#hyun young: *actively attempting to take his own life*

[ge]

i know everyone is kind of on the fence about a geomjon reveal but i personally need it more than anything JUST to see hyun youngs reaction.. just his, no one elses

[agentcable]

Taxi Driver 2 Ep. 14

The bishop returns to Korea. After waking up from being drugged, Do-Ki discovers evidence of Black Sun's drug trafficking and devises a plan. Meanwhile, Ha-Joon becomes aware that Rainbow Transport is tracking Black Sun and takes precautions due to Do-Ki's skill.

Season 2 Episode 14 "I'll Kill You Myself"

The series is based on real-life heinous crimes committed in Korea and has received praise from viewers for its performances and storylines.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

Episode 14 "I'll Kill You Myself"

Ha-Joon and the other cult members welcome the Bishop at the airport. The Bishop leads a prayer meeting at a secret church, attended by all the key people involved in the case.

Do-Ki wakes up in the hospital bed and tells Go-Eun that Moon-Hyun had questioned him about Victor before he passed out from being drugged. He reveals that he managed to sneak the recording pen given to Detective Choi by Young-Min. The pen contains a recording of what had happened on the night of Detective Choi's murder-suicide. In a flashback, Detective Choi witnesses his colleagues returning confiscated drugs to Black Sun.

Choi discovers the two police officers celebrating with Moon-Hyun and Guard Jong-Seon. He attempts to arrest them and the Black Sun staff for illegally smuggling drugs, but the guards overpower him. Before being forced to drink the drugged alcohol, similar to what Do-Ki consumed, the detective manages to place his recording pen in the VIP room and activate it. The episode shows Detective Choi leaving the nightclub and sitting in his car before his dead body was discovered. Present day Do-Ki tells Young-Min that the recording pen had a comment from Detective Choi that only the reporter could decode. Young-Min listens to the recording again and recalls his conversation with Choi. When he was alive, Detective Choi had enrolled Young-Min in a gym membership.

The Bishop speaks to Ha-Joon, Hyun-Jo, and other cult members. Meanwhile, Young Min contacts the gym to inquire about the locker reserved by Detective Choi. Inside the locker, Young-Min discovers a note from Choi containing evidence against Black Sun. Go-Eun informed the team at Rainbow Taxi headquarters that the drung circulating in the club was called GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid). When consumed with alcohol, it can cause a trance-like state. According to Sung-Chul, the drug, commonly known as the "rape drug", allows the user to perform basic tasks like walking but causes memory loss from the moment of ingestion. The group is outraged that the nightclub was distributing such a dangerous substance for their own gain. Do-Ki vows to take action and expose the club.

CEO Yang thanked Hyun-Jo and Ha-Joon for recovering most of the GHB drugs that the police had allegedly confiscated from Hyun-Jo's team. Ha-Joon promised to return the remaining drugs to her. At that moment, Moon-Hyun informed Hyun-Jo about Do-Ki and Ha-Joon was shocked to learn that the taxi driver was still alive. It is anticipated that Do-Ki could cause more trouble for them, and this has caused panic. Ha-Joon and his men raided the Rainbow Taxi headquarters but did not find any members there. He informed the Bishop about Do-Ki, but the religious leader asked him to continue their mission as scheduled.

The next day, the Rainbow Taxi group was ready to act on their plan while Ha-Joon remained alert for Do-Ki's next move. The cops managed to take the drugs to the incineration plant as planned. While on their way, the police inform Hyun-Jo that the road is under construction. Ha-Joon advises Hyun-Jo to stick to the planned route without any last-minute changes. The police hand over the drugs to Moon-Hyun and Ha-Joon. However, Ha-Joon finds it suspicious that he was able to obtain the drugs so easily. He is convinced that Do-Ki is planning something significant but cannot pinpoint what it is. The mission to smuggle drugs to international clients is proceeding as planned. The Black Sun nightclub is currently filled with international smugglers.

Windy and Jong-Seon are selling drugs to international clients. Meanwhile, Hyun-Jo is preparing to be promoted to Commissioner of Police that same evening. Suddenly, CEO Yang arrives at the Black Sun and tells Ha-Joon that the GHB drugs have been replaced with flour. Ha-Joon is unable to make sense of what happened, and then all the international buyers start dropping unconscious in the nightclub. Jin-Eon and Kyung-Koo replaced the regular alcohol with GHB, causing the buyers to pass out. Chaos errupted at the Black Sun, and Ha-Joon made eye contact with Do-Ki, who was looking down at him from the VIP area.

In a flashback to the day before the drug smuggling, Jin-Eon and Kyung-Koo replaced the GHB with flour, while Go-Eun hacked into the police system to unlock the locks. Ha-Joon receives a call from Hyun-Jo, who claims that the narcotics department has raided his office and found all of the GHB drugs in the to-be Commissioner's office. Ha-Joon is shocked and promises to teach Do-Ki a lesson before escaping. Meanwhile, the police raid the Black Sun nightclub and arrest everyone involved in the drug racket, including CEO Yang, Victor, Moon-Hyun, Windy, and Jong-Seon. The police officers who were responsible for Detective Choi's death have been arrested and charged. In order to protect the organization, Ha-Joon had to kill Hyun-Jo before he could be investigated.

Young-Min thanks Do-Ki and the team for bringing justice to Detective Choi. He pays for the deluxe taxi ride as promised. Reporter Young-Min reports the arrest of the Black Sun employeees and other VIPs involved in the case.

In the epilogue, Bishop attempts to kill Ha-Joon but decides to spare the manager when he begs for a second chance. Ha-Joon promises the Bishop he'll kill Do-Ki. Meanwhile, Sung-Chul receives a call from another client. Do-Ki goes out to pick up the client, who is none other than Bishop.

[illuminatedquill]

Extracurricular, An Analysis

Oh Ji-soo and Bae Gyu-ri

“Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won’t adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is sign on as it’s accomplice.”  - Tom Robbins 

You know the story. You’ve heard it before, right? 

Boy meets girl. 

Girl finds out that boy is running a side protection business for prostitutes. 

Girl decides to blackmail boy into letting her join his business. 

Classic high school criminal shenanigans ensue leading them into more dangerous situations where they are forced to make desperate decisions to stay alive. 

Oh, and they fall in love along the way. 

Oh? You haven’t heard this one before? Then let me introduce you to this delightful kdrama called Extracurricular. 

I watched this one while waiting for the newest Hometown Cha Cha Cha episodes to drop and ended up binging the whole series in two days. There are many remarkable parts of this series: it’s a crime drama, first and foremost, that showcases high school teenagers caught in a cycle of violence and crime, abandoned by the society and adults that are supposed to be protecting them. There are no clear good guys and bad guys in this drama; everyone is cast in shades of grey. Our main leads, Oh Ji-soo and Bae Gyu-ri, run the prostitution business, and are both from broken family backgrounds. Their actions are morally questionable at best, but the top tier performances from Kim Dong Hee (you might remember him from Itaewon Class) and Park Ju Hyun make you cheer for them anyway. You want them to have a happy ending, despite the horrible things they do. The audience is always reminded that despite how clever they are in staying ahead, their actions have consequences, and they’re just high school kids. The drama never pulls it punches. 

But, weirdly enough, it’s also a love story. And that’s the part the really sticks with me until now. (The chemistry between the main leads is absolute dynamite and I could watch ten episodes of them just verbally sparring with each other. They don’t even kiss. They’re that fantastic when together on screen.)

I’m writing this because this is undoubtedly one of my all time favorite kdramas and I have a lot of feelings about our main pairing, Ji-soo and Gyu-ri. I can’t call them a couple (wait, didn’t I just say they fall in love) because their relationship can’t be labelled simply as that. Think of it as something similar to the main leads in My Ahjussi. Two people who should have become soulmates, yet met at the wrong time. 

This kdrama is not particularly happy, and while I do encourage people to watch this, I am warning that the subject matter is extremely dark. If you’re sensitive to scenes depicting sexual assault, graphic violence, or anything in that zip code you’ll want to steer clear. 

Also, I’ll be diving into spoiler territory in this analysis. So if you want to go in clean, then stop reading here. 

Still here? Awesome. Let’s dive deep into the messy, amazing pairing that is Oh Ji-soo and Bae Gyu-ri. First, let’s do a brief character background on our two main leads, starting with Ji-soo. 

Oh Ji-soo is one half of our main pairing and this story starts with him. He lives by himself and has been essentially abandoned by his only parents; his father is a failed businessman who gambles whatever money he acquires on scams and his mother ran away. His apartment is small, sparse, but functional. He owns only a few outfits aside from his school uniform. The only unique item he owns is a pet hermit crab that he takes care of. His life outside of school is non-existent; he has no friends, no one to hang out with and do typical high school teenager activities with. He takes care of himself and lives only for himself and his “dream”: to graduate, attend college, get married, and have kids like a normal person. 

But to do that, he needs a large amount of money. He has no other financial means to do so (his father is largely absent, as is his mother), so he decides, at some point, to start up this protection business for prostitutes. The drama doesn’t go into detail about the how and why he came to this conclusion that this was the best way to make a lot of money in a short amount of time, so you’ll have to suspend your disbelief from the get go. Considering the themes of the story (how youths abandoned by society tend to act out in extreme ways to make it in this world), it’s not hard to believe his desperation would drive him to make such a decision. 

Ji-soo, despite his shady business, is actually a decent person. There’s a streak of humanity that exists inside him that refuses to go out, despite the increasingly dark and bleak events that start to overtake his life. He’s attached to his hermit crab, cares for his “employees” outside of them being tools to make him money, and doesn’t want to see anyone get hurt. He goes above and beyond what’s required to help out people at the risk of his own life (in particular, Gyu-ri, and we’ll get into that shortly). 

What we learn from the first few episodes is that Oh Ji-soo is extremely smart and methodical in how he approaches his life. At school, he is known as a model student - quiet, top of the class in terms of grades, doesn’t draw any attention to himself, always follows along with what the teachers ask of him. Only his homeroom teacher, Mr. Cho, seems to consider his quiet style of existence to be concerning and tries to make him less socially awkward by pairing him up with another student in a new extracurricular club. This leads to the introduction of Bae Gyu-ri, Ji-soo’s longtime crush and future partner-in-crime. 

Meet Bae Gyu-ri, the other half of our dynamic duo. Her introduction into the story kickstarts the entire plot, as one of her earliest actions leads to a domino effect that spells increasing doom and tragedy for our main leads. She messes with Ji-soo’s operation at a critical moment and she spends the rest of the drama doing her best to make up for the consequences that follow. 

In my personal opinion, she is probably the best main female lead I’ve ever seen in a kdrama. Hands down, no other character exists (currently) that rivals her sheer cunning, wit, and badassery. Gyu-ri is Crazy, capital C, and is the chaos to Ji-soo’s control; the fire to his ice. Despite being the direct cause of half the events that happen to Ji-soo in the drama, he can’t help but need her because of what she offers. They make an incredible team. Her competitiveness, her need to win no matter the odds, helps them survive time and time again. 

Gyu-ri is from the opposite end of the spectrum of Ji-soo; he’s dirt poor and she’s insanely rich (always nice to see a reversal of typical kdrama tropes). Her mother and father run a successful entertainment company. Gyu-ri is popular at school, friends with seemingly everybody, pretty, cheerful and gets along well with her teachers. Ji-soo, and the audience, believe from the beginning that she has the perfect life. It’s not hard to believe that she’s just involving herself in Ji-soo’s business because she’s bored and needs an outlet, at first. 

We soon learn otherwise. Gyu-ri has more in common with Ji-soo than he initially realizes, in that they’re both trapped in circumstances beyond their control - it’s just that Gyu-ri’s cage is gilded, whereas his is not. Her parents are strict and have her life planned out for her, all without her consent or input, leaving her feeling frustrated and powerless despite her rich lifestyle. A suicide attempt hasn’t done much to change her parents attitude towards her, only serving to further their control over her life. 

So, when she learns of Ji-soo’s operation she immediately seeks to angle her way into it. First, she tries to rip him off, believing that he’s an evil “pimp” and thus deserves it. But after spending some time with him, she changes her mind last second and decides to help him out instead. 

And, now, let’s get into their relationship, which is one of the best (if not the best) aspect in the entire series. 

I need to be upfront about something: the relationship between Ji-soo and Gyu-ri is not exactly healthy. I wouldn’t describe it as toxic - the circumstances surrounding them aren’t exactly the best environment to encourage open and honest communication - but it’s definitely not what should be considered ideal, especially for young adults, and especially for young adults who are dabbling in crime instead of studying. 

So, why do I love them so much? If you’ve read some of my previous posts, you know that I loathe toxic relationships in kdramas, so I understand if you think I’m coming off as hypocritical here. Why do I like Oh Ji-soo and Bae Gyu-ri when I didn’t like, for example from recent history, (oh boy, here I go again on my Nevertheless BS) Park Jae-eon and Yu Na-bi?

First, Ji-soo and Gyu-ri are way cooler than Jae-eon and Na-bi ever could be. They run a criminal enterprise that involves having a high amount of intelligence, cunning, and daring to do so. Do Jae-eon and Na-bi run a criminal enterprise as a side business? No, they don’t, because they’re boring art students. 

Secondly, Ji-soo and Gyu-ri actually progress in their relationship and change their views as they learn from each other. Now, granted, that progress isn’t towards becoming better versions of each other - quite the opposite. But at least they have progress. Jae-eon and Na-bi stayed in the same stupid cycle for the whole series and then decided that it was better staying that way as opposed to trying for something else. 

Last, but certainly not least, Ji-soo and Gyu-ri are actually interesting to watch for me. The chemistry between Park Ju Hyun and Kim Dong Hee is explosive and they way they spar, exchange looks, and just generally exist around each other on screen is something I can watch forever. I’ve said this before but Han So Hee and Song Kang’s on screen chemistry, outside of their intimate scenes, really didn’t impress me. 

Okay, back to Extracurricular. This relationship, man. It’s all I can think about (other than HomeCha’s Du-sik and Hye-jin, but that’s another post). Ji-soo and Gyu-ri are so good together. 

I’ve noted before that Ji-soo is methodical in how he approaches his life; he plans out everything ahead, and rigs any situation as much as he can in his favor. It’s brilliant, but when a crisis happens, he doesn’t know how to deal with it effectively. He panics and flounders; becomes indecisive at a time when clear, decisive action is required. 

Enter Gyu-ri. She quickly becomes the partner he never knew he needed. When there’s a situation, she becomes invaluable in her quick thinking and wit, coming up with solutions on the fly. It’s not perfect, but it keeps them just one small step ahead of whatever is coming their way. 

The only thing preventing them from becoming unstoppable is the lack of communication and trust they have with each other. A lot of that has to do with how Gyu-ri entered Ji-soo’s business - she blackmailed him first, and, when that failed, she strong armed her way into getting him to accept her help. It’s implied in the drama that Ji-soo has had a crush on Gyu-ri for a while (since ninth grade, I believe) and in the first episode he actually gets the chance to spend time with her outside of school on a sort of quasi-date. 

It goes sideways pretty quickly because of some shenanigans from his business, but not before she gets to know him and says some pretty touching words regarding his situation. Poor guy is head over heels - even after finding out that she’s the one blackmailing him, his feelings are only dampened, not extinguished. When he catches a glimpse of her family’s situation, he gains a deeper understanding of her and why she acts the way she does. Even more importantly, Ji-soo treats her the same after finding out this information which, to someone like Gyu-ri, means more than if he comforted her about it. 

If you want to see a physical representation of how he feels, other than paying attention to his actions, you can see it in him keeping mementos from Gyu-ri. She has an interesting habit of folding bags into origami shapes and giving it to him. Even after the blackmail reveal, you can see that he continues to keep these in a container on his desk. It’s really cute that he keeps these, when it probably doesn’t even matter that much to Gyu-ri. 

Towards the end of the drama, Ji-soo prepares to turn himself in to prevent Gyu-ri from being implicated in the crimes they committed. And it costs him almost everything to protect her. Ji-soo, the quiet, nerdy kid, puts himself on the line time and time again to protect Gyu-ri, knowing that it puts his life and his dream at risk to do so. And all for what? For some girl that he thinks doesn’t even like him in return? 

Well, let’s talk about that. Because I’ve seen some comments that Gyu-ri was only using Ji-soo for her own selfish gain. And I can agree that was how it was at the beginning for her; she definitely was only interested in acquiring money, like Ji-soo was, in order to achieve her own goal of being free from her parents. 

But, oh man, that is not what is motivating her at the end. 

It’s actually pointed out relatively early by some of her friends that it’s obvious that she likes Ji-soo more than he likes her. Understandably Ji-soo is keeping her at arms length from him given the whole recent blackmailing, so it would make sense that it looks that way. 

Further questioning reveals what she likes the most about him: 

“It’s not like I’m crazy about him. He’s fun. And amusing. He’s smart. And there’s a certain charm he has. He also has a wolfish side to him. But he thinks he’s a puppy.” 

- Bae Gyu-ri

But, as she gets to know Ji-soo better, you can certainly see that she starts to fall hard for him. As a cover story for why they hang out so much together during and after school, Gyu-ri states to everyone that they’re dating. The reactions across the school definitely imply that this is a shocking development, which means that Gyu-ri hasn’t dated anyone before. So why Ji-soo other than the reasons she herself states? 

He challenges her, just as she challenges him. Gyu-ri may be the more dynamic, quick thinking of the pair but Ji-soo is every inch her intellectual equal - just in different ways. She doesn’t seem to be the type to be easily impressed, but you can tell that she’s definitely impressed by Ji-soo’s operation and how thoroughly set up it is. When Ji-soo is frustrated at the beginning by his setbacks, he blows up at another student (knocks him out in a crazy punch) and immediately walks over to Gyu-ri afterwards (who saw the whole thing) to inform her that she is now his partner in crime. 

The look in her eyes, and the small smirk she has speaks volumes about her attraction to him in that scene. Smoldering. 

And, oh yes, she’s prone to jealousy. Another classmate, Min-hee, gives Ji-soo a present out of the blue (it was supposed to be for her boyfriend, Ki-tae, but that’s another sub-plot) - all within view of Gyu-ri. It’s hilarious how she tries to brush it off. Later, for plot reasons, Ji-soo has to spend more time with Min-hee which only furthers Gyu-ri’s annoyance. 

And her motivations stop being entirely about the money and more towards helping preserve the dream that she and Ji-soo share about being free. There’s a scene in episode 8 where it’s revealed that, due to a business partnership with a local gang (set up by none other than Gyu-ri herself in a desperate move), Ji-soo would have to drop out of school permanently to work on their behalf. Gyu-ri overhears this and, despite badly needing the gang’s help in sustaining their own business, immediately terminates the partnership. 

All because it would interfere with Ji-soo’s dream. 

Man, if that isn’t love. 

In the following episode, Gyu-ri, and later on Ji-soo, is kidnapped by the same gang in retaliation for terminating their partnership. Ji-soo comes to her rescue but Gyu-ri is already almost free (again, she’s really, really badass) and is demanding that they bring Ji-soo to her instead of running for her life. 

Surviving this latest attempt puts the two in a reflective, vulnerable mood and Gyu-ri asks Ji-soo why he keeps saving her. Ji-soo asks later on why she keeps risking her life to be with him. They don’t say the answer in words but in an almost kiss (yeah, you read that right - almost). 

And then, if you aren’t already convinced, Ji-soo crosses his one last remaining line in an effort to keep Gyu-ri safe; he accidentally pushes a fellow classmate down some steps and, instead of helping her, leaves her to die after grabbing the evidence she has on him and Gyu-ri. 

Extracurricular pulls off quite the magic trick here, hiding this well done love story in the middle of a serious crime drama. 

The real tragedy is that Ji-soo thinks that Gyu-ri views this whole business, and by extension his life, as one big game. It’s something that she takes offense at, visibly becoming upset when he says that. 

But even if that were true, he should be assured since Gyu-ri doesn’t like to lose. 

As they hurtle towards the end and face up to the consequences of their actions, Ji-soo and Gyu-ri undoubtedly lose sight of their original goals and dreams. They do some fairly horrible things to stay alive and ahead of the police who are close on their trail. You can’t really blame them for doing what they did; in the face of a society that has abandoned them, what they’re doing is a logical outcome to gain what they want so desperately and deserve so much: the chance to be free to live like normal, care-free people. 

I can’t say for certain that they achieve that. The drama is serious in consequences and, at the end, the net around them is drawing tighter and tighter. I won’t spoil the ending scene for you, because I highly encourage you watch this drama yourself but I will say this: Ji-soo and Gyu-ri seem stuck in an impossible situation with nowhere to go, and no one to help them, with a clock ticking down towards either death or discovery by the police. 

But, all the same, I’m always the optimist. They’ve gotten through situations like this before and they can certainly do so again. Maybe not as bad as this one, but not too far out of their league. And, like I mentioned before, Gyu-ri doesn’t like to lose. Especially when it comes to Ji-soo. 

Their relationship is truly dangerous, as Ji-soo himself notes. Them being together is the source of their problems; they’re too much alike now, as opposed to the beginning of the drama where he stated that they’re too different. Their love is the kind of love where both of them are willing to burn the whole world down if it means keeping each other safe. 

I’m a real sucker for those kind of love stories. No one’s a hero here. They’re just kids in high school, doing the best with what they know. 

Who are we to judge what is right and wrong? Especially when the one committing the acts are high school kids who don’t know any better and just want to save each other? 

Do we have that right? 

Do they really deserve that punishment? Shouldn’t we be pointing fingers at the society that forced them to act this way? 

Extracurricular really makes you think about that. Is it really so outlandish and terrible what Ji-soo and Gyu-ri do to survive when the adults who are supposed to be protecting them, teaching them better, have failed in their duty? 

Maybe they really did win at the end. Not so much in succeeding in their goals but in gaining something that not even regular people are likely to find - a partner, a soulmate, someone who will stand by you no matter what. 

If you do watch the ending, and are not an optimist like I am, then all I can say is this: whatever happened, they were together at the end. 

They were together. 

[offbeatcappuccino]

Do You Like Brahms? Final Review (Spoilers!)

Cast: Kim Min Jae, Park Eun Bin, Park Ji Hyun, Kim Seong Chul

Streaming Platform: KOCOWA TV

Year: 2020

Rating : 8.9/10 

Synopsis:

Do You Like Brahms? is a drama set against the backdrop of the field of classical music in Korea. The story revolves around two protagonists Park Joon Young (Kim Min Jae) , a talented piano prodigy, who’s won numerous accolades at various global piano competitions, and Chae Song Ah ( Park Eun Bin) , a business major who decided to repeat four years of undergrad to major in violin. Their stories intersect when Joon Young decides to return to Korea for a sabbatical after his successful North American tour and Song Ah chooses to take an internship at the Kyunghoo Cultural Foundation, the same foundation which offered its first scholarship to Joon Young to help support his musical studies. The growing relationship between the two characters and the conflicts that they face with their friends and families as they struggle to succeed professionally, but also personally forms the crux of the plot.

The title of the drama Do You Like Brahms? has a lot of significance to the actual plot of the show. Johannes Brahms was an accomplished German composer and the most famous story about this personal life is his unwavering love for Clara Schuman, the wife of another famous composer, Robert Schuman. The title is significant in the drama because Brahms is the only composer that Joon Young outright refuses to play, but also because both Joon Young’s life and to a certain extent Song Ah’s as well parallel Brahms’ own life.

Pros:

Realistic & Healthy Relationships: Almost all the romantic relationships that I’ve seen in all the dramas I watched this year all had some sort of  “fate” element that brought them together. For instance, in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, Ko Mun Yeong and Moon Gang Tae were acquainted with each other as children, but then drifted apart after Ko Mun Yeong practically spooked the living daylight out of Gang Tae. However, In Do You Like Brahms, both Park Joon Young and Chae Song Ah meet by random chance and its really heartwarming to see their relationships progress in the same way that it does for many people. They start out as acquaintances at work, who quickly become friends, before committing to a serious relationship towards the later half of the series. Seeing them at all three stages is truly heartwarming and comforting, especially due to the strong chemistry shared between the two leads. 

Unlike other characters in other k-dramas, Joon Young and Song Ah aren’t dramatic in the way they show their affection to each other. We don’t have some crazy scene where one saves the other’s life or even the typical k-drama piggyback scene that happens whenever the female lead gets too drunk. Rather, we see scenes where affection is conveyed by the way that Joon Young asks Song Ah if she’s done with class, or whether they want to grab dinner together. It’s the way that the very shy and timid Song Ah feels comfortable enough to pull Joon Young’s strings from time to time, or how she gifts Joon Young an umbrella because he doesn’t own one. Similarily, Joon Young shows how much he cares about Song Ah in the way that he uses the beige  handkerchief hat she gave him to clean his piano or how his usual sad face lights up every single time he sees Song Ah’s smile. 

Another aspect of Joon Young and Song Ah’s relationship that I truly admire is how good these two are at active listening. Even during their most explosive arguments, they never try to cut each other off and make a genuine attempt at listening to each other. When one of them is having a rough day, there isn’t this desperate attempt by the other to offer useless advice. Instead, they just let the other just vent as much as they want, while they’re sipping on another cup of tea. Even when things are rough, they constantly respect each other’s boundaries. However, the show also acknowledges that their relationship is not perfect by any means and its nice to see them work through their problems. Overall, it’s really nice to see a k-drama that doesn’t glorify toxic relationships.

Realistic and Nuanced Acting : A common problem that arises when you’re doing any type of drama based on playing an instrument is that very often a show will show an instrument being played the wrong way, or will rely on professional musicians as body doubles to play the instrument. As someone who played violin from the ages of 11-17, I can confirm that this drama does such a good job highlighting all the nuances that come with playing the violin, whether it be tuning your instrument , your string breaking, or even rubbing rosin against your bow, and even the sentiment surrounding being last chair in orchestra was really nice to see because you know the show writers really did their research when they decided to write the script for the drama. Also, major shout out to Park Eun Bin for her vibrato technique and I guess it helps that she played violin at the college level. Same goes for Kim Min Jae, who also knows how to play piano. Fun fact about the show is that many of the pieces played by the characters in the show were actually played by the actors themselves and they spent a considerable amount of time brushing up on their skills to play some pretty complicated pieces. 

Cons:

Conflict: It doesn’t take long for viewers of the show to figure out that there are some serious obstacles in Joon Young and Song Ah’s relationship with one of them being Joon Young’s inability to prioritize and move on from his past. This is an issue that somewhat works itself out in this drama, but I think the other more serious issue for this couple was the very apparent disparity these two had in their professional lives.

 One issue in this relationship was how insecure Song Ah felt because she was not an accomplished musician like Joon Young and was being constantly berated by those around her that she simply was not good enough to be Joon Young’s girlfriend. One of the major scenes in this show was Song Ah’s advisor straight up telling her that she would be a “good wife” to Joon Young by taking care of him before his performances and by doing so, completely invalidating Song Ah’s own professional dreams of becoming a violinist and her own journey in music. While Song Ah does ultimately quit the violin for valid reasons and ventures into the world of music management and event planning, it was somewhat disheartening to see that Song Ah really does end up doing exactly what her professor said she would and it was also disappointing that Song Ah and Joon Young did not ever really have a sincere discussion about this issue, especially considering the toll that it was taking on Song Ah’s life. 

This brings me to one of the biggest cons of the show, which is that both Song Ah and Joon Young have serious issues in their life outside of their relationship, which they never confront individually or discuss with each other. In addition, the way the show is written, there is no room for resolution of these issues and we’re left with an ending that is sweet and romantic, but also feels like the show was wrapped up way too quickly. 

Lee Jung Kyung: Most complaints about second leads on k-dramas is that they do not get a proper storyline and many viewers are left wanting more scenes of the second leads. The problem with this show is the exact opposite, which is that the second lead in this show has absolutely way too much screen time. Lee Jung Kyung is a poorly written character, who at many times comes off as whiny, self-absorbed, and irrational in her newfound infatuation with Joon Young. I understand that she’s supposed to be a source of conflict for the main couple, but so much of the plot was devoted to Lee Jung Kyung, when the writers could have been investing that time on Song Ah’s and Joon Young’s character development and conflict resolution. 

[taliel-strykidz]

WGM ep 2 ish?

That one time that Huannie saved someones life {I know this wouldn’t happen in real life but I got inspo from the Good Doctor.} 

Being late to events was not something Huannie took great pride in, she had barely slept as it was and was somehow late for filming. 

She had to arrive at SM entertainment within 20 minutes and her new home was on the other side of town, 40 minutes at least given the traffic warning. 

“Yah, why are you panicking Huan?” Jinyoung spoke up from behind her in the bathroom, sporting an agitating amused smirk. 

“I have to film an interview in like 20 minutes.” She yelled, scrambling to their room to find her heels. She couldn’t find them so she opted for some random trainers she found and grasped the folder in her hands and sprinted for the front door, dodging camera men left right an centre. 

“Yah, eat first Jagi, what are you going to do run there?” He stopped her to shove a bun in her mouth and grabbed his own coat, attempting not to allow her to make a fool of herself. 

“I’ll make it.” She began to argue already out of the door, ignoring the camera men who complained about having to run or walk there. Jinyoung followed after her only to stop dead in his tracks to remember to lock the door. 

The two ran side by side to the bus station hoping to possibly catch a bus instead of having to run there, not for their sake but for their camera men and Jae-Geun’s sake. Since the company hadn’t brought Huannie’s car to the new house this was their best option. 

So they sat in the bus terminal, Huannie wedged in between the men, watching a little girl dance around to Twice playing from her mothers phone.  The camera man who was unfortunately already sweating, suggested Huannie sing along with the girl to make a little bit of entertainment for everyone. People gathered to watch the duo, as Jinyoung filmed it on his phone for future reasons. 

On the plastic chair of the bus terminal was the girls mother, clapping her hands lethargically along to the girl dancing, the man next to her holding her shoulders tightly. Huannie observed her a little bit longer than the man had liked, she noticed that the woman was indeed pregnant- probably near her due date. But the minor detail that one wouldn’t notice unless you were actively looking for it: The woman had an unhealthy look to her skin complexion along side the nervous beads of sweat you could see on her forehead. Huannie tensed up as she followed the woman’s left arm to see that her hand was holding her neck, tighter than usual. 

{Cut to a scene where she gets asked about how she noticed something was wrong.} 

“You could tell he was a drinker, and I assumed that was the reason she leaned away from him at first. From the outside it would look like a perfect marriage, yet the woman had bruises on her arm that couldn’t have been from wacking it wrong. 

Huannie watched almost in slow motion as the woman’s body got tired of holding up her hands and the wound on her neck was evident for everyone to see, Huannie nudged Jinyoung to look after the little girl as she started towards the couple. The man looked tense as he started the gather that Huannie knew what he was up to, and swiped his arm one more time across her neck and the woman crumbled. 

“Geun!” Huannie screamed to catch the woman in the process of falling, so her manager/body guard could quickly grab a hold of the man. Huannie had thought she was thinking too much into things, she’d never expected him to lash out in public let alone in front of the cameras. The little girl who was innocent enough to see why Huannie had ran towards her mother had begun screaming, it took everyone in the station to know what was going on. The passerby’s no longer clapping along to the beat. 

“Jinyoung don’t let her over here!” She yelled putting compression on the wound, it was as if Huannie kicked started into action, taking off her jacket to put on the woman’s neck. Huannie frantically searched around her for objects that would help. “Doe’s anyone have a clean piece of fabric?” 

She shouted around her searching for someone with a suitable piece of fabric that she could use. Her eyes searched only to find an older lady with a silk scarf tied to her wrist. Soon a man with a big back came running over and crouched directly behind her. 

“Okay, she’s got  a laceration on her neck, is she hurt anywhere else?” The man began asking Huannie. “I’m a doctor.” As they both did thorough check around her body, Huannie trailed her hands down the side of her stomach and gasped. 

“Ajumma, you’re scarf I need it.” She held her right hand out that wasn’t in compression and held it out for the scarf and handing it to the doctor. “She’s dilated.” 

She turned her attention away from the scene to find Jinyoung who was trying to coax the little girl into the convenience store. 

“You’re killing her sir.” She turned her attention back to see the doctor press the scarf on the woman base of her neck. She began scanning the woman’s body as the doctor glared at her continuing his method. 

“I think I remember my seven years of residential thank you.” 

“You would be correct if she was a normal healthy woman, considering she’s dilated and ready to give birth, you’re pushing on her trachea, therefore in short terms you’re killing her sir.” It was almost as if all the questions started to link together, Huannie guided his hands 27 degrees downward. Low and behold the woman began breathing again. 

“Jagi! Bring her over here please.” She called over to Jinyoung who still hadn’t been able to coax the girl into the store, meanwhile the doctor had begun measuring how dilated the woman was. 

“Hi sweetie- Can you tell me your Eomma’s name?” Huannie asked keeping her hands out of sight of the young girl, calmly turning the girls head away from the her mother on the floor. 

“Lee Hye-jin.” 

“Ne, when’s your little sibling due sweetie?” 

“Eomma said he’s coming in four weeks.” 

“Okay, can you be brave for you Eomma and go with Samjon?” The little girl sniffled and Huannie nodded reassuringly pushing her away gently for Jinyoung to take her away. She gave the girl a kiss on her forehead and nodded for Jinyoung to take her. 

“Hey lady! She’s going into labour.” The doctor called for her attention and she went running. 

“Okay Hye-Jin, my names Ai-Huan we’re going to help you okay?” She rehearsed calmly sending a look to the doctor, who discreetly began to nod to the womans jeans. They were pooled with blood. 

“I can’t have him yet- not here, he’ll kill us.” She began to panic even more after she turned her head slightly to see Geun trying to find the man after a fist fight. 

“We need to move her, now.” The doctor announced and Huannie huffed in irritation looking for an enclosed space, preferably somewhere they could lock. 

“Jagi!” Jinyoung yelled and motioned over to the store, Huannie almost smacked herself for not knowing. 

“Okay Hye-Jin-ah, I need you to co-operate. We need to move you into the store, but I need you to keep breathing slowly.” 

“Ready sir?” 

“Go!” 

They manage to move her into the store and rapidly locked the door, ordering the shop keeper to lock any other doors that could be accessed from the outside. 

“Hye-Jin, I know this is hard for you right now, but you and your daughter are safe we can’t prolong this any longer.” 

“I can’t he’ll-” 

“Listen to me, there’s a strapping handsome bodyguard out there preventing him from doing so, the proteins from your placenta are poisoning your bloodstream. In any moment you could have an eclamptic seizure that could kill you and your son.” The doctor cut her off bluntly, to which Huannie moved Hye-Jin’s face to look at her instead. 

“In nicer terms, we have no choice.” Huannie didn’t wait for an answer as she used the scissors to cut through the woman’s jeans. 

“Ai-Huan just save my baby.” The woman cried and Huannie just set a hard look on her face and nodded to the man next to her, who took it as an okay to go ahead. 

“What’s your name honey?” Huannie motioned for the girl to come over, “Jinyoung go call an ambulance and tell them that they need to arrest a man in a navy blue cap.” 

“Lee Choi I’m-”

“Okay Choi sweetheart can you help me and press this as tight as you can.” Choi smiled brightly and eagerly moved to Huannie’s side and did exactly what she said. 

“Okay Hye-Jin we need to start pushing.” 

It took two hours for the newborn boy to arrive, it seemed everything was okay but the only sounds in the store was the laboured breathing of Hye-Jin. 

“Huannie-ssi he’s supposed to cry! Why isn’t he crying?” The mother began to panic as the Idol began to gently slap the baby’s bottom, with no luck the boy still did not cry. 

“Sir have you got a manual air pump?” 

After five minutes of wishful pumps with the air pump the boy started screeching and Huannie almost passed out from relief, she handed the little boy to his mother and returned to the comforting arms of Jinyoung smiling sweetly down at the scene before her. 

“Huannie-ssi.” The woman called as Huannie and the doctor was exchanging their thanks to the other. 

“Ne?” 

“Have you got a name in mind? You saved us both-” 

“Jong-hyun, please name him Jong-hyun.”  Huannie answered with a soft smile on her face as she watched the baby boy settle in Hye-Jin’s arms. Jinyoung glanced at her wide eyed at the answer. Chang Ai-Huan hadn’t spoke about her fallen friend for two years, he wondered if this was a step to healing for her.  “And Hye-Jin-ah?” 

“Ne?” 

“I’ll leave my number with the paramedics, call whenever you need help, oh and I want daily updates.” 

And with that the couple left with happy smiles on their faces. She hoped Jonghyun was proud of her today, that she saved the little boy since she couldn’t save him in time. It was an amazing feeling that she left with. After two years she finally came to peace with what happened on the 18th of December. 

[dailyyooniex2]

YOON SI YOON – GRAZIA JUNE 2016 INTERVIEW

Almost two years without him gracing our screens, Yoon Si-yoon has been making multiple strides right after completing his mandatory army service: he is currently starring in jtbc’s Mirror of the Witch and joining 2 Days 1 Night as the latest addition to the fixed cast after Kim Joo-hyuk’s departure from the variety. As his fan, I can say that my weekend has been blessed with his appearance on my screen from Friday to Sunday. He donned colourful (and sometimes questionable) clothes for Grazia and the interview has been released. Enjoy!

Four months after his discharge from army service, actor Yoon Si-yoon is still as bright and dazzling as ever. Between his ambition to show his real self like a blowing wind in 2 Days 1 Nightthrough his Yoon Dong-gu persona and his character Heo Joon in the drama Mirror of the Witch, both images of him faintly resemble the person Yoon Si-yoon.

It has been almost 3 years since the last time we met.

Have we met before this? I am so sorry. It seems that I have lost some of my memories when I went into army…since I underwent CBR training thrice there…Hahaha.

What is the best thing to you after becoming a normal citizen again post-army?

Of course it’s being able to do my job. There are different sources of worries. The job is as tiring and as worrisome as always, but the most important thing is I get to achieve my dream. I am willing to worry about and make an effort for it. I am happy although I have to worry about the work, because I am doing something that I want.

Is that the reason why Dong-gu in 2 Days 1 Night always seems happy?

When I did my first variety program with Barefoot Friends, I thought that since I was going into varieties, I should give my best. But for 2 Days 1 Night, the thought of showing my true self grew bigger. It doesn’t matter if I’m being cursed at or being praised; I want to show the thorough Yoon Si-yoon-like image and colour. Dong-gu is my real self.

People normally show the image of themselves that others want to see.

That has something to do with self-confidence. Actually, in the past, after being accepted by so many people all of a sudden, I was afraid to show my natural self. Thus, I hid it. But then, an actor should be truthful about himself and able to express himself clearly to all kinds of people.

Why did you have that kind of thought all of a sudden?

While I was doing my service, when I thought of my 4 years of being active in the industry, I realized one thing. There are many images of me inside myself and if I can’t express any of them, will I be able to portray different characters in my line of work? I thought that the first duty as an actor and a celebrity is to be able to show both acting and image which are like myself to public. Hence, the reason I chose my comeback project was because it was most Yoon Si-yoon-like. Not because it is a cool role but because the role is closest to my true self. And the project is Mirror of the Witch.

Then why did you choose 2 Days 1 Night?

It is my first attempt and a courageous trial to show the closest image to my true self as a celebrity. Although it’s not something every actor need, for me, I was afraid of showing my true self to the public. I went into Marines because I was afraid of water, and I chose 2 Days 1 Night because I was afraid to show my innermost self to the public.

There are many comments saying that Dong-gu is too unrealistic.

Although it’s endless positive image for now, later it will slowly evolve into an irritated image too. That one was slightly visible during the ping-pong game. I was just showing the exact image and thoughts I had at that time. Of course, when my whole image as a person is shown clearly, there will be times when I will be cursed at. But it’s okay, because it’s something I want to do.

How was the first filming? Didn’t you find it awkward trying to blend in with the other members who were already familiar with each other?

Maybe it was because of my lacking variety skills that I didn’t find it awkward. Because I was not in charge of being funny.

Do you read a lot of books in real life too?

Rather than activities which exert energy, I prefer activities which involve thinking, like reading books and traveling. But I don’t really like studying. My academic performance is actually lower than my reading amount (laughs).

Studying and reading aren’t that different, right?

(Cha) Tae-hyun hyung always says that if the cast are to be judged from their reading habit, they would be seen as people who come from ordinary colleges. But he was actually my college senior (laughs). It’s just that I enjoy reading.

What do you usually think of?

To put it simply, everything. I thoughtlessly write down things which suddenly came into my mind or those staying on my mind. I feel happy and at ease just from looking at them, even when they are just doodles. I like the feeling when I can organize my thoughts in an orderly manner. The notes and doodles aren’t really for somebody to read anyway.

You will go on to publish a book at this rate.

Eyyyy~ that’s not something that can be done by just anyone (laughs). I prefer to separate my hobby and resting time. I think of everything opposite of the thorough day as my resting time. For instance, as someone who can’t stop thinking when talking with someone, ‘rest’ is when I don’t do thorough thinking at all. That is why I also enjoy playing video games. I also went for a fishing trip with (Jung) Joon-young.

That is an upright life of a young man.

Joon-young said that it’s a nerdy life for nerds. But I want to add something to that. Voluntary nerd. I like that actually. You must have read a book recently. What kind of book it was?

I read The Taebaek Mountains recently. Although the last book I read was actually The True Story of Ah Q, The Taebaek Mountains came to my mind when I thought of a book I have finished. I bought it at a secondhand bookstore to read it again.

Does your schedule draw you apart from your books?

There are instances where I read books with similar characters I am portraying to get into the emotions of the characters. In order to match my acting with much younger (Kim) Sae-ron in Mirror of the Witch, The Stars by Alphonse Daudet came to my mind. Thus, I take the motif from it and apply it into my acting.

What kind of motif did you incorporate into your acting to be exact?

There is love which transcends all time: there is love that makes two people grow together; there is love that blooms from the most unfortunate encounters. And then there is this kind of love that is borderline friendship and love. Perhaps, that kind of love doesn’t necessarily require the two of them to look at the same place while holding hands. With that emotions, I feel that I can portray the character of Heo Joon.

But then, people would always think of Kim Takgu first when they see Yoon Si-yoon. What does Kim Taegu mean to you?

It’s like Yoon Si-yoon himself. Just like people thinking of Mirror of the Eastern Medicine when they think of Heo Joon.

Like a proper noun then?

Yeah. People would think of Apple when they think of Steve Jobs. It’s something to be thankful of to be able to show one proper role of himself in his entire life.

But that is not a good thing for an actor.

Normally, people would see a single image when looking at someone. I think of it as having actor Yoon Si-yoon expressing the colour of a person. Removing the image of Kim Takgu is a homework I am happy with. If I am able to show another image of me, that means that my own ability is getting better.

Now, it seems that you will be remembered as Dong-gu instead of Kim Takgu.

Right? Yoon Si-yoon is being pushed into a corner….

Still, Dong-gu seems to fit you more (laughs).

You’re right, isn’t it analog-like? That’s me. I’m serious but I love comedy. I think that it is not right not to mix art with truthful laughter. It will just come out as being unfriendly. That is why I watch difficult movies, no matter how bad it is for me. If I am going to show the reality and convey it to the audience, they must be mixed properly with comedy.

Do you apply this too when you are choosing your projects?

Of course. All the projects I have done all this while have their own good messages to be conveyed through the story. That is also the reason why I love watching Stephen Chow’s movies. Be it Stephen Chow or Takeshi Kitano’s movies, there is comedy mixed into the movies; but if the message in the story fails to be conveyed, a movie will become a mere slapstick, gag show. But the movies are kind. That is the image I want to portray.

There are times when you are being overshadowed by others’ less serious approach.

There were instances where I would stop and think: “Why is he so good at making jokes?” “Why is he so playful? “Why is he smirking while talking?” I would also look less serious when I did that. It is okay to see me as it is at that moment, because that is also when I put in my sincerity.

Do you mean becoming a fun but not too careless actor?

I’d like it if I can be someone who can make jokes and be a fun person. One day, I hope that I can share my thought and other things with other people but for now, I am not ready for it yet. That is also the same reason why I don’t write a book. Because I don’t want to mix laughter and comedy into it. It’s the same as having a ball hitting the beam instead of the goal, missing the real target.

Instead of Takgu or Dong-gu, when will we be able to meet another image of Yoon Si-yoon?

This is just my senseless and worthless philosophy. My points are still lacking. I look forward to and feel that it is possible for me to be able to carry the colour and mind of an actor, showing everything without any hesitation.

What kind of steps need to be taken in order for you to reach that phase?

“This role should be given to Yoon Si-yoon”, “As expected, it’s Yoon Si-yoon.” I will wait until I can hear these kinds of compliments. From one point to another, I will have to control my performance until it becomes a constant line and I believe that will be the moment for me to be someone who can act better. Maybe at that time, I will become another person with another image as a well-rounded actor. I still have a long way to go.

How far have you come so far?

Maybe around 40~50% at the moment? I want to rake in more realistic points. Thus, I am showing my whole self. I don’t really know how far my talent can go but I believe that I will be able to reach that goal eventually (laughs).

Before you knew it, you’re already passing 30 years old.

No~ I am only 29 this year. It will come out if you do a quick search on Naver (laughs).

Do you think you will change once you enter the 30s?

I think I will be the same. I think I should be the same. There might be regression in some parts. People still think of me as young because of my boyish image.

Right. Your boyish image is still going on strong.

It can be both advantage and disadvantage. However, a boy will become an adult and a man one day. For now, I am living as a boy until my growth into a man is complete. I want to focus a little bit more on my dreams and become more truthful in conveying my emotions at this moment. When a boy matures into a man as he lives, the public will eventually see him as a man. I can’t turn myself into a man just like that. I still think that it’s more fun living as a boy. Maybe it will be better to act like a man, with less talking and showing a splendid pose as one? To me, that is just like a comedy.

You are very clear when it comes to your wants.

Of course. I have my life planned according to its stage. Right now, it’s the stage of (gaining) experience. I’m experimenting by going on various dramas and varieties.

What is the next stage after experimenting with works?

I want to organize different images of mine, including those I portray through my works. Maybe I will show the image of educating people. That might come true when I reach mid-40s so I will work hard until then.

What will be the life of an actor to Yoon Si-yoon when you look back at this moment later on?

I always write this down when I give my signature: ‘I believe in the triumph of an honest man’. I want to live honestly without any dirty play. Honesty doesn’t necessarily mean good-natured. I want to live as somebody who can admit his wrong when he makes mistakes.

(source~)

💜💜💜💜💜

[ohn1m]

The Art of Being Mino

The South Korean hip-hop star wowed critics and fans alike with his solo album ‘XX’; but is he any closer to discovering who the ‘real’ Mino is?

Mino's journey is an ongoing one and 'XX' is a chapter that marks an artistic coming-of-age on this wild ride.

Understanding Song Minho is kind of like catching lightening in a bottle; impossible to do but the idea itself is so dazzling, you need to give it a shot anyway. Tall and blonde with bleached eyebrows and sharp features, Song–better known mononymously as Mino–cuts quite the intimidating figure. He’s intelligent, polite and forthcoming on every answer and there’s an elegance to him that’s instantly appealing. There’s one little thing that proves to be more charming than any of this, however, and it comes in the form of a little note he sends on email after the interview; “Thank you for your interest!” it reads cheerfully, accompanied by a smiley emoji. “I hope we do it again when Winner’s back!” It’s simple but sweet and suddenly there’s yet another dimension to the chic, fierce rapper we’re used to seeing onscreen.

Before sitting down with Rolling Stone India for a conversation in December, the 25-year old musician’s schedule through 2018 included the release and promotion of a full LP with his band Winner, a Japan tour, a more extensive Asia tour, a series of performances across his home country South Korea, starring roles in several variety shows and a feature on YG Entertainment labelmate and his senior Seungri’s viral hit track “Where R U From.” November was busiest for him with the release of his first solo LP XX, a 12-track feast of hip-hop, tradition, emotion and culture. December finally closed with yet another single with Winner and a series of year-end performances in Korea.

While a bit of a break is warranted after the whirlwind of activity, Mino confirms he has no plans to take it easy in 2019. “Winner will release a full album this year,” he reveals cheerfully. “I cannot talk about our plan in advance, but we are preparing a surprise gift with a great musician!” The four-member K-pop band are working on their upcoming third LP and have already begun their tour schedules in full force– they’re currently on a six-city run of the United States with stops in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and New York.

Over the past year Mino has embraced the avant-garde with ease, stepping away from his swag-heavy hip-hop image and slipping into a more elegant avatar.

As an artist, Mino is full of surprises with an evolution that’s been thrilling to map. He started his career as a rapper in South Korea’s vibrant underground hip-hop scene back in 2010 (when he was just 16) but success took a while to come along. He debuted briefly in 2011 with a group called BoM before its premature disbandment in 2013, and then finally signed with leading music label YG Entertainment as a trainee. In 2014 he got his big break after participating in TV channel Mnet’s reality-survival program Win: Who Is Next and ending up as a member of the winning Team A–which would go on to form Winner and debut that same year. He shot to fame quickly this time around, gaining attention as a solo artist after finishing as runner-up on the fourth season of South Korean hip-hop survival competition Show Me The Money in 2015. With several eyes on him, he wowed with a more bluesy, melancholic persona on Winner’s 2016 EP EXIT: E. That same year he and YG Entertainment labelmate Bobby announced a duo project titled MOBB, which showed off a completely different, swag-heavy, fun-loving attitude, but in that EP he included “Body,” a solo single that blended sex and passion with angst and regret. Winner’s discography as of late has been bright, tropical and electronic-pop and he’s able to adapt to it effortlessly as well. His career trajectory spells ‘chameleon’ and even in times of trial there’s a sense of chill around him, as though deep inside he knows everything’s going to work out.

Over the past year Mino has embraced a life of avant-garde with ease, stepping away from his swag-heavy hip-hop image and slipping into a more elegant avatar. He seems more comfortable and willing to express himself in ways outside of music. He’s always had fondness for art but now seems to revel in it, regularly posting images of artwork he’s created on Instagram, participating in media projects, exhibitions and editorials. Last year, he displayed some of his own artwork at an exhibit titled ‘Burning Planet.’ The pieces were a combination of installation art with media and performance art which explored the idea of burnouts, stress and humanity’s exhausting pace of birth, work, death. It’s morbid, futuristic and almost prophetical in its warnings about the pressure society puts on young people and quickly gained critical acclaim. Mino remains modest in the wake of all the praise, saying, “I do not know if I have had any talent when I was young, but I painted as a hobby since I was a kid. So I have become interested in art naturally. It was a very good opportunity to exhibit ‘Burning Planet’ with [eye wear brand and collaborator] Gentle Monster. It was a good time to learn and experience many things.”

It’s this artistic and emotional evolution which seems to have had the biggest hand in the creation of XX. “I wanted to give a tweak to my existing image, which I guess has been heavy with hip-hop and rap. I wanted to start afresh,” he stated at a press conference in November, according to a report by the Korea Herald. XX is an extension of his performance art–dramatic, creative with an ambiguous title to boot (he’s explained he wanted his listeners to have their own interpretations of it.)  The video for the lead single “Fiancé” features imagery around birds, dreams, fantastical landscapes and more. In addition to being involved in the entire concept, Mino also contributed to the set design–there’s a giant mural of a bluebird featured in the video which he painted himself. Several fans as well as popular YouTube channels like DKDKTV have attempted to decipher the meanings behind it and he’s thrilled to see all the various discussions. “It is one of the things I enjoy the most,” he says when I ask if he ever watches these theories. “Making parts that can be interpreted in various ways… I love watching them in various interpretations.” Could he tell us which theory got closest to deciphering his work? “I will never tell which one is correct or incorrect for more diverse guesses!” he teases.

“Fiancé” has also been appreciated for its unconventional combination of trot, a form of Korean folk music, and trap. To do this, the track samples Korean veteran singer Kim Taehee’s 1969 track “Soyanggang River Maiden” and blends it with bass-heavy, rolling trap and Mino’s drawling rap. “There was no intention to use ‘Soyanggang River Maiden’ from the beginning,” Mino says. “When the song was almost 80 percent complete, [YG Entertainment CEO and music producer] Yang Hyun Suk gave me an idea of putting a part of ‘Soyanggang River Maiden’ as a sample source, and it fit perfectly into the message and vibe of this song.” The haunting sample had younger fans enthralled and searching through YouTube to listen to the original track while applauding Mino for putting a limelight on Korean pop culture and history. Because in addition to the retro sound, the music video for “Fiancé” is a fever-dream blend inspired by the Korean Joseon dynasty and modern-day angst. In the clip the rapper wanders between fantasy and reality, dressed as an emperor as he searches the past, present and future for his one true love.

“I was getting to love myself, and everything [about that experience] is in this album.”

Is it possible that with younger artists like him using older genres like trot or paying homage to their history in music videos, it can help young listeners appreciate tradition a little bit more? Mino reveals that wasn’t really his intention at all. “In fact, I considered this song for older people than younger people,” he says, adding his plan was to erase misconceptions about hip-hop and ‘young’ music in the minds of older generations. “Even if the genre of hip-hop is popularized, it is still hard to catch up with higher age. So it seems like sampling of ‘Soyanggang River Maiden’ was a good plan for this song.” “Fiancé” has indeed added to the buzz around rappers defying expectations and stepping into traditional musical and visual territories. Hip-hop no longer has one definition and inspiration can come from anywhere. For Mino, the ideas for “Fiance” and XX came from several fragments of art. “I have so many things inspiring me, so I do not know which one to say first,” Mino says. “Among them, some works of  (Italian painter) Piero Fornasetti, various plants–especially blue roses– and the Japanese anime Devilman were in my mind. However, it’s my inner self that affected it the most. I stayed alone in the studio every time so I could be deeply involved in my work and I looked back upon myself.”

XX as a whole has been well-received thanks to its use of complex metaphors, puns and double meanings in its lyricism, but for Mino, making this record was about finding his true self. “I got down to work in earnest in the beginning of 2018 for this album,” he says. “It contains various songs ranging from a song written two-three years ago to a song written two weeks before the album came out.” The rapper has written and composed each and every track, taking a dive into his own psyche to unleash several different sides of himself. In a video teaser right before XX‘s release, Mino explained he’d made the album by “grating [his] soul into it” and the result is an LP that is diverse, clever, saucy and undoubtedly one of the best hip-hop albums of 2018. Lyrically, he tackles everything from waiting for a lost love (“Fiancé”) to calling out obsessive fans (“Agree”) and bold eroticism (“Hope”). He gets emotional on “Alarm” and “Her,” exploring heartbreak, his relationship with his fans and self discovery. “I was getting to love myself, and everything [about that experience] is in this album,” Mino tells me. “I got a lot of thoughts and experiences from it and I am so proud of the production process.”

It’s clear from the get-go that wordplay is key; in the vicious introductory track “Trigger,” Mino uses syllables in its Korean title to play on the curse word ‘shibal,’ blazing through verses of self-praise with swagger, while on “Rocket” he drops references to art, Korean mythology and more. It’s the realest taste of what he’s truly capable of and it surprises and delights in equal measure. The impressive roster of collaborators on the record include YG Entertainment’s biggest in-house producers Choice37 and Millennium, comedian and actor Yoo Byung-jae and up-and-coming vocalist Blue.D, among others. There was one artist, however, that Mino was particularly excited to work with. “It was all fun, but working with YDG was extremely impressive,” he says proudly of his collaboration with the Korean hip-hop veteran on “Bow Wow.” “It was one of my dreams from my childhood.”

Mino at a press event for ‘XX’ in November 2018.

With XX being his first massive solo effort, Mino confesses there were hurdles along the way that he hadn’t expected. “The toughest part was familiarity,” he says, adding, “When I listened to songs hundreds of times to make a song, I always got confused. That’s the hardest thing to me.” Working alone means more pressure and he says he finds it more peaceful when he’s working with the members of Winner– Hoony, Yoon and Jinu. “When I work alone… I get sensitive because I am dissatisfied with any result. When I work with Winner, it’s really a load off my mind. Each member has their own roles, and I think we fit in nicely with each other.”

Mino’s journey has been wild, difficult, rewarding and a little messy–we’ve covered a lot of it over the course of the interview, but it still feels like we’re scratching the surface. He seems to agree; there’s a lot more he wants to consume and learn and a lot more he wants to show all his fans, old and new. “I am always thankful to fans who have supported me from the beginning and everyone who has known me since yesterday,” he says. “I will try to put a little more of my own personality and style on next album, and I also want to challenge something that no one expected.” While the search for the ‘real’ Mino continues, XX is a chapter in his story that marks a significant turn; he’s found a balance between the sexy rapper we see with Winner, the exuberant hip-hop dudebro he turns into with MOBB and the expressive poet he is as a soloist. It might not be lightening in a bottle just yet, but it’s pretty damn close.

[enthralleddd0112]

[180307] So Jisub – Jo Insung – Doh Kyungsoo – Ryu Junyeol, the oppas that we are anticipating

(The actors that will be) Showcasing their transformations through appearances in films. So Jisub, Jo Insung, Doh Kyungsoo, Ryu Junyeol will be displaying their charms in upcoming projects.

On the 14th of this month, So Jisub will be acting in a melodrama after a long while through the film <Be With You> on White Day (Korea’s Valentine’s Day). <Be With You> depicts the story Soo-ah (played by Son Yejin) who passed away but reappears in front of Woojin (played by So Jisub), without any memories.

Woo-jin is a widower that takes care of his son, Jiho, after the passing of his wife, Soo-ah. His character is one that’s committed to loving only one woman in his life, and is expected to stir the fantasies of many female movie-goers.

Expectations grows for the transformation of So Jisub as he had previously played masculine characters in <Battleship Island> (2017) and <A Company Man> (2012). He had said, “I had wanted to play in a romance movie. Woojin is a character that fits me well.”

Jo Insung will be appearing in 150-billion budget blockbuster film <Ansi Fortress>, which will be released in the second half of this year. This major work will depict the story of the Ansi Fortness battle, which is considered one of the biggest battles in the East Asian history.

Jo Insung will be leading the film as he plays Yang Manchun. Although Yang may be referred to as a traitor, he’s a character that defended Ansi Fortness till the end. He had an unbeatable charisma as a leader and protected the country with all his might. Playing a historical figure that’s marked a felt presence till this day, Jo Insung’s performance is highly anticipated.

Acknowledged in the film industry, ‘act-dol’ EXO member, Doh Kyungsoo will be leading the movie <Swing Kids>. Movie <Swing Kids> is set against the backdrop of ‘Geoje Refugee Shelter’ during the Korean War in 1951. The film depicts the story of a young North Korean soldier and Prisoner-of-War, Roh Kisoo (played by Doh Kyungsoo), who falls in love with tap dance alongside the other characters who each have their own stories and dreams, forming a tap dance group ‘Swing Kids’.

Coming to the audience as Roh Kisoo, Doh Kyungsoo will be tap dancing alongside the other members and will display his remarkable dancing ability as well as expressive emotional acting through dance. Despite his busy schedules as an idol, he exhibited strong passion for this project by shaving his hair for the film.

In particular, the anticipation also lies with the meeting and synergy between Doh Kyungsoo and Director Kang Hyeolcheol, who’s known to create stars through his previous works <Scandal Makers> (2008) and <Sunny> (2011).

Ryu Junyeol, who continues to be the most active ever since his appearance in tvN hit drama <Reply 1988> (2015) and therefore nicknamed as “So Junyeol”, will be appearing in two more movies besides the current released film <Little Forest>. Upcoming film <Money> tells a story of a young man who dreams of becoming rich. He becomes a stockbroker in Yeouido but soon finds himself caught up in a stock market scam.

Ryu Junyeol plays the role of Il-Hyun, a stock broker, a character who has fallen in love with money. Through a series of twists and turns in a fierce battle of the wits between the characters, he will be showing a different image as compared to his previous performances.

He will also participate in Director Lee Haeyoung’s new film <Drug War>. The film revolves around a police detective who attempts to capture the kingpin of the nation’s biggest drug organization, named Mr. Lee, by collaborating with a lowly member of the drug cartel (played by Ryu Junyeol). Having lost everything because of Mr Lee, Ryu works together the detective and is expected to put up an outstanding performance while chasing Mr Lee.

Cr: sporbiz (2018.03.07) Eng Trans: twitter @enthralleddd (for twitter @KyungsooTrans & IG @channel930112)

[thepapers]

GATM//2: Bloom

I cringe. #backatitagainwithattemptstowrite

A chapter of attempting to develop some character devices cause its needed. But I really just want to skip to the meaty bits already gah.

Here’s to a multichapter fanfiction attempt of my current fave ship.

Previous: 1-A Fateful Meeting

It seemed like plate upon plate upon plate of food being set onto the table was never going to stop coming. An older woman with short stature and a ready smile on her face adorned with a plaid, navy blue apron was humming as she walked back to the kitchen once again to retrieve another serving of food to put on to the dining table.

"Eyyyy, Eomma! This is too much! You're overworking yourself," Ji Chang Wook playfully protested as he hovered between the kitchen and the dining table, watching it slowly get filled up with numerous dishes and sides until the surface could almost not be seen. He was pleased to see his mother in her element but was also partially, genuinely concerned at the time-consuming and hard work his mother must have put in to make the feast being laid in front of him.

"My son that I miss so much has come back from the army! All the mothers of Korea would be do the same thing. This is normal," Chang Wook's mom called out to him from the kitchen. After scooping a ladle full of soup onto a big bowl, she cautiously exited the kitchen. Chang Wook hurried to his mother to help her set the bowl on the table.

"A mother's joy among many things, is to feed her child food that she's cooked. And I haven't been able to cook your meals in a long time! Consider this a favor for your mom that's been lonely cooking meals just for herself, ne?" Chang Wook smiled affectionately at his caring mother and gave her a hug.

"My mom, you worked hard. Thank you very, very much."

Hugging her son just a bit tighter, she felt herself tearing up at the thought of all the things that her son had to endure. Beyond the army, there were months that he would barely be in contact knowing full well he was giving his all to another project often to the neglect of his own health by not having proper meals and eating ramyun after ramyun instead. For what its worth, she wanted to show her son her love and support in as simple as preparing food for him to make him feel that she was always there for him. Though he may love his job,  she knew it must have been difficult to always keep people at a distance due to the nature of the industry he chose to be in.

Working to stop the tears from falling, she decided to take the conversation into a lighter tone by slyly remarking, "…if only my son can finally give me a daughter in law to help with the household and keep me company around the house…" At that statement, Ji Chang Wook briefly stiffened. "Didn't you have that girl you always went out with? What was her name…lemme think..I think it started with a J? J-J-"

"Ah, eomma! Now, now! I wouldn't want the food that you worked so hard on to get cold," Chang Wook hurriedly worked to change the topic at hand. He put on an exaggerated act of enthusiastically sitting down and putting on a face of awe at the feast in front of him.

She shook her head at her son and settled the topic to be brought up again for another day and sat down at the table.

In front of them was truly a feast that bring about awe. On the table laid home staples sides that ranged from a fluffy rolled egg to all kinds of seasoned vegetables (bean sprouts, spinach, radish, perilla leaves, kimchi) that were sure to renew one's health, cucumber pancake, hearty slices of bossam and a murky, meat filled soup at the center.

"Sundaeguk! Sundaeguk! Hwa~ I missed that the most!" Chang Wook beamed and already had a spoon at the ready to dig in. ------------------------------ Ji Chang Wook sighed contentedly while rubbing his stomach. Settled comfortably on the couch with the remote on one hand and the other on his stomach, the handsome actor looked every bit of a newly released and unemployed army man lazying around in mismatched house clothes  that he was rather than what one would expect from someone who is a fashion icon, a sponsor and face of products ranging from luxury brands to face masks that millions of people go crazy over.

"Ah, I'm so full…," Ji Chang absent mindedly murmured as his concentration was on the soccer game that was airing on TV.

After his early lunch with his mother and the clean up afterwards, she had insisted on him resting whilst she went out for errands though he had suggested accompanying her. Since then, a few hours have already gone by spent watching the replayed soccer tournaments and the usually active man was starting to feel restless.

Getting up from the couch to retrieve his phone in his room, he dialed his manager's phone to see if he was available to go for a motorcycle ride around the city later in the day along with some of their other friends.

The quiet beeps of the flash sounding from the camera could be occasionally heard cutting through the music sounding in the studio.

"Good! Ji hyun-sshi, just tilt your head to the right a little bit…neh, neh. And your hands…..good, good," the photographer took a photo as he crouched in the ground to take a photo of Nam Ji Hyun in a better angle. Taking a pause to review the photos taken on the computer screen, people from Ji Hyun's styling team took the opportunity to retouch her makeup and add further volume to her tousled hair with a hairspray and a comb in hand.

Nam Ji Hyun stood from her position on the floor for her stylist to better fix herself, the trail of her off white, chiffon dress fluttering behind her. Rearranging the relaxed waves of hair strategically on top of the flower crocheted V-neck lining of her dress, the actress exuded the perfect example of simple elegance and innocence as her outfit highlighted her youthfulness and delicate features. And yet when it was time to resume the photoshoot, the versatility of Nam Ji Hyun's gaze brought out by the photographer's directing showcased an allure that wouldn't be expected from a fledgling of a former child actress. Delivering looks ranging from one of coquettish curiosity to pained longing to hesitant desire with ease, young though she may be, it could not be refuted that she was still a seasoned professional with over 10 years of experience in the industry with the control she had over her expressions.

The photographer murmured in approval as he prompted Ji Hyun to make slight changes on her poses. "Just one more...And...we're done! Good work everyone! Good work, Jihyun-sshi!"

Jihyun bowed her head humbly to everyone around her saying, "Thank you everyone! You've worked hard. Thank you," before she approached the photographer to personally thank him.

"Thank you for your care and guidance, photographer-nim."

"Thank you too, Jihyu-sshi. The photoshoot today will be for sure be a success with the quality of shots you've allowed me to take. You are truly amazing. It's going to come out great."

"Ey, photographer-nim. Anieyo. I just tried my best. Thank you for acknowledging my effort," Jihyun bashfully and humbly responded to the photographer's compliments.

"It has been an honor to work with you, I hope I can take more of your pictures in the future and oh! Good luck on your movie," the photographer shook her hands and left to further review the shots that he took.

Meanwhile, Jihyun went to go change out of the sponsored dress for the photoshoot and go back home as her schedule was done for the day.

Rambunctious laughter filled the café as Ji Chang Wook and his friends entered the place with their helmets in hand. The barista standing at the wooden counter illuminated by the metal light fixture and the letters spelling out PEACE overhang against the wall, greeted the crowd with familiarity and set out to do their usual drink orders.

They collectively passed by to head to the stairs where there was a private seating area in the upper level for the owner and his friends to hang out as they wish. The retro coffee shop by day and bar by night, Carnaby St., was the regular hangout for the handsome actor, especially on days when he went out to for a ride on his motorcycle or vespa. The vibe of the shop was stylish, bright and yet approachable with its eclectically designed British memorabilia that makes one feel like they're at the heart of London.

Everyone was settled on to the wooden table placed amidst the string lights and hanging vines upstairs as the owner of Carnaby St. brought them their drinks. With the owner joining in, they updated each other on the going-ons of their life that had been busy lately and prevented them from getting together sooner. Their conversations were boisterous and filled with teasing and jokes especially to the expense of Ji Chang Wook as his release from the army was one of the main topics to talk about. A lot of his friends had already enlisted long before he did and knew from experience the difficulty of adjusting back into society once again and wanted to ease their friend back to the way of things. It made Ji Chang Wook really appreciate his friends as he saw their efforts and love the bond they all had despite being in different working industries.

Bringing himself out of his thoughts, he tuned into the conversation to hear about Gil Bok who worked as a camera director talking about the new movie he had been busy with to Chi Gu.

"Are you guys going? I'm sure the higher-ups expect you guys to come to the VIP Premiere since Chang Wook-ah is back and he's worked with the actors of the film before."

Chang Wook looked at Chi-Gu in inquiry.

"It's still a couple of months away so that's probably why the company hasn't confirmed with us about the scheduling quite yet," his manager responded.

"Ah okay," Ji Chang Wook said to Chi-Gu and then turned to his other side. "Hwa~ Gil Bok-hyung, this is rare for you to suddenly bring up work. That's strange."

"Yeah it is not typical of me but you guys have to watch it when it comes out! This old man's heart has been moved," Gil Bok jokingly patted his chest with a mockingly teary eyed expression, his mouth skewed in a comical manner.

The actor and his manager laughingly jeered at Gil Bok's antics.

"Oh, are you guys talking about Jihyun-ah's new movie?" Choi Tae Joon interjected into their conversation. "She was telling me about it when I happen to meet her in a café with Khun (his cat)."

"That's right. Yah~…Nam Ji Hyun-sshi," the camera director shook his head. "It's amazing. She is completely different in this one," thinking of how the young actress's role in her new film was a complete and utter departure from her roles in the past. "The set would get goosebumps in some of her scenes."

"Jihyun-ah?" Ji Chang Wook tilted his head in thought.  "I didn’t think she'd be doing another project yet. We lost contact after my first year in the army but I remember she told me she was taking a break to finish school."

Tae Joon shrugged. "I didn’t get a chance to ask her but we're probably going to see each other again in that cat café since she's a regular there so I could ask for updates."

"Oh! Jo Jae Yoon-Hyung is also part of the production by the way," Gil Bok mentioned.

"It's the same movie that you were working on? I know he mentioned he was busy with a movie that's coming out soon. I didn't know it would be the one you were also in," Tae Joon said.

"Yeah, he's not playing a bad guy this time," Gil Bok laughed. "Did you know his wife is pregnant again?

"Wow, again? Incredible," Chi Gu remarked. "I don't know how he does it..."

"Hyung! Have you seen the game last night?" Kangwoo, who had been busy talking with the Carnaby owner, Jin Su, excitedly brought up the soccer game that aired to Gil Bok and the others.

And just like that, the group got swept up by talk of their favorite sport, they fervently discussed the moves of the players and moved on from discussing work matters.

While Ji Chang Wook joined in on his friends' conversation, he couldn't help wonder at the back of his head how his lovable costar was doing and be especially curious as to what she was working on to have made his hyung react in such a way.