I think they messed up making him cruel ‘for her benefit’ in the initial episodes, dressing it up as him being a surrogate dad. We know that he has been supportive for the most part and fought for her when they were cancelling the show but the balance was off when she was sent off unprepared when she most vulnerable. It makes no sense to put these traits in a side character when there were enough natural events adding friction for her learning journey.

We barely see the male lead and yet we have a whole love triangle with the manager, his ex and the accountant taking centre stage. I don’t get why they felt this show needed all that going on in the background when we have the travel story of the week characters with their own angst going on.

This tsundere character trait is often over done and kept for too long so when played alongside a decent alternative it makes it hard to see why anyone would choose that person even when they finally show their other side. In this case she has a dad who seemed nice enough although her parents not allowing her to return unless she is successful means she has to prioritise proving herself to unimportant people rather than being able to recharge with the people who love her unconditionally and can help her out in a time of distress. She has he whole life ahead of her to be successful. Having a return home pit stop should not be tied to a need to have made it big so she has somewhere better to return to. The male lead is from a rich background yet he feels like a fish out of water there and would be more than happy to settle with our female lead on that small island. It’s like that drama Top star Yubaek where the small island is the place of peace and elements of life elsewhere pays the bills.

I’m disappointed that there’s no weekly recap for Beyond the Bar from DB. I’m really enjoying it. It’s ok, I’m not watching to view real court cases.

SMILE, YOU remains one of my all-time favorite Weekenders. Fun fact: The couple who formed the secondary romance in that drama actually did marry each other and now have a fourteen-year-old daughter.

@laurensophie I am so happy you enjoyed it! I just want to tell everyone about it cuz it is so damn good! The bullying is hard to watch, as it always is, but it is definitely not as extreme as The Glory and nothing like the endless beatings in Weak Hero. The intensity of the performances of the leads is just stunning! It is riveting from start to finish. It is going to be hard to try to repeat or top the essence of what this film captured. I once told a friend that what I want (and so rarely get) when I watch something is transcendence. Something that fully takes me out of myself and into another. This was that! And apparently I am not the only one. There are many people online asking for recommendations for movies/dramas like Better Days because they want to hold on to or repeat this relatively rare, sublime experience. I did just finish the other movie by the same director called Soul Mates. It was forgettable. So I can tell you that isn't it. For me, the only one that comes to mind as having a similar vibe is a little known movie on Netflix called A Night in Paradise. The main characters are adults, it's darker, bleaker, and more violent, but it still has that element of raw emotional beauty. And also that element of male beauty that is Uhm Tae Goo (pre My Sweet Mobster)! I will keep looking for transcendence and will share anything I find.

@zindigo @gikata
I got no idea what I'm doing here with these replies. I'm just winging it and tagging people in hopes that they get the message.

I might be totally out to lunch here, showcasing once again my ignorance, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Disney+ made a "Netflix" Song Kang-type decision to back Xu Kai as a bankable performer. I checked on Disney+ today (MR is still "Coming Soon") and noticed they have the live action MULAN with Liu Yi Fei, and she's certainly in that category.

I myself find Xu Kai interesting, as he can smoothly transition from comedy to drama. He's got something special going on the screen, and he's young with lots of road ahead of him. Hopefully MR isn't dubbed (ugh). And, it hasn't shown up yet on my Viki as Coming Soon.

I'm too new to the cdrama world to have experienced the agony of AJTL nightmare subtitles but I did experience this with the opening episodes of ETERNAL BROTHERHOOD on iQiyi and became incensed enough to file a complaint about the shoddy work which was probably machine generated. I'm sorry, but this is like diapering a baby, it can't be done by machines.

@zindigo @hopefulromantic
Sorry I know there are others ... looks like Viki pulled INTO THE RING out of "Leaving Soon" category. You can check on your own Viki feed, but that's what I'm seeing.

Good Job DB WWW fans of RING!

I burst out laughing at the questioning room "decorations" that look exactly like a K-darana police unit would conjure up for a K-drama celeb visit! Haha

Agreeing with all the comments here: the real stars here should be the rugby team. 7 characters, each with their own issues, and finding out how those "weaknesses" become strengths when they're operating together. Just fleshing out each story - hang ups with bullying, second-child syndrome, being short, wanting future security etc. etc. would have been great to watch. Add in the coach's issues if you want; go on then if you need his ex-girlfriend to become a sobbing mess as she realises how he was actually the Gold Medal Winning Noble Idiot (we'd forgive that?) but we need no more. The other coaches are a cue for liberal ff.

If you didn't like the ending of Mr. Queen, join me in imagining better endings here:
https://1drv.ms/w/c/77e2e7a5b808004d/EaWBxvPGrU9Bkan3VIzR1msBKw-ybYVjnd4tGzJejBAU4Q

and then here: https://1drv.ms/w/c/77e2e7a5b808004d/EX-m84hhimVIo7ieVguAV7ABCi2v6f5llrxkTgPKow18ag?e=iRG0VO
And the last flow chart will be available at soon under the recap of the final.
And any opinion about it can be discussed under the rewatch. If it contains spoilers, then wait till @unaspirated has started the rewatch discussion on the on August 20. under the recap of the final, because right now, some of the beanies are watching it for the first time!
Please, please tag me.

@zindigo, @cliosservant1846
Oh, tell me more about how uncomfortable "renewed" DB is! Barely anyone talks to me these 2 last weeks here, I'm feeling horribly lonely lol. Not that our whining will probably change anything for the better (I'm this close to give up any hope of threads ever working properly for me), but it feels good to vent for sure!

You two must not know/remember how bad it was during AJTL era when there were also only a few countries capable of watching the show legally overseas lmao. The rage was through the roof, esp given the massive hype back in China. And YT version had (still has?) horrendous machine subs only, leaving most of the people no other choice than yo-ho-ho *shrugs* Linmon managed to sort of avoid making the same mistake with ADWAD by selling it to Viki right away, great for them. Why did MR got so unlucky to stuck with Greedy Mouse tho... Local platforms must be not offering good enough deals if Linmon keeps doing this trick again and again despite guaranteed backlash. Anyway, it's "coming soon" on Viki too, no details when yet, I think.

I am hardly a law abiding web citizen, so already checked the drama out and it's quite good - fantastic production as usual, if anything. And if writers don't throw the plot off a cliff midway like in ADWAD, it's gonna be a fun Ghost Month-timed c-horror. There are cats, donkeys, all sorts of colorful magic, gorgeous visuals and ML takes baths onscreen like a good boy he is - told ya it IS my fave trope of 2025!)))

Doom at your service had a happy ending but not the one we were expecting. She is falling out of love with him at the speed of light ... but luckily, the world of the living is open to him now, not just of endings, but also of beginnings.
What I am saying is I quite liked Doom even though it was not what I thought I came for.

You have a point. Thinking about it, the hanbok lady in the first story wasn't so nice (at least at first). Poor Yeo Reum has to deal with some real characters.

I liked the visiting of the different places, but I am not sure I am a particular fan of the people associated with those places. I found the blind actor and the crazy lady mostly annoying, but I guess we need story for her to travel.

Jerrykuvira: Not a bad plan but after doing two of them (she was also half of The Golfer Couple in FIVE CHILDREN) she is not likely to be interested in yet another and the price for her services would no doubt be too high.

I find her manager, O Sang sik, extremely annoying and unlikeable. The drama would drastically improve without his histrionics.

This is a reply to Quest but as they are not registered I can’t tag them. I guess I was thinking of the sports members that get exempt from certain lessons due to high expectations in some sports like we saw with 21, 25, Racket boys had a team building element. They often show sports students struggling with some basics due to missing some elements of their education.

@oldawyer

We already know that the drama won't be original because one of the promotional "posters" shows our main couple being happy together.
If it wasn't for that, I'd still have some doubts about which couples will be endgame.

How it should have ended (according to me):
- Se Joo notices real damage can be done in the game.
- Se Joo immediately shuts down the server.
- Se Joo makes "safety protocols" mandatory for absolutely every part of the game.
- Hee Joo kicks out Jin Woo when he starts shouting at her.
-Jin Woo still buys the game, but the family gets to keep the hotel to sell at their leisure and Se Joo is emploid as head programmer.
- The game is being thoroughly debugged and gets actual story lines. Not just fighting.
- Jin Woo not only allies Jong Hoon, but they also happily get married
- The family kicks out whiny "nice guy" moocher and find someone better to help with the guitar business.
- Hee jo starts a band and becomes a famous musician.
- NPC's of their parents cheer in the audience.

Thank you so much for this recommendation, @kdramaintrovert! I watched this last night and although it was hard to get through the bullying scenes, it ultimately was worth it. What a powerful, moving, and masterfully acted film! I realized that I didn't watch the end credits, though, so will need to go back and do that. Thanks again!

Can we just have Shin Hye-sun lead a weekender then.