#pretty kdrama weddings

[dramashii]

“And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.”—The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Category: Kdrama Weddings

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | Tale of the Nine Tailed | Alchemy of Souls

[noona-is-afk]

what’s with all the sexy corporate boss male leads always having rain related trauma

[nexttimeisnotthesame]

Miho and Changho portraits from their wedding photo shoot || 빅마우스

[idyllcy]

in sickness, in health - tim drake x reader (pretty bird countdown #10)

"You know, Damian, calling me out into the middle of Gotham U is sketchy asf." You hold your phone to your ear, raising a brow at the series of arrows on the ground. "Is this your way of getting Tim to propose to me?"

"I have no idea what nonsense you're sprouting."

"Watch." You turn around, Tim falling right into your arms, and you suddenly get the vibe that you're in some sort of Kdrama. "Caught ya."

Tim stares up at you, eyes wide as he laughs. "You caught me, pretty bird."

"See? Now, what is the nonsense you were telling me about? If you guys are planning a wedding in the middle of our university, I highly advise you to do it in the Wayne backyard or summer home instead."

You blink as Damian hangs up.

"We're flying out. They just wanted us to host a small wedding where they get to watch us exchange vows. Remember the letters you used to write to your future husband? Your mom mailed them all to me." Tim hums, fingers brushing over your wedding ring.

"WHAT THE FUCK???" Your eye twitches, horror written all over your face as you wince. "How did she even find them??"

"Apparently she dug them out when you told her that you got married."

"Mm." You grimace. "Do I have to read them in front of your family?"

"No. Just the two of us. I asked them for private vows. It's the least they can do for us"

"And it's a gala?"

"The party after is at the gala. No worries, Bruce didn't tell anyone why there's a fourth gala this year."

"Are you sure?" You raise a brow.

"I promise. We can stay in my old room the entire time if you want it that bad."

"Can we play Hades?"

"You and your fifty seven hours on a game because you want to fuck the main character." Tim rolls his eyes.

"Okay?? And?? Listen, my husband is hot, but fictional characters are still fine as fuck." You huff. "Besides, my vows are to you, no? I hope you them since I didn't get to tell you at the courthouse."

"Hey, how about reading them to me after the wedding so I can pick it apart?"

"What is this? Literary analysis?"

"Yes." Tim laughs. "To show my love for you."

"Then shall I frame your vows?"

"No need. You can keep the original draft on a USB."

"Yeah?"

Tim laughs. "Yes. That way, each time you wonder if I still love you, you have proof that the choice I made was to love you until I return to the dust of the earth."

"That's absolutely insane to say to me."

"Oh, hey. There's the helicopter." Tim looks up, leading you back as it lands in the quad.

"Is this... legal?"

"Nothing a little money can't handle."

"Great day to be marrying rich, I guess?" You raise a brow. "Where are we even having vows?"

"In private." He holds out his hand for you, helping you onto the helicopter.

"Did you plan this?"

"Just the vows part." Tim hands you the headphones as you pop them on. "We'll land at home."

"And then?"

"And then, we'll read our vows as we help each other get dressed for the gala."

"My wedding dress is nowhere near appropriate for the gala after all that sand got on it."

"I have another white one that we ordered. It's more casual." Tim grins, taking your hands again. "Everything I have is for you."

"You sound so sappy it hurts."

"Love you too." Tim snickers.

You find it strange. Tim finds it strange. You wonder just what kind of a life you led in your past life that had led you to end up with him. He is flawed, but you find that it's fine or whatnot. The world could stop spinning for him, and you would still stay by his side — until the earring rusts and your ring finger is worn down by the on and off before and after bed, he would be engrained into a part of your soul, hums gentle against your skin as the rain splatters against the window. There would be a fixing, until the two of you are withered and frail with age, until you can no longer fix each other and return to dust as one.

"Ehem." You make the dramatics of dropping the rest of the paper as Tim helps you lace your back, laughing. "To my dearest, sweetest, loveliest, future husband. At the time I am first starting this page, I am twelve and have a thrashing obsession with Robin. As with all of my hyperfixations, I expect this to last no longer than two months. Even if it continues, I hope this is whatever the hell my classmates won't shut up about... the invisible string theory? I wonder if that means I'm gonna marry Robin's girlfriend or something. Oh, maybe even another hardcore fan of his—"

Tim holds back a laugh, back shaking as he finishes with the bow. "My girlfriend?"

"You weren't bi at that point in time. At least not to us." You snort, continuing. "Regardless of whoever I end up with, I'm fine if I never end up married too. I keep hearing all of this nonsense about how women are having less kids and shit and I think it's a good time to never have to deal with it. Hopefully you don't want kids either. Or, maybe you're down bad like those men in all of that fanfiction I've been reading. Regardless, if I end up marrying a man who can't respect my boundaries, I want a divorce. Fuck this, man."

You move down the paper, and Tim runs his hand through your hair.

"You're doing my hair this time?" You raise a brow. "What's next, my makeup?"

"I will be attempting to do your makeup today." Tim purses his lips. "If you'll let me?"

"Sure." You hum, moving your head to make sure he gets all of your hair. "Dear future husband, here's a few things you need to know if you want to be my one and only all my life."

Tim holds back a laugh, but you feel him shaking behind you anyway.

"I have a Robin addiction. I know he technically assaulted me or whatever on the rooftop the other day, but oh my god he's got such a feminine-shaped face that I think I am never going to reach that level of pretty. Even if I do, somehow, I don't think I could ever have a figure that nice. Do I look better now? Maybe I do. I don't know. Hopefully I'm the prettiest girl in the world to you even when I'm old and wrinkly. I got scolded by mom because of... nearly losing my camera but.. boo. I hope you're Robin. I really hope I end up marrying that guy because my friends may not be able to marry Jungkook but I at least have a chance of marrying him. Are you Robin? The one that has pants? It sounds so romantic... please take me out on midnight swings." You pause, blinking at your next words.

"I bet it's something about how you'd let me fuck you six ways from sunday." Tim reaches for a brush.

"Wow, you're like, psychic." You snort. "I also hope whenever I look at you like I'd let you hit fourteen different ways, you catch the cue. Or, maybe the idea of sex grosses me out now. I don't know. I wouldn't know. I can only keep hoping and praying that you're Robin. Oh, also, please let me grate cheese on your abs if you have— I CAN'T."

"No, keep going." Tim stops, hair still in his hand as you shake from laughter. "KEEP GOING."

"Please let me grate cheese on your abs if you have abs. Oh, also, is it possible to cut my finger on your jawline? Maybe you'll let me bite into your collarbone until I draw blood. Okay, that was oddly kinky and weird. I am sorry if future me has to read this to you. I might be insane or something. I wouldn't know." You close your eyes for the next part. "Regardless, I want a big fancy wedding that costs a billion dollars where you'll fly all of my friends in and we'll party until sunrise. That was sarcasm, by the way. I want a small wedding where it's just family and friends. Maybe a second one to host more people if you're a socialite or something. I hope my future in laws love me more than they love you. Mom's been teaching me how to cook lately, and I might have a talent for it. I hope you enjoy every single Chinese dish on the planet, because I can not live with white people food for extended periods of time. Kisses! Xoxo."

"Yeah, I think that last part is apparent." Tim finishes with your hair, reaching for accessories. "The ironic part is that you DID manage to marry that Robin."

"Yeah, I bet she'd be having a crazy ass moment." You hum. "Ehem, dear future husband. my parents are divorced now. I'm in high school at this point in time. Robin seems rather chummy with me now, but I still don't think he sees me as a potential romantic partner. I think he only recognizes me if I have my all black clothes on. Regardless, I think he's a funny guy. Also, I caught him kissing Spoiler a couple days ago so I don't think I have a chance."

"Makes me nostalgic, almost." Tim hums, looking through your jewelry. "What colors for accent?"

"Red." You hum. "For good luck for the bride and groom."

Tim laughs.

"You know, maybe you're one of the other Robins. Maybe you're the second one.. that like. died. or something. I heard there's a new vigilante running around. Red Hood? I think he's more of a crime lord, but his build... I MEAN. I MEAN IM NOT LIKE UNFAITHFUL OR ANYTHING. I JUST THINK HE'S HOT. Yeah. Anyways. I still run a twitter for Robin, but I think he's rebranded as Red Robin. His fit is kinda fire. Don't tell him I said that, though. I don't think people pay me enough for this nonsense, honestly. My current friends are alright. I don't think I find them particularly entertaining, but it's not like I'll see any of them when I move away for college. Is it wrong to dislike your friends? Probably. They drain too much energy whenever I hang out with them. How are your friends? I hope you have a great relationship with your family, or else I am royally fucked."

"Tilt." Tim hums, and you raise your ear, letting Tim pop your studs off for the rubies. "I should get you a new pair."

"Maybe." You laugh. "I have two more pages. The two of them are addressed to you."

"Both?"

"Dearest Tim Drake." You hum, straightening your back as Tim helps you put on your necklace. "I really fucking hope you're the guy I marry, cuz I will burn this letter if not."

"I'm so glad this lived to see the light of day." Tim mumbles, starting with your makeup. "Is this alright?"

"Yes, birdie." You hum. "I remember most of it."

"Good." He grins. "Because I have a letter for you too."

You beam at him, eye closed as he pats your foundation on. "I genuinely can not believe you had sex with me. I do not radiate sex appeal, have an addiction to a Japanese green tea brand, and probably do not study half as much as I should. I have a crippling addition to Red Robin, nearly kissed him at a Halloween party, and once on the rooftop of my dorm. I do not understand why you brought me to a place that I felt I did not belong in, and I wonder if you had just picked me because I seemed like an easy target."

Tim frowns at the words.

"Regardless, I think you're the one. I think it's becoming more apparent just through the assignments I've been writing. Do you love me? Do I love you? Is this called love? I don't know. I haven't loved someone in a long time. I think my best friend calls it a delusionship. A one sided, delusionship. Hopefully they'll be there at our wedding or whatever. Will you buy me an apartment building for our wedding gift? A reverse dowry of twenty billion dollars? I don't even know how much money you have, tch. I just want a nice apartment to live in. The bar is actually in hell. Yet, I find myself catching up with interviews and news about you, desperate to learn more about you and understand just what about you draws me in. You know, I really wonder if you genuinely loved me when you said good morning to me. Maybe you did. Maybe you don't anymore. Human emotions are fickle, after all."

"Lips." He hums.

You open your mouth, jutting out your lip as he helps you apply lipstick.

"Any more?"

"Human emotions are fickle, yet I find myself clawing at my heart when I think of you. Maybe I do love you. Maybe I am nothing in myself, and I need someone to love me. Maybe you showed me love. Maybe, just maybe, you are the one. Yet, I dare not promise it. So, I go back to where I began in this letter, wondering if you would receive it. No kisses this time. May you be the one to send me those instead."

"I think I'm done." Tim takes a step back, lips curled upwards.

You turn to look in the mirror, grinning. "Yeah, birdie?"

"Yeah." Tim hums. "I'll read you my vows next, I promise."

"This one's my vows." You hum, folding the paper back up and cutting open an envelope. "Ready?"

"You wanna sit on the couch before the car gets here?"

"Not gonna say no to that." You stand up, Tim leading you as you get used to walking in the dress. "Wow, I keep forgetting how annoying it is to walk in these dresses."

"You're the star of the show tonight." Tim hums. "Depending on whether or not you want to give the paparazzi a show, I can carry you for the whole night too."

"I'll be fine in the heels, I promise." You sit down as Tim lets go of your hand. "Ready for my vows?"

"Of course."

"To beloved birdie, Timothy Jackson Drake Wayne." You hum, smoothing out the paper. "We did not get to have proper wedding vows at the courthouse, so I am writing mine down knowing that you will definitely host something at the complaint of your family. I vow to love you until the sun rises from the west and the moon is eradicated — until the moon becomes the sun and the sun becomes the moon, I vow to cherish you even unto death. I vow that when you are sick and dying, when you are struck with illnesses I have never heard of, I will be by your side. I vow that even if the paparazzi decide to tear their claws into my skin to ruin my life, I will stay. I vow that when you are struck by pollen and in need of release, I will be there for you. Until the world collapses and you are no longer red but old, and even when one of us leave, I promise I will be by your side and follow you until there is nothing left in this world but us. I vow that even on the days where we can not stand the presence of each other, we will find each other again. In this universe, the next, and in every universe out there, I vow that I will find you. I vow that even in the worlds that we are not together, I am nearby. I vow that in sickness and health, in richer or poorer, for better or worse, to love and cherish you even unto death. Love you lots, your pretty bird."

Tim holds a napkin to the corner of his eye, blinking to get the tears out of his eyes and onto the napkin, careful to not ruin his makeup.

"Birdie?"

"I can't read my vows without crying right now. Give me a second."

"I'll touch up your makeup if you do." You laugh. "I vow to be by your side through every gala we attend, your makeup forever next to mine, my heart forever yours to hold."

"You're awful." Tim sniffs, laughing as he manages to calm down, unfolding his own letter to you. "To the prettiest bird in every universe. To my beloved wife, I, Timothy Jackson Drake Wayne vow to protect you until crime is no longer in existence, to hold you until we both return to the dust of the earth, to love you even after death. I vow to hold only you when I am in need of help, and to seek you out first amongst a crowd of people I have known all my life. I vow that my love for you will not fade, and that I will be infatuated with you for all the days of my life and death, and that on both good and bad days, I will be the person by your side. I vow that even when we are old and wrinkly, I will bring you items that remind me of you, flowers that bring a smile to your face, my whole self for you alone. When you ask of something, I vow to do my best to grant it, and when the end of the world comes, I will shield your body with my own, and in every other universe that I accidentally end up in during missions, to every other version of myself that is not me, I will stand as proof of love to them. May we be tangled in each others' lives throughout all our days."

"I don't know, birdie." A smirk makes its way onto your face. "I'm starting to think I was a lot more dedicated than you were."

"Psh." He rolls his eyes. "I'll read you my letter from the morning after we started going out eventually. "

"WHAT."

"Come on. The ride is here." He holds his hand out for you, and you raise a brow.

"And when will I be reading that letter?"

"One day." He laughs.

You click your tongue as he kneels down to help you put the heels on.

"And that day is?"

"I promise, pretty bird," he hums, sliding your shoe on with a kiss to your hand. "You will read it."

"If you say so." You mumble, yelping as he carries you.

"Ready to scare Gotham shitless?"

"Oh, I've been ready."

[ppeonppeonhan]

Korean GLs I'd Watch...

Let's try to manifest a world where some of the biggest Korean actresses were cast in major full-length GL kdramas.

COP + CRIMINAL

Esom (Because This Is My First Life) and Lee Da-hee (Search: WWW) play partners and besties, who both fall for their respective suspects for a crime spree against the patriarchy. (Think: Evening the pay gap at a major company; exposing scandals of sexist politicians; and chemically castrating sex offenders). Esom's love interest is Park Eun-bin (Extraordinary Attorney Woo), and Da-hee's love interest is Seo Yea-ji (It's Okay to Not Be Okay). It's a romantic crime thriller.

FRIENDS to LOVERS

Seol In-ah (Business Proposal) plays a new-money rich girl who hires a former old-money rich girl, played by Yoo In-na (Touch Your Heart), to be her personal assistant out of pity, but pretends she doesn't know her backstory. And Yoo helps Seol navigate rich society. Their conflict is that Seol's family bankrupted Yoo's family, and is getting the life Yoo was supposed to have, including the fiancee, the job, and the house. It's a sweet romantic comedy.

BOSS + EMPLOYEE

Kim Ji-won (Fight My Way) starts a job at a family law firm and works hard to get one of the partners, played by Son Ye-jin (Crash Landing on You), to be her mentor, but only because she wants her job. She starts off as a frenemie before Ye-Jin's hard edges rub off, and Ji-won develops a crush. Their obstacles are that Ye-Jin is married and in the closet, and Ji-won might be too ambitious to let go of her goals. It's a slow-burn romantic legal drama.

COOL GIRL + DORK

Park Shin-hye (Heirs & Pinocchio) plays a cold fashion house designer who hires an unlikely candidate to be her muse, played by Moon Ga-young (True Beauty). And what starts off as a toxic relationship blooms into a supportive one. Park Bo-young (Strong Girl Bong-soon) plays her head of design, who befriends Ga-young's bestie-turned-manager, played by Kim Seul-gi (Oh My Ghostess). They're the softer side couple. It's a romantic workplace dramedy.

FRIENDS to ENEMIES to LOVERS

Seo Hyun-jin (Why Her?) and Gong Hyo-jin (When the Camellia Blooms) were friends in college, but they had a falling out after a misunderstanding about a guy. They have a tense reunion as adults when Hyo-jin is setting up her nuptials at the wedding hall Hyun-jin manages. It's a slowburn romantic drama.

ONE-SIDED OBSESSION

Shin Min-a (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha) plays the wife of a very powerful and abusive man and Hwang Jung-eum (She Was Pretty) plays the maid who is secretly in love with her and helps her escape. They go to Jung-eum's hometown where everyone assumes she's bringing her girlfriend home for the first time, because she didn't have the heart to tell them she got dumped after running away to be with her. Min-a decides to pretend to be the woman to pay her back, and they fall in love. The conflict being when Jung-eum's ex, played by Park Min-young (What's Wrong with Secretary Kim), returns to get her back.

💜 Your move Kdrama world! 💜

[katierosefun]

Hello :))) So, i was today years old when i learned you had a girlfriend (if i’m not mistaken) and somehow it means a lot to me as you’re one of my comfort blog and that i’ve been struggling with my own sexuality for a while. (I hope it does not come off as weird this is really not my intention 😭) So i was wondering if you would mind sharing how you two met as i love hearing about queer love stories coming from real people and not only in fiction (somehow i need to be reminded that yes, it can happen in real life too for me??) If and only if you’re comfortable doing so of course!!!

aww hi anon! first of all, thank you so much for the kind words--i'm so glad to hear that my blog is a source of comfort for you. and also, re: your sexuality--i'm sending you so much love! i know how scary and how overwhelming it can be to still be figuring out your sexuality and navigating your own queerness, so please remember to have some compassion for yourself, and please know that you're not alone.

as for my girlfriend: yes! i do in fact have one, and we've been together for a little over a year and a half now. we'll be going on two years pretty soon, which is all very exciting!

as for how we met: it's all a pretty funny story, because we actually met while we were both in college. and also right during that first covid summer too. we started off as long-distance friends, bonding our love for star wars and writing.

anyways, i totally had a crush on her, although i was trying to play it off most of the time. the fact that we lived in separate cities was another factor too, of course.

fast forward to a few years later, when we've both graduated college. i've just started my first year of law school; she's working at this point. we're still texting and calling each other a bit, and then i tell her, oh yeah, i'm going out on a date with this guy.

and just like something from a kdrama or a movie or something, this ridiculous, lovely woman texts me as i'm boarding the bus for my date. her text? hey, i dreamed about you last night! we were sitting on a park bench together and we were holding hands :)

and of course, at this point, i still have a disastrous crush on her (hence why i spent a lot of time dating all these random guys in my junior and senior year of college, because i was like i gotta just get over this), but anon, that text message was the other shoe dropping on my brain. i decided right then and there that enough is enough, i'm gonna call her tomorrow and tell her i like her, so she can't just say stuff like that anymore because i don't think i can take it anymore.

so we arrange to have a phone call the next day, and we chat, and of course, true to form, i have to have some liquid courage on me (peach soju, btw . . . but turns out, if you're jittery enough, you don't even feel the alcohol, because i still remember every detail). anyways, at some point, we're chatting, and then i blurt out, "i like you."

and she goes, "i like you too."

and i went, "no, i mean i like you more than a friend. as in i like you."

and she goes, "uh, yeah. i like you to do. the feeling's mutual."

and of course, i didn't know what to say to that. like, i swear i was just like "??? what?" because the thing is, i had this whole speech planned out in my head--something like i like you, and you don't like me like that, so i'm sorry that this is awkward, and i can just take care of my own feelings, but i just really needed to say that so that we're both on the same page--

so to say i was pretty stunned would be an understatement! so cue a lot of laughter and flustering, and fast forward to today, with her living with me for the summer (because of course, she'll need to go back to work and i'll have to go back to school once august hits), and we talk about how many pets we're going to have one day (she has this hobby of sending me videos of increasingly exotic animals and going "??? so can we have this as a pet? :)"), and we've talked about what our wedding is going to be like (as well as what our wedding will not be like) . . .

this is just a whole lot of details, but as you might be the first one to ask me about this lovely person on this webbed site, of course i'm going to ramble and gush--but anon, to give you some hope here, queer love is a beautiful thing and it certainly happens.

personally, i would love to go back in time and find my sad high school self and go "hey, hang in there, because you're gonna be lucky enough to finally fall in love with someone who's kind and warm and patient and loving, and she's going to encourage you to be a better person, and she's going to make friends with literally every single stranger on the street (much to your partial exasperation and partial wonder), and she's going to be really bad at staying hydrated, and she's going to take so many photographs of everything, and she's going to make friendship bracelets on your bed, and she's going to almost fight the secretary at a dentist's office for you (while you tug at her sleeve and go come on, i'm fine, let's just go), and she's going to recite and write poetry that you keep both on your walls and also in your head, and her grandma is going to show you the dorkiest photos she has of this silly, lovely, beautiful person who you love."

so: all that to say, anon, i hope that gave you some hope! it's such a long journey for some of us, but i promise that queer love is out there and healthily alive, and yeah, sometimes they're just as good (or even better) than those that you find in fiction :)

[jowrites]

Red string of Fate - Lee Heeseung Drabble

Heeseung examined the ring in his hand. How the small diamond laid so perfectly in its place between the beautiful silver, surrounded by smaller crystals. He knew he chose a perfect ring. She always told him when she got married she wanted a blue sapphire ring so he made sure to keep that in mind and wait for the wedding. This engagement ring was enough to solidify his loyalty and dedication to her.

He quickly placed the ring in his pocket and grabbed his string before walking down the hallway where he saw her sitting there in her nook reading. The sunlight was perfectly illuminating her as if she was glowing from its essence. She was too grossed into her book and didn’t even notice him come up and sit across from her. He cleared his throat and she snapped out of her imaginary world and looked up at him, smiling at him and placing her bookmark in her book and closing it. One thing he always loved was how attentive she was and how she always gave him her absolute attention. He always made sure to be just as detailed and give her just the amount of attention she deserves.

“So, I was reading up on something the other day and I’d like to share it with you,” He began to say, suddenly nervous with her eyes on him.

“What is it? I’m all ears,” She said, placing her book down and getting more comfortable in her chair by the window.

“You’ve heard of the red string of fate, right?” He asked.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty known belief,” she nodded. “Plus, I watch a lot of kdramas about it. What about it?”

“Well, I was really reading up on it the other day and how people are connected by these red strings, by their fingers or sometimes even chests like their hearts,” He explained and she nodded, listening. “Sometimes though, the string can get cut causing the people to fall out of love or stray from each other…”

He noticed the tears starting to form in her eyes and panic overcame him as he quickly leaned down on his knees in front of her. He grabbed her face gently in his hands as she began to let out quiet cries, her eyes opening and closing trying to blink away the tears.

“Is this your way of breaking up with me?” she asked, a small sob leaving her lips.

“No, no, baby,” He quickly denied. “Not at all. I’m just telling you something I found interesting, please don’t cry. Oh, my baby!”

He pulled her down to his neck, holding her close and giving her head a gentle kiss.

“I would never, so please don't think that. I’m sorry that’s where your mind went,” He said. 

She pulled away and nodded, her tears were now calming and she sniffled and gave him a small smile.

“Can I continue?” He asked and she nodded. “Okay, close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

She did as she was told, her lips trembling a little but obeying. Both her hands were slightly shaking and he grabbed his red string and began to wrap it around her ring finger.

“Now, when someone’s love is so strong, deep down the string has always been there connected to their loved one like fate,” he began to say. “And when their love blossoms into more, it gets deeper and deeper to where they take the next steps in life, together.”

Heeseung took out the ring and quickly placed it through the thread, letting it fall down between the middle of where he was holding it. He quickly did his best to tie the string around his finger so the two of them were connected through the thread with the ring dangling in the middle. 

“Do you know what that next step is in life? The one they take together?” He asked and she frowned a bit, shaking her head completely unaware of what he was getting at. “Open your eyes.”

She did as she was told, her eyes adjusting and staring at Heeseung in front of her. His gentle eyes and kind smile, filled with so much love and adoration towards her. It took her a while to realize, but as she looked at the thread she saw it. And her heart skipped a million beats and she gasped and covered her mouth. He knelt down in front of her again, his hand still in place to not disturb the placement of the ring. 

“We’ve been tied by this red string of fate forever. You are my best friend, my companion, my love, my whole world…you are my fate. I love you and will forever love you until the end of time, even in our next lives I will always find you because you are destined for me until the age of time. Please, do me the honor of being my wife?” He asked, holding the ring now as offering. 

Tears filled her eyes again and she nodded. Of course she would say yes. Heeseung was very confident, he knew how strong their love was and how much she loved him. He loved her just as much. He gently placed the ring on her finger, the string still tied between them and he didn’t care. She leaned down and captured his face in her hands and lips on his. She couldn’t describe her happiness.

“You scared me,” she said when she pulled away.

“It didn’t even cross my mind that’s where your mind would have gone, I wouldn’t have explained it that way if I knew. You always keep me on my toes,” He teased and she giggled in his arms.

“I love you, I love you!” She kissed his lips again, then again. “Heeseung, the ring is so pretty!”

She began to admire the jewel on her finger now, as he removed the strings and let them admire it together.

“You’ll get your blue sapphire too, just wait until we say ‘I do’” He said, kissing the top of her head. 

She jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and giggling in happiness.

“This is so exciting! That was the perfect proposal!” She exclaimed.

“Yeah? You liked that?” He asked.

“Heeseung, that was so thoughtful and intimate, it was perfect,” She said. “Oh my God! I have to tell my parents! AHHH! We’re getting married!”

“Yes, baby. And we’ll always be connected through our string of fate, for forever, and ever.”

[ohifonlyx33]

So so so much to love about Love Next Door.

Its a story about a boy falling in love with his best friend, it's a story about a girl fighting her struggles and finding her path in life, it's about families coming to heal and support each other, its about friendship, its about finding your own family when you've lost your own... it's about being open and honest, about giving and receiving love, about overcoming pride or shame and just letting people see the parts of you you want to hide so you can share your burdens.

The entire cast had so much chemistry as friends, family, and romantic partners. The drama, with a few notable exceptions, felt natural. The episode 8 plot twist especially revealed a darker layer I honestly wasn't expecting, but it added so much. I liked the main couple and the secondary couple both. The parents were all mostly interesting and fun (although probably at least a little bit on the abusive side). Even these kids cracked me up and stole the show...

But I do take a few issues with it.

It's just a little annoying because I know with a few small tweaks here and there these issues could be resolved.

One being the fact that it didn't know how to end, which is a common problem with a simple romance and family drama. I literally went "what wait that's it?? That's the end?" Because I thought there had to be at least 15 minutes left for SOMETHING. But no, they actually decided to go for the fast-forward time jump... but for what?

We don't even see the main couple get married. Which, I WOULD BE TOTALLY FINE WITH.... trust me, the wedding episodes often make me cringe. Except, why have the flash forward at all, if nothing happens *after* the flash forward?

We could have set up another small dramatic hurdle for the main couple instead in the last 2 or 3 episodes... (I personally would have gone with the "do you want kids?"/"yeah, I think that'd be nice... do you?"/"yeah maybe...but what if I can't have them because cancer is high risk?"/"then that's ok too" route then to flash forward to them at Kang Dan-ho and Jung Mo-Eum's wedding 1.5 years later, with a little baby girl. 🥺

It definitely feels like the only reason we didn't see either of the main couples get married was because they wanted to be "different" by leaving it open... and AGAIN... I am fine with avoiding all the slow, sappy, overly-the-top clichés and pacing pitfalls of the wedding episode. but tbh, the last episode was just as slow and clichéd as any "wedding episode" just without the main couple getting married.

Don't get me wrong I liked seeing Choi Seung-hyo's parents renew their vows... but it was not something I NEEDED to see.

Another thing is the balance in the main couple... occasionally it felt off.

Now overall, I did feel like the main couple were a great fit, well-balanced and suited for each other... truly I loved them most of the time... but I just wish we had seen more of how Bae Seok Ryu came to terms with her feelings for Choi Seung-hyo or seen from her POV how she avoided developing them as a kid, the same way we clearly saw Choi Seung-hyo pushing his feelings away.

We saw poor Choi Syeung-hyo agonize over his feelings for about a dozen episodes and then struggle waiting for Bae Seok Ryu... but then we spent so long learning about how Bae Seok Ryu and her ex-fiance were actually a decent, happy couple... and the show refused to show more than 2 minutes of why they broke up or fell out of love. They easily could have had a QoT style Kdrama of their own about how they get back together, etc.

at least with Choi Seung-hyo's ex gf, we saw that they both moved on pretty easily without much attachment because really they were never that serious or special... it had been a while and they were both over it too. But with her ex-fiance, it was still a recent break up of an otherwise-strong relationship. So it seemed like they could have done more to convince us they had enough reasons to break up... like IDK when she stopped loving her ex and started loving Choi Seung-hyo because it's rushed and unclear what she is feeling... I also did not like that her ex pointed out that it looked like she'd already found someone when she herself had not come to that conclusion with any certainty.

I guess I just feel like all her thoughts and feelings about Choi Seung-Hyo were often hidden. Maybe to make the viewer feel suspense... but even after they got together, it felt like he told her how he felt and she avoided it. Then a few petty fights and a talk or two later she just agreed that she did like him after he convinced her... and when she ran to find him, even then—still—HE kissed her. And she's left to mutter about banana milk.

She does show her love for him later, and expresses it clearly. But even later, he proposes on a whim, before anyone even knows they're dating, and she rejects his proposal... and then immediately caves in after he convinces her... the whole timing does feel off. But it also just feels like we see the relationship more from his perspective than hers.

Like the romance is HIS plot line and the cancer is hers.

Then there's the brother... he didn't do much, his plot went nowhere, and I really only liked the scenes that brought out the contrast between his failures and Bae Seok Ryu's successes....

Then there's the way they set up Jung Mo-Eum and Kang Dan-Ho... it was a little forced, especially with her immediate (and a little bit creepy) interest in Yeon-Du and the whole "Mudflat Man" which was maybe taken a little too far. But I loved their family dynamic and their chemistry.. Just felt like their love story was a little underdeveloped... And really sending Jung Mo-Eum off to Antarctica for a year, right after they stared dating, and not even seeing her reunite with Dan Ho was not my favorite.

[dramashii]

Let us now begin the wedding ceremony of Jang Uk and Cho Yeong.

Yeong and Uk. Your name means “light”. And your name means “shadow”. Light and Shadow. It may be that you two were fated to meet from the start. 

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Characters Voice Our Frustrations

March 2023 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Bed Friend (Sat YT, GaGa & iQIYI uncut) ep 4 of 8 - I love these two so much. King is so utterly in love with this boy. I like that this is one of the first BLs I’ve ever seen where sex is depicted as a coping mechanism. Is it healthy? No..ooo..? But it is different. It is phenomenal to see King depicted as sensitive enough to realize that something is wrong with Uea, despite his desire. (FYI all the triggers on this show forever, I’m gonna stop naming them now) 

A Boss and a Babe (Fri YouTube) ep 2 of 12 - The flirting is cute. The stalking is not. There’s a Kdrama tone to this pair’s dynamic. I don’t know why I feel that way, I just do. I mind it less this week than I did last week. Cher is a funny, kindly chatterbox and a FIERCE flirt. But not a tease, as it turns out. His poor boss does not stand a chance. Interesting pacing, this is awfully early for a kiss in a Thai BL. I like GMMTV doing these generational discussions around gayness and society, even if this version is more on the nose than Moonlight Chicken.  

The Promise (Thai WeTV & YT) ep 2 of 10 - I’m still enjoying it but I want there to be a good reason for parting with no contact for 10 YEARS, but I do not trust Thai narratives to satisfy in this regard. A drunk kiss is NOT a good enough reason. Oh HI BOSS! (What’s Zabb Man) you so pretty, I like the earrings. 

Tin Tam Jai (Tues Gaga & iQIYI) ep 2 of 12 - Oo. There’s only one bed trope. Also queer over achiever expectations. I’ve only seen DBK address this one. Well done little pulp. The tsundere seme admitting that baby boi was his security blanket was so flipping cute. But this show is leaning into taboo stepbrother stuff. So if that wigs you out, avoid. I, however, am enjoying it. Queer fam and local neighborhood kid dynamic is cute. This is more slice of life than drama, not much is happening, but I’m okay with it. 

Pastsenger (Thai Weds Gaga) 1 of 12 eps- Stars Marc (My Gear & Your Gown) and Cooper (My Engineer) in a time travel paranormal that smacks of HIStory 5. Sunshine 90s kid travels to 2022, goes to university, encounters grumpy nerd. I cannot STAND the music. Pratfall... into intentional kiss? That’s new. Of course it’s a dream. I like the 90s mentality and language rep, but I’m not sold on the show. 

Chains of Heart (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 10 - I guess we got the backstory? Did it explain stuff? Sort of. This is still a pretty incomprehensible show. And then a random cute (+ ALL the BL tropes) date, and then “but actually I am still in love with my dead lover.” I’m so confused by characters, plot, pacing... everything. 

Our Winter (Thai & Korea YT & TikTok under ThaiMiniSeries) eps 10-11 of 14 - they remain as TutorYimmy in the snow as they are out of it. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dating Sim (Korea Thurs Viki) eps 1-2 of 8 - THIS SHOW IS GOING TO RUIN MY LIFE IT’S SO GOOD. Reunion romance featuring popular smart boy + shy art queer. It’s ridiculously adorable. What do I do? It’s SO CUTE. 

All the Liquors (Korea Thurs Gaga & Viki) eps 3-4 of 8 - I like the shy chef with the crush, but I wish we knew why he doesn’t want to sell booze. 

Jack o’Frost (Japan Fri GaGa) ep 4 of 6 - Jealousy + manic pixie dream boy + pregnant pauses + great acting = Japan doing its thing. 

It’s Airing But ...

Love Syndrome (Thai Sat WeTV) ep 2 of 10 - I’m just not into any aspect of it (except fucking Lee Long Shi and I can watch him in Tin Tem Jai) saving to binge if the ending is okay. 

Blue Sky Complex (Japan ???) 5 eps for VR - Kei Ichikawa's manga is getting a JBL adaptation. Weird distribution though, it started Feb 27 sequentially on 360 Channel (SHOCHIKUch) a VR video distribution service. Will inter-fans ever get to see this, and if it’s filmed for VR will it adapt without being overly dark and fuzzy? I have questions. But as usual, you do you Japan and we will wait (im)patiently to see if you remember the rest of the world exists. This is my preferred kind of live action yaoi, so fingers crossed:

Boyband (Thai) ep 2 of 10 - Stopped airing on YouTube, and only available in Thailand & Japan. Not sure if they’re working a distribution deal or just fucking with us.

Cafe In Love (Thai ???) 10 eps on Ch3+ - Thai pulp, about trying to save a coffee shop. FairyGodBLer came through for me, but I’m collecting to binge just in case. It’s my new policy with the grey stuff.

Destiny Seeker (Tues WeTV Thailand) 10 eps - it’s not on any WeTV I can get ahold of. Bad Buddy the pulp rebirth meets Japanese handsome host club action. Same as above.

Heesu In Class 2 (Korea Thurs unknown, I check Viki Gaga iQIYI & WeTV nada) - A gay(er) version of Sex Education. I’m still not sure this one is actually happening.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Tomorrow: Future (Thai Sun YouTube & Gaga?) 5 eps - Based on a y-novel by Faddest (En of Love - yeah I didn’t know that was based on a novel, either). About, you guessed it, an engineering student and a dentist. Maybe this will be the FOTS we were all hoping for? Fuse (the engineering student) is played by Boom from the En of Love and is kinda the same character (Field). I think we can expect this one to be soft, it’s from the 21 Day Theory people. (maybe March 19 international)

3/14 A Shoulder to Cry On (Korea Tues Viki & Gaga) 7 eps (?) - Adaptation of Dongmul's manwha, high school set, features a teasing confident gay, and a rich/poor pairing, about homophobia/gossip putting a scholarship in jeopardy. Star idols Jaehan & Yechan BOTH from OMEGA X, a first for the industry.

3/17 Unintentional Love Story (Korea Fri iQIYI) 8 eps? - Ji Won Young is intent on winning over the heart of Yoon Tae Joon as he's the boss's favorite artist. Stars idol Gongchan (maknae of B1A4).

Full list of upcoming in March 2023 is here.

2023 forthcoming BL master post. (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

The Department of You Said It For Us:

You speak for ALL OF US honey. (Am I the only who keeps seeing KarnNut in these roles?) The Promise 

I’d put in the gif but the giffmaking children of tumblr are sadly lacking in the unfettered genius that is Grosse Pointe Blank. 

Chains of Heart reviewing itself. 

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

GMMTV continues its 2023 Apology Tour. (Boss & Babe) 

King (Bed Friend) might be stealing Consent King title from Win. 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? Hidden Side from HWANG MIN HYUN (aka Minhyun of Nu’est & Wanna One RIP) - with few exceptions I’m not usually into the visual, but this is a terribly catchy song. And the poor thing has been awfully unlucky with his groups, maybe his solo and acting career will take off? 

[myechoecho]

First two episodes on Wedding Impossible and I am slightly mixed on it, though generally I do like it

I love the set up. We have a gay male lead who is entering into a contract marriage with his best friend. There are so few LGBTQ+ characters in kdramas and unless it is a BL drama, they are essentially never the lead. I genuinely like Do Han, and feel bad that he has to live closeted. I also really like his friendship with A Jeong, even if I do question how he kept his family a secret from her. Though as he said he has his reasons so I hope we hear about them. I just want him to be happy and free to live his life.

I also like A Jeong. She's a bit of chaotic mess, but I do like her. She's a pretty good friend, even if she messed up a bit with Do Han and the meeting with the grandfather. But then again, she was not really running on all the information.

Then we get to Ji Han. This boy is also a chaotic mess (though he would deny it) with trauma issues and a side of asshole. He doesn't feel he has a place so he's had to make one. He blames himself for his parent's death. He's not malicious, but he's so focused he's blinded to every thing else. I do think he wants Do Han to be happy, but at the same time he's ignoring what Do Han wants. Do Han says he does not want the company or to get married because the does not love Chae Won but Ji Han is just not paying attention and bulldozing his way forward. He's weirdly like the older brother or parent. He wants his grandfather to acknowledge him, and he's trying to do it through Do Han. He's gonna need some growth.

So yeah, I definitely cheered when A Jeong punched him. He deserved it, and she put him in his place. Again, I don't think he did it totally out of maliciousness, but he was so narrow in his focus that he didn't really consider A Jeong. Why would she be happy at the opportunity when it wasn't genuine and it came at the expense of another young actress? Especially when she has been working so hard for her own break for years? He doesn't know her. However, I do think he also feels guilty about it. He knows he did her wrong - and I think he understood what she meant when she said he made her hate herself because I have a feeling he hates himself.

But he clearly had no idea how far wrong he went because she's now agreeing to marry Do Han. I also cheered for her there, lol.

So we have gay male lead, fake marriage, enemies to lovers and a noona romance. Honestly, it is fairly promising.

[kdramaxoxo]

personally i tried wedding impossible but it just wasn’t for me! sure its cute but i was satisfied just watching in gifs … drama of the year? mmmm idk we have a LOT of good dramas lined up this year. queen of tears now?? now THAT is what i’d consider being drama of the year!

I must be in the biggest kdrama slump ever cause I ALSO am behind on Queen of Tears which is wild cause I LOOOOVE Kim Ji Won so much. What is wrong with meeee?

I AM watching Killer paradox which I have mixed feelings about but since another person is watching it with me I'll keep at it.

You 100% did not ask me anon, but:

I literally cannot WAIT for the time slip drama Lovely Runner featuring the incredible bestest girl Kim Hye Hoon (extraordinary you) and super pretty Byeon Woo Seok. I've been waiting so long for a drama that can be my new obsession!

[autisticempathydaemon]

Ohmygod I love matchups

What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why?

Too sweet by Hozier ofc ofcm I looove Hozier and the way he sings about relationships 😭 Im like not fixated on a specific lyric, I'm fixated on the wedding bells in the background of the chorus

What is your Enneagram type?

Okay it has been a FUCKTON of time since I looked at that stuff but iirc it was 2? Me being an infp is literally the only thing I can consistently remember bc ADHD brain

Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why?

YESS I listen to them whenever I'm playing Sims or working on something. Any of Jenny Nicholson or Li Speaks’ videos are common for that Nostalgic Essay Stuff. SPECIFICALLY Jenny Nicholson’s jeff the killer fanfiction book video because I OWNED THAT BOOK. I WROTE CREEPYPASTA FANFICTION AND I OWNED THAT BOOK

Tell me about your childhood imaginary friend.

I did not have one and I pretended to because everyone else did and I felt weird for not having one

What is your go-to way to fall asleep?

Imagining being loved and cared for 😭 or whumpy fanfiction scenarios no in-between. But they usually overlap

If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?)

I named myself after a character cause I relate ofc but I also named myself echo because it was another birth name in consideration for me and it feels like… whimsical

What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why?

ITS STILL “FLIRTY VAMPIRE LOSES CONTROL” BECAUSE IM OBSESSED WITH SCENES WHERE THE HUMAN PARTNER OF A “MONSTER” CHARACTER IS DIRECTLY CONFRONTED WITH THEIR MONSTROUS TRAITS AND LOVES THEM ANYWAY.

What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.)

Gavin </3 I am simply not a sexual person and it puts me off a bit lol

Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to.

This spectacular show called dramaworld about a girl whos obsessed with kdramas and gets sucked into the world of them, but not in a “the events are real” way, in a “the entire world is a setup for the same characters to go through various plots, forgetting and falling in love over and over again” and it's hilarious and it's such a comfort show even though I can't watch it anywhere anymore I don't think. The main romance is top tier. It's so funny. And the stakes and plot twists are actually pretty good

Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend?

Probably Sam? I want him to be my dad. I have issues.

Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.)

Apparently when I'm half asleep I start talking about horses? But when I'm still conscious, I mostly talk about like. Vampires mostly.

Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo.

doritos dinamita and mountain dew yes I am basic

Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment.

I don't have favorite playlists so much as I play 4-6 songs over and over on repeat until I'm sick of them. Currently, those songs are too sweet by Hozier, no more birthdays by sophie may, and Every Chappelle Roan Song.

What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why?

I love bad romance novels the more ridiculous and bad, the better. kresley cole's immortals after dark are fun to make fun of (no. Hate if you like them)

And whatever else you think tells me about who you are!

Uhhh my favorite form of interaction is parallel play. irl or digital, in a digital sense it means “we're liveblogging two separate things we're doing at the same time” lmao

- Asher-Echo/vampire-bite

Ooh, there’s a lot of good info to consider here. Initially, it was hard because I find Type Two’s easily compatible with most of the Redacted bois, but what said about “not being a sexual person” made it easy to choose Ollie for you.

Because he has never and will never get a BA, I love to headcanon Ollie as either asexual, low-libido, or both, so that’s one reason I think he’d be a good match for you. I also love that y’all would like so many of the same things like open-world games, bad/silly romance novels, and spending time with one another without the pressure to actively interact or engage with each other. (Also creepypastas. I love to headcanon Ollie as a horror, creepypasta fiend, given he grew up on the internet around when Jeff the Killer came to be.)

Every day with Ollie would be so comfortable and domestic, so sweet. Like, on a long weekend like this one if you’re American, I can see y’all spending it at home, a little staycation. He’d be in the other room or one end of the couch reading, and you’d be on the other reading one of your romance novels. Cattywumpus would be on your lap, because you’re his favorite. Your music is playing in the background, and you both stop what you’re doing to dance to “Hot to Go!”, because Ollie would totes love Chappell Roan.

Song:

Spillin' wine and homemade drinks/ We throw a cheers, the worries sink/ Damnit, it's so good to be alive/ We know that we don't got much/ But, then again, it's just enough/ To always find a way for a good time

Ollie strikes me as the type of guy who loves simple, feel-good, folk-esque music, someone being honest and emotional with a guitar. That’s one reason I like this song for y’all and can imagine it shuffled with yours as y’all hang out. The other is that this love song is sweet, catchy, simple just like Ollie~

Runner-ups:

Your love of the Sims and cheesy paranormal romance novels compels me to give you Elliott as a runner-up, because he could bring the things you read and create to life in your dreams, and that’d be so fun! In contrast, your Enneagram type and identifying yourself as nonsexual makes me want to pair you with Cam who gives me an asexual, easily affectionate vibe.

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle]

2023 Year in Review

In celebration of the coming New Year, I decided to do a re-watch of every drama I gave 3 or more stars in 2023. Only 15 made the cut, which given the number of dramas I watched (I started well over 200, although I dropped at least a third of those) is not that many.

(My rating system is pretty simple: 1 ⭐ = terrible/don't recommend/waste of time, 2 ⭐⭐ = pretty good/enjoyable/would recommend to others but probably never re-watch, 3 ⭐⭐⭐ = good/likely to re-watch, 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ = practically perfect/would re-watch frequently. As you can see, it's more about what I personally enjoy than what's objectively great. So some objectively good shows aren't on this list, like La Pluie or Wedding Plan or Our Dating Sim or Doctor Cha or King the Land or Call it Love, because they got a lower score from me because I'm not that likely to ever re-watch them even though I'm glad I watched them and I'll happily recommend them to others. Of course, my ratings are subject to change over time too because I often surprise myself with what I re-watch. Some shows that I originally gave 2.5 stars have eeked out 3.5 stars over the following year or two just because they grew on me and I kept re-watching them.)

As such, my plan to ring in the New Year is to re-watch:

Lost/Human Disqualification - ⭐⭐⭐/⭐ - (IQIYI/Amazon Prime, kdrama, slice of life, healing journey, slight romance, a 42yo woman pushed to the breaking point by life crosses paths with a 27yo man who is mourning the loss of his friend, outstanding dialog, killer A+ acting, tw: infidelity, miscarriage, and suicide BUT DON'T LET THAT SCARE YOU AWAY)

Hit The Spot ⭐⭐⭐ (Viki, kdrama, romcom, 2 women begin hosting a sex advice podcast, funny, sex positive education, extraordinarily relatable, high heat, 8 30min eps)

The Glory ⭐⭐⭐/⭐ (Netflix, kdrama, 36yo woman patiently takes revenge on her childhood bullies, slight romance, incredible dialog, A+ acting, excellent pacing and powerful reveals, tw: the highschool bullies are evil little sociopaths who do some extremely horrific shit)

The Eighth Sense ⭐⭐⭐/⭐ (Viki, gay romance, kdrama, incoming freshman who is a rural-transplant to Seoul meets exiting senior and joins his surf club, gorgeous production, healing past trauma, A+ acting and insanely believable physical chemistry, good OST)

Love Tractor ⭐⭐⭐ (IQIYI, gay, short kbl, big city law student with musical ambitions hides from his responsibilities in the countryside and meets a younger himbo farmer with a heart of gold)

Sing My Crush ⭐⭐⭐/⭐ (IQIYI, kBL, a talented but heartbroken young man is about to give up on his musical dreams when he is adopted by an eager wannabe manager, best friends to lovers, cohabitation, pining, good plot and chemistry)

Moonlight Chicken ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (YouTube, Thai, gay romance + BL, one night stand between a struggling chicken diner owner and a recently promoted office worker turns into more, HS student and lonely deaf boy become the cutest couple to ever cute, A+ writing and acting, themes of: found family, making a home, love matters even when it doesn't end well, class inequality, queer generational divides, letting go of the past, a radically compassionate look at first love, last love, lost love, and unrequited love)

Bed Friend ⭐⭐⭐ (IQIYI, Thai, gay office romance, enemies to FWB to lovers, healing past trauma done right, ridiculously pretty leads, consent kings, high heat, A+ lead chemistry and acting, soft landing in the final 2 eps, tw: sexual assault)

My School President ⭐⭐⭐/⭐ (Viki, Thai, BL, high school boys singing their feelings [well!], wholesome, gentle, sweet and funny, A+ production values, peak low-heat BL with well-executed tropes)

Be My Favorite ⭐⭐⭐ (Youtube, Thai, BL, repressed and fearful boy travels back in time to his college days to woo his crush and falls in love with his supposed rival instead, themes: living each moment to the fullest so you won't have regrets, kindness as a catalyst for character growth and positive change, bravery in the face of uncertainty, telling people you love them can only be a good thing)

Laws of Attraction ⭐⭐⭐ (IQIYI, Thai, gay, mystery/romance lakorn, evil unhinged babygirl lawyer and the heroic idealistic taekwondo instructor who falls for him work together to solve the mystery of his niece's death, loveable granny, A+ lesbians, happy endings all around, great acting and lead chemistry)

Jack O'Frost ⭐⭐⭐ (Viki, Japan, gay, amnesiac young man and his co-habitating ex begin their relationship again, short 6 ep, A+ acting, excellent production values)

Hold my Hand at Twilight ⭐⭐⭐ (Viki, jdrama, twenty-something city mouse meets country mouse and they begin the journey towards making their dreams come true, cohabitation, warm-hearted, angsty 3rd act, A+ acting, excellent banter, post-credit epilogue)

Kiseki: Dear to Me ⭐⭐⭐ (Viki, Taiwan, gay, hardworking med student falls for the gang member he secretly treats, insane plot includes time skip and amnesia [2 tropes I usually hate, but actually done well in this case and not annoying], domesticity, cohabitation, hurt/comfort, friends to lovers, short total runtime)

Fake It Till You Make It ⭐⭐⭐/⭐ (Viki, China, romance, 🔥 lead chemistry, snappy banter, disarmingly honest and vulnerable leads, this couple wants to eat each other for dinner AND dessert but constantly chooses not to because of other life priorities and fears, friends with killer UST to lovers who communicate shockingly well, all the characters feel like real people instead of caricatures)

[lavandaea]

BEGONIA WARNING I REPEAT BEGONIA WARNING.

The flowers that Seok Hoon gave to Do Hee are Begonias and I have some shits to say about it. Adding the fact that flowers are not in kdramas just to look pretty.

Begonias can mean gratitude for something, uniqueness and individuality, and justice and peace. But among those beautiful meanings there are others that interest us.

Warning about misfortune: Begonia flowers can be used to warn someone about dangers that are about to occur.

What was what the lady said?

"Good time are always excruciatingly short" 😐

And whatever the crazy family is plotting against her. It can't be her death. That's already a knowing threat so it wouldn't have such an impact for both on viewers and her. It has to be something more nastier and evil like them. They were talking about it before and on the wedding table. I'm just sure it's a separate thing from the guy trying to kill her and his boss.

You can also give the Begonia flower to someone who has been injured or suffered some type of accident.

Like waking up hanging off your balcony.

Be cautious: Begonias can also be given to someone who is taking a trip or planning some type of potentially dangerous activity.

Like solving a murder, catching a culprit, casually existing while all your "family" wants you underground, you know, the usual.

Dark thoughts: Begonias are also related to dark thoughts. This symbolism comes from the fact that begonias are also linked to warning signs and caution. In any case, they are not surrounded by very positive energy, at least in some cultures.

👍.

That was all I needed to know. Seok Hoon, the language of flowers never lies, go to the police and do some confessions. You seem like you need it.

Why would he do it, tho?

Why would he be trying to kill Do Hee?

Did he really kill Miss Ju?

The family is already on something by themselves. And if he wants to kill her, it would only benefit the older of the family. Not him. And this kind of villain does not fit in the sidekick position.

•So, he is not looking after the president's position.

•He doesn't need money. He has a good financial position being so young as we see in the newspaper Gu won was reading.

BUT

If he did kill Miss Ju and she is looking after the culprit it would make sense he sent someone after her while at the same time he could be right beside her, with her trust on him, to know if she is getting closer or further.

Still that doesn't solve the main question.

Why would he kill his aunt?

As I said, he doesn't seem to need or want the power that would come with the president's position. And that's the main reason why all her family waited for her death.

To create caos? To distract everyone while he does his own thing?

I don't know.

I need to know.

And Fridays are suddenly so far away every week that is actually killing me.

[dangermousie]

Welcome to the Circle of Love ep 1, better titled as Warlord Amnesia BDSM aka thank you for the present, youku!

Youku once again proves that its short dramas are where it’s at. I will be very sad once the censors inevitably wake up to the craziness going on in short dramas but until that day, welcome to Republican warlords the way they should be done - violent and sex having! Ep 1 packs a lot in its short 11 minute runtime. And not an innocent ingenue or wholesome male lead in sight!

We open on a woman in a bridal outfit who is having a very hot wedding night but not the way she imagined.

Our poor heroine has just seen her whole family, including dad, massacred and flambeed. 

I especially appreciate the shot of the pocket watch she drops because nobody will convince me it’s not a little nod to Too Late to Say I Love You, the last time a proper length cdrama had an appropriately unhinged and murderous warlord ML.

Anyway, two years later, meet our scrumptious ML aka Warlord McWhorington. He is known for three things (a) murdering heroine’s family aka richest family in wherever and thus earning bigwig’s approbation (b) sleeping his way to the top by banging bigwig’s daughter (no, the gossipers make it explicit he earned his rank in bed. They are wrong, it’s clearly bed and murder) and (c ) being a violent sexy headcase.

He is there to chill with his girlfriend/sugar mama (who is rocking the possessive unhinged secondary girl vibe like a 2002 kdrama secondary girl, I am all for it!) but his attention is drawn by a pretty, masked singer. By his girlfriend’s reaction, not the first time either. Do they have oats in China? Because that man is clearly sowing his.

Anyway, everyone dances and the singer deliberately swaps partners to dance with sexy warlord. His gun IS big and very hard after all.

Bwahaha secondary girl, same!

Masked dancer lady makes small chitchat like asking him if he prefers to bury his enemies’ bodies whole or chopped into pieces and what he likes to do with his women. “If she is an enemy, make her submit” replies the hero in case we didn’t get before what kind of kink we are catering to here!

Then he gropes her in public! But it’s OK, everything nothing pervy, because he’s just disarming her from the gun and knife she somehow hid under her slinky clothes. Ooooh boy, pls censors, don’t come for short dramas for years, I need my unwholesome fun. 

There is clearly no covid social distancing in the 1930s.

It’s OK, she steals the gun back and prepares to end him with the cliche but pithy “go to hell.”

Unfortunately for her but fortunately for this not becoming the world’s shortest drama, he’s removed the bullets. Oops.

“Chivalry is dead,” quoth the warlord as he knocks her out.

The mask is removed and shocker!!! It’s the wedding dress lady from the opening/the surviving daughter of family warlord offed. How he could not tell it was her with the few little beads covering her face is beyond me. I know he’s around weapons a lot but gun noises damage hearing not eyesight.

We go back to the opening scene or shortly after, during which we see her confront him after the flaming hot wedding night and he informs her that yes he offed her fam but fair is fair, his fam murdered 10 people in his, made his father starve to death and made him watch his mother be raped and then commit suicide. I’d say “otherwise known as Thursday in cdramaland,” but let’s face it, this hasn’t been a thing in proper length cdramas in a decade and I feel like someone who’s been seeking the grail of dogblood melo for so long and finally found a whole store’s worth of said grails.

I used you to get close to your family explains the hero, and poor heroine, born too early for Goodbye My Princess to exist, is stunned. 

She attempts to murder him (as one does), misses him and falls into the water and as she’s getting soaked and rinsed, we get a flashback in a flashback (flashback squared?) to their happy times.

Now we are back in the present and she wakes up chained in his room. There are worse fates tbh.

And then, in a twist that surprises utterly nobody, she goes “who are you?” because the Lord is kind and good to me and has time-traveled this drama to 2005 and we have AMNESIA!!!!!

Anyway, ep ends and I am hooked hooked hooked! This is like someone putting every Fei Wo Si Cun novel into a blender, and I cannot resist. Take a bit of Goodbye My Princess, stir in a large portion of Too Late to Say I Love You and some Siege in Fog; from previews later even a touch of Sealed with a Kiss. And we are ready!

I approve of all these people being dark and unhinged and murderhappy and not wholesome role models proper dramas keep giving us. I approve of the hero looking hot AND like he eats. I approve of the heroine being all about slaughter. Etc. 

This is not as cracktastic as Maid’s Revenge - after all ML’s clothes stayed completely on the whole ep, and not as good as A Familiar Stranger or as atmospheric as Provoke but it further cements my feeling that short dramas are where it’s at for me.

PS ML of Too Late to Say I Love You says hi!