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baby girl i love to see u in immense psychological distress

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Monster ‘怪物’ · dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda (2023)

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What is tradition?

I finally watched this week's episodes of The Eighth Sense and

Episode six was NOT a dream

Ji Hyun is alive but whatever happened is serious

This is a giant "fuck you" to tradition

First, Ji Hyun brings light to Jae Won's dark world. Jae Won is in a very dark place (and head space) after the confrontation with his dad and the camera breaking, so he reaches out to the light.

Ji Hyun is at his peak brightest because Jae Won is about to experience the darkest period of his life . . . again

Jae Won is also in a haze due to his mental state. The colors become less ethereal as their time together continues during the trip because Jae Won is becoming more grounded.

Next, since episode six is not a dream, that means something did happen to Ji Hyun, and it's serious.

Because it needs to be serious.

Someone already compared Jae Won to Team from Between Us. They share the same trauma. They share the same burden. They share the same mentality. Team loved Win but was too afraid to say it. He was too afraid to lose someone he loved like before. He was too afraid to push because the last time he pushed, there were fatal consequences.

Jae Won specifically voices this last concern. His brother died in front of him, and much like Team, I'm sure it is partially due to a rash decision Jae Won made, much like this one:

Someone pointed out that the back of their wetsuits read "RASH" and this entire beach trip was a rash decision by Jae Won.

If Jae Won feels responsible for his brother's death, he will definitely feel responsible for whatever happens to Ji Hyun, and because of that he will resort back to his old self even more.

Jae Won was an overachiever. The hospital staff thought he was older because he was mature and put together. He did exactly what his parents wanted. He did what society expected. He dated a girl. He befriended the masculine men. He did all of that, but lately, he has been rebellious. He's been drinking. He broke up with the girl. He is distancing himself from his friend(s). He doesn't want to go into business.

But this incident with Ji Hyun will put him back on the straight and narrow. It will scare him and shake him to his core because it is a reminder of what could happen when he doesn't stay in line - he could lose the one he loves the most. So to protect his heart and Ji Hyun, he will pull back, date the girl, hang out with his friends, and do what his parents ask. He will follow tradition.

But the problem with tradition is it's really just history repeating itself again, and again, and again.

The show is about the troubles with tradition. Tae Hyung is hellbent on keeping tradition alive. He wanted the freshmen to drink until they passed out on the beach trip. He wants them to cater to him. He is, at his very core, a traditionalist even though it has been pointed out several times how tradition hurt him. Yoon Won mentions every time how Tae Hyung was essentially bullied and hazed by his seniors, but instead of wanting to change for the better, Tae Hyung wants to continue the cycle of pain.

Ae Ri refuses to drink anymore at the beach. She rebukes traditional mindsets and gender roles. She speaks casually with the seniors and even when Yoon Won comments that the freshmen need to use formalities with the seniors, Ae Ri scoffs. She doesn't respect Tae Hyung and won't simply because he is a senior.

Tae Hyung needs tradition because it is predictable and structured. Ae Ri hates tradition because it is confining and restrictive.

Jae Won told his therapist that life after the military has been difficult. This is a common feeling. Military life is structured. Civilian life is full of choices. Military service is riddled with tradition. Jae Won is lost without the structure of tradition. He wants to break free, but the way he has been handling it (drinking, partying, not applying for jobs) is an extreme. Instead of one thing holding power over him, he is giving up power to anything and everything just so he doesn't have to make any decisions because when he does, people get hurt.

Jae Won wears a mask with everyone, but he was beginning to lean on Ji Hyun in hopes that Ji Hyun could make those decisions for him. Ji Hyun is the light in Jae Won's dark world, so why couldn't Ji Hyun just be Jae Won's entire world?

In the bar, Jae Won got upset at Tae Hyung but Ji Hyun was there to calm him down, both in the first episode and the fifth. But we saw in the trailer that Jae Won will hit Tae Hyung in the classroom because Ji Hyun won't be there to calm him down since Jae Won pushed Ji Hyun away after the incident.

Jae Won must take control of his own life instead of living in these extremes. He needs to find a balance within himself. He needs to define who he wants to be without depending on others to do it for him.

The accident with Ji Hyun is going to push Jae Won back into his comfort zone, so he will be alone again, pretending with everyone and masking his true self.

But he will realize his comfort zone is his hell, and HE is the only one who can rescue himself from it. Ji Hyun can't be around while Jae Won figures out who he needs to be. He can't keep repeating the same mistakes.

Because

Jae Won's biggest problem is himself

And

Jae Won's only solution is himself.

He must be his own light.

Sidenote: I'm gonna marry this queen.

I have an answer for you @wen-kexing-apologist. I have thoughts for you @waitmyturtles and @dribs-and-drabbles. I agree with you @bengiyo

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I just think part of the way jaewo upfront is like, yk, responsible, reliable and easily outgoing is him taking the role of an older brother and can't help but imagine how thoughtful, caring and supporting he was of his little brother.

Hopefully we can get a glimpse of that🤞🏽

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also also i loooove that jihyun doesn’t let eunji’s words affect his dynamic with jaewon bc he trusts him. like normally this would lead to the messy situation of him backing off and jaewon not knowing why but jihyun trusts jaewon and trusts that he acts the way he does for a reason and that’s enough for him

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something something about Kim Jihyun’s characterization and how much they got it right and how much sense it makes bc there’s still this stigma (especially in a society where surface level relationships and pleasing others aren’t just the way to survive but almost like the norm) that being an introvert (or 아싸 assa) = bad while being an extrovert (or 인싸 inssa) = good. It is palpable that Jihyun being the way he is, to some people, equals that he’s no fun or he’s too quiet or boring or gloomy. It’s bullshit bc being an introvert doesn’t make someone a boring person (on the contrary). Being introverted and by extension being an assa is a choice and judging ppl based on vibes is a valid thing. But then we see Jihyun having plenty of sass, or him bantering with ppl he feels comfortable with, playfully snapping back within the boundaries they mutually set and as an introvert that is so real and speaks to me on such a level bc that’s how we are. Just look at his interactions with Joonpyo, someone he knows and clearly feels close to. Jihyun is not a pushover or any less for not being loud or drinking with just anyone for the sake of getting drunk or sucking up to his sunbaes. His first conversation with Jaewon, showing some attitude and asking right back ‘What does a returnee student know?’ set The Tone okay. He assesses ppl and how they make him feel and potential dynamics and relationships and engages in a way that’s comfortable for him. He won’t approach others first but if someone approaches him and it feels right he gives the green light, honestly what a king. Anyway I think Kim Jihyun is neat.

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Nooo, cuz why does this the song fit SO PERFECTLY for jaewoo's pov. 😭

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The Eighth sense (2023) Ep.04

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no bc. like. the eighth sense is getting EVERYTHING right.

it's compelling. like. you feel like you KNOW where the storyline is going, what's going to happen next, and then BHAM! NO! something entirely different happens. its never boring. and it makes the wait for the next episode jittery and anxious and it leaves you on tenterhooks BUT THAT'S THE POINT! its meant to leave you guessing. its got this "impending sense of doom" vibe to it that i referred to in a previous post, but that describes the current vibe of jaewon and jihyun's relationship and the atmosphere surrounding it: its thrilling.

characters can breathe!!! and we can breathe with them! jaewon and jihyun are allowed to have scenes where its just them alone, immersed in a hobby that THEY like, and you're there with them! they get to have scenes with so many other people that aren't just with each other. they get to form real relationships with their boss, their therapist, their new and old friends. and each relationship and dynamic brings something new, each dynamic formed between jaewon or jihyun and the people around them is made to allow a certain type of conversation to be had for jaewon and jihyun that they can't really have with someone who isn't that character, for example jihyun can only really openly speak to his boss in the same way jaewon can to yoonwon or his therapist. jihyun can't talk in that same manner to anyone else, nor can jaewon. at the same time, it also soooo BEAUTIFULLY illustrates how performative we can become in certain relationships and situations and around certain people, and how unhealthy and detrimental that can be for us - look at jaewon and taehyung, who are meant to be best friends, but are anything but it.

its such a QUEER show. it takes the small little scenes you'd normally see in a white western heterosexual movie, like the two love interests linking their pinky fingers together to then clasping each other's hands and smiling shyly to the side, to sitting opposite one another on a train and just gazing and gazing and gazing at one another, to calling a taxi after your not-a-date-but-its-so-a-date to go home in and the taxi is literally stood right there waiting but you can't let each other go ..... its taken all those cliche scenes and made them feel so ... new and fresh and vibrant and so so QUEER and any queer person watching the show FEELS those butterflies in their stomach.

oh to see a main character who is asian and queer actually GO TO therapy, and imply that jaewon has been going for 10 whole years to therapy. to have his mental illness be given a name (depression!), to have him talk about his issues so openly!!, to discuss what the struggles of being in your mid-twenties feel like!! to see him talk about how burdensome he finds it being "nice" to everyone and wearing a mask all the time and ultimately his therapist telling him straight that, "in fact, in life, you don't need to be loved by everyone." or when jihyun's boss stood up for him and fought eunji over how she treated him bc she KNOWS jihyun would never bc he isnt a confrontational person, but jihyun's boss did not stand for it, and how she continues to just give him the correct life advice as and when he needs it.

the romance. the chemistry. the way jaewon and jihyun pull you into their bubble. the way you feel the excitement and joy and apprehension and tension and heartache and disappointment between the two of them. YOU feel it. and thats all down to the way the show has been shot and the muuuuusic (oh my god the muuuuusic) and the way the camera is used. it makes it feel personal. in first person. not you watching them, but rather, you BEING them. the way you can FEEL how nervous and anxious jihyun gets when he is in ANY kind of social situation. how you can FEEL the quiet anger and the exhaustion from being so performative and the lack of patience in jaewon like a ticking timebomb when he's around taehyung. you do, you just FEEL it.

anyway. the eighth sense might just be (who am i kidding, it already is) on its way to claim the title for the best bl of 2023, and its only april.

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no bc. like. the eighth sense is getting EVERYTHING right.

it's compelling. like. you feel like you KNOW where the storyline is going, what's going to happen next, and then BHAM! NO! something entirely different happens. its never boring. and it makes the wait for the next episode jittery and anxious and it leaves you on tenterhooks BUT THAT'S THE POINT! its meant to leave you guessing. its got this "impending sense of doom" vibe to it that i referred to in a previous post, but that describes the current vibe of jaewon and jihyun's relationship and the atmosphere surrounding it: its thrilling.

characters can breathe!!! and we can breathe with them! jaewon and jihyun are allowed to have scenes where its just them alone, immersed in a hobby that THEY like, and you're there with them! they get to have scenes with so many other people that aren't just with each other. they get to form real relationships with their boss, their therapist, their new and old friends. and each relationship and dynamic brings something new, each dynamic formed between jaewon or jihyun and the people around them is made to allow a certain type of conversation to be had for jaewon and jihyun that they can't really have with someone who isn't that character, for example jihyun can only really openly speak to his boss in the same way jaewon can to yoonwon or his therapist. jihyun can't talk in that same manner to anyone else, nor can jaewon. at the same time, it also soooo BEAUTIFULLY illustrates how performative we can become in certain relationships and situations and around certain people, and how unhealthy and detrimental that can be for us - look at jaewon and taehyung, who are meant to be best friends, but are anything but it.

its such a QUEER show. it takes the small little scenes you'd normally see in a white western heterosexual movie, like the two love interests linking their pinky fingers together to then clasping each other's hands and smiling shyly to the side, to sitting opposite one another on a train and just gazing and gazing and gazing at one another, to calling a taxi after your not-a-date-but-its-so-a-date to go home in and the taxi is literally stood right there waiting but you can't let each other go ..... its taken all those cliche scenes and made them feel so ... new and fresh and vibrant and so so QUEER and any queer person watching the show FEELS those butterflies in their stomach.

oh to see a main character who is asian and queer actually GO TO therapy, and imply that jaewon has been going for 10 whole years to therapy. to have his mental illness be given a name (depression!), to have him talk about his issues so openly!!, to discuss what the struggles of being in your mid-twenties feel like!! to see him talk about how burdensome he finds it being "nice" to everyone and wearing a mask all the time and ultimately his therapist telling him straight that, "in fact, in life, you don't need to be loved by everyone." or when jihyun's boss stood up for him and fought eunji over how she treated him bc she KNOWS jihyun would never bc he isnt a confrontational person, but jihyun's boss did not stand for it, and how she continues to just give him the correct life advice as and when he needs it.

the romance. the chemistry. the way jaewon and jihyun pull you into their bubble. the way you feel the excitement and joy and apprehension and tension and heartache and disappointment between the two of them. YOU feel it. and thats all down to the way the show has been shot and the muuuuusic (oh my god the muuuuusic) and the way the camera is used. it makes it feel personal. in first person. not you watching them, but rather, you BEING them. the way you can FEEL how nervous and anxious jihyun gets when he is in ANY kind of social situation. how you can FEEL the quiet anger and the exhaustion from being so performative and the lack of patience in jaewon like a ticking timebomb when he's around taehyung. you do, you just FEEL it.

anyway. the eighth sense might just be (who am i kidding, it already is) on its way to claim the title for the best bl of 2023, and its only april.

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I think my favorite moment this week is when they're by han river and jaewon tells jihyun that there's smth he's always dreamed of doing but never tried like we see him talk to his therapist next and it's obv such a huge thing to him he can't even tell her what it is he just says that it is and it's smth he really wants but is scared to pursue and no one else in his life knows its smth he's only disclosed to jihyun like that's such A Big Deal.

we already know that jaewon's mask keeps cracking around jihyun and that's smth both alarming and comforting to him so when theyre alone w jihyun at han river and the atmosphere is just right he lets it slip then realizes he's too scared to spell it out loud and backtracks. but that he mentions it all really goes to show just how comfortable he is w jihyun and how serious he subconsciously is about getting to know him. he wants to know who jihyun is yeah, but he wants jihyun to know him too and for someone like jaewon who's at a stage where he's grown tired of ppl that's a huge deal.

later when he asks to walk back jihyun after work and lies that he's here coincidently (such a reasonable lie too he's so experienced), he asks jihyun what's wrong not expecting the truth from him. he hides so much himself he expects jihyun to too bc jihyun isn't like his loud, whiney friends. jihyun is quiet and working hard to improve himself. jihyun is still new to everything and was humiliated today by the one person he feels insecure about. but jihyun doesn't brush it off obstinately and opens up w a little prodding. and bc he's given him the truth, jaewon feels compelled to give back. it's the second time his words and not his gestures prove he's serious about them and this time it's done consciously and is something jihyun understands.

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Yoonwon dropping in the fact that Jaewon kisses people when he’s drunk, I know was meant to make Jihyun (and us) doubt if the kiss meant something. But all I could think was, is it that Jaewon kisses people when he’s drunk or is it specifically that he kisses other dudes when he’s drunk? Because I use to do the same thing but it was exclusively other girls, which we now know was my gay coming out when I was drunk but at the time was a weird quirky thing I only did when I was drunk. Can Jaewon relate?

Which then made me question, how much does Eunji actually know about Jaewon’s preferences? Does she know he’s into dudes too? Or is she’s just going off of the fact that she knows how Jaewon acts when he likes someone, so she’s picked up on the vibe between Jaewon and Jihyun? 

Whatever it is, she knows. And after the way she acted towards Jihyun at the restaurant, I’m afraid she’s going to escalate things. I’m really not here for the female ex of one half of the queer main being an evil witch. It’s such a tired trope and we need to be done with it. I really hope the subvert it and give her some character growth.  

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While I personally don’t like hand-held camera work in shows, I think it works really well in the eighth sense. I can see the vision. It gives it a more raw and more earnest portrayal which fits really well with the tone of the story.

There are extreme close ups which makes the scene more intense and filled with more tension and emotion (shower scene/kiss scene)

I’ve noticed they let things stay out of focus a lot of time and sometimes only show one person while two people are talking to each other. Interesting choice.

I also love how it’s a show don’t tell kinda series. It doesn’t think the audience is stupid and it lets you yourself fill in the blanks:

They don’t say that Jae Won remembers the kiss but it’s clear.

They don’t let you know immediately whether Ji hyun is meeting up with Ae ri or with Jae Won in ep 3. It isn’t even clear if Jae Won and Ji hyun intentionally met until later in the scene.

Ji hyun is not from the city and you can tell by the way he didn’t realise the implications of asking someone to eat ramen together.

Ae ri tells Ji hyun that she knew that their was something between him and Jae Won during the surfing trip and I think you can tell by the photos she took were some of them were purely focusing on the two.

Personally it feels a little reminiscent to European queer shows. It reminds me of shows like Skam, young royals and wtFOCK. From the shaky camera work to the more melancholy and quieter feel of the show. It isn’t this bright, quick and cartoon-ish show, it’s a show that lets the characters breath and take their time to do stuff and has interesting camera shots (the first therapy session) that set the tone of the show beautifully.

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the eighth sense is the perfect example as to why queer shows deserve full runtimes. long episodes like this allow for such beautiful character work that you just dont get in most other kbls and pretty much any gls.

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That kiss between Jaewon and Jihyun was so mid 🫣 All the hype for that??

and? it was meant to be like that? intoxicated/unsure jaewon testing the waters and jihyun with all his fear and inexperience. idk maybe we were seeing two different things, anon. sometimes a kiss scene isn't about the kiss so much as it is about the characters in the moment. so imo, this kiss felt exactly right for them as their first kiss. (i'm sure @heesulovebot will have more succinct big brain thoughts lol i just make gifs.)

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I needed to put all those tracks in order because it was driving me nuts. This OST has nostalgia written all over it, it's awesome. I appreciate that they are putting little electronic touches beside Wetter guitar driven alternative/indie vibe.

We'll see how it goes in the next episodes.

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In the last two episodes Ae Ri:

Clocked that Ji Hyun is gay and something is going down between him and Jae Won

Slyly gave Ji Hyun a bunch of couple photos by casually uploading them in a group photo dump

Loudly pretended to pursue him in front of others to give him cover

Kindly warned him that he is being really obvious about Jae Won and others will pick up on it

Declared her loyalty and friendship and gave him a safe place to talk about Jae Won and be himself

And honestly she seems ready to throw hands if anyone bothers him. What more could you ask from your token straight bestie ally?