Durian's Affair (2023– ) User Reviews

A good show that veered sideways toward the end

[fcam-80675 · 7/10 · 27 August 2023]

A young, bereaved wife and her caring mother-in-law from a noble family in the Korean dynasty are transported to the modern age. The mother-in-law also lost her ailing husband and shared secret love and adoration with her loyal servant. Both ladies meet their dead husbands in modern times, alive but already married (or preparing to get married) with different women. The setting is wacky but intriguing enough to keep us watching. The scripts are well-written and carefully crafted, as with all dramas written by Im Sung Han (aka Phebe). Everyone's acting is excellent, especially the very believable performance of the two leading ladies.

Toward the latter 1/3 of the series, however, the show gets weirdly sidetracked to focus on a love affair of a young man pursuing a much older woman (which I believe is the writer's own personal fantasy) rather than finishing up the good storyline revolving around the two heroines. In sum, the show starts strong but ends up broken.

IMHO, the screenwriter Im Sung Han is one of the most talented but also the wackiest of all K-drama writers. Her show usually has four features, all of which are in this show: 1. The male lead is a perfect gentleman whom every woman idolizes. 2. Her show involves a great deal of shamanism. 3. Her show contains a sideshow featuring a young man pursuing an older woman. 4. Her show uses too many scenes where the characters have illusory imaginations. I hope she breaks some of these routines in future shows, as she is really gifted.

Respectful Clarification Regarding Cultural Reference

[ghoghnnooss · 8/10 · 12 August 2023]

Steemed Writer and Director of the "durian's affair" Series,

I hope this email finds you well. First and foremost, I want to express my admiration for the remarkable storytelling and creative efforts showcased in the "durian's affair" series. The series has captivated audiences with its compelling narratives and impressive production values.

While I greatly appreciate your dedication to artistic expression and the crafting of an engaging storyline, I wanted to bring to your attention a historical reference that has raised concerns among some viewers. In one of the episodes, it was mentioned that Shahrazad's tales, akin to the "One Thousand and One Nights," were intended for Arab culture.

I believe that it is essential to maintain historical accuracy and cultural authenticity in creative works, especially when referencing ancient narratives that have their origins in diverse civilizations. The stories of Shahrazad and the "One Thousand and One Nights" are indeed ancient and date back to an era when the Sanskrit language was prevalent. Sanskrit, which serves as the root and mother language of many contemporary languages, including Old Persian and Avestan, holds a significant place in our shared history. Old Persian, for Iran, and Avestan, for several Iranian and Indian communities, are rooted in this ancient language. The narratives associated with these languages primarily pertain to the Parsi people and a civilization that existed more than 3500 years before Christ.

The transition from Sanskrit language to Old Persian had already taken place during the Achaemenid Empire, with these narratives being translated into Old Persian around 1,200 years before Christ. This translation reflects a significant historical epoch. The "One Thousand and One Nights" stories were later translated into Arabic during the reign of Harun al-Rashid, approximately 800 years after Christ, marking a cross-cultural exchange. Therefore, I believe it is important to recognize the origins and historical context of these narratives accurately.

I kindly request that you consider revisiting the reference in question to ensure that the storyline reflects the historical and cultural origins of the "One Thousand and One Nights" tales in a respectful and accurate manner. Your attention to this matter would not only enhance the authenticity of the series but also demonstrate your commitment to preserving the cultural heritage and historical significance of narratives from various civilizations.

Just as we hold our own culture's history in high regard, it's equally important to show reverence for the history and cultural heritage of other civilizations.

Thank you for your time and understanding. I look forward to the possibility of a positive impact on the portrayal of cultural and historical elements in future episodes of the series.

Sincerely,

Intelligent absorbing fascinating

[phd_travel · 10/10 · 9 July 2023]

Durian Affair is enthralling. The absorbing and very intelligent story and fascinating characters are a cut above the other shows on right now. Thought I had enough of the Joseon to Present day stories but this one is done with such laugh out loud detail and plausible and thrilling emotional connection. I think this aspect has not been done so well before. The same writer gave us the fantastic Love ft Marriage and Divorce. Just love to see how the characters connect one by one. Also contrasting the old world with the modern one is delightful and hilarious. This writer was so good at contrasting relationships and characters in Love Marriage and Divorce. The cast is headed by the terrific Park Joo Mi. So happy she is getting such good roles now. Han Da Gam of Full House is well cast. The younger cast is not familiar but unique looking. Good breakout roles for them. This is the show that will set new standards in 2023.

A drama that started well but ended a disaster

[camilajanguk · 4/10 · 31 August 2023]

The first 4 episodes were interesting, two women accidentally travel to the present, they meet old acquaintances, it would have been great if they knew where the women came from early but they got lost in extremely boring situations, a shaman who appeared too late. . To make it interesting, in the end the final episodes are super boring. Grandma's romantic quotes came out in the final chapters which added nothing to the plot, just to counteract her daughter-in-law who was in love with her mother-in-law, this situation was also a waste. Of time. It was nice to see the young couple who were the real stars together with Durians. The closures of his stories that I did not like were left unfinished.

All About Misogyny: Shame on You, Im Sung-han

[gingerale797 · 1/10 · 10 August 2023]

First of all, if you insist on watching this show, please stop at episode 10. Before episode 11, the show is great! I would rate it a 7.5, at least. But after episode 10, the scriptwriter just completely lost her mind.

In the first ten episodes, the scriptwriter depicted Baek Doi as a strong, intelligent, generous, and lovely female adult. Wow, all of a sudden, she's changed. She became cold and brainless.

I understand that sometimes scriptwriters need to create dramas so that more people would watch the show. But Im Sung-han really took that to another level.

This show is utterly disrespectful to women, to the LGBTQ+ community, and to all the actors. Both Choi Myeong-Gil and Yoon Hae-young are great great actresses. They worked with Im Sung-han before, and they gave their trust in her this time, and they got betrayed. It appears that Im Sung-han wants to teach people what true love means with this show. But no no no, what she is really doing here is to teach people what betrayal means. Both inside and outside the show.

One sincere piece of advice to Im Sung-han, if you feel tired or uninspired, consider retiring, please. Don't hurt the innocent audiences with those clueless, illogical twists and turns anymore. It's not interesting, but really pathetic.

Joseonless Behaviour

[Park_Min · 4/10 · 1 May 2024]

I don't how I feel about the on-screen text. There's distinct level of absurdity and abnormality that's easily recognizable from a certain Korean writer, that is Im Sung Han. From writing the characters, constructing the narrative and story boarding, all felt quite familiar to her other shows, Apgujeong Midnight Sun (2014) & Miss Mermaid (2002) in particular. However, this drama is unfortunately one of her unsuccessful ones. I didn't like the direction she took with the drama. The women from Joseon were an interjection into the Dan's family, they were more like a support characters observing the surrounding and getting accustomed to living. The entire story was stagnant for 15 episodes after their initial introduction and only the last episode brought some change but it was too late. The story went through the bare minimum of characters exploration and made the Joseon women existence more useless. If anything, it reminded me of the bizarre storylines transitions and conclusion of Miss Mermaid (2002), really close when drawing parallels. On a second thought, although I'm a fan of the writer but I don't quite agree with how she writes the last few episodes of her projects.