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waitmyturtles · 24 days ago

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Thinking About QL Fandoms and Markets For Indian Queer Media

Alright, ::rubs hands together::, let's see if this old auntie can get the link history of this thread straight first.

@impala124 originally wrote in an ask to dear @lurkingshan about Shan's thoughts on a developing fandom for Indian queer media.

Shan subsequently asked a few of us on the internet, brown Asian and/or otherwise, to weigh in, which @starryalpacasstuff did here. Starry's piece has a few great reblogs with media resources that everyone should scurry to check out.

The inimitable @neuroticbookworm then decided to show us her literary Tae Bo skills and dropped an absolute MONSTER of a must-read regional media and industry analysis here. (Let me emphasize that this is a MUST-READ PIECE if you're interested in Indian media.)

I'm going to use NBW's piece as a reference throughout my weak-ass response tea here, because she covered almost everything that needed to be said about why there ISN'T a robust or developed fandom on the internet for Indian queer media. So go read that first, and if you forget to click back here, it's all good, because I'm just gonna offer some unorganized macro-level thoughts at this point.

****

I'd like to first amplify a number of themes that @neuroticbookworm made clear in her piece about the "media industry in India." I'm only putting that phrase in quotes not because NBW wrote it (she didn't), but because it's a wholly inaccurate phrase.

1) INDIA IS *NOT* A SINGLE, UNIFIED CULTURAL MONOLITH. Remember your early social studies classes on early civilizations? The Aryans, Harappa, Mohenjo Daro? Those specific civilizations arose in the north of the Indian sub-continent, and not a lot of social studies spaces outside of Indian classrooms give love to the other regional areas in India -- like, say, all of South India, hello -- that belong to other civilization definitions.

To be grossly overgeneral, ancient civilizations in the northern subcontinent were known as Aryan civilizations, while those of the southern subcontinent were known as Dravidian civilizations. We see these differences today in the food we brown people eat, and ESPECIALLY in the languages we speak. Tamil (a Dravidian South Indian language) couldn't be farther away from Hindi (a North Indian language emanating from Sanskrit).

2) While the prominent political nationalists of India (😐) would like to have you believe that all Indians are monolithically similar -- or rather, SHOULD be monolithically similar by way of all Indians speaking Hindi, consuming Hindi media, and erasing religious diversity (🤬) -- nothing could be farther from the truth of our incredibly diverse and complicated subcontinent. We Indians are regionally, and therefore culturally, diverse in a great myriad of ways, way beyond our food, language, and religious preferences.

[For my non-Indians and non-Asians reading this, think about the two dishes you see the most on Indian restaurant menus outside of India. Chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken, right? That's typical "Indian" food to the untrained eye. CTM is a British dish borne from immigrant South Asian chefs; and tandoori chicken was created by North Indian Punjabis. My own Indian origins are half-half (lah), I'm half-South and half-North Indian (with some SE Asia thrown in there, boleh!). My brain fucking freezes when I speak to someone who thinks the extent of "Indian food" is CTM and TC, and I have to explain, for the millionth time, the basics of the incredible array of South Indian vegetarian food that I grew up eating and loving.]

Thus, what I'm trying to say is, when we say the word "INDIAN," there are some questions that a curious listener should be tuned into asking to get specifics about just what kind of "India" or "Indian" the speaker is speaking of. I'll often get the question, "but WHERE in India are your parents from," from tuned-in Asians, who want to know specifically about my regional background.

VERY SO OFTEN IN POPULAR DIALOGUE ABOUT "INDIAN MEDIA," THE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTION OF THE CONVERSATION IS THAT THE SPEAKER IS ONLY SPEAKING ABOUT HINDI-LANGUAGE MEDIA, WITHOUT RECOGNIZING THAT REGIONAL AND/OR NON-HINDI LANGUAGE MARKETS MIGHT BE MAKING MEDIA, EVEN POPULAR MEDIA, FOR THEIR SPECIFIC REGIONAL MARKETS AND AUDIENCES WITHOUT AS MUCH OF A GLANCE TO THE DOMINANT HINDI-SPEAKING NORTH.

NBW says this brilliantly in her incredible piece, which delineates the major differences in the MANY regional and even sub-regional media markets of India, that produce a VAST array of media in the languages of the regions, markets, and audiences that this media serves.

On a personal note, when I was a kid, I only watched old South Indian films subtitled in English that my South Indian dad found. My North Indian mom watched them with us happily. We didn't do Bollywood in my house because frankly, dad hated those films and wasn't into them. Now that I think about it, it's probably because those Hindi films didn't bear a single resemblance to the cultural and life he lived growing up in South India.

3) Alright, so we have established that in terms of media, to speak about "Indian media" as a monolith is utterly incorrect, and just, go back to NBW's piece to get an excellent analysis of the details of that situation.

NBW does a bang-up job highlighting important pieces of regional media throughout her post, and like I mentioned before, there are multiple lists of media in the reblogs Starry's piece linked above ( @silverquillsideas notes in her reblog of Starry's piece that two important films come out of the state of Bengal, a market that us Indians should certainly pay attention to in particular.)

I therefore might posit that there might not actually be a unified "fandom for Indian queer media."

IT IS CLEAR from the reblogs of the various pieces that we've written over the last few days, that us Indians who love QLs certainly don't INHERENTLY know, universally, about ALL the queer media, across the subcontinent, in the MANY languages we speak, that has been made.

We have a lot of learning to do across our own regional identities.

I'd argue that, instead, from an organic growth perspective, that regional media markets in India would respond to THEIR OWN AUDIENCE'S AND MARKET'S DEMANDS and create queer media WITHIN THEIR OWN REGIONS

a) if their market(s) demanded it, AND b) if there was either pre-production funding, or a guarantee of net revenue from the airing of such media.

A fandom doth not create media.

It is filmmakers that create media.

And those filmmakers need

✨ MONEY ✨

to make media.

Some regional markets will, by nature, be willing to take risks on a filmmaker's desire to make queer media. Those projects could succeed, or could fail. Badhaai Do is one of the best examples of a Bollywood breakout piece that gained even some international attention, and certainly attention ACROSS the subcontinent.

But I want to emphasize this point about

MONEY.

The question that we're pondering is, why isn't there a more prominent fandom for Indian queer media and/or QLs?

@twig-tea made note, in her reblog of Starry's original piece, about the importance of accessibility and subtitling, an important note not just for international audiences, but for regional Indian populations that don't speak the same language(s). Accessibility allows fans to watch the media of their own markets, and markets outside of their boundaries.

But even bigger than this is, before we even get into accessibility, is: the filmmakers need money to spend to MAKE projects, and in an ideal scenario for themselves and/or their studios, they then need to (hopefully) make a PROFIT to demonstrate a sustainable desire and demand for the media they're producing, a profit that could hopefully be re-invested into more and new queer media projects.

Let me not get into all the obstacles in which filmmakers, queer or otherwise, might run into issues with production fundraising for a queer-centered project. We Indians know about our conservative, often violent, obstacles.

NBW does a fabulous job in her piece discussing what COULD be made by way of queer media that COULD gain a stronger cultural foothold over time across the subcontinent.

4) A fandom, most often, develops as a response to media already created. A fandom, HOWEVER, *IS*, often, in today's digital age, often recruited to fundraise for projects they want to see! GoFundMe, right?

I think it was @impala124 in a reblog that mentioned that there's already a "market" for Indian QLs. But we've established now that there are actually many unconnected regional media markets in India that can't be assumed to be glommed together.

If a fandom WANTS to see a particular kind of media, in their own specific regional market, it's certainly well within its rights of speech to create internet buzz for it.

But I think we as fans also need to take responsibility for a better understanding of the economics of media creation, and to be patient as queer media is produced across the subcontinent, and to simply do our best to hype it up on the internet when we can, so that commercial sponsors and potential production funders can then pay attention to what us fans want -- and what we're willing to pay for.

And let me be honest, this is a *tremendously difficult proposition* for a field of media that's just really small against the giant, mainstream, well-funded media markets of India. And this field of queer media would be guaranteed to face crippling and disgusting conservative criticism as it gains more of a prominent cultural foothold -- as we are seeing in South Korea literally at this very second.

Looking on the economic bright side: we see in Thailand and in Japan that QLs make MONEY. Shit, not just Japan being into Japanese QLs, but also, Japan is so into Thai QLs that the major Thai channel and studio, GMMTV, has a distribution deal with the Japanese channel TV Asahi to air Thai QLs in Japan. MONEY, BABY! INTERNATIONAL DOLLAS. Great Sapol, of the QLs Manner of Death and Wandee Goodday, just wrapped a stint in a mainstream Japanese drama, and I'll assume that's because he's hotttt and talented gotten a lot of attention in Japan from his previous Thai QL work, as well as his lengthy resume in Thai mainstream media.

The hunger for QLs is there in these two major national markets, and the Thai and Japanese audience markets have proven that the demand for content for these countries can be economically fruitful. So the media markets of these two (much smaller than India) countries are pumping ever more money into production, and filmmakers are responding with more QL content than ever.

We have not even begun to contemplate reaching that tipping point in India, across our regional markets, yet. Again, NBW offers some creative paths forward that will take time to develop.

Fuck, I mean. Imagine Bollywood looking towards Thailand and its branded pair formula as an inspiration to develop queer media. (IMAGINE.) Get two super popular Bollywood actors together in a branded acting coupling/partnership. Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan doing India's version of What Did You Eat Yesterday?. In aprons! Making keema and rajma and chapatis. ShahSaif (SaifShah?!). KhanKhan. How would that go down?

It's a proven economic formula in Thailand. And that's just one example. We're well familiar, separately, with how Japanese QLs gain traction in bigger media spaces for its audiences, with media being adopted for the screen, as they mostly are, from popular yaoi and yuri mangas.

India and its regional media markets need some proven economic formulas within its regional markets to prove that queer media can gain culturally important footholds across the mindsets of various audiences -- and to prove that those footholds can produce profits.

The fandom element in this is that the regional fandoms, while creating buzz, could also prove to be important economic factors to a regional queer media industry being able to survive, and maybe even thrive.

Assuming that I am speaking to a mostly progressive group of fans here: we can only hope for this, and we must support the queer media that the subcontinent currently produces, IN *ALL* THE LANGUAGES (!!!!), to demonstrate to producers that Indians, wider South Asians, and even non-South Asians, WANT THIS MEDIA. We want it, we SHOULD want it, and damn it, we should SPEND OUR MONEY on it, to show our appreciate to the filmmakers taking risks to make this media.

I'm out! I need a chai and a samosa and a dosa.

#indian media #indian queer media #indian ql #bl industry #fandom #fandom things #fandom meta #khankhan #MAKE IT HAPPEN

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equalv · 7 months ago

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South Korean tv shows with lgbt* characters

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

A-Z

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

Jaesung (Kim Hyeongwon)

Mingyu (Jung Jaewoon)

Blueming (2022) (mlm, wlw) | IQIYI

Hyeong Daun (Jo Hyukjoon)

Cha Siwon (Kang Eunbin)

Cha Siyeong (Moon Hyein)

Choco Milk Shake (2022) (mlm) | YouTube

Jungwoo (Ko Hojung)

Choco (Lee Jaebin)

Milk (Kim Seonghyuk)

Uncle (Park Seungbin)

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

Ahn Gain (Park Hyunwoo)

Song Heeram (Bing Hyejin)

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

Season 1

Kim Changyu

Kim Seonyul

Jeon Eunchan

Lee Jeonghyun

Kim Changmin

Leon Hyukjun

Lee Hyeon

Hokeep

Season 2

Shin Sungho

Oh Minsung

Kim Yoonghee

DABIT

DAENYOL

Lee Junseong

Yang Hyunjin

Joon Seonwoo

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

Han Taeyi (Ji Hogeun)

Yoon Seheon (Kim Jinkwon)

Seo Doyoon (Song Hangyeom)

Lily Fever (2015) (wlw) | YouTube

Kim Kyungju (Kim Hyejoon)

Jang Serang (Jung Yeonjoo)

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

Season 1

Cha Jiwoo (Han Hyunjun)

Lee Roa (Kim Taehwan)

Kim Namjun (Yoo Hyukjae)

Season 2

Lee Hyun (J-min)

Shin Maru (Lee Kwanghee)

Oh Minwoo (Woo Hyowon)

Kim An (Kim Yongseok)

Yoo Joohyuk (An Jeonggyun)

Kim Sungmin (Jung Woojae)

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

Tae Myungha (Lee Taevin)

Cha Yeowoon (Cha Joowan)

Chun Sangwon (Oh Minsu)

Ahn Kyunghoon (Cha Woongki)

Love Tractor (2023) (mlm) | IQIYI

Seon Yul (Do Won)

Suh Yechan (Yoon Dojin)

Kwon Inseo (Yang Seungbin)

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

Kim Minjun

Park Bosung

Yoo Taeyoon

Lee Minju

Im Garam

Lee Seungeun

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

Shin Kitae (Lee Seunggyu)

Lee Wan (Lee Jonghyuk)

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

Jang Jaeyoung (Park Seoham)

Chu Sangwoo (Park Jaechan)

Choi Yuna (Song Jioh)

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

Gangseol (Byun Jihyun)

Jung One (Park Somi)

Yubin (Choi Jiwon)

Sarang (Kang Nayoung)

Leera (Ahn Yeonsun)

The Eighth Sense (2023) (mlm) | VIKI

Seo Jaewon (Lim Jisub)

Kim Jihyun (Oh Juntaek)

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

Season 1 & 2:

Kang Seojoon (Son Woohyun)

Han Jiwoo (Kim Kangmin)

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

Yoonah (Park Hayoung)

Kim Ahyoung (Park Sanha)

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

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moutheyes · 1 month ago

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[translation] Allure Korea - Love in the Big City Interviews

Hello, for fun/practice I decided to translate the Allure Korea interviews with Nam Yoon-su, Kwon Hyuk, Na Hyun-woo, and Jin Ho-eun, who are starring in the upcoming TV adaptation of Love in the Big City. I saw bits and pieces floating around social media but hadn't seen a full translation anywhere. I've been learning Korean for a long time but still honing my translation skills, so any awkward parts or mistakes are mine. If there's anything egregiously wrong, please let me know and I'll fix it with a note!

LOVE NEVER SLEEPS / Love in the Big City: Nam Yoon-su & Kwon Hyuk, Na Hyun-woo & Jin Ho-eun

In Love in the Big City, Nam Yoon-su, Kwon Hyuk, Na Hyun-woo, and Jin Ho-eun fall in and out of love intensely, just like everyone else in the world. In Seoul, a city that never sleeps, love never disappears.

Park Sang-young’s Love in the Big City, a queer literary bestseller, will find new audiences in two separate adaptations this year. One of them is a currently airing movie, and the other is a drama about to premiere. The movie focuses on a character named Jae-hee from the original novel, while the drama depicts the first half of the novel, and Park Sang-young himself participated in writing the script.

“I tried to keep the emotions of the original story as they were,” he said. “I also put a lot of effort into reproducing the rawness of queer life in a big city, and aimed to bring out various detailed feelings in order to let viewers connect emotionally with each chapter.” As he explained, the protagonist Go Young is “a person whose natural brightness masks the sadness in his life. He is a scientist who studies everything about love, embraces the inexperience of life, and eventually turns it into something beautiful.”

This role is played by Nam Yoon-su, and the drama will be a total of eight episodes, with two each directed by renowned directors who have appeared in various film festivals: Hur Jin-ho, Hong Ji-young, Son Tae-gyeom, and Kim Se-in. The actors (T/N: except for Nam Yoon-su) all said that they met for the first time at the photoshoot. There’s never been a drama like this before in Korea, but it’s a drama that must exist. Borrowing them for a time, Allure Korea met the four actors who loved each other passionately.

NAM YOON-SU

I have to ask how you’re doing. As soon as filming ended on the drama, you donated a kidney to a family member and became an ambassador for the Life-Sharing Campaign. No one knew about this?

I lost some weight but I’ve been healthy. I really didn’t know it would receive that much attention.

Seeing as how the episodes were filmed two at a time, aside from Yoon-su, the other actors are all meeting for the first time here?

Correct. That’s why the atmosphere is a little awkward? (laughs) Everyone’s introducing themselves and asking each other’s ages. Kwon Hyuk and Na Hyun-woo hyungs, I dated for a month each, and I dated Ho-eun for around three months?

Haha, so that’s how all of Nam Yoon-su’s men met. Or should I say, Go Young’s men?

“Nam Yoon-su’s men” works. (laughs) That’s accurate. I’ve done everything with them.

How did you get involved with Love in the Big City?

For me, it wasn’t a difficult decision, nor was it a difficult show. I’ve had queer friends since I was young, so I’ve always been open-minded. I could do everything the script and the director demanded of me. I thought of Go Young as a very ordinary person. He eats, sleeps, and loves like anyone else. The fascinating thing was, I received a ton of DMs after the casting was announced. They were thanking me. It was really amazing.

Haha, these are DMs you wouldn’t have received for any other dramas up until now.

People from different countries thanked me for taking part in this drama. Of course I also received hate, but there were way more thankful messages. They were even fighting in the comments. I just stayed out of it.

Park Sang-woo said, “Nam Yoon-su was destined for the role. I had a strong premonition that this person would become Go Young.”

Is that true? Thank you. (laughs)

It was a comment prepared especially for today. (laughs) But hearing that, I think the drama will remain faithful to the novel. It seems like Go Young experienced a lot of love in a compressed amount of time.

It’s because he was looking for love, isn’t it? I read the novel and thought it would make for a fun drama. I really thought hard about how I could express the story.

Didn’t the main character go through some changes? In the novel Young is described as a “fat cat,” so his nickname is “Fatty Catty” (뚱고).

Hehe, that’s correct. You have a good memory. Compared to the character in the book, I’m taller and skinnier, so in the drama “Fatty Catty” becomes a “chubby kitty.”

You’re the only one who worked with all four directors. How different were their directing styles?

Not just their filming techniques, but the crew and staff were also completely different. It felt like a fresh start every time. Directors Hur Jin-ho and Kim Se-in love to do long takes, but even those were different. Director Hong Ji-young said from the beginning, “I only film one or two takes, but there are a lot of cuts.” And director Son Tae-gyeom likes to film dialogue in a natural way. He kept only saying that it was good, so I got confused. Their styles are naturally different, so I’m also curious how the final product will turn out. I haven’t seen the final cut yet. Can I see it already?

Continuously switching between directors, what was that experience like as an actor?

I was able to learn a lot, actually. I would get used to one director’s methods, and then switching to another one would be a challenge. I would be in the middle of a scene, then get flustered and stop. It felt like a sudden change in the environment and atmosphere. We actually only had about a month to get to know each other. But as soon as we got close, it was already time to part ways, so that was sad. I think the audience will feel those directorial changes as well. That’s how different it is.

Everyone’s curious about this drama. Love in the City is described as “the story of a very ordinary queer person.” The emotion of love doesn’t change according to sexual orientation, but it can still be seen as unconventional.

It’s the same old love story. We live our lives, and the only difference is sexual orientation. I hope people see it for what it is. It’s not a surprise or a special realization that Go Young is gay, this is just his daily life. But the fact that the show is only available on streaming platforms means Korean society still thinks of it that way. I don’t know what the final cut will be like, but there are some spicy scenes, so it’s probably difficult for non-cable TV.

Korea has never seen a drama like this before?

Up until now, Korea has not had a drama like this. People ask me if doing this show will have a negative impact on me, but that’s the way I am. I’ve never thought about it, and I won’t in the future. I don’t want to act while only considering my image. I think that’s what being an actor is about.

So what is your mindset when acting?

It’s about what I want to do, and what I want is to make good shows and movies.

Just going where your heart leads? That’s simple and good.

That’s how I’ve lived my life, both as a model and when I went into acting. I just accept everything and consider whether I like or dislike it. I have a simple approach to work. I want it to be like that in the future as well. This drama, too, I just had fun while filming it.

What are you really like in a relationship?

Nothing special. Like Go Young, I just meet up and have a meal with them. I don’t date that often? (laughs) When I’m working, it’s hard to stay in contact. My relationships don’t tend to last that long. I’m quick to warm but also quick to cool. Honestly, that’s my dating style.

So you’re a bad boy, then.

I’m nice at heart. (laughs) I do everything I can for the other person. But I don’t think I’m good at dating. Hyun-woo hyung just asked me when I’m going to read his KakaoTalk messages... (laughs)

Seoul itself is another main character in Love in the Big City. Did you get to go around the city a lot?

Actually, we filmed in a lot of places. We also went to the club from the novel and filmed there. It’s a real gay club, and I heard it was the first time they allowed any filming there. They said the director went to get special permission. We put out a casting call for extras for the club scenes, and they also came and helped out.

Is there a neighborhood that represents Seoul to you?

I’m from Namyangju, and the first time I lived alone was in Wangsimni. Cheonggyecheon. I’ll never live in Apgujeong. There are a lot of bars there, which I don’t really like. After Cheonggyecheon, I lived in Dowon-dong, then Yongsan, and also Mapo-gu. I’ve lived in a lot of places, so I’ll go somewhere else next.

What kind of neighborhood do you have to live in?

Pyeongchang-dong. I’ll move there next. A place with monthly rent.

Do you enjoy living in a big city like Seoul?

There are so many people in Seoul. In some ways, there’s too many. It’s too crowded. I don’t like that part.*

If there’s no one you love among all those people, then being an urbanite can be lonely.

That’s right. So I don’t go out. Even now, I just go to the mountains. I go with my camping chair on my shoulder, eat a lunchbox by myself, and then I go back down the mountain.

You get that same kind of feeling from the drama poster—being alone in a sea of people.

That’s a real scene from the drama. There was one scene in a club in Thailand, and another one where I’m waiting for Ho-eun.

What kind of love did you experience with the three men gathered here today?

In the first two episodes, Nam-gyu and I were dating when we were students. I liked him for a while, and when I didn’t like him anymore we broke up, something like that. As for Young-su in episodes 3 and 4, when you’re young, you like older people, right? Even though you regret it later. And in episodes 5 and 6, I’m dating Gyu-ho, who’s like a friend.

Why do you think these men loved Go Young?

I came on strong. (laughs) I was the one who kissed them first and I was also the one who approached them first. How do I seduce this person? That’s what I’m thinking about.

In episode 8, do you regret getting with Habibi? As in, you should have stayed with Gyu-ho.

I do regret it. I was heartsick but didn’t show it. I had no choice but to let him go.

Even though you were acting, were there any moments when you got carried away by the emotions? In today’s interview, everyone slipped into their characters while answering. It’s interesting.

That’s how I do everything, every time. I really do get emotional in crying scenes. The other hyungs and Ho-eun are also like that. We feel everything.

It was nice to see you today, after a long time. And all the men you used to love.

That suddenly reminds me. (laughs) I did it this way and I did it that way.

How will this drama be remembered?

I don’t know if I can say this, but I don’t think there will ever be another drama like this in Korea. There wasn’t before, and there won’t be after. So I hope everyone watches it.

*T/N: this was a little hard to translate directly so I went with the general tone, but his wording was interesting to me. The word he used in the first sentence was 사람, which is a neutral word for “person/people.” In the next sentence he used 인간, which means people in a greater humanity sense. The word he used for “crowded” was 몰리다, which can also be translated as “driven,” as in herding or steering, which to me further emphasized the dehumanizing aspect of Seoul being a big city swamped with people.

KWON HYUK

Love in the Big City starts with Nam-gyu’s story, but he’s hardly mentioned in the novel. He’s the closest thing to an original character in the drama. What kind of person is he?

Nam-gyu is shrouded in mystery. (laughs) On the outside he looks well-behaved and could even be considered rigid, so he could be frustrating. On the inside he’s a person who carries a fiery sort of love. When he dates someone like Go Young, he’s incapable of hiding his true self and conveys his feelings.

If that’s the case, why did they break up?

He’s super frustrating and inflexible. When acting as Nam-gyu, I felt that Go Young’s vibe was from the current generation, like someone who’s an MZ. But although Nam-gyu works as a photographer, he really has an ahjussi’s tastes. Go Young goes to clubs and is the carefree type, but this guy drives at 60km per hour (T/N: 37 mph). I think Go Young would have found him frustrating.

We asked Park Sang-young about each character, and he said this about Nam-gyu: He’s a guy who is inexperienced in love and can’t differentiate between love and obsession.

If there are experienced and inexperienced sides to dating, he’s definitely on the inexperienced side. I think everyone has gone through an immature phase when they were obsessed with someone, and even though they should have seen and accepted that person for who they are, they kept forcing themselves to see only the good things. I could have been like that once, too.

How did you get involved with Love in the Big City?

Director Son Tae-gyeom, who filmed the first two episodes, contacted me. I liked his film Baby and Me (2017), but we didn’t know each other personally so it was a little surprising.

So a director you admired suddenly contacted you one day?

That’s right. He said he wanted to suggest the character of Nam-gyu to me. He said he’s seen almost all of my work and could already picture me as Nam-gyu. He laid everything out very clearly. It’s this kind of drama, and the production will go in this direction. He spoke with so much conviction, I thought I should trust him and give it a try.

Is that how you got your hands on the script?

It’s really fun, and there are kissing scenes, but I don’t find that difficult or burdensome. Can I play this role well? That was the assignment. Nam-gyu and I are really different. I wanted to know what the director saw in me that made him think I could portray this character well.

You’ve never been directly asked like this before?

I think so. No one’s ever asked me about that. (laughs) It’s so different, will the viewers be able to enjoy watching my character? I thought about that a lot. I also talked a lot with the director. This was a very indistinct character in the novel, so there were a lot of blanks we had to fill in. The director accepted my interpretation of the character. Nam-gyu has a unique way of speaking. He uses unusual words. Things like “that was splendid.”** Usually you’d say something was good or great, but he uses “splendid.” People don’t say that often.

What kind of director is Son Tae-gyeom?

He’s a really warm person. I had so much fun and was so happy on set. He let the actors try out a lot of stuff they wanted to do, and from the standpoint of trying to inhabit a character, I was really grateful for that.

What kind of opinions did you give?

Something that comes to mind right now is, normally if you’re introducing yourself, you’d say, “Hello, my name is Kim Nam-gyu,” right? But the Nam-gyu in my head would say, “I’m Kim. Nam-gyu.”

So that’s how you became Nam-gyu. Why was he attracted to Go Young?

I think, as with all love, It has to begin with attraction. Wasn’t I attracted to him because he was so different from me and had something I didn’t have? I thought about that while acting, but Yoon-su and I are very different as well. (laughs) I think he really is a lot like Young.

If you had to defend Nam-gyu?

I think it’s love. At first the viewers might think, “Why is this person like this?,” but if you consider Nam-gyu’s point of view from start to finish, you’ll feel sympathy for him. “Oh, of course that’s possible. It could be like that if you really like someone.” If you like someone a lot, it’s possible to act like you’re somewhere in between love and obsession.

Speaking of Go Young, he said he seduced Nam-gyu, Young-su, and Gyu-ho.

Is that what he said? He was young then so he didn’t know anything. (laughs)

Then did Nam-gyu seduce him?

Of course. Nam-gyu takes photos, and he met Go Young for the first time at a clothing photoshoot. Although it was his first time doing it, there was something in his eyes. There was a certain energy about his photos, and that’s how it started.

After breaking up with Go Young, does Nam-gyu think about him?

I think he was too into him. Because Go Young made him frustrated with himself, he went too fast. He tried to change himself, so doesn’t that mean he still likes Go Young a lot?

How was your chemistry with Yoon-su?

I felt that Yoon-su is a lot like Go Young, both on and off set. I wondered if he was always like that or if he was just acting like Go Young in his daily life for the sake of the drama, but he was always like that. (laughs) So I enjoyed it and it was always fun.

Seoul itself is another main character in Love in the Big City. Did you get to go around the city a lot?

We shot a lot in Itaewon and went around to various other places. We also went to Namsan and Jongno, and filmed while going around Seoul.

Is there a neighborhood that represents Seoul to you?

I’ve always liked Namsan Tower. Whenever I see it, I want to go up and look out at the city. So I went there a lot, and earlier this year I moved to a place where I could see Namsan Tower. I also like Yongsan. It’s the very center of Seoul.

Love is something all these characters yearn and work for. Is there a line that expresses Nam-gyu’s love?

I can think of two. One of them is in the narration, I think. “If obsession isn’t a form of love, then I’ve never been in love before.” The other one is, “Eat this, it’s really delicious,” and it’s when he gives Go Young something he really likes, but Go Young said he doesn’t like it. I think these two lines represent Nam-gyu really well.

What are you really like in a relationship?

I never touch the other person. I’m the kind of person who lets things be and tries to like them for who they are, without trying to change them. It’s my dream to get married someday.

What does it take to live romantically in this big city?

Love, of course. You have to live while loving someone to your heart’s content. We only have one life, so I think it would be nice to love someone sincerely.

How will this drama be remembered?

You’ll have to watch it to find out. For starters, we were really cold, since we filmed in December.

I guess Nam-gyu’s love was cold.

When we filmed at the top of Namsan Tower, it was so cold that I thought, “This is really how you lose weight.” It was 20 degrees (Celsius) below freezing. I couldn’t move my face, but I still made a lot of fun and happy memories. I don’t know how the world will remember this drama but I think it’ll be a really happy memory in my life. Also, infinite thanks to everyone who was determined and supported this drama... wasn’t it a challenge for everyone? An awesome challenge.

**T/N: The Korean word he uses here is 훌륭하다, which can also be translated as superb, marvelous, grand, etc. You get the idea. I’m curious how the subtitlers will handle Nam-gyu’s word choices!

NA HYUN-WOO

You play Young-su in episodes 3 and 4, which are directed by Hur Jin-ho.

That’s right. I’m that Young-su.

It must have been a difficult role. He’s hard to like in the novel.

Every time we filmed that kind of scene, the director, director of photography, and lighting director would all say, “what a bastard.” But it would have been impossible to play Young-su if I thought of him as unpleasant, so I tried my best to understand the role.

Park Sang-young describes Young-su as “someone who can’t accept himself, and even makes the people who love him feel lonely.” How did you approach the role?

I only thought about wanting to play him well. He has a lot of self-loathing. Of course he’s going to find love someday. Wouldn’t he be a better person due to his relationship with Go Young? I hope so. I think there must have also been moments when Go Young was clearly Young-su-like. And I also wonder whether Young-su will date another Young-su at some point.

You’re saying it’s a universal thing that can happen to people who are in love?

I think everyone inevitably has their Go Young moments as well as their Young-su moments. If that’s the case, wouldn’t Young-su also one day become Go Young-like?

How did you end up working on this drama?

I previously worked with director Hur Jin-ho on the show Lost (2021). We don’t keep in touch, but he suddenly contacted me and gave me the script. First of all, the fact that he called me himself was a big reason, and secondly, I was waiting for a drama like this. When I saw the script I knew I really wanted to do it. At the time, it was hard to see Young-su’s bad side. I just really wanted to do it, and thought I could play Young-su well, so I appealed really hard to the PD and ended up joining the cast.

What was the hardest part about playing Young-su?

In the novel he’s 38, and in the show he’s 35. That’s a little older than I am. Young-su was part of a student activist group at a prestigious university, but my generation doesn’t have that experience, so I had to do a lot of research. I’ve never met the author, but there was something about this character that was so hard to understand that I really wanted to meet him.

What part was the hardest to understand?

Why did he go back on his decision like that? What’s wrong with him? I wanted to find the author and ask him, but because I never got the chance, I just thought a lot about it and tried to figure out the reason. It must have been because he couldn’t accept himself. So no matter how unlikable Young-su is, I still feel sympathy for him. Dating Go Young was the most cowardly thing he did, and I think it was also the most painful for himself.

How was your chemistry with Yoon-su?

There wasn’t a lot of time before we started filming, but we did spend two weeks preparing for it. We became really close during that time. I’d never done such deep table reading on a drama before.

Go Young bragged that he came onto Young-su first.

He came onto Young-su? Wasn’t it more like fifty-fifty? Young-su already liked Go Young subconsciously. And wasn’t he like that because Go Young also reciprocated? Among ourselves, we described Young-su as “a man who is only nice at home.” Wouldn’t he have always made this choice?

Did you film at Olympic Park, where a certain incident between Go Young and Young-su took place?

We did. That was the first thing we filmed. It wasn’t easy. We’d just met and had to film a scene where I got mad at Go Young. And that evening there was another important scene to film as well.

Is there a neighborhood that represents Seoul to you?

We have the most fun during our college years, right? I graduated from Sejong University, so the entrance of Konkuk University and Hwayang-dong feel like Seoul to me.

What are you really like in a relationship?

When I was young, love was really romantic. Back then, I didn’t know myself, and aside from the other person I didn’t look at or date anyone else. Now that I’m older, I think it’s okay not to date. That’s the reality.

What was it like working with director Hur Jin-ho on Young-su’s episodes?

He likes suddenly coming up with ideas. He’ll abruptly remove or add new dialogue, or introduce scenes that weren’t originally in the script. You know that really long street in Itaewon? He suddenly wanted Go Young and Young-su to run down that street, even though there were so many people around. But he kept the camera hidden and filmed me and Yoon-su running down the street while screaming. A few people recognized me and called out my name. (laughs) There were no restraints, he just thought about filming realistically. I guess I was truly filming Love in the Big City!

Wrapping up that kind of shoot in a month, was it a bummer?

A total bummer. It’s like, I was so wrapped up in this character and suddenly it was over. This drama was my first one with such intense melodrama, and my first kiss scene...

You did all of that with Yoon-su.

Yoon-su took really good care of me. He quietly brought me mouthwash and said, “Hyung, use this.” That’s how he is with me. If we meet for dinner after he has a kiss scene during the day, he’ll tell me, “Hyung, I kissed so-and-so before coming here.” For some reason, I would feel weirdly jealous. It’s ridiculous. (laughs)

Haha, sounds like you got really immersed in the role.

When I was trying to get truly immersed during filming, I only saw Nam Yoon-su. I really researched only Nam Yoon-su, I looked up what kind of person Nam Yoon-su was, I only thought about Nam Yoon-su, to the point where he would appear in my dreams. Seriously, I was also shocked. I was that desperate to play this role well.

You became a Nam Yoon-su expert for a while. Did you get to know him that well?

I mean, I don’t know everything. That guy is really similar to Go Young! He went months without responding to my KakaoTalk messages.

He was really worried before. The three of you were sitting there after meeting each other for the first time, and he said it was awkward.

It’s true. Everyone here only looks for Yoon-su. So I’ll look for him a little less.

There might be someone out there who suits you better than Yoon-su.

I guess I haven’t totally escaped yet. There’s no one else but Yoon-su. (laughs)

JIN HO-EUN

How did you get involved with Love in the Big City?

I wanted to be in a queer drama. I heard this was being made, and as you know, the original novel was really well-loved. They said that four directors would be filming it, so I auditioned. I was really greedy for the role of Gyu-ho. I kept reading the novel while preparing for the audition, but I didn’t know if it would turn out well.

So you got both the project and the role that you wanted.

I filmed a video for the first round of auditions, and I’ve been saying I wanted to play Gyu-ho since then. But director Hong Ji-young really liked that. At the time, I didn’t know which part or which director would suit me, and all four of them were at the audition, as well as Park Sang-young.

Gyu-ho is an important character. He appears a lot in the novel, and on the poster, the “I don’t care, because it’s you” tagline also comes from him.

I was really glad to get this role. He has a huge presence in the story, and because of that I wanted to do a good job. I also really liked director Hong Ji-young’s previous work. I watched all of her movies and also bought the novel to read.

What did you like so much about Gyu-ho?

He’s someone who always moves forward without wavering. He and Go Young are similar in some ways, and different in others, so they are able to see each other deeply.

According to the book description, Gyu-ho looks a bit mean, but he’s actually a sincere person.

I was the least confident about his appearance, so I asked Park Sang-young about it a lot before we filmed. Not only about his physical appearance, but also his inner self—should he closely resemble the Gyu-ho from the book or should he be different? The author wanted me to do it my own way. The first time I met him, we were waiting for another meeting to finish and spent a very awkward hour together in a room. But I asked him a lot of questions and we got closer.

What was it like working with director Hong Ji-young on Gyu-ho’s episodes?

She’s really lovely. She’s really detailed, and for every little thing she tries to maintain the author’s style while also boldly including her own touches. So while Go Young and Gyu-ho’s story is a poignant melodrama, at the same time it’s also very charming. Their story felt like a youth drama to me.

Go Young and Gyu-ho had the most romantic relationship in the story. In the end, isn’t Gyu-ho the one man Young can’t forget?

I think so. The script is really sad. I felt sad the day we shot the scene in the poster. Although a lot of time has passed, I still tear up when I look at the script or any related videos.

You haven’t gotten over it yet?

It’s not that, but the memories still remain. Maybe because we spent almost three months together? I appear in seven or eight episodes.

It must have been a bummer when it ended. How was your chemistry with Yoon-su?

I was really sad when filming ended. I was glad that Nam-su hyung had the role of Go Young. Although we had to make some adjustments during filming, we were a good fit from the start. When he was filming the first four episodes, it reflected what he felt. Hyung really took care of me.

Today the men who loved Go Young have gathered, but I believe this isn’t everyone? From what I heard, Yoon-su kissed a lot of people.

That’s right. Who did he say was the best? Did you not talk about that? He told me he kissed around 15 people, and I was impressed all over again. Not 15 kisses with one person in a single drama, but one kiss with 15 people...

So that’s why they call him “Devil Go Young.” He said that he was the one who seduced Nam-gyu, Young-su, and Gyu-ho.

He said that? But Gyu-ho absolutely isn’t someone who falls for that kind of thing. (laughs) Gyu-ho liked Go Young. He must have been satisfied with that.

Park Sang-young said Gyu-ho was “a pure person who can’t help but fall in love.” Honestly, isn’t Gyu-ho someone who can have a good relationship, even if it’s not with Go Young?

Yeah, that’s Gyu-ho’s appeal. Still, he’ll get hurt again, grow, and heal the other person. I think he can emit a certain kind of influence over everyone he chooses to be with; he had a good influence on Go Young when they were dating, and it’ll be the same when he dates someone else.

So he’s not worried about the future. How do you think Gyu-ho will do?

I also think about Gyu-ho’s future. From his actions in episodes 7 and 8, I realized he’s a constructive and practical person. That’s so like Gyu-ho.

Did Gyu-ho want Young to hold onto him?

I think it was fifty-fifty for Gyu-ho. I think it was more that Young wanted Gyu-ho to hold onto him. That made it even sadder because Gyu-ho really understood where Go Young was coming from. That’s how I approached it while filming.

What are you really like in a relationship?

I try to do my best all the time. Actually I’m not really sure, but Gyu-ho made me think that way. (laughs)

What was the most difficult part of playing Gyu-ho?

The line “I don’t care, because it’s you” was really hard. That line is from the novel, right? But having to deliver it on camera was a challenge. Also, “You don’t care if it’s not me?” I wanted to do a good job, so I discussed different versions with the director and we filmed a lot of takes. Please check it out when the drama comes out.

What kind of drama will Love in the Big City be?

I think this is a much-needed drama for our generation. It’s a story that showcases different perspectives, so even if it doesn’t happen immediately, I think people will continue to talk about it. When the casting news came out, I received a lot of supportive DMs. They said the world needs this type of show, and also thanked me. Of course, I also got a lot of jeering or disgusted emojis. Yoon-su hyung received a lot more of those, honestly.

How will you remember this drama?

I hope this drama becomes a representative work for my 20s. I filmed it when I was 25, at the crossroads of my mid-20s, and I think we told a really good story together. Can you watch it the day it premieres? I want to achieve the top ranking on Tving. I hope a lot of people watch it. Truly, seriously, please watch it.

#love in the big city #대도시의 사랑법 #nam yoon su #남윤수 #kwon hyuk #권혁 #na hyun woo #나현우 #jin ho eun #진호은 #park sang young #my translation #echoing our gyuho #please watch this show #the photos are really nice but i can't be bothered to format them into this lol #they've been posted elsewhere #allure korea

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eddiediazismyhusband · 6 months ago

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Hi Louis, are there any plot points/mentions on 9-1-1 that you wish were expanded further on the show (not just Buddie related)? For myself I'm still a little bitter they never mentioned all Buck did during the tsunami.

And when Buck and Eddie get married, what song do you think will be their first dance to? (I already made 3 playlists for them but Strangers by Maddie & Tae makes me go This is so them every time I listen to it. )

Thank you for making scrolling through the Buddie tag so much fun, Carly

ooohhhh im so gald you brought this up bc ive been dying to talk about it—

but in all seriousness i love this question!!

1. plot points i wish were expanded on more

i have a few but im only going to narrow it down to this one because it is something that has always kind if rubbed me the wrong way… but i really wish they could have spent more time exploring Hen’s relationship with her mom. I might be in the minority here, but to me the whole arc of Toni coming back into Hen’s life felt very quick and almost…. too simple? (not that it was simple at ALL but) As a queer person who has had a rocky relationship with my parents, it is always something i love to see portrayed in media more rather than just automatically jumping to the “supportive ally” trope as a way to make a story more feel-good if that makes sense. And i saw the bones for that in the storyline with Hen and Toni, but because of the state of the show at FOX that season i understand why they didn’t make it a bigger deal….. however i really wish they had!

(also i agree them never mentioning what buck did in the tsunami has always rubbed me the wrong way— i definitely feel like they all should have already gotten medals at this point for other rescues in the past so the fact that they only just now are getting them has annoyed me, but im just glad the firefam is getting recognition for something)

2. Buddie Wedding Song

I am kissing you on the forehead for this question bc i love love love love LOVE talking about stuff like this….

This isn’t for their first dance, but i have always loved the idea of Karen singing “At Last” during the ceremony (a la bones, which wasn’t what inspired it in my head but upon further inspection is actually really similar to what i would want their wedding to look like) bc i think the fact that we haven’t heard tracie thoms’ voice on the show yet is a CRIME.

As as far as a first dance song, i love the idea of them dancing to something softer— a couple that come to mind are Love Like This (Ben Rector) and Love Me Tender (Norah Jones). If they wanna cash in on the Adele hype now, i DEFINITELY wouldn’t be opposed to Make You Feel My Love (maybe even sung by Maddie so that we get JLH’s vocals again??). i also could see You Are The Reason (Calum Scott). If they wanted to go the taylor swift route, i could see You Are In Love, Enchanted, or even Daylight (which daylight would admittedly have me sobbing like a baby).

Also strangers by maddie & tae is SOOOOOO BUDDIE…. this wouldn’t be their first dance song, but Friends Don’t is such a quintessential Buddie song to me 👌👌👌

thank you for the ask, and your sweet note at the end! I really loved getting to answer this ask 💕💕

#911 abc #eddie diaz #buddie #911 #evan buckley #buddie 911 #buck and eddie #911 on abc #eddie diaz x evan buck buckley #eddie diaz x buck #eddie diaz x evan buckley #buck x eddie

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kdramaxoxo · 7 months ago

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Sorry if you've been asked this a million times, but who are your favorite couples from the last couple years?

Congratulations Anon! This ask is AMAZING and I've never been asked it before! Shocking right?? :P

My favorite K-Drama Couples 2023- Spring 2024

NOTE: I tried to include 2022 but my list got too long :)

Moving (Bong-Seok & Hee-Soo, Joo-Won & Hye-Won & Doo-Shik & Mi-Hyun): It's very obvious by this list how much I love this drama and how many blorbo-from-my-shows it created for me. And I know I'm only reviewing couples, but I was blown away by this drama. I don't even LIKE superhero shows, but I made an exception for this one and I'm so glad I did. If you like character development and plays on good vs. evil, I highly rec this! Bong-Seok and Hee-Soo are one of my favorite couples EVER and I loved the softness and epic romance of Joo-Won & Hye-Won. (And we all know that scene at the rainy window with Bong-Seok and Hee-Soo). These couples are really EVERYTHING.

Tale of the Nine Tailed: 1938 (Lee-rang & Yeo-Hee): This is the only time I've ever watched a season two and liked it better than season one. It's probably because it featured my favorite tragic half fox Lee Rang and gave him a love line with a mermaid. The two are SO sweet together---SOB!

Tell me That You Love Me (Mo-Eun & Jin-Woo): Wow. Maybe one of the softest couples I've ever seen in existence. Just watching them together was like a warm blanket in front of a cozy fireplace. I didn't like the ending choice which is a shame, but the drama was super well done and I still think people should watch it. There is also a very cute high school couple too!

The Eighth Sense (Jae-Won & Ji Hyun): not to be dramatic (just kidding!) this is the best bl kdrama I've ever seen. Literally this is it! I don't even want to tell you about the couple because I want you to just watch it! I'm dying for the writer to make another one because we need more queer media like this one!

Crash Course In Romance (Haeng-Seon & Chi-Yeol): Give me a noona romance featuring a man who has not felt warmth in 1000 years (ok not literally but this dude needs to have a warm meal made by an amazing lady!) This drama fell apart at the end (this seems to be a theme this year) but the couple makes it worth watching.

King The Land (Gu-Won & Sa-Rang): If you're looking for a low stakes, totally fluffy, rom com with TONS of chemistry (featuring MY BIAS!), King the Land is for you. Amazing skinship, kisses and just like a really fun duo to watch. Plot? Not so much but there are a billion good moments-- just look at the tags: They are full of cuteness.

Love After Divorce Season 4 (Benita & Jerome): Listen, I know I'm cheating by putting a reality tv show on this list but if you're in the mood for one, I highly recommend this season (it's on Netflix). Benita and Jerome will steal your heart and they are still together! I'm rooting for them. <3

See you in my 19th Life (Ji-Eum & Seo-Ha, Da-Hoon & Cho-Won): My bias Shin Hye Sun kills it in this drama featuring past life romance. Honestly it's not fair because this drama is totally my vibe so I'm obviously going to love the mains. But when a drama gives you more than one love line and they are both interesting and lovely?? Chef's Kiss!

Dr. Slump (Jeong-Woo & Ha-Neul): This drama TOTALLY fell apart at the end and left us all very disappointed, but that's not because our leads weren't a perfect couple! They bonded over mental illness and even took their meds together. Communication: check. Comfort/Healing: check. Chemistry: check!

The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (Yun-Woo & Tae-Ha). You probably don't know this but I've been following Bae In Hyuk's career since we was in silly little web dramas. Seeing him as a lead is really wild! To be fair, he's not nearly the actor that Lee Se Young is, but do we care about that when there's a time slip romance drama featuring a historical lady who's been thrown into the future and has to fake marry someone who looks just like her de*d husband for reasons??

Thank you so much for this ask - it was super fun!! Maybe I should do 2022 next?? :D

#kdrama #i love a list #king the land #kdrama recommendations #crash course in romance #tale of the nine tailed #ask #kdrama couple #the story of park's marriage contract #dr. slump

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peachjagiya · 4 months ago

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Taehyung was associated with an LGBT image early in his career. In 2016 or 2017, he was photographed in a t-shirt featuring Keith Haring, a gay artist, during a period when BTS members were styled according to specific concepts. The song "Stigma," co-written by Taehyung and Bang Si-hyuk (the first author), was released in 2016 and is speculated to have LGBT undertones. In 2017, Taehyung wore a blue LGBT pride shirt during a performance. It's likely that their stylists chose their attire for them back then. He sang "Singularity," a song written by Namjoon inspired by Yukio Mishima's "Confessions of a Mask," which deals with hidden sexuality. In 2022, HYBE released "7FATES: CHAKHO," featuring Jooan, a character described by Taehyung as someone who loves beyond his species and whose love is forbidden and not easy. These instances suggest that the image of an LGBT person was assigned to him by his company. What are your thoughts on this?

Just to be clear, we're speculating that any queer coding we attribute to Tae is company mandate?

Why would they do that? To what end? In a country where homophobia is still a problem?

Here's Tae wearing a Keith Haring tee:

And a post showing what they're all wearing in this moment. Looks like their comfy clothes/pyjamas to me. I don't think they are styled that intensely that they can't pick their own loungewear.

Here's Tae at Disneyland Paris in July 2023 wearing the Disneyland Pride hoodie. Someone has bought two for his security too. Hybe?

Tees and hoodies don't prove queerness. But I find it easier to believe that Tae is either queer or a staunch ally than to believe the company dresses him in queerness like a jacket that he can shrug off at the end of the photoshoot.

Is the company instructing him to keep mentioning CMBYN? To seek out foreign language queer cinema? To reference Maurice in his photofolio? To champion queer photography?

Ask yourself why it's easier for you to believe he's been forced to portray queerness than to accept he might just be queer?

Ask yourself why it's easier for you to believe that than him just being an ally even?

This is so close to jkkrs rhetoric that he is super straight because they're casually homophobic enough to think gay means he's definitely into all the guys around him and therefore feel threatened by any suggestion of Tae not being hetero.

I'm side-eyeing it.

Please if I've misread your meaning here, feel free to come back, anon. But long story short: no I don't think Hybe did this.

#my asks #sexuality discourse is bananas 🍌#tae and queer media

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dearweirdme · 4 months ago

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Hi anon!

I think this is a limited take, because you only use a few examples of possible company involvement, while ignoring a lot of situations in which the company was not involved.

I don’t think the company tried to make Tae their token queer guy. I think Tae is queer and that’s why we see these things from him.. all throughout the years, and in different settings. Tae is consistent in sharing queer media and in wearing queer coded clothing. When someone shows you their colors.. always start with believing them 🏳️‍🌈.

The company imo doesn’t want fandom to believe that their artists are queer (at least not now… who knows about later on.. when they feel it might profit them). I do think they see the benefit of being queerfriendly. And.. I really believe BTS members are queer allies and/or queer themselves.. so for queerness to come up every now and then (especially now they are established artists) isn’t a calculated move in order to gain attention or money imo.

#taekook #members #music industry

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taekooktimeline · 2 years ago

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April 24, 2023

April 24, 2023 - Tae and Jk attend a personal event for the movie premier of “Dream,” featuring one of Tae’s good friends, Wooga member Park Seo-Joon (also featuring IU). It’s Jk’s first movie premier event and he had this moment with Tae. And it’s also good to note they went as individuals Taehyung and Jungkook, not as BTS members, nor did they attend in any type of work context.

There is SO much to unpack so I’ll start off with my opinion, especially because I’m so emotional and overwhelmed (in the best ways) by what this means. This was 1000% a statement. Nothing is a coincidence with Taekook. In my opinion, this event explicitly states the obviousness of their relationship, without implicitly saying it in words. Some of the below was mentioned on my IG / Tumblr already but I can’t stress how pivotal this event was, so I won’t apologize for being repetitive.

Let’s start with their clothes, covered in more extensive detail below. Their attire alone is a statement, very queer coded - Tae’s jacket brand, his shirt, Jk’s quotes on his jacket. They didn’t wear their brand ambassador clothing, when this would’ve been a good opportunity to do that. They knew this event would be significant and they planned their outfits with meticulous thought to help convey their message of intent. Them choosing to wear queer coded clothes at their first non-work related premier together is not a coincidence in any way. It’s quite a statement and noteworthy in itself.

And it wasn’t just their clothing choices that were meaningful. Their body language and expressions were significant too.

They’re familiar with red carpets and big events in their line of work (Jungkook recently performed solo for the World Cup 2022), and yes, Jk is more of an introvert, but he still was extra shy during this premier. And that’s because this was a statement. Both knew this moment was special, and IMO, Jk’s shyness was a result of this knowledge.

They didn’t walk with any other Wooga member, nor did any other BTS member attend. They walked together, just the two of them, knowing what this would signify about them and their relationship. They knew it would be impactful, the next step to normalizing their relationship to the public. This was about them. This was them showing us who they are to each other, how special their bond is. Not only that, this event shows how safe and secure they feel in their relationship, to want to take such a monumental, public step like this.

I’ll go over it in more detail below, but I also find it to be so sweet and telling that these two make sure to be each other’s pillar of strength when the other needs it. Tae made sure to be Jk’s safe space, as he always has been and always will be. When Jk hesitated to walk to the photo wall, he took his wrist. The way Jk looked at Tae when he turned back to take his wrist? He lit up when Tae turned and that speaks VOLUMES, and it shows his trust to Tae. Then they stepped out to the photo wall TOGETHER, as a duo, not individually.

They prioritize and choose each other and they always will. No matter what any “fan” says on SM. No matter what nonsense lies or fantasy some random person on the Internet spouts. Their relationship will continue as it is, and they’ll keep getting louder, because this is reality. And they’ve shown as much at this event.

It’s massive and beautiful and significant what took place. For me, as of now this was their biggest moment - bigger than Harry Styles, Atomix, Paradise Hotel, etc. And I couldn’t be prouder. They’re so brave. It honestly leaves me in awe seeing such an incredible display of courage, knowing the media and all these eyes - in person and online - were watching. They’ll change the world. I feel so strongly about that. And I will always support them.

Getting into the premier itself! This is Jk’s first movie premier, and Tae’s fifth. The other four movie events Tae attended are as follows:

11/26/2016 “Derailed” (Minho)

08/07/2017 “Midnight Runners” (Park Seojoon)

07/30/2019 “The Divine Fury” (Park Seojoon and Choi Wooshik)

06 /02/2022 “Broker” (Kang Dong Won)

https://twitter.com/doc_taetae/status/1650889516771852290?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Again, because this is important to remember - this is Taekook’s first movie premier event together, on their own, in an unofficial, not work related setting. And this is the first time Tae has brought a +1 to a friend’s movie premier!

Jk kept smiling as they walked closer to the photo wall -

https://twitter.com/oknaisyode/status/1650498974338654208?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

His smile -> he’s practically glowing as he acknowledges this fan 🥹

https://twitter.com/imgoldencard/status/1651758747642130432?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Walking closer to the photo wall -

Tae looking so happy in these stills as he sees fans - (😭)

https://twitter.com/taeguide/status/1650473934872092672?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/dailyforjk/status/1650470591009370112?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

The sequence of these two photos 🥰

As they make their way closer to the crowd, Jk smiles -

He then glances at Tae with a softer smile (his expression 😭) -

His smile widens again as he looks away -

https://twitter.com/evexece_kthjjk/status/1650575338580107267?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

I saw some have interpreted the next moment as the guards stopping Jk from walking to the wall with Tae. That’s not how I interpret this moment as the reason for Jk stopping. We see the guards stopping them both, but it looks like only Jk heard, and Tae initially didn’t hear.

View angle here - https://twitter.com/wintertaeta/status/1651226619556638721?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

One guard places a hand on Jk’s back for a moment -

And you can see another guard stopping them both from walking, before motioning for them to step forward -

The other guard briefly places his hand briefly on Jk’s back a second time (encouragement to head out to the photo wall) -

https://twitter.com/wintertaeta/status/1651226619556638721?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

The way I interpret this moment is - Jk was very adorably shy throughout this event. This was an important moment for them and they both knew that. Jk stops walking (because the guards instructed them both to). However, when Tae turned around, the indescribable emotions in Jk’s eyes as he looks at Tae is absolutely everything. I can’t stress enough how important, how special, how monumental this night was. “Their moment of truth.” And after this sweet exchanged look, the MC yells out, “BTS!” and they step out in front of fans, reporters - a crowd - together.

https://twitter.com/mariposa732/status/1650538846335954944?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Tae was very much encouraging, Jk’s safe space, his source of strength. He turned and gave assurances, giving him a small nod -

before confidently holding Jk’s wrist for a moment, unbothered by the people and cameras surrounding them. And, in turn, Jk trusted him and that speaks volumes too.

Front view of Tae holding Jk’s wrist -

Note Jk’s sweet, soft smile and gaze after Tae held his wrist -

When Tae turns to walk to the wall and the waiting crowd, his face looks very determined. For me, his energy throughout the event radiated that he was very mindful and protective of Jk. “I’ll take care of everything.”

Jk has a small smile on his face before they walk out together. It’s hard to see in a still so it’s encouraged to view the clip below. As OP mentions in the tweet, it seems as if he’s simultaneously anxious but excited (we can only speculate based on demeanor). This is a personal opinion, which you’re welcome to disagree with, but honestly this moment read to me like, “We’re really doing this,” accompanied by all the excited nervousness and butterflies of such an important moment. And then, they stepped out as a duo.

https://twitter.com/evexece_kthjjk/status/1650861346777600000?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg I’m going to leave a lot of links since this moment in itself was incredibly special - https://twitter.com/kookvtwins/status/1650468584693301248?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/_onlytkv/status/1650468023952875523?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/_k91230v_/status/1650475125266059264?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/regalkv/status/1650519708079362053?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/prashan57668544/status/1650672175966482432?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/regalkv/status/1650534829430280193?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/kazunessa/status/1650655293519585281?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/peachesminty/status/1651359920036671488?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

I found this so sweet. Tae turns back to check on Jk as they walk to the green wall -

https://twitter.com/taekoomania/status/1663830729430814720?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs5o1yHtPCg/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Another adorable angle of shy Jungkookie🥰 -

On the red carpet, Tae looks at Jk out of his peripheral vision -

Tae then nudges a bashful Jk -

who looks back at him shyly, asks “What?” and smiles. His expression to Tae is so endearing!

https://twitter.com/thetkglobal/status/1650467506740682753?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

While Tae gazes fondly, Jk closes his eyes and smiles widely.

Jk proceeds to cover his face in shyness.

Tae’s endeared smile towards Jk’s reaction -

Tae does an adorable copy / paste.

https://twitter.com/dailyforjk/status/1650466844484968448?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

They proceed to pose for photos.

https://twitter.com/briller__613/status/1650462451627065345?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

And they acknowledge people in the crowd -

More posing and waves -

Long clips (adding many in case one ever goes private or deactivates) - https://twitter.com/v_of_me/status/1650470523317657600?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/vantaemaybe/status/1650461397636222977?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/myu_kookv/status/1650461248604045313?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/prashan57668544/status/1650688583630753792?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg Threads - https://twitter.com/diortetae/status/1650471960017788930?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/yoongellic/status/1650469143223885824?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Another way Tae encouraged Jk was by passing him the mic and letting him speak first, when the MC asked him directly, “V-ssi, any word of support for actor Park Seo-Joon?” Taekook exchange a glance after her question. Their reaction when they make eye contact is so sweet, full of shyness and adoration.

Both smile when they turn away from the other -

https://twitter.com/dailyforjk/status/1650495457506779137?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/bxt321/status/1650527557966790658?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Tae then hands the mic to Jk to answer the question first. What’s interesting here is when Jk cheers on Seo-Joon, he doesn’t call him Seo-Joon-nim or Seo-Joon-ssi. And he doesn’t just call him Seo-Joon either. He gives him a nickname, adding an -ie to the end of his name and saying, “Seo-Joon-ie hyung, fighting.” Honorifics are important in Korea (and other Asian cultures, like Japan) so for Jk to use a casual nickname at a premier event indicates closeness. We’ve seen many instances of Jk spending time with Tae and his Wooga friends (Wooshik only following the two of them on IG (when Jk had IG) Hobi’s party, bowling, skiing and the musical, for example). This is another instance that shows his close friendship with Wooga.

Small recap of Jk with Wooga on TW- https://twitter.com/kakostel/status/1633220597969743874?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/kakostel/status/1633220703917883393?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Tae’s fond expression towards Jk, covered in a few different angles -

https://twitter.com/sorte613/status/1650538970256932864?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/sorte613/status/1650468439541284864?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg YT recap - https://youtu.be/EU0EAaX3dmA

Taekook head back to the lounge area together.

You can see Tae glance back towards Jk in this last photo-

https://twitter.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1650513103832924160?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Taekook exit the theater with Wooga -

https://twitter.com/chatshirelore/status/1650528431887773696?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Stills of them exiting the theater -

Jk nods his head, smiles at OP and even briefly glances back -

https://twitter.com/taekoomania/status/1650553519508955136?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Preserving these photos because they’re so beautiful -

https://twitter.com/sorte613/status/1650480135211208706?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

As they head to meet actor Kim Soohyun, Jungkook visibly takes a breath. As others have pointed out, we haven’t really ever seen Jungkook exhibit this type of nervous energy - before concerts, work related events, or when he performed solo for the World Cup 2022. This is another indicator of how nervous (but excited, happy and brave) these two were

https://twitter.com/vcutath/status/1657087078230896642?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/mytaekooook/status/1657262532162142209?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg Close up- https://twitter.com/peachesminty/status/1657270571649081344?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/taekoomania/status/1657289089408974848?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Close up-

Taekook also met Director Lee Byeongheon at the Dream VIP after party! (Remember, Tae mentioned he got drunk, as he briefly recounted in his live the next day- https://www.tumblr.com/emporium/716493153047363584/pg-hellsite-hecksite-patch-500 )

https://twitter.com/mybwits/status/1657250390004625408?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Taekook made a lot of statements at this premier, and I especially want to draw detailed attention to their clothing, as this wasn’t a coincidence. They’re both brand ambassadors - Tae for Celine, and Jk for Calvin Klein, but they, instead, chose LGBTQIA+ coded outfits to wear to a movie premier they attended together, knowing what the connotations of this would mean.

Jungkook’s jacket (designer Enfants Riches Deprimes) is incredibly queer coded.

The front right pocket is covered in Biblical scripture. “For all sinned, and come short of the glory of God ~All we like sheep have gone astray ~Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Detailed thread written by a good friend - https://twitter.com/heaven_borahae/status/1650493166938886144?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

According to another good friend, Jungkook’s Biblical scripture is about two men, Paul and Silas, that were jailed for their practices and for “causing a public nuisance” - one of the men being someone that many believe was gay.

More info here - https://twitter.com/koosyoyo/status/1650503243670208514?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/koosyoyo/status/1650500286052544513?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Jk’s left sleeve is an excerpt from “Anonymous Diary of a New York Youth, Vol. 3” which was written by columnist Taylor Mead, who wrote the first gay newspaper in NYC called “Gay Power.” He was also friends with Andy Warhol, a celebrated, famous gay artist, known for the Pop Art Movement. Andy was impressed by his writing and film roles by the time they met, and Andy would end up filming Taylor in “Tarzan and Jane Regained…Sort Of” “Imitation of Christ” and “Taylor Mead’s Ass”.

https://twitter.com/_gcfofvante/status/1650529119363559425?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Tae’s jacket is by Juntae Kim, a brand famous for creating gender fluid clothing.

https://twitter.com/taeguide/status/1650526602445332484?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/taeguide/status/1650476212039430144?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

His shirt is a “rare find” on Etsy - an Oscar Wilde and Morrisey print.

More info on Tae’s shirt:

Oscar Wilde paved the way for gay rights. He was intimately involved with Alfred Douglas, convicted of sodomy and was imprisoned for two years for this. After his release, he spent his final three years in exile. At the time of his “offense,” homosexuality was a criminal offense and serious societal taboo in Britain. Oscar went back and forth between hiding and attempting to gain public acceptance.

You can read more here - https://twitter.com/heaven_borahae/status/1650484860753186816?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

And here https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/oscar-wilde-is-sent-to-prison-for-indecency

Morrisey, the other component to Tae’s shirt, is pansexual, and coined the term “humasexual” to describe himself.

More info here - https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2013/10/morrissey-confirms-attraction-humans-probably-not-attracted-you/309767/

The reason I went into such depth and detail with their clothing is because their choice of attire for this premier is not a coincidence in any way. As a moot (TaeJkForever) beautifully wrote, their outfits allude to the stigmatization of homosexuality. They’re both very smart, and they knew exactly what they were doing by choosing these queer coded outfits for their first movie premier together. There was intent in that choice. They came to make a statement about their relationship, and they absolutely did, in so many different ways.

Getting into the media coverage: as expected, Dispatch covered the duo. On their IG, they posted their photos first, before IU and Seo-Joon, who’s premier this movie was for.

This was their IG story -

Their YT reel featured the hand holding emoji -

https://youtube.com/shorts/4Ye5wVNp4CA?feature=share

Remember - Dispatch used the same 👬emoji for Taekook in March 2018 -

Recap - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2018/625075008238125056

A reporter’s observation -

Another article -

And another -

The entertainment agency for “Dream” used Taekook’s signature 💜💚 in their coverage -

Elle Singapore called them Taekook -

World music awards called them Taekook also -

As an aside, I love that Jk said “my mom made me pretty.” It’s obvious he enjoys calling himself pretty and being called pretty by others. This reporter complimenting him as such is really sweet. (Also note the worldwide trends that showed up on the news - their national debut!) -

https://twitter.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1651103138257174528?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://twitter.com/ilykv_/status/1651100156102860801?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

#taekooktimeline #taekook #2023 #statements #closeness #affectionate #fondness #lgbtq #clothing #camping here forever

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