#character types

This man is the poster boy for bad boy “I care about no one” sex-hell to poundtown classic dark romance male lead. When you start that’s PRECISELY what he is. My man has a room full of snakes for god’s sake, snakes. My Tumblr account from 2018 was less emo than his fuckboy ass

So it works, the idea of him being the usual dark romance male lead archetype works until you reach episode five and realize no.. this guy isn’t the cold-blooded mafia leader top.. this guy is that one dumb character who falls in love within like five days of knowing someone and then draws hearts around their names together

His entire character does a complete 360. Because not only is he not the “I don’t commit” type, he is quite literally the “let’s get married in the course of three days and have seven children and five cats” type. Guys, if you really think about it, he’s basically a masc lesbian.

Anyway, this is what makes him so compelling. He’s 100% in before he even knows there’s a chance to be in and he’s not ashamed of admitting it. Usually, a character of his type will be vehemently trying to hide their feelings but no this guy, no snake daddy will transfer you 200,000 yuan then tell you he can’t bear the thought of you being mad at him and then cuddle you to sleep.

He’s not some brooding, messy asshole. He’s probably been depressed for six years and now for the first time in a while he’s happy. And his happiness is contagious. It’s not something he feels the need to hide.

You’ll notice how easily chi cheng laughs and smiles, those are not coveted things like other male leads of his kind. He’s just happy and there is no Thou Shalt Noteth Know I Haveth Feelingeth melodrama surrounding it

Another thing is the fact that he cares about other people. The cold male leads archetype only cares about his partner and no one else. They’re incapable of forming connections with those around them . I know some people find this compelling but I’m not one of them. Ofcourse, Chi Cheng cares about Suowei more than anyone else but isn’t it nice he also really cares about Guo Chengyu? He still cares about his parents and their well being? That he loves his nephew? That he has a great relationship with Gangzi? That more than anything he wants a family and he wants Wu Suowei to be the center of that family

This is a male leads capable of emotions and nuance. He cares about a lot of people, he smiles and laughs whenever he wants to and he actually has other colours than black in his closet. Chi Cheng isn’t a well written fetish, he feels like a human being with vulnerability and space to grow. He is a part of Wu Suowei’s story that can’t be replaced with a wooden log like most male leads because his actions are so central to his personality

When the immoral/abusive selfish character is a people pleaser to the point of being destructive: ORHFFVFWVRFHFHFDIDOFB

you're not alone, yjh is very much an enigma to me too! I think there are a lot of parts to him that we can't readily see because of our limited perspective through kim dokja's pov. here are some of my observations and headcanons mixed together ☺️

yoo joonghyuk's type

⟢ someone capable of being gentle where he is not. I think yjh has a tendency to be critical (mainly of himself) and largely inflexible, so someone that can bring out that softer side of him would draw him in ⟢ also the driven types. I think yjh can relate to traits like ambition, goal-oriented, and just a general internal strength to buckle down and get things done ⟢ even though I write x reader fics like this sometimes, I don't see yjh as being immediately attracted to someone that is timid or easily down on themselves. he possesses a strong and assertive personality, so I feel like he'd be turned off by those traits unless other factors are at play (frequent proximity, shared goals, etc) ⟢ yes, I think physical attractiveness would catch his attention the quickest. case in point: lee seolhwa. case #2? his original cast of companions. beauties for days ⟢ "opposites attract"--he would admire cheerfulness. someone social, to balance out his awkward introversion and draw him out of his turtle shell. an easygoing person, probably filled with idealistic or romantic notions (but not one who abandons all logic...they have balance and are ultimately reliable) ⟢ he is drawn to people that do the most for others. by this, I mean anywhere from charitable people to self-sacrificing fools. iykyk ⟢ in terms of profession, this would mean: nurses and doctors, teachers, social workers, investigative journalists, certain types of lawyers, firefighters, non-profit and humanitarian aid work. probably not counselors/psychologists, because he doesn't like the idea of someone picking around in his brain ⟢ oh someone persistent! yjh can be hardheaded, so someone that is equally stubborn or persevering, especially in pursuing him, would help him fall in love ⟢ yjh has a patience that isn't talked about enough. not just internal willpower, but a strength that extends to loving others with incredible devotion ⟢ I think mostly, if there is someone that won't try to control/manipulate him, is approachable, and respects the man that he is, they've got a fast-track ticket to making yoo joonghyuk fall in love <3