linxminx

I do see your point. In fact when I reviewed Love Next Door, I questioned "why are the women portrayed as physical abusers, and the men act like trained dogs?" Yet, I don't think this is a reflection of how all women behave, nor even how Korean women/moms behave. I just think it's the trope the writer used to connect the main leads to each other. All the main leads lost their mothers. One lost their mom through death, the other two lost them because the moms chose to leave. Kdrama leads ALWAYS have something in the story to connect them to each other, whether its a childhood experience, or past life experience, or (in this case) a common loss. Maybe as the series progresses there will be some more positive examples of women. We can only hope.

I think this speaks to the assumption cultures have that females are the nurturing gender in families. I speak from experience, that while mothers carry and give birth to the offspring, not all have loving and nurturing dispositions toward their children. Sometimes, it's the fathers who play the nurturing and caring role. I see this series as speaking to the mistakes we often make toward gender roles and stereotypes. Fathers can be the nurturers in the families too. And mothers can be cold-hearted. I see this series as a message that even if families do not bear any resemblance to societal "norms", they can still raise loving and healthy children. Look at how these siblings look out for each other. That says it all.

I'm currently watching the 12th episode but I don't know if I'll finish. Love the two main leads, but love them in other dramas, not this. I totally agree with you about the unrealistic behavior of the two main leads. Why the writer decided to make them so annoying is beyond me. They annoy each other (even though they are supposedly the great loves of each other's life), they annoy their parents, they annoy their friends, they're annoying me. I don't get it when the writer brings them together, they realize they love each other, but don't know how to act anymore, and default to the most insanely immature behavior. I'm watching another drama on Viki and the same thing is happening. I guess the audience for these dramas must be 13-year old girls because that's what leads start to act like when they like each other. And it's so.........annoying!!

I discovered it during Covid but after it had aired. I was able to binge all the episodes in about two days. I still go back and watch my favorite scene. In his office when he was trying to get her to look at him and he kept quickly repositioning himself to be in front of her, but she kept moving. So hilarious!

My first was also My Secret Romance and it definitely was Sung Hoon that drew me in although not the deep voice. I liked that his character was both suave and goofy, he could make some really great facial expressions. Then I tried a historical romance, Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung. After that I was hooked and today I usually have 2-3 going at the same time.

You got that right!!!

Feeling the same here too. Storylines were well done in the beginning, but by episode 12 it just went right in the toilet. The amusement park scene with Soo Cheol and Da Hye where she just decides to up and leave him again. It was just a short repeat of a previous storyline that didn't even make sense. This is making me wonder if the writer originally ended the story sooner, or wasn't finished at all when Netflix came along and said we want this only make if 16 episodes, and to lengthen it, the writer just repeated storylines, and added things that don't even make sense. I'll probably finish it, but I'm expecting the last 2 episodes to be excruciating to get through.

I agree. It's nice to hear someone else got it too. Thanks for your comment.

Congratulations to a versatile and talented actress!!

I painfully got through to episode 10, then skipped to the end. It had really good actors, but a badly written storyline. I had a hard time watching it too. The storyline was confusing at best, boring and slow at its worst, with not much else in between. I agree with you on the FL, although she is one of my favorite actresses, but this part was awful. Have you seen the drama Run On? I thought she was really good in that series. I like Jo Jung Suk too, but did not think he played this part well either. I really think it was a poorly written drama.

Kim Soek Woo seems to do everything well. Singer, dancer, idol, comedic/tragic/friend/lover/stoic/energetic/dramatic/grumpy actor.....a multi-versatile entertainer that is a favorite of mine. I've seen all his dramas, and will enjoy those to come. I hope he is enjoying his career as much as I am.