Ep 6 and 7 have been great! I almost forgot that Yai's job is in the government/royalty. They distracted us with all the dorky love and suddenly hit us with the political intrigue. I wonder if this is what causes his and Kaewta's downfall in the end.
Omg I've located someone who actually liked the dutch angles! I personally thought they were overdone but I also…
I just read some of the complaints about the angles, but I'm honestly loving every bit of the cinematography so far. My favorite was at the dining table when we're shown how large the distance between the grandmother and Sam is in that shot. There weren't even any other chairs, which increased the empty feeling. So good!
I was trying to manage my expectations because the hype for this has been so strong and I didn't want to be disappointed, but holy hell this delivered! Even with the first episode mostly being used to introduce the characters/plot, it was so well done! Even the clichés felt fresh, because WOMEN!
Also, I love how scenes constantly felt off with the camera angles and the uncomfortable tension that Sam brought to the workplace whenever she entered the room. Even though Sam is meant to be an ice princess, the actress is doing so well in putting a tinge of sadness behind her persona. You can see how the grandmother's strict, conservative rules have eroded away at her true personality.
Then there's Mon, who remembers the Sam that was sad about having to give up her puppy and who smiled brightly. Now, Mon has to melt the ice princess exterior and help Sam find herself again.
THIS IS THE GL SERIES I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOR SO LONG!!!!
I wrote this analysis for fun and just wanted to share so here it is :)As you probably know already, this series…
I enjoyed this entire post.
I also have mixed feelings about the amount of sex scenes shown during the filming of Mafia Baby (we're up to what? 5 now?). I feel like there was a purpose to some, Fight/Kiss scene to establish Pan was uncomfortable with such scenes but Nott could pull him into the mood with methods he'd learned from their hotel trysts, Candle Floor scene for Pan's breakdown over the sexual exploitation and pushing himself so hard to do these scenes for other people and not because he wants to, Gun+Blow Job was excessive but showed the absurdity of brand/sponsor dealings, Bondage Chair we see Pan slightly more comfortable/confident and Nott is getting more flirty outside shipping purposes. Rainy Window has about the same progression as the Bondage Chair scene only with added feelings from Pan's side with the flashbacks...I don't know, cut Bondage Chair and keep Rainy Window? xD
Whatever my takeaway from those scenes ends up being, it's undermined by the fact that most of the gifs/engagement I see around them is only about how hot they are and not the larger discussion about how Pan feels about them....sooooooooo, the series is correct that sex sells, that's for sure.
Yes! I was thinking the same thing. He couldn't promise Nott to continue being a shipped couple cause he wanted…
Meanwhile, Nott is going to be leaving their shipped couple to join TTV and has been trying to hint to Pan that he wants them to be REAL.
I don't think Pan considered actual feelings being involved when it came to Nott until just recently, which is going to make mending his relationship with his parents even harder. (Or not depending on how betrayed he feels by Nott now...yikes)
It seems like Pan got into acting for his parents but after they found out that the drama he was in was a gay series they've pretty much cut off contact from him. The first time his mother has replied to his texts in a long time was just to say that she was embarrassed by him.
That kind of rejection would hurt anyone, but for Pan, who is actually in some way queer, it adds a ton of extra weight on top of everything else he's dealing with. I wonder if part of why he's adamant about keeping his relationship with Nott reserved to that hotel room is due to internalized homophobia. He sees BL and shipping as a stepping stone in his pursuit of fame and has convinced himself that he'll leave it all behind, but he's discovered parts of himself through this role that can't be left behind so easily.
Theory time - When Pan was trying to get on the director good side while eating a meal and director (jacket really?…
That Rice - Koon - Pharaoh interaction stood out to me too! I got such bad vibes from it. Even if it was just scouting, I'm not very comfortable with the way Koon has been managing Pan either.
Ooh I am enjoying this (with the aid of Google Translate for all the unsubbed texts).
Pan is a mess, but I seriously feel for him. I get the feeling that he was recruited when he was young in much the same manner as we saw when P'Koon suddenly stopped Rice on the stairs based on his looks and used Pharaoh to herd the kid in.
But this line of work doesn't seem like it's for Pan at all. He's almost the complete opposite of Nott, who doesn't have a problem with using his body and looks to make a living and, like Nott casually told Pan, to him it's "just sex." Pan, however, doesn't like to be touched or have his space invaded (e.g. how a table in the eating area is for him alone and how he doesn't like his clothes being worn by Pharaoh). Now Pan is spiraling because his true personality is so far removed from what he projects as his persona.
It also seems like he isn't permitted to voice his own opinion if it's the slightest bit negative and I believe his manager has molded him to be this way. We know that it was her that set up the chin gesture for him to use when he is uncomfortable with something, but we've seen her ignore his discomfort again and again (with the fan meet overtime, the creepy sponsored brand man, the NC scenes). She might act like she's stepping in to protect him and is playing the bad guy in front of others, but in the end she always pushes his boundaries further than he's comfortable with or leaves to take a well timed phone call and I can't stand it.
And, because Pan is so fake himself, he thinks everyone else around him is just as fake, which goes a long way in explaining his attitude.
I also wonder if he has talked to Nott about this before, because Nott seemed to already know that Pan finds it hard to trust people and they have a whole three years of history together that we're unaware of. I hope we get more backstory, but am a little worried we won't have enough time for it.
It's simple really, Seojoon says it himself, he likes guys with their walls up, who try to be stoic and cool.…
Yesssss, the "I'll come to you" line is so good! It's also Seojoon acknowledging that he'll have to do most of the work in the relationship if he wants to be with Jiwoo. I think we're used to seeing healthier dynamics where characters meet each other halfway when they finally get together, but that just isn't how these two are right now.
I think you're right about the push-pull aspect also being something that originally drew Seojoon to Jiwoo. It's their own little jiu-jitsu match, with Seojoon having to break through Jiwoo's defenses. It's definitely not my preferred relationship style, but I can see how it would feel rewarding to be able to draw out the loving side of someone who rarely lets their emotional guard down.
That said, I still don't think it's good for a long term relationship. Seojoon is eventually going to get exhausted always having to be the one doing the work. I anticipate a major explosion in the future, which I think we saw a hint of in the trailer.
Anyways, it's been fun chatting with you about them!
What is cool about mdl is that we are from all over the world with different life experience and boundaries. Especially…
Love this entire comment. I'm also curious about them addressing those more serious issues, because the groundwork is all there, I just don't know how ballsy they'll be.
As for the outcome of their relationship, I fully expect them to get back together. Seojoon has known since the inception of their relationship that he was going to have to do the legwork because relationships are extremely difficult for Jiwoo. I don't think he was under any illusions that Jiwoo would be easy to be with. Seojoon's also just too confident in their feelings for each other to let Jiwoo walk away for any bullshit reason.
It's simple really, Seojoon says it himself, he likes guys with their walls up, who try to be stoic and cool.…
Sadly, I think it's perfectly in character for Jiwoo to leave Seojoon on his birthday. In s1 Jiwoo also said very cruel things when leaving Seojoon, like that he was uncomfortable around him and felt disgusted by him. It's Jiwoo's tactic for keeping people from trying to pursue him. It isn't a healthy tactic, but leaving Seojoon on his birthday was a way to hit him with maximum damage.
Luckily for Jiwoo, Seojoon is tenacious and is able to read Jiwoo well enough to see through his behavior.
About his reason for leaving, I genuinely don't have a clue, but I kind of hope it isn't about protecting Seojoon again since we already had that plotline in s1.
It's simple really, Seojoon says it himself, he likes guys with their walls up, who try to be stoic and cool.…
As for s2, I agree that it was an absolute dick move of Jiwoo and I personally would not bother with someone who left me through a post-it note, but their relationship appeared very sold in the flashbacks and they were as married to one another as they could be in S.Korea, so I feel Seojoon's search could have largely been about closure. After their reunion though, there's no way Seojoon bought any of Jiwoo's lies, that list of reasons was so obviously scripted and Jiwoo keeping Seojoon's shirt was like a dead giveaway that he hadn't moved on from their relationship either.
Anyways, this is my #1 bl. We're totally opposed here. xD
WHY DOES HE LOVE THIS ASSHOLE CHEF???"Blueming" is my #1 fav BL, with "Where Your Eyes Linger" not far behind.…
It's simple really, Seojoon says it himself, he likes guys with their walls up, who try to be stoic and cool.
Plus, Seojoon was used to getting the star treatment and liked that Jiwoo didn't cater to him and didn't accept his free money. Jiwoo only judged him based on their first interaction, where Seojoon acted like he could waltz into a closed restaurant, use their restroom, and pay/charm his way around. If Jiwoo had treated him like "a gorgeous movie star", he wouldn't have given him a second thought. Jiwoo also had no judgement about the scandal and all the gossip that was surrounding Seojoon at the time, so Seojoon was free to be himself and build a new relationship without all those preconceived ideas of him.
As Seojoon got to know him, he learned that Jiwoo was actually quite attentive. Jiwoo stopped cooking with eggs because Seojoon didn't like them (although Jiwoo is such a good chef that Seojoon actually liked the way he prepared dishes with eggs), Jiwoo was careful about handling glasses after learning about Seojoon's trigger, and when Seojoon told him that he liked space Jiwoo started adding space themed items to the decor. There were many subtle ways Jiwoo showed his care, maybe you didn't notice, but Seojoon certainly did.
Like a lot of you, I'm not happy about Jiwoo regressing to s1 behavior, especially since his ultimate decision to stay with Seojoon last season was because "it's not like we won't get hurt by being apart." That was such a profound and mature line and it has really stuck with me. I had hoped that foundation would be built upon in s2. I also hate breakup plots with a passion.
That said, I'm still so enamored with the way To My Star makes me feel immersed in their little intimate and domestic bubble. Scenes are constructed in a way that enhances the emotional state of the characters so well, like when Jiwoo was in the shadows at the kitchen sink, with his back to Seojoon, naming off the reasons he left. I could feel every blow to Seojoon, but still had this overwhelming urge to hug Jiwoo and ask him why he's looking so lonely in the dark.
Then there's the nostalgic scenes, where locations bleed from present time to past memories, which packs an emotional punch every time. I cried over too ripe bananas and a dirty plate on a dining table for crying out loud.
The vibes simply remain exquisite. So even if the plot leaves me wanting, I'm here for the art.
1 
Also, I love how scenes constantly felt off with the camera angles and the uncomfortable tension that Sam brought to the workplace whenever she entered the room. Even though Sam is meant to be an ice princess, the actress is doing so well in putting a tinge of sadness behind her persona. You can see how the grandmother's strict, conservative rules have eroded away at her true personality.
Then there's Mon, who remembers the Sam that was sad about having to give up her puppy and who smiled brightly. Now, Mon has to melt the ice princess exterior and help Sam find herself again.
THIS IS THE GL SERIES I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOR SO LONG!!!!
I also have mixed feelings about the amount of sex scenes shown during the filming of Mafia Baby (we're up to what? 5 now?). I feel like there was a purpose to some, Fight/Kiss scene to establish Pan was uncomfortable with such scenes but Nott could pull him into the mood with methods he'd learned from their hotel trysts, Candle Floor scene for Pan's breakdown over the sexual exploitation and pushing himself so hard to do these scenes for other people and not because he wants to, Gun+Blow Job was excessive but showed the absurdity of brand/sponsor dealings, Bondage Chair we see Pan slightly more comfortable/confident and Nott is getting more flirty outside shipping purposes. Rainy Window has about the same progression as the Bondage Chair scene only with added feelings from Pan's side with the flashbacks...I don't know, cut Bondage Chair and keep Rainy Window? xD
Whatever my takeaway from those scenes ends up being, it's undermined by the fact that most of the gifs/engagement I see around them is only about how hot they are and not the larger discussion about how Pan feels about them....sooooooooo, the series is correct that sex sells, that's for sure.
I don't think Pan considered actual feelings being involved when it came to Nott until just recently, which is going to make mending his relationship with his parents even harder. (Or not depending on how betrayed he feels by Nott now...yikes)
That kind of rejection would hurt anyone, but for Pan, who is actually in some way queer, it adds a ton of extra weight on top of everything else he's dealing with. I wonder if part of why he's adamant about keeping his relationship with Nott reserved to that hotel room is due to internalized homophobia. He sees BL and shipping as a stepping stone in his pursuit of fame and has convinced himself that he'll leave it all behind, but he's discovered parts of himself through this role that can't be left behind so easily.
Pan is a mess, but I seriously feel for him. I get the feeling that he was recruited when he was young in much the same manner as we saw when P'Koon suddenly stopped Rice on the stairs based on his looks and used Pharaoh to herd the kid in.
But this line of work doesn't seem like it's for Pan at all. He's almost the complete opposite of Nott, who doesn't have a problem with using his body and looks to make a living and, like Nott casually told Pan, to him it's "just sex." Pan, however, doesn't like to be touched or have his space invaded (e.g. how a table in the eating area is for him alone and how he doesn't like his clothes being worn by Pharaoh). Now Pan is spiraling because his true personality is so far removed from what he projects as his persona.
It also seems like he isn't permitted to voice his own opinion if it's the slightest bit negative and I believe his manager has molded him to be this way. We know that it was her that set up the chin gesture for him to use when he is uncomfortable with something, but we've seen her ignore his discomfort again and again (with the fan meet overtime, the creepy sponsored brand man, the NC scenes). She might act like she's stepping in to protect him and is playing the bad guy in front of others, but in the end she always pushes his boundaries further than he's comfortable with or leaves to take a well timed phone call and I can't stand it.
And, because Pan is so fake himself, he thinks everyone else around him is just as fake, which goes a long way in explaining his attitude.
I also wonder if he has talked to Nott about this before, because Nott seemed to already know that Pan finds it hard to trust people and they have a whole three years of history together that we're unaware of. I hope we get more backstory, but am a little worried we won't have enough time for it.
I think you're right about the push-pull aspect also being something that originally drew Seojoon to Jiwoo. It's their own little jiu-jitsu match, with Seojoon having to break through Jiwoo's defenses. It's definitely not my preferred relationship style, but I can see how it would feel rewarding to be able to draw out the loving side of someone who rarely lets their emotional guard down.
That said, I still don't think it's good for a long term relationship. Seojoon is eventually going to get exhausted always having to be the one doing the work. I anticipate a major explosion in the future, which I think we saw a hint of in the trailer.
Anyways, it's been fun chatting with you about them!
As for the outcome of their relationship, I fully expect them to get back together. Seojoon has known since the inception of their relationship that he was going to have to do the legwork because relationships are extremely difficult for Jiwoo. I don't think he was under any illusions that Jiwoo would be easy to be with. Seojoon's also just too confident in their feelings for each other to let Jiwoo walk away for any bullshit reason.
Luckily for Jiwoo, Seojoon is tenacious and is able to read Jiwoo well enough to see through his behavior.
About his reason for leaving, I genuinely don't have a clue, but I kind of hope it isn't about protecting Seojoon again since we already had that plotline in s1.
Anyways, this is my #1 bl. We're totally opposed here. xD
Plus, Seojoon was used to getting the star treatment and liked that Jiwoo didn't cater to him and didn't accept his free money. Jiwoo only judged him based on their first interaction, where Seojoon acted like he could waltz into a closed restaurant, use their restroom, and pay/charm his way around. If Jiwoo had treated him like "a gorgeous movie star", he wouldn't have given him a second thought. Jiwoo also had no judgement about the scandal and all the gossip that was surrounding Seojoon at the time, so Seojoon was free to be himself and build a new relationship without all those preconceived ideas of him.
As Seojoon got to know him, he learned that Jiwoo was actually quite attentive. Jiwoo stopped cooking with eggs because Seojoon didn't like them (although Jiwoo is such a good chef that Seojoon actually liked the way he prepared dishes with eggs), Jiwoo was careful about handling glasses after learning about Seojoon's trigger, and when Seojoon told him that he liked space Jiwoo started adding space themed items to the decor. There were many subtle ways Jiwoo showed his care, maybe you didn't notice, but Seojoon certainly did.
That said, I'm still so enamored with the way To My Star makes me feel immersed in their little intimate and domestic bubble. Scenes are constructed in a way that enhances the emotional state of the characters so well, like when Jiwoo was in the shadows at the kitchen sink, with his back to Seojoon, naming off the reasons he left. I could feel every blow to Seojoon, but still had this overwhelming urge to hug Jiwoo and ask him why he's looking so lonely in the dark.
Then there's the nostalgic scenes, where locations bleed from present time to past memories, which packs an emotional punch every time. I cried over too ripe bananas and a dirty plate on a dining table for crying out loud.
The vibes simply remain exquisite. So even if the plot leaves me wanting, I'm here for the art.