OHHHHHHHHH...OK. NOW I understand why this series includes such sadomasochistic behaviors from all three main characters:
The writer AND director of Taekwondo, Hwang Da Seul, a straight woman (naturally), also directed To My Star 2, the most sadomasochistic/depression/mental illness-porn BL of all time!
As an insightful friend of mine wrote regarding TMS2, "There is, I think, something fundamentally homophobic about straight women wanting to see gay men suffer, and loving these "damaged goods..."
Now...all this said, I thoroughly enjoyed this show's first two episodes, as the MC was getting to know each other and before people started running away in all directions, disappearing for a decade with no explanation, not communicating simple, vital information and instead choosing to conceal it, guaranteeing years of unnecessary suffering for all parties, etc. Some of the beliefs/behaviors here are simply not credible, especially from DH.
It's interesting though, that the DIRECTOR of the S/M Champion BL of All Time, TMS2, AND this series, which includes 12 years of inexplicable, self-inflicted pain and suffering, also directed BLUEMING, my second-fave BL of all time. She seems to be a fair director but must be kept away from the writer's desk at all costs.
it seemed to me at first when DoHoe returned from outer space after 12 years, that he had been in a romantic/sexual…
I know he said that. I didn't entirely believe him just because he said so. People tell fibs to get or not get what they want; even basically good people. I am not saying I am sure one way or the other, but you're telling me they worked closely or were buddies or something for 12 years while one was desperately in love with the other...and nothing ever happened between them? I need to check...this was probably written by a woman, right?
it seemed to me at first when DoHoe returned from outer space after 12 years, that he had been in a romantic/sexual…
In their last phone conversation before DH dumped HH, they both spoke of their "relationship." And HH came over to DH's place to shower and sleep and DH doesn't tell him to leave until SJY is there? Hmmm...seems suspicious.
Your explanation of how DH let 12 years pass and still feels it's the day he left town is absurd.
It is fascinating how many BL watchers will make up stuff that never was shown on screen and ignore other things that WERE shown on screen, to suit their preferred idea of the story.
Either way, the idea that ALL THREE of them are gay but NONE of them had any other romances or physical relationships for TWELVE years is also absurd.
Please help: So...is DoHoe both a jerk AND a whore?See spoiler below.
it seemed to me at first when DoHoe returned from outer space after 12 years, that he had been in a romantic/sexual relationship with HyeonHo that whole time. But then, as shown in those scenes in that apartment in seemed as if they were living separately, though it was clear HH was still hot for DH. But then, DH told HH to "stay at your own place" or something like that, and there was no physical closeness shown, and it was also clear HH was frustrated and being given the cold shoulder by DH, but who the fuck would live like that as colleagues for 12 years, unless they're a pathetic masochist? OK, so maybe HH is a pathetic masochist? But then, in the finale, it seemed to be made clear during the final DH/HH phone conversation that they HAD been in a romantic/physical relationship for 12 years. So was DH giving up the bootie to HH for 12 years just to keep HH quiet about his test grades/fake diploma? If so, doesn't that make DH a major jerk for disappearing on SJY without explanation, AND a big ol' whore for putting out to DH just to keep him silent?
If that's the case, I'm back to disliking DH quite a bit, which kind of ruins the ending for me.
All else aside, that may well be the most believable, ultra-sweet final 20 minutes of a BL I have ever seen. Sweet without being overly fluffy-sweet or maudlin. The last bit with Dohoi scrolling thru SJY's earlier online inquiries as SJY sweetly slumbered, broke me in a good way.
Before I rewatch this show later, a question: Am I supposed to believe that DH was in a "relationship," as in a full-on, romantic/physical relationship for 12 years, with Heyeon Ho?
Speaking of which, Jang Yeon Woo as Heyeon Ho was excellent too. All three were, but I need to get some distance from who DH seemed to be in the middle 4 episodes before I can admit that Kim Nu Rim was outstanding as well.
On edit: Suggested line change for the scene with DH and SJY in the coffee shop, just after DH gave Heyeon Ho the final brush-off on the phone -
SJY: What do you want to eat? DH: Your ass...now. THE END
Even though I have little grasp of what all that convoluted backstory amounts to, this episode had me on the verge of bawling most of the time, simply from the feels going on, regardless of their origin. I will rewatch this soon to figure out what all went down. There's no sense in doing so now, or in scrolling comments to get a clue.
I'm American, lived all my life here. The unspeakable outcome of Tuesday's election has me, along with half of the country, in a state of grief, shock, and shame. I can't concentrate on anything yet and I don't know how long it will take to get back up again. The American people just put a pathological liar/convicted felon/rapist/treasonous pig back in office as president. This will have a negative effect on everyone in the developed world, and I am so, so sorry. I did what I could to prevent it and cast my vote for Kamala Harris. It wasn't enough.
More than half of the American public knows this guy is a scumbag but they don't care. A lot of them LIKE that he is a scumbag. I can't explain it and I don't want to understand it. I am more sick at heart at what the election reveals about us as a populace than I am about the monster about to walk back into the White House. I'm sorry.
Back to the series...Lee Seon captured my heart with his looks and affect in the first episode, but my respect for him at this point is all about his acting talent and craft. He is excellent. I hope he goes far. To me, he is the heart and soul of Taekwondo.
Episode 1: Intriguing. This shows great potential. I've been burned a lot lately by BLs that start out great and go steadily downhill, or crash and burn in the final act. Thus, I'll withhold judgment for a while, unlike CERTAIN PEOPLE who rate series after one ep or even before they've begun airing. You know who you are.
And goodness...the director certainly knew what he was doing in the scene showing our future lovers' first encounter at the drinking fountain. When Hirukawa slowly turned toward Minase/the camera in slo-mo and fully revealed his beauty I gasped. Then, when he poured the water over his head and turned to look at Minase again, I wet myself.
I sure do wish this had been given us in one, all-episode dump so I could binge at leisure. Now I'm hooked and won't be able to hold off watching each week.
Damn this has depressing sad ending written all over it.all those bruises and no one notices. Unfortunately too…
He hides them so that no one CAN notice. That's why he wears a black tank shirt under his white school shirt and doesn't participate in PE class. He doesn't want to take off those items in front of anyone. What's interesting is that he is deliberately showing them to Minase, especially knowing Minase saw what went down between him and his father. Hirukawa is reaching out for help, even if he doesn't exactly realize that's what he's doing.
Not their best by any means, but a few levels above most BL shorts. Strongberry writers/directors/actors know how to pack the feels into limited screen time, and to do so in interesting ways. Every story has already been told, so the only way to be original is in HOW the story is told. And Strongberry does so once again.
You didn't even completed one episode and you think it is waste of time and everything? That's rather weird conclusion…
Why thank you. Yeah, I rarely even try Thai BLs anymore because the quality of everything is so consistently bad. When these shows are being churned out at the rate of several a week, there is no way the productions are given the time required to produce something of worth.
It seems as if shows like this are aimed at very young Fujoshis, who will watch any BL, no matter how bad. It's a similar phenomenon to kpop fangirl armies, who consume everything kpop, no matter how cheesy.
You didn't even completed one episode and you think it is waste of time and everything? That's rather weird conclusion…
hmmm...I clearly stated that I had watched ONE AND ONE-HALF episodes which is actually, more than one.
"...And honestly, it is not that terrible of a series you're making it out to be..." lol What a ringing, powerful endorsement of the show! "...not THAT terrible" indicates you see it as being "terrible" also, just not AS terrible as I do.
Wouldn't that very much depend on what sexual acts you participated in with that person and how risky they are?…
"YOU DON'T TELL A PERSON YOU ARE HIV+ AFTER YOU'VE SLEPT WITH THEM. You're only going to traumatise the poor soul for the rest of their life!"
I'm slow...so please bear with me. The above-quoted statement seems to mean that if you fail to tell someone before sex, don't tell them at all. Is it meant to mean "You tell someone BEFORE having sex, not after!?" I'm kind of lost. And now you've introduced condoms not being 100% effective...when I didn't say they are because I know they aren't...so why are you telling me that?
Oh well, no need to reply. I was just seeking some clarity on your original meaning, but I just realized it doesn't matter if I get it. Sorry to have bothered you.
That's exactly what irked me the most in the entire series! Having spent a huge deal of time on gay dating apps,…
Wouldn't that very much depend on what sexual acts you participated in with that person and how risky they are? If all you did was kiss, sure don't bother telling them. But if you had bareback sex, whether top or bottom, you damn well should tell them so they can be tested. If you came in their mouth you damn well should tell them...no? What am I missing here? How is this a question?
Of course, the best time to tell them is BEFORE you have sex of any kind, right? Or again...what am I missing?
Kwon Sang Woo got by on his looks for far too long. He is a boring, one-note actor. That cocky, smirking street thug thing he does is all I've ever seen him do, in every damn flick he's in.
I knew nothing of T.O.P. as a huge kpop star with BigBang when I first saw him in another flick. He continues to amaze me here with his natural screen presence and innate acting talent. Too bad none of it wore off on KSW.
1 
1 
The writer AND director of Taekwondo, Hwang Da Seul, a straight woman (naturally), also directed To My Star 2, the most sadomasochistic/depression/mental illness-porn BL of all time!
As an insightful friend of mine wrote regarding TMS2, "There is, I think, something fundamentally homophobic about straight women wanting to see gay men suffer, and loving these "damaged goods..."
Now...all this said, I thoroughly enjoyed this show's first two episodes, as the MC was getting to know each other and before people started running away in all directions, disappearing for a decade with no explanation, not communicating simple, vital information and instead choosing to conceal it, guaranteeing years of unnecessary suffering for all parties, etc. Some of the beliefs/behaviors here are simply not credible, especially from DH.
It's interesting though, that the DIRECTOR of the S/M Champion BL of All Time, TMS2, AND this series, which includes 12 years of inexplicable, self-inflicted pain and suffering, also directed BLUEMING, my second-fave BL of all time. She seems to be a fair director but must be kept away from the writer's desk at all costs.
Your explanation of how DH let 12 years pass and still feels it's the day he left town is absurd.
It is fascinating how many BL watchers will make up stuff that never was shown on screen and ignore other things that WERE shown on screen, to suit their preferred idea of the story.
Either way, the idea that ALL THREE of them are gay but NONE of them had any other romances or physical relationships for TWELVE years is also absurd.
But then, as shown in those scenes in that apartment in seemed as if they were living separately, though it was clear HH was still hot for DH.
But then, DH told HH to "stay at your own place" or something like that, and there was no physical closeness shown, and it was also clear HH was frustrated and being given the cold shoulder by DH, but who the fuck would live like that as colleagues for 12 years, unless they're a pathetic masochist?
OK, so maybe HH is a pathetic masochist?
But then, in the finale, it seemed to be made clear during the final DH/HH phone conversation that they HAD been in a romantic/physical relationship for 12 years.
So was DH giving up the bootie to HH for 12 years just to keep HH quiet about his test grades/fake diploma?
If so, doesn't that make DH a major jerk for disappearing on SJY without explanation, AND a big ol' whore for putting out to DH just to keep him silent?
If that's the case, I'm back to disliking DH quite a bit, which kind of ruins the ending for me.
See spoiler below.
All else aside, that may well be the most believable, ultra-sweet final 20 minutes of a BL I have ever seen. Sweet without being overly fluffy-sweet or maudlin. The last bit with Dohoi scrolling thru SJY's earlier online inquiries as SJY sweetly slumbered, broke me in a good way.
Before I rewatch this show later, a question:
Am I supposed to believe that DH was in a "relationship," as in a full-on, romantic/physical relationship for 12 years, with Heyeon Ho?
Speaking of which, Jang Yeon Woo as Heyeon Ho was excellent too. All three were, but I need to get some distance from who DH seemed to be in the middle 4 episodes before I can admit that Kim Nu Rim was outstanding as well.
On edit: Suggested line change for the scene with DH and SJY in the coffee shop, just after DH gave Heyeon Ho the final brush-off on the phone -
SJY: What do you want to eat?
DH: Your ass...now.
THE END
I'll leave it here as an example of what a POS him and you are.
Thanks.
Even though I have little grasp of what all that convoluted backstory amounts to, this episode had me on the verge of bawling most of the time, simply from the feels going on, regardless of their origin. I will rewatch this soon to figure out what all went down. There's no sense in doing so now, or in scrolling comments to get a clue.
I'm American, lived all my life here. The unspeakable outcome of Tuesday's election has me, along with half of the country, in a state of grief, shock, and shame. I can't concentrate on anything yet and I don't know how long it will take to get back up again. The American people just put a pathological liar/convicted felon/rapist/treasonous pig back in office as president. This will have a negative effect on everyone in the developed world, and I am so, so sorry. I did what I could to prevent it and cast my vote for Kamala Harris. It wasn't enough.
More than half of the American public knows this guy is a scumbag but they don't care. A lot of them LIKE that he is a scumbag. I can't explain it and I don't want to understand it. I am more sick at heart at what the election reveals about us as a populace than I am about the monster about to walk back into the White House. I'm sorry.
Back to the series...Lee Seon captured my heart with his looks and affect in the first episode, but my respect for him at this point is all about his acting talent and craft. He is excellent. I hope he goes far. To me, he is the heart and soul of Taekwondo.
Intriguing. This shows great potential. I've been burned a lot lately by BLs that start out great and go steadily downhill, or crash and burn in the final act. Thus, I'll withhold judgment for a while, unlike CERTAIN PEOPLE who rate series after one ep or even before they've begun airing. You know who you are.
And goodness...the director certainly knew what he was doing in the scene showing our future lovers' first encounter at the drinking fountain. When Hirukawa slowly turned toward Minase/the camera in slo-mo and fully revealed his beauty I gasped. Then, when he poured the water over his head and turned to look at Minase again, I wet myself.
I sure do wish this had been given us in one, all-episode dump so I could binge at leisure. Now I'm hooked and won't be able to hold off watching each week.
Not their best by any means, but a few levels above most BL shorts.
Strongberry writers/directors/actors know how to pack the feels into limited screen time, and to do so in interesting ways. Every story has already been told, so the only way to be original is in HOW the story is told. And Strongberry does so once again.
8/10
It seems as if shows like this are aimed at very young Fujoshis, who will watch any BL, no matter how bad. It's a similar phenomenon to kpop fangirl armies, who consume everything kpop, no matter how cheesy.
"...And honestly, it is not that terrible of a series you're making it out to be..."
lol What a ringing, powerful endorsement of the show! "...not THAT terrible" indicates you see it as being "terrible" also, just not AS terrible as I do.
Either way, it's terrible.
I'm slow...so please bear with me. The above-quoted statement seems to mean that if you fail to tell someone before sex, don't tell them at all. Is it meant to mean "You tell someone BEFORE having sex, not after!?" I'm kind of lost. And now you've introduced condoms not being 100% effective...when I didn't say they are because I know they aren't...so why are you telling me that?
Oh well, no need to reply. I was just seeking some clarity on your original meaning, but I just realized it doesn't matter if I get it. Sorry to have bothered you.
Of course, the best time to tell them is BEFORE you have sex of any kind, right? Or again...what am I missing?
I knew nothing of T.O.P. as a huge kpop star with BigBang when I first saw him in another flick. He continues to amaze me here with his natural screen presence and innate acting talent. Too bad none of it wore off on KSW.
Great flick. 9/10