Netizens Share Surprising Praise For Netflix’s New Movie “Love and Leashes” And Its Fresh Approach To BDSM
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Spoiler Alert
It seems as if Netflix has recently moved away from the typical romantic K-Dramas that netizens have become accustomed to. Last year, many watched JTBC‘s Nevertheless, adapted from a Naver Webtoon of the same name, starring Han So Hee and Song Kang, and it gained mixed reactions due to episodes rated 19+.
Even with this move, netizens couldn’t believe it when Netflix announced their upcoming Korean movie Love and Leashes in January, starring Girls’ Generation‘s Seohyun and U-KISS‘s Jun.
From the moment the trailer was released, netizens couldn’t get over the concept that was based on the idea of BDSM, which stands for “bondage and discipline,” “dominance and submission,” and “sadism and masochism.”
This seemed pretty clear from the images and trailer, as the trailer comedically depicts the female lead, Ji Woo, “dominating” the male lead, Ji Hoo, by tying him up with a purple ribbon.
The film recently came out on Netflix and, following the success of shows like Single’s Inferno, All of Us Are Dead, and Squid Game have already gained attention worldwide.
Many have shared their concerns about the film and its “childlike representation” of BDSM, mainly because of the viral clip of lead actor Jun barking like a dog…
ARF BARK SNARL WOOF WOOF BARK ARF GRRRRRRR WOOF WOOF BARK BARK ARF ARF BARK WOOF WOOF GRRRRR SNARL GRRRRRRR WOOF WOOF BARK BARK ARF ARF BARK WOOF WOOF GRRRRR SNARL SNARL HSSSSSSS GRRRRRRR WOOF BARK#LoveAndLeashes pic.twitter.com/0qHnArdcw0
— uncy (@pourfiction) February 11, 2022
Love And Leashes has actually gained more love and respect from viewers, particularly females, in the representation of sex and the idea of consent.
For many, these sorts of films can degrade those involved. It also sometimes blurs the lines between what is deemed “right” and “wrong.” Yet, it couldn’t be more different for viewers in this movie. From the very beginning, netizens praised the film as “Where kink and consent meet.”
From the very beginning, it shows the relationship between Ji Woo and Ji Hoo as something between two consensual adults, with Ji Hoo even asking whether Ji Woo can be his “Master.”
In particular, one scene shows Ji Woo calling out a man who assumes that because of her preferences when it comes to sex, he can cross the boundaries and do “whatever he wants with her.”
Just because I am a pervert doesn’t give you the right to mistreat me.
— Ji Woo
It touches upon topics that are usually deemed “taboo” in Korean culture and also changes the discourse by making the relationship “dominated” by the female. Yet, it also speaks about the hardships women have at work, discussing harassment, misogyny, and even homophobia.
For many viewers, it perfectly balances each topic to create a film centered around sex and preferences, but also the wider topics and stereotypes that come with it, including being judged by those around you for straying from the norms.
When the film was released, social media was flooded with comments about the show. In fact, within the first 48 hours, #LoveAndLeashes was trending in multiple countries, and the cast saw their Instagram following increase rapidly.
Viewers shared that despite being a BDSM on the outside, it’s more important than that, focusing on the idea that everyone has a right to their own preferences and that everyone has boundaries that should be respected.
More than bdsm, this movie talked about consent and respect. That everyone have their own secret, pervert in their own way. But so what? As long as nobody is harmed it's okay. People who keep crossing the line coz they think they're right needs to be educated #LoveandLeashes pic.twitter.com/Ktk9gxnm5T
— Mercury to the Sun ☀️ (@RUNCHRAUNDA) February 11, 2022
love and leashes is good and is WAYYY more than the fake dog barking you think it is. it actually teaches you a lot about boundaries and seems to represent the community well without having to make it all about the 18+ stereotypes people have about it. #LoveandLeashes
— elise fame era (@cvsmicsoo) February 11, 2022
Considering how traditional Korean society can be, it is refreshing for many netizens to see a film speaking about “taboo” topics. It has also opened a much bigger conversation on the topic that needs to be addressed!
You can read more about the show below.
Netflix Releases Teaser For BDSM-Centric Korean Film “Love And Leashes,” And Netizens Are Shook
NSFW Moments
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