RainbowWhalien52

My default disposition leans heavily toward skepticism and a rather gloomy outlook on most things. Even so, I'm willing to entertain the possibility that the upcoming two episodes might challenge my current assumptions

Up until episode four and the introduction of a mysterious female character, I was engrossed in the narrative trajectory of this drama and its intimate exploration of culinary rituals. I now question who the female character is (a friend? an ex? a future temptation?) and whether the narrative will cannibalize its earlier, more contemplative dimensions of sensory joy, comedic relief, and imaginative escapism in favor of appeasing the culturally entrenched compulsion to fetishize man-woman dynamics

Would those of you familiar with the source material be so gracious/kind as to elucidate the degree of the so-called "romance" present? How pervasive is it? Should it assert itself above all else, I'll have no choice but to discontinue watching

"... other dramas that are trauma porn and/or literally feature r*pe as part of the romance arc being praised ..."

I share your disdain for homophobic narratives that relegate gay characters to tragic fates, deny them fulfilling, joyful resolutions, or exploit trauma (e.g., sexual assault) to generate conflict

I also take issue with homophobic narratives that frame gayness as something that needs balancing with "straightness" to be palatable

You're giving the drama more credit than it deserves

We can engage with this homophobic content without feigning ignorance of its structural biases/imbalanced narrative distribution/uneven storytelling

The central gay relationship spent the bulk of its runtime vying for visibility and relevance against the privileged "straight" script that overshadowed it in both duration and execution

"Straightness" centered the stage by force. It had no rightful place here