#w two worlds

[1liv]

LEE JONG-SUK as Kang Chul in 'W: Two Worlds Apart'

[dragonsareawesome123]

Ultimate Ships Challenge: [5/10] Kisses >> Oh Yeon Joo and Kang Chul's kiss in Episode 7

"I was afraid." "Of what?" "I was afraid that I might never see you again."

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

I spend a lot of time hating GirlbossTM characters and I love how Oh Yeon-joo is portrayed as active, smart, competent, but not Girlboss.

She doesn't know how to punch or shoot, but she will lock her possessed father in another room and draw like hell until she saves her man and then leave detailed instructions on how to treat yourself from a gunshot wound, while also having drawn everything he needs.

But also, she's not good at standing up for herself against her boss, she cries, she faints a lot.

But it doesn't make her weak or stupid or incompetent, because she will also withstand interrogation for 48 hours and not say a word and starve for most of a week attempting to avoid telling the truth to Kang Cheol again and ruining his life. And she isn't weak because she can't make a Sophie's Choice between the man she loves and her father, that's just natural.

She was a great, fleshed out character who had a lot of difficulties over the show and even if they weren't often as dramatic as the things happening to Kang Cheol, they were difficult and she persevered and I love her.

[dangermousie]

Poll time!

Watching W reminded me of two things (1) how much I adore Lee Jong Suk dramas and (2) how much freaking suffering man likes to do in them. So, a poll:

OK, now the explanation part.

Secret Garden - he's a hipster composer with unrequited crush on delightful himbo superstar Oska. Honestly, not getting that fine piece of man is indeed a tragedy. Here is Oska hauling off our composer and is all "you are not leaving, kid," not helping that crush one bit:

I Hear Your Voice - serial killer offed his dad and almost offed him when he was little, has ability to hear everyone's thoughts that he cannot turn off, same serial killer is now gunning for him (or just turning him into killer), is a high school kid with hopeless (or is it? :P) crush on decade older prosecutor, accidentally stabs her once, loses his memory etc etc. A great time is NOT had by all. But it is had by me.

Doctor Stranger - stuck in North Korea as a kid, forced to perform human experiments as a doctor for years, has to kill his OTP's dad to save her, believes his OTP died (twice), hunted by NK goon squads etc etc. My pick, tbh.

W Two Worlds - his family killed and he's convicted for their deaths, after he gets out eventually discovers he's a fictional character and fights to keep free will and oh, a killer who literally is inhuman narrative is hunting him and the woman he loves across worlds.

While You Were Sleeping - childhood trauma, present day psycho fixating on him (why ARE his characters psycho catnip?), an almost fatal stabbing now and then...just a routine life of a prosecutor.

Romance Is a Bonus Book - for once he decided to take a break from whumptown. Ummm...a romcom with no blood is a form of suffering for angst lovers? (There is no pic as there is no gut wounds, sorry.)

Big Mouth - framed for something he didn't do, convicted and has to cope in jail full of psychopaths who go after him, stuck in a lunatic asylum and tortured, and after all of that, his wife dies. Go big or go home.

[kdramaspace]

POTW: FAVORITE LEE JONG SUK DRAMA (as voted by our members and followers)

W – TWO WORLDS 더블유 (2016) dir. jeong dae yun

[wolha]

Otps → Kang Cheol & Oh Yeon-Joo in W 더블유 (2016)

[youknowihavenochingu]

Kdrama couples with great chemistry 🧪❤

Suspicious Partner

Alchemy Of Souls

Goblin The Lonely And Great God

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

Snowdrop

Hometown Cha Cha Cha

W Two Worlds

Flower Of Evil

A Business Proposal

Doom At Your Service

[myblacknightworld]

Crazy how in two out of three of my favourite Han Hyojoo dramas, there's the fake marriage trope which is actually real marriage because of benefits but also they catch feelings slowly and the husband is a simp

[whumpetywhump]

W: Two Worlds - Ep. 15 & 16

[myechoecho]

Finished up ep 3 in my rewatch of W Two Worlds.

First, something on episode 2 that I pick up on that I probably missed the first time watching. When Yeon Joo's mom and her friend are talking there is a throw away line - "maybe you should have made her take up drawing instead of harassing her into medical school" which is nice foreshadowing. I'm curious to see if there are others I'll pick up.

I forgot that Chul had already begun to change the story line before Yeon Joo, but she was definitely the catalyst to accelerate the changes. Still the first change was Chul refusing to die. Which leads to a different catalyst with Sung Moo. It's hinted that the comic was not necessarily the most successful but once Chul began to change the story, it exploded in popularity. It's as if people were only interested in the story that Chul wanted to tell; not Sung Moo's. He begins to spiral more.

I love how Yeon Joo and Chul are both really smart. Yeon Joo quickly figures out most of the rules for the comic book world and when she gets back, takes the time to go through all the back end research for each year of the comic's existence.

Chul is also able to piece things together quickly though it helps that she sleepily tells him some of his darkest secrets that no one else would know.

I completely forgot about the bathroom flashing scene until I saw her look at the bras lol.

He's able to fluster her enough that she tells him the rules of the world for her and that he's the main character. The stand off with the gun was great, because neither one will back down.

Weirdly, what almost bothers me most about the gun scene is Chul scratching head with a loaded gun. GUN SAFETY.

He figured out she's from another her world and now knows she can't return unless he manages to shock him. He wants his answers. Love that she still tried to shock him by saying "I love you"

She's refusing to tell him the truth to protect him, and he knows that. Telling him that he is just a comic book character will crush him, and really wants him to be happy.

They have such good chemistry and Yeon Joo realizing she's now the main character over the secretary made me smile.

I should be able to get through more of the episodes over the next few days.

[reading-is-an-escape]

My Demon made me missing my old parents in DAYS and W 😍

[dayscapism]

K-Dramas recommendations & short reviews

Because I've watched way too many to not make a list. Warning: I like romance and fantasy a bit too much.

These shows made me cry. 10/10. Five stars. Recommend to anyone. They live in my mind rent-free:

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) - Attorney Woo is such a wonderful person, I love her character. I can't say much about the representation, but I like that it opens up the conversation around autism & neurodivergence, discrimination and prejudice, particularly in work environments. I rarely like shows about law or lawyers but I was surprisingly engaged with the cases and the story. It deserves a second season. (The only thing I don't like about this show is they're pushing for a MinWoo and Choi Su-Yeon ship. Which huh--disrespectful.)

Hotel Del Luna (2019) - A great place to start with k-dramas if you like paranormal fantasy. This show has such a special place in my heart. I wanted a different ending but I am okay with it because it was a tight narrative. The main character is iconic (Man-Wol please step on me). The show has amazing sets, AMAZING costumes, an amazing OST, amazing and heartbreaking performance by Yeo Jin Goo. The main couple is so soft; like they're such good friends and coworkers and gentle with each other (eventually). It's enemies to reluctant friends to lovers. It's perfect for asexual viewers who want more than physicality in their romance shows. Cons: the secondary characters' goodbyes and backstories left a little to be desired. A few other nitpicks like Chang-Seong is the one to suggest the main character a new hobby instead of her just discovering it by herself.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) - Also a good place to start with k-dramas. This show is a lesson in good narrative; this has perfect writing & storytelling. The cast is so good. The female lead is an icon. The character work I excellent. The mental health issues are so well addressed and it taught me a lot about mental health I wasn't aware of. Each small minor character plays a very important thematic role. (The villain isn't the best thing ever but she serves her role in the themes and plot.) The production and the storytelling with the children's book animations are just *heart eyes*. The OST is so good too. You need to watch this to understand how good a k-dramas can be. A must-watch.

Goblin: The Lonely and Great God (2016) - This is the most iconic fantasy/paranormal k-drama ever. A lot of current tropes were started here I think (including the weird k drama last-episode time jump separation of the main couple). This show broke me. You will cry. The bromance and comedy are amazing here too. Gong Yoo and Dong Wook Lee have great chemistry. Main female lead is so cute and her character is so heartwarming. The ending felt a bit rushed. The death, existential related stuff with the grim reapers and such is so good tho.

Business Proposal (2022) - Best rom-com ever! (Well, it could be gayer tbh.) It's my new comfort show. I already watched it twice. It's campy, hilarious, chaotic, iconic and messy in a way that feels like real life (but obviously played up for drama and comedy). Excellent character work. The love interest is definitely written by a woman. Gorgeous cast (Sejeon omg I have a crush, but also the others). It was too short! I would have loved another episode, and more of Grandpa and Ha-Ri. Warning: this has the weird kdrama last-episode time jump couple separation.

W: Two Worlds (2016) - A young resident medic accidentally finds her way inside the webcomic her father created. Like, that premise is killer. We have Lee Jong Suk at his finest here; the character fits him so well. He was born to play a lead. This show has amazing meta-commentary on writing, authorship, and existential crisis. The confrontation between the webcomic character Kang Cheol and the author is insane! The main couple is an epic pair. Would rewatch. High wump value. Cons: The second part could have been more swoony with the romance, Kang Cheol kind of became a bit cold. (A warning: this show also has the k drama weird last-episode time jump couple separation.)

Would recommend with popcorn, I rate them 8/10:

Crash Landing on You (2019) - Really good. The main couple has the best chemistry I've ever seen. It's not that much of a personal fave show, but still pretty awesome and will tug at your heart. It got a bit overly dramatic in the last episodes and again, has that k-drama last episode weird time jump couple separation, but here it actually makes sense. And sort of mirrors the separation and eventual unification of the Korean Peninsula. It was very interesting to see the contrast between North and South Korea.

Shooting Stars (2022) - Aside from the terrible, horrible, insulting Africa storyline (where the male lead goes to 'help' African kids with water scarcity, not even a country name is called, he just goes to *gestures vaguely* Africa to help goddammit he's such a beautiful soul! /s) There's a weird creepy sugar mommy wannabe side storyline and it's weird and out of nowhere. But the rest of it is good and campy and the main characters are so cute. All the couples are cute. The male lead is a cute disaster. Female lead is also a capable cutey but a disaster when it comes to romance. It's hilarious. I love all characters. It's fun. It's great. It shows a very interesting side of the entertainment industry.

While You Were Sleeping (2017) - A man and a woman who don't know each other have precognition powers and after they meet, they use them to take down a corrupt lawyer. The show isn't very heavy on the romance, tough the pair work pretty well together. I liked the main actress. Lee Jong Suk has chemistry with anyone. The male role was not exactly a good fit for Jong Suk. He's so much more naturally charming than the character. It's a fun show to pass the time. The found family is nice and all the characters work great together. The mom is great.

The King's Affection (2021) - I'm going to be honest, I didn't finish watching this. Ups. I got bored after episode 15. It's a very slow show but what I watched was quite good. It was just not a show for me. Having a bisexual male lead was awesome, I appreciate that he falls for the main character while he thinks she's a man. (Could be gayer tho, just saying.) Pretty good discussions and reversals of gender cliches. It has complicated parent-child relationships that are very well written which gives a lot of heart and heartbreak to this story. The political stuff gets very convoluted. I really wish the queer part was bigger though, and not limited to the main couple. We could even have poly representation! I still have half a mind to finish this but I don't know There are so many other shows I'd rather watch instead. (Boy, I really need to get into the actually queer side of k-dramas because the side I'm currently on is giving me crumbs.)

Lovers of the Red Sky (2021) - The premise was so cool. This has so much lore I like and the setting is beautiful and rich, but it also has so much lost potential. The plot is very weak in the second half and could be restructured. I loved the atmosphere, costumes and the actors and their characters: the blind cursed scholar nobleman, the female genius cheeky painter and her friend trio and the prince are all great characters. Ahn Hyo Seop is pretty good in it and looks very pretty indeed in historical costume (but the design of the villain creature he's possessed/cursed with is so, so bad omg). Great premise failed execution. Good first half but it went over the rails quickly. Still entertaining if you like historical fantasy.

Romance is a Bonus Book (2019) - It's a bit slow and could have done so much more with the female lead and her child. She's a bit underwhelming and her daughter is barely in the story. The second female character played by Jeong Eu-Gene was awesome, I love this actress now. Lee Jung Suk is always looking hot and being an excellent actor with what he's given; he's very charming here. He could have chemistry with a piece of wood and yet I wasn't that fan of the romance. Maybe it's just because friends to lovers isn't my cup of tea. There's a weird out-of-nowhere backstory between the male leads. The commentary of ageism in the workplace is a bit surface level (it's not that big of a deal for the company if you're overqualified for a job, the point should be that is an issue for you and your career, who is too good for the company). You can tell the writers really care about books; it's definitely a love letter to editors and an interesting window into the world of book publishing; you can feel the love editors put into making books. Bonus: the founding members of the publishing company have very funny moments.

Do no recommend:

King: Eternal Monarch - Couldn't even finish this. I was so, so confused. The dialogue, narrative and backstory make no sense! Everything is so unnecessarily confusing. There's no chemistry between the main couple. The king and the bodyguard had more chemistry. Lee Jung-Jin (playing the villain Lee Lim) & Woo Do-Hwan (the bodyguard) carried this show and are pretty much the only thing good about it. The female lead is sidelined. It had an intriguing premise but failed execution.

What's Wrong With Secretary Kim - Skimmed most of the second half. It's a mess. The love interest CEO is such a narcissist and asshole he wouldn't be able to keep a working, healthy relationship with his partner without some serious therapy first. The female lead seems to be repulsed by him most of the time even when together and even looks scared when they get intimate. There's an unnecessarily convoluted plotline about the main lead's brother and a kidnapping in their past. It has tonal issues and it's cringy rather than funny. The secondary characters are just a lot of useless filler. The female lead sacrifices her independence and dreams to be with the main guy. Just go watch Business Proposal instead.

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo - The only pro of this show is IU. The romance went the undeveloped route. Cheap-looking production, with too many episodes, melodramatic, characters pivot in place instead of naturally developing; it's definitely a telenovela. The point that the female lead is from the future doesn't even matter for the story (should have made her a Goryeo historian instead of a random cosmetologist). Pass!

Tomorrow - Could not finish watching. Please, please don't watch it if you're dealing with depression, bullying or suicidal thoughts. Please don't. By episode 2 I was just screaming at the screen. Problematic? This show invented the word problematic. The supernatural task force that's supposed to save people with suicide risk is terrible at therapy and suicide prevention. They tell the person trying to commit suicide, literally on the edge of a building about to jump, that they should do it, that they're weak, they should just jump, go ahead! Like ... what????

Mystic Pop Up Bar - Didn't capture me by episode 2. Got bored. Some say this is better than Hotel Del Luna but I don't agree.

Abyss - It's a weird tonal mix. Would have preferred if it leaned further into the absurd (go all in with the humour or don't at all), the sci-fi or the murder mystery. Instead of just revealing by episode 3 who the murderer is, quickly changing the plot into a chase after the villain, even though he's so lame. But also he is keeps killing people and it gets dark. And then we cut to the main couple being silly and cute. It's so jarring. The leads have a great dynamic and Ahn Hyo Seop knows how to differentiate his characters really well, give them their own flavour., but in the end it's just a cool premise, failed execution. Very average.

Currently watching:

The Crowned Clown - Very interesting concept and gorgeous, gorgeous visuals. Plot drags a little. Has some tonal problems and oversimplification of politics. The best part is when Yeo Jin-Goo acts with himself haha. He's such a talented actor.

The Uncanny Counter - Get's a bit melodramatic sometimes but all four main actors are insanely good.

Tale of the Nine-Tailed - The main romantic relationship needs a lot more development, but the entire show is worth watching just for Dong Wook Lee and Kim Bum as brothers.

Alchemy of Souls - 6/10 so far. Currently watching season 2/part 2. Aside from the prince, I don't particularly care for any of the characters. Unpopular opinion but the main romantic pair have no chemistry. Mu-Deok has more chemistry with Yul and the prince, and the prince has more chemistry with Jang-Uk. The lore is confusing and inconsistent: it breaks its own rules. (Two souls in one body what?? when was this established as a thing?) There's not enough foreshadowing and setting up the rules of magic in this world (the Ice Stone comes up as a deux ex mahcina big plot point in the last second). It also drags; the episodes are too long. There's a lot of saying and ultimately the show doesn't deliver. The narrative structure is straight out of a fantasy Wattpad. The set and costumes are fun and cool for a fantasy world, and the first episode was great.  

[dragonsareawesome123]

Nobody:

Absolutely nobody:

Main couples in Asian romance thrillers: *One of them shoots the other*

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

I watched Oh My Ghost because of the lead actors but there was also.... Kang Ki-young:

Then I started watching W: Two Worlds for the plot and there was also... Kang Ki-young:

Conclusion: He is somehow stalking me across time and dramas.

[dangermousie]

You and your boss being in the same fandom.

I don't know if it's a fandom dream or a fandom nightmare.

[ryoun]

(´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)