Samgwang Villa Lovers (2020)

Lower Your Expectations and Raise the Speed

“The most frustrating is the lack of proper consequences.”

This phrase from one of the only other reviews of the completed Drama brought back many memories.

I don’t know how many other Dramas that user has seen, but the angry rant (their words) about the way ALL the villains, and especially the worst of them, get off scot-free in this Drama reminded me of my own reactions the first 50 or so times I saw that happen in a K Drama. Then I learned to expect it, as an integral part of this sort of Drama. Rather than punishing the wicked, or even having them experience any sort of meaningful redemption arc, fully a quarter to a third of the episodes in Dramas like this are all about them getting away with it while their victims suffer more and more. I expected that in this Drama, and got it, in spades. As soon as the truly VILE people started showing their true character, I 100% expected them to face zero consequences for being human garbage, and so I was not upset or disappointed when my expectations were met. That’s the “Lower Your Expectations” bit.

The Raise Your Speed bit is simple – watch on FF. Knowing what to expect from a Drama of this sort, I watched most of it on 3XFF, only watching scenes at normal speed that were about developing relationships, whether romantic or familial. All the plotting and scheming and horrid people being horrid scenes I just zipped through. And there was enough of the sweet, the warm and the touching to make this Drama an acceptable watch, under those circumstances. I started this Drama for Bona, having enjoyed her other acting roles a lot (I’m not a K-Pop stan), and she and her arc did not disappoint. The Drama gave me what I wanted because I treated it like a buffet, skipping past all the dishes that didn’t interest me.

If you can’t or won’t watch a Drama with heavy use of FF, or if your blood boils at the thought of nasty people escaping effectively ALL consequences for their nastiness, then don’t watch this. But if you CAN watch on FF, can tolerate the bizarre insistence these Dramas have on letting evil go unpunished, and want some sweet stories along the way, then do check it out.

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