the script is really awkward, nobody talks like that in real life, so cheesy and fake, only girls can like this shit.

What's up with some of these dramabeans users acting all high and mighty and looking down on DOTS viewers, i can understand legitimate criticisms on the plot, story, acting etc, but all the comments i see are oh DOTS is popular because of the pretty leads only, i'm like so if that's the case why did Jo In Sung and SHK's 'That Winter Drama' didn't blow up like DOTS? they were pretty leads too, why did SJK's drama 'Innocent Man' didn't cross 20% in ratings?, they were pretty leads too, why was Heirs struggling competing with Ji Sung's drama?, if being pretty was enough to guarantee blockbuster ratings then every broadcast company would hire only pretty leads, it's not hard to believe that DOTS viewers are legitimately enjoying the story and dialogue between the leads, they are watching drama for what they are, if they want to watch realistic things they would watch a documentary, luckily korean viewers are not acting like the international ones, they are totally enjoying everything this drama has to offer, most korean viewers themselves thought this drama would not do well when the first teasers came out, they said things like SJK doesn't look like an army and stuff like that, so they didn't just blindly follow this drama because of the pretty, their views changed once they saw SJK in action, so what changed? according to the viewers his acting and his delivery of the lines changed everything, he made everything believable, he made cringey words totally romantic, not only that but most comments were mentioning that along with romance the lack of love triangle is also the main attractions of the drama, so yeah DOTS viewers are not watching just for the pretty, majority of them are totally enjoying the plot, acting and the romance.

Haha yeah that's totally it! As a long time k-drama watcher, DoTs is not the best written drama by a long shot, and I fast forward some scenes that are just terribly cringey.
But hey, I love Joong Ki and I still can't believe how handsome he looks in uniform, and I don't mind all the prettiness in the show as well.DoTs is like my guilty pleasure drama hahaha

But believe me, Signal is really good in a sophisticated way :)

That's exactly it. I like both Signal and DOTS, but for totally different reasons.

Signal is an intelligent, well-written, well-acted drama. It's an intellectual watch, one that makes me think and want to discuss particularly complex points with other people. With DOTS, I've experienced enough of KES's dramas to know not to expect the same, particularly not of the plot or script - I watch it for the actors and the aesthetics.

It's the same way that it's possible for someone to enjoy an Oscar-nominated movie but then also enjoy going to the movies with friends on the weekend to watch a Marvel blockbuster. Different media fulfill different needs.

The music is way too cheesy & recyclable, I can't convince myself that they're in a country called "Urk", the english conversations are killing me, the villian has questionable acting skills.......... but the "fluff and pretty" is on point, and damn does it suck you in.

Signal is on another planet, absolute perfection.

Haha! My current faves right now are Signal, DotS and SFD and though all three are different, I like them because in one way or another, they keep me entertained and engaged. I don't need all my dramas to be too intense or too fluffy. So I'm happy with the variation.

Signal is a masterpiece overall, everything is on point. While DotS, which ca be a bit cringey sometimes, sucks me in for the awesome cinematography, the pretty (yes, I can be shallow too) and in some way, I like that the story is different given this writer's history (didn't like A Gentleman's Dignity and didn't even touch Heirs). The lead characters talk to each other about their attraction and their concerns regarding it. And there are no unnecessary love triangles. I also like how the show highlights the characters' chosen professions and how they excel and take pride in it. As a doctor myself, I can somehow relate to the scenarios shown thus far - favoritism/nepotism in the hospital, coming to terms with failed management etc. So I am still very much excited to see what's to come.

Yup.
I can count on one hand the people that love DoTS for the story. Everyone and i mean EVERYONE I know that raves about how swoony SJK and JinGoo are. Thats all.

It's quite hilarious

I asked the same question when I read comments at OT and Dots recap.

I love Signal but I cannot watch Dots.

With Dots, I had my reservations but when you see the ratings and raves, you question if you are missing something or just need to reach a certain point to get hooked. So I tried but it didn't happen. The characters and story make no sense to me. I found that I could even skip the subtitles because I couldn't be bothered with the dialogues. All I did was stare at SJK and SHK's beautiful faces. With the Ost coming on so frequently, it's like watching a music video. After the cliffhanger and earthquake last week, I think I gave up.

For me, it's 'story>acting>pretty' Ideally, I want them all. I do enjoy looking at pretty but I can never watch a drama just for it. What's even worse is that the story and writing focus so much on this aspect. Example a scene is specifically written "Here comes Song Joong Ki looking handsome, sexy and cool walking past SHK" Cue fangirl screams. I can take maybe one such scene every few episodes but not several in one.

DOTS is what I call popcorn tv. its just alot of fun with the pretty locales, p decent fight choreo and very swoony romantic moments. (and ofc all the gorgeous people of both genders!)
it's not gripping prestige drama no.
Signal and DOTS are like two completely different genres. Signal is rly intense and dark. and i can only watch it when im in the mood for that kind of thing in general. but yeah if u want an intense well written nail biting thriller (which explores some serious subject matter) then yeah Signal. tbh i think they balance out each other well. Like watching a horror movie and then switching to a fluffy rom com afterwards. u know?

I thought I was the only one who couldn't enjoy DoTS. I like first episode, but later on I don't know how KMY is always (and what I mean by always is ALWAYS) gravitated towards YSJ. I mean, where is our badass Mo Yeon? Then I remember the writer is Kim Eun Sook. So now I just watch for the sake of Jin Goo (yes, not even SJK. The English conversation is reaalllly making me cringe)

try city hall seeing that no one mentions it i guess it is not well known,but its my all time favourite drama by the same writer and the female character is the spunkiest of them all. It is a little serious (about politics ) may be that's why it lacks hype among audiences.On the contrary is is actually quiet funny.

I don't know how Kim Eun Sook does it tbh. She deserves a lot of credit for her ability to create waves in drama culture, whether or not her stories are good.

And I also think viewers don't just fall for a popular face or a star writer anymore. A good example is Hyde, Jekyll, Me. Writing and story does matter, and DotS is definitely not subpar. There are a lot of good aspects to it. It just seems to not suit a lot of people.

It's probably one of those shows that people will go back to after fan-girling over Song Joong Ki in DotS.

Not really. Just objective criticism. You know, the one that writers could benefit from. Many people here, including me, praise City Hall. Can't do the same for DOTS, but kudos to people who find reasons to enjoy it.

A lot of people don't like her dramas for many different reasons. I personally think that people's criticisms can be too incessant, but that's never going to change. So, you just enjoy the drama as you see it, don't mind the nitpicking.

lol I think it's too much, like DotS isn't THAT bad. It's quite fun and entertaining. I'm in it for the characters and their relationships. Glad for the production cast too that it's successful. Cause I'm sure a lot of hard work went into making DotS.