Wasn't in on YT subbed? Under Queen and I title or something like that.

I rewatch it every early summer religiously but on darknet because there aren't many options to watch kdramas legally here, only Netflix, I believe. And even that is VERY recent.

It is! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. :)

*schedule now wrecked by a binge re-watch*

It's still on AsianCrush.

Let me just say it this way: none of the things you mentioned (although valid in their own right) tracked with what I saw in the actor I was referencing. There were some definite 'tells' in his body language.

I respect your viewpoint on wanting realistic dramas. I'm just suggesting that we need to strike a different balance between what we want, and how those wants negatively impact others.

Unfortunately, at this point, going to the authorities isn't a realistic solution for exploited actors. The power imbalance is still too great and you're dealing with people who are willing to ruin lives. Look at what happened to a popular singer/actress immediately after 'whistleblowing'. Dead; and slandered via the media. Their message: "Nothing to see here, just move along."

The only thing that can force the hand of the people at the top is the audience saying 'stop' and - effectively - changing the rules of the game. The current system offers too many inducements (from personal "benefits" to income and influence gained via trafficking) for the powers-that-be to change willingly.

Telling the actors to simply find work in a different genre is a bit like saying to the starving, 'let them eat cake'. Romcoms are a primary gateway for new talent entering the industry. It'd be a shame if we believe that it's ok for our message to be "don't work here if you're not willing to compromise your physical boundaries." Again, that makes us both enablers and beneficiaries of the exploitation we decry.

Idk how sterilizing onscreen kisses will practically stop any dirty business that happens off-screen. Simply changing the bed sheets won't turn brothel into nunnery.

Kdrama viewers, namely knetizens, make a huge deal of something on a regular basis. Mostly for all the wrong reasons and usually to even more wrong results.

And milder intimacy doesn't make the whole thing any healthier - or emotionally deeper, for that matter. If a chaste kiss scene still looks great, that's because of good writing/acting/directing, not because additional lip movement takes away any depth of the moment or overall relationship. And if the heavy make-out feels empty in context, then again, it's very likely not the amount of tongue involved that's to blame.

Also I find both this whole discussion happening in a comment section of a cute romcom AND your now clear guilt-tripping of me and many other innocent viewers rather inappropriate. If I feel the urge to take a part in some right cause, I get up and go doing voluntary work, not shame random people on internet for liking some romance in their romcoms or try to glorify what essentially is cyberbullying just to feel a bit better myself over all the injustice prevailing in our human world that I can't fix just because I want to. Great for you to be so concerned. How about using the time and effort on writing supporting messages to all the actors you THINK were victims of that crap instead? They all have public sns accounts exactly for that, I believe.

Agree that a good kiss scene requires good acting...or an organic chemistry between the actors. But I'd also add that it requires a certain 'tone' that they're aiming for. There is a different emotional resonance between an affectionate kiss and a forceful lustful one. THAT's what I'm talking about.

In other comments I've acknowledged is this is just one of many options on how to influence real change. The key here is to shift the societal power dynamics towards something more healthy. And to acknowledge that sometimes the things we want have unintended negative consequences.

The tone of any comment section is going to reflect the diversity of the audience. It's a sad day when a person who offers an alternative perspective feels the need to censor themselves. Progress is also made by process of push and pull of ideas. Not enforcement of one person's or one group's dogma. Dramabeans comment sections used to be vast and lively, until that very thing started happening. Certain individuals would pressure and bully anyone who they didn't agree with. It stopped being a place where individual expression was welcomed. And the site has suffered terribly for that.

Also, this is something that takes time and age to realize...but nobody can make you feel guilty about anything. If you feel guilty, it's your own conscience speaking. And having a conscience that speaks is a sign of being a healthy individual.

This relates to the points I'm trying to make. The dark side of the industry got that way because of people who don't have functioning consciences anymore. Let's celebrate that we're all still people seeking a better way...

‘ I dropped Poong for that very reason. Initially they established the lead characters as being smart, self controlled and clear-minded. But then later in the drama they had those same characters go all emo and make all sorts of unforced errors, just to....I don't know....annoy us?’👈 that’s it exactly, thanks for voicing it😊

Also like you I slow right down when the last couple of episodes come Hospital Playlist 2 took hours to watch because I just couldn’t face it. Those two series had been my happy place during the Covid era so I just couldn’t let go as nothing else has had that mix of story, characters and feel good factor since.

I loved that show too! I'm hoping they'll make a 3rd installment.

Also with you on finding shows that are my happy place. I'm not a big fan of shows that seem to celebrate the dark side of humanity (unless there's a strong redemptive arc to the storyline.)

So starting to re-watch the oldies and re-appreciate their charm. The thoughtfulness of the writing; and the warmth and emotional depth of the finished productions is still something that's very, very special.