A tragedy is not romantic
Ok, I've been watching Dr. Romantic 3 and since last week, I've been meaning to comment on it. First of all, I know most kdrama discourse has moved over to tiktok during my absence. But I need to say this. And for a drama to make me regain my passion for meta essays is awesome.
I absolutely love Ahn Hyo Seop performance in this season. It's been literally a year since a performance moved me so much. I spent days still feeling the chills whenever I remembered the episodes of disaster relief.
Having said that, I want to emphasize on this week's episodes. Some people think the main issue is the jealousy Seo Woo Jin seems to have against Kang Dong Joo. But, in my opinion, these episodes are not aimed at settling the fan war about who the better doctor is, but at master Kim's realization that both of his brightest students are flawed, because they've pursued his teachings this far.
Seo Woo Jin literally can't imagine resting because it means, for him, that he's wasting time not saving lives. His hand is not worth the same as the lives being lost. Doctor Seo has proved time and time again that his main problem is that he fails to put himself first. This has been persistent since we first met him. He is reckless in his pursuit of saving lives.
On the other hand, Kang Dong Joo, ever since we first met him, has pursued recognition. Because that's the way he thinks he can save the most lives. This is not a flaw on itself, but in this episode we saw how he has trouble asking for help. He could have called Master Kim at any moment, but feared that he would fail in Master Kim's eyes, even though Master Kim himself said he could reach for help at any moment.
Doctor Seo and Doctor Kang have always been meant to resemble each other, because they are meant to pursuit resemblance to Master Kim. Neither is better than the other, because when Master Kim walked into that Trauma Room, he did not see Doctor Kang as more brilliant, or Doctor Seo as more determined.
What he saw was his best students, and specifically doctor Seo who sees him as a father figure, break themselves in the pursuit of medicine. He saw doctor Kang unable to ask for help when he most needed it, and doctor Seo unable to rest when he most needed it.
Medicine is meant to be romantic, and while self-sacrifice is romantic, it can easily turn into a tragedy. The older student broke his own expectations, and the younger one put his tools at risk, because they so desperately wanted to be like their idol.
Like doctor Kang said, only Master Kim can be Master Kim. They don't need to resemble him, they need to become doctors with their own set of ideals, who know their own limits. Master Kim has come to the realization that he may have pushed them too far without realizing. That yes, they are brilliant, but oh, so human.
This is just another knock of reality that Master Kim keeps receiving ever since Woo Jin injured his hand. His teachings are not dangerous, we can see how other doctors have coped better with them. It's just that these two particular students are stubborn and think in extremes, they want to be the best doctors they know they can be, but are pushing themselves to the edge without taking a break.
A teacher is meant to nurture those gentle and fragile sides as well, and Master Kim is trying his best, but the foundations for their mentalities started way before he instilled gentleness in them.
104 notes
·
View notes
My 10 Favorite Aggressive Flirts in BL
Sparked by this question from @yousaygoodbyeandisay and the ensuing discussion. So we are going with aggressive flirts, not necessarily good or super successful flirts. Ready? These are my personal favorites, there are A LOT to choose from.
1. Wen Ke Xing - Word of Honor
Signature moves? Waving around a big deadly fuck-off fan, calling his husband soulmate and perfect, recognizing the innate beauty in swords and shoulder blades, adopting adult children, killing everyone and everything else.
You know I don’t ordinarily mention Chinese stuff, but in a post about flirting. I would be so remiss if I didn’t include this absolute king of all the censored flirts to ever pick up a deadly man in a pastel robe.
2. Win - Until We Meet Again
His signature moves? The casual arm throw, stripping down to show his tattoos, cuddling, stealing a potato chip in the most iconic way humanly possible.
3. Shin - Minato’s Laundromat
Signature moves? Cooking and feeding, looming, constant requests to be allowed further intimacy and care duties, open displays of attention and interest.
4. YooHan - Color Rush
Signature moves? Causing his man to faint, learning about and talking about color, using said knowledge to seduce, lots of dates, breaking him out of conversion therapy mental hospital, running away with him.
5. Nosue-san - Old Fashion Cupcake
Signature moves? Pretending(?) he doesn’t know what a flirt he is, collecting women, using girly voice and cuteness, wistful need for pancakes, three piece suits.
6. JaeYoung - Semantic Error
Signature moves? Teasing, the ultimate gentle bully, appearing in all classes, being hyper good at art, all the pretty angles, running off the competition, seme subscription service.
7. King - My Engineer
Signature moves? Texting, seduction through nerdiness, calling himself cute, learning how to communicate with an extreme introvert, love = plants, drunk kisses.
8. Jack - HIStory 3 Trapped
Signature moves? Cooking and feeding his man, deep conversation, matching horny for horny, giving up his whole life to go legit for his cop bf, knife play.
9. Forth - 2 Moons 2
Signature moves? One night stands, hazing freshmen into courting doctors, pouring a water bottle over his bare chest, glaring, really good kisses.
10. SeoJoon - Too My Star
Signature moves? Human puppy, innate fragility, personal hygiene demands, enthusiasm, fluffy sweaters.
OTHERS FROM KOREA
DaWoon - Blueming Signature moves? Take his picture, bring him coffee, get his movie made, pet his hair, get him into bed ASAP.
KiJin - Behind Cut
RoA - Love Class
Wild Dog - Long Time No See
SangHa - Mr Heart
Jung Woo - My Sweet Dear
Korea loves an aggressive flirt.
OTHERS FROM THAILAND
Yok - Not Me Signature moves? Taunting and verbal repartee, drawing his man nekid, artistic bad boy eccentricity.
Tan - Manner of Death Signature moves? Cuffs, lesbian u-haul action, adopting children (plants, youths, local malcontents), shooting bad guys.
Ming - 2 Moons franchise Signature moves? Brutal honesty, direct communication, openness about feelings, winning the hotness contests.
Mark - Gen Y Signature moves? Showing off, grad romantic gestures, lots of gifts.
Pat - Bad Buddy Signature moves? Sniffing shirts, taking off his shirt, teasing and taunting, more shirt stuff.
Jimmy’s character in Vice Versa Signature moves? Hot/cold, questioning lines, direct requests for affection that cannot be trusted.
Sky & Intouch - Secret Crush On You
Pukong - 2gether
Neo - 3 Will Be Free (trained flirt)
Kaow - Brothers
Nuea - Cutie Pie
Vee - Love Mechanics
Pitch - Golden Blood
Vegas - KinnPorsche
Pure - My Gear and Your Gown
Fame - Make it Right
Bbomb - Nitiman (very gentle version)
Solo & Kao - Oxygen
Kong - SOTUS (maybe)
Na - Tonhon Chonaltee
Mayom - What Zabb Man
San - You’re My Sky
Prin - With Love (you thought I forgot about this one, didn’t you? yeah I’m the only person who watched it)
whatever the fuck is going on with My Secret Love, Our Days, Paint With Love, Loveless Society, That’s My Candy, Y-Destiny, Close Friend, War of Y.
OTHERS
Naoya - Mr Unlucky Signature moves? Consistent pursuit, kiss first ask questions after, devout sincerity, stripping down for “exercise.”
BoXiang - H3MODC the BL that shall not be named
LiCheng - History 4
Yuki - Plus and Minus
Mark - Love is Science?
Art - Rainbow Prince
Nat Nam - You Are Ma Boy
Younger seme + old uke inevitably yields up extreme flirting because of the power imbalance.
Reluctant/tsundere seme + needy uke, however, usually also results in flirting but this kind:
Desperate & Crazy Flirts
Prime examples? LuLin in My Esports Genius Brother or Nampu in Top Secret Together or Yi in Coffee Melody. Intouch in UWMA, Fiat - TharnType 2, Don’t Say No.
A lot of these are aggressive autonomous ukes forced to undertake seme role by the narrative.
Bully Flirts
These are usually tsundere semes or all powerful semes (CEO, spoiled rich kids, bosses, mafia, etc) face with extreme tsundere ukes.
Prime examples?
Gu Hai - Addicted Signature moves? Ultimate pigtail pulling, all the pranks. Moving himself in, climbing into bed with his man, kidnapping.
Sib - Lovely Writer Signature moves? Cohabitation, acting like a couple in public, calling baby CUTE constantly, switching linguistic registers, slightly sinister.
Kiyoi - Utsukushii Kare Signature moves? Calling his bf disgusting or gross, ordering him around, demanding attention, demanding honest love, watch me lose my mind over this glorious BL here
There are quite a few other bullies particularly out of China and Taiwan, they should probubly get their own post, but they mostly fall into whipping boy. Also I might throw in: Fighter in Why R U?, Tharn and Type in TharnType, Rio from Pornographer series, Gui from Takumi-kun, HooTing from H3:MODC, Kamol in Unforgotten Night, Kinn in KinnPorsche, Athip in What Zabb Man.
CODICIL
This is a long post. I probubly won’t keep it updated because there are so many already. If you have one you want added, mention in a comment.
Otherwise, this is fixed as of Aug 2022. Not responsible for flirts who come after.
Devil Judge not included.
(source)
290 notes
·
View notes