UnaSpenser

this is the second time I've heard Trouble I'm In used in a really effective way in an Asian drama. Its has such a specific vibe.

they are sisters, but yes, we meet another little girl in the village. she says that her sister is with at her mom's house. so... maybe her mom lives closer to the ML?

curious: the young niece(8 or 10 years old?) shows up at the ML's place, having run away from home. Later, we learn that his hometown is a village in the mountains near the border of Tibet. (look up info on the Qiang) It requires an airplane flight to get there. How did the little girl manage this on her own?

I'm pretty much in agreement. Why would anyone put up with her nonsense? She lies, she's always saying goodbye, and she has no respect for boundaries. When she started going through his stuff I was furious. Also, someone who isn't forthcoming about their life's challenges isn't partner material. She wants to desperately know about his past, but its not relevant to his present. Meanwhile, she's a ticking time bomb and she has forcefully inserted herself into this man's life, knowing that she could relapse and die.

I'll never understand why anyone finds it romantic or a good story to have characters who leave someone who loves them without telling them the truth and, instead, leaving them heartbroken as if they'd been rejected. Its far more damaging to someone's psyche to do that rather than let them go through the natural process of sadness and grief. Why are there so many stories with this plot device? I absolutely loathe it.

Once I realized that she was doing this, i stopped watching.

This drama leaves me with one serious question: is there no such thing as bedside manner in Chinese medicine? Its rather chilling to think that someone would have your life in their hands, but they have no interest in making sure that you have any quality of life while under their care.

Its hard to find decent romantic comedies in CDrama-land. Most of them are over the top with these gross tropes and/or have very weirdly inconsistent characters or totally absurd plot devices. That said, two that I was surprised by were: Be My Princess and Becoming You. (I haven't completed Becoming You, yet, but so far, I think they've done a good, fun job with the body swap bit. Having been done a bunch, that plot device requires really good execution or else it can be full of eyerolls and stupidity. So, far, its pretty well done in Becoming You.) I'm sure there are others, but these popped into my head. (I don't have a good memory for names of things.)

I find that CDramas do better detective and bromance stories than romance. When they leave out the gender dynamics, they can write interesting things. Ancient Detective was pretty light and visually rich, with a fun twist. It has fantasy elements and its goofy and very stylized. It was actually rather mesmerizing and I'm really hoping we see a Season 2, because they dropped a big twist and left a huge question at the end.

I found League of Noblemen to be enjoyable. It has light humor strewn throughout a story that looks at how three people process grief and injustice and the balance between the desire for vengeance vs peace. There is one supporting character who is just the greatest friend. And it was so nice to see that actor get to play an admirable character rather the spoiled jerk he seemed to be getting typecast in before. Anyway, it was worth watching for friendship development.

People have said they really liked My Roommate Is A Detective. I found the lady friend/rich girl to be totally annoying, so I have to see if I can go back and just grit my teeth through her scenes.

ugh. wanted to enjoy a light drama. with the opening sequences giving us a strong FL character, who didn't speak in high tones and act all coquettish, I thought I'd give it a chance. But I ended up dropping it. Too many worn out, toxic tropes and a lack of commitment to a truly grounded female lead.

1) could they stop making dramas where rural people are depicted as so naive that they're stupid and prudish? Its so classist. Naivete doesn't equal stupid. So, why present this character who is introduced as so grounded and wise and then make her so stupid that she can't look in a mirror and see how horribly she applied makeup? Or that she didn't need the makeup because he had already told her that he'd fallen in love with her? It might make sense for her to be gullible about power dynamics, but the character that we were introduced to wouldn't be so personally insecure that, after they've already established a dating relationship, she succumbs to bad advice, which doesn't suit her personality, at all.

Rural folk may be naive about political machinations in power organizations, but they are not naive about the facts of life. They are very aware of, and, in many cases, less prudish about sex. The minute they had the FL respond to the MLs physical advances with squeamishness, I was done. I had been hoping there would be a more adult story line there. They live in the same apartment. They've been dancing around the fact that they are attracted to one another (supposedly. it was actually hard to sense that she felt any attraction) So, once they admit things and enter into a romantic relationships it is wholly unbelievable that she would shy away from kissing and keep sleeping in a separate bedroom. Real life doesn't work like that and it ruins a story when they keep using this trope. Its not funny. Its cringeworthy and insults the audience.

2) could we please stop having the "oh no, I know something I will hide from my partner and, instead will break their heart in order to "protect" them from hard feelings/whatever" scenario? OMFG, its infuriating. Because, if anyone ever did that to me, even after learning why, I would never want them back in my life. They can't be trusted and they have zero understanding of partnership. When difficult things come up, talk to your damned partner about it and figure out how to proceed together. If writers are going to have characters do this, it should be the definite end of the relationship. It is NOT romantic to have them get back together. Its toxic as hell.

3) the villainous younger brother who doesn't want to share his bro with anyone else was broadcast in the first scene we meet him in: when playing a game with his grandfather. It was poor writing to be so obvious, but also just a gross setup for the story. Like, really, this is the best you could come up with? An immature kid would rather destroy his brother's life than learn that he gained more family? And no one around notices his furtive behaviors? And this supposedly wise woman who has grown up being trained to have a clear mind falls for his crap? Its just all so lame that its disappointing.

4) how many times can it be considered entertaining to have the character who presumes a right to a relationship with someone who has made it perfectly clear that they aren't interested?

Is there really nothing fresh to write?

I won't even go into all the stupid portrayals of business management. Drama writers in South East Asia are very wedded to the most unrealistic and ridiculous ideas about what goes on in a business setting. I wish some of them would take business management courses and go intern for an executive, so they might have some idea of how business really works. These caricatures of business are so prevalent that I've just learned to expect them and hope that other aspects of the story can override the deep eyerolls I'll be suffering through. In this case, there wasn't enough there to get past it.

4) I see indications that the lead actor is fairly skilled. He gets to show a little bit of it here, when he switches gears from the self-collected CEO and goes into traumatized child mode. However, they need to stop putting so much makeup on him. He has larger than life features and unless the makeup is subtle - more natural skin tones, lip color, etc - he borders on clownish. Will the Chinese ever get over the idea that pale white skin is attractive? Its ghoulish. White face has its place in traditional opera, but in these modern dramas, its off-putting.

Agreed. I'm sad that they chose SSK. Her acting always feels flat, coming from her head. She lacks animation. There is no gut. Having her in a drama that is this gritty, where everyone is supposed to feel pretty earthy and grounded just doesn't sound like a good fit. I guess we'll see.

he steals the show in Love To Hate You.

tried to keep going. but, does anyone even want these two to be together?

He's a hotheaded, immature bundle of insecurity. She's tight-lipped, careless and joyless. What's to enjoy about them being together?

Go your separate ways already.

want to enjoy this. the acting is good enough. its a complex political/war environment. a complex family.

what I am struggling with is the FL character (not the actress) and this line of "my dad's in prison, I can't think of anything else." For years. Its just silly. Obviously, she's thinking of lots of other things. She's studying and writing and helping children and hanging out with her friend. She's not allowed to have romantic feelings because her father's in prison? What if he's there for the duration?

Its a silly premise. I wish they would have gone with something more akin to a character who just wasn't ready to be romantic because she had her own interests in life. And, it would make sense for any possible feelings for the ML to take time after the shitty way he, his friends, and his sister treated her when she got there. Why can't she just be an independent person who comes to romantic feelings later than some and mores slowly, because she's an introvert? Every time she mentions, "I don't have time because my dad's in prison", the story loses me.

In fact, the story might be losing me. If it was a story about him and his development, going from a grieving, emotionally stunted child of a powerful father to a more mature man who is worldly, even questioning the power his father has and the system that it stems from, I would be all in. Have his romantic pursuit be a side story, a part of life, but not central to it. The romance itself is meh. Is she smart? Yes. Is she self-directed? Yes. But, other than that the character is rather boring. But, that's me, because i don't like characters that do no play/laughter, at all. In this case, though, the problem is that while, yes, he needs to mature, his playfulness - when light and without a victim - is a part of his personality that helps him rise above his despair. its also a sign of his intelligence. And he deserves a partner who can play/laugh/joke/have fun. Who wants a life of 100% serious maturity?

Would love a season 2!

there are moments in this drama that are so dark. given the kinda light humor that goes on, it always strikes me. that scene where the emperor made her hold the knife. I was a bit traumatized. (Peter Ho is way too good at being a narcissitic psychopath) I simply didn't expect such hard hitting moments. The evil men in this are chillingly evil.

Reversing the toxicity rather than showing a better way of approaching relationships is always a fail, in my book. And, frankly, I got bored. Its obvious where its going, so you have to make getting there interesting, which is via fun or dynamic relations. The women-owned restaurant thing was done in a fairly recent Chinese costume drama, so that wasn't original, either. *sigh*

I see what you mean. I’m at ep 21 now and she’s just annoying me. Gonna stop watching. She’s upset because the High Lord’s wife excluded her from the banquet she organized. But he didn’t know about it and she lied to him when he asked why she wasn’t going. So, why is she angry with him? He’s nothing but supportive of her progressive ventures. He’s always warm and understanding and open to her ideas. He has faith in her and she does not reciprocate. She claims she fell in love with him, but she does not demonstrate that.

I get that she’s in a foreign land, with oppressive rules that she’s not used to. I can buy the notion that, at first, she was too focused on just getting out of there. But, now, she’s opening a business, which a commitment to staying. This person she says she likes is on board and can be a great background support. But, she rejects even spending any time with him?

I find these kind of romance plots too toxic. So, I’m out.

because people are not working, unless it is an essential service. so, there isn't anyone at the TV station manning the systems which air the dramas.

But, this is a comedy, which is using the device of extremes to make its points. In this case, "in a patriarchal monarchy, men are generally lower than average, because they don't really have to be more, since they can command their way through life via threat of violence/oppression." They all have to learn the hard way, once women who expect to be treated equally come along and stand up for themselves.

Also, I like that she isn't particularly brilliant or super-capable at anything. She's just a normal person, with some common sense, who deserves respect and friendship and has to muddle through along with those around her. That is, we don't have to be special to enact change. We only have to work in solidarity.

I don't like her, either. But, I'm glad at the way they have the FL responding to her. And, I'm guessing, that what she really needs is friendship. That she's grown up in a dangerous palace setting where she was isolated and couldn't trust people. It seems that she's slowly seeing how the FL has actually developed friendships with the other women and that, ultimately, she'll want to be in on the camaraderie of it. At least, that's where I hope its going.

I do wish they hadn't made her so ridiculously obnoxious.

He is not at all controlling, if that's what you mean. He's a very likable character.

On episode 11 and I'm enjoying this light, mostly sweet romp. The acting is all good. The story is cohesive. Love the solidarity amongst the women.

There are two things which just don't make sense and totally throw me out of the story. The first being the most implausible:

The FL is the one character who comes from a place where there are no arranged marriages. Her home region has monogamous marriages based on falling in love. She grew up in a happy home, with warm, affectionate parents. She would have grown up seeing people fall in love. Their storytelling would have included the thrills of falling in love. There would have been conversations with friends and at social gatherings about sussing out who was in love with whom, etc. In other words, she would have witnessed how people feel and what the signs are. There would be no reason for her to be anything but aware of this exciting dynamic that is a significant part of everyone's lives.

So.... how is she the ONLY character who does NOT know what it feels like to fall in love? I'm not a fan of this trope, in general. In this story, its particularly grating. If you had to have it in there, give it to another character. She should be the one who understands and models falling in love. Everyone else grew up around arranged and/or loveless marriages. I'm simply not buying that she would be this obliviously hurtful to someone who has been nothing but kind to her.

The second one is the young woman from the region where women are dominant. She has chosen to return with her husband. She knows that he may not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but that he's generally a good, well-meaning person. She told her sister as much. She has told her husband that, though there is a gender hierarchy in her home region, life is generally pretty laid back and fun. Yet, after making the choice to live her life with him, she continues to be cold and violent with him. He's has been very direct in asking that she soften at least once in a while. He's flinching around her, which is a sign of abuse. Its not funny. If the genders were reversed we would not find it acceptable to laugh at a woman flinching from the raised fist of a man. He's consistently friendly and making efforts to help her find happiness in a foreign land. If she grew up around women being generally good-natured and playful, why isn't she playful with him? She doesn't have to become romantically intimate to, at least, be warm and non-violent. I'm really uncomfortable whenever their scenes come up.

[I'll refrain from my critique about storytelling where, "if women were in charge, they would simply reverse the gender dynamic rather than generate something different" is at the core of the story. Its a pathetic concept of feminism, but, oh well. "Comedy."]

These two characters are not behaving in ways which fit the backgrounds we've been given. So, the supposed tension building up in the relationships feels overly contrived and it detracts from the humor. I really wish the writers had been more thoughtful about this. They've done a good enough job with everything else, for me to believe that they could have done better.

Still going to enjoy this, especially the ensemble dynamics. Just a little sad about these two facets.