Role Reversal (RR) Drama Lovers Club

 potatocouch:

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if this was done on purpose with certain dramas. It's the CCP after all.

Wouldn't be surprised either. It's definitely on-brand. 

 potatocouch:

How are most of them still timid if that would be their upbringing in this world?

NO frigging clue. Like I said, nothing makes any sense!!! Even in RoTaR, the women were mostly arrogant. The world was at least trying to be a matriarchy, but not there. 

 potatocouch:

And lemme guess, FL doesn't end up with her subby bodyguard...

Her bodyguard is a woman, actually. She flirts with SFL but not her bodyguard, sadness. 

The comment about the wet man is actually about ML, believe it or not. She starts off being quite proactive and flirty... Like girliepop was in that indulgent video game, having the time of her life being a playgirl, then the system said "oh about that, you're gonna die." Like women can't have fun even in games?!?! (Even in MEDIA?! *cough cough*)

 potatocouch:

He's stunning, and so are your screenshots as usual. 

👉👈💖

 potatocouch:

It's like they go out of their way to be LESS RR than modern-day dramas set in a regular freaking patriarchy, even though they should be the opposite.

I'm gonna add onto that... They're less RR than HISTORICAL dramas, too!!! Like Secret of Three Kingdoms, Dong Lan Xue, Oh My General, The Princess Royal, Moonlit Reunion, Love In Between, An Ancient Love Song, A Dream Like the True Love, Legend of the Magnate ALL take place in regular patriarchal historical China. IT's DIABOLICAL

I guess some RR is fine as long as women don't expect to actually hold power in the world. Dominating your man is one thing, but ruling? Please, know your place- typa deal

You're super valid in your take, and I agree with you. I just check them out in the hopes of being positively surprised or at least getting RR visuals to GIF. 

 potatocouch:

All dramas set in a matriarchy should be extreme RR, no ifs, ands, or buts. Yet that's never the case. 

Exactly. 

Can't wait for you to check out the vertical matriarchy drama and see what you think of it.

 potatocouch:

Looking forward to your thoughts now that you're deeper in the drama. 

Sniper Butterfly

Ep 11

• Not him inserting himself into the not-date and then sheepishly going to FL like "will.. will it affect you guys?" 👉👈🥺
• Someone on Tumblr said that ML only knows how to say ONE word, but he knows how to say it VERY well, and that is "jiejie" and where is the lie?
• He's caught so off-guard every time she pats his head like (I mean this in the best way) an actual dog 😭 Just the sudden slight flinch, blink, and "oo I like this" face
• Would this be like their first date, or are we counting all the times she took him out for dinner as dates too? xD
• YEEEESSS the teaching the other a skill and looking all cool doing it, but she's the one looking cool, and he's the one staring in admiration!! YESS!!!
• Also, the adorable scene where she helps him put the VR headset on... Augh...
• Kinda funny to think that this guy goes on to develop technology in the near future xD
• Bro's lips are just 👄 at all times. 
• Oh shit... bro likes being blindfolded and guided... 😏 Oh no, poor baby~ And not her whispering in his ear while he's already gulping for dear life- girl is ruthless and she doesn't even know it. The upbeat uwu music is criminal in a scene like this, tbh, but I guess diff music might've put the censors in a coma, so I'll let it slide. Great scene tho :P
  • BOY WAS LEFT PANTING FROM THAT OMG- <333
• Boy talking about how AI can protect the planet while the AI scene right now is doing anything but... x')
• Naaahhhh what are the odds that she'd randomly run into JUST the person she needs to talk to to get her project approved... 😭 PLOT DON'T GO CHEAP ON ME NOW!!!
• The little puppy look of disappointment when she texted him that she would be working... Not for the weak...
• His friend getting so excited when bro said he was coming back... aw, they're both puppies (and then bro stands him up... I wish he would've invited him). The drama is lowkey lacking a bit in the friendship department. There's only rlly FL's friend who she barely hangs out with, and bro is entirely alone. You would think FL would encourage him to invite his friends and go hang out, but she doesn't.
• Them brainstorming for the ad together while he does the dishes? very domestic. Very cute.
• Awww how he got emotional when he saw the ad of his hometown? Bruuuuhhhh- he's so sensitive
• My boy really had a... steamy dream about her- That's...... kind of adorable... ALSO SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT HIM LIKING BEING BLINDFOLDED?! IT'S CANON!!!
• "Are you an angel"-ahh, dream. Okay Anakin. Relax

Is this drama sponsored by WeChat or smth? cuz MY GOD THEY DONT SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT IT- like WE GET IT.

Ep 12

• Not ML feigning helplessness in front of his jiejie only to show off in front of the love rival- I"M CRYING- green-tea alert!!!
  • The way bbg was smiling when she was helping him and complimenting him.
• "Your sister likes it" ML:
• Bro keeps trying to be the ML, but FL ain't having it, lmfao. You're not giving any piggyback rides
• I think their height gap counts as long distance, no? Like she's a head shorter than bro even with the tallest platform heels 😭
• This boy is the other woman in a harem political drama, ISTG. "omggggggg, FLLLLLL- I'm locked out of my houuuuuuuse, and they definitely can't fix it tonight, nope, only tomorrow :( Can I sleep over?" -Bro never even made that call, did he? He just pretended to talk with someone.
• Wait... he's wearing her clothes? They really did somehow reverse every cliche. He looks so cute 🥺
• She hit him in the ankle with those blocky monstrosities!!! She does NOT fear a twisted ankle; twisted ankles fear her! RIP bro- scene of her applying ointment to the inevitable bruise when?
• Boy should make up his mind if he wants to be the FL or the ML 'cause rn he's playing both and it's bothering me. Either you're the badass that throws wall-slams around like freebies, or you're the scheming green-tea, PICK A LANE!!!
• Not the notepad full of just her name 😭 Boy is unwell
• Stop him sneakily stealing the picture of her and being all giddy~ His first crush!
• Bruh, he's so cute watching the fireworks and watching her set up the camera. AWW
• Not her putting bro on the spot with the comedian 😭 I would throw hands
• And not her trying to trick him into telling her his wish!!!! "Haven't you never blown birthday candles before... where'd you hear that?" LMFAO
• "Can't you say anything other than "thank you" and "sorry"?" "Yes I can" "Then say it" AND HE HIDES HIS FACE  aaaaaaaaaaaaaa
• Pale colours look SO good on him. Extra cuteness

Ep 13

• That poor doctor was so confused... he thought Li Wu and Cen Jin were actual blood relatives... No wonder he was 🤨 every time ML was competing with him...  LMFAAOO. This poor man 
• Mr Dr quoting Kung Fu PANDAAAAA FUCK YEEEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!!
• Can I just say how much I appreciate ML's stylist showing off his snatched waist? Those high-rise pants sitting over his hips look *chefs kiss*
• Man is too high-functioning for an insomniac. Where are bro's dark circles? His mood swings? His sleepiness??? His "nah later" tude- CMON (and as I say that... the sleeping beauty falls asleep while working, lmao)
  • also istg if the aromatherapy fixes his insomnia, I'm finna be pissed asf (and totally not jealous).
  • He grabbed onto her pinky... I REPEAT HE GRABBED ONTO HER PINKY!!!
• The hell kinda fitness program do they have going on in bro's school? LMFAO- Also, just cover your moobies with your clothes, it's fiiiine. If this were present-day Li Wu I'd think he did it on purpose... 
  • NOT FL STRUGGLING NOT TO STARE 😭 That's not very gentlewoman of you, FL!!
  • Them cutting to FL being all nonchalant and ML leaning dramatically against the wall like a maiden dying of embarrassment because her purity was compromised is giving me life
• "It's not a man, it's Li Wu" - Li Wu:
  
• Also, can I just say how freely FL overshares everything about everyone to everyone 😭 Girl needs to learn the art of stfu
• ML being extra shy when being pampered by all of FL's family... Awwwww

Some kinda general observations about the drama thus far:

I was honestly expecting way more drama than I'm getting. Like, it's pretty smooth sailing. Maybe the drama will come like a storm in the coming few episodes, but it's kinda weird that there's not really any antagonistic force at all. Both leads excel at everything they do and aren't really held back by anything. ML a little bit because of his trauma, but even that doesn't impact him nearly as much as one would think (or as much as I would hope, lol). Even in the future, the only actual obstacle is ML's insomnia and headaches, both of which don't seem to actually affect him to any significant capacity. He was angy at her for a while, but it's all good now.

And when issues DO arise, they're solved within the episode or within two episodes max (like ML's bullying arc). I was expecting FL's mother to be an antagonistic force. At least in the beginning, but no. Even FL's ex was barely an inconvenience. The first couple of episodes were kinda deceiving because it looks like it's gonna be angstier than it ends up being. Like, I don't mean hardcore everyone-crying all the time angst, but idk... some issues? Some hardships? Even Nothing But You had more?

Edit: It's honestly not even the angst, tbh. It's just that things seem to happen, and then that's it. Like a slice-of-life drama but less intentional. The beginning did this well, where things were intentional and impactful, but now it kinda feels like they're just doing things, and we watch them do things, but they never really let us linger too long on these things, lest we get bored, so it's just a lot of things without much build-up or payoff. Tbh Nothing But You also had this, but it also had the sports theme to anchor it and bring a consistent wave of conflicts and drama that this drama just doesn't have. Idk if that made sense or if I got my point across, but yeah- yknow- something's off 

Wonder if the book is like this too or if this was something lost in adaptation.

And another mostly irrelevant but bothering me thing... FL's outfits. I just hate them. I hate those crusty Chanel-esque cropped jackets with PASSION, and her constantly wearing mini shorts and skirts even in professional settings looks really infantile for her character. Like it's NOT giving corporate businesswoman in her 30s, it's giving "this is my first job, and I'm 19" or, hate to say it, vertical drama... 

Lastly, the music is... getting old. I'm starting to mute the drama when they come up. Maybe I should continue on YouTube 'cause I think I prefer the absence of audio over hearing the same two songs 5 times per episode. 😭 I'm not even halfway throuuugh

 KoreanLatina:

Love this ! looking to join

Glad to have you, welcome to the club!! Be sure to take a look around if you haven't already and grab a fun badge from the index! Hope you enjoy your stay with us ❣️

Hi! I'd like to join.
:)

 Arclei:

Li Wu is (so young, his first crush, and FRESHLY recovering from that shitstorm of a family).

Hence my "abandoning a puppy on the outskirts of town" comparison :(

 Arclei:

Even in RoTaR, the women were mostly arrogant. The world was at least trying to be a matriarchy, but not there. 

Very true. I'll give it that. 

 Arclei:

Like women can't have fun even in games?!?!

Wow, sucked into a game you couldn't even "play" in 😔

I started a non-RR that looked like it was going to be interesting since the princess (or empress?) was a playgirl, but she literally died on top of a man from lust, so she could be reborn and be puritanical, I guess. I rolled my eyes and turned it right off. 

 Arclei:

I guess some RR is fine as long as women don't expect to actually hold power in the world. Dominating your man is one thing, but ruling? Please, know your place- typa deal

Wild, but wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

 Arclei:

Can't wait for you to check out the vertical matriarchy drama and see what you think of it.

Which one should I start with again? Sorry, I forgot 😅

 Arclei:

Moonlit Reunion

Isn't this the one where everyone died in the end? :-o

 Arclei:

when faced with someone who hates him for who he is, he breaks, and suddenly the confidence slips away, and all that's left is the scared young boy from his past.

I can't wait to start this. It sounds so good!

 Arclei:

Also drafting a fic,

Pleaaaasssseeee drop that link when you're done!

 Arclei:

But I made gifsets... Paying Feb rent to @Potato

Ahem, thank you 🥸

LOVE the gif of Li Wu wearing the blindfold. 

Did you stop at ep 13? I need your reactions to when they start dating 🥲 Li Wu is soooo bewildered and cute. It's like he can't believe his luck. 

 Arclei:

What about y'all? Anyone watching anything interesting?

Finished My Dragon Girlfriend, and it was a solid, fun RR watch. ML turns into a nagging wife, and starts acting like the pearl he swallowed at the beginning is a baby to get FL to come home and spend time with him XD I know Arclei's gonna love that.

Also watched Fu Ren Ta Zhuan Zhi Bu Fu (Wrapped the Playboy Around My Finger)

FL is an assassin who marries a rich, whiny playboy to reclaim her mother's company. I wasn't expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised and entertained.

• FL is stoic and physically strong af
• ML is emotional and bratty (it's the type of brattiness I don't like, but his earnestness won me over)
• ML thinks FL is pretty, but is petulant and intimidated by her
• His friends are scared of her too and listen to her over him XD
• FL gives him a curfew and if he's not home in time, she will go out and get him with her sword strapped to her back
• ML falls first and harder 

A solid RR watch, and there's a sequel that just came out.

Finished Weeds Are Thriving Unchecked, which is basically the vertical ver. of Sniper Butterfly with some differences. It had massive potential, but it ended up being just okay. There were some surprisingly tender, sweet moments, but the writing and the incredibly choppy editing (guess that carried over from the official version 💀) stopped it from being good. I mean, the editing was so bad, it gave me whiplash going from scene to scene. 

And lastly, the drama that broke my heart and will break Arclei's too:

By now, everyone in this club probably knows Xue Zi Qi is one of my favorite vertical actresses. I can't shut up about her because she plays domineering FLs so well in RRs! So, I was beyond excited when I saw her new drama, and that excitement just grew when I read the unique premise:

Xue Yan, after suffering a double blow from her boyfriend Gu Yanshen's "betrayal" and her career setbacks, unexpectedly begins a flirtatious relationship with her long-lost junior, Ji Chuan. She had initially thought him to be impoverished, but he turns out to be her ex-boyfriend's long-lost younger brother! Even more strangely, Gu Yanshen and Ji Chuan develop a "sympathy"—if one is attracted, the other can sense it.

I'm telling you, I almost screamed. My favorite RR actress was going to be in a RR jiejie romance where if she's making out & man-handling one brother, the other can feel it?????!!!! Who answered my prayers? What genius is responsible for this unique plot for once?! I clicked play immediately, anxious to watch it and gush about it on here. 

But I quickly realized the drama wasn't RR 😭😩 I was going to try and push past that for the sake of Zi Qi and the interesting plot, but the execution was frustrating.  It had a lot of things I didn't like: FL getting choked, tied up, and over-powered. And nonsensical characters with nonsensical motives and plans. I was sooooo bummed because the scenes where she was with one brother and the other was feeling it were nicely done! If this had been an RR with somewhat decent writing, we could've had something EPIC on our hands!!! The only other time I've seen a similar plot in a vertical was a FL having a stuffed animal that she kissed or punched, and it was somehow connected to a rich CEO who could feel it. But no...the whole production team fumbled massively. My heart is broken. 

If anyone would still like to give it a try, be my guest. I'll pass along the link with full audio since the drama didn't have a MDL page the last time I checked.

 dindin:

about Sniper Butterfly- in the book there's no 6 year time jump, they get together at the end of his first year in uni and get married basically as soon as it's legal.

Oh wow...Book Cen Jin wasn't wasting no time 😳 

I like how it was handled in the drama, but I can't make any final verdicts since I haven't read the novel. 

 dindin:

(except for the sex scenes that start about two thirds in).

🥴

I shouldn't be surprised. And yet...