So I’m watching Flower Boy Ramen Shop right now and although it has funny moments I’m
not finding that I love it to the degree that others have.
Spoilers after the jump...
First, I wasn’t aware of the student teacher angle before I
started. My first reaction to a student
teacher relationship is that it’s
wrong. End of story. On reflection, I decided that Cha Chi-soo is
the one with power in this relationship so, in spite of Eun-bi’s age and
position as his teacher, Chi-soo can (and does) get her fired at any time due
to his unique position as the son of the school’s owner. Furthermore, they met before she started as a
student-teacher and her supposition that he is an adult around her own age sets
up a dynamic that is a little more understandable.
I think my squeamishness about the storyline comes from the
rash of scandals in recent years here in the United States of female teachers
targeting young boys for molestation. In
the U.S. we have an ongoing argument in regard to whether or not these boys are
victims or willing participants. Let me
make it clear that I come down firmly on the side of victim, due to the
inherent power imbalance of the student-teacher relationship.
However, I went to college with a number of education majors
and, at least at that time, the possibility that a student-teacher might have
to deal with attraction to a student was never remotely addressed by the
professors. When my friends went out
into their teaching internships, they dealt with this stuff on their own or
with the support of their friends.
Why is this an issue to be addressed? Well, one of my friends was a 21 year old teaching
intern and had 20 year old boys in her
classes. In the U.S. you can attend public
school until you are 21 years old. I
knew a guy in my high school who had a heart attack in gym class his sophomore
year and he was 20 when he finally graduated. Fail a couple of grades and you
can be the same age as your teacher. So
managing your own emotions and those of your students would be a pretty handy
skill to have.
Where I’m hoping the story is going is that Chi-soo and
Eun-bi learn something from each other and then move on in their lives, all the
better for having known each other and full of fond memories. They are at completely different times in
their lives. This show is going to have
to really sell me on them as an OTP (as
in, give Chi-soo a personality transplant) for me to buy them as a couple.
The other reason I have a problem with them as a couple was
the scene where Chi-soo and Eun-bi are fighting in the hallway at the school
and Chi-soo raises his hand to hit her.
Oh hell no. He was stopped by Kang-hyuk grabbing his arm, but the intent was there. Like I said, this kid will need a personality
transplant for me to get over him physically threatening
1. Anyone
2. His teacher
3. An adult
4. A much smaller woman.
And
I don’t care that she bounced a volleyball off his head, either.
For the first time I think I’ve contracted
Second Lead Syndrome.
If you have an opinion, let me know what you think in the comments...
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