lilili

I was thinking wow OP this is so insightful and then I realized it was Cora because of course it was 😆 you convinced me to start this

Oh I didn't mean they should literally use CapCut, just that the quality is below what some random person could do with it but point taken about the templates

I'm still boggled by the quality because you can rent lavalier mics very cheaply and shoot on an iPhone and get better quality then you're seeing in this drama. Plus those opening graphics are terrible, a typical TikTok user could edit a better intro using CapCut.

I read the comments before watching but I still was NOT prepared for how bad it was. The intro gave 1990s soap opera and the audio sounded like it was recorded with a mic under water. The tongue kiss looked like the director told them to pretend they were a toilet brush and the toilet.

It's hard not being afraid when you're socialized to be afraid and you're unsupported to make a change. Been there, done that, have a wardrobe of t-shirts.

(this has been a very interesting conversation btw even if I don't agree with everything you're saying)

I just started looking into a SCRUM cert so thanks for that 😅 I have a long career as a communications consultant but with AI and the severe drop in media consumption going on I'd love to transition something that pays as well or better but is a bit less insane.

Have you heard of the Chinese drama Prisoner of Beauty? It has the exact dynamic of cunning woman manipulating a man to survive. But you will probably get a stroke if you watch it, lol.

It's not only white population that's dropping in the US. That's a myth. Every group is below replacement levels. https://www.reddit.com/r/Natalism/comments/1lm6xcy/updated_total_fertility_rates_by_race_in_the/

This Reddit comment explains idol dramas really well https://www.reddit.com/r/CDrama/comments/1c6yqjr/comment/l06ib7i

This video has a good summary of what happened: https://youtu.be/O2QY7_aAXvc?si=ttsCK9YMzQHGUdOB&t=47

I agree, it was a combination of incredibly good writing with an actress who killed it. I just wish that Li Tongguan had gotten a similar development.

The first three episodes involve a lot of setup, the story takes off once they're on the road traveling. Having said that, the drama isn't primarily about the romance (tho I love the romance) but about ordinary people trying to do the right thing when they are at the mercy of morally bankrupt rulers.

I think it's worth sticking out because a Dream Within a dream was a response to all of the s*** that happened when AJTL was targeted in an online hate campaign with LYN suffering most of the abuse. You will understand ADWAD much better when you realize that Nan Heng being misunderstood by everyone is a parallel to what happened to LYN. Also the ep 1 scene of ADWAD is a parody of things that people were saying about LYN online when AJTL aired.

I was thinking of writing a Bluesky thread on him but now I'm just going to share your article 😅 just a small correction: it's Berklee, not Berkeley. Common mistake but Berkeley is part of the University of California while Berklee is the music conservatory.

Yes! I absolutely love that night rooftop scene and how they instinctively wanted to be together after they were both assaulted. I talked about it in one of the discussion threads. The flickering neon heart 😭

I think your explanation makes sense. Whether we can call it love or not, this is the moment where they are both feeling something different.

I read that they had planned for 12 episodes but couldn't shoot them because the FL got sick multiple times during the shoot and the ML's schedule couldn't be adjusted. Unfortunately it shows, we really needed to see Kaoru's journey to stop hating himself for failing the test. Without that the final scene just didn't land the way it should have. Still freaking loved this drama though, and I deeply appreciate the care and attention the writer and director paid to the storytelling.

I've been told to stop at episode 34 or 36

Yes, there's been problems with women accumulating enormous debts paying for hosts and then getting pushed into prostitution to pay them off. But there's different perspectives on the problem:

https://unseen-japan.com/host-clubs-new-law-proposed/

https://unseen-japan.com/kabukicho-host-club-expert/

I found a fascinating article in Japanese that dives into the drama's critique of the patriarchy: https://ashita.biglobe.co.jp/entry/column/oshima/aino_gakkou.

It's interesting that this was the only article I could find in Japanese that talks about how the patriarchy and toxic masculinity are depicted in Learning to Love. Even the writer and director of the drama didn't discuss it in interviews and neither did fans. Is it considered too controversial a topic to broach? I know that Japan has some of the lowest equality between the sexes of any developed nation in the world.

I love this quote:

>Aimi grew up at age 35 under the shackles of her father, the epitome of patriarchy and paternalism. She works as a teacher at a Catholic girls' school, and is thoroughly confined to the shackles of being a "serious and chaste woman" both at home and at work. She once tried to fly out of her cage by falling in love, but it didn't work out and she ended up attempting suicide.

>Kaworu is his stage name; his real name is Takamori Taiga. He has a learning disability that makes it extremely difficult for him to read and write, and he cannot even write his own name properly. Aimi is by his side, teaching him step by step how to read and write. He grew up being told that his inability to study is his own fault, and it is difficult for him to recognize the opportunity gap that has resulted from not receiving education or careful training. He has survived in the nightlife world by relying on his looks, physical attractiveness, and ability to communicate verbally without using letters, but he too has lived his life believing that his only occupation is to exaggerate his "masculinity."

> At first glance, the worlds in which the two characters live seem to be contrasting, but they are very similar in the sense that they are "made to believe that they have no choice but to live by exaggerating the roles of men and women." The audience unconsciously accepts the gradual twist that Juliet and Romeo, who thought they lived in different worlds, are actually trapped in the same world, and find themselves rooting for the couple's love.

You make great points and the voiceover was wonderful in that scene. I love it when we get Manami's thoughts.

I really think for Taiga it was when Manami said he wasn't stupid and used -san to address him. I think his offer to sleep with her wasn't just a way to thank her, he unconsciously wanted to be with her and this was the only way he knew how to get close to her.

Even though in ep 4 he tries to exploit her again it's because he's scolded by the club president and he's scared of his feelings so he goes back to behaving like Kaoru. But he's immediately ashamed when he puts 500,000 yen on her tab.

The end of episode 3 is the scene where Manami goes to The Joker to find Kaoru after their fight. That alone tells you she's developing feelings for him but then Akina humiliates Kaoru by telling him the stupid ones have to work harder and Manami defends him. She couldn't tolerate seeing Akina abuse him. The look on Kaoru's face in that scene shows that he's starting to have real feelings for Manami.

Manami leaves the club and Kaoru abandons Akina to run after her and embrace her. Then he offers to sleep with her because he thinks sex is the only thing of value that he has to offer but of course she turns him down because she's not a predator. After all that, Manami pushes to continue their tutoring lessons without admitting to herself what's motivating her.

It's understandable that people are missing this as a turning point in their feelings for each other because it's not a typical expression of romantic passion, instead their feelings come through when they acknowledge each other's humanity.