I think comparing jjk to Dan is so disingenuous cz if jae has to be kind cz of similar bac...

That's why Jaekyung called Kim Dan a BUM. He saw a pretty college graduate with a loving grandma with nothing to show for it but an alcohol and smoking problem and shit ton of dept

It's not even a lie cz where I come from you'd be shunned by society. Everyone will always wonder wtf are you doing for your life to be so shit when you already have the tools to do something for yourself. It's unfair tbh but I don't blame people for thinking like that . Also because of jjk soft spot for old people to him Dan is a shit grandson stressing his grandma and not even trying to do and be better for her

You quite literally put into words what I was thinking, I feel people always want to pick and choose only in surface level understanding, it’s honestly a waste for such well written characters to be only categorized as “good & bad”, these characters portray real human emotions, we ourself can’t be considered perfect, and even if this is “just” a story doesn’t mean their background isn’t as complicated, their actions and thoughts are a straight vein coming from their past, and it is unfair to compare such different upbringing, since they both suffered differently and processed that emotion differently, before “taking sides” let’s be more proactive and focus more on understanding each side. (Then again obviously, I’m not saying trauma is an excuse to treat other people badly but it the reason for the behavior)

Jaekyung is right to think that Dan is a shit grandson.

That old woman raised him with love and Kim Dan repaid her with a vice that landed her in the hospital

Exactly. Things don't have to be black and white. These characters emulate human beings, as you've said we aren't perfect and so are they. They fall short and should be held accountable but I don't believe in them being written off completely. I often take side but not on this I will not be doing that.

I think the backstory is important to understand jjk, because all he learned from his father was to be abusive to the people who are near him. A child thinks, that the parents love it and when the parents hit the child all the time it can create the thought, that hitting is a way to show that you like someone.

The story also show's that jjk slowly learns to love in a proper way. He tries to take care of Dan but he didn't lern this important part from his Parents. Dan had his Grandma who always protected him and loved him no matter what.

did y'all forget that it's implied in the beginning that his entire career was derailed by a creepy superior? like he was pretty much blacklisted from the industry.... yall have 0 empathy and zero concept of mental health. I get y'all are prob too young to understand the nuances of addiction and mental health but this is a terrible mindset to have towards others. And if y'all aren't even young then idk what to say other than goddam your parents failed you

This is such a fresh perspective and this is the type of conversations I wanna have and honestly see more of on here. I would also like to add that Dan had love and was taught kindness but he wasn't taught how to be confident and take up space in the world. Then you have jaekyung who took his place in the world with his fists and with lack of love and guidance beyond boxing he developed extreme apathy towards anything he didn't see as worthy of his attention or that that didn't serve his interests.

We didn't forget that but did you also forget his grandma tells jaekyung Dan's issues were there from the very beginning even before his job? You think all this just started cz of his shit superior? That man targeted Dan cz he saw how weak he was. Dan is so oblivious to himself as prey that attracts predators not only jae but the shit doctor, the loan sharks and even the guy that framed during jjk match. We can have empathy but he too needs to change how he moves in the world. Mental health awareness is not to shield you from struggle but to help one accommodate struggle and not just sit there to never fight back. Dan being weak is a character flaw that even if jae apologizes and holds himself accountable as long as he doesn't do better it will be the same cycle with another predator.

Why do y'all default to insulting people for having ideas that aren't similar to yours? You're weird for saying this over some fictional characters. You haven't expressed any nuances in your statement when all I've done is express the nuances from beginning. Anyway you can have empathy for Dan's situation and still want him to be better at least for himself. His life is shit and no one but him can change that.

It’s honestly ironic that you’re accusing others of lacking empathy while completely misinterpreting a conversation that is rooted in trying to understand complex trauma responses in both characters. No one here denied what Dan went through. In fact, that was the entire point: to avoid reducing him or Jaekyung to simple tropes of “villain” and “victim” without acknowledging the deep psychological damage both carry. This isn’t about defending one or vilifying the other. It’s about trying to comprehend how and why they became who they are.

Bringing up that Dan was blacklisted by a superior and essentially derailed professionally only reinforces the point being made: that people are shaped by sustained systems of harm and neglect. But here’s the thing. Recognizing where that pain comes from is not the same as excusing behavior. This is a distinction that keeps getting lost. The original comment and mine were centered around understanding characters like Dan and Jaekyung as layered individuals, not moral binaries.

The story, however controversial, is portraying trauma, shame, survival, addiction, and control in very human, very uncomfortable ways. And instead of asking why these characters act out in such self-destructive or damaging ways, the discussion often becomes about choosing a side. But this isn’t a football match. These are narrative tools designed to reflect the complexity of being broken and how people can hurt others while being deeply hurt themselves.

You said we “have no empathy,” but if anything, I’d argue empathy is exactly what we’re practicing. Empathy that includes uncomfortable truths, that allows us to hold two ideas at once: that Dan is a victim of a brutal system and poor mental health, and that he’s not just a passive, innocent martyr. That Jaekyung has power and has abused it, and that he likely has never known a healthy emotional framework either. It’s not one or the other.

Your tone, while claiming to defend mental health awareness, turned immediately to personal insult. Calling people too young to understand, or worse, suggesting their parents failed them. That’s not mental health advocacy. That’s deflection masked as righteousness. It’s also a textbook example of what happens when people become so fixated on their interpretation that they stop listening altogether.

If we can’t explore these characters beyond surface-level labels, what’s the point of storytelling at all? The beauty of fiction, even controversial fiction, is that it allows us to dissect the uncomfortable. To explore why people do what they do, and to reflect on it in ways that mirror real life. That’s exactly what was happening here. A conversation not about condoning, but understanding. It’s disappointing that rather than engage with that, you chose to accuse others of lacking empathy while demonstrating none yourself.

At the end of the day, we’re analyzing fictional people through the lens of real-world trauma psychology, not trying to “win” an argument. I truly hope you can reread what was said with a more open mind and recognize that, because throwing around accusations and shutting people down for having a different perspective isn’t the progressive take you think it is.

Thank you so much for this. I don't know why people have such a hard time that some of us want to understand the characters beyond superficial labels. Red-green flag discourse has really fucked bl readership because god forbid people want to explore the characters ideation deeply. You have expressed my thoughts on this so beautifully and so precisely. Thanks

I’m really glad it resonated with you. Your original comment honestly put into words something that’s been sitting heavy with me for a while. There’s this constant rush to label things as good or bad, red flag green flag, like that’s the only framework we’re allowed to use. But stories like this are meant to be messy. That discomfort? That gray area? That’s where the actual meaning lives.

It frustrates me how often empathy gets mistaken for blind approval. Trying to understand someone’s pain or inner world doesn’t mean we’re excusing their actions. It just means we’re willing to look deeper and acknowledge that not everyone processes trauma the same way. There’s value in that. And honestly, it takes a lot more care and effort to hold that kind of space for complexity.

So seriously, thank YOU for putting that into words first. It’s so refreshing to see people still engaging with nuance and not just parroting hot takes. It makes me feel like there’s still hope for meaningful conversations in the BL community

Apply this logic to Jaekyung too since he suffered more than Kim Dan. Show Jaekyung empathy and recognize that Jaekyung's mental health is also in shambles.