We live in a world that is not black and white. In a world where many things are not bad OR good but something in between or both at the same time depending on the point of view. We live in a world where some principles we hold conflict with other principles and sometimes we have to choose. It's not a simple world. It's not a drama world.

Which is why director Nam's storyline here was awesome. It's complicated, it's grey - it feels REAL.

And besides, it's not like he didn't get his director position also because of his hard work. He might have been chosen for the director position even if his father had not meddled with it. It's just that now we'll never know.

Yeah, I do understand that drama world is not the real world that we live in. Maybe that's why it strikes me: I used to see k-drama reality as either especially (even ridiculously) complex or ... simple. And surely sometimes that idealistic reality really appeals to me (as in: work hard and you'll succeed) and I even find something motivating from it. I think I was just used to that and now it's strange to get something motivating/moving from Director's decision, and at the same time feel that it maybe cannot be considered that "motivating", because it wasn't purely good (I don't know how to express it). I kept searching for a pair of scales to measure when such decision as director's

Of course I absolutely agree that this storyline feels realistic and is really good. :) I also adored the moments between director and Anthony ( they seemed so similar).

My keyboard was lost at this moment. So I will end the sentence before my last paragraph here:
"I kept searching for a pair of scales to measure when such decision as director’s will be considered good, and when - not." Sorry for inconvenience :)

Hello Laurita and Arawn,

I don't know if you will get to read this, however, in case you do, I will post my comment. Director Nam strikes me as another character who is not perfect. Let's remember that as human beings, none of us are perfect. Sometimes, we see some characters in Kdramas portrayed as perfect (or close to it) and we accept it and buy it, for the sake of the drama and... because many of us want to escape our realities and the real world, so watching "a character" who seem perfect is OK with us, in the context of the drama.

That being said, the characters that often are very interesting are those who have some areas where they need to grow, and Dir. Nam is one of those. I personally appreciate how the drama managed to keep hidden the relationship between Dir. Nam and his dad, and only revealed it at the appropriate moment. That was a great element of surprise that worked really well and of course was well acted.

As Dir. Nam explained, he didn't like what his father did, the way he conducted business. I get the sense that he was ashamed of him and Dir. Nam has said it himself, that he did not want to have anything to do with his father, so he acted like he didn't have one. When Dir. Nam got the position, I was very surprised, because I did not see that coming, and so was the staff at SBC (surprised). Dir. Nam at that point probably did not know how he came to have his position. Once he learned how, he probably realized that he owed something to his father (a new position that probably meant more prestige and more money), and that was painful to him and also probably a blow to his ego and pride. Daddy had had the upper hand in his professional life and in his success, this time around.

As Arawn mentioned, that did not mean that Dir. Nam was not qualified for the job. I believe that he was, as we have seen him step up to the plate, defend and protect K. Morning (when it almost lost its slot on SBC and every single time it was threatened by someone at SBC), as well as defend and protect the dramas that did not bring enough revenue and did not have a lot of commercial value. We have seen Dir. Nam lead meetings and put people in their place, gently at times, but firmly and that applies to some of his staff people that might be older than him.

What I think Dir. Nam had to learn, was that something may have started flawed (or bad) or not praiseworthy, However, something good could be made out of it, or come out of it. Dir. Nam (imho) had to learn that even if something was handed to you (and you didn't have to fight for it), it doesn't mean that you cannot use it for good and work hard to show/prove that you were worthy of it after all. Dir. Nam was too black or white, that was how he saw the world, however, the world, as Arawn pointed out, does not work that way, most of the time. The thing is that Dir. Nam would be better used (or more useful) within the industry (TV) than outside of it. After all, that was an industry in which he had worked for many years, to get to the position that he had. He did not get there overnight, and to throw all of that hard work away, because of the principle would not be very smart or even wise, imo. And Anthony tells him that, something along the lines of: "if you (and people like you) leave this industry, then there will only be people like me in it. How are things suppose to change then? People like you should be in it (and a part of it) to keep people like me in line." (I added my own interpretation, of course). The principle was not bad to have, imho, however, even with such principles, Dir. Nam needed to be flexible and recognize and focus more on what he could do with his new position.

If you think about it, by leaving, Dir. Nam does no one a service, not the industry (the people in it), not to himself either. I am assuming that he did love his job and that industry, that was why he stayed for so long (up till then) in it. Anthony helps him see things differently, he helps him consider another perspective on the situation. That was why I personally appreciated that Anthony never told him what to do (exactly), he just questioned his actions and he made Dir. Nam ponder the consequences of those actions as well. I was (and I still am) quite OK with how Dir. Nam (as a character) has been written so far, because he makes sense to me and I personally like and appreciate that he is flawed as well, and he has areas where he needs to grow and change. Yes Dir. Nam can be emotional, and idealistic, just like GE. It can be a good thing, if it is balanced and grounded in reality.

The same happens with Anthony, GE (she had to put her pride aside and listen to SMA's recommendations and critique about the writing and about using SMA more in the drama), KHM, the Chairman (Dir. Nam's dad), even SMA has to grow and change, learning that you have to let go of someone if they are not into you any more. Joo PD needs to learn to be more brave about his feelings to his object of affection. I personally think that it is one of the themes of this drama that people (the characters in it) have to grow and change in the process, learning what is important to hang on to, and what should be let go of. As they do that, we see them become who they should be, a better version of who they are.

This was long, however I hope that I was able to make my point :-).

Thanks for such an extensive answer :) ( I don't know why, but I kept returning to this theme of discussions to think about that situation again, and I was really surprised that someone did answer letting me think about it once more).
I liked how you said about Director's realization, that "if something was handed to you (and you didn’t have to fight for it), it doesn’t mean that you cannot use it for good and work hard to show/prove that you were worthy of it after all" and I have to agree with these words. I feel like I understand Director's decision better, but I've discovered that I actually didn't blame him for what he did. Instead, I felt bad for him, since he, being so sincere a person, now (in my eyes) will always have some kind of guilty feeling inside for not standing for his principles. Maybe Anthony's suggested different perspective to the situation is really very right and good ( I don't doubt its rightness anymore), but if I were in Director's position, still, it would be impossible for me to completely forget that what I did is (even though very slightly) not actually considered purely right thing to do. :)

Hello Laurita,

I am sooo glad that you thought of visiting this page again and that you saw my response. I also thank you for appreciating my (long) response. I tend to write with details, so that by the time I am done writing, people would know what I thought :-)

After having read your response, I have come to the conclusion that your opinion differs from mine and Arawn, and it always will. We would then have to agree to the fact that we feel OK about different things, and that you had hoped for a different process (and outcome), whereas I think Arawn and I are OK (if I may speak for Arawn here) with the process AND the outcome.

As I was reading your comment, KSH (the lead actor in The Moon That Embraces the Sun) came to my mind. He was up against Shin Ha-Kyun (the lead actor in Brain) for the 2012 (48th) PaekSang Arts Awards, which apparently is an important and valuable award in SK. KSH ended up getting the award, which many didn't think he deserved, especially when compared to veteran actors like SHK. Even Javabeans here (I think it was Javabeans) mentioned her surprised (and disbelief maybe?) at KSH getting the award. I read on another blog that (apparently) KSH himself must have been aware that compared to SHK, he didn't deserve the award. He didn't give it back, however, and mentioned in his acceptance speech that he would work hard to show/prove himself worthy of such an award. I don't know the whole content of his speech, b/c I didn't watch that award show.

So, I am saying all of this to reiterate my point that even in real life, there are instances when people are blessed/lucky and they don't deserve it, and they know it and acknowledge it. I think that Arawn and I tend to think that in Dir. Nam's case, you (Dir. Nam) are humbled by it, take it and make the most out of it. You saw what would have happened if Dir. Nam had not returned back to work. The Deputy Dir. was already taking charge and business was back as usual, with ratings, ratings and only ratings being THE most important thing. If things had stayed that way, a lot would have been lost: the viewing audience would have lost out on some really good programming (b/c they didn't have a commercial value and were not bringing in money), the ethics would have been bad at SBC (in the drama's department) and many of the workers would have been unhappy, working under Deputy Dir. Kim. Also, many actors, actresses and extras and staff and crew people would have lost their jobs (and some might have been the breadwinners in their families) who worked on those dramas that were not making money. So you see, there are a lot of responsibilities and repercussions with Dir. Nam's position.

So in the end, I see what you are saying and I just have a different perspective. I guess we should (maybe) leave it at that. It did make for an interesting conversation however, and I always enjoy those. I hope you did too :-)

I really liked to talk about it, so thank you for your comments :) Yes, it seems, our opinions are quite different, but I believe that's the interesting point in any discussion, haha, so I too think, we can just leave it as it is now :)

What I felt necessary to add from my part (you don't have to answer it :))that I actually can compromise on Director's decision (but only in this situation that this drama provides, because of importance for many other things/people/responsibilities that held Director's decision). And I can say that I am willing to accept such writer's (so, and Director Nam's) decision. So that makes us in the same side after all :) (but only in such case that this drama provides).

As for the actors' example, some time ago, I would have said that I completely against such acceptance of this award, but after these comments, I feel, I understand why he accepted it and I don't blame him at all.
It's just that I have this idealistic side of mine which always wants everything to be right, so in this situation I would like to imagine that he also felt a little bit uncomfortable getting his award. I mean, I believe people still feel bad when they do something like that, though there might be no other (better) way out.

Thank you again for your different perspective. I really like thinking about other opinions since mine is still not firm about many things. :)

Hello Laurita,

You will have to forgive me b/c I felt compelled to answer your post, since a few things jumped at me after reading it. So here it is :-).

I have already said that I totally understand and support Dir. Nam's behavior and how he came to take his position back. What I would like to add to that, is that principles are good to have (we should have them), however, if we only operate by them, then we can become paralyzed, meaning we might not act or participate in producing change, b/c our options are very limited (or non existent).

The truth is that none of us operates or lives in a vacuum, we live in the real world and so what we do (or don't do) has consequences (for us and for others). Principles are good to have, however if one is too bound by them, what good are they? We saw clearly how Dir. Nam was frustrated that he couldn't change the industry at the beginning of the drama. Once he got the promotion, he could bring change, and b/c of his title and the power that came with it, people would have to listen to him and they did. Yes, he didn't get it the way he wanted, but it was also a great opportunity that he might not have had, later on. That is why it was really good that he reassessed the situation and was willing to change his mind.

I am all for having principles and there are definitely times when one should not break them (I would never advocate for a spouse or a partner to cheat on his/her spouse or partner, for example. There is no valid reason for that in my book. Cheating, stealing, etc... there are instances when it is better, imho, to be unpopular and yet have principles. I agree with you there). And then there are instances like Dir. Nam's situation, and I was glad to see that for this particular instance you actually agree with Arawn and I. I would respect your decision anyway, which ever it ended up being.

RE: KSH, I totally understand him taking the award. It is a prestigious award and he (or I) do not know when he might get another one. It was an honor for him to get it. I did appreciate however that he was humble enough to recognize that he wasn't at the level of the other (older) actor and that he said that he would work hard to be worthy of such an award. I would have done the same. One could also say that him getting that award was a nod from the industry to his hard work and his talent (b/c he has some) shown in TMTETS and also the belief that the industry had in him to continue to nurture his gift, work at his craft and prove them right. Many (very talented) actors do not get such an award in SK, and I think that KSH is intelligent enough to be aware of this and act accordingly in the future in his career.

KSH didn't choose to have the award, it was given to him. He might have felt a little uncomfortable, but I would imagine that he must have felt really blessed to receive it. It's not like he is a bad actor either. There are better ones than him (even his age or a couple of years older), but that is besides the point. I would imagine that he was also happy b/c he was recognized by the industry and in front of his peers (fellow actors). That has to be VERY encouraging and a little bit of a burden, to continue to do well. Anyone who works hard at something appreciates being recognized for one's effort and hard work.

You said this: "It’s just that I have this idealistic side of mine which always wants everything to be right." The danger with that, in my humble opinion is that in life, very few things are always right, to the very end. I am not sure how old you are (and you don't have to tell me), however, if you live long enough, you will find that to be true. And I am not trying to be condescending with that comment, I am just saying what I think and what I have experienced so far. You can be that idealistic, however, I am a little concerned that you might get disappointed (and/or hurt) quite a bit as life goes on (however, we all experience that as well). Again, just my opinion, so you don't have to agree with me. Again, like Arawn said, the world we live in operates differently, and as much as we go to Kdramas (some of us) to escape reality and hope for perfection there, they (the Kdramas) also sometimes choose to portray really life, and in that respect they give us flawed characters, like Dir. Nam and many of the characters in KoDs.

It has also been a pleasure for me to converse with you, and thank you for allowing Arawn and myself to make you look at things differently. That is one of the reasons why I come here, and interact with people (here and in my circle of people I know), to be exposed to other opinions as well. And believe or not, like you, my opinion about many things is not firm either. So, you are not alone... (And I already have gray hair :-) )

Wow! You've been having a feast here without me! :D Very good points from both of you, I have nothing to add anymore. Well, except for one thing about principles that Ivoire brought up in her last comment. As Ivoire says, it's good to have principles but if we stick to them like mules and never re-evaluate or rethink them, we might actually end up causing more damage than doing good. Director Nam's case is excellent example of this as him leaving would have left dep. director Kim in charge and as Ivoire pointer out, everything would have reverted back into "only RATINGS matter!!" Not to mention that Kim clearly wasn't as capable and good director as Nam was from the purely operational point of view.

I'll be honest here and say that idealism, if not paired with a healthy dose of realism, can be even dangerous in worst case scenarios. A little bit of idealism is needed, but sometimes we have to accept that things are grey or even black and operate accordingly to make things better. This is the lesson director Nam needed to learn, as Ivoire said.

And finally I would like to thank both of you, too! You really had interesting points and it's great to have a meaningful and respectful discussion about such big matters. Even though I was kinda absent for the most part of it. :D

Arawn, I will be back later to answer. I have to go to work now :-(...

thank you for that info..gonna google n watch it

Hi Liza,

I smiled when I saw your comment about Faith, and I just wanted to say that learning about quantum physics gave some of us a headache, and some of us are actually getting a Master's in Physics (I know a Kdrama lover and watcher who is getting her Master's in Physics AND she got a headache just trying to follow those explanations, LOL). Yeah that was fun, as it is to also see when some people are so enamored with their actor/actress, they don't seem to be able to see their (acting) flaws. To each, its own, I guess and maybe something about beauty (or in this case talent) being in the eye of the beholder.

I hope you are enjoying the Holidays :-)!

I made a little video with a version ripped from the drama, apparently the song will be released with the full album, in april.
So I thought that a little piece is better than nothing, here it is:
http://youtu.be/3WMJdQ5GNo0

This song is so sweet and... I don't know, I just love it ♥ (but I still love Anthony more)

@ Chickletta,
Also, I think I don't mind melos, depending on how they are used in a story/dramas and how they unfold. I don't care for melos for the sake of being melodramatic.

I also wanted to say: am I the only one who has noticed that KMM/Anthony gets his eyebrows done (he has them shaped in an interesting way)? If you look closely, you will see it. Do you guys know why? Has KMM done that for other roles? (It is my first time seeing him on the screen, with KoDs).

@ Chickletta,

Hello again :-)!!!! Thank you for rewatching episode 16 and for withholding your judgment. I reread my comment and realized that I wasn't clear about what I was trying to say: I actually watched epi. 16, but I watched it raw (without subs), and so although I was able to follow and get the gist of what was going on, I didn't understand a lot of what happened, dialogue wise, and that always makes a huge difference b/c Kdramas can pack a lot in one episode.

There is a little thing that Anthony didn't do at the end of ep. 16, and that makes me wonder if the concept of being a Noble Idiot is not going to be introduced in the last two episodes. I am thinking that b/c it is such a huge Kdrama trope and it would make sense to me if we see some of it in this drama.

However, I would also expect the drama to quickly deal with it, 1--b/c we only have 2 ep. left and 2--b/c this drama has not let conflict fester for too long, sometimes solving it in the same ep. (ex. the question of whether Anthony was dating SMA or not. He told her "no" right away. There was no misunderstanding there, once she brought it up to his attention, although she couldn't tell him that she had heard it from SMA, which I think he should have been told. I would have liked to see how he would have reacted to that. I think that was part of why GE had a hard time letting herself like Anthony, b/c SMA herself made her believe that Anthony and her were trying to get back together, and well... they did date at one point, and SMA is an attractive woman. Even I would have believed her, if she had told me that).

So now, I need to rewatch ep. 16, this time subbed, so I can really know what happened in that ep. before I can form an opinion, keeping in mind that I still don't know (I am not sure) what the writer-nim(s) of this dramas have in store for us. We know they are not dumb, they have managed to entertain us and make us think for 15 ep. so far, so I think we should see what they will do with the remaining two episodes. There is a possibility that they could mess up the ending (Queen In Hyun's Man comes to mind, where in the opinion of many, the writer dropped the ball at the end), however, I would still want to see it so I can then feel entitled to rant and see to what extent I need or want to rant.

At this point, to be honest, I don't know if the whole next 2 ep. will be bad (not to my liking), or just the last 15mns of the very last episode (that has happened for other dramas). That makes a difference too, in how disappointed I might be. However, as I have said many times now, I won't know (I can't know) until I see it. I don't wanna put the cart before the horse. I am keeping an open (and wait and see) mind about the last two episodes.

This is long again, but what can I say: I love to write and I LOVE details, when I write and when I read from others... I hope you don't mind reading:-)

P.S.: I also sent you an email, FYI :-)

Re: melo Kdramas, I don't particularly like them, so like you, I don't flock to them. I would however watch them if they are on TV and that is the only thing I have available (we get KBS World in Northern CA, so we get all of KBS programming, 3 weeks later, b/c they have to sub it 1st). In that respect, I have watched some melos, b/c they happen to be on KBS, and the HD image looked really good and it was there, so why not... I personally like dramas that make me think, that keep me on the edge of my seat, and that allow me to learn a lot (about the food, the history of SK, the culture etc...). So, I like dramas like "President" with Choi Su-Jong and Ha Hee-Ra (really good drama, by the way. It didn't do so well in SK, but it was REALLY well acted and the cliffhangers were good in it, till the very end. I also liked their OST. That drama had a good budget, and it showed), the "chaser" with Son Hyeon-Ju and Kim Sang-Jung. I loved the King 2 Hearts b/c I thought LSG was really good in it and I thought he did well when he played opposite the veteran actors (which is my litmus test for an actor/actress), I also like the storyline and what I learned about international politics with that drama, even though a lot of it was simplified, but there were nuggets like the fact that Korea would not be bad to Turkey (I think?) b/c they helped them during the war, so they have a soft spot for Turkey and its citizens. I had read that on a blog (a really good one maintained by a lawyer, Korean American who answers all kinds of questions people have about the 2 Koreas, to the best of his abilities) and I was tickled when LSG's character made that comment in the drama (when they were choosing a team to go against for the games) and he picked Turkey and he said, "we can't go against Turkey" (I don't remember if he said why, but I was happy that I knew why). I want to watch Gaksital (I have seen some of it, I found it very violent but well acted and I LOVE the OST). I don't know if you could tell by my questions, but I have an inquisitive mind, and so I tend to like dramas that would feed that side of me.

I like to be exposed to many genres of dramas, I always find something to learn (language, culture, social or school system in Korea, etc.... ). I personally liked dramas like Mary Stayed Out All Night, A Gentleman's Dignity, Dream High (the 1st one, I didn't watch the 2nd one), I Do I Do (some things irritated me and I would have written it differently, focusing more on the relationship between the leads, but I liked it), and I like sageuks, to an extent. I didn't love AGD, but I learned some things when I watched it and so I didn't regret watching it too much. I asked a lot of questions here, about the educational school system in SK (b/c I was confused), and people answered, and so I was happy that I learned some new things and also the importance of social status in Korea, especially if one wants to marry. There is such a thing as "marrying up or marrying down" and that matters (a lot, apparently. At least in dramas).

So all of that to say that, I have not yet met a drama that I didn't take something away from, I have always learned a few things (or a lot) and for that I am very grateful to those who write dramas and those who star in them, and those behind the scenes who work so diligently and so hard to produce them and make them and we (the audience) get to sit back and enjoy them. Part of why I like to immerse myself in a drama is b/c I want to honor that effort and understand all the nuances and work that has gone into making a drama. It is my way of showing my appreciation, even though the people on the other end will never know (maybe) that they are people like me on this end, who love to dissect them and analyze them and learn in the process.
But then again, maybe they do know :-). They know that the Korean Wave is growing and dramas have a lot to do with that.

Again, happy reading :-)!!!!

Chickletta, this message was first, and the other one (posted above) was 2nd. Sorry for the confusion :-).

I have seen episode 16 subbed and I will resist the urge to spoil it for the ones who are not up to episode 16. but what I will say is that one of the reason that I loved KOD was because it was not like the usual Kdrama full of contrived drama, death, loss, pain, sorrow etc.
I waxed poetry about the greatness of the drama and now, I am on the verge of taking it all back, I am pissed, deeply, profusely teed off, I feel almost as bad as if MY friend had betrayed me.
I am doubly teed off that I have taken this drama to the level that the plot has affected me this way. If the writers do not correct the story line's ridiculous projectory with the 17th to the end, I will put KOD firmly back to the pile of same ole run of the mill Kdrama and that would be a shame.
maybe, the writers did this stupidity because they had to extend the story line? either way, it was rather silly and self-defeating to mess with the drama this late in the game. seriously, the 16th episode, had they done this at the 4,6,even 10th I would have stopped watching.

Hello Liza, Autleaf and Chickeletta (again :-) )! I 2nd Autleaf stance, I am on the wait and see camp, because I am curious as to why the writers did what they did. Let's try not be rash (in our decision making) about this, please?

Hello again - I just watched 16 again and am thinking that, as you suggest, Ivoire, we should trust the writer. In the meta drama the script is being changed, so maybe they want to do the same with KOD to show how it can be done. Not sure I feel about it. I was hoping for a lot of laughs and romance in the Xmas episode, and I didn't get that. As for the melo - I don't mind melo moments when they appropriate but I don't watch melodramas like I Miss You, or anythign that has terminal illness, memory loss (except for Nice Guy that bored the living daylights out for me in the second part), or buckets and bucket of tears. Just not my cup of tea. I prefer light, clever, quirky 'dramas' that are more like sitcoms - with great acting and great dialogs. I will check out the OST. Love the music in this show.

Hi Chickeletta,
I am sorry :-( I posted in the wrong place (again :-) ) my last response is here 41.1.1.1.2 Ivoire December 26th, 2012 at 1:34 pm, a little higher. I also wanted to add the links to the OST (so far) on YT. So here:

1--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1ucQ1leKpQ
(8eight (Lee Hyun) - Keep In Your Heart (King of Dramas OST)

2--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrRs1YugmT0
Yesung (Super Junior) - Blind In Love - The King of Dramas OST

3--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1OS4dc2cos
Melody Day (멜로디데이) - 다 너로 보인다 (Miracle) [King of Dramas OST]

4--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoTBAow7yqc
korea's Drama[ King of Drama] OST Because Heaven (Winter Rain) MBLAQ

The 1st line is the YT link, and the 2nd and 3rd lines are the title of the songs and the name of the singer or group. Enjoy!!!! :-)