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trashlie · 3 years

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The Asshole With a Heart of Gold: Kousuke Subverted

(I have also posted this to reddit but for the sake of having things organized in one place, I thought I’d drop this here.)

To me, one of the most fascinating aspects of the writing of I Love Yoo is the desconstruction and subversion of common tropes in shoujo manga and kdramas - especially those regarding love triangles. In one of her curiouscat responses, quim noted "Even though I admit Kousuke's creation had a lot to do with the way I thought during my teenage years, them being like your typical 1st and 2nd male leads in most shoujo manga is not a coincidence" and I gotta be real with you guys: this thought hasn't stopped haunting me. I love tropes and I love even more when writers play with them, whether they are blatantly using them or subverting them. My favorite one to think about these days is how Kousuke is set up as your standard jerk with a heart of gold, partly in particular because I find it fascinating to see how he went from a very popular, typical "first lead" type character who so many fans openly loved to one who is very scorned right now, but mostly because this is a trope I've never enjoyed, yet quim breathes into it so much realism and personality that the subversion just works.

Please note, I am not suggesting that Kousuke is a first or second lead. In fact, I don't think of either Kousuke or Nol as that. However, for the purpose of this writing, I am considering him as if he were a first lead, based on what quim wrote in cc.

The Jerk With a Heart of Gold

In many pieces of media with a love triangle, there is, quite often, a jerk with a heart of gold. Though not required, he's often rich and privileged, and he has not experienced the same kind of lifestyle as our MC love interest. Especially when the jerk with a heart of gold is rich, our MC LI tends to be from a much lower class - a classic pauper and the prince. We even see this played with, wherein Kousuke hasn't eaten things like street food or god forbid a hamburger without a fork and knife - he's not an animal! However, even early on, quim is fast to play with this: yes Kousuke is privileged, but it's not that his privilege has denied him simple peasant experiences. He just finds these foods unsanitary and prefers his more gourmet options xD

The jerk with a heart of gold is, usually, cold to most people (especially those of the opposite sex) and has no interest in people he deems beneath him. He can even be haughty, as well as unreachable, someone so far removed from normalcy that the plights of the wee peasants does not phase him. In the beginning, Kousuke is played quite straight to this - he goes as far as to trip Shinae over a piece of tiramisu and calls her a fat ass, insults her "cheap clothes", and implies that he is well above her; on a number of occasions he refers to Shinae's social class beneath him. We also almost immediately get to see the heart of gold - initially Kousuke seems to care about his brother, going as far as to want to thank to Shinae in some form. Even though he ends up at the mall with her due to a prank phone call gone awry, he's still witness Shinae's altercation with the mother of a child bully throwing her drink at Shinae, and secretly reports the incident to security and provides her a new t-shirt (and qtips lol). How sweet, the audience swooned. Look, he cares!

What quim does really well with her storytelling and use of tropes, though, is that we learn fast that not everything is what it seems: Nol isn't a happy go-lucky second lead, Yui isn't the mother she seems, romantic scenes may not be that, and Kousuke is not simply a misunderstood tsundere. As the story reveals more information and we learn more about the characters, we see how they play into or subvert their respective tropes.

Misunderstood Jerk

Often the jerk with the heart of gold is either misunderstood or protecting himself from a past pain - usually both. Something - often family - prevents him from opening up his heart, and it's only our resilient, plucky, MC LI who can thaw his heart and help him love. Or maybe she inspires him to live better, teaches him that life is worth living, yadda yadda. One way or the other, something about the MC sparks something in the jerk with the heart of the gold, and his grumpiness falls away (at least, around her it does).

Initially, Kousuke certainly seems misunderstood, and to some degree, he follows the trope. He does come from a troubled family who is the reason he has become the person he has. But rather than a watered down version of this trope for the sake of drama, Kousuke is wonderfully developed, in all his persnicketty assholery. (Please note I say this with tongue in cheek; it cannot be denied that Kousuke can be a jerk and, at times, an asshole. This is not trashing a character but discussing his traits, and why those traits exist and how they serve to play with or against this trope.) I really appreciate the depth quimchee puts into her characters - it's easy to write a character who is a jerk without reason, who enjoys being mean but suddenly changes. But how are readers supposed to see the importance of his change when it doesn't make sense to us?

Kousuke is the product of his environment and how he was raised. In a home that had little to no affection, where Kousuke was pampered, his mother manipulated him onto a one-track path to Rand emulation. From a young age, he was made to believe the only thing that mattered in his life was to become his father, a "very important man" too busy to be bothered, with whom Kousuke never developed any bonds. His childhood was beyond pragmatic, and by missing out on crucial moments playing with other children, we find that Kousuke didn't properly develop empathy, did not learn to deal with complex emotions, did not learn healthy conflict resolution, and suffered stunted emotional IQ as an adult. In so many cases, our jerk with the heart of gold is simply an emotion hungry, attention-starved guy who made himself feel he was better than others so he didn't have to face his feelings. Kousuke is a grander scale of this - he is attention starved (for Rand's attention), he is emotionally constipated, but because we've seen his background and how he developed these traits, it will make it more satisfying when he inevitably undergoes his eventual Much Needed Character Development. Kousuke is not simply an empty vessel for a popular trope - he embodies it in such a way that gives it more life. He owns it.

Kousuke is not simply misunderstood or "just needs a friend": he is man who (like everyone else in this story lmao) is in a great need of therapy to work through his issues. Unlike in shoujo or kdramas, it's not enough to fall in love with this man and expect him to change. Quim takes the trope and applies realism to it. Love does not heal all wounds.

A Heart of Gold

The heart of gold aspect of this trope can be played with in many different ways. Sometimes, he is simply a tsundere who is not good at expressing his more vulnerable emotions, and possesses a softer side than his prickly appearance reveals. We know, though, that Kousuke's core is just as prickly as his surface - a fun subversion on quimchee's part. Other times, he reveals his heart of gold when he can't help but grow soft towards the MC LI, who, for some reason, makes him feel unlike anyone else has made him feel, who can get through his hard exterior, who makes him feel vulnerable. In these cases, he is often of the variety who is mean to everyone but the one girl he secretly likes.

Again, early in the story, quimchee makes us think that's what we're playing at. Kousuke seems to us as readers as having taken interest in Shinae, the rough around the edges, unrefined, uncouth mess that he's tangled his path with. In fact, it is further implied when Yui Hirahara enters the stage and heavily implies that Kousuke is interested in Shinae. "The only girl he's really spoken of? But soft! It must be love, for our jerk has revealed his heart of gold and fallen for our sweet damsel!" This is a detail I find incredibly fascinating, because it only starts to make sense further into the story, or after completing a recent reread.

For so long, if we take Yui's words and Kousuke's actions at face value, it is easy to think that the gears of a ship to come have start spinning, and readers even start to read into scenes as plaintively romantic. A good example of this is the scene where Kousuke sees Shinae in just his work shirt after she has been tricked into wearing it like a shirtdress. We see Kousuke hide his face and blush, and Yui teases that he's having lewd thoughts, but like with most things in this story, there is more than at the surface. In time as readers we come to realize there is a different in how blushes are drawn: with and without pink. After rereads, it's plainer to see that Kousuke isn't flustered or blushing - he's embarrassed of this situation, likely for himself AND for Shinae, but it hardly reads as romantic so much as embarrassed by a meddlesome mother who is trying to get a rise out of him and putting a teenage girl in an uncomfortable situation.

A reread after episodes 142 and 143, though, reveals that it is much more likely that Kousuke's interest in Shinae has never been romantic, but rather, has always been related to Nol (initially in his realization that he could use Shinae to pacify Nol and also because we realize he sees in Shinae Nol). Moments like Shinae buying a slice of Kousuke's favorite cheescake evoke a memory of Nol, not because he's simply reminiscing, but it's an act that echoes the actions of his younger brother years before. It is easy to construe Kousuke's behavior as something romantic - he's trying to help her get ahead in life, trying to make the best of her opportunity, etc etc - but after realizing that Shinae is, as someone on reddit put it, a mirror to the way Kousuke has treated Nol, it creates a fascinating debunking of the "jerk with a heart of gold" love interest. Kousuke's heart of gold has nothing to do with with falling in love, but with someone who makes him face his remorse and deep-buried guilt in the face of his brother.

This is probably my favorite way quim has played with this trope, and how she takes something so incredibly popular in most love triangles and flips it around. At surface-level, it's played straight, but the more we delve into it, and into Kousuke's personality, the more we learn that the trope is not utilized in the typical fashion. It makes both for satisfying rereads of this story, and incredible development. There is something I find very satisfying about the way characters are set up as standard tropes, and then they are turned into something far more dynamic. Of course, on the flip side, we have seen that in doing this, it really changes the views people hold of characters (of which I'm certain is quim's intentions). People who love the cold characters with a soft interior, who find the happy "second leads" to be boring and insufferable, cleave to Kousuke from the getgo. We watch the way he treats Shinae, all his seemingly sweet or kind moments that maybe, just maybe are a sign - only in time to get a better grasp of his personality, his past, and the realizations that Shinae represents the guilt he wishes to assuage, and the past sins he wants to be absolved from, but cannot yet face.

Subversion

At the end of the day, I can only speculate, and I am biased by my own opinions. At this point in the story, Shinae is still a minor and Kousuke is an adult, therefore it makes no sense to show any romance between them. However, I still can't help but feel that the subversion of this trope - that Kousuke is not so much a jerk with a heart of gold but a jerk with a whole lot of baggage to be unpacked in therapy, whose heart of gold extends to someone who reminds him of the damage he has caused - is not a love interest, as is typical of this trope. I can't help but feel like the set up was deliberately done as a commentary about what we tend to expect vs what is reality (as in, what you see is not what you get and everything is always deeper than it looks). I feel like the deliberate set up of these two in traditional "roles" was purposefully to throw us off. Readers come into the story with expectations and we start reading the story we want to read - whether it's seeing romance in the tiniest interactions, whether it's overlooking certain flaws in characters, overlooking certain personality tones. Kousuke isn't the only character that this is done with, but with him, I find it especially fascinating, because he is constructed in a way to make lovers of this trope cleave to him, only for reveals of his past and his behavior to cause some to pull away. And THAT is what I find fascinating - the way the set up of the story vs the reveals change the ways people read the characters and what they think of them. We've seen this with those who come around to love Nol, those who once enjoyed Yui but come to loathe her, the way readers view Maya, etc. etc.

In most cases, the jerk with a heard of gold is easy to sympathize with and even forgive. He's so cold and cruel, but it's only because he needed love/his family was so awful/he didn't know how to reach out/whatever other justification there is for him. But Kousuke isn't justified. We understand why he is the way he is and we understand what caused him to become what he did but the story never excuses his behavior. He is called out time and time again - by Shinae, by Nol, even by Hansuke - for how he treats people, how he behaves, the way he treated Nol growing up. Unlike the jerk with the heart of gold, readers hold Kousuke accountable for his behavior, and it's what will make his eventual Much Needed Character Development so satisfying to us - that we have come to learn about him and see him at his worst and it makes us want to see him become better - whether it's because you're a fan of him who knows he's capable of change or you are livid with him and want to see him acknowledge his mistakes.

It really cements my current theory that as far as Shinae's relationship with Kousuke goes, in a sense of subversion, it IS about helping Kousuke to learn to face his faults, though not necessarily through Kousuke falling in love and wanting to become a better person for her, but rather, by seeing Nol in her and desperately trying to do better. I don't think Kousuke is likely to change as a person any time soon - not until he has some kind of event to serve as a catalyst for change. Crumbling under the pressure of a job he's not yet prepared for? Stress? A reveal that shows Shinae the things he tries to hide and the loss of her respect? Whatever the case, I fully expect Shinae's involvement in whatever breaks Kousuke and leads him to finally addressing the things he hides from himself, and undergoing character development. He's already lost Nol. If Shinae is his second chance and he loses her, too, I think THAT will be a good spark for him to finally start facing the realities he hides from.

I won't go into it here because this is such a long post already, but similarly, Nol is placed in the stereotypical "second lead" role, a character type who is often earnest, respectful, understanding, sweet, and bound to break your heart. But like with Kousuke, this trope is subverted. The second lead boy is so often what you see is what you get, someone with his heart on his sleeves, and instead, we learn that Yeonggi is, in fact, deeply troubled and desperately lonely, a desperate facade. I just really appreciate how these tropes create a set up and expectations for us as readers, and over the course of the story, completely throws our expectations away.

Tropes are so fun in stories, but especially so when they are played with to enrich the stories. If you made it all the way through, congrats lol!

#I Love Yoo #Kousuke Hirahara #i have all these thoughts and trying to organize them is CHAOS #it's like i feel like i have all these loose threads and i'm trying to figure out where to connect them #what dots get connected?#I feel like there's a lot of nuance and foreshadowing that goes unnoticed when reading #which is you know how foreshadowing goes - often we don't notice it til its passed or happened #but sometimes there's enough clues to read into what we think is going on #anyway point is i need to thought dump a LOT lmao #ILY Brainrot

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p1harmonyofficial · 3 years

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[📰] [ENTREVISTA | INTERVIEW] P1Harmony 피원하모니

By BA NA NA

October 2020 arrived with one of the most anticipated male debuts in the music industry, P1Harmony 피원하모니, whose performance marked FNC Entertainment’s first boy group four years after SF9.

In BA NA NA we have been able to speak with P1Harmony after their successful debut with DISHARMONY: STAND OUT and the premiere of an apocalyptic film that has shown different facets of its six members. They have told us about their experience preparing for debut, some of their hidden talents, or what it has been like to debut at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Do you want to know what they have told us? Keep going BA NA NA!

KEEHO, THEO, JIUNG, INTAK, SOUL, and JONGSEOB are the members of P1Harmony, the new boy group from FNC Entertainment that was performing on October 28, 2020 with their first mini album. However, their music debut with DISHARMONY: STAND OUT did not come alone, and before we were presented with the movie P1H: A New World Begins.

The film came with the boys as the leads, but also with the presence of CNBLUE’s Jung Jin Young and Jung Yong Hwa, AOA’s Seolhyun, Jo Jae Yoon, Choi Yeo Jin, Lee Chae Yoon, and cameos from Jung Hae In and Yoo Jae Suk. It premiered at the beginning of October to let us know the universe of P1Harmony and that they later developed in their debut video clip, SIREN.

Thanks to that we were able to get to know them better and prepare for the beginning of their professional career. In the P1Harmony interview exclusively with BA NA NA they tell us about the process of recording this film, its debut, and its objective. Do not miss it!

We have known your music debut with DISHARMONY: STAND OUT,, but before that we were able to see in you in the film P1H: A New World Begins. How was the experience? Any anecdotes you’d like to share with us? Will we be able to learn more about the concept of the film in your future projects?

THEO: I am more than happy to debut with a film. It was the very first-time filming and acting for all of us. We were really nervous. In the film, the drones represent the disharmony of society which is related to the albums that we’ll show in the future.

SOUL: I wanted to film a movie since way back, so I was very happy to film it. When I first went to the movie set, I was so nervous because it was my first time. At the time of filming, the weather was so cold that I had a lot of hot packs, and by the end of the day, at least three of them were in my pocket.

It’s been four years since we met a new boy group from FNC Entertainment and we’ve known about your debut for a year. How was the debut process? How has it changed your life?

JIUNG: In the debut process, everything was a part of my first experience, so I was very nervous. I was especially nervous when filming, but now that I think about it, I think it was part of the learning process. And in the case of changes in life, as I started working, I felt more responsible. After our profile and videos were released, many people were interested in us and left comments which made me realize that I’ve really become an idol. I felt more responsible.

You all participated in the creation of the album by writing some of the songs. How was it? How did the ideas come up?

INTAK: Not only me, but as well as all membes including JONGSEOB was able to join in writing lyrics for our songs in our firstr album. We were very honored and thankful to our company. When I’m working on writing the lyrics for songs, I tend to focus on the material. For example, in the case of ‘Nemonade,’ I thought of keywords which were related such as lemons, freshness, and square. In the case of ‘Intro: Breakthrough,’ the words were walls, surrounded by and I’ve tried to look for more as I worked on writing the lyrics. I also add on what I have in mind when writing lyrics for the songs.

Any artist can’t forget their debut. What moment do you think you will always remember?

JONGSEOB: I think it was the day of our debut showcase. It was the day when P1Harmony officially had our debut and it was a special day where we were able to showcase different stages including our title track ‘SIREN’ which we worked hard for.

You debuted just a month ago, and there are sttill many ssecrets to discover about each of you. Do you have any special skills? (Cooking, playing an instrument, sports...)

THEO: I can play a little bit of piano and guitar. I did not formally learn it or take lessons, but I was very interested in music since I was young, so I’ve naturally learned it while looking at it. In case of sports, I’ve learned swimming, bowling, and volleyball.

JIUNG: I think it would be cooking. I try to cook when there’s time, but sinnce we are performing these days it is hard to cook. However, I remember that I used to cook and eat a lot before. For musical instruments, I can play a bit of piano and guitar. When it comes to sports, I’m good at Frisbee! I remember getting praised a lot for good throws in the past. (Haha)

2020 has been a year marked by COVID-19 at a global scale. Many artists and musical professionals have not been able to meet with their fans. How have you dealt with it being your debut? Have you been able to reach your fans in another way?

KEEHO: It’s really sad. Performing in front of fans has been my dream and it currently is up to now. However, due to the current situation where it is difficult for us to meet, I try to find alternative ways to communicate with our fans through our SNS, lives, and video call fansigns, and etc.

Let’s talk about the future...what would you say ir you goal as a group and as individuals for each of you? What is your dream?

INTAK: I think our goal as a group is to convey good influence to the world. As an artist who really wants to convey our meaning and message to the world, I hope that people will be able to be influenced positively through our songs and albums. My personal goal is to be a great person who will be remembered in history.

SOUL: Our goal is a group is to look good, but I hope we can work longer than other teams. My personal goal is to win first place in dance battle.

Can you send a message to your fans in Spain?

KEEHO: I wanted to say thank you for supporting us from afar and loving us. We’ll continue to show our best. Please look forward to it. If things get better, we would like to visit Spain and perform in front of you all. We love you.

JONGSEOB: Hi Spanish fans! Thank you for supporting and loving us from afar. We will work hard to show you how we develop so please stay tuned for us. If things get better, we would like to meet you in person and perform for you! Thank you for loving us from Spain and me, JONGSEOB, and P1Harmony loves you too!

#p1harmony #ot6 #t:news #era:disharmony : stand out #201130

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odanurr87 · 4 years

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2019: My year in K-Dramas - Part 1

I’ve been getting into kdramas for a few years now, but I usually only watch one or two at a time. This year I watched a lot more (and that’s not counting The Bride of Habaek, which I dropped when it became clear it was a very bad adaptation of the manhwa; Crash Landing on You, which started airing a couple of weeks ago; nor Tomorrow With You, which I haven’t yet finished, what’s probably not a good sign), a few being rewatchs of old shows that I like. Seeing as it’s unlikely I’ll ever write up full reviews for each like I did for Goblin (you can read my review here), I decided to compile this list to tell you what I liked and didn’t like about each, what I feel worked and what didn’t. I’m also including a qualitative metric (Rewatch meter) that tries to gauge how likely it is that I’ll find myself returning to the show in the future (Low, Medium, High). Naturally, your very own meter may differ from mine.

For future reference, these are the shows I watched in 2019 and that I aim to cover in this series of posts:

While You Were Sleeping (2017)

W (2016)

My Strange Hero (2018)

The Secret Life of my Secretary (2019)

Angel’s Last Mission: Love (2019)

Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon (2017)

When the Camellia Blooms (2019)

Bring it on, Ghost (2016)

One More Time (2016)

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010)

My Love From The Star (2014)

Descendants of the Sun (2016)

Regardless of which show did better, overall, I find myself drifting more and more towards Korean dramas than your run-of-the-mill American TV show, save for a few bright exceptions, such as The Expanse. Heck, they’re better than most Hollywood movies nowadays.

Since I’ll probably end up writing a lot, I’ve decided to split this review list into two parts. Let’s start with the last kdrama I watched and work my way backwards... if I can remember, that is.

WARNING! There will be spoilers so read at your own risk.

While You Were Sleeping (2017)

Bae Suzy as Nam Hong-Joo, and Lee Jong-Suk as Jung Jae-Chan.

Release Date: September 27 - November 16, 2017

Episodes: 16

Available on: Viki

Summary: Nam Hong-Joo is a young journalist who has had bad dreams about the future since she was a kid, but she has never been able to change the outcome. Jung Jae-Chan is a rookie prosecutor who moves in across the street with his younger brother. When Jae-Chan has a prophetic dream of his own about Hong-Joo being involved in a car accident, and the tragic events that follow, he makes an impulsive decision to interfere, changing Hong-Joo’s fate and that of police officer Han Woo-Tak in the process. When the three of them start having dreams of one another, they realize their lives are somehow entwined. Together, they decide to use their knowledge of the future for good, but changing someone’s fate is never straightforward, and the consequences for doing so may be more than they can handle.

What I liked:

The concept and writing. This is the second show I’ve watched, in chronological order, with Lee Jong-Suk as a lead where I’m really attracted by the concept. Imagine if you could take the precogs from Minority Report and give them (relatively) normal lives inside a kdrama. This is the result. Even better, having Hong-Joo and Woo-Tak have different and often contradicting dreams about the future makes for an interesting twist, as we see prosecutor Jae-Chan struggling to navigate these prophetic waters in search for the best outcome. Curiously, the show makes a point early on about how Jae-Chan’s the variable upon which their dreams diverge, but nothing really comes off it. Naturally, the concept of multiple diverging futures gives the show’s cinematography a chance to play around a bit, often comparing the same event in alternative timelines, or in the same timeline but at different moments in time. It may sound complicated, but it’s pretty to grasp once you start watching. Furthermore, the writing’s pretty tight all around, what’s not a mean feat when you’re juggling multiple realities, with some very emotional payoffs as the show draws to a close. Perhaps its weakest point is exactly how this prophetic dream ability is transferred from person to person (a theory is put forward which doesn’t entirely convince me), and the unnerving (and unexplored, fortunately) implications should someone less honourable were to have these dreams.

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When The Nightmares Started. This is the best track in the entire show and if it’s not the main theme, it damn well should be. It has moments of calm, a hint of romance and hope, and that awesome shit-is-about-to-get-real cue starting at 1:38 that never fails to make a scene tons more epic. Your dish-washing experience will be 100% more epic playing to this track, guaranteed!

The Justice League (and friends). This show could’ve probably gotten on my bad side real fast if it had created a villain with the same superpower as the heroes (depends on the execution to be honest) and, indeed, I thought that was the direction it would inevitably take, revealing at some point that (evil) defense attorney Lee Yoo-Beom also had prophetic dreams and had been using them for his benefit all along, muahahaha! Instead, the show gave us three average people, connected by their prophetic dreams, who decide to team up and use these visions for good. It’s not always easy to change the future, as it has many ramifications, and therein lies the show’s narrative potential that it manages to exploit, perchance to its fullest. Even in the very last episode there’s a hint that maybe the people they’ve helped throughout also have dreams of their own that they use to help others, sort of a pay-it-forward chain. It may be somewhat unrealistic, but it’s a good note to end the show on all the same.

Kim Won-Hae as Choi Dam-Dong. Easily the best supporting character in the show, delivering a stronger and more rewarding performance than in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, where he played two characters (he was pretty funny as the over-the-top head of development planning at Ainsoft), veering towards the more serious/dramatic/emotional end of the spectrum, although with some comedic elements mixed in. I was surprised by how strong his arc turned out to be, and my respect for his character went up by several points when his arc comes to a close and we finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together. This man can do both comedy and drama, so kudos to him.

What I didn’t like:

Mr. Perfect (also known as Han Woo-Tak). It’s not that I dislike him, far from it. Woo-Tak is so good, smart, selfless, and even good-looking, that he kinda undermines the OTP just by existing. He’s really setting unreasonable standards for any man to compete against. I mean, he even plays Cupid for the OTP... while also being in love with Hong-Joo! On the plus side, the show doesn’t really try to push the romantic triangle angle, what usually has mixed results. The one thing I did mind is how the show hints at him potentially being a better attorney/prosecutor than the main lead since that’s kind of Jae-Chan’s thing. I mean, if you take everything that makes the lead special and give it to someone else, is he still the lead?

OTP: A stronger performance from Lee Jong-Suk than in W, complemented by a relatively (and I cannot stress this word enough) weaker performance by Suzy in some aspects (I think Han Hyo-Joon’s Oh Yeon-Joo in W does sad love better than Suzy as Nam Hong-Joo, but it’s a matter of preference), results in a better pairing with more chemistry. Suzy is great and lovable at being the quirky Nam Hong-Joo (watch the video below if you’re unconvinced) and Jung Jae-Chan is a lot more vulnerable than Kang Chul ever was, but I was left wondering at times whether this couple would’ve gotten as much traction were it not for the strength of their past connection (especially with Mr. Perfect around).

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Verdict: What can I say? While You Were Sleeping was an excellent show from beginning to end. If I were to nitpick, I would’ve chosen the end wedding to be the one between Jae-Chan and Hong-Joo since that honestly makes more sense, and maybe I would’ve made Woo-Tak more of a bro than a somewhat-but-not-entirely romantic rival (think Seo Dae-Young in Descendants of the Sun).

Rewatch meter: High

W (2016)

Han Hyo-Joo as Oh Yeon-Joo, and Lee Jong-Suk as Kang Chul.

Release Date: July 20 - September 14, 2016

Episodes: 16

Available on: Viki

Summary: W is a bestselling webtoon by cartoonist Oh Seong-Moo that follows the adventures of Kang Chul, an Olympic gold medalist framed for the murder of his family, who’s eventually acquitted and becomes a multi-millionaire who fights crime (think Bruce Wayne but without the costume). Tired of his creation, Seong-Moo decides it’s time to kill the protagonist and put an end to the series (much like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle decided to kill Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls). Oh Yeon-Joo is Seong-Moo’s daughter, a doctor and passionate fan of W, who is one day mysteriously transported to the world of the manhwa, where she sees a dying Kang Chul and saves his life. Intrigued by his mysterious saviour, Kang Chul decides to learn out more about her and Yeon-Joo finds herself constantly returning to the world of the manhwa. Will Kang Chul learn the truth about her and his world? And if so, what will be the consequences?

What I liked:

The concept. It’s not an altogether original concept, and I’m reminded of Schwarzenegger’s Last Action Hero (Who Framed Roger Rabbit before that), but it’s also not one that you see often on the screen, big or small. The idea of being able to enter the world you’re reading about and meeting the characters you know and love is extremely appealing and there is some fangirling from our protagonist initially. Naturally, since she knows everything about this world, it’s good fun to see her inadvertedly reveal something that she couldn’t possibly know and deal with the reactions/consequences. What’s better is how Yeon-Joo tries to figure out the laws of the manhwa world by applying the real-world concepts of cliffhangers and dramatic revelations, often to hilarious effect. Seeing how the manhwa continues to write itself to reflect events in W’s world, and the reactions by readers (and by Yeon-Joo) in the real world is really entertaining, especially those from the more passionate W fans.

The transition between animation and live-action. I love the blend between animation and live action, as in the example below. There are more subtle transitions, like when a character’s hand oscillates between the real world and the cartoon world. Perhaps it’s a very simple filter but it looks good. Also, what little we see of the manhwa is very well drawn.

Han Hyo-Joo as Oh Yeon-Joo. Despite the fact that Yeon-Joo’s character becomes less proactive in the second half of the series (as I will discuss below), she was the one who really carried the show for me, certainly on the emotional side of the spectrum, where Kang Chul felt a little flat throughout (to be fair, he’s more the analytical type and he’s a manhwa character). She was also able to convey humour quite well, especially in the earlier, funnier, episodes.

The execution (of the first half). The first episode doesn’t waste a second setting up the story and there is never a dull moment. Watching Yeon-Joo read the latest episode of the manhwa and witness her reaction as she sees herself in the comic was gripping and I was eager to see what the next episode would bring. The show was also fairly consistent with the rules of travelling back and forth and what one could and couldn’t do in the cartoon world. We were witnessing an epic struggle between the cartoonist who wanted to kill his creation with his stylus and the daughter who wanted to protect him so much that she had willed herself into his world (if that’s not a good setup for a love story, I don’t know what is). And all the while, Kang Chul was putting the pieces of the puzzle together in his universal and unrelenting search for truth. Every episode brought something new to the table and, much like the manhwa, ended with some revelation or cliffhanger that kept you on the edge of your seat asking for more. Unfortunately, I think that was also its downfall.

What I didn’t like:

The execution (of the second half) and the overall pacing. I think the (relative) downfall of this series was trying to do too much too early. It worked for the first half because the show had a lot of material it could burn through and, in a way, it was refreshing that it was willing to do so. Sadly, my thoughts eventually turned from, “What’s going to happen next?” to “What can even happen next?” The story was moving so fast that I began to wonder where exactly it was going, and that’s when some of the flaws started to seep through. Episode 9 focused on the aftermath of Yeon-Joo resetting events, thus making Kang Chul forget all about her. While I certainly felt for her when she met her amnesiac husband, this was largely thanks to Han Hyo-Joo’s performance (and good track selection), for Kang Chul had been her husband in name only. Had we previously seen more episodes of their life together, this scene would’ve been a lot more impactful, and her desperate crying outside the operating room more heartfelt. Then, the plot thickens as we move into the (overly) dramatic second half of the show, with the introduction of a villain who knows about the real world and starts manipulating events in the manhwa for his benefit... by possessing cartoonist Oh Seong-Moo! What? This was never established as even remotely possible! (not to mention it doesn’t make sense) As you can imagine, this is whereabouts the rules of this universe start to break down and anything goes. Furthermore, when this villain is defeated in Episode 13, the show suddenly remembered it already had an antagonist perfectly cast for the part and finally decided to put him to use, although too little too late for my taste. As if that weren’t enough, a character is killed because drama, since any other explanation would make no fucking sense. This death is entirely nonsensical and I was beginning to conclude the show should have ended a lot sooner.

The amount of flashbacks/dreams/recaps/plans. I don’t mind a good recap or a flashback every now and then, but there came a point where the show started abusing this narrative device a little too much. The show spent a lot of time either: going over things we already know; featuring lengthy dream sequences that are very transparent and serve no purpose (although, incidentally, would make for a better ending); or laying out how events are supposed to go only for them to go in a completely different direction. While they are sometimes necessary, most of the time they were just padding that actually detracted from the story.

How secondary the supporting characters in the manhwa truly are. I know Kang Chul is supposed to be the protagonist but his bodyguard and secretary aren’t given a whole lot to work with throughout the show. I wish they had been active participants in learning the truth of their world rather than passive bystanders.

How Yeon-Joo becomes less proactive in the second half. Maybe it’s just a feeling, but I think our female protagonist became more reactive and less proactive in the second half, with Kang Chul being the one who mostly directed the course of events. It didn’t help that she kept fainting every now and then, what meant she had to spend some time in bed, what was a shame since she was the more interesting character. To be honest, I think the whole father arc should’ve been over and done with in the first half, with Yeon-Joo stepping up to be the new cartoonist.

OTP: Undercooked, but Han Hyo-Joo manages to almost convince me.

Verdict: It’s hard not to say W is one of the most refreshing shows I’ve seen in a while, even despite its more prominent flaws in the second half. I don’t like how powerful the drawing tablet became, especially after it was established that the manhwa could, at times, overrule the will of the real world, as clearly depicted when Kang Chul refuses to commit suicide. I’d rather the manhwa characters had resolved things on their own, aided by Yeon-Joo, without having to resort to some ultra-powerful plot device. Furthermore, I think the show should’ve taken things a bit more slowly rather than try to surprise us every episode, and use that time to build the relationship between Yeon-Joo and Kang Chul. Another thing I feel the show didn’t exploit to its fullest was the fact that Yeon-Joo knows just about everything that’s transpired in W’s world, what maybe could’ve aided Kang Chul in his investigation (sadly, this is undermined by the fact that the murderer really has no identity, what I find odd). Last but not least, Kang Chul never remembering his “past life” was a missed opportunity.

Rewatch meter: Medium

My Strange Hero (2018)

From left to right: Jo Bo-Ah as Son Soo-Jung; Yoo Seung-Ho as Kang Bok-Soo; and Kwak Dong-Yeon as Oh Se-Ho.

Release Date: December 10, 2018 - February 4, 2019

Episodes: 32

Available on: Viki

Summary: When Kang Bok-Soo was a high school student, he was falsely accused of committing acts of violence and ended up expelled from school. Those who brought the accusations against him were his first love, Son Soo-Jung, and a fellow student, Oh Se-Ho. Nine years later, Bok-Soo saves Soo-Jung’s life and suddenly finds himself a mediatic sensation. In order to improve the school’s somewhat tarnished image, he’s invited back to finish his studies. Bok-Soo hesitates, but when he learns Soo-Jung is a teacher there and Se-Ho is the new director, a latent desire to get revenge surfaces. Will Bok-Soo finally get his revenge on the people who wronged him nine years ago? Or will he spend most of his time doing anything but? The latter.

What I liked:

Teacher Park. He’s the kind of teacher everyone would like to have in high school and an example of moral rectitude that Soo-Jung tries to follow. You can tell he really cares for all the students and always tries to be fair and just, no matter the personal cost.

Soo-Jung’s arc. Probably the character who experiences the most growth throughout the show, in no small part thanks to her starting point. She’s the only teacher who stands up for her students, is willing to expose the corruption in the school, and goes so far as to quit her job because she feels she didn’t earn her spot fair and square (despite Oh Se-Ho telling her she was hired because of her qualifications). It is worth noting that when Mr Park gives the other teachers the chance to own up and resign honourably nobody does.

What I didn’t like:

The series meanders a lot early on. Initially, I watched till Episode 14 and dropped it because nothing was really going on. Bok-Soo says he wants to get revenge but his heart really isn’t into it. He certainly doesn’t have a plan like, say, Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo, or Emily Thorne in Revenge. In fact, for those first 14 episodes, it only seemed he went there to suffer some more at the hands of the same people who wronged him all those years ago. What leads me to...

Son Soo-Jung isn’t a very likable protagonist initially. I don’t know if this is done on purpose to get us to side with Bok-Soo, but it doesn’t seem like a very smart strategy to have us dislike the lead’s main love interest for almost half the length of the series. I mean, that’s what the antagonist is for. It seems like at every opportunity she twists the knife on Bok-Soo’s back a little more, so much so that a hurt Bok-Soo outright demands, “Why don’t you just ask me what happened instead of constantly making assumptions?” (I’m paraphrasing) Her response, basically telling him to fuck off, didn’t win her any points in my book. That’s about when the writers probably realized their mistake and started filling us in on how Soo-Jung’s life was also miserable after Bok-Soo was expelled so please don’t hate her. They also pull a 180 when she stands up for Bok-Soo during a disciplinary hearing, what I thought was quite out of character for her at the time. The two seem to patch up their relationship awfully fast, what struck me as odd as they didn’t seem to have much chemistry. Having said that, Soo-Jung’s character certainly grows after Episode 14 and has a very satisfying arc, ultimately being the only teacher worth a damn in this school, other than Mr Park.

“Is Kang Bok-Soo’s revenge finally starting?” After I initially dropped this show at the Episode 14 mark, a video popped up in my YT feed with that title (only they used the actor’s name instead of the character’s). It was a scene where Bok-Soo went about exposing the many deeds of corruption within the school. Great, I thought, shit is finally hitting the fan... in Episode 26. I resumed watching from that mark until the end. The series had finally managed to get me invested, almost as it was over, and I decided to watch the episodes I’d missed.

OTP: There are some cute moments but I still didn’t feel the chemistry (what, ultimately, is my entirely subjective take).

Verdict: I don’t feel this is a true romance drama like others on this list, if ever it tried to be, what’s decidedly strange because there are many episodes dedicated to exploring the relationship between Bok-Soo and Soo-Jung with little else going on. Instead, I see it as more of a critique on the Korean education system and the immense pressures students are subjected to in order to meet unreasonable standards, with some romance elements sprinkled on it so that it’s not too depressing. That’s my take on it anyway. As such, it has some enjoyable aspects to it, like seeing Bok-Soo share nuggets of wisdom every now and then, or the students standing up for Bok-Soo and their school, or the revenge/investigation finally kicking into high gear. It’s just unfortunate it took so long to get there and didn’t really encourage me to do so.

Rewatch meter: Low

The Secret Life of my Secretary (2019)

From left to right: Koo Ja-Sung as Ki Dae-Joo; Kim Young-Kwang as Do Min-Ik; Jin Ki-Joo as Jung Gal-Hee; and Kim Jae-Kyung as Veronica Park/Park Ok-Sun.

Release Date: May 6 - June 25, 2019

Episodes: 32

Available on: Viki

Summary: The story follows Do Min-Ik, a prominent director at T&T Mobile Media, and his secretary, Jung Gal-Hee, as together they deal with the onset of an illness that prevents Do Min-Ik from seeing faces, the result of a possible attempt on Min-Ik’s life by some unknown party. On the corporate drama side, this undermines his shot to succeed his (jerk of an) uncle as Chairman of the company, and we see Min-Ik and Gal-Hee struggling to hide the truth of his illness and overcome the many obstacles set on their way to chairmanship. On the romance side, his inability to recognize faces causes him to mistake his secretary for Veronica Park, a rich heiress and leading figure in the film industry, whom he eventually falls in love with... what is kind of a problem since the real Veronica Park develops a crush on Min-Ik’s best friend, Ki Dae-Joo (also a director at T&T), while Gal-Hee falls in love with her boss. And, just in case we didn’t have enough corporate drama, we learn early on that someone may be embezzling from T&T and all the signs point to Dae-Joo. How will this all turn out?

What I liked:

Do Min-Ik and Jung Gal-Hee working together. Min-Ik is one sharp boss, and the moment he’s unable to recognize faces, he starts devising other strategies to recognize people, such as identifying them by their height. Gal-Hee pitches in with the different directors’ hairstyles, and eventually Min-Ik is even able to recognize them by their specific tics. Another example is the first stockholders’ meeting where they team up to prevent Min-Ik’s dismissal. Everything goes so smoothly that it prompts Veronica Park to ask Gal-Hee, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Did you write the script to this play?”

What I didn’t like:

The deceit lasting so long. Min-Ik doesn’t start as the best of bosses, we see that in the first episode, but that very same episode opens the door for him caring for Gal-Hee more than he’s willing to let on. The show does a good enough job of explaining his rather rude behaviour towards his secretaries and why he always fires them within a year, what makes the deceit all the more hurtful. However, the problem I have with Min-Ik not realizing Gal-Hee was pretending to be Veronica Park, is that this happens for 24 episodes! That means we only have 8 episodes left for him to feel betrayed about the whole thing yet also recover in time to start dating Gal-Hee. I don’t feel this was enough time to successfully explore their relationship.

How weak/bland every other story is. The attempt on Min-Ik’s life and the police’s investigation of it is handled abysmally, with the detectives only appearing from time to time to create what some writer thinks is drama. They’re so useless that the perpetrator actually has to turn himself in! I thought Dae-Joo was a bland character throughout, so I had zero interest in his relationship with Veronica Park. The same goes for Gal-Hee’s family. Even Min-Ik’s mother somehow pulls a 180 out of the blue. The only other plot thread that caught my eye was the possible embezzlement and that was wrapped up horribly, what leads me to...

No one facing the consequences of their actions. No matter how much the writers want to frame this secret organisation within T&T as Robin-Hood-like, the fact remains that they were stealing. Not only that, but they can be directly tied to the assault and attempted murder of Do Min-Ik, among other crimes. Sure, they’re all fired at some point, but they all get hired back thanks to Min-Ik. Nobody faces any jail time except for the guy directly responsible for Min-Ik’s accident who actually apologizes to him and turns himself in. The leader of this shadowy organisation comes out unscathed and has her machinations to see Dae-Joo become chairman of T&T rewarded when...

Dae-Joo becoming the chairman of T&T. What a payoff. The blandest and most uninterested character in the entire show becomes the chairman when the character we’ve been rooting for throughout, the only one who’s willing to put everything on the line to help the downtrodden secretaries, gets the short end of the stick. I guess it’s true when they say no good deed goes unpunished.

OTP: There is some chemistry there and I wish we had seen more of it, but sadly the (official) relationship between Gal-Hee and Min-Ik takes place a little too late.

Verdict: Usually, most of the kdramas I’ve watched and liked, to some extent, have some scenes that are imprinted on your mind (much like Gal-Hee’s face is imprinted on Min-Ik) and that you find yourself returning to from time to time. With this show, I honestly had to struggle to recall any such scenes, even with the aid of YouTube playlists. This is not helped by the fact that I can recall none of the music used, and that’s not a good sign. Memorable scenes and songs usually go together, as the next show in my list will prove. Ultimately, The Secret Life of my Secretary, while entertaining enough, didn’t live up to my expectations and, as such, it’s unlikely I’ll be rewatching it any time soon.

Rewatch meter: Low

Angel’s Last Mission: Love (2019)

Shin Hye-Sun as Lee Yeon-Seo, and Kim Myung-Soo (Infinite L) as Kim Dan.

Release Date: May 22 - July 11, 2019

Episodes: 32

Available on: Viki

Summary: Kim Dan, a troublemaking angel with a kind heart, is 24 hours away from Heaven when he meets the beautiful, talented, yet cynical and arrogant, prima ballerina Lee Yeon-Seo. Recently blinded by an accident during a performance, Yeon-Seo somehow manages to spot Kim Dan, who should be invisible to any human. His curiosity sparked, he follows Yeon-Seo around and eventually, in a fit of impulsiveness, saves her life in a car accident. However, for having interfered and saved a human’s life, Kim Dan is fated to turn to dust... unless he’s willing to undertake one final task. His mission? He must help Yeon-Seo find true love, but will he be able to keep from falling in love himself? Obviously not. And, naturally, Yeon-Seo has some evil relatives who are out to get her, because it wouldn’t be a kdrama otherwise.

What I liked:

The songs. I can’t vouch for the entire OST for I haven’t listened to it all yet (Correction: I’ve now since listened to all of it and it really has a lot of good tracks), but there are at least a handful of songs that will stick with you like glue. I can’t say if I like the songs more because of the scenes in which they play, or if I like the scenes more because of the songs that are used, but I can say the songs play an important role in engraving these scenes into my mind. Songs like ‘Sweeter’, by Jess Penner, that play when we’re playfully exploring the relationship between Yeon-Seo and Kim Dan; or ‘Pray’, by KLANG, when some important relevation or dramatic scene is about to transpire; or ‘Oh My Angel’, by Chai, that plays during the more romantic moments; these songs have made it into my Spotify list and are a must-listen on a daily basis for now.

The humor. Beyond the interactions between Kim Dan and Yeon-Seo, which sometimes make for very humorous situations, my hat’s off to the characters of Archangel Hoo, Dan’s senior (played by Kim In-Kwon) and Chung Yu-Mi, Yeon-Seo’s butler (played by Woo Hee-Jin). The former has dozens of opportunities for humor as he’s able to take the form of any human and keeps surprising Kim Dan by keeping tabs on him. The latter is probably the closest thing Yeon-Seo has to a mother (or maybe an older sister), and can be playfully mischievous when she starts noticing our leads may have feelings for each other. There are two scenes that perfectly embody the show’s humor that I would be remiss if I didn’t direct you to. Be aware they contain spoilers.

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The leads and their chemistry. You cannot make a kdrama work if the leads don’t have some sort of chemistry (well, I suppose you could but it would be a bit of an uphill battle) and Shin Hye-Sun and Kim Myung-Soo have that in spades. This shows not only during the more romantic scenes, what’s expected, but also during their fights, what’s even better (if that makes any sense). This isn’t the first time I’ve seen L acting, in fact, he played the character of Yoo Tan in the short kdrama One More Time, with actress Yoon So-Hee playing his love interest, Moon Da-In. He sold me on that show then, as did Yoon So-Hee, but I feel his acting’s improved in this, or maybe the script and length of the show allows him to flesh out his character more, showing us more sides of his personality as the show draws to its end. And it’s really amazing to see how effortlessly Shin Hye-Sun can don the skin of the strong, cold, and harsh Yeon-Seo in one scene, and then swap it for the playful, romantic, and vulnerable Yeon-Seo that Kim Dan falls in love with in the next. Just watch more of those KBS World TV clips if you don’t believe me. These two steal every scene they’re in, but I feel Shin Hye-Sun is really the standout here. (At the time of this posting, Shin Hye-Sun has won the Top Excellence Award (Female) in KBS’s 2019 Drama Awards for her role in this show, so congratulations to her on an award well deserved!)

What I didn’t like:

How the show meanders towards the end. I laid out the plot in the most succinct way possible, but it’s hardly that straightforward. Dan’s mission should, in theory, be over when Yeon-Seo learns to love again, but then the show would then be over a lot sooner than Episode 32. The writers know that so they move the goalpost, at some point revealing that Dan also had to learn to love for the mission to be truly over. Not only that, but they both had to be willing to sacrifice everything for their loved one in order for God to believe their love was sincere or something, what leads one to think they need to commit suicide and the other to think they need to commit murder. I don’t know, by this point the show’s either stretching things out to reach the 32-episode mark or they’re milking each scene for every ounce of drama they can get, probably both. This problem gets compounded by the fact that...

Some (other) things don’t make a whole lot of sense. To start with, the theology and consistency on this show is all over the place. The same God that apparently ordered a couple of angels to shoot someone, gangsta style, because an angel broke the rules and fell in love with a human, is moved by our lead couple’s Romeo-and-Juliet love story and by Yeon-Seo’s ballet performance. Oh, and by the way, shooting someone is not how unruly angels are dealt with, God can simply pull a Thanos and have them vanish into mist, so why did he decide to use a gun that one time? Because drama! God also decides that the best time to send Dan to Heaven is when Yeon-Seo is lying commatose in the hospital (what a dick), to which Dan says, “Fuck it, I’m staying here,” and God lets him return as an angel so he can help Yeon-Seo wake up, interfering once again and thereby ceasing to exist... except he’s still an angel an episode later! What the f*** is going on here?! Archangel Hoo broke the rules once and he got the Thanos treatment, so how come Kim Dan gets so many second chances?

Some characters are either superfluous or their arcs are unclear. As an example of the latter, there’s the character of Ji Kang-Woo (played by Lee Dong-Gun), Yeon-Seo’s ballet instructor and Kim Dan’s rival for Yeon Seo’s affection. It’s revealed early on that he’s an angel-turned-human after breaking the rules and falling in love with a human himself... whom the gangster angels promptly killed. It’s never explained why she had to die while Yeon-Seo and Kim Dan are allowed to stay together, but apparently Kang-Woo is satisfied that his pain was necessary so he could help them trick God or something. I’ve no idea. But the award for the most superfluous character has to go to Ni-Na’s secret ballet instructor who only appears when the script dictates and is not developed at all. I can’t even remember if she had a name! What was her point even?

OTP: Probably one of the best pairings of the year (says the guy who’s watched maybe 4-5 2019 shows out of who knows how many).

Verdict: This is a case of the pros outweighing the cons. There’s simply too much that works for me, so many scenes and songs that stayed with me thanks to the strong performances of our leads and some of the supporting cast. I was never unaware of its more glaring flaws, what prevents this show from reaching Goblin levels of quality, but I could easily find myself rewatching it from time to time.

Rewatch meter: High

Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon (2017)

From left to right: Park Bo-Young as Do Bong-Soon; Ji Soo as In Guk-Doo; and Park Hyung-Sik as Ahn Min-Hyuk.

Release Date: February 24 - April 15, 2017

Episodes: 16

Available on: Viki, Netflix

Summary: Do Bong-Soon has a secret: she is insanely strong, a superhuman ability that has been passed down to the women in her family for generations. She also aspires to create a video game with herself as the main character. When Ahn Min-Hyuk, the CEO of gaming company Ainsoft, chances by her as she’s beating up half a dozen thugs, he’s instantly mesmerized by both her beauty and strength. The recent target of anonymous threats, Min-Hyuk decides to hire Bong-Soon as a bodyguard (she ends up being more of a secretary) and she accepts with the promise of joining the planning department of Ainsoft once the culprit is caught. Meanwhile, detective In Guk-Doo, Bong-Soon’s secret crush and childhood friend, investigates a series of strange kidnappings and murders in Bong-Soon’s neighbourhood. When the culprit targets Bong-Soon’s best friend, Bong-Soon and Min-Hyuk find themselves involved in the hunt for the criminal.

What I liked:

Gangster Bong-Soon. Okay, maybe saying she’s a gangster is a bit too much, but after beating a bunch of school bullies into submission, they soon look up to her as their new boss, taking orders from her and even looking out for her so that her secret isn’t exposed. It’s pretty funny then that Bong-Soon has to save her crew from being harassed by the new neighbourhood bullies, acting the part of a gangster for a short while.

The need for training. I appreciate the fact that Min-Hyuk foresaw the need to help Bong-Soon have full control of her strength, although he also created routines to bolster up her endurance, not to mention some of the moves she learned could have come in handy when she was depowered (sadly, she doesn’t use them). And all of this training does indeed pay off, as we see Bong-Soon fight smartly and using only as much strength as is needed to get the job done, as opposed to her Episode 1 self who used way too much strength with hilarious results. You can witness the results of Min-Hyuk’s training in the fight with the “new bullies” I mentioned previously, as well as the one at the beginning of Episode 9. Beyond fighting, her training also had positive results in her everyday life, like now being able to hug people without worrying about choking them.

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The leads and their chemistry. The chemistry of these two is off the charts (it’s over 9000!!!). Everything about Park Bo-Young as Do Bong-Soon screams cute, from her short height to the way she talks, and even her glares of disapproval when Min-Hyuk does something he shouldn’t have. She’s also confident when she needs to, but not afraid to show vulnerability around the people she loves. I could shower similar praise on Park Hyung-Sik as Ahn Min-Hyuk, especially where the vulnerability department is concerned. Male leads tend to be more stoic (like In Guk-Doo), so it was quite refreshing to see how devastated Min-Hyuk was when he learned the identity of the one threatening him, or how crazy-in-love he is around Bong-Soon (she’s his kryptonite). Min-Hyuk is never afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve and it shows in every single scene. These two can just stare at each other in silence and convey more emotion than any spoken word.

The humor. I’m not talking about the dumb hospital scenes that feature humor more similar to what you’d find in a crappy Hollywood “comedy” (peeing jokes, really?), but things like Hyung-Sik’s ad-libbing throughout the show (he’s having a blast), or the more funny interactions between Min-Hyuk and Bong-Soon, even the ever-changing Romeo and Juliet scenes as Bong-Soon’s feelings for the different characters evolve.

What I didn’t like:

The sudden disappearance of Min-Hyuk’s family. Initially, the show has two distinct storylines: the string of kidnappings/murders, on the one hand; and the threats to Min-Hyuk, likely related to the question of who in his family will become the new Chairman of Ohsung Group. As expected, Min-Hyuk has several brothers who are a bit jealous of his success with Ainsoft and intuit their father will name him the Chairman, so it makes sense one of them is behind the threats. Once the storyline is resolved however, Min-Hyuk’s family is completely out of the picture, even during his marriage, what I find extremely odd.

The randomness of the depowering rule. Very early on the show explains that, while the women of the Bong-Soon family are blessed with superhuman strength from birth, they can easily lose this ability should they try to use it for less than honorable pursuits. It can be something as simple, and apparently harmless, as using this strength to become an Olympic weightlifting champion, as Bong-Soon’s mother soon found out, but it’s usually tied to using this ability to hurt innocent people. Naturally, once this rule was made known, it was only a matter of time before Bong-Soon would lose her powers as well, and this did indeed happen towards the end of the show. The problem I have with it is two-fold: its execution and its consistency. Bong-Soon doesn’t purposefully hurt an innocent man, she’s tricked into doing so by the villain. One could argue that whatever higher power granted this ability can’t tell the difference, except that argument falls apart entirely when you realize Bong-Soon has already purposefully used her power to hurt innocent people, like that one time she crushed Min-Hyuk’s foot to keep him silent (among multiple examples). That this event is played for laughs should have no bearing on the outcome. Furthermore, we later see Bong-Soon pleading for her strength to return so she can save Min-Hyuk, so it would appear that whatever higher power was listening is intelligent. At the end of the day, we all know this happened because the writers didn’t want to limit the fun possibilities of Bong-Soon abusing her power a little bit, saving it for the right moment to amp the drama. So, in reality, I was aware of it, and decided to roll with it.

OTP: Cuteness overload.

Verdict: This is one of the strongest shows in this list (no pun intended), more so given how much it’s able to pull off in 16 episodes as opposed to other shows’ 32, which is why I’m more lenient in terms of its writing. This is simply a good, fun, show, easily rewatchable thanks to the cute OTP. While its soundtrack may not be on par overall with the one from Angel’s Last Mission: Love, it still features some solid, memorable, songs (’Heartbeat’ by SURAN being the most obvious, but also ‘Double Trouble Couple’ by MAMAMOO, or ‘Super Power Girl’ by Every Single Day), not to mention a highly effective and comedic use of sound effects. Definitely one of my favourite shows.

Rewatch meter: High

And that brings us to the end of Part 1. I hope you had a good time reading through this post, maybe even found a show to your liking. What were some of your favourite shows in 2019? Stay tuned for Part 2!

#kdrama #while you were sleeping #kdrama w #my strange hero #the secret life of my secretary #angel's last mission: love #angel's last mission #strong woman do bong soon #strong girl bong soon #netflix #viki #kdramas

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fy-kokoro-blog · 6 years

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CREEP’S KOKORO RELEASES A A FULL ALBUM FOR HER SOLO DEBUT

ALBUM TITLE: Multfaceted RELEASE DATE: November 15, 2017 GENRE: Ballad LANGUAGES: Korean/English TRACK COUNT: 6

[ VIEW FULL TRACKLIST HERE ]

1. I’ll Be Waiting ( ft. Bang Yongguk ) 2. I Don’t Even Know Your Name ( ft. Jaehan of Riot ) 3. Just the Beginning ( ft. Aiden Wu ) 4. Kokoro ( ft. Cosmo of Utopia ) 5. Head Splice 6. Good Girl Gone Bad*

*NOTE: Title track

CONCEPT:

The main character ( Eunchae ) who has recently ended their relationship with their boyfriend a few weeks prior starts feeling lonely, so lonely she starts to dream about her ex-boyfriend. In her dream, however, it appears as if he was the one who disappeared on her when in reality, she had broken up with him. As time passes and she deals with her loneliness, she sees an attractive man and tries to engage interaction with him. Eunchae starts to obsess over the man, creating fictational interactions in her head as she plots ways to engage contact with him. Eunchae eventually manages to successfully meet the man she has been pining for and they eventually fall in love, becoming closer and happy with one another.

However, their happiness together is only short lived as the boyfriend starts to realize that there is something off about Eunchae, something dangerous. She seems different than the woman he fell in love with. Not in the obvious ways, but in ways that remains alarming. It is soon revealed that Eunchae suffers from dissociative identity disorder, also known as DID, and one of her personalities ( who reveals herself as the name Kokoro ) has been killing off Eunchae’s love interests.

It is during this time that Eunchae becomes aware of her other personality and discovers what Kokoro has been doing when she is in control ( which is a big reveal from the beginning of the album; the reason why her ex disappeared in her dream is because Kokoro killed him, but Eunchae believed she had broken up with him via text ) By the end of the music video, Kokoro has killed the boyfriend. After discovering the horrible things her alternate personality has committed, Eunchae is battling with herself in what to do: turn herself in or keep it a secret. Eunchae comes to the conclusion to keep her dirty little secret, but she is in control. Learning confidene from Kokoro, Eunchae branches out on her own and seeks out her own targets, rather than Kokoro influencing her like past victims. Eunchae finds them their victims while Kokoro takes care of them.

In the year of 2012, Creep’s Kokoro had originally debuted as a soloist. However, due to her teaser’s lack of popularity, assumed by poor promotions of her label at the time, she was pulled back and later placed into Creep for a second chance. In 2013, Kokoro’s life as an idol began, even if it wasn’t the way she had originally wanted it to. Ever since, there has been mostly radio silence from Creep’s Heart Eater, aside from the occasional feature and modeling gig outside of her group.

However, it seems like she is here to make a comeback, debutting as a soloist once more under REM Entertainment, a sub-label under Phantasia Entertainment. News of her debut was taken by a storm, igniting excitement among Aliens and other fans alike.

And it seems like Kokoro has spoiled her fans with not only with one music video releases, but two ( Kokoro and Good Girl Gone Bad ). There has been rumors buzzing about the community about some kind of project Kokoro has been working on with this release, which hasn’t come into light until the day before the release.

As it turns out, there was limited help from professionals during the making of the music videos, filmed by and assisted by students of Seoul National University. Actors ( under-rated and semi-well known ), trainees, and students were given a chance to partake in the creation of her album. And all songs were written by her and produced by her, she had Rien feature as an actor in one of her music videos and even assisted her in the production.

Here are a few words from the idol herself:

“The entertainment business is harsh and brutal. You either make it or break it. I am one of the lucky few who was given a second chance when I was lead to believe that I was not good enough. While it is unrealistic to think that I can prevent everyone who was involved in the making of my album from feeling the same way that I did years ago, I hope that, by being involved in my album, it will open up many, many doors for them in the future.

I did not become an idol with the dream of being a performer, so I entered this world not knowing what I was capable of. But during my time here, I have learned that connections can get one very, very, very far. And while I do not want to seem arrogant, I would like to think that my time with CREEP has granted me some kind of credibility. And I would like to use said credibility to help aspiring artists such as myself.”

Kokoro’s track named after herself featured both her and Rien in the music video, Rien acting as the romantic interest following the story line. In the second music video, it is revealed that student Lee Jun helped film both videos. Members of CREEP made a feature in the video itself, as well as Yoo Theodore of Legion Entertainment.

It is also rumored that the title track ( Good Girl Gone Bad ) doubles as part of an intricate story line, but as a diss track toward her old label that had done her wrong.

FAN COMMENTS:

Wow, she did that!! I was so excited to hear she was debuting on her own! I love CREEP, so much talent!

How come there are so many people featuring in this? And she wants to call herself a soloist? What a joke!

I remember her from before she joined Creep .. I was so excited for her, and then, poof! She was just gone. I’m glad she was given a second chance.

FLOP! FLOP! FLOP!

I really like what she’s trying to do here with her album. This is supposed to be her time to shine, but here she is, helping other people instead. How truly selfless!

The Creep girls look so good in the Good Girl Gone Bad M/V!

COSMO!! SHE GOT TO WORK WITH COSMO!!! THIS ALBUM IS GOLD ALREADY!

She did that!! My girl did that!!!

Yongguk? As in BANG YONGGUK? Their voices sound really??? Good together?? How did she manage to work with someone so talented!

#releases #debut

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themorningcatch · 7 years

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Dana’s Korean Drama Favorites

Special thanks to the Bogum to my Taehyung, Jazzie Rivera, for ruining my life via KDramas

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CHICAGO TYPEWRITER ( 시카고 타자기) From April to June 2017

Network: tvN

Number of episodes: 16

Cast: Yoo Ah In, Lim Soo Jung, Go Kyung Pyo, Kwak Si Yang, Joo Woo Jin, Yang Jin Sung

Kilig* Factor: Satisfactory. It’s there but not too in-your-face. Seju is just a total tsundere but it’s perfect because (spoiler?) it’s every fangirl’s dream to meet their idol and be able to peel back all their layers and see them for who they truly are. There’s just enough strain between them that makes you root for them but there’s also some solid, cute couple moments that I may or may not have re-watched because huhu when will I ever???

Drama Factor: SO. MUCH. ANGST. I LOVE IT. Since the plot revolves around a tragedy they can’t figure out, when more of the plot is revealed, there is so much upheaval of emotions on their part, which also affects the audience. Not too mention the main cast’s acting is no joke. Absolutely captivating. Every episode feels heavy loaded, especially the last parts. This drama made me tear up again and again because one, there’s just something about past lives that really get to me and two, the lines (thank Jin Soo Wan) and their delivery just hit home so hard.

Love Triangle Factor: This triumvirate’s affection for each other is the only Kdrama love triangle I will recognize. Their friendship is so special and it LITERALLY transcended lifetimes. The main cast’s chemistry is endearing like they’re all going through so much but they still have each other’s backs. And you know what, I love how Seol didn’t have to pick. I mean, she sort of did, but she didn’t really. Those two boys were both hers and they knew it. Sigh, now I want to be their friend.

Notes: it really isn’t a surprise that Chicago Typewriter is my favorite drama because the characters are writers/avid readers; there is a touch of supernatural in the plot which is always good in my books; there is amazing acting. I honestly couldn’t get over how well they did it (especially Ko Gyung Pyo who is now one of my favorites); there is a balance between sad and light scenes, all while letting the story progress; and there are really cute moments without it feeling like fan service. I just love this show. I finished it at 4 AM after no sleep and I was physically and emotionally exhausted but at the end, it made me want to sit down and write and work because that’s the kind of storytelling that I want the world to be filled; stories that make people want to claim their roles as heroes in their stories. And heroes they are, this unforgettable trio. The only thing unrealistic about this is that Seju lives in a mansion. Like, I get that he’s a writer and he’s famous, but a mansion? Really? That’s doubtful.

Rating: 10/10 (will watch again!!!)

*(The Filipino word “kilig” is untranslatable but the best description is “the feeling one gets when they experience something romantic” or “that heart fluttering feeling”; whichever suits your fancy.)

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W: TWO WORLDS ( 더블유) From July to September 2016

Network: MBC

Number of episodes: 16

Cast: Lee Jong Suk, Han Hyo Joo, Jong Eu Gene, Lee Tae Hwan, Park Won Sang, Cha Kwang Soo, Kim Eui Sung

Kilig Factor: Hyo Joo and Jong Suk have impeccable chemistry and Song Jae Jung (bless her heart) doesn’t let that go to waste. There were times when I would pause the episode just to let what I saw sink in. I thought, “HOW CAN TWO PEOPLE LOOK THIS CUTE???” Some scenes were so kilig, I almost cried. Sure, it was defo fan service for all us thirsty, lonely hoes, however, it is duly appreciated. Many times I would finish an episode and just want a boyfriend because dammit, Lee Jong Suk. Some moments are a little cringe-y when you think long and hard about whether really people do that, but I’m not complaining. I’m perfectly fine with it.

Drama Factor: Like all good dramas should, the endings that W episodes go through crush my heart. Ultimately, it was just begging for a happy ending. I didn’t think that a sci-fi/rom-com plot was capable of making me upset but I guess that’s the charm of W; that even with loss, confusion, mystery, yearning, and all those painful adjectives, you still sit tight and grip the seat to watch it all unfold. For me, W has one of the best endings ever, a satisfying close, like a sigh of relief. To be honest, when I think about W nowadays, there’s this phantom ache in my chest just because there were scenes when I just thought, “The writer did THAT.” So word of warning, watch with detachment and if not, just be careful.

Creativity Factor: In the span of 16 episodes, W managed to scissor multiple plots and be stitched together and still not confuse the hell out of me. I think that is a plus for creativity. More often than I expected, W’s story line felt different each time a problem began. It’s an absolute roller coaster with a bunch of tropes that sometimes it felt like watching a whole other show. I personally enjoy that. It felt like an adventure, although exhausting at that. But sometimes, it does do something ridiculous that reminds you, this isn’t real anyways but I forgive that for entertainment’s sake.

Notes: Not entirely a stunning show, but a unique and imaginative one. No other drama has quite left the same impression W did with me. This was the drama I recommended the most to people. It was about creation and art as well so that appealed to me. I love the bits where Song Moo would be sketching and whatever he did started translating to reality. That must’ve been hard to shoot so I commend the director as well. W also felt quick to watch as the plot moved without dawdling too much. It was quite unrealistic and intense but still, incomparable. As for the romance, Yeon Joo and Chul = OTP.

Rating: 9/10 (when will my life become a drama???)

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GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD ( 쓸쓸하고 찬란하神-도깨비) From December 2016 - January 2017

Network: tvN

Number of episodes: 16

Cast: Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun, Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In Na, Yook Sung Jae

Kilig Factor: At first, I seriously didn’t like them because of the age difference and it was little weird that Eun Tak called him “ahjussi.” Later on, I got used to it and as their love story progressed, the more I got tangled with it. I absolutely can’t forget the part when it would rain and Eun Tak would cry hysterically and she had no clue why. That was such a powerful and poignant scene for me. Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun are incredible actors. They could convey such deep emotions from their characters and still retain parts of that when they become quirky. With the Sunny/Grim Reaper pairing, it felt a little dragging and draining by the end, to be honest. However, there’s this certain yearning I can’t remove that I want them to end up together. I think their relationship boosted Goblin/Eun Tak’s by showing a contrast. The kind of drama with romantic scenes that made me squeal out loud.

Drama Factor: I think there were only a few episodes I didn’t shed a tear over. The writing has this fragrant poetry structure to it that just appeals so much to a hopeless romantic like me. I know people don’t talk that way in real life but there’s just a beauty with a good string of words that can support an otherwise mediocre scene. Also, a very, very good cast. There was a lot of crying but it didn’t feel overwhelming (for me) because of how it was delivered. I think Goblin is a show I would watch if I ever doubted the supreme lightness love can bring after a dreadful storm.

OST Factor: Unforgettable. There’s a reason that Goblin’s is one of the most famous. The roster of performers in that OST is unbelievable. It’s so well chosen, especially once it’s edited as the background for a certain scene. There’s also so much to choose from that the songs post-Goblin binge watching don’t feel sickening; more nostalgic than anything. The OST by itself captures the sweet sadness of Goblin’s story and that’s a pretty good feat for a musical score to achieve.

Notes: Goblin was the very first Korean drama that I’ve watched properly and voluntarily. I was just really curious at first but then the cinematography, the music, the acting of this show absolutely blew me away. I think I cried majority of the time because I couldn’t believe I was watching such a well written show with representation of people who looked like me! (Asians!!!) I think that like the show’s theme of first love for the 900 year old Goblin, this was the perfect drama to show me how great K-dramas have become, and maybe I’m being eye roll worthy but it felt a little like finding a first love. I have nothing but fondness over Goblin and its clever story full of fate and twists and childlike innocence amidst the dark past they all share. And loneliness is something that is so palpable to me and seeing it suited up like this, made my heart clench and have hope. It’s wonderful like that.

Rating: 15/10. Just watch it. It’s worth your time.

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REPLY 1988 ( 응답하라 1988) From November 2015 - January 2016

Network: tvN

Number of episodes: 20

Cast: Hyeri, Ryoo Joon Yeol, Go Kyung Pyo, Park Bo Gum, Lee Dong Hwi, Sung Dong Il, Lee Il Hwa, Ryoo Hye Young, Choi Sung Won, Kim Sung Kyun, Ra Mi Ran, Ahn Jae Hong, Kim Sun Young, Yoo Jae Myung, Choi Moo Sung, Kim Sul, Lee Min Ji, Lee Se Young

Kilig Factor: Of course I know most people don’t fall in love with their neighbors that often but this one is an exception. Romantic love wasn’t the main theme for this show however it still came through. And yes, I may be super biased when it comes to Park Bo Gum and Go Kyung Pyo and yes, them just smiling can get me riled up already BUT the love triangle presented towards the end is pretty decent and the falling-back-in-love trope with two characters is realistic and enjoyable enough. I’ve never seen a character demonstrate that kind of attitude (fiercely and stubbornly choosing their career over a relationship) before so it was quite interesting for me. There were little moments where they would reveal that this character actually liked this character, or did this for this character that would just have me punching a pillow, kicking, and screaming because dammit, that’s cute. I think it could have been better though, but as Reply 1988 isn’t solely focused on that, it’s good enough.

Drama Factor: Okay, compared to Reply 1988, my crying in Goblin was a dripping faucet. This show had me bursting like a waterfall. It was in all those moments that felt real, so, so real, I couldn’t help but weep. It was superb how Lee Woo Jeong wrote this show with tenderhearted conversations and the absolute unfairness of life that everybody can relate to and have such an awesome cast enact it in the messy times of the 80′s and translate into something a girl like me could deeply feel. Towards the end, I cried at every episode (there was always just something that hit me so much!) and it was the kind that would start as a sob and just progress then on. Inside Reply 1988 were lessons and experiences that everybody has felt or will feel or is trying to forget that universally is the same but in a different packaging. This show, to me, is the epitome of a Korean drama, unashamed and so emotional.

Food Factor: To be honest, there were far too many times Reply 1988 made me hungry. From clams to ramyun to kimchi pancakes to fish-shaped bread, they ate everything. I do appreciate it though because it exposed what Korean culture is like and how families have a good meal with each other as an act of love. I find the putting-meat/egg/vegetable/whatever-into-someone’s-bowl gesture as a unique and simple way of saying you favor someone. I also saw how important food is with the plot because as they go through changes, their food changed! When they were poor, they complained about side dishes. When they got older, the food they ate became different. When something good happens, there’s a whole feast. When watching this show, beware of the scrumptious dishes. I’m still looking for tteokbokki these days.

Notes: First of all, the set design team is amazing. I didn’t feel the whole Ssamundong late 80′s vibe at first but then it felt a little like home after so many hours of looking at it. There’s a lot of things I want to complain about this show, especially how it didn’t resolve properly. There were so many things left hanging! So many relationships unexplored! So many people’s endings swept aside! I didn’t feel like it got the ending it deserved. However, this was such a heartwarming drama. I haven’t seen such a raw presentation of this kind of suburban city life anywhere and it was familiar to me. I also loved how in an episode, things will happen and at the end, there was actually one unifying theme for all of that. I can say nothing more about Reply 1988 other than it did feel like I was growing up with these kids and I was part of their rag-tag bundle of troublemakers. That’s the most important part, I think, to have your audience feel like they were a part of it all. It means art has done its job well.

Rating: 7/10. A little disappointing but still great.

(this took me forever to make but it was fun. i might make a part two. maybe...)

#lists #review #reviews #kdrama recommendations #kdrama #k drama #goblin #reply 1988 #w: two worlds #chicago typewriter #recs

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hold-my-hair-back · 7 years

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Hey! I only found your blog recently but I LOVE it and I'd be /thrilled/ if you wrote more Aiden/Emmett fics! Those two are such sweeties! Maybe... 'Your belly is really sick, isn't it?' Please!! Haha, it's totally up to you though!:)

Thank you for the request! Emmett and Aiden are my precious little creations. I do love them very much and I’m glad you do too! Now, where’s my request that I sent to you? ;)

It was the biggest gig they had gotten so far. Emmett was with his band at a festival where they would perform in front of a couple hundred people. It didn’t seem like much, but since their gigs usually consisted of a handful of people at some venue, it was a big deal to them. Not to mention, they would be getting 500 bucks which would round out to 125 for each of them. Aiden was outside with them as the band learned long ago that wherever Emmett goes, Aiden goes. Besides, they all agreed Aiden was their little groupie that would support them no matter what. It was nice to have a loyal fan, even if it may be a little biased. Aiden was wearing a t-shirt he had made with the band name across the front and the list of members on the back. That alone Emmett was proud of because he knew Aiden’s body image issues usually prevented him from being able to wear anything else but baggy hoodies in public.

“I made them for everyone else too!” Aiden exclaimed happily as wrapped his arms around Emmett.

“Thank you, koala bear,” Emmett said with a little laugh as Aiden clung onto him. “You’ll always be New Rebel Movement’s biggest fan.”

Emmett wished he felt as excited as everyone else, but the nerves were starting to override that. Well, at least that’s what Emmett was sure it was. He wrapped the hand that was holding his drumsticks around Aiden, and his other nervously ran his hand through his light brown hair. He wouldn’t be so nervous if it weren’t for the fact that at this gig, he was also going to sing the song he wrote.

“Just look at me the whole time,” Aiden whispered, standing on his toes to kiss Emmett’s forehead. Emmett figured Aiden could tell he was a little nervous. Okay, a lot nervous.

“I will,” Emmett promised, kissing Aiden’s soft lips. “Thank you for supporting me all the time, Aiden. I love you.”

Aiden giggled and only held onto Emmett tighter, nuzzling into his chest. “Love you too.”

As they were setting up for the gig, Emmett felt his nerves move to his stomach. He had never been this nervous before, not even with his singing, so he wasn’t entirely sure what was bringing this on. He ran his hand over his drums like he always did when he felt nervous, hoping that would call him down. The drums had been the last thing his dad ever gave him before passing away, making them very special.

“Yo, Emmett!” The lead vocalist of the band, Roger, was looking over at Emmett with a small frown. “You look like you’re gonna hurl. C’mon, man. This is a great opportunity for us. You should be excited!”

Emmett straightened up and he smiled over at his bandmate and friend. “It’s all good over here, Roger.” If Roger, the man up front for nearly the whole show wasn’t nervous, Emmett felt like he shouldn’t be. He told himself that he would only be singing two songs and every time he rehearsed it, he got it down perfectly. Still, despite his own reassuring thoughts, his stomach was still twisting in knots and sweat was breaking out on his brow. He knew he needed to keep it together for the sake of the band and all he could hope for was not letting them down.

“Em!” Emmett turned around when he heard his favorite voice in the whole world rushing toward him. Aiden threw his arms around Emmett, holding him close. “You’re gonna do great, Em. I love you.” Aiden gave him a sweet kiss which made everything feel okay.

“Thanks, koala bear. I love you yoo.” Emmett watched as Aiden made his way down to the seating area where he grabbed a chair in the front row.

Emmett’s stomach twisted again as they went backstage and waited for show time. Quicker than he had anticipated, Roger was tapping him on the shoulder, indicating it was time for the four of them to go on stage. Emmett sat in the corner by his drums, wishing he could make himself relax a little. The strangest thing was, he didn’t feel all that nervous anymore. He wasn’t shaking, his heart wasn’t pounding. The only thing wrong was his stomach.

“Thank you for coming out here tonight,” Roger said into the mic after the audience stopped clapping. “We’re New Rebel Movement. I’m Roger, Zack is on guitar, Sadie is on bass, and Emmett is on drums.”

Hearing his name, Emmett offered a smile to the audience, but it was forced. He really was starting to feel sick. A loud ‘Woo!’ sounded in the audience when his name was called, making Emmett look over at Aiden who was smiling and waving at him.

“Thanks for coming out here, guys,” Roger continued. “Hope you enjoy.”

The music started and Emmett drummed away. Still, his favorite thing to do in the whole world was play music, but now it was turning into the worst thing in the world. He didn’t show it, though. He played with just as much enthusiasm and heart as always. Over time, the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach only worsened and he didn’t know what to do.

Their third song ended and Emmett realized when Roger came up to him and handed the mic, it was his turn to sing his two. They arranged it in the middle so Emmett’s arms could have a break from the drumming and Roger could rest his voice for a little while. Emmett took the mic and walked up front as Roger sat at the drums. Emmett was doing his best to look as confident and comfortable as possible. “Hey, guys,” Emmett said into the mic, looking at the audience. “I’m taking front stage for a while to sing a couple of songs I wrote. I’d like to dedicate them to Aiden in the front row. He’s also my boyfriend and best friend.” Emmett smiled a little as he looked over at Aiden who was blushing and curled up in his chair. “I love you.”

The music started up and Emmett was standing there, getting ready to sing. His stomach was sloshing and gurgling and saliva was pooling in his mouth. He looked at Aiden the whole time, just like always, but it still wasn’t helping. In fact, when a concerned look appeared on his boyfriend’s face, he realized he must look as bad as he felt.

Even more humiliating, he realized he was supposed to have started singing by now. Instead, he was just standing there. He heard Zack, Roger, and Sadie slowly stop playing, apparently by now no longer able to keep it going as though it was all intentional. “You alright, mate?” he heard Zack ask. Emmett was sure everyone in the audience was staring at him too, but he couldn’t look at them. He kept his eyes locked on Aiden and began to slowly shake his head as he felt his stomach getting ready to heave. Aiden was already out of his chair and Emmett dropped the mic as he cupped a hand to his mouth. He gagged into it, hearing the whole audience react. As fast as he could, Emmett sprinted off stage and ran out the emergency exit into the alley.

Aiden was already waiting for him. “Emmett, what’s wrong? Are you just nervous?”

Emmett didn’t reply as he kept his hand pressed firmly against his lips. He rested one hand on the side of the building, looking down at the pavement He shook his head, finally answering Aiden’s question. No way in hell was this just nerves. Emmett slowly moved his hand from his mouth and rested it on his churning belly. He spread his legs apart to move them out of the way as he knew he was going to throw up. And very soon.

Aiden put his hand on his back and started rubbing in smooth circles. “It’s okay, Em. Maybe you’ll feel better afterward.”

Emmett let out a loud, guttural belch followed by a mouthful of saliva which he spat out onto to the pavement. A loud hiccup sounded from deep in the back of his throat and he choked on the burp that followed it. Emmett palmed at his belly as he coughed, wondering why his stomach had to be acting up. Today of all days.

“You belly is really sick, isn’t it?” Aiden whispered, resting his hand on top of Emmett’s over his belly. When Emmett moved his hand away to give Aiden more access, he felt Aiden’s hand slip underneath his t-shirt and press against his skin.

Emmett burped loudly at the contact and gagged harshly. He brought up a large mouthful of puke that had him gasping for air. Before he could take in a breath, his stomach heaved and he puked again, the watery substance splattering all over the pavement and wall.

“I’m sorry your belly is so sick,” Aiden whispered from behind him as he softly stroked the gurgling belly with his fingertips. It let out a loud, unhappy sound and Emmett burped again, bringing up a small rope of bile that hung from his lips.

“Looks like you’re empty, Em,” Aiden whispered, gently patting his stomach which was finally starting to settle.

“Looks like it,” Emmett agreed, sniffing and spitting one final time. Exhausted, he took a few steps away from the puke before letting himself slide down the building and sitting on the cold pavement. Aiden followed him as always, taking a seat next to him and sitting close enough so that their shoulders were touching. Emmett closed his eyes and rested his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder, the humiliation of running of stage finally hitting him. Not to mention, the rest of the bad will be pissed at him.

Emmett’s belly gurgled again and he winced softly. Aiden must have heard it too, because he leaned over and pressed a kiss to it, cupping it on either side with his gentle hands. “Wish you would stop giving Em so much trouble,” he scolded the belly playfully before kissing it again. Aiden was one to believe that a kiss really did make everything all better.

The gesture was sweet, but Emmett realized that he was missing out on the biggest gig yet. “I messed it all up,” he whispered, putting his head in his hands.

“Messed what up?”

Both Emmett and Aiden looked up when the band was coming outside. Roger was looking at Emmett, clearly expecting an answer to his question. He noticed everyone look over at the large pile of vomit he had left, all clearly worried once seeing it.

“The gig,” Emmett answered. “I don’t know why I threw up in the first place, but I feel better.”

“You didn’t mess it up,” Sadie cut in, putting a hand on her hip. Emmett noticed the microphone in the other and a smile appeared on her face as she held it out with a gloved hand. “Roger told the audience you were having a rough day but would be back in a minute. We took an intermission. You’ve only been out here for ten minutes.”

Emmett slowly took the microphone and chuckled a little. “Thank God. I thought I was going to give the band a bad rep.”

Zack walked over and pat Emmett on the shoulder. “Everything is the same. Except for the band name. We’re changing New Rebel Movement to New Barf Movement. Just in case your stomach can’t handle future shows.”

Emmett punched Zack in the shoulder as he rolled his eyes at the dumb joke before taking Aiden’s hand and making his way back into the building. Roger stopped him, running a hand through his spiky blonde hair. “Dude, am I gonna get sick after using the microphone you sing into? And using your drums?”

Emmett nodded. “Probably. New Barf Movement doesn’t have to be just me, you know.”

Roger looked genuinely concerned and Emmett just laughed before walking back in the building. The audience clapped when he returned, probably more out of pity than anything else, but he would take it. Aiden returned to the front row seat, watching Emmett with a big smile.

“Sorry about that guys,” Emmett said to everyone. “Now, let’s get on with the show!”

Thankfully, the rest of the show went smoothly without casualties. Afterward, they all celebrated with soda and burgers. Emmett felt completely fine and figured maybe he had just been stressed.

That is… until halfway through dinner, Roger put a hand over his mouth and ran to the bathroom.

RIP, Roger. I might start writing more stories with the band now, too. I created them just for this story, but I might as well use them. :)

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