YazQuan

Thanks for the heads up. I've got time to bail before I get too invested.

CAUTION: POTENTIAL SPOILERS. The option to mark this as spoiler didn't present, so this is me warning you.

Your inability to connect to the character of Wen Yi Fan makes sense, given your perspective. Conversely, as a woman who has experienced sexual assault and harassment, Wen Yi Fan's physical and emotional distancing from everyone she knew makes sense to me. She wants/needs a clean slate and safe distance.

Being broken takes time to repair, being humiliated and bearing undeserved shame is a crippling burden, being willing to be vulnerable to someone again is terrifying. It's not as simple as saying "Oh, this is what's wrong with me and this is what caused it, so I'll just get over it now and ignore that whole pesky PTSD thing while I'm at it."

So, to me, everything about Wen Yi Fan's journey after the assault was pitch perfect, including the aversion to touch, panic attacks, and the inability to talk about it to others. Giving voice to it brings back all the trauma, doubt, and shame, compounded by the fear that talking about it opens one up to disbelief (her mother), dismissal (her aunt), or minimizing (which, forgive me please for pointing it out, you did in your comments). Her truth was rejected and she was blamed by everyone who was supposed to love and support her. It makes perfect sense she wouldn't turn to SY, with whom she had only a nascent and fragile relationship, and risk another rejection. SY acknowledged in one later episode that had he known about the assault, he might not have wanted to date WYF (NOT his finest moment), so clearly it was a justified fear. I can see, though, how this story line may not resonate with someone who never shared those experiences and perhaps never needed to support a partner who shared those experiences.

Regarding the workplace sexual harassment, the emotional toll, undeserved reputational damage, victim blaming, and malicious rumor mongering was actually understated. I get it that men often think SH at work is rare and even nbd, but women know it's everywhere and that they'll likely be blamed for it and their careers will suffer or be derailed.

The part of your comments that most baffles me is you seem posit that WYF is responsible for all the misunderstanding and emotional distance and casual cruelties, when that is clearly not the case. Sang Yan sets up hurdle after hurdle for WYF to clear while he continues to deny his feelings to push her away, simultaneously invading her personal space in an attempt to pull her in, a fact he acknowledges in one later episode. It seems particularly off-kilter to fault WYF for not "being grateful" for things SY did for her, since (a) they weren't asked for, (b) he consistently denied he did them for her, and (c) she's not a mind reader, while giving him a pass for invading her personal space, breaking the roommate rules he set, gaslighting her about her sleepwalking actions, and attempting to control her social interactions. Nothing in his initial behavior after they met again said "You can trust me with your shame and pain and fear."

This story was a journey for both of them and if you let SY off the hook for his arrogance, sense of entitlement, mind games, manipulations, and controlling behaviors (all acknowledged by him in the series), you've missed half the story and SY's entire character arc.

Still, not every story is everyone's cup of tea. You are correct that if you're looking for a light romance, this is not it, but it is so much more, if you're willing to see it.

This drama did everything right. I could have happily watched another 32 episodes not to have to say goodbye to these characters.

Loved this and the Korean version. I can't wade into the which is better debate because they were both fantastic. The production of the K version was more professional and realistic for a large corporation, the pacing of the J version kept me riveted and binge watching, both had compelling and charismatic leads and engaging support actors. Biggest plus of the J version for me was no evil ex-fiance popping in for no reason except a contrived substitute death. Biggest downside to the J version was a turtle that size needs a waaay bigger home environment. FREE KAMEKICHI!

I was giving silent instructions to any supernatural taxi driver that might be working not to pick up this one. 2nd ML was lying. Abusers are always sorry (for themselves only) when they experience unpleasant consequences, but he's already shown his remorse disappears as soon as he thinks he's gotten away with it.

I like everyone in this tremendously talented cast, but in anything else they've done other than this. I'm guessing they maybe wanted a change of pace and accidentally okayed a script with mentally, socially, emotionally challenged FL and ML who never managed any semblance of a character development arc. Oddly, the side characters were all better written than the leads. BYT has its funny moments, but they were wedged between nonsense and ho-hum. I rated it 5 because I was feeling generous.

😯🚩

The FL character is an illogically immature, inexplicably socially inept, and naive 35 year old woman child. I suppose the creators thought dumb was the only way a woman could be funny. I look at Han Ji Min playing this character and can't help but contrast it with Miss Baek and The Light in Your Eyes. If she was going for a change of pace, this was definitely a 180.

Which is why, by definition, I put Park Shin Hye on my list.

Well, that's even more baffling. Nam Ha Neul is the same character as Kang Bit Na? Kang Seo Hae is the same as Jung Hui Ju? Yoo Hye Jeong is the same character as Choi In Ha? 😄😄 Nah, that's crazy talk!

Damn, really? I was hoping all three of them would end up together.

💯 percent. Ai has crushed on May for years, but her first opportunity to rock that hot bod she decides to knock her out instead? No.

Ai went to the trouble to plan how to roofie May, but was too witless to plan how to get the phone pw? Another no.

It makes Ai's subsequent appeal for a relationship with May cringy and creepy. I can't for the life of me understand how anyone on the production team thought anything in this scene was a good idea.

Aside from the appalling toxicity of normalizing casually druggng your date, it was completely unnecessary and a thematic let down. There was no purpose and no gain. Ai planned how to incapacitate May, but didn't plan how to get her phone pw? It was also flawed execution: Ai drank more than May, yet May was the one who passed out. Amateur hour in the script room.

Holy forking shirtballs, this is the weirdest and most combative comment section I've ever seen for a drama. At the risk of setting myself up as a target - because it seems like everyone is either shooting or getting shot, I like this show. I like the falling in love with the bodyguard trope and second chance love is one of my favorite tropes, so I'm all good on the themes. The pacing works for me and I'm glad the FLs are opening up about how they feel for each other (E5). I'm looking forward to what comes next. I don't require perfection, just GL themed entertainment, and I'm entertained.

I like LingOrm as an acting pair and since acting is the job description for an actor, I'll assume they are pretending to be in love in the show and it's none of my business whether they are or not, or what their sexual orientation is, so I'm not offended if they date the entire population of Southeast Asia, serially or collectively, in their off time.

I do not understand the circle jerk, bordering on warfare, over who is the "best couple", or what is the "best show", or the personal attacks on those whose opinions differ. My bottom line is I am really truly deeply grateful these shows exist. I wish they'd been around when I was growing up, because knowing other girls felt the same way would have been a massive comfort in a desperately lonely time. It is not hyperbole to acknowledge that sometimes people die when they believe they are profoundly different and somehow flawed, and alone and afraid they always will be, so content like this can literally save lives. So maybe tread a little more lightly on the scorched earth criticisms.

Had a similar thought. I'm overdosed on school based GL, but then I realized that maybe adolescents are the ones who most need to see that there are girls like them, that they are not alone in feeling the way they do. I realized who I was attracted to very early in life but grew up in a small village and thought I was the only one who felt that way. Knowing I wasn't would have saved me a lot of angst.

You are spamming the same comment multiple times. It's beginning to sound personal. Did he steal your girlfriend, best you for a job, graduate from a better university, or become more successful in his career? Seriously, what is your dog in this fight?

Just three years? That's a significant penalty. He did the crime, he did his time. Let it go.

Didn't say it was GL bro

Can't imagine why it matters to you how other viewers perceive a drama.

Lots and lots and lots of lesbians have ex boyfriends, even ex husbands, even {shock! amazement!} children.