#Drama: High School Return of a Gangster

[save-the-data]

High School Return of a Gangster | S01E01

Korean Drama - 2024, 8 episodes

~~ Adapted from the web novel "I, a Gangster, Became a High Schooler" (조폭인 내가 고등학생이 되었습니다) by Ho Rol (호롤)

Episodes| Viki | YouTube | Netflix | WeTV | Tencent | Prime | Catalogue

Native Title:  #조폭인 내가 고등학생이 되었습니다

A: "I, a Gangster, Became a High Schooler" (조폭인 내가 고등학생이 되었습니다) by Ho Rol (호롤)

Genres: #Youth 

Tags:  #Reincarnation #Student Male Lead #Bromance #Censored Adaptation of Same-sex Original Work #Adapted from a Novel 

Cast:   #Yoon Chan Young #Bong Jae Hyun #Joo Yoon Chan

[yikes-all-over]

Will High school return of a gangster heal my trauma from the Weak Hero Class 1 ending?

Probably not but I'm already invested

[whumperer-86]

Fainted

Highschool return of Gangster ep4

[ineffable-opinions]

BL “Censorship” & Commercialization

Content: 1. ubiquitous censorship - special focus on Japanese BL 2. commercial viability of live action BL & generalizations 3. solutions - special focus on state support of Thai BL

-

Censorship is a sensitive topic. I have tried my best. Please feel free to comment and critique.

-

-

History of Korean BL is one of censorship and commercialization and Korean fu-people has struggled against both. There have been different victors at different points in time. Aljosa Puzar’s "BL"(Boy Love), "GL"(Girl Love) and Female Communities of Practice and Affect in South Korea chronicles that struggle. (Highly recommended.)

-

I have tried to problematize BL commercialization before. But that was in the context of fu-culture and the commodity fetishism associated with the consumption of BL, particularly in live action form which is probably its most capitalist rendition for many many reasons.

Here I would like to look at it from another angle: censorship. This is a continuation of my earlier post (Why so many shonen ai live-action?) motivated by the live action adaptation of ‘조폭인 내가 고등학생이 되었습니다’ (I, A Gangster, Became a High School Student) by 호롤 (Ho Rol).

The live action has jumped genres switching from BL to 판타스틱 휴먼 드라마 (lit. fantasy human drama). This switch got it tagged as ‘Censored Adaptation of Same-sex Original Work’ on My Drama List. I personally don’t like that tag. Almost all BL adaptation is a censored adaptation, with notable exceptions like Sei no Gekiyaku. But no one uses that tag for, say, 25 Ji, Akasaka de (2024) which censored all sexual content, especially from the volume 1 of the manga which was critical to the story and the couple’s development in the original manga series’ and its multiple adaptations’ popularity. Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (2024) went as far as removing the more sexual second couple from the live action adaptation all together, yet it does not get a "censored" tag.

An interesting question that the controversy surrounding High School Return of a Gangster (2024) has sparked is that of BL media’s commercial viability, especially in live action form. Here’s what producers told the Korean newspaper, Hankook Ilbo, about the genre-jumping:

"BL 장르는 제작비 투자나 리쿱(제작비 회수)에 한계가 있는 게 사실이다. ���러다 보니 처음부터 이 작품은 브로맨스로 해보고 싶었다"

“The BL genre is limited in terms of investment in production costs and recoup (recovery of production costs). So, from the beginning, we planned it as a bromance (beulomaenseu).”

The author of this article cites examples of works that enjoyed success on OTT platforms, namely Watcha’s Semantic Error and TVing's Unintentional Love Story (2023). However, the article also highlights the fact that BL continues to be a niche genre and live action adaptations don’t guarantee success.

이성택 (Lee Seong Taek), the director of High School Return of a Gangster, previously directed the BL Love Class (2022). The producer 넘버쓰리픽쳐스 (Number Three Pictures Co., Ltd.) have BL works like Unintentional Love Story under its belt.

'Unintentional Love Story' Director Jang Eui-soon (장의순) | source

If the producer of one of the two most popular live action BL is admitting to it, then it is not easy to dismiss the issue of commercial viability of live action BL.

Very famous BL publishing houses (starting with JUNE) and hosting platforms with relatively lower expenses have struggled. Some of them are no more. It is also difficult for authors to survive merely on earnings from publishing houses and hosting platforms, especially when those platforms are not very rich. So, it is not difficult to imagine that live action production houses also struggle to survive.

Take GMMTV for example. They are probably one of the most successful BL producers. According to their managing director, BL content (series) is not a profitable business in itself. They rely on khujin (branded pairs) of actors to bring in advertisement revenue, merchandize sales, and pull crowds to concerts and fan-meets. It is not enough for actors to just act. They are expected to sing, dance and perform. Meanwhile, GMMTV is forced to keep working with these actor pairs and stick to templates that suit them. While it works for now, it remains to be seen how long the business model can last.

Now there is also investment from Mainland China that has migrated to other BL producers following dangai ban. But those who invest already burned themselves pretty bad with all the money they poured in during the short-lived but explosive dangai boom. It is sunk cost at this point. Another crack down could be the death knell for Chinese investments in BL. 

-

More generally, it is likely that commercial viability of a live action BL project hinges on the following:

#1 Target demographic

Like all other BL content, live action too is primarily targeted at fu-people (BL audience) – both queer and non-queer. The target demography is further sub-divided based on the type of BL and purchasing power.

Sweeter ones are supposed to appeal to all ages and that’s the area Thailand and GMMTV in particular are focused on. Most of Japanese BL series are sweet. Korea too produces sweet BL. However, they are unlikely to bring in explosive success the way odo BL (those following royal road narrative progression – wherein characters face significant challenges, interpersonal or otherwise, to reach happy ending).

Older and, perhaps more hard-core fans, are likely to support jado works (BL that follow the evil path where neither happy ending nor resolution to challenges are guaranteed) with surprising frequency. This might be partly due to the erotic content in jado works.

Purchasing power of BL fans vary widely. There are those who are

“sending gifts to their actors in Thailand, sending food trucks to their shooting locations, putting up billboard advertisements and doing charity events [as well as] ordering merchandise in bulk.”

They also travel to BL producing nations [on fan pilgrimages] and attend fan meetings, concerts and other events regularly.

(Source: The Print)

The other group of BL fans who are probably younger and/or can’t afford to show support in the above-mentioned ways. BL commercially benefits from being appealing to those with higher purchasing power.

#2 Popularity of original work in case of adaptation  

Popular BL novels, manhwa, etc. bring in a set of fans who are interested in the live action. Longer and more-acclaimed works are likely to ensure success of the live action given decent making and reasonable changes during adaptation. Semantic Error is a case in point. However, missteps during adaptation can have the opposite effect.

#3 Cost of production

It is difficult to get investment in the first place, especially with how niche the genre is. Moreover, higher cost of production sets the bar for success higher too.

On the other hand, high production quality and better cast and crew (likely more expensive too) makes the viewing more pleasurable and increases the likelihood of success.

There are other factors which influence the success of BL producers. The most popular BL live action from China, Addicted, was produced by the author, Chai JiDan, with a tiny budget. Its dangai family drama remake, Stay with Me, also has an interesting producer.

Source | Mame with her Japanese fans

Orawan Vichayawannakul’s MeMindY is another BL author led production company that has enjoyed considerable success.

OP Pictures’ entry into BL genre has also been successful.

-

Solutions

#1 Let’s start with the worst

BL as money laundering vehicle. It is probably the most obvious, sort of win-win until it isn’t. Sustainability depends how much skin the ruling class have in the game.

#2 State sponsorship

(or better yet, tax payer supported BL production)

State sponsorship is what Thailand has perfected.

source | 2023 seminar on "Beyond Borders: Exploring the Global Appeal and Diversity of Thailand's Boys' Love Contents" by 9 companies from Thailand organized by Department of International Trade Promotion under Thailand’s Ministry of Trade.

The eleven speakers, including an official from the Office of Commercial Affairs, Royal Thai Embassy in Japan, vigorously pitched partnerships with Japanese content companies [at the above-mentioned seminar.]

Also, several of the companies pitching at the seminar, such as Star Hunter Entertainment […] were plumping for BL not as a niche product but rather a core element of their corporate strategy.

Halo Productions representative Tewarat Supunnium [trumpeted] the vertical integration of his company, from talent representation to contents distribution.

source

Thai BL has been big hits in China, South Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and beyond, which has motivated Thailand’s government to ‘deploy Boys Love as its latest soft power weapon to promote the country on the global stage’. In an article published in The Nation, BL director, Bundit Sintanaparadee, explains how that affects production.

He pointed out that the international popularity of Thai shows can boost tourism and generate interest in the featured locations – a vital aspect of soft power. The government can facilitate this process by providing support and streamlining the bureaucratic obstacles to filming in attractive locations like Bangkok’s Chinatown district of Yaowarat.

Filming in iconic places such as Yaowarat can be costly and complicated due to the need to coordinate with multiple government agencies and pay location fees. Bundit said the government could simplify the process to benefit not just filmmakers but also tourist revenue in the locations.

Bundit also cautioned against a top-down approach to soft power, where the government dictates what represents Thailand on the world stage. He emphasises the need for industry professionals to have their say.

source

In a 2022 article, Bangkok Post explores the impact of BL on Thailand’s economy ‘as export products that can draw lucrative revenue streams and foster business opportunities in other areas, including tourism.’

[According to government estimates from 2021,] Thailand's Y content market was worth more than 1 billion baht... In June that year, the Department of International Trade Promotion held an online Y content business matching event to boost the industry, with the participation of 10 Thai content creators. More than 360 million baht was generated from the purchase of the Thai content, with the top three buyers coming from Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Noppharnach Chaiyahwimhon, GMMTV's senior director of content production, said [that the] business ecosystem linked to Y Series in Thailand shows a growth of 30-40% per year. [He also said that] Y Series can also be a boon for other businesses, such as films, artist management and merchandise. [He mentioned] Y Series from Thailand [getting] translated into several languages [and one of their Y Series having received theatrical adaptation in South Korea.]

[According to] Kanokporn Prachayaset, chief commercial officer and country manager of WeTV Thailand, … Y Series from Thailand is one of the most popular content genres on its platform. [Half of all the BL content on the platform was Thai.] WeTV [was] sourcing Y Series from Asia as well as having its own WeTV original shows by working with various local production houses, such as GMMTV, TV Thunder, Dee Hup House, M Choice Studio and All This Entertainment. [She also highlighted the contribution of the fan base, which is] active in organising activities and campaigns for their idols.

Seksan Sripraiwan, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) Tokyo office, said the TAT and the Royal Thai Embassy have actively promoted the country by using Thai entertainment [and that] Thai BL content is considered one of the most popular recent cultural exports to Japan. Japan's market for Thai BL is around 1 million viewers, of which 20,000-30,000 are heavily active on social media sites for renowned BL actors, led by Bright-Win and Krist-Singto. He said Japanese tour operators already offered tailor-made tour packages which contain elements related to BL TV series, such as shooting locations like universities, cafes, Wat Arun or the Amphawa floating market.

Kanokkittika Kritwutikon, director of the TAT Chengdu office, said Thai BL TV shows have gained popularity in China, such as the coming-of-age series "I Told Sunset About You", which helped drive tourists to Phuket, the main location of the story.

"Most Chinese BL fans are millennial females who can offer long-term support for their favourite actors," Mrs Kanokkittika said. [Recognizing the 3 million strong queer population of Chongqing,] she said the LGBT segment could be categorised as luxury travellers as they are high-income earners, live in key cities, and want to spend more for travel experiences.

source

Earlier this year Ministry of Commerce have partnered with Be On Cloud and Idol Factory to promote ‘Thai products, services, tourism, and culture by incorporating them seamlessly into’ their new series “Shine” and “Pin Phak” aka “The Loyal Pin” respectively.

“This will help create around 2 billion in value for Thailand’s economy,” said Commerce Minister Phumtham.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and two actresses, Becky and Freen, witness the signing ceremony between the Ministry of Commerce and Idol Factory Co., Ltd. on February 28, 2024....

According to the Department of International Trade Promotion, the Thai movie and series sector and related industries will generate 8,000 million baht in exports by 2023. In 2024, it will likely reach 10,000 million baht, particularly in the Y-movie and Y-series, which are expected to expand in value from 1,000 million baht to 2,000 million baht as a result of the Ministry of Commerce’s proactive cooperation with the private sector.

source

The Thai government’s efforts are paying off.

Oramon Sapthaweetham, director-general of the Department of Business Development, revealed that the Boys’ Love series had helped revitalise the film production industry, generating substantial profits and extending economic benefits to allied sectors, such as advertising, leveraging actors as influencers, event organisation, and tourism. 

"Over the past 10 years, Thailand has produced over 177 Boys’ Love [series], continuously gaining popularity and expanding its customer base, eventually leading to exports to international markets," Oramon added.

The film production industry in Thailand is witnessing substantial growth. In the first four months of 2024, 56 new businesses were registered, marking a 12% increase from 2023. The total registered capital also saw a significant rise of 146.44% to 195.18 million baht. In 2023, the industry grew by 20% with 137 businesses and a capital of 258 million baht. The total revenue in 2022 was 12.895 billion baht, indicating a continuous growth trend.

source

-

#3 Diversification

Ok, so this is based on my limited knowledge and imagination. Feel free to skip.

There are two production companies that I have ever been interested in - Bhavana Studios and Mammootty Kampany. Both of them have produced experimental Malayalam movies while managing to remain commercially successful. While is partially attributable to these companies being brands, I think their overall strategy of diversification have worked in their favour.

Mammootty Kampany could produce art-house movie Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam for award circuits and with no expectation of commercial performance by banking on their other production Kannur Squad which was action entertainer sure to bring in the big bucks. Their queer family drama Kaathal – The Core and neo-noir psychological thriller Rorschach did exceptionally well in the box office as well as garnered critical acclaim. Bhavana Studios has similar track record of their commercially successful projects kind of cross subsidizing their experimental and unique projects and lifting the heat off in case of flops.

Having production companies which are aspirational in their approach to BL while having the economics sorted out help where government support is not forth coming.

Censorship as No-thing

When sometime is truly censored, we wouldn’t know. Unless we ask. Here’s what Jooyin Saejang learned from asking.

Conclusion

I have a strong preference for live action adaptations that are willing to go the last mile in terms of sexual content, social critiques and addressing real-life issues. That’s the reason why the header image for this BL side blog is from Moothon (2019).

But realistically this isn’t always possible. And I prefer having more production companies offering variety. I don’t want them to sink under the weight of BL that didn’t do well commercially and me being left at the mercy of media conglomerates with seemingly bottomless funds and monopsony over BL authors, original works and the culture that creates them.

Also, there is queer content from Korean that is neither mainstream nor from fu-culture. Support those.

[iamcatmansblog]

I love how hard the makers of High School return of a gangsta went above and beyond to establish how much Sekyung and Yieon love each other like please, I can't count all the instances of them full on lovey Dovey on both of my hands, the secret glances, the jealous side eyes, the acts of services, THE SMILES?????? but saying the g word omoooooooooooooooooo thats where we draw the line which in all honesty is fair because if they had said it then we would have not gotten the gorgeous gorgeous (YUM AS FUCK) cast we got but please this is funny to me

Especially that bgm which is so goddamn literally dripped in og classic kdrama romance but it says "you are my friend" and the fact Jae min (the villain) literally becomes their adopted child

Ummmm

Sir???? Please

You two have a better chemistry than hetero couples have a kind of love I can only imagine in my dreams to have with a guy

Shut up

[dropthedemiurge]

I just consumed two new episodes for High School Return of a gangster and I already need more :'))

Not all the characters around YeiHeon being too smart to believe this is the same person as before (looking at you, Not Me) but also fooling themselves into thinking he's either got personality disorder or it's the son and not the man himself xD And everyone still fals under his charisma hehe

And when Saegyeon used the similar voice, style of standing up to himself, those sayings and subtly threatening taking-no-bullshit dismisses... And looked at Yieheon like "did i do well?^^" gdhskabsjslam

And Dongsoo is my favourite gangster with a heart of a gold awww give him his beloved boss back

Like, I know it is a censored BL but it gives me so much serotonine. And so much fic potential xD People should not sleep on it (unless they want to boycott it but most won't be watching on official sites anyway and the drama is really fun so who cares)

(i wish there were more gif creators who giffed this show tho so i could share and convince everyone to watch :'))

[noonecaresaboutmyreview]

The Return of High School Gangster - Kdrama Review

Hi everyone! I just finished this very short 8 episodes web drama called The Return of High School Gangster and wanted to share my thoughts.

Before I start, I want to say that I know that this is based on a BL manhwa but as we know about mainstream media in South Korea - the director had to remove the BL elements (not really tho).

I understand that people might want to boycott the drama for removing the BL plotline but I genuinely think that you should give it a chance. The drama doesn't suggest romance but two episodes in, I could tell that it was from a BL plotline. so....

Anyways, this is about Deuk Pal, a Gangster (second in ranking) who died while saving Song Yi Heon, a High School Student who was bullied in school. Song Yi Heon was bullied in school to the point he wanted to off himself. Deuk Pal's body sadly died and somehow his spirit entered the body of Song Yi Heon.

This drama is where it's at if you're in a drama slump. It's short, funny, filled with actions (duh, gangsters) and heartwarming scenes.

Deuk Pal as a character is a caring yet a fierce gangster. I love that the moment he entered Song Yi Heon's body, he immediately vowed to protect Song Yi Heon upon realising the abuse he had endured. Throughout the 8 episodes, his focus was to set things right for Song Yi Heon. Though we know that he is sad that his life ended, he still focused on studying hard, ending the school violence and even protecting his mum so that when Song Yi Heon comes back to his body, he gets a second chance at an easier life. Truly such a selfless character and it is understandable why his loyal underlining boys were so upset when he died.

And in Song Yi Heon's body, he build relationship with his classmates, ensured that his bullies stayed in school and graduate and protected his mum from getting hurt by his dad. He was an adult, in a 19 year old boy's body.

We also meet Choi Se Kyung, a boy that had history with Song Yi Heon (in the manhwa, he was the love interest). Choi Se Kyung is a broken boy with daddy issues yet so caring toward his friends. The chemistry between the two main characters are off the chart. Like I said, 2 episodes in, I had to check if this was BL. His eyes are always looking at Song Yi Heon (Deuk Pal) with care and concern. But he is still sassy and feisty towards those he doesn't like.

Can we please take a minute to appreciate the beauty that is Bong Jae Hyun (Golden Child). I first saw him in Twinkling Watermelon (another recommended drama!). He played the mute brother of the main character. But here, hearing his low soft voice makes me wonder why they muted him in that drama haha! He is such a good actor that I am excited to see how he will grow in the future with different roles.

But my main MVP for this drama is Yoon Chan Young. He was able to embody an ajusshi (he is only 23!) to the point that I could see Lee Seo Jin (the actor that played Deuk Pal) in him. And his voice doesn't sound awkward saying these really deep and mature sayings.

Ok I am rambling. But the most important part that I want to talk about is the ending. SPOILER. Song Yi Heon ended up not wanting to go back to his body and instead gave Deuk Pal a chance to live as him. I thought about it and I think I can get behind that ending.

(This is solely based on drama plotline and not the manhwa.)

Shin Se Kyung and even the repented bully Hong Jae Min really needed a proper adult guidance. With Deuk Pal remaining in Song Yi Heon's body, they will be able to remain friends (same age, not ahjusshi and young adult). He will be able to protect and guide them. And Deuk Pal will be able to live a different life this time. A second chance at life.

And I understand, why can't real Song Yi Heon get a second chance in life? The boy had a hard life, he is depressed enough to off himself. Deuk Pal may have bettered his high school life but Song Yi Heon is still Song Yi Heon. He might not be able to be better in college. Whatever Deuk Pal build is never Song Yi Heon's because they are not the same person.

Being depressed doesn't go away even if your life is all better now. He is afraid of his tomorrow than death, hence he chose death and I respect that. Like he said "He is happy to see at least see a smile on his face."

Overall, I think both Deuk Pal and Song Yi Heon have their own happy ending. And that is what's important.

Rating: 4.75/5

-- Fary

[umadorameira]

High School Return of a Gangster 💫

[soapver4]

He, a Gangsta, Became a Productivity Cherub

Merch idea: An app with which you boost your work or study productivity by boosting that of a college-aspiring dead 47-year-old gangster given a new lease on life in the body of a severely bullied high schooler he tried to save from suicide. By "you," this concept includes the underprivileged and misfits among us who particularly feel small in front of the chic spaces and perfectly manicured accoutrements prevalent in popular YouTube productivity livestreams.

Helping people by facilitating them to help others may well overcome the real or perceived dehumanizing and enfeebling aspects of helping that either cause resistance to aid or deskill aid recipients:

Dehumanizing: Some benefactors and aid recipients see or experience aid as a manifestation or shift in power. Such benefactors may relish in the subjugation of aid recipients to their benevolence and in the visible evidence of their comparative strengths, whereas certain recipients feel threats to their identity, personal agency and sense of dominance as the direction of aid confirms their own positions on the need hierarchy. Many aid recipients are actually used to being benefactors. And wouldn't you rather be a benefactor yourself? While insightful character education may attenuate the deep-seated, not-always-rational human thirst for power, aid mechanisms that boost the self-esteem and morale of recipients, whose unhelpful mindsets, if any, are not necessarily a matter of will or justification for drastic consequences, can enhance their cooperativeness in the aid effort in the meantime.

Enfeebling: Remember that repeated substitutions or diminishment of the recipients' potential effort can erode their capacity for independent problem-solving and rob them of opportunities for intellectual or character growth. Yet we sometimes look at people as they are today and fail to envision the people they can mature or shape themselves into tomorrow. We say, "It's pointless to teach you how to fish! How can you haul up fish when you can barely haul up yourself? Let us just give you the fish!" Such attitudes can destroy recipients' belief in themselves while trapping them in a dependent mentality. The convenience direct assistance offers benefactors in many cases and the immediate results come at the probable expense of aid recipients' long-term prospects. Not all needs for aid arise in emergency situations or in an excessively incapacitated person.

Besides, since individuals perhaps excel more at designing solutions for others' problems than at doing that for their own, placing aid recipients in the position of benefactor can endow them with fresh, unencumbered perspectives that point to a way out of their quagmires. If not, the exercise at least has the potential to enhance their empathy for seemingly stubborn, pessimistic real individuals they themselves still try to be benefactors to.

This app would thus be an addition to important experiments already out there on this kind of chain aid. But for all the lofty exposition of its purpose, how exactly do you administer self-aid through aiding gangster soul productivity? Here are the mechanics:

Every time you commence a sequence of Pomodoro sessions, you log on to a screen featuring Deuk-pal struggling to revise while old clutches and bandage rolls hang around, gang notifications pop up and menacing thugs taunt him from outside his windows. In the anti-bullying web series High School Return of a Gangster, Deuk-pal confronts problems head-on, but let us accept that there are battles not worth any minute of our time and battles that can wait. To motivate commencement of Pomodoro sequences, different Pomodoro sequences would display different notifications and taunts.

Only at the end of each 25-minute session would you see Deuk-pal's witty and funny responses to more and more of the lines. Picture as the responses a middle-aged soul's wild misinterpretations of neologisms, his antiquated, pompous idioms prone to young'uns' absurd misinterpretations, and dad jokes so cold they stupefy the thugs. Picture also a middle-ager's wisdom from the natural time travel we call the passing of ages, as well as a possessed person's paranormal references. Again, these may not exactly match viewers' image of Deuk-pal, but recall that Deuk-pal upgrades himself over time and navigates different phases of life and different generations of peers in the series, so it would be reasonable to see a Deuk-pal with humor and more verbal drama in his arsenal but not necessarily immune to psychological aging.

You may want to enable cross-app functions that track webpages and apps you visit during the sessions, and if you visit those irrelevant to your anticipated tasks, the app would get the high-schooler ghost (acting by Yoon Chan-young) who [spoiler caution] decided to leave the body to the gangster for good to sigh eerily at this waste of his own sacrifice whereas Deuk-pal's actors (Lee Seo-jin and Yoon Chan-young) yelp out aegyo / cute apologies. Now, we wouldn't want to waste the actors' voice sacrifices, would we?

Ideally, under consent, the app would tap into AI-enabled motion and voice detection technologies that trigger Deuk-pal to groan about his sleepiness or fears about his upcoming deadlines to get your help whenever you rest your head on a desk for too long or you, God forbid, snore.

Better still, cerebral oximeters and electroencephalography sensors you may like to wear would monitor (but hopefully not transmit to the app developer or other parties) your concentration level and brain health, triggering the groans when the concentration level falls below a threshold and transitioning the screen to a scene of emergency responders calling out to Deuk-pal when your brain health is sub-optimal. Provided the science behind the technologies is solid, that might strike a balance between the pros of hustle culture and the danger of over-exertion.

Each Pomodoro sequence ends with an upbeat song from the web series and Deuk-pal exercising by teaching his young new friends confidence-building self-defense moves.

At the conclusion of the series, [spoiler caution] successful gangster-turned-college-student Deuk-pal may have realized that an upright life based on honest effort is forever a work in progress. We are all works in progress, wherever on a need hierarchy we find ourselves.

[dangermousie]

I am LOVING High School Return of a Gangster which is basically this meme:

Made into an entire drama!

[save-the-data]

High School Return of a Gangster | S01E06

Korean Drama - 2024, 8 episodes

Episodes | Viki | YouTube | Netflix | WeTV | Tencent | Prime | Catalogue

Native Title:  #조폭인 내가 고등학생이 되었습니다

Genres: #Youth 

Tags:  #Reincarnation #Student Male Lead #Bromance #Censored Adaptation of Same-sex Original Work #Adapted from a Novel 

Cast:   #Yoon Chan Young #Bong Jae Hyun #Joo Yoon Chan

[mysblog]

I wish I could lose all my memories to watch these Movies/Dramas again for the first time.

1. Bloodhounds

2. Weak hero class 1

3. Blind

4. Nobody knows (2004 Japanese movie)

5. Young Adult matter (Movie)

6. Better days (Movie)

7. Extracurricular

8. Christmas Carol (Movie)

9. The Glory

10. Itaewon Class

11. Parasite (Movie)

12. Stranger from Hell

Dramas/Movies not to lose my memory for but definitely a good choice:

1. V.I.P. (Movie)

2. The Call (Movie)

3. Tunnel (Movie)

4. Seobok (Movie)

5. Train to Busan (Movie)

6. Midnight runners (Movie)

7. Move to Heaven

8. Hierarchy

9. High school return of Gangster

10. Save me

11. Sweet Home

Not a must-watch but I watched it anyway and lowkey enjoyed it:

1. Connect

2. Duel

3. Gannibal (Japanese drama)

4. Secrets in the Hot Spring (Chinese Movie; horror and comedy: just extremely silly but kinda amusing)

5. Shadow Beauty

6. Mask Girl

7. Night has come

Movies/Dramas that will waste your time but spare you from boredom:

1. Liverleaf (jap. Movie)

Watchlist:

○ Celebrity

○ Death's Game

○ A Killer Paradox (will be released 9th February)

○ Sinkhole

○ All of us are Dead

○ Class of lies

○ Swing Kids

○ Ròm

○ In cold Blood

○ 19th floor

○ Not a murder Story

○ little Woman

I'm gonna post this List now but keep updating it.

If there are any recommendations: text me, I need to avoid Uni as much as possible before my procrastination fails me.

[whumperer-86]

Highschool return of gangster ep6

[childotkw]

!!! there’s a new k drama airing that reminds me of ybtm(ibty) called “High School Return of a Gangster”

basically a gangster saves a boy from unaliving himself, but ends up possessing the boy’s body— where he learns the reason why the boy was outcasted

OMG i just read the synopsis and you’re so right - it’s so At The End of The Road and ybtm(ibty) coded 😂😂😂

[justforbooks]

Tony Lo Bianco

American actor who fitted naturally into the 70s trend for gritty crime thrillers as a brute with a twinkle in his eye

The American actor Tony Lo Bianco, who has died of cancer aged 87, specialised in hoods and heavies, often played with an uncommon twinkle in the eye that suggested he was in on some grim private joke. “I guess I’ll have to do a nun next,” he said after a run of such roles.

There was never any doubt that he meant business. “If you encountered Tony in a deserted alley at midnight, you’d be inclined to hand him your wallet before he asked for it,” wrote a US newspaper in 1978.

With his conspiratorial manner, imposing stare and tractor-tyre eyebrows, Lo Bianco fitted naturally into the 70s trend for gritty crime thrillers. As the mobster Sal Boca in The French Connection (1971), he is pursued by the New York cop “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman) for his role in buying a massive shipment of heroin. The Seven-Ups (1973) reunited Lo Bianco with his friend and French Connection co-star Roy Scheider, and gave him a bigger bite of the cherry, this time as a shady police informer in a camel-hair coat and sharp hat.

His first major role had already proved he was more eccentric than any rent-a-thug. In The Honeymoon Killers (1970), which was inspired by real events, he played the silver-tongued Spanish con-artist Ray Fernandez, who embarks on a murder spree with a lonely woman whom he tries to swindle. Martin Scorsese was sacked as the film’s director for dragging his feet, but the end result (with the composer and librettist Leonard Kastle stepping in after Scorsese’s exit) has a sizzling, unwholesome B-movie tang, due in no small part to Lo Bianco’s oleaginous presence and his rapport with Shirley Stoler as his partner-in-crime.

Most of his finest screen work was done in the 70s. He was a police detective investigating seemingly random murders in the supernatural horror God Told Me To, and an injured, suicidal former rodeo rider raising his young sons in Glory Days, AKA Goldenrod (both 1976).

Bloodbrothers (1978), in which Lo Bianco was all gruffness and gristle as an Italian-American construction worker pressuring his recalcitrant son (Richard Gere) to follow in his footsteps, was especially dear to him. “It’s very close to my heart,” he said. “I know the characters like I know my family.”

In the same year, he was a surprisingly genial crime boss opposite Sylvester Stallone in the union drama F.I.S.T. “Sure, I could have played [him] as one more Italian thug,” he reflected. “But does the world really need another overbearing, obnoxious, obvious slob to dismiss or look down on as some kind of buffoon?”

Lo Bianco attributed his facility as an actor partly to his upbringing. “Coming from an Italian family in a big city, my emotions were always close to the surface, ready to live life fully, to give, to laugh and cry without holding back, without strain.”

He was born in New York City to Carmelo, a taxi driver, and Sally (nee Blando). One of his teachers at William E Grady high school suggested he give acting a go, though his early passions were largely sporting ones. As a teenager, he tried out for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and was also a Golden Gloves welterweight boxer. “I guess you’d say I was a borderline delinquent. It was the 50s, Elvis time, leather jackets, a time for being tough.”

Years later, he would step back into the ring to play the boxer Rocky Marciano in the television biopic Marciano (1979). He returned to the same story, again for TV, in Rocky Marciano (1999), this time as the gangster-turned-promoter Frankie Carbo opposite Jon Favreau as the prizefighter.

Lo Bianco studied acting at the Dramatic Workshop in Manhattan in the late 50s, and founded the Weekend Theater there in order to gain experience. “I built the sets, the stage, and put in the lighting. I got it going.” He did the same in 1963 with the Triangle Theater, where he also served as artistic director. It was here that he first met Scheider.

He accumulated numerous credits on television, including a recurring role between 1971 and 1973 as a doctor in the long-running soap opera Love of Life, and on stage: in 1975, he won an Obie (an award for an off-Broadway performance) for his portrayal of a fading baseball star in Yanks-3 Detroit-0, Top of the Seventh. He also won a Tony for playing the tormented longshoreman Eddie Carbone in A View from the Bridge in 1983.

Appearing in the Italian caper Mean Frank and Crazy Tony (1973) immediately after his success in The French Connection, Lo Bianco seemed to be spoofing his own image when it was still in its infancy: he played a none-too-bright crook who idolises a legendary gangster (Lee Van Cleef). But the actor re-asserted his authority on television in the anthology series Police Story (1973-76). He was one of only a handful of cast members who appeared in more than one episode. Even more unusually, he was on the right side of the law this time.

In Franco Zeffirelli’s mini-series Jesus of Nazareth (1977), he was Quintillius, who advises Pontius Pilate, played by Rod Steiger. A year later, also on television, he starred in The Last Tenant as a man dealing with the increasing needs of his senile, irascible father, played by the acting guru Lee Strasberg. In the 80s he won plaudits for a TV adaptation of Paul Shyre’s play Hizzoner!, in which he starred as the New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia. This spawned several spin-offs, including La Guardia and The Little Flower, written by Lo Bianco and performed by him across the world at the start of this century.

Notable later roles include a mafia boss in the lighthearted, 30s-set Clint Eastwood/Burt Reynolds vehicle City Heat (1984), a corrupt property developer in John Sayles’s ensemble drama City of Hope (1991), the ivory-haired mobster Johnny Roselli in Oliver Stone’s Nixon (1995), and yet another intimidating gangster in The Juror (1996), with Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin.

Like Robert De Niro, for whom he was sometimes mistaken, it seemed there was nowhere left to go but comedy after playing so many crooks. Having parodied himself at the very start of his film career, Lo Bianco did so again in Mafia! (1998), also known as Jane Austen’s Mafia!, a send-up from some of the team behind the Airplane! and Naked Gun spoof series.

Though he directed to acclaim on stage, he made only one film, the slasher movie Too Scared to Scream (1984). His final picture was Somewhere in Queens (2022), starring and directed by Ray Romano, in which Lo Bianco played the main character’s standoffish father.

He is survived by his third wife, Alyse (nee Muldoon), a writer, whom he married in 2015, two daughters, Yummy and Nina, from his first marriage, to the actor Dora Landey (Anna, a third daughter from that marriage, died in 2006), a brother, John, and six grandchildren. Both his previous marriages – the second was to Elizabeth Natwick – ended in divorce.

🔔 Anthony Lo Bianco, actor, born 19 October 1936; died 11 June 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[dropthedemiurge]

I've started watching High School Return of a Gangster – and I think I heard that it was that drama whose BL plot got toned down to bromance?

But damn, I like it so far!

We'll see how it goes but I'm definitely willing to give it a chance (also they've got a character who played Go Hotae in Unintentional Love Story/Time of Fever; and a cute guy who played a brother from Twinkling Watermelon!)