Maggi64

I bet they got flooded with complaints about Yoo Ah In. What was the attitude of the person with whom you spoke the other day? Was it just some receptionist nodding along saying, "yea, yea, yea" or did you get the sense they were taking notes?

Thank you for your support. May I ask what country you are from? My ex was from Morocco and it used to freak him out that I told people I went to AA because in his country people are ashamed of it and keep it secret. I had to explain that in Western countries people who stay sober celebrate their sobriety and brag about it! lol

Thank you so much! I am going to jump on that today!

Virtually nobody has said it's ok for Yoo Ah In to take drugs because, as you claim, "drugs are legal in our countries." The fact is, all the drugs Yoo Ah In took are NOT legal in Western countries. Even if one had a prescription, the doses he took are illegal. Hence, nobody is defending the illegalities of the case. Instead, they are defending Yoo Ah In's personal character. They are saying that drug addiction is an illness and, as such, addicts need treatment and moral support.

Consider the case of the movie star Robert Downey Jr. He served a year in jail on a drug charge and nobody complained about it because he truly did break the law. However, once he was released and got sober, the American public was 100% supportive. He got cast in more movies than ever and his career continues to flourish to this day. As a result, he now has over 20 years sober. If Korea wants success stories like this, then they should follow America's example and offer similar moral support to addicts. Unfortunately, they treat addicts like moral degenerates, vilify them in the media and, ultimately, squash their futures.

What did they say, exactly? Can you give me their number? I posted a comment above asking people to give me the number because I want to tell Netflix I'll cancel my subscription if they don't issue a statement showing support. I am a recovering alcoholic myself and, hence, feel strongly about this. Well, I won't rewrite everything; you can read my comment above,

Precisely. South Korea ranks #1 Highest in Plastic Surgery AND #1 Highest in Suicides. It's no coincidence that they rank #1 in both, because the quest for outer physical perfection indicates the inner emptiness that leads to depression and suicide.

To be clear, I have no issue with plastic surgery, especially a nip/tuck for an older person, but in Korea it's young, attractive people getting it in a quest for perfection. As for the suicides, it's regular citizens as well as celebrities. I have a comment below where I cited the fact that 30 Korean idols have killed themselves in the past decade alone. Korea's idol factory chews these kids up, then spits them out leaving them to die.

Humm.... that makes the premise a little odd. It would have been more logical if the CEO ran a talent agency. But hey, it's a nice show so I'll just let this go, kick back and enjoy.

Ok, that explains it! So he's a screw up who kept flunking his GED . Thank you! I guess we should imagine him to be about 23 even though he's really 29. But that's pretty standard in these shows.

Thank you so much! I have been thinking a lot about this today because I heard about poor Yoo Ah In being arrested in Korea for drug addiction. I feel so badly for him, because Korea is a very unforgiving place for addicts. I am lucky to be an American where the culture is super supportive and sympathetic toward addicts. Americans regard addiction as an illness and think the sick person deserves treatment so they can recover.

Unfortunately, Korea views addiction as a character defect and moral failing . Thus, Yoo Ah In was fired from all his movie projects this week and lost all his endorsement deals. When the American actor Robert Downey Jr. got sober after being arrested for drug charges, Hollywood was so supportive that he got more roles than ever and his career flourished. He's now been sober for 21 years! But that's not how it works in Korea, so poor Yoo Ah In's career is totally over.

Ji Won Young said at one point that he was 27, so I assumed that all the characters were supposed to be around his age and in their late 20's. Late 20s is too old to be in college, forget high school. But at least college would make it less weird when, as you said, he inevitably hooks up with Cafe Guy.

BTW, isn't it funny how in BL's we all know the precise formula for who's going to hook up with whom? LOL.

HOW OLD IS HO TAE?

The subtitles said that Ho Tae was in cram school for his GED, which would mean high school, making him only 18 yrs old. But that actor is 29 yrs old! Sure, the K-BL's use those absurd camera filters and tons of white makeup to give the actors translucent, youthful complexions. However, that can only take off 5 years, not 11 years to make a 29 yr old look 18. So I'm wondering if he's actually supposed to be in college and the subtitles about the GED were incorrect.

Since you read the webtoon can you give me some spoilers?

First, I know that the Ho Tae and Ji Won Young are both straight, just as I know that by the end of the show they'll each be hooking up with Yoon Tae Joon and Cafe Guy. But I get the sense that Yoon Tae Joon and Cafe Guy are both gay. Even if they are not out of the closet, they still know themselves to be gay. Is that correct?

Second, what was on Yoon Tae Joon's neck that made him freak out when JWY reached to touch it? It looked like a burn scar but the camera moved to fast for me to see it.

Third, why do Cafe Guy and Ho Tae have such animosity between each other? I know that they'll hook up eventually, but what happened in the past that makes them hostile to each other right now?

Wait, I stopped thinking about Miracle Boy the instant I read your sentence:

"I stopped breathing on my first attempt but I still woke up with medical treatment."

I am glad your attempt failed and that you are still here. I assume you struggle with depression, as most people who attempt it do. As you may have read in my comment above, I also suffer from depression. I find that anti-depressants really help. If you are not already being prescribed anti-depressants, then I recommend seeing a doctor to ask about them. Good luck!

While I don't agree, I can see why you'd say Ritsu was toxic. I mean, threatening to out Masumi to the whole school was pretty bad. I remember thinking, "Now how can the writer possibly redeem this character after that?" I happen to think that he was redeemed by the end, but I get if others do not. But I do not get why you think Masumi has Borderline Personality Disorder. He was obsessive with the stalking, but that behaviorism was a one shot deal. He did not have any recurring or long term traits that qualify as BPD. Also, what does "fp" stand for? You said that Masumi was "drawn to his fp."

Fair enough. Thank you for your reply,.

Does anyone know how I reach Netflix to ask their position on this? I want to tell them that I will cancel my subscription unless they release a statement showing support for Yoo Ah In. I am a recovering alcoholic with 10 years sobriety, and I would never have survived without the support of not just friends, family and the AA Fellowship, but the supportive attitude of the American public in general.

Now, America may have its flaws, but I am proud of how we created a cultural consensus that addiction is an illness, not a character defect. Everywhere I look in my country -- movies, talk shows, books, churches, schools, government -- I see moral support for addicts in recovery. All my work colleagues know I go to AA and they think it's terrific. Hell, I can tell a perfect stranger I'm a recovering alcoholic and rather than responding with contempt, they will smile and say, "Congratulations on your sobriety!"

Alas, many other countries still have a culture of contempt for addicts. Korea is clearly one of these countries. Netflix, however, is an American corporation and, as such, they should know better. Indeed, they should regard this as a perfect opportunity to show leadership and teach Korea how we express compassion and  support for addicts in our country. And how this, by extension, has saved the lives of millions of suffering addicts and their loved ones.  Hell, if Netflix needs help with the statement, I'll word it for them, because it's possible to show support without condoning the fact that Yoo Ah In broke the law.  Here's how you do it:  

"We at Netflix offer our deepest sympathy to Yoo Ah In and his family during this difficult time. Addiction is a terrible illness and Netflix's team is here for Yoo Ah In as he fights against this illness and struggles on his journey to recovery. He's a talented actor who's bought joy to millions and we look forward to having him return to fulfill his future as the wonderful actor that he is."

There. That's the statement Netflix should be making.  That was the overall message Hollywood gave to Robert Downey Jr, who was embraced wholeheartedly after he got out of prison for drug charges and committed himself to sobriety. He got cast in more movies than ever and his career thrived! Yoo Ah In's career, however, is over. And Netflix's cowardly silence is abetting the campaign to kill his career. Which is to say, abetting the Korean celebrity factory that devours dozens of young performers each year.  Just look at the shocking number of Korean idols who kill themselves. Google it and you'll find that over 30 idols killed themselves in this decade alone.  I truly worry that Yoo Ah In may become another one of those numbers.

Perfectly put. And the actor playing Mob nailed it. I adored this thing he did with squinting his eyes whenever he was suspicious that some romance was lurking in his midst. BTW, I'd love to know more about this director but I don't read Japanese. Do you know where I can read up on him in English?

I have also heard that he is openly gay. I think that would account for why the sex scenes in his BL's feel so realistic. At any rate, you would never call his BL's "fluffy" lol.

I would not even call "Man Who Defied the World of BL" fluffy, because it's more witty and comical. In fact, it makes fun of fluffiness in BL's. For instance, that bit with the Rose Prince is all about the fluffy, flowery nature of boys in BL's! God, how I loved that bit!

Also, Masumi was stalking him, which is beyond annoying. Basically, both behaved badly. Ritsu did a shitty job communicating the terms of the relationship to a guy he knew was in the throes of first love and would, therefore, expect monogamy. And Masumi put too much pressure and demanded commitment from a guy he knew to be a free-spirit and player. So yea, both were flawed.

Come to think of it, this director excels at portraying flawed characters. He did The Pornographer trilogy and lord knows Kijima and Kido behaved badly in that. Yet I never disliked either of them. Instead, they felt real to me.

I loved how Ritsu would not let Masumi visit Monster-Mother when she tried to guilt him into spending his last days with her. That came pretty early in the show (I think it was Ep 3), and it was one of the 1st hints that Ritsu wanted what's best for Masumi despite his horrendous behavior after their breakup 10 yrs prior