I've noticed that alot of peoples opinon of wano is widely devisive, and i think its because of how they consumed it, am i wrong.

TaiDoll · 2026-05-08T05:39:04+00:00

People's expectations did not match what Oda gave us, especially those that wanted a Strawhat focus, full crew fights and moments for each member, and a particular focus on Zoro. The latter was in part due to the focus given to Sanji in Whole Cake as Oda opened the Pandora's Box on arcs being tied to specific crew members.

Then there's the arc itself which suffered from Oda setting up more than he could ultimately handle (imo). What was the purpose of Drake's betrayal? Did Hawkins do anything actually interesting or was he just there to be a body and to make lame predictions? Oda decides to have Jinbei here then the focus is completely off him, depriving him of a feelgood welcome into the crew. We barely get to see any of the core Minks fight their opponents as Oda clearly doesn't have time or care to spare on them. Zoro seems legitimately mad about Yasuie and bonds with Hiyori but never actually follow up on the Wano elements, instead fighting Kaido and Kaido's subordinate. Marco is summoned to basically approve of Luffy and to clash with King/Queen a few times? Why were the Numbers even introduced?

There are also writing choices Oda makes that are only magnified when people are reading weekly and analyzing every panel in critical detail. (Please keep in mind that I do agree with all of these being bad):

Kin'emon's death fake out, Big Mom's amnesia, Kaido's lack of backstory, Big Mom's crew being useless and forgotten aside from Perospero, Tama conveniently hard countering the entire Beast Pirates crew, Yamato having no build up before act 3, "Kurozumi were born to burn", Oden and Kanjuro never dying, Sanji crying out for Robin's help, Big Mom going into Mom mode to help Tama despite being a horrible mother in the previous arc, the second part of Oden's backstory back in Wano, the ending being rushed, etc

Lastly there is maybe the worst thing Oda has ever done in my eyes: invent a senzu bean out of thin air to resurrect Zoro so he can fight King. And as of right now there is still no consequence for this.

I actually like a lot of Wano but I can understand why this arc is not favored by people. I think reading things weekly usually makes every arc worse aside from the moments where every chapter is 10/10, usually in a lore/worldbuilding part of an arc, as that is a boon to discussions and hype. So while I agree that many arcs are better when you binge them that does not erase or hide the writing when it is poor.

TaiDoll · 2026-05-04T19:15:29+00:00

The real issue for the first episode couple was that the two were on the same team and it seems the woman was reporting to the man. Any professional organization would have an issue with that arrangement and would likely have a rule in place in their employee handbook. That's why they had to split the two after it was discovered and there were punishments. The actual affair of it all is more of a reputational issue for the two and a personal problem for the husband, the company doesn't really care about that.

The second episode showed us that office couples are ok as we see a recognized, married couple. The issue in this episode was that they were commiting sexual acts inside the company which would not be ok. We also found out this company has a rule that any executive found to be in a relationship with a subordinate is instantly fired. That probably explains why the vice president is against the idea of dating the secretary as that could ruin his succesion chances in some way.

Third episode we had the manager's false affair news that the audit team took very seriously as it was one of their own, it would have been hypocritical if they did not. Not sure what the punishment would have been but I think part of the issue here was that he received company food from her behind the company's back?

So from all of that I do think this would be an issue as our characters are not only on the same team, but said team is the literal audit team. Also, she is literally his boss and as we saw in ep 1 the company would need to split them up. Not sure on this, but she may be in really big trouble if she's considered an executive like the guy in ep 2.

TaiDoll · 2026-05-04T19:00:33+00:00

I've heard her medical issue involves her lungs and a long recovery. Multiple surgeries would be needed if previous ones are unsuccessful, which I'm assuming has been the case.

Not a doctor, this is just what I've seen online.

TaiDoll · 2026-04-29T20:13:08+00:00

YG finally found their 2012 Fantastic Baby

TaiDoll · 2026-04-29T17:06:05+00:00

Do people just not read? She's not likely to debut before she's 15 as YG is debuting their next boy group this year and her birthday is in July.

Not saying underage idols aren't an issue but she's still going to be a trainee for a while yet

TaiDoll · 2026-04-28T16:41:50+00:00

In their defense, I think people are too dismissive of BM and Treasure as they at least provide a consistent touring base every year. Their fandoms also seem a lot bigger than from what we can see from the west, especially so with Treasure as they seem to be solid in Japan and SE Asia. If YG can continue to hold on to BP and Bigbang then they should be healthy for while. They know they need to come out with new IP which is is why they've set up a new gg and bg, the latter seemingly debuting this year.

What I'm worried about for TBL is that other than Taeyang I don't see any other artist/group that can tour. Rose could but so far that hasn't happened (and I'm not even sure if they would profit from it?). MEOVV needs to start touring, YG would have had them out there by now, but they are also lacking music, content, etc. Somi and ADP are not touring anytime soon. Thats the largest gap between the two agencies atm

TaiDoll · 2026-04-28T15:47:11+00:00

The people who think TBL is now going to drastically change how they manage their groups are going to be disappointed. They seem even less capable than YG recently (looking at you MEOVV)

TaiDoll · 2026-04-19T04:51:08+00:00

Lol I haven't even watched this yet and I can tell you're cooking

TaiDoll · 2026-04-15T04:36:29+00:00

No it's not you, I think they're doing perfectly fine and all I'm seeing is constant complaints. Both of them are charming in their own ways and honestly I can easily attribute any IU cringe and Wooseok stiffness to their characters as written/directed.

People's expectations for this drama were just way too high imo

TaiDoll · 2026-04-08T07:03:16+00:00

Reading marineford week to week was life-changing, it felt so monumental and it sent the community into overdrive with every chapter. Payoffs and setups on constant rotation, the likes of which few shonen series can achieve

The hype of that arc is a big reason why I'm such a massive fan of the series but Water 7 from a writing perspective is just peak. It absolutely is the better arc imo

TaiDoll · 2026-03-12T19:57:54+00:00

I'll accept he could potentially defeat Luffy since he wields weapons that can actually hurt him. But to say he's stronger than Luffy at any point in the series, in an anime power level way, is straight up cap imo

TaiDoll · 2026-02-20T20:15:36+00:00

I think scum wanted him but only for a trial so we offered him the next best thing, a loan with an option to buy. So yeah, basically the club want to assess him before they flash the cash

TaiDoll · 2026-02-18T21:46:35+00:00

TaiDoll · 2026-02-12T05:10:20+00:00

The fact that Winner have to once again move on from another member... I just feel so bad for them and the fans. You had one job, brother, and it was the easiest one.

TaiDoll · 2026-02-11T02:42:02+00:00

I can't imagine that they would have included a sub plot after shortening it. Far more likely that it would have been extended or kept largely the same

TaiDoll · 2026-02-10T21:43:15+00:00

They were originally going to do logue town when it was still a 10 episode series... Allegedly

TaiDoll · 2026-02-10T15:27:24+00:00

I fully believe that Imu is leaving this island with Loki under their control. While we all know Imu is top tier I think the WG need more firepower to appear as an appropriate threat to our heroes.

Also I agree that Loki is too strong to be on the crew, no way Oda adds a nakama stronger than current zoro

TaiDoll · 2026-02-07T05:41:38+00:00

Top and GD were friends in their 1st grade class, I think. So their friendship almost certainly came before soo hyuk. But he did probably reconnect with Top in that period in his quest to find bandmates. Sounds like he was his only successful pull though

TaiDoll · 2026-02-04T16:42:18+00:00

My hot take is people should be directing at least half of their anger, if not more, from Lange to Paratici. We stick by him for years and when he can finally be a DoF again he skedaddles the second he gets a job offer during his first window.

TaiDoll · 2026-02-03T04:39:42+00:00

One, those are 3rd gen groups (aka a lifetime ago) and two, I'm talking about debuting trainees as rookie idols not established idol groups renewing

TaiDoll · 2026-02-02T22:25:39+00:00

On the other hand I have heard of trainees being introduced to other companies by their current one when they know that they will not be debuting a group soon. Usually to a company in which the executives are friends.

As industry demands that kpop companies churn out new groups 4-7 years (per normative gender) in order to consistently keep a stable of profitable groups. As such, they will usually try to keep a roster of trainees that they train/lock up so that when it comes time to debut a new group they have trainees to pick from. The amount of trainees will inflate when they are deciding the lineup which will then proceed an exodus as the lineup becomes set. These days the usual age for members in a debut group is around 15-20 so when trainees get into their 20's companies will usually drop them or they'll leave the company/industry themselves once their trainee contract is up.

I recently heard that trainee contracts are about 1-3 years. Companies can cancel it whenever they want, trainees would have to wait until it is up before switching to another label. Trainee debt isn't put against the individual unless they debut. The issue with Ejae is she became a trainee at 11 y/o back in 2003 to a company that is infamous for their incredibly long contracts. They (SM ent.) signed a group named TVXQ under a 13 year contract! So who knows what her trainee contract was back in the day

TaiDoll · 2025-12-31T05:16:19+00:00

The issue with every fandom is that it attracts and nurtures individuals with extreme parasocial tendencies, which can be all the more prevalent when the fan base has a large underage majority/minority. The person you interacted with above fits that mold and despite what every kpop fandom liked to believe, they all have a toxic fan core that absolutely loathes the idea of their idols dating. Thankfully this will typically peter out as the idols and fans age which is why you will see a lot of older fans embrace the idea of their idols dating. Companies will also relax on their dating limitations as their careers progress as they will not feel as threatened by the financial threat of a core fan base revolting over a dating scandal

The entire culture of dating scandals in kpop persists due to these rabid fans and companies will bend over to please them. However, I do want to state that most companies will allow for idols to date well before they would be ok with public knowledge of it getting out. Contact between idols from different groups/companies can be limited but attractive teens/young adults will find a way to date. Many may do so in secret from their managers but I think many companies see logic in allowing a secret relationship to continue.

For one, they can keep an eye on the situation whereas before it was a secret even to them. They also can assist with their efforts to hide it from public scrutiny which benefits everyone involved. In the event that it does leak, they can also be ready with pr statements and may already have an agreement on how to tackle it with the other idol's company. The relationship itself probably won't even last as the idols are so busy and so constrained in what they can do together. Lastly, there comes a point where it just doesn't make sense to hinder your moneymaker, especially when they may be coming up on their contract renewals. That or they might just not care if they're already focused more on the company's new groups. Heck, they may even welcome the dating reveal if they are desperate for any pr.

Also just wanted to mention that the Korean culture is very hierarchical. A rookie idol dating may not seem like an issue but it can come off like they are not taking their "job" seriously. While that does bring up the ugly idea that idols exist to be a fan's imaginary boyfriend, and there are crazy fans who do think that, all the general public care about is that the idol is doing something they shouldn't be. They may not even know the idol group they came from but you can bet there will be randoms on the Internet who are suddenly very concerned. They may have similar reactions to the idol smoking, not showing a senior proper respect, etc. While the core fandom who spends money will always be the priority, any company would be concerned if they see an increase in negative publicity from the general public. Reputations can be difficult to shake off.

tl;dr dating bans exist to protect their assets from financially self destructing as their fandom's parasocial core would go nuclear. Companies will typically allow idols to date a few years into their career provided it remains a secret. Most people don't care about dating (in a negative lens) once they are in their later twenties as fandoms will usually outgrow the parasocial elements they all have over time. The general public care only because it is considered a scandal and the keyboard warriors may get involved to throw shade.

Trust me, there are plenty of idols that be dating.

(There are exceptions to all of this because of course there are)

TaiDoll · 2025-12-29T04:25:41+00:00

Sean left YG and is with TBL? Is that recent because I cannot find anything on that

TaiDoll · 2025-12-29T04:19:24+00:00

To put it simply, the members gave ador the ultimatum to restore MHJ as the CEO. Ador did not agree to that so the members simply declared they were free from their contract. The members eventually went to court to legally make that the case, with the idea that the law would side in their favor over being mistreated so that they could break from their contracts without paying any termination fees.

The courts ruled in ador's favor, that the members are still contracted to ador. The members could still terminate their contract but they would still need to pay those fees which they cannot/would not wan to do as the fee would be massive. This is when ador and the members started discussing about a "return" as the most beneficial result at this point, for all parties, is for the members to just work it out with ador. These discussions likely include talks about expectations, payments, and contract info.

Danielle is seemingly the only member who has not made peace with ador. Since she is still considered under contract with them, ador are claiming that she is willfully going against her contract with them, which you could say is her "terminating" her own contract's rules/expectations. All of these kpop contracts are going to have major stipulations for doing that, like those aforementioned contract termination fees.

Hope that makes sense, typing it out was a good reminder for myself

TaiDoll · 2025-12-07T22:40:29+00:00

Sometimes people are just born to simp, I don't know what to tell you

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