tvN Sat-Sun Drama Bulgasal Ends Underwhelming Run this Sunday and Leaves K-netizens Confused and Offended by the Decision to Subtitle Lee Joon’s Dialogue at a Pivotal Ending Scene

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• Interesting that is their main complaint?

  I like this fantasy elements of the drama about karma. If I learn anything at all from this drama, “Don’t go cursing others that you felt wrong you, you aren’t so innocent either.” It’s much better than continuously recycling drama w/ the same theme. Obviously there were many route and focus that the story should have lean toward, but what story doesn’t have regrets. I know that Koalas doesn’t care much about the leads’ acting but I find them fitting for this role.

• When I go to a certain forum, there're a lot of people, particularly Americans who branch out to watch K-dramas after Squid Games, who said that this is amazing, the best dramas that they've ever seen. I don't know why but I feel insulted for other older dramas (10-20 years) which are objectively better than this. Just because it's recent. Well, different taste and preference. Can't judge it. Maybe it matches western preference.

  • It’s the effect of being new to kdramas, it happens to basically almost every new drama watcher. Almost every they watch is the best thing ever because so many things are new to them in Korean dramas. Whereas those of us who have watched for years know the tropes, we have higher standards based on watching alot of kdramas, it’s normal.

    I actually noticed on a Reddit community some posters were picking up on how kdrama plots are stretched out over a lot of episodes with notable filler so some people are already picking up on the flaws.

  • Not all of us ? my netflix list is mainly Asian dramas/movies,my sister is always saying you need to watch power etc. And I'm like but I have 1 episode left of bulgasal.I love binge watching then cry when it's over like when word of honor was over ?. also I love the ones about dynasties the wars love and betrayal ? I did finally watch squid game and enjoyed it!!

    • I don't see anything wrong it, i enjoy it and i wish it will continue.

  • American TV is just crap anymore. Lazy writing. Going to locations that are cheap to film but don't match the story setting. Arrogant actors. Forcing characters that don't fit because they are checking off diversity boxes, and worst of all, the CONSTANT underlying political messaging when we're trying to get away from that. Says a lot that an average show for you we find really good.

    • The weird thing to me is Americans seeming to demand that Korean dramas must have the same point of view as Americans.

      Like I saw someone on a dramab*ns call that new Disney+ kdrama, Police Academy, "copaganda". Which was ???? Korean cops are not the same as American ones, they aren't going around shooting unarmed civilians with a different skin colour so why is a Korean drama about Korean cops "copaganda"? It's so weird to me.

• That was the oddest thing ever really, it was perplexing and made me wonder why they did that... The drama is written by The Guest and while the mood is similar I find that The Guest was much more tightly woven and better packaged? Dunno how to explain it better, but I went from really excited about it to more watching it out of habit. I started liking it more when it the characters came together as a big family (that was cute and endearing). The more I watched it though the more I feel the Lee Jin Wook was miscast as the male lead, he couldn't really elevate the character more and it was needed. I felt the others were more than fine in character, I was even fine with Kwon Nara even if I felt Gong Seung-Yeon was more charismatic. I did like that final twist/message that was pointed out in previous comment but I feel the drama should have taken another way to get there and hint more at the main theme earlier. I'm not sure but I just felt something was missing all along. Apart from the great start it went downhill pretty quickly and picked up for a bit there but then went out with a whimper. There was so much more the story could have done with the characters and the story, I felt the story really underused Gong Seung-Yeon's character. I kept waiting for her to find out about her past and take action but throughout the whole drama she was just side character with no character development... that was so disappointing. Maybe what the drama lacked was being a character driven show, which The Guest totally was. Things just kept happening and even in the end, I couldn't really understand what truly drove the villain. The story didn't even properly explain the ending/epilogue with the male lead so that happy ending just felt meh. Throughout the whole drama there was so much potential and somehow the show just bypassed them and made it seem long and pretty boring. What a waste.

• Someone like Jisoo should have been dubbed or shown subtitles and not Lee Joon who has had no complaints over his enunciation. lol

• This drama had so much potential with its first six episodes, but it kept dragging and was repetitive in the latter half. The supposed romance was not properly integrated, though I wonder if the writers envisioned it even working— maybe it was supposed to be something flat.

  Lee Jin Wook was really bland, and I am not sure if that’s his or the writing/direction fault. He could be emotive and he was better in previous leading roles (Nine, Voice 2), but he couldn’t add any flavor to an unspicy male lead. Kwon Nara was a bit green in scenes that needed intense emotion, but she embodied her character well. In comparison, the two second leads really did steal the show; being the more experienced actress, Gong Seungyeon was charismatic and held herself better, while Lee Joon put his whole Joon-ussy into this. It’s sad to see such effort wasted on a mediocre plot.

• Judging by the comments, it seems to be the common theme of big budget tvn dramas since last year. So much money, effort & potential being wasted. They have lost the midas touch.

• this was the type of drama that only needed 6-12 episodes Max, they got lost and didn't know what they were doing because the backstory for them did not make sense for why they went on killing each other but ok lol and the 2nd leads/ supporting cast were much better than the leads

• This needed 10 episodes, they should have stretched the 600 year ago story more. The big reveal wasn't evenly distributed and got rushed in the last episode. I liked the ending, I did. Lee Jin Wook and Nara were fine, its just they got sidetracked in writing in the middle portion. According to me personally, acting wasn't issue, chemistry wasn't issue but the biggest flaw in this drama is how indecisive it all looked. Some things were not explained well. Why was sang Un reincarnated as a twin being the biggest mystery. I enjoyed it and frankly many people did, it constantly was talked about and ranked every buzz chart in a good way in South Korea. Too bad, real time ratings were so low. The idol kid Woosoek was very good, very impressive debut for him. Lee Jun was breakout star in here....good luck to him. I will be waiting for his next project eagerly.

  • Me too. Seeing Lee Joon in a saguek is a new adventure. Jang Hyuk and Kang Hanna rounding up the dream cast, can't wait. Post military, Lee Joon is a success story with his star going up and up. I also fervently pray to the drama gods to give Solomon Park his first ML role. Being fluent in Russian, Korean and learnt Mandarin for Lookism C-drama, he's poised to be the next Hyun Bin if he has a very good acting coach. He reminds me of a young Aaron Kwok but with the added height.

    • Lomon's uzbek-russo-sk connections bring all sorts of exciting future roles. He can be the younger brother of Yoo Teo who's also fluent in Russian and German playing ethnic Koreans in Russia bordering NK. Preferably in some sort of epic Pachinko style prestige drama. Instead of HB, he can be the next LMH, lol.

• After watching the last episode, I wished this was made as a six episode drama. It had so much potential and what happened in the past was so much more interesting for me.

• By the end of the drama I could feel frustrated by the way it went...first two to four episode was tight after that it was montonous nothing new developed...all characters were doing the repetation...even the death of both lead character was not emotional...so many loopholes... disappointed