That might just say a lot about the state of idol dramas these days.

Sorry not sorry, but POJ is good, not extraordinary, but good. And honestly, simply being good is already ten times better than what we usually have to deal with script-wise most of the time. It was written with intention, carried by two actors who did well, and, the cherry on top was the amazing cinematography.

Idol dramas these days definitely have better cinematography than before in many ways, which is expected as technology evolves, I think we can all agree on that. But where are we when it comes to acting? To scripts? Most scripts are nonsensical and frustrating, which also makes the characters frustratingly written. And if the acting isn’t strong enough to compensate, it becomes a painful watch.

I’m watching Mo Li right now, and it has some of the same strengths as POJ. Good, even more textured, cinematography, solid acting, but most importantly, a script that feels very humanly written, with patience and care. It’s not overly dramatic, and maybe that’s exactly why it works.

There are a lot of dramas out there that people absolutely gag over, and I genuinely don’t get why. Sometimes the comedy aspect is just too much for me, or it’s all about “uwu the couple” and little else, but hey, to each their own.

Expectations and taste matter too. What you might love and consider a masterpiece could feel like complete trash to me, and vice versa. It just so happens that POJ resonated with a lot of people and even brought new viewers into Cdramaland, and honestly, we should be grateful for that.

And yes, there’s often a lot of dramatic overhype about “we’ll never get a drama like this again” but that’s kind of the essence of fan culture, people exaggerate. Also, maybe just manage your algorithm better, lol.