sai

he really just feels like a ken doll brought to life

they are so barbie and ken

So everyone's main complaint about Jie is how she suddenly pushed Dong away during their first intimate scene and how she said he was forcing himself on her. Obviously that's a very serious allegation to make, especially when it's clear he did no such thing, but don't people say things they don't mean all the time in real life? She was already emotional after her fight with her mother in regards to romance and her disability, and she later explained her past trauma of previously being intimate with someone but being rejected because of her amputation. I think we can give her some grace because she only said that in front of him and not anyone else, because they both knew she was lying, and she mentally was not in the right place.

I think one of the characters said it themselves, the fact that Jie and Dong's relationship is a strange one, yet it works because it's them. They clearly are both physical in their relationship, considering how their first two kisses were on the rough side, and Jie bit Dong's hand in one argument while Dong aggressively tried to grab Jie's hand/ring in another. They are both flawed (Jie arguably more), but that's what makes them and their relationship so realistic. There are plenty of dramas where both leads are "green flags", but it was clear from the beginning that this drama was about imperfections and learning to grow.

Just finished the show, and from reading the comments I had originally braced myself to see the FL become toxic and whatnot in the last handful of episodes, but she honestly was not as bad as how everyone made her out to be. She's just flawed, and that's what makes her human. (I'll go more in depth in my reply)

Wow kudos to the casting director because the girl playing young Bai Shuo looks just like Bai Lu, the mouth and lower facial half especially

Having dramas with fictional killings and terrorists is incomparable to one that references a REAL LIFE genocide and paints the victims as the bad ones. Especially during a time when that same genocide is quite literally ongoing this very moment. That is barely disguised propaganda forced in a drama where it's not even relevant to the story. It's absolutely justified to hate this drama and everyone who contributed in putting that in the final episode.

KAIST truly was the dark horse of the season, they really helped boost their name after the last season's Kaist lost early in the show. It's a shame they weren't the winners, I was rooting for them after they sprung back from their first deathmatch. But SNU is Korea's top university, and they proved their worth this season too. I just feel bad for Kaist, their morale and mindset was amazing until it all fell in the finale, which definitely contributed to them losing.

I was conflicted with who to root for in the exit strategy game because I'm mainly rooting for KAIST, but I naturally can't help rooting for the underdogs in any game, so I was rooting for SNU's group too. Never thought SNU and underdog would be grouped in the same sentence lol. I'm glad KAIST survived tho, they absolutely deserved it. I'm hoping they make it to the finals at the very least, and hopefully win it too. SNU took season 1, KAIST can take this one.

Daeho's character is honestly the only thing that makes me so excited for s3 bc of his backstory. It's so fishy, he's definitely lying about things. I don't think many people have caught onto it since some of his behavior can be explained by military PTSD and that makes it more exciting in a way. There are definitely some missing gaps in his story, and I think it'll be a good plot twist in the next season.

Nice analysis! There was something definitely off about his backstory

I'm pretty curious about Kang Daeho's backstory. There was a scene when Gihun's friend was questioning him about his life because something didn't add up, and his smile froze for a few seconds before he changed the subject. People have said the reason why he didn't return with the magazines in the end was because of his PTSD, since he was found sitting by a wall with his ears covered. But, if he's lying, then his last act could be explained by plain cowardice. His backstory is definitely what I'm looking forward to seeing in s3

Idk why you're getting so much hate for an opinion, you made some valid points and I agree with most of them.
Song Han's villain arc could have been done better and, like you said, could have been hinted at with tiny actions from the start so that it actually made sense. I didn't understand his sudden need for power because he never did anything previously to show he secretly wanted it. I just made my own conclusion and assumed that after the loss of his mother he slowly started losing his mind and became a completely different person through grief.
Jiyong's character definitely had a lot of potential, and I'm upset he wasn't integrated into the story more. His bond with Zhao was special, but it was obvious that by the end he cared for her much more than she did for him, which kind of ruined their dynamic.

I was really hoping Song Mo would get his memories back about his original life at one point, it's a shame only Dou Zhao remembers their original encounter. I get that happened so SM could discover every himself instead of already knowing everything, but cmon, not even in the final episode after it's all over? Oh well

Thanks!

Can someone explain Dou Shi Shu's ending? He said something about framing himself to save his brother and then he sacrificed himself for the Grand Princess... was that supposed to be like a last minute redemption arc or a reveal that he was always a good guy or what?

The dragon arm guy being the eunuch was soo underwhelming and disappointing, I thought it was going to be the big hidden mastermind who's behind everything. It even being Song Han as he slowly turns evil in the later episodes would have been more satisfying. I'm only on episode 28 tho don't spoil pls🙏

I don't have the strength to watch for the second time yet but I still think about this drama and Deokim's story often. Like you, I originally was more focused on the love story itself while acknowledging Deokim's struggles as a palace maid. But as I've grown older in these past 3 years since it released and I reflect on Deokim life as a young court lady growing into a depressed concubine, I find myself caring less about the love story itself and more about Deokim. She really was born into a life with very limited choices and truly lost herself during her years as a concubine. Watching her friends be able to leave the palace, being unable to do anything as her best friend gets killed for loving someone, losing her children. And San would never understand her struggles and everything she gave up because he is quite literally the most powerful person in the country. The power dynamic between the two lovers is so drastic and it hurts to see how that so visibly reduces Deokim's personality and life and energy into an empty shell of a person by the end of the drama.

Thank you for writing this, I'm sorry that crazy fans are attacking you over a literal opinion, and I completely agree with what you wrote.
Despite my personal bias against both lead actors (just honestly not a fan of either, and one is almost completely hyped up for visuals and mediocre acting), there were some things that were cute at first but felt silly very fast. Like, the ML being in love with the FL the whole time and falling first. Yeah, the reveal at the end of episode 2 was really cute, but then you explore that love and it's so unrealistic...? He fell for her after a cute umbrella moment and that was enough for him to risk his life for her and stay single for 15 years...? For a girl that he had interacted with once or twice? Honestly as a preteen I would've ate that up but now the insta-love soulmatism just annoys me at how unrealistic it is. And in the timeline where Sol avoids Sunjae until adulthood, he ALSO manages to be single his whole life yet is attracted to Sol the moment he sees her. I wish they gave more substance to their love because the guy already being in love with the girl from the very beginning of their love story just makes it flat. There's no development, other than the FL's feelings going from fan admiration to romantic. I can't lie though, if we had different leads I probably wouldn't be as critical.

I tend to have a soft spot for the second male leads, and I love Jiyong's character in this drama so I always look forward to his interactions with Dou Zhao. In their latest scene, he was a little upset with Zhao saying she's become boring after getting married. I did sense a romantic undertone to those words but I'm choosing to ignore it. I'd much prefer if those words came from a place of platonic jealousy rather than romantic. I feel like it's similar to the friendship in Love in the Big City, where the girl got married and didn't have time for her guy best friend anymore. There's something heartbreaking about that too, watching your best friend enter a new stage of life without you. I also don't think Jiyong will betray the leads in the future, but I hope his character becomes more relevant in the story again

ML's father, FL's uncle, a woman we don't know yet, and i believe an eunuch from the palace