Joo Won 주원 [Drama- The Midnight Studio/ 야한(夜限) 사진관]

[kittyna]

30 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

Huh? Embedded? I thought this feature was removed?

 

Embedding still happens automatically - you have to undo it manually if you don't want the link to be deleted by the moderators.

 

30 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

I think the guy in the last pic with her is joo won, I am really not familiar Joo won's back view, but the shape of the neck looks like Joo won's, maybe I am wrong, it can also be Kwak Si-Yung? Because joo won is the not only guy with 6 feet height in the drama

 

A Google search tells me that Kwak Si Yang is slightly taller than JW: 187 cm while JW is 185 cm. However, I can't say I can distinguish their builds all that well - I think I'm decently adept at recognizing JW's, but I'm not all that familiar with KSY so it's not like I can tell them apart if they end up being similar.

 

3 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

A quick review of "Symphony's of Romance", first of all, female lead is character is not as naive as Nae-il . It as it's own similarities with Korean and Japanese version but more like important scenes, like Contest between A group and S group(at least up to episode 8 these iconic scenes are similar). But coming to development of characters and their relationships are totally different, this in not only for Leads, even for supporting characters they are very different and have their own sub-plots. And this drama focusing more on romantic angle more than comedic angle, so that's why I kind of feel like the relationship between leads is more appealing than in Joo won's drama.

 

That's the impression I got from the trailer, stills, etc. - that this was more a musically-themed romance than a slapstick comedy (like the Japanese version) or a rom-com (Korean).

 

3 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Heck even the A group conductor has his own romantic moments with Lead's ex (in case of Korean version they have totally skipped or fast forwarded it). And even Mini Mini- Hee version has her own sub-plot, therefore, due to these sub-plot at least in my case I was able to empathize with all the characters. And the relationship progress  between main leads is intriguing and convincing at the same time, it's not too fast or too slow, just the right amount of pace. With heavy heart I am writing this but this drama totally beats the Naeil's cantabile to the pulp

 

lol - No need for the heavy heart. You're not accountable to anybody here, nor are your obligated to like the Korean version over any other simply because this is a Hallyu forum.  If the Chinese version has been able to improve and expand on the Korean one, then that's great.

 

I will, however, confess to remaining biased towards my own expansion 

 

That being said, I'm definitely curious about how things play out in terms of the music, music-making, student dynamics, etc. Like, is the Chinese version simply longer so they can cover more bases than the Korean one, or have some things been downplayed or de-emphasized to allow more room for romance, character subplots, etc.?

 

3 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

On the bright side the lack of romantic screen time in Naeil's Cantabile can be made up with this drama Like you they show the smallest details of their relationship in a subtle way, for instance, we know that Cha Yoo jin bought extra toothbrush for Nae-il, but in this show they actual show that male leads goes out to but the brush himself, and the scenes where they cook together, all these scenes made me more invested in their relationship than other supporting character relationship, otherwise it would have been ordinary like rest of the relationship.

 

So, is the male lead in the Chinese version less tsundere/Byronic than the Japanese or Korean versions, then?

 

I think it's cute that the leads in the Chinese version are already so close, but it does surprise me. Most of the humour in the Korean version at least was how Cha Yoo Jin's words and actions don't mesh re: his feelings towards Nae Il (e.g. doing something nice for her, then denying it; giving no outward sign he's okay with her living in his apartment, but then secretly covering her with a blanket when she falls asleep; etc.).

 

9 hours ago, mystylee33 said:

Hi!  As I know they met when they are still both in army 2017 and they have the same unit in White Skull division, But Geonil got discharged first.. They have picture together during that time unfortunately I didn't saved it in my files

 

Ah...so that's why the name sounded familiar.  Thanks for clearing it up! 

 

Since I see you are new to Soompi, there are a few rules/guidelines to keep in mind. Don't worry - nothing's wrong yet; I do this with everybody new I come across here (ask @kireeti2 if you want proof).

 

1. Try to wait at least one hour between posts - if you click "submit" and suddenly remember something you want to add, just edit your original post instead of starting a new one. Or wait.
2. If your post will have more than three images, post them all under "Spoilers". This is to make the site easier to load afterwards.
3. And this one's really important since it's new and we can all use the reminder: don't embed posts from Instagram. It's a bit tricky, since embedding happens automatically when you just copy-and-paste the URL, so I prepped a short guide for alternative methods in case you do want to share something from Instagram.

Other than that, I think we're all set. So please allow me to formally welcome you to JW's fan forum

 

[kireeti2]

29 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Embedding still happens automatically - you have to undo it manually if you don't want the link to be deleted by the moderators.

Okay, point noted, I have removed the embedded post and used the alternative way, don't want to run into trouble with the moderator 

31 minutes ago, kittyna said:

So, is the male lead in the Chinese version less tsundere/Byronic than the Japanese or Korean versions, then?

No, he is kind of different than Korean and Japanese version, he plays along well, albeit reluctantly, he does enjoy her company and as I said he even goes out to buy her spar toothbrush and weights for her after making dinner. So far their relationship is too cute 

33 minutes ago, kittyna said:

lol - No need for the heavy heart. You're not accountable to anybody here, nor are your obligated to like the Korean version

Lol!! You saw through my BS, didn't you? You are really good at reading between the lines. Okay, I'll come clean, I like the Chinese version, it is well written and pace is also good  I was just trying to be mindful of other fans feelings that's all. I know Joo won's fans are mature and rationale, but still they might be minorities who'll think otherwise

40 minutes ago, kittyna said:

but then secretly covering her with a blanket when she falls asleep; etc

These scenes are also there in this version, but it is also reciprocated by female lead, like she also take cares of male lead. when he down or having a bad day, of course Nae-il  kind of take cares of Cha Yoon Jin, but it feels like puppy trying to comfort her owner not like a partner ( Yes, in the end Nae-il does matures and becomes more like an equal partner)

 

42 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Like, is the Chinese version simply longer so they can cover more bases than the Korean one, or have some things been downplayed or de-emphasized to allow more room for romance, character subplots, etc.?

It's not that long, each episode is about 44 mins long, it's just the pace of the story progress and editing which made the sub plots not too dragging and enjoyable at the same time 

 

 

[kittyna]

4 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

No, he is kind of different than Korean and Japanese version, he plays along well, albeit reluctantly, he does enjoy her company and as I said he even goes out to buy her spar toothbrush and weights for her after making dinner. So far their relationship is too cute 

 

Aw...that does sound cute. Different from the Japanese/Korean versions (which are pretty similar in terms of characterization), but cute and fluffy and romantic in its own way 

 

4 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Lol!! You saw through my BS, didn't you? You are really good at reading between the lines.

 

Not necessarily - I just think that so long as you're not supporting something unethical or morally reprehensible, there's no need to apologize for your preferences. I would consider myself a loyal fan, but in the sense of "I can only really invest in having one bias" rather than "My bias is the best and everyone else can just suck it".

 

4 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

of course Nae-il  kind of take cares of Cha Yoon Jin, but it feels like puppy trying to comfort her owner not like a partner ( Yes, in the end Nae-il does matures and becomes more like an equal partner)

 

Nae Il's a puppy - and both she and Yoo Jin know it.  To be fair, though, Yoo Jin's so strong-willed on his own that it'd be rather hard for Nae Il to step in even if she tried; he's liable to be the sort of boyfriend who appreciates her help when she gives it, then decides he'd rather do it himself the next time anyway.

 

[kireeti2]

26 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Yoo Jin's so strong-willed on his own

In Chinese version male lead is more vulnerable mentally and  had a tough childhood, so that's why female lead is more mature, to make leads compatibility with eachother

Spoiler

His mom passed away when he was a child after getting divorce from his father, and father is as usually a stone hearted person. So he is emotionally scarred . There was scene where he accidentally throws female lead's toy piano while cleaning her room and she gets mad for doing that because it was gift from her mother and he again goes to the duster to search for the toy piano

 

31 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Aw...that does sound cute. Different from the Japanese/Korean versions (which are pretty similar in terms of characterization), but cute and fluffy and romantic in its own way 

Yeah, it is kind of refreshing to see interaction between the leads . For a change female lead is both funny and mature at the same time and male lead is vulnerable yet strong. He does flunk in a exam because he stayed up all night teaching female lead and his best friend due that he over slept when he was supposed to write the exam. By this incident we can infere that the male lead can go to any extent to help his friend (just like other version leads)

[kittyna]

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

In Chinese version male lead is more vulnerable mentally and  had a tough childhood, so that's why female lead is more mature, to make leads compatibility with eachother

 

I read the bit in the "Hidden Content" and...dang, they just want to lay it on thick with the angsty backstory, don't they! No wonder they needed to rework the female lead to be less childish/childlike (depending on who you ask ) to create a new balance.

 

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

He does flunk in a exam because he stayed up all night teaching female lead and his best friend due that he over slept when he was supposed to write the exam. By this incident we can infere that the male lead can go to any extent to help his friend (just like other version leads)

 

 Somehow, I can't imagine Cha Yoo Jin getting into that particular sort of mess, but point taken.  

 

By the way, re: the Alice food truck pics you shared earlier, @kireeti2, it does appear that the consensus on Instagram is that JW is next to Kim Hee Sun in that picture, because the banner on the food truck also includes a message for him ("P.S. Actor Joo Won, Fighting!").

 

And, apparently, this is a behind-the-scenes moment, too. Now I really want to know what's going on there  

[kireeti2]

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

Somehow, I can't imagine Cha Yoo Jin getting into that particular sort of mess, but point taken.

I thought the same thing, Cha Yoo Jin is very competitive when it comes to music and studies, we only see his arch in last two episode, where he at least tried to be encouraging towards his friends and Nae-il

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

By the way, re: the Alice food truck pics you shared earlier, @kireeti2, it does appear that the consensus on Instagram is that JW is next to Kim Hee Sun in that picture, because the banner on the food truck also includes a message for him ("P.S. Actor Joo Won, Fighting!").

Yeah, it was joo won standing next to Kim Hee Seon, but I must  admit, kim Hee Seon looks much younger than Joo won, I don't know if they are really going to stick with the teaser's mother-son relationship or it was just a diversion thing, to keep the audience guessing.

 

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

 

And, apparently, this is a behind-the-scenes moment, too. Now I really want to know what's going on there  

I saw it too, but I thought it was from "Fire Fighter" movie, since they were lot of emergency vehicles. Whoa! Looks like "Alice" is packed with action just like Bridal Mask and Yong-Pal. I guess it will have more action scenes than Yong-pal and less than Bridal Mask

 

 

This is kind of off the tangent interesting article therefore I am hiding it. But it does have to do with influence of K-pop in west especially in North America and particularly in protesting against racial injustice(note it is not just there in police institutions, if not the other institutions are more racist in nature than police institutions)

Spoiler

https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/06/23/1004336/tiktok-teens-kpop-stans-trump-resistance-its-complicated/?utm_medium=tr_social&utm_source=instagram&utm_campaign=site_visitor.unpaid.engagement&utm_content=instagrampost

 

https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/06/05/1002781/kpop-fans-and-black-lives-matter/

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/opinion/trump-protest-gen-z.html

 

 

[kireeti2]

Yup it is official, the guy in the pic with kim Hee seon is joo won, because joo won posted it on his Instagram, there is no two ways to look at it I might add it feels more  like couples  body language than mother-son, So I am stick my neck out and call it that they are playing as couple in the drama, not as Mother-son shown as in the teaser

Behind the scene of Alice

There was also an interesting read in the post, in the description of the post it literally translates into blunt x flirt = Alice, So I am guessing he is talking about kim Hee seon and I think her character is also known as Alice, since the drama synopsis it is said that she is the key for time travel, therefore I think she is the Alice.

And in the comment section kim hee seon said Joo won has more "Aegyo", I guess he really didn't changed at all after enlisting in the army. I can't say I am disappointed, but I am hoping at least we see his maturity in acting, I personally like him to stay the way he is in his personal life : Like going on long walks, drinking coffee and whatever makes him happy

[kittyna]

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I thought the same thing, Cha Yoo Jin is very competitive when it comes to music and studies, we only see his arch in last two episode, where he at least tried to be encouraging towards his friends and Nae-il

 

I think I noticed Cha Yoo Jin going all out for his friends earlier than that: it's true that there was some pride and self-interest involved (e.g. "This is my orchestra, so I'm not gonna let them lose."). The part that sounded unlike Cha Yoo Jin in the Chinese version is him oversleeping and missing the test as a result. In my head at least, Yoo Jin would still do the all-nighter, but would then force himself to get through the test before taking a rest. As we all know, that's not healthy and also isn't good for anyone's mood - hence "sleep-deprived grumpy cat" 

 

(Just found that emoji and had to use it - sorry, not sorry )

 

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Whoa! Looks like "Alice" is packed with action just like Bridal Mask and Yong-Pal. I guess it will have more action scenes than Yong-pal and less than Bridal Mask

 

Even the trailer had a good deal of action scenes, so I definitely think we'll get some good ones. It's part of what's expected for a post-enlistment comeback drama, I think: shower scenes, action scenes...basically, anything the producers can throw in so that fans get to see the male lead's post-enlistment appearance. 

 

7 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

There was also an interesting read in the post, in the description of the post it literally translates into blunt x flirt = Alice, So I am guessing he is talking about kim Hee seon and I think her character is also known as Alice, since the drama synopsis it is said that she is the key for time travel, therefore I think she is the Alice.

 

Oh. I hadn't thought of that before - "Alice" referring to a person, I mean. I guess it makes sense: Alice in Wonderland imagery is really popular in East Asia for some reason as a way to express that "fish out of water" feeling you get when placed suddenly in a new environment. It's not particularly obvious in Yong Pal - since it's the male lead rather than the female lead who's thrown into a new world - but that drama does still have the general "dark fairy tale" vibe associated with East Asian renditions of Alice in Wonderland.

[kireeti2]

11 minutes ago, kittyna said:

anyone's mood - hence "sleep-deprived grumpy cat" 

 

(Just found that emoji and had to use it - sorry, not sorry )

OMG, that emoji is annoying and illogical at the same time. How can a cat breath fire? 

Don't be sorry,  I'll just retort with spoilers from "Symphony's Romance". So, the Orchestra competition between A and S is completed and the S orchestra group lost to A orchestra Group, no draw like situation as it was the case in "Naeil's cantabile" . And the leads had their first kiss unexpectedly, like no one can see it coming(Ep  9) it is cute and romantic at the same time and there is the  elite Piano player who comes from no where and acts like catalyst in relationship of the main leads, and park bo gum counter-part character just met the female lead and develops feelings towards her. So far this is the story line, with fewer similarities from Japanese and Korean version. 

25 minutes ago, kittyna said:

shower scenes, action scenes...basically, anything the producers can throw in

Jeez, you make it sound like it will be one of those dramas 

 

 where there is action in every scene like there is action even in main leads walk , for instance, chuck Norris (with all due respect to his action scenes) . But too much of something is bad thing, I am sure  joo won would also want right amount of action scenes in the drama and doesn't want to overdo it 

 

 

29 minutes ago, kittyna said:

I guess it makes sense: Alice in Wonderland imagery is really popular in East Asia for some reason as a way to express that "fish out of water" feeling you get when placed suddenly in a new environment

Oh, I didn't knew Alice in wonderland is that famous in East Asia, I think there is also drama with tile Cheongdam-dong Alice which keep popping up when I try to search for "Alice", it is also on same theme, female lead stuck in an totally new environment. Maybe Joo won will be the one to stuck in the environment of time travel and Kim Hee seon will help him to navigate. I really hope it is a fresh story,  not like mix of age old K-drama story with few scenes of relationship development  between male and female lead and second lead as a third wheel with remaining scenes. 

[kittyna]

1 hour ago, kireeti2 said:

So, the Orchestra competition between A and S is completed and the S orchestra group lost to A orchestra Group, no draw like situation as it was the case in "Naeil's cantabile" .

 

That makes sense. In reality, competition in the classical music scene can be brutal - even though, technically, everyone knows that you can't listen to two musicians or ensembles back-to-back and pick one that's objectively "better" (because music is never objective), that is what judges are required to do. It is unrealistic to expect a draw to be able to drag out for as long as it does in Nae Il's Cantabile, or (now that I'm on the subject) for the first place spot to be left blank in a piano competition simply because the person you think should have won didn't play the way she "should" have. In such a scenario, the judges would either have given Nae Il first place anyway (with pointers about following the score in the feedback report) OR given her second place because the next-best player actually stuck with the rules (and should, by extension, get first).

 

I haven't seen how it played out in Symphony of Love, but I will say that in Nae Il's Cantabile, as great as the S Orchestra's story was, that competition was a bit of a joke. First of all: who said a conservatory can only have ONE ensemble? That in and of itself doesn't make sense. If the students are all there as instrumentalists, then what are they doing there except to learn to play as soloists and in ensemble? Secondly: the dichotomy between the A and S students was too extreme. Like, if the S students were really as bad as the A students and professors (I repeat: professors!) said they were, how on earth would they even have been accepted into Haneum in the first place? Thirdly: even if the A Orchestra's conductor kept messing up because of stage fright (it happens), the orchestra as a whole...should have been okay. An elite professional-calibre orchestra should know this: when in doubt, watch the concertmaster. So you may have an orchestra that ends up just looking at their scores or at Jung Si Won, but they shouldn't be so unused to playing together that the entire thing falls apart. In an instance like that, you have to wonder where the "elite" designation comes from. 

 

Of course, I understand the ultimate message that Nae Il's Cantabile was trying to communicate: that the "A" students that everyone looked up to were (with a handful of exceptions - like Cha Yoo Jin or Jung Si Won) just in it for bragging rights and didn't actually love music, unlike the S's. But that being said, the actual division was entirely artificial, and the tie was dragged out just to pave the way for the creation of Rising Star instead.

 

By the way, for anyone who's interested: this video has two professional violinists answering viewer questions about studying in a music university. The same two guys also did this one about what NOT to do as a conservatory student. In short: while the competition and professional circuits can be harsh, the conservatory should be a welcoming environment for students to learn. And anyone who comes in with elitist attitudes will get shut down pretty quickly.  

 

1 hour ago, kireeti2 said:

there is the  elite Piano player who comes from no where and acts like catalyst in relationship of the main leads

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think something similar happens in the Japanese version, but was downplayed in the Korean one. Like, it was there (Nae Il watching Yoo Jin practice with Sohn Su Ji and getting jealous), but it wasn't really a major subplot, nor did it do much of anything in regards to Yoo Jin's feelings for Nae Il.

 

1 hour ago, kireeti2 said:

Jeez, you make it sound like it will be one of those dramas 

 

 where there is action in every scene like there is action even in main leads walk , for instance, chuck Norris (with all due respect to his action scenes) . But too much of something is bad thing, I am sure  joo won would also want right amount of action scenes in the drama and doesn't want to overdo it 

 

I don't think that's how Alice will turn out - I'm just saying that scenes meant to satisfy thirsty fans are definitely a thing in comeback dramas.

 

1 hour ago, kireeti2 said:

I think there is also drama with tile Cheongdam-dong Alice which keep popping up when I try to search for "Alice", it is also on same theme, female lead stuck in an totally new environment.

 

Yes, there is, and I watched it way back when. In terms of the "poor(er) lead ends up suddenly in a rich people's world" story, though...Yong Pal was way better  

[kireeti2]

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think something similar happens in the Japanese version, but was downplayed in the Korean one. Like, it was there (Nae Il watching Yoo Jin practice with Sohn Su Ji and getting jealous), but it wasn't really a major subplot, nor did it do much of anything in regards to Yoo Jin's feelings for Nae Il.

I think the purpose of the elite pianist is the make the female lead release that just being gifted with ability to play piano is not enough to stay withe male lead. I think the Chinese version is also doing it in similar fashion, but in the Chinese version male lead is already acquainted with the elite pianist, like they are friends, not like meeting first time in Korean and Japanese version. And yes they kind of downplayed it in Japanese version, it's like she there for split second

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

In such a scenario, the judges would either have given Nae Il first place anyway

Sometimes I feel like they didn't give Naeil scholarship in drama is because that they could squeeze in a back-hug scene. 

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

 this video has two professional violinists answering viewer questions about studying in a music university. 

The audience who attend performance class get attendance? Lol!!  It is like basically students attending their peers performance 

 

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

By the way, for anyone who's interested: this video has two professional violinists answering viewer questions about studying in a music university. The same two guys also did this one about what NOT to do as a conservatory student. In short: while the competition and professional circuits can be harsh, the conservatory should be a welcoming environment for students to learn. And anyone who comes in with elitist attitudes will get shut down pretty quickly.  

Whoa! After watching this, now I have so much equal respect towards musical student and  medical students. And you guys need to start practicing music and choose your instrument at tender age of 12 and 11 and that too is considered too late, wow  You guys need to practice, write essays, write thesis, do a performance in front of audience and on top of that you loose 2 marks if you miss a semicolon. No wonder your English writing skills is perfect @kittyna, is it because of the practice you had as musical student? I know English writing skills in west is not a big deal, but your skill kind of standout, I feel more like reading a news article than reading forum member's reply 

 

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

Yes, there is, and I watched it way back when. In terms of the "poor(er) lead ends up suddenly in a rich people's world" story, though...Yong Pal was way better  

Now that you mentioned it, Yong-pal does feel like an "Alice in wonderland" theme. Kim Tae Hyun was kind of roped  into the world of female lead without his knowledge. But of course he did escaped from it in the end 

[kittyna]

6 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Sometimes I feel like they didn't give Naeil scholarship in drama is because that they could squeeze in a back-hug scene. 

 

lol - Or give her an excuse to fly back to Jeju-do (because she felt bad), which then gives her the chance to prove to Cha Yoo Jin that her hypnotherapy actually worked (by forcing him to fly there to pick her up). Because I did notice that even after the hypnosis, Yoo Jin's still going on with the assumption that he can't get on an airplane, so Nae Il has to push him to figure that out for himself.

 

6 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

The audience who attend performance class get attendance? Lol!!  It is like basically students attending their peers performance 

 

Well, it's like the masterclass that you see in dramas like Nae Il's Cantabile: you play what you've prepared (even if it's still a work in progress), and you get feedback from the instructor and your classmates. Everyone gets credit for attendance, but you really only get feedback if you're willing to play. At least, that's what I managed to figure out from the video.

 

And to be honest, student performances are mostly going to be attended by fellow students and their families. Even if they're open to the general public (which, I think is the case for graduation recitals and special events), it's mostly people who already know the performers who'd attend - at least until they manage to make it professionally.

 

6 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Whoa! After watching this, now I have so much equal respect towards musical student and  medical students. And you guys need to start practicing music and choose your instrument at tender age of 12 and 11 and that too is considered too late, wow  You guys need to practice, write essays, write thesis, do a performance in front of audience and on top of that you loose 2 marks if you miss a semicolon. No wonder your English writing skills is perfect @kittyna, is it because of the practice you had as musical student?

 

I believe I said I wasn't a music major before  Why else would I need to use outside sources to figure out what it's like to study at a music university? And I do think the "two marks off for missing a semi-colon" may just be due to those guys having a draconian instructor once. I dunno. That's not something that's ever happened to me before: my teachers tended to be happy enough that we were citing references at all  

 

But that being said, I was the big Liberal Arts/Humanities nerd who took courses on history or world cultures or literature a lot, and in those cases, you're reading and writing a ton. So I think I learned a thing or two along the way.  In terms of creative writing, though, the main factor would simply be that I love reading, and you learn a lot from exposure. However, unlike a number of my other bookworm peers, I never was the type who'd, say, try to write my own novel growing up or something like that. It took me a long time to realize why - since I did enjoy reading/watching stories and thinking about them and analyzing them - but I came to understand that while I enjoy expanding on something that already exists, I can't come up with something entirely from scratch on my own. So, say, I can draw from reference, but can't just pick up a pen and doodle something; or I can play around with how to interpret a piece of piano music, but I can't compose. Same with writing: I can expand on something that's already there (i.e. fan-fiction), but if I had to come up with a whole world and characters on my own...I can't.

 

6 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Now that you mentioned it, Yong-pal does feel like an "Alice in wonderland" theme. Kim Tae Hyun was kind of roped  into the world of female lead without his knowledge. But of course he did escaped from it in the end 

 

He escaped from it, and (eventually) managed to bring Han Yeo Jin out of it as well: not physically (since she's still the CEO and has to be), but in spirit.

[kireeti2]

7 hours ago, kittyna said:

lol - Or give her an excuse to fly back to Jeju-do (because she felt bad), which then gives her the chance to prove to Cha Yoo Jin that her hypnotherapy actually worked (by forcing him to fly there to pick her up). Because I did notice that even after the hypnosis, Yoo Jin's still going on with the assumption that he can't get on an airplane, so Nae Il has to push him to figure that out for himself.

I think she was going to help with hypnotherapy after winning the scholarship, so that can go together. But she did it anyway even after loosing the scholarship, because she realized how cha Yoo jin wanted to go abroad for further studies. Nevertheless,  back-hug takes precedence over hypnotherapy

7 hours ago, kittyna said:

I believe I said I wasn't a music major before

I keep forgetting that, it's that your fan-fics of Naeil's cantabile feels like it was written by musical student

7 hours ago, kittyna said:

I was the big Liberal Arts/Humanities nerd who took courses on history or world cultures or literature a lot

Wow! You must had fun while learning these awesome subjects I wish I could have taken liberal arts/Humanities, but in India you are always pressured to take STEM and then take a job in programing But I am trying unlearn and re-learn so I guess it is still not late for me to explore in Humanities

 

 

Joo won is still acting cute with seniors

 

Which makes me wonder how can he look and sound so intimidating while talking to his juniors. I am talking about a scene in 1D2N, where the team was in the beach performing a game with the audience, so unexpectedly or I don't know if it was scripted, his juniors were in the audience to attend a competition in a music festival. So, Joo won kind of gave a prep talk to them in tone like a strict senior that "Wining is not important in the competition but giving your best is more important", It was not like he pressuring them to win, but it sounded more like authoritative in nature. Before his junior showed up he was acting all cute and fun, as soon as he was in the presence of his juniors he completely transformed into a senior

[kittyna]

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I think she was going to help with hypnotherapy after winning the scholarship, so that can go together. But she did it anyway even after loosing the scholarship, because she realized how cha Yoo jin wanted to go abroad for further studies.

 

Yeah - that was one of the biggest signs that Nae Il's started to become more mature, since she was thinking more about Yoo Jin's wants/needs than her own.

 

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I wish I could have taken liberal arts/Humanities, but in India you are always pressured to take STEM and then take a job in programing

 

I don't know how it is in China itself, but a number of Chinese Canadians I knew growing up went through the same: medicine, engineering, information tech, etc. Even if you took sciences, it was aimed at going into medicine - don't think about just becoming a researcher in a lab  Now, though, business seems to be the big one - which is rather ironic, since that's the complete reversal of how our priorities worked historically  Times change, and business/accounting/real estate/etc. seems to be where the money is now.

 

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Which makes me wonder how can he look and sound so intimidating while talking to his juniors. I am talking about a scene in 1D2N, where the team was in the beach performing a game with the audience, so unexpectedly or I don't know if it was scripted, his juniors were in the audience to attend a competition in a music festival. So, Joo won kind of gave a prep talk to them in tone like a strict senior that "Wining is not important in the competition but giving your best is more important", It was not like he pressuring them to win, but it sounded more like authoritative in nature.

 

I think that JW's just really good at tailoring his behaviour to the situation; we also see him being more of a leader (not authoritative, just taking the initiative) when he's with people close to him in age.

 

It's so weird, though - I feel like I've seen that episode before, but can't for the life of me remember which one it was or what else was going on.

 

Instagram update: selfies in the car

[kireeti2]

I hope Joo won does not suffer the same fate has these three  stars did. It is an interesting article, but they have totally blamed the failures of drama over the controversies and not the poor performance of these stars and shallow story with no character development or arch especially in male leads. For instance, in all the three dramas of these stars, including the recent drama "Backstreet Rookie", the relationship starts only because the male lead is handsome, I mean how shallow can writing be that the female falls only for the looks ,kinds of gives away the character of female lead is mostly  there to cater  male  lead and there is no character development for her and her universe revolves around the male lead, she exists because he exists. I think the most international fans and K- fans have moved on from such cliche story and are looking for something fresh. In this aspect I find joo won's upcoming drama has some advantage, I mean it does have a strong female lead(As far as I know Kim Hee seon never takes the role which has does not arch or is subservient to male lead) with usually used time travel story, but with different perspective

 

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2020/06/688_291870.html

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

don't think about just becoming a researcher in a lab

Lol! It's kind of same here also, some people won't even understand what research means. All they'll ask about position and salary , and if you say you are research scholar and still studying for PhD they'll be like don't waste time and get into some MNC. Imagine the disappointment of the he/she who is doing PhD and is being given advice by a guy who just completed bachelors degree 20 years back. With this access to internet everyone is kind of became a career counselor, who'll give different advice everyday because the trends keep on changing, at least in earlier days these people use to stick with their own group and give advice about the fields which they are aware of, but know everyone is an expert. 

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

Times change, and business/accounting/real estate/etc. seems to be where the money is now.

I think it is more like Business and Accounting now, real estate is dead after 2008 financial crisis and now with Covid-19 pandemic property rates will plummet with no buyers in the market 

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

It's so weird, though - I feel like I've seen that episode before, but can't for the life of me remember which one it was or what else was going on.

I think you are trying to remember this episode 

When Joo won meets his Juniors 

[kittyna]

2 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

It is an interesting article, but they have totally blamed the failures of drama over the controversies and not the poor performance of these stars and shallow story with no character development or arch especially in male leads. For instance, in all the three dramas of these stars, including the recent drama "Backstreet Rookie", the relationship starts only because the male lead is handsome, I mean how shallow can writing be that the female falls only for the looks ,kinds of gives away the character of female lead is mostly  there to cater  male  lead and there is no character development for her and her universe revolves around the male lead, she exists because he exists.

 

Hm...I haven't watched any of these comeback dramas yet (I tend to watch according to my own interests and my own ordering/schedule), but this is actually starting to make me wonder: have people been trying too hard to replicate the success of Descendants of the Sun? I don't know what comeback dramas were like before that point, but I think there's been a certain hype/mystique attached to them since that point - and with so many top Hallyu stars enlisting and coming back at around the same time, it feels like all of them (or, let's be real, their agencies) are trying different things in hopes of achieving those same results.

 

I don't know if you watched Descendants of the Sun, but I remember that it was literally everywhere when I went to Seoul back in 2016 - which was another big year for actor comebacks (Park Hae Jin, Song Joong Ki, Yoon Si Yoon, etc.). Personally, I thought the drama wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good or memorable either - yet somehow it just exploded, and for the time that the hype lasted, SJK was definitely the top Hallyu star. Of course, things change quickly - within a few months, focus had shifted to Moonlight Drawn by Clouds and Park Bo Gum (two-shot win for Blossom Entertainment there) - but I think that got screenwriters, directors, agencies, actors...everyone, really, starry-eyed about these grandly sweeping romantic dramas. For example, I can see how The King: Eternal Monarch seems to have latched onto that same formula.

 

However, 2016 was a long time ago in something that evolves as rapidly as the entertainment industry, and maybe audience preferences have already changed. From what I can tell, domestic audiences (i.e. the ones who determine televised ratings) seem to now prefer either darker, grittier stories (e.g. World of the Married) or everyday slice-of-life stories (e.g. Hospital Playlist). Not entirely sure where Crash Landing on You falls here - maybe a bit of both, to be honest - but that's definitely a change from the pure romance fever from a few years ago.

 

2 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

In this aspect I find joo won's upcoming drama has some advantage, I mean it does have a strong female lead(As far as I know Kim Hee seon never takes the role which has does not arch or is subservient to male lead) with usually used time travel story, but with different perspective

 

So, is it possible for JW to end up the dark horse here? Maybe. I do think he's trying something different from the other comeback dramas right now, but that doesn't mean this is going to be smooth sailing for him either. I think that the lacklustre showing of several other comebacks so far means that I shouldn't hold high hopes for Alice's ratings - if it does end up doing well commercially, then great; but even if it doesn't I think that I can at least expect an interesting story with engaging, three-dimensional characters.

 

2 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I think it is more like Business and Accounting now, real estate is dead after 2008 financial crisis and now with Covid-19 pandemic property rates will plummet with no buyers in the market 

 

Real estate's still big where I am - property prices have just kept going up, and even COVID-19 just made it plateau without actually bringing it down (i.e. fewer transactions have happened, but the prices haven't changed). In recent years, there's been an increase in both overseas and domestic investment buyers (e.g. people who buy property to either resell for profit or rent out to tenants), so real estate is still an attractive career choice here.

 

2 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I think you are trying to remember this episode 

When Joo won meets his Juniors 

 

Yep, it's that one - thanks!  

[kireeti2]

15 hours ago, kittyna said:

Personally, I thought the drama wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good or memorable eithe

LOl, you are nor alone I felt the same way. The Hype was unnecessary, I mean the drama had it's own good moments where it touches your heart, but it was not worth going crazy since it was like any other k-drama story and boy! the product placements were like crazy, sometimes it gave me feeling that whether I was watching a drama in a commercial.

15 hours ago, kittyna said:

 Crash Landing on You falls

I think "Crash Landing on You" is a spin, it is the regular K-drama story but with different way of viewing it. Main leads were kind of entangled in political unrest between two countries. But I had my own complaints regarding the way they have portrayed the North Korea, especially people in high ranking positions, I know they are good people on the both the side, but it is very unlikely that they'll be an ounce of humanity in the people who are in high positions of the North Korean regime. They also kind of downplayed the misery of people in North Korea, like in scene they show that the North Koreans have never seen such surplus food or I should say rice products in their life, it's like showing that is the only thing missing in North Korea a branded Rice company(can product placement producers can stoop any lower) The North Korea people not only lack branded food products but also lack liberty and freedom to live a life according to one's will , what a load crap! No person with Conscience will every going to occupy higher position in such oppressive regime

 

15 hours ago, kittyna said:

Real estate's still big where I am - property prices have just kept going up, and even COVID-19 just made it plateau without actually bringing it down (i.e. fewer transactions have happened, but the prices haven't changed). In recent years, there's been an increase in both overseas and domestic investment buyers (e.g. people who buy property to either resell for profit or rent out to tenants), so real estate is still an attractive career choice here.

 

Alright, wow! Okay. I think Canadian Housing market is still in bubble. I am not an economist or an real estate expert. But common sense dictates that if the price of an item is going up it must come down, like it happen in Housing market crash of America,   unless it is being driven artificially by low interest rates and by  controlling the supply side, both are unsustainable and could cause bigger spillover on the whole of economy, like the one happened during 2008 recession. You are reply prompted me to do some digging into the real state market of Canada, experts do agree that the prices are being speculated and this might go south if the policy makers do not intervene. I have in an article that rise in properties price is due to migration of Vancouver foreign investor to Toronto because of the 15% tax on foreign investment on property purchase. I think the sensible real estate agent will sell his property before 2021, I think the (God forbid) if trump wins there's going to be more trade wars and it will definitely affect housing market and if he loses there the market will go into probation period where it will likely readjust itself and this might definitely decrease the property prices. (Again I am not an expert, just an opinion, my interpretation of watching too many stock market movies like "Big Short, Inside Job and Capitalism: A lover story )

https://www.canadianbusiness.com/economy/how-canadas-real-estate-market-went-completely-insane/

https://www.globalpropertyguide.com/North-America/Canada/Price-History

 

15 hours ago, kittyna said:

So, is it possible for JW to end up the dark horse here? Maybe. I do think he's trying something different from the other comeback dramas right now, but that doesn't mean this is going to be smooth sailing for him either. I think that the lacklustre showing of several other comebacks so far means that I shouldn't hold high hopes for Alice's ratings - if it does end up doing well commercially, then great; but even if it doesn't I think that I can at least expect an interesting story with engaging, three-dimensional characters.

He was always been a surprise in the industry  because he is not a typical Hallyu Star. I think it is fair to call him as an outsider, since he is not known for his looks like other stars. But I hold more optimistic view in terms of ratings than you do. I know time travel stories are really hard to execute, because the real challenge is make viewers understand the story in a simple and interesting way,  and it needs to be entertaining and empathetic as well. Regarding rating as fan I expect it to be in between 15% to 20%, but as a realist I am expecting it might be between 10 to 15%, but we will never know, it is really hard to predict what audience will like in a drama the rating might soar to 25% if the story is intriguing and bold at the same time, if it is like typical K-drama story then I guess the rating will be in single digits

 

 

By the way another update from Symphony's Romance drama, Male lead now is having another competition with A orchestra's conductor, but the twist is that, he will be competing with A orchestra group against S orchestra his former group. In other words , Master Fisher(milch) made  them to  swap their groups and compete with each other in order to be his students. And the romance between the main leads(Like holding hands, Female lead making lunch for male lead)  is  making Park Bo Gum counter part jealousy as hell and on top of that he is in A orchestra group, so here the dynamics might change, since female lead doesn't want the male lead to go to Europe and she actually confide this to second lead, so I think maybe, he might screw it up for Male lead in the competition and this might make the male lead angry, just like blind audition rift in Naeil's cantabile. Female lead's journey to become the greatest pianist is yet to begin So I think I have to wait for her character arch

Lol! Joo won looks really big in this pick with small face, must be because of all his work outs before joining the army

Joo won's army photo

[kittyna]

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

But I had my own complaints regarding the way they have portrayed the North Korea, especially people in high ranking positions, I know they are good people on the both the side, but it is very unlikely that they'll be an ounce of humanity in the people who are in high positions of the North Korean regime. They also kind of downplayed the misery of people in North Korea, like in scene they show that the North Koreans have never seen such surplus food or I should say rice products in their life, it's like showing that is the only thing missing in North Korea a branded Rice company(can product placement producers can stoop any lower) The North Korea people not only lack branded food products but also lack liberty and freedom to live a life according to one's will , what a load crap! No person with Conscience will every going to occupy higher position in such oppressive regime

 

I haven't seen the drama yet, but I'd be cautious about painting the actual people in those high positions with such a broad brush: not because I subscribe to the airbrushed view that does tend to leak out from propaganda, but because I often find myself surprised by what goodness and humanity can exist in even the darkest circumstances (and I'd argue that Crash Landing on You was trying to humanize the North Korean people in a way that most depictions in K-dramas haven't). We don't know all the factors that go into appointing someone to a high position in North Korea - it could be that those are hereditary, based on one's family bloodline, etc. - nor will we ever understand all the strings attached.

 

The reason why I'm pointing this out is because I think your comments stem very strongly from liberal democratic thought: "Why don't they just leave?" "Why don't they fight back?" "If they don't agree with the regime, they should just resign." "If they stay, they must condone what's happening." But would you say the same if doing so meant the death or imprisonment of your loved ones? Or, if not actual punishment, then seeing them starving in the countryside instead of living relatively comfortably in Pyongyang?

 

There's also a more existential question at play here, one which I'm not capable of answering myself: if you've never experienced freedom or self-actualization before, and you live in a place where no-one has...would you know that's what you're missing, and would you try to obtain it? It's part of the whole nature vs. nurture debate: is the prioritization of personal rights and freedoms innate to human nature, or something we are socialized to believe is something we deserve?

 

Again, I'm not saying that everything is just relative or dependent on cultural context; it isn't. However, what I am saying is that we can't truly ascertain what someone's like on the inside based on their actions or position on the outside - and that includes North Koreans.

 

By the way, re: product placement - I just roll with it. It's weird, and can be extremely out of place, but it's also what lets dramas be broadcast relatively commercial-free so that we actually have the full hour/hour-and-a-half in airtime. It's nuts how short North American TV shows actually are since you're literally stopping for commercials every five minutes. In comparison to that, I think wacky product placement is fine, and just take it as a quirk of Korean television.

 

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

But I hold more optimistic view in terms of ratings than you do. I know time travel stories are really hard to execute, because the real challenge is make viewers understand the story in a simple and interesting way,  and it needs to be entertaining and empathetic as well. Regarding rating as fan I expect it to be in between 15% to 20%, but as a realist I am expecting it might be between 10 to 15%, but we will never know, it is really hard to predict what audience will like in a drama the rating might soar to 25% if the story is intriguing and bold at the same time, if it is like typical K-drama story then I guess the rating will be in single digits

 

Not to mention the other factor that we can't control for: competition. Alice (or any drama, for that matter) won't just be rated based on itself, but in comparison with others. Overall, JW's dramas have done well in competition with others in the same timeslot, but he's admitted that that's a factor that leads to his films bombing at the box office: they often got positive reviews, but lost out to other films (domestic or international) once actually released in theatres.

 

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Male lead now is having another competition with A orchestra's conductor, but the twist is that, he will be competing with A orchestra group against S orchestra his former group. In other words , Master Fisher(milch) made  them to  swap their groups and compete with each other in order to be his students. And the romance between the main leads(Like holding hands, Female lead making lunch for male lead)  is  making Park Bo Gum counter part jealousy as hell and on top of that he is in A orchestra group, so here the dynamics might change, since female lead doesn't want the male lead to go to Europe and she actually confide this to second lead, so I think maybe, he might screw it up for Male lead in the competition and this might make the male lead angry, just like blind audition rift in Naeil's cantabile.

 

Oof...that doesn't sound nice. Forgive me if I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds like the musical and personal rivalry between the two male leads is starting to get really messy and immature in Symphony's Romance.

 

To be honest, the main reason why I enjoyed watching the competition/rivalry between Cha Yoo Jin and Lee Yoon Hoo in Nae Il's Cantabile was because both of them had their hearts in the right place re: the orchestras and it was healthy and productive overall. They didn't get along with each other personally - even when things calmed down, their personalities still clashed - but Stresemann made them compete against each other in hopes that they could learn from observing one another. No more, no less. And that's reflected in Yoon Hoo's characterization in particular: I could never see him, for example, actively working against letting Yoo Jin study abroad or even trying to supplant him as Stresemann's apprentice. Yoon Hoo took a huge step downwards in the drama: leaving Juilliard (I repeat: Juilliard - one of the top music universities in the entire world!) for Haneum to get away from all of that (competition, petty jealousies, etc.). So it's interesting that his counterpart in the Chinese version of the story has that side to him.

 

9 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Lol! Joo won looks really big in this pick with small face, must be because of all his work outs before joining the army

Joo won's army photo

 

Not to mention that JW just has a proportionately smaller head for someone of his height/build to begin with  

[kireeti2]

18 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Oof...that doesn't sound nice. Forgive me if I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds like the musical and personal rivalry between the two male leads is starting to get really messy and immature in Symphony's Romance.

No, it is not like that, maybe I made it sound like that. But the second is cryptic in nature, he can sense that he likes the female lead, but I don't know if he would fight for her he though he knows that she is completely in love with male lead. So, I just interpreted maybe he might want to help to either go to Europe so that she can stay with the person she loves or make that person not to leave to Europe. Right now the competition is about which conductor will be student of Master Fei She Er. Maybe they'll be slight tussle between second and main lead, since main lead even doesn't know he exists, but he did saw him making a pinky promise to female lead that he'll join as a kindergarten piano teacher with her if he fails to go to Europe, which kind of male lead jealous and threw away the lunch he brought to eat with her, so the childish nature of Cha Yoo Jin is still visible in Chinese version

31 minutes ago, kittyna said:

I haven't seen the drama yet, but I'd be cautious about painting the actual people in those high positions with such a broad brush: not because I subscribe to the airbrushed view that does tend to leak out from propaganda, but because I often find myself surprised by what goodness and humanity can exist in even the darkest circumstances (and I'd argue that Crash Landing on You was trying to humanize the North Korean people in a way that most depictions in K-dramas haven't). We don't know all the factors that go into appointing someone to a high position in North Korea - it could be that those are hereditary, based on one's family bloodline, etc. - nor will we ever understand all the strings attached.

 

The reason why I'm pointing this out is because I think your comments stem very strongly from liberal democratic thought: "Why don't they just leave?" "Why don't they fight back?" "If they don't agree with the regime, they should just resign." "If they stay, they must condone what's happening." But would you say the same if doing so meant the death or imprisonment of your loved ones? Or, if not actual punishment, then seeing them starving in the countryside instead of living relatively comfortably in Pyongyang?

 

There's also a more existential question at play here, one which I'm not capable of answering myself: if you've never experienced freedom or self-actualization before, and you live in a place where no-one has...would you know that's what you're missing, and would you try to obtain it? It's part of the whole nature vs. nurture debate: is the prioritization of personal rights and freedoms innate to human nature, or something we are socialized to believe is something we deserve?

 

Again, I'm not saying that everything is just relative or dependent on cultural context; it isn't. However, what I am saying is that we can't truly ascertain what someone's like on the inside based on their actions or position on the outside - and that includes North Koreans.

You have a point, but I find a lot contradictions in your argument, for instance, you believe there humanity and good exists in the higher ups of the an oppressive regime like NK, but at the same time you say that these very good officers with humanity will stay mum when their fellow human beings are subjected to various types of hardships ranging from starvation to torture, so that their loved ones can be safe and sound and lead a comfortable life. The same arguments or if not the same logic was used by war criminals of World War-2, which is called as "Superior orders", I will just leave it here.And one more thing,  I was never hoping them to resign or want them to fight their dear leader since one will  never be appointed  in higher position in the NK regime if one is not loyal to the Dear leader in the first place. And coming to the experiencing of the freedom part, like if that was the case then why are there some many defectors ? (these defectors are mostly the victims of the crimes of the regime, not the officials who enjoy comfortable life in the capital city at the expense of the people in the rural regions). So by that logic they should never crave for freedom, like they don't know the definition of the freedom, right? The thing I am trying to express is in the drama they have shown few issues of the Nk regime but they showed it in a lite way, like it is some kind of inconvenience like stuck  in some traffic jam, they reduced or I should say downplayed it like they have some kind of viewership NK and they might take offense and complaint it on internet.

Maybe this video might show my point of view

 

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

Overall, JW's dramas have done well in competition with others in the same timeslot

I think Yong-pal is fits better in this category, it was highest rated drama in 2015, like no other drama was able to get more than 15% continuously. But unfortunately joo won lost daesang to Kim Soo Hyun, despite Yong-pal been outperforming "The Producers". But at least Kim Tae Hee got top excellent actress award, which she deserved

2 hours ago, kittyna said:

The reason why I'm pointing this out is because I think your comments stem very strongly from liberal democratic thought:

I am aware of my implicit biases of living in liberal democracy but not a strong one I live in a flawed democracy and I do know or aware of the dangers of rebelling against a oppressive regime like NK. As I have shared the video which shows or gives first hand details about the situation of North Korean commoners (I can't address them as citizens, because they are not treated like citizens, since citizens have rights) which it was shown in different light in the "Crash Landing On You". I am not an optimistic person who believes world can be better place if few have sacrificed their life's. I am an optimistic nihilist who believes that we are accountable to our conscience for the choices we make, no matter what justification we give for those choices

[kittyna]

4 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

You have a point, but I find a lot contradictions in your argument, for instance, you believe there humanity and good exists in the higher ups of the an oppressive regime like NK, but at the same time you say that these very good officers with humanity will stay mum when their fellow human beings are subjected to various types of hardships ranging from starvation to torture, so that their loved ones can be safe and sound and lead a comfortable life. The same arguments or if not the same logic was used by war criminals of World War-2, which is called as "Superior orders", I will just leave it here

 

If that's how my words came out, then I apologize. But that's not what I meant. Everyone is accountable for his/her own actions; that's a given. But each individual person is only ever truly aware of his/her own individual circumstances and what constitutes right or wrong action under those circumstances. Perhaps it's because I can't say for certain what it would be like to live in a regime like North Korea's; I've never experienced it and (fingers crossed) I never will. However, because of that, I can't say 100% without a doubt that people who toe the line in that system lack conscience or humanity (and if that's not what you intended by your initial comment, I apologize again).

 

4 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I am not an optimistic person who believes world can be better place if few have sacrificed their life's. I am an optimistic nihilist who believes that we are accountable to our conscience for the choices we make, no matter what justification we give for those choices

 

Same. I don't know if I'd call myself an "optimistic nihilist", but in terms of personal conscience and accountability, I am the same.

 

However, for me, the heart/intentions/motivation matters more than the actions themselves. That's a matter of conscience and not something an outsider - such as you or I - can comment on. North Korea is an extreme example, and will probably always be extreme, but if I think on, say, WWII, the same principles apply. Atrocities and war crimes are wrong, so my question naturally shifts to "Why did they do it? What factors were involved? Unless we assume they're all clinical psychopaths, then there must be a conscience in there somewhere. So why would someone with a conscience, with a sense of moral right and wrong, still do those things or hold the prejudices that informed them?"

 

But my mind doesn't stay there for long. Very quickly, I end up asking myself, "What is there to learn from this? I can say they're wrong now, but would I do the same if I was in their shoes? And if I would, then what does that mean?"

 

I don't know - maybe it's my writer's mind at work. Or the whole "He who has not sinned can cast the first stone" mentality. But knowing about rights abuses and atrocities and crimes lead my thoughts to reach that last point sooner or later: if everyone is simply human, and we all have the same needs and emotions regardless of where we're from, then how might I be vulnerable to committing the same offences?

 

In hindsight, I should have phrased my original point like this: I don't agree with or condone the actions of those in power in North Korea. Even in instances where I believe someone is personally good (and, as I haven't watched the drama yet, I'll give the male lead of Crash Landing the benefit of the doubt), that doesn't change the fact that they still directly benefit from stepping down on their own compatriots. However, I believe that despite all that, they are not some monstrous bogeymen, but simply human: the same moral failings within them that led to such abuses (e.g. selfishness, greed, lack of mercy or forgiveness, avoidance/willful blindness, pride, etc.) are failings that I, too, possess and must be cautious about.

 

4 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I think Yong-pal is fits better in this category, it was highest rated drama in 2015, like no other drama was able to get more than 15% continuously. But unfortunately joo won lost daesang to Kim Soo Hyun, despite Yong-pal been outperforming "The Producers". But at least Kim Tae Hee got top excellent actress award, which she deserved

 

Wait a second: which awards ceremony are you referring to? Because JW won SBS's Daesang for Yong Pal, and was even the youngest actor up to that point to do so.

 

[EDIT] - Somehow managed to miss this bit altogether earlier. Here goes!

 

Quote

No, it is not like that, maybe I made it sound like that. But the second is cryptic in nature, he can sense that he likes the female lead, but I don't know if he would fight for her he though he knows that she is completely in love with male lead. So, I just interpreted maybe he might want to help to either go to Europe so that she can stay with the person she loves or make that person not to leave to Europe. Right now the competition is about which conductor will be student of Master Fei She Er. Maybe they'll be slight tussle between second and main lead, since main lead even doesn't know he exists, but he did saw him making a pinky promise to female lead that he'll join as a kindergarten piano teacher with her if he fails to go to Europe, which kind of male lead jealous and threw away the lunch he brought to eat with her, so the childish nature of Cha Yoo Jin is still visible in Chinese version

 

Ah, okay - that makes more sense then  Thanks for clearing that up!