Now that I’ve addressed the stupid drunk sex of the second lead, I can turn my attention to @Growing_Beautifully’s commentary on SH and YS’ relationship. I’m posting her assessment out here and add some of my own.
2) SungHoon and Youngseo – It always troubles me that young people/couples equate dating with being in a sexual relationship. Dating to me is to spend time with the other party to get to know them in other ways. I still stick firmly to keeping sex for after marriage with one’s spouse, as a sign of total self-giving, something that does not make sense when the commitment of marriage has not been made yet.
They have definitely gone in too fast, just based on a big crush, without depth of understanding. This is the classic example of an immature pairing. Yes, they are going to have more ups and downs since it’s all just tied to feelings. They do not seem to have even discussed their interests, since SH had no clue that YS hates hiking.
“Even though my SNS is full of their reconcilation, it felt the issue was swept under the carpet.” – Yes. Show is not giving enough time to develop the arc for these 2.
“Sunghoon is such a sweetie and a patient guy.” – I didn’t like it when he promised that he’d never make her angry again. It is such a ‘childish’ thing to say. For one thing, it is we ourselves who choose to be angry or not and no one can make us angry if we choose not to be.
YS had better not hold that against SH and keep accusing him of breaking his promise whenever she chooses to get mad.
I agree, @GB.
Chastity is a precious gift to give to one’s spouse in marriage. (It goes both ways but for brevity, I’ll refer to the woman.) Chastity signifies that she waited for this specific person to come into her life, and she chose to give herself exclusively to him. Chastity doesn’t mean. however, that she ceases to be a sexual being. She still feels attraction. But she refrains from sexual interaction because she regards sex in the context of a lasting relationship, not a momentary hook-up.
EDITED to add this motherly advice: If you choose to have premarital sex because you think “he’s the one!” make sure you have contraceptives, and practice safe sex. One of my friends bought her daughter a box of condoms at Costco (a pack of 40??) as a going-away present for college. Her daughter freaked out and refused to talk to her. lol. It’s better to be safe, than sorry.
Chastity also means self-respect. She doesn’t see her body as a cheap commodity but a valuable treasure. She offers herself only to someone who cherishes her and will cherish her forever. Seen from this perspective, SungHoon and Youngseo’s sex relationship falls far short. Yeonseo falls in love with SH on the shallowest of reasons: his good looks. Conversely, he falls in loves with her because of her kind handling of a mishap. Frankly, I think he idealized that moment because he’s an orphan, and he saw a “good mommy” in Yeonseo. She hardly strikes me as a maternal woman when she’s a brat herself.
It’s my opinion that SH and YS’s relationship started of as trashy and continues to be trashy. I told you, @GB, that I ignored Youngseo’s character from the start. I saw her as an obligatory pest to move the story along.
Like you, I didn’t think she was a great BFF of Hari. She foisted that blind date on Hari in exchange for money. If she was a true friend, she should’ve just given (or loaned) the money to Hari, and asked the favor of standing in for a blind date, separately. She didn’t have to make the money contingent upon the blind date.
Then, when Taemoo found out about the sham, she delivered Hari to Taemoo, and left her out to dry. What a friend! She only gave Hari only a few minute heads-up.
She was also the one who spread the lie about Hari’s fake boyfriend because SHE couldn’t stand Minwoo’s GF. Hari didn’t mind Minwoo’s GF’s cattiness, so she didn’t have to create more trouble for her friend like that.
Seriously, who needs an enemy when you can have a friend like her?
As for SungHoon, I didn’t have much problems with his character before the drunken sex. But after he let his “second” brains (you know, the one located in nether regions) do the thinking for him, his character went downhill from there.
In Episode 8.
1. After tasting her soup and salad
YS: How is it?
SH: It’s delicious.
YS: Come on. You don’t sound like you mean that. Come on. Be honest.
SH: It’s good.
YS: Things can only improve if a customer gives good feedback. Honestly, how is it?
SH: If I’m being honest, all the food is a bit salty.
YS: Ahhh. Other than that, it’s okay?
SH: Well, as for these clams, I’m tasting some sand. As for the pork belly, it smells a bit fishy. It probably wasn’t defrosted properly. The vegetables are overcooked. And the rice is a bit undercooked. As for the rest, I need to try…
YS: (face hardening up)
SH: I think they’ll be delicious.
YS: What’s there left to taste? Water? That must taste delicious.
SH: I’m sorry. I’m used to giving honest feedback due to the nature of my job. I’m going to the bathroom.
Comments:
a. This incident tells me that Yeonsoo isn’t used to getting critiques from an impartial reviewer. Does she work in a family company, and get approval because she’s the rich daughter? She asks for honest feedback but when she gets it, she’s upset.
b. She lacks self-awareness. Did she really think that her cooking was all that?
c. She also harbors foolish expectation from a boyfriend. She tells Hari that the boyfriend should clear all the plates even if they tasted like saltwater because the girlfriend cooked them.
Well, if she expects SungHoon to only think highly of her and praise her, then she doesn’t need a boyfriend. She wants a cheerleader.
d. As for SungHoon, even if he’s accustomed to giving honest feedback due to his job, Yeonsoo is not one of his work projects, but his girlfriend. Did his common sense fly out the window? He still needs to use some tact and diplomacy when dealing with people.
e. He must read the room. Yeonsoo is clearly excited about cooking their first dinner together. That fact alone should have told him to be more appreciative of her efforts, and less critical of the outcome (whatever that might taste like). He can tell her more about his food preference/standards as time goes on.
2. The hiking date
YS: We’re at the wrong place, right?
SH: We’re at the right place.
YS: I thought you wanted to take a walk somewhere nice, but this is a mountain.
SH: I thought you really needed exercise, so here we are.
How dare him! I couldn’t believe my ears when he said this. They’ve only been dating – what? One week? Two weeks? – and he’s already telling her that she needs to exercise? Didn’t he see her at the gym? Why not start from there?
YS: Come on, I’m tired already.
SH: You’re always tired because you’re always sitting at your desk or lying on the couch. Exercise with me now.
Personally, I’d be wary about a guy who’s quick to jump to conclusion and ready to alter my routine after only a short time of dating him. Why does he assume that she lives a sedentary lifestyle? Maybe she’s extra tired that week because of work?
YS: How about later? I’m wearing the wrong shoes.
Omigoodness!
I fiinally realized why her character rubs me wrong. Her aegyo!!! She uses her aegyo to wiggle out of things every. single. time. Just like that 37-year-old actress Shin Mina!
I’m allergic to her aegyo-manipulating ways.
SH: I prepared for that, too.
YS: What? Prepare what? (then she does a body wiggle to show tantrum)
SH: (tying her shoelaces) It’s a perfect fit. Let’s go. The weather’s so nice.
Snort. He bought her hiking boots. But he forgot about her jacket. She’s still wearing a heavy coat. Have you tried hiking wearing one?! That coat will feel like a 15 pound baby wrapped around her neck after a mile.
Plus, what kind of boyfriend just walks off without waiting for her to join him?
Boyfriend Score: minus 100 points.
The least thing he could have done after coercing her to go on a hike was to offer her a hand so they’d walk hand-in-hand in the beginning of a long trek.
Like this:
YS: (exhaling) He may be my boyfriend, but he’s a piece of work.
It’s noteworthy that the hiking scene transitions to Hari and Taemoo’s date at the indoor theme park. We get to see them ride the bumper cars and carousel, and try on headbands. Now, THAT’s what I call a date.
Taemoo is allowing himself to learn from Hari.
He’s giving in to her demands…but her demands aren’t ridiculous.
The difference between the two couples can’t be any more stark. Taemoo chose the activity for both of them to enjoy. In contrast, SungHoon selected the activity to suit his misguided plan to “fix” Yeonsoo’s shortcomings.
3. The argument from hell at the rocky ledge
YS: You’re right. I’m really out of shape. How are you not tired?
SH: Come here with me whenever you have time. I climb this mountain often because it’s my favorite.
YS: Often? Who did you climb this mountain with so often? An ex-girlfriend?
SH: No. With President Kang.
YS: You go hiking with your boss? You’re not being forced into it or anything right?
SH: What?
YS: When you think about it, President Kang only thinks about himself. I can tell by the way he treats you, and Hari, too.
Pot, meet kettle.
She complains about Taemoo not realizing that her high-handedness is really similar to Taemoo’s FORMER self. Taemoo used to boss around SH and Hari. (But that’s partly because he actually pays for their salary, lol.) Yeonsoo, on the other hand, bosses both SH and Hari because she can.
SH: What do you mean?
YS: He told Hari to pay him back for something again. Hari’s face looks so tired. What a petty guy.
SH: That’s not the type of person that he is. You shouldn’t bad-mouth others like that, Youngseo.
If Yeongseo had been listening to him, instead of listening to her jealousy demon, then she would have realized that SungHoon “idolized” Taemoo. He looks up to Taemoo because Taemoo welcomed him, an orphan, into his family without jealousy.
YS: What do you mean? It’s true that Mr. Kang was being mean to Hari.
SH: What I’m saying is –
YS: I mean, when he found out Hari was Geumhui, he should have been a man, and asked her, “Explain what happened.” Like a normal person. But he didn’t ask her anything. He just made her really anxious and was a jerk to her at work. Wasn’t that a power trip?
SH: Power trip? He had a right to be angry because he was fooled.
It’s curious that Yeongseo gets so het up about this. If she was bothered about the whole affair, why didn’t she confront Taemoo herself and told him to stop bullying her friend Hari?
SH: (continuing) Besides, you shouldn’t be talking like that. You’re at fault too.
YS: (eyes widening) What?
SH: If you hadn’t sent Ms. Shin in your place, something like this wouldn’t have—
At this point, SungHoon could have said that they weren’t going to see eye to eye on this, and that it was best to agree to disagree.
YS: (standing up) This is just ridiculous.
SH: What do you mean?
YS: If you’re my boyfriend, then you should be thankful that I didn’t go on that blind date. Do you think it makes sense for you to be scolding me for not going on a blind date? (hopping mad)
As I said, Yeongsoo has a ridiculous expectation of a boyfriend. She also doesn’t handle criticisms very well. And she’s acting bratty here.
SH: Yeonsoo, calm down. Let’s be more logical.
YS: How can I? What’s a boyfriend for? Isn’t a boyfriend supposed to be on your side no matter what? I cooked for you, but you said it was too salty. You couldn’t focus on the movie because of work. And even now, look. You’re taking Kang Taemoo’s side and not mine.
Note to SungHoon: Yeonsoo holds grudge. He should better be prepared to deal with this in the future. She’s a highly sensitive person and is used to getting her own way. When she’s thwarted, not only does she get uppity, she replays the hurt in her mind.
SH: I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. Don’t be mad. Let’s just climb all the way up.
I thought SungHoon apologized too easily here to keep the peace.
YS: Climb all the way up? No! Why don’t you climb this damn mountain with Kang Taemoo?
SH: Come on, Youngseo.
Whoa! That escalated quickly.
Comments:
a. If I were SungHoon’s mom, I’d have this to say to him.
Seriously, I wouldn’t want somebody like her to be a daughter-in-law.
b. SungHoon will have to walk on eggs when dating her.
4. Girlfriend from hell
SH: How could you leave like that when you don’t know the way?
YS: Where are we?
SH: I don’t know. We should have gone left back there. But you went right.
YS: Are you blaming me again? You sure are good at making me mad. You really have a talent for it.
What the hell? She’s missing the important point here: they’re lost. Her feelings could take the backseat until they got back on the trail.
SH: (sighing)
YS: Stop following me if you’re just going to keep making me mad. I’ll be fine walking by myself.
Then she slips and twists her ankle. And he offers her a piggyback.
YS: You’re going to climb down with me on your back? That’s crazy. No way. It’s too dangerous.
SH: I don’t say what I don’t mean. I’ll make it work, so get on.
YS: I’m heavy though.
Ugh! I dislike this couple.
a. She’s swooning over him just because he’s acting like a Prince Charming. She only likes him when he lives up to her expectation of a dream boyfriend.
b. She needs to get rid of this damsel-in-distress complex.
c. It’s not romantic to watch a hen-pecked man. I hope I don’t have to see SH following her every whim, obeying her with a meek, “Yes, dear,” spoiling her more, and avoiding to stand up to her.
Being a doormat isn’t romantic.
5. Appeasement
SH: How’s your ankle? Is it feeling better?
YS: (smiling at him, kneeling at her feet)
SH: Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you still mad at me? I’ll try my best to make sure to never upset you like that again. Just forgive me this once –
This is appeasement. He’s pacifying her to prevent future arguments with her. Appeasement was wrong policy for Hitler; it’s a wrong policy for Yeongsoo.
And I agree with @GB here. This isn’t the moment for fangirls to gush that SungHoon is “sweet and patient.” He’s being naive. Arguing is perfectly normal in a relationship because two different people cannot be exactly in synch with each other 24/7. In fact, fights can have positive outcomes, like –
learning more about each other,
bonding better,
listening better,
weathering storms together,
learning to compromise,
working out a problem together,
showing that the relationship is worth working hard on,
growing wiser, and so on.
He can’t avoid arguing with her or getting her upset, and it’s silly to make such promise. What THEY both need to promise, however, is to argue in a more constructive way.
Youngseo’s actions were definitely the WRONG way of fighting, but SungHoon just let her walk all over him.
Like a doormat.
Personally, I really don’t what more time spent on this couple as it’ll mean less time for Taemoo and Hari.
YS: Do you know how sexy you look right now?
SH: What?
YS: I stopped being angry a while ago. I was complaining the entire time, but you didn’t say a word carrying me down all this way.
WTH? She made him carry her all the way down to test his enduring love for her? This is literally a power trip. Didn’t she just accuse Taemoo of a power trip, earlier?
YS: (continuing) I guess you’re a tough guy. I think I just fell for you again.
There she goes again with her boyfriend ideals. What a simpering face.
SH: Yeongseo-ssi.
YS: No. We need to go home quickly (whispering) and spend a steamy night together.
She kisses him. He chokes. He insists on going to the hospital first but she wants to go home.
SH: Youngseo-ssi, you lied about being hurt, right?
Ugh! Who the heck is fangirling this dysfunctional couple? I’m judging them with my judgmental spectacles. 🙂
This couple has one messed-up relationship. But as usual, their eye-candy has deluded undiscriminating and “OMG! The feels!” viewers.
That’s it, @GB. My additional comments. 🙂
Whoa! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I’ve never commented on the second couple because I’m concentrating on HaTae. 🥰
Seriously, I chose chastity for a reason and I’m very proud I did. ☺️
Oh, wait. I’ve to edit that part…..
There! I already updated my post.
@agdr03,
Some people will be able to practice chastity. And some people, unfortunately, won’t be able to practice chastity.
If they fall in the second group, I would like them to remember to protect themselves from predators, and to practice safe sex.
Protecting themselves from predators means being able to recognize the bad dates from the good dates, the bad boyfriends from the good boyfriend, the bad fiance from the good fiance.
The rejects from the keeper.
The frogs from the prince.
Practicing safe sex means using contraceptives, condoms, etc. And checking on the expiration dates of those things. 🙂
a resounding “hear hear” from me for this! and the other article on “romanticizing stupid drunk” too. i was utterly disgusted at how drunk non-consensual sex was the premise for their relationship, and even more nauseated when the episodes continued with the theme of “sex as the only the cure-all for a conflict or a misunderstanding” (not to mention even more creeped out by SH). while the gutter-worthy nature of the second couple’s relation provides the contrast/foil to the purity of the first couple’s relationship, I really think the Writer unnecessarily went too far with this one.
i also recall that TM said of SH that “he’s all grown up” after realising that SH had a dinner date after work, and released him. given what we have seen of TM, i will take the position that TM didn’t know that his long-time-almost-brother-buddy wasn’t the gentleman he seemed to be. TM, only if you did! what happens then?
Right, @swiss_postscripts?
I get the “first love” trope. I’m fine with that one.
But this drunken sex? No. It’s bad enough that we have to watch “binge-drinking” tropes, but if drunken sex becomes elevated to trope level, (i.e., we see it over and over again in future dramas) then the kdrama is normalizing this.
And it’s not right.
In almost all of the kdramas, the girl is the one who gets stupid drunk. And in almost all these kdramas where the girl is drunk, she’s already IN LOVE with the guy. But typically, what happens is the guy piggybacks her safely to her home, or to his place unmolested.
In this drama, she drunkenly kisses him, and he — the sober one — kisses her back.
Look: in the playground, Hari was drunk when she cuddled up to Taemoo. She nestled her head on Taemoo’s shoulder for warmth. And Taemoo just sat there. If he had wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer, or bent his head to kiss her neck, I’d be screaming “Foul!” too.
Brava @pkml3!! What a great read and a big YES! from me to all your points.
Chastity has been too under-rated in our over-sexualised and over-sexed societies. It proves respect for oneself and for the other, it shows one’s ability to place a higher good above momentary desires, engenders trust, and augers better for a faithful relationship for the long-term. It means that one does not give in to lust, which in this case, is to use a person as an object. Someone who cannot resist the temptation now, is more unlikely to be able to resist it later. Self-indulgence in either party, is bad news.
Both YS and SH have been self-indulgent. They have used each other but stupidly think that they are in a great, romantic, lasting relationship, when thus far we have only seen them portray a shallow, lusting one. 😉
It is sad that the Writer/PD went this route. This secondary couple are obviously a foil for our main couple, but they mar the show. What could have been a great wo-mance and bromance are now no longer somethings to get behind. In fact based on the instances you’ve brought up, YS is a bad influence, a selfish, manipulating friend, and someone who cannot control her impulses… even the desire to win (for eg. how she one-upped Yoo Ra by lying that that HR had a rich bf).
So I guess we are meant to see how great HR and TM’s relationship is by comparing them with all the dating mistakes YS and SH make. But this is really unnecessary. We can tell easily how well the Archaeopteryx has progressed, plus with the great couple dialogues, we can believe that the couple are bonding in mind and spirit.
There was no need to send one couple to the gutter, when portraying 2 healthy romantic relationships would have augmented our viewing pleasure!
Of course, there may have been the shock/surprise factor, to add to the dramatic. However it was chosen to titillate and unfortunately is taken by the impressionable as ‘acceptable’ in dating.
I agree that Sung Hoon portrays what a guy should not be in a relationship. He’s portrayed as a clueless-in-dating, doormat. I thought that after he tried to give TM relatively good advice in dating, that he himself would do better than he’s done. So once again, his character has become inconsistent.
YS of course was always a brat. She was with her father, with HR and now with SH. As long as she expects to be treated like an entitled diva by her boyfriend, it’s not going to work out.
I hope that we will all be more discriminating to recognise a true friend and boyfriend/girlfriend regardless of how hot or good-looking they are.
Thanks augmenting my little comment with your many good points @pkml3!
Yes, @GB. Like what you said, “This secondary couple are obviously a foil for our main couple,” this will be my take-away, too.
Remember when Taemoo dropped Hari off at the side of the road, in the rain? Hari was fuming mad, and with good reason. But what did she do? She reflected on Taemoo’s past actions and remembered that he mentioned disliking the rain. That’s why she ran to get her phone in the lobby. She was worried about him.
When I compare her reaction to Taemoo’s bad action and bad judgment to Youngseo’s reaction to Sunghoon’s defense of Taemoo, then I admire Hari more.
Hari was willing to give Taemoo the benefit of the doubt. She believed in the goodness of Taemoo. The thought did enter her head that Taemoo intended it as a revenge, but she dismissed it right away. She knew he had to have a reason for acting like that.
But Youngseo hasn’t once tried to understand why Sunghoon has this deep loyalty for Taemoo if Taemoo is such a jerk in her estimation. In the back of her mind, she thinks Sunghoon is stupid and wimpy for not standing up to Taemoo. lol.
I’m leaving pretty soon.
Yup @pkml3, in every way, YS and SH are being portrayed as weak, and their regard for each other, suspect and insufficient.
Bye now! Read ya later. 🙂
@0m3 and @GB,I like that the two couples are foils for one another. In the spirit oftrope busting that BP embodies, I find it interesting that our two chaebols are a man in our lead couple and a woman in our second couple, while our poorer partners are the reverse sees in the two couples. Our chaebols get to evince bad behavior because, hey, they’re chaebols while are working stiffs have to use their wits to counter some of the spoiled behavior, especially Yeongseo’s. So Sunghoon goes the obnoxious route, trying alpha male behavior v to counter our spoiled heiress. I don’t think subtle would work with her. even though she has a job, Yeongseo has lived off her father’s provided credit card. Aand although Sunghoon is Taemoo’-s adopted brother, he still knows his place as a less than equal member of that family. We also see that when Sunghoon first saw Yeongseo in the convenience store, she was on what would seem like her best behavior with the child in the white skirt incident. Little did he know that she had a default setting to spoiled.I also see where Sunghoon has c learned to talk to Taemoo to get his points across using stronger and weaker goices. As far as the BOD discussion of this particular relationship goes, I get the points but I see how their positions color their reavoices.
As to chastity, I think for women, it has always been a burden because along with chastity, we also had women’s submisdion to their husband’s after marriage. It was not too long ago that women who lost their virginity before marriage were considered bad girls, even if they were the subject of rape or incest. I would defy anyone to say that men suffered the same fate outside of certain religions and even there, we know that many of those religious men who were celibate were hypocrites. Arguments about unprotected sex are also fraught because various forms of birth control, outside of the rhythm method(and we know how well that works)are considered verboten in many religions. And we haven’t even discussed STDs. So in our “moder” times we still have to confront the levels of responsibility needed for sex outside of marriage and the burden of protection generally still falls to the woman. Women still get pregnant. So do we say no to birth control because of religious prohibitions. The answer is complicated. For myself, I know that I decided to lose my virginity at the end of my senior year of college(late for many in my age and educational cohort) when I had an encounter with a faculty member who knew what he was doing. I was lucky because the man was a gentleman who asked me out again and was quite solicitous. I turned him down knowing full well that he’d be more than I could handle. 8 also did it because I felt that might be my sole chance if experiencing what had been most hyped c in the late sixties and early seventies. To compare it to anything, it was like part of what is now called a bucket list. I was lucky to have not gotten pregnant or a sexually transmitted disease and I never became promiscuous. However, I would not recommend what I did to anyone because the hope is that sexual intimacy ideally would be part of a loving relationship.
Hello, “long-time” (aka 2-year) lurker here, first-time commenter. Being in a long-time relationship myself, I agree that Youngseo and Sunghoon’s relationship is shallow, especially when comparing it to Hari and Taemoo. It is interesting to note that SH gives some advice to TM regarding relationship/s, while he always mess up when he’s with YS.
And also, while it does appear that YS is not a true friend for HR, it is also interesting to wonder how they became acquainted in the first place.
Welcome to the blog, @Nog.
Hopefully, YS and SH will mature before any accidental pregnancy occurs. It wouldn’t surprise me if these two jumped the gun.
Yes. That’s true. SH likes to give advice but you know I say? It’s easy to be an armchair warrior giving advice than a warrior in the battlefield doing the actual fighting. SH has zero experience dating himself.
YS is not a true friend but she’ll hopefully change and stop dragging both SH and Hari into trouble for her. Don’t you just hate friends like her?
@packmule3, is YS a frenemy? Also, a question that has stumped me about celebrity K w3ddings-so many hold their wedding when the bride is pregnant-like the latest-park Shin Hye. Is that a thing? And how does this skew with the Korean norms? In the US these would be called shitgun weddings and viewed pejoratively here? This is very paradoxical to me.
Your post, @packmule3 brought this to mind when you gave voice to the possibility of this alternative to the second couple.
@Packmule3, your fears about depictions of drunken sex being normalized in Kdramas is justified. Two other Kdramas that premiered this February started with the premise of the lead couple having drunken sex shortly after becoming acquainted: Thirty Nine, and Forecasting Love and Weather. I am watching both dramas through to the end, and like elements of the lead couples’ relationships as they develop (more so in Thirty Nine than in Forecasting Love and Weather); however, the couples never discuss the impact their early sexual encounter had, and has, on their growing emotional and social attachment. The dramas scarcely depict them as sexual beings after their initial torrid engagements. Such sweeping under the rug takes the drunken sex out of context: to me it feels like it becomes fan service rather than an important plot catalyst.
Like @OAL, I was a child during Western culture’s sexual revolution of the 1960s, following the development of the birth control pill. As a youngster I could watch and learn during that turbulent decade; my beliefs were influenced even if I wasn’t actively participating. One of the concepts I brought out of those years is that a consenting adult should not be shamed for her or his choice to have, or not have, sex. But the movie and TV industry continues to spin stories around judgement of people having, or not having, sex. It us usually women who are subjected to slut shaming for having sex, and men who are mocked for failing to have sex. Such depictions are a vicious cycle, both representing attitudes in society and influencing attitudes. As long as the makers of movies and TV shows believe that sex–and the controversy around it–sells, they’ll keep using it as a tool to increase viewership, no matter who they demean in the process.
@Welmaris,So true. That trope is a combination of lazy writer shorthand, fan service and product placement, more for beer than sound or red wine. They use a lot I f red wine on K Dramas. Sometimes, but rarely, do we see white wine or occasionally champagne. I can’t spell makgeoli, but find it “funny” that it’s served in tea pots.
There’s also a lot of casual drinking and “sophisticated” drinking at meal time, especially among wine drinking chaebols and soju/beer drinking company slugs at team dinners and post dinner karaoke(where there is the inevitable drunk worker who needs a cab or a piggy back ride).
When I first started watching K Dramas, my first impressions included the heavy drinking, school bullies, corporal punishment, women pulling hair and everyone bowing down for forgiveness. Most of these tropes are unavoidable.