#narrative archetype

BL character archetype that I love 

BRATS! 

Xia Yao in Advanced Bravely 

Gu Hai in Addicted Heroin 

Lu Lin in My Esport Genius Brother 

Kiyoi in My Beautiful Man 

Yoo Han in Color Rush 

Jung Woo in My Sweet Dear

Jae Young‬ in Semantic Error (psycho brat) 

Tae Joo in Where Your Eyes Linger 

The Merman in 49 Days With A Merman 

Yu Hao in HIStory 2: Crossing the Line 

Jack in HIStory 3: Trapped (deadly psycho variant) 

Li Cheng in HIStory 4: Closer to You 

I think a brat (in the narrative archetype sense) can be either uke or seme (if that dynamic is in place). Although I recognize that in kink it is almost entirely a subs domain. Korea seems to really like a seme brat. Also worth noting, seme brats are usually paired with tsundere ukes. 

This is a fun character to watch but can push into annoying if the actor isn’t careful. Brats tease and make fun for the sake of it, specifically to get a rise out of their partners. But they aren’t malicious about it and they don’t have to be tsundere either. In fact, sometimes they are quite sunny (see Nampu in Top Secret Together). But if the push too much without showing weakness or affection, then they can come off as harsh and unsympathetic. 

There’s spoiled rich kid variants. 

There are overly emotional lost boys looking for someone to ground them. 

And there obtuse idiots who are dipping pigtails because they don’t realize they are in love. 

Thailand’s Brats! 

Okay so some of these are also other archetypes, but here we go!

Tine in 2gether 

Pete in the Kiss series

Fiat in Don’t Say No (bratiest of all brats) 

Tagmo in Great Men Academy 

Mark in Gen Y (but not really in season 2)  

Duen in My Engineer (serious linguistic brat)

Kao in Oxygen 

Pick in Puppy Honey (asshole varient) 

Na in Tonhon Chonlatee (sunglasses variant) 

Nampu in Top Secret Together (kitten variant) 

Win & Team in Until We Meet Again (the rare pairing of the brats) 

Nuea in Y Destiny (spoiled prince variant) 

San in You’re My Sky (seme is a puppy variant) 

Apparently in Thailand brats have a tensity to be a bit flash with their clothing and accessories, or lack there of. 

This is a difficult character to act and still have be sympathetic. The brat has to be a little bit broken or a little bit fragile or a little bit insecure. There has to be a need driving the brattiness, which is why I think a brat like Duen (My Engineer) doesn’t work where a brat like Kiyoi (My Beautiful Man) or Team (Until We Meet Again) does. All of these are tsundere uke characters, but Kiyoi and Team both clearly needs something desperately from their semes, where as Duen just seems to be bratty for the sake of it. 

A tsundere uke who is bratty out of obtuseness, willful ignorance, or idiocy (yes I am thinking about Tine in 2gether) is a harder one for me to take. And there are a few tsundere uke who might cross into brattiness now and then but if their core struggle is about identity and the seme is being his usual aggressive  self, I tend to give these ones a pass and not really think of them as brats (Jin in Nitiman, for example). 

The brat can also cross pollinate with the autonomous uke. Another favorite archetype of mine. 

This one came via request from @weekendatennuis​ who reminded me I hadn’t done brats yet!

The Hero’s Journey is a universal story structure that follows a protagonist through transformation—from the ordinary world into adventure, crisis, and back again, forever changed.

This narrative arc, also called the monomyth, was popularized by mythologist Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). It outlines a mythic structure found across cultures and time periods, from ancient epics like The Iliad and The Odyssey to modern blockbusters like The Lord of The Rings and Star Wars.

Found across global myths, religious texts, literature, and art, this cyclical structure reflects deep psychological and cultural truths—mirroring rites of passage, spiritual awakening, and personal growth. Its enduring resonance lies in its symbolic mapping of human experience: the call to transcend fear, confront inner and outer demons, and return with insight that heals or uplifts the community. By revealing shared patterns beneath diverse stories, the Hero’s Journey illuminates how cultures express meaning, morality, and the quest for identity.

📜🪶🏛️🏺⚔️🛡️

🌀 The 12 Stages of the Hero’s Journey

The Ordinary World – The hero’s normal life before the adventure begins. The Call to Adventure – A challenge or quest disrupts the status quo. Refusal of the Call – The hero hesitates or resists the journey. Meeting the Mentor – A guide provides wisdom, tools, or training. Crossing the First Threshold – The hero leaves the familiar world behind. Tests, Allies, and Enemies – Trials reveal who can be trusted. Approach to the Inmost Cave – The hero prepares for a major ordeal. The Ordeal – A life-or-death crisis that transforms the hero. Reward (Seizing the Sword) – The hero claims victory or insight. The Road Back – The hero begins the return journey. Resurrection Hero – A final test purifies and transforms the hero. Return with the Elixir – The hero brings back wisdom or power to share