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remythologise · 2 years

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kira!! pls share what you're watching atm + if you know what you'll watch next 👀

delightful request anon!!!! I am currently watching:

TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN, OR, WHAT IF WE INVESTIGATED WHY THE VIBES WERE OFF AGAIN LIKE 25 YEARS LATER — watching this VERY slowly because it really does try my patience of needing everything to happen at a good pace and for a storytelling purpose. I skipped through the bad parts of Twin Peaks s2 because I was like I only live so long and well so far The Return certainly is... more of the same. I definitely think it's a fun reference point for the X-Files (and subsequently Supernatural) etc. in terms of influence but it is still frustrating to me, as a show-watching experience.

THE TERROR, OR, WHAT IF WE MADE A TV SHOW ABOUT THE ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS THAT GOT LOST AND NEVER RETURNED AGAIN AND FOR SOME REASON PEOPLE WENT YEAH I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TERROR AND MISERY IN MY LIFE I'LL WATCH THAT — I am watching this with friends and I'm sure it's very gay or whatever and probably the best piece of horror media made but honestly the threat of mass death due to inaction despite looming doom is too real for me at this present time. Also I kind of think the slightly problematically Noble-Savage-linked supernatural being attacking them is totally unnecessary as a device like girl they're facing enough death and danger due to their own stupidity. Watch in a well-lit room and then watch a poppy kdrama immediately after. Also do NOT google image search 'the terror' there's real mummified corpses out there :/ GUARDIAN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD ("GOBLIN"), OR, WHAT IF THIS ONE LEGENDARY WARRIOR WASN'T ALLOWED TO DIE UNTIL HE MET HIS 'BRIDE' AND ALSO A GRIM REAPER WAS HIS ROOMMATE — I think I tagged my thoughts on this somewhere but here they are again: the lead girl in this is WAY too young for my liking and it's throwing me off the whole show. Which is a real shame because the leading men are sensational, as is their chemistry. The female lead is ostensibly 19 but she's still in high school and spiritually FEELS like 16 or younger in terms of how she acts and the male lead is literally called out as looking like he's mid-30s by her (and he's immortal!) so like... it's not even an Edward Cullen situation where he LOOKS younger or is more immature. I'm very bitter that this show isn't about the enemies-to-and-they-were-roommates no-memories-vs-too-many-memories romance between the grim reaper and the goblin because that relationship is so much more engaging and I'm not just saying that because I love to see gay subtext (which there is also a lot of.) I'll stick with it because I very rarely skip through or give up on shows (despite skipping through twin peaks, a rare exception), but we'll see. Still early days, I'm only on episode three! THE DEVIL JUDGE, OR, WHAT IF WE WERE IN A DYSTOPIA NOT UNLIKE OUR OWN REALITY AND YOU WERE THE STAR OF A REALITY JUDGING SHOW TO PERSECUTE CRIMINALS AND RESTORE FAITH IN THE JUSTICE SYTEM AND I WAS YOUR FOR-LOOKS-ONLY ASSISTING JUDGE SECRETLY INVESTIGATING YOU HAHA UNLESS...? — well! I've only just started this show and I'm on episode three but I AM HAVING A FUN TIME. Absolutely suffers from what seems like a very common kdrama three episode rule where the first episode was confusing but then REALLY picked up and now I'm hooked. I mean I literally just watched the heroine-coded hero save the evil-seeming byronic hero from a bomb and then wake up in his bed in his gothic mansion with creepy servant and girl in a wheelchair while he's basically trapped there and the titular Devil Judge undresses him and tends to his wounds and so on. 10/10 gay catholic symbolism gothic horror romance law crime class war dystopia it's a double thumbs up from me so far. SEMANTIC ERROR, OR, TALENTED GRAPHIC DESIGNER FUCKS WITH EXTREMELY SERIOUS ROBOT-LIKE PROGRAMMER, PROGRAMMER GETS REVENGE, THEY FALL IN LOVE WHILE WORKING ON A STUDENT PROJECT TOGETHER— mainstream kdrama may not have (canon) lead gay romance but that doesn't stop webseries from doing so! this one is very cute although it definitely doesn't have the plot or production quality of a mainstream tv show it's still very watchable and pretty. A fun lunchtime watch with a shorter run-time even if the type of 'group project' work hits wayyyy too close to home for me.

THE UNTAMED, OR, I HAVEN'T WATCHED ENOUGH OF THIS SHOW TO SUMMARISE IT BUT I KNOW IT'S GAY, I KNOW IT — I have only seen 4 episodes of this show and I KNOW it's going to hit and everyone adores it but I haven't been able to get into it. I know the beginning is universally confusing but I also feel like I'm saving it for a bit and then I'll try to watch it again. Having said that I did watch ten minutes on the train just today until it got to Wei Wu Xian looking at Lan Wang Ji (Lan Zhan? WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE LIKE THREE DIFFERENT NAMES) naked in a stream and I was like well that's not fit for public transport.

and I have just watched: MOON KNIGHT, OR WHAT IF EVEN OSCAR ISAAC CAN'T SAVE MARVEL FROM MEDIOCRITY — Honestly the less said about this the better. You will never be Yu-Gi-Oh!!!! CRASH LANDING ON YOU, OR, WHAT IF A SOUTH KOREAN MILLIONAIRE MET A NORTH KOREAN SOLDIER AND THEY FELL IN LOVE — Best rom com I've ever seen quite frankly like 11/10 it WAS a bit cheesy for me at times but by god that's what it's about! Really tremendous and makes you believe in the power of heterosexual love. The supporting cast is also SO amazing as is their dynamic. I laughed, I cried, I give this 5/5 stars. BEYOND EVIL, OR, WHAT IF YOU WERE THE MURDERER I WAS INVESTIGATING AND I WAS ALSO INVESTIGATING YOU AND WE BOTH SPIDERMAN POINTED FINGERS AT EACH OTHER UNTIL WE FELL IN LOVE — 11/10. Gay as hell. Go watch it.

And I have been recommended to watch in future, or want to watch:

Slings and Arrows, MASH, Heaven's Official Blessing, Word of Honour, Hotel Del Luna, It's Okay To Not Be Okay.

Annnnd I didn't even put anime on this list but frankly nothing particularly interesting or worthy this season or last EXCEPT:

TIGER AND BUNNY: S2, OR, WHAT IF WE GOT A SECOND SEASON OF THE BEST GAYBAIT SUPERHERO ROMANCE OF ALL TIME — Ugh SO mad this season wasn't as stellar as S1 was and also wild that the production quality has not massively improved since 2011. Anyway in 2011 this was revolutionary but in 2022 it's not pushing boundaries enough (making them canon gay) or like doing much (a plot or villains that is interesting) but it's not totally hopeless (ryan is there) and it's still very entertaining viewing if you're a fan it's nice just to see the gang together (even if the new characters literally are pointless and add nothing and their character design is SO uncreative on a historically creative show and—) anyway. Pity Netflix dropped this all at once it's really suffering for it but I suppose we'll get a second half of the season regardless of ratings.

#kira for ts #ask #anonymous #days where you really hope the read more works.#also I didn't add recent shows like severance our flag means death etc. because frankly this was already too long. thanks for tolerating #my thoughts as always #I actually somehow hit character limits on some of these blocks. rip didn't even know that could happen

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zerobaseonefics · 1 year

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venom my dear you're definitely not dramatic for complaining about people not respecting your boundaries!!! some people on this app are just so disrespectful and inconsiderate it's aweful💀💀 you have every right to be upset! honestly the only thing you can do about it is just delete those asks sadly 💔

and sung hanbin as 20th century girl dude?? bro you're SO RIGHT. i loved that movie i was SOBBING when i finished it😭 i was soooo upset oh my lord😤 but this scene where he went on the rollercoaster with her even though he was scared shitless was soooo CSKJWPEJIW that was very hanbin me thinks. (COUGH maybe you can add that in blooming day it'd be so cute)

i haven't watched cheese in the trap nor weightlifting fairy kim bokjoo, but I've seen some bokjoo clips on tiktok and gyuvin definitely fits this role sm. he'd do SOOO well as a silly main lead🤧

i literally have no idea about yujin hold on.... he could be the lead in he is psychometric?? yeah idk he'd fit a kdrama with a highschool setting the most (i wonder why)

AND ALSO THOSE LOOKBOOK SNEAK PEAKS. seok matthew holy moly i'm on my KNEES he's so handsome 💥💥💥💥 i love mattchu and woohyun sm🤬

btw you're so right for biasing park gunwook. i still remember when i watched the first episode of bp and i thought "wow he's scary and handsome wth" and i searched him up AND HE WAS 2005 LINER????? i was SO flabbergasted that i fell off my bed, seriously 😪

-anonymous anon 💗 (this emoji looks so much prettier on discord)

honestly i don't really mind ppl requesting when i said it's closed. what sucks about this is that i have to say no. but what's really pissing me off is ppl dropping nsfw links like 💀 no i don't want to watch your p0rn rec wtf

FUN FACT ABOUT THIS SCENEJKJZDJN when i watched the movie i couldnt find it in korean...... so i had to watch the film with french dubs 💀 SO THE SCENE WAS JUST SOO CRINGE WITH THE FRENCH VOICE I AM TRAUMATIZED

i don't have an idea for him either...... tbh i feel like we haven't seen much of his personality during boys planet so i don't know how to picture him in anything. hope we'll have content soon so we can get to know the kid better

bRO I SAW THEM WHEN I WOKE UP AND I WAS GAGGED THEY ALL LOOK SO GOOD?????

gunwook . i knew him from wild idol but he changed in boys planet i was so surprised 💀 i'm so glad he debuted he was my fav since the beginning <3

#zerobaseonefics #the anonymous anon

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eohachu · 2 years

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@yibo-wang, @rose-nebulijia, and @aheartfullofjolllly tagged me to post my favourite gifsets of this year – here we go:

kdrama — this my country gifset bc it was a challenge to colour and i just love this scene

film — this set from sami blood bc it was also a nice challenge and i tried something new with the colours there

cdrama — honestly i think i peaked with this set, i will never make anything as perfect as this probably (that’s how i see it)

cfilm — ok ok y’all convinced me, this set is actually good even if i didn’t see it at first <3

thai drama — this second season does not exist (shut up it doesn’t) but this gifset does and i liked these moments

vietnamese media — look i cannot decide so here goes 1 2 3

kpop — gonna promote this bc it never showed in the tag but i spent a lot of time on it RIP

thank you for the tag lovelies 🥰 tagging: @weiwuxian @evakant @snowoos @lanzhanshands @rinielle

#tag game #gifmaker appreciation #r.txt

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blrush · 3 years

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Rec List Request

A personalised list for @jammy-boy 🥰 could be of interest to others, so enjoy!

Basic requirements: - just finished and loved SOTUS - is Arthur/Merlin trash - loves a twist or reversal of classic “power-dynamic” - loves angst with happy ending ______________________________

Theory of Love

Film student Third (Gun) has been secretly in love with his best friend Khai (Off) for three years, but Khai is straight, a massive player, and a total arsehole if we’re being honest. This starts painful, but then they start playing around with tropes and expectations and then it changes POV which just HITS so hard and completely changes your whole perception. You know the movie Flipped? It references that, and then does the flip - so good.

Knowing the level of pining, pain and angst that you love (plus your background in film studies) I feel like this is required viewing. Get out the tissues. But also, it’s still really funny and cute/dumb (cause gmmtv) and the production was excellent. Also, Off/Gun are PEAK natural chemistry and Gun is such an incredible actor that watching him cry or yell at someone is still preferable to other actors being happy.

Watch on YouTube HERE

He’s Coming To Me

Precious baby boi Singto plays Med, a ghost, who is is stuck in limbo for 20 years - until he meets a boy who can see him, Thun (my baby boi Ohm) who promises to help him figure out his unfinished business and cross over. And then they were roommates! And then they start falling in love and it’s ANGSTY because they know Med will have to leave one day. Ouch, my heart.

You will enjoy the mixture of domestic fluff and tragic angst in this. But don’t worry it has a happy ending (kind of, I think, from memory haha). Also, you will enjoy the fact that they can’t touch (cause, ghost) which is *chefs kiss* except for moments of heightened emotions when Thun’s powers become strong enough that he can touch Med (FUCK YES, THIS TROPE IS EVERYTHING)

After much whining from fans, they put it up on Youtube haha so watch HERE.

Until We Meet Again

ANNGST. RE.IN.CAR.NA.TION. ANGST. What else do you need to know?!?! Reincarnated soulmates trope?!!? HELLO!?!? It’s so beautiful. I’m still not over it. And yes it has a happy ending, it starts super sad, then ends up super fluffy and the romantic fluffy moments oh god it’s so romantic. I know you love like soft domestic food sharing etc - this show is ALL about the cooking.

The casting, the characterisation, the acting, the story, the music, even the friendship group and the side-couple, it’s perfection *chefs kiss* PERFECTION

Watch on youtube HERE

A Tale of A Thousand Stars

After the lovely volunteer teacher Torfun dies (RIP poor torfun) in a tragic accident, her heart is transplanted into selfish pretty rich boy Tian (played by the beautiful Mix). After learning of her selfless character, he feels guilt and shame for living (the angst is very real) and makes it his mission to complete her life’s wishes and follow in her footsteps.

As the new village volunteer teacher, he then falls in love with the very handsome and very shirtless chief Phupha (Earth), who lives to protect the trees, we stan an environmental man. Angst, fluff, complications, and many miscommunications ensue. I was tearing my hair out by the end of this show. Yes, it has a happy ending (eventually). Earth x Mix was a pairing we did not know we even wanted or needed until this show happened and now I cry every time I see a picture of them together. Every single time Phupha looks at Tian in this show I literally tear up. HE LOVES HIM SO MUUUUUCHHH *crying again*

Watch on youtube HERE

I Told Sunset About You

Childhood best-friends, turned enemies (for stupid kid reasons), to lovers. This is ANGSTY but so fucking beautiful it’s ridiculous. I wouldn’t even class this as “BL” because it doesn’t have any of the standard tropes, and there’s no silly sound-effects or innuendo jokes. This is like genuine lgbt+ indie-film realness. You can honestly just watch it for the cinematography and the music. The AESTHETIC of this show is what truly makes it special. The symbolism, the colours, this show said CINEMA. And the sexual tension is absolutely WILD. You will live for the angst (with a happy ending). And no, do not bother watching season 2, it’s perfect as a stand-alone mini-series. (I’m still upset).

Watch HERE

and now for some stand-out non-Thai series...

Where Your Eyes Linger

Korea has gotten on the BL train, and has now made a whole bunch of viki mini-series that are all cute but this one is right up your alley. This is VERY merthur. It’s literally servant/master, bodyguard/prince trope. But, I thought the characterisation was nicely thought out and wasn’t what I was expecting. The tension is palpable, the angst is juicy, and the soft kdrama vibes are cheesy and wonderful. Angst with a happy ending (of course).

Watch on VIKI

HIStory 3: Trapped

So the Taiwanese HIStory series has been around forever, and I love the whole series (History 2: Crossing The Line is my all time fav). But for youuuu, I think the most appropriate is Trapped. Police detective single-mindedly obsessed with a gang leader? Yes please. But whatever power-dynamic expectations you would have of a police/criminal couple are twisted and warped immediately! This series is so endearing, it’s mostly comedy/action, and whilst it has plenty of angst, mostly it’s just CUTE as fuck. Also the side couple are adorable too!

The whole History series is on Viki now yay!

The Untamed

Look, I KNOW 50 episodes of plot-heavy chinese historical fantasy is a lot. But there’s a reason this show was soooo popular. It only took me like 3 attempts and a whole ass “guide” pdf to figure out what the fuck was happening in the first ep cause its non-linear. But, if you are in the right mood (ie; sick, or in lockdown) and need something to get completely LOST in for like a week, then watch this haha. I know you couldn’t make it through Guardian, but maybe this one will hit the spot.

This has all the angsty character tropes you live for. And cause it’s censored, there’s no actual romance, so instead it’s just the best kind of UST, character driven, emotional soulmate angst. To summarise: Wei Wuxian is; adopted, a trouble-maker, impetuous, head-strong, fun-loving, has a martyr complex and wants to save everyone. Meanwhile, Lan Zhan is; lawful good to a fault, stoic, shy, and has a martyr complex about saving Wei Wuxian and Wei Wuxian ONLY. Now throw them into the middle of supernatural / political turmoil and see what happens. Well I’ll tell you what happens, Wei Wuxian becomes the “villain”, gets killed, and Lan Zhan spends 16 years looking for him. FUCKING KILL ME OKAY. (No, that’s not a spoiler it happens in the first episode haha)

Do NOT watch on Netflix the subs are trash. Watch on Youtube or Viki

~ ~ ~

This list may seem long but I was VERY reserved in my selection okay you have no idea how tiny this tip of the iceberg is 😂

Also, knowing your love of no-touching, tension, and angst. I would also briefly draw your attention so School 2013 in my bromance list which is the single most angsty show about friendship ever made.

Enjoy!

#rec list #bl series #thai bl #taiwanese bl #chinese bl

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cocogukkie · 3 years

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2020 in review: kdramas (the heart fluttering, the disappointing, the saviors of 2020)

it’s december 31st! the new year is quite literally upon us (some of y’all are already in 2021) and my procrastinating self has chosen to upload this today. i’ve always loved these rec lists and I wanted to do one for 2020! this year was a rollercoaster for kdramas with some excellent ones and some not so excellent ones. i watched all of these in 2020 but not all of them were released in 2020.

if you want to use my questions to make your own list please do!! or give your favs in the tags, i’d love to read them. (fair warning, some of these have multiple answers bc i just can’t choose one!!)

drama that made me laugh

When The Camellia Blooms (2019)

i finally got around to watching when the camellia blooms this year and it. was. so. funny. oh my goodness, the comedic timing in so many scenes was pure excellency and im kinda mad at myself that i didn’t watch this last year. this isn’t just a comedy for those who are interested, its a thriller/romance but its also so fucking funny. definitely watch this if you want to laugh (and be touched bc the emotional scenes in this one are beautiful)

drama that made me cry

Sweet Home (2020)

hahah….. um this one is gonna go to sweet home friends. i went into this one with zero expectations and the first couple episodes didn’t really wow me? but i kept watching and holy shit fam. this show really picks up story-wise around ep 4 and makes the viewer love a lot of these initially unlikable characters. all i can say is that the end was devastating for me and i cried quite a bit. (warning, there are a lot of mature themes in this one so make sure you look for trigger warnings or send me an ask and i’ll list them all out for you)

best OST

Itaewon Class (2020)

i loved the ost for itaewon class!! the music is just so inspirational and pump up music, its so good. my favorites are ‘you make me back’ by woosung and ‘start’ by gaho.

drama with chemistry royalty (aka the best couple)

i have three for this one because i just cannot choose one.

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)

we recognize this one as one of the best things to come out of 2020. go moon young and moon kang tae have some of the best chemistry i have ever seen in a drama couple. i waited on the edge of my seat every single week for the next couple of episode just so i could fawn over these two. they work so well together, lift each other up, and so fucking funny together and support one another. while they’re not the chillest couple (lmao) they’re most certainly one with the most personality. they’re so cute and bicker and they just get each other. who could ask for more.

Flower of Evil (2020)

our badass mom and dad 😭😭. this was another peak drama that came out this year and our married partners-in-crime-but-not-really had amazing chemistry. baek hee sung and cha ji won were so cute as a married couple but they were even more precious later on in the drama after certain things unfolded (no spoilers). they both just get each other and protected one another as well as on the most precious kdrama children this year, their daughter eunha. they were so wholesome, flower of evil is so very worth a watch.

Into The Ring (2020)

this was one of the more underappreciated kdramas of the year but hoo buddy was the main couples chemistry top notch. they were so friggin cute and i just couldn’t. goo se ra is highkey one of the best female characters i’ve ever seen, she’s absolute chaos, lawful chaos, but chaos nonetheless. her other half, seo gong myung is opposite from her as lawful neutral. he’s just along for the ride that is se ra and loves her. they’re both so very fond and protective of each other and back each other up!! very very cute and you’ll definitely replay more than a couple of their scenes together.

most disappointing

Record of Youth (2020)

it’s sad but true… i went into this one with so much hope and excitement (i was riding off that ‘psycho but its okay’ high) and i was vastly disappointed. the plot mostly focused on the male lead, and there wasn’t much characterization for the female lead which i didn’t like. honestly, i only cared about maybe 3-4? characters in the whole drama. the rest were absolutely terrible or plain boring and i ended up skipping eps 14 and 15 and just watched the finale. i would not recommend tbh.

drama you can’t really get through

Crash Landing on You (2019)

this one is absolutely on me, i want so badly to love this one. but i just… can’t seem to get past ep 2? i’ve tried!! i swear, but i just cannot get through it. maybe in 2021, i can try again and i’ll enjoy it more.

drama everyone else liked but was meh

Kairos (2020)

i though kairos was a bit predictable tbh. i know those of us who did end up watching it really liked it but maybe its because i watch so many crime/mystery shows that this one didn’t really do it for me. the writing is quite solid and everything connects well, i would recommend that those who don’t really watch thrillers, to watch this one. (also the friendship between the female lead and her two friends is suuuper cute and worth it alone to watch kairos)

favorite romance

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)

yeah… this one wins again lol. what can i say, i just loved it so much and the main theme of the show is romance (its also a comedy and a mental health/healing drama) all i can say is watch this if you haven’t yet, its definitely worth it!!

favorite mystery

Memorist (2020) & Watcher (2019)

i really enjoyed these two mystery dramas. both were super fun to watch and very kinda unique in their own ways. i liked memorist because it was lowkey funny and i liked the relationships between the characters, but most importantly i couldn’t guess the main antagonist by the end! i really thought i knew who it was and then i was completely wrong lmao. watcher was also very good, the main trio had really good chemistry and i really cared about all the characters. (also i’ll never say no to watching seo kang joon) plus the plot twists threw me a bit at the end which is always a feeling i welcome, i love being surprised and wrong (as long as it makes sense)

favorite slice of life

Hospital Playlist (2020)

oh my goodness, i was late to the hospital playlist party and i regret it because this show is so. so. good. its just a slice of life following 5 friends who are doctors and work at the same hospital together but its so much more than that. this is honestly one of the first shows i’ve seen that are optimistic? in the show, every time i thought a plot was going to play out a certain way (usually negatively, as tends to be life unfortunately) it surprised me by taking the more optimistic wholesome route. characters in subplots changed for the better, became more understanding, chose to do the right thing, etc. if you want a feel good drama where the main characters have wonderful platonic chemistry and just care about each other but is also super funny, watch hospital playlist!! (season 2 is coming out early 2021 and im so pumped)

favorite fantasy

The Untamed (2019)

this one is a cdrama but i watched it in 2020, mostly because of how many people on the internet were adamant that the rest of us watch this and ngl they were v right. the untamed was very very good and im really glad i gave it a chance and watched it, its also my first cdrama ever. the chemistry between the male leads is honestly what makes this show and its worth the 50? i think? episodes. to be completely honest the fanfiction for the show are peak and if you do watch this, go straight to ao3 and you will not be disappointed.

dramas that saved 2020

The Uncanny Counter (2020) & Run On (2020)

these two dramas are among those that started airing at the end of the year and will go into the beginning of 2021 and absolutely saved the end of 2020 for me. while neither of these are finished, both have been excellent so far and worth starting. uncanny counter has the best use of the found family trope i have ever seen. i fucking love the four counters and their relationship with each other, how protective they are of one another. they all have amazing chemistry and the actors have amazing chemistry in the making films.

run on has one of the cutest couples that will definitely make my best chemistry list for next year. i didn’t put them on this list bc they actually haven’t gotten together yet but once they do, they’re gonna be freaking adorable, i can already tell. there’s no specific grand events propelling the plot forward, but just following the lives of these unique, interesting and relatable people who have casual yet entertaining conversations with each other. the show is super soft and the main couple are so straightforward and honest (plus theres mutual pining!!)

best dramas of the year

here are my best dramas (and one movie) watched this year, no further explanation given lolol. just watch them and enjoy because these are fucking excellent in the feels department. trust me 💞

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)

Flower of Evil (2020)

Itaewon Class (2020)

Hospital Playlist (2020)

One Spring Night (2019)

Midnight Runners (2017)

Hot Stove League (2019)

I hope this gives you some fun stuff to watch!! or convince you to start that drama in your watchlists!

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katierosefun · 3 years

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i originally had a september wrap-up post queued but then tumblr fucking ate it, which made me very angry because i didn’t want to re-type the whole thing, but i’m procrastinating, so here i am, re-typing the whole thing of all the things i watched/consumed over the month of september, even if it’s a little late: (it’s fine, i didn’t watch a whole ton of stuff except...a lot of kdramas lmao. oh, and visions.)

k-dramas:

beyond evil

okay, so i think this has been on my rec list for literally forever now, but...besties, i’m on my fifth watch of this goddamn show in the span of maybe two months, so if that doesn’t tell you how much this show has been a comfort/eating my brain lately, idk what will.

i literally never shut up about this show, but if you’ve somehow been missing from my blog for a little bit, a quick summary: lee dong sik (played by the ever-wonderful shin ha kyun) was accused of murder + kidnapping a few young women, including his own twin sister 20 years ago. he’s lived a pretty quiet life on his own, and now 20 years later, his whole world is turned upside down again when hotshot new inspector han joo won (played by the talented yeo jin goo) comes into this little town. when the murders start up again, these two are thrown into a hellishly complex mystery. will throw you in for a hellish loop. i think my thoughts best summarize this show as come for the murder mystery, stay for whatever the hell joo won and dong sik have.

okay, but all joking aside about how much i love joo won and dong sik (because...i truly do love them), this show was incredibly healing. once again: this show has quickly become a comfort show, basically to the point where i just watch it whenever i feel down (which happens to be a lot these days). idk man. humans aren’t meant to carry burdens on their own and all that stuff. sometimes u just need to remind yourself that.

the crowned clown

so, after watching beyond evil the fourth time, i realized that maybe i wanted to watch some of the actors’ other works. that was how i found myself watching the crowned clown, which...is an excellent kdrama now available on netflix (also on viki for free, just as beyond evil is). honestly, it’s been a hot second since i’ve watched historical dramas (saeguks), so i was a little unsure what to expect, but this show. bro. this show reminded me just how much i love historical dramas, because the court politics? the costumes? the music? the acting? fantastic.

basically, this show is about the young clown (ie. performer) ha seon (played by yeo jin goo) who now has to replace the king, who might be like...two seconds away from snapping (if he hasn’t already). the reason they’re able to do this is because they look exactly identical despite not being related.

this story is honestly wonderful. i loved it, and it’s an interesting way to look at the story behind the actual king (because. apparently this king was a real person, and i think his story has inspired quite a few other korean movies/shows). i thought yeo jin goo was brilliant in this show, and it’s really no surprise he became the youngest person ever nominated for a baeksang award because of this series. i was truly blown away by just how versatile he proved to be of an actor, and his dynamics with the other characters (the queen, the secretary being my fave, as well as the old eunuch jo), i just...bro. i’ll admit i wasn’t the biggest fan of the romance (don’t get me wrong! it was sweet!), but i think that might have been because this was so court politics heavy, and i adored it for that. if you’ve never watched a historical drama but want to and just don’t know where to start, i highly recommend this.

d.p.

bro....this show was dark. i watched it all in 2 days (pretty easy to do, considering it’s 6 episodes and maybe 40-50 minutes long per episode), and i needed to lie down. this is just one of those shows that i feel is...very important to watch, even if the content matter isn’t very bright.

basically, dp is about two deserter pursuit officers: ahn jun ho (played by jung hae in) and han ho yul (played by koo kyo hwan). deserter pursuit officers are basically people who chase after people who deserted their military post--and for those who don’t know, being in the military is mandatory for men in south korea. this is the result of the armistice between the north and the south--basically, since north korea never agreed to an actual peace treaty, south korea is constantly under threat of war, which is why men need to serve at least a few years. (this is why a lot of actors + kpop band members often take breaks from their careers--to fulfill their military service time. because yup, even celebrities aren’t exempt from service!)

anyways, this show really doesn’t pull back their punches. major trigger warnings for things like intense harrassment, suicide, domestic violence...it really does capture just how dark life can be, and also how toxic the military can be for men. because of that, i felt this show was incredibly well-crafted, incredibly nuanced, and in the end, i just felt sad. that said though, there was a hopeful ending, and i’m glad that this show was renewed for a second season, as i think this show is just...really important.

squid game

okay, so i don’t want to be that person, but your girl was watching squid game right after it came out, so i was here before the hype train--but okay, okay, i digress. (i am glad that this show is getting hype. i feel it’s very important that people watch this show.)

if you haven’t noticed how squid game’s climbed to #1 on netflix worldwide (i think, anyways), well, then...buddy. squid game is about a bunch of people who have the chance to earn lots of money by playing what seems like innocent children’s games. (spoilers: they are far from innocent.)

this show scarred me, to be honest. i needed to watch something lighthearted after this, just because it was so intense. lots of trigger warnings for blood and gore, as well as just. losing faith in humanity. but also, like dp, i felt this show was necessary. it was incredibly well-constructed in that it showed just what desperate people will do in order to survive, as well as exactly what a terrible capitalistic society will do to the working class. it’s depressing and sad, but also incredibly chilling because like. you can’t help but watch the characters and think, but would i do the same thing? i just want to pay off my own debt and take care of my family. wouldn’t i do the same thing?

i won’t say more of this show for fear of spoilers, but. let me just say. that i really am glad this show exists. i hope people actually notice what the fuck it’s saying about our current system too, because hm, maybe i just want to suck the fun out of things, but there’s something very disturbing about how people are already cute-ifying this show (ie. “this is what i would wear to the squid games! :D” and “look at these squid-game inspired cookies! :D”, as if this show didn’t just deliver a heart-crushing message about capitalism + how the wealthy fuck over anyone who isn’t the 1% BUT ANYWAYS)

star wars: visions

lately i’ve been feeling weird about star wars for lots of different reasons which i don’t particularly feel like addressing today, but. visions really reminded me why i fell in love with star wars in the first place. i think for starters, well. it’s no surprise when i say that i felt an intense amount of joy of seeing east asian cultures so beautifully incorporated and respected in this show (no surprise seeing that this show was literally crafted by japanese anime studios), but like. it really was. a beautiful thing. i cried at least once per episode, either because i was so in awe of the animation and the themes or because i was just in awe that this thing exists.

i think my favorite episode had to be the village bride--there was something so incredibly powerful about seeing someone who looked a bit like me say i am a jedi. what an iconic line. what an iconic story about a sad traumatized gal deciding to step up and fight, actually. peak star wars.

but besides all that...i really did feel like...this show captured the beauty and essence of what makes star wars actually good. the themes of good versus evil, a lot of stuff between siblings (bro....the twins and lop and ocho FUCKED ME UP), choosing to have brighter and better days ahead (the village bride, the ninth jedi, the duel, tatooine rhapsody)...like, i really loved how each episode really took everything that was good about star wars and just turned it into something even more beautiful. this series will stay with me for a long time, i think--and i am very grateful for the people involved in this project for reminding me why i fell in love with this universe in the first place. :”)

#caroline recs #a few days late but here it is!

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vivalavi-daa · 3 years

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Fav 2020 K-Dramas

1. Hospital Playlist

If there's anything I felt happy about in 2020, it's the fact that I've found my next ultimate fav kdramas. More than another, this kdrama feels like a home I could return to every time. Yes, hospital playlist is a slice of life drama that portrays the lives of people in hospital, but there's something about it that is so captivating to watch. I love how it realistically portrays the adults' daily lives & has no major villain of the story that heats things up whatsoever. Instead, I find it easy to emphatize with every character here, even with a patient who appears less than 5 minutes because this kdrama taught us that every life is worth it. And the friendship of the professors... it really has the power to bring joy & warmth to me.

(I also made a post about hospital playlist's characters study on my side blog. Here, if you’re interested).

2. Flower of Evil

Stories that revolve around someone who isn't capable of having emotions aren't nothing new in kdrama land. But this one, especially, is a gem. This one kept me on the edge of my seat because of how nerve wracking some of the scenes are. The suspenseful dramas, the mysteries, the romance...they're all so engaging to watch. I wasn't sure what to expect from the lead character and therefore it's exciting to see what was going to happen & to see how the characters would develop. And to be noted, I swear the cast who played the villain here gives off really scary vibes. He deserves an award for that alone

3. Mr. Queen

I'm not usually a big fan of Saeguk drama and yet here I am putting one on my fav kdrama list. I watched it merely to ease my boredom but then I surprised myself of how much I enjoyed this kdrama. The opening video was appealing & I love how entertaining Mr. Queen was. It became my weekly dose of serotonin (though it gets angsty at times). I thought the story's gonna be weird since it's about a man trapped in a woman's body in joseon era but heck, it was worth it; hilarious, and delicious (yeah, the cooking part) to watch. I've always known Shin Hye Sun is great at acting, but she truly nailed it in this one I swear.

4. 365: Repeat the Year

This drama is gold! It has a promising premise, and the rest of the story went better than I expected. It just never let me down. I thought it's merely about a time travel story, but turns out it's more than that. I never knew what to expect & every time I thought I figured something out, they always have a way to throw a surprise every week. This drama deserves more recognition imo.

5. When the Weather is Fine

This drama is a pleasant to eyes and heart. Watching it is like having a warm tea during winter days. I wasn't truly engaged with the first eps, but I slowly began to see how beautiful & heartwarming this drama is. Yes, the story pace is a bit slow, but I realized that it's important to make us understand each character deeply, what they suffer from, and how the characters slowly develop. It shows us that the journey toward emotional healing may take time, but it's worth it. Choosing to heal itself is a big step & deserves an appreciation. Another thing I highly praise from this drama is how it implicitly reminds us that if we do suffer emotionally, don't be afraid to ask for help, or to let someone help you.

6. Tale of the Nine Tailed

From the first moment I knew who would cast in this drama and what the drama is about, it's obvious that I'd love it. And I was right. The first eps had already got me hooked. The stories were amazing & funny at times. It has unique lovable characters that complete the drama. In addition, I love the mystical fantasy vibes and how they wrapped up urban legends in modern settings. Not to mention how adorable Kim Bum's character here. He & Lee Dong Wook's bromance is to die for.

7. Do You Like Brahms?

I watched it by chance, and then I fell in love the instant I watched the first eps. The drama is just beautifully done. It has soothing music & ambience and mainly revolves around good people. It's appealing how they portrayed the different perspectives between the lead couple--one who doesn't have talent but works hard to achieve her dream, and one who has talent but wishes he didn't have it. Though the lead couple has different dreams, I can't help but rooting for them... as I've never seen a relationship so awkward yet so real and so adorable before them.

8. Record of Youth

Honestly, it took a bit long for me to be completely enamored of the stories and feel what the characters feel. But as the stories developed, I began to cherish what this drama tried to show us: of how important it is to have good communication & to support each other in our family, of how everyone has different timings in life, and that everyone could have second chance in life. It's also refreshing to see the main couple here & how they interact; we could learn a lot from their communication & relationship. Overall, record of youth is one light & comforting kdrama that's perfect to watch while we need a short escape or need something to cheer us up.

9. Start Up

Honestly, I have a conflicted feelings towards this kdrama. It started off as great but...I have a hard time making sense of some of the stories afterward. And not to mention how we used to ship-debating every week it was a bit draining 😅. But to exclude it from my last year fav kdrama list seems wrong anyhow because I did love this drama. Idk, it gives off this positive energy that I needed to go through a crazy year. It somehow encouraged me to move forward & fight for my dream no matter what. The story's also quiet creative and relatable in nowadays world, while also educating us about the world of business.

10. Find Me in Your Memory

I started watching without any expectations and turns out it's really good. It's not hard to love this drama since it has likeable characters with interesting background (a guy who can't forget everything & a woman who forgets some of her important moments). The lead couple's interactions were interesting to watch. They have the kind of romance that grows slowly & when it finally reachs its peak, it burns. I loved every minute of it.

K-drama recommendations: 5/?

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unnaturaleye · 2 years

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heyyy don’t worry, life gets busy! Hahahaha the whole world of anime bamboozles me anyway because there’s so much going on and so much content to keep up with!!

for seventeen would recommend: Rock with you & Crush from their latest album Attacca. GAM3 BO1 & Anyone from their album Your Choice. Left & Right and also Kidult from Heng:gareae.

for got7: just right (this one is olddd from their first album I think like 7 years ago sjsjs), not by the moon, you calling my name, poison, breath I’ll shut up now! All of them have solo songs too and they’re all honesty amazing in my very biased opinion <3 would recommend Slow Mo from Bambam’s last album, and literally everything Jay B and Yugyeom have released 💀 okay I’ll shut up now fr about them

i loved Coco!!! And yes I would consider those movies! I haven’t seen Encanto yet though. I am honestly struggling to remember the last non/animated movie I watched lmao I think it was Don’t Look Up on Netflix (something about the end of the world and how a meteor was gonna hit earth). Rn I’m watching a crime documentary on Netflix while I’ll finish today probably and I’m slowlyyyy watching Naruto and Hometown Cha Cha (romantic kdrama) so I kinda flip flop between them depending on how I’m feeling.

Nooo I totally get that!!! I like listening to podcasts or video essays when I’m doing other things or just put on a really familiar tv show I’ve watched before to have in the background so I’m not sitting in complete silence lool

Omg…relatable! Nowadays because of the pandemic, I really just work from home, read in my spare time, bake stuff and also rot away online 🤝

YOU KNOW I actually played genshin impact for a while on my phone in my downtime but I stopped playing because some of the challenges were too hard and my party was not strong enough skdbdjsjdw and honestly I just really enjoyed running around and unlocking the teleport waypoints and collecting fruit 💀💀💀 omg who does your party consist of? I usually kept Bennett (my beloved), Kaeya (also my beloved, my son), Lisa & Noelle because they were my strongest and I covered a good range of elements with them - Monbebe Valentine 💕

ohhhhh these r some lovely songs god damn! i really liked rock with you, anyone, not by the moon and you calling my name... straight up saved them ehehe

also i appreciate the passion for sharing your fav song! so thank u -w-

what crime documentary? :o i love that stuff

rotting away online is actually peak human experience akdhjskadhkj good for us (?) B)

omg starting genshin was so fun... the casual exploration was probably the most joyful thing ever ! and i can sorta relate to not having strong enough parties. my characters are just ok.. i don't care. they can get the job done and that's it and i'm happy with it askjdhaskjd

i don't really have a specific party anymore (mainly because i make very disfunctional parties with a bunch of characters who i want to get friendship levels up with)

buuut my 2 main damage dealers are kaeya and ningguan! i love them both to death, i've put the most effort into them, they're my pride and joy and i'm simping for them. hard.

then my best pyro support is xiangling (my baby daughter)

another great support but also a healer - bennet (my baby son)

epic anemo god - venti (absolute creature i adore him)

main geo support - albedo (stole all of my money i hate him)

so yeah i guess my "ideal" team would have kaeya, ningguan, venti and somebody else depending on the situation :p

(back in the days when i didn't spend much primogems my main team was kaeya, amber (replaced by xiangling once i got her), lisa and traveler (replaced by ningguan once i got into liyue lol))

#i love rambling about genshin.. altho i am more of 'talking about fav characters and ships' kinda guy #i mean im literally useless when it comes to ... building strong teams and exploring everything #im deadass just vibing #also my laptop is old and can barely load the game #so 80% of the time im literally loading... i play for literal hours but actual gameplay is probably barely one #it's pretty tragic kasdhaskj #my friend takes care of my acc for me #so yeah in the end of the day i dont even actually *play* that much kajsdhasjdhkasjhjkdashjdsk #monbebe valentine #sowwy u asked me about my fixation and i cant shut up #there is also a danger zone of talking about encanto or omori agshgdsj #eyeask #ask #anonymous #not to promote my own self on my kpoppie sideblog but i have a bunch of gi fanart on my main B)

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recurring-polynya · 3 years

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My Roommate is a Gumiho, Episode 3

The good news: I am officially all-in on Dam/Woo Yeo

The bad news: I am out of unlocked episodes, Viki let me iiiiiinnnnn

Dam:

Sun Woo: Is this... my manic pixie dreamgirl??

Adding a cut I guess, for spoilers

I think the main thing I like about this show is that it really appeals to my sense of what is romantic, and I like watching the main couple falling in love with each other. I feel like in a lot of the kdramas I’ve watched, I like the characters as individuals, but the pairings don’t do much for me, or in stories that have reincarnation plots, I’ll end up liking the ship much more in one time period than the other. Anyway, Dam and Woo Yeo are both awkward weirdos who realize that they like each other and are terrified of fucking this up, and that is where I live.

About half this episode was taken up with a subplot where Dam had promised to go on a date with Sun Woo, and she decided to be The Worst so he would be disgusted by her and back off. On one hand, this seems like a patented RomCom Bad Idea, but I honestly felt like she was correct: he is a jerk and would not take no for an answer, and this was actually not a bad plan.

Dam then asks Woo Yeo to go on a practice terrible date with her, and I loved everything about this.

So on one hand, Woo Yeo is the Autistic Romantic Lead Representation we deserve, so he’s being super honest about how dreadful Dam is, and tossing out helpful li’l suggestions of his own. Now, in many romcoms, Dam would be offended by this, but instead, she’s just taking his suggestions as an honest to help, until she gets overwhelmed by how awful she actually is, and then Woo Yeo is very sorry and it was so, so sweet.

Everyone who has ever read my fanfiction KNOWS that Peak Polynya Romance is a girl eating food in a hideous and gluttonous manner while her love interest gazes on, absolutely overcome by affection for her and this show understands this and made all my dreams come true.

P.S. Dam’s dirtbag outfits are so cute and terrible, I love her

HOLY SHIT, HE’S DOING ARCHERY, I AM SO HOT FOR ARCHERY I AM LOSING IT

So, Dam goes on the date with Sun Woo, and he’s disgusted...but also turned on? Oh NO. Everything is terrible.

Jae Jin and Dan get it in their himbo heads that Dam is living with Woo Yeo because he has impregnated her. a) of all, this was a perfectly logical conclusion to come to, given their information at the time. b) The reactions shots when they were interrogating Woo Yeo and he kept saying ‘No’ in a deadpan cleared my pores and watered my crops, and c) Everyone in this scene is acting from a place of love and it is a tremendous shitshow anyway, A+++ romcom misunderstanding, this show is a masterclass

Dam and Woo Yeo’s li’l fight after Woo Yeo erases Dan and Jae Jin’s memories was really kinda sweet? Like I said, he was doing what he thought was best, but Dam was right to be mad, and they were both sorry and fretted about how to express it? I love this stuff???

Archery Club orgy at Dan’s place? I guess??

“I am not able to think like a human, everything I do is an imitation” and “Being alone is not the same as being lonely” WOO YEO YOU ARE KILLING ME

“I don’t like being around people but you are okay” is the ultimate expression of love, I am NOT OKAY

They wrote each other sticky notes??? 😭😭😭💕💕💕

There is so much food in this show and Mr. P and I want to eat all of it

#my roommate is a gumiho #kdrama #might be a while before the next one of these #until viki unlocks ep4 #or i find another way to watch it #i love you viki but we do not watch enough kdramas to merit a subscription plan #just give me the oatmilk commercials

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ealeczander · 4 years

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A list of Hufflepuffs my Slytherin heart will die for

In order of number of brain cells

#1 Jason Mendoza

Do I need to say more? He is the sweetest kindest person. I don’t even know why he was in the bad place. He was a best friend to everybody, ha actually gave good advice regarding friends and relationships, he didn’t hold grudges or hated people, he didn’t have a bad bone in his body, he was just really dumb, which makes me love him even more!

#2 Thor Odinson (Marvel)

Don’t you even say he’s not a Hufflepuff, I will fight you! Him still teaming up with Loki after being betrayed like a million times is the only proof you need. He doesn’t want to be king, he just wants to save his people. He is a 220 pound puppy and I love him!

#3 Emmet Cullen (Twilight)

Him and Thor both have dumb-jock energy that is typical for Gryffindor but they’re both too good to be there. They’re literally walking and talking hugs. Emmet is such a lovable puppy. He fights bears for fun, for God sake. He accepted Bella before even Edward did. He has zero beef with anybody. The only reason he has more brain cells than Thor is because he somehow managed to snatch a serious Bad Bitch™ like Rosalie. But as we all know Slytherins are weak for Hufflepuffs.

#4 Beast Boy (Titans)

A lonely boy with a heart of gold that can also turn himself on into any fluffy anymal on the planet? Sign me the fuck UP! He was the only one Rachel’s father didn’t try to corrupt because of course he couldn’t. He was the only one that didn’t turn against Jason when Deathstroke was playing tricks on them. He was the only one that didn’t abandon Dick when he confessed his secret. He is loyal to everybody because he sees the good in them, not their demons. Seriously, I can’t express with words how in love with him I am! My heart can’t take it!

#5 Steve Harrington (Stranger Things)

His character may have started as an asshole Gryffindor or even a Slytherin but by the end of season 1 and onward Mom Steve has been the best thing this show has to offer! He cares about his friends, he has a giant heart, he never runs from a fight and he will protect everybody. A true hero and an adorable cutie!

#6 Ben Hargreeves (The Umbrella Academy)

Honestly the cutest, most amazing, supportive brother any of the others can ask for, especially Klaus. He is quiet and doesn’t want to get involved in fights but he will do it for the greater good. He is constantly supporting Klaus and encouraging him to fight his addiction when he could’ve left years ago. He was basically the best friend of all the siblings. He loves fun and at the same time is extremely grounded and smart. I just love him!

#7 Peter Parker (Marvel)

This boy will kill me with his cuteness. He just wants to help people and that’s the most adorable excuse to be a superhero. I’ve put him before as a Gryffindor but Tom Holland’s Spiderman is just too sweet not to be a Hufflepuff. Him wanting to save the world while trying to be a good person and a good friend just warms my heart!

#8 Newt Scamander

I had to put a real Hufflepuff in the list somewhere. Like, who wouldn’t die for this precious wizard. He is so innocent, he just wants to take care of his animals. He characteristically has a Slytherin ex that still loves him because that’s what us Slytherins do. He is just so perfect! I love him!

#9 Park Sae Ro Yi (Itaewon Class)

If you’re new to kdramas and consider them to be soap operas, STOP everything you’re doing and go watch Itaewon Class NOW (it’s on Netflix). It’s a revenge story of a Hufflepuff! Which is never seen, ever, Hufflepuffs usually don’t do that. it’s so unique in it’s perspective of power, friendship, respect and pride all because of Sae Ro Yi, the main character, being a Hufflepuff. He is good and extremely kind and has a strong moral code. His squad consists of a Slytherin that is in love with him (of course), a trans woman that he supports with all his heart, an ex convict that he inspired to change his life, a black guy that wants to find his family, the son of the bad guy that he treats like family and his long time crush that now works for the bad guy but he doesn’t resent her or hate her, he just wants to help her. Sawe Ro Yi is just the best!

#10 Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks)

Who isn’t in love with this coffee addict? He has to investigate the most gruesome crimes and he is still cheerful and positive. He searches for the good things in life and in people. He makes friends easily and everybody likes him, especially the Slytherin rich high school girl. He will sacrifice himself to stop evil from spreading. He is the biggest sweetheart!

The list is ongoing and open to suggestions... My love for Hufflepuffs will never end...

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kdramaxoxo · 4 years

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Hi! Hope you are doing well and staying safe 🌟I'm sorry if I'm bothering you 🙈, but I'm not sure if my ask was sent or not. I'm looking for kdrama recc? Friends (especially childhood) to lovers, mutual pining or fake relationship turning real? I am a sucker for tropes, what can a girl say.. Also WYEL killed me, I honestly didn't expect them to both live let alone kiss (thank you shows for teaching us that LGBT folks have to die in order for it to be realistic -.-) Thank you so so much 💕

You’re never bothering me anon, I love rec asks! (I just fell behind on asks last week cause of work :P)

K-dramas Featuring Childhood Friends - Turned Lovers (mutual pining a plus)

Come and Hug Me: Two childhood friends share an immense trauma of her family being murdered by his father. Yes, I said that properly. They meet later in life and help one another heal while being tormented by their pasts. You will cry, many times.

Just Between Lovers: They weren’t exactly friends but they share the same childhood trauma from being trapped in a collapsed building. Kang Doo is super good at the pining and angst in this due to his stubborn nature of wanted to protect people from getting close to him (if you’re not in love with Junho after this drama...)

Where Your Eyes Linger: You all know I’m in love with this BL drama about two boys, a chaebol and his hired bodyguard living together and trying not to fall in love. Hint: that’s impossible! Peak Angst and Pining.

Fight My Way: An adorable rom com about four friends who have grown up together and live in the same apartment building. It’s funny and sweet, and the chemistry is great! They do flashbacks of their childhood at the end of almost every episode.

When the Weather is Fine: This slow paced romance that takes place in a small town and features extremely beautiful leads (Seo Kang Joon and Park Young Min). It has a ton of angst and pining because he’s loved her for basically EVER and the show seems to lean heavily on k-drama tropes that make for peak angst. This show won’t be for everyone due to the pacing, but the couple is super soft and lovely.

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes: A psychological thriller about a cop, his sister, and a guy that keeps popping up in their lives. There is a ton of angst and pining paired with childhood trauma and family secrets. This is one of my favorite dramas ever, but it’s a stressful one so be kind to your heart!

You Drive Me Crazy: A drama special about two friends live together while one is getting her apartment renovated. While not perfect, I really enjoyed the chemistry and pining - plus it’s short :)

Weightlifting Fairy Bok Joo: A coming of age rom com about a sporty girl training on the weightlifting team. It’s got great best friends, and her romance is with her childhood friend (who has grown into quite the hottie). It’s light and fluffy.

Healer doesn’t have mutual pining but it does have a childhood backstory that links the two leads. Honestly that backstory may have been a bit unnecessary IMO but the couple is amazing and the angst comes from him not allowing people into his life.

She Was Pretty: Everyone knows that I don’t like this drama (at all) but it does lean heavy on the friends to lovers. Her childhood best friend ends up being her boss and the romance starts from there. Some people LOVE this drama so maybe don’t take it from me?

Pinocchio: There is a really long k-drama childhood origin reason why the two leads become acquaintances, but they go to high school together and later become reporters in training. I made this sound really dry it’s actually good!

Kill Me Heal Me: A very polarizing drama about a man who has DID (dissociative identity disorder) and the “doctor” who is hired to live with him and hide his illness from his chaebol family. There’s a lot of amnesia and childhood flashbacks (A LOT.) It has a lot of pining and angst for sure and the childhood trauma trope is huge.

A Few Fake Dating-to-lovers K-Dramas as the cherry on top

Coffee Prince: This classic is a must watch about a girl who pretends to be a boy to get ahead in life. She gets a job at a coffee shop and the owner finds himself falling in love (and freaking out!). Peak Angst and Pining.

The Secret Life Of My Secretary: This rom com about a secretary who helps her boss conceal his facial recognition disorder is the perfect example of two adorable dummies in love. The pining is great, the angst is top notch and the leading lady (played by Jin Ki Joo) is so much fun to watch!

Because This Is My First Life: A slice of life centered around a girl who marries her landlord so that she can live in his house. This is one of my favorite dramas, but I do not like the lead dude since he’s a real life creep so I always mention that when I recommend it.

Fated to Love you is on my watchlist and apparently has fake dating or contract dating but I have’t gotten to it yet! Seems like it’s full of classic tropes though!

#kdrama #where your eyes linger #coffee prince #come and hug me #just between lovers #friends to lovers #kdrama recommendations #ask #answer

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dramapic · 4 years

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MASTERLIST

I update this list everytime I watch and review a show.

Disclaimer: These reviews are subjective and only reflect my opinions. There are no drama on that list that I’ve turned off and all are worthy of a watch.

Recs welcome!

#1 Crash landing on you

(사랑의 불시착)

Grade: A++

Genre: Modern, Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Son Ye-jin (who plays Yoon Se-ri) and Hyun Bin (Ri Jeong-hyeok) have amazing chemistry and every episode plays out like the chapters of an excellent fanfiction. Classic romantic tropes, humour, angst, action, CLOY has it all. Moreover, if you’ve never watched a Kdrama in your life, CLOY is a great starting point—not only will it introduce you to Korean culture but also to popular tropes and codes of the genre.

#2 Rookie historian Goo Hae-ryung

(신입사관 구해령)

Grade: A++

Genre: Historical, Age gap

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Delightful from end to end, with lots of humour and an engaging story. The romance between Goo Hae-ryung and himbo-prince Dowon will make your heart go soft, especially if you’re into reverse gender dynamics (she’s older and kisses him first *le gasp*)

#3 Memories of the Alhambra

(알함브라 궁전의 추억)

Grade: B+

Genre: Modern; Sci-fi; Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Intriguing premise, great cast and tons of special effects but the romance between Jin-woo (Hyun Bin) and Hee-joo (Park Shin-hye) won't go down in history. On top of that, the ending is a bit wishy-washy in that annoying “maybe there’s more to come” kind of way. Give us a clear cut ending, damnit!

#4 Good doctor

(굿 닥터)

Grade: B-

Genre: Modern, Medical drama

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Good heart but the writing is really clumsy at times and the hospital politics don’t make an awful lot of sense. On the bright side, Joo Won is great in the role of Park Si-on.

Note: I haven’t watched the American remake so can’t compare.

#5 My love from the star/ You from the stars

(별에서 온 그대)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Sci-fi, fantasy, Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 21

Happy Ending: Yes-ish

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Jun Ji-hyun is absolutely stellar in the role of Cheon Seong-yi, a ditzy Hallyu* star whose career is going south while Kim Soo-hyun plays the emotionally closed-off alien to perfection. Lots of pinning, a dose of angst mixed with a pinch of wacky humor.

*Hallyu means “Korean wave” in Chinese and refers to the popularity and spreading of Korean pop-culture outside of Korea.

#6 Hwarang The Poet Warrior Youth

(화랑)

Grade: B

Genre: Historical, Coming of age, fake siblings who catch feels

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Cute boys and interesting lore rooted in true facts (the bone rank system and the real Hwarang, the “Flowering Knights” of the Silla kingdom) but the story drags. I guess I expected more bromance and frolicking and less angst. Lastly, the main girl starts off quirky and fun but they quickly transform her into a sobbing mess which becomes real annoying real fast.

#7 Love in the Moonlight / Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (구르미 그린 달빛)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Romance, Coming of age, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 18

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

A classic tale of a girl raised as a boy who ends up in a situation where she needs to do her best to not blow her cover while catching feels (As someone raised on Versailles no bara and Ribbon no Kishi, it remains one of my favourite tropes)

Sweet romance and good characters. The fact that Crown prince Lee Yeong doesn't turn emo when he starts developing feelings for Eunuch Ra-on before discovering she's a girl is the cherry on top of the cake.

#8 Something in the rain

(밥 잘 사주는 예쁜 누나)

Grade: C

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes, but it still doesn't make you happy

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Wasted potential!

Great start but the characterization falls apart quickly and you end up wondering why the main characters keep sabotaging their lives. By the end, despite their reunion, you're left with the impression they've learned nothing and that their relationship is doomed to fall apart.

On top of it all, watching Jin-ah fight sexism in the workplace and gaining nothing is depressing af (I don’t need realism in my escapism, thank you very much).

Too bad because Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in look really good together and the acting is top-notch. My advice is to watch the first 8 episodes then make up your own ending in your head.

#9 Moon embracing the sun

(해를 품은 달)

Grade: B+

Genre: Historical,Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 22

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

A traditional historical drama with all the tropes that go with the genre + a hint of esoterism.

If you love ill-fated relationships, tragic love triangle, evil queens, and amnesia, this is the show for you. Beware, the interrogation/torture scenes are rather brutal.

#10 My sassy girl

(엽기적인 그녀)

Grade: B-

Genre: Historical, Rom-Com

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Cute and lighthearted but easily forgettable. Still worth a watch thanks to Joo Won & Oh Yeon-seo's chemistry.

#11 Coffee Prince

(커피프린스 1호점)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Solid story, great cast but be ready for a lot of bickering.

Yoon Eun-hye is a precious bean who manages to sell the story of Eun-chan, a struggling androgynous working-class girl who mistakenly gets hired by a rich guy to play his boyfriend, then becomes his employee, then falls for him while not correcting his assumptions about her gender. Opposite her, Gong Yoo (from Train to Busan fame) is 🥰🥰🥰

Sidenote: Despite Han-kyul's struggle to accept his feelings for Eun-chan, homosexuality isn't treated as a joke or a shameful thing. The one time he goes seek “medical help”, the doctor is depicted as an old, clueless idiot. And honestly, the story would work too if Eun-chan was a guy.

#12 My girlfriend is a Gumiho/My girlfriend is a Nine-tailed fox

(내 여자친구는 구미호)

Grade: B+

Genre: Modern; Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki - Available on Netflix (FR) too

Campy and goofy. It does look a bit dated (it’s from 2010) and the story is a little predictable but Lee Seung-gi as Cha Dae-woong, an aspiring action film actor and Shin Min-ah as “Gu Mi-ho” the nine-tailed fox looking for a mate are super cute. The show is also a good introduction to Korean folklore.

#13 Goblin / Guardian: The Lonely and Great God / The Lonely and Great God – Goblin

(쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 – 도깨비)

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Historical, Fantasy, bromance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes-ish

Watched on: Viki

Unpopular opinion but since I’m not into older guys, I wasn’t invested in the romance between Bride and Goblin until late in the series. I loved everything else though. The show has such a unique tone and atmosphere. It goes from super serious to goofy in no time. The cinematography is gorgeous (especially the historical sets) and you'll cry your eyes out.

#14 Healer

(힐러)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

If you're into toll broody guys and fearless smoll girls, you’ll love Healer. The story is great, the characters are great and the way Jung-hu (played by Ji Chang-wook) and Ji-an (Park Min-young) are horny for each other is peak drama! *chef kiss*

#15 Kangchi the beginning/Gu family book

(구가의 서)

Grade: B-

Genre: Historical, Fantasy

Episodes:

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Engaging coming of age story of a half-human half-gumiho looking for his place in this world. If it wasn't for the wishy-washy ending it could have been the perfect mix of action fantasy and romance.

Special mention for Dam Yeo-wool (played by Suzie Bae) who is a female character who's allowed to be a bit of everything at the same time (strong, kick-ass, funny, cute, romantic)

#16 Queen for seven days

(7일의 왕비)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Romance, Villainous crush

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

With that title don’t expect a HEA but there are plenty of sweet moments along the way to make you appreciate the journey.

Chae-kyung loves the Prince and the Prince loves Chae-kyung but the King wants to kill the Prince and Chae-kyung is loyal to the King but the King is a tyrant and everyone wants the Prince to take his throne. On top of that the King wants Chae-kyung. Big mess. Lots of feels.

The story is (very) loosely based on real-life Queen Dangyeong, which makes it even more poignant. I cried my eyes out at the end because I’m a big softy.

#17 Korean Odyssey

(화유기)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Kinda

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The show (very loosely based on Journey to the West) has its faults including the wishy-washy ending and the fact that Jin Seon-mi/Sam-jang starts off as a doormat but I ended up liking the relationship developing between the assholish Monkey god and the naive human girl more than I expected.

The side characters are compelling, and the banter and bickering between the deities work really well. If you grew up with Dragon ball, you’ll have a blast trying to match-up the Japanese and Korean names of everyone without looking up Wikipedia.

Lastly, not something I imagined saying after seeing him in Gumiho and Gu family book but Lee Seung-gi as Son Oh-gong = BDE *fans herself* 🥵

#18 Strong Girl Bong-soon

(힘쎈여자 도봉순)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Super-Heroine

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning: Graphic depiction of violence against women

A++ super-heroine story, bad side characters

First, every girl should aspire to find a Min-hyuk in their life. Someone who'll love them because of their strength, and support them unconditionally. Someone who won't ask them to change or pretend to be somebody else.

Second, western media should learn that a super-heroine can HAVE IT ALL—the superpowers AND the love AND the family.

My only complaint with the show (and that's why I gave A- instead of A++) is the inclusion of many cringy side characters/situations that spoiled my overall enjoyment (see the caricatural flamboyant gay co-worker, Bong-soon’s mom hitting her dad, the mobsters...)

#19 The K2

(더 케이투)

Grade: B-

Genre: Modern, Political

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The romance is bad and the political story far-fetched but Ji Chang-wook is 🔥🔥PEAK HOTTIE🔥🔥

That being said, I didn’t completely dislike the political intrigue and it was interesting to see the good guy working for the villains (sort of).

#20 Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok-joo

(역도요정 김복주)

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Coming of age

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Uplifting coming of age story and super sweet romance. Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) & Joon-hyung (Nam Joo-hyuk) are precious children on top of being cutie-patooties. Bok-joo’s insecurities hit hard, especially if you’ve ever been outside the norm of beauty standards.

I liked how the show normalizes therapy and taking care of your mental health.

In one word…

SWAG!

#21 The scholar who walks the night

(밤을 걷는 선비)

Grade: B

Genre: Historical, Fantasy, Vampire, posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Guilty pleasure.

Don’t ask me about the details of the main storyline, I’ve already forgotten most of it. Sometimes all you need is a show where a hundred-something years old good vampire with a sad backstory and the main girl who is thirsty for the good vampire are fighting a sexy evil vampire.

PS: Did I mention the sexy evil vampire?

#22 Romance is a bonus book

(로맨스는 별책부록)

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Friends to lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Imagine reading a relaxing book under a cozy blanket while sipping hot cocoa. That’s how that series made me feel.

Everything is sweet and soft from the characters' fluffy jumpers to the soft palette of color used for the sets. People make books and love books. There’s a mystery but no unnecessary angst. If you need a break from everything, jump in that ship.

#23 Hotel Del Luna

(호텔 델루나)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Sorta

Watched on: Viki - Available on Netflix (FR) too

Interesting world-building and a good cast of side characters but the romance lacks a bit of oomph.

On the + side, the hotel sets are gorgeous and Man-wol's wardrobe is to kill for.

#24 Suspicious Partner

(수상한 파트너)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Star-crossed lovers in an office

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Toll serious who hates criminal falls for smoll weirdo falsely accused of murder. A must watch for anyone in search of a quirky romance.

#25 Touch your heart

(진심이 닿다)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Tooth rotting sweetness. The series is just a pretext to watch two good looking people (Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na) being nice and awkward around each other. What do you need more? 0

Note: If you watched Goblin you can also pretend it's a spin-off series about the reincarnations of Grim Reaper and Sunny. 💡

#26 Because this is my first life

(이번 생은 처음이라)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Fake marriage

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The Fake Marriage AU you’re looking for, mixed with slices of modern, messy, complicated life.

The main storyline revolves around Ji-ho an assistant drama screenwriter who struggles to find her place within the patriarchal structure of Korean society, and Se-hee, a socially incompetent computer designer who only cares for his cat and his mortgage. The way they end up in a fake marriage as well as the development of their relationship feels organic and doesn’t rely too heavily on comedy like it’s often the case with that trope.

The show also follows the stories of Ji-ho’s friends, Su-ji and Ho-rang who have different aspirations in life—Su-ji’s goal is to become CEO while Ho-rang only cares about becoming a housewife. I loved that the show makes a point to not pit women against each other and advocate living your life the way YOU want rather than trying to follow societal expectations of what love, work and marriage should look like.

Also they have the cutest cat.

#27 What's wrong with Secretary Kim?

(김비서가 왜 그럴까 )

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

I wish Secretary Kim had more agency in certain situations but the romance develops well and the horny moments are caliente 🥵🔥

#28 Where your eyes linger

(너의 시선이 머무는 곳에)

Grade: A++

Genre: Modern, BL, Coming of age, Friends to lovers

Episodes: 8

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Bite-size BL gem to devour in one sitting.

Stellar acting from the two leads and the balance between fluff and angst is just right. There's no graphic violence that sometimes plagues yaoi and BL and the story is believable. I got emo remembering my first love.

#29 Live up to your name

(명불허전)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Historical, Time travel, Star-crossed lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning for graphic depiction of violence

Big surprise. I was looking for a cheesy comedy but it was actually a thoughtful story about humanism. I even teared up a little.

Trigger warning for needles. They do some pretty impressive procedures with those acupuncture needles.

#30 W - Two Worlds Apart

(더블유)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Imaginary men > Real men, especially when they're played by Lee Jong-suk. Nuf’ said.

Imaginary men > Real men, especially when they're played by Lee Jong-suk.

The silly premise hides a solid story that keeps you on your toes and I was suprised by the rollercoaster of emotions I went through.

“Option 3″

“That’s 4 fingers”

#31 Life

(라이프)

Grade: C

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Kinda

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Unless you want to learn how fucked up the private health sector is becoming in Korea, there's not much to gain watching this show.

The story starts off well though. The problem is that by the middle of the series the writers have dropped the main mystery (the circumstances surrounding the death of the director) to deliver an exposé on the political machinations of big corporations, and then shoehorn an explanation at the last minute (“it was all but a misunderstanding”). Very underwhelming.

The relationship between the two brothers played by Lee Dong-wook and Lee Kyu-hyung is the only bright spot.

#32 Pinocchio

(피노키오)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Fake family members who catch feels

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

On paper, the story sounds a little crazy but it all comes together nicely.

Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye have great chemistry and deliver a stellar performance as “uncle” and “niece” (not related by blood) who can’t fight the romantic feelings they harbor for one another. The main storyline has enough twists to keep you entertained and surprised.

My only complaint is that it drags a little. 16 episodes would have been enough.

#33 My Holo Love

(나 홀로 그대)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Sci-fi

Episodes: 12

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Fake men > Real men

Imagine a Black Mirror episode about a love triangle between a woman suffering from face blindness, an emotionally supportive AI boyfriend and the disenchanted creator of said AI, minus the nihilism. *chef kiss*

#34 Legend of the blue sea

(푸른 바다의 전설)

Grade: B++

Genre: Modern, Fantasy, Fairy tale, Star-crossed lovers

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Park Ji-eu (the writer) read the little mermaid and decided to give her a happy ending. Great chemistry between Lee Min-ho and Jun Ji-hyun but the spark is missing for me.

The antics of modern-day mermaid Shim Cheong are a little predictable and Joon-jae needs to be less of a control freak at times but the story remains enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised to see Shim Cheong’s character grow, making the power imbalance between the clueless mermaid and the con-artist less pronounced by the end of the series.

The side characters are interesting but underused, and I wish Tae-oh was more developed. On the other hand, the Joseon area sets and costumes are absolutely gorgeous (Don’t tell anyone but Joseon!Lee Min-ho is hotter than Modern!Lee Min-ho 🥵)

#35 Tale of Arang / Arang and the Magistrate

(아랑사또전)

Grade: B

Genre: Historical, Fantasy,

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

One word: Campy.

Interesting lore but the pacing is a little off—there’s a lot of back and forth between the characters and the locations and the love triangle doesn't add much.

#36 My ID is Gangnam Beauty / Gangnam Beauty

(내 아이디는 강남미인)

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Coming of age

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

If you’ve ever been bullied for your looks, you’re gonna bawl your eyes out.

The show does a great job of calling out the unhealthy beauty standards imposed on Korean women but the topic is universal enough for the story to resonate with everyone. I love that you never see Mi-rae’s old face because it’s not our perception of her lack of beauty that matters but the fact she suffers greatly. Don’t you hate in western shows when they take a beautiful actress, give her a pair of glasses or a fat suit and call her ugly, making sure the audience feels shittier about themselves? Here, the writers concentrate on Mi-rae’s transformation and her coping with the consequences of her decision to do plastic surgery.

It’s also not a revenge fantasy where the ugly duckling suddenly becomes the most popular girl at school. Being a “Gangnam beauty” leads to a new form of suffering.

Romance-wise, it’s the slowest burn of slow burns because Mi-rae and Do Kyung-seok are the most socially awkward beans on the planet. I love them, Your Honor.

#37 Tale of Nokdu

(조선로코-녹두전)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 32 x 30mns

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki - Now available on Netflix (FR)

Fun and lighthearted all the way through.

The story of a guy who puts on a dress to investigate a village of widows could have gone very wrong but it was well handled. It’s refreshing to see the classic trope of posing as the opposite sex reversed and Jang Dong-yoon is never cringy when he’s pretending to be Lady Kim Nok-soon.

#38 Bride of Habaek / Bride of the Water God

(하백의 신부 2017)

Grade: B

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Content warning: Crime against fashion

Promising premise and lore (I'm interested in reading the original comics now) but the writing fails to deliver an epic romance and a cathartic ending. Moreover, the sets lack imagination (or money?) and in the end I failed to ever feel immersed in a fantasy world.

The unfortunate consequence of the clumsy writing is that the male characters who are meant to be arrogant/confident Gods (Habaek and By-ryeom) sound like they're negging their love interests more than wooing them, and the relationship between Mu-ra and By-ryeom particularly irked me.

#39 Strangers from Hell / Hell is other people

(타인은 지옥이다)

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Psychological Thriller

Episodes: 10

Happy Ending: Spoiler

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Content warning: Violence

What a departure from everything else in that list! Absolutely worth a watch if you enjoy thrillers and shows like Hannibal. If psychological horror isn’t your cup of tea though, you might give it a pass.

The storyline and the characters are a little cliché (it goes with the genre) but the cinematography and photography are fantastic. You can notice how the pension becomes more and more sinister throughout the series via the use of dark greens and browns and pale yellows, as opposed to the mundanity and coldness of the city (greys, and cold blues).

Last but not least, the acting is top-tiers. Im Siwan does a great job at portraying Jong-woo, an aspiring crime novelist who slowly loses his marbles but the true revelation for me is Lee Dong-wook. After seeing him so many times in roles where he plays awkward yet charming men who can barely express emotions, I was intrigued to see him take on the role of a serial killer, and holy cow, he's the perfect mix of sinister and alluring. Towards the end of the series, his character Moon-jo acts like a black-hole whenever he appears in a scene—a towering, dark presence who sucks the light out of the room (If he carries any of that darkness in the upcoming Tale of Gumiho, it’s gonna be *chef kiss*).

#40 Empress Ki

(기황후)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 51

Happy Ending: From a certain point of view

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning for violence against women (not graphic but implied)

51 episodes.

Fifty.One.Episodes.

That's a lot of episodes considering the story starts with the ending.

Did I enjoy this show? Yes, very much so. Do I think it's for everyone? Nope.

You'll enjoy Empress Ki if you're into old-school historical sagas or you wished Game of thrones had no gratuitous nudity and violence. If you’re looking for an historically accurate biography of the real empress Ki though, then look away because Empress Ki is basically a lengthy fanfiction trying to justify how the Goryeo native Seung-nyang married the wimpy Emperor of the Yuan dynasty whilst trying to portray her as loyal to her motherland and to her first love, the Crown Prince of Goryeo.

Personally, I didn’t care for the love triangle formed by Seung-nyang (Ha Ji-won), Wang-yoo (Joo Jin-mo) and Toghon Temür (Ji Chang-wook) but I liked the politics and the backstabbing. Also, contrary to GoT, the bad guys get their comeuppance at the end so it makes watching the side characters die less painful.

#41 Meow, the secret boy / Welcome

(어서와)

Grade: B-

Genre: Modern, Modern fantasy

Episodes: 24 x 35mns

Happy Ending: I guess

Watched on: Viki

How do I put it? It's not *terribad* but it's not *good* either.

I was super on board with the concept—if Lee Seung-gi can bang a nine-tailed fox in My girlfriend is a gumiho, I have zero issues with Sol ah, our heroine, falling in love with Hong-jo the cat-person after being dumped for no reason by Jae-sun her boyfriend—but it didn’t exactly develop that way, and as soon as they explained why Jae-sun had broken up with Sol-ah, the writers lost me because I like when things happen for a reason.

#42 Clean with a passion for now

(일단 뜨겁게 청소하라!!)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Rom-Com

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Super zany and tropey but that’s why it works so well. The only reason I’m giving it a minus is because it’s trying to be woke but in the end there’s still a lot of unsolicited grabbing and some iffy remarks/pick-up lines said by every male characters (IRL that’s the kind of story that ends up with a restraining order and a lawsuit for sexual harassment).

#43 Mystic pop-up bar

(쌍갑포차)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 12

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning: Heavy themes (miscarriage, pregnancy, loss of a child, death of loved ones)

You know how the meme goes... Sometimes a family is a hot-tempered bar owner, a cursed kid and an ex-Afterlife-Police officer with a secret past.

It took me a few episodes to get into it, but once the characters were established it became really enjoyable.

The tone of the series leans toward wacky but the core of the story is actually pretty dark if you look into it. Every grudge they solve for their “clients” gives a clue about Wol-joo’s personal story and by the last episode I was crying my eyes out.

Last but not least, Wol-joo’s collection of modernized hanboks is *chef kiss*

#44 My secret Terrius

(내 뒤에 테리우스)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Action, Comedy, Bromance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

An enjoyable action drama to watch with your family or your significant other.

Koreans prove that you can write a story about a black ops agent on the run who becomes a childminder without reeking of toxic masculinity. Contrary to American comedies where the manly-man-hero working undercover is incompetent and believes that working with children is a woman’s job and a waste of his manly-man talents until he has an epiphany of some sorts, Kim Bon (played by So Ji-sub) never once expresses discomfort to the idea of looking after two kids. In spite of his sober demeanor, he’s a caring and attentive person from the start and watching him gradually becoming a part of this spunky family while investigating a national security threat made my heart go awww.

Opposite him, fearless and resourceful mom Go Ae-rin (played Jung In-sun) brings a lot of energy, and the twins are absolutely adorable.

#45 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

(달의 연인 - 보보경심 려)

Grade: A--

Genre: Historical

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Random streaming site

Don’t get attached—Moon Lovers is the missing link between Empress Ki and Boys over flowers, but with a sad ending.

I did binge watch the series but there are some frustrating aspects to it that prevented me from giving a perfect score, notably the fact that Wang So remains possessive and demanding with Hae Soo throughout the years—for instance “You’re my person” is a romantic statement until it evolves into “You can never leave me.”

The other problem of the series is that Lee Ji-eun (UI) does cute and goofy really well, but she doesn’t have the emotional range needed to portray a character who goes through many heartbreaks and betrayals. As a result, Hae Soo appears a little fickle in her infatuations with the princes.

That being said if you’re a sucker for tragic romance and you believe that power corrupts even the purest of love, you’ll have a blast.

#46 Forest

(포레스트)

Grade: B++

Genre: Modern, Romance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

UST in the woods (Dat first kiss 🥵🥵🥵)

The characters and the story are a little cliché but who doesn’t love a story where the protagonists are clearly attracted to each other but can’t act on their desires because their moral values are opposite?

*slams fist*

San Hyeok is your typical heartless businessman who refuses to confront his childhood trauma, and Yeong Jae is a surgeon who suffers from panic attacks and cares too much about other people. They’re both good looking and fate brings them to a remote village in the middle of the forest where they have to share a house. Really, I wonder what’s gonna happen?

#47 100 Days My Prince / Hundred days husband

(백일의 낭군님)

Grade: B+

Genre: Historical

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Trigger warning: Important character death.

Cute and charming but also very annoying at times. Obviously, the story is tropey af (fake marriage doubled with amnesia, you can’t really beat that) but it also includes elements I’ve never seen in any other dramas like the fact that the Crown Princess is pregnant with another man’s child (le gasp!). The things that annoy me the most were the unnecessary flip-flopping of the heroine towards the end of the show for the sake of creating artificial drama (just let them be together FFS!) and the fact that the male characters take a lot of decisions for Yeon Hong-shim.

Romance wise, Do Kyung-soo and Nam Ji-hyun are really cute together but in the end I found myself more interested in the political intrigue and the side characters than the main romance because slow burn has its limit. In essence, it’s the perfect drama to watch with your conservative family because whilst the main couple is living under the same roof and is technically married they don’t get frisky.

#48 I Am Not A Robot (로봇이 아니야)

Grade: A++

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Angsty with a good pay-off.

With a premise like that, things could have gone wrong really quickly but the writers managed to write a story that isn’t a man wanting to fuck a robot because real women are scary so big kudos for them. Seeing Min-kyu celebrating his Roomba’s birthday because he has no other friends will instantly melt your heart and from that point on you’ll cheer for his recovery. The show has the right amount of angst without becoming a mess and they handle the big reveal very well, making sure to show how hurt both Min-kyu and Ji-ah are by the situation, without making you doubt that they can find each other again. The other strong point of the show is that it’s not just about romance, it’s also about friendship and learning to let other people in your life.

The acting is incredible to the point that by the end I wondered if Yoo Seung-ho and Chae Soo-bin were making out in front of my salad or if I was still watching the characters Min-kyu and Ji-ah being lovey dovey.

#49 Sungkyunkwan Scandal (성균관 스캔들)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Posing as the opposite gender

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Hana zakari no kimi tachi he with gats.

This show checks so many boxes when it comes to my favourite tropes story-wise and character-wise that I instantly fell in love with it. It might feel a little dated for a younger audience and it definitely suffers from the second male lead syndrome (who wants unseasoned boiled chicken when there are not just one but two juicy rotisserie chickens on the table next to you?!) but it’s still very much enjoyable. Also, they don’t shy away from using the word “homosexuality” and having one of the second lead confessing to having romantic feelings for his friend (I’ll take any scrap of bi-representation, okay?)

#50 It’s Okay to not be okay (사이코지만 괜찮아)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Found family.

In spite of one ridiculous plot twist (that I was aware of when I started the show) this show has made me feel all the feelz. The three main actors all did a phenomenal job portraying their characters in all their complexity and fragility and I ended up crying so many cathartic tears in the second to last & the last episodes.The relationship between Sang-tae and Gang-tae is one of the best sibling relationships I’ve seen on-screen in a long time while the romance between Moon-yeong and Gang-tae blends perfectly elements of comedy and melodrama. Mental illness isn’t treated as something to be ashamed of, whilst showing that you can grow and recover from trauma and finding your own happiness.

PSA from my boyfriend, who dropped the show before the end:

The plot twist is so stupid that it takes away from the rest of the series. In my opinion it negated the positive portrayal of mental illness built up until then. They completely lost me.

^ We discussed a lot about it which is why I wanted to share his POV to balance my own review.

#51 coming soon

#k-drama #kdrama

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bethd0456 · 3 years

Note

hellooo lovely! i loved reading your response to my last ask - apparently tumblr is messing up my asks bc a lot of them haven’t been going through :( but let’s hope this one does! i’ve been seeing that you watch cherry magic, and it’s one of my favourite shows at the moment!! 💘 who’s your favourite character? mine is kurosawa personally, i relate so much to him and his gayness. also udon chan, the cutest little cat! what did you think of the last ep, wasn’t it so cute!!! (1/2)

i hope you’re doing well!!! i also wanted to ask what your favourite shows and ships are! i already have a vague idea formulating just by browsing through your blog and over our shared love of cherry magic, but i’d looove to hear your thoughts and your favourites!! wishing you the bestest day! 💘 - your secret santa (2/2)

Hiiiii!!!! I hope life is treating you well!

Omg I'm so glad you enjoyed reading it! I hope you're ready for this MASSIVE answer and you don't get too bored reading this one!

CHERRY MAGIC!!!!!! It instantly became a comfort show for me, as it did for many others!

ADACHIADACHIADACHIADACHI. Adachi is 100% my fave. I never fully understood what a comfort character was. I was like, "yeah! I love Tine also!" But. Adachi is the definition of comfort for me. I see so much of myself in him! Everyone sees him and is like "babie. Must protecc." And honestly? Me too. How can one character be so damn CUTE??!?!? One of my favourite moments is him seeing Kurosawa after the almost-kiss. He just like, sees him, and gets so panicked 🥺 the way his arms just flail about makes me smile like an idiot.

But like, on a deeper level, this drama makes me believe I'm worthy of love. The idea that someone like Kurosawa could be THAT infatuated with you, even though you're an awkward virgin lmao. The point of watching these dramas is to get lost in a story, right? See a situation you want so badly but you know will never realistically happen? The entire premise of the show is just really enticing to me. I am Adachi, Adachi is me. Also, the thing he said in ep6 about not having a clear dream in life? Yeah. I felt that. I'm so envious of people who have passions they work so hard for, it gives them a form of purpose. Like Adachi, sometimes I feel like I'm living in a "daze". I feel like I don't really have any specific passions or skills that I want to develop into a career. Sometimes I just wish I had ambition. Adachi makes me feel so seen and like I'm not the only person who feels like this. The kinds of characters that usually make good protagonists are characters with a clear goal/passion. In most shows this obviously really works, but I can never relate to them personally. It's really special for me to see a character who's similar to me in this way.

Kurosawa is such an amazing character too!!!!! His gay little heart 🥺 on another level, he's just so?? Respectful??? 7. YEARS. 7 years of pining and he holds himself back so well!! He's been waiting for this relationship for so long but is so patient, willing to take things slowly for Adachi. He flirts shamelessly (as he should) but never to the point where Adachi was too uncomfortable.

He cares so much about Adachi :(. But also, even before he liked Adachi, he could tell he was uncomfortable with the drinking thing, so he DOWNED the wine lmao. Clearly he's just a lovely person all round who's really socially aware.

As for other characters:

• Udon my baby!!!! The cutest cat ever!! I love animals sm :(((

• Tsuge's chaotic energy is iconic

• Minato a lovely little dance machine :))

• Rokaku deserves the world, my excitable kiss interruptor :(((

• Fujisaki my love! She's so soft and cute!! Also ace coded how iconic

I ADORED ep8!!! I LIVE for established Adasawa! Adachi coming out to Tsuge :((( I'm so proud of Adachi coming to terms with his feelings and being confident enough to share his relationship with his closest friend. Coming out is not easy and he did so well 🥺

Adachi and Tsuge are so useless bless them 😂 Kurosawa really said "well I guess I have to take these two socially awkward disasters under my wing." Adachi and Tsuge are such a chaotic duo, I love that they can communicate just by touching each other, and omg when Kurosawa said his name Tsuge was "wait maybe I know everything about you already" and if that isn't friendship idk what is

Also Kurosawa making up a poem in his head about Adachi???? Peak romance. Also iconic. I'M A SUCKER FOR HAND HOLDING SCENES SO I DIED. "I like him. I like him. I like him!!" HOW CUTE CAN YOU GET FJKHDSHSKSK

I also got another arm flailing moment when Kurosawa almost got the wrong idea about Adachi and Tsuge!! CAN ADACHI STOP BEING SO CUTE MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT. How on earth his boyfriend is still alive I have no idea.

There are so many other shows and ships I love. I feel like I'll probably miss some, but here we go. These aren't rankings at all, just like, lists lol.

Show list:

1. 2gether

This show means so much to me. It was the first time I watched a bl week by week and it made it so much more special?? I valued scenes so much more than when I binge shows and they would like, look at each other and I'd have a heart attack. They made the first part of my quarantine bearable bc I always had something to look forward to every Friday. I actually really enjoyed quarantine overall as an introvert (not to be insensitive about the literal deaths the pandemic has caused), but I really enjoyed constantly thinking about how long it was until Friday. I'm massively emotionally attached to all of the characters in this show you have no idea. Every single one. The found family of it all,, the way all of the characters have relationships. Still2gether did a phenomenal job of showcasing all of the unexpected but very welcome dynamics and relationships, platonic and romantic alike. I could blabber about this show for so long I'll spare u for now

2. YYY

Is it well written? No. Did I enjoy it anyway?? You know it! I told you how much I love the found family trope. UGH. THIS FAMILY. Also, seeing the feminine side of the LGBT+ community represented positively warmed my heart. There needs to be more bls that do that! Celebrate femininity!! There's nothing wrong with being camp as fuck! It's so much fun!!! This show made me so happy :))

3. Start up

I'm currently obsessed. It's my first Kdrama and holy shit this is what the hype is about. The budget!! The acting! Top notch. On a sad note I really wish bls got that much funding behind them. My heart aches for a complicated story with fully developed characters and plotlines, that just happens to have a gay main couple/character. Wishful thinking for now at least. Anyways, I'm massively emotionally attached to Halmeoni and Jipyeong. Team Jipyeong all the way (even tho Dalmi's obviously gonna end up with Dosan, and I'm happy for them!). All I need is a happy ending for my darling Jipyeong. Please give him one. Also, if anything happens to Halmeoni I will WEEP.

4. Cherry magic is obviously here but I've ranted about that enough already 😂

5. 3 will be free

I would never have expected gmm to make a series like this! But they went and did THAT. Wild. It was such a healthy representation of a poly relationship. The themes of feminism were so well handled and powerful, the chemistry was off the CHARTS, I was hooked from start to finish! Time for a rewatch? I think so.

6. Feel good

Not an Asian drama, but still gay as FUCK. It's written by my wife Mae Martin who also stars in it, and I have to say, it blew me away. Story time!! My friend irl recommended it to me without saying it was Mae, so I was like "okay sure I'll put it on my to watch list I guess" without much motivation to watch it. But as soon as I found out it was Mae I watched it and I've never looked back lol. Once I finished I sent my friend a splurge of messages about my feelings. The series touches on issues like addiction, sexuality and gender. "I'm not a boy. I'm not even a girl. I'm like a failed version of both." That shit HURT.

There's a scene near the end which has really stayed with me. So Mae's character is a comedian and she does a set making jokes about the stuff that happened in the series and oh my GOD. The way I CRIED. It made me realise that people who make jokes about their experiences are using humour as a coping mechanism and when people say "Haha I have daddy issues isn't it funny" we have to remember to be respectful. It's never okay to make jokes about someone else's trauma. Don't make a big deal of it but just don't be a dick.

Anyways I could go on but would 100% recommend this series!

7. HIStory 2 crossing the line

My first bl! This series is the reason I'm so obsessed with bl lmao. The main couple are so soft :( this little series will always hold a special place in my heart!

8. Sotus

My first gmm series, we've come a long way. I miss Kong and Arthit :(

9. Dark blue kiss

Such a brilliant series. I trust P'Aof (director) with my life. This series touches on issues that are so important and deserve to be talked about so much more in bls. This is what happens when you let LGBT people tell LGBT stories! They do it with such care and love!! One of my favourite lines is "I may like men, but I'll never like your brother." One of my biggest let peeves is "I don't like men, I only like x." Like, I get the business behind it, they don't want to make the character gay to make them available for girls to fantasise about. Which is disgusting. But Mork really said "no. ❤" and I LOVE IT.

10. The shipper

I could go on and on about how underrated I think this series is. This series took over from 2gether on Fridays, and while I didn't think about this series constantly like I did with 2gether, this series made my quarantine brighter. Fridays meant I was gonna laugh at least once and forget about life just for a short while. The humour in this series is so fucking dumb lmao, but I'm here for it.

I've seen people talk about the shipper as a bl but I disagree. I think it's better described as a series with bl aspects. The main themes are friendship, family, dealing with loss, respecting boundaries of people you admire, and one of the main messages is about making sure the people close to you know how much they mean to you. Don't get me wrong, the majority of the series is over the top humour, but by the end of it I was personally really attached to the characters and their feelings. Overall I really enjoyed this series but I don't see anyone properly talk about it :(

11. Gaya sa pelikula

A series made by gay people for gay people. Shows like this are so important. This show really healed my soul with how brilliant the representation was :(( "remember we talked about microagressions" the way that means Vlad is constantly educating Karl about LGBT stuff, UGH. SO GOOD. Also this show has the most realistic representation of a crush I've ever seen lmao, soft Vlad is the best Vlad.

12. My engineer

My happy little Saturday show :( I miss the shit writing, shit acting and soft story of this series so much. I'm so fond of this series, I watched it after the horrible ep12 of 2gether and it really made me happy. I'm looking forward to season 2, but Ramking's novel goes DOWNHILL from here on. I know tricreation wouldn't allow the final chapter's scenes, but the entire story is so problematic and unenjoyable :(. The only valid scene is King's coming out scene but that's literally it. And the collar scene can stay lmao.

13. Oxygen

Another soft saturday series! I love this series so much, all of the couples are so bloody healthy and it makes me so happy. The communication is amazing!! THIS is how you show healthy relationships!!!

14. The gifted

S1 was so amazing!! I loved all of it! The only part of s2 we'll talk about is timegracethird. Time best boy!! Grace a feminist queen! When future Grace said they would be friends for a long time that made me so happy :(( also pangwave canon

15. Until we meet again

So I talked about the healthy relationships in oxygen. But uwma really showed the healthiest relationship ever. DeanPharm are just the softest little humans :( I would die for Pharm. He's the closest I got to a comfort character before Adachi. I just have to PROTECT HIM. My motherly instincts really kick in when I see him lmao.

The storyline of this series is just breathtaking. And the ending? I don't think I've ever cried that much. At all. It was so fucking beautiful 🥺

16. My gear and your gown

I really liked this show! Honestly I don't think I'll ever rewatch it but I definitely enjoyed it. The way Pai just seemed to breathe freely for the first time when his parents accepted his sexuality :(((( my baby :( also purefolk were brilliant

Ship list:

1. Saratine

These two are the definition of romance. They mean the fucking world to me. The fact that their story is apparently gonna be continued in some form makes me so. So. Happy. I cannot begin to describe it. My bet is on a special episode and ugh I'm so EXCITED.

2. Aini

Thonhonchonlatee in general is enjoyable but I don't like Thon at all. It's such a shame bc I was so excited for Khaotung and Podd to be in a series together :((. BUT. Aini have grabbed my heart. I knew they would bc miketap are brilliant, but wow. They're so gay my little babies :( miketap are just so natural and comfortable to watch. I love their chemistry so muuuuuuch

3. Sunmork

Coffee boyfriends :( I miss them so bloody much

4. Ramking

One of my fave ships. As I mentioned, I'm apprehensive about s2, but s1 ramking is such a beautiful story. It's just about 2 boys falling in love, no complications. Plant boy who's afraid of dogs falls in love with quiet boy who loves dogs but is afraid of children. Iconic. Also chemistry outsold, I THINK ABOUT THE KISS CONSTANTLY. When I mentioned the acting is shit in this series (shit is harsh, I mean awkward), I did not mean Perth and Lay in the slightest. They really nailed their roles and I loved it.

5. Professor Layton x Claire

You 100% won't get this reference but I grew up with the Professor Layton games and holy shit do they hold up. They're so amazingly written with beautiful stories and the most lovable characters in the world. Layton's intellect, loving nature and surprising athleticism are admirable. Adachi is the character I relate to most, but if I was gonna choose a character to comfort me irl, Layton's your man. His voice is so comforting by nature. I'm blabbering at this point but the point is him and Claire are the only het pairing that matters.

These are just the ships that I felt should be separate from their shows. I love all of the ships from the shows I mentioned.

Oof this got horrifically long, I haven't had a proper chance to rant about most of these shows so I really let it out lol. I hope you've watched at least some of these shows and I didn't just rant to u about 12 shows you've never heard of 😂

I hope you have a wonderful day love!!!!

#secretsanta'20

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1-800-channie · 5 years

Text

Cigarettes & Mint | Chapter 1

→ Chapter: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

→ Genre: Very Angst / Fluff / Highschool!Au

→ Warning: Strong language; slight eating disorders; cursing; bullying; smoking; heartbroken;

→ Pairing: Badboy!Hyunjin x Innocent!Reader;

→ Summary: When your ego is bigger than your brain, you don’t mind breaking someone’s heart. As soon as the smell of cigarettes and mint invade your nostrils, your heart starts beating faster and your life starts falling apart. I bet you will end up broken.

→ Playlist for the Chapter:

↳ Paper Doll - Bea Miller ↳ Fool - NCT 127 ↳ Best Friend - iKON ↳ Friends - Chase Atlantic ↳ Colours - Day6

→ Words: +2K

→ N/A: Hiii everyone! I’m so excited to finally post my lovely ‘Cigarettes and Mint’ Fiction! It took me so long to write, every chapter was carefully written and revised at least five times. This is very important to me, so, i hope you love to read it as much as i loved to write it. OH and… Prepare your heart ;)

[Previous] [Next] [Masterlist]

[01:20 PM/ ONE DAY BEFORE THE BET]

The Canteen has never been a clean place, the tiled floor was always dirty with stains that would make your trainers get glued to the floor, but it’s was always a place full with enthusiasm and freedom, where everyone can talk aloud, and curse as much as they feel like to. The thin walls painted in white with the word ‘CANTEEN’ in yellow did a terrible job to preserve the loud yelling from inside, but no one seemed to care, almost like the canteen was a holy place, where everyone was free to do and say what they want.

The yellow color from the large wooden doors seem to become more vivid when the room is full, inside, students that could be mistaken to animals due to the amount of food they eat and for talking with their mouth packed, something that always made you want to throw up, are openly hanging out.

As everyone feeds their cravings for food, you feed your dark eyes by watching shamelessly the boy that is currently laughing at something that his best friend showed him on his iPhone. He is like a k-idol, impossible but inevitable to fall in love with, and you couldn’t help it but admire how handsome he was.

The music that echoes inside your brain from the headphones you have plugged in, is from a kdrama, where the boy stays under the freezing rain to kiss his beloved. And because of it, you feel your heart skip a beat while imagining you and Hyunjin on the same plot. As the slow beat went on you got lost on him.

As you stare blanked at the bad boy in front of you, your innocent brain makes it more accessible to cloud your eyes and make you face the scenario of him, drenched, over the icy rain, his huge hands on your tiny ones while he confesses the love he holds for you. His brown hair glued to his forehead and his lips red from the cold.

When someone yanked your headphones out of your ears you came back to reality, and there he is, in front of you, with a destructive smirk on his full red lips. He seemed much taller than you, and you felt so miserable staring at him while sitting down.

“Listen to me, Angel…” Hyunjin’s seductive voice orders you. “I know you like me very much, but the constant staring makes me uncomfortable as fuck, so please, stop staring at me like that, yeah?” As soon as he ceased talking everyone already had their attention on both of you, and they were giggling and pointing at your petty figure.

Your cheeks heated up from embarrassment, at that moment you wanted to dig a hole and hide inside until next week, so everyone would have forgotten about it already. When you stood up to excuse yourself, your legs weak and trembling, the hero of the story comes to the view to save you:

“Hyunjin, you didn’t need to be such a dick to her. You could’ve just talked to her privately, why humiliate her like that?” Hendery replies, a mad emotion taking advantage of his heaven made features.

“Look, you dont-” Minho came to help his friend, but your friend didn’t even let him finish. Hendery’s veiny hands gripped his shirt and he almost lifted him off the floor, angriness taking advantage of his bright form.

“Hendery~” Your scared frame whispered while tugging at his shirt. “Let them be… Please. It’s ok…”

Your childhood best friend takes a glace of five seconds at your appearance. You are bitting your lip nervously, he perceives your body trembling from the hand you have gripping him, the blush on your cheeks is redder than ever and small, hot and salty tears are forming at the corners of your eyes.

He releases the bad boy and gets closer to Hyunjin, their noses practically touching and he threatens him:

“Dont come close to my best friend ever again, or ill beat you until you can’t fucking walk, understand?”

Hyunjin grins. “Yes, sir.” He salutes him before turning his back at both of you and going back to his original seat.

You, with your whole body shivering, grab your green backpack and wander out of the happy canteen, where you were starting to feel suffocated in. The tears in your eyes seem to be stronger than all the strength in your body and they flow down your jowls, making you despise yourself for being so pity.

The tall man that just defended you runs after you on the immense corridor, his steps loud and lucid, and he grabs your wrist, holding you back.

“Let me go… please.” You beg your voice muffed, making it crack from all the sadness peaking up at the exterior.

“You know i can’t do that.” And with that said, he draws your body against his, your head leaning on his shoulder as you whine. “Why do you always fall for the bad boys huh?” He jokes while caressing your wavy hair.

You let a timid laugh escape your edges as you sob, the sense of being protected drowning you completely. Hendery is that efficacious, he makes you feel special and safe. He has eternally protected you, but you, being the careless silly you are, never really paid attention to it.

As you feel your body calming down, you lift your face to gaze at him, a dumb prince-like smile displaced on his margins.

“You always show up at the best timing… Do you have any kind of seventh sense to know when I’m in trouble?” The laugh that he left out could be considered the cutest laugh you have ever heard if you weren’t stupidly in love with the bad boy that just shamed you in front of half of the school.

“I do, babe.” He plays and laughs right after, a pleasant silence involving you both on your walk out of the school. The endless corridor is full with lockers in both sides and your steps are echoing inside it, due to it being empty. The only light inside it is provided by the little lamps on the ceiling, that unsuccessfully make their job of brightening your way.

As you both sit down on a bench, outside, the wind feels refreshing on your hot cheeks. The sun seems to fade away at the right time, leaving you and him on a fresh shadow. Hendery has an adorable little pout on his thin lips, you watch him confused:

“What’s wrong, big boy?” You ask while squeezing his cheeks, he groans annoyed and takes your hands out of his appearance.

“Just because i had to save the beauty from the beast, i didn’t get to eat lunch. Now, I’m hungry.” He informs you in a grumpy tone, crossing his arms over his chest like a child when their mom doesn’t give them what they want.

“Here.” You say, taking your lunchbox out of the backpack and handing him the food you should have eaten on the first break.

Hendery looks at you irritated. His thick eyebrows pushed together and his lips pressed in a thin line, making it pretty obvious that he was about to lecture you about not eating your food.

“Are you doing it again?” He asks more concerned than angry. “I dont want you in trouble again for throwing food out on the bin when it’s totally eatable. And, please, dont tell me you are stopping eating because someone called you fat…” He explains, his hand brushing your hair comfortably and his eyes stare deep into yours in genuine love.

“No… It’s not that!” You lie, taking his hands off of you. “I just dont like this conserve my mom chose…” You try to cover up your dirty lie and he seems to fall for it, at least for now. You feel relieved that he didn’t dig deep on the problem.

Hendery feeds the bread calmly, casually sipping the juice he bought not too long ago, pineapple flavored, also your favorite. The package of it it’s simply colored in green and yellow, with a picture of a pineapple, kind of aesthetic pleasing in your eyes.

“Are you… hmm… alright? After what he did?” His clumsy self asks without looking at you. So he could avoid your hurt expression because it would damage him too.

“It was my fault… i completely froze while looking at him, i would feel exactly like him if i was in his position.” You answer honestly, and Hendery couldn’t believe that you saw the good side of what that sucker did to you, and even defend him.

“Still…” The cutie sitting next to you remarks, stuffing his mouth. “He didn’t need to be that bold and rude.” He blunts out shrugging, talking with his mouth full.

Noticing the gross action, you slap his shoulder playfully, making him laugh and almost choke. Then, when you both were calmer, you leaned your head on his shoulder, seeking a way out of the images of Hyunjin.

[11:20 PM/ ONE DAY BEFORE THE BET]

The sounds that could be heard from the bottom floor were laughs and loud RnB music while the three friends hung out at one of their houses. Changbin is the one that has more money out of the three, his house looks like a palace, and it’s so quiet that Hyunjin envies it.

The spot where they usually stay is Binnie’s basement. It’s a big, cozy room with an even bigger TV, where they usually watch films. A fluffy carpet that they use to lay down on, and an expensive bathroom that always smells like vanilla.

Hyunjin was laying on the sofa, watching Changbin, that was sitting down o the fluff carpet playing ‘Call of Duty: Zombies’. Minho just came out of the luxurious bathroom, smiling at both of his best friends paying so much attention to a game. This makes him feel like he is the most mature out of the three.

“I want to do something fun…” The older boy says kicking Hyunjin’s body so he could sit next to him on the comfortable sofa. Changbin, the owner of their favorite place to hang out, turns off the PlayStation and turns his attention to the boys behind him, resting his head on his hands cutely.

Hyunjin already had a dangerous cigarette caught between his full lips, the urge to take those memories out of his mind was killing him. Binnie, scenting the disgusting smell of the smoke, mad, took the tobacco of his best friend lips and put it on the trash bin in a fast movement.

“I told you, no smoking inside my basement didn’t i?” The back haired boy warns his friend, watching Hyunjin groan out of annoyment. He just needed help to forget you and your sad eyes.

“I need to fucking get revenge out of that motherfucker,” Minho said angrily, he hated to be threatened, especially from someone as insignificant and poor as Hendery.

The three of them didn’t like him, but Minho was the one that hates him the most since the girl he was trying to date was stolen from him. Hendery and Lee’s crush, dated for one year, and she was treated like the queen she was. When she showed up in front of Lee Know, her neck full with bruises from a night of pleasure, he felt extremely jealous and swore to himself that the prince-charming needed to pay.

Hyunjin wanted to be left out as much as possible, he didn’t want to talk to you again, because now, he couldn’t stop seeing your hurt expression, and he felt bad for what he made you go thru. He hated Hendery for always being there and not leaving you alone.

The seductive boy plays with his lip ring as he thinks to himself how impulsive he was, and how he could have talked to you more carefully, without calling your best friend’s attention.

“What do you plan to do, huh?” Changbin asked while bitting the gum he had bought just for this specific moment of being with the only people that understand him.

“Get him hurt. I want him to suffer…” Minho said, his eyes traveled at the boy sitting on the sofa next to him, his legs wide open, his head was thrown back, he knew something was up with his friend, but he couldn’t bother to care, not when his ego was hurt.

“We need someone to get to him, right?” Binnie asked with a smirk on his lips.

“Guys please let him be… or dont get-” Hyunjin was trying to make his bestie quit the idea of hurting the boy because after all, he was just taking care of the girl he likes.

“THAT’S IT! THE ANSWER IS YOU, MY FRIEND.” Minho yelled, not letting his devastated best friend finish talking.

“I told you. I’m not doing it…” Hyunjin assures.

“I just needed you to fuck, Kim Sun, the girl you humiliated today, and make him suffer. I know he is in love with her ever since they met. If you hurt her, you will hurt him.” The blond man says smartly, feeling proud of all the sin inside of him.

“Nah. Nop. Fuck… No. I’m not doing that.” The lip ringed boy sifts uncomfortably on the sofa, a weird pain consuming his whole body just by thinking about you.

“I can do it,” Changbin says, the confidence taking advantage of his short body. “She is hot as hell, i dont mind doing it.” His large hands drawing an invisible line of your ass and tapping it right after.

“Nah man. She won’t ever let you close to her…” Minho denied his friend, and Changbin felt ridiculous for being left out of the group once again. He misses those times where the three of them would do everything together for fun, and not bother other people. He was afraid that if he refused to do what his friends wanted he would be left alone. And he dislikes being left alone.

Lee Know turns to the tall man next to him once again and tries his luck once again.

“Come on, Jinnie… She has a big ass, just like you want. She is quite pretty… It won’t be that hard.” He blunts out. “She is totally in love with you, she will be yours in just a few hours.” He feels his smile fade away when the stubborn man beside him shakes his head in a negative way for the third time.

“Well, i guess you are that weak, huh? Can’t even make a virgin girl fuck you without catching feelings.” Minho spits angrily those vulgar words, he knows Hyunjin will give up. Just because his ego is way bigger and stronger than his poor brain.

“What the fuck are you talking about man?” The smoker yells. “I can fuck her in less than three days, just by looking at her, i know she will fall on her knees for me!” Jinnie says full of himself, the images of your broken face being replaced by imagines of you moaning out loud his name.

He is Hwan Hyunjin, the biggest playboy of the school, not just someone.

“I bet you can’t get into her pants in three days and then leave her right after,” Minho smirks and throws fireworks inside him, he finally got what he wanted.

“I bet i fucking can!” Hyunjin was obviously irritated, and his ego was hurt.

“Good, we start counting tomorrow then,” Changbin says, forcing the angry boys to look at him.

Hyunjin knows he shouldn’t do this. He will hurt you, he will break you., he will tear you apart, but he couldn’t care less, because his ego was being tested.

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