Personally, I think shipping wars are among the least interesting media discussions that can happen, especially when they boil down to “who gets the girl” like she’s a piece of meat. This is why I don’t like love triangles.

Even in shows that have love triangles as a main theme, some viewers tend to blow it way out of proportion and twist the narrative of the show to fit their shipping justifications rather than looking at what the text itself is saying. They become blinded by their ships and have nothing of real interest to say about anything else, other than pitting the two love interests against each other (even when the text itself really isn’t!).

I should just steer-clear of recaps of shows involving love triangles, because the discussion always, always, always gets bogged down by the shipping wars, even in shows where romance is not the main theme (*cough* Answer Me 1988 *cough*), and for some reason people get particularly nasty about shipping, even on a website that tends to be pretty level-headed like Dramabeans.

I think the most “fun” shipping war on the site was You Who Forgot Poetry, because for the most part people didn’t take the shipping wars seriously and made it all something of a fun joke. But even those recap comments had their nasty moments, especially towards the end.

I feel like I need a gif so here’s the most legendary scene in YWFP.

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    Not even watching SU, but now you made me want to watch YWFP. Love a good seaweed slap! 🤣

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    The only drama I have watched in which a love triangle was the main theme was Jealousy Incarnate and it was so funny throughout that I didnt have any complaints. It’s my first time experiencing a shipping war and my god is it getting a bit nasty

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    “They become blinded by their ships and have nothing of real interest to say about anything else, other than pitting the two love interests against each other (even when the text itself really isn’t!).”

    You said it, Mindy! I don’t think there’s a war to be had here, other than folks fawning over one male actor, and desperately wanting him to get the female lead in any form. This is a non fight. Also I don’t think this show – Startup, i.e. – is set up as primarily a rom-com, so people are kind of also missing the point. It’s an underdog story, a story about finding self-esteem and self-worth, a story about real and found families… there’s so much more happening, and so much more to be appreciated! It’s frustrating to see it being reduced to something that it ought not to be.

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      You got it so right and to say it again
      “some viewers tend to blow it way out of proportion and twist the narrative of the show to fit their shipping justifications rather than looking at what the text itself is saying”

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    oh and I haven’t watched APAD – that seaweed slap is super!

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    I understand you as you’ve put your thoughts into words beautifully, but I think I might be one of the minority here that actually kinda enjoy the war -especially in the latest Start-Up thread. As long as I’m not really invested in it, it’s fun to look at some being so emotional about their preferred character.

    I think it kind of is an indicator that the show is THAT good – like it made people so invested in it and made them look a bit crazy. LoL. At least Kim Seon-ho got offered a lead role right away even during the filming of this one.

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    I loved this show

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    Thanks @mindy for going down APAD/YWFP memory lane. That is a great image that whole beach excursion was great. APAD’s shipping war was my first (of two so far) and like you said it was a lot of fun (for the most part). Iirc there might have been one ‘official’ intervention by recapper @saya to lower the heat lol. It is where I discovered the Island of Neutrality.
    The second shipping war I hung around a little was this year at ITAEWON CLASS. This one was more “who gets the guy” if you will. I think IC’s shipping war generated more heat than APAD’s. Just my opinion.

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    I’m just watching with a bemused expression. I’m seeing some good character analysis even if some of it is only focussed on the romance/s. I don’t think we’ll see another APAD style shipping war again.

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      APAD was 99% good-natured and I don’t even remember the other 1%! (Sometimes you have to let amnesia have its day lolll)

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    I can’t stand the love triangle trope. People get so invested in one love line, it makes it so difficult to discuss anything else.

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