[Drama 2019] Melting Me Softly, 날 녹여주오

[lightbringer06]

I think this drama is competing for ratings for Saturday slot since we have Beautiful Life Wonderful Life and Vagabond as its competitors. Let's see if there's an increase tonight. Hopefully~ 

 

[ktcjdrama]

23 minutes ago, cherkell said:

Looks like Episode 1 came in with a 2.5% Nationwide rating from tmNs.  Didn't even make the Top 10 fir AGB Nielsen.  WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?

 

What is wrong with 2.5%? From what I know, tvN is a paid subscription channel, not many people will have access to the channel. So a single digit ratings is very common and I think 2.5% is quite good for a pilot. Ratings will usually pick up afterwards. 

[serendipity...]

Tbh I didn't like the first episode, it was all over the place and kinda boring. Hence, I skipped most scenes but I hope the show gets better. I just don't wanna ditch it cuz it has JCW. He looks so good!

[nrllee]

@Ameera Ali why does that scene look familiar?  Is it copied off Avengers or something?  Her pose with arms outstretched reminds me of...O I know... Scarlet Witch. 

[Mizzy]

I love JCW but I was lukewarm about watching this, especially after having watched the trailers. They just couldn't get me. I was frankly very worried about the story line and how it'll turned out. But having watched Ep 1 now, I think it's quite a cute and heartwarming show, with some LOL moments. I think WJA is cute too and am beginning to like her. 

Hope it'll get better and better, and the ratings will increase.

[liltash85]

1 hour ago, Mizzy said:

I love JCW but I was lukewarm about watching this, especially after having watched the trailers. They just couldn't get me. I was frankly very worried about the story line and how it'll turned out. But having watched Ep 1 now, I think it's quite a cute and heartwarming show, with some LOL moments. I think WJA is cute too and am beginning to like her. 

Hope it'll get better and better, and the ratings will increase.

 

I hope this drama will picks up at episode 2. I kinda get what you mean because I feel the same too. I have high expectations as tvN promote this drama more than it's other dramas and it is JCW comeback drama. 

[Merlin]

Ep 2 need to be much better to set up a good direction for the drama. I had high expectation for the comeback work of JCW and this ep 1 makes me worry. The way ep1 introduce him as "a great PD" is not convinced at all. You don't build a great PD by letting him get award in the drama, at least show some impressive work! The "rocket show" is ridiculous to get the best show prize.

The main girl lead has the familiar character of many main girl in Korean drama: good heart but poor and a bit crazy. I hope she has something unique in next episode. 

JCW is charming as always, even feel younger than 2 years ago. I really hope the drama gets better and he has the chance to show more side of acting. 

[tinymel]

A bit all over the place given the expectations... tone and pacing being the biggest problems for me (I skipped/skimmed all the scenes in the lab).

 

That being said, I think a lot of the problems can be laid at the writer's door... too much filler and not enough character development... the only reason why he wants to do it is because it has never been done before and the only reason she wants to do it is a vague desire to cure her brother (which one feels like a gimmick to her give her depth and two, I'm really bothered by for some reason--love him the way he is?). I did like that GMR doesn't come with the baggage of having a secret crush on MDC... she is her own woman going into all of this which will make for a better romance.

 

Pacing might even out now that we've had the info dump... but who knows. But I am worried that we will have too much filler (as in SWDBS).

 

The acting (with the writing they have) is ace though. Both leads feel very comfortable and natural in their roles. JWC is bringing a much more subtle performance than I was expecting given the character description (which made MDC seem like a bit of pr!ck)--which I'm loving. WJA is just brilliant at being funny without slipping into too slapstick--even when the scene requires it--a change from her previous work that I've seen and I am loving it. Based on that one preview scene where he is looking at her, I am expecting good chemistry between them. So far getting a vibe like TSLOMS, which I thought was very successful; characters are obviously different but the curiosity about each other and sense of responsibility is there.

 

Really curious how YSA will fit in (I'm excited that she is reuniting with the director since I loved Gentlemen's Dignity).

Re Ratings... I'm afraid to say I think after the pretty abysmal ratings of HPL(given the hype), there seems to be a cooling off on this kind of drama amongst K audiences. It will be a hit internationally but... just an observation looking at the highest rated dramas for the year so far... none were rocos... 

[Ameera Ali]

 

How ironic 

Words in the shirt 

 

 

 

[nrllee]

3 hours ago, tinymel said:

Based on that one preview scene where he is looking at her, I am expecting good chemistry between them

 

Honestly that was the one scene (the one where they were walking together and he was trying to convince her to participate in the experiment) that made up for the messiness in Ep1 for me.  They connected and I connected with them. Otherwise there was just too much slapstick in there for me to invest in the characters.  I really hope the writer gives them both ample time to emote?  Both of them emote so well it’s such a pity to just make them comedic all the time.  

 

But I agree about WJA.  She’s been brilliant. 

[cherkell]

12 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

What is wrong with 2.5%? From what I know, tvN is a paid subscription channel, not many people will have access to the channel. So a single digit ratings is very common and I think 2.5% is quite good for a pilot. Ratings will usually pick up afterwards. 

 

"The K2" premiered with a 4.2% rating, so the bar has been set high for JCW cable dramas, especially with this being his 'comeback' programme.  I was hoping for something closer to 3.5%-4.0%, given all the pre-hype and promotions.  But now that I've had a chance to watch the raw all the way through without streaming interruptions, I don't think the scientist/professor story made much sense (as scripted) and might have turned viewers off during those scenes.  Granted it was only Episode 1 of 16... let's see how Episode 2 fares today.  *fingers crossed*

[Ameera Ali]

 

24 minutes ago, cherkell said:

let's see how Episode 2 fares today.  *fingers crossed*

 

mustache make everything alright 

 

 

[tinymel]

Dramamilk live recap:

https://www.dramamilk.com/melting-me-softly-episode-2-live-recap/

(have read, will wait for raw before making any judgements...)

 

1 hour ago, cherkell said:

I was hoping for something closer to 3.5%-4.0%

I agree and not unreasonable at all! Especially since his social media presence has been big recently (ig, youtube, variety straight out of MS, plus CFs)... but now it seems that is international fans? 

 

 

1 hour ago, nrllee said:

(the one where they were walking together and he was trying to convince her to participate in the experiment)

 

Oh, I wasn't thinking of that but the preview:

 

[thistle]

New video on JCW's official channel.  It's a BTS of Melting.  Unfortunately again there are no Eng subs.  Really wish they would add English again, even if it is only in a minimal way.  

 

[Mai Stars]

Regarding Episode 1 of Melting Me Softly...…...LOVED IT!!  It's a wacky, unserious romantic comedy!  And it has Ji Chang Wook in it.  What more could you want?  

 

I see it being said in many of the comments that it is the International fans that see Wook in a more positive light than his fellow countrymen and women do.  I also suspect that may be true.  Since the beginning I've always seen him as a STAR!  Not just a really ferociously good actor.  I may be older than most here, and am one of those international types, and was raised by parents who loved their romantic comedies from all over the world and made sure I saw all of them, not just the ones from Hollywood.  As much as comparisons can be meaningless and odious unless you know some  backstory, the glorious era of studio STARS was in the 1930s, 40s, 50s.  You went to see French movies because Brigitte Bardot was in them, or Marcel Mastroianni was starring in an Italian comedy.  Or to see and hear Judy Garland musicals, or to see Fred Astaire dance, or to see Gina Lollobrigida do just about anything.  No one worried two hoots about the plot.  If you've ever seen Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot...….you know what I mean about plot.  You went to be entertained for a few hours with something or someone who made your humdrum life less tedious.  To me, Wook fits right in this genre...….like he was born at the wrong time and in the wrong place, as far as making movies goes.  ****Rant over****

 

Celebratory banner:

[an-naum]

omg... The moment they wake up! The hospital scene, is hectic. Crazy. Insane! I donno what happened in between they wake up til they collapse since I skip epi1 entirely. The hospital staff also donno what is wrong with Ma Dong Chan. 

[thistle]

I'm in the middle of watching episode 2 and decided to stop for a moment to say how much I loved the way they used a classic old song for background music.  One of my favorite songs ever.  It was written and performed by a man who died tragically and way too early:  Jim Croce.  

 

This is an oddly perfect song for Melting in more ways than one since our leads are essentially spending their time in a sort of bottle.

 

 

 

[TGMS49]

Testing...always lurking but I can no longer resist. Hello! Going to keep everything simple...not very good on technology. I am a very devoted JCW fan. I am not a very fussy critic of dramas. My goal of watching dramas is to laugh, cry, and get emotional involved with the story. I am really enjoying MMS. 

[thistle]

2 minutes ago, TGMS49 said:

My goal of watching dramas is to laugh, cry, and get emotional involved with the story. I am really enjoying MMS. 

 

Agreed that this seems to be the best way to view Melting.  I think this show is gonna be a fun ride.

 

Congrats on unlurking!

[RobinM]

@thistle I thought I was only one around here who paired western songs with Korean dramas!