Netflix … the thought process is to increase the number of days the drama will be amongst the top dramas after each “season” release.

Wondering what’s driving this trend? Post-production (editing, special effects) needs more time, location scheduling and shooting (weather delays, etc), image–having 2 “seasons,” etc. It seems like it would be less cost effective. Alchemy of Souls changed leads, director and affected the tone of the drama. Is cutting up dramas just a Netflix thing?

Possibly to squeeze as much advertising ?
IDK as I’m not a Netflix subscriber

All I know is that trend will probably make me get less beans at the end of the year.

In those months one show is taking a break I already started another 2-4 shows so I won’t feel like coming back to an old one. I’m just lazy. I watched Island part 1 but I couldn’t care less about part 2. The show wasn’t that good to make me wait for it all excited and stuff. Even with western shows I’m really bad at waiting, even tho I should be used by now.

But in general I think it works great. Idk what they win from those breaks, but it seems like a good strategy? Beanies kept talking about My Dearest during the break, there was even a countdown, I think. The Glory was really famous too.

Anyway, I prefer part 2 than multiple seasons. Having 8 episodes now and 8 episodes later it’s okay. But having a second season that ruins what you liked of the first one is a big NO.

My beans for 1987 Gwangju Uprising plots: Youth of May, A Taxi Driver, The Attorney, Snowdrop. On my watchlist: 1987 Comes a Day, May 18, Peppermint Candy. I’m sure there are many others…

I did watch it (but long ago) and am embarrassed that I don’t recall much about it but the FL. You are becoming our expert on that topic!

That show has been on my watchlist since forever. I’m really bad at watching things from my list, I always end up rewatching something else. 😔

I watched the first half of it, but never finished. It was interesting, but I didn’t find it gripping enough to keep going. To be fair, I started it fairly early in my kdrama watching journey and I might find it more compelling now that I have a better sense of its historical context.

Bad endings are a different problem that lack of endings. Ambiguous endings negatively impact the global reputation of Korean dramas in global entertainment. Are the writers becoming LAZY? Is there something going on in the industry that viewers don’t know about?

I even returned the following week thinking there’d be a new episode ! But does it seem like Netflix is dangling the possibility of a second season?

I agree. Sometimes, the ending is designed to be open. But I want the writing to have given me sufficient clues and hints so that I know how to come up to my own conclusions — rather than serving a tightly-packed story and disappearing before the end…

In general terms, I do agree with your statement here about what constitutes a failed kdrama. Like most, I do prefer a clear ending (be it good or bad).

Nevertheless, it does seem like more and more kdramas are following the open-ending route. What I am noticing is that these open endings highlight the eccentricity of my viewing (yes, even ghosts look at themselves in the mirror from time to time). For example, I hated the open endings in Pretty Noona/Something in the Rain and The Interest of Love, but I liked it in Doona!. Why? I am not entirely sure. I believe it has something to do with the build-up of the story until the open ending occurs. Suffice it to say that (to me) an open ending seems like a precarious slope for a story to take, and there is only a razor-thin margin for success. One false step and the open ending crashes down into the abyss.

Thanks to Ghost of Tim! A deleted scene and an interview with the director (4:34) in a video by Miss K-Drama on YouTube: –The deleted scene shows Doona & Won-Jun kissing in the park, the park from the first scene of episode 9. –The director designed the ending saying “who knows how life will unfold…they might or might not cross paths again.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rK3eXplkcY

https://cimiart.wordpress.com/kdrama-recaps/my-father-is-strange-recaps/ If your interested I recapped this drama! Love Lee Joon!

One of my favorites!

It really is😊

Thanks for confirming that KTL didn’t just make up adults wearing school uniforms 🤭

During enlistment, Kang Ha Neul & Ji Chang-Wook in a military musical “Shinheung Military Academy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJHhoSXr65w&list=PLMTFenTLOBOPnhzRPU7w7blw32-KC9t50&index=24

Loved S1. I liked S2 too but it felt sort of redundant and there really wasn’t enough story in it for 10 episodes.

In fantasy dramas, they build an interesting world but can’t really use it.
A Korean Odyssey : the end was a disaster. (the actress playing the FL wasn’t great neither)
Alchemy of Souls : The FL changed so many times without any logic behind it at the end. The ML had everything so easily, in the second season his fights were pretty boring.
Big : they had the beginning of the story but not the rest.
Warm and Cozy : It was boring.
I liked :
The Master’s Sun, Hotel del Luna, Couple or Trouble, You’re Beautiful and My Girl.

I enjoyed both seasons of AoS, but my favorite Hong sisters dramas are their older ones – The Greatest Love and My Girlfriend is a Gumiho being my favorites, with Master’s Sun an honorable mention. I haven’t seen Korean Odyssey yet, but I’m a fan of Lee Seung-Gi, so it’s on my list.

I watched Alchemy of Souls 1 & 2, which I didn’t love but… I watched, anyways. I think the plot was a mess but in the end I didn’t even care, I was only watching it for Lee Jae Wook. I think the story could have been much better, and have more sense.

Then, a few months later I watched Hwayugi (A Korean Odyssey). It was funny, messy too, but I enjoyed it more tan AoS. I loved the main male leads, but the zombi girl (Lee Se Young) almost stole the show.

And that’s all I have watched by the Hong sisters so far.

I liked season 1 of AoS. It was an easy binge-watch. The opposite for season 2. I almost could not finish it. Took me sheer will and effort to do so.

Their earlier dramas were much better. Recently they are hit or miss for me. I love You’re Beautiful, Greatest Love and Master’s Sun.