Split Screen: Just Keep Swimming

Boys Over FLowers Episode 3 My hero academia episode 6

Thanks for tuning in for this belated Split Screen installment! Emma and I have had our hands full with Games for Change (blog coming soon!) and traveling and the holiday, but we should be back on track soon. I mean, who could resist pushing forward with such riveting TV!

This week, we have the benefit of having un-split Split Screen, since we’ve been in the same place for more than a couple days. No battling internet lag or Skype audio blocking out Netflix! Only sweet, sweet K-drama and teenage superheroes.

Boys Over Flowers Episode 3 (up to minute 34)

 

E: We pick up in this episode from the party where we left Jan-di in her new consensual makeover clothes. She ends up dancing with Ji-hoo (bad wig boy, for anyone who might have trouble with the names, like Madelyn) before some drama goes down.

M: I need to admit that I have a really hard time with these names. It’s partially because they aren’t Western and I’m not used to it, but more because they all begin with the letter J.

This really was kind of a lame makeover for Jan-di wth the short dress and the faux fur. You’d think an international supermodel could do better. But let’s forget about all that, because we’ve got to launch yet another musical montage!

E: It was a dancing scene, not a montage.

M: A montage of dance.

E: Anyway! What’s important is that I want to brag that what I predicted on the last post came true! Well, nobody fell of the boat, but somebody did almost drown! Although, prefacing that, I do feel like we should mention that Jun-pyo was super problematic in these thirty-four minutes. I mean, more than usual.

M: We’re not there yet. Well, I guess we sort of are. Let me set the scene: everyone’s slow-mo dancing to hide that there’s one pair of extras that actually has some skill, and meanwhile, the great Jun-pyo almost drowns…maybe?

E: F2 Minor seemed legitimately concerned, so I think he really can’t swim.

M: I’m not convinced it wasn’t all a devious act. Doesn’t it benefit him as a sleazy guy to pretend he can’t swim to take advantage of vulnerable women?

E: Sure, maybe. We don’t know how long F4 has known each other. I guess I had assumed from childhood since that’s how this stuff normally works. Anyway, it seems like fooling all his friends into thinking he can’t swim for the sake of picking people up is a bit too much of a long-con. But he did take advantage of it.

M: And take advantage of it he did. With sound effects! With a nice little boing.

E: Looney Tunes for sexual assault.

Boys Over Flowers Episode 3

“Ahaha, I’m a horrible person” -Jun-pyo, probably

M: Let’s not forget that Jan-di is a literal hero here. UA quality, if we’re mixing shows. She gave CPR to a drowning man she pulled out of the pool. Wait, wait, wait. Jan-di is a swimmer! And Jun-pyo can’t swim? Whoaaaaaa, this might be a sign. Anyway, he takes advantage of the moment, feels the vibe for a gross CPR kiss.

E: ……………………………………..

M: If that had been all that happened, I could maybe write it off as a dumb sitcom trope. Like, he’s embarrassed about almost dying in a kiddie pool, he’s trying to save face, and he acts like a stupid boy. But combined with the rest of the episode…uh, yeah.

E: We’ll return to Jun-pyo and all that mess in a minute. Ji-hoo is a different kind of mess. There’s a very subtle metaphor when his violin string breaks while he’s playing it in the snow. Which, by the way, I know he’s rich, but please treat your instruments better than that, thanks. But anyway, strong metaphor.

M: Meanwhile, Jun-pyo might as well be having a dance party in the storm with his butler, he’s so happy about forcing himself onto Jan-di..

E: Somehow the weather changed from thundering to snowing flurries on the same day? Thundersnow?

M: This show does weird things with time; we’ve already jumped forward a bunch and its only the third episode. Speaking of Ji-Hoo though, I don’t understand who would be upset over the photo of Jan-di helping him with his cut finger.

E: Well, the fangirls were using it as a way to kind of…slutshame Jan-di, I guess. Flirting with Jun-pyo, flirting with Ji-Hoo- at least in their minds. It’s the kind of petty girl drama that I hope doesn’t really happen in the real world. Then, Jun-pyo gets upset about it because, I don’t know, he’s broken somewhere.

Boys Over Flowers Episode 3

“Ahaha, we’re horrible people.” – Fangirls, probably

M: I feel like I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the CGI ducks in the school pool. How much do you think that cost?

E: It didn’t look like it cost much. I’m telling you, this show is saving its budget for something, and it’s going to be when Jan-di romantically follows Seo-hyun (model lady) to Paris.

M: You’re stealing my theory.

E: I’m jumping on the ship-wagon.

M: Speaking of courtship and disturbing sexual inappropriateness, we get the second instance of non-consensual behavior from Jun-pyo roughly twelve TV minutes after the first when he confronts Jan-di at violin cove, or as he calls it, Makeout Point.

E: We shouldn’t lay it all on Jun-pyo, because this whole episode was filled with troubling and not okay relationship stuff. We also see it with Ji-hoo and Seo-hyun- I mean, how old is Ji-hoo supposed to be? Seventeen at most? And Seo-hyun, we know is twenty-three. It doesn’t seem like a super healthy relationship. He got a puppet the very first time they were apart, and now he just like…carries it around.

Boys Over Flowers Episode 3

“Ahaha, this is fine.” – Ji-hoo, probably

M: Did she actually raise him?

E: Her family did, I think?

M: Okay, so it’s more like an older sister thing. Which…is only very marginally better. In their dramatic conversation at the party, he dropped the was “I’ve waited for you for fifteen years” bomb, but then it seemed to me like she said she had been waiting too. What’s up with that?

E: She felt sad about him seeing Jan-di, because she felt like he was moving on from her.

M: The age gap is a real problem for me. Ji-Hoo was saying all this stuff about “embracing a woman” and “being a man” and eughhhh it made me so uncomfy.

E: After Jan-di sees them kissing, she somehow ends up with Jun-pyo again. I don’t know why she does this. If I were Jan-di, I would do everything possible to stay away from him, particularly after this episode. I certainly wouldn’t go to an empty bar with him. And, hey, any South Koreans in the readership? Does your water taste like alcohol or vice versa? She didn’t seem to notice anything wrong when she downed a glass of what I assume was vodka.

M: Maybe she decided that she wanted to get drunk? She was originally just thirsty, but then she took a sip and realized she really wanted to get blackout. That’s the only reasonable explanation unless she has no taste buds.

E: We did get confirmation that men in bathrooms laugh quietly to themselves…and what else?

M: They fan themselves, and say “what the heck, man” a lot. This is not TV, this is real life. Citation: Clickbait Boyfriend.

E: So, any other thoughts on this half episode as a whole?

Boys Over Flowers Episode 3

“Ahaha, get me some help, butler man.” – Jun-pyo, probably

M: Jun-pyo is a very difficult character for me to parse. Today, I’m outraged by his low-key sexual assault, but he’s also put out legitimate hits on people. That F4 coordinated attack in the first episode was scary stuff. Like, forcing a kiss is not the worst behavior we’ve seen in just two and a half episodes.

E: Our fun and outrageous predictions aside, which we’ll get to, I think the show is leaning towards Jun-pyo as the romantic lead for Jan-di. I don’t know how they’re going to reconcile his leading man role with his characterization as a human piece of garbageness, but I’m morbidly curious to see it.

M: Which is as good a segue as any to our Romance Tracker. Who’s in the lead this week?

E: As I said, I’m on the lesbian ship-wagon. However! The no wig member of F2 Minor got his own mini scene where he pretended Jan-di was his girlfriend for two seconds, so maybe he’s a contender.

M: I dunno, the reason he pretended they were dating was to get away from the other girls he ghosted. He’s a player, whereas the other guy…

E: …has no personality.

M: No, I feel like he said something funny this week! I can’t remember what it was, but I feel like it happened. He’s the only one without some kind of effed up relationship with the opposite sex, that we know of, so that might be appealing.

I hope we introduce a poor love interest. I don’t think he’ll be the final choice, but I think that’s where the mid-season is building to, Jan-di picking someone of her own class before she gives in to her rich destiny. For the record, I’m still on board for brother-husbands. Ji-Hoo might be into that.

Boys Over Flowers F4

Yes, Jun-pyo, Ji-hoo, the other two

E: One prediction that has nothing to do with romance for the last half of the episode: I think that we’ll learn something about the last member of F4. Anything.

M: That’s so vague.

E: He’s so vague. That’s my point.

M: Fair. I think that Jun-pyo is going to redeem himself, at least by rom-com logic, by taking good care of drunk Jan-di and not taking advantage of her for a third time. Unforunately, she’ll like stay over at his house or something, and that will spawn new rumors that he will be a jerk about. Also…who’s pregnant? Remember that?

E: I thought that was just a rumor someone made up.

M: That’s what they want you to think.

 

My Hero Academia Episode 6: Rage, You Damn Nerd

My Hero Aca Episode 6

M: You might remember from last week that I spent most of this half of Split Screen complaining about the draconian cut policy for class 1A, which I was relieved to hear was a bluff…maybe?

E: That’s how Aizawa keeps his class in line, on their toes, like all good teachers. With cruel lies.

M: Cruel, but whatevah. Mostly, I thought this episode was so heartwarming. I still can’t get over Izuku (or should I be calling him Deku now?) and his mom bonding over his hero costume.

E: I usually use Deku because it’s easier to say and write. Anyway, his costume was truly adorable. It was both obviously All-Might inspired and somehow a bunny rabbit.

My Hero Academia Season 1 Episode 6

Bunny Might. All Bunny.

M: Yeah, there’s no way it lasts more than a week, because it’s probably made of polyester. But still, very sweet. Mom would probably get you a costume if you were going to hero school too.

E: Yeah, half of his face is gone already. By face, I mean mask. In one explosion, his mask comes off. Kacchan must have grabbed the ear or something.

M: That’s no good. Heroes need some privacy. Speaking of which, some of these costumes are inappropriate for fourteen year olds.

E: Fifteen year olds, but yeah, I get what you’re saying. I think my discomfort with both of the costumes that are kinda ‘revealing’ is tempered by the fact that it’s what they wanted to wear themselves. They submitted their own costume designs. Also, I think the show justifies why the would want/need these kinds of costumes.

M: The wardrobe malfunction potential is dangerously high. Also, no support, if you catch my drift. But fine, fifteen year olds make bad decisions about clothes, I can buy that.

My Hero Academia Rage you damn nerd

She obviously means diaper boy. So not age appropriate

E: Now seems like a good time to say again that I’ve watched the sub before. But, I’ve also watched bits and pieces of the dub for scenes that seemed like they would be hard to translate and/or are important to characters. I’m always very interested in localization. My Hero Academia generally has a really good dub, but from this episode forward, I don’t always agree with translation. They had some trouble in this episode, in particular, with the whole “Deku” thing. It just doesn’t work in English. It’s not clear why Deku is either an insult or a good nickname.

M: Yeah, puns are notoriously hard to translate. I would never have understood the nuance if you hadn’t explained it to me. I mean, I went along with it, and it wasn’t essential understanding, but it’s a cool bonus feature. Emma’s like my behind- the scenes commentary track.

E: I just wanted to bring it up because it’s nice writing. I find it very appropriate that Kacchan’s name for Deku is clever but mean while Deku’s name for Kacchan is simple but cute. It really tells you what you need to know about their personalities from the get-go.

M: So, the cliffhanger was brutal this week. Maybe I’ve gotten used to Boys Over Flowers stuffing like a season’s worth of action into half an episode, but I feel like we’re moving pretty slowly here.

E: This was definitely an establishing kind of episode. There was a lot of explaining of what happens at UA and explaining the rules for All-Might’s training. Each episode before this felt like they had a major event, but this one didn’t quite get there.

My Hero Academia Rage You Damn Nerd

Tag yourself. I’m the thumb.

M: Totally. I was really glad to see that they have grammar class. Kids don’t know grammar these days (says old lady Paquette). I have to teach it to every single one of my students. I’m glad UA is taking its responsibility to educate the next generation seriously.

E: “Come on guys, grammar rules!” I wish I had Present Mic as my grammar teacher.

M: I also appreciated how all the kids asked All-Might dumb questions before he was done explaining. That’s very real. This happens to me all the time when I’m teaching.

E: Yes. And we see that, as you suspected, All-Might is not super good with kids. He’s mostly relying on his star-power to carry him through at the moment.

M: I think he’s going to give everyone As for effort.

E: Nice smile! You tried your best!

My Hero Academia All Might

“I am here….to give you all an A+!”

M: Now for our recurring segment: lawsuit watch. Which school wins (or I guess loses) this week?

E: Not much happened at UA this week. Standard education, check. I think maybe…I guess…It’s a complicated situation setting students against each other and having one act like a villain. But nothing’s actually come of that yet, so I think Shinwa is winning. Maybe that’ll change next week.

M: I’m not sure I agree this week. One: UA has a nurse who sucks life force when she heals.

E: It’s not life force!

M: Might was well be. Two: The villain thing is a bigger issue than you made it out to be. You can’t have young, impressionable, would-be heroes turning into villains. That’s bad behavior to encourage. Then again, just remembered that a kid almost drowned on a field trip, then sexually assaulted another student twice at Shinwa, once on school grounds. So maybe it’s 50-50 this week. Fifty lawsuits each, to be clear.

E: So, next episode is titled Deku v. Kacchan. Whose emotional drive will lead them to victory do you think?

M: Eh, it’ll probably be a stalemate. Deku’s been taking a lot of crap lately, so a draw would be a big win for him emotionally.

My Hero Academia Rage You Damn Nerd

Dun dun duunnnnnn!!!!!!

E: I think the training is set up so one of the teams has to win. There’s a time limit. So, maybe Deku v. Kacchan itself will be a draw, but what about the teams?

M: What’s-her-face (did I mention I’m bad with names?) (E: Uraraka) will be able to get to the bomb because Lawful Good Dude can’t stand being a criminal. It’ll happen during the big battle, so Deku and Kacchan won’t even notice. That’s what my script would depict, anyway.

E: 

M: All-Might will give Lawful Good Dude super high marks for that. Nobody should be a villain. It was a trick test.

E: 

M: Also, Deku’s mom will say something heartwarming but kind of dumb.

E: 

M: She should hang out with Jan-di’s dad. I think they would get along.

Emma here! Thanks for continuing to watch along with us! You can catch Boys Over Flowers on Netflix and the My Hero Academia dub on Hulu if you want to see the episodes for yourselves. Next week, we pick up with drunk Jan-di and see children try to inflict injury on each other. Yay for good childhoods….Anyway. Look forward to it!

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