If you are looking for another high school “light romance” where a queer character exists in a BL bubble -…
Every time a gay romance doesn’t involve a marathon of misery or endless straight distractions, people like you call it a "BL bubble." Are you allergic to the idea of gay couples being happy on screen?
Our gay couple received just enough screen time to prove they made it past the homophobic guillotine of society/entertainment industry, but not enough to leave a dent in the plot. Their story was an optional extra in the producers' cut. Remove their scenes, and the rest of the story plays out the same
I think the producers, screen writers, and director were probably really interested in telling a queer story honoring…
A significant portion of those who find this drama disagreeable are "queer" themselves
"I think they understood the assignment, and knocked it out of the park"
They submitted the assignment with the same effort and understanding as a student who fills in random bubbles on a multiple-choice test and hopes for the best
"I am NOT sorry that we got the story we did, because I think it is something so much BETTER"
Better for whom? You? Watching yet another straight story play out on-screen is not only uninspiring but also alienating for some of us gay people
The source material's story is a beautiful exploration of different gay relationships. The drama, however, is a shallow version that overlooks the nuances of the source material
“The queer experience this show references is that for queer teens ... it may not be SAFE to come out, let alone simple or easy"
You're limiting gay stories to those of fear and silence, and denying gay people the agency to define their experiences. We're not passive victims. We're active agents capable of love, happiness, and self-determination
“It is through the side characters and in contrast to the het couples that we can see the depth of Heesu and Seung Won‘s experience and their struggles"
Insisting that a gay story requires comparison to a straight story to convey its depth and meaning underestimates the value of gay stories and experiences. Such absence of logic would suggest that e.g., The Mona Lisa's genius and beauty can only be understood when placed next to a child's scribbles. E.g., The Mona Lisa speaks for itself. And a gay story should be able to speak for itself
Gay experiences aren't defined in relation to straight ones. They can stand on their own merits without relying on heteronormative context for validation
"Sometimes the queer experience includes seeing where others have privilege and you don’t" "... than pandering to an audience of het women fetishizing queer relationships"
You're partaking in a similar fetishization of straight relationships and "queer" struggles. It's disingenuous of you to condemn straight identifying women's so-called "fetishization" of gay relationships
"This adaptatwtion chose to tell a bigger story, and that story couldn’t have been told in the BL bubble"
The thing inflated in the adaptation is the ego of the producers. They zoomed out far to blur the gay romance and dilute it
“BL bubble," also known as the one genre that centers gay romance and happiness. I'm happy in there
"They had to include additional characters and elements than what was in the manhwa"
Why not channel that into writing their dreary, predominantly straight stories from scratch? They can't straightwash or defile existing happy gay stories and get away with it
These shippers have gotten so toxic... first here, and now they’re coming for Lee Jun Young on X 🤡 like,…
Who's going after Lee Jun Young and why? Is there a reason?
The once-small discussion about shipping spiraled out of control when numerous anti-shipping comments flooded in. To restore the original flow, everyone would have to redirect the conversation from shipping to the plot
There’s nothing to interpret lol you’re making up things that just aren’t canon in any way
I was impressed by OP's ability to engage in thoughtful, respectful conversations in the comment section
OP's comment: "I want to be super clear that my intention was not to invalidate queer interpretations or say that Suho and Sieun couldn’t be read as in love. I also agree that friendship and love can exist on a spectrum and that friends can absolutely fall in love
But what I was trying to say with my original post was clarify the specific language and framing choices made by the director. I was not trying to shut down the possibility of queerness. There’s definitely a difference between what’s coded, what’s intended, and what’s interpreted and I think all three can exist at once"
No, we don't make everything about sex and sexuality when teens are involved.
"Hierarchy" and "Chastity High" are examples of "straight" high school dramas that incorporated kisses, nudity, and explicit scenes. They're centered around "sex," "sexuality," and "teen pregnancy," and they haven't been censored, banned, or held accountable for sexualizing teenagers. What explains the lack of response?
There’s an inconsistency in how people react to teenage stories. "Straight" high school stories fit within social norms and are well-received. People are okay with "boy meets girl, boy goes out with girl, boy kisses girl." The same exploration of sexuality between same-sex teenage characters is met with greater disapproval and controversy, revealing an underlying prejudice against non-straight identities and relationships
That's Jihoon-Hyunwook shippers, not Suho-Sieun. Please make the distinction even if they seem the same to you.…
I have my theory. With the recent availability of "Weak Hero Class 1 & 2" on Netflix, the fandom has expanded to include new viewers who aren't familiar with the fan culture we've had since 2022. We might've caught them off guard. That'd explain the increased backlash to our ships or the director’s confirmation
Another possibility is that they kept their opinions under their hat for years. The hat got too small in season 2 and their opinions burst out
Long-time fans of the male leads' dynamics welcome the exploration of non-canonical relationships or the what-ifs and could-have-beens of fanfiction. Canon scratched the surface of what's possible. And there's more to a story than what's shown on screen. Others haven't adjusted to those non-canonical deviations yet
"... you’re making up things that just aren’t canon in any way"
Canon isn't some kind of sacred text. It's one version of the author’s imagination, and the pop culture equivalent of a mass delusion you've agreed to play along with. Shipping is our version of that. Neither is real. And everyone's playing make-believe/making things up. Shippers are just having more fun with it
Your flavor of fiction isn't morally superior to another
There’s nothing to “choose” though lol they’re canonically not romantic with each other. Shipping in the…
Canon isn't some kind of sacred text. It's one version of the author’s imagination, and the pop culture equivalent of a mass delusion you've agreed to play along with. Shipping is our version of that. Neither is real. And everyone's playing make-believe/making things up. Shippers are just having more fun with it
Your flavor of fiction isn't morally superior to another
That's Jihoon-Hyunwook shippers, not Suho-Sieun. Please make the distinction even if they seem the same to you.…
A common trend among these fans is to coddle celebrities. They treat celebrities as helpless children in need of protection from shippers
They imagine themselves getting shipped and project their discomfort onto celebrities, basing their assumptions about how celebrities would feel about shipping on projection and speculation. They then turn around and criticize shippers for basing their assumptions about celebrities' relationships on projection and speculation
Sieun-Suho shippers are so annoying on social media, especially on X. Liking them and shipping them on the show…
The entertainment industry has a long history of fans speculating about celebrities’ relationships. They pair up celebrities of the opposite sex and spread false "dating" rumors about them that'd be difficult to dispel once they've taken hold. It's not unheard of for them to pair up celebrities of the same sex, too
The behavior of the fans who take their shipping enthusiasm too far doesn't represent those of us shipping the actors within the context of the drama or fictional setting. I respect the privacy of the actors involved. I wouldn't ask them uncomfortable questions, or spread rumors about them, and I'm not responsible for the actions of the fans doing that
I actually really liked this. Would I call it a BL? Probably not. Ending it with a lackluster confession and some…
The source material excels in comparison to its adaptation. Hee Su and Seung Won's relationship is front and center and untainted by heteronormative digressions. Chan Yeong and Ji Yu are just friends, leaving room for the story to explore Hee Su and Seung Won's relationship, as well as that of their gay couple friends
They forced Chan Yeong and Ji Yu into a relationship to please homophobes. Little do they understand, those same homophobes wouldn't so much as cast a glance at the adaptation
It's those with the most personal issues or baggage who get the most upset about other people's gay ships. Have…
Thank you for providing more context
I'll try to practice caution before labeling "genuine fans" as homophobic. However, if they cross the line into hateful rhetoric and insult our community (please scroll down), I will confront them about their homophobic behavior. Deal?
You articulated my thoughts better than I could've, great job!
Labels and boundaries don't always define love. Love is a spectrum of emotions, as seen in the relationship between these male characters. And romance is one perspective through which that love can be understood
Brainrot is real when people don’t even understand the word friendship anymore. Suho was one of the first real…
"Are we just ignoring the fact that Sieun literally blushed when he got teased about Yeongi in season one?"
We saw Si Eun burning bridges for Su Ho, crumbling at his feet, picking him over everyone else, and you’re pushing a two-second blush as if it's the first commandment in the "No Homo" scripture? The brainrot is real
Did we say the male characters are gay? What we're saying is that we perceive an element of intimacy beyond "friendship" between them. They could be gay, bi, or "pan." The specific label isn't the point and doesn't matter to me
The plot's strained attempts to appear deep and complex are what give it the appearance of depth and complexity
Our gay couple received just enough screen time to prove they made it past the homophobic guillotine of society/entertainment industry, but not enough to leave a dent in the plot. Their story was an optional extra in the producers' cut. Remove their scenes, and the rest of the story plays out the same
"I think they understood the assignment, and knocked it out of the park"
They submitted the assignment with the same effort and understanding as a student who fills in random bubbles on a multiple-choice test and hopes for the best
"I am NOT sorry that we got the story we did, because I think it is something so much BETTER"
Better for whom? You? Watching yet another straight story play out on-screen is not only uninspiring but also alienating for some of us gay people
The source material's story is a beautiful exploration of different gay relationships. The drama, however, is a shallow version that overlooks the nuances of the source material
“The queer experience this show references is that for queer teens ... it may not be SAFE to come out, let alone simple or easy"
You're limiting gay stories to those of fear and silence, and denying gay people the agency to define their experiences. We're not passive victims. We're active agents capable of love, happiness, and self-determination
“It is through the side characters and in contrast to the het couples that we can see the depth of Heesu and Seung Won‘s experience and their struggles"
Insisting that a gay story requires comparison to a straight story to convey its depth and meaning underestimates the value of gay stories and experiences. Such absence of logic would suggest that e.g., The Mona Lisa's genius and beauty can only be understood when placed next to a child's scribbles. E.g., The Mona Lisa speaks for itself. And a gay story should be able to speak for itself
Gay experiences aren't defined in relation to straight ones. They can stand on their own merits without relying on heteronormative context for validation
"Sometimes the queer experience includes seeing where others have privilege and you don’t"
"... than pandering to an audience of het women fetishizing queer relationships"
You're partaking in a similar fetishization of straight relationships and "queer" struggles. It's disingenuous of you to condemn straight identifying women's so-called "fetishization" of gay relationships
"This adaptatwtion chose to tell a bigger story, and that story couldn’t have been told in the BL bubble"
The thing inflated in the adaptation is the ego of the producers. They zoomed out far to blur the gay romance and dilute it
“BL bubble," also known as the one genre that centers gay romance and happiness. I'm happy in there
"They had to include additional characters and elements than what was in the manhwa"
Why not channel that into writing their dreary, predominantly straight stories from scratch? They can't straightwash or defile existing happy gay stories and get away with it
The once-small discussion about shipping spiraled out of control when numerous anti-shipping comments flooded in. To restore the original flow, everyone would have to redirect the conversation from shipping to the plot
OP's comment: "I want to be super clear that my intention was not to invalidate queer interpretations or say that Suho and Sieun couldn’t be read as in love. I also agree that friendship and love can exist on a spectrum and that friends can absolutely fall in love
But what I was trying to say with my original post was clarify the specific language and framing choices made by the director. I was not trying to shut down the possibility of queerness. There’s definitely a difference between what’s coded, what’s intended, and what’s interpreted and I think all three can exist at once"
There’s an inconsistency in how people react to teenage stories. "Straight" high school stories fit within social norms and are well-received. People are okay with "boy meets girl, boy goes out with girl, boy kisses girl." The same exploration of sexuality between same-sex teenage characters is met with greater disapproval and controversy, revealing an underlying prejudice against non-straight identities and relationships
Another possibility is that they kept their opinions under their hat for years. The hat got too small in season 2 and their opinions burst out
Long-time fans of the male leads' dynamics welcome the exploration of non-canonical relationships or the what-ifs and could-have-beens of fanfiction. Canon scratched the surface of what's possible. And there's more to a story than what's shown on screen. Others haven't adjusted to those non-canonical deviations yet
Director Su Min: "I think they were in love. I told the two actors that this was close to being a melodrama. I’m revealing this now, but I intended for that feeling"
Link: https://www.koreaboo.com/news/weak-hero-director-confirms-bromance-park-jihoon-choi-hyunwook/
He said they were in love
"... you’re making up things that just aren’t canon in any way"
Canon isn't some kind of sacred text. It's one version of the author’s imagination, and the pop culture equivalent of a mass delusion you've agreed to play along with. Shipping is our version of that. Neither is real. And everyone's playing make-believe/making things up. Shippers are just having more fun with it
Your flavor of fiction isn't morally superior to another
Your flavor of fiction isn't morally superior to another
They imagine themselves getting shipped and project their discomfort onto celebrities, basing their assumptions about how celebrities would feel about shipping on projection and speculation. They then turn around and criticize shippers for basing their assumptions about celebrities' relationships on projection and speculation
The behavior of the fans who take their shipping enthusiasm too far doesn't represent those of us shipping the actors within the context of the drama or fictional setting. I respect the privacy of the actors involved. I wouldn't ask them uncomfortable questions, or spread rumors about them, and I'm not responsible for the actions of the fans doing that
They forced Chan Yeong and Ji Yu into a relationship to please homophobes. Little do they understand, those same homophobes wouldn't so much as cast a glance at the adaptation
I'll try to practice caution before labeling "genuine fans" as homophobic. However, if they cross the line into hateful rhetoric and insult our community (please scroll down), I will confront them about their homophobic behavior. Deal?
The comment that called our community trash: https://imgur.com/a/udBuKKY
Labels and boundaries don't always define love. Love is a spectrum of emotions, as seen in the relationship between these male characters. And romance is one perspective through which that love can be understood
We saw Si Eun burning bridges for Su Ho, crumbling at his feet, picking him over everyone else, and you’re pushing a two-second blush as if it's the first commandment in the "No Homo" scripture? The brainrot is real
Did we say the male characters are gay? What we're saying is that we perceive an element of intimacy beyond "friendship" between them. They could be gay, bi, or "pan." The specific label isn't the point and doesn't matter to me