Eleison

Hometown Cha Cha Cha meets Welcome To Samdalri. 😏

Let's see if the Hong sisters can pull off a "short-winded" Kdrama. They usually do longer stuff, so we'll see!

😅😅 Good question!

I like the actors a lot, and their interactions and such in the drama, but the scenarios are wildly unrealistic, so they kind of pull me out of the story. I do think it's cute, though, so far. People were not lying about how much food there is in this. 😅

If it's well-executed, I won't complain!

I didn't think it was unclear, but others for some reason imagined Ji Pyeong being the ML (and felt played when the whole 1st episode was about him) and were angry when he didn't end up with the FL (but that is always and forever the fate of a 2ML: to never end up with the FL 😅).

I just started this since it was recommended on Meet Yourself's page, but I do find the intersection of online and in person very strange, like all the characters are living in a partially virtual world constantly. Why not just meet up in person? The drama makes everyone balance the two worlds seamlessly, but that's not real life. In real life these people would boring, glued to their phones and only interesting to the community online viewing/interacting with them (kind of like Ready Player One). I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Is this how people in China (in this industry) live life, or is it the drama's take, or is it fantasy like the fact that the ML can be a cardiologist AND sing beautifully AND do voice recording on the side AND have free time AND look perfect all the time? 😂

The leads are cute, but so far I find all of their online meet-cutes really far-fetched. He got attracted to her talking about food online? Still trying to figure out what intrigues him about her (he has no idea she's gorgeous so far (I'm in Episode 3)). I'm only a few episodes in, so still kind of skeptical, haha.

P.S. Also, so much for not "falling in love with a voice"! Not sure who the ML intended that advice for because neither he nor the FL had any intention of following it. 😂

Meet Yourself sounds pretty close to that description!

What kind of red flags? I love Tan Jian Ci, but red flag MLs is my biggest gripe with modern Cdramas...

Oh, then never watch Boys Over Flowers. 😅 You won't make it past the first 10 minutes.

Nirvana in Fire (both seasons) and the Joy Of Life dramas (the series is not finished, just be warned) are good wuxia/fantasy (light on the fantasy compared to xianxia, though). Nirvana In Fire is beautifully done (considered one of the best Cdramas ever made), but it takes patience.

I can't get into xianxia at all; I'm not sure I'll ever acquire a taste for excessive pain and suffering that gets repeated over several lifetimes... only for the leads to die at the end or have 5 minutes of happiness to close out 50 episodes of agony.😅

The wuxia dramas feel a bit different from the pseudo-historical costume dramas. I would say there are fantasy wuxia dramas (like Ever Night or Blood Of Youth, which focus a lot more on fighting than say, romance), and then costume dramas with wuxia elements in them (like A Dream of Splendor or Flourished Peony). And then dramas with a mish-mash of both. 😅

Which do you think you'd like more recommendations for?

I watched WIFTY and Hidden Love as well and they do the set the bar high for the modern Cdramas, for sure. If you liked Hidden Love, you might like First Frost (it's not as rosy and playful as HL, though). They have the same writer.

The modern Cdramas haven't stuck their landings for me as much as the costume/wuxia dramas. I did recently finish Meet Yourself (I loved the leads in Floruished Peony and A Dream Of Splendor) and that was absolutely lovely. One of my favorite modern Cdramas now.

Two of my favorite modern action/thriller dramas I've seen so far are Reset (now a big fan of the ML!) and Under The Skin (Seasons 1 and 2--also has buddy cop elements, but with a unique spin). Really enjoyed those modern dramas!

I can't find it anywhere legally in the U.S. without subscribing to a 3rd streaming platform. I draw the line at two as I don't use illegal platforms. 😅 So, not sure if I'll ever get to try this. I am curious if I'd like it, though.

Too soon 😅

When does the FL change sides and join our ML? In Episode 7 and seeing the cop begin to thaw, but the FL's character is still driving me nuts as of Episode 7. 😖 (Lee Ha Nee is gorgeous, but that can't make me root for her character).

Oh, good old Shubham. 😉

He just needs to be better at getting permission for them, and AFTER they start dating. 😉

I loved the way the original allowed the story and characters space to breathe and "be." Sometimes scenes didn't seem to serve a purpose for the plot, but we got to know characters in those scenes; as a result, a mood was created, and an "experience" of the moment and of life in the simple and the mundane, and I loved that about the original. It elevated what I thought was a pretty soapy drama into a story about humans in need of healing doing life together.

The Kdrama moved like a freight train through the plot, and didn't stop for breath; the breakneck pace certainly kept the story and characters from digging little holes in your heart and taking up residence there like the Cdrama managed to do. The Cdrama is also WAY longer, so you have a lot more time to get attached to the characters.

The children in the Kdrama were fabulous, though. Young Joo Won was as cute as a button.

I'm jumping between Cdramas and Kdramas so that helps.

It does seem like a strange premise for a drama; hardly seems to be very good at reaching the audience that tends to watch Kdramas...

That's like 85% of dramas from any Kdrama era. It's clearly something writers don't care about fixing or else they would have by now (if anyone would know this is a common Kdrama pitfall, it would be the writers; yet the problem persists). 🤷‍♀️ It does bother me. 🤨 It's why I wait these days until a new Kdrama ends so I can see how it shakes out before I decide to invest energy into it.