Eleison

Yes, I know of a few couples personally, and their situations were... rough. For different reasons, but yeah, it caused a lot of issues that wouldn't have existed but for the age gap factor. Marriage is already hard, but age gaps make it harder.

Loved AADSIG, and I Hear Your Voice is also great. Have you tried any of the Replys? Similar in vibe/tone to Prison Playbook (a mix of friendship and nostalgia and cozy and bittersweet and funny). 1988 is the best (though I found the beginning agonizingly slow. Took a long break, and when I revisited it, managed to push just far enough to get hooked (around Episode 5 of 18)). Like Flowers In Sand is new and while it has a very gentle pace, it feels similarly people-driven, like in Prison Playbook.

I'm sure someone already made this comparison, but the FL's like a female, Joseon Batman (i.e. her Bruce Wayne persona is widow Cho Yeo Hwa and her Batman persona who saves people in Gotham is the masked champion of the victimized of Hanyang; Su Ho combines Alfred, Robin and Gordon and (plus he's an added love interest... so)... Catwoman? 😅). Love the dynamic duo. (Also, the title is "Knight Flower" ... hey, "Dark Knight" sounds similar and still applies to her, too. 😏)

Only a few episodes in but already enjoying it! can't wait to see how things unfold.

Yep, enjoy! Things get intense near the end, but it ends happily for our leads and their group of friends. :) (Even Gil Dong's nemesis, Mo Ri, gets a fun arc!)

She does, and they're so cute (Chae Soo Bin is adorable). She becomes integral to some big decisions he makes near the end (and don't worry, she doesn't die). Some people might not think they had enough time together, but I loved them. I think they tie the knot in Episode 18.

Makes sense since their accents sound like Busan accents I've heard.

I think you're looking for a sub-genre of a sub-genre if you're hoping for polyamory. 😂

Is the "g" pronounced with a hard "g" ("guh") like in "protagonist"? I keep wanting to pronounce "deuteragonist" with a soft "g" ("juh") to make it sound better. 😅

Kinda like how the SML usually plays a less cool role, which is why we're sad when actors we like get stuck with them. 😅

Interesting. I've had some conversations about concepts like this with my Indian friend that I'd never heard of before, which is always fascinating to hear. I probably need a bit more information to know exactly the type of relationship you're describing.

But based on what I just read (and I apologize if I missed your point or mangled your words), I agree that it's cool to have people who help guide you to your purpose and who become a big part of your life, even if it's just for the short term, but not if you're romantically involved with them after knowing that the relationship won't last or continue (and romantic relationships are more complicated than other types of relationships anyway because sex is involved, and that takes relationships, vulnerability and attachment to an entirely different level).

In this case, you're just prolonging the inevitable because of the acute pleasure found in the moment; but the other person WILL get hurt (the closer you become and the longer you're intimate, the more painful the separation), and why would you knowingly continue to hurt someone you love? I think that's an irresponsible and selfish way to live, even if the pain inflicted is mutual.

I learned a new word today. Never heard of a "deuteragonist" until I read your comment (and looked it up). It sounds way less cool than a protagonist. 😂

Oh, yes, I figured that. But once they've helped each other get revenge and helped the other heal from the pain, what kind of life can they share? Their love will be based on bonding over emotional trauma and such, but I struggle to see what could carry their relationship past that hurdle once it's been got over... that's why I find this premise for romance unappealing (similar to how I felt about the romance in Search: WWW; the leads knew they were incompatible and that they couldn't make things work long-term but persisted in their fantasy of the present moment even though they knew they were hurting each other by doing so... I couldn't get behind it).

I recognize that both characters are adults, so obviously there's nothing wrong with them being romantically involved, but I think an age gap of this kind is profoundly impractical, and honestly, not romantic (and what about the ML being similar-ish age to her son? 😳).

And building a life with someone does not happen in a vacuum of just two people's love. A healthy, balanced life should not revolve around just one person. I get hung up on scenarios like this (you know, like ordinary scenarios of life): what kind of friendships would they have as a couple? Who will they hang out with--friends her age (his "mom's" friends), or friends his age (hanging out with her husband's buddies who might as well be her son's age...)? How would they navigate the social stigma and awkwardness of people struggling to respond in such a way that will not offend or step on toes...? What about when one spouse is left a widow or widower in their 50's or 60's simply due to the age gap rather than a freak, tragic accident or atypical health problem? When their children don't get to have much time beyond childhood and young adulthood with one parent because one will inevitably die earlier? What about when, in addition to taking care of your ailing parents, you also have to start taking care of your declining spouse?

I don't know. I think it's a far less rosy prospect in real life for age gap romances to work out well. But hey, Kdramas don't promise practical or realistic much of the time, so if any genre can convince the audience that an age gap of this stretch is romantic, it'll be a Kdrama. 😏

EDIT: for anyone who reads my two comments below, it looks like I'm talking to myself, but that's because the person I was dialoguing with deleted their posts for some reason. 🤷‍♀️

Huh. I'll admit I don't know much about all this, but I can't imagine it wouldn't be important or ideal for the entire drama to be strong and liked by viewers? Don't the number of viewers and ratings matter, and if a drama goes downhill as it airs, won't it inevitably lose viewers?

Also, isn't it a little weird there's no poster yet?

The synopsis seems to rule out divorce.

It remains to be seen if she really will be like that, but if so, maybe the creators are flipping the script since they did decades of character imbalance with older Kdramas that have the bossy ML and the mousy FL. 🤷‍♀️ Either, way that's where the "drama" comes in, I suppose. 😏

KSH's part in this looks more comedic than past roles I've seen him play. It will be interesting to see him be a bit sillier? If the trailer is anything to go off of. He was incredible in IOTNBO.

KJW looked so different in the trailer I almost didn't recognize her, and her profile picture changed didn't it? She looks different in that, too. 😅 Not bad different, I just didn't almost recognize her, which is strange considering how unique her features are; I always thought she looked unique amongst Korean actresses. Or maybe I'm just going crazy. 🙃

Yup, I know that. My point was that dramas are not usually explicit (Korean network TV/mini-series), while American TV shows/mini-series are often explicit. But Netflix is making dramas more like Western shows (and I know that it's because of censorship, which I appreciate in this case).

Yep, we get these scenes in most Western TV and film unless it's clearly made for families (even that doesn't really stop them); one of the reasons I watch Kdramas is because they don't buy into these scenes being necessary for enjoyable or captivating storytelling (they get that we don't need a sex scene to know they had sex (and it's more dignifiying for the actors to keep things less intimate, especially if they have significant others, I think); and I get dramas are censored ans that's why there's less content, but I appreciate the generally more wholesome creativity that comes from the censorship). The premise already turned me off anyway, so I wasn't planning on watching it, but I do love Choi Woo Sik and Son Suk Ku. 😓

I just know that some dramas on Netflix will cater to audiences who enjoy edgier and/or morally ambiguous content, so I sift through it with a fine-toothed comb.