Discourse - Blog Posts

whatever the dsmp ended in flames but you'll pry enjoying the good parts of it from my cold dead hands. I have a L'Manberg flag and I still wanna talk about cwilbur and ctommy and what cranboo could have been and what cbeeduo was and you can FIGHT ME.

It's heartbreaking that things ended the way they did but you'll have to put me down to stop me from still wanting to talk about and enjoy the good parts of it. I'm still gonna celebrate just how good it WAS while it was good because goddamn, it was good.

Why are your thoughts on the Yagami Yato racial insesitivity allegations?

12/1/2020 @ 6:06 AM MST (I didn’t sleep)

Do not attack or harass me or anyone I made mention of in this post.

I can only assume you meant "what are my thoughts" - autocorrect, what are you doing?

... I'm just using humor to deflect again - yikes.

Hoo boy, that’s something to dive into. Uh, this is something I really didn’t expect to get into like this but I'm not quite as well worded as I will be in my past posts over this type of discourse since it’s like... Late.

Everything's gonna be under the cut since well... I ramble and negativity is not the name of the game.

As a POC myself - specially as an East Asian where the culture of anime itself originates... I'm sort of pulled on this whole deal?

I can't really speak on the front of others but I can speak for myself and what I know and how I feel. I don't know a whole lot about everything but I'm aware of a couple instances that do make me sort of really twist my nerves.

I remember her explaining in the same video "Addressing the Drama" where she goes over things like that. I remember her explaining that some of her videos are inspired or dealt with more real-life problems.

Specifically where she claims she had taken inspiration from the BLM movement into her fantasy series; specifically Devil Prince Shouto. I'm not speaking for her but I assume she meant that as an infernal creature, Shouto was on the receiving end of discrimination from humans because of his race.

I see no issue with that per say, but it is not up to me to forgive or forget.

I definitely see that people find it as a way for her to plug without actually giving support or using it as a way to get people off of her back.

Mostly since we have no record of her even considering donating for the cause or even asking for others to donate.

There was another instance that someone apparently had seen or heard CeCe refer to "mayo monkey" as a slur?

If I'm mistaken on any of this, please correct me and give me some evidence.

Don't get me wrong, I believe that we can be racist towards Caucasians but it's somewhat difficult to be not at least a little critical because of the tumultuous relations between them and POC. But like with most things; it’s like when we say “white people” - the non-racists know that we ain’t talking about them.

I think my biggest issue is that she doesn't address anything having to do with these new allegations and as a 20-something year old woman, I feel it's only right for her to step forward like an adult and handle this well. Issue some sort of explanation.

I don't have any other big issues right now but I'll be keeping my eye out for anything else.

~ Dari

Edit (12/1/2020) @ 4:01 PM MST

@satokohojoz

Thank you for clarification and corrections.

It still does not excuse the situation at all. She still did something that needs to be addressed and spoken of.

Despite being POC(she has no big reasons to lie about this, though if she is... we have bigger problems), it’s unclear if she’s done research into her own culture - but it should be common sense to be conscious toward other races as well.

I’m not really sure how to feel on this whole thing still, but being a blind supporter isn’t my bag. I’ll try to look more into things.

Edit (2/7/2021 @ 5:36 AM): I am no longer in support YY, I did once when she readily provided evidence and gave us proof... But she isn't taking responsibility or providing a defense. So I am DONE.

Addressing more YY Allegations

8/29/20 @ 1:06PM

I don’t condone anything mentioned in this post, this is just a post in regard to new things coming out.

Do not attack or harass me or anyone I made mention of in this post.

This was simply made to inform and critique.

I’ve been silent on my TikTok about the Yagami Yato situation because I didn’t want to bring it straight to me, a page of just straight self indulgence.

Of general positivity.... Comfort for those who need it.

I really don’t know what to do here other than give the information I learned.

It will likely be the last of these posts because I can’t take anymore of these, it is messing with my mental health and I don’t like negativity on my blogs. Justified or not.

Especially for the sake of escapism.

Mentions of animal cruelty and sexual abuse.

There had been multiple screenshots released regarding her apparent torture/abuse of animals in her younger years. Even some dark comment on her dealing with sexual assault.

There is speculation going around that they are real/fake, there is not proof of either.

The screenshots most definitely exist and YY has yet to properly address them other than just denying it.

I only have a screenshot of the screenshots of the screenshots that are basically unreadable because the font is so SMALL. Again, I learned all of this from TikTok.

They were apparently from November of last year and it’s a wonder why they haven’t come out more recently?

While I understand where she is coming from, staying silent and complacent just incriminates her more. Yes, there are people that genuinely dislike her... There are also people that are just trying to give her critique, trying to see what is wrong and why she should stop or be more mindful in what she says and does.

These allegations are just getting more and more serious and while I'm now more of a neutral party - if this turns out to be true, she needs to be held responsible. We did not offer Shane Dawson that kindness. This is going to be a big mess and we are in the eye of the goddamn storm. I will bring more update when I learn more information....

I do know that a lot of people that support and love her...

And that we need to realize while we adore her and believe that she is a warm, kind person....

We truly don’t know her.

Especially from the other sides of our screens.

~ Dari

Edit (8/29/20 @ 2:17PM): YY has made a Patreon post with visual/video proof. The apparent screenshot sharer is her friend and the both of them debunked they even shared a convo like that. They have continued speaking even after the posting of those screenshots? It was apparently meant to doxx said friend on top of that.

In Defense of Yagami Yato

Alright, there's some literal flames beginning inside and outside of the community and she's coming under some fire herself after the posting of an audio. Not to mention the accusations surrounding her after it was posted

Before, people were already not very kind for the things she creates but I'd like to clarify things as someone who derives comfort from her content.

Even holding it as somewhat of an outlet.

I’m going to go through and debunking some things. You don’t have to enjoy her content or continue to support her or things of the like but let’s dive into this.

I will also do my best to provide evidence and make the points concise and clear. Please correct me if there is anything I get incorrect.

There will be triggering topics under the cut, everything will be tagged to the best of my ability.

I do not condone inc*st or anything presented in the evidence I’m about to show you. I also ask that you attack no one that I have made mention of.

Mentions of pseudo-incest, incest, sexual assault, blackmail, cheating/infidelity. Please heed these warnings before reading.

Let’s start off with the “aging up minors just to lewd them”.

This is immediately untrue. She ages them up for the sake of a story she is trying to tell, in the main storyline of her audios - all of the students either start as third years and end up pro heroes.

A lot of her early audios involved prefacing how characters fell in love!

It is like an alternate universe where all the story lines intersect and story takes up a good chunk of the audios. While there is the odd one off here and there with just straight up sex, it is clear that they are adults.

Old enough to consume alcohol, own property, be pro heroes, etc.

They are old enough to get married with parental permission by the time they graduate high school. According to Japanese law.

She also gets absolutely nothing out of these audios because she explained that she is aro-ace. There was also that none of this is scripted and often done while she is doing other things, like playing video games or drawing or doing other tasks.

I also distinctly remember her explaining that she hadn’t started doing female voices until recently because it’s harder for her to dissociate. She also does not do anything sexual when it comes to just her normal self as she finds it uncomfortable(male self is fair game).

Cece briefly went onto explain her own mental trauma in experiencing being assaulted as a minor, so she is not aging up the students just to lewd them because she’s had to deal with that type of shit herself.

There is also the problem that underaged kids are apparently all over her content, god, I already touched on this before but in this day and age - we can barely tell who is telling the truth about their age or not.

But I know she had recently attempted to slice down on minors consuming her content by age restricting everything, marking it as 18+ and so on.

Source is her “Addressing the Drama” video up on her Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7CcMXanmkM

But apparently, they’re still bypassing everything by lying about their age or something or other. Even her Patreon is being sort of exploited in this manner because someone is allowing them to have money to support her.

Not to mention those that take that content and start pasting it on places like TikTok.

I’m not apart of her Discord but read from a third party source that she swiped the entire NSFW channel from the server and there is a just Patreon one in the works? I’m unsure about the details of this particular subject.

I don’t know a lot about this and I’m not on her Discord server full on simply because I was way too nervous to speak to her or anybody else on it. But with a quick search of it, I can see that they don’t discuss Patreon matters on it and NSFW is not allowed on it as of right now.

But either way, it’s clear that she and her mods are trying to crack down on shit like this.

Finally, the most recent, “she supports inc*st”.

Alright, at this point, Yato has taken it down but it is what made her receive some of the recent ire. Even from a rather prominent cosplayer of whom’s content I enjoyed and decidedly unfollowed as it’s clear they did not want to have any YY supporters as fans. While it pains me a little, I have to disagree with this as well and provide some sort of context as I had listened to the audio.

Let me provide a small screenshot, of what content was to be expected from it.

Before ya’ll pull out pitchforks, let me explain what goes down in this audio.

Admittedly, this is not my cup of tea, but I listened anyhow out of curiosity(and concern as the “kinda inc*st” tag worried me). Note, this was completely 110% my decision, I was fully aware of the warnings and listened anyhow. I am a completely autonomous being that is capable of making my own, adult, decisions.

The listener is Shouto’s spouse(meaning they are 18 or older), both of which have been married for 6 months of so. All through their marriage, they’d apparently been blackmailed by Endeavor into cheating on him. She hadn’t listed it in the warnings but it also technically has to do with the “mind breaking” type of fetish. Let me clarify, this audio is genuinely hardcore and while there is these triggering materials...

But she warned us.

Warned me.

Anyhow, let me continue. The ‘inc*st’ tag was likely added on out of precaution, there was no physical relations between Shouto and Enji.

Allow me to Repeat: THERE WAS NO SEXUAL CONTACT BETWIXT THE FATHER AND SON.

This would be placed under something akin to ‘pseudo-incest’ as there is no blood connection between the listener and the Todorokis. As they are only related through marriage.

Enji being the father in law and Shouto being their husband.

They are having relations with Enji and Shouto. The other two are not having them with each other.

While it is still a gray area and I can’t say I enjoyed this audio - mostly as I don’t condone anything in it... I can only imagine Yato doesn’t either.

There was plenty of influence from hentai, especially according to the fact Yato used the “NTR” tag. All the tropes in the audio match up to a lot of hentai as well... As an adult, we’ve been around the block a couple times to understand.

There is also a small edit where she did address it more. On a Patreon post called “Edit: I love you all, no matter what”.

It makes sense as some of her audios include some of her characters doing some risky things, not to mention the moral gray area surrounding the heroes and villains in the main story line. Where most had done something that is considered wrong in the eyes of the law and society.

Especially Shouto.

Let me finish this off by saying; do your research before you jump the gun. I know Yato is not exempt from criticism, no one is!! I’m not trying to paint YY as this poor, misunderstood soul.

But more so as someone that doesn’t know how to handle things such as this very well.

Since instead of immediately addressing and apologizing for this, the message of “respect each other” and “everyone has different kinks” is something she’s trying to reinforce.

While that is true.

She needs to tackle this issue properly and take accountability, though it is an uncomfortable situation - it should be something that is addressed as people are legitimately very angry/upset.

The subject matter is serious and should be treated as such.

Cece’s main priority was making sure we don’t go around going after one another and seeing if everyone was okay afterwards.

We should respect those who were upset by this as well.

Some of her Patrons are also all over the place. As none want the same thing when it came down to it as being people, there is different thresholds as to what we can and cannot handle.

Not everyone will be satisfied with the content she creates and that’s okay.

She messed up. I won’t deny that, this is the biggest thing she’s ever screwed up and I can’t completely defend her from the backlash that will most definitely come.

Especially since without context of content, it is deeply triggering.

That is something she’s going to have to deal with.

I hope to god that she figures out a way to handle this better than she had initially.

I’m probably also pretty problematic in how my point of view is, so if y’all don’t agree - you don’t have to associate with me or YY.

I will still to continue to follow the content she creates and when she truly comes out with something truly harmful? Then I’ll sound the alarm and drop that shit, I’m not the type to deal with this thing lying down.

Perhaps I’ll receive some ire from this myself but I don’t really care, as someone that uses involving dark matters to cope and how to tackle them better - I can somewhat relate. I worry about offending people or triggering them, so my tags are always clear as possible. I don’t hold anything back and if people believe they can handle it, they can go ahead.

Not to mention my taste in fics sometimes veer straight into some dark-ass shit.

Yato decided to go full in on this path without giving any context as to why she marked it the way she had. People look straight on at things without knowing what her work entails will have no idea the type of person she actually is, nor immediately see why she does the things she does.

Cece isn’t a bad person.

But she’s not perfect either.

I’m leaving this here to allow people to come with their own conclusions.

I know where I stand.

Edit(8/22/20 @ 9:40PM): According to the Patreon, someone had actually reported the audios and had them removed. Not sure if it makes the situation better or worse, but I’m not sure they wanted to remove it? Again, this is just word of ear and it is unconfirmed. I’ll continue updating the more comes out.

Edit(8/29/20 @ 1:36 PM): Addressing more Yagami Yato Allegations [tw: animal cruelty mention, tw: sexual assault mention]

Edit (8/29/20 @ 2:17PM): YY has made a Patreon post with visual/video proof. The apparent screenshot sharer is her friend and the both of them debunked they even shared a convo like that. They have continued speaking even after the posting of those screenshots? It was apparently meant to doxx said friend on top of that.

Edit (2/7/2021 @ 5:34 AM): I am no longer in support YY, I did once when she readily provided evidence and gave us proof... But she isn't taking responsibility or providing a defense. So I am DONE.

you're only 21 so i feel terrible potentially giving you this responsibility but you have a platform so please help. tumblr user cunt/boy/supremacy reblogged a reblog wherein i (0 followers, only blocked and reported bots) discuss sexual abuse that i underwent that i shared knowing my following is 0 just to add context in case he misunderstood, specifically to mock it after i clarified the type of situation that was being discussed in an example of the kinds of abuse that transmascs can undergo in my initial post. the initial post has a lot of problems and i directly admit that; my biggest worry was people assuming that it means we should advocate for more control over hrt, which I further clarify we should not do in the tags; short bullet point paragraphs aren't enough for complexity and I get that now. but, i directly asked him to delete it bc I didn't want him to share that and I kind of expect better from other trans people but he's since started going off about transmasc rights activists and it's been over a day. idk how much attention and following he has but i directly asked him to not share that in case he does have an actual following, because i was actually intending on deleting it after finally getting his attention in dms - not new to tumblr but it's been a good decade, but he's just been reblogging and posting direct antitransmasculine takes since. i hate callouts and he's really just showing how much of a douche he is on his own blog by responding the way he has even just publicly without my "please remove this" statement which is in dms, but please help. please help

I'm genuinely sorry that you had to go through that. It's absolutely cruel - especially coming from another trans person. You have all my support, including if you ever want a safe place to discuss about your issues. You might have already done this, but I suggest to block the person who is harassing you (I'll block him too), and not continue to engage.

Good luck, I wish you the best.

Unpopular opinion: I wish they kept Phillip Wittebane as the main antagonist and didn’t include the collector at all

Discourse account for @obviousflirtations

This is where I post poetry, my thoughts, my side blog @obviousflirtations is where my fanfictions and one shots will be posted. 

MOOD.

I wholeheartedly agree with that one. No way Luke would wear things like that intentionally. I mean that man has a true pure boy energy (and actually is one, which is sad cause life does not do exceptions and look what it did to him). And he grew up on a freaking dust ball of a planet where peak fashion you see is hutts slaves wardrobe choices!

Yes, he is a Skywalker, and we all know that Skywalkers are always about the Drama (TM) and meaningful looks (even if it's cinemas fault). Which Luke certainly shares. And yes, jedis in general have their own culture and style.

So far the worst we've seen were Darth Vader and Kylo Ren. Cause they need to be intimidating and make people aware who is the Bad Guy around here. Next comes Leia with her political career. She must be aware of her appearance. And only then comes Luke with his simple Jedi look with some meaning behind it. Only in color btw. And that's it. The worst we've seen him was Dramatically (TM) taking off his hood.

So yes, I believe Luke is a true Skywalker, therefore a true Drama Queen, but more in action department than fashion one.

Leia and Luke are too practical to actually participate in real FASHHHHHION. But they both can and will do styles cause they know the power of proper look. It may as well be Force related thing cause they know what effect it causes.

ANYWAY, all of it does not necessarily make Luke do NOT wear Chanel Boots.I present you the idea of him wearing them ACCIDENTALLY!

Just like he ended up running around in that yellow jacket. What if he has on idea what are those clothes cause he was given them at some point and was like, oh they feet and are quite comfy to wear and fight in, thank you very much I will certainly wear them! And next time he strides in some Leias politician party/snake nest and everyone goes OH SHIT internally. Because Channel boots are what they are and they make Luke look really nice and he still a jedi and a pure boy with a power to crush you. So. While Luke definitely has no real understanding why people around him react like this, but they do and it helps him help Leia so why not.

The only culprit behind this disaster must be Han, who will laugh right until Leia comes down at him, but won't stop gifting Luke discreet fashion shit. And Luke will certainly find out at some point and OH WOW that explains everything. He will either have no care in the world or make Han stop cause it ruins his reputation as a jedi and teacher.

So yeah. I once again stress it that Luke is not that kind of human, who will care about fashion. As a crack this headcanon is fine, otherwise it is not.

Yes, Luke how I see him is a Little Shit. Is a Drama Queen because of it. He may be ace or gay or whatever. But he is not a sucker for fashion. Just. Not.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk, bye

I usually stay out of discourse too but this fandom has so much discourse it's hard to ignore that this point tbh, honestly when I joined the fandom I didn't think there would be discourse especially with ships since I'm in some fandoms that have shipping wars and anti shippers but it's not as bad as the antis in this fandom.

But this fandom has lead me to make friends and that's the best part for me, the anti part is so hateful but the other part is so caring and supportive and honestly this is the best fandom I've been in for a long time considering how nice it is aside from the horrible people in it.

Fuck you antis

Ugh

If you’re an anti and I don’t see the DNI don’t get pissed off because I didn’t look properly and act like I’m invading you’re personal space because guess what, I don’t want to interact with you either just take the like and deal with that shit or get off of the internet.

After the person who's post I liked they then DMed me a message which was rude as fuck and then they went and called me a creep while the person whose post I liked is alot older then me, it was in a public chat they didn't think I'd see and for days now they have made me feel like shit over just liking a post.

It fucking hurts people, these antis don't understand how their words can affect others.

Ugh

If you’re an anti and I don’t see the DNI don’t get pissed off because I didn’t look properly and act like I’m invading you’re personal space because guess what, I don’t want to interact with you either just take the like and deal with that shit or get off of the internet.

The antis will never be the winning team tbh 😂

Me at the antis:

if i find one (1) more motherfucker shipping beetlebabes i will ACTUALLY get charged with first degree murder. what the ACTUAL fuck

The Female Gaze in 2521: On Empowered Female Characters and Healthy Masculinity

Y’all I’m so excited to dive into this!

If you’re a kdrama fan, then by now you’ve probably caught on that kdramas often incorporate “the female gaze”. While it’s debated what’s considered the female gaze, we can all conclude that it is different from the omnipresent male gaze in media.

The male gaze describes the visual or aesthetic presentation of women in a way that depicts them as sexual objects, with personalities that tend to center towards men or their fantasies of how women "should" behave. That’s a bit of an oversimplification, but if you watch literally any popular show or movie, you’ll quickly notice the male gaze because it’s woven into the camerawork, the characterization, or body language of the characters on screen. See if you can catch it here.

Not so subtle, right? Kdramas are not free from it, either, but it is worth noting that kdramas do tend to pull an opposing card, namely the female gaze.

This tends to center female characters as being a spectator rather than an object, and typically holding more agency, meaning they lead their lives and choices. The male characters are often characterized as charming, sweet, polite, and romantic.

I see two forms of the female gaze in 2521: first, the empowered female characters and their depiction on screen; second, the portrayal of healthy masculinity in the leading male characters. 

Since this would actually become a literal essay if I tried to encompass every instance or relevant detail, I’m limiting it to just a few observations. But trust me, this show is abundant with many more. If you want to discuss it more, feel free to message me - I’m a nerd for this shit haha

Anyway, leggo~

Let’s start with our empowered protagonists (abbreviated to FC for Female Character from here on)!

Hee Do’s character is a take on the classic “I’m not like other girls” trope but thankfully the writers have spun it into a refreshingly animated and enlivened perspective. She is loud, sometimes adorably obnoxious, a little childish, and passionate. Contrary to the typical loud kdrama FC, she is innocent but not naive. Also contrary to other FCs, she does not seek a love interest. Her main goal is to improve her fencing and transfer to the school where her idol trains.

I like how Yi Jin’s presence in Hee Do’s life lifts her up and helps her accomplish her goals, but he’s not an absolute necessity. This kdrama could very well have orbited around the high school friend group and Hee Do would still succeed. This is pretty poignant, since Yi Jin being there merely enriches her life. She still ultimately has agency over her choices and dreams.

Also, let’s highlight how none of these FC are sexualized, be it their school uniforms, fencing gear, or the beach scene. Yes, Korea is much more conservative with these things, and yes, I think the writers and directors were cognizant of the thin line they were treading with the age gap and Hee Do being a minor for a while. But still! I think it’s worth celebrating and pointing out that they often show her wearing her red tracksuit pants under her skirt while no one else does. 

Seungwan is another FC who shines so well with the female gaze. She’s the one who makes an active effort to call out the abuse of the teachers at her school. She is an active participant in her life - she makes a clear stand that she will no longer tolerate witnessing abuse. Her agency is clear: she’s not backing down, and not stooping down to threats of being expelled.

Instead, she whips a reverse uno card and goes fuck this place, I’m leaving. That’s not to say empowerment comes without vulnerability and emotion. I think that’s what I enjoy so much about FCs done well in kdramas contrary to western media lately, because western media female empowerment these days seems to be “see, I’m a heartless bitch, watch me stand up for my beliefs and not even cry”. So when Seungwan explains the situation to her mom and says she’s sorry and starts crying in her mother’s embrace, it makes her moment of courage to leave and stand for her values that much stronger.

It’s brave because it has a toll. It’s brave because it’s an unfair situation to be put into. Crying about it makes that reality crash down on us much harder. Also, can we celebrate how this drama doesn’t attempt to give us beautiful crying scenes? A lot of male gaze centric media will make even women’s suffering an aesthetic viewing experience. But this? Not at all. We got runny noses, snot, creased eyebrows and sobbing breaths and shaking shoulders. Beauty isn’t the focus. It’s the feeling. 

This feels like a good transition into part 2: healthy masculinity! Because! Let me tell you!! We have plenty of kdramas with men crying, sure. But I’ve never seen performances like this where 1) male crying is filmed in such an intimate way and 2) where the female lead is framed as the dominant comfort - but not an emotionless hero, either.

Let’s talk about Jiwoong’s crying scene on the rooftop when he found out Seungwan was leaving.

The camerawork doesn’t shy away from showing the growing hurt and welling tears in his eyes. She comes over to hug him, swooping her arms over his shoulders even though he’s the taller one. We see him cover his face but not shy away from letting it out. She pats him on the back. It’s refreshing to see a male character cry without him having to throw things or break shit lmao like men can just stand there and cry and allow women to see them like this. 

Transition into Yi Jin’s crying scenes (oh man, Nam Joo Hyuk is my favorite actor for a reason: you can read his face so perfectly without him needing to speak). Yi Jin’s crying scenes are also devoid of being overly dramatic while still encompassing the intensity of his feelings and the weight of the moment. The scene that stands out the most to me is in episode 8 when he’s doing the live reporting via the hotel room but his computer crashes.

The deafening silence hits the audience hard. It’s meant to feel like a slap in the face because we’re meant to sit in his shock for a bit. The shock, denial, anger, and sadness washes over him as the camera centers a closeup of his face. He shakily puts down the phone, gets up, collapses next to the hotel bed, lifts up the sheets, and shouts - and I mean fucking shouts - into the duvet. This happens as the camera pans out so we all go from feeling caught up in his emotional turmoil to feeling the spaciousness of the room around him; how he’s so alone, how he has no one to rely on in this moment.

I fucking held my breath man. Because this felt so intimate. We don't normally see male characters on screen break down like this. And if so, it might be framed in an aesthetic or artistic way or even sexual way, like crying in the shower. This was just...plain hard truth. That shit was intense. Can I just say? Oscar worthy, my dude. 

The second moment that stands out combines the two observations! We get an empowered FC and a representation of healthy masculinity all in one! That’s right peeps, I’m talking the tunnel crying scene.

God, what a performance. Note how the camerawork highlights that he is collapsed and lower than her.

Hee Do is the one holding his face. She’s the one who caresses his tears away. And mind you, even though we’re talking the Very Handsome Baek Yi Jin here, he is still a snotty crying mess. In traditional media, this visual is very much a male-dominant gaze: a helpless woman being saved by a heroic male protagonist in her moment of vulnerability, held in his arms, her tears being wiped away. This scene flipped the script, though. It’s beautiful to see a female character in this role. And again, just like with Seungwan, it’s not to say that she, being the hero in this moment, is devoid of emotion either. No, she cries too. She cries because she sees him, sees his pain. She doesn’t let it eat away at her and let her spiral. It isn’t an overly dramatic moment of hysteria and tears. It’s an acknowledgement: I see you. I understand you. Which is why their romance is all the more special. These are two people who have now seen each other at their worst. And they still choose to be gentle and soft and caring because the world around them is cruel enough.

What are your thoughts? Overall, I keep finding ways to celebrate this kdrama. Be it the writing, the visual directing and color theory, the character development and character arcs…….there’s just nothing quite like it. And I don’t think there will be something like it for a while. Hopefully this sets the new standard.

Love you fam :) Thanks for reading!

Peace out~