Yes, I undetstand the thing about Gong Hyojin she is not everybody's taste, honestly the only drama I have like in is Master's Sun, which was my first of hers, in all her other dramas I've seen her in she is pretty much the same character and with same expressions, so I don't really understand those who are huge fans of hers, I don't disliked her but she is just so-so for me, I do think her acting suited the character in MS better and had good chemistry with the ML but since then I tried her other dramas and of kind don't want to see in anything for a long time.
I would say maybe start with a classic Which Star Are You From? it's simple, with cute bickering couple who kind of starts on friendly terms, then ML not wanting to accept his feelings, family disagreeing the relantionship and all of that.
Or maybe lesser known classic City Hall which it's a bit more grown up since the leads are older, the chemistry was really good, starts more rom-com- becomes more melo as it goes on, then a very happy ending. I loved them like that, it makes the love story better for me, I love seeing the OTPs slowly falling for each other, being happy and cute, but also suffer for their love, missing, wanting to be with each other so bad and finally get their happy ending. It seems like a lot people don't really like these kinds of love stories anymore, they want more "realistic" stories, or just pure fluff with no drama at all. I want dramas to entertain me but also to give all the feelings, in my fiction I want all kinds of romances, nice, complicated, happy, tragic, cuteness, sadness but still in their have their own innocent way, even if it's unrealistic at times. Nowadays they might talk not that great about some these older dramas for all sorts of reasons and I disagree, to me older dramas felt more real and special and yes many full of cliches, and dramatics but so what? it's fiction, jusy want some really good romances to love and enjoy.
