Dare to Love Me: Episodes 1-2
by starrygazer
What an adorably sweet first two episodes of Dare to Love Me. There is plenty of fun and awkwardness between our hero and heroine, who could not be more different. But who doesn’t love a good opposites–attract story?
EPISODES 1-2
Our heroine KIM HONG-DO (Lee Yoo-young) is literally being treated and referred to as a maid at Losi Fashion. She works as a designer’s assistant and does not get any respect from her colleagues (nor her boss). She endures because of her boyfriend, saving grace LEE DO-YOUNG (Seo Byuk-joon). Despite it all, Hong-do is very self-aware and knows she has to just grind through it all if she wants to achieve her dream of becoming a top designer. In other words, she’s a heroine who’s easy to root for, and I automatically want better for her. *Come on, girl!*
It’s Do-young’s birthday, so Hong-do gives him a handmade pouch as a gift and offers to take him out for a meal. But he politely declines because he has plans with his mum. Hong-do has already made the reservation, so she decides to take her brother KIM HONG-HAK (Han Gi-chan) instead. When Hong-hak goes outside to take a call, Hong-do hears some familiar voices behind her…
That’s right! The newly-arrived couple is none other than Do-young and her immediate boss LEE HYANG-KI (Kim Shi-hyun), who treats her like a gopher at work. (Hong-do cannot stand this woman and so far neither can I.) After eavesdropping, Hong-do realizes that the two of them have been dating for three months and Do-young never even considered that he and Hong-do were in a relationship. But considering all the literal hiding behind Hyang-ki he does at work, I am pretty certain he knows what he did wrong here.
Do-young dumps Hong-do telling her they were never together — he just pitied her. (Ouch!) He continues to trample all over our heroine, pretty much accusing her of being delusional and saying she’s the “fake” and Hyang-ki is the “real deal.” (Sounds to me like he was just hedging his bets.) This sad state of affairs leaves our heroine to spiral into soju and beer.
After that introduction to our poor heroine, our hero is quite the contrast. SHIN YOON-BOK (L) could not be closer to the true meaning of “hero” if he tried. He is thoughtful, mindful of others, overly and yet adorably polite (to the point of awkwardness — and his extremely formal speech doesn’t help). Yoon-bok seems most comfortable floating around in his hanbok and gat, and is a very nimble fighter (surprisingly). And he never goes anywhere without his trusty gentleman’s fan.
If Yoon-bok seems too pure for this world, that’s because he sort of is? He grew up in Seongsan Village, a national heritage site, where the residents mimic the Joseon era. As such, Yoon-bok is every ounce the upright scholar, believing in the Confucian teachings of a humane and moral society.
Yoon-bok is passionate about keeping the national artifacts safe, and he’s dispatched by his grandfather to find some items that were taken from Seongsan. On his mission, he deftly fights off a room full of gangster types (with his trusty fan). However, the bad guy (known as GAMJJOK) who keeps stealing from little Joseon gets away, and this is the start of Yoon-bok’s artifact-saving mission to Seoul.
Yoon-bok and his trusty sidekick OH YOON-AH (Im Young-joo) leave Seongsan and head to the city to help the police find the counterfeit bad guy stealing their relics. They follow the investigation to a club, where Yoon-bok soon realizes he needs to ditch his formal hanbok to gain access to the club’s VIP area. He calls on his friend for help — who is none other than Hong-hak — and we have a Pretty Woman moment where Yoon-bok is mortified trying on all of these modern clothes. This has me in fits of giggles. He reaches his end-game outfit, though, and manages to get into the club and follow his lead.
Obviously, now that they’re both in the same city, it’s only a matter of time for our OTP to cross paths. And this — of course — happens when Hong-do is having her initial confrontation with her ex (Do-young) and real deal girlfriend Hyang-ki.
Because he’s classy like that, Do-young pushes Hong-do away from him, and Yoon-bok (little knight in shining armor we have here) pops onto the scene and catches her. Hong-do shakes it off as a drunken dream, but then she runs into him again at the convenience store when she’s drunk and looking like a maiden ghost. When she sees her own reflection, she jumps out of her skin — it is the funniest thing, and it had me in creases.
Hong-do recovers and thinks, “You know, it’s fine I’ll never see him again.” Oh ye of little faith! The next morning when she goes outside to stretch with some questionable food stuck to her face, she is confronted with Yoon-bok on the adjacent roof top. Much to her horror and my shrieking!
As it turns out, the two have an adorable history together. Yoon-bok ran away from Seongsan when he was 17 to become a webtoon writer and joined the academy Hong-do worked at. (That is also how Yoon-bok met her brother, who also has the same dream.)
So, not only was Hong-do once Yoon-bok’s teacher, but she was the first person to tell him not to mind what others think of you. “You are cool enough as you are.” He took those words to heart and they gave him courage. Yoon-bok has never forgotten her since, and I suspect he may have a long- standing crush on our leading lady (but he just hasn’t caught on yet).
After their present-day encounters, hilarity ensues when Hong-do goes to some extreme lengths to avoid Yoon-bok because of her sheer and unabashed embarrassment. She dances around him at the convenience store, hides among the rubbish, but even when she leaves her apartment he’s there. Mostly he pretends he doesn’t see her, giving her a chance to flee because he knows she’s trying to avoid him. This is very sweet of him, but he doesn’t seem to understand why. Adorable naivety.
If Hong-do thought the humiliation was over, she’s dead wrong. Do-young appears and pretends he is going to apologize like she asked him too. But really he’s there to beg her to quit because she’s making him uncomfortable in the office. The gall of this guy!
Sure, Hong-do might have taken some mini revenge when she made sure Do-young and Hwang-ki’s date turned into an expensive team dinner on Do-young (lol) — but in the grand scheme of revenge, I think you got off pretty lightly there, Do-young! Demanding she quits her job is going a little far.
Just as Do-young gets angry and aggressively grabs Hong-do, our little white knight shows up and puts an end to the acceleration of this little argument. Do-young runs off tail between legs (*applauds*) and our couple are left together once more. Yoon-bok is concerned for her, and rightly so. But Hong-do wants the ground to swallow her whole. She runs off after yelling at him, knowing he always sees her at her lowest point.
Reflecting deeply on the situation, Yoon-bok thinks he has greatly offended “teacher,” as he affectionately calls her, and he is mortified. He goes to her rooftop and waits on bended knees to apologize and ask for forgiveness. Meanwhile, our heroine has been inside thinking she’s been a little too harsh on him, and goes out to find him.
Luckily, our heroine is very good at cutting to the chase. She admits to Yoon-bok that it was her embarrassment that prompted her little outburst, nothing that he had done. Can I just say, I love this exchange, as cute as it is. It’s clear, to the point, and refreshing. Yoon-bok is polite to a fault sometimes (like literally not showing his back to her when walking away, which has him doing some pretty fancy footwork), while she is very “what you see is what you get” and has no qualms about it.
After clearing up the misunderstanding, Hong-do takes Yoon-bok to the only place open (the convenience store) to treat him. I actually heehawed when the camera angle changes and we realize he is sitting at the table behind her. He uses the same words she used to give him courage seven years previously, reminding her to find courage. It is the sweetest thing. (Oh and did I mention he called her a “precious person” to him? *Cough*
Both our heroine and hero find themselves in turmoil at the end of our first two episodes. Hong-do has had her design (the present she gave Do-young) stolen by the deplorable Hyang-ki. And not only that, but she is publicly embarrassed by Do-young not only saying that it wasn’t a present from her, but Hong-do has been stalking him too. He’s obviously trying to get her fired — or better yet make her quit. The little snake!
As for our hero, he saved and hid the hostage he found in the VIP club, and learned from him that whoever is stealing these artifacts has his father’s key to the storage room at Seongsan Village. The last time Yoon-bok saw this key was in his father’s possession, and later the same day his father mysteriously died in a fire. There is definitely something else going on here, and I have every faith in our hero that he will get to the bottom of it.
We end our premiere week on a high note, with Yoon-bok running outside with a brolly after hearing Hong-do is coming home without one. Yoon-bok finds her kneeling in the street picking up the contents of her bag, and he sweetly places the umbrella over her. What a lovely moment. Hong-do looks up and thinks to herself that he is the only person who never walks all over her. It’s just so cute.
I have to admit this drama has delivered for me so far. I love the juxtaposed lead couple and their interactions with each other. Their differences being highlighted makes for some great comedy, and adds a saccharine charm to the show that I just love. Yoon-bok promises to listen to Hong-do’s heart, and I swear mine skipped a beat — I swooned on more than one occasion without a doubt. Even just seeing Yoon-bok in modern-day getup was a little swoonworthy. Or was that just me…?
RELATED POSTS
- Premiere Watch: Dare to Love Me
- Lee Yoo-Young falls for L’s polite charms in teaser
- Teaching and fighting manners with L in Dare to Love Me
- L dares to choose Confucius over Lee Yoo-young
- News bites: April 22, 2024
- L Dares to Love in new rom-com with Lee Yoo-young
- News bites: April 17, 2024
- News bites: March 21, 2024
- News bites: August 23, 2023
- L (Kim Myung-soo)
- Lee Yoo-young
Required fields are marked *
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
1 Kurama
May 16, 2024 at 11:25 PM
I need more to make an opinion.
My issue is it doesn't seem this show will adress the patriarchy issue of Confucianism and just took the best part of it and make the ML a hero. I thought the show will be more a clash between the leads and it doesn't look like the FL will be a wake-up call to his mode of life.
It's nice she didn't reject him when he was a student because of that but she could have made him realize the bad sides of Confucianism.
Her work setting reminded me Welcome to Samdal-ri, except she's not the star but the poor employee.
Required fields are marked *
Bunny Sonaki
May 16, 2024 at 11:59 PM
Agreed. Grandpa scolding the chef guy and treating him as a servant/slave was annoying to watch. It is as if we have two dramas in one, a sageuk and a modern one.
Required fields are marked *
OldLawyer
May 17, 2024 at 12:43 PM
The problem with Neo-colonialism was never limited to its patriarchal element- as this show actually demonstrates as we see our ML giving our FL exaggerated deference for the sole reason that she was once his teacher- which makes for a difficult situation. I thought that this fact was best demonstrated in the show RED SLEEVE CUFF as we come to see that no one really had any freedom, not even the King, in a Neo-Confucian society. It was in fact essentially a totalitarian creed.
To truly break free of this mindset is not simply a matter of seeing the error of one's ways- it requires the realization that a worldview that sees all human relationships through the lens of prescribed power structures is inadequate to the needs of actual human experience.
Required fields are marked *
OldLawyer
May 17, 2024 at 7:44 PM
I just realized that I said 'Neo-colonialism" rather than 'Neo-Confucianism'. Before the Song Dynasty Confucianism was not a single unified teaching but rather a much more flexible 'curriculum' as one British writer put it.
Required fields are marked *
2 Nadeema
May 16, 2024 at 11:46 PM
Gosh - every moment of his pretty woman moments - he ends up looking gorgeous in E-V-E-R-Y getup. Be still my aged but romantic heart :) Feels:). Confucius state be damned - im not confused (lol) about the main couple's swoonworthy moments. So far just loving this show for the comedic and everything thats fluffy and simple moments :) real life's far too complicated to go heavy on the analysing.
Required fields are marked *
3 Britney
May 17, 2024 at 12:21 AM
I don't know if I will continue with this cause I just can't stand the female lead character. It's not a knock against the actress but specifically the character. I find it hard to stand such an embarassing or pathetic character. And I feel kinda bad for feeling that way cause I'm sure there's folks who relate or act or respond like her but yeah, it's just hard for me to want to watch her.
Her crush/ex was trash and it sucks that he doesn't get any comeuppence for his actions. Her work place is messed up. How does a confrontation about *her* design being copied end up with her being the bad guy because she didn't set up their date like they wanted (when they even LIED and said it was for "work purposes"). What stopped either of them from standing on that long line FOR THEMSELVES to make reservations for THEIR date? Sigh, it's so frustrating and annoying to watch.
It is interesting seeing the historical look and mannerisms contrasted with the modern world. It's a bit hard to actually imagine it (though I *do* know that kinda situation can exist).
I don't know how I feel about this show overall. So far, I think I like the male lead's bodyguard most.
Required fields are marked *
Kurama
May 17, 2024 at 1:46 AM
I don't find her pathetic. She tried to reveal the truth about her bag but nobody trusted even before she showed the picture because the other girl is the "star" and she's a anobody.
I mean you described how her ex was awful. She doesn't have any power at work and outside she told him what a jerk he was.
Required fields are marked *
Britney
May 17, 2024 at 3:26 AM
The way she was introduced set the "pathetic" tone for me. Her professing her love for him in the cafe and being extra making the other customers uncomfortable. Not sure why they had to have her profess her love and get rejected in multiple languages. I guess it was for comedic/charm effect. I will say, that was a first for me though haha.
And then they keep making her fall backwards in these big embarrassing ways. Then in her embarassment, she made more embarrassing situations like hiding amongst the trash.
Then they had her set pictures on fire in her apartment only for the sprinklers to come on so she ended up looking like a sad clown.
I get it, she's supposed to be at low points when he sees her but still.
Required fields are marked *
Kurama
May 17, 2024 at 6:41 AM
The intro scene was weird. I have no idea if will be a real scene or not.
Then, it's always like that in Kdramas. The first 2 episodes are very exaggerated.
The humor doesn't work on you but it's different to be a pathetic character, I think.
Required fields are marked *
vienibenmio
May 17, 2024 at 6:53 AM
I laughed really hard at the "Please take your aggressive proposal somewhere else," though
Required fields are marked *
Elinor, Team Glasses team co-captain
May 17, 2024 at 7:38 AM
That was the only time I laughed. Can that woman just be the FL?
4 Nefret
May 17, 2024 at 1:50 AM
After the first episode, I decided not to watch any more. I barely lasted the 60 minutes, the plot wasn't gripping, the humour didn't work at all and the characters were just embarrassing.
I was actually on the verge of switching off immediately after the first scene.
I also realised that I don't enjoy watching people in this day and age still living by the rules of the Joseon era.
Required fields are marked *
Britney
May 17, 2024 at 3:38 AM
I started and stopped the first episode like 3 or 4 times haha. The second episode, I think I stopped once or twice.
One of the weird things for me is I can totally see what's suppose to be funny but it just all feels like 🎶wah wah🎶 to me haha
I also wonder how far the Seongan Village folks go with lifestyle. Are there slaves? Do they do the punishments of Joseon? Are there arranged marriages?
Required fields are marked *
Blue (@mayhemf)
May 17, 2024 at 4:02 AM
Most importantly do they have their own Left state minister 😛
Required fields are marked *
Mjcsfla1
May 18, 2024 at 5:14 PM
Is Seongan Village a real place or like something that exists is Seoul/South Koreafir real?
I googled Seongan Village and it showed a place on Jeju.
🤔🫣🙏🏻
Required fields are marked *
5 🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
May 17, 2024 at 2:59 AM
Thank you for the recap.
I'm so very glad that someone else apart from me also finds these episodes to be "adorably sweet". 😍
I would like to follow our OTP in their journey towards helping each other become a better version of themselves.
While she did try to stand up for herself, the FL got shut down cruelly. Can't wait for the FL to find her way to the top of the designer pyramid. I'll be happy to see the back of the cheating ex-boyfriend.
Hopefully we will see the ML sketch his webtoon. How cute he looked in the academy like a little Joseon Harry Potter. 😂 I appreciate politeness in a man. The ML therefore has my ❤ and gratitude.
I'm really interested in the ML's bodyguard. I think she's a very capable lady. Also she and the FL's brother seem set to give us some interesting moments together.
The village story seems like a serial killer equivalent in a rom-com. I think there is a story there and the (apparently) evil guy Gamjjok has more than a fleeting connection with the village.
I think the village story works like a timeslip + fish out of water vibe in the drama.
Hwaiting to the OTP to reach new heights while taking out time to spend happy moments together. I love how astutely Yoon-bok came to the conclusion that "teacher" was annoyed with him. 😅 I also like how straightforward Hong-do was about her embarrassment. How refreshing. This is a OTP I want to root for.
Required fields are marked *
tabong
May 17, 2024 at 11:24 AM
Sameeeee. The main characters are sweetness overload.
I also appreciate a polite man, since we get those only once a year in kdramaland. I loved how he helped her avoid him. 😂 And I love how they solved the situation (and pretty much every situation so far). Like you said, they're refreshing.
I'm already rooting for the secondary couple too!! When she told him to not feel bad for being weak, and then he was like "omo, my strong lady". 🤣
And same. I also thought they're preparing to address the problems with the village because of the chef. He got out but still has many resentment that he can't let out because of his mom and his business.
So I think the show is going to show his side of the story to share the message of everything that's wrong there.
Also, the ML is still interested in art and he has a romance to develop, so I really doubt he's going to stay the same. If he doesn't change we wouldn't have a drama, because in this initial mindset there's no way he would date her. 😂 He needs to become a modern boy to have show.
Required fields are marked *
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
May 17, 2024 at 1:01 PM
There is a very different vibe to the drama. Obviously the initial episodes have everything exaggerated. The OTT vibe will perhaps settle down a bit next week. All the plot points seem to be in place. Hopefully we'll progress well. 😊❤
Required fields are marked *
tabong
May 17, 2024 at 3:24 PM
Fingers crossed!🤞
Required fields are marked *
6 Blue (@mayhemf)
May 17, 2024 at 3:17 AM
I haven’t completed the second episode.
I was a bit bored by the first. I do like it when the leads are together but outside of it not much.
Her workplace is awful with some god awful people. I don’t care for what he is doing.
Also the village, I wish I got a bit more on that in the early Episode. Are people staying there by choice or did they end up by mistAKE? can they leave? Are people keeping the lifestyle and not the old school class system?
I find the FL acting a bit too much. I know it’s supposed to be such for the romcom but it bothers me.
I will probably continue just to see the leads interactions which is kinda nice. But I don’t know if they will have a conflict over Joseon vs modern or the show will just use the differences for fun?
Required fields are marked *
Britney
May 17, 2024 at 3:43 AM
Haha how would they have ended up in the village by mistake?
Required fields are marked *
Blue (@mayhemf)
May 17, 2024 at 4:01 AM
😂😂😂 LOL . Like it was a secret gated community and they never left. Everything that happened outside didn’t affect them or people didn’t find the secret door to this community. lol. I don’t know. I am just trying to make some sense out of it.
Required fields are marked *
Britney
May 17, 2024 at 4:58 AM
From what I could tell, the village is behind the touristy area.
But yeah, if I think on it, it does seem like it's some kind of alternate universe type thing cause how did they keep this little pocket of Joseon *behind* the tourist area haha
Required fields are marked *
zindigo
May 17, 2024 at 1:34 PM
Comment was deleted
Required fields are marked *
vienibenmio
May 17, 2024 at 6:52 AM
It seems like you aren't allowed to leave, because the ML looked like he was sneaking out to go to webcomic school.
Required fields are marked *
tabong
May 17, 2024 at 11:30 AM
But I think that's because of his family. He's haraboji seems to be from the leader, and he was also just a kid.
And the chef guy left. The problem is "coming back" I think.
Required fields are marked *
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️ Underpants buddies for life. 😎
May 17, 2024 at 1:59 PM
I wonder if it is the Korean version of the Amish and they are allowed to leave but coming from that background you should be aware of the rules and respect them when you return and grandad has always been pleased to be one of the nobles with power in the village. His own son may have struggled with his dad's attitude and this may also have been a concern for Yoonbok hence his decision to run away to live his dream. They can't be that shut off from modern ways as how would he know about webtoons and where to go to train?
Required fields are marked *
tabong
May 17, 2024 at 3:47 PM
The haraboji is definitely sus.
I also think Yoon Bok escaped because of his father's death.
Or he died trying to go against haraboji, or he died doing exactly what haraboji told him to do. Both scenarios are a problem.
About the rules and their knowledge of the modern ways it's still unclear, but we have seen them interact with regular people. They have connections with the government or something (because of Yoon Book's job), and they also seem to have more connection with the outside.
The chef uses the products of the village for his "modern" business. Haha. So I guess there's a lot happening in there.
So yeah, I don't think this is about them being shut off and not knowing things or how the modern world works, they just chose their own thing (a weird thing to choose but people are weirder in real life sometimes).
7 Kafiyah Bello
May 17, 2024 at 4:13 AM
I came and I tried and I quit, lol. One of my least favorite tropes in a drama is abjectly humiliating the FL for an entire episode. It is gross and it screams of humbling for no reason. So that in and of itself made me dislike the first episode. The second episode had a worse issue for me, I was bored. I didn't find his modern bumbling cute or endearing, I just didn't care. That is the death knell unfortunately for me. I hope those who like it continue to do so.
Required fields are marked *
Dylan [is crying bc of Umi no Hajimari]
May 17, 2024 at 5:24 AM
at some point, I just started skipping all the scenes with the FL getting humiliated or harassed because it got too much.
Required fields are marked *
8 Dylan [is crying bc of Umi no Hajimari]
May 17, 2024 at 5:23 AM
Tl;dw for ep.1: Quirky Confucian boy STUNS evil foreigners with ADVANCED combat skills!
In general, i loved this drama, but only when it was being a romcom. the Vine sound effects, the animations, his goofy misunderstandings, the little bits of physical comedy are great. The FL is the cutest, what the kids call a "smol bean". like when he prostrated, she was so surprised and confused, she just mirrored him 😭😭 I also like she still has a backbone. the way she set up the ex and her awful senior at the restaurant was cool but in a realistic way.
What I didn't like was the stolen antiquities stuff or all the usual workplace toxicity. The former I couldn't care less about, but is probably going to be present throughout. I can't wait until she's free of the latter, then we can hopefully get more focus on the romance.
Look, I'm a nerd obsessed with history but even I think these guys are taking it too far. This dude is having conniptions over the most chaste club wear I've ever seen 💀 Joseon grandpa seems to have resurrected the caste system???
P.S. Kdrama bingo - atleast one (1) tragically dead parent who was lost in mysterious circumstances.
Required fields are marked *
Dylan [is crying bc of Umi no Hajimari]
May 17, 2024 at 5:26 AM
I just knew there was gonna be a love line with the brother and the pretty bodyguard.
"Do not lose confidence just cause you weak asf" *cue romantic music*
Amazing, this is cinema.
also seems like the pretty bodyguard seems way more at ease with the modern world? methinks it wasn't the first time she went clubbing either.
Required fields are marked *
vienibenmio
May 17, 2024 at 6:52 AM
Haha, I love and agree with your take!
Required fields are marked *
Seon-ha
May 17, 2024 at 10:45 AM
But here's another version of this drama I could get behind! Stealer: Only This Time with Joseon Reenactors. They'd bumble around always losing their gats until some modern lackey helps them out with their guns and sarcasm.
Like "Indiana Jones" meets Stealer: the Treasure Keeper meets My Demon meets (oooh) Healer.
Required fields are marked *
Kathryn51
May 17, 2024 at 12:38 PM
I was with you all the way until you mentioned My Demon. 😎
Required fields are marked *
Seon-ha
May 17, 2024 at 12:52 PM
LOL. I didn't enjoy MD much by the end either, but as I was remembering scenes that I wouldn't mind mirroring in this new, pretend drama, I was remembering the first episodes and their hilarious timey-wimey sequences between Gu-won and his manservant-type-right-hand-man Bok-gyu...remember the fish? And the whole "Bok-gyu/f**k you" amusement? That show was so funny to begin...sigh.
Required fields are marked *
9 Becky
May 17, 2024 at 5:47 AM
I don't care for this actress, so I wasn't going to watch, but thanks to @starrygazer I'm going to give it a try. Even if I end up not sticking with it, I'm going to keep reading the recaps as I'm learning new vocabulary: "in creases" and "brolly". @starrygazer keep up the good work!
Required fields are marked *
10 vienibenmio
May 17, 2024 at 6:49 AM
I feel like there's something cultural I'm missing that's really impacting my ability to understand this. At first I thought the ML was just, like, a reenactor at a historical village, but over time it seemed like he genuinely rejected modern society, like he's a Korean equivalent of an Amish person. Does this mean that, after he's solved the artifact thing, he's gonna return back? Isn't that a major barrier to being with the FL?
I'm also confused about the FL's relationship. Was she actually dating the guy and he was just stringing her along, or did she just think she was and interpreted friendly gestures as romantic?
Honestly, I'm a sucker for both a buttmonkey FL and unrequited love (that first scene was super up my alley), so I'm invested.
Required fields are marked *
tabong
May 17, 2024 at 11:35 AM
The ex was gaslighting the heck out of her. They definitely were dating. The pictures she had in her room seemed like they have been together for a while. And even her brother knew about him.
Required fields are marked *
11 zindigo
May 17, 2024 at 7:29 AM
I really like L (including Meow, the Secret Boy, which I loved!), but the first episode of DTLM didn't do it for me for a variety of reasons, most mentioned in the comments already. In particular, this FL character type is not appealing to me, at least not in this extreme form. I get the gist of the story, the romcom format, and the likely messages they're trying to deliver, but I'm not convinced they're going to be able to pull it off. With so many other new dramas to watch right now, this one is going to be a pass for me.
Required fields are marked *
Seon-ha
May 17, 2024 at 10:33 AM
I must admit that I also feel that there's something about the acting choices being made by our FL that simply aren't my cup of tea--clearly they are like catnip to others. To each their own, for sure.
However, I spent a lot of my time with these episodes remembering why I only remember Kim Seon-ho from You Drive Me Crazy...
Required fields are marked *
12 Elinor, Team Glasses team co-captain
May 17, 2024 at 7:36 AM
“Confucian teachings of a humane and moral society,” my foot. So people are washing clothes in a stream, hauling water in buckets, cooking in a dirt-floor kitchen, and bowing to their social superiors voluntarily, when they have other options? Maybe this is supposed to be Enchanted in Korea, but it’s not hitting the right notes at all. Unless it’s Brigadoon but with kimchi and they don’t know there’s a 21st century out there, I call bullshit. And the best thing about modern-day dramas is the lack of gats - not to mention Joseon mores, manners, and oppressive ideology - so this is the worst of both worlds. (Also, how come the only Black actor with a line gets to say nothing but ugly obscenities?) The latest iteration of the annoying, demanding, whiny younger brother with a bad auburn perm was the last straw for me. This might be my quickest drop ever - out in half an hour.
Required fields are marked *
vienibenmio
May 17, 2024 at 7:40 AM
Haha, Brigadoon! That would have been a better way to do this concept
Required fields are marked *
Seon-ha
May 17, 2024 at 10:37 AM
I'd sign up willingly for a drama that takes place solely within Joseon RenFair Reenactment Land in which the modern FL enters this bewildering place and changes it all for the better in both touching and, sometimes, hilariously violent ways.
Like "Brigadoon" crossed with the movie "9 to 5?" 😆
Required fields are marked *
vienibenmio
May 17, 2024 at 10:56 AM
Or that South Park episode where it's Die Hard but set in a historical village and the actors refuse to break character even though they're dealing with a terrorist.
Required fields are marked *
Dylan [is crying bc of Umi no Hajimari]
May 17, 2024 at 8:17 AM
I really want to know what kind of person would willingly subject themselves to Joseon caste system, the patriarchy and gender roles, etc. Like, are those women washing those clothes a fair, modern wage? What are the labour laws like for the people in the fields and the artisans? actually, is there an equitable rule of law... so many questions.
Required fields are marked *
Britney
May 17, 2024 at 8:30 AM
I was honestly gonna write this SAME thing. Like why would you *choose* a more repressive and harder lifestyle but people legit do every day.
Required fields are marked *
♡Peach_Mochi♡
May 17, 2024 at 11:36 AM
Same! If the show doesn’t examine those issues at some point, maybe it should’ve been a time slip drama instead.
Required fields are marked *
vienibenmio
May 17, 2024 at 12:46 PM
Right, and either ML will have to give up his life for the FL (which I guess could work if they do it right, but will still be difficult) or FL will have to give up hers for ML (unacceptable to me, lol)
Required fields are marked *
Vladdles
May 17, 2024 at 10:27 AM
Thank you Elinor for showing up and quite rightly heading back towards the door!
Required fields are marked *
13 vienibenmio
May 17, 2024 at 7:44 AM
Random thought that just occurred to me: how did the ML know about webcomics, but not about microwaves?
Required fields are marked *
Britney
May 17, 2024 at 8:27 AM
You make me wanna watch more of this solely to ask why he knows about this but not that haha
He knows about AI but not touch screens?
Required fields are marked *
♡Peach_Mochi♡
May 17, 2024 at 11:47 AM
Writing is very inconsistent when it comes to his knowledge of modern life. If he wanted to be a webcomic writer, he must have read some. That alone would’ve exposed him to contemporary society and its technology. Plus he lived in Seoul for a while and was using a drawing tablet in class! I think in the effort to pull humor out of the fish-out-of-water scenarios, the show goes too far in making him ignorant and overly naive.
Required fields are marked *
bbstl 🧹
May 17, 2024 at 12:40 PM
Ok, I’ve only watched the first 10 minutes and maybe this gets explained but where is his topknot?
Required fields are marked *
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️ Underpants buddies for life. 😎
May 17, 2024 at 2:07 PM
It doesn't get explained, although I noticed an older character with one.
Required fields are marked *
bbstl 🧹
May 17, 2024 at 8:43 PM
Huh. Another inconsistency!
Required fields are marked *
14 stove
May 17, 2024 at 10:09 AM
The humor did not work more me. It was more of an uncomfortable second hand embarrassment.
Required fields are marked *
15 pohonphee
May 17, 2024 at 10:13 AM
I like Lee Yoo-young but L has no charisma, the way he speak Joseon dialect is cringe.
And who want to live in that village?? Who got to decide who become the yangban and who don't? The writer wants to promote it like something special and need to be preserved, me like huh??
Required fields are marked *
vienibenmio
May 17, 2024 at 10:24 AM
I am wondering if this is an actual thing in Korea or something the drama made up
Required fields are marked *
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️ Underpants buddies for life. 😎
May 17, 2024 at 2:13 PM
I looked it up too as I suddenly thought what if there is a place like that and just as the Amish exist but are rarely shown in dramas we just didn't know about it! The tourist venue is real but the living village is the fiction as I would expect anyone choosing to live there would choose to be nobles and have modern elements in their Hanok otherwise the conditions would be way too harsh so they would have modern underfloor heating.
Required fields are marked *
16 OldLawyer
May 17, 2024 at 11:05 AM
DARE TO LOVE ME is simply fun.
Required fields are marked *
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
May 17, 2024 at 12:55 PM
❤🙏
Required fields are marked *
17 Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️ Underpants buddies for life. 😎
May 17, 2024 at 2:33 PM
Thank you for the recap @starrygazer
I am loving this drama. It will be interesting to see how the family will balance life in the village and in modern Seoul as the siblings will be in relationships with the bodyguard and the young Master respectively. Will her brother make his living writing a webtoon about a time traveller using his experience in the village as real world building research? It could be a similar vibe to the Japanese drama Isakai Izakaya Nobu where a modern diner has one door leading to current day Japan where the owners live and another goes back in time to an unknown country with characters with similar dress to Europeans a few centuries ago.
Required fields are marked *
bong-soo
May 18, 2024 at 7:35 AM
Interesting thought because the jdrama ISAKAI IZAKAYA NOBU (Viki US) also crossed my mind especially when I saw the truck waiting to be admitted to the village.
Required fields are marked *
18 amruta1009
May 18, 2024 at 2:22 AM
Comment was deleted
Required fields are marked *
19 amruta1009
May 18, 2024 at 3:36 AM
This was boring and silly and ML's acting which I dont generally mind made things worse this time around. Not for me. Dropping.
Required fields are marked *
20 bong-soo
May 18, 2024 at 7:29 AM
Thanks @starrygazer for the great DARE TO LOVE ME recap.
Kudos to you and your colleague @unit (recapping THE ATYPICAL FAMILY) for willing to be beanies’ ‘flack catchers’. (Credit author Tom Wolfe for the term). I am watching and enjoying both.
A couple thoughts:
1. Lee Yoo-young (Hang-do). I have seem 3 of LYY’s dramas (TUNNEL (2017), YOUR HONOR (2018) and INSIDER (2022). In all 3 she played a character wrapped pretty up tight (for males Junho has this character down pat). In DTLM Lee Yoo-young does a 180 to those type characters and let it all hang out in episode one. The opening scene itself (taking place in the future) was a bit shocking.
2. L (Yoon-bok). How he can say his lines with a straight face is beyond me but credit to him. The physicality he showed in NUMBERS (2023) he brought with him and displayed early on. He has kept himself in shape. Interesting he seems willing to embrace casual wear while out investigating (undercover if you will) but returns to hanbok when he returns home (credit to his ace female bodyguard Yoon-ah for setting him up in nice digs). So far when he is back home we have seen him mostly in the equivalent of Joseon pjs which he is quite willing to wear outside on the deck. A personal note: I am so glad Yoon-bok has dispensed with the manggeon (nobleman’s headband) and let his short hair loose.
Rom-com is not my favorite genre but I am going along for the ride to see what happens to our couple.
Required fields are marked *
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️ Underpants buddies for life. 😎
May 18, 2024 at 8:23 AM
I am glad it was not just me noticing that he was wearing his undergarments in public. I know they have both got a roof top so they are not overlooked by other properties but the proximity of the two spaces means it is not a private space so I was confused with her embarrassment at being seen when she had chosen to go outside.
Required fields are marked *
bong-soo
May 18, 2024 at 8:53 AM
I think it was mostly just early days of getting used to seeing Yoon-bok on the other side. At the end of episode 2 bro invited YB over and YB had already had bro into his place so we will probably be seeing more comings and goings between places.
One thing that interested me, where is bodyguard Yoon-ah staying? I don’t think she is with YB. I am not sure.
Required fields are marked *
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️ Underpants buddies for life. 😎
May 18, 2024 at 8:55 AM
I was thinking the same thing she didn't have a bag with her when they travelled yet she had the outfit to change into at the club we rarely see her when he is wondering around Seoul so what is her role as his bodyguard?
Required fields are marked *
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️ Underpants buddies for life. 😎
May 18, 2024 at 8:56 AM
*Wandering
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
May 27, 2024 at 2:48 AM
^^ 💯 Both @starrygazer and @unit are doing a bang-up job. I'm also enjoying both dramas which in their own way are atypical.
Lee Yoo-young in this character is a revelation.
L's martial arts skills are top-notch. 👌
Required fields are marked *
21 emsel
May 19, 2024 at 12:52 AM
The poster looked cute and so was the interaction between the leads. I also found the ML's fish out of water scenes to be funny and I liked his bodygaurd, but the rest of the the plot annoyed the heck out of me. It is one thing to have a ML follow moral's from Joseon era, but it is totally rubbish to have a FL continuously being harassed at workplace. I am out for this sole reason. Also, Lee Yoo Young is a great actor but her acting is so over the top in this drama and does not suit her. Thanks @starrygazer for the recap and welcome to DB :)
Required fields are marked *
22 Martine
July 4, 2024 at 7:13 PM
I loved the scene where our ML tries to dress up for the club by wearing his best beads with his Gat. "I dressed up so much !"
Required fields are marked *