Eleison

It definitely feels reminiscent, but this has it's own charms. And full-on xianxia (even some wuxia) is an aquired taste, in my opinion. 😅 It can be A LOT. I also think this actually feels a little more like wuxia than xianxia, because it has no immortals or different realms.

Yes, I LOVED the sequence introducing The Four Seasons in Episode 1 (and the BGM, which was never released on Spotify, sadly). They do such a good job with all four of them in that sequence, but Seo Yul's bit is my favorite.

Totally! Just sharing how I approach it. 😉

Oftentimes, when people find out these scandals about celebrities, they always seem so shocked. I don't know why? I expect celebrities to act like that because they have power, money, and fame, and only a very few people can possess those things and not go off the rails to become pretty awful humans.

Except the girl loses her memory in this?

If we only watched entertainment made by good people, there would be nothing to watch. Celebrities aren't that far off from politicians. They're all mostly fakes and frauds (some are much worse), but just really good at hiding it.

To me, if this is true, I can't figure out how it makes sense. Someone watches a drama (which means they're supporting it), and then rates it low because of something unrelated to the actually quality of the drama... huh? How does this make sense?

To me, the way you boycott a drama is by... not watching it. Which means you also shouldn't be rating it. And what other people choose to do is none of your business? *sigh*

She was a scene stealer in Teach Them A Lesson. I just thought she was so cute and lovely and sunshine-y.

Yes, I agree! Actually, one of my theories as to what was off was that stuff was cut. So, nice to know I'm not the only one who thought that.

Maybe it's that the drama doesn't know what it wants to be?

The ML and FL do a great job in their scenes together, but I'm struggling to follow their love arc and what's moving it forward and how they're making the progress that they are since they're not talking all that much about stuff?

I think the ML's biological parents are actually cut from the same cloth. His father is MUCH worse, obviously, but they're both terrible parents. How poor Soo Bin turned out so kind and functional is a mystery! (I mean, he didn't have to be raised by both of them, which I guess turned out to be a blessing!)

And you know it's leaning into makjang when the police or social workers aren't called in for things they should be...

This drama seems to be a good quality drama in a lot of ways (i.e. acting, cinematography, pacing), but something still feels kind of off.

I usually get annoyed when people say that in the comments because I feel like it's a weak "reason" to take issue with a drama, and here I am using it. 😅 However, that said, I think people might use it when they are unable to pinpoint what they feel is weak, and I don't think I can pinpoint what's weak about this one because it's not a weakness I'm used to seeing. I can't put my finger on what it is.

And it's not extreme enough to keep me from enjoying it yet, but something doesn't feel right and it's aggravating to not be able to pinpoint what is wrong. It DID go pretty makjang in Episodes 5 and 6, which I just decided to roll with because it's been a while since I saw a simple Kdrama romcom go this out there. It feels kind of nostalgic. 😅

...But the makjang version!

I'm only a little way into Episode 7, but it feels like the second couple is starting to feel La La Land-esque (even though they never officially dated).

Also, Hye Ri is famous for her kiss with Bogum in Reply 1988. I guess she goes all out!

Meet Yourself

😅😅😅

This made me laugh because you pegged (with deadly accuracy) a subset of drama watchers on MDL that drive me bonkers. 😅

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to post in response to the people you describe: "Um, Kdrama romcoms without love triangles are like beaches without sand. Do they exist? I'm sure they do. But going to a beach and complaining about the sand is a pointless gripe... because beaches with sand will not stop being a thing."

Yeah, figuring our where your taste aligns (or not) with the majority is a helpful metric of its own. I like how we can use this site in different ways to learn more about our taste and preferences. I've found it very helpful, and it's actually quite fascinating. 😏 I also just love engaging thoughtful people about dramas as well as their preferences. I always learn a lot.

I see what you mean, but I don't mind curating like this! 😅 It takes the wind out of my sails to start, and then ultimately drop, lots of dramas. I've gotten to the point where I've seen a lot of the finished dramas that I want to, and I usually try to pick nonairing dramas because I can get a much better sense for the overall quality when a drama is done airing. It's fun to discuss with people while watching, but it's not fun for me to discuss a bad drama or a drama that's starting to hardcore diappoint me. 😅

I've seen most of the best dramas (Cdrama/Kdrama) that are available that I've wanted to see at this point, and while there are a few stragglers (Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Hospital Playlist, When Life Gives You Tangerines, etc.) that I'm waiting on for the right mood to take me (or for it to become available in my region, like with 18 Again), now I've gotten pickier since I have the good ones to compare the new ones to.

Almost any drama I've tried with unknown/obscure writers or directors (or who have ambiguous results) I've not liked or they did not leave much of an impression on me.

Unlike those who think the ratings on MDL are garbage and inaccurate, I have a growing trust for the majority opinion as expressed through rating, comments, reviews and popularity (with a few caveats). I usually get a pretty good sense for what I will get, and after accessing the resources for viewer feedback on MDL pages, I usually like the dramas I pick using those metrics (but I can't do that with airing dramas, so I am more likely to stumble on a dud if I try them before the "word is out" on it; and a drama hyped at the beginning of airing means nothing because so many dramas start strong and slide down into mediocre or lame). I'm also not one of those viewers who can watch a drama simply because they like a lead or because the actors are pretty. I need an engaging, cohesive story and thoughtful character development/arcs or, I'm out. 😅

The main couple is really cute, but man, some of the side characters are absolutely INSUFFERABLE (namely, Tan Hong and Lu Qian Qian. They made my blood boil. 😤).

The setting is really fun, and the story is sweet and cozy, if a bit cheesy/basic at times. The MC is cute, and the ML's buddies are loyal and determined. There were some loose threads (what happened to Shenggong and Tan Hong?), but overall it was heartwarming.

A gripe, though: why do they mention (ad nauseum) that the FL is a college student?

Okay, so sure, maybe in the 80's in China it was super uncommon for a girl to go to college (I have no idea, but let's assume), but the way it's pulled out to "explain things" feels akin to something like this, "She's got a superpower," so of course she can do X, Y, and Z in a way no one in the village can.

Umm... I'm not sure that's QUITE how college degrees work? And many of the "skills" she exhibits are so diverse that there's no one "degree" that trains you with that much breadth. I think it'd be better if they made it clear (less often) that she's smart (first of all), and has had somewhat more access to knowledge/resources than everyone else in the village which would give her something of an edge in SOME ways, but it doesn't suddenly make someone an industry genius at all these varied skills.

Anyway, I enjoyed how the main leads grew in respect and admiration for each other, supporting each other in their dreams and endeavors with minimal drama and miscommunication. A sweet watch!