+1

Yes, I agree.

There's no right or wrong in what you like. Especially when it come to a show's romantic couple. Who you end up "shipping" is probably based on a lot of different factors - including things like looks, physical chemistry, and so on - and the characters' age might well be a part of that. I think we would be lying to ourselves if we didn't admit that this is true.

But it's important to bear in mind that factors like these are aesthetic in nature, not moral. And just as important: they are subjective, not universal. I'm in my thirties and must confess I sometimes have a hard time getting into a pairing where where the male lead is played by a very young actor. Not because of the young age per se, but because Korean guys in their early twenties often - to my Western eyes - look like they are in their teens. This can, in some cases, be a hurdle for my shipping. But I don't it find it strange that other viewers, perhaps younger than myself, are not affected adversely by this particular factor. Because it is just an individual bias on my part. It's all about what tickles my aesthetic fancy. I certainly wouldn't say it is "wrong" to have a male lead who plays an adult male lead, but looks like he's 14.

I would also agree with the second part of your comment. If your political views skew towards the liberal side of the spectrum there are a lot of issues in kdramas that must rub you more in the wrong way than the age-difference between men and women. The ubiquitous class difference found in almost all dramas, social hierarchy defining people's worth, ageism (and the absurd relations between kids and parents it foster) - and, yes, sexism. But again, I think we should be honest and admit that the principal reason we watch these shows is to engage in romance fantasies. And while the age-difference between characters can, as we have discussed, be an important factor in what couples you can get into, the political factors mentioned here do not really impact shipping. So, it becomes less of an interest in our discussion of kdrama shows.

+1!

I actually was "meh" about the leads because of their acting gap more so than their age. However, I understand people's initial reaction because they simply do not look good together [at first], per say. I mean, LBS is such a seasonal actor that can transform himself into anything, playing the love interest of someone who is still very green like Yoona is a ... total-turn of. Anyway, I'm happy YSY is in it and I will definitely give it a chance!

It's K-dramaland afterall, nothing is ever "normal".

So, a question... If there was a woman that is 43 and a guy that is 23 would you feel the same? Honestly, though...

Don't get me wrong, i admit I don't like huge age gaps between two people that are a couple. For me, anything more than 10 years of difference is just gross.... But that is only my personal opinion. It doesn't mean that it's right!

However, there is humongous double standard here. Most people are ok with the huge age gap when it's the guy that is older but if the woman would be 20 years older than a guy, then they would find it distributing...

I confess I thought twice about whether or not to respond to you. Given the fact that I not only in my initial comment, but also in my response to Orion, explicitly stated that you can't fault people for what they like, and yet you accuse me of "shaming folks for what they like", I have serious doubts about your ability to comprehend what I write.

But let's give it a third and final try: It's perfectly fine for folks to like love stories where the woman is older than the man. I like them myself sometimes. But it is hypocritical to like such stories and then write that older men-younger women are not "age-appropriate". To talk about the age difference as appropriate or not takes the discussion out of the aesthetic realm - what you like - and into the moral (what is right and wrong). And you can't say you find younger men-older women appropriate, but older men-younger women inappropriate, without being a hypocrite. Simple as that.

My impression is that you and I view this whole question so differently that it is meaningless for us to discuss it. You say people like noona romances because they subvert drama tropes. My guess is it has more to do with the kind of men people like to fantasize about. l suspect that the reason there's an outpouring of hate for pairings like the one in this drama, but enthusiasm for most noona dramas, comes down to the demographics of Dramabeans readers: mostly women in their twenties who happen to be more attracted to men in their own age-range, and therefore find the thought of dating an older guy distasteful. But who knows? We can't exactly assess who of us is right, and who is wrong. To go on would just result in a pointless screaming match. So let's agree to disagree.