Since my journey down the kdrama rabbithole about 12 years ago, Healer has always been on top of my list as my fav kdrama. Excellent story with electric chemistry between JCW & PMY ( they sure set my shipping heart sailing)
While I have since watched 100s of shows, I have rarely obsessed over a lead pair and have also dropped a number if shows just cause the storyline went down the drain.

Lovely Runner has been the first in a long time where I stuck around and watched obsessively just for the OTP. I overlooked all the loopholes and obsessed over the leads like a lot if us here.
This had me thinking, will you watch a show just for the OTP or does a good story matter?

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    The OTP and their chemistry means more to me than anything. No story is perfect- although I hear Lovely Runner is close (I don’t live watch) so they are the only way I can keep going through the ups and downs. Just this year I have watched My Demon, Moon in the Day, My Man is Cupid and See You In My 19th year because of lead chemistry. All these shows were not popular by the end but i enjoyed them all. And I’ve dropped a few popular ones because of leads.
    @claire2009 @minniegupta1 @isagc @seeker @skiee @dramaticfoodie
    What do you all think?

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      For me depends on the Kdrama for example – shows like Hospital Playlist, Sky Castle, The Fiery Priest and Signal got me hooked because of the story and direction. While shows like DOTS, CLOY, QOT (promised mindblowing chemistry but where was it? only available in BTS or on instagram clips😔) and Alchemy of souls was mainly for OTP and their chemistry. AND the rare gems where casting, chemistry, story and direction was almost perfect (most importantly the finale was not rushed in these) – Lovely Runner, Hyena (Chemistry 🔥), Mr. Queen(🥇) and Fight My Way(🥇).

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      Yes same for me..if OTP clicks I’ll ignore other things, what matters is we enjoy it. I don’t mind little illogical things unless it’s too much. I also think that no drama will be all perfect, something will always outweigh other. It’s the people’s choice that matters. And to me lovely runner only had very little illogical things for a romcom. Same goes for doctor slump. I enjoyed both very much. If there’s no chemistry I feel I’ll drop it storyline comes next.

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      Impressed by your patience to sit through some of those shows😂 but I agree, the OTP really does sell the kdrama. Also I think while I tolerate noona romance, like aged OTP has my heart!

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      Yes, I think it’s the same for me too. The OTP and their chemistry and the characterisation are the most important factors that make me enjoy a show. If the leads have excellent chemistry, and their characterisation is consistent and makes me trust them and care for them, then I can overlook a lot of other things.

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      If I love the OTP, like really LOVE, I will probably love the drama, even though the script is not so good or the ending is disappointing (Heartbeat would be one).

      But there are many good shows with almost any romance (or no romance). Prison Playbook, Misaeng, Signal, Psychopath Diary or Weak Hero Class 1 are amazing shows. All of them are among my favorites.

      Some of my favorite OTP are in Flower Boy Next Door, Live up to your name, Queen Seon Deok, Bossam, Twinkling Watermelon, Seasons of Blossom, Shopping King Louis, My Dearest, Fated to love you, Mirror of the witch, Secret Romantic Guesthouse, Meow, At a distance spring is green, Into the ring, My unfamiliar family, Weightlifting fairy…

      I have to feel everything with them/for them. That didn’t happen in Lovely Runner (I know I’m in the minority).

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        I’m in the minority too. Lovely Runner was one of the few shows I tried to keep up with the live watch because I really wanted to join in the hype, it was a rare case when I had the fear of missing out. But I still couldn’t feel it like the majority of beanies did. I’m fond of the OTP, they are endearing. But their romance often doesn’t make me flutter or excited. I guess I’m looking for something more mature in the expression, especially given the fact that Sol is 34, I expected something more than the cuteness. I think Kim Hyeyoon is good in emotional scenes, but Byeon Wooseok is better in romantic scenes. I guess it isn’t intentional, but just because she happens to have big (and beautiful) eyes, there were so many moments of her eyes wide opening that after a while I started to feel tired of looking at them, and it took me out of the scene. BWS emotes through his eyes in a more subtle way. And they kissed already, but she’s still surprised whenever he touches her?
        I was stalling at ep10 and planned to binge the last 6 episodes today, but I wasn’t invested enough and my mind kept thinking of doing other things while watching. If not for the very lovely characters (Sunjae, Sol, Inhyuk, Taesung), this would have been a drop.

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          I didn’t drop it because I was having fun (even though I don’t like all the comic situations in the show), but I was trying hard to feel more for the OTP. I couldn’t.

          I had just finished When I fly towards you, with all its nostalgic, “slice-of-life” greatness, and Bossam, with the delicacy of that love story. Both shows made me cry happy tears in the end.

          Maybe Lovely Runner was a case of “wrong timing”.

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            Yes, probably a case of “wrong timing”. I’d just stepped out of Our Blooming Youth and See you in my 19th life, two shows that were not without flaws, but where the OTP and how the romance was played out made everything else work for me.

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            I had fun too, but sometimes the filler scenes were just too much. Anyway, I’m positive I can finish it tonight 😁

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          As I wasn’t carried away by my feeling for the romance, I started to notice things in the plot that appeared to be too convenient, although they may be trivial. Like who buys condoms for a wedding gift? And those a hundred condoms happened to fall into Sunjae’s bag? And Sunjae’s bag was then ripped open in front of everyone? And the two of them stayed all night in that video store and no parent questioned why their child wasn’t in bed at night? And why does she fall asleep at every important moment?

          Sol’s earnstness and desperation in saving Sunjae, and Sunjae’s devotion to her were what moved me, and I think this show would have been better with 12 episodes, because then we could have avoided many filler scenes.

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          I’m on ep 5. Trying not to fall to hard for Byeon Wooseok haha. I guess tall with cheek bones is one of my things. If he wears brown Claire you may have to pull me out of the rabbit hole
          I’m not loving FL but that’s ok. The show is flowing nicely and has some smile moments.
          Still lots to see. Ill be waiting for your comments when you finish

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            I haven’t caught him in the brown shade that ABH pulls off, so you’re not out yet, I guess 😅

            I have finished the show and would say the finale alone is worth watching, so if at some point you feel like you don’t want to keep watching, then just use the fast forward button liberally, you won’t miss a thing. As you don’t mind spoilers, I would say until episode 14, it’s all about going back and forth between Sol pushing Sunjae away, and trying to save him, and he getting hurt one way or another, physically or mentally. Episode 16 is how a romcom should end, and I would love to see an episode 13 of Seoha and Jieum like that.

            PS: If you love Taesung, then don’t skip his scenes. He’s a highlight of the show for me. I like the FL and ML enough, but not much how their romance was played out.

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            @claire2009 don’t worry I’m thrilled about seeing Song Geon-Hee in this drama and so far he is doing awesome. I loved him in Joseon Attorney- one of a few that watched and liked😃.
            Me – mind spoilers haha??
            I appreciate the advice. I’ll get through. I agree with your other comment somewhere that it should have been 12.
            I’m going back and reading all of @minniegupta1 comments which are always so insightful and help.
            Now really excited to get to the end🥰

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            @23new2kdrama I misread your comment and thought you meant if BWS wears brown then you’d finally be able to get out of ABH’s rabbit hole 😂 Ok I get it now, you’re already in BWS’s rabbit hole 🤣

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        I love your list of shows! Adding them now! I agree there are great shows with no romance. Then the whole cast has to have a connection and chemistry that you expect from a romance. Flex X cop and Hospital Playlist are my 2 examples

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        You listed some of favourites here, Bossam had me shipping Yuri and JIL so hard. Their next show together was rubbish but I stuck through it hanging on to my memories from Bossam and all their variety appearances🤣
        Blood free was another recent show where the story while interesting had many loopholes but the simmering chemistry between the leads🔥
        I also love procedural dramas and hate when the director tries to push a love story when there is zero necessity for it!

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    There are definitely shows I’ve watched to the end that were messy or even downright bad from a writing perspective simply because I really enjoyed the chemistry/romance between two or more of the characters/actors.

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    I have watched many a dramas wherein the writing doesn’t deliver but the OTP— and the acting of the cast in general— does deliver, for which then became the reason I kept with the drama until the end

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    Sometimes all you need is the OTP. When i was a new watcher i just needed the lead to be someone i liked and not in a genre i disliked. Oh wait, that’s still the case today..

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    I find that great chemistry among the OTP and cast can do a lot to overcome subpar writing. But the converse is less likely — if chemistry is lacking and the relationships aren’t believable, even an interesting story won’t hold my attention.

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    I totally can watch a drama only for the OTP.

    But there are a lot of chance it won’t make the list of my favorite dramas.

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    To me the story matters a little, but I can watch a drama just for the OTP if the characters are interesting and have a good connection.

    For ex, I couldn’t care less about the serial killer in You Are My Spring, he had no business there. But the two main leads (and even the other characters too) were beautifully written.

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    I suppose I am atypical, that I watch for the story only. Even if the OTP are played by actors I really really like, I end up dropping the show if and when I get fed up by the story or just got bored. Anyway, can always watch my faves in a drama I can watch.

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    I need to be invested in at least one of the actors to start the drama; It does not have to be the OTP per se. If I like the actor, I will overlook a lot of things, but it will carry me only for a few episodes before I give up. So, ultimately, the story has to hold. I also am a sucker for good dialogues and will finish a drama if I feel connected at a deeper level even though the drama itself might not be perfect.

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