i-remember-yyou

[i-remember-yyou]

[i-remember-yyou]

Glossing over problematic BL topics?...Thoughts on "Jazz for Two," namely episode 7.

Let me preface by saying I wrote this so long ago, in June, but kept it as a draft. However, I just re-watched Jazz for Two, and ergo, I have returned to this topic. And I LOVED this drama, especially the two secondary storylines over the main, but here's the thing. Jazz for Two, for me, took quite a turn in episode 7, and it surprised me, mostly in a bad way, lol.

*Pointless rant with some valid points begins now.*

Assuming you’ve watched this already, I’m not giving too much context. Okay. So.

Tae Yi confronts Se/Seo Heon after Seo Heon kissed him some unnamed number of days ago. In this dark alleyway confrontation (I mean, of course, this is a K-drama), Tae Yi, by all means, seems disgusted by the idea of a non-hetero relationship. He even says, “Am I a girl to you?” or something like that (FYI iQIYI subs are always a bit sus. Like what am I paying you for?!?!). Then Tae Yi proceeds to assault, yes assault, Seo Heon.

Let me tell you, I LOVED Tae Yi and his moody, sad, thoughtful character up until this moment. "He's a kid, a teenage boy, lots to learn," sure, sure. But it was just so out of nowhere and unpleasant to watch. This poor child was assaulted in an alley by someone he trusted, let alone had feelings for.

We then see that he realizes he was wrong. later. that. night? And no sis, not wrong for assaulting Seo Heon, but wrong about thinking Seo Heon was “stalking” him? If you've watch this already, you know Seo Heon was actually forced to come to Tae Yi’s uncle’s workplace because of Do Yoon (bless his heart), not because he was obsessed with seeing Tae Yi, as Tae Yi assumed.

Then, the next day *question mark*, Tae Yi apologizes (not really a complete or specific apology) and then kisses Se Heon... Then, next scene, they’re all giggly and heart eyes in class. Tae Yi also seems to have had a total personality change in a matter of ... what, hours? minutes?

It was cute to see them finally get together but…mmm. I mean, I hate to be anal about these things. It's a drama. But there's just missing time and explanation here. Logic left the room.

Mind you, when they first kissed, Tae Yi wiped his lips right in front of Seo Heon in the most annoyed, dismissive way, which was so heartbreaking to watch because Seo Heon's intentions were so pure.

So my question is, did feeling bad or sorry for the night alley incident make Tae Yi simultaneously realize his feelings for Seo Heon AND dismantle any negative ideas about gay relationships? Like, nah kid, there's no way.

He can be mad and angry and say things he doesn’t mean, but the things he says (like anyone) have some truth in them… “Am I a girl to you” while assaulting Seo Heon feels like he’s got a certain mindset about right and wrong types of love. In what way or to what extent or why is unclear because it just isn't addressed.

He could have said a million other things. "I don't like you that way." "I like girls." "Stop stalking me." The list goes on. At least, like, give us a scene where he sees two guys holding hands and thinks, mmm, okay, it isn't so bad, it's normal. But there's nothing. It's like they started a sentence and did not finish it.

Idk man, it just feels too glossed over and lackluster to me. Not to mention the problem with Seo Heon literally asking why Tae Yi is apologizing after the incident, like boy, do you not remember him pushing you to a wall and forcing his hands up your shirt? Poor child, you deserve better. I guess my strife is ultimately with when a problem is not addressed or acknowledged as a problem.

“It doesn’t matter who you like. I shouldn’t have touched you like that. I was wrong to say those things. Please forgive me…” like, where was this in Tae Yi’s apology? It sure wasn't in the room with them.

Actually, Tae Yi’s and Ju/Joo Ha’s (the villain bully boy of the drama) negativity toward gayness was surprising to me altogether, not because it isn’t realistic but because I didn’t expect THAT to be the reason they’d not accept their respective confessions when I started the show.

It’s been some time since I’ve seen a BL where the main conflict or reason the two leads were not able to get together was the genre itself: BL. It was a common thing in older, "first-generation" BLs, I think, compared to now. Basically, being gay or gayness is the thing the couple has to overcome to find a resolution and get together, something you’d never see as the conflict of a straight couple, mind you. How dare you be straight! Be gay right now!

Nowadays, straying a bit from the main topic here, BLs (not exclusively) have grown to have their own unique plots that go beyond being entirely about BL. Lots of the time, the fact the relationship(s) are two guys is not an issue at all. For instance, look at "Manner of Death" (or the more recent and similar "Spare Me Your Mercy"). Max and Tul being gay (bi? I'm not sure) and falling in love was not directly spoken about, nor was it really a conflict. They were no different from a straight couple in any mainstream drama. There was a plot and storyline, and the two main leads fell in love and just happened to both be guys. This is more normal in newer BLs, probably largely Thai ones, as they seem to run this genre from the get-go. Maybe this gayness being a problem or conflict to overcome is more common with BLs involving minors, because they don’t have as much freedom as adults. These are just my stream-of-consciousness thoughts at this point, ya'll. These are stray thoughts, not facts. Take everything with a grain of salt. Maybe two.

And yes, there will always be BLs where characters have a hard time accepting gayness or anything on the LGBTQ+ spectrum because that will be, for the unforeseeable future, accurate to the real world and the real struggles people face. Nonetheless, this drama just surprised me in this way. It's just been a while, I think, for me. Even more so for the negatively toward gayness to be from the couples themselves, rather than outside influences.

Ok, connecting this side rant to Jazz for Two: Up until episode 7, I never thought being a guy was going to be the reason Tae Yi didn’t accept Seo Heon. I thought it would be about overcoming Tae Yi’s trauma due to his brother’s death, dealing with how Seo Heon reminds him of his brother, finding happiness despite his loss, etc. Which, you know, the brother storyline on its own had plot holes -- like how did he study/play piano at the school but has never been seen or mentioned to the student body or teachers? But no matter.

Now I’m NOT saying you can't change your worldview or beliefs or whatever in mere seconds -- sure you can, anything is possible, especially when love is involved -- but it just felt underdeveloped and too clean-cut to me. Dramas don’t have to be realistic (they usually aren't), but this just felt half-done when it didn't have to be. Cut those fluffy scenes a bit and give us a bit of depth, is all I am saying.

I actually ended up liking the second main couple better, even though Joo Ha was/is a bully, and said some nasty things to Do Yoon, Do Yoon's sincerity (no but I love him, like really, ideal type, perfect, wonderful, amazing, 10/10, sign me up) and Joo Ha realizing and coming to accept how he feels was wonderful to watch. Like that is what I came for.

Unlike Tae Yi, we see Joo Ha’s feelings and him coming to terms with him being a guy, liking a guy. We don’t get that sort of visual growth or explanation with Tae Yi, it just sort of happens. Joo Ha still has a long way to go, and I’m scared Do Yoon will get hurt again, but I can’t help but root for them. Joo Ha's faults were clearly shown, and we saw his growth overtime, his internal struggle, and for that, I liked their storyline better.

I could go on to outline a five-paragraph essay explaining why this show had two of the most unlikable (but not unredeemable) MLs. But I won't submit you to that torture.

There’s no other conclusion to be had here other than the fact this minor lack of substance/logic/whatever you'd call it bugged the hell out of me. Anyways, I did still love this drama, and will definitely re-watch it. Maybe I'll skip ep 7, though. Lol.

[i-remember-yyou]

[i-remember-yyou]

I wonder why you sleep in utter silence. Like you're on your tiptoes. As if you were never home, no matter how long you lived here. ("Love in the Big City," 2024)

[i-remember-yyou]

The Labyrinth (2021)

[i-remember-yyou]

[i-remember-yyou]

[i-remember-yyou]

I'll never forget the first time I saw him. He seemed free. Like someone who exists only for the moment. After getting to know him, I realized, except when playing piano, he always seemed depressed. I just wanted to make him smile. Eventually, the moment came when he thought of me as more than a friend, and I was afraid. We were on the edge of a cliff. In the end, I chose my future, and he decided to stay in the past.

[i-remember-yyou]

[i-remember-yyou]

Mignon in "민용" ("Mignon") — 2023

[i-remember-yyou]

쌤 in "민용" ("Mignon") — 2023

[i-remember-yyou]

An accurate representation of me at any given social outing.

[i-remember-yyou]

That bondage(?) Deep Night scene was something 👀

Urh, um. I have a lot to say about... whatever this was, lol.

This probably does not deserve a whole essay-long post, but here it is anyway.

I can't be the only one that thought this was laughably ridiculous. I don't know what it was trying to be... sexy? Mysterious? Risqué? The different girl? But it failed.

There was just too much and too little at the same time if that even makes sense. These actors are all amazing, for sure, so I don't fault them at all. Truly, the entire time I was just hoping they were paid enough for this, lol.

I mean, okay, alright, I'm not particularly versed in the sexy things of the night, lmao (what is censored on Tumblr these days?), but this scene was just plain comedy to me. I literally choked.

It just felt odd and forced. And it was weird because their other ~sexy~ scenes are, to me, really well done -- intense, chemistry-filled, angst, etc., etc. -- but this just felt like a random insert that added no value to anything, lol. With BLs, maybe especially Thai ones I feel, you go in mostly not knowing how far they will go with their couples, and you usually don't know until it--whatever it is--happens. And this, let me tell you, I was not ready for, lol.

Despite being apprehensive that the host club meets acrobatics storyline would be another too out-of-pocket Thai BL concept for me, I actually started to really enjoy it, until this scene made me fear the future of this series.

The chemistry between Wela and Khem is just so, so good. I love it. And circa episode 2, their steamy shower scene really had the angst, yearning, and build-up to make it the level of sexy that the random bondage bed scene failed to have.

Wela was fine in the bondage scene, but Khem was giving too much for what was actually going on, which to me looked like hot yoga and a tooth exam. 😂

Seriously, it was like he had a piece of spinach stuck in his mouth and was just constantly trying to get it out. And meanwhile my homeboy Wela, bless his heart, was trying to do some sort of oral exam on Khem. Khem's good to go until his next cleaning in 6 months, LMAO.

And the issue for me, too, is that there was no build-up or hints or whatever that these two would be into bondage, BDSM, or however you'd/they'd label it. BDSM is all good and well, but here it felt so random. It'd made more sense and probably have had more impact if they put in little hints here and there that one or both of them were into some sort of bondage situation.

It'd have been even better if it were Wela, because of his dynamic with Khem. Khem comes off as this confident, carefree rich kid, while Wela has a softer, sweeter personality. He's a good student who just wants to do well for his family. If he were the one to suddenly spring on or suggest BDSM to Khem, now that would have been interesting.

I mean, all and all, props to the actors for taking this sort of scene seriously and trying their best.

I'ma keeps watching anyways, because there are a lot of fun and interesting things to like about this show. I also definitely want to see what happens to Seiji, aka sheer-shirt-boy, and Khem's innocent uni friend.

[i-remember-yyou]

The way I choked. Are we not going to acknowledge the man yawning in the crowd? LMFAO. Like, why are you here then?? 😂

[i-remember-yyou]

Midorima Shintaro — Shooting Guard, Generation of Miracles

[i-remember-yyou]

Moxy Show update: they found a promotional VHS tape that went with the cartoon network computer game Toonjam that has high quality Moxy Show clips in it, so a little bit less of the show is missing

Oh wow, that’s interesting Anon. So long as there are fans, I don’t think a show ever dies!

[i-remember-yyou]