971518k

[971518k]

Starstruck 2023 (스타스트럭) [review]

tw: poverty, child labour, alcohol misuse, domestic violence, emotional and physical violence, manipulation

starstruck is a romance web drama directed by park sunjae and kim hoongwang. adapted from the novel "Star Struck" (스타스트럭) by Ha Tae Jin (하태진). you can watch the drama on iQIYI, bilibili and youtube.

disclaimer: the review is based solely on my opinion on this drama. since my job title is related to evaluation and i love theatre, i wrote this review to practice my skills in evaluating screen and theatre plays. the review is not sponsored. the bias occurs in my review process as i am focusing on evaluating zuho’s performance. my identity and experiences influencing my opinion on his performance. lastly i am an advocate for queer rights. the review has some limitations. i am evaluating the series through westernised/european lenses and a privileged perspective that is a reflection of my experiences. moreover, i am still learning the terminology and techniques used in theatre. i am sorry for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. english is not my first language, so i hope i am not too difficult to understand, but please let me know if i can clarify anything for you. finally, my profile is a safe space for lgbtq+/queer people, so i am not tolerant to whatever queerphobics and haters comment on my posts.

the storyline describes the situation in which seo hanjoon (kim in sung) has been in love with his childhood friend, jo yoojae (baek zuho), for years. he never confessed his feelings for him because knew his feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated. it didn’t matter because hanjoon never even dreamed of confessing to him. misunderstandings were a part of their relationship and hanjoon was forced to confess his feelings for yoojae. their living situation is an issue that they have to deal with. yoojae is living under a toxic and abusive family environment and hanjoon is a survivor of child labour. he works to support his mother and cover his basic expenses and academy tuition costs/fees. his parent misuses alcohol and they live under poverty.

starstruck has been criticised by queer and non-queer people for having a predictable plot and not having a clear storyline. the bad script and the short episode length are not enough to keep the show going. i agree with this point.

in this review, i am focusing on evaluating baek zuho’s character, jo yoojae. apologies for not evaluating any other character development, but it takes time to write a good series review. jo yoojae is an interesting character development. yoojae is rounded, meaning that he captures the audience’s interest and attention. yoojae has a complicated life. the audience gets the information about his motives and his actions which lending the story more credibility. zuho shows interesting moments in the series as he experiences conflict (internal or external). zuho reveals how he experiences anger, jealousy, anxiety or love. for example, zuho’s character has codependency issues. he can’t handle the fact of him not having to deal with loneliness.

however, zuho kind of failed to make it clear to the audience how he bottled up his feelings. personally i think the directors failed to guide him through the plot. for example, yoojae keeps on hurting people because he took after his parents (starstruck, 2023). it means he grew up with emotionally unavailable parents. people who are toxic, narcissists and attention seekers. so yoojae is perpetuating the trauma that comes from his parents and his childhood memories.

yoojae is selfish, jealous, possessive and has codependency issues. he doesn’t understand that hanjoon has set boundaries for himself because he doesn’t want to be hurt. youngjae is not living through the loneliness either. deep down yoojae wants to be seen, heard, loved and cared.

yet the script shows little detail in his character and actions. there are small changes in character growth. for instance, yoojae is absolutely right in his opinion about escaping domestic violence and leaving his parental house. but i was not convinced by the way he executed his own character development. as someone who has been in this situation, i was suffocating myself. my mental health was so bad and had to take care of it for quite some time. It's a topic for another day. i would loved to see zuho in a state where the situation was very much different from what it was depicted at the series. I wished he had more time to practice his craft.

despite the lack of a strong character development, zuho’s character becomes the center of attention and makes the story interesting to watch. overall, zuho’s is both dynamic and rounded character that i like because he is so engaging and relatable that I empathize with that character.

considering that the character is a bit more complex than the others I would like to make suggestions on zuho’s acting abilities in the futurte. zuho failed to show chemistry with his co-star in the series.

in this case, zuho can use the "feel the role" and “become the role” technique for improving his craft/acting skills. the first technique is the core part of the Stanislavsky Method, which is based on the idea that actors should "experience" the role they are playing. the second technique is the “psychological gestures’, the concept designed by Chekhov to help actors find their particular role. it is a method that emphasizes imagination and movement in acting. preparing for each new character, actors need to use their imagination, intellect, and emotions and explore a range of physical expressions like gesture, movement, rhythm, and vocality. the actors then express their inner life through their body. in this case, zuho could have read about queerness, visit queer places and talk with different people in these spaces. by this logic zuho would have had a better understanding of queerness.

last but not least, I have identified prominent themes and underlying messages conveyed by the drama. I use an example in this review, the absence of queerphobia. there is no depiction of actual queerphobic behaviour or any other form of discrimination against hanjoon and youngjae. i understand that hanjoon is closeted queer person. what about youngjae? my assumption is that he explores his sexuality and feelings. it feels like the series is written by a elitist point of view. the development of the characters in the story needs to be done in a more realistic way and not in a fantasy setting like this one.

the production value is good but I am not providing an in-depth analysis of this one because it takes time to write a good review. to summarise, zuho’s performance is very interesting and i recommend you watching <starstruck> in your spare time.

Reference list

[971518k]

under the gun (2024) (언더더건) [review]

tw: poverty, child labour/slavery, violence, misogyny, alcohol misuse

<under the gun> is a romance web drama directed by hong chunggi. You can watch the drama on Viki or YouTube

disclaimer: the review is based solely on my opinion on this drama. since my job title is related to evaluation and i love theatre, i wrote this review to practice my skills in evaluating screen and theatre plays. the review is not sponsored. the bias occurs in my review process as i am focusing on evaluating zuho’s performance, and i am an advocate for combating poverty and slavery. the review has some limitations. i am evaluating the series through westernised/european lenses. moreover, i am still learning the terminology and techniques used in theatre. finally, i am sorry for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. english is not my first language, so i hope i am not too difficult to understand, but please let me know if i can clarify anything for you.

the storyline describes the situation in which go gun (baek zuho) is a teenager who works in a poker club and a convince store (child labour/slavery) to support his family. his sibling, his sister, is hospitalised for a long time after diagnosed with leukaemia. additionally, one of his parents, his dad, is a former poker champion who eases his pain by misusing alcohol. cha seyoung is a transferred student who encourages gun to put his fears aside and tackle his problems head-on. to save his family, gun is joining the korean poker league.

at this point, i am focusing on evaluating baek zuho’s character, go gun. apologies for not evaluating any other character development but it takes time to write a good series review. go gun is an interesting character development. on one hand, the drama deals with the child labour, and the stigma and discrimination against children in schools, especially those who are not interested in going to college or uni. it is important to remember that children have different needs, views, experiences and beliefs that can affect them in the classroom. it’s a story for another day. regarding child labour, the drama didn’t dig into the details of this particular issue but it is a good start for the audience to read about it. i like the fact that zuho wants to gain some perspective on the social issues through his work. he is an extremely great fit in dramas and films where the main plot is about social justice and social issues.

go gun is rounded, meaning that he captures the audience’s interest and attention go gun has a complicated life. the audience gets the information about his motives and his actions which lending the story more credibility. go gun shows interesting moments in the series as he experiences conflict (internal or external). regarding the character growth, go gun reveals how he experiences sadness, anger, jealousy, anxiety or love. in the arresting scene of the drama, zuho reveals his feelings and emotions, anger and frustration as he tries to escape the situation he portrayed his emotions in a very convincing way. the scene was so intense and emotional.

despite the lack of a strong character development, zuho’s character becomes the center of attention and makes the story interesting to watch. yet he had so much to offer. go gun’s character is not well written and there are small changes in character growth. overall, zuho’s is both dynamic and rounded character that i like because he is so engaging and relatable that I empathize with that character.

considering that the character is a bit more complex than the others I would like to make suggestions on zuho’s acting abilities in the futurte. zuho failed to convince the audience that he is a survivor of slavery, or someone who is at risk of poverty or struggles in his life research should have been conducted on the basis of child labour and poverty before the filming began. for example the script writer, the director and the actors should have visited supporting centres and talk with the beneficiaries. by that logic the actors could have a better understanding of the circumstances in which the survivors of slavery are living. i highly recommend zuho to go through the chekhov or stanislavsky’s acting methods in order to get a better idea of the situation in which the story is being told.

to improve his acting, i have attached the same list of recommendations for his performance in this post. zuho has improved his voice over since the last time, but he needs to work harder on his tone and put emotion into it as he voice is huskier than it should be.

last but not least, I have identified prominent themes and underlying messages conveyed by the drama. I use two examples in this review, the way they depict the relationship between go gun and cha seyoung, and alcohol misuse firstly, the script writer has a misogynistic stereotype of women as they depict cha seyoung as extremely overprotective, manipulative, possessive and obsessed without any boundaries or respect to go gun. she is very curious about his life and his relationships. it feels like she “sneaks her nose everywhere.” cha seyoung and go gun have a push and pull relationship to the point where it becomes very uncomfortable and boring. It seems that both have attachment issues and they are just try to find comfort in each other. it’s a red flag to me.

secondly, i don’t like the way they depict alcohol misuse. it’s either a superficial stereotype of alcohol misuse or just bad acting/script. the writer should have been used evidence on this issue in order to avoid criticism. moreover, the actor should have got in touch with support groups to get a feeling for his role.

the production value is good but I am not providing an in-depth analysis of this one because it takes time to write a good review.

to summarise, zuho’s performance is very interesting and i recommend you watching <under the gun> in your spare time.

[971518k]

the birth of a nation (2021) [국가의 탄생 | review]

tw: gender based violence (GBV) in the workplace

<the birth of a nation> is a comedy - sitcom web drama about a family that founded a new nation-state. you can watch the drama on Bilibili with Chinese subtitles. the link to it is below.

disclaimer: the review is based solely on my opinion on this drama. since my job title is related to evaluation and I love theatre, i am practicing my skills in evaluating screen and theatre plays. the review is not sponsored by any particular company. the bias occurs in my review process as I am only interested in evaluating zuho’s performance. the review has some limitations. i am evaluating the series through westernised/european lenses. it’s my second time evaluating screen plays. I am still learning the terminology and the theories behind it. finally, the language barrier is a problem in this case because I was not able to find english subtitles for the drama. therefore, i am evaluating zuho’s acting and not the drama itself. finally, i am sorry for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. english is not my first language, so i hope i am not too difficult to understand, but please let me know if i can clarify anything for you.

the storyline describes the situation in which a family founded a fictional nation-state called paradisium. they created a new constitution that would have given them the right to control the state (?). they changed the national anthem to a different one for the people of the country. their nation is autarky meaning that the people of the state produce their own products. they built a new foreign policy (?). finally, they announced changes in the education system (?). my guess is that they dreamed of ruling a country that would make the most sense to them. the plot progression is boring and the storyline is hectic. the way the storyline deals with the creation of a nation-state, poverty, job interviews(?), education, gender-based violence, and power conflicts is a bit of a struggle to get the story right.

at this point, I focus on evaluating baek zuho’s character (apologies for not getting his character’s name in korean). i am not evaluating any other character development because it takes time. zuho’s character development is different from any other character in the series. his character is rounded meaning that he captures the audience’s interest and attention. zuho shows some of the most interesting moments in the series as he experiences conflict (internal or external) and he is multi-dimensional. the character is on the same journey as the protagonist. his character is complicated like real people. the story offered a glimpse into his motives and his actions which lending the story more credibility. regarding the character growth, zuho plays a dynamic character who changes his outlook and personality throughout the story. the character reveals a lot about himself, and how he experiences sadness, anger or love. as a result, zuho’s character becomes the center of attention and makes a story interesting to watch. the character adds flavor to the series. overall, zuho’s is a dynamic and rounded character that i like because he is so engaging and relatable that I empathize with him.

considering that the character is a bit more complex than the others, i would like to make suggestions on his acting style. zuho is very good at showing his anger and frustration in the first place. however he portrays his emotions in an unconvincing way. to improve his acting skills, zuho needs to recognise what makes him feel an emotion so he can have an easy access to his own tears, fears, and smiles (see the stanislavsky technique). furthermore, he can use his own experiences to evoke an emotional reaction appropriate to a particular moment in the scene. to do that, he has to use his own senses. study is the best tool to learn from other actors and actresses as they perform different emotions. moreover, zuho can embodies his characters to figure out the characters’ motivations and why they feel the way they do. last but not least, he needs to be completely present during the filming process. to do this, zuho has to listen to his scene partner and just let himself react.

regarding the voice over scene in the series, I provide the following advice on how his acting can be improved. the tips include (1) the warming up of his voice, which will help him make his voice more open and vibrant, (2) the constant practice that he has to do in order to find the perfect voice for his characters, (3) the research of his characters to create a distinctive voice pattern, (4) the use of the diaphragmatic breathing, which is a technique that helps relax his vocal folds and other muscles to project his voice more clearly, (5) the hydration, meaning that he needs to drink at least a couple of liters of water a day to keep his voice healthy, (6) the watching of his posture, meaning that he needs to stand to read, if possible, (7) the pre-reading of the script, and (8) the recording of a demo reel which he can use as his portfolio as an actor. to summarise the evaluation of his performance, i think he is very good at acting but he needs to embrace/build his identity as an actor to be able to make his own choices in the acting industry. in other words he has to shape his own personality and style to make his acting unique to the audience I suggest him to brand himself as baek zuho, the actor, in the future as well as the SF9 zuho.

the production and the quality of the series are not so good for me personally but i enjoyed watching zuho in general. i am not providing an in-depth analysis of this one because it takes time to write a good review.

i have identified prominent themes and underlying messages conveyed by the drama. i use one example in this review, the way they address gender-based violence in the workplace. one of his siblings got harassed by her boss and he made her feel uncomfortable. to defend herself, she pouches him into the wall and hits him with her hands. from my perspective, the line between the real and the represented is fragile in this case. the effects of harassment on victims/survivors are complex and long-lasting, but series and films often focus on the story of a man rather than the victim. apologies for not providing an in-depth analysis of the situation but it takes time to write a detailed report on it.

to summarise, zuho’s performance is very interesting and i recommend you watching <the birth of a nation> in your spare time.

clarification needed here as i am not sure if i made a mistake in expressing my opinion or not. i am not erasing or invalidating his identity as the rapper-lyricist-composer-producer of SF9 by the way I am referring specifically to the fact that zuho needs to build his identity as an actor. i think that he has the potential to become a great actor and that is the reason why I am supporting his work. i hope there is no doubt about this Zuho and Haewadal know better than me about the way his acting skills can get improved in the short term.

[971518k]

exciting broadcasting accident (두근두근 방송사고 | review)

tw: gender based violence (GBV)

<exciting broadcasting accident> is a romance web drama directed by hong chunggi. You can watch the drama on youtube. i have attached the video on this series for you to watch it on your own time.

Disclaimer: this review is based solely on my opinion on this drama. since my job title is related to evaluation and i love theatre, i am practicing my skills in evaluating screen and theatre plays. the review is not sponsored by any particular company. the bias occurs in my review process as i am focusing on evaluating zuho’s performance, and i am an advocate of addressing sexual and gendered biased violence (SGBV). the review has some limitations. i am evaluating the series through westernised/european lenses. it’s my first time evaluating screen and theatre plays. i am still learning the terminology. finally, i am sorry for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. english is not my first language, so i hope i am not too difficult to understand, but please let me know if i can clarify anything for you.

the storyline describes the situation in which yoon yiseo, a young woman in her twenties, begins working at a live commerce platform. she encounters challenges in both work and love, as she finds herself in the middle of a love struggle between her first love cha sunwoo and her longtime friend kwon hyuk. the plot progression is very good, but the storyline is quite hectic.

the way the storyline deals with career-changing, gender-based violence, love, and conflict in the workplace is a bit of a struggle to get the story right. at this point, i will focus on evaluating baek zuho’s character, cha sunwoo. i am not evaluating any other character development because it takes time. so cha sunwoo’s character development is different from the character development of the female main lead, but it is still good.

cha sunwoo is a flat character, meaning that the character does not develop or change throughout the story. i didn’t notice any changes in his inner world (aka thoughts and emotions) from the beginning to the end of a narrative. cha sunwoo is too simplistic, it feels cliched. the character development of the female lead was totally opposite from the male lead character, cha sunwoo.

regarding the portrayal of cha sunwoo, zuho succeeded in making his character feel like a real person. i mean some people are not expressive enough. his performance was predictable. it could have been better if he could work on his creativity and physical performance.

i recommend zuho to ask for feedback on his acting style from creative people and actors to improve his work. one average performance does not make zuho a bad actor. he has a good craft and he can play well in any role he chooses to do.

the production value was much better than i expected it would be for a web drama. i am not providing an in-depth analysis of this one because it takes time to write it down.

last but not least, i have identified prominent themes and underlying messages conveyed by the drama. an example of this is the way they address GBV. it seemed to criticize the misogynistic laws and the police for being biased towards abused women.

medical care arrangements were missing in the series. that’s the most important part of reporting GBV to the police officers. i guess the scriptwriter’s/scripwriters’ purpose was to make it credible. finally, the series seems to criticize the way. patriarchy (e.g., police officers) takes into account the role of man as the dominant power in society. in this case, cha sunwoo came to “rescue” yoon yiseo and demanded justice.

to summarise, <exciting broadcasting accident> is a good web drama that can make you think about the events that happen in your daily life. i recommend watching it in your spare time. feel free to share your thoughts on this drama or my review below.

[971518k]

by benjaminwolf__

[971518k]

The Wave, Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson, 1917.

[971518k]

so many worlds to see through the window

(via)

[971518k]

Bentonite Hills, Utah by Yianni Pavlisa

[971518k]

“rebel alone”

Website

Instagram

[971518k]

Growing up Latine American: Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month

(DISCLAIMER: I use the term Latine as a gender neutral term, not Latinx. Part of this is because it can actually be said in Spanish and part of it is just that it’s how identify as a nonbinary person :) )

As I’m sure most of you know, it is Hispanic Heritage Month. There’s controversy about whether it should be Latine Heritage month or not, but honestly, I don’t feel like I know enough about all the intricacies of it to weigh in.

With it being our heritage month, I’ve had a lot on my mind regarding my identity as a Mexican American. that I think may ring true for a lot of others as well.

Keep reading

[971518k]

— Albert Camus

[971518k]

To understand the actual world as it is, not as we should wish it to be, is the beginning of wisdom.

Bertrand Russell, Mortals and Others (via philosophybits)

[971518k]

From Albert Camus’s Correspondence (June 18, 1938)

[971518k]

Bir erkek dünyadaki herhangi bir kadınla yakın olabilir… Ama sadece tek biriyle mutlu olabilir !