#nobody does petty like the korean bls

[respectthepetty]

I'm going to give it to Korean BLs. They know petty.

They are the pettiest.

I respect it.

[talkingbl]

The Good and Bad of Semantic Error

CW: DISCUSSION ON DUBCON & HARASSMENT.

My second true Korean BL and...boy did it not disappoint. Let's start with....

The Good

The length. While nearly all popular kbls boast a 20-25 minute runtime, usually the runtime is not enough to get me invested in the characters. But here, the runtime works in tandem with the efficient story to create a constant-moving, low-fat viewing experience.

The acting. While not mind-blowing in the manner of a Gun Atthaphan or Wayne Song, both Seoham and Jaechan gave a strong showing. I completely believed in them 100% of the way.

The chemistry. So, I was not part of the Park Seoham + Park Jaechan hype train. I honestly avoided it at all costs because most k-dramas I've seen are absolute garbage water. But from the very first scene between the two you sense this depth of feeling. It's a chemistry quite unlike anything I've seen before. If I could describe it, I'd say that it's a twist on the classic push-and-pull/tsundere dynamic. I don't ever feel like Sangwoo actually hated or even disliked Jaeyoung. Instead, I feel like he always liked him but couldn't understand why. But that's just the genius of Sangwoo and I'm getting ahead of myself. For Jaeyoung, on the other hand, it's clear that he liked Sangwoo from the beginning, but, again, what I find interesting is the external manifestation toward Sangwoo. For example, Jaeyoung takes every opportunity to be in physical proximity to Sangwoo, even during the time he allegedly hated him. And he was not just close--he was smothering, touchy, concerned, and even visibly affected by all of Sangwoo's actions. Those were not the actions of a man in hate. Jaeyoung's sunny disposition, combined with Sangwoo's decidedly robotic one already created an intriguing dynamic, but when you add the words that had gone unspoken the sparks just flew.

Chu Sangwoo. Chu Sangwoo is a gem of a character portrayed sparklingly by Park Jaechan. I never read the Semantic Error manhwa but I know that Jaechan took Sangwoo and made him into something greater than the character on its face. Sangwoo is like a machine--he only thinks logically, he lacks emotional intelligence, and he treats relationships like means to an end. But underneath the cold, tough exterior, is a childlike naivete and open-mindedness that I believe has gone unnoticed. Sangwoo has a lot of depth to him. His single-mindedness comes off more as endearing than annoying but only because you know that he genuinely does not understand his own self, let alone his effect on others. I have so much to say about this character and on rewatch I'll probably come with a more nuanced study on him.

The setting. One thing about k-dramas is that the settings always seem real and lived-in. This actually worked to help viewers connect with our main characters, as without such a grounded world, we'd be hard-pressed to believe an over-the-top petty and spiteful Jaeyoung or a cripplingly robotic Sangwoo.

The skinship. I'm talking the first head pat, the first *real* kiss... There was something magical about their affection (probably the connection underlying it) and I demand 3 more seasons of it.

The Bad...with a twist.

Jung Jaeyoung is batshit (but like, I was entertained). This man STALKS Sangwoo, MOVES INTO THE APARTMENT RIGHT NEXT TO HIS, studies his every move, and harasses him for four days all because Sangwoo (rightfully) snitched on that ass. Who does that? Then he has the nerve to be upset when Sangwoo tears into that ass when he called himself being worried about Sangwoo. Not only that, but when Jaeyoung starts figuring out that he likes Sangwoo, he takes every opportunity to separate him from Jihye, finds reasons to get Sangwoo to do boyfriendy stuff with him, and basically just forces a confession out of Sangwoo. Like ??? Was nobody in this show seeing all the red flags? I'm not gonna lie it made the story entertaining. I'm just saying that in-universe Jaeyoung did so many questionable things that Sangwoo clearly didn't like. But here's the thing, unlike with shows like TharnType and other dubcon-heavy/crazy SO plotlines, I actually didn't mind it much? Like it made the show entertaining and I didn't feel like it was trying to normalize/romanticize dubcon/harassment. It was just showing it as part of this particular story. It's like, with, say KinnPorsche. Just because a bunch of people died in that show doesn't mean it's morally objectionable to watch it/be entertained by it.