This show definitely deserves all the high praise it has been receiving. The performances were superb, the background music was haunting and consistently on-point and the stylish cinematography really added to the atmosphere. ̶H̶o̶w̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶I̶ ̶m̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶d̶m̶i̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶(̶i̶m̶o̶)̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶f̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶a̶p̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶w̶o̶ ̶e̶p̶i̶s̶o̶d̶e̶s̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶f̶e̶l̶t̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶e̶f̶u̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶p̶l̶o̶t̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶h̶o̶l̶e̶s̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶E̶p̶ ̶1̶1̶-̶1̶2̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶m̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶w̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶l̶o̶t̶.̶ ̶B̶u̶t̶ ̶I̶ ̶a̶m̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶a̶p̶p̶o̶i̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶h̶i̶g̶h̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶e̶c̶t̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶.̶ I should have trusted the director and the writer - for others like me, there is a reason the last 2 eps do not make sense. Go ahead and search up for explanations on the ending !
Secret is the definition of guilty pleasure for me! By all accounts the ML's character and the romance should not be palatable to me ...but what to do, I totally loved the show! I agree, the ML's character growth was a redeeming factor.
Was a little impatient with the first few episodes as it was the typical "omg, Im 30 and not married" trope featuring desperate women, but liked the progression. Although I found it hard to believe that they did not get such (rather basic) "revelations" while dating in their 20s. Anyway. The ending made sense imo. The friendship shown was the best thing . And the references to Tokyo Olympics just made me sad.
This drama way surpassed my expectations. Not without flaws but this is not your usual kdrama-I would put it more in line of k-movies. Wonderful performances, nuanced characters and mature, realistic (largely) plot arcs. Excellent watch for those seeking something different and willing to see beyond black and white in life.
Great idea and execution too! It would be helpful if you could add a link as to how those interested can find out more about MDL's process to submit an article.
1. japanese (movies & dramas) undoubtedly do 'raw' & 'dark' very well, humanizing even the most-questionable of…
> j-dramas are anything but formulaic.
This is what I wanted to talk about. Jdramas cover an amazing range of subjects and are not afraid of taking on difficult plot lines/characterisations. Its this diversity that I love most.
I just finished rewatching this drama, and found I'd enjoyed it as much as I did last year when I binged through it in a week. Such a great cast, amazing performances all around, particularly the female leads. This time around I had better appreciation of Lei Jia Yin (Chen Jun Sheng), who's played a difficult role pretty well. The subtle yet gentle poignant romance sucked me in again and left me hoping for them! I don't know if Season 2 will come through, do wish for it, however don't think I will be able to watch it without Ma Yi Li. She was perfect as Luo Zi Jun.
Only a Japanese drama would have such a unique plot line! I rather enjoyed the drama! And did not hate the main lead like many others seem to have.
The ending however made me sad - rather than learning from the love she lost (Mii-chan), she chose to let the colossal betrayal validate her original take on love, becoming even more transactional in her love live. If only she'd dealt with her trauma and spent some time on introspection! But sadly and perhaps more realistically she cynically chose to easier way of "opting" out of the love-betrayal cycle.
Anyway I particularly enjoyed and appreciated the confrontation scene in episode 8. Lasting nearly 20 minutes the scene was gripping in its intensity without any dramatic background music, any screaming or high octane dialogues, or even showy camera work. Hats off to the director and the actors.
and what a glorious one at that :) My heart skipped a beat!
This is what I wanted to talk about. Jdramas cover an amazing range of subjects and are not afraid of taking on difficult plot lines/characterisations. Its this diversity that I love most.
The subtle yet gentle poignant romance sucked me in again and left me hoping for them! I don't know if Season 2 will come through, do wish for it, however don't think I will be able to watch it without Ma Yi Li. She was perfect as Luo Zi Jun.
The ending however made me sad - rather than learning from the love she lost (Mii-chan), she chose to let the colossal betrayal validate her original take on love, becoming even more transactional in her love live. If only she'd dealt with her trauma and spent some time on introspection! But sadly and perhaps more realistically she cynically chose to easier way of "opting" out of the love-betrayal cycle.
Anyway I particularly enjoyed and appreciated the confrontation scene in episode 8. Lasting nearly 20 minutes the scene was gripping in its intensity without any dramatic background music, any screaming or high octane dialogues, or even showy camera work. Hats off to the director and the actors.