#but i completely agree with all the points you made and have interestingly noticed they're ones not often acknowledged in the fandom

[mobius-m-mobius]

I know I am wildly late to this observation, but I just rewatched Thor for the first time in a very long while, and. I'd genuinely forgotten that at the start Thor is headed down a path at least as dark as Loki's? I mean Loki is making very extremely bad choices, but Thor isn't exactly less horrifying with his whole jumping straight to the 'lets "break the spirit" of an entire realm by murdering as many of them as it takes' shtick. And it's just so clearly laid out that the divergent paths they are on by the end of the first film isn't illustrative of some inherent difference in their natures or predetermined by choices they'd made before the film started. The difference is that Thor gets the opportunity to love and be loved by people outside the skewed and insulated world he grew up in, to be loved without strings attached, and discovers that the friends he had all along loved him more unconditionally, aside from his power and conquests, than he'd realized. While Loki learns that their father attaches all sorts of strings to his love, and 'learns' (somewhat truthfully with regard to Odin I think, though not with Thor or Frigga), that the love he had from them was always conditional, mitigated, based on lies and offered to a version of himself that never existed.

And I just—my point isn't 'you can't blame him for his war crimes 'cause he was sad', just that. Man it really was about love from the very beginning!!!

(P.S. I sent you an inordinately long series of messages about s1 Loki a couple weeks back, and your response was delightful, and added excellent points—just wanted to say that you; that was lovely of you, and I really appreciate how kind you always are on this blog!!)

Hey there anon, lovely to hear from you again! Thank you so much for your own kind words and taking the time to send another message! Your previous ones were a wonderful read as is this and as far as I'm concerned there's no such thing as being late to anything that isn't already scheduled, especially regarding media or fandom when there's a chance to discover someone/something new around every corner 💖💖

(Case in point how unexpected getting this captivated by a Marvel series was for me, which I only bring up because, well... quick disclaimer, I have an understanding of everything that happened in phase 1 but haven't exactly seen any of the Thor movies or until a few weeks into the airing of Loki had any real exposure to anything Marvel/Loki related between the original Avengers movie and then, which ironically I love because the moment S1 kicks off Loki's journey is where my perspective starts as well!)

As Loki mentioned many times previously, Thor truly wasn't ready to rule back then (not that Loki was either, lol) and you're not only exactly right about them both going down dark paths but I see Thor's view as worse considering he grew up surrounded by a level of confidence in companionship Loki never knew. The attack on Jotunheim pretty much says it all when Thor didn't hesitate to use hurt pride as an excuse to kill as many Frost Giants as possible, then after getting an entire war kicked off all Thor's friends were actually angrier with Loki for letting news of their visit get back to Odin despite the fact that they would've all been killed otherwise 🙃

Odin not being the best father to either of them is an understatement but there are unspoken conditions to his interactions with and love for Loki specifically due to his birth that (by nature of what an imposing figure Odin is) would almost subliminally impact everyone within range so I can't even imagine growing up in the midst of that and having no idea of the real cause, though I don't doubt Frigga's love for him or that the Thor of now wants them to be equals. It really does all come back to love from beginning to end, and makes it all the more important that Loki finally found that love and acceptance beyond his wildest dreams in Mobius so here we are now just waiting for them to find their way back to each other :')

[captcutshaw]

That thing you said about Bruce Robinson stating that Withnail and Marwood not having girlfriends, because they are poor. That’s really funny and it does make sense! However, it’s really noticeable, if you’re used to forced heterosexual references in buddy films, that women as a whole are never mentioned by the two, never mind attraction to them. The closest we get to this are pictures of women in their walls, but most of these are press photos of actresses. As Withnail and Marwood are thespians, it looks like their interest is an artistic, rather than sexual. And as you pointed out, the only sort of attraction referenced is homosexual. As you rightfully said, Marwood comes across as almost absurdly afraid of it, but interestingly never asserts heterosexuality to compensate, as many characters in similar films do. I’m a big dummy when it come to reading films properly, but it’s interesting that while none of these things alone make Withnail and Marwood explicitly queer (gay, bisexual, asexual, etc), there is absolutely zero effort spent on trying to convince you they are straight. If it took an interview to bring it up, Bruce Robinson probably just did not think it relevant. Again, the relationship between them is treated with greater importance. Of course, we are not sure by the end that it is completely platonic, and I don’t know how intentional that was (definitely was on the part of Richard E. Grant) but the point still stands. Sorry, this is such a long message, I hope it makes sense!

Absolutely! Thank you so much for sending me this, you've given me an excuse to go off on a rant. I've put some of my own ramblings and scattered thoughts under the cut. Sorry in advance for a complete lack of coherence.

Totally agree that it's unusual for a buddy film to have Marwood simply deny he's homosexual, then not show any interest in women to prove his point. No aggressive assertions of heterosexuality or forced female love interest, hell, no mention of women whatsoever (Mrs Parkin doesn't count)

I know he's essentially Bruce Robinson's self insert, hence Marwood being sexually harassed by Monty, who was based on Franco Zeffirelli, the director who sexually harassed Bruce Robinson (sorry if I'm just saying stuff you already know here). But yeah, Marwood isn't an aggressively heterosexual character, which makes him very inviting for a queer reading, among the various other reasons. I mean....look at him. Tboy swag off the charts.

I could list all the queer codings and references in the film but we would be here forever. Don't even get me started on all the ways Withnail is easy to read as queer. But yeah, in summary, I agree with your point that the complete lack of heterosexual attraction in the film can support that queer interpretation.

That's a good point that the photos of women/actresses in their flat could be purely for aesthetic reasons because they're thespians.

As for Bruce Robinson's intentions.... There was an interview where someone asked if Withnail was gay, which Bruce Robinson and Richard E. Grant refuted (timestamp about 21:09). Here Robinson actually jokingly (?) says he thinks Withnail is asexual because he only loves himself.... asexuality isn't caused by narcissism, but hot take!

So, Withnail was never intended to be homosexual. Which is crazy to me, what with... Withnail being Withnail. There is no possible heterosexual explanation for that man's behaviour!! And it's telling that so many people have seen the film and thought he was gay. But good news! Paul McGann has made a lot of comments about Marwood and Withnail being "young marrieds" in his commentary of the film. Also, in this interview (timestamp 6:58) he says Withnail was probably in love with Marwood. Big win for the gays. Overall, Bruce Robinson did not intend for Withnail and Marwood to be read as queer, but everyone say thank you to Paul McGann. Thank you Paul McGann

(Goes without saying, the creator's intentions don't prevent people from interpreting the film the way they want to. Death to the author etc etc. I've always liked to see Marwood and Withnail as queer because that adds another layer of meaning and just....makes sense if you ask me. Their relationship is compelling, platonic or otherwise. I personally found that it doesn't make sense for either of them to be 100% heterosexual, and asexual or bisexual readings are really cool as well.)

(On that note, not sure if it's worth mentioning... I read here that Vivian MacKerrell, the man Withnail was based on, was bisexual. So. There's that. Bisexual Withnail 2023)

[staysuki]

oh wow i was really wrong there 🤡 i was so sure they weren't sleeping together pLS I WAS LIKE "THERE'S NO WAY THEY'RE PROBABLY DOING SOMETHING POSITIVE AND HELPFUL FOR THE SCHOOL PLSSHJBFKDLJFHF BYE THIS IS EMBARASSING 😭😭😭

but jeongin's catching feelings, huh 👀 sdghjlbsf this is just another potential heartbreak but im taking immense joy in watching this all unfold LMAO- gotta say tho, i feel like jeongin is one of the characters who are more likely to take potential rejection well. then again, i said yn and jeongin weren't hooking up so we never know 🤡🤡

ah... the vulnerable side of somi 😋 it's always interesting to see the "bad character" be vulnerable. it completely makes sense, and im not surprised that this is a toucy subject for her. actually, maybe "touchy" is the wrong word because we don't know how much other's general opinion of her character affects her, but it definitely is something she gets defensive over, huh? she's pretty misunderstood as well, because she really didn't put up a fight at the meeting about letting ryujin join back in. yn has a point, you just gotta be professional with her and things will work out. i don't think she's too uptight. im basically repeating myself here but in terms of student council matters, i completely agree with her on almost everything. my biggest problem with her is just her attitude. one thing i don't like, though, is how inconsiderate she is of eunha :((

speaking of eunha, i feel like if she ever becomes more of a major character, she's going to be a very interesting character to analyze. a unique character for sure.

LG anon has an cool point about chan being the potential antagonist!! that would be an interesting storyline for sure :00 even if he's not the antagonist, i wouldn't be surprised if he stepped down from prez, though. i feel he's got a lot going on and idk how well he's really handling everything. he has his moments where he steps up but i feel like he's lacking confidence in his position. he's also personally attached to a lot of the student council members, which im afraid to say kind of affects his professionalism. it's understandable, but yk...

switching over to our main cast, i can't really tell how to read jeongin. he seemed kind of... indifferent (?) when his friends were celebrating his spot as top student. i can't tell if he's just very lowkey about his achievements or if he genuinely doesn't really care, but im inclined to think the former because if he didn't care, he wouldn't have gotten the top spot.

seungmin on the other hand, has an interestingly (take a shot every time i say interesting or a variation of the word 💀) similar mindset to somi. the parallel with their talk about how the real world isn't kind and nobody's going to hold your hand through it and everything. the anon was onto something when they mentioned the contact name somi has for seungmin tho 👀 i honestly didn't even notice that at first.

the contrast between seungmin and jeongin's attitudes make for a very interesting rivalry, though. i've gotta say, atm the two arcs i find most interesting are the seungmin vs. jeongin conflict as well as the ass shenanigans.

speaking of ass... ah, the lovely yeji has made a proper reappearance 🙂 i see telling the public about how much of a bitch she is did no good huh :/ currently wondering what exactly it's going to take for her to realize it's not okay to act like this. then again, some people never change. i wonder how yeji would respond to seungmin and somi's words 😀 you can't hide behind your parents' power and status forever, girlie.

also the charity event is just a ticking time bomb and im unreasonably excited for it wsdhgjsdfs

i feel like i didn't really get anywhere with this ask i literally just went back and forth and in circles 😭😭 but i loved the updates!! literally obsessed with this series

talk to you tomorrow, ash!! we love you mwah mwah

- 🌖

it's alright 🤧🙈 theories are a hit or miss sometimes but either way, they're fun to read~ sometimes the answer is so obvious that we think it couldn't be it, right? (or i gave y'all trust issues)

mhmm, their "relationship" is very interesting. unlike the other guys that pine for y/n, jeongin is just effortlessly there. it's a different dynamic completely, hence it's also much harder to see where it's going, kinda~

ooh yes, somi is logical and it seems that she's capable of hearing other people out—except eunha. why? because VP is an optimizer. she likes going for the best possible option that will be beneficial to her cause, and having eunha in the council is one of the things she sees as a huge help. overall, she doesn't care about anything aside from gains 💪💪💪. hence why she didn't put up a fight with ryujin—because yuna showed that she can do better with her friend around and also showed that changbin works best with her on the team.

idk if this is a spoiler but yes, her being placed permanently on the council does mean that she's gonna be more of a major character, probably more than someone like lia etc. (younghoon and jisoo were just cameos).

but if seungmin stepped down and then chan steps down.. what's gonna happen to the council, hmm 🤔. also yeah, chan does have a lot going on, and most of those things stem from the fact that he's president. unlike seungmin whose problems were more of on the outside of his duties (like acads). chan is definitely the complete opposite of somi, he values heart over brain.

mhmm, jeongin is indeed chill. he embodies the "effortless prodigy" trope, which is a huge contrast to the hardworking seungmin (it's like sorcerers vs. wizards lmfao). seungmin needs to put his everything to maintain his top spot while jeongin just came in and breezed his way through it. but who knows, maybe he's really dilligent behind the scenes and is just subtle about it 🤧🤔. and yes, we're also slowly unfolding the seungmin-somi mystery bit by bit (i.e. how they were raised).

yup! yeji redemption arc(???) 🤔 it seems like the only thing that happened so far is that she's a bit more honest now. not hiding behind a coy act and simply started to just speak whatever is in her mind (no matter how offensive), it's kinda like "oh well, people know i'm a bitch now, might as well stop hiding it"—ish. she doesn't play the innocent snake card anymore.

poor felix caught in between yeji and y/n 💀

and it's okay! jshwjshss sometimes it's also just fun to read and take in the story as it is instead of going all conspiracy theorist 🙈 taking a step back and just watching the story unfold is just as entertaining eh.

[helloandwelcometomariasblog]

Review #97: 상의원 (The Royal Tailor)

Surprising.

The film was much deeper than I'd expected it to be. When it first started, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it seemed quite lighthearted. But then again, most Korean films are like that. I've mentioned this before but they mostly all start off funny and light and then they get intensely deep and tear-jerking.

There are many different aspects I could explore with this film, but I'll just mention the main aspects that came to me and stayed with me throughout.

Interestingly enough, although the film was heavily based on the theme of beauty and explored it throughout, the theme that actually stayed with me the most was something else. I can't really describe this in one word, so I'll just start talking about it in length (as I always do). I guess if I tried describing it in one word, I might use 'open-mindedness'.

This film really hit it hard for me and told me that one of the best things we can do as human beings (and especially as adults) is to acknowledge someone else's greatness. It is so important. When we can't do that, we're led to drastic measures and we just rot inside. I know how that feels, so I know how important it is to be openminded and humble. I have been there. My soul has rotted before. But the important thing is to not let yourself get that far. Nobody should go to the point of excluding the person and pushing them towards a cliff. We do that though. If you think about the conflict that happens at school or at work, you'll realize that a lot of people get bullied and excluded for similar reasons. Because other people can't stand it when they're not the most beautiful, the most popular, the most intelligent, the most liked, etc.

But the hero was different. He was able to acknowledge the head tailor's expertise and never really treated him as competition - more like a fellow colleague. But then again, maybe it was easy for him because he'd never been in the head tailor's position before. So it's not like I don't understand the head tailor. He's been in the top position for so many years and he's spent his life building his career up from the very bottom. And then a newbie comes along who doesn't even seem to have studied properly and looks like he lives on the streets and turns out he's better than he himself will ever be. So I understand that he feels threatened.

And the hero mentions it too - in the jail cell, he tells the head tailor that it's his fear that is killing the both of them. It's true. I just found it sad that the head tailor couldn't get over it. He wasn't self-aware enough. He wasn't humble enough. And that's the scary thing for people who are already at the top. They have nowhere else to go but down. So they very easily feel threatened and they hold onto what they've built as though their lives depended on it.

That's the biggest message for me from this film. Be openminded, be humble, and always have a learning mind. And always, always acknowledge and admit that there is someone better than you. This is important for me as a teacher as well. Just because I'm the teacher, doesn't mean I'm the best in the room. It's important to acknowledge that my students are more intelligent and skilled than I am in different aspects. I think it's important to grow together. Acknowledging and promoting the fact that we can learn from one another.

The film shows really well what happens when human beings don't or can't do that. Sure in the end the people in the streets were wearing bright clothing again, but it wasn't made by the hero. In the end, the hero does die, and it's the head tailor that continues to make the clothes. I just find that so... angering. The head tailor never properly redeemed himself, and so even now I find him hateful. He did have multiple chances to redeem himself, and he did have hopeful moments, but when I heard him in the jail cell saying that it was the hero's fault, that it was his arrogance that led him there, I honestly just gave up. Dude you had so many chances and you probably didn't even know they were chances. You were given so many chances to enlighten yourself and you didn't even try. I just kept calling him poor asshole as I was watching because that's exactly what he was. A veritable asshole, but a poor one.

I'm not even sure what to say about the king. I guess it's kind of sad how the antagonists kind of stayed as antagonists in the film. The bad guys stayed bad and the good guys stayed good. And the gap was a bit huge. The good guys were like angels. The best of the best. No faults and no flaws. Just so good. Too good almost.

It's late and I'm getting tired but I do have to talk about the theme of beauty. I guess I was torn. Half of me really did appreciate the beauty and I was reacting in just the same way the people in the film were: open-mouthed, gaping at how beautiful a person could be depending on their clothing. The film was saying, "appearances are everything" and I felt like I was almost blindly agreeing with it.

In the film, women are valued for their beauty. The pretty girls get what they want, basically. The more beautiful you are, the more desired, respected, and loved you are. See how the king only chose the queen when she came in that amazing white dress? And she got a standing ovation for that too. She's had the same personality and the same lovely values for all those years and he's (as well as every other man) only noticed her when she looked the most beautiful in that pretty dress. I guess I found that a bit annoying and disappointing. The film seems to subtly suggest that women hold the most power when they're the most beautiful. As though being the most beautiful woman in the room and seducing all the top tier men is the most powerful thing a woman can do and the most powerful asset she can have. The idea that wearing pretty clothes is one of the best values in a person and the best way to judge their worth.

It was like experiencing the height of Korea's lookism but set way way back. I do wonder if Korea was that intensely obsessed with appearances back then too. 참 옷이 날개라는 게 무슨 뜻인지 느껴지게 만든 영화. But still the main message I'm taking away from it is completely unrelated to beauty and all about being humble and openminded enough to acknowledge others' greatness. Because when you feel threatened and try to douse it out, you could really be exempting the world from an incredibly positive and creative revolution.

[qforqazaq]

Black Dial: The Drama

You've probably heard the latest news from the Q-pop world: L and Teddy are no longer in Black Dial.

Hmm, where shall I start?

***Disclaimer: For the convenience of the foreign fans who aren't sure what has actually happened, I tried to recreate the sequence of events to get some exposition first. I've missed some details here and there, because this was already getting too long.***

It all began when the producers of YB Entertainment posted the announcement saying that the official Instagram accounts of L, Teddy, Ray and Black Dial were hacked, so from now on everything that's going to be posted on those pages has nothing to do with YB. "Okay, the pages got hacked, whatever, it happens, no big deal", I thought. BUT! After awhile I've noticed (first ever) IG stories posted on L's and Teddy's accounts with the actual L and Teddy recording each other while giddily saying something like "Did you know that we were hacked?" - "Lol, no, did we?" - "Yeah, they say we were hacked. I am hacked, you are hacked, comeback is hacked too, hahaha".

Obviously, everyone got even more confused, like, why the hell would the producers call the accounts hacked if they were obviously not. I mean those were real L and Teddy, right?

Meanwhile, I started to read some comments about L and Teddy and something about leaving the group, which got me a huge "Wait WHAT. WTF??? Are you bloody kidding me??" moment.

I obviously couldn't believe my eyes, because, what the hell, first Newton, now Black Dial, are you for real?? When I was about to start doubting these rumours while frantically looking for more info, there came interviews from the official press conference by YB Entertainment.

There, Yesbolat Bedelkhan with Bayan and Bota Yerimbet have formally announced that Yeskeldi Quandyq, formerly known as L, and Samat Kazmaganbet, formerly known as Teddy, were no longer the members of Black Dial, that the company had terminated their contracts, the main reason being consistent violation of the contractual terms by the former members. Moreover, according to the producers, the stage names "L" and "Teddy" and all the social media accounts belong to YB Entertainment and they cannot be used by the members should the contract be terminated.

To say I was shocked is to say nothing. Because, apparently, L and Teddy have not just left the group - they were kicked out. Not only that, they basically kicked themselves out by consistently showing insubordination, disobedience, and violation of terms in many occasions. Without feeling much remorse about it too, it seems, as they didn't look very sad on those Instagram stories - that's for sure.

To make the matter worse, they had no rights to use those Instagram accounts anymore, which explained the earlier announcement about "hacking".

Frankly, that was a lot to take in, and while I was desperately trying to make sense out of whatever was happening out there, all hell let loose. Interestingly - on the producers. Because a horde or rather a flock of angry fangirls or "Ravens" started to shout accusations at the producers, blaming them in all deadly sins. According to them, it was all producers' fault, because they intentionally kicked their "biases" out; how did they dare to be so unfairly strict with them; they were shitty producers in the first place; they should have made their comeback sooner instead of postponing it; the whole "hacking" incident was made to sabotage the members' reputations, and their beloved L and Teddy did the right thing leaving this horrible company.

As for me, these accusations sounded too heated and not very convincing especially when I took a step back and started to actually think about it.

Well, let's break it down, shall we?

First of all, the question of fairness seems super childish, because we're talking about actual legal binding contracts, not some sandbox tantrums that can be resolved by shoving lollipops in kids' mouths. If one signed a contract, it is assumed that both of the parties were aware of and agreed to all of the terms in the first place. In other words, if you in a sober mind signed a legal document, complaining about stuff that you can't eventually commit to afterwards won't work. Why the hell one would even sign a contract in the first place then?

Secondly, do you really think the contract was that strict? Okay, stricter than, idk, a contract signed by the guys from 91? I do very much doubt it. I'm more than sure Yerbolat isn't that chill and understanding compared to his younger brother.

Thirdly, Black Dial is the only active project of YB Entertainment (Darrem doesn't really count) aka literally the company's only flagship product that was supposed to get its long-awaited comeback. Think about it: who the hell in their right minds, in such a crucial moment, would kick out members from the only existing group without a legitimate reason? No one. And there was one reason, a few actually, wasn't there? Moreover, according to Yesbolat Bedelkhan, they've tried very hard to keep the group intact, to smooth out those cases of disobedience and insubordination, closing their eyes to most of them. But I guess, the situation got completely out of control, so terminating the contracts was the last resort.

Fourthly, haven't you thought that the comeback was being postponed over the course of, what, 9 months? exactly because of the internal problems and conflicts inside BD and YB? What if the producers weren't sure if they could proceed should have the said members continued to "misbehave". Which they apparently did, so better cut ties earlier than later, with only one MV, and one more released song.

Next, the "hacking" incident. According to Yesbolat Bedelkhan, sometime around February 14, when BD was supposed to record a video to mark the date, L and Teddy have completely disappeared from radar, not answering anyone's calls and/or messages. The producers even tried to reach their parents at some point, to ask if everything was alright with the boys. Strangely, the parents were not reachable as well, because apparently they have changed their contacts too. Later, the producers discovered that they couldn't access official IG accounts of L, Teddy, Ray and Black Dial, because someone changed their passwords. I suppose it was then they guessed it was L and Teddy's doings, which I assume was the final blow.

Finally, Yesbolat believes that someone from outside have persuaded the boys to sabotage their own places at YB Entertainment. A certain someone with a personal grudge against YB producers. I have my guesses and I won't be surprised if this someone will collaborate with those two at some point in the future too.

Show business sucks, doesn't it.

_________________________________

Don't get me wrong, by making a case for YB Entertainment, I don't want to imply that Yeskeldi and Samat are inherently bad people or anything. Okay, I must admit I had my problems with Teddy and tbh wasn't very sad to know he has left the group (yeah, I'm crude), but I did respect L very much, coming to admire his capacity for songwriting when I took on that challenge at translating their songs (Bul Soni Yemes is a lyrical masterpiece. Period.), regarding him as a very thoughtful young man. Despite personal preferences, I didn't want anyone to leave the group in any circumstances, always hoping and betting on them to settle at least on the second place in Q-pop.

In other words, waking up to a news like this has brought me no pleasure. Further unfolding only left a bitter taste in the mouth and the feeling that you were viciously played.

However, I do still think that it was, pardon my French, totally a dick move to leave everyone and everything just like that, without a decent explanation, a formal apology to the fans at the very least. Leaving by making a public drama out of it, while openly gloating in the social media, abandoning the company, the producers and the other members who counted on them so much.

Was it fair? I think not.

I do wish them luck in whatever they're planning to do though, just to see if it was actually worth the drama, huh.

And I do certainly wish the best of luck to YB Entertainment, to the producers and the remaining vocalists in remedying the whole situation, so to speak.

And what now? Yes, YB is having their casting in search for their new rappers and everything, but what does it tell about the whole "Q-pop movement"?

It's impaled, sick and haven't even grown out legs to stand upright and move properly. People are leaving the groups whenever they want, groups changing the label companies however they want, the entertainment centres are opening and closing at flick of the fingers, and we only have about eh.. 3.5 groups who are actually doing something now? With Black Dial on the resting bed, those would be Ninety One, Mad Men, Moonlight and sort of Newton~. Considering that I'm already very cautious with the latter, skeptical with the second, and Moonlight just doesn't excite me very much, we're coming to the default settings of just clinging to the founders for now while just observing everyone else from the distance.

Nice.

What do you think though? What was the reason for BD having so many problems with its former rappers?

Is Q-pop actually going to crumble to pieces even before it becomes anything substantial?

Feel free to comment and share, and please do leave a like at least. I've been writing this for ages after all.