Balticprincess

I do have some opinions on how it portrayed fans and fangirling. I think they did a fairly good job of educating on the different aspects of that subculture without judging the people who participate all that much. And they showed the darker sides of things, the strong parasocial bonds as well. I honestly think the girls who assaulted Deokmi for supposedly dating Sian should have not been made sympathetic or given a redemption. I get they wanted to be wholesome and okay fine they redeemed Hyojin, but throwing stones and eggs at deokmi was really kind of unforgivable to me. It's important to acknowledge that it can go too far and also should get consequences from it!

But back to the main couple: I LOVED their relationship. I don't always enjoy fake dating, but I thought they did it fairly well in the show. The added confusion from Ryan believing Deokmi was a lesbian made it more fun (and honestly didn't expect the show to be an Ally) and when it became clear they were liking each other for real, the characters didn't act all too immature about it.

The actors had amazing chemistry, especially after they officially got together. That first kiss in the furniture store was easily the best first kiss I've ever seen in a kdrama, there was no open eyes or fish behavior, just two adults making out! They're in their 30s and are massively into each other, of course that's how they would kiss and they did! I was so happy to see it. The fact that they didn't let themselves get interrupted and instead he pulled her away to continue making out had me baffled and very pleased. In this they truly subverted the 'getting interrupted' trope, as well as in some other subtle ways throughout, which I enjoyed.

But then once they started dating, they were so casually physically affectionate they really felt like a real couple. There was no stiffness or awkwardness, they constantly hugged, held hands, gravitated towards each other. I fully believed they were a new couple in their honeymoon phase. Incredible stuff.

I also thought they had a very healthy dynamic. Once again, they're in their 30s, and the way they handled things was always very mature, taking care of each other, communicating well, slowly trusting and opening up to each other, and not taking out any negative emotions due to other things on the other. It was such a pleasant surprise. Ryan always smiles at Deokmi no matter what, and even when he's going through such intense shit let's her comfort him and be vulnerable in front of her. And vice versa!

I was also glad that the trauma in this show was confined to the childhood trauma of abandonment, and loss of a family member and not kidnapping or murder 😭 Though I think it's a little unnecessary for them to have that childhood connection. Having her mom be the abandoner from his memories and not her was a twist I didn't see coming though. Or that he was Sian brother lmao. And I'm glad we had scenes that emphasized the office part of the office romance.