Marshmallow-Chocoholic

So far in South-Korea the viewer ratings seem to be dropping ( the first episode was 2.5% in the Seoul area, roughly 2.2% nationwide) with the recent episode averaging at 1.173%. This is an interesting case as Nevertheless in SK airs on cable network ( JTBC) and so viewers ratings will always be a little lower. That aside it seems as though this drama is evidently is flopping ( there could be several reasons by air time, rating restrictions, lacking publicity etc) in SK. However it seems unlike even a couple of years back, a lot of networks have caught onto the ideology that they can still gain ratings and make a profit by selling the rights to international companies such as Netflix. ( Hence why the drama seems to be flourishing pretty well amongst the international community.)

There’s a couple of big revelations here to the webcomic which certain readers may not have come across yet. ( Although it it’s unlikely it will pop up in the drama for certain reasons, there may still be some major plot points appear.) However, thank you for considering this for future reference :).

@Kcitkat I’ll be honest by saying that I’m on the fence with the current pairings. Not exactly in the “ hate camp” or anything, just not overly engaged either. That aside I do agree that if the show focused more upon the trio’s bond as a platonic friendship rather than romantic ( for me at least) , this would undeniably work really well. In the webcomic, there’s still a lot of debate and theories towards who Soo Hyun will end up with ( although he’s dating Jun’s brother) as well as whether this will be Jun or not in the finale . Sadly I doubt the drama will take this direction, however, I must agree with you that most of our characters are quite dynamic.

@Gintoki No, this isn’t really a rom-com per say. As @Jessica pointed out there have been a few funny scenes dotted around the drama so far , but nothing to the point of your sides aching either.

@Gintoki No, this isn’t really a rom-com per say. As @Jessica pointed out there have been a few funny scenes dotted around the drama so far , but nothing to the point of your sides aching either.

@mikroyoes I hate to be “ that person” but pleasing think about putting on a spoiler tag on in order to not spoil the storyline so far for others :).

@mireille So long as the drama doesn’t stray away from the webcomic, it certainly won’t.

For a lot of viewers and original readers of the webcomic, this is more of the direction of the plot away from the original central messages. I won’t give away too much towards exactly what happens with the storyline ( in case you ever find yourself reading it) but trust me when I saw that whilst it’s important to validate this as a standalone production, certain screenwriting decisions do feel a little off.

schmoi_444 You’ve said it perfectly. It isn’t the case that there is a bad setup with characters or even their backgrounds, just that the screenwriter isn’t truly using this as an opportunity to explore and flesh-out the characters as individuals.

You’re welcome :).

@malarky Ah, Mi Joo. I can see your point. I know personally that I feel as though she was done a bit dirty by the screenwriter.

@yzhn13 Ah, my bad 😂 ( it’s been a long day already 😅).

I can see your point ( and I hate to be that I annoying person) but it’s important to clarify that the original webcomic is not a BL, but more of a representation of a “ gay character”. However, I think it is evident that the comment section seems to split into decisive camps; those who have never read or come across the webcomic before and aren’t bothered about the changes but like the romance, those who have read the webcomic and believe that the drama should follow the webcomic down to the last page, and then a minority who have read/ seen both but are more critical of character/ relationship development as a standalone production ( I admit that I’m in this camp). The biggest problem which can be easy to forget is that a lot of international viewers take the “ superior” stance by using “ queerbating” for this show without at least acknowledging or understand certain sociocultural differences and attitudes outside of their own. South-Korea isn’t as bad as a lot of countries towards LGTQ rights with a lot of positive representations even since the last decade in media, but it is still a rocky road as it’s often a hot topic of political debate and prejudice in South-Korean society, culture and the judicial system. ( It is evident to see why a drama may avoid some of these issues.)On the other hand, I can see where annoyance becomes prominent with subverting a character’s entire sexuality and throwing in random female side characters as main pairings in order to deactivate “ homosexual tension”.

@yzhn13 KBS2 seem to have really been on a “hit or miss “ slope over the past year or so. I do understand that KBS2 has always had to tone it down a little as it is fairly popular channel, but even recollecting drama from a few years back, I don’t ever remember it being this bad.

@amazemerlinmagin Ha, ha. I though I was the only one who thought that :D!

@Carulhein Exactly. You have your opinion, I have mine. So long as we respect one another’s, there’s no problem.

@malarky Who are you actually referring to here ?

@wavy3 I see where you’re coming from about doing something different with Mi Joo. In all honesty, I thought they’d at least venture into her familial scenario ( especially as the “ rich girl” archetype from what we’ve seen so far) as a minimum. SH is an interesting case for sure. Controversy aside with sexuality, I do agree that at the very least he should be allowed to remain single and focus on his own problems, but there’s just too many indications here that this won’t be the case. I totally agree with the development. A lot of the characters have been introduced as having evident problems and flaws and whilst I do believe given good development a relationship can prove beneficial, but it already feels as though characters such as Yeo Joon are already being shoehorned into the annoying archetype of “ this relationship healed my emotional scars” rather than actually investing in time for these characters to confront their problems openly as individuals.

@gCell at Work Yes, I did acknowledge that you were a little uncertain yourself on how to describe Nabi. That’s an interesting view from webcomic readers upon her instinct drive for toxic relationships. Considering Nabi’s trauma, this may not be out of the question as ( whilst I am no psychologist), there is a prescribed term for those who are often depraved of healthy emotional and psychological relationships (romantically or familial) in developmental years. Some calls this “ emotional hunger” which Nabi seems to show signs of from constantly finding herself in a rabbit hole of abusive relationships.

@wavy3 Agreed entirely. I know some original readers were in the “ hate camp” due to the romantic shift between Yeo Joon and Seo Bin even in the beginning. In all honesty ( like yourself) it did not really bother me as it seemed to be a subplot initially . ( I always hold the view as well that a webcomic and a drama are standalone works in their own right.) However, it is become more prominent as time has gone on throughout this drama ( and reaching the halfway point) that it is invested too much on this pairing than anything else. It wouldn’t be too bad if these characters were allowed to actually develop a platonic bond first, or at least learn to make gradual steps with their problems ( Yeo Joon with his family and facades and actually giving Seo Bin a motive) but so far this bond is heavily reliant upon cliches enforced chemistry and the “ they complete one another” analogy which is just growing tiresome. In all honesty, I don’t inherently mind Mi Joo as a character. I just think that they’ve done her dirty with forcing her into a particular role as the “ one with the unrequited feelings” and being” needy” after a breakup, rather than just being allowed to gain self-respect first. So far for me, the female characters in this show just seem to consist of being poorly written and cliched. Possibly the only female character who is actually likeable for me personally is Young Ran ( so long as they don’t reduce her character to cannon fodder with a romantic pairing ) but I do agree so far, SH and YJ’s potential friendship is one of the few intriguing points of this storyline. ( Which is sadly just being put to the side for lacklustre romance. )