the plants are concerned

killing stalking blog | 18+ | seungbae support group when?? my other/main blog is keerka and an unhelpful 'about me' page is here for your pleasure

[showerplants]

Since I shot my mouth off a few weeks ago about how I would have preferred if Bum’s personality had been more clever and manipulative, I’ve been turning over the idea of a long AU where I essentially re-characterize Bum, just to see if it works...but is that any kind of fandom faux pas though? It feels like I’m saying “I could write it better” but that’s totally not the case, I’m just curious about other approaches.

[killingtheories]

me: koogi please explain all these plot holes

koogi: but did you notice the dust under the desk in sangwoo’s room in chapter 69???  ,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,, it’s a foreshadowing of sangwoo dying and becoming ash…….. also it symbolizes that just like dust, his mother is everywhere and he can’t escape her 🤔

[showerplants]

*SNORT*

It seems to me that the story was meant to be longer, but not long enough for four whole seasons -- in which case I wish she’d used the creator’s note to explain what she originally envisioned the story would be and why she cut out what she did. Personally, I’ve mentally relegated everything that happens after Sangwoo notices a discrepancy with the pills to unofficial non-canon status as a defense mechanism.

[showerplants]

Ok, so, I withdrew a lot from KS fandom and discussion after the past couple of chapters because I was really startled by the direction the story took. I’m reserving judgment until the actual finale, which might fill in some of the gaps, but at this point I think the story would have benefited from more gradual shift from Kwak’s death to the endgame. While it was foreseeable that Sangwoo would revert back to his abusive treatment of Bum once he thought Bum had tried to poison him (again), it just doesn’t feel as impactful without actually seeing the change and Bum’s reaction. Does he even know why Sangwoo turned on him? Did he try to explain himself, or show Sangwoo the gift he bought?

(I know there are plenty of people who are fans of Bum and I’m not saying that’s wrong -- I’m just...not, so if you’re a fan you may want to skip the next few paragraphs.) All right, I’m not trying to mindlessly bash here, but the last two chapters have really reminded me why I dislike Bum as a character. I find him bland, passive, inarticulate, and generally frustrating, especially compared to a complex and dynamic character like Sangwoo. Like, it figures that Bum’s big moment last chapter was one of inaction -- not killing Seungbae. 

I definitely wouldn’t expect him to try fighting back against Sangwoo, or even trying to escape -- it’s believable that he wouldn’t be able or willing to do either one of those things. But I think a huge opportunity was missed with his character from the beginning -- I would have been so much more interested in him if, as a mirror to the mind games Sangwoo played with the police, Bum had showed some inner intelligence and subtly manipulated Sangwoo into caring for him. I think that still could have worked with Bum being obsessed/in love with Sangwoo, and it would have added some extra intrigue to moments like reuniting with his high school crush because it wouldn’t be obvious what Bum was thinking or planning.

Instead, I always read Bum as stumbling along blindly with no insight into what makes Sangwoo tick beyond sex. He comes across as bizarrely naive, childlike, and even stupid. I really don’t know what Koogi intended with Bum -- are we supposed to like him? Sympathize with him? Root for him? It’s one thing to write a morally gray character that not everyone will like (like, say, a stalker who becomes a victim). But with Bum it doesn’t feel purposeful; he’s just kind of there, reacting to situations with no real development. And it’s a shame, because he has the potential to be very interesting as he is, but since we’re not really shown anything of Bum’s interior life his character just falls flat for me.

But who knows, maybe something in the finale will make it click for me! I’m glad it’ll be long, because it seems like there’s so much left to tie up. Where is Eunseo’s body? Is the girl from Bum’s past gone for good? Will Detective Lee show up again to scream at Seungbae for almost fucking dying and then make it clear, once and for all, that he cares about Seungbae very much? (He better. If their friendship/connection goes nowhere, I will bite a chunk out of my desk.) Will we learn the full truth about what happened to Seungbae’s dad, or the circumstances surrounding his first arrest that got him on the police force? So many dangling threads. I’m glad Koogi’s taking time to get everything ship-shape before she publishes the end.

[showerplants]

See, this kind of rushed and confusing pacing is what I was afraid of -- it really feels like Koogi is hurtling toward the end of the story and it’s too jarring for me. Ideally there would be more focus on the degeneration of Bum and Sangwoo’s relationship, and Lee would have tried to call/visit Seungbae in the meantime. Instead I’m just like, what the fuck, I see your narrative parallels but what the actual hell is going on

[d0llpill]

no, seriously, lee loving seungbae is canon

[showerplants]

YES, i can’t even talk about this chapter yet because i'm still screaming internally over this

[showerplants]

yo is @koulej okay? tumblr’s acting like they deleted or something...did they get flagged explicit?

[yoonicidal-blog]

From Sangwoo’s point of view, he is being the most gentle he has ever been to someone and not only feeding him, giving him a place to stay, showing him affection, indulging him in his desires (kissing him etc.) but actually saving his life, and he never once got a reply of gratitude from Yoon Bum that was actually satisfactory for him. 

The one time that he actually felt that Yoon Bum genuinely loved him was when Yoon Bum was too afraid to leave but that was because it was the one time that Sangwoo actually tried to [not kill but] get rid of him. 

Yoon Bum has betrayed Sangwoo’s trust many times and made him feel like an idiot for believing he loved him, then acting in a way that makes Sangwoo think he has been lying to him. We already know that Sangwoo hates it when someone treats him like an idiot, and this was another time that Sangwoo felt that he was put in that spot. 

Yoon Bum’s actions make no sense to Sangwoo. He says he loves him, he acts like it, but then he acts like he never did (which is of course, reasonable from Yoon Bum’s POV but Sangwoo thinks in a lot more twisted way.) So Yoon Bum is really confusing him and he constantly thinks Yoon Bum is taking power from him when rejecting him or acting like he doesn’t love him, and this makes Sangwoo lash out, trying to dominate him physically instead to gain his power back. 

It really does seem like Sangwoo doesn’t think he has the power that we know he does, because he just views the entire situation differently. 

[team-sangwoo]

I totally agree… actually now that I’m re reading I’ve kinda noticed that Sangwoo has always given Bum “special” treatment since the beginning

[showerplants]

A couple things about this:

First, what does “reorganize the story” mean -- has she changed her mind about the direction the plot will take? Or is she having minor inconsistencies corrected in the translations of previous chapters (Kwak being called Park in earlier chapters, Officer Kim becoming Officer Lee, etc.)?

Also, I feel like in the past Koogi’s said the story’s coming to a climax, but was referring to the season coming to an end rather than the entire comic. (But I might be remembering that wrong.) Personally, I don’t think this season could wrap up the entire story without the entire thing feeling rushed and unsatisfying. Like, if Seungbae just rages in and kills Sangwoo, that won’t accomplish anything except landing him in prison, because he hasn’t gathered any additional evidence. Lee should show up and make out get him thinking rationally, and then help him investigate properly. If Seungbae can at least prove a link between Sangwoo and Kwak’s death, he might recover his reputation on the police force. And for me there’s still the mystery of what actually happened to Seungbae’s dad! I’ll be upset if the story ends without clear answers.

And this seems like a narratively terrible time for Sangwoo to die, considering he’s in the middle of an emotional breakdown -- there would be no feeling of resolution. Plus, I feel like the Christmas special foreshadowed Bum bringing comfort to Sangwoo while he’s distressed and vulnerable, and I’d like to see Bum get a chance to do that in the main story before things wrap up.

[killingstalking-warehouse]

Killing stalking/the forest~

[beenbekossi]

Seungbae ignored this sweet and caring lee

And went to this ignorant and rude lee to drive him off

I’m disappointed on you seungbae

[beenbekossi]

the struggle when your crush’s ex-boss have the same name as yours 

[showerplants]

[boithatssomething]

We must remember the origins of Seunglee

[showerplants]

I really want to see what Lee and Seungbae’s interactions were like when they worked together. Lee avoiding saying Seungbae’s name is interesting -- why do that? To maintain a sense of distance? (I like to think that he avoided it because using Seungbae’s name feels intimate to him -- like he can’t say it without his tone giving away that he cares about Seungbae.)

[showerplants]

Can we discuss how, when Seungbae finally wears some damn socks, he pulls this shit? White socks with a suit? You’re killing me, Smalls!

[showerplants]

I’m always down for a Seungbae chapter but the fact that we didn’t get so much as a comforting touch between him and Lee has me feeling like a wild animal

[boithatssomething]

[d0llpill]

Honestly, I can’t process this chapter right now. I will say I’m glad Sangwoo is back…I mean he never left but idk…I like this version of him.

I enjoy having Seungbae have visions of Woo. This is…is what I like. Ugh.

I REALLY liked this chapter.

I love Seungbae, please send my poor broken child your condolences. He is truly an orphan now and only has Lee to look after him. God Bless Lee’s soul.

[showerplants]

As if our boy wasn’t enough of a mess...but now would be a great time for Lee to stop by to check on Seungbae, before he goes on an ill-advised murderous rampage. 

[enaaaaaam]

PROTECT AT ALL COST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤❣💕💗💖💗💝💗💞💕🧡❤💚💓💞💝💘