FairytaleCatastrophe

The drama is overrated. A rating of 8.6 is too generous for what it has to offer

Neither I nor the people in your screenshot claimed to have read the novel. It seems to me they were relaying information that had been shared by others. One of them provided a source you could've used to verify the information

Take a moment to cool down. There's no need for heated exchanges

The character might possess the maturity of an adult (he has an old soul), but his physical body is the body of a high school student. His physical age limits him to teenage social circles and behaviors, making his relationship with another high schooler non-predatory. He's like that one student in class who's mature beyond their years

They didn't lie, they were repeating what they heard from novel readers months ago. It was before the drama was released. The novel readers or their friends claimed that the romance was between og Yi Heon and Se Kyung, and other people believed them without verifying the information

Some people might not find the relationship "gross," everyone has different tastes and perspectives

The 47-year-old character has been reincarnated as a 19-year-old, it's not a relationship with a huge age gap

It’s better to have flawed representation that we can discuss and improve on than no representation at all. No representation is the act of erasing a group from existence. With flawed representation (the BLs you mentioned), we acknowledge gay people's existence and start a conversation about what's wrong or how to fix the representation. Someone gives you a moldy sandwich (flawed representation), and you will say, "this is moldy. Make a better sandwich." If they don't give you any food (any representation), you won't be able to start that conversation. You can't make a better sandwich (good representation) out of nothing

Conservative societies censor and stigmatize gay relationships regardless of age. Trying to fit into the norms won't win acceptance or tolerance for the community

We can agree to disagree

Which Korean BL? Pseudo-incest relationships aren't incest to be as problematic. It'd help to draw parallels between pseudo-incest relationships and childhood sweetheart tropes. Both of these relationship types involve a strong emotional bond between individuals that developed at an early age, and that bond will continue to shape their relationship into adulthood. Are the "childhood sweetheart" relationships depicted in straight stories problematic?

Not all BL fans want a 1:1 adaptation of the source material. Some want to see gay stories and characters represented without censorship or stereotyping

The 47-year-old's soul is in a high schooler's body. It's not a "romance between a 40 years old dude and a high school student." It adds layers of complexity to the relationship and raises important questions about identity and consent

The adaptation didn't have to "romanticize" the relationship between Deuk Pal/Yi Heon and Se Kyung, it could've explored the reasons why the relationship might be problematic and not work out. The approach would've allowed for a more nuanced and thoughtful discussion of the issues than simply glorifying or condemning the relationship

The producers decided to make changes to the story, they could've taken the opportunity to address the problematic elements and not completely remove the relationship

The phrase "two wrongs don’t make a right" is used to suggest that there’s a wrong in media (straight relationships with problematic age gaps) and we shouldn’t do more "wrongs" by depicting similar relationships with gay couples. It oversimplifies the issue, we should be addressing all problematic relationships in media, you're focusing on and censoring one type

The truth is, some queer people want fair representation. The representation includes stories that might be considered "problematic" by some standards, but are valuable and important as long as they’re told thoughtfully and respectfully. The adaptation didn't have to "romanticize" the relationship between Deuk Pal/Yi Heon and Se Kyung, it could've explored the reasons why the relationship might be problematic and not work out. The approach would've allowed for a more nuanced and thoughtful discussion of the issues than simply glorifying or condemning the relationship

The producers decided to make changes to the story, they could've taken the opportunity to address the problematic elements and not completely remove the relationship

It’s better to have flawed representation that we can discuss and improve on than no representation at all. No representation is the act of erasing a group from existence. With flawed representation, we acknowledge the group's existence and start a conversation about what's wrong or how to fix the representation. Someone gives you a moldy sandwich (flawed representation), and you will say, "this is moldy. Make a better sandwich." If they don't give you any food (any representation), you won't be able to start that conversation. You can't make a better sandwich (good representation) out of nothing

Conservative societies censor and stigmatize gay relationships regardless of age. Trying to fit into the norms won't win acceptance or tolerance for the community

"If the age of his victim/s made you feel more uncomfortable?"

The girl sold her body, and I don't support prostitution to be comfortable with it. Girls and women are put in a position where they feel they have to sell their bodies to get roles or advance their careers. Men don’t typically face the pressure. This kind of exploitation is harmful and dehumanizing for girls and women. In the story, Se Kyung wasn’t faced with the same situation. And being 17-19 (age of consent is 16) meant he was likely capable of consenting to the relationship with Deuk Pal/Yi Heon, another teenager

The community has been excluded from mainstream media and representation, so there's a tendency to want to protect the existing content even if it has problematic elements

We can work to address problematic elements without censoring them, with education, dialogue, and critical analysis. Censorship isn't always the solution to problematic media

"For the love of god is a drama and fiction"

To the people who are calling everyone a "certified pedo" for opposing the censorship, the relationship between a teenager with an old soul and a teenager is fictional. Demanding censorship is excessive, considering that there are problematic relationships depicted in straight media that weren't and aren't censored. Don't call us "pedos" or make assumptions about our intentions or character based on our opinions about a fictional relationship, thanks

The "Twilight" series sold millions of copies worldwide, and it's been translated into dozens of languages. It's spawned a successful film franchise and a devoted fanbase. I'd say it's popular

I brought these examples up because people are quick to dismiss criticism and ignore the negative parts of straight media. They are much more quick to call out problematic behavior in gay media and demand censorship

Problematic straight media wasn't and isn't censored, this particular drama shouldn't have been censored either

It's important to have positive, healthy representation of gay relationships in the media, but I wouldn't censor the gay relationships that aren't perfect or healthy

Relationships are complicated, and love isn't always easy

"What’s your take on the actor of Deuk Pal’s boss and his crimes?"

I don't care about the actor or what he did anymore. He's been punished, the situation has been dealt with

The question you should ask yourselves is why a 35+-year-old "flirting" with a teenage boy wasn't censored, and this drama was

You care about censoring "creepy" relationships, why not start with the "18 Again" one that was creepy? Spam in its comment section that the "pedophilia" should've been censored. At least in this story, both characters were physically teenagers and it's not as clear cut

You're worried about creepy age gaps or elements in media? Ban/censor Disney princess movies. The princes were at least 20-30, the princesses were barely old enough to vote. For example, Sleeping Beauty's 16-year-old princess was betrothed to a 20-year-old prince since birth and "kissed" (sexually assaulted) unconscious by him. The girl's life was planned out before she learned to walk. In the original Italian version (Sun, Moon, and Talia), Aurora was awakened by repeated rape and gave birth to two children while unconscious. Creepy, right?

Don't get me started on the popular "Twilight" franchise. Edward was a centenarian hitting on a high schooler. Suddenly, it's a fantasy gay story with a reincarnation twist that you want to censor. That's a whole lot of homophobia disguised as fake moral outrage. The fantasy story was no creepier than half the straight stories that have been written and adapted

Instead of cheering on the censorship brigade, you people should've told the producers to pick and adapt a story that meets your "not creepy" criteria, or better yet, write their own. They're the ones who decided to profit off a "creepy" story

U shut up & let people comment what they want

The officers have better things to do than debate which fictional characters are getting together. They have real crimes to solve and streets to patrol

Throwing around the term "pedophilia" like it's confetti at a parade trivializes the experiences of the survivors of the heinous crime. A 47-year-old person's soul in a teen body dating another teen is a fictional scenario that, while unconventional, doesn't warrant the label of pedophilia. Please be conscientious in your use of language. Diluting the meaning of this powerful word is a disservice to those who have suffered from pedophilia in reality

"They are against a 47 year old meeting young women but, they are okay with a 47 yr old dating a 17 year old boy"

You believe Deuk Pal dating Se Kyung in college is grooming. Then him "dating" college girls is grooming and no better. He's an old soul trapped in a young body. The college girls wouldn't stand a chance against his ancient skills and experiences. They are beginner-level humans, vulnerable to manipulation and unable to match Deuk Pal's level of mental maturity

It's literally not a crime

You believe Deuk Pal dating Se Kyung in college is grooming. Then him "dating" college girls is grooming and no better. He's an old soul trapped in a young body. The college girls wouldn't stand a chance against his ancient skills and experiences. They are beginner-level humans, vulnerable to manipulation and unable to match Deuk Pal's level of mental maturity