#it is infuriating to come across negative comments about female characters not often directed at male characters

[teafiend]

GIFS credited to: @Nungchae (Twitter/X)

Another major/awful rant ahead:

I could not believe I still have to come across negative comments about Kang Gil Young as a character in the year 2024. I got so riled up, but cooling down, I could concede that we have different preferences and people have all the right to find her ‘annoying’ and dislike the character. Even if I think it is ridiculous, and especially when too many of the comments appear to have elements of oblivious misogyny/sexism in them.

I tried to be less confrontational about my own comments because after all, this is just fiction, but after three years of the same, I think I am ready to say that perhaps some of those comments do come from this idea that female characters should be nicer and less aggressive. Why? Because who gave her the right to be so aggressive/rude etc when the other two male characters are even more traumatised? OMFG?!

Kang Gil Young is the only character to get so much flak in the show and conveniently (and unsurprisingly), she is a female character. I mean, female characters often received the most complaints. Too brash and you are too much and annoying, too nice and sweet and you are a naive, candy girl, also irritating beyond belief. Female characters often just can’t seem to win. Unless they are ‘lucky’.

(Disclaimer: Valid and fair-minded criticisms about writing and performances are not the point of contention here).

(Not to say there are no female characters who are celebrated, but it is too often a hit and miss and even then, they get lots of criticisms too).

Regardless, people can like and dislike characters for whole lots of reasons, and despite my objections to many of the rationales behind the negative comments, people are entitled to whatever they want to feel. I just wish people would stop with the negativity because if they want to share their annoyances, I would also stop withholding my own irritation at their comments.

Subjective character preferences aside, the comments which said that KGY did little compared to the two male characters truly made me want to fight someone in a parking lot somewhere. I truly have no idea whether we watched the same show at all. Did these people simply fast forward all the scenes of this “annoying” FC and then imagined she did nothing to fill in the void? Give me a fu**ing break?! 🤬🤬🤬