#why is jun ho so unrealistic

[vincenzo-s]

tumblr is the best place to talk abt extraordinary attorney woo bc every other site has bizarre takes like can everyone shut up and just let us have young woo and junho be all cute and lovey dovey we dont care if jun ho is realistic or not

[tabaeshi]

people actually crack me up though like jun ho is written as an unrealistically perfect character already and yet he does like any normal human thing and people are like, why are they sabotaging him its actually so fascinating

[sarangkstars]

Was it Love

Was it love starts quite well and by the middle of the story I was enjoying it quite a bit and quite motivated with what could still happen. The premise of a single mother with 4 possible fathers, the mystery of what happened in the past and all the comedy elements were well introduced and I was expecting an excellent drama since it's from 2020 and has good actors. Unfortunately halfway through it took off in the worst possible way to a disastrous ending. So much potential, not developed as it could be.

Pros

Son Ho-jun as Oh Dae-oh - I've been really enjoying watching Son Ho-jun lately and he's the reason why I got invested in this story AGAIN after dropped it when it came out. I loved Oh Dae-oh. He's a man who comes across as outspoken, sweet and passionate during the development of his story and I think he deserved so much more than writer-nim had in store for him. I would have loved to see him be the father and partner he hoped to be.

Kim Min-jun as Koo Pa Do - This actor was perfect for the role of a gangster mobster with a big heart. Plenty of presence and charisma. Unfortunately, he's not given much screentime or opportunity to develop. His relationship arc with Dong Chan (Yoon Seung-woo) looked promising but also fell short.

Ha Ni (Chae-Young Um) and Dong Chan together - I loved watching these two young actors perform and it was one of my favourite parts of the drama. Seeing the two of them work together to find Ha-ni's father is adorable.

Kim Young-a as Kang Suk-hee - the main character's best friend had little screentime but made her presence felt. Suk-hee's personality was enigmatic yet direct and quite insightful. I wish her dynamic with Pa Do was explored more.

Cons

Song Ji-hyo as Noh Ae-jung - played by one of the actresses I don't really like, she was fine, but I hated Ae-jung's personality. The writer-nim tried to paint a picture of super mum, caring, generous and talented, but without spoilers, halfway through the story she just struck me as someone selfish, spiteful and unrealistic.

[jellyfishright]

At A Distance, Spring Is Green -BL Version (Yeo Jun x Nam Soo Hyun)-Chapter 20 : Light and Darkness

"Let's talk about what we thought about the other group's presentation." Soo Hyun addressed his team mates for the group project.

"They were good." Yeo Jun replied.

Kim So-Bin, "They were creative and I liked their stories."

"Why do you ask?" Gung-Ho questioned.

"We won't get the highest mark at this rate." Soo Hyun answered.

Surprised, Gung-Ho looked at Soo Hyun. "You wanted to get the highest mark?"

Chun-Guk elbowed his friend. "He always gets the highest marks."

"We'll try to make our story stand out." Soo Hyun went back to addressing the group. "But it has limits. Do you have any other ideas?"

"Then why don't we focus on casting?" Jun suggested.

"What or who did you have in mind?" Soo Hyun was curious.

Yeo Jun smiled at him. "Leave it to me."

The group was gathered for the next meeting.

"Did you find someone to cast?" Soo Hyun asked.

Yeo Jun looked at him. "I told you I'd take care of it."

"Who is it?"

"Kim Hye-Yoon."

"Why her?" Soo Hyun questioned.

"She reminds me of you when we first met." Jun replied.

"What?" Soo Hyun looked at him

"Is she a psycho too?" Gung-Ho asked. Everyone at the table looked at him. "Ahh..I mean, is she a unique soul as well?" he tried to cover his blunder.

"Did she agree to it?" Soo Hyun asked

"She would like to know the concept first." Soo-Bin informed him.

"The concept will be a bright and vibrant youth." Yeo Jun piped up.

"Would displaying a fantasy work?" Soo Hyun looked at Yeo Jun "It'll only seem unrealistic."

"I also agree that it should be more realistic." Chun-Guk added.

"So you want to go for hyperrealism?" Jun asked. "This is a PR video, not a documentary.Tough reality isn't what we wish to see in ad campaigns."

"That could be true for a commercial ad. We'd be right to only highlight the joy of youth. But this is a school assignment." pointed out

"Must it be heavy and dark though?" Jun countered.

"Let's be mindful of Professor Park's lessons. Would highlighting the positive side of youth speak out to him?"

"It only has to be fun and exude positive energy." Yeo Jun wasn't backing down "There's no need to consider the professor's preferences."

"But our grades are on the line." Soo Hyun looked at the stubborn person sitting across from him "Although, as a freshman, you probably wouldn't care."

"What does being a freshman have to do with this?" 

"Team Leader is right you know." Gung-Ho spoke. "As you all know,  I tanked my last assignment."

"I need a good score to make up for it." Chun-Guk finished Gung-Ho's thought.

"Me too." Hye-Jie agreed

"Still. What's fun to do leads to a good outcome." Kim Soo-Bin  offered her thoughts

Soo Hyun sighed. "I see we can't get on the same page." He closed his notebook "Well I have a class to get to."

He stood to his feet and looked at Yeo Jun. "I'll be home late after my shift."

Jun looked at him and pouted "I won't be home anyway."

Soo Hyun shook his head and slung his bag over his shoulder.

The others looked at the retreating Soo Hyun and the pouting Yeo Jun. These two were definitely giving off a weird vibe.

'"Is something up between you and Soo Hyun?" Kim Soo-Bin asked Yeo Jun as they walked to lunch like always.

"No." he replied. "We're as good as ever."

"I think you should reconsider his proposal." 

Yeo Jun looked at her in surprise. "Weren't you taking my side earlier?Make up your mind."

Soo-Bin chuckled. "I'm not really taking sides. I just think it might be better to show our realities and not just the positive side of things."

"My life is actually pretty dark." Yeo Jun sighed. "Or it used to be.But wouldn't we want to remember only happy memories when we look back at these times?"

"But the one in pain is still you as well." Soo-Bin replied.

"I'd rather discard him somewhere." Yeo Jun confessed.

"He still helped to make you who you are today."

"I guess you're right."

"Won't it be uncomfortable at home with Soo Hyun?"

Yeo Jun smiled. "Soo Hyun is prickly but he is not one to stay angry."

"You know him so well now." Soo-Bin said.

Yeo Jun looked at the clock by his bedside. 9pm. Soo Hyun had been home for atleast half an hour but he hadn't come close to him even once.

Prior to his arrival he'd been sitting in the living room waiting. When he heard the door lock he made a mad dash to the bedroom to save face a little.

Now so much time had passed and he hadn't even come to say hello. He was sure he knew he was home.

Was he really holding a grudge?

Jun frowned. 

Since Soo Hyun wasn't coming in, he would just go out and appear in his line of vision. He didn;t have to speak, he just needed him to see him.

Settled on that idea, Jun left the room. He was just at the bathroom door when he came face to face with Soo Hyun. They looked at each other before awkwardly looking away simultaneously.

"You should go first." Yeo Jun pointed to the bathroom door.

"No, you go ahead."

"I'm not that desperate you know." Jun insisted.

"Me neither."

"Elders first." Jun said

"It doesn't extend to peeing." Soo Hyun made a face.

Yeo Jun nodded. "Right. Since I'm younger, I'll go first."

Soo Hyun put out a hand to stop him. "No. I'll go first." he hastily stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

With Soo Hyun inside, Jun knocked on the door. "Just so you know, I really do need to go."

When Soo Hyun exited the bathroom, Yeo Jun was still waiting outside. Without a word, he stepped by him and made a beeline for the sofa.

A few minutes later Yeo Jun appeared.

"I'm craving a late night snack." he said, loud enough for Soo Hyun to hear.  "Maybe Pizza? or Fried Chicken?" Soo Hyun pretended not to hear "Tteokbokki?"

Jun pouted. He really was ignoring him.

Leaving Soo Hyun in the living room, he made his way to the kitchen.

A short while after, a delicious smell permeated the air.

"Gosh.This looks so good." Jun squealed as he stirred the pot. "I wonder how far the smell will travel."

Soo Hyun continued to pillow his head on his hands as he laid down in the sofa.

"Mm..This is too much for one person." Yeo Jun continued to speak loudly. "I guess I have no choice. I'll just have to throw it away."

Soo Hyun grunted and got up off the couch, making his way to the kitchen.

"What?" he raised a brow when Yeo Jun looked at him.

"This is just for me." Yeo Jun said "It's only one portion."

"One portion?" Soo Hyun questioned. "People just love to waste food."

Yeo Jun smiled at him. "Have some." he gave Soo Hyun a portion.

Soo Hyun dug in immediately. 

"If there weren't any food you'd pretend to be asleep." Yeo Jun 

"Why are you so worked up over this assignment?" Soo Hyun asked 

"I'm not."

"Is it the assignment or are there hard feelings towards me?" Soo Hyun was curious.

"I'm against that dark concept you suggested." Yeo Jun confessed.

"It's weird that you're this invested in it."

"I guess that's true." Jun agreed "But aren't you sick of it? It's been hard enough for us. Why must the assignment---"

"We should view reality as it is." Soo Hyun cut him off.

"Can't we escape it though?" Jun asked. "Once we run away from it we'll one day see that we escaped from it."

"One should try to overcome hardships." Soo Hyun disagreed.

"I don't want to do it right now though." Jun stated.

Soo Hyun looked at him "Will putting it off make it any better?"

"It could."

"As your senior I know---"

"You're playing the age card?" Yeo Jun cut him off.

"You're a freshman." Soo Hyun reminded him.

"As if that matters,old man."

Soo Hyun blinked. Old man?

"Some people cannot escape reality even if they want to." his voice was passionate. "We're already on the edge of a cliff."

"Are you challenging me to see who has it worse?" Yeo Jun asked

"Should we do it?" Soo Hyun challenged

"Bring it on!" Jun was defiant.

Kim Soo-Bin looked from one person to the other. Neither Yeo Jun nor Soo Hyun were saying anything.In fact,they weren't even looking at each other.

"What's with you two today?" she asked.

Yeo Jun, "What do you mean?" he smiled at her. "Do I perhaps look more handsome today?"

Soo Hyun rolled his eyes and clocked his tongue "What a narcissist."

Jun's eyes widened. "What did you just call me?" He looked at Soo Hyun "More you than me though."

They glared at each other.

"Don't tell me you two argued all night." Soo-Bin looked from one to the other. Each of them fell silent again "Or perhaps you were drinking all night without me."

"All night," Yeo Jun replied "We had tteokbokki."

"Tteokbokki?" Soo-Bin looked at Soo Hyun who nodded.

Just then his phone rang and Soo Hyun walked away. By his greeting, the other two knew it was his brother on the line.

"With his brother he's always the sweetest." Jun pouted.

Soo-Bin smiled. "Are you jealous.?"

"As if." Jun rolled his eyes. "We just don't click."

Soo-Bin laughed "But you like him alot right?" Yeo Jun bit his lip. "They say marital disputes never last long." Soo-Bin patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"Stop teasing ." he said to his friend.

"Why is my ear itchy?" Soo Hyun stuck a finger in his ear.

"Someone must be talking smack about you." his little brother replied. "So be nicer."

"Why are you here when you should be busy studying? What's the gift?"

His brother beamed at him "My gift? It's me." he made a cute pose.

Soo Hyun laughed and playfully pulled his brother's ear. "I hope you didn't spend too much."

"I didn't." Koo Hyun replied, reaching for something in his backpack on the ground beside them. "Here." he handed a brown book to Soo Hyun. "Mom sent it by post and told me to hand it to you."

"What is it?" Soo Hyun looked at the book. 

"Dad's journal."

"But why?--" Soo Hyun continued to look at it

"Mom said you wanted to be a cop just like dad. I had no idea.You  work shift after shift so that you can fund whatever dream I have"

"Why did she tell you that when it was way in the past?"

"Soo Hyun. Don't send money for my rent for for mom to spend." Koo Hyun said "You even paid back Dad's debt."

"Why are you saying this?" Soo Hyun asked "I'm fine."

"Well I'm not." his brother objected. "You should do what you want to do as well."

"Koo Hyun--"

"I'm an adult now. You made sure I grew up with a pretty face." his brother smiled at him "Want to send me to an orphanage now?"

Soo Hyun smiled at brother who was indeed not so little anymore.

Nam Soo Hyun looked at the book as he made his way to class. It was like a relic, a reminder of a dream long forgotten. Indeed it was true, once upon a time, just like his father he'd wanted to be a policeman.

He'd put on his father's uniform which was two sizes too big.He'd even saluted, promising his father that one day, one fine day, the Nam men would take a photo side by side in their uniforms.

That promise was never to be fulfilled.

His father left way too early and he had to grow up way too soon to shoulder the responsibilities left by behind.

Those dreams he had were left behind on a shelf, forgotten to collect dust.

Forward, he only had to move forward. The past was in the past and so, he made his way to class.

"Soo Hyun. Can we talk?" Yeo Jun caught up to Soo Hyun in the hallway."

"We're late for your team gathering." Soo Hyun pointed out.

"It won't matter if we're late."

"We made a promise with your teammates.So of course it matters." Soo Hyun replied before walking away.

Yeo Jun sighed and followed behind. If only he would just hear him out first.

When they arrived, everyone else had gathered and they got right down to business.

"The last time we couldn't decide what concept to go with." Soo-Bin opened, looking from Yeo Jun to Soo Hyun.

"I have a solution." Yeo Jun spoke up, bringing all eyes to focus on him "Let's do both. We can blend the concepts."

The others thought about it, nodding silently at the proposal.

"Soo Hyun. Are you okay with that?" Soo-Bin asked apprehensively.

With Soo Hyun's nod, they reached a consensus.

"So Darkness will be a character representing the dark side of youth." Yeo Jun explained. "While light will represent it's beauty ."

"We'll have darkness realizing the light within it after meeting light." Soo-Bin picked up "Who lives in a completely different world.What do you say?"

"We're out of time. So let's do that." Soo Hyun gave the greenlight.

"Then we should all tell our stories." Yeo Jun said. "Regarding the light and shadow of youth."

An awkward silence descended on the table as they looked at each other. 

"It's our team project. So it should be about us." Yeo Jun said.

"While sober?" Gung-Ho asked.

"My life only knows darkness." Chun-Guk said 

"I have nothing to add ." Hye-Jiecontributed

"We'll start with the team leader then." Yeo Jun looked at Soo Hyun. "Tell us about your shadows."

"Well...not being financially stable really took a toll on my life." Soo Hyun began "And it still does"

Gung-Ho cleared his throat. "I was most depressed before serving in the military ."

"Whenever my future seems uncertain. I escape reality through playing video games." Chun-Guk confessed.

"I had too many thoughts and worries which led me to lack confidence." Kim Soo-Bin said her piece. "It's why I gave up on things without even trying."

"What about you Hye-Ji?"

"Life hasn't been hard for me, but I've been stuck recently.It's not completely dark though."

Everyone looked at Yeo Jun.

"I--"

"Don't force a sob story." Gung-Ho chided "As if you've had it hard."

"We all spoke so--" Soo Hyun tried to intervene

"I haven't yet" Yeo Jun corrected, in a soft but firm voice.

Soo Hyun looked at him "You don't have to since you're highly against the shadows of our youth." he kept his eyes on him "I respect everyone's opinions"

"Now you do?" Yeo Jun had a determined look in his eyes.

Yeo Jun looked at Gung-Ho. "I see you haven't read the article on my father."

Soo Hyun sighed.

"Was an article published on his wealth and fame?" Gung-Ho asked, excited.

"I lived many years in darkness." Jun avoided Soo Hyun's eyes, knowing he was looking directly at him. "Due to my father's physical abuse."

Shock silence rippled across everyone's faces.

"Jun.." Soo-Bin said

"Don't  you worry though. I'm all better." He finally looked at Soo Hyun "I'm in the light." 

Soo Hyun looked at him. "See?" Yeo Jun said. "I told you we should have stuck to the lighter side of youth."

[androgynousblackbox]

Ok, so i saw a post (it might have been the same one you mentioned before but maybe not) and at the end it complained about the "queercoding" of the VIPs which just... I-

Ok first of all, the only VIP I ever thought was queer in any way was the one who tried to sexually assult jun-ho, in which case- we were long past "coding" at that point. The thing that irks me is that the VIP being gay (or at least into men) wasn't what was meant to demonise him- it was the very blatant sexual coercion and attempted assult over a person he knew (or at least thought) was below him in power. Like-? If Jun-ho had been a woman, would it have been okay then? Because I mean, the rich, white capitalist can laugh at and enjoy the suffering of the people below who are killing themselves and each other for not even a tiny fraction of his wealth, literally sitting on a throne of human bodies, using and abusing other humans as if it were child's play- but GOD FORBID he be attracted to a man! Because as we all know, the apparently obvious point of that character and scene was that same-sex attraction was the problem, and not i dont know literally everything else?!

WHAT. THE FUCK.

No, the article that I saw was from the Mary Sue and was purely complaining about how the VIPs could have been cooler and more threatening, painting them as the only thing that was unrealistic enough that took the author off the show (which is wierd as fuck because... White rich Americans being annoying vapid assholes is very fucking belieavable for me), it didn't say any of that.

So, let me get this straight, the post you saw was making a case that the show was going out of it way to "queer code" the VIPs as a way from the show to further illustrate their evilness?

And let me guess... The post was using this argument to call the entire show homophobic and maybe something about how nobody should be surprised considering from where it comes from? Because I have seen people trying to accuse the show of being misogynistic purely because they thought that there were only painted women being used by the VIPs when it was in fact men and women, and so many other shitty ass takes from gringos doing their best to find something to paint this show as problematic and bad according to their standards. It's because of clout? It's because of racism? Both? Who the fuck knows at this point.

I am fucking floored. This is why we on the west, but especially gringos, don't deserve nice things from the east. We will always find a way to ruin it and the people have really fucking tried with this show need to learn to shut the fuck up until they unlearn that their way of viewing the world is the only valid one.

[aion-rsa]

Squid Game’s Scathing Critique of Capitalism

https://ift.tt/3kOEMpF

This Squid Game article contains MAJOR spoilers.

From the very first game of ddakji out in the real world with Train to Busan actor Gong Yoo, Squid Game poses the question: how far would you go for money? How much of your body, your life, would you trade to keep the wolves at bay and to get to live the life you’ve always dreamed? Once you start, could you stop, even if you wanted to? And in the end, would it even be worth it? While Squid Game depicts an attempt to answer these questions taken to the extreme, they are the same essential questions posed to everyone living under capitalism: What kind of job, what terrible hours, what back-breaking labor, what level of abuse, what work/life imbalance will we tolerate in exchange for what we need or want to live? Unlike many examples of this genre, Squid Game is set in our contemporary reality, which makes its scathing critique of capitalism less of a metaphor for the world we live in and more of a literal depiction of life under capitalism.

Squid Game’s Workers

At the most basic level, the entire competition within Squid Game would not exist without extreme financial distress creating a ready pool of players. It’s no coincidence that Gi-hun’s hard times started when he lost his job, followed by violence against the workers who went on strike. Strike-breakers and physical violence against striking workers may feel like an antiquated idea to an American audience. South Korea, however, has something of an anti-labor reputation, with only 10% of its workers in unions and laws limiting unions to negotiating pay, among other restrictions. In the US, the anti-labor fight is alive and well, though transformed, where it takes the shape of the deceptively named “Right to Work” laws, which benefit corporations and make it harder for unions to operate.

As noted in our review, (most of) the players choose to leave and then willingly return to the arena, which separates Squid Game from other entries in the genre like the Hunger Games series and Escape Room. This element of volition contributes to the series’ primary critical goal. As Mi-nyeo and others brought up early on, they’re getting killed in the real world too, but at least inside they might actually get something for their troubles. 

As an anti-capitalist parable, the only ways to fight back or upend the game in some small way are through acts of solidarity or by turning down the allure of the cash. The final clause in the game’s consent form states that the game can end if a majority of players agree to do so. After the brutal Red Light, Green Light massacre in the first, they do exactly that. The election might as well be a union vote. It’s shocking that the contract for the game included an escape clause at all, but it seems the host and his ilk enjoy at least allowing the illusion of free will if nothing else. The players who didn’t return after the first vote to leave the game, though unseen in this narrative, are perhaps the wisest of all. 

Read more

TV

Squid Game’s Most Heartbreaking Hour is Also Its Best

By Kayti Burt

TV

Squid Game Ending Explained

By Kayti Burt

During tug of war, Gi-hun’s team surprises everyone by winning. Their teamwork, unity of purpose, and superior strategy help them defeat a stronger adversary, which is a basic principle of labor organizing, albeit usually not at the expense of the lives of other workers. Player 1 (Il-nam) and Player 240 (Ji-yeong) each find their own way to beat the game by essentially backing out of the competition during marbles. In exchange for friendship and choosing the circumstances of their own deaths, Ji-yeong and Il-nam each make their own, ethically sound choice under this miserable system. Il-nam gets an asterisk since he was never going to die, but he still found a choice beyond merely “kill” or “be killed” by teaching his Gganbu one “last” lesson and helping him continue on in the game. 

In the end, Gi-hun confounds the VIPs and the Front Man by coming to the precipice of victory and simply walking away. Under capitalism, this group of incredibly rich men simply could not understand how someone could come so close to claiming their prize, and choose not to. But for Gi-hun, human life always had greater value. Gi-hun followed (Player 67) Sae-byeok’s advice and stayed true to himself, refusing to actively take anyone’s life, especially not the life of his friend. 

Squid Game’s Ruling Class

Since the competition only exists because of the worst aspects of capitalism, it’s not surprising that in the end, it is itself a capitalist endeavor. Ultra-wealthy VIPs, who mostly seem to be white, Western men, spectate for a price and bet on the game. In their luxury accommodations, they lounge on silent human “furniture” and mistreat service staff. In one notable example, a VIP threatens to kill a server (who the audience knows to be undercover cop Hwang Jun-ho) if he doesn’t remove his mask, even though the VIP knows it would cost the server his life. 

Perhaps most enraging of all is what Player 1, who turns out to actually be the Host, has to say to Gi-hun a year after the game ends. It all circles back to the game’s existential connection to economics; on the one hand, there is the unshakeable link to a population in which a significant portion of people suffer from dire financial woes. On the other hand, there is the Host and his cronies, the ultra-rich who are so bored from their megarich lives that they decided to bet on deadly human bloodsport for fun just so they could feel something again, as though they were betting on horses. 

In spite of the enormous gulf between the two, the Host attempts to draw comparisons between the ultra-wealthy and the extreme poor, saying both are miserable. His little joke denies the reality of hunger, early death, trauma, and many other ways that being poor is actively harmful, both physically and mentally. It’s the kind of slow death that makes risking a quick one in the arena seem reasonable. He and his buddies were just kind of bored. Moreover, the Host denies the role of economic coercion in players taking part in the game, insisting that everyone was there of their own free will. But what free will can there be for people who owe millions, with families at home to care for and creditors at their back, when someone comes along and offers a solution, even a dangerous one? Anyone who has taken a dodgy job offer to get away from a worse one, or because they’re unemployed and the rent and college loans are due, knows that there is a limit to how truly free our choices can be when we need money, especially if there’s little to no safety net. 

Read more

TV

Why Are Squid Game’s English-Language Actors So Bad?

By Kayti Burt

TV

Best Squid Game Doll Sightings

By Kayti Burt

Throughout the series, it is clear that someone had to be funding Squid Game at a high level. Unlike science fiction or fantasy takes, the show is grounded in our current reality, so the large-scale, high-tech obstacles and the island locale must have cost a pretty penny. Of course for any who see it as unrealistic, consider the example of Jeffrey Epstein, a man who bought an island from the US government and ran a sexual abuse and human trafficking ring not entirely disimilar (though far more pedestrian in its purpose) from this one. 

The Host is able to pay for everything because he works in – you guessed it – banking. It’s a profession where he gained wealth by moving capital around. Given the Korean debt crisis – South Korea has the highest household debt in the world, both in size and growth – his profession makes him a worthy villain, in the same way the Lehman Brothers were after the 2008 crash. The bank executive calls in Gi-hun to offer him investment products and services, because of course someone with 45 billion won can accrue significantly more money passively, and who wouldn’t want that? Gi-hun’s decision to walk away is a callback to his earlier attempt to walk away from Squid Game when millions of dollars was within his grasp.

Throughout the series, the people running the game actively pit the players against one another in much the same way capitalism pits workers against one another. Whether they’re giving the players less food to encourage a fight overnight, the daily influx of cash every time another player dies, or giving them knives for the evening, the mysterious people pulling the strings want the players to fight each other like crabs in a barrel so they can’t work together to figure out what’s going on or take on the guys in red jumpsuits. Though there are notable examples of the players working together to succeed, it is always within the rules of the system. It is never treated as a viable or likely option for the players to team up and take the blood money literally hanging over their heads or to prevent death, merely to redirect it or choose how they will die. No, to win that, they must play the Squid Game’s rules. 

In our society, this kind of worker-vs-worker rhetoric takes the form of employers telling workers their workload is harder or they can’t go on vacation or get a raise because of fellow employees who leave or go on maternity leave.. In reality, these are all normal aspects of managing a business that employers should plan for, and their failure to do so is not the fault of their workers. Much like in Squid Game, it benefits managers and owners if workers are too busy being mad at each other to have time or energy to fight the system and those who make unjust rules in the first place. 

Squid Game’s Managers

The Front Man insists the game is fair, gruesomely hanging the dead bodies of those involved in the organ harvesting scheme because they traded medical knowledge for advanced intel on the game. However, like capitalism, there are many ways that the system is clearly rigged, no matter what the people at the top insist. There’s the obvious corruption in the organ harvesting ring, but even at its “purest” form, the game is not equitable. Sometimes the managers and soldiers in red jumpsuits stand by when unfair things happen, like Deok-su and his cronies stealing food. At other times, the people in charge intervene in player squabbles, like enforcing nonviolence during marbles and elections but encouraging violence at other times. They especially set things up to their own advantage, such as cutting the lights so the players couldn’t see the glass in the penultimate game, or the way they set up the election. Everyone knew how everyone else voted, they shared the total amount of money immediately beforehand, in an attempt to sway votes, calling to mind Amazon’s scare tactics before the recent unionization vote.

Read more

Culture

Squid Game Competitions, As Played By BTS

By Kayti Burt

Movies

Squid Game: Best Deadly Competition TV Shows & Movies to Watch Next

By Kayti Burt and 3 others

Ultimately, much like any manager/employer, the Front Man’s insistence on fairness has nothing to do with the actual value of equality, but rather the capitalist need to ensure betters are happy with the stakes and their chance at a favorable outcome. 

Even the workers, soldiers and managers in red jumpsuits, who seem to be in charge, are ultimately only in power (and alive) so long as they serve the needs of the system. Like so many low-level managers, many wield their tiny amount of power ruthlessly, shooting players with impunity or running their organ harvesting side gig. It soon becomes clear that they’re as expendable as players, if not moreso, and the Front Man shoots them without hesitating. A player asks (and it’s too bad we never learned) what “they” did to the people in red jumpsuits to get them to run this game, but it’s not too hard to guess. They seem to be very young men, who likely needed money and wouldn’t be missed if they never returned. 

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The biggest trick capitalism ever pulled was convincing workers it’s a zero-sum game, that anything we want but don’t have is the fault of someone else who “took it” from us. Within the game, that means every player was a living obstacle to the money, and that Gi-hun should kill his childhood friend to succeed and celebrate when he’s done. But as we see after he “wins,” even without taking Sang-woo’s life himself, the money isn’t worth it. The greater success would have been both men walking out of the arena alive.

The post Squid Game’s Scathing Critique of Capitalism appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3CUfVXz

[kdramareviews]

❊ LEGEND OF THE BLUE SEA (!!!) ❊

RATING: 50/10 

(Yes, here I am again with my weird ratings. You know it’s a good show when I have the most abnormal ratings.)

Honestly. I regret writing this critique once I started watching W. I feel the need to rewatch this show again. I watch dramas way too fast that I barely get to absorb what's going on. 

WOW. I NEED TO TAKE A BREATHER. OK. BUT. I WILL EXTORT WHATEVER FANGIRLING IS LEFT IN ME. 

So. LEGEND OF THE BLUE SEA WAS SO BOMB. YO. As I mention in my previous reviews, I do really enjoy dramas that have scenes that make you so giddy you literally jump of the bed. AND THIS SHOW DIDN'T JUST MAKE ME JUMP OFF THE BED. NO. I GOT UP FROM MY BED. STARTED JUMPING UP AND DOWN WHILE SCREAMING. HONESTLY. I was crazy while watching this drama. 

But wow. The first episode had me hooked. I laughed so hard in the first episode, and was giddy the entire time. SO. Imagine how much I immediately LOVED this show. At first, I couldn’t understand the plot because it started off with a historical scene. BUT of course it’s always like that when you start a show. I was able to pick up the plot quickly. And wow. The plot was amazing. I liked how whatever happened in the history became parallel with the present. I loved the plot soooooo much. It was very different from the previous dramas I’ve watched, and I loved it. Surprisingly, this is my first fantasy (that's what they call the genre that incorporates unrealistic factors) drama. I was so hesitant on watching this because I was really not a big fan of fantasy dramas. I was more into the school and realistic dramas. However, after my friend who also watches kdramas found out I absolutely loved Lee Min Ho, she said that I should really watch Legend of the Blue Sea. And because I was so in love (still am) with Lee Min Ho, I decided to try it out. And I really don’t regret trying out fantasy dramas. I am so happy I tried watching this show, because now I am very open-minded about the genres of kdramas that I will watch. [Hence, why I am watching W - Two Worlds]

OKAY. Going back to the plot, wow. OKAY. Let me talk about the first episode, excluding the first historical scene. I was screaming in the first episode probably every minute. LEE MIN HO LOOKED SOOOOOOO GOOD. I LOVED THAT HE WAS A CON-ARTIST. IT MADE HIM SO MUCH HOTTER. YO. EVEN THE FACTOR OF CLOTHING FOR THE SHOW MADE IT SO MUCH BETTER. LEE MIN HO LOOKED SO GOOD. THE SCENE WHEN HE CHANGED FROM AN OUTFIT SIMILAR TO A JANITOR’S OR AN ELECTRICAL SUPERVISOR’S TO A WHITE COLLAR BUTTON DOWN MANAGER LOOK (SO MANY WORDS OMG), AND WHEN HE FIXED HIS HAIR. I HONESTLY DIED. I HAVE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS JUST TO EXPRESS MY UTTERMOST EMOTION FOR THIS SHOW BECAUSE HONESTLY, I DIED IN EVERY SCENE LEE MIN HO WAS PRESENT IN. 

AND IN THE FIRST EPISODE, Kim Tan’s (yes, Kim Tan from the Heirs) legit mom was a character and I screamed because THE HEIR’S REUNION (!!!!!!!!!) ANOTHER SHOW THAT I LOVE AND ANOTHER SHOW WITH LEE MIN HO IN IT (!!!!!!!!!) 

Lee Min Ho played his role so well. One minute he was this cunning con-artist, and the next he was this EXTREMELY lovey-dovey boy that I really love. I have so much appreciation for him in this series. Ugh. I LOVE HIM. 

And of course, WE CANNOT FORGET THE BEAUTIFUL JUN JI HYUN who beautifully and remarkably played Shim Cheong. I honestly didn’t know what Shim Cheong was in English, since they never mentioned the definition in the show. But, my friend told me the literally meaning, and it made so much sense now (for those of you who don’t know, it means stupid in English). Because in that scene, when the whole ‘con-artist crew’ (as I call it) was thinking of a name for Shim Cheong, that was what they came up with. Thinking about it just really makes me laugh. It was such a clever name. 

And wow. Jun Ji Hyun played the role of Shim Cheong soooo well. For those who don’t know, Shim Cheong is actually a mermaid who first comes into land. But, being born and raised in the water, she does not know the culture and norms of those on land. Therefore, she does not know how to act--or even eat for this matter. And Jun Ji Hyun was able to portray this inexperience as mentioned above. ESPECIALLY IN THE FIRST EPISODE when they were crossing the street, and when they were eating pasta. LITERALLY I AM SHIM CHEONG (excluding her amazing body). SHE EATS EVERYTHING. SHE IS CLUMSY. SHE BINGE WATCHES MOVIES AND DRAMAS EVERY NIGHT. I RELATE TO HER SO MUCH (no wonder I love this character so much).  

AND CAN WE JUST. JUN JI HYUN JUST GAVE BIRTH TO A CHILD. HOW CAN HER BODY BE THAT WOW??? SHE LOOKED SO ELEGANT AS A MERMAID. And can we just commend her--SHE LITERALLY SWAM IN THE OCEAN. ALL THE OCEAN SCENES WERE SHOT IN A LITERAL OCEAN. UGH. SHE’S AMAZING. I HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR HER. 

OMG. I also love the scene where Shim Cheong found out that Joon Jae likes her and she was practically screaming “Joon Jae likes me!” multiple times in her head. YO. SHE IS ME. I AM HER. And then Joon Jae could hear her inside voice, and he kept laughing and smiling. AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS EVERYTHING. I LOVED THEIR RELATIONSHIP. I WAS TORN WHEN SHIM CHEONG KISSED JOON JAE JUST FOR HIM TO FORGET ABOUT THEIR MOMENTS TOGETHER. 

Honestly. Romance aside, this show was so freaking funny. When Joon Jae was being the con-artist he was, and pretended to be the son of the manager of a hospital (I think) and he was like “Disgusting. Sh**!” I LAUGHED SO HARD. I LOVE HIM. SO MUCH. THAT PART WAS HONESTLY THE FUNNIEST. 

I just love the relationship of Joon Jae and Shim Cheong so much. Their romance just contained so much loyalty, and appreciation for one another. They always wanted to protect each other (like when Shim Cheong took the bullet for Joon Jae--YO I WAS SO WORRIED SHE WAS GONNA DIE). 

And the last episode. WOW. I was just. YO. I had no words for the last episode. It was so satisfying. They got married, and Shim Cheong was pregnant. And they lived near the sea. OH OMG and the previous episodes before this. YO. YO. When Joon Jae already planned their future together by looking for houses near the sea and HAKDBAKDASHBDH I CANT EVEN SPEAK. THE LEGEND OF THE BLUE SEA FANGIRL IS STILL IN ME. BUT THE LAST EPISODE IS SO SATISFYING. I LOVED IT. 

And Rin-ah, the kid who could hear Shim Cheong’s mermaid voice, WAS SO CUTE. LIKE I LITERALLY WANT TO SQUISH HER AND PUT HER IN A BAG. UGH. I WANNA PINCH HER CHEEKS (!!!!!). 

AND OMG. THE SECOND COUPLE IN LOTBS--SHI-AH AND TAE-OH. YO. I FREAKIN LOVED THEM. I LAUGHED SO HARD WHEN TAE-OH HAD TO COVER FOR JOON JAE, SHIM CHEONG, AND NAM DOO WHEN THEY WERE IN SHI-AH’S HOUSE AND HE SAID “SARANGHAE.” THAT WAS THE START OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP. And then Shi-Ah didn’t know that he was just covering for them, and then went on thinking that Tae-Oh actually liked her. I honestly looked forward to their scenes. AND EVENTUALLY THEY FELL IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER. AND SHI-AH WANTED TO MARRY TAE-OH IN ONE OF THE LAST FEW EPISODES. THEY WERE SO CUTE. AND WHEN THEY WERE IN THE BUS, AND SHI-AH PLACED HER HEAD ON TAE-OH’S SHOULDER. THERE WERE SO MANY SCENES OF THEM. I WAS GIDDY AND LAUGHING AT THEM ALL. I LOVE THEM. 

I mostly covered the first episode in this review, but that’s just how good this show is. I LITERALLY SPOKE ABOUT THE FIRST EPISODE ONLY, AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE LONGEST REVIEW I’VE DONE. AND ITS ONLY THE FIRST EPISODE (AND SOME SCENES). 

AND! The show had so many inspirational lines, and scenes. I can’t name them as I forgot them, due to the great number of these scenes. But I’m so sure you’ll learn at least one lesson from the show. 

THERE IS EVEN SUSPENSE. I DON’T WANT TO GO INTO DETAIL. BUT THERE IS. AND WOW. I WAS SHOOKT. 

I wish I could talk and fangirl more about this show, but honestly I might as well make a novel (LOL). But, really, I would highly recommend this show to all the kdrama watchers out there. If you’re looking for a fantasy, exciting, suspense, romance, and comedy drama, then most definitely watch this. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SHOW.