#kim yoo hyeon

[veriken]

to access #49 dreamcatcher gifs, please click the SOURCE LINK. all gifs of this gifset are sourced from the BONVOYAGE music video!

[nuitdhiverasa]

[sohaline]

((++))

[miyokohirst]

[korean-dreams-girls]

Yiren, SiHyeon & Aisha (Everglow) - M!Countdown Pics

[slowlydiving]

Taejung showing his musical ticket "@jun the best in the universe 👍👍"

Hyunwoo showing he's on his way "flying to the theater 🤩 we will rock you 💫 @jun"

Taejung filming the ending "@jun really so cool, oh my god, wewillrokyou 👍👍"

Taejung reposting a fan's pic that shows Hyunwoo and Taejung 'paparazzi-ing' Jun ^^

[pacingmusings]

Seen (again) in 2023:

Woman Is the Future of Man (Hong Sang-soo), 2004

[passionforfiction]

Under the Queen's Umbrella

This is a beautiful series. I smiled, laughed and cried. This is the story of a mother who loves her children and will fight to the teeth to protect them. As a mother myself, I could understand her feelings and her actions. Queen Im Hwa Ryeong is an intelligent woman, street smart, and she has learned to play the politics game to protect her five sons. He eldest, the Crown Prince and his own wife, little boy and his youngest on the way are her pride and joy. He is the model child everyone would want to have. She worries about his health.

When the king decides to look for a substitute for the Crown Prince's assistant, the Queen will have to prepare her other four carefree sons so they can show they are just as worthy as their other half-brothers. But as she tries to do so without alarming them, she runs around inside and outside the palace looking for them.

Her second son, Grand Prince Seong Nam, was taken away from her when he was born. She was able to bring him home after years of living outside like a commoner. He feels like an outsider inside the palace and likes to train outside, but he loves his brothers, and cherishes his relationship with his older brother.

Grand Prince Muan is a young man in love with a woman of low birth. His mother is constantly getting him out of her home and bring him back to the palace.

Grand Prince Kye Seong is a quiet young man who brings peace to his mother but carries a secret that could kill him.

Grand Prince Il Young is in his early teens and too young to care about politics.

As the political intrigues unravel, we see her relationship with her sons strengthen. This a woman who will protect, not only her children, but the king's other sons. . . She is strong and flexible, accepting and a problem solver.

I liked her relationship with her sons. How she interacts with each and gives them the support they need while also giving them wings. I also like her relationship with the King. Out of all his wives, the audience can see a special bond between them. He values her opinion and respects her. She respects him, although there are things she will always keep away from him in order to protect her sons. She is indeed her son's secret keeper and their support.

I really love what the title symbolizes. The umbrella she puts over her boys' heads when it rains and what it all means.

I truly love this story!

[madeintrinafchelp]

EAST ASIAN FEM ... C - D

❁ click on each tag to find the faceclaims resources ❁

❁ A-B | C-D | E-F-G | H-I | J | K | K-L | L

M-N | N-O-P | Q-R-S | T-U-V | W-X | Y | Z

[prbni]

"Had she initiated a peck, he would have turned it into an intense lip lock" pairings in KDramas

Ku San Young(Kim Tae Ri) and Lee Hong Sae(Hong Kyung) in Revenant

Cha Se Eum(Kim Young Ae) and Yoo Jeong Jae(Lee Moon Sang) in Maestra: Strings of Truth

Lee Gang Hyeon( Park Ji Hyun) and Jin Yi Soo(Ahn Bo Hyun) in Flex x Cop

Lim Jukyung(Moon Gayoung) and Han Seojun(Hwang Inyeop) in True Beauty

Oh In Joo (Kim Go Eun) and Choi Do il(Wi Ha Joon) in Little Women(2022)

Kang Nam Soon (Lee Yoomi) and Ryu Shi Oh (Byun Woo Seok) in Strong Woman Kang Nam Soon

Kang Sol A(Ryu Hye Young) and Han Joon Hwi(Kim Bum) in Law School

Bonus: Japanese Drama Couple

Didn't get a better GIF for them

Kokuryu Kirika(Mio Imada) and Tennoji Haru (Meguro Ren) in Trillion Game

[equalv]

South Korean tv shows with lgbt* characters

Because so many people liked my post for german tv shows with queer characters, I thought I‘d compile lists for other countries as well.

A-Z

A First Love Story (2021) (mlm) | YouTube

Jaesung (Kim Hyeongwon)

Mingyu (Jung Jaewoon)

Blueming (2022) (mlm, wlw) | IQIYI

Hyeong Daun (Jo Hyukjoon)

Cha Siwon (Kang Eunbin)

Cha Siyeong (Moon Hyein)

Choco Milk Shake (2022) (mlm) | YouTube

Jungwoo (Ko Hojung)

Choco (Lee Jaebin)

Milk (Kim Seonghyuk)

Uncle (Park Seungbin)

Girlfriend Project Day 1 (2022) (wlw) | YouTube

Ahn Gain (Park Hyunwoo)

Song Heeram (Bing Hyejin)

His Man (2022-) (mlm) | IQIYI, Gagaoolala | reality tv

Season 1

Kim Changyu

Kim Seonyul

Jeon Eunchan

Lee Jeonghyun

Kim Changmin

Leon Hyukjun

Lee Hyeon

Hokeep

Season 2

Shin Sungho

Oh Minsung

Kim Yoonghee

DABIT

DAENYOL

Lee Junseong

Yang Hyunjin

Joon Seonwoo

Jazz for Two (2024) (mlm) | IQIYI, Gagaoolala

Han Taeyi (Ji Hogeun)

Yoon Seheon (Kim Jinkwon)

Seo Doyoon (Song Hangyeom)

Lily Fever (2015) (wlw) | YouTube

Kim Kyungju (Kim Hyejoon)

Jang Serang (Jung Yeonjoo)

Love Class (2022-) (mlm) | Viki, Gagaoolala

Season 1

Cha Jiwoo (Han Hyunjun)

Lee Roa (Kim Taehwan)

Kim Namjun (Yoo Hyukjae)

Season 2

Lee Hyun (J-min)

Shin Maru (Lee Kwanghee)

Oh Minwoo (Woo Hyowon)

Kim An (Kim Yongseok)

Yoo Joohyuk (An Jeonggyun)

Kim Sungmin (Jung Woojae)

Love for Love's Sake (2024) (mlm) | IQIYI, Gagaoolala

Tae Myungha (Lee Taevin)

Cha Yeowoon (Cha Joowan)

Chun Sangwon (Oh Minsu)

Ahn Kyunghoon (Cha Woongki)

Love Tractor (2023) (mlm) | IQIYI

Seon Yul (Do Won)

Suh Yechan (Yoon Dojin)

Kwon Inseo (Yang Seungbin)

Merry Queer (2022) (mlm, wlw, trans) | Gagaoolala | documentary

Kim Minjun

Park Bosung

Yoo Taeyoon

Lee Minju

Im Garam

Lee Seungeun

Our Dating Sim (2023) (mlm) | VIKI, Gagaoolala

Shin Kitae (Lee Seunggyu)

Lee Wan (Lee Jonghyuk)

Semantic Error (2022) (mlm, wlw) | VIKI, Gagaoolala

Jang Jaeyoung (Park Seoham)

Chu Sangwoo (Park Jaechan)

Choi Yuna (Song Jioh)

She Makes My Heart Flutter (2022) (wlw) | YouTube

Gangseol (Byun Jihyun)

Jung One (Park Somi)

Yubin (Choi Jiwon)

Sarang (Kang Nayoung)

Leera (Ahn Yeonsun)

The Eighth Sense (2023) (mlm) | VIKI

Seo Jaewon (Lim Jisub)

Kim Jihyun (Oh Juntaek)

To My Star (2021-2022) (mlm) | VIKI, IQIYI

Season 1 & 2:

Kang Seojoon (Son Woohyun)

Han Jiwoo (Kim Kangmin)

Our Relationship Ended Before It Began (2023) (wlw) | YouTube (only Ep 1 and 2 are available for free right now, but I still wanted to share this series (Link))

Yoonah (Park Hayoung)

Kim Ahyoung (Park Sanha)

Note: For this list, I decided not to add a symbol for shows that center queerness, because in a way all of these shows do that and at the same time almost none actually do. Queer characters and their love stories are featured in every show in this list, but most of them do not address any other queer aspects of their lives and only some address the fact that they are queer at all. This is not a critique of South Korean shows, but just an observation of their current media landscape and added as context, in case you are interested in watching.

[dreamzvelvet]

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔 Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatcher (드림캐쳐) is a K-pop girl group made up of seven members: JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Handong, Yoohyeon, Dami and Gahyeon. They debuted officially on 13 January 2017, with the single "Chase Me". The group is formed by Happy Face Entertainment company and the official name of their fandom is "InSomnia".

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔 The group's history:

Inicially, the group debuted on 18 September 2014 under the name MINX with the single "Why Did You Come To My Home?" It was only formed by JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Yoohyeon and Dami. They had a completely different concept from now, which was a cute concept. It didn't work out, so they re-debuted with all seven members this time, forming the well-known Dreamcatcher, that has a very unique concept in the whole world of K-pop.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔 The members:

Stage name: JiU (지유)

Birth name: Kim Min-ji (김민지)

Position: Leader, Lead dancer, Lead vocalist, Visual

Birthday: 05/17/1994

Age: 30 years old

Zodiac sign: Taurus

Height: 167 cm (5'6 ″)

Weight: 49 kg (108 lbs)

Blood type: B

Animal that she represents: Bunny

Solo song: Cherry (Real Miracle)

Favorite color: Pink

JiU was born in Daejeon, South Korea. She has a younger brother and is the oldest member of the group (unnie).

Stage name: SuA (수아)

Birth name: Kim Bo Ra (김보라)

Position: Main dancer, Leader rapper, Vocalist

Birthday: 08/10/1994

Age: 29 years old

Zodiac sign: Lion

Height: 162 cm (5 ft 3¾ in)

Weight: 43 kg (94 lbs)

Blood type: O

Animal that she represents: Elephant or Bird

Solo song: No Dot

Favorite color: Red

SuA was born in Changwon, South Korea. She has an older brother and is the fastest member to learn the choreographies. Her personality is brilliant, she's friendly and outgoing, always laughing and making everyone around her laugh.

Stage name: Siyeon (시연)

Birth name: Lee Si-yeon (이시연)

Position: Main vocalist

Birthday: 10/01/1995

Age: 28 years old

Zodiac sign: Libra

Height: 166 cm (5′5)

Weight: 49 kg (108 lbs)

Blood type: A

Animal that she represents: Wolf

Solo songs: Entrancing and Paradise

Favorite color: Blue

Siyeon was born in Daegu, South Korea. She has an older sister and hates shrimps.

Stage name: Handong (한동)

Birth name:  Han Dong (韓東)

Position: Vocalist

Birthday: 03/26/1996

Age: 28 years old

Zodiac sign: Aries

Height: 165 cm (5'5 ″)

Weight: ?

Blood type: O

Animal that she represents: Cat

Solo song: Winter

Favorite color: Black and White

Handong was born in Wuhan, China. She is the only member of the group who isn't Korean and has a shy personality.

Stage name: Yoohyeon (유현)

Birth name:  Kim Yoo-hyeon (김유현)

Position: Lead vocalist

Birthday: 01/07/1997

Age: 27 years old

Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Height:  168 cm (5'6 ″)

Weight: 49 kg (108 lbs)

Blood type: O

Animal that she represents: Dog

Solo song: For

Favorite color: Green

Yoohyeon was born in Incheon, South Korea. She has a younger brother and is learning Mandarin and German. The other members say that she forgets about everything all the time. She has myopia and astigmatism.

Stage name: Dami (다미)

Birth name:  Lee Yu-bin (이유빈)

Position: Main rapper, Lead dancer, Vocalist

Birthday: 07/03/1997

Age: 27 years old

Zodiac sign: Pisces

Height:   163 cm (5'4 ″)

Weight:  44 kg (97 lbs)

Blood type: A

Animal that she represents: Panda

Solo song: Beauty Full

Favorite color: Yellow, Black and White

Dami was born in Seoul, South Korea. She has a soldier brother, can fight kendo and has a strong voice.

Stage name: Gahyeon (가현)

Birth name:  Lee Ga-hyeon (이가현)

Position: Rapper and Vocalist

Birthday: 03/02/1997

Age: 25 years old

Zodiac sign: Aquarius

Height: 160 cm (5'3 ")

Weight: ?

Blood type: AB

Animal that she represents: Fox

Solo song: Playground

Favorite color: ?

Gahyeon was born in Seongnam, South Korea. She is the best at maths and is the younger member of the group (maknae).

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔 Discography:

❥ Chase Me - Single - 4 songs (2017);

❥ Fall Asleep In the Mirror - Single - 4 songs (2017);

❥ Prequel - EP - 6 songs (2017);

❥ Full Moon - Single - 2 songs (2018);

❥ Nightmare - Escape the ERA - EP - 6 songs (2018);

❥ Alone In the City - EP - 6 songs (2018);

❥ Over the Sky - Single - 2 songs (2019);

❥ The End of Nightmare - EP - 6 songs (2019);

❥ The Beginning of The End - Japanese Comeback - Album - 12 songs (2019);

❥ Raid of Dream - EP - 5 songs (2019);

❥ Dystopia: The Tree of Language - Album- 14 songs (2020);

❥ Endless Night - Single - 3 songs (2020);

❥ R.o.S.E BLUE - Single - 2 songs (2020);

❥ Dystopia: Lose Myself - EP - 6 songs (2020);

❥ Eclipse TV Size - Single - 1 song (2020);

❥ Dystopia: Road to Utopia - EP - 7 songs (2021);

❥ Eclipse - Japanese Comeback - EP - 6 songs (2021);

❥ Summer Holiday - EP - 6 songs (2021);

❥ Apocalypse: Save us - Album - 14 songs (2022);

❥ Apocalypse: Follow us - Album - 6 songs (2022);

❥ REASON - Single - 2 songs (2023);

❥ Apocalypse: From us - EP - 5 songs (2023);

❥ VillainS - EP - 5 songs (2023);

❥ VirtuouS - EP - 5 songs (2024);

[currentlylivingonaprayer]

Series: Kim Gaon and Yoo Su-hyeon are canon.

Fandom: yeah so anyway, here are 10 reasons why Gaon is in love with that old man ☺️

[papaya2000s]

The History of Korean Girl Groups' evolution over time - Before Liberation to Girls Generation (SNSD) -> Part 5

In my previous post about the Pyongyang Kisaeng School i talked about the history of the school and how it ran before and after the Japanese colonial period, there is a discussion on Reddit about Kisaeng's (Here) and does mention a famous Kisaeng called Jang Yeon Hong (장연홍;張蓮紅), she was THE Kisaeng of her era (1920s).

Book Recommendations:

Numerous books and manga explore the fascinating world of Kisaeng, shedding light on their significant role in Korean history. In my earlier discussions about the History of Korean Girl Groups, I mentioned how Kisaeng used to perform collectively, although they were not labeled as Girl Groups back then. However, the current trend is to categorize groups of female performers as Girl Groups, showcasing a shift in perspective towards viewing Kisaeng as the precursors to modern Girl Groups.

By delving into the rich history of Kisaeng, we gain a deeper appreciation for their cultural impact and influence on Korean society. The evolution in how we perceive Kisaeng, from traditional performers to early versions of Girl Groups, reflects a changing narrative that recognizes their contributions to the entertainment industry. Through various literary works and artistic representations, the legacy of Kisaeng continues to be explored and celebrated, offering valuable insights into their historical significance and enduring legacy.

Manga - Cheon Gwan Nyeo (천관뇨)

While trying to find some books on Kisaeng i found this manga called Cheon Gwan Nyeo its about how she is the royal Kisaeng (Geisha) of King Jin-Pyeong, who lived in during Silla Dynasty (between 57 BCE – 935 CE), and that the poetic general Kim Yoo Shin falls in love with her. If anyone is manga lover give this a try, its by JO Mihyeon.

Kisaeng Story - Book

If anyone whats to know more on Kisaeng's I would sagest reading the Kisaeng story by Shin Hyeon-gyu which was published in 2007.

As it published in 2007 some of the information that is mentioned in this book could be outdated as new information could have been found that was not mentioned in this book or more information could have been found in recent years, i personally have not read it yet but i would give it a read.

Book introduction - During the Japanese colonial period, Kisaeng's were, on the one hand, objects to be rejected as feudal relics, but in reality, they were heirs to traditional arts and music culture and stars of modern popular culture.

Since modern times, the image of Kisaeng has been distorted as a small number of corrupt pseudo-Kisaeng's and courtesans refer to themselves as 'gisaeng'. This book introduces the original image of gisaeng, who were the successors of rites and music and popular stars.

Index: The history of Kisaeng in Korea, China, and Japan. Finding the whereabouts of Gwangi. The birth of Gwonbeon and the years of glory and shame. A gisaeng is born as a popular star. A visit to Pyongyang Kisaeng School . An encounter with a Kisaeng, confusion over the identity of the space.

Hankyoreh Music Dictionary Set

Book Introduction - Published in 2012 the 2 volumes of the Hankyoreh Music Dictionary Set by Song Bang-song, professor emeritus at Korea National University of Arts. It was prepared based on the author's 《Korean Music Terminology》 written in 1979 and the 《Hankyoreh Musician's Dictionary》 written in 2012.

After revising and supplementing 《Korean Music Terminology》 to reflect recent research results, we carefully selected important figures from among the figures introduced in 《Hankyoreh Musician Dictionary》. It contains terms directly or indirectly related to Korea from ancient times to modern times and provides explanations.

Kisaeng Training Center

Pyongyang Kisaeng school class scene.

The emergence of Girl Groups can be traced back to the Pyongyang Kisaeng School, which was a prominent institution for female performers established in 1926. This school played a crucial role in shaping the education and training of female singers and dancers, providing them with the necessary skills to succeed in the entertainment industry.

Just like how modern audiences eagerly anticipate the debut of new Male and Girl Groups, the demand for gisaeng education in Pyongyang was high during that era. The establishment of the Pyongyang Gisaeng School aimed to meet this demand by offering a structured and comprehensive curriculum that covered various aspects of traditional performing arts, as well as general education subjects.

The impact of Kisaeng Schools and training centers extended beyond just providing education to aspiring performers. These institutions also laid the foundation for modern traditional performing arts education by offering specialized classes in traditional singing and dancing, as well as other art subjects. The structured curriculum and focus on meeting social demands of the time through education are reminiscent of the current approach to art education, highlighting the enduring influence of these early educational institutions.

1930s - The birth of Korean Girl Groups

I did already show this picture before of the Pyongyang Kisaeng School students practicing a revue dance to the music of a modern musical instrument. There many other photos of students that went the school, if anyone is interested here is the link (Old School Photos).

During the Japanese colonial period, Kisaeng's were assigned to theaters such as Wongaksa (웡각사) Temple and Danseongsa (단성사) Temple and emerged as 'popular stars' by performing for the public.

Wang Soo-bok (왕수복), Seon Woo I-seon (왕수복), and Lee Eun-pa (이은파) were popular singers from Pyongyang Gisaeng School in the 1930s. They performed during a transitional period in Korean domestic popular music history. As jazz and Western dance were introduced in the 1910s, Kisaeng's dances changed from classical to Western, resulting in the revival dance. The roots of girl groups during the Japanese colonial period can be traced back to Kisaeng's group dances and choruses, which were influenced by Western popular music and transformed into modern people.

During the Japanese colonial period, there were numerous performances by the Kisaeng's, which were recorded in an article titled "Cultural Archetype Encyclopedia Korean Modern Music." As I was perusing through this article, I came across a Performance Log that provided a timeline of events. The Performance Log ranged from 1 to 45 and documented the first appearances of Kisaeng's. The earliest mention of Kisaeng's that I could find was in Performance Log 9, where the Hanseong Kisaeng Association made an appearance on April 1, 1909, at Hwangseong. Subsequently, they appeared in Performance Logs 10 and 11, but it was in Performance Log 13 that they made numerous appearances. On March 27, 1913, the Gwanggyo Kisaeng Association performed at the Danseongsa Temple to support the midwife training center. Following this, the Sigok Kisaeng Association performed on May 13, 1913. On August 31, 1913, the Gongju Kisaeng Association showcased various songs and dances. Lastly, the Pyongyang Kisaeng Association performed songs and dances on October 9, 1913. The list of Kisaeng groups that performed or made appearances goes on, and I would suggest that anyone interested should delve into the Performance Log list and read the corresponding articles. There is a wealth of information to be discovered, as these logs mention numerous Kisaeng performances. By exploring these articles, one can gain a deeper understanding of the cultural significance and contributions of the Kisaeng's during the Japanese colonial period.

All sources that i used and found are attached are underlined.

[korean-dreams-girls]

Onda, Aisha & SiHyeon (Everglow) - 5th Single Album ''Zombie'' Concept Pics

[twig-tea]

Love Class 2: A Love Letter

I caught up on the last episodes of Love Class 2 and I felt like I need to give the whole show (both seasons) a rewatch because s2 had so much going on, and my attention definitely suffered in the beginning of S2 from everything else airing at the same time and the proliferation of characters. But I finished the series feeling like something special had just happened, so I wanted to sit with that for a minute and see if I could articulate why. Especially after the disappointment that was the ending of the Minato's Laundromat sequel, I wanted to process my thoughts around what made this one good.

This is not very coherent and very long, mostly because I just wanted to get it down before I got absorbed by other shows again [Spoilers for both seasons follow].

To remind/recap about Love Class 1: The first season focused on Cha Ji Woo and Lee Ro A. Ro A is a returning student who was just released from military service; he lives with Kim Nam Joon who has a crush on him and another roommate. At first, Ji Woo has a crush on Bae Yoo Na, a girl in his class who is being stalked. Her uncle works at the college and so she knows the professor, who is being pursued by one of the other (female) students in the class, Kim Hye Won.

I had forgotten most of this tbh. On rewatch, I remember how much I liked that Yoo Na and Ro A fell for Ji Woo for the same reason, and Ji Woo fell for them for similar reasons too. There is a lot more forced proximity between the leads in S1, with both the class and then the broken arm, which helps because the entire season is so short. There's a resolution with the stalker plot, a nice moment where Ji Woo is honest about how his feelings, and in the penultimate episode, Ro A decides to protect Ji Woo from himself (and homophobia) by rejecting him and disappearing.

Season one ends with a standard separation (that is only kind of earned); an explicit message from the surf shop owner: "If you keep avoiding things out of fear, you'll never experience the good things in life"; and in the last minute we get basically a standard K-drama dead fish kiss (@gabrielokun has done some very kind cropping here so it looks a bit better).

Overall it was ok. Felt very standard at the time, the leads were cute and it was nice that the love rivals Yoo Na and Nam Joon were not treated as villains in the end. The het side plot with the professor felt tacked on. Ji Woo's changing emotions towards Ro A were signposted well but felt fast, and Ro A's fear of ruining Ji Woo's life by turning him gay felt a bit overdramatic and disappearing entirely (including dropping out of class and moving) was a lot. The end left no time at all for them as a couple, so it was very unclear to me whether they'd actually last.

After rewatching S1, I need to give S2 major props for doing the sequel thing right. The show picked up on a lot of the elements of the original while being a completely stand-alone story and not repeating anything in the OG.

Really quick summary of S2 mostly for the names: Lee Hyeon and Min Wu are friends in university together who have known each other since high school. Min Wu has been trying to ignore his crush on their mutual friend Ma Ru (who went straight into the working world and then quit so got kicked out by his parents). Meanwhile Lee Hyeon has been looking for his former tutor Kim An for 2 years; Kim An appears and Lee Hyeon pursues him by joining Love & Marriage class with the help of the TA Sung Min. Sung Min is being pursued by returning student Ju Hyuk after Ju Hyuk sees him in an embarrassing situation with his pants literally down. Shenanigans ensue [many more details recapped below].

Rewatching S1 helped me realize why I liked S2 so much. In season 2, it's like they heard all the complaints and addressed them:

The only heterosexual is there to support the gays; no love rivals here (also PS Sa Ra's character was delightful; I loved the way she knew exactly what to do on those stairs during the fake date!)

All of the couples are gay and get more time overall (the whole series is longer too; 10 instead of 6 eps and some of those eps were over 30 mins each)

All of the couples also have a history together before the show starts, so all have [a varying amount of] feelings before we even begin

And because of the difference in where these couples are starting, everything happens so fast and there is so much more character development

Rather than the love & marriage class being about getting to know someone, because of Lee Hyeon and Kim An's history, the assignments from the class end up being about getting to relearn someone who has changed and you don't know why; bridging barriers and re-establishing intimacy, which was a fun twist

While the first season did a bit of talking about building relationships and forming meaningful connections, it really didn't have time to do much with this and the premise of the "love class" felt barely used. In this season these themes get explored more, with everyone at one point or another needing advice or having to work on their relationship

Of all of the characters, only one didn't know he was gay/bi going into the start of S2

All of the couples express obvious sexual desire and have sex (some before they even date, it's a miracle)

All of the couples have multiple kisses!

Homophobia isn't removed from the world entirely, but it's not a major plot point in this season

None of the couples split up right before the end; the closest is the older couple in ep8 and they reconcile by ep9 [and sidenote: did the professor drop that whatever he lost on purpose so Sung Min would see him with his nephew?!]

They essentially dedicate two episodes to revelling in the happy ending and building out what these characters are like when they are in a relationship, and I love that; no penultimate episode drama

The couples get an entire episode to triple-date and they all just relax being able to be out and comfortable together, it's extremely cute and also heartwarming and a little sad that this is the only place they can feel away from the gay boy scrutiny [this is what I meant by homophobia not being removed entirely from the world, but it's presence is in its absence rather than it being a plot point, and this was refreshing]

The couple that is in the class is out to the class by choice at the end; no more being afraid of rumours the way the original couple were in s1

The stalker plot got darker (it's one thing to stalk someone but to impersonate them at a job that could get you in trouble? Diabolical) and had more clear motivations for his character; also no police were involved in the resolution this time which felt more realistic

Both seasons deal a lot with characters holding in secrets and not communicating; but in s1 the confession from Ji Woo led to Ro A lying to him directly. In contrast, in S2 direct communication is met either with being shut down or with communication back; the other characters sometimes say it's not the time, but never punish the other character for direct communication. And in some cases the direct communication finally helps move them forward/out of misunderstandings. And not directly communicating leads to mess.

In s1 the seniors were bullies and they didn't really face any consequences; in contrast in S2 the boss at the cafe was such a bully and he got harassed into taking a break, realizing he was being horrible, and becoming a better person (and getting a love interest lolol)

In addition to all the things they did differently, there were so many things that echoed or called back to s1! Parallels to the first season:

Sa Ra gets to repeat the moral from the first season: love requires bravery. All of our couples exhibit different levels and kinds of bravery at different times, but all of them at one point or another take that leap and decide to be brave.

The storytelling strategy of flashing back to show us something we hadn't previously seen to recontextualize what we have since been shown was used once in s1 and used in all three couples at the end of every episode of season 2, as well as sometimes mid-episode.

Someone startles/disrupts the Love & Marriage class to ask to be paired with someone of the same sex in both seasons

There is ominous door-knocking in ep2 that ends up being a fake-out but works extra well as creepy because of the knocking by the stalker in s1

There are also similar moments in s1&2 where the "friend" (who is more than a friend but was rejected but still lives/lived with the love interest) stalks and surprises a character to tell them 'truths' about their loved one

The show keeps the feel of s1 in terms of the mix between cute, funny, and sinister (for better or for worse, though I think S2 balances these better)

The relationships in S2 have a lot in common with S1: there are friends who have been friends since high school one of whom is pining and the other rejects him and they agreed to be friends only who live together; rather than a teacher and student there is a returning student and TA; there is a returning student in both seasons; there is one friend out of a trio who is more of a himbo and doesn't go to their school but is still around all the time

Both seasons had a character who seemed to be unaware he was gay/bi until he was put in a position to be forced to realize it, and credit to both seasons, any gay panic was mostly off screen/tied up in figuring out their feelings, and none took place after they told their gay crush

Both seasons touched on how rumours and social isolation can affect you (though the rumours in S2 were not about being gay)

I mentioned it above, but the way the couples relax when they're all in the open and on the trip together was a really touching callback to the first season dealing with the scrutiny of homophobia (whispering, rumours); and the in-class couple showing a photo of them kissing in class is such a huge contrast to s1's couple having a photo of them feeding one another taken and shared without their consent.

Also also in s1 there was a double date near the end of the show so that was also a cute parallel!

While the bullying seniors didn't face consequences in s1, they were interrupted by various people trying to protect their love interests throughout the show. That theme of protecting your love interest from bullying continued to greater effect in S2 and I thought that was really cute!

Cameos of s1 couple and the couple from Private Lessons appeared in s2; it was unclear to me whether the couple from s1 was reprising their roles (though I assume so) but the couple from Private Lessons definitely had the same character names!

Putting aside comparisons now, the storytelling and characters in S2 are so much more interesting!

Ep1 starts with the mysterious fall from the roof [fake-out #1] and then the scene with Lee Hyeon and Min Wu [fake-out #2] in which they call Ma Ru and establish some of the friend group dynamics and then we get the hint that something else is going on with Lee Hyeon (Min Wu asks if he's given up on looking for someone); and then we get the moment that connects storyline 3 to storylines 1&2 between Kim An and Sung Min. So much tight storytelling in this first ep, I remember on first watch being surprised by how much attention this series was requiring considering s1! I scrolled the tag and saw most people found eps 1&2 confusing, and I can say I definitely found it much easier on rewatch and going in with different expectations.

Ep2 hints at the past we don't yet know between Ju Hyuk and Sung Min (only on rewatch did I realize Ju Hyuk asks Sung Min to eat with him like a normal person and the way he promised he would but Sung Min doesn't remember or realize what's happening, and turns him down kindly, which is why he resorts to being an ass.

Ep 3 we get the first hints Ma Ru knows something is up (being afraid to knock on MinWu's door), the first love & marriage assignments (observing your partner and writing them a letter of what you want to say to them) as well as the underwear gift from Ju Hyuk to Sung Min, and the note at Kim Ann's locker. This episode really starts to build on the theme of intimacy and what intimacy means, when is it appropriate, how do you establish it, and the conflict that arises when people are on different pages about your level of intimacy. Like most have noticed, this is where it really takes off and comes into its own as a good show.

The rest of the show really builds on and plays with these histories, intimacies, and conflicts. They have time to actually hurt one another (eg the slut shaming) and actually make up. Each one moves at a different pace. [Sidenote: have I said enough how happy I am that the older couple slept together before dating?! To be clear I am just as excited when an ace/demi/inexperienced character gets to be ace/demi/explore or come into their sexuality, but I only have so much patience for the blushing maiden trope in adult gay men who have clear sexual attraction and interest especially when they have previous experience, and anything outside of one-partner-in-their-entire-lives is still so rare in BL. And as an aside on this aside, I love how much Ju Hyuk's rizz works at first but then backfires on him later, forcing him to use actual communication after all!] Each couple has a reason for the hesitation or delay in becoming a couple (power dynamics and uncertainty about where you stand; friendship you don't want to lose; being burned before and feeling like you aren't allowed to have anything good in your life). Even more importantly, we get reasons for everything: why Min Wu is growing distant with Ma Ru; why Kim An is more terse and cautious with Lee Hyun; why Ju Hyuk is so weirdly rude to Sung Min. And, as I mentioned above, we actually get a motive for the villain of the story too, Kim An's childhood friend/brother/rejected love/stalker (whose name I keep forgetting even in rewatch lol sorry bro). He thought Kim An was only with him because he was desperate, and so when Kim An started making other connections, he thought he had to ruin Kim An's life. And he thought when he came back into Kim An's life, Kim An would still be desperate, and he'd be able to fit back in. He didn't understand that Kim An had still loved him even if he was no longer interested in a romantic or sexual relationship, and would have kept him in his life if he hadn't been betrayed; he didn't understand that Kim An would be able to rebuild his life without him; he didn't understand that Kim An would not forgive him even though he still cared about him. It really is tragic, and the tragedy is in a lot of ways understated.

Yes it was a bit messy with the three plots going on simultaneously but when binged, and definitely on rewatch, it was easier to follow and I enjoyed how the interaction between the characters moved each of the plots forward. I wonder how much the pacing bothered some viewers because it definitely is not paced like a usual kbl, but that's one of the things I liked about it lol and there were some parts that I enjoyed only on rewatch because I could focus on them.

All of this incoherence is to say: I really like the storytelling in S2 so much more than S1; I think it's one of the better sequel attempts I've seen, in that there are clear connections to the first season but everything is built on rather than recreated; and the stories were also just more interesting. Season 2 delivered on the premise of Season 1 without re-using the same structure, plot points, or story beats. Lots of tropes were repeated but they were always used in a new way and played out differently. The finale felt queer in a way I don't expect from Korean BL. We got some of the things I always say I want more of in any series: more time with folks as a couple working out their relationship post-get-together, clear communication, and queer community. Overall, this show affected me more than I expected. It wasn't perfect execution, but TL;DR, more of this please!