#JO YOO JAE

[kolachess]

Star Struck - Explaining the conflict and cultural nuance

Those of you who have seen the Korean BL, Star Struck, probably thought it was a(nother) mediocre school BL. In a year with more and more BLs from South Korea (yay!), it might have been an easy pass.

BUT, if you’re like me, you will have really, really appreciated the refreshingly realistic taste of a friends-to-lovers dynamic, complete with a conflict that is not just over one-sided or mutual dislike of each other for once! (Which is not to say I didn’t love the BLs that had that... they’re all great. But I do think expanding scope is always admirable!)

I realized that part of the reason why what seemed to me a rather thoughtfully constructed set of characters and plot development comes across as plain boring to many others might partially be a cultural nuance issue.

So, here’s my attempt to bridge that gap and give it a little more credit than it got (at least, so far). Of course, that’s not to say I think this drama is perfect... I do think a lot of pacing / editing could have done with some improvement. And at the end of the day... it is a coming of age sort of school drama, so it’s not going to be crazy complex. And I’m also writing this after episode 4, so there will be spoilers through episode 4. 

Disclaimer: I am not Korean, nor did I grow up in South Korea, so I definitely do not have complete authority on this subject matter. However, I feel like a lot of what was happening in Star Struck might have been... unfairly overlooked or otherwise not understood by audiences who are less familiar with Eastern Asian cultural values, so as a Chinese American, I wanted to do my best to add a bit of perspective.

So. What is the root of SHJ (Seo Hanjoo) and JYJ (Jo Yoojae)’s conflict?

Certainly, SHJ’s (seemingly) one-sided crush on JYJ and JYJ’s reactive jealousy is a large part of it, but the other big part is a newfound wealth gap and how that translates into what esteem they hold each other in.

From the get-go, we can tell SHJ is very (self-)conscious about money. He knows how hard his mom has to work, and he feels guilty and early on already tries to justify to himself (and others) that some costs, like the cram school he saved up to attend, are not worth it. He’s too prideful to honestly mention his money troubles to anyone.

Although SHJ doesn’t know JYJ’s rich yet in this scene, JYJ’s financial circumstances still was better off than SHJ’s. But he’s clearly uncomfortable with the idea of his best friend paying for him like that. And here’s where I’ll do some cultural breakdown.

In East Asian culture, the collective identity comes first, and the individual comes second. Meaning, people take more pride in what school they graduated from, what company they work for, what their family background is, more so than people in many other cultures. I’m not talking school pride like, ‘I’m proud to be a <insert school mascot>!’ kind of spirit. I mean that everyone in your life, in society, will measure your worth first and foremost (and often only) by the primary institution or family background you came out of. And with SHJ’s sort of background - poor, single-mother - that’s a big stigma. He’s still a rational human being though, so at least he doesn’t blame his poor mother for their circumstance (which some kids do, given all the pressure of society). But that all said, this clearly weighs on him - how his lack of money reflects on him. And if money is viewed at all similarly to how it’s viewed in China... it’s basically a measure of your capabilities and standing in society. The inability to be generous with your money is ‘losing face’ i.e. embarrassing. And so... yeah. It’s a lot of ‘dings’ in SHJ’s social profile. The kid is understandably a bit self-conscious, though he clearly tries to not let it get to him.

Fast forward to when he finds out JYJ is now ‘rich’... Obviously, he’s upset at not being told because they’re supposed to be close friends. However, he’s clearly super self-conscious about being seen as someone who’s that sensitive about money. Notice how he hasn’t actually commented / asked about JYJ ‘moving out’. (Note: I wasn’t 100% sure if this carried the implication that JYJ might be moving away, but the text message made it sound like that? Correct me if I’m wrong.) He immediately assumes JYJ didn’t tell him because he’s pitying him or otherwise worried about how he’d react because of how it involves money. And he hates that. (Which... he’s not totally wrong about. JYJ might not pity him like how SHJ is thinking, but he definitely worries a bit about how SHJ will perceive things, and it becomes this death spiral of misread intentions.)

And of course JYJ starts to comment on SHJ’s family, which just confirms all of JYJ’s worst fears. He suddenly ‘realizes’ that his best friend who he has a crush on actually walks on eggshells around him because of his money situation, which is a blow to his self-esteem, because what does that mean? That there’s a meaningful gap now in their social status and JYJ looks down on him and just never said? That JYJ sees SHJ as too delicate to be able to handle this new reality? (His insecurities and perspectives, not necessarily what JYJ thinks, of course.) 

It’s like having a close friend say something that makes you suddenly wonder if they were actually judging you this whole time, and your mind goes into overdrive analyzing every past interaction you’ve had and reading in between the lines to see if you were actually blind all this time. To SHJ, who is already a bit self-conscious about all of this... it’s a major blow. And although he says he’s only ever felt inconvenienced by his poverty... I’d say he’s being a bit dishonest with himself. Again, he’s clearly not the shameful type to blame his poor mother, but he clearly has trouble admitting his circumstances to even his closest friend.

Meanwhile, for JYJ...

...the guy is clearly struggling too. He obviously cares for SHJ and extremely mindful of his money situation, hence previously wanting to just pay for SHJ at the cafe. However, he also doesn’t want to hurt SHJ’s pride even more, so he ultimately still tosses his pair of perfectly good shoes he no longer wants despite wanting to give it to SHJ.

Once SHJ cools down a bit, and JYJ extends the olive branch, they both apologize to each other and come to an understanding. However, as is with a lot of human emotions... getting over it in the moment does not necessarily mean getting over it for good if you haven’t addressed the inner demons that spawned these bad feelings in the first place. And it’s not long before we see another issue pop up.

At this point, SHJ has had to move into the side house (and hides it from JYJ). He finds the Gucci receipt in the pocket of the jacket JYJ lends him, and JYJ immediately tries to wave it off saying it was pretty much something his mom made him buy.

He’s clearly worried about SHJ feeling bad again. He definitely doesn’t seem to care for the materialistic things as much as his parents seem to, and he even seems a bit embarrassed by it. So when SHJ brings up his big new house, he immediately tries to make light of the situation by joking about how indeed, the one good perk is that he can no longer hear his parents fighting. So that’s clearly another thing that weighs on him. SHJ is seemingly rather sensitive to JYJ’s money situation, but JYJ doesn’t really want anything to do with it at all. And the thing he really wishes could be new and shiny - his family’s relationship - is not something their newfound money could buy. In fact, it’s possible he’s even a little envious of JYJ for having such a caring mom.

Later, when he finds out SHJ has moved into the little side house / shack, he’s understandably upset that his best friend had chosen to hide this from him, that he didn’t see JYJ as understanding enough to be honest with him. He obviously also aches for SHJ’s circumstances. 

Gift-giving is a big part of East Asian culture, but there’s casual gifts between friends, and there’s gifts between everyone else. When you’re gifting gifts to someone less close, you definitely don’t want to go for things too cheap, so people tend to skew for expensive and unnecessary things because it’s part of social gestures and having ‘face’. While well-intentioned, sometimes receiving (and continuing to receive) gifts, especially more expensive ones, can make the receiver feel like they have to reciprocate in kind and continue to stand on ceremony or otherwise have this formal distance between the other person. It’s a big game of chicken sometimes, but some people’s ‘face’ won’t allow them to take a more casual, intimate approach first. This is not the main reason why JYJ gets upset of course, but it is an element.

All that compounded - he’s hurting already on SHJ’s behalf, yet his best friend seemingly doesn’t trust him enough and still tries to save face. And what’s worse, SHJ seems to think JYJ is materialistic and chases expensive things, when that couldn’t be farther from the truth - he dgafs about this kind of stuff. So to have his best friend essentially woefully misunderstand his character, continue to hold him at arm’s length / treat him with non-intimate courtesy, make sacrifices that hurt himself to give JYJ something that makes him seem materialistic and puts even more distance between them due to their economic gap... he’s pretty hurt and furious.

Of course, in reality, while SHJ not telling JYJ might be partly due to his pride, the expensive gift was purely because he was crushing hard. And cue the confession tumbling out.

-

So actually, I feel like there was a wonderful build-up of their tension, oriented not entirely on SHJ’s romantic feelings towards JYJ, but a very real issue between two people compounded by the complexity of romantic feelings.

Although I grew up away from the frontline influence of these sort of social gestures and expectations, it was still a big part of my upbringing. And I feel the agonizing indecisiveness over what to say, how to react, etc. You read intention into every gesture and word, because that’s how Asian culture operations.

I was rather surprised to see people comment that this drama was boring, but upon analysis, I did consider that part of it might be because a lot of this tension goes over the audience’s head if you weren’t brought up in that context. What seems like beautifully nuanced dance of well-intentions-turned-sour might come across as a jumbled mess of ‘being upset over unnecessary secrets’. That, coupled with some abrupt scenes that might not be tied in too smoothly, might have led to a lower evaluation.

Or it’s just my bias for a non-romantic-feelings based tension haha.

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Anyway... curious what others think!

[bl-bam-beyond]

RECOGNITION & APPRECIATION POST

Series: STAR STRUCK

Actor: KIM IN SUNG

Honorable Mention: ZUHO

KBL has made a resurgence in year of 2023 with such powerhouses like Our Dating Sim, The Eighth Sense & Unintentional Love Story to name a few.

Right now I'm truly enjoying STAR STRUCK and two really great performances specifically KIM IN SUNG as Seo Han Joon. His character is so simple yet complexed. Han Joon has a weakness when it comes to Yoo Jae. He can't deny his feelings. The way he looks at him. Even when he is insensitive, Han Joon can't help but forgive him. That candy situation for example. Han Joon paid more for a simple gift of candy than his own meals. Yoo Jae threw it breaking it and Han Joon still kept it only to watch Yoo Jae throw it out right in front of him because he pretended it's importance was trivial.

At the same time ZUHO is killing it as the insensitive Yoo Jae but you kinda forgive him because in his way he loves Han Joon but he's entitled and jealous. Jealous of the senior he calls Bro. Jealous of the girl in the coffee shop. Really anyone that takes Han Joon's attention from him. Like the cute boy in high school that was crushing on the girl that was crushing on Yoo Jae.

Only 2 episodes left and then Love Tractor begins.

[1liv]

MR. PLANKTON is set to be released on Netflix on November 8, 2024.

[mangodelorean]

Harbin [2024]

Cast: Hyun Bin; Jeon Yeo Been; Park Jung Min; Park Hoon; Jo Woo Jin; Yoo Jae Myung; Lee Dong Wook

Synopsis: In 1909, Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun leads an attack on Japanese forces in Harbin, China.

Premiere: September 2024 (Toronto International Film Festival)

[X]

[dirtmovelardloom]

I hope they had an ambulance on standby, LOL. And I really hope he's recovering okay. Seriously, how did his management convince him to show up for this talk show? Must've been some strong-arm tactics! Also, Yoo Jae-seok's MBTI? Definitely EEEE.

[junkobato]

Upcoming Kdrama March 2024 🌈

1/3: Wonderful World with Cha Eun Woo, Kim Nam Joo, Im Se Mi. 14 episodes; thriller, mystery.

9/3: Queen of Tears with Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Ji Won. 16 episodes; rom-com.

11/3: Midnight Photo Studio with Joo Won, Nara, Yoo In Soo. 16 episodes; romance, fantasy.

15/3: Chicken Nugget with Ryu Seung Ryeong, Ahn Jae Hong, Kim Yoo Jung. 12 episodes; fantasy, comedy.

18/3: Grabbed by the Collar with Kim Ha Neul, Jang Seung Jo, Yun Woo Jin. 16 episodes; thriller, mystery.

23/3: Hide with Lee Bo Young, Lee Moo Saeng, Lee Chung Ah. 12 episodes; mystery, thriller.

23/3: the Resurrection of the Seven with Uhm Ki Joon, Hwang Jung Eum, Lee Joon, Lee Yubi. 16 episodes; thriller, mystery.

Looking forward to Kim Soo Hyun x Kim Ji Won couple! ☺️

[runningmanoutofcontext]

[vallen-bell]

Multicouples | Somebody to die for

[kdram-chjh]

Kdrama: Squid Game (Season 2) (2024)

The real game begins. Squid Game Season 2 coming Dec 26, only on Netflix. Final Season Coming 2025

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2uMslggEKN8

[somanykdramas]

DEATH'S GAME: PART 1

GENRES: Drama, Supernatural

SUMMARY: Caught in a game of punishing resurrection, a man who took his own life tries to find meaning in hanging on.

THIS SHOW HAS EVERYTHING: Pillar demons, citron tea, hundreds of cover letters, finding meaning in the mundane, fated connections, bullies, prison, male models, car chases, MMA, chair-fighting, gut-wrenching regret, hopelessness, redemption, and a dizzying number of A-list celebrities.

HOT TAKE: Episode 4 of this show broke me, hard. Although the plot is simple and a bit repetitive, every single acting performance is stellar. The character connections made with each new story gives the overarching experience real depth and emotion, and I can't wait for the second part coming in 2024.

[cercasinomeworld]

30 Days Kdrama Challenge

Day 6 - Favourite male lead

Vincenzo Cassano (Vincenzo) - Yoo Shi-jin (Descendants of the Sun)

Park Jae-won (Lovestruck in the City) - Noh Jin-wook (Suspicious Partner)

Lee Ik-jun (Hospital Playlist)

[mctna2019]

Someone told "Hae-jo is selfish" and she can't understand him. I'm agree, he's selfish. but more than anything, I think he wants to make up for Jae-mi and himself. they both hurt each other. although I still don't know the reason of their breakup but I'm sure they both had mistakes. anyway I think Jae-mi because of her angry character (that Lee Yoo-mi protects it very well) doesn't give Hae-jo a chance for explaining his intentions. actually I think Jae-mi's relationship with Eu-heung isn't true. not because of Hae-jo, really because of Jae-mi. she's a bit selfish too if she did that marriage without telling truth. but I can understand both Hae-jo and Jae-mi. and I think our two main characters, both, starts to understanding and considering emotions of people around themselves.

[mangodelorean]

Still cuts for Squid Game S2

Cast: Lee Jung Jae; Lee Byung Hun; Gong Yoo; Yim Siwan; Park Sung Hoon; Won Ji An; Wi Ha Jun; Kang Ha Neul; Lee Jin Uk; Yang Dong Geun; Park Gyu Young; Kang Ae Shim; Jo Yuri; David Lee; T.O.P; Roh Jae Won

Release Date: TBA 2024, Netflix

[incorrectsecretforest]

Shimok: Isn't travelling with you just one big spoiler? Changjoon: I try to keep away from major plot developments. Changjoon: Which, to be honest, I seem to be very bad at.

[scorbleeo]

Drama Review: Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938

Source: Google Images

An unexpected case leads Lee Yeon back in time to 1938, where he reencounters Ryu Hong Joo. Once a guardian spirit of the mountain in the west, she's now the owner of a high-end restaurant in the capital city of Gyeongseong. He also meets his younger brother Lee Rang. Meanwhile, another former guardian spirit and ex-friend Cheon Moo Young has become hostile. Lee Yeon struggles to return to the present, to his loved one.

Source: MyDramaList (2023)

One of the Most Unserious Dramas Out There

Before we start: I did not watch the first one and am not planning to watch it at all. Going into Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 I admit I had to do a Q&A with my sister to understand what happened between the Lee brothers in this drama's modern world. However, one does not actually need to watch the previous drama to watch this and honestly speaking, from what I saw and knew about it, Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 is a whole lot more interesting and fun.

That being said, lets get on with how I felt about this drama. I am not kidding when I say, this is the most unserious drama for a drama anyone would think to be serious. Practically half of this drama was comedy and that is a praise. The comedy bit plays a part in making Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 so darn interesting and fun. Yet, this show also pulls on your heartstrings be it the brothers, the best friends or the best friends' righthand people.

I understand romance was a huge part of the first instalment but in this, it was just a tiny bit and I believe that is why I freaking loved watching this drama. In terms of what romance there was, I have no complains too. I mean, I adore the mermaid and the only complain I have is that I wished we could have gotten more scenes with her powers. When Rang said he liked someone who's stronger than him, he was not lying. The way Yeohee was written was right up my alley, she may not be as powerful as Rang but she saved him more times than he saved her and even when she was in danger, she still did not back down on a losing fight. For that reason, Yeohee is I really thought I would dislike the mermaid but nope, I love her.

Another thing I seriously love about Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 was the friendships. Any friendship in this drama was a pleasure to watch. Obviously, the friendship among our three mountain gods was my favourite. Don't get me wrong, Yeon is extremely lovable but in this trio, I need to worship my lady, Hongjoo and lovingly protect the cinnamon roll, Mooyoung. These three portrayed my kind of friendship where they were tight as children, still tight as adults and even with unfortunate circumstances, they might hate but they love each other more. Of course, the friendship among the roommates was a delight too. I only highlighted my top two favourites but I am not lying when I claim that this show did friendships so well.

Now, now. We have a problem though. At the beginning of this drama, Taluipa told Yeon even if he changes something in 1938, it does not affect 2023. I think its safe for me to say that we do not want that to be true, right? I am just willing to believe that what Taluipa said meant that Rang would still be dead in 2023, nothing Yeon did in 1938 changed Rang's decision in the future. I would even go as far to say that, everything Yeon did in 1938 further encouraged Rang to make that choice in the future. That is all I am willing to believe because I hear there's a third season and I need my best friends and roommates reunited to fight (without a doubt) the original mountain god. Yes, I know I said all I am willing to believe is that Rang is still dead but that's because I am sure there will be no Nine-Tailed dramas without both Lee brothers alive.

When the next instalment comes out, I will watch it as long as Hongjoo and Mooyoung are still around (if Jaeyoo, Miyeon and Yeohee are too, even better). I don't even care if there will be more romance although I wish there wouldn't be.

Rating: ★★★★★

P.S.: Anyone else felt that the big bad villains were so pathetic as compared to the smaller villains?

[runningmanoutofcontext]