider audience; they're more accessible to those who require less cheesy and cringe humor to make it through. 😂

Thanks for the recommendation! One Spring Night has Son Ye Ji in it, too, yes?

And I'll admit, it's is easy to judge the way other cultures think, so I have to be careful not to forget that we've got plenty of blind spots here in the U.S., too. Things we think backwards about but don't realize it and which is deeply entrenched in our culture!

Though a widower should get a pass! With a divorcee I would understand why the family would have reservations and the person would need to be properly vetted, but why would a widower with a child be a no-no? I don't get the whole stigma against orphans in Korea either. It's not like THEY had any say in becoming an orphan. 😖

Then no one would watch it 😂

She's also precious and darling in Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People!

Nailed it. Thanks for articulating this!

Is it worse than the the toxicity in Goong, Secret Garden and BOFs?

Of course, I get that women were marginalized and not seen as equals back then, etc. and I get what he does and why he does it and why the story can portray him as noble despite lying to her over and over, but it's still my issue with him as a character and the only thing that annoyed me. The drama was already super anachronisitc in other ways, so I think they could have pulled off the anachronism of a respected and equal partnership just fine, and it would have demonstrated a healthier relationship dynamic. Just my opinion!

I sort of see what you mean about Mulan, but she was disguised once (not multiple times), and I have less of an issue with this deceit because she was protecting her disabled father who was old and would 100% have died in battle. He was helpless and weak, and he shouldn't have been called to war. Our FL was not helpless and weak, and was choosing to aid and help the ML the whole time. I would have liked to see him honor her agency and choice in the relationship, even if he didn't like the consequences. I do understand that that would be anachronistic and "modern," but I think truly healthy relationships, if and when they've existed (even in the past), have always operated that way.

For instance, in Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People, the ML has to choose between saving his people or his wife, and his wife begs him to allow herself to be sacrificed for the people's freedom and safety; he decides to risk her well-being to save the people and honors her request. I like that kind of "teaming up" and "partnership" better. The FL in this was always so capable and adept at handling things--I wish the ML had trusted her to be a partner in this rather than taking away her agency and choice to support her even if it meant risking her safety. That's all. I really did like him overall, this part of his character just grated on me.

True, but your partner/spouse is not your child. I don't think they should be treated the same because parents and children are not equals (as children are being raised), but spouses are (and certainly the MC in this drama is). I understand why he keeps doing it, but I think it was ultimately disrespecting her wishes. We overlook it because it's romantic and noble but at the end of the day he's still lying to her. It means he's willing to lie to her if he has a good enough reason, and I just struggle with that slippery slope. Instead of changing his behavior, he just apologizes for the same thing over and over with, "I just wanted to protect you." Accept that she will face the same fate as you if you want to be together, or leave her alone and don't "partner" with her in life. I suppose you could say he pays for it (with Shangue'r's death, for instance), to some extent, but I don't think that was what the drama wanted you to take away from his "protective lying."

I think most Cdramas are dubbed.

I agree with this. The 2ML, while beautiful and noble, couldn't compare to the ML as a character. He just wasn't in Wanqing's or Xuanlin's league.

My only issue with the ML is he kept hiding stuff from the FL to "protect her." I know they do it in dramas to make the ML look noble and self-sacrificing, but in a real relationship this is still deceit. After the first time, when she communicates she does not appreciate the deceit and doesn't ever want it to happen again, he should have honored her wishes as his equal. Instead, he opts to "protect" her every time she's potentially in danger, contrary to her wishes. How Wanqing put up with this THREE times I still wonder at. 🤔

So the "Revolutionary Army" became the Communist Party? I was wondering, since they portrayed them so well. Figures they'd make them the "good guys" by the end. Pro Chinese Government propoganda by the end, for sure.

It's not on the same level as the higher rated Cdramas I've seen, and while it's impressive they have so many sets that attempt to replicate the time period, they were still very clearly sets (especially Shanghai), and the clothing/hair/styling was super anachronistic, too, which made it feel a bit like everyone was playing dress up (Xuanlin's sister seemed to be the closest in accuracy, to me). Sometimes it really just felt more like a massive stage play than an immersive cinematic experience.

That said, I loved how brilliant Tan Xuanlin was, always three steps ahead of his enemy. I also enjoyed how he and Wanqing worked as a team throughout, though she felt a bit flat as a character after seeing FLs like Zhao Lusi's Shaoshang in LLTG. And it took some time for Xuanlin to grow on me, but grow on me he did, and he ended up being the most interesting character to watch by far (though Tan Si was one of my favorites, too!).

The dynamics and friendships between all the young people had the potential to be great, but for most of the drama they felt like extra clutter to the plot rather than central to the movement of the story and character arcs. Xu Guangyao was beautiful and smoldery, but a bit bland for me as a character, especially when juxtaposed against Xuanlin's cunning and intelligence.

I think it was a bold attempt, and still a fascinating time in history, though the ending felt very... nationalistic (maybe even propoganda-y)? I don't know, Xuanlin made all these choices to "save" lives and I was still asking myself at the end if he truly succeeded, yet his actions were framed FOR us as noble and admirable...

Oh, dear. I feel bad that it bothers me but it's SO distracting.

These are great to know! Had no idea. :) Thanks for sharing.

"... a loser definition of cheating" 😂😂 Very possible!

This! ☝️