The Suhosieun & Bakugotak Parallels Are Actually Insane If You Think About It

Captain Chris’ Manipulation of Kant Pt. 1

how the conversations with capt chris and kant influence the approaches that kant takes to play out his mission and some intricacies on how capt. chris makes kant think he has no choice. using references to chadok’s grooming of akk

firstly gonna start by explaining how we got here.

you may ask if kant didn’t want to do this why meet with the captain in the first place?

the first time we get introduced to capt. is at the bowling alley when kant ignores his call which is later explained by how kant was already promised freedom from that work so he was avoiding it at all costs.

next time he calls kant is with style and immediately we can see that he doesn’t want to pick up but leading into this the convo of bison was brought up making style tease that it was him. when kant denies, then style ultimately gets curious and questions then who is it?

and now kant feels pressure that he has to pick it up bc then it would be a bigger conversation that kant isn’t willing to have

next we go to their first meeting

kant immediately brings up the fact that he was promised that the last mission was the last and he was free

also goes back to his talk with style before. style doesn’t question it but from the previous avoidance it’s clear that style doesn’t know abt kant’s involvement with the police)

capt.’s response is to agree with him. yes i did do what i said.

he then introduces another job which kant tries to decline and his response is this. he automatically contradicts himself backtracking and using big words to basically say the same thing.

which kant from his convo before already thought was done. he thought he was totally clean and capt here is basically using his knowledge abt the system against kant.

after kant still showed reluctance, capt. realized that this wasn’t enough anymore and that he would have to use dirty tricks to get kant to agree to it this time

he goes on to threaten to bring back up the crimes that he just said he dropped from his previous missions.

kant picks up on this and realizes that he is stuck with no other option but to help him. which capt. give a smile bc his tactics worked

fuck him btw hate his smug face

he goes on to give kant the mission which kant then realizes that it’s bison and probably not thinking gives info abt his prior sexual history with him.

hears that and gives him this look. a look that says

“you already have something against him. use it”

and here’s where similarities between capt. and teacher chadok comes in. capt. uses this look here as a way to indirectly signal to kant what to do this is equivalent to chadok’s hand on akk’s shoulder.

these are puppeteering tactics that both of them use to get their pawns to do their dirty work. chadok knew that akk was the curse and even praised him for it while touching his shoulder like he did before to encourage him to “take care” of things.

this is when akk starts to realize that he was being manipulated the entire time and it wasn’t just his own decisions

i think this is the same way that capt. is trying to use kant. he’s not giving him a specific course of action but hinting at the ways that would be best.

capt. does the same thing

(continue to part 2 in reposts)

I see you have a problem with my female shikigamis, I can fix that.

The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity 阴阳师：晴雅集

THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. It may save a life, It may save your life.)

An Article from Neena Susan Thomas

“Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interview…ed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

If u have compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.

THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.”

@echo-story @quillinhand @rumpleteasa @jingooism @striving4mikey I refuse to let a little thing like food poisoning stop me from writing cute shit

A Love Like Ours, coming soon 👀

Kant using his safeword to signal he is scared and wants Bison to stop was sooo unexpected. Mind-blowing honestly.

There’s nothing I love more than stellar analysis 💜💜💜

Hello!! First, I just want to say how much I love all of your THK posts and breakdowns! Your perspectives on Kant/Bison have been really refreshing to see/read ♥️

On to me question/questions: if Kant/Bison were ever comfortable enough to breach the topic of BDSM again, what ways could you see that playing out? Even disregarding the massive elephant in the room (The Betrayal ™️), Bison’s inexperience/hesitance and Kant’s trust issues/control issues/reluctance is such and interesting dynamic, and I’m honestly disappointed at how underutilized it is within the plot. I could talk for hours about my opinions on Kant’s willingness to d/s.

I think, under different and healthier circumstances, Kant might have been more open to such arrangements. Given his trauma, early Parentification, and the lack of control he has with regard to Captain, it’s rife for interesting ways his dynamic could be explored (given proper care and comfort).

Apologies for the long ask/rant! I’m practically foaming at the mouth for someone to talk to this about 🤣

Best 💜

awww thank you! i'm v happy to hear that 🥰 and don't at all apologize for the long ask, i love getting asks like this!!

the bdsm dynamic is fascinating to me for a number of reasons. i haven't written much on it in terms of analysis because i feel like we haven't gotten enough in canon for me to chew on, but it's sooo very interesting to me for all sorts of reasons. which, while i do wish we had more scenes to work with when it comes to looking at the dynamic, i think the fact that we're only really given episode three and only hints at it other than that is very intentional. because like you said, the circumstances are not super healthy and while again, we've had hints at it, i don't think they've actually explored that dynamic a whole lot post-drugging incident. they've slept together since then clearly, but they also haven't been back to bison's place together, and while it's possible they've used other things, it also makes sense if after that last nightmare incident, if bison is hesitant to use anything but the proper tools/setting for it, yknow? cause even though we haven't gotten to see them talk about it, i'm willing to bet that bison does feel guilty for being an unsafe dom in that instance, if how attentive and caring he was in the tattoo parlor is anything to go by.

i did already say this in my tags on this poll but to reiterate, i do believe we'll absolutely be returning to the bdsm dynamic - it just won't be until POST-clearing the air, which will presumably be happening next episode if the bison making kant a servant to him and crying on the beach tells us anything. which, i do figure we will get a sex scene next episode, but again, i figure it'll be post-all of that as well and probably a lovely little love-making/forgiveness situation alla sandray ep9. yknow the one.

soo, with that in mind, that gives eps 9-12 bdsm potential, and like. obviously there will be drama and plot to deal with as well but i'm sure those kinky freaks will figure it out, i'm not worried about. (though i will say. if my babe dying theory holds true, specifically that it's keen that kills babe while kant and bison are away figuring their shit out, i think we'll find that out either end of ep8 or beginning of ep9. so bdsm might take a backseat for a bit. but nevertheless we will get back at the very least by ep11 or 12! i AM certain of that)

BUT finally getting to what you actually asked me in terms of how i see it playing out, i do hope that they have another discussion about it like they did in ep3. i think now with the air cleared, they'll have to. not just so kant can admit he IS actually into the idea and it wasn't a total lie, but so they can set firmer boundaries now that kant does trust bison. because i think while kant was hesitant of it at first, i again think he was into it to a certain extent - it was just the fact that he didn't trust bison and he wasn't actually able to practice it in a safe way either time they tried. plus, they're both, in reality, very new to the dynamic. kant, who didn't even realize he was into that kind of thing until bison introduced him, and bison, who has done all this research but never actually gotten to dom properly. so, i think they will definitely need to take it a lot slower (which, to be fair, bison seemed far more apt to do that before he was drunk and drugged! i don't doubt his ability to be a good dom and take things slow. i think he was not at all in the right headspace or mindset to be doing anything like that, so obviously he was just acting on his deepest desires. hell, he literally told kant that he hopes he doesn't use his safe word! i do not think a sober and clear headed bison would have even thought to say something like that.)

so, with that in mind, i don't think any other bdsm scenes we get will be quite as intense as that first one from the end of ep3 - unless the much needed conversation happens as soon as ep9 and we get more after that and/or we get a time skip. which, i wouldn't be surprised if we do tbh, at least in like ep12. time skips to show the happy ending is such a common trope, i almost expect we will have one tbh.

but regardless of intensity, i do think the dynamic will be very interesting. i've said it quite a few times, but kant is a character that not only has severe control issues, but also has always NEEDED to be in control. he has had very little actual say in his life, but he has also always had to make a lot of big decisions and be in charge, so in a lot of ways he doesn't actually know how to hand over that control. i think it'll be difficult for him to actually do it, but i think in the end, it is ultimately something he wants and would be good for him. whereas bison is someone that has had very little control in his life and is desperate for it. so, i think it'll be such a good dynamic for them once they are able to talk it out and establish it healthily. it'll be good for kant to be able to get go of his control in a safe environment, with someone he loves and trusts, and it'll be good for bison to be able to have that control he wants so desperately and be able to exercise his clear interest in sadism without truly hurting someone. wins all around!

like okay i know i said that kant would be just as unhinged as style this ep because he knows bison won't actually hurt him now and like he was! boy was he!

but i think the real moment you can see how much kant KNOWS that bison won't kill him isn't even any of the moments that he's joking with him or annoying him in the way style does. for kant, his true moment of proving he knows bison loves him and won't hurt him is the penguin scene!

cause like i thought at first maybe it's a test, but no. kant is so, so certain bison won't hurt him. he's so calm the whole scene, and even with bison telling him to shut up over and over again, kant keeps confessing and telling bison the truth of his feelings. and bison points the gun at him and he smiles. because he knows, he knows bison is getting emotional because he's getting to him, finally he's listening even if he doesn't want to.

and the gun doesn't scare him. he doesn't say penguin for himself. he says it for bison.

like. this is the face after he says it the first time.

he's not scared. the gun hasn't been a real worry for him the entire time - and certainly not when it's not even pointed at him. that's proven when bison pulls the trigger! he was aiming above kant's head the whole time. and kant knew that.

kant doesn't have to worry about bison killing him. but what is a worry for him is bison - crying and refusing to let them talk it out and continuing to pretend he's actually going to hurt him.

and that kant can't let continue. he can't let bison keep hurting himself in this game. because that's all this really has been. bison torturing himself under the guise of torturing kant.

so he says their safe word. and bison listens. because he loves kant and he doesn't actually want to hurt him. and kant knew that the whole time - he was just waiting for bison to realize it too.

everyone: the pitt is great! so nice to have a medical show that’s not all about who’s sleeping together!

me: it’s all very simple collins and robby are in love with each other but collins and dana are platonic girlfriends who kiss and have sex but are straight which is different to perlah and princess who also do this but are bi and robby has a thing for that dunkin donuts doctor that’s purely sexual and a thing for abbot that at its core is a deep desire for a strong firm father figure to treat him like a babygirl to offset his anxiety about having to be everyone else’s big strong father figure and it’s deeply sexual but abbot is playing 4d chess trying to get mohan to tie him up in a basement meanwhile langdon is beaming his own deeply sexual father figure crush on robby completely one-sided but also langdon and mel are having a dark fantasy romance smut novel 2007 she’s all that romcom wattpad nerd x jock adultery lost focus and had a consensual workplace relationship except mel might just forgo all of that for a class president x troublemaker exploratory sex with girlbestfriend trinity meanwhile trinity is one ‘can i do the intubation?’ away from being eiffel-towered by two of the hottest older lesbians at the hospital meanwhile whittaker is gonna have a farm wedding with that hot nurse in the next 2 to 3 business years where she’ll peg him on the wedding night and mateo is going to give my girl javadi head so good that it’s gonna solve her mommy issues

So. If I try to talk abt everything this show made me feel at once it would be a whole book. Hence: we’re breaking it down. First stop: Hu-min and Hyeontak.

I’m a big fan of the webtoon and I’m gonna do a little compare/contrast at the end but first I wanna focus on solely material from the show. Slight background for those who don’t know though, Go Hyeontak (Alex/GoGo) and Park Humin (Ben/Big Ben) are THE ultimate BROTP in the webtoon so I did come into this rly pulling for the show to keep that element of their relationship, and I think for the most pert they delivered.

The scene that sets the tone: Their mutual trust.

First instance that made me go “hell yes this is gonna be good” is during Ep. 2 (32:12 ish) where Gotak and Juntae have been fighting and Baku enters. Gotak is curled up in a defensive fetal position on the ground but the *second* he hears Baku’s voice echo through the tunnel he relaxes. Full on slumps down, drops his arms, and just lays there, it almost looks instinctive. He knows as long as Humin is around he’s safe. It’s such a small thing and so far I haven’t seen any reactors point it out which is understandable. But the fact that this is the first scene that they’re in together, essentially their first interaction, albeit slightly indirect, and the camera is purposefully not on the faces of the thugs surrounding Gotak (although we do hear them voice their fear) but on Hyeontak’s absolute relief in Baku’s presence I think not only sets the tone for their relationship (in fact I believe this is arguably the most important scene btw them) but also very demonstrative of how they want us to view Humin’s character. [I have to clue how to do GIFs but I need someone to do this scene PLS TT]

Yes he’s coming in guns blazing, but our immediate focus isn’t supposed to be the terror of his adversaries, but instead the release from his friend. It immediately sets him up as someone who protects those close to him. He isn’t violent for the sake of violence, he has a purpose, and that is preserving the things precious to him. In this case, his platonic male-wife Gotak. This is making me realize I’m gonna do individual character analysis for everybody lol.

But while Baku is concerned for Gotak, he obviously trusts him enough to have handled himself, even though he’s “weaker” than Humin which I really appreciate.

So the second tenant in their relationship: They way they keep each other in check.

At the beginning of ep. 3 we see Hyeontak begin to apologize to Sieun without any prompting, but it’s clearly a bit hesitant and he seems unwilling to fully admit he was in the wrong/crossed the line (haha I’m so funny). Which is when Baku steps in and “forces” him into a bow and begins to “help” Gotak apologize to Sieun while also essentially trying to pull Gotak out of potential hot water by saying ‘ah yk he’s a bit dumb so pls forgive him’. Later after they’re called into the office together we see Baku again prompting an awkward Gotak to give a much more genuine apology to Sieun. The whole interaction very much implied to me that Baku and Gotak had a whole convo abt how he was going to apologize and what he would say which I love. Mom friend Baku said ‘apologize to this nice young man’. They even simultaneously provoke but also regulate one another in the principles office.

While Baku seems to help Hyeontak with his quick temper, Gotak seems to help him reign in his….exuberant social skills. We see this several times: most notably with Sieun. first when Gotak interrupts Baku messing w/ Sieun’s hair, pulling him away and saying “know when to stop” (ep. 3 10:34), and the second in ep. 5 @ 13:40 when Baku slides into Sieun while he’s studying. Gotak comes in behind and actually kicks Baku (who retaliates ofc) to get him off Sieun a bit and then says “You’re bothering Sieun again, you punk”. The fact that it’s clearly a consistent pattern for Gotak to help regulate Baku (someone who clearly gets excited and while being emotionally intelligent, either willfully ignores or misses some social cues) is extremely endearing to me.

In a slightly more serious tone, later in ep. 5 (31:56) during a conversation with Sieun, Hyeontak says that this isn’t the first time Humin has gotten into a fight and “when he gets back, I’ll knock some sense into him”. Of course it’s obvious Gotak could never beat Humin in a true fight yet Gotak is absolutely assured that he’ll be able to get Baku to listen, implying to me that they’ve done this dance before, and Baku truly does hear what Gotak has to say.Hence even small phrases like this really emphasize how much Baku respects and appreciates Gotak. The king of Eunjang High, this incredibly powerful kid, truly listens to his friend.

The most powerful example of this is probably ep 7 starting abt 4 min in, where Baku is choking a Union member who was involved in severely beating Gotak and Juntae. Gotak immediately rushes over and begins pulling on Humin’s arm, yelling at him to stop and that he’s done enough. Unfortunately, Baku is clearly out of it and barely even seems to register Gotak’s presence. This scene may also be the first time we see Hyeontak refer to him as “Humin” rather than Baku. Eventually Baku is snapped out of it by Juntae coming over with news about Sieun, so while Gotak isn’t the one to ultimately get through to Baku, I think the scene is another important sign of their devotion to one another. Baku, when he does notice Hyeontak is clearly angry that he’s trying to stop him, even yelling “let go of me asshole”.

In many shows the characters next move would be to bodily throw their friend away. Yet even in the midst of this rage/disassociation, Baku doesn’t lay a hand on Gotak, proving that Gotak’s blind trust in getting all up in the business of his raging friend was warranted. There is no universe where Baku forgets himself and lays a serious hand on Hyeontak.

The idea of Baku’s hands on Hyeontak brings me to point three: The clinginess

There are way too many example scenes for me to go through and time-stamp all of them, ya’ll will have to look yourselves. But in 9/10 scenes that these two are together, Baku is touching Gotak in some way. Most commonly it’s an arm around the shoulder (see gif above lol). But they’re also shown to be constantly roughhousing, and at one point (ok I am time-stamping this bc it’s so specific: ep. 5 12:50 ish) Gotak almost seems to be playing with Baku’s hand that’s hanging over his shoulder. Now Baku is clearly an affectionate person, he spends a significant amount of time hanging off of Juntae and Sieun as well (don’t even get me started on him gently caressing Juntae’s face during ep 7) it does seem particularly pronounced with Gotak.

In fact, during my watch through notes (it was serious for me y’all) I legit wrote: “The way Humin has an arm around Hyeontak at all times, its rly serious for this man. Must tough beside or die”. And that was only by ep. 3 lol. IDK as someone who is also a very touchy person, specifically w/ my bff, this rly resonated with me. The actors just did such a great job making it feel so natural. Ofc Baku has his arm around Gotak, this is how they always are. Gotak never even stumbles or resists when Baku reaches out for him, he just molds right into him and I love it sm

*Clicks to Powerpoint slide number four*: The way they know everything abt e/o

Alright I admit, this one is a bit of a filler section, but tbh I just rly wanted to talk abt the scene where Gotak recognizes Baku’s underwear (ep 6 23:55) bc what-

Like I ADORE my bestie. We’re essentially married. We have a tally going of people who’ve asked it we’re gay for e/o. And yet. AND YET! I would not recognize her underwear?

Which leaves us with two options: either Gotak is just routinely seeing his bros underwear (and this also means Baku is unironically wearing tiger briefs)? I mean tbf idk how guys do friendship this could be par for the course.

or he bought Humin the underwear as a gag gift, and then Baku proceeds to legit wear them. Both options are absolutely hilarious and I love any and all implications of this scene.

I don’t even wanna know why the hell Baku has his underwear just hanging on the wall

But on a slightly more serious note, earlier in the same episode at around 8:52, Gotak tells the other two boys that Baku used to stay at his house whenever his dad got drunk. Couple that with how completely unsurprised Hyeontak is with his father’s behavior the entire scene, and it becomes obvious that Gotak knows all about Humin’s struggles with his dad. In fact, at another point (I’m not looking for this time-stamp sry) Gotak reveals that he knows Humin and Baekjin were childhood friends, so Baku clearly has no reservations telling Gotak about all the painful parts of his past.

Of course, throughout the plot of the show Baku does hide things from Gotak and even outright lies about where he’s going on a few occasions, but the fact that Hyeontak seems only slightly suspicious and then accepts his answers really seems to affirm the idea that they’re generally completely transparent with one another or maybe im reading too much into this

Yeah no I just love that they seem to know everything about each other, and that their trust goes beyond physical protection, but extends to faith that the other will protect their emotional wounds as well.

Speaking of protectiveness, our fifth discussion point: The way they’d kill for one another

Like they are INSANE about each other. Gotak consistently gets pissed when people imply that he’s Humin’s lackey. In the first confrontation we see Gotak have with Choi Hyoman, it can be easily interpreted as a hot headed kid pissed he’s getting called someone else’s henchman. But as we watch the show and get more and more context about them, I really don’t think that’s the reason he’s so upset. If Gotak is Baku’s lackey, than that means that Baku’s is the same as the Union people he’s fighting so hard against. I truly think that Gotak isn’t offended for himself (or at least not solely, Im sure that does sting the pride a bit), but more so upset about the implications for Baku’s honor. The idea that he would have or even need lackeys is unacceptable to Hyeontak, and he makes sure to set everyone straight.

While of course Hyeontak is protective of Humin and routinely gets into fights on his behalf, the real guard dog in this relationship is clearly Baku. That man does not mess around when it comes to Gotak, and everyone knows it. In fact, Baku’s absolute devotion to Gotak makes him a target for people trying to get at Baku. Unfortunately many of them fail to realize they’ve essentially signed their own death certificate.

In ep 4 during the confrontation btw Seongjae (?) and Gotak we learn (and see briefly in flashback 14:30) that Hyeontak has been greviously injured by him before, more on my opinion of this plot point in a Gotak centric post and at the beginning of ep 5, Baku elaborates on this in conversation with Sieun, explaining that Gotak used to be a taekwondo athlete, but had to quit after his knee was seriously injured “Because of hanging out with me” Baku says, which could mean it was either a targeted attack on Gotak to upset Humin, or simply a casualty of getting in a fight to help his bestie out. Either way, it’s clear that Baku felt, and still feels (by looked like he was abt to cry thinking abt it), responsible for Hyeontak’s injury.

I like to think the reason he showed up with such perfect timing in the underpass during ep. 2 is because he made Gotak download Life360 or some equivalent tracker

The most obvious instance of Baku’s mile wide protective streak for Hyeontak is when Baekjin sends guys to beat him up explicitly to get a reaction out of Humin. And what a reaction it was. I mean look at this:

That is the face of a man who is not messing around with the implication that u hurt his bestie/husband/soulmate etc. Baekjin was abt to become one with the lamp. He doesn’t even have confirmation that anything is wrong atp. All it took was a mere SUGGESTION that someone might have gone after Gotak and *boom*. True cinema right there.

I mean the look on his face in ep. 7 @ 3:50 when he sees Hyeontak (and Juntae) horribly beaten on the ground? A delicious mix of horror, disbelief, and absolute rage. Seriously, big props to the actor for his nuanced facial expressions the whole show. His frustration with the union and Baekjin finally exploding when he learns Hyeontak and Juntae are in danger (ep. 6 28:48 ish)? Like the fact that Hyeontak getting hurt is essentially he proverbial straw that broke his back? Scrumptious. And then ofc I’ve already mentioned how he goes absolutely apeshit on the guys who beat up his babies. I mean he literally takes a crowbar to the back of the head (at speed?!) and then immediately proceeds to punch through a motorcycle helmet. Hulk who? Baku doesn’t play when it comes to avenging his people (and ofc specifically Gotak).

Ofc I have to mention ep. 8 at minute 4:28 when Baku scolds Gotak for jumping rope bc “You’ve got bad knees already man” and then looks away with a face full of resigned guilt and regret. And Hyeontak just glances at him and sighs, with an expression that just so clearly says ‘I’ve told you before it wasn’t your fault, how long till you believe me idiot, I could never blame you for anything, you sweet stupid man stop worrying about me’. maybe that’s a bit much to interpret from his face but I believe in my powers of perception ok

Then we have later on in ep 8 during the big fight at 29:19, where Hyeontak can barely walk, and yet he’s going to challenge Baekjin, because Baku is still vulnerable on the ground, and like hell is he going to let the guy who’s been tormenting *his* Baku win.

Like this devotion just- I can’t handle it they make me wanna scream

We’ll finish of with a lighter idea for our final section: The fact that they fight like an old married couple

I mean seriously. In their first on screen exchange, Gotak asks Baku if he has hot sauce in his hair (ngl I though he pulled the red of nicely TT) and proceeds to crack himself up although that may have been the concussion

If they’re not calling each other names, you know something is wrong. The absolute epitome of “Bastard (affectionate)”. It’s even funnier because while they do occasionally use a playful insult with Juntae or Sieun, it’s much rarer. Like it really is just their version of pet names and I love that for them. I particularly love the scenes at ep 3 starting at minute 7 with the slap fight, the “all grown up? I’ve always been taller” from Gotak (which I find especially funny bc its not like he towers over Baku or anything) the unrelenting headlock from Baku that turns into what’s almost a protective hold when he spots Sieun and Juntae. Now ofc he’s exaggerating and acting over the top as he does, but at this point all he knows about them is the rumors about Sieun, and the fact that he was in a fight with Hyeontak and didn’t seem particularly receptive to the attempted apology. So I’m sure there was just a slight bit of apprehension, and although “are we under attack” sounds like a joke, he was most likely serious in the intention behind it. Idk I just find it sweet that the minute it stopped being a safe little bubble of ‘Baku and Gotak’ and there was a potential outside threat, he gets in this (overdramatic) defensive position *around* Gotak.

The constant jabs at e/o’s intelligence are perfection, and I, like everyone else (including Sieun! the baby smile hdjskfdhg) adore the scene in ep 3 around 16:20 when they’re just getting into it over Baku’s attempt to pick up girls lol

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That’s all I have for an analysis solely using the show, now I’m gonna do a brief compare/contrast with the webtoon bc I’m a huge fan of it. I 100% recommend it to everyone who enjoyed the show. There are some big differences, so it’s not at all like you’re going through the same plot twice, and the friendships are genuinely some of my favorite in all media. And I mean books, movies, tv shows etc. This webtoon manages to do relationships so so well.

Since I’m recommending it and ik a lot of ppl who watched the show haven’t read it yet, I’m not going to be too in depth or spoilery here, just covering things you would already expect to happen after having watched the show, and some panels to emphasize my points.

[reminder that the Eng. translation changed some names, so Baku = Ben and Gotak = Alex]

WEBTOON Analysis:

So in the webtoon Gotak (who gets called GoGo by Baku and the others, one thing I truly mourn lol) and Baku are the ULTIMATE duo. There a a million fantastic friendships in the comic, but they consistently stand out. The show did keep a lot of that feeling, but if you go read the webtoon, expect it to be dialed up to 11. True husbands honestly

They’re also childhood friends, a plot point given to Baekjin and Baku in the show still don’t know how I feel abt that, and are essentially inseparable. The whole “teacher asks one where the other is” gig, except it even extends to their friends lol. One simply does not appear without the other

I mentioned earlier when talking abt the show that these two tend to keep each other in check, both physically and in terms of social blunders. This is also a trait present in the webtoon, with Gotak often apologizing for or managing Baku’s extreme dumbass energy, and Baku in turn curbs Gotak’s intense “fight first ask questions never” tendencies.

Several times while watching the show I thought to myself, “Biblically accurate Baku and GoGo”, specifically in relation to the entire premise of Gotak being Baku’s trigger. In the webtoon, “use Hyeontak to get to Baku” is a strategy employed by the Union several times, and Baku’s reaction is just as good as in the show. In fact I even have it written down in my watch notes: “Biblically accurate Gotak getting beat into a pulp”. Like the poor guy has a giant red target hanging over his head. Just like in the show however, he doesn’t care as long as he gets to stay by Baku and support him.

Baku’s reaction to seeing Gotak injured:

In more serious situations Gotak is Baku’s anchor in a similar way to what’s shown in ep. 7, albeit a bit more successfully lol. In fact, at one point another character narrating literally calls Gotak “Baku’s brakes”. He truly is the only one that can get through to Baku when the rage consumes him, especially if the reason Baku is turning someone into dust is because they went after Gotak.

Gotak is also shown to be a bit more actively supportive in the webtoon. In the show it’s Sieun that really leads the charge to bring Baku back, which I don’t mind in the context of the show, but webtoon!Gotak would never have let him walk away in the first place. The stress and pressure put upon Baku as a result of being the only one standing between the Union and Eunjang is a big focus in the webtoon, and smth Gotak takes seriously.

like in the show, GoGo goes after anyone talking about Baku behind his back, whether that be insults, skepticism about his fighting prowess, or insinuations that Gotak is his “minion”. He’s so serious about being the best possible support for Baku that he takes up boxing in an attempt to get stronger (which is where I assume they pulled the taekwondo background from for the show. I don’t mind at all that they did that, there wasn’t enough time for him to have a training arc in the middle lol).

The best part about them though is that they’re still the same old goofy, antagonistic besties/married couple they are in the show. The writers really did a great job keeping that levity and hope that characterizes the webtoon

There is one aspect of their relationship: Gotak’s knee injury, that is VASTLY different from the webtoon, but I want to keep this post relatively webtoon spoiler free, and also I’ve been working on this for abt 3 and 1/2 hours now….so that’ll be another post

My interpretation of the Nosferatu Polycule™️