Dr3amyBubbl3gum

A word of clarification, if I may! The source material for this adaptation is the gay web novel and not the movie "The Dude in Me"

The production team made it abundantly clear that their source of inspiration was the gay web novel. Despite professing interest in the web novel's story and characters, the seduction of monetary profit proved too powerful for them and they committed the heinous act of expunging the gay elements: https://m.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2024022007010001273

"The BL genre faces limitations in terms of production costs, investment, and financial returns. So, we aimed to explore the concept of the project as a bromance"

"They enjoyed the story and characters from the novel [the original work], which motivated them to move forward with the drama adaptation"

https://x.com/BLUPDATE2022/status/1761240687729950917

"The team initially found the premise of the webtoon interesting and attempted to adapt it into a bromance. However, they ultimately changed course due to the ongoing challenge of ensuring commercial success"

@roddib is lying. The production team made it abundantly clear that their source of inspiration was the gay web novel. Despite professing interest in the web novel's story and characters, the seduction of monetary profit proved too powerful for them and they committed the heinous act of expunging the gay elements: https://m.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2024022007010001273

"The BL genre faces limitations in terms of production costs, investment, and financial returns. So, we aimed to explore the concept of the project as a bromance"

"They enjoyed the story and characters from the novel [the original work], which motivated them to move forward with the drama adaptation"

https://x.com/BLUPDATE2022/status/1761240687729950917

"The team initially found the premise of the webtoon interesting and attempted to adapt it into a bromance. However, they ultimately changed course due to the ongoing challenge of ensuring commercial success"

"Especially after the hatred the lead received for getting married"

The primary impetus behind the decision to censor the gay elements was financial gain and not a desire to placate those sentiments

The solution isn't to erase gay stories. We should focus on keeping actors' private lives private and promoting healthier attitudes among fans. Adult BL fans generally understand that actors are individuals with lives separate from the characters they depict on screen

You've identified the heart of the matter. The production team made it abundantly clear that their source of inspiration was the gay web novel. Despite professing interest in the web novel's story and characters, the seduction of monetary profit proved too powerful for them and they committed the heinous act of expunging the gay elements: https://m.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2024022007010001273

"The BL genre faces limitations in terms of production costs, investment, and financial returns. So, we aimed to explore the concept of the project as a bromance"

"They enjoyed the story and characters from the novel [the original work], which motivated them to move forward with the drama adaptation"

https://x.com/BLUPDATE2022/status/1761240687729950917

"The team initially found the premise of the webtoon interesting and attempted to adapt it into a bromance. However, they ultimately changed course due to the ongoing challenge of ensuring commercial success"

The production team made it abundantly clear that their source of inspiration was the gay web novel. Despite professing interest in the web novel's story and characters, the seduction of monetary profit proved too powerful for them and they committed the heinous act of expunging the gay elements: https://m.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2024022007010001273

"The BL genre faces limitations in terms of production costs, investment, and financial returns. So, we aimed to explore the concept of the project as a bromance"

"They enjoyed the story and characters from the novel [the original work], which motivated them to move forward with the drama adaptation"

https://x.com/BLUPDATE2022/status/1761240687729950917

"The team initially found the premise of the webtoon interesting and attempted to adapt it into a bromance. However, they ultimately changed course due to the ongoing challenge of ensuring commercial success"

The term "prequel" is a misnomer. A prequel is a story that precedes and sets up the events of a previous narrative, whereas this censored adaptation robs the narrative of its intended romantic trajectory altogether. A setup for future events is absent, reducing the romantic potential of the male leads to a heteronormative "bromance"

I believe that the censorship of even minor gay romances is outrageous. The censorship isn't a matter of removing a minor plot point, it's a reflection of a homophobic society that devalues gay people and their experiences

Don't worry about it, sometimes people's explanations can be more confusing than the plot itself

The novel's story primarily centered around the tragic fate of a bullied gay individual (Yi Heon) and the ramifications of societal discrimination that resulted in his demise

Nonetheless, the story was imbued with romantic sentiment between Yi Heon and Se Kyung, before and after the soul-swapping

The BL element wasn't the main focus, but it was present. It's an LGB-oriented story with slight romance, and it's the decision to censor the sexuality of the characters as well as their romantic relationship that incited frustration among fans of the novel

The seed of Se Kyung's feelings for Yi Heon was sown prior to the soul-swapping incident. When the 47-year-old's soul briefly occupied Yi Heon's corporeal form, Se Kyung noticed a change in Yi Heon's demeanor and mannerisms. The change deterred him from entering into a romantic bond with Yi Heon until the reestablishment of his original soul

After Yi Heon's soul returned to his body, Se Kyung's feelings for him rekindled and the two of them were able to pursue a relationship

It wasn't a BL between a 19-year-old and a 47-year-old, it was a BL between the 19-year-old and his classmate

Fetish: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/fetish

1. a sexual interest in an object or a part of the body other than the sexual organs
2. an interest in an activity or object that makes someone spend an unreasonable amount of time doing it or thinking about it

Someone who uses the pejorative term "fetishizer" to describe BL fans/gay media fans, spending an unreasonable amount of time denigrating their tastes, is harboring a fixation on the subject matter that can be deemed as a form of fetishism

From a medical standpoint, fetishism is characterized by the sexualization of non-sexual objects or body parts. Having an interest in the media depictions of two men or two women engaged in a romantic/sexual relationship doesn't meet the criteria for fetishism. The relationship is sexual in nature

To accuse BL fans/gay media fans of a fetish is thus, misguided and a projection of one's own fixations

They said they are a "fangirl." They are projecting their insecurities onto us

"Oh, you disagree with me? You must be a "fangirl," that's the only explanation!"

"I am fangirl"
"U literally are a woefully misinformed bl fangirl"

I'm not a "fangirl," I'm a fan. You're using the term "fangirl" to dismiss the gay people who disagree with you or the censorship of gay media

We aren't some woefully misinformed "BL fangirls" and we've been consistently critical of the practice of removing BL parts from adaptations

We didn't "ignore the market realities." We argued that current market realities aren't fair or moral

Change requires pushing against market realities. If everyone accepted the status quo, progress would never be made

The erasure of romantic elements and the establishment of a platonic relationship/bromance between the characters isn't a case of romantic love without physical intimacy. It's an intentional shift to a platonic dynamic

"... a bunch of braindead imbeciles"

This was uncalled for. The pejorative epithets you used to delegitimize our concerns reflect more on your character than they do on the veracity of our position

The cautionary approach to gay representation doesn't adequately account for the potential benefits of gradual exposure and incremental change

It's plausible that exposure, framed in a manner that's culturally sensitive, would be a bridge between marginalized communities and the general public

Adapting a story to be more culturally sensitive doesn't mean reducing the core message to bromance or sismance. The adaptation would preserve its gay essence and focus on the emotional connection between the characters to resonate with the audience

Reducing gay stories to bromances and sismances or advertising them as such robs the community of their stories, stunting growth and weakening the bonds of solidarity in an already hostile environment. We wouldn't feel seen or heard. Our unfulfilled desire for validation and belonging would spiral into a cyclical pattern of self-destructive behaviors, crippling sense of isolation, and suicidal ideation

Though your intention to "protect" us might be well-meaning, your approach risks creating a new set of harmful consequences. Over-representation in a hostile environment can be dangerous, and under-representation can be equally dangerous. You'd be silently erasing a community that's fighting for their place in society

Equality is a battlefield rife with dangers. For change to unfurl its wings, we should step into the fray and embrace the dangers, be it swords or words

"... say you air a bl on national tv"

Likening Korea's cultural landscape to that of China or Muslim countries is an unfair comparison that, ironically, "ignores cultural context and charges ahead with an agenda"

The presence of powerful political or religious figures in China or Muslim countries stymies progress towards equality. Airing BL on national television would be a non-starter here. The situation in Korea isn't as dire

"... it becomes "they are trying to indoctrinate my/our kids into same sex relationship" and that invokes anger.. my goodness how are you failing to see this?"

Over the span of forty years, homophobic fear-mongering has been planted in our collective consciousness. The youth of my nation were and are indoctrinated to believe that gay people are sinful, demonic, and predatory toward children. I believe that nothing worse could occur as a result of increased representation. We have nothing to lose

I'm glad I could help articulate our concerns!

We engage with BL not as detached consumers, but as active participants in a shared storytelling experience that reflects our identities. The erasure or alteration of BL/gay stories in adaptations is a violation of our collective investment. It'd rightfully generate frustration and disappointment

The ban on BL content can't be separated from the existing power structures and cultural attitudes in China. They have a long history of media control and social conformity

Increased media visibility of gay experiences has been shown to reduce prejudice. It's not an "idealistic experiment"

My experience isn't representative of all gay people in my country, I didn't say it was. I said my experience offers a valuable perspective on the potential for change through increased visibility

"... the realities of the market and audience preference"

A profit-first mentality hinders creative freedom. The responsible, moral approach to media production involves a consideration of the impact of our stories and the voices that are amplified or marginalized by them

The targeted audience won't be able to read between the lines and discern subtle hints of homosexuality in the characters' experiences

"Yiheon diary literally says he was bullied for being a "stalker" of a male classmate"

This depiction of homosexuality as synonymous with stalking and predatory behavior reinforces harmful misconceptions about gay people

"They don't need to kiss and screw to show they are a couple"

"Straight" couples are afforded the luxury of expressing their feelings openly. Gay couples are relegated to subtext and ambiguity

Mainstream Kdramas depict "straight" couples kissing or engaging in sexual activities. The double standard of allowing for these scenes between "straight" couples, and censoring them for gay couples is evidence of a larger issue of homophobia

Relying solely on subtext and innuendo is the problem. The culture of silence and secrecy around gay identities is alienating to those of us who are part of the community

Gay couples hold hands, kiss, engage in sexual activities. The call for explicit gay representation isn't a fanciful desire of "BL fangirls." It's a legitimate demand for media to accurately depict the lived experiences of gay people and couples