#I don’t think I should tag any of the kdrama stuff but man

[kukuandkookie]

Hrmmm I find people who moral crusade about fiction so strange.

I definitely bought more into it before as a kid too—the assumption that fiction must not be problematic and that if it is, it is automatically bad.

When in reality, it’s a lot more complex than that.

And well, I’m tired right now so I’m not going to reiterate what I and others have said before, but I will emphasize again that fiction does technically offer us a safe space to explore darker themes. And it’s not like your tastes in fiction, whether it’s writing it or consuming it, automatically reflects who you are in real life—because again, humans are complex, and we already know thought crimes aren’t real crimes, don’t we?

Yes, sometimes fiction can influence people, especially those who are younger and more impressionable, and some have used fiction as direct influence to commit heinous acts… But censoring all of darker media because of that is still an extreme reaction, all the more so when we realize that censorship is both subjective and thus quite arbitrary.

So yeah, I find myself more of a “pro-shipper” as I get older—where originally I would only endorse the idea of “ship and let ship” and “don’t harass other people for shipping something you don’t,” but I also get why pro-shippers have grown more anti-censorship and thus more aggressive about how dark media isn’t automatically evil.

BUT that’s not what this post is about.

This post is made in a kind of frustrated bafflement at people who want to sanitize even the most vanilla of work.

Like even people who review a drama as 10/10 because there’s no drama kind of baffles (and amuse) me lol. Because isn’t the point of a drama being called a “drama” because it has drama?? 😂

And I get that sometimes we just want something logical and/or fluffy and thus not an overdramatic soap drama, but let’s not pretend plots aren’t allowed to be more complex or at least a bit darker now.

What sparked this post though is that I saw someone recently compare what Kim Soo-Hyun did in real life to Chen Zheyuan acting in Hidden Love because they see Hidden Love as romanticizing and normalizing grooming, which is like…what???

Hidden Love is just written by a woman for women, and the fantasy it fulfills isn’t even darker women’s fantasy. All it does is indulge in the wish-fulfillment of one’s first love actually working out, because most people let their first loves go. And it’s based on the author’s own regrets regarding her own first love—not the romanticization of age gaps or an older man’s interest in a younger girl (because the older man’s interest does not exist until she is an adult, and even then, the story explicitly condemns a minor trying to date an adult).

It’s so harmless and vanilla and fluffy that people who automatically suspect it of a-okaying grooming baffles me. Like I think it says a lot more about the viewer thinking that than the drama itself.

Especially when there’s very little the drama has done in making grooming more normal. And I’m even more ticked off right now by that commenter for insinuating Chen Zheyuan’s values are corrupt for taking up that drama.

Obviously, do not assume your favourite actors and idols are uwu cinnamon roll angels, as Kim Soo-Hyun has proven—and many others, like Neil Gaiman and Kris Wu etc—but what is the point of assuming the worst of people as well???

Like suggesting someone is okay with grooming is a really heavy accusation, Christ on a cracker.

This reminds me of people who think Go Ahead is romanticizing or normalizing incest lmfao. Like I think it’d be more productive to condemn Riverdale for romanticizing grooming and Game of Thrones for normalizing incest than these innocuous cdramas.

[straydogsandsaranghaes]

Which k drama should I watch next? I've only seen boys over flowers and weightlifting fairy kim bok joo so far, but I see you posting about all these shows and they look good, but which ones are the best? I mean I have to work so I can't watch all of them unfortunately haha

Hey! Okay, so be prepared for a huge deluge of information and incoherent babbling over the kdramas I love. This is gonna be a lot…

And thanks for asking the question! I’ve honestly been thinking about doing a totally random post about this anyway :)

So, I totally understand about the job thing, I am just insane and watch way too much tv way too fast…but with kdramas, slow and steady will still get you there, and probably it will be healthier and with the same if not more enjoyment if you don’t plow through them like a tornado as I do. Okay, so enough of that…here’s the list:

Goblin: the most beautiful, well-done, tragically happy (…so actually sad but with hope and some happiness at the end) kdrama out there….honestly, there is too much to say. The cinematography is stunning, the acting will blow you away, especially gong yoo’s and kim go eun was terrific too. This one has a really cool plot that deals with reincarnation in a super cool and interesting way. Honestly I wasn’t really a fan of the concept of reincarnation until I got to see it from the cultural perspective that’s presented in kdramas. This is half historical drama/half present day. 

Scarlet Heart Ryeo (Moon Lovers): A time travel trope starts off the story, sending the female lead back in time to the Goryeo dynasty and she’s thrown into the political machinations of the many princes/sons of the first king of Goryeo, many of whom are vying for the throne: cue tragedy…honestly, this show is so good, with a stellar ensemble, but you gotta be prepared for tragedy and heart break…but you’re going to enjoy it.

AND CURRENTLY I’VE BEEN TOTALLY OVERWHELMED BY THE SUNSHINE THAT IS JI CHANG WOOK and I’ve been working through his filmography.

Healer: which is one of his best shows (and a good show regardless of whether he’s in it or not) is a fun action adventure. It’s about this guy who is a thief (nighttime errand boy) for hire, whose code name is ‘Healer.’ Ji Chang Wook is great at action BUT is on top of that, I think, a really good/enjoyable actor. And honestly, his smiles are sunshine and when he cries, it will break your heart. Basically, it’s about him and the female lead (who’s totally great too) working to bring to justice the people behind the murders of some journalists in the 90s who were murdered but honestly, I would definitely recommend this show if you don’t want something as heavy as Goblin (which, warning, is a bit slower paced than some kdramas) or Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Some other good Ji Chang Wook shows, (but not as good as Healer) are: Warrior Beak Dong Soo, Bachelor Vegetable Shop, and K2. Warrior Beak Dong Soo, is a sprawling historical drama that’s kinda long at 29 episodes, though honestly the plot sustains itself fairly well. And in Bachelor Vegetable Shop, Ji Chang Wook plays the most pure cinnamon role in the whole world who just wants to sell quality fruits and vegetables to people and make their life better (there’s honestly a ton more drama but that’s the basis, lol). K2 is a bodyguard-love story, political drama. 

The Master’s Sun: This is also one of my ALL-TIME favorite kdramas. It has So Ji Sub (who is beautiful and a compelling actor) and Gong Hyo Jin (who is amazing in everything she does and she’s one of my favorite actors). Anyways, it’s a bit long (23 or 24 episodes rather than the usual 16 that the others I’ve mentioned so far are) but it’s amazing. It’s about a girl that can see ghosts after she had a near-death experience and she runs into the ceo of a company (who has a traumatic past) and for some reason when she touches him, the terrifying ghosts she’s been living with for years suddenly disappear. And through a series of circumstances, they end up working together to mutual benefit and it’s a bit of a serial sort of show (which is a bit different than the normal kdrama that just has an overarching plot). For almost every episode there is a new ghost/story and at the same time the show’s story arc also follows the investigation of uncovering the truth behind the male lead’s traumatic past. (And maybe it was just me) but some of the ghost stories definitely got me teary/sobby, but they are so compelling, and then the otp is such a great slow burn with a fantastic resolution. This and Goblin and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo are my favorite kdramas of all time. 

Coffee Prince: This is another Gong Yoo show. It’s a bit older, but just give the first episode a bit and you probably won’t notice. It’s about a girl in a Twelfth Night/She’s the man cross dressing scenario, where she gets mistaken for a boy and through a somewhat convoluted way that makes sense, ends up getting a job at a coffee place called, Coffee Prince, that only has male baristas. And honestly it’s so great, and the female lead is super great and hard working and I love her and Gong Yoo’s character’s whole inner turmoil of his attraction to her (whom he believes to be a him) is great and fun and angsty and perfect. 

Other honorable mentions are: Full House, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, Jealousy Incarnate (which is honestly this really great show about a weather girl-turn newscaster who’s in love with a male newscaster who gets breast cancer and she is the one who tells him he might have it and honestly it’s so good and interesting and deals with a lot of great stuff, k, this one’s actually a strong recommendation too), She Was Pretty (strong rec. as well), Chief Kim (about a rag-tag team of accountants trying to take down the man, it’s hilarious), Cheese in the Trap, Entourage, Hwarang, Cheer Up, Page Turner (a great little three-episode thing, Kim Ji Soo and Kim So Hyun are TERRIFIC in this), Shopping King Louis (which is light and happy, the main two are actually human puppies), My Shy Boss, Oh My Venus (Shin Min Ah and So Ji Sub are in this and their chemistry is terrrrrrific), Descendants of the Sun.

Also for a quick k’drama’ fix there are a couple movies I’ve watched which were great: Finding Mr. Destiny was kinda great, pretty light (a bit tv-movie-esque) but still strong and really enjoyable. And Train to Busan, which is the THE BEST ZOMBIE/HORROR film made in the recent past. And honestly, if horror’s not your thing, still give it a try. It’s not really mine either but I managed with this movie and it ended up being totally worth it–soooo good (and sad). Also, Werewolf Boy was great (the half that I watched) but I haven’t finished it yet.

Okay, gosh, that was SO MUCH, but that’s basically all of the good ones, although I may have missed a few here or there.

Enjoy! Please let me know how you like any of them. I’d be so happy to discuss your thoughts :)

[photosynthesizingparkhyungsik]

Questionsss

I was tagged by @stan-the-best-stan-monsta-x, the girl I can have conversations with about how watermelons would dance, thanks ^^

Rules: Answer 20 questions and tag 20 followers you’d like to get to know better (so you have to answer 20 questions of the 50 right? Is that how the game works? I fucked up the lay out btw, I’m sorry)

First tag:

1. Name: Lieselotte 2. Nicknames: Lotte, Liesl, Lotteliesel (yes one of my friends is weird af), Let 3. Zodiac sign: Gemini 4. Height: about 173 cm? 5. Orientation: idk straight atm but still questioning 6. Nationality: Belgium, the country of chocolate, beer and fries, the country that was placed fourth yesterday for eurovision 7. Favourite fruit: - 8. Favourite season: spring, I love flowers and sunshine 9. Favourite book: - how do people even answer this 10. Favourite flower: - 11. Favourite scent: - 12. Favourite colour: - 13. Favourite animal: - 14. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: hot chocolate, like what did you expect 15. Cat or dog: cat 16. Favourite fictional character: - 17. Number of blankets you sleep with: 2-3 because I’m cold 24/7 18. Dream trip: a trip where I meet a lot of new cultures and people

19. Blog created: I think I made this blog a month ago?

20. Number of followers: -

Second tag:

1. Nickname: - 2. Gender: Female 3. Star Sign: - 4. Height: - 5. Time Right Now: - 6. Last Thing I Googled: junior eurosong because @stan-the-best-stan-monsta-x didn’t know there’s a children version of eurosong so I had to search when it was 7. Favorite Bands: - 8. Favorite Solo Artist: -  9. Song Stuck In Your Head: - 10. Last Movie I Watched: I started Vaiiana but we were watching it illegally and we lost the signal so I didn’t finish it 11. Last TV Show I Watched: - 12. When Did You Create Your Blog: - 13. What Kind of Stuff Do You Post: if it wasn’t obvious: Monsta x, bts, Park Hyungsik, sometimes kdrama, maybe got 7 but I’m still new to them 14. When Did Your Blog Reach its Peak: - 15. Do You Have Any Other Blogs: -  16. Do You Get Asks Regularly: - 17. Why Did You Chose Your URL: I finished watching an episode of SWDBS and there’s one scene where Hyungsik’s character is like “I need photosynthesis right now. I need sunlight.” (for reference see my header lol) and I thought that was really funny since I always say things like that, how I need sunlight to have energy and that I probably do photosynthesis. When I wanted to make a kpop side blog I just felt like this was the url I should choose. I can relate Hyungsik. 18. Following: 264 19. Posts: - 20. Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff bitchessss 21. Pokemon Team: - 22. Favorite Colors: - 23. Average Hours of Sleep: - 24. Lucky Numbers: - 25. Favorite Characters: Alphonse Elric from FMA, Nico di Angelo from percy jackson, Jack Sparrow (yes I love this man), Newt from the maze runner, Newt from fantastic beasts, L from death note... probably more  26. What Are You Wearing Right Now: -

27. How Many Blankets Do You Sleep With: -

28. Dream Job: - 29. Dream Trip: -

I’m tagging @reihyung, @ki-hyunie, @knights-of-221b-privet-drive and @letmeknow-tomorrow (I know you already did this but this is just an honorable mention haha)

You don’t have to if you don’t want to or are really busy atm of course ^^