Whale Couple 🐳❤️🐋 TaeBin (Kang Tae Oh x Park Eun Bin ) & WooHo (Woo Young Woo x Lee Jun Ho)

[JenL]

@innrukia Oooh I want to properly read and reply to your thoughts since you wrote something meaningful, so I'll do it tomorrow since it's quite late here and I'm starting to fall asleep on my keyboard  I'll reply then since I also have a Taebin project to share with everyone then too!

[JenL]

On 10/2/2022 at 3:08 PM, innrukia said:

To conclude it all is the storyline and the different concepts of promoting the project. TKA's plot emphasizes the couple/love story rather than PEB as the protagonist. The behind-the-scenes video in TKA focused on the actors communicating with each other more than filming, whereas the video in EAW focused on the creation of scenes and the process by which the actors delivered each scene.

 

Nonetheless, 

• PEB and TKA ML prioritize bringing a romance piece to the audience over PEB's role as king. I'll say it again because it's so clear in all of the videos and interviews.
• TKA plot was not as sensitive as the EAW subject. And it benefits PEB and TKA ML to go all out in promoting the drama with follow-up events after the drama concludes. The promotional setting, which included a couple photoshoot and interviews with ML (there was a video with two couples), allowed all of the attention to be on her and ML. While no EAW photoshoots or couple interviews have been reported,

 

@innrukia So well said! Also we share the exact same thoughts because I also said all this too in a podcast! Like it's so spooky because we made almost the exact same points  I think it means that it's super clear that there's a context around the dramas that shapes how the actors would act in the Behind the Scenes videos - it's not like they act the ways they do just out of personal feelings, but rather because it matches the dramas they promote.

 

On 10/2/2022 at 3:08 PM, innrukia said:

 

• In TKA, there were continuous interaction and lovey-dovey moment till the end. For EAW there was some interaction at first, but as the show gained popularity around the world, it was abruptly cut off. There were few promotional event for her and the EAW team. Then everything was done individually. I'm sure she and KTO received numerous requests for couple photoshoots and the like, but only God knows what happened.

 

I think it wasn't cut off as such, but it just became more subtle? I also think it was very much a scheduling thing for promotions. After the drama shot to fame, they would have been booked individually, especially because they belong to different agenncies so I think it was maybe really hard to match up their schedules? 

 

Anyway, this is a good segway into my recently finished project...I think everyone whose been in this forum might take comfort in this ( @buguz @taebinfan @Kismet_06200904 @Yunn @Unnie0110 @innrukia @cico)

 

It's a podcast episode that talks about EVERY thing that has been giving Taebin fans anxious thoughts and making them think of conspiracy theories (which I wish people would stop doing). I provide a lot of context for things like no selcas, no hugs, behind the scenes video ediiting, why PEB and KTO behave as they do behind the scenes, no photoshoot, KTO's rings...I think you'll find my points to make sense and to be quite comforting.

 

The podcast is 2 hours long, but if you're missing EAW, it's a good discussion. The first part talks about EAW episode 13-16 and about shipping culture, but if you only want to listen the part about TaeBin and then possbilities and controversies about season 2, start from about 45 mins in and continue onwards. You can listen here:

 

 

Podcast Notes 

 

If English is not your first language, and you'll have a hard time understanding, but still want to know my main points, you can just google translate a summary of my notes below. It's better to listen to the episode though because I link my arguments so that they flow much better 

In this episode, let's chat about these topics (Click Spoiler bar below for longer notes)

1.The rough penultimate episodes as well as the beautiful ending that unfolded in episode 16.

2. Defining Shipping culture & Comforting Taebin fans who are anxious and worry that Park Eun Bin or Kang Tae Oh don't get along. We talk about why fans 'ship' their favourite K-drama actors and what the extremes of shipping can mean.I also present a comforting analysis on why Taebin DO get along and go through and provide context for every single rumour or point of angst that I've heard from anxious fans.

3.The Possibility of a second season for Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo.

 

Spoiler

1.The rough penultimate episodes as well as the beautiful ending that unfolded in episode 16. I talk about the rough ride into the last episode including fan criticisms about pacing and character inconsistencies. But ultimately, we talk about what makes a good K-Drama ending and look at why the ending of Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo was so satisfying and loved by all. Subtopics discussed include how:

-The last episode had great pacing and didn't feel rushed even though it introduced a new relatively important character.

-Closure given to Woo Young Woo's relationship with her mother

-The Kdrama avoided bad tropes including time jumps and the '5 minutes of happiness' ending where the reuinon of the main characters are left to the last 5 minutes of the final episode. Instead, Woo Young Woo and Jun Ho was given a beautiful solution to reunite them.

-The unpopular second lead romance was only implied rather than explicit

-The more villainous characters were shown to have their own growth and none of them turned out to be too bad in the end.

-Young Woo's growth remained the central focus of the story

We also talk about a little bit about the legal cases and how they reflected a lot of realities about the law and the legal system in real life. We look at some of the discussions about social commentary, ethics and about experiences on the spectrum that these cases highlighted.

 

2.Defining Shipping culture & Comforting Taebin fans who are anxious and worry that Park Eun Bin or Kang Tae Oh don't get along. We talk about why fans 'ship' their favourite K-drama actors and what the extremes of shipping can mean.I also present a comforting analysis on why Taebin DO get along and go through and provide context for every single rumour or point of angst that I've heard from anxious fans. Subtopics discussed include:

 

Selcas

- Not posting a duo only selca doesn't mean that Park Eun bin & Kang Tae Oh dislike each other and posting a selca doesn't prove that they like each other. All it proves is that 2 people enjoy taking photos!

-There are reasons that stars like Park Eun Bin have taken photos with some of her co-stars but not others. For example, stars often take more photos when doing period dramas, the staffers from the agency may encourage the stars to take more photos in certain projects, stars may take more selcas wiith their co-stars if they're promoting a drama that is only considered a romance drama, stars might not promote in such a romantic way if a drama has sensitivites like Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo & some stars might not like taking selcas/selfies.

 

Behind the Scenes footage

- Park Eun bin and Kang Tae Oh had a more organic type of chemistry in the behind the scenes videos rather than one made for show, Behind the scenes videos also depend on the editing and type of activites shown (ie. the best behind the scenes videos show more scenes of the acotrs playing around between takes rather than just filming the scenes themselves. EAW sometimes focused more on the filming side of things)

-Also the behind the scenes didn'r show all of Park Eun bin and Kang Tae Oh's moments together - the montage of scenes at the start of each behind the scenes video shows there's other moments that they have included a few seconds of, but have not shared entirely in the videos. But you can see how playful they are in other interviews & Swoon games videos.

- In terms of Park Eun Bin's behaviour towards Kang Tae Oh on set, she often had to stay in character, her character was challenging to play so she had to focus and they shot romance scenes at night which was tiring...so it makes sense that she might not have been as hyped up behind the scenes. But Kang Tae Oh matched her moods.

-The genre and length of a drama also determine how the actors might interact in a behind the scenes video.

-No behind the scenes hug = it's probably because they finished filming on different shoots.

-Park Eun Bin and Kang Tae Oh do show their own sense of closeness - Park Eun Bin teases Kang Tae Oh a lot more than she had with her past co-stars. And they have their own moments of tenderness like Park Eun Bin stroking Kang Tae Oh's hand when they have to hold hands.

 

Interviews, Fan meets, Photoshoots & Ring

-Photoshoots: Unfortunately, Park Eun bin and Kang tae Oh didn't have a photoshoot because of magazines not offering a photoshoot slot in time. And then schedules not aligning.

-Interviews: Park Eun bin choose to call Kang Tae Oh a friend rather than just an actor she worked with which showed a sign of closeness.

-Fan Meets: It's rare for K-dramas to get a fan meet, but Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo got one and we got to see Park Eun Bin and Kang Tae Oh interact live. There were sweet moments between the two with Kang Tae Oh whispering to Park eun Bin etc. And Kang Tae Oh continues to be attentive to Park Eun Bin which shows he's not being frozen out by her, but understand her intentions.In terms of Park Eun Bin's personal fan meet, she didn't turn away from Kang Tae Oh, but from her own acting.

-Ring: Kang Tae Oh says the ring is from his CEO and it would be a term of respect to wear a gift from your boss, In Asian culture, rings are not necessarily a marker of a relationship.

 

3.The Possibility of a second season for Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo. We talk about why Kdramas rarely have second seasons compared to US shows and look at reasons why Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo might not have a second season including Kang Tae Oh's military enlistment and Park Eun Bin's tiredness from filming as well as reluctance to weaken the storyline. We also talk about what would be better than having a season 2.

 

Evidence for the points I make in my podcast - Related articles and Interviews:

 

Proof that TKA selcas are agency photos rather than PEB personal photos:

Park Eun Bin's agency CEO has the selcas of Rowoon and Park Eun bin on his instagram, so these are probably agency photos rather than personal sellcas

 

Interviews where Park Eun Bin talks about wanting to maintain a pure image:

Park Eun Bin Arena interview

 

Interviews about the challenges of playing Woo Young Woo 

Park Eun Bin talking about staying in character while filming

Park Eun Bin talks about the challenges regarding her role as Woo young Woo

Park Eun Bin talking about how hard it was to play the role of Woo young Woo (Fan translation)

Kang Tae Oh talking about Park Eun Bin having a hard time filming in Star One magazine (Fan translation)

 

Interviews about how Park Eun Bin and Kang Tae Oh enjoyed working together

Kang Tae Oh talking about how well him and Park Eun Bin worked together

Park Eun Bin calling Kang Tae Oh a good friend rather than just an actor she worked with  (Fan translation)

 

Proof that Kang Tae Oh and Park Eun Bin finished on different scenes:

Kang Tae Oh's last outfit at 2:56 on this video

Kang Tae Oh's possible last scene at 2:19 on this video va. Park Eun bin's last scene at 7:50 on this video

 

Controversies surrounding season 2:

ASTORY CEO controversial interview

 

[JenL]

On 10/2/2022 at 3:08 PM, innrukia said:

• Another oddity is that, in comparison to TKA, PEB did not say much about EAW after the drama ended. And her interview about EAW published almost the time KTO going enlisted. And her programs with the show was after that as well.

 

Actually on this point today has been a bit tense with like a mini fan war between PEB & KTO fans because apparently PEB didn't mention KTO in this interview and this upset some people. Once again, I feel like fans took things out of context because they were talking about the group chat and so PEB mentioned the other 3 because it's well known that they talk a lot on the chat, while her and KTO only join in once in awhile because they're busier and not that much into texting.  

 

 

This is why I must tell people to listen to my latest podcast episode!!! It will help you to develop context about Park Eun bin and Kang Tae Oh and be happier as a fan rather than unhappy/ accusatory etc 

[innrukia]

Hey @JenL, Work has taken a toll on my mind lately, and I haven't yet checked on your podcast. Like you mentioned, it's a little strange if we make almost the same content

. Anyway, I just share the key points that I think are important to call out. It is very rare for me to go through a lot of videos after the drama's promotion, interviews  etc. I don't know how you manage that, but it's very taxing.

 

21 minutes ago, JenL said:

Actually on this point today has been a bit tense with like a mini fan war between PEB & KTO fans because apparently PEB didn't mention KTO in this interview and this upset some people. Once again, I feel like fans took things out of context because they were talking about the group chat and so PEB mentioned the other 3 because it's well known that they talk a lot on the chat, while her and KTO only join in once in awhile because they're busier and not that much into texting.  

 

There was a war between their fans? There is probably too much stress, or they devote too much time to the topics. These fans need to chill. Fangirling is supposed to be enjoyable. That is why we enjoy watching entertainment. We can talk about it, but not to the point of making it unpleasant. 

 

I brought up EAW's PEB interviews because I compared them to TKA's. Actually, it's not that important. One reason for this could be the numerous endorsement/commercial jobs she needs to film after EAW. One thing is certain: none of this matters now that EAW has established its own history in the K-drama world. I discovered KTO thanks to EAW, and I have another couple in K-drama that I adore. Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara are the first, and KTO/PEB is the second.

 

[taebinfan]

finished watching you quiz on PEB's interview...

 

what a wonderful family she has! what great parents she has; they have raised their child with good values and principles and am wondering what kind of grandchildren they would have! her older brother also takes very good care of her and they are very close to each other! and, the brother wants to stay quiet and only his close friends know about his sister as being PEB! the whole family works together to protect PEB and themselves from being polluted by the entertainment industry!

 

i know PEB has brought up many times her discussion with pd Yoo and writer Moon about her hesitation and concerns. for some reasons this time around, i got a much clearer picture about this discussion and its corresponding outcome. she had so much concerns about the controversy of youngwoo's story and pd Yoo and writer Moon promised her that they would take care of everything and asked her to trust them. i believe per pd Yoo's instruction, astory simply didnt hype up any romantic chemistry between the leads, and pd Yoo was with them in most bts. it's wonderful that the drama was trying give hope and encouragement to the autism community; but for an autistic who had never got to have romantic relationship or who had a bad experience, then the drama might be sending out misleading hope, and certainly wouldnt want the leads to gain popularity through this line of the drama. 

 

even with a few bts about them together, PEB and KTO showed that they are proven professionals in their fields. they get along well with everyone in this project. and they both have had many compliments for each other, so there is genuine friendship between them and with other actors/actresses!

 

i re-watched the drama and kept tracking the screen time of KTO. it was as bad as most people thought. his presence took up the first 4 episodes and he had only a very short screen time in one ep and he was in every ep through the drama. probably because of the expected loveline that viewers wanted to see more of him with PEB together. anyway, his acting skills has been finally being recognized and he has worked hard to solidify his popularity before going for his enlistment. cant wait to see his next project upon his return from military enlistment.

[JenL]

Hahaha someone's photoshop! Been meaning to pop in here and respond to everyone's thoughts, but been very busy lately! I'll write sooooon. Missing TaeBin!

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

This edit is good...made me laugh. I remember KTO is terrible with Disney characters - ahahah I hope he at least knows Beauty & the Beast

 

[CrescentMoon]

Hi there, I'm a new-ish fan and stumbled upon this thread looking for more TaeBin discussions. I tend to flow in and out of kdramas (last kdrama was Fight My Way, now EAW) and thought the chemistry between them was so good! I personally admire PEB as an actress and person and KTO caught my eye in Run On from random clips on tumblr or yt (that's how I decide what drama to watch next). 

 

At first to me it was obvious KTO kind of likes her. He's very aware of her presence. PEB on the other hand, felt very professional and almost distant. I really didn't think much more of it until I watched more things of her and got to know her better. I've watched other clips with PEB and other costars, but can't help shake the feeling it's different with KTO. It might be because of the focus of the drama and therefor the way they promote it, but she seems to be a bit more careful around him than others. Especially in events where there are audiences. She tries hard to not look him in the eye, just glances here and there. Weirdly enough, she mirrors a lot of his behavior which she doesn't do with her past costars. This was very evident during their live viewing event. From moving their hands behind their backs to waving to even licking their lips, I felt then that there was something different. I'm a pretty realistic shipper, so when I say that, I just mean there's probably an attraction towards each other compared to others she promoted with. She seems very comfortable with her costar for AKA for example, but her behavior is nothing out of the ordinary for her from what I've seen. Rather the way she just is with someone she's very close to. It's leaning towards siblings to me. I feel like PEB might want to keep a tight lid on what she's feeling or being very careful with what she's putting out there, because she bears a lot of responsibility for this drama. But can I say, her kissing scene in the first kiss was unexpectedly daring? If you watch the brightened version, it seems she only starts to really kiss when the lights go off. Perhaps for WYW too, that not being seen kissing makes her more daring. 

 

Also I think I'm too late to order the blu-ray? Which is such a shame! I'd have loved to get all the extras and analyse it to death haha. 

[abs-oluteM]

Hello @CrescentMoon . Welcome to JangHaven & to this ship thread. Nice reading your take on their interactions.

 

At PEB's fan meet....the yelling went to next level frenzy when KTO's face appeared

 

[cico]

5 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

Hello @CrescentMoon . Welcome to JangHaven & to this ship thread. Nice reading your take on their interactions.

 

At PEB's fan meet....the yelling went to next level frenzy when KTO's face appeared

 

I saw this and she was a little different from the FM in Korea when seeing the same scene.She saw the screen when LJH saying "what" until he begins smiling.In Korea,she turned around when LJH saying"attorney wyw" till the end.The similar thing is she turning aroung with putting her hair behind ears.She almost avoids every public media coverage about LJH or KTO.Maybe this drama is special of autism,but LJH/KTO is innocent, KTO even  did not has the making scene of completing shooting the drama despite other main actors could have.If the Blu-ray also do not have it,KTO's fans maybe feel a little indignant and deservedly so.Some people say PEB do not have much limits when leaving Korea and much more fans like both of them compaired with fans in Korea and China.

Edited October 24, 2022 by cico

[cico]

LJH's part of wyw is cut clearly at peb's FMs except in Korea and PH,and other actors are not.Emmm,what is the meaning of "Just friends"?It is weird obviously.Maybe kto is her enemy.She avoids every public media coverage about kto as usual.

[CrescentMoon]

I don't think there's any malicious intent behind the cut. Partly because KTO is in the army (officially he can't give any updates either) and she wants to avoid any complications for him and perhaps because he's her most recent costar and she wants to avoid any scrutiny. Also because she might want to focus mostly on WYW as it's a very precious character to her. 

 

I actually like how they're very professional about this. It feels like they all (Hanbada's) have an understanding and are protecting this very precious thing that is WYW. We as fans might feel disappointed, but I think it makes sense. 

[cico]

On 11/14/2022 at 3:40 AM, CrescentMoon said:

I don't think there's any malicious intent behind the cut. Partly because KTO is in the army (officially he can't give any updates either) and she wants to avoid any complications for him and perhaps because he's her most recent costar and she wants to avoid any scrutiny. Also because she might want to focus mostly on WYW as it's a very precious character to her. 

 

I actually like how they're very professional about this. It feels like they all (Hanbada's) have an understanding and are protecting this very precious thing that is WYW. We as fans might feel disappointed, but I think it makes sense. 

Some cp fans may feel disappointed,but most of them have new flag between them.The point is why peb or her company do this because people who focus her FM could find the difference obviously.That kto is in the army is not the main reason because the cut remained at her FM in PH.Why only him?Some peb's fans or other shippers have already confirmed they two are  not good  partners or friends and say something really bad about kto.Kto has the the worst treatment in wyw's ending making film and he needs equal treatment.After all,fans could not affect anything and support is the most important.

[CrescentMoon]

On 11/16/2022 at 9:07 AM, cico said:

Some cp fans may feel disappointed,but most of them have new flag between them.The point is why peb or her company do this because people who focus her FM could find the difference obviously.That kto is in the army is not the main reason because the cut remained at her FM in PH.Why only him?Some peb's fans or other shippers have already confirmed they two are  not good  partners or friends and say something really bad about kto.Kto has the the worst treatment in wyw's ending making film and he needs equal treatment.After all,fans could not affect anything and support is the most important.

 

Because kto was only recently in private military training. The fanmeeting in PH happened before he was officially a private soldier. I believe it's that simple and we should not be looking for reasons beyond that and respect the decisions that are made. 

[wink_]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted By Germaine Jay AKP

 

 

 

 

Actress Park Eun Bin has official fan club name and colors.

 

On February 3, her Twitter revealed the actress's official club name is BINGO and her fandom colors are violet pink, light green, and yellow. "BINGO" stands from the "Bin" part of Park Eun Bin's name, while "Go" stands for the people who'll go with Park Eun Bin on any road. 

Namoo Actors stated, "It represents 'friends and partners' who work with Park Eun Bin to fill each other bingo as well as those who'll go with Park Eun Bin until the day is done. Violet pink has a lovely and bright image, and light green yellow symbolizes vibrant energy. They meet together to represent Park Eun Bin's colorful charms."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/allkpop/status/1621448445461671937

 

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2023 by twink_twink_

[wink_]

 

 

 

I'm low-key shipping them since I watched all their clips. I'm smiling ear to ear rewatching them. 😉 everyone can see Junho is totally smitten by Woo Young Woo. he looked so entertained and happy to be with her. he laughed so often because of what she said, and I think it's a huge hint that a guy is attracted to a girl. it seems like he sees her as someone really adorable. she also laughs a lot but I think it's not only because she's easygoing or finds the situation funny, but also out of nervousness. looking forward to spaz more with this thread and I'll wait for them to comeback. I miss our 'Whale Couple' 😍

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by twink_twink_

[wink_]

 

 

 

 

perhaps I'm looking to a throwback to that a few moments ago. I didn't expect the kiss scene to land that quickly but, that's why I love whale couple show more level of closeness, direct and will really go for it. I never thought I'd feel this way for a ship on screen and off-screen 😉 both of them are such great actors. I teared up at how they perfectly fit each other. I miss TaeBin 

 

 

 

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Spoiler