Another "FU" to BL fans is that the one m/m kiss in the series is actually a m/f kiss.
I've concluded that this director must just love subverting genres. Based on her MDL bio she wrote for the series 'The Girl From Nowhere ' and will be writing again for its Season 2. That show's 'twilight zone' aesthetic is perfect for her, but it makes me wonder why anybody thought she could direct a romantic comedy.
It's so frustrating when you consider what a classic this could have been.
I admire Eun Woo's performance in Gangnam Beauty although I know many do not.
Until I saw that series I'd seen him featured only in roles where he either literally played himself or at least played a character very much like himself -- someone upbeat and outgoing.
It wouldn't surprise me if he took the role as Kyung Suk mainly because it did provide him with the challenge of playing someone utterly unlike himself.
Everyone's definition of good acting varies, of course, but I think a performance that's given over to big emotional scenes is what usually captures the praise. (Shin Hye Sun in 'Thirty But Seventeen' will always be my go-to example of a non-stop and exhausting emotional performance that loses all effectiveness due to its lack of nuance -- yet based on the series' MDL page most other people think it's brilliant.)
Meanwhile, a convincing portrayal of a inward and reserved character who's been deeply wounded by his upbringing gets dismissed as 'stiff' and 'unrealistic'. ("Why would he have any issues with being judged by his looks? Look at how handsome he is!")
So, while Kyung Suk isn't a character bursting with big 'behaviors' that grab your attention, over the course of the series I think he evolves convincingly into someone who is able to trust that another person will love him for who he is rather than how beautiful he is. I'll take this kind of drama over big crying scenes and bug-eyed, hyped-up emotions any day, and I hope that Eun Woo will continue to challenge himself with such varied roles.
I like how JJ and MY didn't gloat during high school when it looked like Tang Can didn't get that acting role she'd been hoping for, or continue antagonizing her when she later reappeared in their lives. In fact they all became so close that they became roommates.
In the real world that's what decent and kind people do -- they grow up and allow for the mistakes in the past. It's nice to see this here when in other dramas those situations would probably be exploited much differently.
wait..... I thought Ming Yue Like Zi Qiu but she like Ling Xiao. I feel bad for ZQ.
If she thinks that LX will return her feelings then she is delusional to the extreme. She has just spent 9 years updating him on JJ's daily doings, and I'm sure that included reporting whether JJ was dating anyone. That's not a "brotherly" interest.
1/4 was them checking off a list of complaint and explaining themselves and walking things back.
I find that I kinda respect it too! There's this touch of earnestness to it that even makes me feel a little guilty for being so critical of the main season.
My ideal way for them to address the high five would be for S and T to be just about to do another one but then stop short, look each other in the eye skeptically, and say something like, "Nah, let's not do that."
I was part of the hate brigade for the main series but that was because my high expectations had been crushed so decisively. For these episodes my expectations are set much lower, plus I sense they really do want to make amends for parts of Season One. (When Green interrogated Sarawat about why he hugged Pam and didn't go to the hospital with Tine, I just about died.)
Just out of curiosity. Not arguing, not judging. Just want to know your point of view.Why do you prefer them being…
It's because they are essentially saying that being predisposed to attraction to "any" man (provided he has the right personality, etc.) is bad. They specifically want to avoid that association.
Everything you say about being loyal to your partner is true, but what's being conveyed here isn't as nuanced as that. When these characters say "I'm not gay, I'm just gay for him", it's always done in a defensive manner, to stop any further thought that they might be gay or bi. The focus is on what they are *not*, rather than what they *are*.
Imagine if the dialog had gone something like:
"Tau, I had no idea that you liked men!" "I had no idea either. But something about Otep touched me in a way I'd never been touched before." "Does this mean you're gay or bi?" "I'm not sure. When those feelings for Otep started they were very new to me. All I know is that I love him and that no other man -- or woman -- has ever made me feel this way."
This dialog would leave open the possibility that Tau could love other men besides Otep and avoid making it sound bad if that were to happen. (It also leaves open the possibility that he might *not* ever love another man, and that the feelings are uniquely about Otep -- which is what I think you're referring to in your comment.)
For BL, I think we may be entering an era where it's no longer worthwhile or necessary to support every single series that comes out. Because that's what I sense people (including me) have been doing over the past few months as the number of new series explodes.
Now comes 'My Day'. As I've watched the first two episodes I've wondered if the cast did any kind of workshopping where they had to delve into the persona of their characters and understand their motivations, hopes, fears, life history, etc. Because instead of characterizations, all we see is people "behaving" in order to create new "situations" at the whim of the writers.
For example, Sky is supposed to be a top student, but we watch him indifferently checking his phone while the president of the company is there to greet the new employees. Is that really how a top student would act? Or even a mediocre student? The screenwriters are so eager to engineer a confrontation between the two that they resort to a completely unbelievable scenario for it to happen.
At another point Sky has done more than enough to get himself thrown out of the internship and he goes to Ace's office to beg for one more chance. What does the script have him do? Well, just that: beg. "Please, please, please!" And that's it! Couldn't Sky's appeal for mercy have included something about himself or his family that could have a visible impact on Ace, making it the first moment where the new employee has stirred him in a way that nobody else has?
I will watch the next couple of episodes in the hope that things settle down and a real story begins. All I know so far is that this series is such a big mess on so many levels that it makes me fear it's just a cash grab to exploit BL's skyrocketing popularity.
I hope in Ronin's case being attracted to guys isn't limited just to the one guy he likes. Let him be comfortably gay or bi, please! Honestly, if that couple also plays the 'I'm not gay, I'm just gay for you' card, my rating for this series will drop by two points -- one for each use of that stupid dodge haha. However, the fact that he's never dated a girl gives me hope.
Meanwhile, can I also say that Jet is hotness on a whole other level ... yum! Can't wait to see more of him.
ano po ba ang ibig sabhin ng technical difficulties? Im actually disappointed with these 3 current BL shows -…
I think 'My Engineer' squeezed in some extra episodes too? I know one of the recent Thai series did it, I just can't remember which one.
Sometimes there's a danger of this tactic backfiring by stretching already-thin material to the breaking point, but in every instance I've seen the increase in episodes is done for fan service, adding soft and cute scenes that aren't really related to the main narrative but get the 'Likes' and chatter on social media.
In addition to extra episodes there's also the phenomenon of the 'special episodes' that air after a drama has concluded. Those often have no plot at all. :)
I guess we have to keep in mind that these series need to make money so that their production companies can bring us more of them in the future. If they succeed in bumping up the ratings a little that probably benefits us all in the long run.
For the series itself it can definitely lead to some eye-rolling moments, though. <3
5 
6 
2 
I've concluded that this director must just love subverting genres. Based on her MDL bio she wrote for the series 'The Girl From Nowhere ' and will be writing again for its Season 2. That show's 'twilight zone' aesthetic is perfect for her, but it makes me wonder why anybody thought she could direct a romantic comedy.
It's so frustrating when you consider what a classic this could have been.
Until I saw that series I'd seen him featured only in roles where he either literally played himself or at least played a character very much like himself -- someone upbeat and outgoing.
It wouldn't surprise me if he took the role as Kyung Suk mainly because it did provide him with the challenge of playing someone utterly unlike himself.
Everyone's definition of good acting varies, of course, but I think a performance that's given over to big emotional scenes is what usually captures the praise. (Shin Hye Sun in 'Thirty But Seventeen' will always be my go-to example of a non-stop and exhausting emotional performance that loses all effectiveness due to its lack of nuance -- yet based on the series' MDL page most other people think it's brilliant.)
Meanwhile, a convincing portrayal of a inward and reserved character who's been deeply wounded by his upbringing gets dismissed as 'stiff' and 'unrealistic'. ("Why would he have any issues with being judged by his looks? Look at how handsome he is!")
So, while Kyung Suk isn't a character bursting with big 'behaviors' that grab your attention, over the course of the series I think he evolves convincingly into someone who is able to trust that another person will love him for who he is rather than how beautiful he is. I'll take this kind of drama over big crying scenes and bug-eyed, hyped-up emotions any day, and I hope that Eun Woo will continue to challenge himself with such varied roles.
In the real world that's what decent and kind people do -- they grow up and allow for the mistakes in the past. It's nice to see this here when in other dramas those situations would probably be exploited much differently.
My ideal way for them to address the high five would be for S and T to be just about to do another one but then stop short, look each other in the eye skeptically, and say something like, "Nah, let's not do that."
Everything you say about being loyal to your partner is true, but what's being conveyed here isn't as nuanced as that. When these characters say "I'm not gay, I'm just gay for him", it's always done in a defensive manner, to stop any further thought that they might be gay or bi. The focus is on what they are *not*, rather than what they *are*.
Imagine if the dialog had gone something like:
"Tau, I had no idea that you liked men!"
"I had no idea either. But something about Otep touched me in a way I'd never been touched before."
"Does this mean you're gay or bi?"
"I'm not sure. When those feelings for Otep started they were very new to me. All I know is that I love him and that no other man -- or woman -- has ever made me feel this way."
This dialog would leave open the possibility that Tau could love other men besides Otep and avoid making it sound bad if that were to happen. (It also leaves open the possibility that he might *not* ever love another man, and that the feelings are uniquely about Otep -- which is what I think you're referring to in your comment.)
Now comes 'My Day'. As I've watched the first two episodes I've wondered if the cast did any kind of workshopping where they had to delve into the persona of their characters and understand their motivations, hopes, fears, life history, etc. Because instead of characterizations, all we see is people "behaving" in order to create new "situations" at the whim of the writers.
For example, Sky is supposed to be a top student, but we watch him indifferently checking his phone while the president of the company is there to greet the new employees. Is that really how a top student would act? Or even a mediocre student? The screenwriters are so eager to engineer a confrontation between the two that they resort to a completely unbelievable scenario for it to happen.
At another point Sky has done more than enough to get himself thrown out of the internship and he goes to Ace's office to beg for one more chance. What does the script have him do? Well, just that: beg. "Please, please, please!" And that's it! Couldn't Sky's appeal for mercy have included something about himself or his family that could have a visible impact on Ace, making it the first moment where the new employee has stirred him in a way that nobody else has?
I will watch the next couple of episodes in the hope that things settle down and a real story begins. All I know so far is that this series is such a big mess on so many levels that it makes me fear it's just a cash grab to exploit BL's skyrocketing popularity.
Meanwhile, can I also say that Jet is hotness on a whole other level ... yum! Can't wait to see more of him.
Sometimes there's a danger of this tactic backfiring by stretching already-thin material to the breaking point, but in every instance I've seen the increase in episodes is done for fan service, adding soft and cute scenes that aren't really related to the main narrative but get the 'Likes' and chatter on social media.
In addition to extra episodes there's also the phenomenon of the 'special episodes' that air after a drama has concluded. Those often have no plot at all. :)
I guess we have to keep in mind that these series need to make money so that their production companies can bring us more of them in the future. If they succeed in bumping up the ratings a little that probably benefits us all in the long run.
For the series itself it can definitely lead to some eye-rolling moments, though. <3
There might not be much of a plot -- maybe each episode will have its own little conflict that gets resolved by the end, like in a regular TV sitcom.
Honestly, though, after getting baited and bent over by The Shipper I feel a lot more charitable toward 2gether.