Popcxqueen

They keep adding new ones all the time, thankfully.

That sounds really interesting! Where did you get the extension? Is it part of Netflix or an outside extension?

Not to belabor this rabbit trail too much longer (LOL), but you don't actually have to be related to to the patient to be a "living liver donor" - you just have to have a compatible blood type (although most hospitals require that you also have a close emotional connection to the patient because of the risk to the donor and the long recovery period afterwards.)
But since many family members have compatibility in blood types and (hopefully) share a close emotional connection, it's then more likely that family would become a living donor, but not necessary. In fact, spouses have become major sources of partial liver donations for the other - and they aren't related by blood, of course, but by marriage.
That medical fact aside, because the partial donation didn't actually work after all for the ML and his best friend actually made the emergency towards the end much more realistic, in my opinion. There are many cases where this happens - for the liver especially - matches might happen but then there is infection or a too-risky fatty liver component and then the whole thing is called off, like what happened towards the end of the drama. And to me that scenario added to the tragedy of the whole thing.
And this medical emergency then wasn't solved by the ML's superhuman strength or intellect, it was actually solved by his doctor sister, who was more educated than him and could use her resources to save her brother. I would argue that this is another drama scenario that sits outside of the gender norms talked about here in your extremely well-written article. And thankfully so - for all of the characters in the drama.

While I don't normally watch dramas that are currently airing (because I hate having to wait for episodes!) I made an exception and started this drama. And because it's different than other K-dramas I've seen lately, I'm liking it and am glad for the change in format. Too much of the same makes for dull and stale viewing after a while, and performers often want their characters to be a new and exciting challenge. For example, I don't think I've ever seen a K-drama where the characters surf, and I really liked those scenes! They were beautifully filmed. Also, in almost every episode so far there's been a cameo that makes me want to jump out of my seat in excitement....
JCW as the ML is doing really well in this role, imo. I feel like people forget that even though he's traditionally had roles that have showed off his perfectly sculpted body, he's actually an actor and a performer first, and a damn good one at that....(the scene where he sings into the pay phone receiver....chef's kiss.) And I'm sure he's becoming keenly aware that as he ages he'll need to have the diverse acting chops to deliver performances besides ones like The K2 that take a huge physical toll on his body.
The FL is a hot mess to watch so far, but she's interesting and there's a lot going on underneath the surface, that's obvious, and I look forward to finding out what's really happening with her.
I'm really liking the supporting cast as well, and hope that we get to see more of their stories. The writing is like a slowly-peeling onion - one that takes a layer (or even a half a layer) off every episode and we'll just have to wait and see how it all unfolds.

I've seen this episode, but a lot of people haven't yet, so you all should tag your comments as spoilers - you're giving away quite a bit of information here...

Agreed!!

I couldn't handle 100 episodes of the FL's mother in Something In the Rain however...

"I must tell you how impressive you are. Honestly I read your articles with my mouth open most of the time and with much admiration. " YES! I wholeheartedly agree with this!

Thanks for the reply! Permit me to quibble just a bit and go down a rabbit trail. Yes, for sure it was a last-minute save on many levels. But IRL 1) organ transplants aren't necessarily 100% foolproof and 2) they aren't actually a "miracle" as they actually happen all the time. Now in the drama world, what happened at the end could certainly be categorized as a "miracle cure" trope, but we also need to keep in mind about what caused the organ failure in the first place, which was too-strong of doses of the wrong kind of medicine for his original injury. And so when we look at it that way, his medical emergency makes perfect sense, was built up throughout the whole course of the drama, and is actually all-too-real for many, many people in the world. In a weird sort of way, I was happy for that plot development to take place because it highlighted the acute dangers of treating chronic pain the wrong way (and in the US where opioid overdoses are at near-catastrophic levels, this felt real and timely and an important story to tell.)
His last-minute save was a reprieve for the audience, for sure, as many of us just could not have handled him dying after surviving all the rest of it. And that could certainly feel like a cop-out, plot-wise, I'll grant you that. But knowing that liver transplants often fail and sometimes only last a few years, his miracle cure will probably require multiple surgeries and a lifetime of trips to see his doctors - all because he couldn't afford the right kind of medicine for an injury that shouldn't have happened in the first place.
Rabbit trail over....for now. :-)

Looking forward to reading these!

I saw the ML in 1% of Something as less of a man-child and more addicted to his work, therefore not paying any attention to other human beings. The FL reminded him that there was more to life than work. There are other better examples of the "taming" that you're talking about here than 1%.

EXCELLENT article, 3GGG! You did a phenomenal job exposing these uncomfortable realities to us, and now that we see a little clearer, we can't un-see it any longer. For this I'm extremely grateful.
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This is one of the reasons why I love Just Between Lovers so much. The two leads are both average - meaning they aren't particularly great at anything, not like the prodigies in most dramas. We're not introduced to the ML (thankfully) by showcasing how great and powerful he is - on the contrary, the adult ML is introduced as he (slight spoiler) does some legally ambiguous things but then pays a price for it. (The one scene where he really does break something - literally - might be the one place where the drama would fit into the category of male rule-breakers, but I actually like how they handled it afterwards.)

They both have goals, but they're relatively attainable goals and they help each other attain them as best they can, within the circumstances that they're dealt. Not to mention that the severe traumas they both suffered continue to affect their lives throughout the whole drama - they're not magically cured by the end (other than some really fortunate medical interventions). They're not superhuman, they're not rich, and when they both show each other (and the audience by extension) their deepest wounds they find repair and companionship in the process. They take turns being the emotionally stable one in the relationship and at times they both feel hopeless as well as hopeful that things will improve for them.
There is just so much about this drama that is different than others, and thankfully different from the gender disparities that you very helpfully outlined in your article. Thanks again!

So just think hard about how comments like this could cause her even more pain.

Agreed!

I loved this - great acting and funny writing and some important things to say too.

Agreed!!! I loved it so much.

I wholeheartedly disagree with you and by the end of the drama the FL is one of my favorites. To each their own I guess, but just be aware that it's triggering for many of us when you write that you're glad when a female character gets slapped by a male character. Getting slapped in the face is violent, humiliating, and uncalled for.

Hmm, he wasn't actually a selfish bastard at all, he had very good reasons for all of your complaints here. And you liked that he was humiliated because of his stage fright? Wow, that's....unbelievable. Did you actually watch the whole thing? The ML had some significant issues with his upbringing which caused him to be almost pathologically shy and scared of attention. I'm not sure what else to say if instead of feeling sorry for him and rooting for him to recover, you're glad he got humiliated in public.

Have you answered your own question by now?

This drama has the cutest dog I have ever seen.