A 花より男子 (Hana Yori Dango); Meteor Garden show with political sibling rivalry

I. Story
In a story with many important characters, it is important to tell it clearly, they did well in doing that. The political war between the brothers were interesting, they also picked a good period for the Korean version of a Chinese novel.

Sadly, the romantic aspect of the story was delivered poorly. It did not elicit any emotional reaction. There was no built-up. This is primarily a story about sibling rivalry gone to the political level.

II. Acting
It was lacking in some areas, there were also scenes which looked like they were practicing. There were also memorable scenes, from pure laughter to serious where their acting were very natural.

III. Music
The music, unfortunately, did not make an impact. There were scenes where a powerful music fits but instead it did not have any or a weaker music was used. They should've used more.

IV. Production
The production was very good. They spent for quality materials and designs for the wardrobe of the actors. This is specially true for IU where she was able to wear historical wardrobes yet with a modern touch which fits her aura. Great job in blending the two eras.

However, close-up shots were overused to the 5th power. It wasn't needed in many of the scenes, it became annoying. In the boat scenes, there was too much backlight glare from the sun the actors (again close-up shots) can be barely seen.

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A real reprsentation. True-to-life stories

As expected! She knows her husband is having an affair. For an experienced divorce attorney such as herself, it is highly unlikely she doesn't know, much less a single suspicion.

I mean, even ordinary people, they can know if their partner is cheating on them.

The problem is, you don't have proof. And even if you can get a solid evidence, you don't want to do it.

You'll think:
1. We can still fix this.
2. All I have to do is this and that and s/he will come back to me.
3. Maybe s/he just got lost temporarily, I trust him/her.
4. Keep praying and hoping.
5. Our career and reputation is at stake.
6. Our kid will suffer if the affair comes out. It's better to keep it buried.

The one who is faithful and with the suspicions, they start to weigh things. Who will have the most to gain if the affair comes to light? If you're on the losing end, it's better to keep it in the darkness and learn to live with it. Or, if you start thinking about your kids (if any) then even more so to keep the affair in the shadows.

Even IF you have an undeniable proof, it still comes down to: who'll gain the most if the affair is revealed. Is the cheating spouse? If the suffering spouse will gain the most, how about their children? How about your career and reputation, especially if you're in the field where you are a divorce attorney or a writer/author/blogger/vlogger who give relationship advises and tips?

I love how the writer, who herself is a real-life divorce attorney, exposes these things, these truths, to the audience directly, without softening it or making it dramatic. It's just the plain truth.

Yes, right from E01, it was already hinted that Attorney Cha is fully aware her husband is having an affair. The clues were all there. They simply sealed it in E02. It explains why Attroney Cha is the way she is.

We are who we are today because of our experiences. Attorney Cha is who she is today because of her experiences, and that includes how her marriage is broken.

Remember what she said in E01? Once a glass has cracks, you can never fix it. That is one such clue. You can never have such wisdom if you haven't experienced it yourself.

This is why the 2FL is the way she is. She still is living in a “paradise“. She still lacks the wisdom of truly living your life.

And… I've been there. LOL. I had my suspicions, and those suspicions were right. Those cracks? It is true your relationship will never be the same again because of it. What you'll do after, or how you'll handle it, is the only thing that matters from that point on.

Is it possible to restart fresh for the couple? Yes, it is possible. However, it only works if both are on the same page and have the same level of desire and maturity. Which, we all know, is rarely the case for us human beings.

So once again, 100 out of 10 for this show. It truly pays that it was written by a real-life divorce attorney. In addition, the writer demonstrated how important it is to consult with a person who actually is in that field or living such a life, or “grassroots” instead of consulting so-called “experts”.

This is what I call real and true representation.

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