alexhendrix
- there's a way with dark humor. this is not the way.- this series was touted as a rom-com. this is already headed towards makjang-land. - the tropes. god, the tropes. for a show presented as subversive (reversed ml/fl roles, the abundance of dark humor), how many tropes is the scriptwriter going to cram into the story? we've got a terminal illness (a terminal illness in a rom-com? are we being serious right now?), something that smells like it'll develop into amnesia, a nascent love triangle with bad blood brewing, conniving side character who is constantly picking on fl for no ostensible reason, and fl being blamed for causing a family member's death hence her cold disposition and tense relations with her family. please for the love of god, pick a few elements and make the most of them instead of biting off more than you can chew. case in point: crash course in romance.- and on an additional note, a minor complaint: resorting to lazy directing -- introducing 'english speaking' businesses as elite and grounds for proving your company's worth. - the dark comedy is honestly off-putting at times. the direction did not pull this off. you're only left wondering why the hell the bgm was all playful when fl announced her terminal illness (and thinking it was a gimmick she pulled to make the ml stay -- which would've been a far better way to take the show imo), how the ml is actually rejoicing over the fl's 3-month countdown to death and what in the world is funny about it. the family conflicts are portrayed 'humorously' but again, it falls on its face with how none of it feels really funny. the wayward aunt angle is supremely out of place with the rest of the comedy, too, and feels like it serves no real purpose. - the marriage angle. it definitely feels like the scriptwriter/director wants to showcase different marriages and their different dynamics, but most are hastily built and none feel established, not even our main couples'. perhaps not yet, but as of now, there is still no insight as to how the mains got to where they are right now. as such, it doesn't feel like there is a point to showing all the non-main couple relationships, because we're not even into marriage #1 and can't be bothered with the rest. there is zero nuance in the show's attempt to open up discussion about the concept of marriage.- the characters. everyone except the mains are cardboard cutouts so far, or just not important or memorable enough. and for the fl -- she's set up as this cold, abrasive, super-capable CEO, but she has shown so many instances of unreasonable, ill-advised, or straight-up sloppy decision-making. (1) the demand in ep1 for her husband to disregard the threat of lawsuits to terminate contracts with underperforming contractors -- at least explain why the pros outweigh the cons? (2) the surprise when she learns her ex is a super important representative for the company she's hellbent on getting her hands on. and let's not talk about how she needed saving twice already in ep2? (1) in ep2 when she's meeting with important people from international businesses, she needed a husband to impress the dude (also lazy writing. why not have her defy expectations and prove herself without conforming to the company representative's wishes? that'd be great for character development ; and (2) the convenient onset of misty disease-caused disorientation and ml's timely save??i liked ep1 somewhat, but ep2 dived straight off a cliff and got me rethinking everything good about ep1.
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