Liz

Thank you so much!

I see how my comment might have misled you but I don't have anything against dark romance. And I am very well-aware that fiction is fiction. What bothers me is how people romanticise assault. Was that "kiss" assault? Definitely. Did it make sense narrative-wise? Yes it did. The preview to this ep showed the build-up to this scene and Xie Wei was always portrayed as a kind of time bomb: always stifling his emotions, distancing himself, until he can no longer do so. His feelings for Xue Ning confuse him and the fact that she is such a free spirit unsettles him because he cannot control her. Now that he is fully aware of his feelings for her, he cannot bear to lose her but he is also painfully aware that if she really wants to leave him he'll have no choice but to let her go. That scene in the cave encapsulates all these conflicting feelings and is in keeping with his character. As other people pointed out that scene was not meant to be romantic and it wasn't.
I regret that that scene was the one moment that made Xue Ning realise her feelings for Xie Wei. Even character-wise, she doesn't like being told what do to nor does she like being forced into things so it would have been understandable if she acted cold towards him the next day. Xie Wei have apologised on several occasions (or maybe it was just once I don't remember) when he was rude and cruel towards her. He could have done the same the next day after their night in the cave.

On a side-note, I am allowed to find flaws and criticise a show I enjoy watching. Yes I didn't like that scene and yes I think it could have been handled better. The "don't like don't watch" is such a pointless comment and doesn't lead anywhere. Of course no one's forcing me to watch this show and I didn't blame anyone because I didn't like this specific scene.
In the same vein, I am allowed to be disappointed. Doesn't mean I'm asking you to feel that way too. If you've enjoyed the scene then that's great. I didn't and it's not the end of the world.

Your feelings are completely valid

I'm at a loss for words. Don't get me wrong I love this drama but that cave scene cannot be referred to as a kiss scene. That so-called kiss was plain assault and I cannot comprehend the arguments put forward to justify it. Someone mentioned how Xue Ning might have liked the kiss and I'm just baffled. Look at her and her body movements! Look at her eyes that are filled with tears! Look at her tensed shoulders! What do you mean she might have liked the kiss? No she was terrified. I don't care that Xie Wei was in a bad mental state. He assaulted her and the fact that he had the nerve to tell her that despite his sickness he was conscious when he forced her into a "kiss"... Unbelievable. I was waiting for a proper apology but it never came.
She kept hitting him and trying to push him away although the hold he had on her neck prevented her from moving much. He had his hands all around her neck???? Hello??? And the way he looked at her when she finally broke off the "kiss"... That was such a scary expression.
Really disappointed that the drama just brushed off how problematic and violent that scene was and proceeded to use it as a means to trigger Xue Ning's epiphany when it comes to her feelings for Xie Wei.

Hats off to Bai Lu and Zhang Ling He for their performances. Must have been quite a tiring scene to film.

Thank you for the link!

Oh! Do you mind telling me where I could watch this mini series?

Can't believe the only review about this series was written by someone who dropped it on the first ep and rated it 4.5. It's fine if you don't like it but this series was phenomenal. I feel the need to write a review now. I might. This series will stay with me for a long time, that's certain.
Give it a try. You may or may not like it but damn it's worth your time.

Hi! I apologise for bothering you but would you mind telling me where you watched this movie? I can't seem to find it anywhere :(

What a gem!
The first few episodes of the series might be misleading — in the sense that they don't do the series justice — but it gets so much better as the story progresses and if you like diverse characterisation, then you've found the right series for you ^^
No cringe moments, no fetishising gay relationships, just an accurate portrayal of people growing up and falling in love.

I'm also unsure as to what happened to Min Ha. I believe that he has either transferred to another school or he has killed himself. As much as I wish the latter would prove to be wrong, Min Ha's suicide is plausible given his current state of mind. The fresh scars he bears on his wrist and his vision of life seem to reinforce that possibility. In addition, Sang Bum's strong emotional reaction to Min Ha's uniform — at the end — undermine the possibility of Min Ha's transfer. His outburst of tears seem to imply that he will never be able to see Min Ha again. I wanted to answer your question but I ended up giving you my take on this short-film's open ending. I hope you don't mind :(

@ all the people who are assuming that Beom Seok is gay : what makes you think that? Because he got jealous of Young Yi? Because he craved Soo Ho’s attention and respect? Guys can feel jealousy. Guys can have genuine friendships and feel hurt when their friends seem to pay more attention to someone else. That doesn’t make them gay. Obviously I don’t care about Beom Seok’s sexuality but people should stop assuming that he is gay just because he used to value his friendship with Soo Ho in such a way that he felt upset when, for instance, Soo Ho didn't follow him back on Insta although he followed Young Yi's account.

On a side-note, people should never assume someone's sexuality. Even if Beom Seok is a fictional character, his sexuality is his business only.

I saw many comments saying that he was gay on other platforms and on this website as well so I felt like I had to write this comment. Please don't make me say what I didn't say. I just wished people could appreciate genuine friendships when they see one. (Sure theirs didn't end well but I hope you got my point).

Although I agree with some of the points you've made, I do believe that the aim of this drama is to highlight how never-ending the cycle of violence is and how complex bullying really is. Many people think that if someone's bullied, they should "just" call for help and make their situation known to the persons who have a recognised authority. However, this drama tragically shows how pointless it is because revenge will take its course and, given how reckless people are once their ego is bruised, it will be never-ending. The tragedy of this drama is that it painfully demonstrate how violence only creates a vicious circle which, by definition, has no end.

Thank you for explaining!

I'm not surprised people are quick to judge Beom Seok. He did do terrible and unforgivable things but he is someone deeply traumatised and scarred. From where I'm standing, I don't find the strength in me to judge him. I obviously don't agree with any of his decisions but I do not have his past nor was I the one who had to go through all the violence he had to go through. Again, his past doesn't excuse what he has done but it keeps me from being judgmental.
Things slip out of his control and he is too blinded by his anger, his insecurities and his inferiority complex to be reasonable. I feel like Beom Seok is the tragic embodiment of the human condition, with all its sickening flaws.

I don't think the drama ever used the word "psycho" to describe Shi Eun, preferring the word "weirdo" which Soo Ho uses several times to tease Shi Eun. However, as I don't speak Korean, I trust you if you say that Soo Ho used a word that could be translated to "psycho".
I don't think you meant it that way but Shi Eun needing therapy or even psychiatry does not mean he is a "psycho". You said that your opinion was different on that matter so I'm relieved. I am truly shocked if people call Shi Eun a "psycho" just because he has mental health issues.

As for "elegy", your explanation makes sense although I still don't think you can use the poetic form "elegy" as a figurative word but it doesn't really matter since your point got across.

Again, thank you for taking the time to answer my comment.

I hope you won't mind my comment but I'd like to comment on a few points you made.

I feel like calling Beom Seok a "nutcase" and Shi Eun a "psycho" is pretty insensitive and doesn't quite encapsulate the complexity of both characters.
Calling WHC1 an "elogy of youth fragility" makes me also wonder. The series is so brutal and raw and full of violence, I don't quite see where the poetry lies. There is nothing nostalgic nor reminiscent in this series so I don't quite comprehend the comparison with an elegy.

Anyhow, I hope I didn't come off as rude — I apologise if I did. I just wanted to express my opinion on your article.

Such a well-produced and well-directed drama! This must have been a pretty tough drama to film and act out but everyone involved did a brilliant job!
The musical score of this drama was just as amazing as the overall production. I could never skip the opening.

Thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy comments >< It means a lot!

Thank you for your kind words!

Although I do see what you mean by wanting to use the adjective "platonic" to describe their love, I still think their love was romantic. Romantic love doesn't need sexual attraction to be complete. Nonetheless, there are moments in the show which makes it obvious that Wang (at least) feels a physical attraction to In (I'm thinking about the way he looked at In when he was in his dressing gown (or was it a cardigan? I can't quite remember) or when Wang tried to kiss him). Even without those scenes, their love is nothing like the kind of love friends share, however genuine.
The thing is, it also depends what you mean by "platonic". It has become such a tricky word >< Nowadays, it usually describes the kind of love friends share because a relationship between friends is affectionate and not sexual. However, such a definition implies that for a love to be romantic, it needs sex, yet it does not. Anyway, I'm kinda off-topic here, sorry. I'm pretty sure you used the word "platonic" because you didn't think their love was based on lust and in that sense, you are absolutely right ^^

I also completely agree with you when you say their love was more intimate than most relationships we usually see in movies/series. That hug was heart-wrenching to watch and yet it was so beautiful and intense. The way Wang quickly tore away from In so as to not let that hug sway his decision to leave... Truly heartbreaking but it also beautifully highlighted Wang's lucidity and strong will.

I wouldn’t say Wang is okay with it. I believe that Mol’s manipulation and gaslighting has led Wang to live in the shadow of his father — sometimes becoming it entirely. When he dreams of his father and realises he has the same face, it acts as a confirmation that he has internalised what happened to his father thus making him lose track of who he is. His innocence died the moment Siam passed away. He had to bear the guilt of his father’s death because of his mother's immaturity, without understanding why he felt that way. Him being sent away [to a boarding school] and Mol’s refusal to talk about Siam must have felt like an earthquake had shaken everything Wang took for real. Why would his mother reject him when he needed her the most? Why was he not allowed to express how much he missed his father? Why did her mother tell him he should never leave her although she was the one who left him all alone in a place he couldn’t call home? Why does he feel his father was a stranger to him in the end?

Inthawut — although he was, for the longest time, just a face in some pictures — soon became Wang’s only hope to remember his father as someone who deserved to be loved and not forgotten.

I do agree with you though regarding the fact that In was first struck by Wang because of his resemblance to Siam. However, this first impression later faded. In was humbled by Wang’s courage and grace – he was mesmerised by him. Although he couldn’t follow in Wang’s footsteps in the end, he still encouraged him to stay true to himself even when things felt too painful to even continue moving forward. His last words to Wang were a selfless act of love and something Wang desperately needed to hear.

As for In and Wang’s relationship, I felt like their feelings for each other were so intense that I couldn’t see their relationship as anything but genuine love.
In and Wang’s love is the kind of love that lasts for more than a lifetime. It would have never worked out but it was worth a try — the most desperate of tries. It would have never worked out because In has drowned himself with guilt. Because Wang speaks his mind whereas In shields himself with silence. In doesn’t feel worthy of such a genuine and warm love. He would have done anything to protect Wang from harm although he realised in the end that he was the one hurting him most and that’s why he decided to let him go.

In feels as though he has disappointed the world thus making him unworthy of any love nor happiness. He feels guilty about what happened to Siam and Mol and so he accepts whatever stabs she made at him with her harsh words. He offered his apologies relentlessly although he knew he couldn’t have changed the way things went.
Mol wants In to help her force her views on his son but In would never let that happen. Because Wang is the beacon of light he has aimlessly searched for all his life. The house he has built for himself is reminiscent of his inner self — a house so dark that it can only house shadows or broken reflections visible on the glass wall. In needs light but Wang's was so bright that it scared him, once again.

I apologise for such a long reply to your comment :( I wrote a detailed review about that series (hence my detailed comment ><) because I was fascinated by the characters’ complexity and In and Wang’s relationship if you’d care to read it (I quoted some parts in my comment) ^^

Your opinion of the series makes total sense! It's true there are many queer movies/series which tend to be gritty and tragic so it's always great when we see good representation with a hopeful ending. As heartbreaking as it was, the ending was so in keeping with the characters' personality, so real and raw that it was truly beautiful. Painful but beautiful. Although we won't see Wang navigates his way through life, I trust him. I know he'll be kind to himself and I have faith that he will keep on following his instincts.
In might be a frustrating character but I feel for him. His gentle soul has been aching for a while now and he is scared to be bruised all over again by how cruel and judgmental our world is. Wang's courage is something truly admirable but difficult to achieve for some. I just hope that his meeting with Wang soothed his heart a little.
It was lovely talking to you about the show. I really liked reading your take on it :)

I love how respectful your phrasing was: it feels refreshing ^^ However I don’t really understand why you'd say the three main characters haven’t changed at all although it seems they've all learnt so much. The hard truths they were confronted to acted as a violent wake-up call and eye-opener.
Wang is surely the one who’s changed the most. You can see his growth in the way he behaves with his mom: from indulging her to letting her voice fade in the background to focus on his inner self.
In’s development is more subtle although it’s made obvious by Wang’s presence by his side. As I’ve already said to someone in the comments, I see In as a tragic character whose meeting with Wang made him feel a little braver inside. The way he opened up to Wang was a huge step forward. He still has a long way to go but Wang changed him for the best although it might not be obvious.
As for Mol, her development is not clearly shown because it feels as though she got her way in the end. I don’t think she did however — not really anyway. Here’s my take on the ending:

"In’s resignation allowed Mol to have everything she wanted, as always. Although she did get her way in the end, Wang is the only one who’s triumphant. He realised that his mother never had his best interests at heart and that knowledge changed him. Knowing that, he has finally the means to break free from her grip and he has. Him not responding to her constant chatting in the car, holding on to the book that the one he loves has gifted him, aware that this book is nothing but proof that In’s love is persevering… Him looking at the window is him looking for a way to exist and be his own person.
Mol will forever live blinded by her strong convictions while In will live with an ever growing pain in his heart. A hole in his chest that the loneliness he has forced on himself will forever expand. As for Wang, he will fly on because he now knows things he didn’t before."