Here's the thing. The central points of conflict--the suffocating stigma attached to being a single parent in Korea, and the rigid sense of filial respect and duty leading to a lack of autonomy in personal decisions--has no direct translation to Western culture. (Honestly, if someone wanted to respond with an in-depth explanation of these values and how they influenced decisions, that would be helpful and so very appreciated. I'm particularly confused by characters hiding their sometimes significant difficulties from those who would support them—in other words, the noble sacrifice trope. Our main couple's more mutually supportive dynamic feels obvious to me, a Westerner, and not like the anomaly/cultural shift they're fighting for, so I'd like to learn more about what I'm missing.)

That said, to an extent it doesn't matter if you don't entirely get it. The stakes are clear and high, and the characters act consistently based on their values. Assuming you have even a basic and vague understanding of the two central societal expectations, you can understand in a broad sense how A leads to C, even if you don't understand the murky nuances of B.

The fact that OSN's main strength is exploring the murky and nuanced B is a double-edged sword. As others have noted, this story is a masterclass in realism, just with the guaranteed (and, I found, highly satisfying) HEA. While the slow, gentle pacing was essential for the story, in the long close-ups I often wished I could listen to the FL's and ML's internal monologues. So in some respects, I wonder if this wouldn't have worked better (at least for those less familiar with Korean culture) as a book. Yet maybe not being fully aware of the characters' internal life enhanced the story. Yes, it could be frustrating, but it was also true to life. We often DON'T know what others are thinking, even those we know best.

OSN has provided a lot of food for thought, and I love it for that. Few K Dramas have that level of depth to them, and seeing the way this drama was directed has provided an important counterpoint that's enabled me to better articulate my loves and frustrations with the genre as a whole.