MBC Mon-Tues Drama The Great Seducer is the Great Dud with Super Low Ratings

There’s serious contention for the 2017 KBS drama Manhole (Wonderland’s Feels) for worst rated and audience received prime time K-drama in recent memory. The currently airing MBC drama The Great Seducer with Woo Do Hwan and Joy is a massive ratings disappointment and garnering horrible reviewers from viewers. Other than Joy and/or Woo Do Hwan fans I can’t imagine any sensible watcher saying this drama is any good.

She’s sooooo awful and he’s not much better, making me wonder who at SM Entertainment is determined to make Joy into a drama actress and when that person will realize it’s never going to happen. Poor second leads Moon Ga Young and Kim Min Jae are the only worthwhile thing in this epic fail and hopefully this will be a blip in their acting resume. This Tuesday’s ratings were 1.9% and 2.1% respectively, with only halfway through airing there’s another month worth of torture to come.


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MBC Mon-Tues Drama The Great Seducer is the Great Dud with Super Low Ratings — 101 Comments

  1. The beanies at DB been raving so much about Woo Do Hwan after his breakthrough performance in “Save Me” and “Mad Dog” last year but I sincerely feel that he is a bit overrated. I don’t find him impressive and here, his shortcoming really obvious and let’s not even mention how he came accross as trying too hard as the great seducer but failing to seduce viewers. This drama is terrible on every level with poor writing and cringy acting. The ratings really is justified this time around. K-dramaland been pretty lackluster these days. I only find “My Ajusshi” worth watching for now.

    • lol dramabeans folks these days fangirl on anything thats pretty though.Especially pretty male actors/model actors/idol actors get a pass there even when their acting or drama is subpar.But not so much with the actresses.They are the ones who get objective comments.good or bad.In other words its “oppa worshipping” drama forum. I wouldnt trust their judgement very much?.Sometimes I question the demographic of that site these days.

      • @Faye, Park Bo Young and Kim Seul Gi were their bae for a long time (and still kinda is?). Now the DB new it -girl is Park Eun Bin. And most mediocre actors get a pass there while women actors have to smash boys in the head with karate moves, utter legal jargon in a pant suit, be a bad ass and still ’underrated’ in Korea (like they gotta be way less popular than TaeHyeJi) to be appreciated. Can’t believe an actress like Ha Ji Won gets disrespect on that site lol

        @RubyRed, There was a time when DB used to have more constructive criticism and less fanwars and childishcomments. Now it seems that it’s infested with pre-teen oppa fangirls

      • Dramabeans also fangirled hard on Joy’s previous drama for some reason – idk why, it was terrible with cringe acting and boring music, and didn’t even have the one solid performance+compelling factor that kept drawing people to the also bad Moon Lovers.

        Like I heard the mods of the site talking about how Joy was perfect in the role and all I could think was….’her?’ lol. I would understand if she was at Jung Eunji level and earning that praise for acting but she’s terrible, looks like agency power will do anything.

        Moon Ga Young and Kim Min Jae are the best thing about this show, in fact Woo Do Hwan is only watchable in scenes with one or both of them.

      • @prettyautumn – my comment keeps not appearing but db is not immune to crappy female idol acting either, they hyped Joy herself in her last drama and she was BAD.

        I don’t have an issue with the women they praise, they had eyes on Kim Ji Won ever since Heirs (comments about her is how I came to know of her) so there is at least some appreciation of acting ability there.

      • I enjoy reading beanies’ comments at DB. They are more intelligent, analytical, and open to everyone’s preferences.

      • At least WDH has delivered two decent performances before this though. Joy has not even that, it’s painful to look at her and then look at Moon Ga Young and think what could have been if they had someone of MGY’s level in the lead role instead.

      • @Royal We true, but what can you do when SM keeps pushing Joy in SM produced dramas? This is how the entertainment scene works.. WDH was okay in Save Me, he’s been not-as-great as he is hyped to be imo

      • The irony is that Moon Ga Young is also under some division of SM but they keep pushing their shitty idol ‘visuals’ as leads instead of their actual young actors, even when the idols can’t act and their dramas flop (and the China/Japan/Hallyu market is no longer what it once was to be relied on for $$$).

        Dramabeans also hyped Joy and her last drama like crazy, it was a godawful adaptation of The Liar and His Lover with so-so music and they said she was perfect in the role but all I could notice was her awkwardness and forced-looking smile.

      • Most of Korea raved about BOF at the time, you might not know this but it was a major hit drama both in and out of Korea so if db was all over it, they weren’t alone lol.

      • DB just reports the facts as they see it. Not sure if you realized that BOF is one of the most popular dramas of all time in Korea. They weren’t fangirling; they had plenty of critiques about it. Koala is always super harsh, and sometimes puts too much bias on one side or the other, instead of seeing both.

    • The problem with DB isnt exactly the writers to me but the commentators.I used to be there since their early days but something changed.Notice these days..their traffic is decreasing.They dont update regularly like they used to.They dont even give ratings summary anymore.They dont even recap like they used to.

      I mean here isnt any better.There are trolls and immature comments that pop up from time to time and some may not like the bluntness style from both Koala and the commentators but I prefer that than being unable to express yourself because fans will swallow you alive.I still go there for the news though.Their news is usually more detailed and accurate.

      • Actually @RubyRed, you’re mistaken. My website tool shows DB shows traffic is increasing. They’re at 5.8M compared to KP’s 1.7M per month.

      • Yeah I had been checking dranabeans daily for years but almost totally lost interest now. I feel they used to be much more snarky and mature than now. And I think they are trying to do too much now – with the shop and whatnot. It’s a shame 🙁 they seem to be doing well though I’d be surprised if traffic is decreasing. I’d imagine it’s the opposite.

      • I forget about DB being around but I do prefer Koala’s site more mainly because it suits my style of commentary and I like how she updates about Japanese and Chinese drama news as well and I don’t have any other English sites to visit. Oh sorry; yes I do pop in and visit Han Cinema; Soompi and Asian wiki. However I must admit I did visit DB last year just for the Save Me recaps but there isn’t much to go on now as they are not recapping shows that Im watching so hardly visit their page. I do find that the serial commentators on DB do get quite bitter and twisted and will go on for days if you step on their toes and dare offer an opinion that is is contrary to theirs. I’ve never posted on DB because Reading comments was like watching pre schoolers in a sand pit fighting over the one bucket and spade. On Koala’s site everyone is pretty well behaved and respectful and we agree to disagree but we quickly get over it until the next post is loaded. Anyway I just saw the still of Joy and Woo Do Hwan with their lips locked and Joy’s eyes are open and her expression is like wtf? Seriously please tell me that was the BTS pic chosen?

      • People are more well-behaved here than on db? What kind of alternate universe is this?

        The only regularly badly-behaved people I see on db are the idol fans who whine against the other commenters when their idol’s acting is criticised (the idols who are known for crappy acting that is) and fans of a certain actor who’s now in the military who like to spew nonsense about how their oppa is the world’s most popular. The regulars who tend to comment on more than one drama tend to be ok except when the crappy-acting idol fans invade and they get bitchy reminding them their oppas/unnies are bad lol.

      • I’ve noted db these days is often really slow with recaps and updates, it’s ok to put the recap up within the same week but for this drama which is listed as ‘currently recapping’, there’s no recap after episode 1 (1-2 in new count) and the drama is almost 3/4 over. It’s ok to recap less shows, but it does feel like they stretched their resources thin to expand the shop etc.

    • yes nowadays the only ones im watching include ‘my ahjussi’, ‘queen of mystery 2’ and ‘laughter in waikiki’ –> all very good dramas worth watching!

  2. I’m not Korean, so maybe I’m missing something, but how is Joy’s acting supposed to be so bad? I personally do not mind her (though I am a bit disappointed in Woo Do-hwan, because I’ve seen him do decently in Save Me), so can anyone help me understand why she’s drawing flak?

    • Woo Do Hwan is getting less flak than Joy because people already saw his potential in acting in previous dramas.His case is a misfire in choosing a role he cant portray convincingly.Maybe with more acting experience and age he can do it in a way that comes off less cringe and tryhard.

      On the other hand, Joy is getting flak for several reasons.One, she is an SM idol who is trying her hand at acting.The stereotype is that 99% idols from that company cant act.So there is bias from the start.Second, her acting comes off as stiff and awkward and she is a main role.This is her second drama.You would expect progress but there is little inprovement.Third, people dont like it when idols go straight to main roles when they have no experience because its not their main profession and they feel like they are snatching roles away from people who studied acting.Four, they probably cast her thinking wven if the drama writing turns out badly, her fanbase and mediabuzz will help in sustaining the ratings.But as you can see..the ratings are decreasing and I doubt they would earn alot by exporting because Joy is no big hallyu idol like Yoona for example or has a big enough fanbase like Suzy.

      • Yoona is super popular but her popularity does not translate into the ratings. All her dramas are flops except maybe K2 but majorly that K2 was watchable because of Song Yoon Ah. Suzy fares a bit better than Yoona in bringing in the ratings.

        On a different note, I find Woo Do Hwan jumped into the leading role too fast. Maybe they thought that he could be another Park Bo Gum or Park Hyung Sik. But in no way is his acting anywhere near the level of the two “Park” when thrown in as the main lead of the drama.

  3. It’s not only those two… In terms of acting this drama might be even beat the liar and his lover and white christmast in terms of bad ensemble cast Ive seen in a drama. Initial episode is promising. And i just can’ stop watching because the PD is just seems to know how to draw me in when the scene looks so captivating.

  4. Woo Do-hwan reminds me of a young version of Lee Jong-Hyuk. That being said this drama does not do Woo Do-hwan justice. He could be a leading man, but right now he is much better acting in something less…fluffy. If he’s going to play a romantic lead he would be much better off in a Noona drama with maybe someone like Jung Ryeo-won or go big with Kim Hee-sun. I agree about Joy. Everything she does seems to come off as ‘acting’. But then again she’s new to dramas and may improve over time.

    • In my opinion, Joy is not terribly bad but has below average skills. She is just okay in most scenes and terrible in the rest. I’d say Yoona>>>> Suzy> Joy == Hyeri

      • I think she’s slightly better than early Suzy but they both aren’t really actresses, their eyes are essentially too blank for it.

        I agree with the assessment of below average skills though. It really shows when she’s in the same scene as actual decent actors like Moon Ga Young and Kim Min Jae.

      • Depend of what you like. Yoona is too bland/expressionless and Suzy too over the top when try to show emotion. Joy is dull and i can’t say she has the charisma a female lead needs, but she is not painful to watch at least. I’d choose Joy over Yoona but it’s all a taste matter. But in general all of them are bad.

      • Yoona is too bland and lacks charisma on screen. Suzy over acts but is flat in real emotional scenes. Hyeri’s speaking tone is a big mess and even more annoying when you understand korean.
        Joy looks like she’s acting her character not being it. Her expressions are confusing and she has an awkward mouth expression.
        I can’t rank them because each of them irks me in a different way.

  5. Lol it might beat Manhole’s record soon.Even cable dramas are getting higher ratings than that.It doesnt help that they are sandwiched between very good veteran actors in competing stations.KBS and SBS in the same time.slot. The “Miracle we met” starring Kim Myung Min, Kim Hyu Joo and Ra Mi Ran is rising fast in ratings.

      • Yeo Jin Goo dogged a bullet.Woo Do Hwan’s role was offered to him first.Luckily Woo Do Hwan has been cast in a movie by rhe director of Midnight Runners as a villain, its possible Park Seo Joon might star in it too because he got the offer.Maybe this is the opportunity to redeem himself since villain can showcase a range of acting chops.If he has good bromance with PSJ and this movie is a box office hit.He can regain his momentum again.

      • @namu that brings me to another point.Whats up with MBC these days?Did they just give up on their weekday dramas..The writing and directing,programming, of their dramas is poor quality.I mean even their weekend dramas dont exactly do well but they are not flopping as hard as their weekday dramas.

      • @RubyRed – yeah but I think some of their other weekday dramas are doing ok, I think?

        The only MBC drama whose low ratings I feel bad about was I’m Not a Robot, which was actually a decent drama with really good actors in the leads but suffered due to the strike. It still got popular internationally though despite having no idols, I hope the tv networks learn their lesson and realise they don’t need crappy idol-actors if they want overseas money. They’re redundant now.

      • Radio Romance has better ratings at around 4 to 5%. KSH is way more superior in acting skills than Joy. There is no comparison. What is “in common” that you see?

      • @candycane – Radio Romance had a bad script too but it got boring instead of becoming this level of mess.

      • @Royal We – agree that RR has a bad script, it was getting boring but it was never messy; and both leads are actually good. So I am curious to know WHY @namu calls out RR to say it is “in common” with this drama (which I have not started and will never start it…. I think I should stay away from Joy as well? lol…)

      • @Royal We not exactly..pretty much every MBC drama after Rebel hasnt done well in Mon-Tuesday slot.Look Out, The King loves, 20 century girl and boy, Two Cops, This one.They have consistently ranked at the bottom or if they are second..the ratings are mediocre.But more than the ratings, its the scripts/plots that are just not captivatating enough.Their wednesday-thursday dramas arent doing that great either.The current airing one, am not a robot..hospital ship wasnt a ratings flop but it didnt do it for me..

      • @candycane All 3 dramas are scraping the barrel when it comes to ratings and one or two of the leads are headlined by idol actors, who are not exactly favorites to be main lead. So the commonality: low ratings, idols as main actors. RR started at 4-5% with no drama competition, but has settled at 2%. Even their few post-drama interviews where mentioning the disappointment (which was understandable) with the ratings.

      • @RubyRed Actually MBC weekend dramas are known to be able to compete with KBS weekends before. I’m not too familiar with any of the stations weekends now, though I got curious with comments hence saw UEE and LDH one. Not too into it….

      • @Namu – Seriously, have you ever watched RR? Please don’t pretend you know by quoting the ratings… RR never dropped below 2.6% until ep 15 when the story became very boring (never messy)… The Great Seducer already down to 2.6% at ep 5 out of 32 (which is ep 3 out of 16). How can these two dramas be in common? My goodness… you are calling YDJ at the same idol level as Joy?? Are you crazy?? I am not defending for Manhole coz it was embarrassingly bad… but Radio Romance was not that bad as you proclaimed. This is my opinion!! Unless you have finished watching RR, please don’t compare anymore…

      • @candycane I guess your passionate love for RR, YDJ and KSH is too great that you’re taking a general comment too personally. I’m not even comparing the quality of the dramas mentioned or the acting of the actors, coz I saw 2/3 dramas but not really interested to continue, hence don’t have much opinion on quality. It was just an off-hand and superficial comment on the low-ratings of these dramas and it so happened that leads are idol actors. If YDJ is a one of the better idol-actor, then good for him, its just a fact that RR got a below average ratings which in as you pointed is 2.6% (thanks for pointing out the exact number). Also, the comaprison of these 3 dramas was a general comment in korean sites, right or wrong, the commonality mentioned above was being use to hammer the point against idol actors as main leads. Thanks for the passionate but displaced sentiments.

      • @Namu – hahaha… quoting a general comment from korean sites… lolol…. this describes you well ? How insightful

      • @candycane Thanks! And just want to commend you as well, how triggered? Bias is gonna be so proud of your blind adoration. Take a chill pill sometimes. ?

    • Thats true.But that said, Joy like Hyeri need to start from the bottom and work their way up if they want to have a long lasting career in acting.Take acting classes or whatever before trying for lead roles in primetime drama again or maybe do web or daily dramas to practice there.I understand idol industry has short life and is oversaturated thats why all of them want to act.Being standout idols in kpop like IU or Gdragon requires alot of talent and dedication.Buts its the same in acting, you cant half-ass your way in acting and just expect miracle or your visual to be enough especially when Korea has alot of visuals already.

      • True. Have there been idol-actors who worked their way to the top? I am just curious about this. I can only think of Lee Joon as an example.

      • @aea1029 – yeah, there’s Im Siwan, Park Hyung Shik, Yoon Doojoon, D.O., the just starting out Jung Chaeyeon and plenty more who took several smaller roles or roles in web dramas and short dramas before scoring a lead role.

  6. She was terrible the first time arround,,, i skip this because of her,,, no matter who her casts mates are. Love KMJ, but no thanks.

  7. For Joy, I think it’s because the way she talks her dialog a little bit awkward,it doesn’t come naturally.
    She seems only read the dialog,emotion less, maybe it’s because she’s not actres, she is an idol, she must try to play various supporting roles before being the main role..

    • On a slightly shallow note; on stage, in pictorials and music videos.She looks super duper pretty and your eyes get drawn to her even when she is standing with other equally pretty idols.But once you put her on screen in the drama, that charisma is gone.Its the same thing I have with Suzy. For me, I have an issue with Joy’s veneers.They really shouldnt have messed with her teeth so much.When she was smiling in “The liar and the lover” it was distracting.

      • Idols have stylists coordinating eye catching outfits, makeup to match it and enhance their visual, dance perfectly with good lighting on them while a camera catches their best moments individually and as a group from far with a few close shots. In acting, you don’t have your visuals enhanced, a camera is zooming in your face to catch your every emotional moment. That’s were you can figure out she is somebody with poor acting skills who needs acting lessons. Also, yes her veneers are not proportionate to her face structure and lips. But that was possibily her management’s idea. At any rate, I’d sign up for acting classes if I wanted to act in future orbe taken seriously. Look at Kim Dasom from Sistar, thats one gal who worked hard to get to where she is. Not by going for lead roles but taking one step at a time.

  8. This drama was a bad idea in the first place. It’s a remake of a remake and it makes it a cliché korean drama : a rich bad boy and a poor innocent girl. On a public channel, they can follow the original story.
    WDH is a good character and I think he has a great chemistry with MGY but his character is badly written, they add a comical side to the story that is very weird.
    Joy has the voice of teenager and it’s very hard for me to take her seriously. This drama has to be sexy and little bit mature so she doesn’t fit the story.

  9. Honestly speaking i don’t find joy and woo do hwan to be that bad. I think joy is doing ok and not as bad as the netizens said. But mostly i think its the super messed up editing, writing and scripts. I mean, actors can only do so much. Poor editing and writing will definitely bring everything else down. Maybe i was expecting too high because of cruel intentions. But yes this drama’s plots are a mess.

  10. Joy is basically SM’s attempt at creating another Suzy/Yoona. Suzy basically sucks as much as Joy when she started out but she lucked out with a hit drama and film; while Yoona was the face of SNSD and started in a daily drama. All I can say is… wrong person lol. They might wanna try again with Irene.

    Meanwhile its great to see Moon Gayoung improving and receiving praise. I’m not too worried about Woo Dohwan, seeing how he got a film role after. He also has that Kim Woobin aura and charisma, and is probably more suited for films. Same goes for Kim Minjae.

  11. The script is terrible. Nothing in the drama make sense. You can put any great actors on script like this it will still be not much different. People is too hard on Joy, the drama didnt fail because of her. Even Yoo Seung Ho, Kim So Hyun has 2% drama. Its a good drama for moon gayoung, she’s beyond beautiful, most people didnt pay attention to her before. Woo Do Hwan and Kim Min Jae will be fine, both of them can act, good looking, have good resume.

    • This. Sure, Joy and Woo do Hwan aren’t performing great, but the script is the biggest weakness. Wasn’t this “The Great Seducer”? Why is he such a puppy-dog then? Also, am I suppose to root for the two of them together? I feel absolutely nothing when Joy and Woo Do Hwan are on screen together and fast forward it all the time.

      Watching for the Three Musketeers, especially Moon Ga young. It’s an ok watch, but you gotta fast forward half of the scenes.

      • This kind of comment is unnecessary. Woo Do Hwan has perfomed better in his previous dramas and Joy is mediocre. Yes, script, editing sucks but strong actors Still shine. Moon Ga Young is shining. Just because people don’t like what you like, do not assume stuff.

  12. I don’t think MBC has much of a choice nowadays tbh. All the A-listers and star writers are flocking to cable channels, with the remaining mostly choosing KBS and SBS. MBC’s lineup is filled with rookie actors and idols. I think they’d rather hire idols to generate some (negative) buzz rather than nothing LOL. Even *ahem* actors like Nam Joohyuk and Suzy rejected MBC.

    • hmmm… i thot suzy rejected the drama (prob on the advise of JYP) bcoz she needs better acting partner than NJH since she cannot act… The reason why real actors flock to cable channels bcoz of better & more creative scripts. MBC just cannot secure good enough writers, most of its dramas flop bcoz of poor writing! maybe MBC is cheap and cannot pay enough for professionals… lol…

  13. Joy is not any worse than Suzy who keeps getting lead roles so i dont see the problem. Its just that the script is bad and the drama has no substance.

  14. What bothers me the most about Joy’s acting is that I can feel her struggling to emote in certain scenes. When her character is sad or angry, she comes of as petulant and whiny instead. Also, her voice is kinda grating. It’s weird because I actually liked her in The Liar and His Lover. She still felt like a newbie there, but she was able to embrace her role. It’s jarring here where all three leads are bringing their characters alive. I think she’s just not for melos.

    As for Woo Dohwan, I don’t think he’s bad; he just doesn’t have much chemistry with Joy. On paper, I like his romance with Joy more, but in the drama, he’s so much more compelling with Moon Gayoung. I’m also beginning to be annoyed with the tonal shift to fluffy rom-com whenever he’s with Joy. As messy as it is, the drama is much better when it’s melo. It doesn’t help that in the recent episodes, the writer seems to have no idea what to do with his character anymore.

    • I thought she was bad in TLAHL too but she’s worse here, it’s really obvious she is not fit to act in melos or anything that requires serious emoting.

      The drama is at its best when melo because that’s closer to its original source imo. And that story is not a fluffy romcom.

  15. Awwwww WDH rocked in Save Me so it’s a matter of preference about his acting; Long live Dong Cheol but he was with Seo Ye Ji n SM and whilst there was no romance as such so everyone that watched was screaming out for just a hug; kiss anything between those two but we got a big fat zero nada! That was undeniably the best chemistry between 2 leads that lit up the screen and storyline whenever they appeared. The end. Now in The Great Seducer when he appears with Joy and it appears to be lacklustre; fizzling and try hard so all their credibility is just lost. The writing was on the wall when Joy was cast as lead; not many commentators were positive about the news so it stemmed from that and now everyone associated with that drama is starting to pay the price. Joy is seen as Joy from Red Velvet and not Tae Hee so it’s unfortunate that she had been made the scapegoat in all of this. Geez even the title ‘The Great Seducer’ is whack. It’s like some 1970’s gaudy Mills and Boon/Barbara Cartland romantic novel. Sorry only those around in that era from England/USA/Australia/NZ would know who I was referencing.

    • His chemistry with both Seo Ye Ji in Save Me and Ryu Hwa Young in Mad Dog was amazing but he didn’t get a proper romance with either of them. It’s a shame that his first actual onscreen romance is so lacklustre (and his chemistry with Moon Ga Young, who isn’t his intended OTP, is pure fire – go figure).

  16. I’m not surprise of the low ratings. I would run away from the drama if it was airing on my tv too. The whole drama production feels amateurish like it’s made by newbies. The editing is bad with cheesy music moments and the story really cuts to the chase. But I’m glad to say that this drama pulled me off from my drama slump. Despite plot issues, the characters are intriguing enough to keep me. The actors aren’t bad too, not great, but I feel that they have potential to be decent actors. Not everything has to be a masterpiece to enjoy it.

  17. How can they call it an adaptation of ” Les liaisons dangereuses” ? For those who don’t want to read the classic novel Watch Stephen Frears or Milos Forman movies.

  18. Honestly, I was actually looking forward to a Korean adaptation of this.

    However, poor writing and execution reduced this to a typical, clichéd chaebol drama.

    The characters are watered down versions of the original.

    I wish MGY’s character was more wicked and diabolical in her schemes. I felt WDW was more suave in Mad Dog…and that says a lot. There’s not much push-and-pull between him and Joy. When we can’t feel the chemistry, we certainly can’t empathize.

    Kim Min Jae has come a long way from his TwentyAgain awkward acting. So I believe, in time and with more practice, Joy can also improve her overall delivery.

    Naturally, it’s so easy to blame the actors. I’m more disappointed with the writer and PD to be honest. This should’ve gone back to the drawing board.

  19. When they said they are adapting the US version, and then it was announced as MBC drama, i thought it was gonna be a disaster in the making. Evyone said WDH exudes sex appeal and cautiously some said Joy might be able to potray the innocent girl being seduced. Except the outcome was WDH overcompensated and came off as contrived while Joy as usual is stiff in almost all her scenes. I like her as a singer and a performer on stage but acting, she did be only good for cameos and a supporting cast in a family drama. Its cause of them and these big companies pushing their singers to star in dramas when they dont hav the calibre nor the talent for it that gave idol-actors a bad name. They are some but very few idols who can act.

  20. I think this drama would’ve of been better with the right type of acting. WDH and Moon Ga Young emit more chemistry than him and Joy (who lack acting) but SM likes to promote their idol to main lead (which I am sure with the guarantee that they’ll be an investor “daddy long leg” to the production hence it allow them to secure a lead role for their lackluster idol with no acting creditial).

    Out of all the idol from SM, I only find D.O as one who truly have potential.

  21. When you guys are all criticizing. Then there is me who is also criticizing but still very much watching the drama LOL.

    I dont know. I never expect this to be a great drama. While i admit the editing is choppy and the story move too fast for us to be engaged… i still watch it? I honestly treat this as a crack drama. With me watching it for the prettiness. I dont even expect much depth from the drama. I just hope they lessen the old couples screen time because only Tae Hee dad is the only good parent here

    • I can relate. I often enjoy watching dramas that people seem to hate, or think its corny (*ahem* The Heirs *ahem*). I’ll probably love this one too if I start watching LOL.

      • Funny how i really hate the Heirs but still finish watching it. I don’t hate this drama though.. i kinda like it. I’m going to be really shallow on this front and say it. The drama is really pretty and honestly, i think that is what the drama is aiming to be. So it works? LOL

      • Idk about pretty but its defintely meant to attract international fans… and it works lol.

  22. As someone who didn’t watch the drama, I thought Moon Gayoung was the female lead instead of Joy when I just look at the poster lol. Would have been better if its this way.

    • If just solely based on Cruel Intentions, Moon Gayoung is also the lead. But the end game is always Sebastian and Annette because Catherine is barely redeemable in the original works.

      In the novel version, seriously, all the main characters are just outright twisted and all society junks. lol

      • Is there an end game??? Didn’t Sebestian die? Anyway… is Kim Minjae supposed to be Cecile or who is playing her?

      • @Anna Kim Minjae is an original character, although judging from his personality and function in the story, he is also playing the Valmont character. It seems the production split Valmont between him and Woo Dohwan. Cecile is the clueless tennis girl.

    • In the original novel and most adaptations, Moon Gayoung’s character is more important to the plot that Joy’s, but she’s the villain protagonist type. Idk if the production intended for her to overshadow Joy, but this at least is true to the source and other adaptations.

      • I can see why they made Joy as the female lead then. MBC is a public channel, they can’t outright name such a morally questionable character as the female lead. This would have been better on OCN I suppose.
        The overshadowing part is probably due to the difference in their experience.

      • @Anna – that doesn’t really hold water when you consider that SBS, which is also a public channel, aired Yawang – a drama which I consider the ultimate in antiheroine protagonists. This is literally just MBC trying to turn Cruel Intentions into yet another Candy drama, and unfortunately Joy is no Reese Witherspoon.

  23. most of the actors in dis drama are basically in 1 agency now, and same producer of the other drama of joy,both lead actors same agency which sm bought (keyeast), we are going to see more of joy paired with keyeast actors,(pls not kim so hyun) maybe ksh yoona in the future or parksejon yoona

    • Well the good news is that Woo Do Hwan had been nominated as best supporting actor in Save Me in the 54th Baeksang Awards so that should be some consolation for him right now. Yes pairing idols with top actors is a good idea and visually would be absolute heaven for us but that is also dependant on a good story n script; direction; cinematography and editing etc..because popularity of an idol/actor doesn’t necessarily translate into a ratings bonanza as we are currently seeing now. Also Yoona and I’m Siwans MBC ‘The King in Love’ didn’t do too well last year so I wouldn’t want a repeat of that sorry. Idols slay on stage as entertainers no doubt about it but on screen it’s a different story and I feel that some are getting a lot more flak in not meeting viewers expectations and are made out to be the scapegoat if a drama doesn’t exceed ratings. And please don’t get upset because I named Yoona’s drama that was the one that sprang to mind.

      • I can’t wait for Baeksang awards. There are some stiff competition for the awards. However, I want Secret Forest to have a clean sweep.

  24. I dont know if the rest of south korean netizen doesnt like its plot and criticizing the actors and actresses but i think it will be click in overseas…i like it though and beside we should not expect so..so much emtion for her acting cause she’s still a rookie and its just her 2nd drama…

    • Amazing how every idol with consistently mediocre to horrible acting performances gets excuses made for their crappy acting from one of the following:

      It’s only their second (or third, or fourth, or fifth) drama!
      It’s their first drama in three years! (when they did a movie in between)
      The character is too dull and not like the idol’s real life personality!
      It’s the writer’s fault!
      It’s the PD’s fault for not covering up crappy acting!
      It’s the costar’s fault for covering up the idol’s crappy acting!
      They bring fans! (The consistently low to mediocre ratings of most idol-led dramas would suggest these aren’t that many)
      They bring overseas money! (THAAD happened and Japan has been over Hallyu for practically all of this decade, no other region gets as much ₩₩₩, and there are non-idol dramas that have been popular overseas recently too)

    • the fact is these idol actresses who cannot act got paid so little by their agency, it is basically cheap labour with a pretty face… crappy acting is expected as there are always delulu fans who support them. There is no overseas money for idol actresses, only handsome oppas can generate overseas drama sales but even then there are only a few can do it…

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