Yes, I understand your point completely. If I don't get hooked on the OTP in the first 5 episodes I won't watch the drama but in that case I would just say "well it's just not my taste" or "the story and characters don't appeal to me" but maybe I won't say "This drama is stale and the characters are so weak". Idk, maybe I'm just getting emotional because it's one of my favorite dramas of all time, but I just feel its unfair to label a drama in a way that it definitely is not. Usually if I drop a drama it's because I'm bored or it doesn't appeal to me, but I can't make a final judgement about why it is so bad because well I haven't seen it fully. Sometimes, I understand that you can make a judgement like "well this character is a loser in the first five episodes and I don't like it" but to say he is simply a loser and weak and that it was the problem with the drama? I think it's a bit offensive to the fans of the drama, and it also might give a bad impression to someone who potentionally wants to see it. Because that drama is not about a loser hero, it's actually about an amazing heroine with whom he falls in love to become one of the bravest and most caring heroes of all time. That's why I feel it's important to write reviews and make sweeping generalizations only after you have fully seen the drama.
Again, I do agree with your point that there wasn't much to love about Won Ah's character in the beginning. To be honest I hated him until episode 8 and then magically, just like in Brilliant Legacy, I started falling madly in love with him. His transformation was as incredible and slow and believeable as it was in Brilliant Legacy. Btw, you mentioned there were other things in Brilliant Legacy that kept you going even while you utterly despised the hero - it was exactly the same for me with MGIAG. I knew he would change and I loved Miho's character and that kept me going towards one of the most satisfactory transformations I've seen in a drama. So, I guess my point is technically MGIAG is not a worse drama than Brilliant Legacy, just maybe you perhaps didn't like the main character as much that's why it didn't appeal to you.
Which is totally not your fault, I understand it. But I think from a fan's point of view you would also understand why I want to defend my favorite character, right? :)
Re: ETA
Again, I do agree with your point that there wasn't much to love about Won Ah's character in the beginning. To be honest I hated him until episode 8 and then magically, just like in Brilliant Legacy, I started falling madly in love with him. His transformation was as incredible and slow and believeable as it was in Brilliant Legacy. Btw, you mentioned there were other things in Brilliant Legacy that kept you going even while you utterly despised the hero - it was exactly the same for me with MGIAG. I knew he would change and I loved Miho's character and that kept me going towards one of the most satisfactory transformations I've seen in a drama. So, I guess my point is technically MGIAG is not a worse drama than Brilliant Legacy, just maybe you perhaps didn't like the main character as much that's why it didn't appeal to you.
Which is totally not your fault, I understand it. But I think from a fan's point of view you would also understand why I want to defend my favorite character, right? :)