Salman Toor (Pakistani, B. 1983, Lahore, Pakistan, Based Brooklyn, NY, USA) - 1: Ghost Story, 2019

Salman Toor (Pakistani, b. 1983, Lahore, Pakistan, based Brooklyn, NY, USA) - 1: Ghost Story, 2019 2: The Green Room, 2019 3: Four Friends, 2019 4: After Party II, 2019 5: After Party, 2019, Paintings: Oil on Canvas / Panel

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If my mutuals can’t rb this then we can’t be mutuals

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ilikechickenbiryani

4 years ago

K-Drama Recommendations: Soft/Beta Male Leads

Beta males are my main character trope of choice: A soft boy who lets the woman take charge or who defers to her. He is dedicated, doesn’t play mind games and doesn’t worry about taking on traditionally masculine roles. He puts the leading lady’s needs first, remains loyal and kind, and allows the woman’s personality to shine. Sounds perfect right?

K-Dramas that features soft male leads:

Because This Is My First Life

Nam See is an introverted and thoughtful beta male with a fondness for his kitty (bonus!). He’s smart and capable but also honors his contract marriage with Ji Ho, and treats her with an overwhelming amount of respect. He is the first character I’ve seen in a drama that truly understands consent. When this show aired, everyone was smitten with Nam See because he was the “perfect boyfriend material.” As a side note ironically, Lee Min Ki (the actor who played the perfect Nam See) had his own personal scandal which seems the total opposite of his character and I’d feel weird not mentioning it.

Healer Swoon-worthy Park Bong Soo is not only a super capable action superhero behind the scenes, but has total puppy eyes for Chae Young Shin. This couple makes the show one of my favorites even if the plot isn’t 100%.

Ho Goo’s Love / Fool’s Love

Ho Goo is in my opinion the poster child of the soft male lead and Fool’s love is one of my top five favorite dramas (it covers sexual abuse and has a gay storyline - I know, shocking for a k-drama). When people ask me for examples of non-problematic boyfriends, this show comes to mind first. Ho Goo is quiet, really sensitive, caring and puts everyone before himself. He’s a bit naive to the world’s workings, but when he falls for a medal winning athlete with a troubled past and an unwanted pregnancy, he’s willing to drop everything to be with her. It’s one of the best dramas I’ve seen though it does have a small bit of slapstick.

Flower Boy Next Door

Enrique Geum is a creative and kooky character who falls for an introvert. He’s soooo goofy and adorable, it’s almost like watching a cartoon character interact with real live people (plus he cuddles with puppies and look at his panda hat!). He sets his sites on an introvert and works hard to build a friendship (and romance). The show is a bit trying at times due to the annoying SLS and what I like to call “k-drama nonsense” but he’s so soft!

The Happy Loner/ Individualist Ms. Ji Young

This mini drama features a puppy-like boy trying to befriend a “cold” female. He is persistent in winning her over but not overbearing by any means. I had a couple of issues with this show but overall it’s one of the better mini dramas I’ve seen.

K-Drama Recommendations: Soft/Beta Male Leads

Reunited Worlds

Hae Sung, a senior in high school dies and through k-drama magic, travels twelve years into the future to solve the mystery of his death. He reunites with his high school sweetheart (a now 31 year old woman) and the two fall back in love. He’s really smitten with her regardless of her age, and works hard to make her feel comfortable with their age difference. He’s a lovely friend with a pure heart and is completely adorable. The SLS is also incredibly beta (though not a very charismatic role - people complained about his acting skills). I don’t know a lot of people who liked this show as much as I did, but Yeo Jin Goo melted my heart and I felt all of the feels (plus I love the fated lovers and time travel tropes).

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo

Joon-Hyung is a sweet and doting beta male who falls for Bok-Joo really hard, like puppy dog hard. He loves her for the tom-boy she is and respects her athletic prowess. These two are adorable together and there are TONS of cute scenes with them on dates and cuddling, though his immaturity/nick names for her annoyed me sometimes (maybe I’m sensitive).

The Package

This show aired without much notice but I happened to really enjoy it. The lead had a sweet and open personality and I just honestly loved that about him. When the couple argued they actually used their communication skills! If you’re looking for a quiet slice-of-life drama that’s a little different, check it out. You can read my review here if you’re curious.

Honorable Mentions (A.K.A Good Solid Boyfriends)

Fight For My Way/ Fight My Way

Fight my way is one of my top three favorites shows. It has an amazing strong female lead (like, really strong but also realistic) and uses the friends to lovers trope really well. It also has a solid group of friends who are regular people struggling to make a living - what can I say, I love it! Dong Man isn’t a truly beta male because he doesn’t become super soft until he realizes he is falling for his best friend. However once that happens, he’s all about Choi Ae Ra and in total support of everything she does (and he should be because she’s amazing). Plus if you look at the flashbacks, he’s really a beta male in training so… As a side note there is one single scene where he says something I don’t like, but I won’t say anything and you probably won’t notice because of the chemistry.

Just Between Lovers

I debated putting this show in my beta males post because both leads are dealing with trauma, PTSD and mental illness, so Kang Doo has some violent tendencies and anger issues which made me hesitate. But make no mistake, he is in love with Moon Soo from the very beginning and lives for her. He cares deeply and gives 100%. He goes out of his way to keep her safe and tell her she’s loved. Plus she’s someone I think of as a strong female character but is strong in a quiet way which I love. So since there is the strong female/mostly soft male it deserves a mention.

Also if you want a few more beta male dramas, @overthinkingkdrama has a great list with more soft leads here.

xoxo, Shana

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ilikechickenbiryani

3 years ago

here are some reliable resources to learn about palestine’s history and the israeli occupation along with current updates about the situation

decolonizepalestine, a website run by palestinians debunking myths about israeli occupation and answering faq’s

article on zionism and colonialism from the perspective of their victims

masterlist of resources including books, articles, videos, documentaries, and links for general research

aljazeera, one of the most reliable news sources for getting information and updates about palestine

associated press article about sheikh jarrah

active master doc of resources including books, articles, videos, documentaries, live updates, and how to help