It was a good watch, nothing less, nothing more. Entertaining enough, though something was missing for me and the ML had no facial expressions the whole time. It was probably on purpose, but i needed him to feel something, and the show really lacked emotional depth in my opinion. I still gave it an 8/10 because i liked the fights!
Makes no sense for him to drop out unless the school bought him off. Also, the final sequence would have been…
Yeah him dropping out had me confused. Maybe he didn't feel safe anymore, and was running away from everything that was linked to school/the elections that traumatized him idk. He was so random all the time so why not lol i choose to ignore it 😂
This wasn't as bad as people said in the comments! I don't know what y'all expected but it was exactly what the show was supposed to be. Honestly, i found it entertaining, funny and very easy to follow. I mean, it's a teen show, i really didn't expect much more. I would say some characters lacked some depth and relationships could have been developed better, but overall it was a fun watch! For those hesitating to watch this based on the negative comments, just go for it and make your own opinion! It's a 7.5/10 for me which is not bad at all!
@MobumiWatch I am curious what you think about the ending being sent to that other school... As a "plot" that…
Well, we know that Euigyeom was transfered to this school because of what he did, so it's most likely a disciplinary decision. As for the metaphorical part, I think it's a contradictory ending for our ML. Euigyeom gained his freedom but at the cost of being trapped again in a new environment that looks almost like a prison. I don't know much about the school they're going to, but it seems he's back into another cycle of violence that was first caused my his parents and his brother's death. I would compare Euigyeom to a caged bird, longing to be free until he actually freed himself, to fly as much as he wants, only to find his way back to a cage again. But this time he has support from Yoongi, that's something new that may change the course of his future at this new school. He has someone who can help him open the cage. Yoongi appearing on the bus at the end shows that Euigyeom is not going to be alone anymore. It leaves us to wonder: is he going to free himself completely from all the violence? Would Euigyeom finally find some form of happiness? I hope we'll find out in a possible season 2 :)
I have to admit, i found the first episode very boring, but i kept watching... and this was seriously a wonderful piece of queer media. It was slow, sure, but we finally got a realistic depiction of a queer experience in SK nonetheless! I was so sick of all those BLs which only catered to straight females with overused tropes and cheesy romance. I don't like them much. This was raw, messy, deep, bittersweet. Life is not always a happy ride and this show highlighted that well. Go Young was so annoying and not in a bad way, but in a very organic way, he just frustrated me so much with his decisions and i was rooting for him at the same time. Though, i like his evolution and his realization that love is not a fictional novel where you can fantasize however you want, no, you have to work for it, you have to accept the good and the bad, and live in the moment. Plus, Nam Yoon Soo did an incredible job with this character, his acting was on point! I really like the production and the imagery, it made the show very poetic, in a way that was really enjoyable despite the slowness of the events. I wish for more Korean lgbt productions like this one cause it was a nice treat! I took my time to watch it and i don't regret it one bit!!
Part 2 of all the interesting things i've noticed in this show (again possible spoilers): - Fighting as form of…
Bonus, cause i forgot about this one: - Euigyeom's mimicry. We know Euigyeom discovers that he has natural fighting skills, even if we don't know where it comes from. But what's really telling is his ability to copy his opponents' fighting techniques. Euigyeom is basically an empty shell when we first meet him, he doesn't know who he is. His Walkman is lifeless too and it accentuates that he is broken. He has disconnected himself from the world to the point of shutting himself down. The moment the bully takes his Walkman is the moment he snaps back to reality. He is forced to relearn how to be alive and i think he has to mimic people in his environment to recover a certain form of selfness. The way he fights shows that and enhances his lack of identity and I think he's looking for a part of himself that he lost because of his father.
Part 2 of all the interesting things i've noticed in this show (again possible spoilers):
- Fighting as form of self-harm. We can see how Euigyeom was affected by his brother's violence. He was himself hurt by their father's psychological violence and he redirected it to his younger brother. At first we don't know why Euigyeom is choking himself every night until it's clear that he's missing his older brother even if it means through violence. Self-arm is the emotional response of Euigyeom who has repressed so much. And that's when fighting came as a response too. In that way, Euigyeom could release some tension, but it's still self-arm. He hurts others, but he's hurting himself too. His fighting is messy and gritty like his emotions. He doesn't have to fight and even when he fought everyone at school, it's still not enough because he feels better when fighting. It seems strange when he attacks the transfert student Lee Gwi Jae for no reason, but there is a reason. Euigyeom wanted to find a way to hurt himself again because he still has a lot of pain inside him and unresolved issues, and it was an outlet for him. But the adults around him failed to get him the help he needed...
- Yoongi and Euigyeom's relationship. Yoongi fueled Euigyeom's anger by encouraging him to fight. He is the catalyst in Euigyeom's autodestruction and when he realized it, it's too late. Still, their relationship brought a lot to the show i think, even it's not that noticable at first. Some people would probably argue that their chemistry wasn't really there, but it didn't need to be visible. Firstly because Yoongi selfishly befriends Euigyeom to get his revenge. As viewers, we feel how the relationship is not going to be genuine and i think it was maybe on purpose. But Yoongi is also the spark Euigyeom needed to break free from his father's clutches. Euigyeom's role in Yoongi's life is interesting too. He gave him the confidence he needed against the bullies who hurt his friend. He's almost a role model to Yoongi as he is the version of himself he wanted to be, someone who can fight back, someone who doesn't give up, just like his friend was. He sees his friend in Euigyeom. Yoongi is already beating himself for what happened to him that he sees an opportunity, but he's oblivious to the fact that it's not good for Eui Gyeom, until he notices it when Euigyeom is too far gone and he ends up seriously hurt. Their relationship is actually quite complex because they need each other, but at the same time, they're not good for each other. And then Yoongi fixing Euigyeom's Walkman is a pretty powerful moment for them. It solidified something in their relationship that was threatening to break at any moment. By doing this, Yoongi allows Euigyeom to break free from his trauma, helping him to heal.
- The airplane, a symbol of freedom. It may seemed like everything that happened to Euigyeom was pointless, but it actually led him to the freedom he was craving for. We saw him looking at the sky every day at school, watching the airplane fly over them, probably wishing he could fly away too and leave all his burden on the ground. The vastness of the blue sky shows a vastness of possibilities, something Euigyeom doesn't allow for himself. When Euigyeom feels like everything is crashing down, the airplane also crashes down in his fantasy, bringing him further away from his freedom. The fighting was an ephemeral escape and now he has to face his pain. Its the most vulnerable moment for him, and it's when his mom intervenes and tries to shield him from the explosion, even if she's too late. The last scene when Euigyeom fights all his monsters including himself and then the airplane flies over him shows that he's finally breaking free from his father, his trauma, his pain. He accepts himself finally. It's bittersweet, because we wanted to see him break free from the violence he endured, but he's breaking free through violence again and doesn't hide it anymore from his father. It's a way of telling him, 'look what you've made me become, but i'm owning it now, i'm free'.
I could go on, but I wasn't planning on writing an essay so i'm going to stop there haha. Feel free to add more because i think i probably missed some things!
I love your explanation, would like to hear more of it, i got the meaning some of the symbols but can't explain…
Thank you, i tried haha! It's a little difficult when i write stuff at 3 am in my second language 😂 but i want to give this show some love so people can see its potential! I just posted a new comment where i get a little more into detail by the way, if you'd like to read more :)
Coming back to the comment section again to bring into light a few elements which i think are really interesting to analyze in this show (possible spoilers):
- the walkman, an object of repression. It's damaged and it's primary fonction is gone, like his brother's youth vanishing with the music he used to love. It is broken by the dad who broke his eldest son's sanity and his life. The same trauma is inflicted to Eui Gyeom who suppressed a part of him that eventually comes out when the walkman is taken from him. He is a broken boy who lost any ability to function properly and control his emotions. Not only the walkman is important to Eui Gyeom because it reminds him of his brother and is a coping mechanism for his death, but it's also a representation of his trauma that he has to carry with him all the time.
- The generational trauma and the weight it carries. The show touches on this complex subject with not only the dad but the grandfather intervening and influencing Euigyeom's decisions and emotional turmoil. Two important scenes show that really well. The visit to his grandfater's house for his birthday where Euigyeom is pressured to meet these two male figures' expectations. The scene at the event when Euigyeom is having a conversation with his father about Nam Hyeop. His father has this whole future plan for him and has high standards for him just like his grandfather expected for his own son. But that's the moment Euigyeom decides to break the cycle and doesn't repress his emotions towards his dad anymore.
- The masks and the fantasy of the superhero. After Euigyeom got a taste of fighting back against his father through beating up bullies, his emotions become more uncontrollable and he fully puts himself into violent situations. He's gradually losing himself and then, the mask intervene as a way to erase his old self completely, be someone knew, anonymous. Yoongi carries a lot of guilt and self-blame, and by hiding his face, he can disconnect from his real self too. The superhero fantasy is almost an excuse for them to not face themselves and instead they redirect their frustration and self-depreciation on bullies as vigilantes of some sorts. But it's false morality because they both have their own agendas, and that's why it doesn't work and it leads them to grow apart. Euigyeom ultimately doesn't need the mask anymore and the way he acts at school shows that it has become a part of him. He starts to act cocky at school, the same way he was when he wanted to serve justice. But when he has to go back to his home, to his abusers, he's back to his old self. He may be free at school and as a high school hero, but still not free at home.
So yeah, i thought that all of this was important in the show and it made me appreciate it even more! Part 2 coming when I gather my thoughts properly 😅
Wow, This was beautifully explained. I felt and completely agree with everything you said. I loved this series,…
Haha you're welcome! I think i'll write a few more important points in another comment later because the more i think about the show, the more interesting it gets, and i find new elements to talk about!
it's weird to say but euigyeom had more chemistry with kim seungjun than yungi
They actually had more chemistry for one episode, but he also beat up Eui Gyeom and almost killed him, so i can't get past that 😂 Though, i think what really works with Eui Gyeom and Seung Jun's realtionship is that he was the voice of reason. Eui Gyeom needed to hear it, but he still didn't follow his advice at all. The difference with his relationship with Yoon Gi is that he was able to understand him more and accepts him just the way he is.
Wow, This was beautifully explained. I felt and completely agree with everything you said. I loved this series,…
Yess thank you! I had more to say but my comment would have been too long! 😂There are so many things to analyze actually, like the symbol of the broken walkman and Yoon Gi fixing it, silently telling Eui Gyeom that he doesn't have to be broken, he can heal 😭
Honestly it was a good watch for me! All actors did a great job overall and it felt genuine. I love how complex Eui Gyeom is, how he's not supposed to be perfect, how his fighting is not perfect either. I truly think the fights reflect what he's feeling. The first four episodes show the intensity of his bottled up emotions and the last episodes demonstrate how Eui Gyeom he's losing himself and doesn't even know why he's fighting in the first place. By hurting others, he is acting like his brother when he was hurting him, because he is used to be physically and emotionally abused, and it's the only way he can express his pain. I actually finds really interesting how it's not really a show about fighting and bullying, it's more than that, a psychological journey of a teenager who is a survivor. Eui Gyeom is fighting himself more than others, as if there were two parts against each other within him, with one portrayed by his brother. And that's where this show totally differs from WCH despite some similarities i think. I also like how Eui Gyeom finds some form of freedom and embraces who he is, and through his friendship with Yoon Gi, he discovers how raw, imperfect and ruthless he can be and yet still be accepted. Anyway, I highly recommend it! There were a few issues and the story could have been developed more with more episodes, but among all the school action dramas, this show did its own thing and it surprised me in many aspects.
- Euigyeom's mimicry. We know Euigyeom discovers that he has natural fighting skills, even if we don't know where it comes from. But what's really telling is his ability to copy his opponents' fighting techniques. Euigyeom is basically an empty shell when we first meet him, he doesn't know who he is. His Walkman is lifeless too and it accentuates that he is broken. He has disconnected himself from the world to the point of shutting himself down. The moment the bully takes his Walkman is the moment he snaps back to reality. He is forced to relearn how to be alive and i think he has to mimic people in his environment to recover a certain form of selfness. The way he fights shows that and enhances his lack of identity and I think he's looking for a part of himself that he lost because of his father.
- Fighting as form of self-harm. We can see how Euigyeom was affected by his brother's violence. He was himself hurt by their father's psychological violence and he redirected it to his younger brother. At first we don't know why Euigyeom is choking himself every night until it's clear that he's missing his older brother even if it means through violence. Self-arm is the emotional response of Euigyeom who has repressed so much. And that's when fighting came as a response too. In that way, Euigyeom could release some tension, but it's still self-arm. He hurts others, but he's hurting himself too. His fighting is messy and gritty like his emotions. He doesn't have to fight and even when he fought everyone at school, it's still not enough because he feels better when fighting. It seems strange when he attacks the transfert student Lee Gwi Jae for no reason, but there is a reason. Euigyeom wanted to find a way to hurt himself again because he still has a lot of pain inside him and unresolved issues, and it was an outlet for him. But the adults around him failed to get him the help he needed...
- Yoongi and Euigyeom's relationship. Yoongi fueled Euigyeom's anger by encouraging him to fight. He is the catalyst in Euigyeom's autodestruction and when he realized it, it's too late. Still, their relationship brought a lot to the show i think, even it's not that noticable at first. Some people would probably argue that their chemistry wasn't really there, but it didn't need to be visible. Firstly because Yoongi selfishly befriends Euigyeom to get his revenge. As viewers, we feel how the relationship is not going to be genuine and i think it was maybe on purpose. But Yoongi is also the spark Euigyeom needed to break free from his father's clutches. Euigyeom's role in Yoongi's life is interesting too. He gave him the confidence he needed against the bullies who hurt his friend. He's almost a role model to Yoongi as he is the version of himself he wanted to be, someone who can fight back, someone who doesn't give up, just like his friend was. He sees his friend in Euigyeom. Yoongi is already beating himself for what happened to him that he sees an opportunity, but he's oblivious to the fact that it's not good for Eui Gyeom, until he notices it when Euigyeom is too far gone and he ends up seriously hurt. Their relationship is actually quite complex because they need each other, but at the same time, they're not good for each other. And then Yoongi fixing Euigyeom's Walkman is a pretty powerful moment for them. It solidified something in their relationship that was threatening to break at any moment. By doing this, Yoongi allows Euigyeom to break free from his trauma, helping him to heal.
- The airplane, a symbol of freedom. It may seemed like everything that happened to Euigyeom was pointless, but it actually led him to the freedom he was craving for. We saw him looking at the sky every day at school, watching the airplane fly over them, probably wishing he could fly away too and leave all his burden on the ground. The vastness of the blue sky shows a vastness of possibilities, something Euigyeom doesn't allow for himself. When Euigyeom feels like everything is crashing down, the airplane also crashes down in his fantasy, bringing him further away from his freedom. The fighting was an ephemeral escape and now he has to face his pain. Its the most vulnerable moment for him, and it's when his mom intervenes and tries to shield him from the explosion, even if she's too late. The last scene when Euigyeom fights all his monsters including himself and then the airplane flies over him shows that he's finally breaking free from his father, his trauma, his pain. He accepts himself finally. It's bittersweet, because we wanted to see him break free from the violence he endured, but he's breaking free through violence again and doesn't hide it anymore from his father. It's a way of telling him, 'look what you've made me become, but i'm owning it now, i'm free'.
I could go on, but I wasn't planning on writing an essay so i'm going to stop there haha. Feel free to add more because i think i probably missed some things!
- the walkman, an object of repression. It's damaged and it's primary fonction is gone, like his brother's youth vanishing with the music he used to love. It is broken by the dad who broke his eldest son's sanity and his life. The same trauma is inflicted to Eui Gyeom who suppressed a part of him that eventually comes out when the walkman is taken from him. He is a broken boy who lost any ability to function properly and control his emotions. Not only the walkman is important to Eui Gyeom because it reminds him of his brother and is a coping mechanism for his death, but it's also a representation of his trauma that he has to carry with him all the time.
- The generational trauma and the weight it carries. The show touches on this complex subject with not only the dad but the grandfather intervening and influencing Euigyeom's decisions and emotional turmoil. Two important scenes show that really well. The visit to his grandfater's house for his birthday where Euigyeom is pressured to meet these two male figures' expectations. The scene at the event when Euigyeom is having a conversation with his father about Nam Hyeop. His father has this whole future plan for him and has high standards for him just like his grandfather expected for his own son. But that's the moment Euigyeom decides to break the cycle and doesn't repress his emotions towards his dad anymore.
- The masks and the fantasy of the superhero. After Euigyeom got a taste of fighting back against his father through beating up bullies, his emotions become more uncontrollable and he fully puts himself into violent situations. He's gradually losing himself and then, the mask intervene as a way to erase his old self completely, be someone knew, anonymous. Yoongi carries a lot of guilt and self-blame, and by hiding his face, he can disconnect from his real self too. The superhero fantasy is almost an excuse for them to not face themselves and instead they redirect their frustration and self-depreciation on bullies as vigilantes of some sorts. But it's false morality because they both have their own agendas, and that's why it doesn't work and it leads them to grow apart. Euigyeom ultimately doesn't need the mask anymore and the way he acts at school shows that it has become a part of him. He starts to act cocky at school, the same way he was when he wanted to serve justice. But when he has to go back to his home, to his abusers, he's back to his old self. He may be free at school and as a high school hero, but still not free at home.
So yeah, i thought that all of this was important in the show and it made me appreciate it even more! Part 2 coming when I gather my thoughts properly 😅