displacedmoon

i decided to start the drama because the ratings were high. but after 4 episodes, i wondered if i was watching the same drama. i'm glad i put it on hold, and will now officially drop after reading your review. i like romance dramas, but only when you have a tight well paced script or it's integrated with other genres to keep the plot interesting.

@ Kokkuri use a spoiler tag please.

i enjoyed season 2 overall, but the last episode, not so much. it felt rushed as the writer unsuccessfully crammed as much as possible into the final moments of the series. hopefully a third season will wrap up the loose ends, but as we all know with kdrama, another season is always a big "maybe."

Bullying will continue to be a societal challenge for decades to come. We are making some strides with awareness campaigns, but it's difficult to measure their impact across the school systems. As you mentioned, physical violence plays a huge role. Teachers often look the other way when confronted with situations that endanger their well being. I don't necessarily blame them - they're hired to teach, not police. However this shouldn't be an excuse. In this day and age, identifying and dealing with bullying is sadly part of the teaching experience, and the education system should provide educators with safe outlets to report these incidents. There really isn't an easy answer, but with time hopefully mechanisms will be set in place that will alleviate the issue and make schools a safer environment for everyone.

please tell me that isn't how they're ending it and there is a season 2 or movie in the works?!?that said, i really liked this drama -- it was unique, lots of twists and turns, and got you thinking if given the opportunity, would you go back in time and redo part of your own life?

It's difficult not to like all of the BTS members! They're so endearing. Like you, I'm an older ajumma, so I sometimes worry about the toll their hectic schedules are taking on them physically and mentally. I guess the same way I worry about my similarly-aged nephew when he's working too hard. LOL

I wasn't surprised that Gi Tae's friends didn't see beyond the "mask" of bullying -- after all they were just teenagers and wouldn't have known the signs to look for. What I found unbelievable was that not one single teacher noticed the change in Gi Tae's behavior towards Baek Hee, then Dong Yoon. I understand teacher's don't have eye's on the back of their head's, but some of them must have seen and/or heard what was going on and chose to ignore it. Which is a pity. A phone call from a concerned teacher to a parent could have made a difference, and helped open up much needed channels of communication between father and son.

I watched Silent Voice. It was such an inspiring anime. The bully in that one redeemed himself, which is rare. So yes, please share the manga ending if there is more to the story.

Jimin does have one of the cutest smiles! Bleak Night is such a memorable favorite. I'll agree that I also struggled to like Gi Tae. His remorse wasn't exactly tangible, but I believe he felt a warped sense of it. Like most bullies he craved being center of attention and gave little thought to how his actions made others feel, but by the end, I felt compassion for him.

While his friends were certainly victims, it was clear that Gi Tae was mentally ill, and also an indirect victim. Those final cruel words when spoken by his best friend, even if well-deserved, became far more impactful to Gi Tae than any of the physical and mental abuse Gi Tae had ever heaped on Dong Yoon, Baek Hee and the girlfriend. This became painfully clear when he suicided.

It was apparent he had always been the weakest mentally out of all those he had bullied. We can only surmise that his actions up until then had been a cry for psychological help. That he never received it or adults around him even realized that he needed help, struck me as extremely sad.

All around I agree it was a case of too little too late, but not just for Gi Tae. Dong Yoon for feeling sorry for uttering hurtful words that partially led to his friends suicide, and for the absentee working father all of a sudden trying to figure out his son after he suicided. Like you said, there are always consequences.

loved how the female lead literally jumped ship. she's got integrity and knows lee kang is rotten.

glad you made this comment. there used to be a time when i enjoyed reading comments on mdl and engaging in discussions with fellow viewers about a drama. for the most part it was constructive, engaging, and fun. now, the comment sections often seem to serve as a forum for negativity the more popular a drama is. more and more, i find myself avoiding discussion sections for dramas that i actually LIKE, just so that i won't get irritated by some of the less constructive commentary, that just come off as harsh, petty and downright mean.

there's definitely a double standard -- actresses tend to get scrutinized and held to a higher standard way more than actors. and on MDL, the demographic seems to be largely female (i could be wrong), resulting in bias towards male actors. there's nothing wrong with that, but it's also no wonder that you rarely see criticism about a male actor -- because the minute you say something, especially if it's about one of the really popular ones --- be ready to be ATTACKED! lol.

it's amazing how actors rarely receive any negative comments about their acting abilities, but actresses are under constant barrage of dislike. imo, uee isn't a bad actress, especially for having an idol background. i know we all have personal preferences and yes, sometimes particular actors/actresses can make our viewing experience more enjoyable -- but must we always put actresses down? myself included, as i've been guilty of doing it in the past. sorry for the rant -- but i just came from an MDL page where another drama just started, and the same thing is happening-- the male leads are being lauded while the female lead is the only one being criticized. it's disheartening to see. :(

I have no regrets either. I love this drama to pieces!

thank you. i've had fun watching hwayugi, but having a part of the original story makes it more interesting.

non romance related...
- cops/detectives constantly making stupid mistakes and leaving important documents in the open while working cases
- EVERYONE is corrupt except for that one good cop and/or prosecutor
- the good guy tells the bad guy his plan to bring him down BEFORE he actually does it
- a black baseball cap and clothing is the national uniform for psychopaths, murderers and any other shady drama character
- when it comes to eavesdropping, anyone can overhear your private conversation due to impeccable timing and superhuman hearing

i've watched so many trucks mowing people down in kdramas, that now i also get anxious when people cross the street in western shows.

this drama had some good points, but the bad parts really outdid themselves. i didn't care about any of the characters, so i really didn't give a rat's a*s what type of ending they got. it says a lot about a drama when my only emotional connection is to a character (sharon's assistant) who has less than 5-10 minutes screen time per episode. he was the only one i felt bad for -- probably because he was the least complicated and contrived of the lot. glad it's over, on to the next one.

lol. i remember watching that a while back -- the movie itself isn't too wacky once the story gets going, but when i read the summary, i was like wtf?

this show just keeps getting funnier. ep 4 was especially a riot. pleasantly surprised at how good this is.

i took a look at your completed watchlist, and you seem to enjoy the romance genre -- so BK might be up your alley, as they focus a lot on the OTP and their relationship. whether the drama is good or bad is subjective. from the comments, you can see that it's been a mixed bag. personally, i liked the first half of BK, but now i just want the darn thing to be over. so it's up to you if you're interested enough to start it.

the ads never bothered me since they aren't intrusive, but because i've used MDL so much over the years i'm more than happy to contribute. you guys have done a phenomenal job -- don't know what i would do without this site!