This was hilarious! And I agree with most of it except for two points:~ Pretending sexual assault emotionally…
For the first point I was talking about the rookie actor who was exposed by BTS for having sex with the mayor! His scene is paralleled with CSA, and while she was so traumatized by it that she still has PTSD, the rookie's reaction to it was brushed off and he is later shown to fake his tears in front of the media as if he didn't care for the situation. This kind of idea that men would "want" to be sexually abused by women in order to gain something is sexist and really hinders men to actually denounce their abusers.
As for The Handmaiden, I am well aware of it, but I think the subject matter of the film and its director all played a big part in being "socially" accepted. Park Chan Wook is known for dark, twisted films. The Handmaiden takes place in the 1930s, when SK was under Japanese colonization, and you can clearly sense the disturbing "influence" of Japanese culture in the film. All these elements make it that the lesbian relationship could be interpreted as a twisted, evil, or strange anomaly in a disturbed universe. Combined with Park Chan Wook's reputation, this was a somewhat accepted portrayal of a gay relationship.
But here in Climax, CSA is portrayed as a mainstream melodrama actress. The lesbian relationship seemed to be the sole focus of her film, which is described as a regular romance set in present time. There's no elements of fantasy, no precise historical context, no exterior evil influence... I honestly doubt something like that could be released and acclaimed today (although I'd be happy to be proven wrong). We've seen the reaction for Love in the Big City, and it wasn't great...
Sorry for the long text, I felt like I needed to explain my POV a bit more in detail!!
How is the ML a lesser evil? He used revenge porn on a woman and a rookie actor, used a poor young girl to do…
I didn't call anyone innocent, I just pointed out that the ML's actions are just as disgusting as the others, yet because of the tone with which he is portrayed people find him more likeable, which is a direction choice I find odd.
Also about Nana's character, I called her a poor young girl based on her backstory. Having to watch your own mother die because of your father's abuse and ending up murdering him because of it must've been traumatizing. ML saw all that and instead of offering support and protection for her to live a better life, he decided to use her, which eventually led her to make the wrong choices. Had she had real support back then, she wouldn't have ended where she did...
An acting showcase? Aside from the leads, the rest of the cast was just average...Cha Jooyoung really didn't need…
I agree with you in that the performances of the actors didn't really fit the vibe of the drama (especially Cha Jooyoung), which made it a bit weird overall
There was a lot of chirping after the early eps dropped about why these A-list actors chose this project. Turns…
An acting showcase? Aside from the leads, the rest of the cast was just average...
Cha Jooyoung really didn't need to do all that. She looked like the crazy over the top step mothers in telenovelas. A more subtle performance would've made her role more compelling.
And Nana... She's great when she needs to cry but aside from that she always puts on the same expressionless look which gets boring quick.
Almost everyone in this drama is toxic or crazy. But I was still rooting for the lesser of the evil characters…
How is the ML a lesser evil? He used revenge porn on a woman and a rookie actor, used a poor young girl to do his dirty work instead of protecting her, sexually assaulted his wife, kept under silence murder and attempted murder evidence, let an innocent man go to prison for months because "it wasn't the right time"...
His sole redeeming quality is that he's hot, that's the only way this drama is able to garner any sympathy for him and it's honestly kind of disgusting.
In real life a child rapist is a president. Men do not get ripped apart for sexual crimes.
legally speaking no, and behind closed doors even less, but yes, it's taken seriously by the public when done in plain sight, and it's the public who votes for their politicians...
In real life a child rapist is a president. Men do not get ripped apart for sexual crimes.
I'm talking about public opinion, not actual legal consequences, and surrounding politics, not the entertainment industry. Lee Junseok was crucified for talking badly about women on television, a sex crime against one would destroy a politician's career.
In real life a child rapist is a president. Men do not get ripped apart for sexual crimes.
This is set in South Korea. Sexual crimes are taken very seriously, especially in politics. This kind of public controversy would lose you support from half the population, BTS would have no chance at elections.
The entire drama is improbable. No way Sang Ah could stage a comeback after being implicated in a murder. I think…
It just feel like they pick and choose what they consider important without being consistent. They show the young male actor "asking" to be raped to further his career and consenting to this situation. He's shown faking his tears in front of media after the whole thing is revealed, as if this didn't affect him at all. On the other hand the women actresses are claimed to be fragile, constantly ruminating over their traumatizing experiences, as if they're the only gender suffering from this kind of corruption.
I'm sorry but did everyone gloss over the ML committing a sex crime right from the very first episode?
I'm actually shocked this was downplayed so much considering the subject matter of this drama... ML filmed two adults having sex and broadcasted it for the world to see only for personal gain!! No news channel would actually agree to this, and if it ever did happen you can be sure that the victim's face would be blurred, they wouldn't expose that poor actor to the public. And letting the world know you're the one behind this?? In real life BTS would've been torn to shreds and excluded from political life, not given an opportunity to run for elections lmao
Edit: I just watched ep 8 and they did it again?? This is infuriating why do they treat revenge porn so lightly ffs!! I know I shouldn't get worked up about a drama but if they are going to write a story about what goes on behind the scenes in this industry, then maybe keep it behind the scenes? That alone makes this story completely stupid and not worth a watch imo
Is the wlw relationship a big part of this show? I'm interested in watching queer representation from Korea but if it's just a male gaze thing I won't bother
New hasn't been able to make a good drama from start to finish since Make It Right... someone give all new projects to Nuchy I feel like she's the only GMMTV director who understands angst and dares to take risks with storytelling...
As for The Handmaiden, I am well aware of it, but I think the subject matter of the film and its director all played a big part in being "socially" accepted. Park Chan Wook is known for dark, twisted films. The Handmaiden takes place in the 1930s, when SK was under Japanese colonization, and you can clearly sense the disturbing "influence" of Japanese culture in the film. All these elements make it that the lesbian relationship could be interpreted as a twisted, evil, or strange anomaly in a disturbed universe. Combined with Park Chan Wook's reputation, this was a somewhat accepted portrayal of a gay relationship.
But here in Climax, CSA is portrayed as a mainstream melodrama actress. The lesbian relationship seemed to be the sole focus of her film, which is described as a regular romance set in present time. There's no elements of fantasy, no precise historical context, no exterior evil influence... I honestly doubt something like that could be released and acclaimed today (although I'd be happy to be proven wrong). We've seen the reaction for Love in the Big City, and it wasn't great...
Sorry for the long text, I felt like I needed to explain my POV a bit more in detail!!
Also about Nana's character, I called her a poor young girl based on her backstory. Having to watch your own mother die because of your father's abuse and ending up murdering him because of it must've been traumatizing. ML saw all that and instead of offering support and protection for her to live a better life, he decided to use her, which eventually led her to make the wrong choices. Had she had real support back then, she wouldn't have ended where she did...
Cha Jooyoung really didn't need to do all that. She looked like the crazy over the top step mothers in telenovelas. A more subtle performance would've made her role more compelling.
And Nana... She's great when she needs to cry but aside from that she always puts on the same expressionless look which gets boring quick.
His sole redeeming quality is that he's hot, that's the only way this drama is able to garner any sympathy for him and it's honestly kind of disgusting.
I'm actually shocked this was downplayed so much considering the subject matter of this drama... ML filmed two adults having sex and broadcasted it for the world to see only for personal gain!! No news channel would actually agree to this, and if it ever did happen you can be sure that the victim's face would be blurred, they wouldn't expose that poor actor to the public. And letting the world know you're the one behind this?? In real life BTS would've been torn to shreds and excluded from political life, not given an opportunity to run for elections lmao
Edit: I just watched ep 8 and they did it again?? This is infuriating why do they treat revenge porn so lightly ffs!! I know I shouldn't get worked up about a drama but if they are going to write a story about what goes on behind the scenes in this industry, then maybe keep it behind the scenes? That alone makes this story completely stupid and not worth a watch imo