Tanky Toon

You know there's different kinds of love, right? Just because two male friends love each other does not necessarily mean they are gay.
Just like a man acting effeminately doesn't make them a twink.

I like this review of L&P as it reiterates the different kinds of love in the show. The author's interpretation renders a different POV than mine but I can get on board with.

https://embracingfiction.wordpress.com/2022/12/04/cn-lighter-and-princess/

What I mean by projecting is that you are putting your own fantasies onto the story that it isn't there. For example, if you say that Draco Malfoy is closet gay or Voldemort is closet gay and they are in love with Harry Potter. Because of their obsession to with the latter.

I think there's a lot of projection going on here. Because if your theory about Gao Jian Hong is to be believed, then what about Fang Zhi Jing? Is he gay too? Their behavior is merely that of boys engaging in pissing contests to see who can pee the farthest. But what frustrates both is that Li Xun is far beyond in his skills that he leaves them in the dust without trying. Therefore, they are envious, jealous and obsessed with taking somebody down because they can't best Li Xun using normal means or their own strength. Their frustration at Li Xun is ascerbated by the fact that Li Xun is arrogant and doesn't really care what other people think. He may have softened after being with Zhu Yun but he is still unapologetic when he believes he is in the right. Seen tons of gay content, lives gay, and this ain't it.

Some of the actors here were forcibly outed so I'm not sure if they are "out and proud" but that's just me.

Yes, I know many people think this show is over-hyped with all the rom-com cliches that it could find. Sometimes, I listen to the keyboard critics (like when I passed on “The Heirs”), and sometimes I don’t (like I did in this instance). But I am glad I did not listen, because not only did I find “King the Land” enjoyable, I found a newfound appreciation for Yoon Ah, whom I wasn’t really too keen on when I saw her last in “Love Rain.”

Are there other pairings with better chemistry than Jun Ho and Yoon Ah? Sure. But I will recognize Gu Won’s and Yoon Ah’s effort in portraying two people who couldn’t be more opposite of each other. One who constantly smiles as she sees the silver lining in every situation, and has the tenacity to tackle challenges despite setbacks. While the other has a persistent cloud over his mood, because of his mother’s mysterious disappearance that he sees as abandonment.

Despite his lack of emotional intelligence, Gu Won tries his best with what he can, and after meeting Sa Rang, he learns to become more attuned to the needs of others. I also loved how the rest of the cast contribute to Gu Won’s character development, from “The Six Siblings” to Sa Rang’s Grandmother, they all shape his world view that allowed him to develop programs that are considered progressive for his hotel business, treating his employees and regular customers as “kings” in their own right despite their status.

To say that this drama is without its flaws is a lie. Could the product placement be less ubiquitous? Yes. Could the drama use fewer tropes? Maybe. But in the end, when Sa Rang realizes that the genuine pleasure of serving people isn’t necessarily being in the most prestigious lounge serving top-tier customers but in the every-day common folk, do we see the fundamental principle of this drama.

This is one of those dramas where I would have been fine without the two leads ending up together. It’s not that I had an issue with watching student-teacher relationships, as I’ve seen tons. But the execution, and the backstory towards the end of when Murai first fell in love with Tanaka wasn’t sitting well with me. I actually would have preferred if Tanaka end up marrying her colleague Yamakado, whom she had more chemistry with.

The romance feels very one-sided, or perhaps this was the show’s intention I don’t know. But I think it was really more of an escapism on Ayano’s part, and only after confronting her own ambiguous feelings for Murai did she break free of her illusion from Hitotose, an online game character who she has been obsessed with, as his eyes reminded her of her friend’s (Really weird if you ask me, if you find out who). I wasn’t also keen on the second couple, where there was lack of development, nor rhyme or reason why Yayo-chan should be with Hirai.

The only saving grace about this drama is that it keeps reminding us that it is wrong to be in a relationship with a minor, from Ayano herself who tells Murai this, to Yamakado reminding Ayano that this is one line people shouldn’t cross, to the ending that thankfully does not show any further skinship between the two.

Though the relationship between teacher and student serves as its backdrop, it is not the taboo aspect that should stand out, nor does this drama romanticize grooming as some may be inclined to believe. They handled the triggering subject of suicide with care and caution, with the insistence that there is so much to live for, despite what one might think as a life-ending suffering. Mikoto felt that there was no more future for her after she was rejected by her first love when she encounters her teacher on the rooftop. Haibi Jin distracts Mikoto with absurd requests or plies Mikoto with off-hand comments to distract her from her goal.

We learn that Haiba Jin was also once in what he deemed as dire strait, when his mentor tried to dissuade him from ending his own life. And it was because of this life-changing moment that Haibi Jin paid it forward and gave Mikoto a purpose. When Mikoto learns nothing is worth dying for, she develops genuine feelings for Jin.

There are many things in this drama that some people may find problematic, but the show is cognizant of these situations, for example, when Haibi Jin can be considered as stalking Mikoto around town, all he was really doing is ensuring she does not make another attempt at her own life. The show also mocks itself by injecting dry humor and reminds us not to take this drama at its face value.

At its core, this drama highlights the importance of the will to live for oneself, as much as for others, without trivializing the hardships that one may encounter as no more than experiences that one must go through in life in order to be stronger.

Actually I prefer the opposite, more like "Are you Human Too?" Where a robot gains human characteristics than a Human pretending to be a robot like in "I'm not a Robot."

I was being sarcastic, if you can't tell by the ridiculousness of the "law".

This charter 1.2.b.a. version 65 is firm and binding. Any person(s) who is found to be in violation of this legislation will be subject to fines up to $100,000 and possible incarceration of up to ten (10) years.

- Doctors and nurses are no longer permitted to aid and care for childbirth without at least two parents or legal guardian present.
o To this end, hospitals must invest in the use of AI and robotic arms to aid in the care of minors.
o Where resources are not available, hospitals must employ a fair number of staff equal to the ratio of boy-girl births to accommodate same-sex and same gender care

- Other regulations to take into consideration:
o Mall Santas or any other Santas are no longer permitted to have children on their laps. For children to make their wishes known, they must use an app to send their wishes to the North Pole, which can only be answered by elves under the age of majority.
o Adult relatives are no longer allowed to socialize with their relatives who are minors unless accompanied by another same-sex or same gendered parent who have no homosexual tendencies to avoid any assumptions of undue influence.
o Where no same-sex or same-gender parent or legal guardian is present or available, any person who is under the age of majority must be supervised by a minimum of three adults with a criminal record check done within the last 3 months.
o Additional care should be exercised when it comes to natural displays of affection, such as parents kissing or hugging their children or vice versa where the parents or legal guardian must ask permission from their children if any kissing or hugging are allowed each instance to avoid any accusations of misconduct.
o After the age of three, minors are no longer allowed to be bathed or showered by their parents or legal guardian to avoid any assumptions of obscenity. In conjunction with this jurisprudence, taking photographs of unclothed babies or children are prohibited.

- Public transportation henceforth must accommodate this new legislation by creating a dedicated service to persons under the age of majority. This includes but not limited to:
o Creating segregated cubicles that only allows the minor to board the bus or train, accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and not in mixed company.
o In the case of a group of adolescents travelling, they are only permitted to do so if the ages of the members of the group do not exceed one year difference and also not in mixed company, such persons of the opposite sex or opposite gender to avoid accusations of indecency.
o Ride-share or cab service must also abide by this law by installing a tinted glass partition between the driver’s seat and the rear of the vehicle. This will ensure that no indirect or direct eye contact can be made between driver and passenger if the latter is a minor.

- Establishments such as restaurants, stores, shopping centers, galleries, and all businesses catering to mixed company of minor and adults must also form a separate entity of similar or equivalent service or value that serve persons under the age of majority who are accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. This includes but not limited to:
o Employing staff who are between the ages of 15 and 17 who are properly trained in dealing with nuances of a sensitive nature.
o Having a dedicated area for the those who are near adolescent as long as they are not in mixed company, such persons of the opposite sex or opposite gender to avoid accusations of lewdness.

- In regards to entertainment, the following rules must apply:

o For concerts, persons under the age of majority can only attend age-appropriate musical events, where singers or band members must also be comprised of minors, or characters in costumes where the age of the performer is not identifiable, such as Teletubbies or Sesame Street characters.

o For cinematic releases, the same applies above where age-appropriate material can only be viewed.
 To this end, the new law bans direct collaboration between minors and persons of age. Any communication between a child actor and a non-child actor must be transmitted by a third-party, most preferably by the child actor’s parent or legal guardian.
 The parent or legal guardian of the child actor must always be present on the scene of production, and where possible, the script must incorporate or use the parent or legal guardian to fill the roles where adults are required.
 If the above is not feasible, then the actor who is over the age of majority in the same scene as the child actor, must wear sunglasses to avoid direct eye contact with the minor, and must also stand at least six (6) feet apart. The non-child actor is also strongly encouraged to wear a face mask to avoid any misunderstandings regarding the emotions displayed when delivering the lines.

- Teacher and student interaction in an educational setting. All classes must be conducted online as much as possible. In the case where in-class teaching cannot be avoided, teachers must use a separate entrance upon entering the facility where there will be a glass partition between the instructors’ and the pupils’ area.

- Daycare operators will no longer be allowed to conduct business. All persons under the age of minority can only be cared for by their parents or legal guardian even if they have full-time jobs.
o To this note, only parents or legal guardians of the same-sex and same-gender are permitted to take care for their same-sex and same-gender children to avoid any accusations of impropriety from opposite-sex or opposite-gendered parents or legal guardians.

- School bus drivers must not be over the age of majority in order to transport minors. Hence, it is now mandatory for persons aged 16 & 17 to obtain a bus driver’s license to fulfill the staffing shortage created by this new regulation.

A new law has been passed that bans minors from fraternizing with persons above the age of majority to avoid any imagined instances of pedophilia or grooming. This includes but not limited to the following:

This easily shot to the top of my favorite modern Chinese drama list, with my favorite actress in tow. Zhao Lu Si is nothing short of amazing in this romance where her character is crushing hard on her brother's best friend. If it were anybody else, the FL will probably come across as clingy and annoying, but she just does it with the right amount of sass.

First time encountering Chen Zhe Yuan in a drama but he's not too shabby himself as the doting big-bro type who is totally clueless in the love department despite his handsome looks since he's pretty focused on working to clear his father's debts. Of course, the difference in age while one is still a minor in itself is a tricky situation, when treated the wrong way. But we learn that Jia Xu does not even express any romantic interest in Sang Zhi until much later when the FL was in college.

I believe the drama made this distinction as clear as day to make all those accusations of pedophilia or grooming baseless. You can't accuse Jia Xu for encouraging Sang Zhi's affections when he is oblivious and does not even see her as more than a younger sister. The feelings of the FL has always been one-sided until they both got older and the show demonstrates this in several occasions.

In other aspects, the parents are not caricaturally cruel but had the appropriate amount of concern for their daughter's well-being as well as being supportive. There are no over-the-top characters and most are well-rounded. The pacing of the plot suited the narrative, and there was no blinding inconsistencies that I can think of. There was the right amount of fluff, angst, comedy and romance in this drama that I enjoyed watching it from beginning to end without touching the FFWD button.

Last but not the least is the swoon-worthy OST that I barely even notice in other dramas, but here, it serves as a delightful backdrop to Sang Zhi and Jai Ju's platonic-to-romantic journey.

The drama started out strong, with a formidable female character who is as resourceful as she is kindhearted. I enjoyed Song Yi as Liu Yu Ru and initially assumed that she will be a pushover due to her dainty appearance, but she held her own despite the circumstances surrounding her family. With a twist of fate, Yu Ru got herself hitched to the male lead, despite her fervent adoration for another man.

For his part, Bai Jing Ting portrays Gu Jiu Si with all the playfulness when he was a delinquent and with all the seriousness when he became a high-ranking official. The two leads ooze enough chemistry to make their sham marriage believable. However, I almost gave up mid-way through this drama as it dragged through politics but I was interested enough in Gu Jiu Si's character development to continue.

I also liked the secondary characters, especially the brotherhood between the two kings and the friendship among the young group who were supportive of each other despite past grievances. Jiu Si and Yuru's benevolence knows no bounds, that it sometimes becomes a detriment to the show. Perhaps the message is to forgive those who wronged you, and people who make mistakes can get a second or a third chance. But just because it's a noble thing to do, doesn't mean that people should get away with murder and still be able to live their lives without consequences.

I feel that the final episodes were a bit anti-climactic for me and the drama lost some of its steam as it tries to wrap up some loose ends. But all in all, a decent offering, if you take a break or two,

The judgmental, tantrum-throwing female lead and the "most handsome" genius young doctor keep crossing paths because the city is so small you practically run into each other so you must be destined (or run out of options) that you end up being romantically involved. Yeah I'm not invested enough in that story to continue.