151: All the Parallels and Callbacks
Someone on reddit asked for an analysis of episode 151, specifically asking if there’s any links to past or future episodes, or if it could provide insight into Nol and Shinae’s future, so I took it upon myself to write the piece I’ve been dying to, about all the parallels and callbacks presented in this episode. Spoiler alert: It’s A LOT. If you guys have learned anything from me so far, I hope it’s that i absolutely LOVE parallels, mirrors, and foils.
Sticking this under a read more because it’s that long lol
I think there are a lot of things that can be taken away from 151. Importantly, this is an emotional catalyst for Nol and Shinae and how their relationship will ultimately be one day. I am an optimist and I believe that we will ultimately see a reconciliation between them - I hope for sooner than later, but knowing the current state of Nol, it's hard to really assume we'll get to see that any time soon, but.... frankly we know so little of what goes on inside of his head. Rather than get into the obvious things about how much pain we know Nol is in, and to what extent his self-loathing is that he's willing to abandon his friends, I think an interesting focus is the amount of parallels and callbacks we get in this episode.
Parallels and callbacks
The very opening is obviously a callback to the different stages of Nol and Shinae's developing friendship, echoes of the lines he said to her as he endeavored to make a friend out of her. The melting snowflake feels like the way she thawed out thanks to him and ultimately let him in. I also think, though, the opening is not only a recollection emphasizing how meaningful it was that Shinae let him in, but is also her own manner of thinking towards him: "We'd make such a great team", "Let's be friends", "It's not good to bottle everything up inside. You can only hold out for so long before you break."
More than that, the last part feels directed especially at both of them - Shinae wants Nol to open up and tell her all these things he's been hiding, all the burdens he's keeping to himself, but just as well, there is only so much she can take before she also breaks. Even without being inside her head, we know Shinae is breaking; she's showing more emotion than she typically does, she's saying vulnerable things, she cries a couple different times.
I think "I feel like shit. Why do I feel like shit? Why am I not angry?" is a callback to the hospital, on the balcony when she asked Nol why he keeps smiling and "I felt like shit when I heard what happened to you! How can you be fine when I'm not?" In fact, in general, this entire scene is a lovecall to the hospital balcony scene, which was also a case of Shinae having to chase down Nol because he is trying avoid her and she's worried about him. She doesn't consciously realize it yet, why she feels like shit, why anger is not her predominant, immediate emotion, but we can surmise that it's her genuine worry and care that has her upset. She's upset because she's realized how little she knew about someone she cares about - she's upset that he's yet again in the way of harm. Shinae sincerely cares about Nol.
I'm not sure if we can count these, but I think it's worth considering that "Were you planning on leaving without saying goodbye?" feels reminiscent of Shinae finding out Nol was planning to go to Oxford with "You were planning on leaving?" I think more important than how they connect to each other is how they foil with Alyssa, who has shown little reaction to Nol choosing to go abroad, going as far as to encourage him with "It's like we're already long distance anyway" or whatever and "I'm not going to stand in the way of what you want" (further juxtaposed with her reaction to learning Kousuke might be leaving for Japan). Unlike Alyssa, Shina is the one who shows actual concern and reluctance about learning Nol is leaving, and is legitimately upset about the idea of it. We can always argue that what bothers her most is that he didn't tell her he was planning this, which is a fair argument, but I wager Shinae would still be upset about the idea of him leaving had he told her. She probably wouldn't try to stop him, but the point still stands that I think Shinae would be more upset than Alyssa shows herself to be.
Someone else brought up the Nol and Alyssa parallel, which I'll link here, but I'll also elaborate further. This is, I think, absolutely a purposeful parallel and I think it will serve as a catalyst for things to come. Much like the way Minhyuk teasing "Why would anyone want to be friends with you?" was a catalyst for Shinae's doubt and trust issues coming forth, Nol echoing Alyssa's "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to" will probably (subconsciously) come to play. The words are spoken now when he unintentionally makes her fall, but it's worth noting that on different occasions, both have caused Shinae injury from a fall from a balcony. I do think there is a lot of stock in Shinae/Nol/Alyssa as a trio of foils, parallels, and mirrors, but I get more into that in the comment over there and it's a bit off tangent here. The point though is, it's certainly a parallel, and I believe the way Nol handles it will factor into some ideas about what we can expect from their future dynamic. (Nol coming to his senses and apologizing/atoning would be a departure from Alyssa who, as far as we've been shown, never seemed to really atone for what she did. But maybe that's yet withheld information.)
Comparing "I should distrust you" to "You've proven to me that you're somebody I can trust" feels a little.... weird since it's less of a callback or parallel as much as something that comes from a past episode of a future we've yet to see played out, but I do think it's worth considering this, because right now, it's hard to imagine how Shinae and Nol's relationship will play out/repair by the time the party happens. Does that mean that somehow, in between those scenes, they'll patch it up? Does it mean she'll pick up on the signs he's been having for years? I know a lot of people have hoped that this means he'll be the person who shows up on the balcony and they'll reconcile, but she has that thought before the mystery person appears so.... I can't give anything concrete for this but assume it's some kind of sign that between now and then, some kind of peace will happen. What kind remains a mystery. (I think it's also a nice parallel to Shinae's trust issues period; Shinae has confessed to Dieter that she's doubted her friends before, so being able to admit that she trusts someone at all is a pretty significant deal, I think. "You've quickly become someone I can trust." That is SO unusual for someone as guarded Shinae, hence our little melting snowflake.)
"I don't want you to go away" foils, again, Alyssa never saying these words to Nol, but also Kousuke, in a very direct way. "Why did they have to keep coming back?... I want him out of my life!" Again, Shinae is the ONLY person besides Nana that we've seen who tells Nol that she wants him here, wants him to stay. Alyssa never fought for him to stay, but Shinae came out in the freezing rain!!!! to tell him this and to fight for him. Even Rand has said things about how he should have sent Nol away. But Shinae wants him to stay.
"I don't want you to disappear" is bigger than the previous line, and imposed over his face, which looks a little less guarded as he watches her and listens to her tell him the things he's wished people would tell him. Just days prior (like, literally 2 nights ago?) he overheard Kousuke, when he reached out to him and tried to call him, saying "They just wouldn't disappear!" and "I want him out of my life!" But again, we have Shinae telling him: I don't want you to leave. I don't want you to disappear.
The juxtaposition of Alyssa's "Do you hate me" versus Shinae's "You don't hate yourself, do you?" really cuts through me, because it's just yet again another iteration of how Alyssa doesn't see Nol for who he is but for how he views her. Alyssa is all about upkeeping images, how people see her, and people-pleasing. She needs Nol to not hate her. Shinae, though, is seeing Nol as something broken, something in pain. Alyssa asks him on her behalf, Shinae asks him on his behalf. Again, more cases of how people miss so many things about Nol, even people who are supposed to be the closest to him, people who are supposed to be on his side, people who are supposed to be on his emotional wavelength. Shinae is seeing a vulnerable side of Nol that he's carefully guarded and tried to keep people from seeing, but she still sees it and asks.
I think we can call the two times Nol reaches for Shinae callbacks, as well, because they are not the first time he's reached out to her and been unable (or rather, would not allow himself) to close the distance. The first time he reaches, he doesn't close the distance, because he believes he doesn't deserve it, because the whole point is to walk away from her and create that distance. The second time, he can't help but finally close the distance, because Shinae doubting their friendship is too much for him to bear. The irony, that he's here trying to literally abandon her and their friends, but the thought of her doubting their friendship is what breaks him and gets the mask to drop, at least for that moment. For one intense moment, Nol allows himself to seek and give the comfort that he's wanted to since the night on the hospital balcony, to console Shinae the way she deserves, and maybe to console an anguished part of himself. It doesn't last long before has his guard up, but for one moment, he allows himself to give in.
Someone also noted that the way Shinae tips her face up when she cries into the rain is very much the same kind of pose she has in the prologue, after she's splashed in the car and she looks up at the sky, saying she just wants to feel okay again. And Shinae most definitely is not feeling okay again - which puts us again at odds with the mid-season trailer where Shinae is saying she's finally feeling okay. Again it leaves us wondering: what the heck is going to happen between now and the Minhyuk's party? I have to assume there will be some kind of reconciliation, based on the way Shinae narrated of Nol with such fondness, but is it fondness of someone who is still friends with him? Or fondness of someone who let him go peacefully?
What does this say for their futures?
A long time ago, I used to think our timeskip would see all three MCs going their separate ways and reunited by some kind of event that makes them come back together. I still wonder if we might see that, but in a different way than we expected? But at the time, I thought that Nol would skip out to Oxford without saying goodbye to his friends, so when he and Shinae reunited they'd be on bad terms, at odds with each other. I don't.... think that's the case. There wouldn't be all this emotional climax right now if that were to be the big obstacle between them. In fact, in a weird way I think this is an act that will strengthen Shinae and Nol's relationship to come. It's hard for me to like, actually put this into words in a way that makes sense, but it just feels like something breaking so that it will grow back stronger - maybe this can be a catalyst of some kind for Nol finally, eventually opening up to Shinae? I like to hope that he'll be haunted by how much he hurt her and find that he can't bear it and he can't stand to part that way but Nol is so resolute and stubborn that frankly, I'm not sure if that will work. Will she ask Dieter and Soushi how to find Nol's home and track him down there?
More than that, though, I think what this episode has done is first off, reinforced that Nol and Shinae are absolutely mirrors to each other. We already kind of knew it, with the Wacdonalds Nugget scene, where Shinae noted that it seems like they've switched roles - now she's chasing him down and he's the one who needs to open up. But even more than that, Shinae is seeing just how much she and Nol are mirrors: both of them have been carrying burdens they cannot share (Shinae is learning to share hers; Nol holds tight to his); both of them have been at breaking points (Shinae finally relied on people; Nol is literally breaking and continuing to combust as we speak); they both have worn facades, etc. etc. I think there is a lot to glean from the way they share weaknesses - faking it for others, a lack of care for themselves, feelings of being a burden.
There's more that we as readers can glean, too - Nol was made his whole life to feel like nothing, that he's worthless. Shinae as a child bullied by people was also told she's worthless. Both of them have such little self-value, but the difference is that because of Nol, Shinae has started to work on these flaws of hers. And I think, in time (and with healing because Nol's issues are pretty deep and this ain't a love heals everything fairytale), with Shinae Nol will be able to work on his, too. They have a tendency to amplify the good in each other. Even while he tries to pull away and distance himself from Shinae, Nol still goes out of the way to help and defend her. He believes himself a villain, but at his core, he's a good man who wants to help those who cares about, a hero in the shadows. Shinae has learned from Nol to let her guard down, to let people in, and give them chances, that she needs to rely on people. It's funny that he hasn't learned these lessons for himself, but I think it's something that he will ruminate on in time we'll see him making these same improvements in himself.
If nothing else, I think this episode has absolutely reinforced that Nol and Shinae are tethered to each other - even if they were to part right now and go their separate ways, they are inevitably going to be drawn back to each other, because they are the people who bring out the best in each other, who reflect each others' flaws and weaknesses and makes it easier to identify and work on them. They will in the future remain (become again?) a team, no matter what their paths become. Will they work together for the Hirahara Corp and try to dismantle things from the inside? Will they work together to find their own paths, the ones that are right for them? No matter what it winds up being, I think it's been really reinforced to us that Nol and Shinae are two halves of a whole. There's a lot of theories about why Nol gets illustrated in shadows relating to his anti-hero arc; maybe Nol is the shadow to Shinae's light, and together they cover that spectrum and ground each other? That's conjecture and I'd be interested in hearing if people have any better ideas on that. I do think, though, that they will continue to ground each other. Even if we went with a "three MCs off on their own separate ways to reunite again later" we'd see that Shinae and Nol reuniting would probably be some kind of grounding that they'll find they need at that time.
God this is so long and I apologize profusely lmao but this is something I've been wanting to write so I couldn't resist the urge to do it! And because I teased my Stalkyoo feelings, I think it does make me feel a little optimistic about them as a pairing. Nol and Shinae have been demonstrated so many times as being people who get each other. While Shinae wasn't able to see through Nol's mask until now, she was able to notice the smaller things - I always think of that scene after she eats out with Kousuke and Nol when she notices his knuckles are scuffed up from his punching bag, and the surprise on his face when she says something because people don't pay attention to those details. It's the way she always says the things Nol needs to hear, actually pays attention to him, actually CARES about him. I know the bar is REALLY low lol between "Hey I'm cold let's go inside" and "Aren't you cold you should go inside" but when you're a person who hasn't been given much attention or affection, being noticed by anyone means a lot. And likewise, we've seen that Nol is a person who can often anticipate Shinae's needs (Kousuke sends her coat away; Nol intercepts it to get it back to her. The whole black and white formal arc is nothing but a demonstration of the ways Kousuke tries to help Shinae without an actual understanding of her needs vs Nol knowing very well what she requires and doing what he can to help her) as well as that he's a person who, despite trying this best to pull away, still can't resist helping her. I could literally write an essay on why I ship them, but to link this to the episode: I think 151 has revealed that the framework is long since established for these two. They each carry a deep care for one and other. I'm not saying they're in love or anything - they definitely aren't yet, though I do believe that they are both developing feelings. But by that I mean, the seeds are sown. 151 reveals that they are ultimately incredibly important to each other, and I feel a whole episode dedicated to this emotional break, to Shinae being shattered by his betrayal seems pretty significant, right? But this is a whole other aside lol.
27 notes
·
View notes
NOOOO NO FUCKING WAYYYYY NNNOOOOOO how could they do this to me but also this is the turning point in their relationship-
PLEASE I laughed at this but only because I remember just how raw this episode felt!
Like, okay, not to be a total shipper, but YES YES it really is. Up until this point I'd played with how much I actually thought Nol and Shinae like each other? There is clearly a lot of emotional connection between them, but that doesn't necessarily mean that feelings are developing, does it? But I think, as with much of the way quimchee tells stories, there is a lot more hidden between the lines that says more about the ways they are drawn to each other than just what they verbalize, right? The analyses done by @somebody-909 are my EVERYTHING and they really helped me to figure out what I was feeling: that intimate feelings have been developing over the course of their friendship after all.
This really IS a turning point in their relationship in so many ways, too, not just romantically. Shinae and Nol are absolutely mirrors to each other. They have literally even switched roles, with Shinae chasing after a closed off Nol, the way he tried to break down her walls prior. They both have worn facades, it's just that Shinae never knew he was, too.
I think there is just as much unspoken as much as there is spoken in this episode. For starters, Shinae is incredibly sincere and open with him, like I'd even argue she's absolutely vulnerable, crying and telling him things like "I don't want you to go leave/I don't want you to disappear" (god I really want to write about how EVERYTHING SHE SAYS foils against what Kousuke and Alyssa have told Nol! That she is telling him ALL THE THINGS HE JUST WANTED TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE IN HIS LIFE) My girl is out here baring her heart, telling him what an important friend he's become and he's trying so hard to maintain his mask, to walk away because he doesn't deserve her, she deserves better, because he's a danger to her, because she's better off without him but how can he do that when she thinks it was all a sham, that nothing in their friendship was genuine ;~; ;~~; PLS.
I STILL HURT! lol
That hug?! That desperate embrace? The way! He cradles her face and wipes her tears afterwards! AND SHE LETS HIM?! It's so INTIMATE and TENDER and while I'm sure Shinae isn't thinking of it like that, we as readers are screaming from the rooftop because this is THE most intimate scene Shinae has had with like, anyone. I don't even mean intimate as necessarily romantic, either, but just like... letting a person in her personal space, with the walls she keeps and how guarded she is? It's right in line with the things she's saying - and the things she hasn't quite vocalized.
Yeonggi or Nol or Nolan, whoever he really is is SO important to her that she dashed out as soon as she could in the freezing rain to find him, poured her stupid heart out, and broke when he called her Yoo and walked away ;~; BRO WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL THESE FEELINGS?! HUH? HOW DO I DEAL WITH THIS?! THEY'RE SO IMPORTANT TO EACH OTHER BUT MY BOY IS JUST SO CERTAIN HE CAN ONLY BRING HARM, SO CERTAIN THAT HE DOESN'T DESERVE HER KINDNESS EVEN THOUGH HE /DESPERATELY/ CRAVES IT I just
i'm gonna go howl at the moon or something i'm distraught.
49 notes
·
View notes
I find it worth thinking about Kousuke & Alyssa as mirrors who negatively reinforce each other as opposed to Nol & ShinAe. While AeGi managed to develop a positive effect on each other in a few months, KouLyssa failed to do that during all those years. Why is that? Is it because they don't challenge the worst parts of themselves? Because what they currently seek isn't emotional connection but power and influence? I agree Alyssa might actually see herself in him, someone who shares the same values as her. I've wondered, did Kousuke ever use her as a way to diffuse tension between him and Nol the way he did with Shinae? Has he ever compared the two girls? Like in Ep26, he had a conversation about favors and opportunities that tied into Yui's philosophy from Ep135. While Shinae didn't want a handout for the call center job, Alyssa took the offer to become a pop idol. What does he think of their choices especially after their outcomes? Would Alyssa's success reaffirm his beliefs? This is what I mean by not challenging themselves. Will their images have to break for them to finally reflect on themselves through each other? 1/?
Honestly, I'm surprised Alyssa doesn't seem to be taking her training seriously. I assumed that as a people pleaser she'd try harder to get on everyone's good graces. Even if she is losing her passion for dancing, she still wants to rise to the top. So, it sounds like she's favoring Yui's way of thinking: making powerful connections trumps hard work. (Funnily enough, I don't think Kousuke has any powerful friends.) But this would totally foil Shinae. Perhaps we'll see more of that in terms of their career paths, work ethics, and reputations. Something to parallel the boys or Yui and Yujing. But also Meg!!! How did Meg turn out so different from her? Because unlike Alyssa and Kousuke, she prioritizes passion in her career and is willing to take accountability for her actions. And while Yui took advantage of all three of them for their lack of strong support system and desire for validation, Meg was the first one to cut Yui off and learn to value herself. We need to talk more about Meg when it comes to them. She's clearly going to play a bigger role in both their futures. Anyways, it'll be interesting to see what shifts in dynamics the time skips bring. 2/?
IT IS TIME!!!! I'm so excited to answer this Nonny and talk about all of your incredible points! I'm answering the last ask in a separate reply, because we both know this is going to get long and I don't want that information to get lost.
This response is, to no one's surprise, really long lmao so enjoy!
From the moment you started talking about Aegi vs Koulyssa as foils, I was already excited because that's exactly it, that's exactly why seeing them as mirror pairs is so important! In the same way that Alyssa and Shinae are foils, and Kousuke and Nol are, as mirrored pairs they HEAVILY foil each other. I had never even given consideration to that, the fact that where Aegi boost and improve each other, we haven't seen the same from Koulyssa. Of course, one solid argument is that Kousuke has been stand offish with Alyssa and they haven't had a lot of time interacting TO make each other better, but I don't think that shoots this down at all.
I think something we see highlighted is that Nol and Shinae are drawn to each other like magnets and Nol has to work hard to avoid/stay away from Shinae after making his decision. The fact that Nol saw sad messages from his friends, including an I really miss you :( from Shinae and just abandoned his moral code and started throwing back drink after drink shows that it's not so easy for him to do it, even if he thinks it's right. On the flip side... does Kousuke have trouble, too? Again, we know so little about them and can only speculate based on what quim has shown us. Why was Kousuke so hesitant to call Alyssa when searching for Nol? Why did he deliberate so long and hard? IS it because in the past he used to her to diffuse tension and he feels some sense of guilt?
Where Nol is very aware of how many similarities he and Shinae share, I wonder if Kousuke is aware of the same with Alyssa. It's clear to anyone (and probably especially Yui, yikes) that Alyssa has a lot more in common with Kousuke, which I think sets a really dangerous precedent, because Kousuke was easily manipulated by Yui (i mean, as her child it's hard not to be lol) and Alyssa seems to follow in that vein. I still can't tell if Alyssa knows more than we think or if she's being pulled along blindly. At any rate, we do certainly see a disconnect, where Nol and Shinae have fought to free themselves of Yui and Kousuke and Alyssa remain in her firm grasp.
Now, something someone brought up while we were talking was: as the sort of "golden children" of their respective families, the ones carrying their families' expectations and the heavy weight of that burden, both Kousuke and Alyssa have likely developed a sort of "survivor" mentality. They've seen how their sibling has been treated (and looked down on) for the ways they perform and they endeavor to be better than that, so that they never fall from grace and experience that same treatment. It's far more evident in Kousuke, because his paranoia literally revealed that lol but Alyssa very likely carries this mentality, too - she can't quit now, she has to keep going and moreso, she must reach the top or else she will be subjected to what Meg was.
In a healthy family, these siblings might have learned to be a shield for their more tormented siblings, but it's safe to say that while maybe not as terrible, the Cho family dynamic is also unhealthy like the Hirahara one and instead we saw them adapt to the role they were shoved into, for better or worse.
Something I find interesting about Kousuke and "the favor" is he later admits he would NOT have given Shinae a job, had she asked, after she learns it was Yui who did it. So why would he bring up the the favor in that matter, anyway? I'm guessing he was testing her? He was surprised that she told him she didn't want him to offer her a job, when he knows most people would be fumbling over themselves to take advantage of an opportunity. Kousuke comes from a world of asskissers and social ladder climbers. Sure HE hasn't had to forge important, powerful connections (because he already boasts power), but he's surrounded by people who do it all the time, and has been instilled with the knowledge from Yui that you should take advantage of opportunities when they're given. Doesn't he later essentially tell Shinae what Yui told him, that she should be appreciative of these offers that anyone else would be grateful for? So maybe he HAS compared them - after all, I think even Kousuke might suspect Alyssa is only dating Nol for the connections it affords her, since he even told Alyssa he thought they were over. This I actually want to know more about, because we know Kousuke has some almost outdated concepts of love - like how he thinks Nol shouldn't have any close female friends lest people think the wrong think of Alyssa and she ends up embarrassed by a two-timer lmaooooo. Does he think it reprehensible to date someone who secures them a certain lifestyle or does he think it is to be expected?
(If it turns out that Yui and Rand ARE a convenience marriage and never really were in love, how would Kousuke feel about THAT?)
So yes, I think there is some merit to Kousuke's belief that handouts aren't always bad - however, I think Ayssa not taking her job seriously would give him conflict. Kousuke is a man who believes in hard work and credits his success to that (rather than, idk, handouts lol) so what would he think if he knew Alyssa was kind of coasting along? (It also brings me back to other contemplations: does Alyssa feel trapped by Yui in a career she doesn't want and has to stay for the sake of the lifestyle, because Yui has something over her head, because it's a stepping stone?)
Will their images have to break for them to finally reflect on themselves through each other?
This is certainly my belief. Given that both of them are propelled by their images and they are both god at shoving down and repressing their feelings or channeling them elsewhere (Kousuke's guilt often comes out as anger towards the person he feels guilty over) I think that's the ONLY thing that will get them to stop and reflect on themselves. Frankly, I can't see anything else that will make them change, because the person they most value is themselves and their goals. Anything that stands in the way of their goal gets cast to the side, and that includes examining the kind of person they are and the things they've done. Both of them have things in their pasts, rooted in their personalities, that are incredibly ugly, and they know it. Facing it means facing EVERYTHING ELSE and neither are ready for that. I think there's also something to the fact that acknowledge you've been manipulated or taken advantage of comes with a lot of shame, and if they were to examine this facet of themselves, how would they deal with that?
I've been thinking for a while now that the only way we will see Kousuke really reflect on his behavior and endeavor to become a better version of himself is if he loses everything or his image is tarnished - whether it's a scandal that he can't buy his way out of or finding himself in over his head in his new position and unable to keep up the way he used to (or worse, if he performs poorly and no one gives a damn because he's coasting by on his name; that would hurt his pride a lot). And because they are mirrors, the same goes for Alyssa. Until they are exposed and left vulnerable, they won't face the truth, because they are protected. Once they lose their image, their protection is gone.
I actually hadn't considered too much how Alyssa appearing to half-ass her career foils Shinae, because I usually focus on the other ways they foil each other, but yeah, that's a really good point! It also lends more to Alyssa saying she really admires Yui - does she mean it or not? This will get REALLY long if I get to deep into this, so maybe I need to revisit ep 59 sometime because in retrospect, the way Alyssa says Yui is such a charitable woman that she wants to be like with her eyes closed makes me second-guess a LOT of things.
Are Alyssa's eyes closed because she knows nothing Yui does is for charity, and that she covets aspects of Yui she knows aren't good? Is she uncomfortable, because seeing Shinae has just been up and given a job like that rings too true to her own case and she's seeing how it looks to others? Is she obscuring a discomfort at knowing Shinae, who knows about Alyssa's past, is so close to a family important to her? Is it that deep down she thinks there's no respect in this easy path? And if THAT'S the case why DOESN'T she work harder, try harder?
And I guess that does give us an interesting potential mirroring of Alyssa and Kousuke - if Alyssa is taking hand outs even if they make her feel uncomfortable and Kousuke tries to reassure himself that he got himself where he did via hard work, then we get a really interesting view of them as people trying to mollify themselves over things that make them uneasy. But hey, maybe they are content to roll with it, because some people are just more fortunate than others and who are they to deny themselves their opportunities?
Regardless, Shinae and Nol definitely still foil them. Nol isn't even getting a special position or role at the family company, but his worth ethic and people skills are absolutely benefitting him more than his name. Shinae has a job handed to her that she wants to leave, but she's still working hard and doing her best to actually earn and deserve that role.
As for Meg, I get the sense that she wasn't actually focusing on her education/career pre-Kim formal, and I think this was heavily part of Yui's manipulation. Yui prbably made Meg feel like she stands a chance (after all, she always pretends she can set them up and make him behave) and Meg probably got distracted, trying to get Kousuke's attention? It was only after she really saw how Kousuke sees her, and how chasing him down played a role in what happened to Shinae (because Kousuke refused to listen to or believe her so he wasn't able to intervene sooner) and I think THAT made her snap out of it and go wtf is wrong with you Meg you are better than this you are MORE than this. (And you know what, maybe there was a bitter little thought deeper down, too, that you aren't Ayssa you aren't going to get a hand out and have your life just work out for you and then realized SHE has to ACTIVELY work on her life.)
I think she was really tightly woven into Yui's manipulation schemes until, like Shinae, she found herself feeling humiliated. I wonder, too, if she's starting to pick up on what kind of woman Yui is - when she told Yui she thought it was time she starts to value herself more, that felt like a very subtle "please stop playing these games with me" undertone. Yui goes on to basically tell her here i can tell you exactly what to do to make things better with Kousuke and Meg tells her she's not in the mood for it - because she knows Yui has been playing with her this whole time and never really cared about her feelings? Because she realizes Yui has been treating her like a little toy for her amusement? I think that's really in line with Kousuke and Alyssa needing their image to be destroyed in order to really start to look at themselves. Meg was a hot mess lmao but I think finding herself humiliated over how she behaved at the formal was enough to make her go wow this is not who you are Meg, get back on track, and be able to step back from Yui.
(Notably, I think Kousuke and Alyssa have gotten "more out of Yui" if that makes sense? Alyssa is in active kpop group that debuted, she seems to have a lot of fans. Why would she start to step back from that? What was Meg getting? A lot of mixed signals and humiliation? Who's going to keep up with that?)
I do agree Meg will only continue to become more important, especially as she's aligning with Yujing (opposite Yui) and she's departing from Alyssa in terms of goals and values. I'm not saying she and Alyssa are forming a rift, but they are being set up opposite each other, possibly to further highlight their individual choices and what roles they take on in this "game". Unlike Alyssa, Meg is starting to realize that everything Yui does is for her own benefit and amusement and that she doesn't care who gets hurt and I think she's finding she doesn't want to be a part of that.
I think another interesting relationship I haven't given a lot of thought to yet is Shinae and Meg, as Alyssa's sister. As Meg becomes more integral and possibly involved in Nol's side of these games, does that mean we see more of Meg and Shinae? Wouldn't it be interesting to see Shinae and Meg as allies before we ever see Alyssa and Shinae reconcile?
Aaahhhhh I loved this ask and I don't know if this is a good answer because I feel like I wound up all over the place so definitely follow up more if you want to! I'm really, really glad you brought up the mirror pairs as foils because that's really important!!!! To how they develop! And if Alyssa and Kousuke as a mirrored pair will ever develop a relationship (not speaking romantically) due to their shared values and alliances. At that point will they start giving each other a better view of themselves or continue as they are?
9 notes
·
View notes
On another note, why do we only talk about StalkYoo x Dieter/Kousuke being the real love triangle, when Alyssa is also right there? Is it simply because she isn't considered a true love interest? I wonder if Quimchee is also doing a trope subversion of the scheming second female lead as well. They are usually written off as one dimensional and easy to hate. 3/3
You know, I've thought about this before lol like.... I think it's even come up in the reddit when people talk about Stalkyoo. I think the general consensus is, yes, she's not considered a true love interest.
With that in mind, I guess a lot of just assume that relationship will inevitably end. This kind of goes hand in hand with the concept of Stalkyoo foundations, I think - we feel like there's more development and potential for Stalkyoo than we do for Nolyssa, right? There seems to be a sense that if Nol is to stay with Alyssa, forever, it will be a similar situation to Rand and Yui, something arranged and loveless. And if ILY Is about defeating generational cycles, that would be one for Nol to end, right? Also, I think there's just something so demoralizing about the idea of him staying in a relationship that doesn't make him happy and even ultimately marrying her. It feels like the antithesis of what we want for Nol: to be happy, to be free, and to not be tethered to his family. Even were Alyssa to escape Yui's grasp, could she do it before Nol comes to resent her? Could they salvage any of the friendship that once was?
While I don't expect a perfectly happy ending, the idea of Nol being tethered to an arranged relationship is too depressing, and not even because of my shipping alliances. I'd rather him be single than forced into something for show. I really want his story to be about overcoming the trauma he's been through, unlearning what he's carried for so long, and being free of this god forsaken family. Somehow tethered to Alyssa doesn't seem to fit that bill does it?
But maybe I'm wrong and we'll find out that Alyssa does carry some affection for him that they can one day rebuild - I guess it depends on if he ever grows to actually resent her, if he can divorce her from the connections to the family and to the times when he reached out and received nothing. To me, that sounds like a difficult reconciliation. As amicable people, sure? But as a lover....?
So I guess when people talk about the love triangle/square, there's a lot of inadvertent writing Alyssa out of the picture because she's seen as an obstacle to be overcome, not a love interest, and that is, admittedly, not fair to her as a character. But when she herself makes it clear (as far as we can tell) that she's not in it because she loves him, it's hard to view her as a romantic party, I think. She starts to be seen the same way Rand is, the way Kousuke is, the way Yui is: a person to be escaped, a connection to sever.
I do think there will be a time we will see her role in the love geometrical shape a little more clearly, though, though maybe not necessarily as "romance" but more... I feel like Alyssa is very shaken by Nol's change in personality. Obviously she seems shaken because she's worried it's connected to her secret, but can she be shaken because she's taken him for granted and the idea that he's different than who she thought all along bothers her? (Hey look more Alyssa and Shinae foils!) I can't blame her there, to be honest. Realizing she knows very little about this guy she's technically dating, noticing a big shift in his personality. But because she needs to hang on to him and maintain the life she has, I think we might see her cleave to him a little more?
Someone said in the infamous trio illustration where Nol and Shinae are sharing earbuds, the song being played is Pacify Her by Melanie Martinez and that if you look at the lyrics and assume Shinae in the narrator's voice and Nol the Blue Boy, then it reads HEAVILY of an Alyssa Nol Shinae dynamic.
Tying in to this, I think a lot of people who write Alyssa out of the love shape are people who read into the idea that there are some non-platonic feelings developing between Nol and Shinae, and when Shinae acts as a foil to show exactly the ways Alyssa falls short of Nol's needs, it really just amplifies this feeling that "Alyssa will not be a contender of Nol's affection", because we've essentially come to accept that he's growing weary of her and Shinae offers him solace. Even if you view this in the most non-romantic lens, the juxtaposition of how Alyssa is with Nol compared to Shinae still shows that one centers conversations around herself and her needs and the other tends to deflect from herself and is therefore able to take notice of his needs. It just becomes so easy to ship one over the other when it feels like there is a basis for it. Even before it was revealed Alyssa and Nol's relationship was a sham, people shipped Stalkyoo and this is probably a big reason here: because he seems so unhappy with Alyssa and she doesn't seem to feel much regarding him and when we see him with Shinae we see him involuntarily let his guard down a little or open up just a tiny bit.
I've probably talked about this so much at this point but essentially: Shinae deliberately foils Alyssa to show the depth of her relationship with Nol, the way that they both have an automatic defense for each other, the way that they both notice the little things that often go missed. And whether you consciously are aware of this, whether you even think that their feelings veer from friendship, you still find yourself aware that the way Alyssa treats Nol is... not ideal. That he reaches out and creates openings for her that she doesn't take. And it's hard to look at their relationship and go "yeah this is good I guess". Especially once it's revealed that Nol wanted to break up and they seem to just be using each other, it's so easy for readers to stop thinking of Alyssa as a love interest because that requires love and interest, right?
It's funny that you bring up the possibility of subverting that trope because we definitely aren't at a point where we can see that, right? Alyssa isn't exactly sympathetic to us as readers - however, she's also not treated (at least, I don't think so) as a scheming jealous bitch type. THAT SAID, considering Alyssa as a parallel or eventual foil to Kousuke, will we see her find a phase of paranoia, where the idea of Nol and Shinae interacting makes her uncomfortable, not because she's jealous of Shinae or their relationship, but just because she has a secret and an image to protect? That's not a total subversion of the trope, but it's still something, right? It's a little more dimensional, I think, than "Stay away from my man I liked him first and you don't deserve him" which is how that scheming second lead trope often goes.
As was the case with Maya, I feel like we won't see Alyssa's side of the story for a while - maybe we have to see her fall far before we finally get to see her side? Maybe we'll get lucky and Nol will at least reminisce on things and give us a teaser for her. I really do want to learn more about Alyssa - I'm not sure what could make me actually sympathetic towards her short of her, you know, taking accountability. But subverting a trope doesn't necessarily mean you set up looking like it and go a different way. It could simply be a naïve girl scheming, who just wants something a little bigger than herself (contrasted with the usually cold, jaded, "bitch" type character casted in this role). It could be that quim is playing around with the personality type of the schemer, because Alyssa does this for her own validation because Alyssa does not exist without an audience.
Idk what are you thinking about this? I'm eager to hear!
8 notes
·
View notes
I sent two longish asks, I hope you received them. Nor rush or anything. I also want to say I'm loving the long posts, there aren't many people analyzing Alyssa in a neutral, let alone positive, manner. At least Kousuke gets more love. I appreciate the thought you put into characters who are easily be written off by fandom. I definitely see Alyssa in a more complex way because of you. Btw could you explain the difference between mirrors and parallels? Foils and juxtapositions? I don't think I fully understand how the terms play out. I'm afraid I've gotten them confused. 3/3
Ahhhh once again, thank you! It's a relief to know there are some people who enjoy these long posts, because a. I clearly do not know how to shut up lmao and b. there's just SO MUCH to talk about and examine!
I'm a person who was reading both Alyssa and Kousuke in really negative ways because I am an emotional reader, and that's the whole reason I started to examine them more! I knew that there was more to them than what I was getting at the surface, and that quim writes these satisfyingly complex characters. The more complex the story became (Kou is Nol's abuser, Alyssa saddled Shinae with some trauma, Shinae and Nol are mirrors, Kousuke and Nol are foils, Alyssa and Shine are foils) the more I started to realize EVERYTHING is incredibly tightly woven!
I also know quim has talked a lot about how like... stories are deeper than tropes and as real people, psychology affects us through our experiences and the ways we see our worlds. Nothing is black and white and that means not even the antagonists or "bad guys" are one-dimensional.
Actually you know what made me start reading things more neutrally? I did a couple re-reads trying to turn off romantic lenses and see what I thought of Nol and Shinae's relationship if I removed the concept of romance and romantic intimacy, and that's when I started to pick up on more subtle details, or foreshadowing that better stood out because of what I already knew. And in doing so, I started to pay a little more attention to Kousuke and later Alyssa. Especially after the reveal of what Kousuke's childhood was like, it was easy to start to, I guess, understand why he's the asshole he is? lol and I think it's worth being neutral about characters who have been heavily manipulated so that we can better understand why they act the ways they do and anticipate what it might be that brings about their necessary change.
I'm REALLY glad to hear that you see Alyssa more complex thanks to my longwinded posts! Quim has slowly been building that up to us and we're still REALLY left in the dark about her, but I don't think she's as flat as I used to think of her, and she's clearly going to remain an integral character as they age into their timeskip. In particular, I'm really interested in seeing if Alyssa ever shows/acts on guilt and feels bad for the people she's hurt along the way to her success. I can't fault someone for wanting to become powerful and loved, but I CAN fault them for taking people who genuinely care about them for granted and not accepting responsibility for the hurt they cause. She's young and comes across as malleable, so I want to see if she will come to the same conclusion as Meg, or if she continues to insist that the ends will justify the means as Kousuke does.
Also to answer your last questions! Mirrors and parallels are technically the same thing, though sometimes I use them in sliiiiiightly different ways. Mirror characters are basically parallel characters who have parallel stories/paths, and often are characters that have the same backgrounds or maybe values and traits. So for instance, Nol and Shinae heavily mirror each other in their core foundations: the missing mom, broken relationship with their sibling, the middle school nightmares, Nol's abuse mirrors Shinae's bullying abuse where they internalized feelings of worthlessness. We have OFTEN seen them literally paralleled, too, like when Nol reads Shinae's applications and her responses apply to both of them, and the scene on the hospital balcony as Shinae cries and ambiguous thought bubbles seem to apply to both. We've seen that both of them fight back against Yui, in some fashion. Though Nol is very passive towards her in the story, it's very clear that he opposes her and she brings him discomfort. We've also seen it in their reversals - Shinae becoming the one chasing after Nol and trying to break down his barriers. I suspect, as mirrors, we will continue to see this pattern, too, and in the same way that Nol helped Shinae open up to people, I think we will eventually see Shinae as a catalyst for Nol starting to open up.
Sometimes I'll think of a pairing as parallels, rather than mirrors, if I haven't been able to see anything that looks like them mirroring back at each other, but this is harder for me to define and not official lol. But essentially, a mirror and a parallel are the same thing: two characters of similar backgrounds and/or values, who illuminate similar things in each other, and have parallel trajectories.
A foil, on the other hand, is the opposite. There may be some similarities, but only in so far that it can set them against each other, and illuminate the ways they are different. Alyssa and Shinae foil each other a LOT - the most obvious one is the ways they both talked to Nol on the hospital balcony, where Alyssa only focused on herself and her needs and Shinae focused on Nol and her concern for him. Shinae is often used to foil Nol and Alyssa's dynamic and in general the way few people really show outward concern for Nol. But as pointed out, we see Shinae and Alyssa as foils as far as Yui's handouts go. One seems more willing to accept them than the other, one seems to value hard work and a strong work ethic than the other. I haven't thought deeply about it, but I guess they sort of foil as far as how they view Kousuke, too, where we are shown Alyssa thinks Kousuke is this really successful, powerful man, and Shinae literally fights with him when she needs to lol. There's also foiled pairs, the way Alyssa and Kousuke foil Shinae and Nol's mirrored pairs.
A juxtaposition is basically a type of foil! Like, if you consider that a foil is basically illuminating or highlighting the differences between two characters, juxtaposition is also showing that contrast. It's kind of a way to encourage readers to make comparisons. So, when I say Shinae foils Alyssa on the balcony at the hospital, it's kind of like "Shinae juxtaposes everything about Alyssa and Nol's conversation". We're given a handful of near direct moments of comparison, without quim ever COMING OUT and putting it in words. A lot of parallel scenes are set up to juxtapose each other. Consider the similarities and differences between the Kim formal and this current company party, which are very much parallel plots! (I mean, FP 170 seals that doesn't it? lol) What are the major differences to take from these parties - alliances, behavior, mentality, etc. etc. Where a foil HAS to be about characters, a juxtaposition can also be about themes (haves vs have nots, good vs bad, etc) to create ironic contrast. From the very beginning Alyssa and Shinae were very interesting, because Alyssa clearly came from money and Shinae had nothing, and it affected how others around them saw them. They were both new that day at school, but their trajectories were really different, and we continue to compare the two and their experiences and how they've been shaped. That's juxtaposition - creating a contrast so that we can better compare characters. A really obvious one is Kousuke's world vs Shinae's, and as she, a person who has no class and does not come from these worlds, continues to get tangled up in these hoity toity events, more and more we see it!
I hope that helps! I haven't been in a lit course in years so I hope I wasn't too confusing trying to explain these. I hope giving some examples helps, because as you can see, there's some similarities between these devices.
4 notes
·
View notes
Alyssa & Kousuke Anon 🖐Thank you for your thoughtful responses. It gave me a lot to think about. I agree with your takes on Alyssa. Right now, I don't have much hope for her. I can't help but see her as a pale imitation of Yui. I only have a few thoughts to add. Why does she even like him? Was there a special moment where he peaked her interest like he did with Meg in college. Did Alyssa learn about him through Meg first then later found out Nol is related to him and the Hiraharas? 1/?
But I think we can make a base assumption it's his status of power that attracted him to her, given how allured she is by the elite lifestyle. In that case, does it mean she will loose interest in him once he starts to break free from his prestigious image or will she have a change of tune towards Nol as his social climbing starts to overshadow his criminal past and illegitimacy, realizing their potential as a power couple? It reminds me of ep 30, when Nol sat in Kousuke's desk (cont.) 2/?
Meg pointed out, "Alyssa has never seen you like this before, has she?" Maybe we'll see Shin Ae foiling her regarding how they view and treat Kousuke. As for Yui's role in all this, that's another topic I want to discuss. I've also mused Alyssa spilling her secret as an attempt at damage control. To spice it up, I want Min Hyuk and Maya to add on to her paranoia. I want them to make her feel conflicted. Have you noticed how both Alyssa and Kousuke no longer have any genuine friendships? 3/?
They both faded them out of their lives. I think if Shin Ae is able to connect to Kousuke on a personal level, she could shine a light on his loneliness and distrust. Not as in her fixing him but rather him relating to her experiences and it prompting him to self-reflect on his own actions. And regret going cold towards his friends. Do you think Shin Ae will repeat the words of wisdom that Yeong Gi gave her to Kousuke? And that will help him reconcile with Nol? A cycle of giving and taking. 4/4
I really love that you pointed out that another similarity between Kousuke and Alyssa is that they don't really maintain friends - though in a different way. I'm so desperate at this point to see Kousuke in college because I need to know: did friendship ever mean anything to him? Though I know others might disagree I'm inclined to think yes, that he embraced university as a moment where, for just a brief period of time, maybe he was out from under the scrutiny of his family (hence the earring, his sole act of rebellion). We know he went out with friends to clubs, was part of a group of people, that at one point in time he cut loose and had fun. So much of Kousuke's life was him filling a role, playing a role, trying to be something that I think university may have been the one time he allowed himself to enjoy something other - but that he was able to let it all go because of higher responsibilities shows that he was never as free as he thought. He speaks so flippantly about it all that I think, like every other aspect of his life, Kousuke has convinced himself that things must be this way so what good is it for him to try to cling to them and managed to fool himself into believing that he is better off without it all.
Alyssa's case seems a little different, doesn't it? Again, I want to give the benefit of the doubt re: her friendship with Nol and co (though maybe I'll be proven wrong!) and think that she was very grateful to, at that point, have friends who wanted to hang out with her. I think in general Alyssa is a profoundly lonely person but her lifestyle has never permitted her to have a lot of social life. No doubt once she left school after Shinae's accident, she likely lost touch with her school friends (supposing her family didn't cut her off from them) and she had to carry on the way she was. Back then and even now she didn't really demonstrate good social skills, either - the way she was talking to herself and getting embarrassed around Shinae lol but even the way she interacts with her group mates now suggests that Alyssa just ISN'T good at being friends with people because she lacks the experience and has no idea how to create and maintain lasting friendships.
But hey, maybe it's a case similar to Kousuke where she's convinced herself it's okay because the path she's on doesn't reward her friendship. This, coupled with her people pleasing nature really resonate in moments like Alyssa throwing Nol under the bus to please those fans - such a lonely person would of course substitute her lack of meaningful relationships with the love and devotion of her fans. I think Alyssa badly wants to be loved and admired but because she lacks the experience and skills, she just not good at it.
But at the end of the day, just like Kousuke, she still threw away her friendships in order to achieve her end goal/dream.
I think in that case, it's no wonder Alyssa is so drawn to Kousuke. Like you, I believe it's less that she likes him so much as she finds a great appeal in what Kousuke represents, his status, his influence and power. Frankly, I don't think Alyssa KNOWS Kousuke but then again, I do think there's some.... oddities between the two, so what do I know! There might be some secret moment we've not yet been privy to! Don't think I've forgotten how ODD it was Kousuke hesitated soooo long to contact Alyssa while trying to track down Nol on the day of the exams. But let's assume they don't really have any kind of relationship other than "my brother's girlfriend who my mom skyrocketed to fame" - in that case I think Alyssa really is just drawn in by everything Kousuke is. She admires people who have powerful influence and and wants to be a part of that herself.
I DO think we might get to see an interesting flip-flop should Nol do as we expect and start climbing that ladder. He already knows what kind of person she is, but god the thought of watching her suddenly pay attention to him and lavish him with praise should he go that route.... blegh lol. The foiling of Shinae and Alyssa there will be very important - I think even as Nol goes on a quest for potential revenge, there will be a difference in who he treats as friend vs not, and I think we will see an emphasis on Nol eventually creating lasting bonds with people who've been with him through the worst, probably? I can't see him enjoying the fakery of the life he might have to enter, you know? Bumping elbows and brown-nosing are things we know he already hates and I think it means he will hold closer the people who are genuine, and if he starts to become more powerful and overshadow his past and Alyssa starts treating him better, it's not going to warm him up to her lol. I don't think Nol and Alyssa will quite become what Rand and Yui did, but I don't think there will be a lot to salvage out of their relationship in the future. And god, once her role in Shinae's injury comes to light........ hew boy!
I AM very strongly of the mind that Shinae's role in Kousuke's life will be to help him figure out what's wrong with him lol. I agree that it's not so much "fixing" him as much as exposing him to something that he's never really had. I like to hope that he mind, even if deep deep deep deep deep down lol feel a hint of jealousy that Shinae has such a strong friendship with Nol she's willing to chase him down despite the things she's learning (I say this in light of 155 being free now!). Besides Hansuke, who has ever chased down Kousuke? Who's ever made a point to cling to his friendship? I really hope we'll get to see him come to want to experience those things for himself and maybe... I don't think if he'd reach out to his old friendship but perhaps someone like Yujing could be someone with whom he could resolve their past and make some kind of peace, you know? I don't think either Kousuke or Alyssa are beyond redemption but I think we're more likely to see Kousuke make those changes than Alyssa, just with what we've been shown so far. I don't think it will be any time soon but the potential certainly is there.
GOD i am so excited for the time skip lmao
2 notes
·
View notes