#shocking stuff from a kdrama

[winepresswrath]

I'm posting my way through my feelings but while there are many aspects of this relationship that don't quite work for me I do really appreciate Lee Yeon's exhaustion in the face of a kid who grew up to be both very miserable on a personal level and cause a great deal of harm to other people. It's crunchy! His guilt over the part he played a part in who Lee Rang grew into paired with his frustration over Lee Rang's commitment to sucking and grief at the loss of the kid he knew is really fun for me personally. I like that he is honestly a bit of an asshole about it. But also, babe? have you considered literally any other approach to dealing with your fuckup little brother, because you've decided you don't want him to die, so maybe aim for a best case scenario involving him being alive? Stabbing him and leaving him bleeding out on the side of the road didn't work, and mostly ignoring him with occasional lectures about his drinking didn't work, so perhaps you could try talking to him about the context of what happened between you or- nope, we're going with telling him you're done with him forever and regret saving him that time his mom tried to have him eaten by zombies when he was a small child, then resorting to something approximating a pep talk when he's decided to die. OK. Well, much like his mother, you did not actually want to be a parent, and unlike her, you do not actively want him dead. stay winning king.

i'm enjoying tale of the nine tailed but someone has to tell the men in Lee Yeon's life to spend less time thinking about him and more time thinking about Yu-ri, who is perfect.

[reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeko]

VDC movie night

what the VDC boys would chose to watch for movie night❤️

(can be seen as Romantic or Platonic)

{{Art by @moriko_twst on Twitter}}

Ace would probably pick a horror movie be so fr.

Like he’s talking such a big game about how he’s not gonna get scared and how Deuce and Yuu are scaredy cats.

Everyone is done with his bullshit but they let him pick.

The second the movie comes on he’s grabbing onto Yuu for dear life.

still talkin that “No I’m not scared, I ain’t scared of nothin!”

Que everyone being done with his bullshit x2.

Deuce isn’t even that scared of it!

“Ace it’s the Shinning, it’s not even scary like that-“

”OH MY GOD WHY ARE THERE TWINS-“

Rook finds it hilarious.

Ace ends up having to sleep in Deuce’s room that night cuz of how scared he was.

Deuce on the other hand, picks something sad.

like Baely, The Outsiders, Isle of Dogs, etc.

Like chat I’m telling you he’s putting on sad movies and crying, then calling him mom and saying ‘I love you’ to her after like come on.

Like he’s there, holding Grim in tears and everyone is there like ‘really?’

hard to believe he used to be a gangster sometimes😭

100% crying while everyone kinda looks at him like 😐.

he just has a lot of feelings man :(

Epel picks “manly” and action movies.

Like he’ll have fast and furious on and force you to sit and watch it.😭

AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR NIGHTS AT RAMSHACKLE WITH JACK AND DEUCE GO CRAZY.

Vil looks genuinely upset with Epel’s choices but says nothing and begrudgingly watches.

Epel and Deuce yap the entire movie about cars and every time someone mentions changing the movie he gets upset.

”It’s mah turn to pick the movie! Buzz off!”

Vil is once again upset, free Epel😔.

he turns to Yuu and talks about the different cars and models used in the movies,

and how if HE were in the movie, you’d be so protected cause he’s a manly man and stuff.

He also really likes the Barbie movies just don’t say anything about it.

his favorite is the three musketeers and the Pegasus one.

Kalim loves Disney movies (ironic isn’t it)

He fucks so hard to Cinderella like don’t argue with me.

he enjoys a lot of different genres and Disney obviously isn’t the only one he watches.

He’d really enjoy older movies like the Sound of Music and Titanic.

But he 100% talks throughout them.

plus they’re super long, he’s not sitting there for all that.

he ends up getting distracted mid movie and drags Yuu to go bake cookies for The others with him.

Jamil is watching you two more than the movie. (pls free him)

speaking of Jamil, he’s watching Novelas.

DONT ARGUE WITH ME IM HARD OF HEARING FOR A REASON.

He can and WILL sit there, eyes on the screen, popcorn falling from his mouth.

hes watching ever single type.

kdramas, novelas, Indian serials, etc.

he gets so invested, and so does Kalim.

his head on on Yuu’s lap, them braiding his hair while he gasps in actual shock.

”It was his brother’s baby?! She cheated with his brother?!” -Jamil probably.

hes just stressed and the novelas help him relax, someone pls give him a massage he needs it.

Rook, my dear sweet stalker. Has horro movies on.

but the ones that romanticize the killers, yk?

like bro is sitting there, Jeffery Dahmer on screen, and yapping about how romantic it is.

Jkjk

but he definitely finds movies like The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Maze Runner.

the thrill of the hunt my ass🙄

He really enjoys the Saw movies too,

he likes to try and undsrtdtand the reasoning and Drive behind what killers do.

which is why he likes horror movies so much.

He has Yuu in his arms, cuddled into him as he coos at their horrified face.

Vil finds it kinda nasty but he vibes 🤷🏽

Speaking of Vil, he normally puts on either movies he’s stared in, or movies that inspires him.

*Que a collection of groans from everyone except Kalim and Rook.*

He really wants Yuu to pay attention, he genuinely feels proud of himself in (a good sum) of the movies and wants them to carry that confidence too!

He’ll explain things they don’t understand, patient until they grasp the concept.

lets Yuu lean on him while they watch, he thinks it’s cute. ☺️

SKIN CARE AND FACE MASKS WHILE YOU WATCH DONT FIGHT ME

Has you in a face mask and doing skin care while Yuu watch.

His potato needs to look good in order to feel good after all.

[theheightofdishonor]

GL Recs Masterlist

I've watched a couple hundred gls now and so I thought i'd put it to good use and help other people find some. There's not enough gl rec lists anyway

First things first, I'll like to direct you to https://mydramalist.com/list/1xrpwdW3 which is a gl rec list on mdl with more than 200+ titles + links. It's an EXCELLENT resource, kept up to date and even tracks upcoming titles.

Now for stuff that I've watched and thought are decent. I'll link all of these to their mdl page and the links to watch the show can usually be found in the comments. If you're new to gl, be warned that a lot of these are pretty short, ranging from 1-30 minutes.

1 in 10,000 (2018) Korea. This is a soulmates piece told in 3 parts following two girls through different parts of their lives. I think this got more confusing as it went on but I really liked Act I and I think it's worth watching. It's beautiful and angsty and a bit artsy. I'm pretty sure it has a happy ending but don't quote me on that.

Afraid of (2019) Korea. A short film about a girl struggling with her sexuality. Yeah, I know, there's a THOUSAND of these but I do like this one. It's beautifully shot and there's a lot of heart.

Am I the only one with butterflies? (2018) Korea. A girl blogs about falling in love with the manager at her new job. I like part ii better than part one but it's just cute and the pining is very similar to het kdramas.

Anonymous high school girl (2022) Korea. A low stakes love triangle. Good chemistry, low budget, awful kisses.

The Beauty of the Law (2023) China- If you're not familar with chinese gls, I think it's certainly something to get used to. This is like in the top 1% of the category. It's an ad for Adolph Shampoo and i'm going to let you know that they're going to appear often on this list because they make excellent gls. It's a historical about a female unlicensed lawyer trying to help a woman escape her abusive marriage. Makes great points about gender imbalances and women's historical lack of legal rights in China. (f you like this one, Sheng Wei, one of the actresses stars in 50%+ of all chinese gls, check her out)

Beguine (2018) Thailand - It's if the school dancing scene in My School President was a 30 minute sequence with two girls. No plot but adorable.

Cat in the eastern palace (2020) China - Watch this just to have the surreal experience of seeing like 3 whole cdrama arcs which normally take 20ish eps executed in a 7 minute timeframe. Also because it stars laoji who's in the other 50% of chinese gls. As for plot, it's about a cat spirit and a girl pretending to be the crown prince.

Clasper (2021) Thailand - And they were roommates! I liked the production, the dialogue and the acting was pretty decent.

Couple of Mirrors*** (2021) China- Wait to watch this because it will ruin you for everything else. This is like typical thai bl length, like 12 45~min episodes. It's a historical mystery about a wealthy woman who finds out about her husband's affair with her bff and the photographer she enlists to help her. If you watch one thing out of China, watch this.

Dear My Girlfriend (2021) Korea - A group project ft love triangle. It´s pretty classic. A girl starts dating someone who likes her only to realize she might instead be in love with her best friend. The editing is cute. It's a touch angsty as love triangles are and pretty well done.

Dear Uranus (2021) Taiwan. Another school love triangle. Does feature an adorkable female character, you know a bit awkward, a bit cutesy, if you hate this archetype, ignore this one. Personally I think the chemistry for the lead couple was lacking (genuinely shocking considering taiwan tends to be great at this) but both the love interests are hot and I am not immune to hot women

The Demonic lord and the virtuous cultivator (2021) China - Avoid this if you don't like toxic yuri. I personally love it so this is 10/10 for me. Orphan gets taken in by a benevolent benefactor who turns out to be her parents' killer and eventually....you know what go watch it.

Encore Martha (2021) Taiwan. One of the few gls about older women. A tomboy reunites with her first love. This one's only available on gagaoolala so you'll either need a subscription or sometimes they promote it for free. If you can find it though, it's worth a watch.

Family Plan (2016) Korea. This is a bit of an odd one to describe. The first half is two high school girls who are dating. And then the second half is their relationship as adults where they marry guys and use it to have a kid that they raise as theirs. I liked how this examined how two gay people would go about their relationship in in a world where they can't freely be with each other.

Favorite Girl (2022) Thailand. Very standard plot about a girl suffering from a breakup and her roommate but something about it stuck out to me.

Five steps to accept farewell (2016) Korea. Warning for unhappy ending. This is all pure angst, a 9 minute snapshot into a breakup. I like how it's done and the messiness of the situation.

Fragrance of the first flower (2021) Taiwan. A beautifully shot, beautifully acted, slightly too short show about two ex-lovers reuniting ft. all the angst about living in a homophobic society. It stayed in my head for weeks after I first watched it.

Girls Blood** (2014) Japan. A movie about 4 "girls" in an underground fight club. warnings for rape, trauma, domestic assault. One of the main characters is a trans man. There are sex scenes. It's very queer and I highly recommend.

Girls Love** (2016) China. Pre-censorship China had some very wonderful queer work and one of them was this movie It's about a girl who falls in love with her hot butch roommate ft all the tropes AND we get to see them function in a relationship instead of the movie ending when they get together. Warning for both characters being forcibly outed at the end. (nothing bad really happens to them after though). Also do NOT watch the sequel. If you go to mdl, everyone else will also tell you not to watch the sequel and I foolishly did not listen to those people because I liked these girls so much and I suffered for my mistake.

The Girls on Rela (2016) China. It's an anthology of short, I wouldn't say stories, more like moments, sponsored by a lesbian dating app. Each one's really short but the acting and scripts are all pretty good.

The Girls on Rela Season 2** (2016) China. This is sponsored by the same company but it's a totally different format. It's one long show about two girls cohabiting. Pretty well executed if a bit slow.

Graduation, Present + Propose (2021) Korea. A short about a high school girl giving a graduation present to her crush. What it does it does well. It's pretty.

The Handmaiden (2016) Korea. Historical set movie about a conman and thief girl who plot to steal a heiress’s fortune. I make it sound boring but that's only because it's a pretty popular movie and everything to be said about it has already been said.

Happy to have you here (2021) Thailand. Two friends have a sleepover and figure out their feelings. This is definitely in the top 20% for this trope, even though they rushed just a tad into the kiss.

Hello, spring is coming (2019) Korea. I'll let you read the synopsis for this one. What you need to know is that it's pretty, well acted, has good chemistry and is as brightly colored as a lollipop. It's a bit disorienting, parts of it doesn't make a lot of sense but it's a fun time.

I broke up because of you (2023) Korea- A bartender and their client catches feelings for each other. The dynamic is nice, the kiss less so but it can be forgiven.

I’m her weapon (2022) China- It's kinky, it's angsty, it's 3 minutes long and still fits in a separation arc. I would pay money for an extended version.

Kanojo no Kuchidzuke Kansensuru Libido (2022) Japan - two girls fall in love in a hospital. I like the tone of this one.

The L Bang** (2015) China- Another Rela production. It's a 4 episode comedy about a bunch of lesbians + (1) gay man who live in the same apartment complex. It's got queer friendship, queer acceptance and queer love. It's just wonderful. It feels like 2000s American sitcoms but queer and Chinese.

Led Astray by Love (2022) China- Fairly long for a cgl. A girl gets transported to a manhwa and falls in love with the ruler. Sunshine/grumpy. This baby is 52 minutes long and covers like the same amount of plot as word of honor does in 30 something episodes.

Legend of Yunze (2021) China - A human and a half demon vanquish demons from a village. It has a second season and a special that I haven't watched yet.

The Lost World** [Xia Ye Zhi Dao Feng De Tian] (2023) China - After watching as much cgl as I have, I was shocked to see Laoji in a modern piece. This is a college setting running-into-a-childhood-friend trope. The pacing and chemistry are both pretty good. It's one of my favorites from her.

Love in the Tinder Age** (2019) Korea- A black comedy about a bullied lesbian's failed suicide attempt ft psychics, ghosts and a teacher/student relationship. It's not really a gl because the main character doesn't get a romance BUT it's really fun so you should watch it anyway.

Love of Secret** (2022) Thailand- More of a slice of life than a love story but it's cute and fluffy and the main character very much is in a relationship. The actual plot is about a med student who's hiding both her relationship with her best friend and her dreams to be an idol. I found it positively charming.

Lover’s Concerto** (2002) Korea- Calling this a gl is a stretch. It's more just queer? The girls were most likely in love but they don't end up together and the movie itself doesn't really have a happy ending. I did find it beautiful though.

Mayfly angel (2024) Korea- Classic discovers-feelings-for-bestie-after-a-breakup plot. Warning that this is angsty and they don't end up together. But I found it realistic and I liked that they felt like two real people. Take that how you will.

Miss shen and the woman warlord (2023) China- a woman cross-dresses as another young woman's fiance and they fall in love. Despite how i describe it, there's a decent amount of plot and some political commentary.

More or less than 75 celsius (2019) Korea- A tea master and her supervisor fall in love. It's sparse and short but cute.

My Dear (2021) Thailand. A drunk girl confesses to her friend and luckily for her, it's mutual. It's 5 minutes long but it uses its time well and the acting is nice. It feels a bit like gmmtv's confessions. If you like it, the production company ShakeShoulder makes TONS of gl shorts and i'd recommend checking them out.

No distance left to run  (2022) Hong Kong. a 15 minute short film about how fame causes issues in a pop star's relationship. Unhappy ending. The song's a bop though and it's well done.

Nü er hong** (2023) China. I forgot to mention but this one, the legend of yunze and the lost world are all produced by the same studio. They do a lot of fairly long chinese gls. The story is about these two beings from an alien world who crash land on earth and are hunted. One is a healer and the other is a killer, they're in love, the killer goes insane so her lover kills her. Unbeknownst to them, they're immortal so the killer wakes up with no memories 200 years later. The pacing is better than some of their earlier stuff but it's not quite perfect here yet. It is one of my favorites from the studio though and it ends happily.

Our relationship ended before it began (2022) Korea. A barista falls in love with her manager at a coffee shop ft gender roles, miscommunication and the classic "cool one picks on the nice one to show affection" trope.

Pyramid Game** (2024) Korea. This is more gl adjacent like Devil Judge and Beyond Evil. There is a secondary gl couple that's more explicitly canon though. If you've watched other kdramas about school bullying, this is pretty similar except it's an all-girls school and everyone is so gay. It's got so much heart and is one of my favorite shows of the year.

Really, Lily? (2019) Korea. A 6 minute short about two girls who visit a cafe and beats up two men who were making homophobic remarks about them. It's surprisingly comedic and the coloring is bright to match. Features a pretty decent kiss. Watching it, I wished it was longer but what's there is still good.

Secret of us (2024) Thailand. The only longform thai gl that i've liked enough to finish. It's about an idol who comes back to win over her doctor ex. It falters from ep 6 onwards but until then, the show is really good at showing the emotional thought processes of the characters and the way they construct the story is compelling, even though I don't even like second chance romances.

Shackles (2023) China. Another one from the Chinese shampoo ad. The pairing itself is not my favorite but it's so cool that this is basically a warning against nuclear pollution AND features chinese mythology that's used in the brand's marketing. Like a 3 in 1. It's so interesting.

She Makes My heart flutter (2022) Korea. Baby lesbian finds out her aunt runs a lesbian bar and starts working there. It's so goddamn cute but it has this weird relationship with homophobia where everyone in the show is apparently 100% ok with queerness but a lot of the aunt's actions is so driven by her being a queer person in an unaccepting society. A bit like how Moonlight Chicken deals with Jin and Li Ming's different attitudes towards being queer except they don't dwell on why the aunt is the way she is or what she's been through. Anyways, it's worth a watch.

Sleep with me (2022) Philippines. A 6 episode series about two girls who are disabled in different ways fall in love. One of them can only sleep during the day and the other is in a wheelchair and the show does a pretty decent job at showing how these disabilities affect their lives and their relationship

Soshite, Yuriko wa Hitori ni Natta** (2020) Japan. If you follow me, you may have seen me talk about this show earlier this year because I found it and promptly fell in love. It's not quite gl but Mizuki's actions are all driven by the fact that she's in love with Yuriko. It's queerer than you would expect, less queer than you might want. It's a supernatural-adjacent school horror about a girl who's new school has a weird thing where every year, a girl named Yuriko becomes "Yuriko sama" and rules the school while everyone else in that year with the same name mysteriously dies. Yuriko's best friend Mizuki plots to make the sweet innocent Yuriko the newest Yuriko-sama to save her life. It's weird, there's plot holes everywhere by the end, it definitely vilifies it's gays and the ending is weak but it's such a compelling watch.

Stand-in love (2023) Philippines. 2 best friends have a ‘stand in’ relationship where the straight one helps the lesbian one learn how to court someone but they end up falling in love with each other. Like 20 min long and I love it.

Ti Shen** [The substitute] (2017) Taiwan. The mdl synopsis can describe the plot better than I can but it's a romance between an idol and a normal girl that's split into two parts. The first half is about them meeting in high school, the second is when they reunite later on a movie set where one of them is the other's stunt double. I think the first part could've been a bit longer but it's a great movie.

Transit Girls (2015) Japan. Stepsisters. Happy ending though and it's fairly long. I liked this mostly because I like Japan's moody stuff. I also liked how they handled the male love interest.

Truth or Dare (2022) Korea. A 10 minute short about two girls who like each other playing truth or dare. It does a great job at building tension and revealing things without saying it.

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna** (2022) Japan. A woman who loves to cook comes to an arrangement with her neighbor who loves to eat. Japan does food-centered dramas better than everyone else and this is no exception. The romance itself is slow and you watch how their dynamic changes through this and the season two that came out this year.

The Twelve flower gods: Camelia (2020) China. A xianxia romance about a girl falling in love with a flower but it's a minute twenty so I promise you're not watching for the plot. You're watching to witness the ridiculous amount of innuendos that they manage to fit in under two minutes.

Twin souls of destiny (2023) China. Xianxia romance between two elves, one who is made from the memories of the other's past life. I want someone else to watch this so we can discuss whether or not this is selfcest. The color combination is interesting because I very rarely see lovers in red and purple. The time travel is confusing but it's a good time and laoji is in it.

Until Rainbow Dawn** (2018) Japan. Movie about two deaf girls falling in love ft homophobic parents. The director is a deaf lesbian herself so the movie does a wonderful job in how it depicts deafness and their relationship. It's really well done

When the light pours (2022) Korea. A girl's boyfriend wants her to sing him a song so she enrolls in guitar lessons and ends up falling in love with her teacher. The girls don't get together and I really wish they had! So if you watch this, don't watch the ending and pretend that they did end up together.

[dropthedemiurge]

Some language comments for Gray Shelter [Episode 5], just like I promised!

"Do whatever/however you want to. (literally: 'Do it the way your heart desires') You do things how you want to anyway."

"I'm sorry" - the translation is correct, it's just it's funny how Yoondae's level of apology to his friend he just lashed out at last time + he wants to ask him for HELP, and all he says is: 미안 (mian). The most informal and short way of apologizing possible. He's so teenager-minded still.

Even when he asks "Can I leave my stuff in your dad's warehouse?" it comes out grammatically more of a demand, like 'Let me do that'. Yoondae is talking like someone who has a lot of walls and doesn't reach out to people, he doesn't talk kindly but he's honest and straightforward and he cries easily but he's very angry about it.

I especially love his facial expression, even when he's at his most miserable, he'll make it everyone else's problem, as if being pitiful is the worst thing that could happen to him. "I have no one else I could ask for help but you >:(("

Fun fact about Korean's sentence structure, when you quote someone or express your thoughts, you put your sentence this way: "quoted phrase" and then + "that's what they said/what i thought/etc". So oftentimes, I see Kdramas use that trick when characters say a phrase... and then take it back with "that's someone else's thoughts" or "that's what you thought I'd say, right? LMAO". It's funny how the translators' way of transferring this was using the word "Sike!" xD

"It wasn't a mistake to me." "If it wasn't a mistake, then [what]? Since you started talking [about it], let me ask you. So what if it wasn't a mistake? What do you want to achieve with me?" "Can I do anything about it? In the past or now, you're the one who runs away and avoids me. I asked you, can I make a decision (do I have any choices)?" "You made the move but you want me to decide? Fine, then. Let sleep together once and end it once and for all. Go wash up first. I don't have time, I only left office for a short time."

The way they both care about each other but their dialogues and words are very sharp and bitter almost all the time, especially here, aaaah. That's the contrast that hooked me for all these 5 episodes. Soohyuk doesn't swear but he's talking to Yoondae very harshly and emotionless here, and for Yoondae harsh talk is the default, it's like Soohyuk is lowering his manners to talk on his level, to provoke him (or maybe that's also how he distances himself from the discovery that Yoondae has feelings for him).

And Yoondae is holding back his frustration and tears, but he understands the way such words were aimed to hurt him, so instead of lashing out back at Soohyuk, as he probably wants him to, he swallows and unusually calmly, almost softly says: "Let's talk when you can be honest. Because I will shut up and wait for you."

And it makes Soohyuk stand there in shock and contemplate.

I'll add next scenes in READ MORE since this post is getting long!

Here's the moment when the boss asks their youngest employee to write something more 'trendy' for their marketing text xD It's very true that trends in Korea come and go very quickly, they also love to invent new terms and phrases all the time. Like "MZ slang", there are many phrases, and the one trendy phrase the boss uses as the example is 킹받네 (king-pad-nae) which literally written as 'receive the king' but means "I got angry" - but with a teasing/playful subtext, like friends could say each other 'ah you're so cute, it makes me angry'.

If I'm not wrong, this phrase was widely used like 1-2 years ago and not really in its trendy peak as well right now but kudos to boss to even learning it xD And it's funny how translator chose to (I assume) use "[living in my head] rent-free" phrase as a substitute. Another fun fact, they ended up using some trendy lingo in their ad that translator gave us as "no cap!" but that part of phone msg was so blurry, I couldn't see which exact Korean phrase they ended up using x)

"Hyung, if you have any ask for help, say so. For you, 2 million... No, I'll try to give you until 3 million won in any way."

Can I just say that we had this character for one moment and I'm so not ready to let him go, I want Jeongwan to have his own storyline and everything and he's too sweet and also caring for strangers/his colleagues, and so he stole the spotlight for me xD

Yoondae said there's no food at home. But also, as you can see, there is: beer, water, rice that you can cook in the microwave, kimchi for a side dish and some other microwaved food. According to my Korean friends, typical Korean person (poor like student) can survive if they have rice, kimchi and also ramyeon. That's their the most basic food. Just a fun fact. xD

Also he was on his third can of beer, and he already made a drunken longing call on the verge of tears to Soohyuk, lying about being hurt and bringing trouble just so he'd return home. "Is that okay with you?" - just shoot me, please. :')

"I called [the cleaning service/you] to tell you to stop it [sleeping outside of home]" "Let's have that dinner [that I promised you] today. Wait for me."

After days, Yoondae was ready to give up, he "tricked" Soohyuk to return home just so he could tell him he'll move out and stop pushing any talk. And then, Soohyuk brought up the dinner (the feelings) that he kept avoiding. No wonder Yoondae looked so struck and confused. It just gave him his hopes back (and viewers too, but we probably should've known better with this kind of series haha)

Interesting cultural context: they are getting samgyeopsal - grilled meat, chosen by Soohyuk because Yoongdae said there wasn't anything he wanted to eat. And usually, the youngest one has to set the cutlery and grill meat, out of respect for the seniors. And here we see that Soohyuk is the one choosing the place, menu and even grilling the meat and pouring soju for Yoondae.

Once again, it shows that despite Yoondae's emotions and pleads, he is not mature enough, he is not ready to focus on other people. We know he can't plan his own future, he doesn't know what to do, and we see where their relationship stands now - Yoondae is still more of a burden than an equal partner to Soohyuk, and Soohyuk is more of a parent.

Even when they drink soju (in Korean drinking etiquette usually you don't drink alone, you toast together and drink together), notice how they don't even clink their glasses together, then Soohyuk is the only one drinking and Yoondae wants to follow him but puts the glass back. He's taking a shot later, when Soohyuk grills the meat again. They are totally unsynchronized at this point of their lives, and it's painful to watch.

"I said he [my father] was dead because that's the truth/reality for me. There was no other [hidden] meaning. I didn't plan to lie to you."

"I moved out completely. If I don't organize my life starting from doing this, then I don't think I'll be able to live like all the other [normal] people."

The fact that Yoondae started thinking about improving his life (the word 'organizing'), immediately made Soohyuk stop in surprise. So he started asking what does the normal life like others mean to him, hopeful to find that equal adult footing from Yoondae... but Yoondae's thoughts stopped there. And Soohyuk offered his own goal and life meaning: "to have a place to go back to, that's enough for me".

Here's when Yoondae thoughtfully agreed with him: "It's important to have a home", and took the meat tongs from Soohyuk, saying how high-maintenance he is. Yoondae embraced that realization, he took the responsibility (even a small cultural gesture) and even though Yoondae nagged him, Soohyuk smirked. Because it wasn't a completely hopeless situation. And Yoondae proved it, by saying how eating like this and going home together is his normal life as well. (and yet they were still unsynchronized until the very end! we can't have happy ending yet)

AND HERE IS WHERE I HAVE TO MAKE A SECOND POST! Because tumblr only allows 30 images in one, and I can't stop screenshotting the last conversation so I'm going to make another post that you can find in 'gray shelter comments' or 'dropthemeta' tags (upd. or here's the link to the post!)^^

[dangermousie]

FL: why is ML not showing for our joint birthday? Does he really not love me?

ML: falls unconscious as he hurries to her because his hereditary usually terminal illness activated.

SML: shows up in Easter colors going “I would like to take care of you.”

Noble idiocy on part of ML incoming in 1…2…

AHHHH I miss you old school kdrama romcoms. I am not being ironic, I miss when about halfway thru a switch flipped and then went into angstville. I think modern kdrama romcom watchers who lost their mind from the mild mild stuff in LND would die of angry shock if they tried old school romcoms. But that is why I loved them and don’t watch modern ones. A lid for every pot and all that and I prefer my pots full of angst.

[peculiarbob]

Here’s a list of all the Kdramas/Korean movies that I watched in 2023 + some of my thoughts (spoiler free)

The Glory

-Gonna be honest, I only started watching because Kim Hieora and Jung Sung Il are in this show.

-But I ended up really liking it. The bullying scenes were horrifying, the characters were memorable, and overall it was very well made.

Stranger

-HWANG SIMOK! I love him so much! BAE DOONA! I love her so much!

-I loved all the characters and all the twists

Stranger 2

-This season was good too. Seeing the dynamics and relationships between all the characters change was so interesting

Unlocked

-IM SIWAN! The reason why I watched this movie <3

-Is it the best and most unique movie? No. Was it pretty good and entertaining? Yeah!

All Of Us Are Dead

-Even in the zombie apocalypse they’re not free of bullying.

-My heart broke many times. Those poor kids didn’t deserve to go through all of that! (Except Na Yeon. I still don’t like her.)

The Glory Part 2

-Not the typical type of revenge. But I think it’s a very fitting ending.

Physical 100

-This show inspired me to start taking better care of myself.

-Watching everyone hype up this show so much then watching all the controversies come out in real time was crazy. Looking forward to season 2

Kingdom

-This show was on my radar because that zombie dude from Physical 100 said he did the choreography

-I love all of the characters and the zombies were so freaky

Kingdom 2

-The Queen might’ve been the scariest part of this show

-I love this show, season 3? Maybe?

Kingdom: Ashin of the North

-Han Ho Yeol from DP?!?!

-It was really interesting seeing another side to this story

Silent Sea

-BAE DOONA! GONG YOO!

-I don’t understand why this flopped. I really liked this show!

Siren: Survive The Island

-I was team athlete til the end! (I thought Kim Seong Yeon was hot)

-If there isn’t a season 2 I’m going to fight Netflix

Misaeng

-Im Siwan <3

-I really like this show. It really gave me hope and it honestly inspired me to work harder. I’m also trying to learn to play baduk

D.P. 2

-So many emotions. The ending left me feeling a bit empty. I’ve grown so attached to these characters and now it’s just over.

The Wailing

-I think I need to watch this a second time to really analyze it.

-I really like the sfx makeup

Monster

-Accurate representation of neurodivergent people/mentally disabled people? No.

-Interesting villain and fight scenes? Yes

Hide and Seek

-I really liked the twist and how eerie the vibes were

Memoir of a Murder

-I love unreliable narrators. Not knowing what’s real and what isn’t really puts you on the end he of your seat

-Also I didn’t even realize that was Kim Nam Gil

The Policeman’s Lineage

-I only watched this for Kwon Yul

-Decent story but I feel like it fell short of its potential

Hansel and Gretel

-Solid start but I didn’t realize that it was going in the direction that it did

-Not the ending that I expected but I’m satisfied with it

Ballerina

-Honestly, they were so over dramatic when it came to the bdsm stuff. Like okay, he’s kinky. That’s the least concerning thing about him.

-My mom got me to watch this because she likes Kim Ji Hoon

The Mimic

-Interesting concept with interesting characters

-The ending was so fitting, I’m very satisfied with it

Champion

-Another movie I watched for Kwon Yul

-I really like this movie, it’s very comforting and funny

Mother

-This is a cautionary tale, you cannot tell me otherwise!

-I was SHOCKED! It was just so sudden. I don’t know how to explain it without spoiling what happened.

Sweet Home 2

-Interesting. I’m not sure what I expected from this season but this wasn’t it.

-I found it entertaining but I’m not quite sure if I like how they’re approaching this new thing that they’re doing.

[distant-velleity]

amnesia & android Floyu??

YAYYYY sillies

amnesia AU

okay this one might get a little angsty so buckle up

i was going to give him full amnesia but i feel nice SO. as a result of his overblot reaching a dangerous stage, yuhua forgets everything since coming to TWST

so he's. just as unstable as when he first arrived but possibly WORSE

and floyd is in fucking shambles (L tbh)

worse bc floyd never even properly SAID how fascinated he was w/ yuhua, or really. talked abt his feelings

so he gets kind of upset abt it at first (which is not a good first impression for amnesiac yuhua) because that's 8-9 months or so of progress Gone but like. azul and jade and some others are like "listen idiot you have this chance to make it right and start on a better note"

so while people work on a magical cure for it, yuhua is just compelled to follow floyd around lol

probably takes a few months (i wonder if floyd would bring yuhua home to the coral sea just to make sure his lil koi is still with him?) but!!! yuhua would get his memories back AND remember how floyd treated him during that time/how desperate floyd was lololol

what is this kdrama ahh stuff

android AU

no im just kidding

it's time for me to make use of all those sci fi dystopian novels i had to read for school

... actually no. this is just a mega man AU. i'm sorry

set in the future, floyd as an android and yuhua as a hobby scientist/roboticist

one day yuhua finds floyd, who is made for combat, inactive and in disrepair on the side of the street or something so he takes him back home and fixes him up

(this is so cliche what am i doing

floyd is just a silly little guy so while yuhua is sheltering him, there's all sorts of "culture" shock/differences

"Floyd. What happened to my couches"

"..... :)"

it's not unlike keeping a cat in the house HAHAHA

yuhua repairing floyd and teaching him to live as a human while floyd gets him to loosen up and such >>>>>

but of course, on top of comedy, i have to have action so like--- yuhua gets in trouble for sheltering floyd, and floyd defends him from incoming attackers, actually putting his combat abilities to use...

human/robot romance goes crazy but we'd get there eventually <3

[streamdotpng]

do you think baby belle would like the songs enid plays? we know that wednesday doesn't and that belle doesnt really like noisy stuff but does she have an exemption rule for her dada?

I'm not much of a kpop listener so I couldn't give any recommendations buttt

The song after last night by Bruno Mars made me think of belle and Enid singing to wednesday

Same goes for the ost something from the kdrama my ID gangnam beauty(? I believe is the name, idk I forgot)

So, belle would like any song as long as it's kinda slow yknow? And no intense noises. Like she'd detest baby shark but if you sing the ABC, she'll tolerate it.

She isn't against shocking the shit out of Enid if the song is too much tho, her daddy thought her boundaries so it's only right she listens

[letmeoutofthebasementt]

hello, I’m the anon who said I suspect that the actress i found could be san’s fs. Guess what, her hair is curly 😃 but that’s not the shocking news. the shocking news is that, SHE LIKED SAN’S FIRST IG POST 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 so my question is that, do you think she may know san? not in a sense that they already meet, but like she knows him as a celebrity? She un-liked his post in a few mins tho but I took a screenshot lol she didn’t follow him or the members, she didn’t like the other members’ posts either. and when I checked her fan pages, I didn’t see she interacts with any kpop related stuffs. But she likes kdrama!

The fact you’re gate keeping this from me is DIABOLICAL

But honestly…Her being San’s FS is getting more and more likely

Please tell me I promise not to snitch 🙏

[callmecayce]

Happy Donghae Day!

2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022

Well, we’ve made it through another year and it’s time for Donghae Day! To be quite honest, I don’t know that I thought I’d still be such a big kpop fan in the year 2023 - I’m not sure I was even thinking about 2023 when I became a kpop fan back in 2011. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that 12 years have passed and then other times it seems it went by in a flash. But here we are - on the 12th annual Donghae Day!

For those (very few) of you who are new - October 12, 2011 was the day I learned about kpop. I’ve been celebrating this day in various ways since then. Prior to 2016 (when I was working 2 jobs), I usually went out to dinner with friends or treated myself to something nice. Since I started my full time job in 2016 (!) I’ve taken the day off almost every year (except 2020) if I was working. And this year is no exception! I don’t have any real big plans, except to go to H Mart and maybe Trader Joes. My life is so exciting, I know.

But that’s been the theme of the past few Donghae Days, ever since the pandemic took over our lives. I am one of the few people who still doesn’t go out (I haven’t really been sick since 2019) and see people that often, though I am seeing people, so I am not a complete shut-in. But Donghae Day isn’t to talk about these bad things (and god, there have been so many this year since the entire world is on fire). Instead, it is to talk about things that are good and happy - because those do exist.

Most every day (unless I’m off visiting my dad), I fire up my watch later and listen to the most recent releases (kpop and others). There’s a lot of great music out there and finding it and consuming it makes me happy, as does sharing it. That’s why I still do my song-a-day playlists! Every day since Kpoptober 2020, I’ve been posting one song a day and it’s still going. My first kpoptober was 2019 and I’d originally meant to just post in October, but after the pandemic, I decided I wanted to share music every day, so here we are. It’s a true labor of love, since all the tracks I post are ones I like (and sometimes adore). You can find links to all of the playlists (YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music) by year here:

song-a-day playlists

Also in 2023 (some sad stuff happened: Moonbin, I miss you) - there were new groups that debuted and others that had comebacks, but for me there were a few specific comebacks that made me really happy:

Teen Top

Infinite

EXO

ONF

It’s hard to explain, but I don’t know that I thought either Teen Top or Infinite would ever come back, in spite of the fact that neither group had ever mentioned they were disbanded. Both of those releases were great and I am so happy they’re still making music. EXO coming back was also quite a shock (especially considering all the drama surrounding them and their contracts). However, their release was enjoyable as well (and in the process, my favorite members changed again - don’t ask or maybe do). And, of course, the rest of of ONF returned from the military - what a delight! Their release was also wonderful (and I think their albums might arrive today, which how perfect!) and as great as their previous ones. And while, sure there are plenty of other groups who’ve come back with great release this year (Just B, I’m looking at you), these four really meant a lot to me.

Over the past year it’s not just music that I’ve been consuming. I’ve made my return to watching kdramas and watched a couple of Chinese dramas as well. This year (2023) I’ve watched (and finished) 6 dramas (see them here), not as many (yet) as 2021, but more than 2022 (when I watched none). I’ve also been watching a lot of anime, both with the (virtual) anime club I am a member of and on my own, which has been a lot of fun. I’m reading more and have found my way back to Animal Crossing again, which has been a lot of fun.

But the real thing that keeps me going are my friends and family. Donghae Day only exists because my journey as a kpop fan hasn’t been alone. I have made so many wonderful friends, some have come into and gone from my life, but many others are still here. Not all are connected by kpop, some are people I’ve known for years (online and off), others I’ve only gotten close to recently and still others I've known only through places like Discord. I am forever grateful to these people, close friends and acquaintances alike. They have made my life a better place and I hope that I’ve done the same for them, even in just the tiniest of possible ways.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! And if this is your 12th post or even your first, thank you for joining me on this journey, whatever form it may take. I hope to see you in 2024!

[jovialcloudqueenisnotonfire]

15 questions, 15 people

thanks @transboyzuko for tagging me! legit read your post and was like 'aww i wish i got tagged to do stuff like that:(' and then you tagged me! anyways:

1. Are you named after anyone?

My middle name was my mother's middle name, and my initials are the same as my fathers(i think that's where the gender started). Also, I have the same name as a locally famous guy from my hometown, so I used to say all the places named after him were named after me instead lmao

2. When was the last time you cried?

A few days ago while watching a kdrama (rowoon is such a good actor y'all)

3. Do you have kids?

Haha, good one

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

I played tennis for most of my childhood through high school, and was on a pop/cheer dance team for like five years when I was a kid, and I still dance for fun :)

5. Do you use sarcasm?

why would I do that

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

I'm autistic, this is a terrible question.

7. What's your eye color?

Good question. I'll let you know when I figure it out.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings all the way babey! I'm too soft for most scary movies, unless they're fun and thinky

9. Any talents?

Sure, I'm mildly good at languages and artsy stuff. I'm also a bitching (and, technically, professional) whistler

10. Were were you born?

In a hospital(read it and weep, bitches)

11. What are your hobbies?

Learning about languages, linguistics, etc. Some music-y, artsy stuff. Writing. Reading. Picture me as a an artsy gay rich man from the Victorian age, but one who dabbles and doesn't get too good at any of it

12. Do you have any pets?

Yes, my two sweet babies, a purebred husky(inherited) and a little street mutt that's probably some mini schnauzer/Irish wolfhound combo. They're both adorable and have big personalities

13. How tall are you?

Like 5'8" ish, I think it's like 173 cm?(I'm ~American~)

14. Favorite subject in school?

Any foreign language! After that, probably English bcs you get to read and write and talk about it. I know, shocking, right?

15. Dream job?

I do not dream of labor.

But yeah like a cushy bs job with good pay and benefits that can afford me a comfortable lifestyle in which I can pursue my passions in my free time

I, in fact, do not have 15 active mutuals lmao so here are some mutuals/people I follow/people who follow me: @jatersade @aire-bnb @themainbeetleboy @killmongerdreams @negativeginger @theneurospicecabinet @muspellssynir @thisblogiscool @adriannlily @gender-luster @lostmy-waa-aa-aay @cristaldacier @criscrave @fenatics @the-modern-typewriter

[studynxiety]

23/08/2023

It's been a while since I last updated this blog. The shock and anxiety from my AS grades have long since abated. Inflated expectations, high grade threshold and perhaps some overconfidence are to blame for what happened but what's happened, has already happened so I am over it.

I did one physics past paper and it feels a little overwhelming. I think I'm often too tired to actually critically think, which is a problem because physics is not easy. I'll get the hang of it eventually though, I don't have an option.

Chemistry is going well, fairly easy stuff and Math is also mostly intuitive. Economics is confusing in the sense that I never know if I'm hitting the mark or missing it entirely with the essay questions. A lot more practice is due.

While I recognize my weaknesses, I'm also always feeling tired for some incomprehensible reason so I haven't made much progress on them. I think I'll try sleeping more and eating healthier in the coming weeks, and scheduling more intensely.

Lastly, I finished Hospital Playlist in the last two weeks. I really loved it. The characters were all complex and well-developed. I love how the Kdrama deals with platonic, romantic and familial relationships. It's slice-of-life, so pretty slow and it might not be everyone's cup of tea but I found the show super relatable and comforting. A 9/10 in my books.

Things to do today:

Prepare for the coming debate tournament

[chqnified]

I saw your recent post!! What was the film? Do you have any film recommendations too?

I'm only into horror, mystery and thrillers. So the only recommendations I have are of that genre. My favourite three films of all time so far though-

1. The Call

Definitely recommend not watching the trailer because i watched the trailer after the film and it would've spoilt it. Also literally reading the film description thingy would've spoilt it too. So my recommendation is go into it blind. It is lowkey graphic (if you've seen parasite, similar levels), so if you don't like that kind of stuff, don't watch it. But the suspense throughout was flawless in my opinion. It was good from the very beginning and the acting was flawless too in my opinion. I believe this is a remake of an American with the same title, but, having watched that film trailer afterwards, i think this version is by far better. But, again, everyone's opinion is different. I liked the overall morals of the film too, the fact there was meanings behind it that you can analyse and stuff made it really interesting. Honestly, would watch this film for the 3rd time.

2. Parasite

There's probably nobody who hasn't heard of this one, so I don't have to explain what it's about. The first kdrama film I'd ever watched. My mum actually was the one who chose it out, so thanks to her, I'm now addicted to kdrama horror / thrillers. The messages the film was conveying are really interesting too. Love a good bit of analysing and linking to real life after watching a film tbh.

3. Forgotten

Film I just watched. The suspense and plots were thick throughout. I love not having a clue wtf is going on and trying to figure the plot out and being wrong. Makes for a great film tbh. The only reason this isn't higher is the first 30mins, in my opinion, was a bit idk, the acting wasn't amazing, but then..... Looking now ..... I think it relates to the plot.... Not going to say anymore than that. Then after that, the acting did get lowkey real good. I was invested throught. Usual recommendation, don't watch the trailer, it'll spoil it. Oh, and this one wasn't too graphic at all, which is good if you're not into that. Probably because the main focus was on the storyline rather than shocking you with actual graphicness if that makes sense.

[clj-art-blog]

I have a decent experience in dramas (about 10 years. I used to watch only Kdramas, but after Cdramas, I can’t watch Korean anymore). But none of them made me cry, except that they made me sad. Once upon a time I cried over The "Lion King" (my childhood trauma), "Titanic" (I felt sorry for the children), "Avatar" (when so many living things died) and stuff like that. Wang Hedi in the role of Dongfang Qingcang made such a strong impression on me. He turned my whole emotional world upside down with his emotionality. NO ONE has EVER thrown me off balance like he did. I didn't even know that some "love story" could do this to me. I sobbed so hard and so bitterly. I was choking with tears. I realized that all of my listed films / cartoons / dramas, which were the most tearful for me in my opinion, turned out to be just a sad note against the backdrop of that sob caused by CLJ.

I have never drawn fanart for dramas. (Only anime and cartoons) And even more so, I never wrote (I don’t know how to do this at all) analyzes for the scenes, or musing about the plot from anything. But this COUPLE did IT to me! DFQC and XLH have become so real to me, I miss them so much (shocked myself). Yui Shu Xin and Wang Hedi spoiled me so much with their playing that I still don't trust anyone as much as they do. They are unreal, but so real…

I just don't understand one thing. How is it that these two have not yet received an Oscar and all sorts of awards?🤔

I heard someone say that they didn't vibe with wang hedi's expressionless acting in LBFAD recently and I went.... "?????". And as a fan who fell head over heels in love with the way he brought dongfang to life and literally embodied his subtlety, I took that to heart.

Like, excuse me? Da mutou? Expressionless? I naturally got irritated at the statement because that *wildly points at the pictures attached* is the complete OPPOSITE of expressionless acting!!! *huffs and puffs*

I need justice for my evil-not-so-evil moon supreme!!!

[starfire-s]

the uncles evil plan has been 25 years in the making it better be good when it finally unfolds asdhsjsj

[iknowyuu]

back to bed

kdrama! sieun x reader

// reader wakes up from a dream and their boyfriend is.. missing?

tags: reader and sieun sleep in the same bed, sieun zones out, kisses

note: i read through this like five times but i think i still missed some stuff 💀 enjoy!

♡

you startled awake, in shock over the weird dream you had, only for your stomach to drop when you looked over and saw there was nobody next to you. you’d been studying with sieun the evening before, but it seems that you fell asleep during your session.

he used to sleep on the floor whenever you slept over like this, which you hated because you felt bad for taking over his bed, but he always insisted. nowadays it seems he’s slowly becoming more and more comfortable being affectionate, which was weird, but a good weird. “but, where is he?” you thought, confused by the empty room.

“sieun?” you whispered to the vacant surroundings, only to be met with no response. crawling out of his bed, you look around until you reach for the door, walking out into the hallway and to his kitchen; the lights illuminating his face. it was there you met sieun staring at.. nothing, seemingly in a trance. “oh.. sieun?” he doesn’t look at you. “sieun? you.. you okay?” you walk up closer to him and that’s when his head snaps in your direction and he snaps out of it, blinking at you and responding. “oh, you’re awake?” you nod and tilt your head at him. “are you okay?” you ask in response. he purses his lips and nods at you, moving past you back towards his bed. you turn around and watch him as he disappears into his room.

you follow and close the door behind him. “sieun,” you whisper, but before you can attempt to convince him, he beats you to it- “im okay, okay?” he places a kiss on your lips and quickly turns around, getting into his bed. you can’t hide the smile the illuminates your face as you let out the tiniest “okay,” and climb in next to him. sighing in contentment, you further cuddle up into sieun’s chest, your head comfortably placed there, the rest of your body entangled with his. you loved falling asleep with him, because it always led to quiet nights that filled you with so much joy.

-

of course, nothing lasts forever. today, you’d woken up after your boyfriend to a sticky-note that he’d written for you to find. “good morning. you wouldn’t wake up, so i couldn’t say bye to you. also, sleeping with you makes it hard to get out of bed. anyway, see you later. — sieun,”