strawgal

This suffers from the same thing as The Next Prince, they have spent a lot of money on production, sets, costume, supporting artists, so it looks authentic but somehow managed to use a script that is so lacking in focus that makes the main characters not the centre of the drama. The scenes that work are the ones that are set in enclosed spaces, giving the the idea we have spent all this money so we have to show you all this.
The way it is directed and shot, there is too much static and filler, when the core of any plot is how people react to situations. The director work and was credited as the screen writer on Shine, so this should have had a tighter character driven script.
The actors are trying their best, I am not sure what direction they were given but even in historical setting where perhaps speech is conservative or mannered you can still snow emotion in speech, perhaps the most impressive example of this is the recent drama Shogun. There are enough 16thC plays still being performed with basically their original scripts to know that communication has not really changed.

When He Han's father dies, is she crying for the father or the future that He Han could have, and like a lot of people who have family members who abuse substances she has tried to emotionally with draw to a safe distance.

This reminds me of the joke about hedgehogs having sex, how do they do it, carefully, because someone could be injured.
It's almost dystopian in how no one seems to have a normal relationship, it is all about guarding , saving face, manipulation and deception, in the name of love? Or just self love, thinking more about your needs, so the end justifies means.
Yes, competition does often bring out the worst in people, but losing is not always the worst outcome, and if you around people long enough you see poor behaviour, but this an emotional blood bath where everyone gets splashed.
In most drama where most of the characters are people you wouldn't wish to know, they usually give the worst ones they are not nice but they are good to their children, to show some humanity and relief, but not in this. Self importance in life, what ever the cost wins, even if you bulldoze relationships.

Hated the pseudo romance and the very neat ending.

Couple watch. We liked the 7 eps, some good twists, a couple of antagonists you love to hate. The last 2eps were just a mess, like they needed the big finish so they threw everything in and actually it made it have less impact and actually weak.

Perhaps because I have been in a relationship for a long time I have a different perceptive.

That's why it could be satire, because and I am not sure he could afford Lotus, and the hotel style rooms unless he is living on debt and lease.
He seems to have some sort of ADHD, like he knows what he should do but his impulsiveness takes over.
I would if the FL's behaviour and need for control, is made worse by him, when you live with someone like that they can cause real problems.

The idea that you are unconventional free sprit because you have long hair and a beard, is so lazy.
The writers seem to have forgot the idea for the FL that in most successful drama the audience identify or can empathise with a character They have made her so unlikeable and the working conditions like a sweat shop where her only expression is sour and spends most of her time berating people. No one works from home, no shared docs, online and no zoom meetings. Having difficult parents is not and excuse, so it will be interesting if they can make some character growth to sell it
They seemed to have not seen the elephant in the room that a lot of people self publish and sell online and there is healthy market where main publishing houses will pick out the best or they sell the idea for drama. No one goes WTF I have a good story so I'll use AI as an editor.
I am not sure I can stand 30 eps of people bickering and just being generally awful, how ever well filmed and acted.

I don't thinks I have ever seen two main lead characters who are so effing annoying, their relationships is like small children fighting over who split the milk, so leaving it until everything around goes sour.
The writers seem of gathered some the most self involved dysfunctional characters all in one place, the only light relief a middle aged man behaving like a child, thinking he some literary genius when he is writing pulp fiction. If they pushed the humour harder it could be satire.
Not sure where it is going and are we supposed to care. Apparently the release of this was delayed, after eight eps I think perhaps they had trouble placing it.

I think it's hard for most C or K writers to acknowledge that a women can be sexually attracted to someone, be allowed to act her feelings but still not chose that person as a long term partner, because they do not meet their other needs.
The jackpot is finding some you are attracted to but also be able to support each other as a couple, fitting like two pieces of a jig saw, shaped differently but locked to make something together.

In this drama they didn't really fit together, he never thinks of her first, he always saw it from his POV , his status.
He could work any where in the world yet he choses to stay in his comfort zone rather than follow, her which is what most women do for their partners, to support their career. Been there, and done that.
The only time he really looked happy was on the field trip, The fact that FL does not discuss he aspirations with him, or start planning a life with him in real life terms shows a very superficial relationship, because strong couple have shared goals.

I know why the ending is a fudge, because they had to throw a bone for the romantic ending, which served neither characters well. He is still living in his box of order, and she has gone for perhaps the right reasons but still trying / or is pretending to please a man's ego, avoiding the issue that she is perhaps will out perform him.
I didn't like again women were used as cartoon character to create conflict, women characters are see as good or bad and when they are bad they either manipulative, petty or stupid, and it's just for the plot point.

It was enjoyable to watch if you park your brain and treat like a daily soap, because it's just a glossy fantasy, where the FL always has perfect make up, hair clothes and has not terrible faults, she is going to be the heroine no matter what.
Nothing wrong in the choice of the ML's just they were styling particularly the hair was like some 80's small time entrainer, the choice of costume so dated, so they looked like granddads on a night out, when really emotionally they were small boys looking for their next nanny,
If the story was about breaking away from a family and life that was determined how others saw you ,the message got blurred so it fitted the romantic drama trope.

You can only judge what is in the drama, and what ever plot that couple have in the story in the future wasn't coherently integrated in to this drama.

Looks lovely, sounds terrible because the dubbing is so bad. A basic good idea that in the first half there was a lot of effort put in to, and then the rest seemed a support for the 'set' pieces.
The second couple, well really what their purpose, they added nothing to the story telling?
The costume department did a great job, although the white suit was over played.

Strong start and then it fizzled into meh. You know there is something wrong when the sub plots are more entertaining than the main plot.
It seemed not to be able to tackle the the theme of loss and memory neither seriously or an entraining way. The actors did what they could but there was no real drama for them so show contrast. I just lost interest by ep8 and flicked through until the end. perhaps it was 10 eps it could have been better.

There is a saying all cats look grey in the dark, a policeman is no different from anyone else on a basic level. He would have a good idea how far to test him out.

I first saw him in Lovely Writer, and has the skill to change himself completely.

First of all no one should be yelling at anyone at work and if it's a female employee that is even worse.
When a character has been abused financially and also emotionally by her ex husband you would think she would be looking for someone better, at least at the outset. In my experience if they do not treat you well, even with basic respect at the start of a relationship the most likely end is it is not going to get any better. The honeymoon period if you are lucky lasts two years.
The idea he has supported her in advancement. Well she is good a customer service, works hard and is diligent, so supporting her is actually beneficial to the hotel and help him look good, she has enabled him to get better contracts. Perhaps he has a small amount of remorse because his actions helped her ex husband but really his helping is also helping himself.
I just see a him as having a huge character flaws. He appears to have no responsibilities apart from work, doesn't have to cook, clean and yet only thinks about her when she is in and extreme situation when he knows she is so eager to please that she will literally break herself to complete a task.
She is a people pleaser, I hope she gets the money out of the ex and starts her own business because if she has learned so much in a short amount of time she will out grow him quickly.
The great skill that most women have is being able to adapt and she has it, he is stuck in his ways, a lot of men do not like change.
If the script does not tackle how competent she has become and how he going to 'let her' change to an equal partner, no sweet talk is going to make the relationship last.

Do you not think that in a forty something male that is childish, and certainly IMO not flattering, because what right does he have to be jealous?
He is her boss, and his actions were not professional, he didn't investigate but was willing to reprimand her.
He is completely wrapped up in how her actions affect him, and never thinks knowing her past how his actions affect her. Who wants a partner who thinks like that.

Talking to my male friends that is pretty tame. Subtle is looking at your crotch or following you in to the toilets.