"Are they or aren't they?"- A Study On Bromance

When watching certain movies or series you may noticed two guys... one is trying to comfort the other, who’s crying... the guy slowly puts his arm around the other... lays him on this chest and says: “You know, I’ll be always there for you. Because I care about you” What sound like the beginning of a gay romance isn’t what it seems to appear, it’s something deeper than a friendship, something that has been around since centurys: Bromance.

Dr. Higa will demonstrate it to you.

Thank you very much, Dr. Higa.

The Asian Bromance in Drama

There are different types of Bromances: First there’s the Bromance between brothers (for example: HikaruxKaoru, not the best example I know, but deal with it), then there’s the Bromance between friends (for example: WataruxYuuta, but when I think about it...actually the whole Tumbling-Cast), the Yakuza-Bromance (which you could also count as brotherly love but is really just an employerxemployee; for example: SerizawaxTokyo) and the Bromance between teacher and student(for example: Kawatoxany-student-from-the-Rookies-Team).

In a brotherly bromance it’s mostly that you can’t separate them, the brother is the most important thing in the world and is meant to be protected from it. Hikaru and Kaoru are really a more comedic version of that. OHSHC is mostly a comedy of everything that is Shojo and with the raising amount of Yaoi-fangirls you had to do something like that. You see them always hugging and holding hands and it soon becomes very clear that Kaoru is a little afraid of Haruhi stepping into their world and kind of breaking their bond, but at the same time he wants his brother, Hikaru, to be happy. 

Bromance between friends is mostly is the equal to a girls BFF: they tell each other everything, they scrub each others back at the public bath and he’ll be always there when his friend’s crying to give him a warm embrace or a shoulder grabbing just so he knows his friend’s there and give him a Martin Luther King Speech.

The best pairing to show this relationship in my eyes are Wataru and Yuuta. Wataru and Yuuta have lots of difficulties at the beginning but when he realises what tumbling means to Yuuta, he tries to help him accomplish and defend that dream by making it his dream as well. Yuuta was there for Wataru when his father died and Wataru was there when Yuuta was afraid to jump and he trained with him every night so he could finally jump again, until the point where Yuuta actually attacks Akabane when he wanted to deliver the finishing blow to Wataru. (‘That’s what friends are for.’ If I could cry a manly tear I would, but that would mean I should grow myself a penis and I’m not a snail.)

Yakuza-Bromance or Business-Bromance is mostly based on the fact that you have an Aniki or Sempai who teaches you the thing you need to do in this business. In the Yakuza-Bromance they share a very close bond and it goes as far as devoting their lives for each other including getting beaten up or even die (sounds very gay I know).

The best example I could find were Serizawa and Tokyo from Crows Zero. Tokyo would beat up Genji, his former best friend, for Serizawa. Serizawa wants his safety and is angry when Tokyo lies to him about his condition, even though he did it to not worry him so much. Tokyo is also the only one who calms Serizawa down. They’re deeply devoted to each other and they hope that their friendship will never change. 

Teacher-Student-Bromance really only exists in school drama with nice teachers. Teachers, who devote their lives for their (delinquent) students and want to be their best friend.

Kawato...where do we start with this happy-go-lucky-teacher... He’s the one who told Mikoshiba to chase his dreams, Aniya to not hide his feelings and Shinjo to finally make real friends. Which teacher would take a hit from their students? Which teacher would stay up late night to help his students? Which teacher would cover for their student and resign for them, when they did something stupid? Kawato would. ‘nuff said. (All Hail Thee Almighty Kawato!!)

And  also there’s my favourite pairing, which fits nowhere in the list but deserves a mentioning: Ba EulxHyun Woo. They’re not really friends, but they’re like an old married couple. Hyun Woo knits a scarf for Ba Eul and tells him he shouldn’t sleep naked. They’re mostly quarrelling, but still are seen together most of the time and you just enjoy seeing them that way.   

The Asian Bromance in Asian Boybands

Bromance seems to have kind of a tradition in asian boybands. It’s mostly...kind of...sort of (yes, I’m very insecure on that topic. Don’t wanna make anyone angry...) It’s actually teasing... But in a very weird way, that really makes you wonder if... they... are...

Super Junior's Heechul

The topic is mostly kissing: they steal the first kiss of unkissed members (for example Jaejoong from TVXQ who kissed Changmin while he was sleeping and Jaejoong thought he was cute, or Doojoon from BEAST who kissed Yoseob suddenly during a fan meeting) or it’s just fanservice (for example Heechul from Super Junior who kisses or embraces his members always).

What’s also remarkable, this happens only between the OTPs (One True Pairings), which are built by the fangirls. Does this mean the Idols do read fanfics...? o.Ô

The Western Bromance

Bromance has kind of a “long” tradition with in our realms too. Think of Sherlock Holmes and his dear Dr. Watson or if you want to go even more back in time Greek mythologies. 

A newer series to feature Bromance is ‘Supernatural’. Peopla who know the series, know what I’m talking about. You can really pair everyone: SamxDean, DeanxCastiel, GabrielxCastiel or SamxCastiel (to name a few).

Sam and Dean have a brotherly Bromance (They’re actually a better example for the brotherly  Bromance). Dean and Castiel are kind of a Friendship-Bromance. Gabriel and Castiel have again a brotherly Bromance.

Final words

Honestly, Bromance is funny, if you know how to handle it. And, well, there are a lot ways to handle it and you, Miss fangirl, know probably more than I do.

Our favourites are the Yakuza- and the Friendship-Bromance. They’re the most common bromances as far as we know.

It is actually remarkable how Bromance became a world phenomenon, I mean it was suddenly known all over the planet, and also how it is more acceptable than a gay relationship.  

AND NOW: LET’S ALL HAVE A BROMANCE-PARTY! WEEEEHEEEEEEEEE! (the manliest sound in the world)

And don’t forget men. Never let that hand of yours go too deep down. It’s basically the same as with the girls: Touching the butt without permission is a no-no!

“Are they or aren’t they?” - Anonymous

"...making my heart boil"- A Flower Boy Ramyun Shop Review

Originalname:	꽃미남 라면가게 | Ggotminam Ramyeongage
Also known as:	Flower Boy Ramen Shop
Release Date:	31. October - 20. December 2011
Director:	Jung Jung Hwa
Writer:	Yoon Nan Joong
Cast:	Jung Il Woo, Lee Chung Ah, Lee Ki Woo, Park Min Woo, Jo Yoon Woo, Ho Soo

Plot

Yang Eun Bi, a stubborn headstrong woman, is a teacher in training. She is waiting for her boyfriend to return from the army. When he returned, however, she went to the festival of their old school alone, because of him being too tired to accompany her.

She then accidentally meets Cha Chi Soo again. (Yes, they met before: it involved a very embarrassing scene in a public toilet) And she also meets her army boyfriend there and guess what, he is cheating on her. He tells her that she was being to clingy and that it scares him. She tells him angrily that she already has a new boyfriend, Cha Chi Soo, and gets into his car. They drive away.

Suddenly she starts crying and he tells her to get out, because she’d get his car dirty. (Our main love interest everyone! And guess what? He’s an asshole!)

No time to grieve, the next day is our teacher in trainings first school day. In which she figures out that Cha Chi Soo is in her class! (Remember: Age is just a number, jail is just a room…)

Cha Chi Soo, being the spoiled brat and heartbreaker that he is, decides to play a little bit with her feelings. (Why is it that no woman can resist him and that they lose all sense of reason when they’re with him?)

She eventually finds it out and of course is angry. So angry that she throws a volleyball at him. (Note: She was a volleyball player in her school days.)

Considering that it wasn’t anyone she hit but Cha Chi Soo and this school belongs to the Cha family she gets fired.

But that isn’t quite what Chi Soo wanted. So he wants his dad to bring her back.

After a few events later Eun Bi’s father, a ramyun shop owner, dies. She decides to completely give up on being a teacher and becomes the shop owner after a man named Choi Kang Hyuk convinces her to do so. With Chi Soo, Kim Ba Wool and Woo Hyun Woo the workers are complete. And Flower Boy Ramyun Shop opens his doors.

Chi Soo, who has already fallen for his teacher, tries to win her heart but he has found a rival in Kang Hyuk.

One day Kang Hyuk wants to go out with Eun Bi. They want to go the cinema and the date is going well. But he has to leave her for a short time. In this time, Chi Soo appears in the cinema, takes her out and kisses her in the front of the building. Guess who saw this. You’re right, it was Kang Hyuk. After Chi Soo kissed her, Kang Hyuk has to see, how Chis Soo and Eun Bi are driving away.

While Eun BI is trying to sort her feelings both of them have a battle for her heart. But Chi Soo seems to not get that money isn’t everything for Eun Bi and she tells him, that if he would only be a good man for her, if he learned how to cook ramen.

Chi Soo doesn’t want to lose her and so he asks Kang Hyuk for help, which he does. Chi Soo manages to make a bowl of ramen and begs her to try it. Eun Bi, being afraid of her feelings, doesn’t even want to try it. But she eventually gives in and they embrace each other.

Some days later Kang Hyuk catches how Chi Soo and Eun Bi were together in her room. He puts Eun Bi out, locks the door and announces Cha Chi Soo that they have the same mother. (*sniff* M. Night Shyamalan would be proud!)

But she hasn’t decided who she wants to pick. After an advice from her best female friend, she goes with both on a date. Yang Fatale is born. The date with Choi Kan Hyuk went really well, but the date with Cha Chi Soo was a disaster. He wants her to leave the shop and to work at the Cha Company. Naturally, she gets really upsets and heads home.

Cha Chi Soo who doesn’t want to lose her goes to the shop and wants to win her back. Eun Bi pretends to be sleeping because before Choi Kang Hyunk was there. When Chi Soo comes into her room, he lies down next to her and embracing her when she sleeps. After a short argue, she let him do this. But they got disturbed because of the suddenly appearing voice of Cha Chi Soo’s father who is talking to Kang Hyuk.

The BIG BAD PARENT say no, no to relationship and threatens to destroy the shop. Chi Soo finds out about this and decides to give up their relationship for the shop seeing how all those people need it.

Both Eun Bi and Chi Soo are sulking in their homes. Until Eun Bi snaps on the day of her best friend’s wedding and  goes, armed with a toilet plunger, to her true loves rescue . The mission succeeds but the shop has be closed down and all of them go separated ways. Even Chi Soo and Eun Bi since he has to do military service.

We leave the show with an Epilogue seeing that Eun Bi and  Chi Soo meet again after military service passed.

Conclusion

It’s not bad, but it isn’t that good, too. The story was well thought out and realistic. I mean, Mister Cha gave an ultimatum (son back or the shop gets closed) and he resists on this till the end. The shop gets closed when Cha Chi Soo decides to be together with Eun Bi. It isn’t a fluffy-puffy ending and that’s good so. It’s enough that everyone gets a happy ending of their own. Kim Ba Wool has his girlfriend, Woo Hyun Woo gets to know a woman on the toilet (and the story starts again with a new cast starring Woo Hyun Woo in the main role xD) and Kang Hyuk? Well, he speaks the epilogue because it isn’t known what he is doing (probably sleeping and dreaming of them).
The cast was also very good. They matched with their roles. Sadly I couldn’t really tell about the support characters in the plot but this is because they didn’t really support the main plot. They had a sort of an own main story. Yeah, Kim Ba Wool didn’t like Cha Chi Soo and wanted to protect Eun Bi from him, or he learned how to cook and to work in a ramyun shop, but that’s all. Very funny was the pairing Kim Ba Wool and Woo Hyun Woo. They reminded me sometimes of an old married couple.

But I had also my problems. Because of those problems I stopped for a while to watch this drama. My problems were that she was his teacher and he was her student. Call me old fashioned but on my opinion the man has to be older than the women. But yeah, I think that was a message from the drama. It  doesn’t matters who’s older is or how big the age gap is; it only matters that it is love.
One fact that wasn’t good, was the twist (“Cha Chi Soo, I’m your brother”). It suddenly appears (this isn’t that bad, it tensioned the story) but then there was nothing. It didn’t get developed. The two characters remained at the still same position they were before. That’s sad because I think this could have been a great sub-plot. But this had to come sooner and not at the end of the drama. So it looks like: “Oh we have one episode left. What do we want to do? Oh, let’s make them brothers but afterwards we don’t go in to it and leave it.” You understand?

  

Nonetheless, I would recommend it to people who are tolerant with this kind of relationship. And for those who aren’t but are into the story, you have to be patient because after some episodes you get used to it and Cha Chi Soo develops and gets more mature so it goes to okay. Just don’t watch it at once.