IMPORTANT

DEFEND YOUR COUNCIL

The betrayal scene was everything we could’ve asked for and I’ll tell you why.

Luke taking Percy to where he taught him how to fight. Percy being the one to figure out Luke’s the traitor and Like trying to defend himself. Luke realizing what we’ve all come to realize: that Percy is just like him. Percy, who has been screwed over by the gods over and over in the span of a few weeks. Percy, who has almost been killed and lied to and taken advantage of by gods he hasn’t even met. Luke Percy, who has been limited to what the gods want and what they think and what they believe.

The fireworks illuminating the two boys, one in blue and the other in red. One destined to save the world, one destined to destroy it. Two minds thinking alike but two souls acting in contrast.

Luke isn’t the bad guy in this story. He was a choice. He was the path that Percy just as easily could’ve chosen if Luke hadn’t chosen it first. If didn’t see the good in people the way he does or if loyalty wasn’t his fatal flaw.

I’ve read the books so many times and I’d be lying if I said I was 100% convinced Percy wasn’t going to join him. If I said I 100% didn’t agree with Luke or believe he was in the wrong. If I said I didn’t wish that something could’ve changed this time and one boy saved the other before the end could begin.

There's something so unbelievably attractive about both Abbot and Robby lying on official paperwork so a girl could get an abortion

Everyday is a struggle with Ryu Sun Jae because he is a simp. He was born to teach us what an absolute pleasure it is to watch a man simp so hard that he needs a moment to look away and compose himself so that his downbad smile is not on display.

Downbadism is an art and Byun Woo Seok acts like he did a four year degree on it. You go king.

Another thing that absolutely is adorable is that Im Sol is still not in love with Sun Jae. Everything she does is out of the love she has for a person who got her through a hard time, someone she has grown to care about but as an idol. Right now while she has begun to see Sun Jae as the kid who lives next door, it is still her idol that she wants to save. And that to me is pretty nice because she isn't trying to impose herself on him or his life for any other reason but to keep him safe. There is no ulterior motive. And I think thats what makes her so likeable.

Special mention to tae sung, he is adorable in a way that not all second leads are and all his scenes with his banter with Sol are extremely fun to watch. In another drama, they would make an absolutely cute pair. They make a cute pair here too ngl. Love how she treats him like a naughty child and he calls her grandma

“The Pitt”: Jack Abbot’s appreciation post 🔥 original posts: x, x, x, x, x, x, x + other characters: part 1, 2, 3, 5

7:00 A.M. // 9:00 P.M.

”I’ll keep an eye on clarisse” oh god she knew she fucking knew but she couldn’t say anything so she followed them out there and literally threw a dagger at the one person she thought she could always trust who was there for her through so fucking much and Jesus fucking Christ that’s not ok she didn’t deserve that

truth is there is not a single ewan mitchell character i would not smash

A happy ending isn't always unrealistic. A sad ending isn't always realistic.

Context matters. The fact that we are all reeling and are unable to accept the ending isn't because we are fools. We weren't given enough time to see the cracks in their relationship. We saw missed dates and cancelled plans but then we also saw them showing up at eachother's door and making new ones. If they had to show the disappointment and unmet needs in the relationship, they should've given it more time than one and a half episode. Even if they tell us a lot of time and they weren't able to cope with Yijin being depressed and away and Heedo feeling lonely, I wish they had shown us that instead of just telling us.

The ending feels forced because we weren't given enough time to simmer and soak the 'decided end' and were just pushed into it. I can understand that the relationship is their own, and so is deciding the end. But how is it that they could not even remain friends? How is it that they do not wish to know about eachother? How is it that they gave up on being present in each other's life anymore?

The ending isn't realistic. It is forced, cruel and unconvincing. If they had shown Heedo happier and more content in her life, I could've accepted it. But she goes on about past regrets that she had forgotten, looking for closure even after so many years and having a husband who seems out of the picture. Her workspace is covered in rainbows but her life doesn't seem all that colourful. Maybe I am mad about Baekdo but then it is the writer's job to convince me that it was for their own good. The writers not only failed baekdo to serve an edgy ending, they also failed us.

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~