Michael louwe

... QUOTE: "and never established the central relationship as adult-romantic (even though other characters assured us they "liked" each other, and in that way it was like a Chinese censored BL bromance)"

In effect, you are criticizing the writer, Park Hae Young, as having self-censored this drama of hers like how the Chinese government has censored BL romance dramas.
....... In her last 2 dramas, My Mister and MLN, PHY has also focused her writing not on the romance but on "a slice of life" and/or the meaning of life aspect.

It's likely you do not dig her kind of love dramas. IOW, it's likely you only dig BL dramas.

... QUOTE: "and never established the central relationship as adult-romantic (even though other characters assured us they "liked" each other, and in that way it was like a Chinese censored BL bromance)"

How come you know the Chinese government censors BL romance bc I and most straight men here are not aware of it since we usually do not watch BL and GL dramas.?

... You are the one mistaken.

The Bible has truths which say that people can be in "heaven or hell" in their life on earth and in their afterlife. On earth, it is based on whether they are being blessed or cursed by God for keeping or breaking His Law = Law-abiders vs Law-breakers/evildoers. There is no gray area between Law-keepers being blessed and Law-breakers/evildoers being cursed by God in this life on earth --> and between heaven and hell in the afterlife, if the Bible is true.

Like they say, "Good things happen to good people."
....... IRL, most modern Jews keep God's Law on a best effort basis --> RL statistics/truths or facts say Jews tend to live longer on earth than others.

Eg if IRL, PGS is like in hell on earth having been cursed by God, for hating HDM 1st bc he had secretly based his successful film debut on HDM's personal love-crush story in college (= not crediting HDM) = PGS's latest film, Sister Vengeance, has been a box-office flop with only 300,000 tickets sold = PGS got roasted and humiliated by hateful comments online.
....... In turn, if IRL, CEO Choi suffered huge losses in producing or funding PGS's flopped film. This curse is for Choi bullying Eun A in the office, for Choi's past evildoings of breaking his promise to cast Noh Kang Sik in an earlier film, for his tendency to steal others' film production by betraying them, etc.

... My imagining is based on a male like DM, a straight heterosexual, and a straight woman like Eun A.
....... You are very likely a male gay = Your imagining is based on a male gay who is unlike DM, and a woman like Eun A. A male gay has no romantic feelings for a straight woman like Eun A. Hence in yr view, it is absolutely possible for a straight woman to put her close male gay friend's face on her chest to comfort him.

So, apples and oranges.

AFAIK, it is rare for a straight woman to have a close male gay friend or even a close straight male friend but quite common for a straight woman to hv a few close straight woman friends.

Also, there is a huge difference between a straight male's face resting on the bosom of a straight woman INSIDE and OUTSIDE her cardigan or sweater.

... Fyi,
-- thoughts of hate --> crimes of murder and bullying.
-- thoughts of sexual lust --> crimes of sexual molest, harassment, rape, incest, pedophilia, etc.
-- thoughts of greed --> crimes of stealing, robbery, burglary, scamming/lying or cheating, etc.

All humans have been born guilty or sinful of "thought crimes" in their mind and heart, even though they may not hv committed any crime in their life (= innocent of crimes).

The Bible says God will be sending "thought criminals" to eternal hell except those who believe in Jesus Christ and His Cross bc they hv been pardoned or forgiven by God.

... I and likely many others, absolutely CAN'T imagine a pretty young woman letting her close male-friend's face resting on her bosom inside her CARDIGAN or sweater, just to comfort him, ala Eun A and DM.
....... I absolutely believe ONLY a romantic and loving couple could do that.

... QUOTING YOUR PREVIOUS COMMENT ABOVE: "Is there some rule I'm unaware of, by which Kdrama romances can't include beautiful, emotionally intimate scenes AND physically intimate scenes, even if it's just a peck on the cheek and holding hands?"

... QUOTE: "Gyeong-se sees this as a threat and wants to prove her wrong, but later in the episode he actually swallows his pride and realizes he’s wrong. Gyeong-se admits to her that he’s going to be humble and aim for third place if he can’t be number 1. However, it does mean all the writing will be his own and he’ll create something that’s not just coasting."
www.thereviewgeek.com/wearealltryinghere-s1endingexplained/ -- Recap of Ep 12.

... QUOTING YOU: " "Yes, IMO and many others' opinion here, HDM was good/right/innocent in retaliating by hating PGS bc PGS was evil/wrong/guilty for hating HDM 1st"

You said it yourself, "in your own opinion".

Thats why, crime is not objective or subjective."
. . . . . . .

QUOTING ME: "Similarly for lesser actions and morality not covered by Criminal Law, eg
-- CEO Choi gave an offensive or hurtful critique to HDM's face ..."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Similarly, you have failed to differentiate between crimes and non-crimes/lesser evil acts. PGS hating HDM 1st was not a crime, ie not covered by Criminal Law in nearly all democratic countries. Eg the Police do not arrest people for "thought crimes" like their minds having thoughts of hate, anger, sexual lust, greed, jealousy, etc.

In this case, our opinions about HDM being good/right/innocent as above, is right, ie in the court of public opinion on this website bc as in criminal courts, the convicted murderer who 1st murdered another is the evil/wrong/guilty party, not the judge who retaliated by "murdering" or executing him and not the innocent murder victim.

... But PGS did not want to be divorced by KHJ after she had threatened him with divorce = PGS then fired his cute co-writer who could flatter him to 1st place for his on-going TV series, apologized to KHJ and instead settled for 3rd place by writing alone without the cutee.
....... IOW, PGS has sacrificed his art for money/security by choosing his unflattering wife-KHJ (= his TV series gets 3rd place) over his cute and flattering co-writer (= gets 1st place).

... Yes, IMO and many others' opinion here, HDM was good/right/innocent in retaliating by hating PGS bc PGS was evil/wrong/guilty for hating HDM 1st. PGS hated HDM 1st just bc PGS had based his successful debut film on HDM's personal love-crush story in college, which he did not want HDM to find out. PGS even wished HDM to die early so that he could keep his secret to his own grave.

Is HDM retaliating by hating PGS right or wrong, eg HDM trashing PGS's latest film flop, Sister Vengeance, but not to his face, ie only in front of others in the 8 Club.?

Is morally hating others right or wrong, eg hating convicted criminals, pedophiles, rapists, stealers/thieves, KK Park scammers/liars, terrorists, etc.?

... I'm saying that Criminal Law is usually objective or absolute in differentiating between innocent and guilty or did-harm and didn't-harm or good and evil or right and wrong, ie there is usually no ambiguity and is not subjective to the views of viewers or readers.

Similarly for lesser actions and morality not covered by Criminal Law, eg
-- CEO Choi gave an offensive or hurtful critique to HDM's face telling him he has been talentless for 20 years and should leave the film industry = HDM wanted to punch him but failed; ...
-- Oh Jeong Hui gave offensive or hurtful critiques to Eun A's face telling her that her script was crazy, boring, a one-hit-wonder, etc at the KnockX3 script revision meeting in CEO Choi's office; ...
-- HJ banned/bullied HDM from her Agit pub just to protect her unsuccessful director husband from being negatively affected by HDM's truthful critique (= HDM being censored), thus ejecting HDM from the 8 Club; ...
-- etc.

... All I know is that HDM got the Best New Director for Film award for his debut film = the ex did not get the award.

Ep 12 did not even show whether the ex's debut film, KnockX3, was completed for theater release or not.

... There are the good and evil ways or right and wrong ways of pursuing fame and fortune. It was evil or wrong of her to do it by giving her 9-yo daughter a life long trauma.

It is evil or wrong to become famous and rich by selling sex (eg casting couch), bribing, sabotaging others, taking drugs, stealing roles from Noh Kang Sik, etc.

... More like bc he parasites off his wife, eg
-- his producer/financier wife had helped him to debut 20 yrs ago,
-- helped him to get his 5 films produced, eg by Choi Films,
-- is producing or funding his ongoing TV series,
-- protected him from being -vely affected by HDM's criticisms, eg by banning HDM from her Agit pub,
-- etc.

... Well, she was a powerful enough producer to initially order director PGS to hire the co-writer for his TV series, to warn director HDM to never interfere in his actor's (= Noh Kang Sik) fights on-set or to never visit his actor on-set without her permission, etc.

Well, she is at least wealthier than the co-writer, eg by having a flashy SUV and owning the Agit pub.

If you were in PGS's shoes, would you want to be divorced from KHJ and then probably end up remarried to the cute co-writer.?

There is a made-up controversy in Korea about this drama, ie https://www.koreaboo.com/news/beloved-kdrama-reputation-gets-destroyed-one-single-line-dialogue/ -- 19 hours ago -- supposedly Eun A said to DM, "Director, you have the smell of a teenage boy about you." ... which apparently sounded vulgar or X-rated.

But if you watch Ep 11 at the 35:47 mark at the website that offers 2 different English subtitles, the translation is actually, "Director, you give off a teenage boy vibe."

???????

... My repost ... This is bc some people like you do not know how to differentiate between good and evil or innocent and guilty or right and wrong wrt actions or offenses or crimes.

Eg in the court of Law, the evil or guilty party is the one who struck first, eg the convicted murderer first murdered someone. The judge is innocent for retaliating by executing or murdering him with the death penalty, in the name of justice for the innocent murder victim.
....... It's called the law of ni4ni or a tooth for a tooth or life for life.

GEMINI AI Overview: ... In USA, the Castle Doctrine (often called "castle law") is a legal principle allowing individuals to use reasonable force—including deadly force—to protect themselves against an intruder inside their home. It eliminates the "duty to retreat," meaning you do not have to flee before defending yourself from an unlawful, imminent threat.

"2 wrongs do not make a right" is a false concept.

IOW, HDM was retaliating against his haters or enemies in the 1st few episodes.

... This is bc some people like you do not know how to differentiate between good and evil or innocent and guilty or right and wrong wrt actions or offenses or crimes.

Eg in the court of Law, the evil or guilty party is the one who struck first, eg the convicted murderer first murdered someone. The judge is innocent for retaliating by executing or murdering him with the death penalty, in the name of justice for the innocent murder victim.
....... It's called the law of ni4ni or a tooth for a tooth or life for life.

GEMINI AI Overview: ... In USA, the Castle Doctrine (often called "castle law") is a legal principle allowing individuals to use reasonable force—including deadly force—to protect themselves against an intruder inside their home. It eliminates the "duty to retreat," meaning you do not have to flee before defending yourself from an unlawful, imminent threat.

"2 wrongs do not make a right" is a false concept.

IOW, HDM was retaliating against his haters or enemies in the 1st few episodes.

At the after-party at HJ's Agit pub, no one from the 8 Club criticized or trashed HDM's debut film, ie let him have a taste of his own medicine, like what HJ had evilly intended earlier when she told DM she would produce his debut film. This was after HJ had turned down the offer of a 3 billion won (= US$2 million) grant from the lady government officer to produce DM's debut film without HJ even reading his script.
....... IOW, HJ changed her mind bc she intended evil for DM, ie to let him have a taste of his own bitter medicine when the 8 Club members, esp her husband PGS, can have their turn in criticizing/trashing DM's unsuccessful debut film with glee. But ...

"What was meant for evil, God uses for good."