Mid-run HPL thoughts:
EG’s macho episodes are really my only quibble with this show.
Ryan is one of the the closest to perfect (smart, sensible, sweet and considerate) main leads and humans I’ve seen in kdrama land. The way he intuits DM’s state at all times… how he respects her boundaries but also cannot tolerate the nonsense… I just love him to pieces. DM is also adorable, I love her wisdom, and how she combines the smart competence with the silly girly bits. I really really love them together: their ability to openly talk about stuff, the way they laugh and are willing to be silly together, and how tactile their relationship gets once they finally acknowledge their feelings (so very in character). But I have also come to love most of the secondaries (even like EG when he acts as a proper brother rather than a jerk). I even liked DI’s directness when she pointed out that the reason why DM was so easily affected by her half-truth was because she did not trust Ryan’s (and her) feelings. She is the sometimes unpleasant voice of reason rather than a true villain. Same for Sindy – I am growing attached to her and her mother’s brand of silliness. And the gallery staff and their reaction to being stuck in the shitstorm of DM and Ryan’s relationship are hilarious. Basically love the lot of them.

I also really like the picture the drama paints on fangirling, be it the good bits (as a source of joy and support when real life gets hard, a social community, and a way to channel one’s creative impulses), the bad bits (how it can become a crutch and an excuse to hide away from the real world) and the extreme bits (the stalking, and violence, the completely unreasonable behavior). I like its show-rather-than-tell approach to the whole thing. It does it without judgement and in a way that resonates with me.
Bonus: the art references have my hobby-painter self spazzing.
Overall – I’m really glad I’ve picked this up.