#also wtf is it with modern romance tropes

[konigceo]

modern booktok romance books SUCK and i'll leave it at that

[little-peril-stories]

LPS: Blog (Re)Intro

Little Peril Stories | Kate | adult | she/her

Masterlists:

The Queen of Lies (ongoing): AU for The Prince of Thieves—sheltered, rich sad girl meets snarky criminal; chaos ensues; whumpy, Victorian forbidden love vibes with a side helping of angst and girl power

The Court of Rogues (work in progress): sequel to The Prince of Thieves; details to come 2024.

The Prince of Thieves (complete): guy and gal get arrested and tormented by super cool, totally normal constable while pals on the outside freak out and make bad decisions; fun 1800s prison vibes with a side helping of angst and chosen family

Blood Garnet (side WIP, low priority): girl gets lost in magic woods and gets chased by her hapless cousin and a grump hunter; awkward magic man tries to help; supernatural(ish) romantasy vibes with a side helping of angst and betrayal

Man of Letters (UNRESOLVED; part of Whumptober 2023): awkward scholar boi tries to save the girl he falls in love with and gets way more than he bargained for; light romantasy paired with heavy emo vibes, with a side of helping of angst and torture

Fen and Freddie (complete): gal gets kidnapped, dopey cinnamon roll with hopeless crush tries to rescue her and fails; vague superhero sci-fi vibes with a side helping of angst and pining

The Curiosity Collector (complete): sweet non-confrontational magic boy gets kidnapped and needs rescuing by bf and sis; witchy, autumnal vibes with a side helping of angst and falling in love

✨ Check out: OC & WIP extras (mood boards, lyrics inspo, tag game creations, and more!)

This is a whumpblr/writeblr space! Sometimes I’ll post/reblog writerly posts, memes, etc., but a lot of the posts/RBs will be about whump. I post original writing and reblog the work of others that I enjoy, gifs, tropes, prompts, and other such things.

I’m down with asks and tag games but may not respond right away. If I seem to ignore you, it’s not personal, it just means real life is taking priority at that moment.

I love comments and feedback on my writing and welcome them with open arms.

A note on age: I know I can’t actually stop you from accessing this blog, but I do not wish to interact with people under 18. It’s not personal, I’m sure you’re great, but it has everything to do with my job IRL. Please respect this boundary and come back on your 18th birthday.

Check out: My Most Common Tropes

My favourite elements of whump have to do with power dynamics, intimidation, dread, and angst. I love captivity-with-a-cause: kidnapping for ransom or as leverage over someone else, prison (in fantasy or historical settings, less so for modern settings though it’s not a hard rule), and the like. Fantasy presents so many creative versions of this trope, so I do love me some fantasy whump! It also gives lots of opportunity for dungeons, shackles, and other fun implements like that. Gratuitous tying or chaining up is always delightful to see. Pining, desperately trying to protect a loved one (…and failing), and self-sacrifice are other big tropes I love, so expect to see lots of those!

As for characters, I love it when they are as far as you can get from perfect, pure, and innocent—when they’re good enough people, but whose flawed or maybe even problematic decisions lead them into trouble. Always, always, I want my characters to have a hand in their own fates. Pure-hearted victims of the narrative who simply fall into a whumpy situation are cute and fun, but not what I tend to write.

A few odds and ends I’m such a sucker for, so you’ll probably find them in my writing:

Sibling relationships

Allusions to songs, books, folklore, and musicals

Nature and weather helping to set the scene (oh my goodness, how many times can I work snow into one story?)

If romance, either slow burn or instant attraction

…with a sprinkling of “huh, I don’t understand what I’m feeling, wtf is going on??”

‘In the nick of time’ rescues

Painfully awkward moments

Fluff and comfort, but only once they’ve really earned it

Almost kisses

Hard choices

Happy endings

You probably won’t find much gore or explicit noncon here, but there might be some elements of those in my stories or in reblogs. I don’t write BBU or pet whump.

My original “whumpy things I like” post can be found here.

Anyway, thanks for reading! 💕 Happy whumping!

[ilistentogirlinred]

a bunch of ideas for essays i have

ESSAY IDEAS:

fandom and parasocial relationships with celebs

primarily musicians

KPOP!!!

shipping

how this effects the idols themselves

and the fans perception of idols

“delulu”

competitive nature

groups

positions

obsession

racism

infantilisation

“maknaes”

lisa, jungkook

ONE DIRECTION

fucking larries

obsession

FITTH HARMONY

SWIFTIES

the idolisation

white feminism?

performative activism

NOT SEEING CELEBS AS REAL PEOPLE WITH FEELINGS!!!

mysoginy in fandom culture

internalised mysogyny

mysogyny in the works themselves

how that is internalised

the prevalence of m/m ships

patriarchy!

boo

KPOP!!!

shipping

how this effects the idols themselves

+ their friendships with each other

and the fans perception of idols

homophobia in the industry

“delulu”

competitive nature

groups

positions

obsession

racism

non fans who dislike the industry/fans

infantilisation

“maknaes”

lisa (crazy horse)

jungkook (seven, etc)

DEBUTING ACTUAL CHILDREN

THOSE ARE CHILDREN WTF DUDE

SHE IS BARELY 14

SHE IS 13

SHE WAS 12 WHEN SHE WAS ON THE SHOW

possible human rights violations?

work hours

neglect

mental health issues

suicides

beomhan therapy video (managers)

homophobia in the industry

if an idol comes out, fans will treat it as “proof” that their ship is “canon”

or will just be outright homophobic

FANSERVICE

its not gay but…

influence of fandom on modern media

queerbaiting/queercoding to attract an audience

destiel

teen wolf

bbc sherlock

tropes

enemies to lovers

DONE WRONG

queer rep in media

queerbaiting/coding to attract viewers

supernatural, sherlock

destiel, johnlock

teen wolf

queer coding in disney!

accidental?

LUCA!!!

cultural differences?

anime

YOI, SK8, Haikyuu

Naruto

superwholock -> ourgoodshadows

early 2000s/2010s YA dystopia plague, ya books in general

hunger games

marketing

movies

divergent!!!

bad

no second half of the third one lmao

maze runner

technically first!

LOVE TRIANGLES

twilight (either read or consult ms elloy, mya, etc)

hunger games

“big strong guy” vs “childhood friend”

predictable

repetitive

c’mon guys make it gay for once

try a conga line love triangle

that resolves itself with polyamory?

SPORTS ANIME

why is it so popular?

fandom, duh.

ok but why?

easy. gay anime boys

why is sports anime so gay?

power of friendship?

close bonds between people of the same gender

lack of characters from the opposite gender so less heterosexuality and f/m ships

but thats fandomy

the inherent homoeroticism of sharing a locker room

referring back to friendship/close bonds

BLUE LOCK

HOLY CRAP BLUE LOCK

its gayer than haikyuu but there’s no power of friendship really

there are very close bonds and strange definitions of attraction tho

bachisagi, reonagi, ryusae

REONAGI SHOUJO SPINOFF

attraction -> obsession

soccer -> dream -> lack of care about self

RYUSAE FUCKED UP IDEA OF (and perception) ATTRACTION

soccer = attraction, bond, romance/sex, etc.

BACK TO HAIKYUU

rivalries

rivalry -> close friendship

mirrors enemies to lovers very slightly

tis the power of friendship

power of friendship combined with coming of age?

YUURI ON ICE!

the canon gays

SK8 the infinity

queer coding?

QUEERCODING IN ANIME

is it all perceived and unintended due to differences in cultural upbringing?

possibly but the undertones are still very much there

maybe its censorship? who knows

killugon -> possibly find sources

the homoerotic queer-coded rivalry or friendship

established from the start

sasunaru, kagehina, bakudeku, renga, killugon, fucking soukoku, etc

also tsukkiyama, matchablossom, leopika, etc

SOUKOKU (and the rest of bsd)

the irl authors - were they queer?

FIND SOURCES!!!

[doodle-pops]

Oh, hell yeahhh! I'm the anon who sent the ask about the modern girl trope, and I loved reading your thoughts :) But I had different ideas involving the reader! One idea I had was keeping her human but immortal....through some alternate universal logic I can come up with LOL. But trust, I'd want her humanity intact because there'd be a lot more dynamics between the old elven world and a modern human being. Another was a specific idea where I'd start my story. I was thinking of maybe at the very beginning of the story when Melian and Thingol first met in the forest (can't remember the details because it's been a hot min since I read the book)??? I was thinking that the reader wakes up in that forest after being isekaid into SILM. but they first think it's all a dream until, well yeah, the realization sets in like a big "WTF" moment. Is she tweaking hard right now or are there two gigantic (I'm assuming there'd be an insane height difference as the reader is a human) beings who look otherworldly gawking at her like she's completely alien???

The hardest part right now is tackling the multiple characters and the entirety of Tolkien's legendarium...it's a difficult goal to implement when you want to consider staying somewhat canonical and within ME logic. How would specific characters react to the reader? How would their relationship progress as the story goes on? How do I even give justice to a character; am I portraying them right? How will the readers existence affect the plot and the events--because that's a big part of SILM. You know...the wars and stuff.

Speaking of which, with the readers modern perspective and outlook on life, I think it'd make up for a pretty funny journey for not just the reader, but for everyone else involved. I can just imagine the reader trying to get used to the culture shock, as daunting as it is, and learn to accept the change of scenery. But sometimes she'd be faced with trials and tribulations, it's hard to keep calm sometimes. I can just imagine if there is ever a certain point where if the reader meets an unhinged character like Faenor, she'll definitely butt heads with them. Perhaps her personal moral and ethical compass is seen as........foreign. It would get heated, I'm sure, with all the "outdated" politics and standards within SILM. that the reader will be in for a ride!

BTW, do you think adding romance would do? I think about adding some romantic relationships between the reader and some characters, but I'm not sure how I'd pull it off...hmm...who'd even be a good candidate LOL??

Also, I wanted to come up with a reader who's probably an overworked desk worker, so her attitude at first would be: "I don't care, I'm not getting paid to fix anyone's problems," while simultaneously trying to make it alive for the next day.

Sorry I took so long, I've been busy running around the place 😖. But I'm liking these ideas 😯😯. They're intriguing!!

Given that you want to stay on par with the canon of the story, you can have moments where reader makes suggestions, however as mentioned, due to their morals and ethics being outdated and modernised compared to traditional ways, the character can have a moment of awareness but eventually return to their original plan. This only makes reader's relationship strained with the character.

You can also contribute to some of the discarded drafts Tolkien wrote for characters or fill in the plot holes for unspoken events by the loremasters. Like certain events that took place was believed to occur a particular way, however, you being there and having witnessed it can attest and say otherwise. Then observing that eavesdropping and miscommunication led to feuds between the groups of elves and so forth. Maybe have a moment where you break the truth to one of the main characters (preferably for an event that doesn't pertain to them, but showing how themes of hate and spite can lead to unnecessary consequences).

As for adding romance, that's solely your decision, but I can provide options to choose from if you're stuck in a dilemma.

You can have reader and character's relationship purely romantic.

A flirtatious relationship where both are aware of their feelings, unfortunately due to their future ahead, they wish for nothing intensely romantic. Sorta like a fling.

Mutual pinning which makes this more tragic.

Unrequited love

Purely friendship because there isn't anything wrong with being friends. Friendship tend to have some of the most heartbreaking emotions and moments.

Picking a character is something you could spin the wheel and select. because at the end of the day, they'll all be dead 🙈. The office worker vibes you want to include would bring so much humour, I'm here for it. Insert the, "don't speak to me until my shift begins" or the, "I'm here to work, not solve your problems unless you pay me overtime". 🤲

There's lots of themes being included, history, traditions, personalities and perspectives, differences, and the original silm lore to remember. The real question is, how in depth are you going with the lore and plot since the 1st Age had multiple events and you wish to begin from Melian meeting Thingol?

Like are you planning on skipping through big chunks of the years and focusing around the important events and the years before, during and after? I think this would save you the stress of focusing on every detail and you still get to mention history in the chapters.

[elrondsscribe]

12-14? Also happy birthday! 🎉

Thank u Ani!!

So I’m actually gonna answer these for all 3 of my active WIPs: In Theory and Practice, a Rings of Power modern college & reincarnation AU and my most blatantly self-indulgent WIP; Child of the Sun, my Jedi-critical Star Wars AU; and a yet unpublished and untitled Rings of Power soulmate AU :)

12. What emotions do I expect my readers to feel?

Dang, I don’t have expectations for my readers to feel anything! What I hope my readers might feel would probably go like this:

For ITAP, like I said, it’s self-indulgence first and foremost. I’ve written about fundamentalist trauma, parental abuse, closeted-to-open queerness, first love, and self-actualization as an artist and a person, so I hope people might resonate with some of those emotional journeys??

For COTS, I hope people pick up on the fact that I like the Jedi a lot and care about them as people, but I also hope readers kinda get my frustration with them collectively.

For the soulmate fic, while the couple’s external circumstances do throw them a lot of curveballs, I do conceive of it as a romance at its core, so I think of them as being really sweet and supportive with each other, and I really want readers to like them and root for them.

13. What common trope(s) do you feel are used in this chapter/fic?

Girl I’m terrible with remembering tropes!

So with ITAP the central trope is Found Family, but we also got Only One Bed, Adoption, Hurt/Comfort, good stuff :)

With COTS I’m drawing a complete blank. I know there are tropes because I’m not a creative girl, but naming them? Help!

For the soulmate fic, aside from soulmates obviously, I’m thinking there’s gonna be Hurt/Confort, Only One Bed, possibly a little tiny bit of Whump, and um. Uh.

14. What have you been finding frustrating with writing this chapter/fic?

So with ITAP, the big thing is that I’m already a little worried about how long it’s rapidly turning out to be. Like, I intend it to be a college fic, and I’m barely into the second semester of freshman year and I’m already past 100k words. Who the f wants to read a beast as long as thing is inevitably gonna be?? Especially a dumb college reincarnation AU??

With COTS, it really comes down to the plot, because I have no head for either long-term military strategy or short-term tactics. Like, not even enough to write a Star Wars fic! So whenever Anakin or Obi-Wan is on the field I’m just like “Idk they did battle things I guess.” Same with politics, I dunno wtf Padme’s doing.

With the soulmate AU, there’s a little bit of politics headache but mostly it’s that I don’t think my skills are sufficient to plumb the emotional depths that I want my two soulmates to experience.

[earnestly-endlessly]

kind of an odd request — do you have fics where erik is grumpy with everyone else but a ray of sunshine with charles?

Hi anon, thank you for the ask. First and foremost, I'm so sorry for how long this took me but I've been searching for all the fics that come to mind that fit your request. Second, this is not an odd request because I love this trope so much. I mean, it's basically canon that he's grumpy with everyone except for his Charles, right? Anyway, I might add to this list later on, but I can't sit on this any longer and hope that you have found some fics that you enjoy!!

Fic Recs Where Erik is grumpy with everyone but a ray of sunshine with Charles

Twice as Blind – Darksknight

Summary: Erik is probably the biggest asshole on the face of the earth, and because of this, he'll probably die alone. Charles is a complete flirt and playboy and, probably, will never commit to anyone ever.

(The lesson here is that when you have two friends who are BOTH secretly seeing someone, well, it's probable that they're seeing each other.)

In the moonlight, on a joy ride – scarlettblush

Summary: Librarian AU. Charles is the young librarian and Erik is the college student who is completely besotted with him.

The Proper Care of Actors – Clear_Liqueur, Clocks, Etherei, afrocurl

Summary: Erik is an A-list action star who is notoriously difficult to work with, until the day he gets cast alongside Charles Xavier, rom-com darling who can charm the pants off movie audiences the world over and apparently even one Erik Lehnsherr. The paparazzi catch them out and about soon enough, and their real-life Hollywood movie romance becomes instant tabloid fodder.

Rumor Mill – ikeracity

Summary: Erik is the grumpiest, most foul tempered worker at Stark industries. His grumpiness is the stuff of legends.

So it's obviously the talk of the office when Erik is being made to go to the company party and he's bringing his husband. There's rumors flying round about how much of a masochist or equally antisocial bastard Erik's husband must be to put up with him. Others think he must be a meek mouse perhaps bullied by Erik.

What they weren't expecting was the confident, charming, adorable and unbelievably nice Charles that turns up on Erik's arm. What they certainly weren't expecting was how much Erik obviously adores his husband and how happy he is to let others see this.

Work/Life Balance – pocky_slash

Summary: Alex is pretty sure his weird, anti-social boss is a robot. Right up until the guy's adorable husband shows up. His adorable husband who happens to be a famous actor. His adorable husband who happens to be the very same famous actor who was the source of many of Alex's teenage fantasies.

Terrifying Domesticity – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is the most dangerous and notorious mafia boss around for miles, and yet the strangest things terrify him.

For example: his children, and his very pregnant mate.

Of kittens and teacups and love – Ren

Summary: Modern AU in which Charles and Erik are flatmates. Charles studies psychology and likes tea and chess and keeps bringing home stray kittens, and Erik lets him because he's maybe perhaps a little bit sort of in love with him.

Fools Rush In – LoveSupreme

Summary: Erik owns a cafe on the edge of campus and accidentally starts maybe-stalking a Biology Professor there.

Growing Pains – ikeracity

Summary: Twelve-year-old Erik Lehnsherr is an angry, closed-off foster kid with trust issues and a bad temper. Ten-year-old Charles Xavier is a lonely kid in boarding school who just wants a friend.

Logan pretends he doesn't think they're both fucking adorable.

Series

Home Together (The Finding Our Way Remix) – significantowl

Summary: Erik is not the sort of person other students strike up conversations with. His expression, his posture, every part of his manner say: Don’t talk to me. I don’t want to talk to you. But none of that stops the boy ahead of him in line with the collapsible white cane, and nothing can stop Erik from falling for him, like it or not.

Melted Ice Cream and Macaroni Art – pocky_slash

Summary: Everybody likes Charles. Nobody likes Erik. And that's really the source of Erik's doubts. Also, there's ice cream and a baby. Part of ‘the Daycare’ verse.

Walling in or Walling Out – stlkrchck

Summary: Erik stifles a sigh. Of course this is Mr. C. F. Xavier. Of course.

For the prompt: Charles and Raven are throwing a holiday party. Erik is the grumpy neighbor who is annoyed by how loud they are being. So he goes to complain, and Charles makes it up to him.

(Wise Men Say) Only Fools Rush In – wildelybroken

Summary: After reading a fic where Erik and Charles are super sluts, meet at what is presumably Raven and Emma's engagement party, and end up sleeping together, I made the following comment and just inspired myself.

"They start casually texting each other throughout the day, maybe while they’re bored or frustrated at work, and start out meeting up and sleeping together semi-frequently. And eventually they accidentally start dating without noticing it at first, not until Raven and Emma get them alone and are like “wtf you two super sluts are actually dating??” And at first they deny, but then they’re both like “holy shit, we are!” And they meet back at one of their places and they don’t have to say anything, they just look at each other and come together immediately, kissing passionately and ~making love~. In the middle of it they realise that’s what they’ve been doing for a long time now and they confess their love to each other and they live happily ever after because they deserve all the good in the world."

For Charles – Shigai

Summary: Tired of being told he has to find his 'heart', classical piano graduate Erik Lehnsherr decides to travel to Italy and drink from the famous Italian passion for music. While searching for it, he meets Charles Xavier, a graduate in Fine Arts who is basically travelling around the world perfectioning his technique, and who will turn his world upside down.

Together they will discover that, sometimes, what you thought you didn't need is what you needed the most.

Erik Hates People – Anonymous

Summary: Erik hates people- it's his rule, a way of living.

Sugar – humanitys_cutest

Summary: Erik glances at the clock for what feels like the tenth time in less than half the minutes. It feels like he's been in some meeting or other since the day started almost 10 hours ago, and he's had just about enough of listening to these pompous old men discuss what would be the best design for his building like they know anything about it. He tries as subtly as possible to massage his temples to assuage the building migraine, but he knows it's no use.

He just wants to go home.

Everyone Likes Charles – Rosawyn

Summary: '“Everyone who's met him likes him.” Cain's grin was even stupider than before. “Once you meet him, you'll see.”

It was almost like a challenge then. And damn. Erik hated saying no to a challenge.'

Still Going Strong – JackyJango

Summary: Speaking of forty-eight, Erik hates it. Hates it even more that others are aware of it. While he’s pragmatic enough to know and accept that aging is inexorable, the increase in number gives the people around him the freedom to pounce at him with questions, opinions and advice he'd fought to keep at bay all year.

Besides, Erik believes that youth is a state of mind, not a phase in one’s life.

You have a child’s mind in a man’s body, Charles constantly tells him.

But despite his age, Erik is healthy. He works out daily. His muscles are steel and he can dead-lift four hundred pounds. He can break bones without breaking a sweat. Most importantly, he can still carry Charles to the bedroom and fuck him senseless. And as long as Erik can do that, he’s perfectly happy.

All I know is pouring rain and everything has changed – hllfire

Summary: Charles meets Erik, the man he had heard about many times from his sister and some friends, on a rainy Sunday morning. The stories about Erik paint him as a distant and intimidating man, but Charles finds out that maybe the stories had been wrong.

How to Successfully Ruin Your Life – humanveil

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Charles Xavier accepts a job at his local café, expecting nothing more than a fun, new pastime. What he gets is a mysterious customer and a schoolboy crush.

Stolen – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is a miserable, grumpy, cantankerous bastard, and he has every fucking right to be. He drew the short end of the stick when he got the Underworld as his domain, and there isn't very much fun to be had in judging and governing dead souls who would rather be anywhere else but with Erik in the depths of Hell.

So when he meets Charles, brilliant and lovely Charles who is more popularly known amongst the mortals as Persephone, and feels the promise of something wonderful that could make his eternally doomed existence infinitely more bearable... you can bet all your drachmas Erik's not going to let Charles go any fucking time soon.

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours – magneto, pangea

Summary:Army Pilot Erik Lehnsherr is just trying to enjoy his day off when a mostly naked person crashes through the roof of his car. Even more alarming, the strange falling naked person—who goes by Charles Xavier when he's not speaking an ancient dead language—brings tidings of the apparent potential end of the world, and begs Erik to help him put a stop to it.

Well. His mother has been nagging at him to go out and meet new people.

The Theory of Partnership Dynamics – Pangea

Summary: “Detective Lehnsherr, how wonderful to see you out on the job!” The fed in the front greets him as they draw nearer. He’s shorter than the other two by a full head, and he’s beaming at Lehnsherr as if completely undeterred by Lehnsherr’s paint-peeling scowl.

“What do the feds want?” Lehnsherr asks bluntly.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” the fed answers cheerfully. Then his gaze lands on Alex, and, impossibly, his grin gets even brighter. “Did you get a new partner?"

“No,” Lehnsherr says through his teeth while at the same time Alex says, “Yes.”

[mgsapphire]

My K-drama recommendation master list part 1

I've recently found that people who just got into k-dramas don't know where to start, and more often than not, feel overwhelmed by all the content.

Before I give my recommendations, I'm going to say where I watch my k-dramas and how I watch them (and legality of it)

My main source of content are Netflix and Viki (VPNs may come in handy). In Viki, there are some shows available for free with ads, but they have different plans. I have the highest plan (by volunteering) and in Netflix, well, there is a category for k-dramas.

Now, I won't talk about cdramas in this post, but I will talk about other sites I use to watch content, and well, most of them are for cdramas.

Qiyi (I used it for a while, but you're not missing much without it)

YouTube (you can watch cdramas and Thai dramas legally and completely free as studios upload them to their YouTube channel)

Dramacool (now, this one I use sparingly and for watching a variety show mostly, as it's not legal, but it's free and safe. THIS IS A LAST RESORT, ALWAYS TRY TO SUPPORT THE CONTENT)

Moving on to what you actually came here for, my kdrama recommendations, according to themes and genres.

If you're an absolute beginner, here are my recs (and they don't include boys over flowers)

The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016) It has Lee Min Ho and Jun Ji Hyun as the main leads, it's 20 episodes long with an special, most episodes lasting less than an hour. It's a modern fantasy romantic comedy. On a personal note, it's probably my most rewatched k-drama. Available in Viki with no membership needed.

Kiss Goblin (2020) This one is a short web drama, following the theme of modern fantasy romance. While the quality of production might not be as great as other dramas listed here, this is one of the most wholesome k-dramas you will see. It's 12 episodes long, each shorter than 15 minutes, and also available to watch for free on Viki.

Coffee Prince (2007) A true classic among k-dramas, starring two iconic Korean leads; Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun Hye. While some of the tropes are problematic, and some overdone (Although they were the first to do them), this is, in my opinion, one of the best classics out there. It's 17 episodes long, each one lasting an hour or a little bit more. It's a romantic comedy available on viki plus.

Not into romance? A little bit more of a med drama myself, here are my recs

Being right on S2 D-day, my top all around k-drama recommendation: Hospital Playlist (2020) is a drama about a group of 5 doctors and their daily life in the hospital. It's more accurate than most shows I've seen, and it doesn't glamourize medical life in any way. The first season is 12 episodes long, each lasting on average 1:20 hours, except for the last one, which is nearly two hours long. Available on Netflix.

D-Day (2015) is a disaster med drama, which tells the story of doctors struggling to continue on after a catastrophical earthquake in Korea (Fictional of course). It's 20 episodes long, with each episode lasting about an hour. Available on viki.

Dr. Romantic (2016 & 2020) There are two series, I prefer the first one, but they both hold good on their own. It's a good k-drama to pass the time, but it does grow repetitive on the second series. Available with VIki Pass Plus. Dr Romantic has 21 episodes lasting about an hour, and Dr. Romantic 2 has 16 episodes with about the same length.

But... I want an entertaining law drama. Don't worry, I got you

Lawless Lawyer (2018) a slightly biased because Lee Joon Gi is my absolute fav, and is just so bingeworthy. It's 16 episodes long action packed law drama. It's honestly one of the best. Available on Viki.

Law School (2021) also slightly biased because Kim Bum is also one of my favs, but this one touches on so many social issues, and is just so bingeworthy. It's 16 episodes long , each one lasting a little over an hour. It also has one of the best written leads I've seen. Available on Netflix.

Fine, but I like to suffer and cry my eyes out. Well, get your tissues out, because I have some for you.

Move to Heaven (2021) will make you cry every episode, and will leave you devoid of tears by the end of it. It's 10 episodes long, each one lasting on average an hour. Available on Netflix.

Rain or Shine (2017) is a love story filled with sorrow, and pain. It didn't make me cry, but it's really freaking sad at times. It's 16 episodes long, each one lasting like 75 minutes. Available on Viki.

Hi, Bye Mama (2020) is about a dead mother seeing the world move on. Pretty freaking sad. I cried most of the episodes.

A Piece of Your Mind (2020) Look, the premise of this story is about trying to preserve the human mind, and about grief and moving on. It's 12 episodes long, each one lasting around 70 minutes. Available on viki.

Mr. Sunshine (2018) I'll put it like this, this one is one of my favorites, and I still can't bring myself to watch it again, because the ending left me feeling all sort of feelings for weeks. It's 24 episodes long, each one lasting about 80 minutes.

Look, all of them have been great, but can you recommend me one with strong female leads? Of course, here ya go.

Run On (2020) Look, this one has a couple that turns the overbearing CEO trope on its head. It's 16 episodes long, averaging 70 minutes per episode. Available on Netflix.

Mello is My Nature (2019) is honestly a feminist anthem. It's 16 episodes long. Available on Viki.

Search: WWW (2019) Women are at the center of the narrative, and are the ones who make the world tick. It's 16 episodes long averaging 70 minutes per episode. Available on Viki.

Hello, My Twenties (2017) It's about a girl dorm and the sorority they begin to build. It has 2 great seasons. Available on Netflix.

Weight Lifting Fairy Kim (2016) We love this romantic comedy that puts the end to a lot of cliches. It's 16 episodes long, averaging 60 minutes per episode.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017) A girl with supernatural strength, what else can I say?

I'm still reading, you haven't mentioned thrillers... Here's some for you, thank you for sticking around.

Beyond Evil (2021) A great thriller filled with plot twists, and refreshing. Available on Netflix and Viki.

Flower of Evil (2020) Lee Joon Gi is the lead, and it's a romantic thriller. An interesting concept. Available on Viki.

Dark Hole (2021) I still don't know wtf I watched, but I still watched it. Available on viki.

Forest of Secrets (2017 & 2020) One of the best thrillers out there. Available on Netflix.

Fine, you seem to find a lot of recommendations, I'll bite, what about action?

Rugal (2020) Action Sci Fi with an awesome soundtrack. Available on Netflix.

The Uncanny Counter (2020) Paranormal action...? Awesome series, my brain is turning into putty....

The K2 (2016) It took me a long time to get around to watch it, but it was worth it. Available on Netflix.

Two Weeks (2013) Third Lee Joon Gi entry, absolutely awesome. Available on Viki.

Stick around for a part 2, bc I grew too tired, and the post is already too long, and the images wouldn't load, so you're stuck with a text dump.

[tanadrin]

@discoursedrome

I feel like the problem with beowulf is it's not actually a very good story by modern standards, tbh. it's famous because it's from an era with almost no literature and it's an interesting example of its form, but the form is stripped away in any adaptation and then what

If you say this into a mirror three times, the ghost of JRR Tolkien comes out of it and beats you to death with a copy of Klaeber.

Beowulf is a good poem, but it’s a good poem. By which I mean, yes, the plot summary makes you go, “wtf? this is a weird and pointless little story. why is this famous?” but the artistry and subtlety on display are part of the language and how the story is told, and digressive and allusive moments along the way. Because I think translations of Anglo-Saxon poetry generally don’t provide very good context, and are generally quite poor as poetry, it’s not a very accessible work. When it comes to later, Middle English poetry, like chivalric romance, well, the tropes of chivalric romance have been embedded in our culture since the 15th century, so even though they’re dated by modern standards, they’re very familiar. Nobody needs to explain knights and quests and the pathos of unrequited love when we sit down to read about King Arthur.

Anglo-Saxon stuff is in a quite different cultural context, and one that’s not continuous with modern day popular culture, and also one most people are little exposed to unless they take a university-level course on Old English literature. These days getting Beowulf qua Beowulf basically requires reading it in the original language, not because it’s mystically untranslatable or something, just because nobody has ever done a very thorough job transplanting the Anglo-Saxon literary tradition in all its glory into modern culture. If you do roll up your sleeves and roll around in it, it’s great stuff. I did a year-long course in university where we translated Beowulf beginning to end, and I found it extremely rewarding. It upgraded my opinion of the poem from basically yours to “actually, this is something terrific.” But I also had a very good professor with an encyclopedic knowledge of the critical apparatus surrounding the poem, who could clarify a lot of what seemed opaque or meaningless at first glance. Suffice it to say that I don’t think you get the same thing sitting down with a copy of Heaney’s translation, and I’d be hard pressed to think of a way you could.

[kuronekonerochan]

Hi...how are you? If you don't mind me asking what are your top 5 favorite danmei novels (until now)? And why? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....

Hi, sorry for being slow at answering!

In no particular order:

Ok, so I liked the 3 from MXTX:

 - Grandmaster of Diabolic Cultivation/ Mo Dao Zu Shi 

This one I loved but it has a particular style that ppl might not like in that it feels jumpy, confusing and with information gaps while reading, even though eventually everything that matters does end up being explained...in other works this would probably be just lazy writing, but here it is clearly an intentional choice bc 1) she doesn’t do this in her other novels 2) this is in WWX’s pov and dude has heavy ptsd and adhd, plus he tends to pretend to take everything lightly as a coping mechanisms...all this put together and it’s easy to understand why the story has such an unreliable narrator that even the other characters constantly point it out. I ended up loving this extra layer of storytelling.

 - Heaven Official’s Blessings/ Tian Guan Ci Fu

If you’re in the mood for a saga type long ass novel with a ton of interesting side stories and side characters with a main character who is a true cinnamon bun in sweet romance with a side dish of sweet sweet aaaangst.

- Scum Villains Self Saving System

The most entertaining out of all of them. It manages to be a parody of two genres, both danmeis and wuia/jianghu harem het novels (fighter of destiny style) with OP leads, while also being its own cute and funny story with a heart to it.

From other authors:

 - Meatbun’s 2ha/ Dumb Husky and his White Cat Shizun 

What if someone took a look at the parody that is SVSSS and said...”no, you know what? This really deserves to be an epic, long ass, and I mean, topping old classics’ length novel packed with angst, filled with pain and topped with despair...and then we’re sprinkling some funfetti on top to fool y’all”...and you know what? that’s some good cake. (If you’re into cdramas SVSSS is to 2ha what The Romance of Tiger and Rose is to Goodbye My Princess).

- Priest’s Sha Po Lang:

Steampunk China plus creepy voodoo tribal ritual magic, involved in internal and external wars over petrol (with a different name) and with our leads in Iron Man suits, fighting, among other enemies hot young(er) hands on, on the field, western troop General, the Pope, that I can only visualize in my head as Jude Law. I tell you all of this nonsense just to say that instead of the ridiculous fun this should be, it ends up being a very compelling romance with lots of scheming and heavy plot and some heartbreaking scenes.

- The Golden Stage:

This is a court drama type novel with friends-to-rivals-to-lovers that is just the right length and compelling with not too many plot twists but two main characters who are really great both individually and together and this is the one out of all in the list I feel like re reading the most. It really is a solid read and I feel like I’m selling it short, bc it really is good. It is similar to Sha Po Lang and To Rule in a Turbulent World, a simpler version of those but not worse for it.

(Since you said top 5 and I’ve said 6, I regretfully cut down Heaven Official’s Blessing bc even though I love it, unlike MDZS or SVSSS, it didn’t feel like a standalone novel because some of the several storylines of the side characters that I loved were left open ended (although the main characters had a complete story arc), as if this book was supposed to be the first of a series and those characters would have their own spinoff books where I’d know where their story took them...except this really is a standalone, and so the lack of resolution bothers me).

>> Honorable Mentions:

- To Rule in a Turbulent World

This one doesn’t go in the top 5 list yet bc it’s not fully translated, last time I checked (tho it’s very near the end). As an ongoing novel, I adore it. If the ending isn’t terrible it might be in my top 3. It’s similar to the two above in plotlines but it has a quality to it that it takes care to make every character in it multidimensional. There are no good and bad characters, even the ones on the opposite side are given something that makes them relatable and human. Plus, the characters all change throughout the novel, most of all the protagonists and the novel gives itself breathing time between events where you just chill with the characters and learn about random things like agricultural practices. 

- The Wife Is First

This one is just that light fluff feel good one that is great to pick up from time to time since it’s on going. Dumb Jock husband did everything wrong in his first life, gets a re-do and from then on it’s adorable respect the spouse juice and awe of said spouse smarts. Cute. Also, there’s a baby pet tiger.

>> Others I did like, just not in the top 5:

 -Faraway Wanderers and Lord Seventh/Qi Ye by Priest:

Qi Ye is similar to To Rule in A Turbulent World/The Golden Stage/Sha Po Lang. I really liked it still, just a tiny bit less than these. Since it’s the same author as SPL and I think it was written earlier, I have to say, the writing only got better.

Faraway Wanderers is a short read, but you’re only gonna like it if you’re ok with amoral main characters (I guess that is true for many on this list but it’s more obvious in this one bc the novel and the characters are unapologetic about it).

- YuWu by Meatbun - Still reading it, but is isn’t grabbing me like 2ha did.

>> I assumed you only wanted danmeis as in period fantasy bl novels, but if we go modern, fantasy or not:

 - Silent Readings by Priest:

I love crime fiction novels (love Ding Mo’s novels) and this is that type of conspiracy, murder novel with smart criminals and smart investigators. Little romance, but still there.

 - Guardian by Priest: 

Priest is hilarious and except the last part that gets a bit heavy on the lore this is just a joy to read. Also pretty short.

- Advance Bravely:

I read it a long time ago and it’s okayish, with some cute and some weird, problematic characters. 

- Addicted/ Heroin:

Also read it (this is 2 books) ages ago...and this one is NOT cute. It starts out as a pretty normal, but kind of toxic very typical oldschool drama/manga romance right down to the step brothers’ trope....and then it keeps escalating to new levels of WTF am I reading?!! All I have to say for this one is, that while I cannot recommend it per se, nor say it’s good, the title really is fitting, bc it is addictive as f.

[wenellyb]

Different anon, but I think the previous anon is basically right. Anthony is afraid of love per his convo with his mother, he does not want to be with someone he loves, so realizing he has genuine feelings for Kate is a huge problem, he’s running scared, so he proposes to Edwina. Obviously it’s silly, but I think the writers decided at the outset that they wanted him and Edwina to make it to the altar for the sake of drama.

Not a book reader myself, but I never saw anything romantic in his actions and feelings for Edwina. That was literally why he chose her, because he felt no draw to her. I also think he had no intention of her falling in love with him. He was aiming for a nice, suitable marriage. Nothing more due to his trauma. The proposal was a shocking moment to me though. I had no idea the show would take his relationship with Edwina as far as they did 😬

Hi different Anon!!!!

If you don't mind, I'll start by the last part of your Ask, because I'm with you on that...I really didn't think they'd take the relationship with Edwina so far...the proposal...and then the wedding? WTF???

I agree that Anthony wanted nothing more because of his trauma, and that's why he had decided to propose to Edwina, but then he changed his mind during the dinner scene, and then after his talk with Daphne, he changed his mind again and proposed to Edwina in a very dramatic way.

When I say that the scene was romantic, I wasn't implying that Edwina and Anthony had romantic feelings towards each other. What I meant was that the scene was shot in a very romantic way.

The timing, the fact that he was still hesitating the night before, him running towards Edwina, staring at her and her only while kneeling, the shocked faces on his family member faces, it's all very dramatic and romantic-movie-like but the scene was focusing on Edwina not Kate.

If I have to give you an example in the modern setting, it's like having a guy chasing a woman through the airport as she's about to catch her plane, if you have a story with a love triangle, you wouldn't pick the big romantic gesture scene for the woman the main character doesn't end up with right? They would keep the dramatic and romantic scenes for the woman the MC ends up with in the end...But somehow Bridgerton didn't do that.

If Anthony had proposed during the dining scene like he had planned to...we would have had a normal proposal scene for a marriage of convenience, we wouldn't have seen shocked faces because they all would have been expecting it. But the showrunners chose another path, a more confusing one 😂

That's why while watching that scene, I wondered if Edwina and Anthony were the endgame couple after all...because it certainly looked that way in the scene...Not in a "they're in love" kind of way, but in a "this is the main couple and let me tell you how they will fall in love" type of way, like the beginning of a slow burn.

A character finding out that it isn't always the answer is also a common trope in romance, I'm thinking about Sense and Sensibility.

"He had no intention of her falling in love with him. He was aiming for a nice, suitable marriage. Nothing more." ==> These are your words not mine anon, but they do feel like the blurb of a romance novel right? or the premise of a love story... That were I thought the show was going because of that scene. It felt so out of place, if you think about the main romance storyline.

Please keep in mind that all of this is only about the proposal scene, not the rest of the show. If you remember my original post, I was talking about how the proposal scene was bad writing if they were planning on making Kate and Anthony the endgame couple because of the way it was scripted, and shot. That scene set Edwina and Anthony as the main couple, not Kate and Anthony.

TL:DR: The drama of that proposal scene and the romantic pace made me believe that I had read the trailers wrong and that the show was shifting towards an Anthony and Edwina as the endgame couple but in a slow burn type of way.

[dangermousie]

2019 END OF YEAR KDrama Post

Wow, I haven’t made one in years. This is going to involve only dramas that came out in 2019 because I watched a hell of a lot dramas made prior to that and trying to figure out which ones will give me a headache.

DRAMAS WATCHED (In order of liking from most to least as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen at least two eps AND feel it was enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)

Extraordinary You -  A philosophy and religion course AND a love story, and perfect at both.

My Country - a brutal, passionate, intense masterpiece of a sageuk. This is how they should be.

Crash Landing On You - the two eps that have aired brought my joy in watching kdramas back to me so vividly. This is everything. 

Encounter - the perfect noona romance of the year for me. It seems to have little plot (powerful older woman, idealistic younger man) but the characters made me love them with an unhealthy amount of attachment and the mood is just perfect. 

Haechi - smart traditional sageuk with a heart. This one will make you love it but also respect it in the morning :)

Queen: Love and War - Period, romance, mystery, helpless king and feisty heroine. It’s everything I love in one package. 

Chocolate - if, like me, you like slow old-school melo with genuine grown-ups, this one is for you. Ha Ji Won and Yoon Kye Sang are both incandescent in this. 

One Spring Night - a rare slice of life that worked for me so so much. I rooted for the main OTP like crazy (I did skip all the sister stuff though because boring to me.) It’s just a breath of fresh air.

The Tale of Nokdu - a rare funny youth sageuk that worked for me (except, ironically, for when they tried to be politics-heavy and serious about it.) Wonderful OTP, funny situations and just generally a delight. 

Memories of the Alhambra - I can hear people screaming that I put this so high, but this is a faves ranking, not objective one, and I loved the unusual premise (it ultimately fell apart but it tried), and Hyun Bin’s performance was out of this world and the aaaaagnst and I enjoyed waiting for it each week until almost the end. That ending though!!!!!

Psychopath Diary - this is black comedy at its best and hysterical and smart and somehow got me invested in the hapless protagonist. 

Hotel del Luna - clever and funny and smart. Hong Sisters largely back to form. I found the sageuk parts more engaging than modern ones, but what else is new.

Search WWW - some parts of it worked for me more than others, but it had solid writing and cool characters and some interesting OTP(s). 

Love is Beautiful Life is Wonderful - has the weekend drama slowness but it lovely and fun. 

When the Camellia Blooms - it was well made and the OTP was great and the acting top notch, I just don’t tend to go gaga for slice of life dramas, especially ones involving market ladies, much. 

Flower Crew Joseon Marriage Agency - competently done, pretty period piece about nothing. It was enjoyable and forgettable at once.

Catch the Ghost - I put it as high as I did because the OTP really did have lovely chemistry but the story was a complete mess, the police work made no sense and the heroine’s character was like nails on a chalkboard for me.

Joseon Survival - I got about four episodes in and liked it a lot but then Kang Ji Hwan turned out to be a convicted rapist, they replaced the lead and I didn’t go back. I kind of want to because I liked what I saw and I am madly curious as to whether they changed the main character or just said he had a different face now, no explanation. 

The Last Empress - pure inconsistent trash but so entertaining!

Vagabond - I made it eight episodes in before I realized that I would have as much fun staring at traffic. It’s a competently done actioner but without more, actioners never work for me, so this was a viewer/drama mismatch.

Arthdal  Chronicles - incoherent, visually odd and boring, this is arguably the worst drama this year but I am giving it higher place because the cast really tries (even if it tends to fail because it has nothing to work with) and because it attempted something different even if it failed spectacularly. SO BAD.

Melting Me Softly - yes, my brain was fully melted by this soulless, charmless waste of Ji Chang Wook and my limited free time.

VIP - Any drama that makes the main mystery and thrust of the story who the husband cheated on his wife with is BORING. Seriously, this is not exactly Hercule Poirot. They wasted their cast - I have NO idea why Lee Sang Yoon agreed to be in this as a one note character and Jang Nara is playing a second scorned wife in a row but without even the entertainment value of her previous outing.

Abyss - aptly named. The best thing I can say about it is it didn’t offend me but oh boy was it dull.

Absolute Boyfriend - I loved the manga but it’s time to accept this can never be adapted well. They wasted the cast and that ending was just an insult on top of a trash heap.

The Lies Within - you cast that cast and deliberately have no romance. You are dead to me. 

Woman of 9.9 Billion - competently made, but it’s everything I dislike - dour unpleasant bored people behaving as if they are in a particularly dreary art-house French movie but without any nuance or interest the latter came provide. 

Love with Flaws - shrill, dumb, neither acted nor written by anyone trying at all. 

Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung - objectively, it’s not the worst drama on the list, but it’s everything I hate in one package - willfully ahistorical but not cleverly so, male lead incapable of acting, the characters so one-dimensional they disappear, this purports to be a period drama but about as period as a space ship. God, I loathed this. 

FAVORITE DRAMA

Extraordinary You - smart (so mind-bendingly smart) and moving and totally unpredictable and with so many things to say about free will and religion and self and nature of memory and narrative, this had an insane impossible premise and yet somehow managed to do it full justice and stick the landing. 

WORST DRAMA

People with Flaws - this is different from least favorite because even if I loathed e.g., Rookie Historian or Woman of 9.9 Billion, I recognized some positive features; it’s just certain things really rubbed me the wrong way due to personal preferences. But this shrill hot mess of a drama is really everything that’s wrong with dramaworld.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Prince Yeoning, Haechi - fiercely smart, strong, tormented by the duality of his birth (royal father, servant mother) but not letting this distract him from his purpose, loyal to the bone, and with integrity nothing can shake but where you can feel that it’s not easy and that it costs him.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Eun Dan Oh, Extraordinary You - a go-getter who remakes the world (literally); smart, cheerful, strong, beautifully human. She feels so real and yet is larger than anything around her. 

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

Yi Seung Gye, My Country - a sociopath destroying lives in his quest for power and control, even the destruction of his own family barely gives him anything but momentary pause. He is the reason for the tragedy of MC. 

FAVORITE SHIP

Eun Dan Oh x Haru, Extraordinary You - their love is literally universe and god-defying. They have loved each other as different people in three separate worlds (and counting), and have defied loss of memory and even loss of self as well as death, the end of worlds, and their god and the narrative and literally anything and everything, to be together.

Runner Up: Soo Hyun x Jin Hyuk, Encounter: tender and decent and his bringing her back to vivid life and the way they love and support and compliment each other.  

Probably gonna be on list if doesn’t go haywire: Crash Landing on You: she is a SK heiress, he’s a NK officer, they have mad chemistry and so much potential.

NOTP:

Tae Mi x Morgan, Search WWW - love the actors, love the chemistry, love the characters in terms of the way they are written, but they are absolutely wrong for each other and there is no future of any sort but misery ahead. None of their issues are resolved but are swept under the rug. It’s a cautionary tale, not a romance. I did a long rant before so not repeating. 

BEST SECONDARY OTP

Scarlett x Ji Hwan, Search WWW - they stole the shippiness in the drama for me. Cooky and adorable and noona romance done right.

FAVORITE SCENE

Haru’s final disappearance, Extraordinary You - the lights start to go out, the world literally dissolving, Eun Oh and Haru clinging to each other, with his telling her she was his beginning and the end. His name, the one she gave him, is the last thing he hears. In a drama full of amazing scenes the very gist of which was defying the very creator and universe and meaning of existence, this was the one that stayed with me the most.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Seo Hwi, My Country - I have a thing for deeply honorable, deeply tortured period badasses with long hair and a death wish (see Choi Young in Faith etc.)

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Yi Bang Won, My Country - he started out as an antihero and ended up as arguably a tragic villain (or maybe still an anti-hero) but oh boy, was he magnetic and fascinating and sucking out all the oxygen whenever he was in the scene.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

Memories of the Alhambra - WTF ending was that?! All that misery and no real resolution?! Dammit!

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

Youth Sageuk - I hate most of them! They are anachronistic and dumb and honestly, what is the point of having fully modern people in period clothes? Just make a modern show and call it a day.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Melting Me Softly - Ji Chang Wook’s first project back from the military was an unfunny, unmoving, pointless mess with not an ounce of genuine enjoyment despite the excellent pedigree of everyone involved in front and behind the camera.

Arthdal Chronicles - the makers made excellent Queen Seon Duk, Tree with Deep Roots and Six Flying Dragons. The cast was uniformly A grade. The result was an open-ended, boring, incoherent mess that looks like a bad sort of a drug trip and made about as much sense. 

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

Extraordinary You - I had zero interest in yet another high school drama with no actors I recognized. By the end, EY was an emotional brainy twister of a marvel that became my favorite drama of all time. I’ve been watching dramas for over 13 years so that’s saying something.

2019 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

The Crowned Clown - I love sageuks and cast and it looks so smart and emotional

Angel’s Last Mission: Love - my next contemporary - I watched a little and loved what I saw

Fates and Furies - I saw a few eps and classic melo is so up my alley.

Clean with a Passion for Now - I like the cast and it’s a year of falling for hot weird bosses apparently.

Graceful Family - I love makjang and Im Soo Jung.

The Secret Life of My Secretary - downmarket Beauty Inside and I loved BI.

Love Affairs in the Afternoon - artsy adultery FTW

Item - I don’t like crime stuff but I am here for Joo Ji Hoon.

My Strange Hero - seems a little cooky but I am fond of Yoo Seung Ho.

MOST ANTICIPATED IN 2020

King: the Eternal Monarch - Lee Min Ho and Woo Do Hwan and parallel worlds and written by Kim Eun Suk. Yes Please.

I should probably make one for cdramas too though that one would be rather shorter.

[materassassino]

10, 17, 20

10. characters that deserved worse? >:]

...You KNOW I’m going to answer Keith Voltron because I fucking hate that guy. In all honesty though the entire Galra Empire. They didn’t even dismantle it??? wtf??? your imperialism narrative is fucking flawed as fuck??? 

17. are there any tropes you wished were used less often?

When the found family splits up at the end of the adventure. Fuck that. When the epilogue to a story is Married Heterosexually With Babies. Not allowing m/m and f/f friendships to become romances even when it makes so much fucking narrative sense (this happens a lot with m/m friendships). 

In fanfic, I specifically despise Florist/Tattooist AUs (BORING) and that weird modern AU trope where all the fantasy/alien characters are just humans?? for no reason?? BORING. THAT’S NOT A MODERN AU THAT’S JUST A HUMAN AU GET!!! IT!!! RIGHT!!! and also stop doing it you boring bastards. Let aliens still be aliens in Starbucks.

20. name a song that reminds you heavily of a specific fandom or character.

Wei Wuxian: Lose Your Soul - Dead Man’s Bones (Please let me redirect you to my Wei Wuxian playlist)

ask maker, ask maker, send me an ask!

[plainvanillapotato]

the 100 diaries S1 E12

quarantine diaries: may 26 2020

season 1 episode 12: “We Are Grounders: Part I”

🎶“we are [grounders] bum ba dum bum bum bum bum”🎶...i cant be the only one. don’t lie to me like that. you thought it too huh?

“look inside. find your peace” - jaha (1:45) spittin some uncle iroh wise talk here. while also being like YOLO. live it up bitches cuz we all gone die. 

wait did he say commander. so anya isn’t top dog. please tell me my killmonger theory is right. cuz if so this will officially become the best show ever!

haha they really expect me to believe that they killed finn off screen. bitch i think not

what is this star wars? with this chain? clarke is no princess leia.

murphy. big yikes. he’s killing more of the 100 than the grounders. and jasper is just like cool. cool. cool. cool. trying to pretend that he didn’t just see murphy straight up murder that guy

there is no way that these smucks are going to win against the grounders. with this internal conflict. i think not.

this really just turned into a hostage situation. how would have thought. not me. this show constantly just throws in these random situations and i love it. but murphys character just keeps getting worse the more i watch. murphy just stop. just fucking stop it.

waht the hell is that hose clarke is riding. it kinda looks like a thestral to me just minus the wings

plot armor is strong with finn. but i shouldnt be surprised considering that its apparently going to be a wild ride with finns character development

licoln!!! how do these grounders still trust lincoln? also i wish we saw from licolns POV trying to save finn cuz that had to have been epic. did he really all do this for octavia tho? man is whipped for octavia. but is she worth it tho. what does she bring to the table? ***yeah yeah yeah i know that he doing because “what his people are doing to there people is wrong” or whatever but really tho we know this is all for octavia’s pussy.

a mine or is this the cave to two lovers. because i really here for it.

wow is there a slight hint of a romance between abby and jackson. ok cougar. if anyone is questioning me on they’re little heart to heart scene starts on 14:40 and by the end of if jackson is really up in abby’s personal space. plus they might as well because yolo

jasper is not worth trading in prettyboy bellamy.  

“you people are so soft”- lincoln (20:50) and i agree these spacers are gonna get absolutely destroyed by the grounders. like they can’t even keep the peace within their own people. fucking murphy.

honestly bellamy has a lot of faith in raven and jasper to save him during this hostage situation. i could never. 

without bellamy or clakre. the 100 are dead cuz they really didn’t give any characteristics to any of the the other kids in the 100

“we can make bomb.” jasper has its priorities straight. nooo save bellamy first then we can talk bombs.

aaw murphy just wants empathy. **gag** murphy is emo boi went wrong

that cute little family video with clark and wells. giving jaha nostalgia and ideas of how to save his people. but imagine if these to be in modern times. ppl would really be rewatching old vines and tiktoks

headcanon for murphy: murphy is definitely into BDSM. he is waaay too into hanging bellamy to convince me otherwise.

reapers?! bro y’all better get outta there. they look like straight up savages. yeah dont fuck with them

i dont know lincoln that well but this seem a little OOC for him. like really all this is for octavia??? she really that good in bed that youre willing to help her friends against these terrifying motherfucking savages and your girl isn’t even here to see this all happen. hmmmm.. also lets all remember the time that lincoln stabbed finn. now they’re best buds i guess. but at the same time clarke and finn are a little too okay with sending lincoln to his death 

mario cart with a dead but also alive body...this better be important and not just some random plot point that they just threw in here for the ‘wtf is happening’ asthestic but that is never explained

ooo kill’em finn. really resourceful with that rock. no gun. no problem. honestly tho. this show talks a lot about guns but then majority of the deaths we see are not gun related at all. im thinking rn and i cannot come with a single character that has died by a gun shot yet.....

bellamy nooo.. i know he as plot armor but i really don’t wanna see my boy be hanging like that

these guns running out of bullets is a big trope in the show. and im tried of it. 

“i swear to god, the more we learn about this place, the less we know”- clarke (33:57) gurl same. literally when i think i know where his show is going bam! explosion. bam! weird plot point. bam! you thought this character was dead.. sike bam! bam! bam!

finn said “i love you im in love with you.” (34:42) what a time to proclaim your love right after killing a reaper. also its been what less than a month? 90 day fiance who? big ed who? im sorry i keep linking finn with big ed but  the two really be sharing similar hair cuts

the hug between bellamy and jasper my heart. the bromance!! but lets go find monty please!! bring my boy home!!

i just love how during bellamy’s big speech finn was like im thirsty and just grabbed some water. (you don’t believe me do you. timestamp is 37:30. yep i got the receipts) but dude same. i truly wonder tho if that was written in the script of if finn’s actor just took creative freedom. maybe it was done to parallel the fact that finn is thirsty boi wanting raven and clarke at the same time.

reminder: stay hydrated. this is a psa to if you are reading this you are obligated to drink some water. **Cheers to our thirsty boi finn!!

Clarke really be here overriding bellamy’s little speech i love how she started on the high note pretending to agree with bellamy then was like actually tho i disagree. we need to go

these adults/parents are really as chaotic as their kids with this plan of using the ark. 

[azrielrose]

This or that: Fan Fiction Edition

I was tagged by @tasteslikemolecules​, thanks for thinking of me :)  I’ve done this before and I think my answers were different, some of them.  Which is weird.  My brain is weird. 

Slow Burn or Love at First Sight – I’m an impatient pervert.  Plus, with s&d being canonical soul mates, it messes my shit up when they’re two completely different people in some weird au and they still have that ‘holy shit it’s *you*’ moment right at the start.

Fake Dating or Secretly Dating – I’ve read fake dating ones that just mess my shit up.  However, Secretly Dating works VERY well for wincest/weecest, obvi.  

Enemies to Lovers or Best Friends to Lovers – I guess.  I’m more darkfic/porn than fluff, so those tropes don’t come up all that much imo.  maybe i’m wrong.

“Oh No, There’s Only One Bed,” or Long Distance Correspondence – Again, impatient pervert.  I’d rather the character wakes up getting grinded on.  ground on?  

Hurt/Comfort or Amnesia – This one feels obvious, but when it comes to darkfic, Amnesia can also be effective for angst & feels

Fantasy AU or Modern AU – Modern AU, though i’ll read both.

Mutual Pining or Domestic Bliss – for the most part.  i save a tiny part of my heart for domestic bliss, generally involving taking care of a deaged character.

Smut or Fluff – Feel like I answered this already.  I can also do Sastiel fluff.  Those boys been through so much.  

Canon Compliant/Missing Scenes or Fix-It – I feel like I’ve read more of the former, those missing scenes that feel RIGHT.

Alternate Universe or Future Fic – all the AUs

One-Shot or Multi-Chapter – the best one shots, I always wish for more

Kid Fic or Road-Trip Fic – Kid fic can be so satisfying, but there’s never enough of the kinds *I* want, with kid Sam NOT being taken care of by Gabriel (RANDOM AF, but it’s most of them).  All wincest fic is road trip fic, wtf.

Reincarnation or Character Death – Keep them both.

Arranged Marriage or Accidental Marriage – Love it.  

High School Romance or Middle Aged Romance - it feels like there’s so much to explore with weechesters, or bb castiel.  

Time Travel or Isolated Together – Isolation is just a natural darkfic necessity.

Neighbors or Roommates Both can be very satisfying.

Sci-Fi AU or Magic AU – I’ll say Magic because I love canon adjacent stories

Body Swap or Gender-Bend – I don’t know that I’ve ever been into stories where Dean or Sam is a cis girl, but I have favorites where Sam or Cas is trans, does that count as Gender bent?  

Angst or Crack – I can’t imagine getting excited for crack.  In any sense.

Apocalyptic or Mundane – by a small margin.  Both are great.

I’ll tag @firefandoming, @zombieutopia, and @holdyourthroat (and anyone else who wants to and hasn’t).  NO hard feelings if you don’t feel like it or whatever.

[irina-something]

fic tropes tag game

tagged by the lovely @jocarthage Thanks! This was fun!

slowburn or love at first sight ( but not stupidly slow burn ....I mean, I love to see how feelings develop ... but if it’s just all miscommunication and contrived plot twists just so the drama can be prolonged, then I tap out) 

fake dating or secret dating //

enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers ( i know a lot of people say they develop feelings the more they get to know someone ... but it never happened to me ... I mean there is always instant attraction and that grows or dims  after I get to know the person ... but I never developed a physical attraction to somebody I knew for a long time if it wasn’t there to begin with ) 

oh no there’s only one bed or long-distance correspondence //  these two are so different ... I mean the “there is only one bed” is always somewhat silly and in the end fun .... but written letters are a whole different ballgame and I love that too.

hurt/comfort or amnesia //I always find amnesia fics kind of weird, from a medical point of view.

fantasy au or modern au // It really depends on the fandom ... somehow some characters are better suited for fantasy and others for modern au.

mutual pining or domestic bliss //with an * - mutual pining that does not devolve into “oh come on ... people on mars see it, nobody can be so oblivious “

smut or fluff // again very different things .... and both can be done well or really, really, really bad

canon-compliant or fix-it  //

reincarnation or character death // these are 2 of the tropes that I dislike the most. I mean I do not read fic to see people I love die ... but reincarnation just annoys me to no end ... so I would rather read a good written character death ( I have read a few fics that have a character die, or his death is dealt with that I really genuinely loved )

one-shot or multi-chapter //depends on how late in the evening I start reading.

kid fic or road trip fic // very rarely did a kid fic not annoy me ... but there have been memorable exceptions

arranged marriage or accidental marriage //

high school romance or middle-aged romance // I love HS aus because they generally have nothing to do with my life and I can just roll in the cute and adorable and drama for drama’s sake .... but middle aged romances can actually hit a nerve and some of the really good ones actually did.and I learned from them.

time travel or isolated together // most of the times time travel really pisses me of ( I have not read @jocarthage  fic yet :) ) ...but I did enjoyed it a few times ... but all those times the author used the trope just as a way to tell a story and not as some sort of sciency thing that they tried to actually make believable ( I am looking at you Interstelar )

neighbours or roommates //

sci-fi au or magic au // really depends on what the author does with it

body swap or genderbend // not a fan of either

angst or crack //  Weirdly, I think crack is one of the hardest things to write well ... I mean a lot of times it is just downright brainless ... but damn, I did run into some awesome stuff, where I was just wtf all throughout the story but it was great. I also read some crack fics that were actually a dig at the bad writing on those shows and I only got it at the end and it was amazing....

apocalyptic or mundane // again depends on what the author does with it.

[linos-teeth]

i got tagged for the fanfic tag by @incorrectkids-admin and yall might not know this but i love fanfic so much (in general, there are only few fanfics in particular that truly impress me so if yall want like some fancy restaurant style reviews hmu) so tysm for this!!! i‘m going to tag @chngbok and @lilac-stay and @frozensea394 and @odeshadowz (i THINK u all read and/or write fanfic sometimes if not then i’m sorry ofc u don’t have to do this tag) (generally u don’t this is optional)

slow burn or love at first sight: i will read love at first sight when i’m starved for some good romance but there is a limit of cheese and it’s right there GIMME THAT SLOWEST BURN MAKE IT 20K WORDS GIMME

fake dating or secret dating: tbh this trope is kinda overused but if done well??? it can be so good? tho i think you could also do smth nice with secret dating, it has yet to impress me tho

enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers: both are so good!!! love and can relate that good oh no that’s my Friend...but i wanna kiss...but also. enemies to lovers...u can do so much with these dynamics...i’ve written some of it myself back in the days and it’s so much fun to do (and read)

oh no there’s only one bed or long distance with correspondence: it’s cliché but i do not care (that and also long distance might be a mood but as a physical presence person i need those sweet irl interactions!!)

fantasy or modern au: i don’t read enough fantasy aus ngl....they are so close to my heart bc i myself am very much a fantasy game nerd but also like....modern? why tf not? so many options there and i mean urban fantasy? also sure thing i love them all

smut or fluff: NO SMUT IN THIS HOUSE PLS MY EYES ok let them partially undress and make out a bit whatever but pls no smut unless it’s like one artsy poetic sentence but keep the dick talk away from me

mutual pining or domestic bliss: lovelovelove domestic bliss but.......the pining......the tension.....it stabs me physically and i love it so very much

alternate universe or future fic: listen everything is an au bc nothing actually happened this exact way irl (even if assuming we’re talking abt like. celebrities here u add CANON FIC and wish it had happened it just did not and that’s valid aus are very good)

one shot or multi chapter: will read both but will die if multi chapter stays unfinished my poor heart

kid fic or road trip fic: I FUCKING LOVE ROAD TRIP FICS SO MUCH??? I’VE READ SO MANY GOOD ONES *opens purse like they’re photos of my grandchildren* LET ME SHOW U SOME ROAD TRIP FICS

reincarnation or character death: i‘m not big on reincarnation honestly like i guess it’s like romantic and all to find each other in a different life but......it doesn’t speak to me? and character death is just. a big fucking no. you’re writing about real people: what the fuck makes u think u can kill them off?? like?? they’re alive and breathing they aren’t a doll to use to break some reader’s hearts wtf (btw either way i think if u write mcd just to make ppl sad then you aren’t valid) and if it’s not a real person i still. don’t get the hype there are other plot devices

arranged marriage or accidental marriage: ok arranged marriage is fine if it’s like.....an almost marriage and u still end up with who the two of you ACTUALLY love but accidental marriage sounds so fun i’ve never read it but it has a crack vibe to it pls someone write some i wanna read

high school romance or middle age romance: it’s romance gimme

time travel or isolated together: idk time travel sounds fun but it’s usually heartbreaking so i’m like maybe nooot and isolated together doesn’t spark any particular emotion in me so

neighbors or roommates: good stuff!!! gimme i love awk neighbor shit but i also love even more awk roommate shit like yes AWKWARDNESS PLS

sci-fi or magic au: why would i even try to choose? MAGIC IS AWESOME ALIENS AND SPACESHIPS AND SHIT ARE AWESOME

body swap or genderbend: body swap is prooooobably fun i haven’t read any but genderbent, esp when it’s real people, just makes me really uncomfortable oR HONESTLY THE CREEPIEST PART U GENDERBEND HALF OF A SHIP TO MAKE THEM LIKE. I SAW IT HAPPEN WITH GAY TO HET BUT LIKE THE OTHER WAY ROUND IS JUST AS WEIRD PPL STOP JUST WRITE DIFFERENT PPL

angst or crack: i am weak but crack is honestly a form of art and i will take it

apocalyptic or mundane: zombie shit rly freaks me out tho i HAVE read one amazing apocalyptic fic i will still generally say i prefer mundane ones