#go ho tae

[taeminie]

You should smile. I like to see you smile. I never smiled that much. I just realized you don’t know yourself that well. You’ve always been a gentle guy who likes to smile. You’ve been like this since you were little. You always liked to smile and you were gentle. Even so, how can I smile now? I’m not a crazy man. I haven’t smiled in a long time. It’s nice to smile like this.

The Time Of Fever (2024) dir. Yang Kyung Hee

[thedooristhebluecushion]

I have been waiting for The Time of Fever for a year now and it was everything I dreamed about. Absolutely beautiful. Deeply moving story telling. Incredible acting.

But the only time I cried was when it ended and we didn’t even get a glimpse of Ho Tae & Dong Hee happy & living their best lives post Unintentional Love Story drama. It didn’t need to be much. Could have been an epilogue like they had for all the other episodes. If any boys deserve their domestic blissed out moment it’s these two and I’m so sad we didn’t get to see it.

Please drop any & all fanfic in the notes😔

[themoopoint]

[1liv]

THE KING: ETERNAL MONARCH (2020)

[dragonsareawesome123]

Angels in America (2024) dir. Shin Yucheong

[coreancitizen]

How did Jeong Tae Eul's ID end up with Lee Gon in the first place?

Tracking the journey between worlds and across time

There was a Twitter question about which show you'd like to watch again for the first time and I, of course, responded with "The King Eternal Monarch." I just remember how much fun it was trying to figure things out. A friend even had a virtual "murder board" for who's who LOL! In a reply to my tweet, someone asked: How did Jeong Tae Eul's ID end up with Lee Gon in the first place?

TKEM has one of those loop thingies with time travel so lemme just start with episode 1, with adult Lee Gon heading to the past, to the Night of the Treason. He gets into a shootout with Lee Lim's men, kills several, and after they escape, he goes to check on his younger version. As Gon feels the boy's pulse, Baby Gon lifts his hand. They hear an alert that the Royal Guards are coming so Gon stands up. Baby Gon catches the lanyard and pulls Tae Eul's ID card out of Gon's pocket.

In a flashback in episode 2, Baby Gon, now the king, asks Head Court Lady Noh if she has the two things he had with him on the Night of the Treason: half of the flute, which he suspected was in the riding whip she held, and the ID card. Head Court Lady Noh produces both.

And so that's how Lee Gon keeps Tae Eul's ID card with him in the kingdom for the next 25 years. In episode 1, we see Lee Gon has it inside a copy of "Alice in Wonderland," with the ID card right smack on top of the illustration of the White Rabbit. Symbolism much? LOL! The book, of course, is referenced a few times by both Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul.

One of the more interesting details of the time travel in TKEM is that at this precise moment (Sept. 10, 2019 at 7:45 p.m.), when Lee Gon is looking at Jeong Tae Eul's ID card while sitting in his private study in the Kingdom of Corea, the card doesn't actually exist YET in the Republic of Corea.

When Lee Gon decides to follow the White Rabbit, or rather the sound of the flute, into the other world and meets Jeong Tae Eul for the first time, she has an entirely different ID, one that shows her in her police uniform with her hair down.

This ID card is still with Tae Eul in episode 4 when she leaves the library (where she'd been researching parallel words, etc.). As she approaches her car, she finds her keys with the big-ass tchotchke in the form of a lion tangled with the lanyard of her ID. As she was separating the two, she is bumped by a boy on a bicycle, sending the ID card flying out of her hands and down a grate, straight to the sewer below.

BTW, the culprit on the bike is none other flute boy (fun fact: flute/yo-yo boy is actually played by a girl, Kim Bo Min).

Jeong Tae Eul gets her photo taken for a new ID card. She has her hair pulled back in a low ponytail and wears a cream sweater. The photographer advises her to put on something with a bit more contrast so her face doesn't stand out too much in the photo. Tae Eul opts for a navy jacket. And while she is not aware of her outfit's significance, we see the image Lee Gon has been staring at for 25 years.

Later, we see Tae Eul apply for a new ID card. Hilariously, she says the old one was "lost after a fierce scuffle with a suspect." She remembers Lee Gon telling her the ID card he has was issued on Nov. 11, 2019, and so she asks the civil service worker when the new one is going to be ready. Much to her relief, she's told about a week, in late October.

BUT Fate has other plans, of course. Kang Shin Jae tosses Tae Eul her ID. The agency apologized for accidentally leaving her out. Her ID was issued that day: Nov. 11, 2019. Lee Gon was right! Tae Eul is justifiably flustered. She gets even more flustered when she gets a phone call from Lee Gon.

She rushes home and finds Lee Gon standing in her yard, like a freaking statue. This is one of my favorite TKEM scenes ever but I'm gonna rush the summary here: Tae Eul asks Gon details about her new card, which he is able to answer correctly, proving he does have a version of her ID. He invites her to his world so she can see for herself. She accepts.

In the kingdom (episode 5), Jeong Tae Eul is asked by Head Court Lady Noh to put her belongings in a box as part of a security check. Lee Gon assures her it's something everyone does including court ladies and the prime minister. Tae Eul tosses in handcuffs, her wallet, the lion tchotchke, a Kahi multibalm stick lol and, of course, her newly reissued ID. She seeks assurance that she's gonna get all the stuff back, saying she'll be penalized if she loses her ID again. Head Court Lady Noh recognizes the ID.

Fast-forward to episode 6. Japanese warships are heading to Corean waters and Lee Gon has to send Jeong Tae Eul home earlier than planned. Lady Noh retrieves the box with Tae Eul's belongings — side-eyeing palace security here as the unlocked box is stored in a dresser in her room — and realizes the ID is missing. No way to check who took it as the CCTV was cut off in that area of the palace last night starting at 8 (because of JTE's unexpected arrival). Tae Eul ends up taking back the "old" version of her ID card.

So where did the newly re-issued ID card go? It shows up tucked inside a book in the bookstore of one of Lee Lim's minions with a note identifying it as "guestroom user." We later find out that Lee Lim's contact is no other than Kang Shin Jae's Corean mom, a court lady who has Lady Noh's trust.

In episode 11, Lee Lim captures Tae Eul's Corean doppelganger, Luna, and convinces her to switch places with our heroine by showing her the ID card and Tae Eul's family. Luna, who'd never known her parents, agrees. She's taken to republic with Tae Eul's ID and picks up Tae Eul's phone at a locker in a station. Her first order of business: Apply to take all of Tae Eul's 21-day vacation. Smart, LOL.

This is around the time Lee Lim's men kidnap Jeong Tae Eul and take her to the kingdom. Lee Lim plans to exchange her for Lee Gon's half of the flute. But she foils that plan by escaping and we get the famous "Protect her! She's the future queen!" battle cry from the king.

Jeong Tae Eul eventually returns to the republic with Lee Gon in episode 13. After introducing her boyfriend to her dad, she arranges to meet Gon after work. She gifts him with a black jacket, which he thinks looks a bit familiar. Later, as he's trying it on, the doorbell for his hotel room rings and he finds Tae Eul at the door bringing beer. It doesn't take him long to realize it's Luna he's with — she's got a look of anxiety that JTE doesn't have. He pulls Tae Eul's ID from Luna's coat pocket. As he's checking it out, he notices his image in the mirror and realization dawns, he looks exactly like the man who came to Cheonjongo on the Night of the Treason and saved Baby Gon. He saved himself!

Unfortunately, Luna had spiked the beer and Lee Gon goes down, ID card still in his hand at the beginning of episode 14. As Luna tries to search for the whip that contains the flute — she's not interested in taking his life — Jo Yeong arrives (he'd gone out to get drinks). She flees, minus the ID. The captain of the Royal Guard, with Tae Eul's help, takes him to a clinic owned by a friend of the medical examiner (Chief Park's wife). When Lee Gon comes to, he could hear the flute crying, just like he did when he was a boy on the Night of the Treason. It is the signal to go back. He enters the doors once again, ID card still in his pocket, as Lee Lim enters his, enabling them both to return to the past to try to fix things.

And we're back on the Night of the Treason. Lee Gon arrives at Cheonjongo and gets into a shootout with Lee Lim's men.

[emotionalwhump]

Marco and his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day [ Part 2/2 ]

Kang Tae Ju as ‘Marco Han’ The Childe (Sad Tropics) - 2023

[ppeonppeonhan]

Best 2023 BL Side Couples

Every now and then the side couple steals the show, and you find yourself tuning in for the 2 minutes they get per episode versus the actual plot. Here are my faves of the year:

Moonlight Chicken: Li Ming ❤️ Heart

While this series may not have made my top 10 this year, this couple did. I'm a sucker for "irresponsible person learns how to be responsible through acts of love for someone who is physically impaired" story lines. (See also Last Twilight.) So every sweet gesture that rebellious Li Ming made to make deaf Heart's life more joyful and inclusive, including learning how to sign, made whatever was going on between the lead characters, Jim and Wen, an afterthought.

Kiseki: Dear to Me: Ai Di ❤️ Chen Yi

I love when the smitten one gives up riiiight before their crush is like Oh wait, I like you too! Theory of Love is another example of this, but KDTM did it better. You never really grew to hate Chen Yi, and understood why it took so long for him to see Ai Di as more than a friend. Baby boy was not really giving off crush vibes. More like in desperate need of therapy vibes. Thankfully, Chen Yi was immune to Ai Di's hostility, proving he was his perfect match.

Never Let Me Go: Ben ❤️ Chopper

There was so much going on in this drama that this pairing barely got enough screen time, and yet by the end of the series, I was daydreaming about them moving abroad together and living happily ever after. Loving the Chimon x Perth era. Hope to see more of it.

Unintentional Love Story: Kim Dong Hee ❤️ Go Ho Tae

I actually found the main pairing a tad meh, and was far more interested in the childhood bffs turned strangers subplot. I mean, the minute Ho Tae attempted to learn Spanish to impress Dong Hee, who fantasized about having a Spanish lover, I was hooked. I could watch an entire spinoff of these two with flashbacks to their youth and how their bond originally formed.

Who were your faves?

[my-drama-heart2406]

If I had a penny for everytime a guy who played a total scumbag on D.P. co-stared in the same project with Lee Jae Wook, whose character is very obviously attracted to LJW's character and who also finds LJW really attractive in real life...

I would have two pennys.

Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.

[noonaenthusiast]

Life On Mars 1x01

[saifahname]

GO HO TAE THE TEEN YOU ARE!!!!!

"HAVE YOU EVER KISSED BEFORE?" !!!!!!!!!!!TO THE GUY YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE HOOTS FOR

[thedooristhebluecushion]

Switching gears from my usual Bridgerton fixation...

does anybody know where we can watch The Time of Fever?

[olvaheiner]

귀공자 // The Childe (2023)

[manawari]

Solo Leveling Highschool AU!

Sung Jin-woo

• transferee in the school.

• gets lost in the middle of the hallway because he doesn't know where his classroom is located until a friendly student helps him and leads the way. The student introduces himself as Min Byung-gyu.

• when Jin-woo gets there, he's seated at the back in the second column. He is used to sitting next to the window a lot, but this time, there is already a student occupying the seat and snoozing.

• is quiet, reserved, and barely raises his hand. But when his name is called, Jin-woo answers correctly.

• has little doodles on his notebook if he's getting bored in lectures.

• signs up for the track and field.

• often gets picked up by two brothers from another class named Hwang Dong-soo and Hwang Dong-suk. Jin-woo chooses to ignore them, but when he has enough, he retaliates in a way that won't end him up at the principal's office or at the teacher's.

• if classes are dismissed early, Jin-woo stops by his little sister's school to pick her up.

• his first friend is a junior named Yoo Jin-ho, but among his classmates, his first friend is probably Byung-gyu (who checks up on him frequently) or Hae-in (since she's in the same sport as him).

• plays games on his phone when he has a vacant time, which got him closer to Byung-gyu, Tae-gyu, Hae-in, and Yoon-ho.

• classmates: Choi Jong-in, Cha Hae-in, Baek Yoon-ho, Min Byung-gyu, and Lim Tae-gyu.

Choi Jong-in

• president of the student council.

• known as the smartest student in school, but the students are divided on that topic since Cha Hae-in occasionally steals his spot.

• a master in essays and solving mathematical equations.

• basically has the trust of every teacher in school. Even the principal.

• doesn't join any sports clubs, only academic ones.

• makes tutoring his business. 100 won per hour, but 70 won if he's feeling magnanimous.

• doesn't like getting his lunch at the cafeteria since he has low patience, especially when he's hungry, so he usually goes out to the nearest convenience store outside school.

• hates it when the vending machines are low on snacks every time he uses them after classes, so Jong-in makes a rule to the students to limit getting snacks. He even has a secret camera attached somewhere.

• frequently scolds Tae-gyu for sleeping in class. Tae-gyu also pays him double when asking for tutoring in a certain subject — solely to stop Jong-in from scolding him in-between lessons.

• also argues with Baek Yoon-ho for several reasons.

• he's strict, yes, but he is kind in his own way and is ready to defend anyone from being bullied. He has the contact number of the principal, so Jong-in uses that to increase his threats.

• classmates: Cha Hae-in, Baek Yoon-ho, Sung Jin-woo, Lim Tae-gyu, and Min Byung-gyu.

Cha Hae-in

• vice president in the student council.

• is second smartest, but steals Jong-in's place, which ends the two in a competition (from Jong-in's perspective) even though they've been friends since elementary.

• is shy and isn't active as well. When called, she answers correctly without having a second to think.

• she and Jong-in often argue about which answer of theirs is correct during maths.

• is a track and field runner, which is a sport she has been passionate about, and has been trusted to teach the newbies.

• has a friendly rivalry with Choi Tae-woong, who is a fellow athlete.

• she's friendly, but only a few people know what she really is like as a person. Cha Hae-in often gets underestimated due to her kind and soft nature, but once she gets mad, she won't hesitate to release her ferocity.

• has the most organized notes ever and almost not a single erasure is seen.

• she listens to classical music when studying.

• has an unhealthy obsession with coffee while studying for a test and Jong-in has to be the one to stop her.

• classmates: Sung Jin-woo, Choi Jong-in, Baek Yoon-ho, Min Byung-gyu, and Lim Tae-gyu.

Baek Yoon-ho

• basketball player.

• is actually good at English and despite being involved with sports, he turns in his assignments at the perfect time.

• doesn't raise his hand on purpose and often looks bored in class, especially when he doesn't like the teacher.

• lives in the same apartment as Byung-gyu and Hee-jin, so they usually go to school together.

• has a close bond with his coach, Ma Dong-wook.

• is one of the few people who has never been bullied due to his intimidating persona and Yoon-ho can and will scare those who try to mess with him.

• helps teachers around. Some say that he does that only to get high grades, but Yoon-ho is naturally helpful and often tells teachers that they don't have to do something in return.

• carries a gym bag around that contains both of his jerseys and school supplies.

• always has a big container of water. It's only for him when training, but that doesn't stop his friends from asking for water.

• spends his lunchtime with his friends.

• his parents own a restaurant in a separate block from his apartment, so Yoon-ho often brings his friends there for a meal or group study.

• classmates: Cha Hae-in, Min Byung-gyu, Choi Jong-in, Lim Tae-gyu, and Sung Jin-woo.

Lim Tae-gyu

• tennis player.

• usually sleeps in class.

• doesn't have a particular subject he excels in unless it's P.E, though he manages to pass anyways.

• exams? Students are anxious and panicking? Tae-gyu thinks they're overreacting and continues minding his business.

• gets under some teachers' nerves sometimes, but as usual, Tae-gyu doesn't care and will still joke around them until they threaten him to fail in class.

• does his homework in school, but if he's around his friends after school, he'll do it already.

• hates being paired with someone he does not know or not close with.

• acts like he doesn't have a lot of money, but he is given 500 won worth of allowance every week.

• used to sit in the front of the class until some students start complaining they cannot see the writings on the board due to his hair.

• supports Jong-in on the snack limit of vending machines rule because he too has experiences of seeing an empty machine.

• despises when he's assigned to clean restrooms. Tae-gyu always has a spare facemask and surgical gloves. It never fails him to receive odd looks from his friends.

• classmates: Min Byung-gyu, Choi Jong-in, Sung Jin-woo, Baek Yoon-ho, and Cha Hae-in.

Min Byung-gyu

• the history nerd in class.

• is weak in maths, so he frequently asks Jong-in or Hae-in for help. But usually, it's Hae-in because he doesn't want to spend his allowance on Jong-in, who doesn't care whether they're friends or not in terms of tutoring.

• knows how to construct essays, not just because he has been taught in school, but due to him reading essays written by historical figures in his free time.

• has known Hee-jin and Yoon-ho since they were young, but hangs out with Yoon-ho the most since Hee-jin used to study in a different location until they finally enrolled into the same school.

• is friends with Eun-seok, who studies in a different school and the son of one of his mother's friends, after tutoring him. Their schedules are different, but Byung-gyu makes sure to include Eun-seok when hanging out during weekends.

• is the reason why the previous history teacher in his class quit because Byung-gyu kept correcting the mistakes in the lessons and even argued with that said teacher.

• reads manga and bonds with Tae-gyu and Jin-woo with it.

• allots some time to watch his friends practice at the gym or field. It's all fun until Hee-jin and Yoon-ho make him choose on whose game he'll attend.

• is also good at science and will help anyone who needs it for free. looking at you, Choi Jong-in!

• frequently stops by at the library, both in school and outside.

• classmates: Sung Jin-woo, Choi Jong-in, Baek Yoon-ho, Cha Hae-in, and Lim Tae-gyu.

Park Hee-jin

• a student from a different class.

• often waits for Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu so they can go home together.

• plays volleyball.

• specializes in science and studies geography in her free time.

• likes eating ice cream before going home.

• takes notes during classes, but when someone asks her if they could burrow, she declines. Last time she lend her notes, the papers returned to her with creases and worse, have traces of ink and other things that ruined her work.

• hates having Kim Chul as one of her group members during a project.

• due to her being a volleyball player, some students try not to make her mad otherwise Hee-jin will leave a red mark on their body. Even when she's laughing, she tends to hit people, so Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu choose to stay away from her as possible.

• classmates: Han Se-mi, Gina, Son Ki-hoon, Lee Min-sung, Kim Chul, and Yoo Soo-young.

Lee Ju-hee

• Jin-woo's friend from a different school. Public school, to be precise.

• an average student who doesn't pressure herself much in studies.

• uses a bicycle when going to school.

• has a cute little cousin who lives with her and whom she also teaches.

• likes studying by herself, but she also likes studying with her closest friends.

• gets easily anxious when speaking in front of class, especially when she has something to present. Ju-hee struggles with public speaking, but in the end, her friends praise her for doing well.

• classmates: Jung Ye-rim, Lee Bora, Eun-seok, and Esil Radiru (an exchange student from Russia and is still learning Korean).

Other characters:

• Go Gun-hee is the school principal.

• Woo Jin-chul is a mathematics teacher.

• Song Chi-yul is a history teacher (the new one).

• Ma Dong-wook is a P.E teacher/basketball coach.

• Ahn Sang-min is a science teacher.

• Norma Selner is an English teacher. (let's just say she got a promotion to become a teacher in Korea. She's still learning the language, but Gun-hee reassures her that her speaking in her original language will help students learn easily.)

[dragonsareawesome123]

Angels in America (2024) dir. Shin Yucheong, performing at the LG Arts Center from August 6, 2024 to September 28, 2024

Starring Yoo Seungho and Son Hojun as Prior Walter, Lee Taevin and Jung Kyeonghoon as Louis Ironson, Lee Yoojin and Yang Jiwon as Joe Pitt, Go Joonhee and Jeong Hein as Harper Pitt, Lee Hyojung and Kim Jooho as Roy Cohn, Jeon Gukhyang and Bang Juran as Hannah Pitt, Tae Hangho and Min Jinwoong as Belize, and Kwon Eunhye as The Angel

[coreancitizen]

"If it's a problem that we look identical, we can solve it by eliminating one." Everybody looks at Jo Eun Sup. "What? Why are you all looking at me?"