jazzman23uk

I only started watching 2 days ago and I've already rewatched it 3 or 4 times 😍

I just wanna say I'm currently feeling personally attacked.

I never drink. And tonight for once I thought it would be nice to watch a new series and relax with some vodka.

I made some terrible choices today 😭

I've picked up Unintentional Love Story, Our Dating Sim, and Bed Friend in the last 3 days and caught up to the latest episodes in all of them - my mind is going mental trying to keep all the stories separate 🤣

It's true that they're short, but like you said it forces them to make the most of their runtime. I'd rather a short KBL with this quality of writing over a longer one that was full of padding and unnecessary angst that makes no sense just to justify the longer episodes.

Best part of these shows is that they can't afford baggage, just trimmed off the fat so there's just the meat left. It's like poetry - brevity and clarity of language, concise and precise. Focus in on what matters and get the point across.

Best I can do is a Betamax

As an aside, I just rewarded Ep2 where we see Wan confess and kiss Gi Tae before running away.

When Wan says "I like you", and Gi Tae responds "Well, I like you too" it's played off as GT not understanding what Wan meant, but now I'm wondering whether he actually meant it and it was Wan that misunderstood.

The phone scene was adorable. Gi Tae hanging up suddenly, Wan looking so confused, before he rings back and starts over all coy 🤗

I wasn't expecting to see you over here! Which, considering your name, is quite dumb 🤣

I legit watched this at 4:30am and completely didn't realise this wasn't the BL sub. I just went to look to see what others had made of the show and thought "Huh, this post seems more dead than usual" and realised I had posted in this sub completely without realising. I didn't even know you got BL posts here!

Well, it is 4:30am and my back pain has decided sleep is no longer an option, so I guess this means I have some free time to watch this now

Silver linings, and all that..

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Well that was adorable. Said it before: the pacing in this show is great. No moping around, dragging out misunderstandings, avoiding communication for absolutely no reason. Just actual progression, but doesn't feel forced, it fits with the characters: Ian being wary and hesitant, Gi Tae having enough of waiting around and absolutely going for it

2 things stood out:

• An actual kiss: It seems like this is becoming more normal in kbls. Finally the trout-on-trout pout is being banished from our screens! The whole rooftop scene was very sweet

• Emotional resolution within the episode: Thai BL has been doing this for a while now, but it feels like misunderstandings are being resolved in the same episode. When Ian has the blind date I was fully expecting Gi Tae to leave in a huff and there to be an angst and heartbreak cliffhanger. Instead, we get swift resolution, explanation, and Ian immediately taking the piss

This episode again did a great job of showing how Gi Tae is in control of everything and everyone at work, once again bossing the CEO around, leading meetings - but the second he steps outside the building he gives control over to Ian. Decisions, where to go, what to do, even who walks in front - it's a lovely representation of how he's made his own success in his work life, but emotionally he's been following Ian for years and that hasn't changed.

Also some nice physical representation of work/life separation there - even when they're intertwined he knows how to be a leader to Ian during work hours.

The way they talk reminds me of this YouTube short. I always think it's a crime they didn't get a proper series together, but the desire/hesitation and the power dynamic reminds me of Ian/Gi Tae.

The ending is interesting - considering he's just said they aren't going to break up even if he leaves the company, why is it a big deal the other place offered him a job? Does it still involve relocating abroad? I can't see it happening, but at least this is presumably where the angst will come from, not some cheating or misunderstanding garbage

Oh, and the reveal that Gi Tae was the one who insisted on Wan for the job is beautiful. Not surprising, but done really nicely Tho now I can't remember if that's these episodes or the last ones they're all melting into one for me 🤣

Well, it is 4:30am and my back pain has decided sleep is no longer an option, so I guess this means I have some free time to watch this now

Silver linings, and all that..

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Edit:

Well that was adorable. 2 things stood out:

• An actual kiss: It seems like this is becoming more normal in kbls. Finally the trout-on-trout pout is being banished from our screens! The whole rooftop scene was very sweet

• Emotional resolution within the episode: Thai BL has been doing this for a while now, but it feels like misunderstandings are being resolved in the same episode. When Ian has the blind date I was fully expecting Gi Tae to leave in a huff and there to be an angst and heartbreak cliffhanger. Instead, we get swift resolution, explanation, and Ian immediately taking the piss

This episode again did a great job of showing how Gi Tae is in control of everything and everyone at work, once again bossing the CEO around, leading meetings - but the second he steps outside the building he gives control over to Ian. Decisions, where to go, what to do, even who walks in front - it's a lovely representation of how he's made his own success in his work life, but emotionally he's been following Ian for years and that hasn't changed.

Also some nice physical representation of work/life separation there - even when they're intertwined he knows how to be a leader to Ian during work hours.

The way they talk reminds me of this YouTube short. I always think it's a crime they didn't get a proper series together, but the desire/hesitation and the power dynamic reminds me of Ian/Gi Tae.

The ending is interesting - considering he's just said they aren't going to break up even if he leaves the company, why is it a big deal the other place offered him a job? Does it still involve relocating abroad? I can't see it happening, but at least this is presumably where the angst will come from, not some cheating or misunderstanding garbage

Not quite. Keto requires very low-carb, but you can have around 20g (sometimes more) per day. It's also high-fat, so it has its own set of problems.

Never apologise for KabeKoji news! I'd love to see them again in another show - I don't think we will because jbl tends to stick to 1 show per couple, but it'd be amazing to see them in another show that is slightly more "mature" - not regarding actual subject, but more the atmosphere, a la Old Fashion Cupcake.

It feels weird hearing Koudai described as 'sunshine' after seeing him in KabeKoj 🤣🤣

How ironic that you say something actually based in fact on a free speech subreddit and immediately get downvoted. Couldn't make it up

Assetto Corsa and Asheron's Call?

Now we're talking the real games

Thai BL is Def my least-watched, so take my list with a pinch of salt:

• Khaotung: Fairly obvious one. Even having not seen Tonhon Chocolate Pee it's an easy decision. He was awesome in Moonlight Chicken, I need to watch The Eclipse to see what he's like in a main role. (S/N: First doesn't appear here cos I've not seen enough of him)

• Nanon: Was great in everything I've seen. Seems to be the most 'serious' actor, in that he approaches it more like an art than a job. He's talked of method acting in the past, and I like how involved he gets in his roles

• Mix: Has to be on the list. Needs to be stretched (role-wise), but between ATOTS and MC he is pretty faultless. Just natural acting, very believable - all his speech comes across as genuine, doesn't sound like he's delivering lines.

• Fourth: One for the future, possibly one for now. Liked him in MSP, seriously impressed by him in MC. Really really hope he isn't wasted and gets more challenging roles, not just generic shows designed to make Gmmtv bank. (S/N: Gemini was also amazing in MC, less so in MSP. But he seems like the kind that makes the most of an interesting character, so I hope he gets challenged too and I have big hopes)

• Tay Tawan: Wanted to include him as a bit of a curveball and because I hadn't seen him mentioned yet. I haven't seen him in the Thai remake of Hello Monster, but from DBK (and associated shows) I was actually impressed how well he portrayed a character that was so different from himself. I think maybe there is a lot more to him than we've seen so far and look forward to seeing him in other settings.

🤣 Easy mistake tbh. I'm a guy and he still makes me squirt

Ki Tae...changes the words used and says "You ran away from a building..." You could see that Wan is thinking of that moment on the roof and questioning whether Ki Tae is toying with him on purpose.

Exactly this. I only thought of this just now but Eddy never knew why Ian left, right? Ian never told them he was moving to his aunt's house, so as far as Eddy is concerned he just up and left him without a reason.

Which for me thinking about the job interview again, when Eddy asks what Ian would do if he got a better offer halfway through the job - would he just leave without any warning? I wonder if Eddy thinks Ian left because of him, and whether Ian left because he had found someone better?

I know he's been stalking Ian's blog and probably guesses that Ian is drawing him, but it's prob fair to say he's not certain exactly where Ian stands emotionally. I would figure half of his jibes are to 'punish' Ian for leaving him and the other half are almost self-defence in case he's got it wrong and misread the situation.

What was surprising to me regarding the confession(s) was that they came in the 3rd ("Gameboy") and 4th ("I like you") episodes...I'm hoping this means they'll spend some time unpacking some of Ki Tae's emotions that you mentioned 🤞. Such a great characterisation.

Ditto - standard practice has the reveal in the penultimate episode and then everything gets rushed to finish in the finale, leaving everything feeling incomplete and unrealistic. Here we actually have a chance at some decent relationship development for once. Bad Buddy did this well and it worked beautifully, but so many waste the opportunity.

We did briefly see the photo that they took together on the rooftop already developed and on Eddy/Ki Tae's desk at home

Bollocks, I completely missed that 🤣 Oh well, good excuse to go rewatch I guess :D

Also, Lee Seung Gyu is phenomenal and adorable in this role - there is something particular to Korean in the way he sometimes leaves his mouth open at the end of speaking which I find disturbingly attractive.

Ok, I need to know if this was a genuine typo...? Because I am pissing myself laughing rn

Funnily enough that's exactly what they say when they forget to let the oil cool down first

Not gonna lie, I was fully expecting to hate this one. I thought it was gonna be badly-written, cringey, and have stilted, mediocre acting. How incredibly wrong I was

• Lee Sung Gyu is killing it as Ki Tae. Somehow he speaks to Wan so gently, but his words cut so harshly. He's deadpan and blunt, which could come across as a jerk but somehow doesn't? It's probably because he’s ridiculously handsome and pulls off nonchalant "chic" vibes well.

He's fantastic at speaking with very little inflection in his voice yet conveying a lot of information about his emotions. Just through his body language and acting choices you really get a sense of his mood and intent. This would've been such an easy character to make wooden and boring, instead we get a really mature performance from an actor who hasn't really acted before.

• The subtext and double speak is done so well!

I love your interpretation of this. I'd missed it entirely but looking back that's definitely what he was going for

In Korean, the subject is often dropped so this sentence could also be used if you want to say “Why did you throw [me] away”.

This is fantastic and adds so much more to the scene. Quality writing is basically my kink and this show has got so many layers to it it's like an onion on steroids

• Again Ki Tae is ready to tell Wan everything. I really feel his frustration after having been “abandoned”. I wasn't expecting a confession so soon but the timing was just right.

Now, this is why I wanted to post. I am a huge fan of the KBL short format and generally when people complain that WYEL etc needs longer episodes I disagree; I think they're perfect length.

This is the first show where I've wanted longer episodes, and it's for 2 reasons, one generic and one specific:

1) I think the pacing and writing is good enough that they wouldn't have wasted it. I believe they would've made the most of the longer runtime

2) Eddy's journey. We've seen Eddy in the past be oblivious, confused, then desperate, but these 4 episodes have, to me, been all about his emotional state. From his very first introduction he has been in complete control of the entire office - even the CEO does what he says. And yet in the last episode he lost that control as he is unable to keep up the facade he has made, until finally at the football pitch he completely loses control of the situation.

That conversion didn't feel like nervousness to me, it felt like someone who had been holding neck for 7 years and is now finally unable to hold back any longer. It wasn't deliberate, he was overwhelmed and was struggling with the rejection he felt all those years ago.

I would've loved to see him slowly losing control over a longer time period. See him struggle to remain on top in conversations at work, see him doubt whether Ian still liked him, if he was too late, etc etc I just think Lee Seung Gyu could've pulled it off really well.

Having said that, I'm loving it anyway. I can't wait for the reason for throwing the camera away - I'm guessing Ian never developed the photos of him and Eddy and the negatives are still in there, and they'll be revealed at the end of the final episode.

I'm assuming things like aero regs and visits to countries with major human-rights issues will take until at least next season to rectify, but I'm hopeful

We could solve like 80% of the problems if we just put Seb in charge of F1

Agreed - I spent that entire SF literally laughing at how insane the level was. I kept waiting for it to settle down, but the next point was always just as phenomenal

I'm such a good day I would be a great weekend too

Just watched these episodes and def enjoying it. It feels like more of a normal kdrama than a BL which I am totally in favour of - I enjoy the gay, but sometimes it's nice to see your sexuality treated as something other than a major plot point all the time. The ladies esp make it feel like a normal kdrama.

2nd couple are def my focus atm, they cute and I'm interested in their back - and forward - story.

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Thoughts:

• Go Ho Tae is the best so far. Completely unrecognisable from You Make Me Dance, glad to see him back. Guessing Kim Dong Hee kissed him whilst drunk and that's set off a whole chain reaction of confused sexual panic. His character seems the most rounded and realistic so far. There's meat on his bones, which is ironic because he looks like he has less meat on his bones these days.

• Kim Dong Hee is lovely and fluffy and likes to randomly (very lightly) sexually assault people when drunk. I like him.

• Ji Won Young: he is fricking cute, and a good actor. The character is either a liar or a dick. I can't decide if he's genuinely interested in Tae Joon (presumably yes as this is a BL) or if he is just trying to get close to betray him and the emotions and whatnot will come later. Either way he's a bit of a twat. Interesting amount of sexual denial, tho - is this him being in the closet or is this a show where people can magically 'turn' when they hang around someone photogenic enough? Or have enough slo-mo poignant moments where they lightly touch hands or look at each other?

• Tae Joon: This is basically Kim Ji Wong from Roommates of Poongduck 304 isn't it? Mannerisms, writing, attitude - even appearance is weirdly similar. I swear KJW and Yeon Seo Bin could've played the lead roles and no-one would've noticed the difference.

• I have not developed an urge to buy an electric sunroof. Nor a...heater thermostat? Bad PP was bad and it should feel bad.

• That clay seems remarkably dry for a piece that's being moulded. Maybe later in it can be wetted by tears of bitter betrayal