#& it’s so true!! their relationship is so solid& pure& mature with a clear direction & they’re also childish& rowdy in their unique way LOL
Text
[CN] Victor’s Glacier Date (Eng Translation)
⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 雪川之约, that is yet to be released in the global server! ♡
[Translation Under The Cut]
•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•
–
✧ [Chapter 1] ✧
“If you should find the time to speak, Then speak to me I’d never keep, You from your…”
The brisk music flows from the stereo, but it’s unable to wash off the slightly low-spirited atmosphere in the car.
MC: [whimpering noise] woo woo woo…
Victor: [sighs helplessly] You’ve been “woo woo-ing” for ten minutes.
Victor: Even if you keep on whimpering, the service area won’t appear any sooner.
MC: I’m just a little depressed. If only I had paid a bit more attention…
–
[FLASHBACK BEGINS]
Three hours ago.
Victor: Are you sure you want to switch with me?
MC: Absolutely!
I bar the car door, speaking righteously.
MC: You were busy dealing with LFG’s affairs till the middle of the night last night and didn’t even get a proper rest. And then you drove all morning today.
MC: Keeping the matter of sound driving in mind, I should share the burden a little too.
MC: And you didn’t let me drive when we went to the desert the last time. So, shouldn’t you satisfy me this time?
–
[Tidbits]: MC is referring to their “Long Journey Date” in EN~
–
MC: Will you, please? Please, please, Victor… don’t you believe in my skills on the highway?
I blink hard and express my sincerity to Victor. He looks at me for a moment, sighing.
Victor: …we’ll switch back after getting to the next service area.
MC: No problem!
I gleefully pull the front passenger door open for Victor and salute him, brimming with confidence.
MC: Passenger, please fasten your seatbelt. Let’s continue our happy trip~
–
After the successful completion of our self-drive tour to the desert last time, Victor and I planned our next trip.
Since we already saw the scorching yellow sands, this time, we’ve planned to head to Northwest China to see the icy, crystal-clear glacier.
Right now, since I’ve got the rare opportunity to be Victor’s long-distance driver, it’s only natural that I must display my most professional side.
However, to be on the safe side, Victor is still occasionally voicing the pointers for me.
Victor: There’s a big car ahead. Steer left.
MC: Mm, I won’t drive in parallel with it.
Victor: Be careful not to squeeze in when turning right... very good.
Victor: It seems that a certain someone really doesn’t need me to remind her anything.
MC: That’s for sure! You can rest easy~
Victor smiles, relaxes his shoulders, and leans back in his seat.
Accompanied by the smooth road and the relaxing music, it doesn’t take long before the breathing next to me becomes light and even.
I quietly give Victor a sidelong glance. His eyes are closed, and a relaxed curve has now crested between his always-taut brows.
I turn down the volume of the navigation and shift away the wind direction of the air conditioner in silence.
MC: The next service area is still forty minutes away. Just have a good rest for forty minutes, big dummy.
Forty minutes later.
MC: The service area is packed!? That…
I look at the electronic signboard standing on the roadside and the densely packed vehicles in the service area ahead. The feeling finally dawns on me that we’ve arrived on a popular tourist route.
The highway is unlike the desert roads from before. On the desert roads, we could stop at any time to look for directions, but this now requires me to make an immediate judgment.
Victor, next to me, is still asleep. So I hesitate for a moment before turning the steering wheel and continuing to move forward.
MC: ...alright, I’ll let you rest for a little longer then.
One and a half hours later.
MC: Service area... service area...
MC: Darn it, did I miss this one just now by forgetting to get off the bridge...
MC: Where can I turn to change direction... oh come on, I’m already so far off to make a turn back...
MC: Whatever. Let’s leave it be. He’s still asleep anyway, so I won’t just tell him––
Victor: Who said I am asleep?
MC: !!!
I don’t know when but Victor has already opened his eyes at some point. He takes a quick look at the gradually darkening sky outside, then sweeps his gaze over the navigation.
Victor: [adorable mixture of yawning and sighing] I don’t remember seeing the route like this before falling asleep.
MC: That... I just took a little detour...
MC: But don’t you worry. I’ll make sure to strictly follow the navigation guidance from here on and will drive back to the service area!
Navigation: 80 km to the service area. Please continue straight ahead.
Victor: ...80 km. It will be dark by the time we get back.
Hearing Victor say this, I feel even more guilty. Just as I’m about to apologize to him, I see him already reaching out to cancel the navigation.
MC: Eh?
Victor: Since this is already the case, it’d be better not to turn back. Let’s change our destination.
His tone is calm and unperturbed, as though my mistakes are nothing worth mentioning in his eyes.
MC: But we had planned to see the Mige Glacier on this trip. We won’t be able to see it if we change our destination...
Victor: I remember that the glacier was simply one of the plans. We originally started out intending to spend our time on this self-drive tour comfortably, am I right?
Victor: If there’s a “pouty teapot” woo-woo-wooing next to me the whole distance, I won’t feel comfortable.
As he says this, I immediately deflate my mouth, causing Victor to laugh out loud. Subsequently, the originally low-spirited atmosphere also loosens up.
MC: So, where are we heading next?
Victor: We still have plenty of time anyway. As a passenger, I’m at the complete mercy of the “driver” and must comply with her plans.
He pauses, raising an eyebrow as he adds.
Victor: A certain someone audaciously dared to venture out on the desert roads. And now, when the signal is good, and the road is smooth, she’s afraid?
MC: Says who?
With such a little provocation from Victor, my enthusiasm is rekindled. I sit up straight again and step on the accelerator.
MC: Eeny meenie miney mo. Wherever we’re headed, that will be our destination for the night!
[FLASHBACK ENDS]
—
•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•
—
✧ [Chapter 2] ✧
Unburdened, I candidly choose a fork in the road relying on intuition and drive down the deviated road.
After turning around a mountain, a stream of beautiful lights appears before our eyes in the twilight.
Colorful flags fluttering on the roadside seem to guide us to the small town in the embrace of the mountains.
MC: “Welcome to LeGong”... Victor, there’s a small town up ahead!
MC: Let’s just get some rest there, shall we?
I breathe a long sigh of relief at the thought of finally being able to rest and dash towards the brilliant rays unrelentingly.
—
After driving another two kilometers down the road, other vehicles from the nearby streets begin to converge, and before long, the entire route is blocked.
MC: Oh, come on…
A vague sense of foreboding sprouts in my heart, and sure enough, several youngsters dressed in local clothes trot over a few moments later and wave vigorously at the vehicles behind.
Youngster: Go, go!
Victor: Hello, is there something wrong at the front?
Youngster: What’s wrong! It’s just the hotels in the town are all full! Don’t stop! Go, go, go!
Victor: All full? There isn’t even a single room?
Youngster: Gosh, we didn’t have anyone coming here before. But no idea why it became so popular this year, and people have been coming like a swarm of bees!
MC: [sarcastically] …did we accidentally arrive at some online celebrity’s scenic spot or something?
Victor and I look at each other, helplessness rushing in our eyes. He contemplates for a moment before calling out to the youngster again.
Victor: Excuse me, we have another question. How far is the nearest town from here?
Youngster: It’s still about a hundred kilometers or so, I think. But all these cars must be heading there now, so it’s likely that there won’t be any place to stay.
Youngster: Oh right, if you guys have the equipment, you can drive to the east.
Youngster: There is a new camping site ten kilometers from here, and there shouldn’t be much of a crowd!
Victor thanks him, and the youth goes off to busy himself with clearing the traffic at the back. I poke him cautiously.
MC: Why don’t we go to the campsite then? From what he said, perhaps we won’t find any place to stop if we keep driving…
Victor: Okay. Get off, and let’s switch places.
MC: What for? We have ten kilometers to go. I can…
Before I can retort, Victor has already opened the car door and stepped out.
First, he goes to the back seat and brings out a black cat doll. And then he skirts around and knocks on my window.
Victor: Vent whatever frustration you have on it. And now, the autocratic capitalist is asking you to give up the driver’s seat.
With that, Victor’s finger is already pressed against my lips. As his finger pad makes its way downward, only then do I realize––
I’ve turned into a “pouty teapot” again!
MC: [makes sobbing noise] …woo!
–
I know clearly in my heart that Victor is trying to ease my mood. After all, misfortunes coming one after another like this have indeed made me a little frustrated.
When I get into the front passenger seat, the black cat doll in my hand becomes a fitting outlet to vent my feelings, and I continue to poke it back and forth indignantly.
My index finger dips into the soft fur of the black cat doll, again and again.
I sneak a glance at Victor. His side profile is as calm as ever, as though all the mishaps just now never even happened.
–
As we get off the highway and wait at the red light, I softly make a “humph” sound, my evil fingers furtively shifting from the doll to the side.
MC: Poking once… poking twice…
First, I poke Victor’s cufflinks. Second, I poke the back of Victor’s hand. And the third time, he’s already clutched my fingertips before they even touch his skin.
Victor: Can’t you behave a little bit?
Victor: I especially gave you a doll. But poking it wasn’t enough, and now you have to mess with the driver?
His thumb runs upwards, gently drawing a punishing scrape against the thin skin on the inner side of my wrist. I give a startled yelp and immediately withdraw my hand.
MC: Humph!
—
Mercifully, we haven’t had any more turmoil along the rest of the journey, and we arrive at the camping base before darkness completely veils everything.
As that local person said, there really aren’t many people here. There was only a group of backpackers outside and a few scattered RVs stationed before we arrived here.
After communicating with the person in charge of the camp, we begin to set up our camping equipment.
When we finally get into the tent, I practically fling myself onto the sleeping bag at once.
MC: At long last, I can lie down…
Before I can finish my deep sigh, I feel a shadow coming up as it covers my head.
Victor supports himself on his elbow on my side, his breaths landing on my cheek.
Victor: Why are you sighing again?
MC: I thought my “eenie meenie miney mo” would be able to pick a unique and unmatched route belonging to the two of us.
MC: But in the end, I didn’t expect that there would still be people everywhere we go.
Victor: Are you upset about there being too many people or about not being able to find a unique and unmatched route?
MC: Both… after all, the opportunity of being able to make arrangements for you is so rare, and you must have hopes for being at least a little surprised.
MC: Why don’t I take a look if there’s any scenic spot nearby where we can go?
Just as I’m about to fish out my phone to search the map, Victor holds my hand down and slowly pulls the phone out of my hand.
Victor: It’s too late. Don’t look.
MC: But…
I still try to take back the phone, but Victor has already clamped my wrists irresistibly, tossing my phone on the other side of the tent while doing so.
Victor: A surprise that is sought after deliberately is not called a “surprise.” If a certain someone can rest peacefully now, that will be a surprise for me.
I open my mouth to protest, but Victor doesn’t give me the slightest opportunity to do so, blocking up all my words directly and efficiently.
Trapped in his breath and arms, that little anxiety of mine gradually dissipates, and I close my eyes.
—
•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•
—
✧ [Chapter 3] ✧
Perhaps the fatigue of the long drive during the day has done it, but unexpectedly, I have an unusually sound night’s sleep.
That is until I feel something cool brushing against my cheeks. I can’t help myself from sneezing, opening my eyes in a daze.
I don’t know when, but the tent door has been opened at some point, bringing not only the glittering light into the dusky tent but also a refreshingly cool temperature.
A tall figure is sitting in the doorway of the tent, head lowered as he looks at his phone, shielding me from most of the cold wind outside.
Seemingly hearing my sneeze, he puts down his phone and turns his head, smiling.
Victor: [laughs so preciously] Willing to wake up now?
MC: Victor, why did you wake up so early… WOW, IT’S A GLACIER!!!
The sight in front of me causes my words to take a turn, and I can’t help but gape in excitement––
Behind Victor are awe-inspiringly lofty snow-capped mountains!
The snow-capped mountains are majestic and magnificent. The sunlight draws the outlines of their continuously undulating edges in a golden hue, reminiscent of a landscape that can only be seen in oil paintings.
If the wide-open tent door is regarded as a frame, Victor is like the guardian of this glacier, just like the most crowning touch of the scenery to bring it to life.
Too excited to put on clothes, I simply wrap myself in the sleeping bag and arch up to him.
MC: How come there’s a glacier here?
Victor: I asked someone at the camp just earlier. He said that the glacier in front of us is called “Yukun Glacier,” and the campsite was developed precisely for the view here.
Victor: He was very surprised when he heard me ask, probably wondering how could a tourist come here without knowing anything about the area.
MC: Pffft… that’s an accident on my part, isn’t it?
Victor: From a certain perspective, you did reach your goal by accident–– “to see the glacier.”
Victor casually smooths down my bangs which are in a complete mess, smiling.
Victor: Are you surprised now?
Within a split second, all the depression from yesterday vanishes like smoke in thin air. I wrap my arms around Victor’s neck and give him a big kiss.
MC: Of course! I’m too surprised!
Victor: Take your arms back. Aren’t you afraid of freezing?
MC: Just for a little bit. I’m not cold one bit~
MC: Watching the glacier in the early morning with the person you like by your side is so romantic and beautiful. Don’t you think so, Victor~
Victor: …what’s the beauty about a certain someone being all bundled up like a caterpillar?
Despite saying so, Victor has already pulled me into his arms.
Through the layer of the sleeping bag, I can still feel how firmly Victor’s hands are clasped around my waist.
His chin is rested against my forehead while our warm breaths mingle with the cold air, the early morning kisses lingering ambiguously between our breaths.
Just as I’m thinking about spending a little more lovey-dovey moments with him, a voice suddenly resounds from not far away.
??: Excuse me, are you Mr. Victor?
Victor: [panting mixed with a surprised gasp] …!
Eagle-eyed and agile-handed, Victor immediately stuffs me back into the tent, whose clothing situation is in complete disarray.
Victor: [blushing] Put your clothes on.
With a snort, he’s already zipped shut the tent door.
MC: HAHAHAHAHA…!
It’s very rare to see Victor in such a flustered state. I can’t help but cover my face while bursting into laughter.
My cheeks are still tinged with the heat of his breaths, and my heart is thumping at a blazing speed because of the sweetness that just came to an abrupt end.
After toning down my laughter, I put my sweater on. Very soon, the tent door is opened again, and a shadowy figure lunges on me.
MC: [sound effect of Victor kitty-pouncing on MC] …!
Unable to dodge in time, I’m captured by Victor head-on.
Victor: [alarmingly sexy, deliberately slowed down, low voice] What were you laughing at? I could hear everything from outside.
MC: Pffftt… because the way CEO Victor got flustered earlier, it really looked like…
Victor: [and now he sulks] Looked like what?
MC: It… it… it seemed like we were a young couple caught in the act by the head teacher at school, HAHAHAHA!
Victor: Didn’t I get flustered because a certain someone was being careless?
MC: But you didn’t reject me, did you? And you still wanted to kiss me earlier!
Victor: …
Victor chokes on his words, which is a rare sight. Clearly, he is unable to find any justifications to retort.
Victor: It was the camp’s staff member who came to see me just now.
MC: Victor, are you changing the subject?
Victor: [return of the alarmingly sexy, low voice] …you’re really getting bolder by the day.
MC: No, no, I’m all ears! Why did the staff member come to see you just now?
Not daring to continue messing with him, I immediately hold up my hands in surrender.
Victor: He said that the backpacker group was leaving today, and the cabin in the camp happened to be empty. So, we could rent it if we still wanted to spend the night.
MC: So that means we don’t need to stay in the tent?
Victor: Mm. It depends on what you wish, and if you want to stay here another day.
MC: Of course!
MC: Since we’ve already found our surprise, let’s stay another day and look for more surprises!
—
•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•
—
✧ [Chapter 4] ✧
After that backpacker group leaves, the glacier suddenly becomes our world consisting of only two people.
This time, we don’t intentionally search on the internet or ask around for information about the nearby attractions. We simply drive around the nearby places according to our will.
To the north of the camp is a waterlogged lake near the glacier, where we take lots and lots of photos;
To the east of the camp is an unexplored area of forest, where a little squirrel runs away with a piece of cookie from me, and then we also let it have a taste of Victor’s craftsmanship;
On the south side of the camp, we meet herdsmen who train saddle horses, and Victor also displays his equestrian skills to them;
On the west side of the camp… is the way back to LeGong. And to my surprise, there is a Sichuan restaurant in town, and the food there is unexpectedly delicious! [...]
–
[Tidbits]: Sichuan is a special Chinese cuisine originating from the Sichuan Province~
–
When the sky begins to darken gradually, and the layers of clouds are covered in a gray-blue veil once again, we return to the camping base perfectly satisfied.
The wooden cabin is indeed not luxurious compared to the lodges Victor and I have stayed in on our previous trips, but it does have all the needed facilities available.
The most special feature of this wooden cabin is that one side of the roof is made of frosted glass, which at the moment is glowing with a translucent silver light as the evening twilight filters in.
Pushing open the door, the warm airflow in the room is cozy that it immediately makes me squint my eyes.
For a split second, I suddenly feel that we are not next to the distant glacier, but have returned to the warmth of our home.
I stretch my back and turn my head with a smile.
MC: How was that? I’ve done a pretty good job at being an “aimless tour guide” today, haven’t I?
Victor: [laughs preciously] Mm. Occasionally, a certain someone’s intuition is indeed very amazing.
MC: If I ask you to choose, which was the place you liked the most among the ones we visited today?
Victor: There were things I liked in all of the places.
MC: Eh, since when do you talk with soft-soap like this?
Victor: [chuckles helplessly] It’s not soft-soap. It’s the truth.
Victor gives me a glance. Then, he browses the photo album in the camera in his hand and replies to me simultaneously.
Victor: The waves of the lake were like a fluttering skirt, the ponies were lively and hopping up and down, and the squirrel was also very cute…
Victor: So, there were things I liked in each of the places.
MC: Victor, how come I didn’t realize that you’ve become so good at aggrandized compliments lately?
Victor: [teasingly] I’m just giving aggrandized compliments to the views, nothing more.
Humph, that’s just you being duplicitous. My heart feels as sweet as if I have eaten a hundred caramel puddings. So, I don’t unmask him and just shuffle closer as I sit next to him.
MC: By the way, didn’t the herdsmen we met today say there was a snow-capped mountain around here that we could drive up to?
MC: Let’s go there tomorrow! I’m sure it will be even more magnificent that looking up at the scenery from the foot of the mountain today!
Victor: It depends on the situation. We may not be able to go tomorrow.
MC: Eh?
Victor: It’s gonna be snowing here in this area tonight. And if it snows too hard, there’s a good chance that the road to the mountain will be closed.
MC: It’s gonna be snowing tonight? So can’t we go watch the snow, then?!
Victor: [laughs softly] …so that’s your focus now?
I nod earnestly, giving him an ear-to-ear grin.
MC: Isn’t the biggest lesson I’ve learned on this trip “to take things as they come?”
MC: Even if the plan doesn’t go smoothly, we will find the interesting aspects of the not-so-good things!
Victor is stunned, then the corners of his lips bloom into a gentle and soft curve.
MC: It seems that today a certain someone is not a dummy, but a smart devil.
MC: Hehe~ And sure enough, I like it even more when you praise me so straightforwardly~
MC: Come on, let’s go see the snow!
I’m just about to pull Victor out of the door, but he points me in another direction.
Victor: We don’t need to go out. Let’s go upstairs.
He takes my hand and leads me to the attic of the wooden cabin, where there’s actually a window on the glass roof that can be opened.
Victor pushes open the window, and the rampant cold air from outside comes rushing in the next second.
MC: Ooh… so cold!
I wrap the blanket tightly around me and look out. At this moment, a tiny snowflake just happens to drift in and clings to my cufflinks.
MC: It’s really snowing!
On the windowsill, on the branches of the trees, on the tents in the camp… the snow has already accumulated in bits and pieces, drawing this place completely into a winter world.
The delicate, crystalline snow continues to flutter down in a spiral. Amid the silence of the wilderness, the only sound that can be heard is the very soft, occasional rustling of the pine forest in the distance.
Victor holds up the hurricane lamp, and a warm yellow light softens our vision.
The snowflakes descend onto the glass cover of the oil lamp and soon melt from the heat, turning into tiny frozen rivers that flow down the glass and then disappear.
At the far end of our line of sights, the glacier shining with a silvery glow has been dyed with a layer of heavy indigo, staring at us in silence.
Victor: Cold?
I subconsciously shake my head, pause halfway, and then nod again vigorously. Victor laughs and pulls me into his arms.
Victor: [laughs softly, whispering into your heart] No one will be disturbing us now. We can watch it for a long time.
I lean on Victor’s chest, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat. After a while, I softly open my mouth.
MC: Victor.
Victor: Hm?
MC: Victor~
Victor: What is it?
MC: Nothing. I just wanted to say your name. Because I think… you’re just so wonderful, extraordinarily wonderful.
MC: Even though today you said that you’d follow me to play around in the nearby places aimlessly, in reality, you already did your research on the surroundings ahead of time, didn’t you?
MC: I originally had no plans to take cookies with us, but you reminded me to do so;
MC: And when we went to the lakeside to take pictures, I was still trying to find a suitable attractive spot, but you were already in position;
MC: And that Sichuan restaurant. It rather seemed like you took me down that road at dinner time on purpose…
Victor: [laughs helplessly and a little shyly at being exposed] I don’t possess such remarkable abilities. Some of them were merely coincidences.
MC: So that means some of them were not coincidences?
Victor: [continuation x2] I got up early today, so I just casually asked around a little more, that’s all.
Victor’s reply does not match up with my grilling, yet it has already answered all my questions.
He is always like this. He is akin to the safest backstop and insurance. Even if the path ahead is uncertain, he will steadily stand side by side with me.
My heartbeat gradually becomes one with his. Amid the quietude, it seems to be the one and only sound that knocks on my eardrums.
The snow begins to fall harder. And in the distance, we can see the flashing headlights of a car. It seems that new travelers are coming to this camping base.
MC: Victor, tomorrow I’ll get up early together with you.
Victor: Still thinking about watching the snow?
I shake my head, turn around, and bury myself in his arms, looking up with a smile on my face.
MC: Before setting off, I’d like to share the surprises we’ve found here with them too.
—
[Calls]: Here!
—
•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•
#LOOK AT HIM BLUSHYYYY HNNNNGNNNN WHY ARE YOU SO FRIGGIN PRECIOUS AND ADORABLE#i read several analyses on this date saying “Victor x MC’s relationship makes you feel so happy yet so jealous simultaneously”––#“they make ‘love’ seem so easy yet it leaves you wondering that you might never find something like that bcz what they have is THAT surreal”#& it’s so true!! their relationship is so solid& pure& mature with a clear direction & they’re also childish& rowdy in their unique way LOL#AND THIS MAN. REALLY A MOUNTAIN. THE WAY HE CONTINUES TO RAISE THE BAR OF BEING A PERFECT LOVER AND PARTNER UP TO AND BEYOND... *sighs*#mlqc victor#mlqc li zeyan#mlqc#mr love victor#mr love queen's choice#恋与制作人#李泽言#love and producer#mlqc cn#mlqc spoilers#mlqc translations
112 notes
·
View notes
Text
Fated to Love You here reaffirming my long held conviction that no pure romance drama should be 20+ episodes.
This show is... really something. It is, in the fullest possible sense, A Lot. It starts out as an all-out screwball comedy wrapped around a troperiffic romance fluff plot. Wall to wall clichés, but not in a bad way; in a meta, self-aware, peak performance, finest Velveeta way. And if you’re not familiar with screwball comedy, think ‘light-hearted crack fic with slapstick and farce’. There is nothing believable or grounded about any aspect of it, it starts at Bonkers Level: Platinum and it only climbs higher as it goes on.
(On a side note, this results in the leading man being possibly the most memorable love interest in romcom history. His introduction scene is nothing short of batshit insane and you can't reliably predict how he will respond to anything. I have never seen a main character like this, he is all over the shop and utterly singular. Your first reaction to him is ‘wtf?’, your second and third reactions are ‘really?! this guy??’, your fourth reaction is ‘okay he do be mad hot tho’, your fifth and final reaction is ‘I cannot believe this performance exists, I have no idea what he is doing, but it is amazing.’
Appropriately(?) the actor who plays him is an uncanny Korean doppelgänger of Johnny Depp and- between the resemblance, the mannerisms, and the fearless total commitment to a bold as fuck acting choice with the very serious chops to back it up- I’m not convinced they aren’t half brothers separated at birth.
They do sabotage my happiness several times by starting to randomly style his (long, beautiful) hair very weird, fixing it right when the plot is rapidly circling the drain so he looks his hottest just as the show becomes briefly unwatchable, and then ruining him for the entire second half of the series by shearing it all off. WHY, my anguished cry goes up. Why do you do this?! Why does he have like seven hairstyles over the course of the show? Much later they even briefly give him that ubiquitous Kdrama Second Lead haircut with weirdly forward combed fringe in a solid straight line across the brow all the way back from the crown. It looks terrible on everyone and I hate it so much. This version was less bad than most but it is still bad. Anyway.)
So it’s an incredibly fun time to start but there are some problems with the tone and plot even in the first 9 episodes, including when the lovers start getting along really well right away and they’re both thoroughly decent people so there’s nothing keeping them from having a lovely time together making the best of the circumstances (forced/fake marriage). And, instead of introducing new conflict or advancing one of the dozen conflicts previously established and actually moving forward, there is a painfully contrived rehash of something they already dealt with which is then just never resolved. They make the hero leap to a conclusion his wife is nefarious after he’d already decided once that she isn’t (though it was completely reasonable for him to think she was- the fact that he decided to trust her so quickly just speaks to what kind of person he is), never try to find out more or talk to anyone about it, start pushing her away because of it, and have all this come to absolutely nothing. It only exists so he’ll stop being so incredibly nice to her and they won’t fall in love too fast.
You’d think they would have to eventually clear the air before the romance advances right? No. It wasn’t a real plot point, it was just a reset button to get them estranged and hostile again after they connect over their kindred spirits and we’ve spent a bunch of time showing how profoundly supportive and honourable our hero is. He’s being beautifully mature and selfless because he’s a really good dude (unusual for a romcom drama, right? for the main guy to be nice and considerate? to accept responsibility even if he doesn’t have to? Gun’s weird but he’s wonderful), but the writers need him to be cold and standoffish, so they just make him act like an unreasonable idiot for a while. He’s been thus far hugely proactive and direct and honest about everything, it’s one of his most prominent character traits, but suddenly he’s going to avoid confrontation in favour of being super passive aggressive?? Then the writers never solve it. Never! It just goes away. He got over it, I guess? He decided he doesn’t care if she’s a gold digger who deliberately trapped him? God forbid we have motivations that make sense and organic character drama, right? It's not like he didn't have totally valid reasons to be suspicious that could have led to legitimate conflict our heroine would struggle to vindicate herself from.
But anyway, apart from that kind of lazy bullshit, it’s a fine romance plot with extremely endearing characters who have great chemistry. They are fun and well-rounded and incredibly human despite all the silliness and OTT antics. Their relationship is hugely, hugely engaging and the dynamic is perfect, they really complement each other as characters and organically drive each other's arcs. There's the genuine depth and warmth and quiet pathos so often lacking from this kind of show. Things progress at a semi-reasonable pace. They work up to confessing their mutual feelings and get into some cute shenanigans before making out. It happens soon enough that you are not frustrated, but there's still plenty of build-up. Then- uh oh! We’re only 9 eps in and we have another 11 hours to fill with this fluffy plot!
Time for a bunch of absolute fucking nonsense. Time for our show, which has been so goofy and removed from reality it occasionally resembles a Monty Python skit, which has been so light it asks you to ignore the frankly incredibly fucked up implications of its premise for the sake of comedy (they were both drugged and proxy raped resulting in a pregnancy- the FL was a virgin prior to this and Gun had a girlfriend he wanted to propose to- and it was the FL’s family who did this to them: SUPER FUCKED UP), so farcical that it makes Some Like it Hot look like a gritty crime drama, that show to cover a bunch of serious heavy shit.
First, the rankest of melodrama. The families and the world all turn on our couple, but their love is true and will conquer all- UNTIL, he randomly collapses and gets convenient Soap Opera Amnesia. He’s forgotten their entire relationship and a series of coincidental pieces of misconstrued evidence, the machinations of his scheming ex girlfriend, the Soap Opera Doctor’s advice, and his closest confidants all going along with this conspire to make him believe (AGAIN) that his wife just wants his money.
This whole terrible episode is mercifully brief, but it just gets worse after his memory returns. This is where we get into the Noble Idiocy. The ‘pretend you don’t love them to “save them” from getting hurt by hurting them and making their important life decisions for them as if they don’t have a basic fucking right to decide that themselves’ kind. Which goes on for three FUCK years in the show. He wastes three years of their lives they could have spent together because he’s worried he might die young (in a terrible way) and doesn’t want to put her through that. And, of course, they inevitably get together later, so all he did was make it infinitely worse for her either way. To say nothing of how he thus couldn’t be there for her through the loss of their child. Possibly my most hated fucking trope of all time when done this way.
And, yep, you read that right. This show that has the single most batshit bonkers over the top slapstick I have ever seen in a kdrama, this show has a storyline where the fluffy romcom trope accidental pregnancy ends in massive trauma. Because she was standing around in the street after realising he does remember her (he continued to pretend he had amnesia after his memories came back, it’s all part of the stupid noble idiocy so I glossed over it) and gets hit by a car in the middle of their angst staring.
It is nearly Meet Joe Black levels of hilariously abrupt and incongruous.
so, blah blah, they lose their baby (there’s a very stupid whole thing about her telling everyone to save the baby instead of her- the baby is not far enough along for this to have been remotely viable. She is like 3 months pregnant. They all act like there’s a choice to be made between them and she’s mad at her husband for choosing to save her, but there was NO CHOICE. Either she lives or they both die! ffs I’m so irritated about this) and then he dumps her ~for her own good~~ because he loves her too much to make her go through losing him? So she loses him sooner?? right after their baby died???
Why do people in these stories always think being betrayed and abandoned for no reason and being incredibly angry at someone you love while also not getting to be with them is somehow less painful than making the best of your life together and then losing them against their will? ‘I will make her hate me and then she won’t be sad we broke up/I died!!!!’ is such a fucking galaxy brain take and I despise it with the heat of ten thousand suns. Fuck you, Spider-Man. You aren’t protecting anyone, the villains still know you love MJ and will still use her against you, you clod. Emotionally torturing the person you love is not going to make them not a target because the villains are not as fucking stupid as you two. Anyway.
Amnesia was right where I started fast-forwarding and skipping around (because I couldn’t bear it), but it only goes downhill from there. Maybe I would have toughed out more of the wretched middle part plot twist if they hadn’t cut all the hot guy’s hair off. If I’m going to watch total nonsense tedious melodrama, I need it to at least be pretty. I understand it was a Symbolic Haircut but damnit! Let me have this!
And it ultimately does the thing that kdramas seem obsessed with and which makes me want to claw out my own eyeballs with frustration. There’s a giant time skip, the female lead gets a personality transplant, all narrative momentum is lost, and the characters who eventually (at ENORMOUS length) get together permanently are essentially completely different characters with a completely different dynamic than the couple you were shipping for 90% of the story. It is so FUCKING unsatisfying and it is EVERYWHERE.
Not so much with this one because this one still had a lot of very romantic scenes late in the game, but most that do this, it’s also like all the romance is sucked out of the post-time skip episodes and the ending is a consolation prize instead of a triumphant culmination. Inevitably, the heroine abruptly cools off and is suddenly wary of the hero and wants this Important New Career she never mentioned until the penultimate episode but is now her one true life’s dream. What the apparently irresistible appeal is of these contrived separations and demure conclusions is I CANNOT FATHOM. I’m here for the fucking romance guys, you have not made Citizen Kane, please just indulge me with a big schmoopy finale.
And if not that, it’s frequently that there’s been so many random mood swings and so much shitty behaviour by the end that the relationship doesn’t make sense and you don’t know why they even bother to get back together.
I’m not inherently against all misunderstandings (they are the bread and butter of low stakes romance let’s be real) or attempts at noble idiocy from misguided characters, but the duration and seriousness of the drama these generate needs to be in proportion to how ridiculous they are. If your entire plot can be solved by a thirty second conversation there is NO REASON not to have and the continuation of the misunderstanding is a result of someone just NOT SPEAKING UP when any functional human being would have spoken up seven times by now IT’S BAD.
Do little cliff-hangers, whatever, but don’t draaaaagg out silly misconceptions into Shakespearean tragedy, it’s just wearying. It makes me hate the characters for acting like emotionally constipated toddlers with terminal stupidity. If there is so little trust, so little understanding, and so little basic patience between these people, they probably shouldn’t be dating, so try fucking harder, writers. And noble idiocy that is more than an impulse they fairly quickly see the error of is just insulting. You are not helping the other person, you are being domineering and selfish. I have a whole complex about wasting time and seeing endless parades of characters flushing years down the toilet for literally no reason gives me hives. Especially when the whole issue is about time!
(And, btw, so much of the plot is about how desperately the family needs an heir and everyone still wanting them to have kids the second time they get together- while the ~dilemma used to keep them apart is a GENETIC DISEASE which could STRIKE AT ANY TIME. Do you SEE THE PROBLEM WITH THIS WRITERS????? NO, I KNOW YOU DON’T. ommmmmmmmggggg that’s awful! So they’re just dooming more kids to Soap Opera Brain Disease? And maybe growing up without a father just as Gun did? And no one even considers suggesting adoption??? He never considers that he shouldn’t have biological children despite thinking he shouldn’t have a wife?)
ANYWAY. Please do watch the first nine episodes and the last three, it’s bananas. They are cute as fuck, Gun is The Best, and the tropey romance scenes are top quality. You don't get those things executed so well, it doesn't happen, so you need this in your life. The acting is of a calibre you never usually see in modern romcoms; these are people at the top of their game committing utterly and taking these characters completely seriously. In that way it is pure wish fulfilment for me as someone who loves romance and is almost always disappointed by popular romance media, and thus the show is incalculably special. But skip the middle. Just skip it. It's not worth the suffering. I find the tone whiplash honestly just this side of crass.
I’ve been thinking about it for over a week and I truly love the main characters so it did plenty right, but I just cannot with wedding the two things this show is trying to be together, especially when it goes so hard in two mutually exclusive directions. but also the Meet Joe Black sudden car accident device is not redeemable under any circumstances. Can we never do that again, please.
29 notes
·
View notes
Text
Yugioh S4 Ep21: Duke Puts on Duel Disk, Immediately Takes Disk Off
So last time we ended, Yugi and Tea were stranded in the middle of an ancient warfield that was hundreds of feet off the side of this cliff topped with a seldom used railroad track.
And yes, this is all somewhere in what should be one of the most populated parts of the Bay Area.
Amazed that this school uniform can go through such rugged terrain. But then again, last season it got hit squarely with a fireball, so...this school uniform is essentially a Batman suit.
But I just want to point out that Yugi didn’t take the duel disk off before vaulting up this cliff. Tea has a bag youknow...but gotta sweat up the duel disk that our entire world relies on.
It would be very funny if this season ended abruptly because Yami either dropped this thing on the ground and finally broke it, or just plain forgot he needed to charge it’s batteries.
And so now we just walk...kind of in the direction where they hope Joey and Tristan are?
I do appreciate that although Pharaoh is completely lost in a foreign country, he will not admit it.
(read more under the cut)
On the other side of the tracks, Joey is dragging his Sisyphean stone.
Please admire that this entire scene takes place somewhere in the Grand Canyon. Like it’s episode 20 and I just still can’t get past how they went to California and didn’t include a single beach.
Mai has decided she’s done screaming off the back of a motorcyle, and has decided to come over to Dartz’ lair to scream where the traffic isn’t quite so bad.
And she just rage quits.
Is this the first rage quit we’ve ever had in this show about games? Incredible.
Also, I didn’t realize you could just quit the end of the world cult in the final hours of ending the world, but I guess it doesn’t really matter much to Dartz. Whether Mai ends up killing Joey or doesn’t end up killing Joey, it’s still a soul in the Leviathan bucket so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Now, in the actual dialogue of the show, Dartz tells Valon that Mai’s basically going to get what she deserves and no one here needs to even do anything to change or stop it. But, it was still somewhat surprising that this 10,000 year old serial murderer world destroyer was so down to shell out some relationship advice. Almost like maybe he has somewhat of a fatherly concern for his stupid ass murder boys. Kind of. Sort of.
Enough to try and tell Valon to leave this one alone because she’s gone maniacal pixie dream girl and there’s no coming back from that.
In order to have motorcycle gangs, you have to have bearable enough traffic for said gangs. That’s why we just don’t have a motorcycle gang problem in real deal California like a lot of 70′s-80′s movies would have you think. They’d only be able to drive in like...one lane, and they’d get constantly cut off and driven off the road by Google buses.
TBH the Google bus is our true modern motorcycle gang, there are just so many of these damn buses. And also, I deleted a lot of text right now when I went off about the ongoing bus war, which is absolutely a thing here. The motorcyclists are just doing me a solid by not being a car on the road and staying out of my lane.
In a more realistic version of this show, Mai would have never made it to the desert, she’d be too busy watching only one single car able to turn right onto Octavia every light cycle because of all the damn private buses and uber cars flooding our itty bitty one way streets.
And to try and tame Mai, Valon decides to do this...motorcycle stand off?
It’s like he’s trying to catch a feral cat.
At some point one of them stops, and like I was focused too much on how good their brakes are to pay attention to who stopped first.
Probably Valon, because Mai is completely insane.
And so then he just...
Y’all I know they had to give Valon motivation to be in love with Mai, but this kids show jumped through so many hoops to make this very unhealthy relationship appear like Valons love was pure and true while still showing that this is a very unhealthy relationship. Kind of a hard balance.
It’s actually interesting how much work they put into Valon’s very tragic and problematic relationship after they’ve dodged every other problematic relationship this show has brought forth.
Like the villain with a heart of gold is a trope, but it’s a trope that works. There is no hope in the world that this relationship could pan out. They’re not a misunderstood pair like he thinks they are. They’re freakin terrible and they don’t deserve each other. But he’s gonna try and do it anyway.
We get to watch Valon bargain (mostly with himself) about how this relationship (which exists mostly in his head) is going to absolutely work out, because to him, if he feels so intensely, eventually she’s gotta feel the same. Most people haven’t murdered people, but it’s still a very relatable type of situation that the show displays without getting too preachy about how it’s clearly bad news. They just introduce it for the audience to come to their own conclusions, and I was really surprised by that level of maturity.
I’ve been sitting here saying “There’s no way this show could balance Tea with Yugi and the Ghost in his head. There’s no way they can really touch on Kaiba and that paper card. There’s no way that this show knows how to do a relationship because they don’t want to get involved with that weird gray area.” and you know what? Maybe they can.
Like they’re doing it right now. Did they just need 4 seasons of people complaining to go “Fine! I’ll write out the problematic relationship! I’ll do it!” because--this works for them. They finally did it.
Now, I’m not saying it’s Oscar worthy or developed beyond a trope, I’m just saying I’m genuinely surprised to see it on this show, and they should have done it more often. It’s a super weird pairing, but way more interesting than like...all that time we spent with Serenity because I actually have something to look forward to. (which will be when Valon inevitably dies in a ball of tragic glory)
So many romance stories give me nothing to look forward to, y’all. You have to give me something. Like, I’ve been reading a lot of not great romance in my life, and you have to have some sort of time limit in place for me to care about your couple. To have only have so much time before the other person gets married, moves, ends the world--I don't care--but man that time limit is crucial and so much romance just...forgets.
Like Bonnie and Clyde, Romeo and Juliet, and other ill fated couples, Valon and Mai end up being interesting because we just love seeing people fall into pieces. Hell, I just finished watching Tiger King and damn, what makes that show so good is that you are just waiting on that time limit to see how bad it gets. (and it’s crazy, super recommend Tiger King, although it’s very clear that they pushed the drama a little beyond realism but man. Good TV.)
Of course there’s always the chance that maybe Valon just got bored. But, youknow.
Anyway, it IS a romance on Yugioh, so we do have to very quickly drive a truck through it.
Man.
What are they DOING here?
It took me kind of a while to remember that Mai would be going where Joey would be living, which is most likely where Raphael dropped off Arthur Hawkins. But, if you don’t remember that fact, this is the most random thing ever.
Like you got this huge ass desert in the Califorizonado mesas, and then BOOM enter Rebecca Hawkins, just omnisciently lording over all of the West and just so ready to fight you.
Every girl interested in Yugi Muto has this thing where they’re normally pretty chill and then they just snap and get angry as hell.
PS she’s in a different outfit now, but I don’t feel like changing her font color. I’ve had some Photoshop.......incidents.......and I don’t think I have this plaid pattern anymore and I don't feel like making a new one yet.
I mean Valon’s got the green outline on his text, so I figure we’re good.
Also, Rebecca wears a tie clip?
This 12 year old girl wears a tie clip.
And like don't get me wrong, this was 2003-4, alt rock was big, and yes, we did have tiny Avril Lavigne ties at American Eagle. I will admit that I very much considered getting an Avril Lavigne tie at one point in my life, but didn’t want the commitment of needing to pair it with a skirt.
But either way, old man tie clips aren’t alt rock. The only thing that makes Rebecca’s outfit not exactly that alt-grunge Avril Lavigne look is that tie clip. They were SO close to making her look cool. Just so close.
Also the bifocals. But anyway...
So Valon was going to straight up ignore Rebecca, because he has a warped sense of morality and will not kill a 12 year old (but will kill a 17 year old). But, Mai did ask nicely.
Thankfully, because of Valons weird sense of morality, he did not pull out the Oricalchos. Instead he pulled out...a new mechanic!
OK.
Fine, whatever. I don’t go over cards in this show so I don’t have to even worry about this.
And Rebecca and Duke freakin lost, because Duke is never allowed to win. Rebecca may have won if Duke didn’t join this battle with his ass luck, just throwing that out there.
And Mai is like “wow, Valon is doing a really good job. He’s right, he IS amazing”
and she bolts.
And back on the tracks, we see another group of our protagonists sprawled on the desert floor.
REALLY lucky that this train track only has one operating train that is currently out of commission because you should not lie down on a track like this. Probably goes without saying that this is a great way to die. But youknow...the world is also ending so sure, why not? Getting killed by a train is probably more pleasant than the Leviathan.
And then, because we MUST talk about commuting, lets see Kaiba’s commute on this huge ass very normal plane.
I know.
That’s just a normal ass plane.
Even Kaiba needs to take a break youknow? And maybe since he hallucinated last time he drove a plane he decided to just...not drive one for a while. Probably a good move.
On the way, we get to see Seto’s form of parental advice. It was weird.
Like in the actual dialogue of the show Seto is just SO CLOSE to giving good advice and then just slips in these chestnuts where it’s like...well that’s gonna be like 12 years of therapy for Mokuba in the future Seto, thanks for that.
Also lets welcome back Seto’s dueling jacket. Been a while, big sleeves.
Also, the Aurora Borealis has also hit the plane, which is very Twilight Zone of them.
...
Correct me if I’m wrong but Alister was in Dartz’ room during that convo with Mai.
like...just a few hours ago?
Was that a hologram of Alister in Dartz’ boardroom or did the animation team forget?
Oh Alister.
Also, I just want to point out that the same day Seto sent Roland out to fix his problems, was the same day that Kaiba got hella abducted, just a few hours later. Man, Roland. Turn around for like 2 minutes and Seto’s back into cards, they’re both abducted by cultists, and they’re both half-way across the world to California. It must be hard to be Roland.
Anyway, if you just got here this is a link to read the rest in chrono order. All four seasons.
Hope y’all are staying safe in this Pandemic time, goes without saying. Been a weird couple of weeks, but thankfully the internet is still here to help us all keep sanity.
#ygo#yugioh#yu-gi-oh#valon#mai valentine#tea gardner#yami#yami muto#tristan taylor#joey wheeler#rebecca hawkins#duke devlin#seto kaiba#mokuba kaiba#dartz#man just every character was in this episode#episode recap#photo recap#S4#ep21
35 notes
·
View notes
Text
My Top 10 Albums of 2019
2019 will go down, for me, as the year my beloved iPod died, and I finally bit the bullet and signed up for Spotify Premium. Thus, I listened to more new music in 2019 than I ever have before, and realized how much of it I found disposable. Bands I grew up loving put out mediocre efforts, new darlings grew in directions I wasn’t interested in following, but thank god, thank god there are still plenty of terrific musicians putting out work that resonates deep within my soul. Music is subjective, so I wouldn’t dare call this a “best of” list, but below are the ten new releases of 2019 that I listened to the most, vibed with the most, that just plain ol’ meant the most to me this year.
(PS: Don’t think too much about the exact order and ranking here. It changed multiple times even as I was writing this. What really matters is that all ten of these records rule)
10. Radar State -- Strays
Radar State are the Avengers of the early 2000s mid-west emo scene -- a band combining The Get Up Kids’ Matt Pryor and Jim Suptic, The Anniversary’s Josh Berwanger, and The Architects’ Adam Phillips into a single supergroup. Pryor has described the project as “just having fun with [his] friends,” and that dynamic shines through loud and clear in Strays. It’s like each member is pushing the next to just create the catchiest song they possibly can, and the competition leads to great results; Pryor favors fast and sloppy punk and Berwanger moody earworms that fuse themselves into your brain through sheer repetition, but it’s Suptic who fulfills that edict best with his shiny, addictive pop love songs. Radar State never quite hits the emotional highs of its members’ main projects, but that was never the point in the first place; Strays is just fun from front to back, and it’s an album I’ve returned to consistently throughout the entirety of 2019.
Highlights: Making Me Feel, Self-Hurt Guru, Artificial Love
9. The Early November -- Lilac
Lilac is an album about learning from your mistakes and making a conscious choice to be better, and it’s a theme, an ethos that truly defines this release on every level. The Early November originally planned to release Lilac back in 2018, but ended up scrapping the original recording and going back to the drawing board, knowing that they could do better, and funneling that ambition, all their lessons learned, into their most ambitious release outside of The Mother, The Maker, and the Path (“but less self-indulgent,” I say with love). Horns, piano, and a wide variety of tempos spice up the proceedings, and the lyrics are more raw and honest than ever, but Lilac’s greatest weapon is the vocals, which Ace Enders wields with virtuoso skill. He plays with different cadences and deliveries, giving every song a unique feel, moving from soft and pleasant (“Perfect Sphere [Bubble]”) to menacing (“My Weakness”), from the joy of “Ave Maria” to the cathartic, powerhouse vocal explosion of “Hit By A Car (Euphoria)” to the pure, crackling, barely contained emotional breakdown threatening to burst right out of the chorus of “Our Choice.” There’s no other vocalist out there quite like Ace Enders -- and no other record quite like Lilac.
Highlights: Hit By A Car (In Euphoria), Ave Maria, Comatose
8. Magazine Beach -- Sick Day (EP)
Most year-end lists probably overlooked this record, a debut four-song EP from a small DIY band released in mid-December, and man oh man are those critics missing out. Sick Day isn’t just the biggest and best musical surprise I received all year, but quite possibly the most fun I had listening to music in 2019. Seriously, I played this on loop probably two dozen times the day I discovered it, and spent that evening forcing friends to listen to it too. Magazine Beach’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics, gonzo riffs, and stunning background harmonies are combined with vocals whose flatter, sardonic tone initially masks, but soon reveals their perfect cadence and quick crackles of emotion; they’re as close to a perfect pop-punk package as I heard all year, with their quirky, relatable songs about flaky friends, overstuffed social calendars, and other mid-twenties challenges filling that gaping Modern-Baseball-You’re-Gonna-Miss-It-All-shaped hole in my heart. If this had released earlier in the year, and I’d had more time to see how long it truly stuck with me, it might have placed far, far higher on this list, but either way I look forward to carrying this album forward with me into 2020, and I look forward to following Magazine Beach’s future career closely. I think they could go places.
Highlight: Living Room
7. Masked Intruder -- III
It’s easy to look at Masked Intruder and think that they’re more of an act than a band, just because they’re so good at playing hardened-yet-harmless criminals on stage, at enchanting an audience with their antics and banter alone. Thankfully, they’re equally skilled as musicians as they are performers; III isn’t just quick content for their live shows, but an entertaining, addictive, artfully made pop-punk record in its own right. Okay, maybe pop-punk is a bit too restrictive a descripter -- between the doo-wop, call-and-response harmonies and the raging riffs and solos, III sometimes sounds like a modern spin on sixties rock and roll, which is something I did not know I needed but absolutely needed. The lyrics never break kayfabe, but there’s some real clever stuff going on beneath the surface of these silly crime-themed love songs; contrasting the creepiness of Blue’s romantic pursuits with the shenanigans of a typical radio love song shows how few differences there actually are between the two, how creepy the entire genre is when you stop to give it any thought. It’s thoughtful and subversive without ever being preachy, just one more spinning plate kept perfectly balanced in the act that is III.
Highlights: Not Fair, Maybe Even, I’m Free (At Last)
6. Martha -- Love Keeps Kicking
Martha’s secret weapon is the empathy and compassion their songs cultivate for their subjects. Love Keeps Kicking is an album largely about the way love can kick you when you’re down, yet throughout the album Martha never villainizes even the bad actors in relationships. “Into This” finds the narrator jerked around by a potential partner who just won’t clarify what they are to each other, but the song isn’t out to attack the partner, simply to get a solid answer. Likewise, “Love Keeps Kicking” lays out a myriad of detailed complaints about romance and relationships, not to insult, but simply to find a way to endure them. “Orange Juice” rues the way the narrator diluted their partner just by being with them, showing impressive (and heartbreaking) levels of self-awareness. That kind of emotional maturity and complexity makes the true love songs (“Sight For Sore Eyes,” “Wrestlemania VIII”) all the more joyous, and makes their social commentary (“Mini Was A Preteen Arsonist”) that much more effective. Martha are a wonderfully catchy, fun band filled with great harmonies and British twang, but it’s their earnest, compassionate storytelling that truly made me fall in love with them, and with Love Keeps Kicking.
Highlights: Wrestlemania VIII, Love Keeps Kicking, Orange Juice
5. Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties -- Routine Maintenance
Hot take (?) incoming: Dan Campbell is the best songwriter of our generation. I already sang his praises pretty thoroughly last year when discussing my favorite album of 2018, but Routine Maintenance is just further proof of this truth, almost Campbell flexing. The previous Aaron West record was a character study of the worst year of a man’s life, but Routine Maintenance expands Aaron’s world in terms of scope, characters, and themes, all to the project’s (and character’s) benefit. The record is a tale of redemption, taking Aaron from rock bottom to a new place of security, all through the power of friendship and community, the power of music, and the power of family, of fulfilling your responsibilities to them, of finding your role and your home wherever you are, with the people who care about you, with people you can make proud. They’re themes Campbell has been exploring throughout his entire career, but brought down to a more personal level, and somehow that makes them hit harder than ever, perhaps because it makes the way they can fit into any listener’s life that much clearer. I’ve cried listening to this album. I’ve cried hearing these songs live. There’s true, true catharsis on Routine Maintenance, and it’s because Campbell’s taken Aaron West on a real journey, and it’s one I feel blessed to have been able to follow.
Highlights: Runnin’ Toward the Light, Rosa & Reseda, Winter Coats
4. Pkew Pkew Pkew -- Optimal Lifestyles
Pkew Pkew Pkew’s 2016 self-titled debut was an album told solely in the present tense, not worried about the future, but simply about the drinks, pizza, skateboarding, and parties to be had right here, right now. It was a blisteringly fun, gang-vocals filled powerhouse of a record that solidified Pkew Pkew Pkew as one of my new favorite bands. Optimal Lifestyles, though, is an album that has started to look back, if only to question the present. Are they still content to be these same fun-loving, hard-drinking party guys? Ultimately, as proven by lyrics such as “Shred until you’re dead, or until you break your wrist again” and “We lead thirsty little lives, and all we want’s another,” the answer they come to is a resounding “yes,” but the journey they take to find that answer not only makes it feel earned, but opens Pkew Pkew Pkew to some exciting new songwriting avenues, be it the touching introspection of “Drinkin’ Days” or the surprisingly beautiful nostalgia of “Everything’s the Same” (or even the more raucous nostalgia of “Mt. Alb,” for that matter). Don’t let words like “introspection” and “beautiful” scare you, though -- The Boys still rock as hard as ever, as the wailing, chugging guitars and even a totally rockin’ saxophone solo fully attest to (though I do miss all the gang vocals). And I’d be remiss to not mention “I Wanna See A Wolf,” an absolute songwriting clinic. In only a minute and nineteen seconds, Pkew Pkew Pkew takes a simple statement -- “I wanna see a wolf” -- and unravels it until it reveals a song about longing for freedom from the careers that cage our lives, even when they’re our dream. I don’t know if Pkew Pkew Pkew could have written this song three years ago. Talk about growth.
Highlights: I Wanna See A Wolf, Point Break, Adult Party
3. The Get Up Kids -- Problems
After their most popular record -- 1999’s Something To Write Home About -- the Get Up Kids’ next three albums all went on to be incredibly divisive among their fans. While all three records showed significant creative growth, none really sounded like what came before (personally, I very much enjoyed two of those records -- sorry, There Are Rules -- but I guess I’m not most fans). Problems, though, sounds like the natural evolution of Something To Write Home About without ever feeling derivative of it -- it sounds more like “the Get Up Kids” than anything the Get Up Kids have released in over a decade, which is an incredibly exciting thing let me tell you. Yet, Problems still benefits from everything the band has learned in that time: there’s new introspection (“The Problem Is Me”), a wider storytelling scope (“Lou Barlow”), and a shift from wallowing in their own pain to examining the pain of others (“Satellite,” which Matt Pryor has said is based on one of his sons). Problems also manages to pack in absolute bangers like “Fairweather Friends,” sensitive, tender ballads like “The Advocate,” and mid-tempo jams like “Salina,” a guaranteed future Emo classic that threatens to dethrone the Kids’ own “Central Standard Time” as The Quintessential Emo Song. Problems is the synthesis of just about everything that has ever made the Get Up Kids special, and it not only makes for one of the year’s best albums, but one of the Get Up Kids’ best as well.
Highlights: Fairweather Friends, Lou Barlow, Salina
2. PUP -- Morbid Stuff
The A-Side of Morbid Stuff is perfect -- a legitimately flawless five song stretch of punk rock that continues to blow my mind almost ten months after its release. The unmistakable opening notes of “Morbid Stuff”; that irresistible background riff from the bridge returning in “Kids’” second chorus, combined with some of the most nihilisticly romantic lyrics I’ve ever heard; the raucous sing-along that is “Free At Last”; the purest, most undiluted diss-track of the year in “See You At Your Funeral”; and, finally, the best song of the year bar none, “Scorpion Hill,” a sonic journey through multiple musical genres, telling a story of uniquely American misery that legitimately moves me to tears. The B-Side doesn’t quite live up to these first five tracks -- there’s a couple stand-outs (“Bare Hands” needs to make it into a live set pronto), a couple songs more interesting in concept than execution (sorry, “Full Blown Meltdown”), and a few more perfectly fine, standard PUP tunes (and I swear I don’t mean that as an insult!) -- but, well, how could it ever really have anyway? All together, it still makes for an outrageously enjoyable album that reaches the upper echelons of what 2019’s new music had to offer. That PUP was not only such a terrific band right out of the gate, but has remained so this far into their career, makes me so, so happy.
Highlights: Scorpion Hill, Kids, Free At Last
1. The Menzingers -- Hello Exile
It took me a few listens -- and, truthfully, seeing it played live -- to truly crack this album. At first it was a bit too slow, the vocals a bit too filtered, but once it clicked, I lived and breathed Hello Exile and nothing else for months. The slightly slower pace gives the Menzingers a chance to play around with some new musical tricks, be it the back-and-forth opening or the fun background guitar melodies of “Strangers Forever” or the almost hypnotic vocal melodies in the choruses of “Portland” or “Hello Exile,” and they pay off with great effect. Lyrically the Menzingers are at the top of their game; tracks like “High School Friend” and “Strain Your Memory” are more adept than ever at painting stories that make you nostalgic for a life you never even lived, but absolutely feel like you have, and lines like “it only hurts til’ it doesn’t” hit your heart with sniper-like precision. “Anna” may be the quintessential Menzingers song, a tale of longing, love, and location that drove the entire scene into a frenzy that still hasn’t subsided. “Farewell Youth” is the best closing track the Menzingers have ever released, a song about grief in multiple forms that manages to find poignant takes on each and every one of them. I’m not yet sure whether Hello Exile is the beginning or the end of a chapter for the Menzingers, but either way, it’s clearly an essential and unmissable part of their story, and one I feel privileged to be able to experience.
Highlights: Anna, Strangers Forever, Farewell Youth
#pivitor#the menzingers#pup the band#the get up kids#aaron west and the early twenties#pkew pkew pkew#martha#masked intruder#magazine beach#the early november#radar state
14 notes
·
View notes
Text
Rolling Stone Breakdown
I read part of the article earlier today before work and I could already tell BS was simmering even before I got home and found out about all the over the top het stuff. Knowing this ahead of time, I’m going to go ahead and take notes / rant back at the article as I read it.
BS 101: Intro to BS
paragraph 1: wow this person really wanted to be a bad fanfic writer, but they got stuck at Rolling Stone instead
I’m being petty with this, but just use “One Direction” fully if you’re going to go to the trouble of typing out “One D” instead of “1D”
“he became a canvas onto which many of fans pitched their hopes and dreams” because all fans of boybands (i.e. girls) dream about is romance and that’s the only reason they’re fans, ALSO media like Rolling Stone had nothing to do with Harry being a blank canvas for people to project their image of him onto (*sarcasm)
every mention of After, even a vague one, is -5000 points, every time it’s mentioned normally and not as the dangerous misrepresentation of abuse it is, is -5,000,000 points, every time someone crosses the line by a light-year and talks about it directly to Harry is -5,000,000,000 points, I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them
“a song cycle about women and relationships”, *cough*womanizer BS*cough, ALSO the first single Sign of the Times is clear social commentary with no real (read: not forced to fit that interpretation) hint of romance in sight, so...?
“more of a rock sound”, still pretending that 1D’s last 3 albums never existed
Harry wants his music to be “honest”, now where have we heard that before? Niall, Louis, Zayn with Liam probably soon to follow. It’s almost like they’ve been held forcibly quiet under a gag order...
I’m trying to figure out how I’m supposed to take the comment that Harry “runs every yellow light” and apply it to his persona, I’m stumped (also, you can’t run a yellow btw)
“the album no one has heard is burning a hole in his iPhone”, chill the fuck out with the italics, I know everyone else has talked about that, but you haven’t even mentioned the secrecy around his album in your article so you have no reason to randomly italicize things
Hiatus
“there was another One D member to vector questions into a charmingly evasive display of band camaraderie”, fuck you and your ever so sly implications that the boys’ closeness was manufactured and that the boys never answering anything interesting had to do with the band rather than interviewers incessantly asking the same vapid questions
“It was in a London studio in late 2014 that Styles first brought up the idea of One Direction taking a break”, as @paynoisbatman already pointed out, this timeline of the hiatus makes no sense with the timing of Zayn “quitting”, also it’s inconsistent with the way the boys denied the first round of hiatus articles in June 2015
just to be clear, they probably DID know about the hiatus ahead of time and they WERE lying when they denied the upcoming hiatus in June, and that also means that there’s no reason Zayn should have jumped the gun so close to the finish line (yay mixed metaphors!), I’m just pointing out the story is inconsistent, so all of these things can’t be true
“If you’re shortsighted, you can think, 'Let’s just keep touring,’ but we all thought too much of the group than to let that happen. You realize you’re exhausted and you don’t want to drain people’s belief in you.” <- This is pure 100% lovely, insightful, well spoken Harry
I’d also like to point out that them first discussing it in 2014 means that Harry’s comment about “we all thought too much of the group” applies to all 5
“I love the band, and would never rule out anything in the future. The band changed my life, gave me everything.” I’d like to point out that they always phrase these quotes to sound like past tense, like the band is broken up as of now, when in reality he’s saying that not only will they come back after the hiatus but that he’s in this band for life
“and not just have it be ‘Here’s a demo I wrote.’” you have that chance Harry! Release the finished version of Don’t Let Me Go Harry!
“Every decision I’ve made since I was 16 was made in a democracy.” I feel like someone misspelled “was a rebellion under Simon Cowell and Co’s dictatorship”
Pretentious Character Work or Work on Building Pretentious Character? Ah, got it: Pretentious Work on Building Pretentious Character
“As one of the most well-known 23-year-olds in the world, Styles himself is still largely unknown” not if you’ve actually paid attention over the last 6 years? I mean yes, always to some extent, but it’s not like this insightful, loving dork is a dark mystery
“He looks at my digital recorder like a barely invited guest.” learn to choose useful metaphors and stop being pretentious
dude, I know you did this on purpose, but you said that “Behind the effervescent stage persona, there is more lore than fact. He likes it that way.” and then put the quote about Prince’s artist draw being his mystery right after, making it seem like he that was his reason for wanting to be mysterious, then you quoted “It’s not about trying to make my career longer, like I’m trying to be this 'mysterious character,’ because I’m not.” which directly contradicts the connection you drew with your words, AKA you knew it was BS and made it seem connected anyway
“The pool cleaner looks perplexed, not quite sharing Styles’ existential joy.” there’s nothing existential about it, it’s just a smile, he’s just being nice to people he passes like a good human being, I’m sorry if you don’t know what that looks like
“It’s obvious that the band has a well-worn frat-house dynamic”, do you actually know what you’re talking about or are you going off of stereotypes? if you’re calling it a “frat” and were in a fraternity, your frat was probably stereotypical anyway
“Styles is, to all, ‘H.’” It’s a fricking nickname that his fricking boybandmates also use, not a commentary on his position as the benign and worshipped leader of the Jamaican band cult frat you apparently think formed
“Pomegranate-scented candles flicker around the room.” this I definitely believe, but did you recognize the pomegranate smell right away or specifically look at a candle to find out what it was?
“It was Styles’ first full immersion into the land of musos” I need that staring into the camera Office gif
Music Ideology
“Most of the stuff that hurts me about what’s going on at the moment is not politics, it’s fundamentals,” Styles says. “Equal rights. For everyone, all races, sexes, everything. …” this is a very interesting thing to randomly bring into a conversation without asking, unlike the rest of the article, this bit aligns with Harry’s rainbows in the pics, at SNL, and out and about with fans
“The song is written from a point of view as if a mother was giving birth to a child and there’s a complication.” No, uh-uh, I like the idea personally , but Harry has said ever since MITAM and maybe before that he likes people to be able to have their own interpretation, he said it in interviews about SOTT recently too, I’m not at all convinced Harry wanted to actually share the official story of what the song means, it flies in the face of his philosophy about song interpretation
“The lyrics are full of details and references – secrets whispered between friends, doomed declarations of love, empty swimming pools – sure to set fans scrambling for the facts behind the mystery.” the fact that you put this right after Ever Since New York is laughable, that is a solid contender for the vaguest lyrics that couldn’t possibly be accurately paired up with details of Harry’s life, but you want people to think it’s about Haylor, don’t you
“I’m happy I found this band and these musicians, where you can be vulnerable enough to put yourself out there.” this one is hard because I can see Harry being grateful for a good group of people to write with, but I also don’t believe the implications that he’s never been vulnerable in his writing before or that he couldn’t be vulnerable with his boyband, both are BS, I’m going to say it’s probably a real quote but with suggestive framing
“The album is a distinct departure from the dance pop that permeates the airwaves.” can people please stop pretending that music hasn’t sounded vaguely 70′s and 80′s-ish for the last 4-5 years?
“It’s different from what you’d expect,” Bhasker says. “It made me realize the Harry [in One D] was kind of the digitized Harry. Almost like a character. I don’t think people know a lot of the sides of him that are on this album.” such. utter. BS. Fans know Harry. the general public only doesn’t know him because MEDIA LIKE ROLLING STONE created that “digitized Harry” that’s “like a character”
“Asked if he spends pressure-filled evenings worried about proving credibility to an older crowd, Styles grows animated.” of course he does, sweet child of man that he is, he jumps at the chance to educate heathens like you about the wonderful world of being a decent human being rather than a sexist prick
1D and Zayn
“He’s not a heavy drinker, he says, maybe some tequila on ice or wine with friends after a show, but by the band’s last tour there wasn’t much time even for that.” Oh, ok, we’re still pretending that TMH wasn’t the craziest scheduled tour
“Styles and his phone have a bittersweet, mature relationship – they spend a lot of time apart. He doesn’t Google himself, and checks Twitter infrequently.” ah, but you forgot his lurking on Tumblr
“I mention a few of the verbal Molotov cocktails Zayn Malik has tossed at the band in recent interviews.” print interviews, all print interviews, because you put words in his mouth just like you're doing with Harry
“threading the needle of diplomacy” yeahhhh.... this is all BS, it’s made to sound neutral to make it seem like Harry is only being polite, whether Harry said these words or not, they’re not HIS words
More Pretentiousness
“Styles, born two months before Cobain exited Earth, doesn’t feel tied to any particular genre or era” funny since his 70′s image is being amped up to 11 for his solo debut
“In the car, he’ll just as easily crank up the country music of Keith Whitley as the esoteric blues-and-soul of Shuggie Otis” and now I know where the country bits of MITAM came from, I was wondering
“It’s like – that’s not how it works. I don’t even remember what the question was.” having “It’s quite small” flashbacks
“ ‘Could I get a selfie?’ Styles obliges, and leans over the counter. Click. We exit into the Laurel Canyon evening.” I’m sorry, I can’t stop laughing, but was the onomatopoeia really that necessary?
“River Phoenix,” the man announces, a little sadly. “You ever heard of him? If he hadn’t have passed, I would have said that was you. Talented guy.” sadness, River Phoenix really was such a talented young man, a very worthwhile person based on the roots of his problems too
The Obligatory Origin Story
They share a silent moment, before Styles walks to his car. He hands me the bag filled with English snacks. “This is for you,” he says. “This was my youth …” “Harry Edward Styles was born in Worcestershire, England” great transition dude, I’m sure that was completely organic
“But in fact, all was not perfection, scored to a cool, retro soundtrack.” but I thought it was!
“His eyes moisten a little, but unlike the young man who wept over an early bout with Internet criticism, a powerful moment in the early One Direction documentary A Year in the Making, Styles tonight knocks back the sentiment.” “look, he’s repressing his emotions, this is progress!” I wouldn’t make fun of this if he had phrased it as Harry being stronger or no longer caring about what other people think, but saying he “knock[ed] back the sentiment”?
“I’d gone because my mum told me I was good from singing in the car … but your mum tells you things to make you feel good, so you take it with a pinch of salt.” um... first of all, X-Factor flashbacks, second of all, Harry said that he’d always wanted to audition but had always been too young, so...
“and united the members of One D in a musical shotgun marriage” I’m keeping this imagery, it’s mine, no one can take it away from me now, no takebacksies
Ben Winston Earns His Tag On My Blog
“ ‘Family,’ answers Ben Winston.” who is not Harry’s family
look, I actually think Harry and Niall and maybe the others actually have a friendship with Ben, I can’t understand why, though, when he always participates in BS like this, I will never forgive him for the Livestream of Doom/FOUR Hangout
“There is more chance of me going to Mars next week than there is of Harry having some sort of addiction.” Why are we so focused on Harry not being a drug addict? He’s not, there aren’t even rumors he is, ok, don’t need to talk about it, moving on.
Styles had just moved out of his family home in Cheshire, an inconvenient three hours north of London. He found a home he liked near the Winstons in Hampstead Heath. wtf? revisionist history much? forgetting all 5 boys lived in the same complex right after moving to London much?
“ He became a friendly mentor to Styles, though the friendship was soon tested... Styles asked if he could briefly move in with Winston and his wife, Meredith. She agreed,” Winston says, “but only for two weeks.”... For the next 20 months, one of the most desired stars on the planet slept on a small mattress in an attic.” this is not Harry, Harry would not move in for 20 months after asking for 2 weeks, if he did he would make sure it was ok, if he made sure it was ok, you shouldn’t be talking about it and essentially badmouthing him to the press
also, can we talk about “one of the world’s most desired stars” because as we’ve all talked about before, Harry was 17/18 and being hypersexualized in the press and this is not ok
Winston continues the tales from the attic. “So we had this joke. Meri and I would like to see the girls that you would come back with to the house. That was always what we enjoyed, because we’d be in bed like an old couple. We’d have our spot cream on our faces and we’d be in our pajamas and the door would go off. The stairwell was right outside our door, so we’d wait to see if Harry was coming home alone or with people... He wasn’t always alone,” corrects Winston, “but it was exciting seeing the array of A-listers that would come up and sleep in the attic. het BS *yawn* *snore*
The subject today is relationships. While Styles says he still feels like a newcomer to all that, a handful of love affairs have deeply affected him. The images and stolen moments tumble extravagantly through the new songs: And promises are broken like a stitch is … I got splinters in my knuckles crawling 'cross the floor/Couldn’t take you home to mother in a skirt that short/But I think that’s what I like about it … I see you gave him my old T-shirt, more of what was once mine … That black notebook, you sense, is filled with this stuff. het BS *yawn* *snore*, I’m really going to need to hear these songs for myself, they better not have fucked with his material, the consolation about Zayn’s album was that at least the music and lyrics were unquestionably his
More Specific Het!Harry BS
The relationship is a subject he’s famously avoided discussing. “I gotta pee first. This might be a long one,” he says. He rises to head to the bathroom, then adds, “Actually, you can say, 'He went for a pee and never came back.' ” you think he was being funny, but he really really wasn’t, are you sure he came back? I don’t think he did, I think everything after the bathroom was utter BS
“When I see photos from that day,” he says, “I think: Relationships are hard, at any age. And adding in that you don’t really understand exactly how it works when you’re 18, trying to navigate all that stuff didn’t make it easier. I mean, you’re a little bit awkward to begin with. You’re on a date with someone you really like. It should be that simple, right? It was a learning experience for sure. But at the heart of it – I just wanted it to be a normal date.” ok, maybe not such BS since he’s as vague and general as you can get in the vast majority of this quote, so he’s saying that when he looks at pictures of himself with Taylor, he thinks how he wanted it to be a normal date with Louis, got it
yada yada yada, Harry being way nicer than he should have to be about his name being used by someone who abused his reputation for her own gain, par for the course
I like tipping a hat to the time together. You’re celebrating the fact it was powerful and made you feel something, rather than 'this didn’t work out, and that’s bad.’ huh, this seems like subtle shade to me since one of my biggest complaints is how nearly all her songs are negative, put the blame on the guy, and don’t have her taking any responsibility (even if they are fake relationships)
He notes a more recent relationship, possibly over now, but significant for the past few years. (Styles has often been spotted with Kendall Jenner, but he won’t confirm that’s who he’s talking about.) it was made abundantly clear that even if you believe the narrative, Harry and Kendall are not currently together, yeesh!
“She’s a huge part of the album,” says Styles. “Sometimes you want to tip the hat, and sometimes you just want to give them the whole cap … and hope they know it’s just for them.” mm, nope, still BS, alternatively a quote taken out of context and not about Kendall or even romance at all
Actual Solo Stuff
“Some of the stuff they’re doing in this movie is insane. And it was hard, man, physically really tough, but I love acting. I love playing someone else. I’d sleep really well at night, then get up and continue drowning.” ok, that was clever, good on you Harry
It was the perfect rite of passage for a musician looking to explode the past and launch a future. I thought we agreed that Harry has no issue with his past in a boyband? can you please remember what you already wrote in your own article
He didn’t feel stifled in One D, he says, as much as interrupted. you bet your ass he did, him and Zayn and Niall, interrupting clueless and/or asshole interviewers all day long (I’m sure Louis and Liam have/will do too, just haven’t had the chance yet)
There are songs from that period he loves, he says, like “Olivia” and “Stockholm Syndrome,” along with the earlier song “Happily.” #confirmed
“But I think it was tough to really delve in and find out who you are as a writer when you’re just kind of dipping your toe each time. We didn’t get the six months to see what kind of shit you can work with. To have time to live with a song, see what you love as a fan, chip at it, hone it and go for that” funny that, sounds like someone forced them into a breakneck schedule and then later made big noises about how their hiatus was because they were so overworked and acted like he had nothing to do with that
Ending
To wind down in Jamaica, Styles and Rowland, the guitarist, began a daily Netflix obsession with sugary romantic comedies. Houseworkers would sometimes leave at night and return the next morning to see Styles blearily removing himself from a long string of rom-coms. He declares himself an expert on Nicholas Sparks, whom he now calls “Nicky Spee.” sounds about right for the guy whose favorite movie is Love Actually
Like the time Styles ended up drunk and wet from the ocean, toasting everybody, wearing a dress he’d traded with someone’s girlfriend. yep, sounds about right
oops, fanfic writer made a full return for this paragraph all in present tense, written by someone else as if Harry’s a fictional character
“I think, as a parent, especially with the band stuff, it was such a roller coaster,” he says. “I feel like they were always thinking, 'OK, this ride could stop at any point and we’re going to have to be there when it does.’ this is the second time he’s brought up roller coasters in his solo interviews, it’s a good description for the thing he’s talking about, but I can’t help but think of Zayn’s old Twitter bio and Anne tweeting that bio not long after March 25th
He grabs his black notebook and turns back for a moment before disappearing down the hallway, into the future. I need the Office gif again
“How am I going to be mysterious,” he asks, only half-joking, “when I’ve been this honest with you?” *sarcasm
#one direction#1d#harry styles#solo harry#rolling stone#bakagamieru#speculation#more of an interpretation really#bearding#media#ben winston is an ass
104 notes
·
View notes
Text
K-Drama Review: Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People
Hey everyone! I finished up Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People and am finally reviewing it on my blog- give it a read! I break it down into categories: story/plot, romance, characters, cast/acting, impact, substance, music/OST, and overall impression. This review below has spoilers, but you may read my non-spoiler review here!
[SPOILERS BELOW CUT]
Story/Plot:
The overarching plot was a refreshing presentation of the Joseon era. Rather than focusing on the King and his court, we see life through the eyes of servants; not merely just commoners, but the lowest caste of servants. Of course, later in the drama the King and political struggle are eventually roped in, but the major heroes and focus of this drama are the common people of Joseon rather than the crown prince’s romances *ahem, every Joseon mini-drama ever*.
To put it in simplest terms, the plot isn’t astounding, and I like it that way. Incredibly complex twists (like in Nirvana in Fire per se) would muddy this drama’s brilliance. The straightforward rise in ranks of a commoner and overthrow of a tyrant king isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, but it’s the perfect framework to add complexity through detailed writing and characterization. The way that Ah Mo Gae and the Hong people rise to prominence is interesting, and the comeback of a hero (Gil Dong) after tragedy (Prince Choong Won’s destruction of their town and separation of the siblings) is a classic trope that never seems to get old. The story is nothing new as rebellion results from an overbearing and cruel king, but it’s certainly written carefully and coherently enough to not become trite.
Verdict? The story definitely works.
Romance:
Another plot point I loved was the portrayal of love. The romance was more realistic and practical than most in other dramas. The “love triangle” was so well done that I can’t even call it a love triangle; it was natural and made sense. To elaborate, the first instance of attraction is seen between Gil Dong and Gong Hwa. Gil Dong is taken by her beauty, and loves her regardless of her flaws. The key here is the freedom in their initial relationship, Gong Hwa doesn’t hold back in honesty about her motivations and her past, and Gil Dong isn’t judgmental nor possessive of her. Gong Hwa leaves the parlor despite Gil Dong’s promise to return, but that was her own choice and sacrifice; in the end Gil Dong despairs, but doesn’t blame her, and Gong Hwa chooses to live without regret.
The next phase of romance is between Gil Dong and Ga Ryung. The pure fluff and joy of this pair aside, what I love about this relationship is that their romantic love was preceded by platonic love: caring for each other, recognizing what’s important to each other, and supporting each other. Ga Ryung falls for him first, but it’s not in an unhealthy and obsessive way; she resolves to help him even before he end up loving her back. Rather than desiring to be in love with him, she starts off just loving him for who he is. Once they actually get together, their support for each other is hoenstly just beautiful. Great chemistry, great scenes, and great interactions. Ga Ryung’s devotion to Gil Dong becomes a devotion to his cause, and by the end she would rather sacrifice her life rather than the integrity of Hong Chum Ji’s cause. The only part that could be considered over the top was her plot to avenge her husband, but hey- what kind of sageuk doesn’t have a revenge plot? Honor is on the line here ladies and gentleman!
The additional complexity introduced is between Gil Dong and Gong Hwa after becoming Nok Soo. It’s clear that they still love each other, but they no longer wish to be together. In Gil Dong’s case, he’s moved on after she left him. In Nok Soo’s case, she has decided to let go of the past and stick with her choices. Nok Soo still does everything she can to save Gil Dong, and Gil Dong still wishes to save her from the palace. Love manifests itself in different ways; although marriage and romantic pursuit is most common, things like sacrifice, letting go, respect, and protection from afar still count, and I’d like to see more portrayals of this kind of love rather than pure romance. Now, some viewers may be wondering: “I’m not sure how I feel about Gil Dong still loving Nok Soo after marrying Ga Ryung.” Well, personally, I differentiate polyamory with unfaithfulness. I think Gil Dong’s character is strengthened by his love for others in tandem for his commitment to Ga Ryung. Conflict of emotion is a part of being human; just because Nok Soo abandoned him doesn’t mean he’s vengeful and hateful. Just as Gil Dong is patient and caring of the people of Joseon, he’s patient and caring towards Nok Soo, but that doesn’t make him unfaithful to Ga Ryung. Therefore, I can’t even call this a love triangle because it’s not. I view it as Gil Dong being a decent and caring person without any other agendas.
A special note on romance is the hinted one of Mo Ri’s attraction to Ga Ryung. It seems a little bit thrown in there, but I appreciate Mo Ri’s desire for Ga Ryung to be alive and happy rather than a desire to be her lover.
Verdict? You’ve got fluff, you’ve got a bit of angst, but mostly, you have reality- and this one’s a happy ending (for the main couple at least).
Characters:
As a whole, Rebel really brings it with its amazing characters. As I said earlier in my story/plot section, the plot itself isn’t what is astounding. Swap out any of these characters and the whole immediately becomes weaker. We have Ah Mo Gae, who is strong and intuitive despite being a servant. He fights for his community in a way that is admirable and respectable. We have Gong Hwa/Nok Soo who is resolute in her actions. She makes mistakes and falls into despair, but I admire how she accepts her actions and takes full ownership of her life. The consistency of her character is something more dramas should take note of. Her character is able to remain true to herself without stagnating in development, to grow without losing her sense of self. Lastly, the people of Ilkhwari are simply amazing and lovable characters. They’re not only badass, but a heartwarming family, especially the scenes when they dote on Uh Ri Ni.
Verdict? Characters are well-written so viewers have a solid grasp on who they are and what they want.
Cast/Acting:
In general, I thought the entire cast was phenomenal. Kim Sang Joon’s amazing performance as Ah Mo Gae and Yoon Kyun Sang’s performance as Hong Gil Dong are just wonderful and unnecessary of explanation; from their first appearances you’ll love them. In this section I’m actually going to highlight 2 of my favorites: Honey Lee and Chae Soo Bin.
We’ll start with my absolute favorite: Honey Lee’s portrayal of Nok Soo. First off, a nod to Honey Lee for her ability to convey deep emotion through a song, a facial expression, and even the mere nuance of what I call “acting within acting.” When Nok Soo is in the palace, she has ulterior motives and lies to the King frequently. Honey Lee is able to maintain a semblance of the Gong Hwa the viewers once knew from the kisaeng parlor, while balancing out the obsequious persona she takes on to appease the king. For me personally, a huge measure of acting quality is the the actor/actress’ ability to ascertain who exactly is the character they are assuming and the ability to maintain it. Therefore, when an actress must act as a character who herself is acting/pretending within the show, the actress’ ability to identify with her character is tested, and Honey Lee’s accomplishment of that was perfect. Honey Lee was a captivating as Gong Hwa in the first half of the drama, but absolutely stunning as the multi-faceted Nok Su of the palace. Beyond acting ability, what surpassed my expectations was her commitment to the role. From her singing to her dancing, Honey Lee pretty much convinced me that she was born for this role. From what I read on Soompi, she apparently rehearsed for three months with traditional dancers in preparation for a drum dance scene. That is commitment to a role.
Next is Chae Soo Bin as Ga Ryung. Now, I have absolutely loved her ever since Sassy Go Go and Love in the Moonlight, and this may be slightly biased since I have prayed to the gods ever since for her to finally snag a leading role. Although I am a big fan of hers, I admittedly kept my expectations low since I’ve only seen her as a second female lead in shows directed towards younger audiences. However, she completely blew me away, especially in the last few episodes.
What I appreciate about Chae Soo Bin is that she’s already got the “cute” vibe nailed as someone who’s a younger actress, a solid articulation of melodramatic expression as someone who’s played an antagonist, and the classic spunky heroine attitude that I knew was residing within her. Ga Ryung is character who is meant to be lovable like a younger sister, but absolutely lethal when it comes to fighting for Gil Dong. I’m convinced that only Chae Soo Bin is the only younger actress that could fit this role both before and after time skips. While most actresses of this generation can certainly pull off Ga Ryung’s cute side, Chae Soo Bin draws upon years of antagonist experience to capture post-time skip Ga Ryung’s more mature demeanor and emotional outbursts. Although I preferred Honey Lee’s performance over hersoverall, she certainly suited the role and is taking a step in the right direction. I’m excited to watch her grow and improve and see what she has in store for her next drama!
Verdict? Even though the male characters drive most the story, the female actresses absolutely shine through their respective characters.
“Oomph” factor:
In every drama, there’s a certain highlight. Something about the drama that makes to squeal out loud, smile fondly, spam the “Next Episode” button, or possibly all of the above. I call this the “oomph” factor. While a drama can be amazing overall, certain aspects really pack a punch. For Rebel, the “oomph” factor is found in the song “If Spring Comes.” There are two versions: one by 62-year old Jeon In Kwon with a folksy sound, and one by spunky pop-traditional fusion singer-songwriter Ahn Ye Eun (who actually wrote the song) with a more upbeat vibe. Whether if it’s setting an action scene or playing during the ending credits, it never fails to get me to raise my hands and scream out loud “MANSAE!” during the chorus. As a huge fan of traditional and older music, I live for this kind of modern take on an old genre of music.
youtube
Substance:
This drama is probably the epitome of why I love period dramas. A setting that is removed from the current era, yet still set in a time that once existed, provides a great framework for both excitement and relatability. The relatability comes from the fact that history often repeats itself, allowing modern messages to work in these settings. The excitement comes from the romanticization of the past often seen in sageuks through sword fighting, class struggles, palace intrigue.
First off, this drama conveys political statements that are clearly very applicable to modern day. Officials that may not necessarily want to harm society ultimately do so while pandering to a tyrannical king in effort to secure their own livelihood. Those who are governed only have power over their ruler when they come together. What is right and what is lawful do not necessarily align; law is dictated by those who have power, while morality is decided by the individual.
This drama nails two ideas: justice and morality. Justice is clearly portrayed throughout all of Gil Dong’s fight with the king. Not much elaboration is necessary when talking about a rebel leader fighting to save innocent lives from a violent king. So next is morality. Morality can often be confused with lawfulness. Law in Joseon is meant to maintain order: punish sin, stay in your lane, and don’t cause trouble. Most people can see the merits in order; however, Hong Chum Ji is breaking order left and right, yet he’s a hero nevertheless. Rebel is able to unambiguously draw a line between law and morals. I also really appreciated how Hong Chum Ji evolved from being a vigilante to an idea. Hong Chum Ji isn’t a single person. Hong Chum Ji is a cause, a fight, and a beacon.
Now for the criticism of substance. Here’s where the villains disappoint. Even though the overall drama wasn’t hindered too much by these lackluster villains, better ones could have taken this drama to the next level. I personally enjoyed unequivocally rooting for Gil Dong and his gang; however a next-level drama would have made the villains more convincing. Yes, I understand the Jo family’s motivation of vengeance and their value of class order. However, they seemed more malicious than complex. Yes, I understand Teacher Song following the teachings of Mencius. However, the disappointing part was when I realized that Teacher Song, while following Mencius, was primarily interested in blatantly grabbing power. They touched upon how he was mocked before, but I wasn’t wholly convinced of his side of the story. As for the King, Kim Ji Suk did a phenomenal job portraying his descent into madness, but the way the character was written didn’t do it for me. I’m not quite sure what exactly was behind his method of cruelty and violence. The villains were mostly one-dimensional (especially the prince), but the drama was still amazing in spite of this.
Music/OST:
10/10. Just listen to it. If Spring Comes is legendary. Ahn Ye Eun is legendary. It’s all so good that you’re practically transported into the drama as soon as you hit play.
Overall Impression: 10/10 stars!
Great drama, probably the best sageuk of the past year. It’s certainly more substantial and well-written than a lot of what’s out there right now. It’s fun, exciting, heart-wrenching, and humorous all throughout, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
#rebel: thief who stole the people#rebel hong gil dong#kdrama#review#kdrama review#mp#drama review#drama
5 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
itzy-pitzy
I Just Draw Cartoons Or Other Things I Like :3
h-wordonmain
H-word on main
disc80s
海がきこえる
notjustonefandom1
NotJustOneFandom
youreonyourownkid
how did it end?