#sponsored by the hyuna/ivan connection to cheer up
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applestorms · 2 days ago
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it’s so ironic to me that, outside of the kiss, ivan is one of the only people in the main cast to really Play The Game properly. like: mizi and sua sing a duet together instead of trying to beat one another, till takes over the song so thoroughly that he doesn’t let acorn sing even once, luka is clearly biased through his already-established rabid fanbase on top of all the psychological mind game bullshit he pulls on stage. even hyuna breaks out of the show entirely, singing her own show for her own purposes, to an audience of her choosing.
ivan sings his first round the way it’s supposed to go, allows his opponent a sufficient chance to try and prove himself, and kicks his ass the proper way. 90 to 68. he performs as he was trained to, dresses and models as he’s expected to, smiles when he’s told to. he sings from his heart, but in the form of something palatable for the audience, not as severe or personal as nowhere though deep enough to still be compelling. he’s top of his class. he’s the beloved fan favorite. he stands up to each and every expectation.
and then the second he breaks out of that, he’s killed. the minute he fails to perform as he has been dictated to, he is shot to death. a violation of convention is punishable by execution. shattering the character costs him his life. he is not allowed to exist outside of the standards that are set for him. the public facing persona is the only face he is permitted to wear.
till can fight back. he’ll get his ass beat, but they won’t kill him. not while he’s still profitable. ironically, for him, it is through playing the round the way that he’s supposed to that he loses his edge. he can live up to expectations by existing outside of what’s acceptable, rabid and feral, chained and collared but artistically free.
mizi can bend the rules. she can sing the duet she’s always dreamed of, protected by the sweet innocence of a feminine naïveté, and come out of it with a winning score next to her dead lover. she can escape from the stage and fight her way back in only when she’s ready. she can tackle her opponent to the ground. she can forge her own path.
ivan is intimately aware of exactly when and where he is able to rebel. he can take off till’s collar, walk away from their false eden, and sneak into the darkness when the floral eyes aren’t watching. yet he cannot move as soon as the spotlight hits him. ultimately, he has no real agency. knowledge of how to escape, how to calmly stick your head in the drooling mouth of the beast, is not enough on its own. he can’t act out once he’s on camera. he must keep doing what he’s told. he knows too much, and he can’t do anything about it. he needs the shock of a melodramatic sacrifice to roll the globe of expectations off his back. he needs the force of a kiss to get the eyes that he wants.
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