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breitweisergallery · 7 months

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1, 2, 3, 19, 37 🫡

hi!!

1. What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

Probably voices stolen and people borrowed. You're getting me at my best, writing writers.

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

(Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Getting Together, Post-Canon, Character Study) Oh boy. Most of those for sure. The fact that fluff is above angst is genuinely surprising, but I think I also... don't post a lot of the angst I write. Or I don't blanket tag it as much as I should.

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

Overthinking, lack of communication, writers existing, overly complicated plots, hurt/comfort.

19. If you wrote a spin-off of [insert fic], what would it involve?

You didn't specify a fic, but I'll pull my top two TDJ fics and expand on those. For the idol fic, I would love at some point to write a spin-off focused exclusively on the idol world within the TDJ universe. I have a bunch of groups created and I would love to just let them play out without Yohan being there. For the crime student Gaon one, I would LOVE a world in which I had the energy to sit down and write out more about Sunah and Yohan's relationship here.

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

... you're gonna get one per fandom. i orphaned the only hannibal fic i ever published so let's leave that one on the backburner

my lifeline to keep from being buried amidst it all (The Devil Judge) - I love this world in which Gaon was adopted by Kyunghee, in which Yohan is constantly at war with himself, where Elijah hasn't given up on him. Yohan in here is incredibly reflective of my own mental state and I think this fic deserved better.

the name of us (Strangers From Hell) - Musings on Moonjo and names? Jongwoo giving the best gift of all (a name). Yummy.

(this might be cheating but) baby we (could be gods) (Vincenzo) - it's a series, true, but they're both extremely short pieces. A world in which Vincenzo and Hanseok work together, in which cruelty is wielded like a blade. I think about them All The Time.

don't let me know (Dimension 20) - The moment when Gilear finds out the truth. I have such a soft spot for the Dude and i think writing him pre-series is so so fascinating.

sleeping snakes (Critical Role) - Astrid making bad choices! Wulf and Caleb taking care of her! Soft babies.

(now we're gonna get really deep into it) Was it That the Silhouettes of People Were Looking For (BTS) - Marvel cross-over for a fest way back in the day! FrostIron but make it jinkook.

Growing Pains (Super Junior) - I am a messy messy person and teukchul student/teacher just. works. I think abt this fic a lot. I should return to it someday.

send me asks | questions for writers

#took answers #moot tag #claw tag!

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kdramabrainrotstation · 2 years

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I'm here to spread my Tankhun is a secret genius agenda. No I haven't read the Kinnporsche books. What do you think?

Also would love your thoughts if you think Kinnporsche was in anyway influenced by TDJ or if the cinematic parallels are just coincidence?

first off, i haven't read the books either, so we're on the same page (hehe) there!

but 10000 percent absolutely agree tankhun is a genius. i know pete told porsche that khun was abducted when he was younger and whatever happened during that time traumatized him and made him who he is today, but trauma definitely didn't make him stupid. he's dramatic and over the top and without a doubt very childish, but he ain't stupid hehe.

i feel like it's good to keep in mind that tankhun was intended to be the heir to the major family before he was kidnapped, so obviously korn knew he could handle it at the time. the responsibility was passed down to kinn, the next in line, once it was made clear khun was too damaged to be able to deal with the strain.

on that same note, i think a lot about the conversation kinn and porsche had when they were out in the wilderness together--kinn mentioned how he wondered if had khun not been abducted, if he would have been able to live more freely. it makes me wonder if that very same mentality is part of the reason khun behaves the way he does.

don't get me wrong, there is definitely trauma there if he was kidnapped. but i wonder if his father was so quick to label him 'broken' rather than trying to understand what all happened to him/how he's processing it, that khun was able to understand the correlation.

there's a looooot going on with the theerapanyakul family, clearly. kinn (and it seems like kim too) has his own baggage going on. they're all very selfish in their own ways. and i wouldn't be surprised if tankhun's selfishness came in the form of the idea that so long as his father saw him as beyond repair, he wouldn't have to head the family.

i absolutely adore childish, loud, melodramatic tankhun so much, but he is most certainly way more intelligent than he's said to be. he's naive and scared of the world around him (trauma), but that doesn't make him dumb. i bet he's going to throw us all off our guards at some point during this show.

as for the tdj question, the simple answer is nah, i don't think kinnporsche was inspired by it. moreso, i think that it uses a lot of the same tropes as tdj does--caring for each other's wounds instead of going to the hospital, fussing over each other's suits, sexual tension during acts of violence (mm the choking scenes in both make me absolutely feral), the list goes on and on.

that being said, and i think i may have mentioned it in one of my earlier posts, the fact that so many kinnporsche scenes parallel the devil judge as closely as they do tells me just how canon gahan really is. these are common bl tropes, and they're being used in a drama that's not actively marketed as a bl, and then a year later they're shown in a drama where most of the characters are canonically lgbtq+, it's really comforting to me.

i'll always love the way tdj ended. i feel like it was a very happy, very realistic ending for everyone. i wouldn't have been mad if they'd kissed or even hugged, but the devil judge at its core was queer-coded rather than explicitly queer. we all knew what was going on to the point that we didn't need to see it to believe it. but kinnporsche said "be gay do crimes" loud and proud and just happens to parallel a lot of scenes from tdj, which is very telling to me of the way the writer for tdj wanted us to think gaon and yohan felt about each other.

it's like...same genre, different means of production. and they're both beautiful for it.

#kinnporsche #the devil judge #thank you for this ask!#gahan #kinn x porsche

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maya-malfoy1012 · 2 years

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So... Episode 3 of The Devil Judge... let's get into it! I wrote a page of notes, this episode had a lot to offer. But before we get into it, let's just recap on the ending of episode 2... cauuussseeee

I was watching the UST confrontation, thinking they were going to bang against the windows. I'm minding my own business, just admiring the cinematography - as they had bisexual lighting throughout -

(I can only watch it in the worst quality lol)

Then shit blew up! And they're saving each other like all angsty vampy boyfriends do.

(he should have carried him bridal style... just sayin')

Then we get into episode 3. Which has all of the marks of every Forced Proximity Yaoi story ever! Even includes non-consensual touching and one character (usually the younger) not being allowed to leave or move around their surroundings freely... which is... fun. "It's not like I want to do it" sure, Jan. (also, they keep mentioning their age gap, I think they're into it.....)

This leads to Gaon's Belle arc of discovering what's in the west wing. (The house's decor is super... not my taste). The Nanny/mother step-in character reminds me of Bae Hae Sun's character in Hotel De Luna (Choi Seo Hee). Daddy Bandit is super possessive over his new twink, even going as far as almost shouting "ARE YOU DATING?" to Soo Hyun. super suss. Sun A thinks she's hot. She really had her "step on me, Mummy" glow up and I respect that. Kyung Hee is surrounded by idiotic men BUT that does lead us to her house which is Han Ki Hwan's house!!! I was so happy when I saw it then I felt so sad because... it's where the rich boys go to get emotionally (sometimes physically) abused by their parent. This house is also featured in Stranger and every time there was a scene in THE living room, I kept saying out loud: "that's where Han Joo Won got his heart broken" or "some very sad things happened here" or "NOOO joo won... DONG SIIIIIKKK"... I am pathetic and annoying. (Also, I think the derelict sight is the same location where they shot Lee Sang Yeob's death scene) I will say I like the way TDJ is handling the dystopia themes. It feels very realistic and it isn't too glamourised, which a lot of movies/TV shows do. So, that's a really nice aspect of the show. The court scene is actually kind of funny (not in a bad way)

Trauma Bandit's backstory is definitely a child abuse 101 storyline, even includes a shitty reason for his awful treatment. (the dad is a right twat). I haven't paid too much attention to the older brother storyline but if he and Gaon are related, I'll be pissed. It's an odd thing to include considering Daddy Bandit and Gaon are going to fuck. There's no doubt in my mind that they're going to have sex. And even if we don't see it, it's still happening! Oh, and... just because you're traumatised, it doesn't give you the right to murder people, Daddy Bandit. Anyway, speak soon!! :)

[cue circus music]

episode 02 ending & episode 3. ah yes, the banes of my existence (:

I was watching the UST confrontation, thinking they were going to bang against the windows.

HELPP the UST was blasting through the roof. I honestly loved how they introduced two female leads, starting off with the implication that they're the very possible romantic counterparts and then dunked the whole show into homoerotism and UST.

just admiring the cinematography - as they had bisexual lighting throughout -

listen, the cinematography? it was out of the fucking world. honestly perspective changes, camera tilts that captures imbalance (whether emotional or power) and the f r a m e s. honestly so capturing.

the b i s e x u a l l i g h t i n g (screams)

(I can only watch it in the worst quality lol)

oof help is it netflix 😭

Then shit blew up! And they're saving each other like all angsty vampy boyfriends do.

KJERDXEFKDCX ANGSTY VAMPY BOYFRIENDS Yohan looks very much like some modern Count Dracula --its the bow me thinks

(he should have carried him bridal style... just sayin')

dsjksjdjk perhaps because gaon's taller than him and trauma bandit's but a smol man

Which has all of the marks of every Forced Proximity Yaoi story ever!

the way i did not realise that until now. ohmygod

Even includes non-consensual touching and one character (usually the younger) not being allowed to leave or move around their surroundings freely... which is... fun.

I also do think that the Nurse/Patient trope (which I'm basing off of Back to The Future, but for all I know could be absolutely rare af) is depicted here. Usually in the trope, the nurse and patient are shown to be more susceptible to have feelings due to sympathy and forced proximity (+ if the patient has some incredibly heroic/awing reason for being injured). I think Beauty and the Beast, you've mentioned Gaon's Bella Arc, also features the nurse/patient trope when the Prince/Beast gets attacked trying to save Bella from the wolves.

It is interesting though, that it should be Gaon who's injured and nursed back to life when we have Yohan, who's the primary choice for the Beast/Prince.

(also, they keep mentioning their age gap, I think they're into it.....)

at this point, watching TDJ is just a progression of kink reveals lmao

This leads to Gaon's Belle arc of discovering what's in the west wing. (The house's decor is super... not my taste).

Continuing from before, it's quite interesting that their dynamics are not set in stone. They frequently exchange roles, albeit most of the time it's not prominent.

Also, if we set apart the BATB trope, Gaon's totally the knight in shining armor even if Daddy Bandit denies it (the house.... it's something alright)

The Nanny/mother step-in character reminds me of Bae Hae Sun's character in Hotel De Luna (Choi Seo Hee).

ah i havent really watched Hotel De Luna, i'm putting it off becuz i heard that there's some real sad stuff but I can see the similarities in their character presentation

Daddy Bandit is super possessive over his new twink, even going as far as almost shouting "ARE YOU DATING?" to Soo Hyun. super suss.

my dude's just totally in over his head thinking he's very chill but just a walking talking emotional disaster

on a serious note though, i think he's more than aware of soohyun's friendship with gaon and it was a deliberate poke to dissuade her (or perhaps, in an emotionally/possessive sense to sting her?)

Sun A thinks she's hot. She really had her "step on me, Mummy" glow up and I respect that.

Jung Sun Ah is just a total badass and if I ever meet her I would run far far away 😂

...her house which is Han Ki Hwan's house!!! I was so happy when I saw it then I felt so sad because... it's where the rich boys go to get emotionally (sometimes physically) abused by their parent.

WAIT HELP I DID NOT NOTICE THAT IREFDJKSDJK tbf i was more focused in practicing imaginary archery on han kihwan

"that's where Han Joo Won got his heart broken" or "some very sad things happened here" or "NOOO joo won... DONG SIIIIIKKK"... I am pathetic and annoying.

EJDKEISDJK LMAO "some very sad things happened here" -- some miserable real estate agent of an haunted house, probably

"I am pathetic and annoying" ah yes the self realisation /t no but i have had this same exact thought when i paused the show for the zillionth time to explain the significance of the fucking rain to my friend

Also, I think the derelict sight is the same location where they shot Lee Sang Yeob's death scene

oooh interesting, i wonder how many shooting locations BE and TDJ share hmm

I will say I like the way TDJ is handling the dystopia themes. It feels very realistic and it isn't too glamourised, which a lot of movies/TV shows do. So, that's a really nice aspect of the show.

right?? i honestly adore that it's pretty much covering the escalating socio-political and economic crisis under the dystopian theme? it also feels very much a commentary on the contemporary issues of the world. along with that, in episode one there's a shot with the word "utopia" that reminded me of this book (i haven't read it but i know of the premise) "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas". It talks of an utopian society that has built itself upon the suffering of a single child. For the society to prosper the child must be suffer. To my knowledge, the Snowpiercer (the film) and BTS's "Spring Day" are based on it thematically.

The court scene is actually kind of funny (not in a bad way)

yeah no i fucking cackled at that scene

Trauma Bandit's backstory is definitely a child abuse 101 storyline, even includes a shitty reason for his awful treatment. (the dad is a right twat)

the dad's a right bastard

but if he and Gaon are related, I'll be pissed.

Dude (gender neutral) I was flabbergasted when they went "Oh Yohan's big brother actually looks exactly like Gaon :D" like??? During Ep 1 flashbacks, I honestly expected them to go with an amnesiac route (where Gaon forgets about Yohan) or maybe "found comfort/helped each other during this tragedy for one day and then became nameless strangers again" route but noooo they had to go with the "ah yes this possible romantic option who is is identical to mc's brother" i blame the bloody censor

There's no doubt in my mind that they're going to have sex. And even if we don't see it, it's still happening!

there's so much off-screen gaps that the possibility of it not happening is lower than zero

Oh, and... just because you're traumatised, it doesn't give you the right to murder people, Daddy Bandit.

Man's just so morally tilted lmao, but ahem, I heard that you liked morally grey characters [blinks]

I really enjoyed this update heh, your brain is just. galaxy and i can't wait to see more of your thoughts hehe

#daddy bandit makes a return #beauty and the beast? nah its beast and the beast #beasts of different kinds are still beasts no?#act 3 scene 1 kim gaon the panic gay #ah they're so annoying #kim gaon #kang yohan #the devil judge

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bitacrytic · 3 years

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5 things I think should have been done differently in The Devil Judge

I preface this by saying that this show has ruined me for all other kdramas. It will be a while before I watch another drama without thinking, "Nah, TDJ did it better." I'm that messed up about this show and it feels so good to know that I'm not the only one who can't stop thinking about. 😭😭😭😭😭😭

That being said, the title of this post shows that I will be expressing some misgivings about the show. So I will put it under a page cut to allow anyone who doesn't want to ruin their fun pass this post by.

(1) Lawyer Ko should have been a woman.

This show is a bl. (I take no arguments on this) Which means that our primary focus would be a relationship between two men. I understand that the film makers wanted to balance that out by making the only other main focus point a woman and so they made the villain a woman. But you see the problem with that is that she was destined to die anyway. So by removing the woman from the place of a love interest or main character, there was no hope to begin with. She was going to die.

I could understand that.

I could understand that Sunah liked to work with women, and there was a reason for that. But there was no reason why Yohan had to work exclusively with men and then recruit one little girl during the end of his plan who never even learned to defend herself. Han was literally frigded till the end and was eventually rescued by a man.

So what did we have as Yohan's final team up in the courthouse? Three guys standing around Min Jungho. When we could have had one bad ass Lady-lawyer Ko at Yohan's side. It would have been a nice balance, and it was a missed opportuinity to not even have one woman who actively fought on the side of light. (Jinjoo doesn't really count because she was kept in the dark too long)

(2) The show should have ended with Gaon and Yohan staring at eachother.

That walk away was cool and symbolic. But it would have been so much louder to just have them stand there till the music changed and the screen went still. 🤷🏿‍♀️

(3) Minister Cha shouldn't have committed suicide

This woman sacrificed her son for her career. I'm not saying loving him was out of character but killing herself was a bit defeatist. I would have loved it if someone else killed her. If Yohan and Gaon showed up to her office to find her dead on the floor because

Jaehee had killed her to cover up Sunah's involvement and stop the her from giving the files to anyone.

On the other hand, Sunah killing herself made sense. Because as a child, she chose to throw herself out a window, rather than admit that she'd been caught stealing.

By using the same, "get me a gun," and then, the shooting herself in the head, Sunah's suicide felt like a replay. It should have been the original. Minister Cha should have been murdered by someone else, and then they could have kept Sunah's death as a suicide.

(4) Episode 16 should have been Gaon's episode.

Yes, Yohan is a major planner and Gaon is a himbo. But are we saying that Gaon learned nothing from his time with Yohan? I'm glad he went berserk but his craze was overshadowed by the stunt Yohan pulled with the caucus in the live courtroom. And if they wanted Yohan to be the master planner, that would have been okay. But he just left Gaon in the dark. Not once, but two times.

Maybe he was mistrustful of Gaon, but he knew Gaon was going to kill himself and he waited till the last second to show up, when he could have told him what was going on. And then in the middle of all that, he physically threw Gaon out of the room again. *sigh* It's cute when they touch and all that, but everytime Yohan manhandles Gaon, I am reminded that they're on such uneven footing that it hurts me a little. Till the end, Gaon was just a pawn that Yohan moved about anyway he liked.

We can claim that Gaon changed Yohan and all that. But really, Yohan was the one who allowed himself to be changed. Anytime he wanted to shut that shit down he could have done it. It's very true to the Jesus/Judas form that Judas never had any power to make any choices to begin with. This was one thing I was uncomfortable about in their dynamic

(5) They should have made this show longer.

I don't think this even needs an explanation.

#the devil judge #this show!!!!!#dreamt about it in the afternoon #it's actually becoming a problem #😭😭😭😭😭

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intermundia · 3 years

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Mr. Will, I saw that post about the burden of wanting to talk about SW all the time and now I’m curious…please will you tell me your favorite bit of obscure Star Wars lore that someone who hasn’t delved extensively into extra-canonical materials probably doesn’t know?!? 💜

Obscure lore, yes! I would love to talk about that! While reading the Star Wars Archives (1977-1983), I found this page of notes from a story meeting on 11/28/77 in the section 'Bring back Ben' and right before the invention of the role to be filled by Yoda—"Some of the force came from 'Tales of Power', Carlos Castaneda."

And I was like—who the fuck is Carlos Castaneda? Because you hear all the time about all the mythology research Lucas did, all the time with Campbell, etc., but I'd never seen this name anywhere else. So I looked him up. He's a California "anthropologist," a contemporary of Lucas, and oddly fascinating:

Starting with The Teachings of Don Juan in 1968, Castaneda wrote a series of books that purport to describe training in shamanism that he received under the tutelage of a supposed Yaqui "Man of Knowledge" named don Juan Matus. Doubts about the veracity of Castaneda's work existed from their original publication. There is belief among many that Castenda's books are works of fiction, and that it is unlikely that don Juan Matus existed. (Wikipedia)

His first person anthropology about time spent with a Mexican shaman reads like fiction, because it is fiction. An excellent survey of his sources is found here:

Lama Govinda's Fringe Tibetan Buddhism

Brinton's Paper On 'Nagualism'

Frank Waters Book of the Hopi

California Indian Anthropology Texts - especially those known to have been reviewed by CC

Wasson's works on Mushrooms

Eliade's works on Shamanism

Furst's works and lectures on Shamanism

Harner's works and lectures on Shamanism

Myerhoff's works on Shamanism and her contacts with Ramon Medina

UCLA Professor Garfinkel

Wittgenstein

So, we have this very California early-mid 70's New Age philosophy cocktail that was being presented as anthropology (I wish it were still so easy to fraud your way into a degree lmao). George Lucas was on UCLA campus as a graduate student making films at approximately the same time Castaneda was faking his way to this anthropology Ph.D., so when I say they are contemporaries, I mean I'm pretty sure they literally could have been walking around campus at the same time.

ANYWAY, so what if the Force is based on some fringe fake-Mexican-shamanism? So what? Well, first and foremost, Castaneda's books were very popular, and he uses the term "Sorcerer" very frequently, so when Ben Kenobi is called that in a New Hope, hip audiences in the 70's might have been clued in about what to expect. The idea of superhuman abilities rooted in flowing energy, the interplay of teacher and apprentice, and the sorcerer as a warrior (sounds pretty Jedi yeah?) —

A Man of Knowledge Was a Warrior: “The existence of a man of knowledge was an unceasing struggle, and the idea that he was a warrior, leading a warrior’s life, provided one with the means for achieving emotional stability. The idea of a man at war encompassed four concepts: (1) a man of knowledge had to have respect; (2) he had to have fear; (3) he had to be wide-awake; (4) he had to be self-confident. Hence, to be a warrior was a form of self-discipline which emphasized individual accomplishment; yet it was a stand in which personal interests were reduced to a minimum, as in most instances personal interest was incompatible with the rigor needed to perform any predetermined, obligatory act” (TDJ, 157).

Like................. it's even got the aspect of reducing personal interests and attachment to gain the rigor of discipline necessary to do what must be done as a sorcerer. But beyond the idea of a Jedi as a sorcerer/warrior, it's the metaphysics that kill me. Let's look further at this famous Yoda quote:

"My ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is." — Listen, "ally" is a term from Castaneda, though he uses it about psychadelic drugs. Audiences in the early 80s would probably know that, too.

“An ally will make you see and understand things about which no human being could possibly enlighten you… It is neither a guardian nor a spirit. It is an aid… a power capable of carrying a man beyond the boundaries of himself. This is how an ally can reveal matters no human being could” (The Teachings of Don Juan 24-25).

“The manipulation of an ally had two aspects: (1) an ally was a vehicle; (2) an ally was a helper. An ally was a vehicle in the sense that it served to transport a sorcerer into the realm of non ordinary reality… To be a helper meant that an ally, after serving a sorcerer as a vehicle, was again usable as an aid or a guide to assist him in achieving whatever goal he had in mind in going to the realm of nonordinary reality” (TDJ 164-65).

"Life creates it and makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we…not this crude matter." — The division of the Force into flowing animate and inanimate energy is in Castaneda, as is the concept of luminosity.

“Don Juan said that the energetic fact which was the cornerstone of the cognition of the shamans of ancient Mexico was that every nuance of the cosmos is an expression of energy. From their plateau of seeing energy directly, those shamans arrived at the energetic fact that the entire cosmos is composed of twin forces which are opposite and complementary to each other at the same time. They called those two forces animate energy and inanimate energy. They saw that inaninmate energy has no awareness. Awareness, for shamans, is a vibrating condition of animate energy.” (TDJ, xv)

“To perceive energy directly allowed the sorcery of don Juan’s lineage to see human beings as conglomerates of energy fields that have the appearance of luminous balls… the entire cosmos is made of luminous filaments that extend themselves infinitely” (TDJ, xvi-xvii).

I could go on and on and discuss all of Castaneda's writings on detachment and the warrior's life and the awareness of death, but I think that would be a whole other thing. Honestly this subject is too much for a tumblr post. I just thought it was interesting. People always give Lucas both grief and credit for bastardizing philosophical traditions himself, but I would say it's more fair to say that he was more working off of a cheat sheet done by others in California in the 70s. There must have been something in the water lmao

#george lucas #California Groupthink in the 70s #birth of New Age bullshit #and Lucas is right in that group of people #so if you want more context #for where the Force came from #it's not just buddhism #it's also indigenous american beliefs that are put into the blender #not saying this is a good thing let me be clear #but it is a thing #it is lore #i guess #anyway hope that was interesting lmao #sw #long post

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maya-malfoy1012 · 2 years

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Right! Hello! It’s episode 4 (of TDJ) time. I watched this ages ago but life got in the way, so that’s why there’s been a bit of a pause from my episode reactions. So, my review/thoughts won’t be quite as in-depth as I will be referring to (my page-long) notes. But I hope they’re still entertaining!!

[Terrible quality screenshots are incoming]

I want to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this episode, I feel like it was set up nicely into 4 different sections: The court case/the Mum (Acting as the “net”, i.e the sequence of events which will lead to Daddy Bandit getting his revenge) The Dinner Party (The people he will be rounding up) J.S.A’s character reveal (The “hitch” in this plan) The backstory (The reason for the revenge)

I enjoyed Ji Sung’s acting choices in this episode, I feel like it's the first time we see real nuances to his characterisation of Daddy Bandit. I personally really enjoyed the way he interacts with Nam Jang in one of the opening scenes. He’s acting like Mister Big Bollocks but as soon as she turns away, he deflates just enough for us to know that something is going on with him. I really appreciate that subtly.

In terms of the revenge storyline, I like it but I do think it’s a little convenient for the plot. However, I do believe there’s something else going on beyond what we know (otherwise it’ll be too easy). I like the way he punished Nam Jang and her son (reminds me of SPOILER the rapist and his dad’s punishment from The Crowned Clown); although, I wish… right, okay, when it came to the flagellation scenes, I just wished they had used a whip, or flog, or the cat of nine tails, etc. instead of using a belt. It just didn’t have the same impact (ba dum tss), for me at least. I love the concept of the punishment and how it enraged Nam Jang, forcing her to show a lack of care towards another child. [also the Daddy Bandit cult uprising???? hello!!! that is scary]

The dinner scene…. Well….. I’m going to ignore Gaon for a sec because I have thoughts about him and instead, want to focus on Daddy Bandit being clever. I like how he’s brought Gaon into the picture and showed him the people he intends on murdering/getting revenge on (not that Gaon can see that). I like the last episode of Squid Game vibes for the dinner sequence.

I like how the classical music crescendoed to a point where the visuals and music were claustrophobic in nature.

[Side note: the sexual assault scene made me very uncomfortable because of the lack of action from the other characters. Which definitely seemed like the intended purpose and of course, for it to be something egregious enough that J.S.A broke her facade to reveal her true dominatrix Mother self…. I love this for her, I wasn’t surprised by it but I do like this choice for her character. I feel like she’s going to be such a headache and perhaps… an “ally” turned villain turned “ally” turned… so on and so on.] The actual church scene had some very nice pacing. I did find some of the choices to be a little obvious (the “rich people are scumbags” narrative and the way the fireman stole the watch… the way none of the paramedics cared to check on a burnt man and an unconscious child??? ALSO, smoke inhalation is more dangerous than fire, so they probably both would have died or become brain damaged from that level of exposure) BUT I found the sequence overall to be so tragic. Also this shot:

Is so renaissance painting… it’s frankly beautiful. The religious imagery throughout this show is really tastefully done!! I love to see it! [I feel like this shot reference an actual painting but I can't figure out which one] Also…. Daddy Bandit is Phantom of the Opera CHURCH (especially with that chalandier drop)

Okay… now onto Gaon. WHAT IS THIS BOY’S PROBLEM??? Why is he still living at DB's gothic mansion??? Why is he acting like Madame of the house? He’s bonding with his new stepdaughter/niece. He's getting reallllllly comfortable, even referring to the room he sleeps in as "his" room.... duddddeee! (gender neutral) How embarrassing! The clothes-changing scene had SO much queer-subtext that it is basically 100% text. Also, Daddy Bandit really brought his twink to a work event as his plus one and really confirmed to the audience (and himself) that Gaon is not interested in women... and actually, sexual advances/flirtatious attention from them (or any age) make him uncomfortable.

I found the unneeded physical contact to be sooooo telling. [also the opposite - almost yin and yang - colour scheme is interesting... the way Gaon's silhouette is quite "feminine"...]

ALSO also!! Is Gaon going around wearing Daddy Bandit’s clothes?

Cause, unless I missed something, they’ve not shown him going home, he hasn’t gone shopping, D.B hasn’t gone shopping… sooo??? This guy is really out here investigating his employer (with whom he lives) whilst wearing his undies. COME ON!!! he's so silly

Also TDJ and BE both have their twinks directly (and with WAY too much confidence) accusing their love interest of murdering their sibling. I just wished BE had given us Dong Sik pinning Joo Won against the wall by the throat…. Joo Won would have cried his eyes out (and just died from being too horny) whereas Gaon was super into it??? This BOY!!! I can’t! (he really said "choke me harder, daddy bandit!! prove to me you didn't kill your sibling whilst awakening a kink in me")

Anyway, yes, I wrote more notes but I don’t remember what they mean anymore. But overall, I really did enjoy this episode the most so far. I hope my ramblings are amusing! Bye for now :)

SO, hi! I'm so slow in replying to ask helpp but tbf to myself this week's been hectic (currently writing this as my sir bails on my session T-T).

Episode 04, that fucker.

So, my review/thoughts won’t be quite as in-depth as I will be referring to (my page-long) notes. But I hope they’re still entertaining!!

I love hearing your thoughts, it doesn't matter if it's in depth or not 😂 Besides how could I not find your thoughts on Hoodie-Daddy-Trauma Bandit lmao

Imo, TDJ so far has done a very good job of sectioning off arcs, scenes and interactions. (A bit derailing thought but storyline wise) Gaon is subjected to this divide between Kang Yohan the Chief and Kang Yohan the man who roams the rouse in robes and although there's certain overlaps between the two personas ("I saw him driving recklessly" "Did you see something else?"), Gaon doesn't necessarily make it a point to interact with them in a similar way? At least in the ending of Ep3 and start of Ep4 (e.g when Gaon doesn't showcase much of the deference expected in workplaces when he teases Yohan or that one scene before the party where he turns this way and that on bed talking to Yohan). But the party! I think it's intentional on Yohan's part but the party! It completely rekindled that suspicion (+forced Gaon back into the role of the spy/Judas --and that's something I find interesting too, the role given to Gaon). And you're right!

I like how he’s brought Gaon into the picture and showed him the people he intends on murdering/getting revenge on (not that Gaon can see that). I like the last episode of Squid Game vibes for the dinner sequence.

Remember the revenge plot? I only realised this way later (still stuck on ep 10 help) but Yohan is essentially showing off the face of his brother to the people he intends to get revenge on and just, waits, observes to see if anyone can remember. ANd no ONe REMEBERS. I feel like from the subtle nuances of emotions we've seen from Yohan, that even a little remorse or reflection would have gone a long way but who knows.

I like how the classical music crescendoed to a point where the visuals and music were claustrophobic in nature.

I agree, it was very Squid Game vibes. It was just, a cacophony. Something meant to be beautiful & bearable turned vicious in its stifling chaos.

SO, this wasn't an observation of mine but I read it somewhere where they juxtaposed this SA scene with the extremely uncomfy vibes with Chairman Seo and Oh Jinjoo from the other ball/party. How in the previous one Kang Yohan was able to save Oh Jinjoo whereas when Jung Sun-ah tried ("She's an associate Judge...") she was brushed off but in the second party Jung Sun-ah was able to save the waitress whereas Yohan couldn't because of the persona/role he was playing. It was speculated/theorised that it's the status of the victims that allowed such difference? The waitress was practically no one, so letting her go (in public) would no impact anyone but the associate judge however is a much bigger presence and holding off the chairman could have questioned the roles.

Also, when you said SA, I originally thought of Gaon being literally submerged under those ladies (i think in an interesting way, that also juxtaposes with Oh Jinjoo's experience. While her interaction was taken as something to be wary of Gaon's isn't seen with the same lense of seriousness?)

the “rich people are scumbags” narrative and the way the fireman stole the watch… the way none of the paramedics cared to check on a burnt man and an unconscious child??? ALSO, smoke inhalation is more dangerous than fire, so they probably both would have died or become brain damaged from that level of exposure) BUT I found the sequence overall to be so tragic.

It does seem like the obvious plot route for why Yohan does what he does, especially with "the rich people are scumbags but oh whats this its not like poor people are any better" (cue Yohan and Gaon's convo returning from the party) but I think the whole set up, esp the renaissance painting feel, is actually hinting at a idk Shakespearean level of tragedy?

Also the look Yohan gives the camera, cradling little Elijah is chilling

Okay so! The religious imagery! I'm not closely related or know of much Christianity so idk much but, it's very interesting how from the beginning Yohan is implied to be Jesus when Gaon is given the role of Judas, meant to betray (?) Jesus/Yohan and, "Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him. And yet He chose Judas as a disciple and kept him near. The Bible doesn't say why, other than Jesus knew that God had a plan"

So. I'm very much excited to see where this story goes. Also another reference to Yohan having the role of Jesus is the bloody cross on his back ffs.

Can we also talk about (how I totally didnt know) how Judas' full name is Judas Isacriot and how it means City Slicker??

plus, Judas is known to have betrayed Jesus because he was possessed by Satan? It's very interesting that Yohan is called the Devil when he's also hinted to be Jesus and the side portrayed to have uphold justice is associated with Devil / or the priests who called for Jesus's fall.

Also…. Daddy Bandit is Phantom of the Opera CHURCH (especially with that chalandier drop)

that chandelier drop took me out

Okay… now onto Gaon. WHAT IS THIS BOY’S PROBLEM???

I wonder the same thing... Gaon pls what is going in on your brain

Why is he still living at DB's gothic mansion??? Why is he acting like Madame of the house? He’s bonding with his new stepdaughter/niece. He's getting reallllllly comfortable, even referring to the room he sleeps in as "his" room.... duddddeee! (gender neutral) How embarrassing!

Han Juwon only broke in a few thousand times but Gaon said "fuck that this is my home now" My dude honestly took to the role of spouse/lady of the house like fish in water.

The clothes-changing scene had SO much queer-subtext that it is basically 100% text.

I kid you not, I literally screamed at that scene.

Also, Daddy Bandit really brought his twink to a work event as his plus one and really confirmed to the audience (and himself) that Gaon is not interested in women... and actually, sexual advances/flirtatious attention from them (or any age) make him uncomfortable.

Kang Yohan: Two birds in one stone

I found the unneeded physical contact to be sooooo telling. [also the opposite - almost yin and yang - colour scheme is interesting... the way Gaon's silhouette is quite "feminine"...]

THE CLOTHES! THE FUCKING CLOTHES! You are so right, also love how symbolically yin/yang are masculine/feminine energies. This show hints at a lot of things, I missed 2/3 of everything when I first watched the eps.

GEFJDCNIEFDJKC i think the clothes he wore in the manor are yohan's (or maybe new clothes who knows, daddy bandit is a rich bandit afterall) but i think maaaaybe the clothes he's wearing here are his? i mean he could very well have dropped by his house before meeting soohyun idk but itd be hilarious if they're yohan's clothes pls

I just wished BE had given us Dong Sik pinning Joo Won against the wall by the throat…. Joo Won would have cried his eyes out (and just died from being too horny) whereas Gaon was super into it??? This BOY!!! I can’t! (he really said "choke me harder, daddy bandit!! prove to me you didn't kill your sibling whilst awakening a kink in me")

REIDJKCXIRDSJKRE SDHELPP I CANTHIJDF

I agree, but! in a weird way I also can't see Dongsik doing that to Juwon? Like, hmmm idk man, maybe it's because I don't see Dongsik as a violent person? His go to is fucking with the other guy mentally not throw fists, like even with Kang Jinmook, as a victim he could have knocked the mf out and blamed it on grieving smth smth but he holds back and instead schemes and talks (even when Kang Jinmook tried to strangle him). But oh boy Yohan and Gaon. Well. Yeah they seem super into that "hold me by the throat sir"/"pin me against the wall" thingerfjkd

Anyway, yes, I wrote more notes but I don’t remember what they mean anymore. But overall, I really did enjoy this episode the most so far. I hope my ramblings are amusing! Bye for now :)

That's so fair, I write some notes I leave for 5 mins i come back I have no clue what they mean anymore. It was very amusing, thank you for your rambling lmao, ta for now :)

#kim gaon taking one step closer to achieving stage 1 of pathetic han juwon #meanwhile daddy bandit is. well. daddy bandit #the devil judge #kang yohan #kim gaon

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