gold nugget · 6d
When I started reading FNT I remember I "disliked" everyone (maybe except jeongin) and I was kinda of angry/frustraded in every chapter that I read because all of them were so flawed and it was really annoying. However, that exact reason made me want to keep reading because they were so flawed and so messy and so freacking human. Thats the beauty about FNT I think. You get angry at the characters and you almost want to strangle them yet you feel empathy because you can feel how human they are even though what most of them are showing is their bad side.
As time went by, you get to see them evolve and change, and slowly you start seing their qualities and the reasons they were/still are so flawed.
Yes, Minho is self-destructive and Chan and the pack can be/are pushy. And there's nothing we can do about it, thats who they are. They're also extremely caring and loving and emotional.
I think the reason people are so divided when they start reading FTN is because you are immediately presented with everyones bad side and they start chosing sides left and right according to who they think is less flawed than the other or who they feel more empathy towards.
In my case, I just didnt because really everybody pissed me off. But later I was able to see that maybe the reason that happened was because I saw parts of myself in all the characters. Bad parts. And I think thats partially why I "hated" them all at the begining. I was presented indirectly with my flaws and the way they could affect people. I remember when I realised it, it was kinda of a shock to me. But it also helped me to re-think my attitude and reflect on the way I acted sometimes. Then, seeing the characters qualities, reminded me that I also have them. Im a person after all right? Its not all bad. I love FTN to death because I really think it helped me become a better person.
I still am stubborn and pushy like Chan and the pack and at times self destructive like Minho. Thats who I am but I find that for a while I have been less of all of that. I have been aiming to maximize all my qualities and accept my flaws. Im definitely in a better place right now, thanks to you guys! (And of course, my own effort but without ftn it would take much more time for me to realize)
FTN is an amazing story that shows people being exactly that. People. And we all love it for that. So if youre reading for the first time I would advice not to pick sides because everyone in there will get better. We all do.
Thank you Breads! And everybody who took a bit of their time to read this hahaha.
Sending lots of love, as always
- Camila
(I really hope I was able to express myself correctly and that everyone was able to understand what I meant. English is not my first language and I know I can get confusing. If you have any questions, you can always ask and I will clarify myself! 🫶🏻)
Well, I can assure you that you've not been alone in being frustrated while reading FTN😅 It really can be a story that gets on your nerves because of the characters, but we agree, it's the beauty of FTN that everything and everyone is so messy all the time.
And I have to be honest here, some of the critiques some of the characters have gotten have been something we couldn't see or didn't know where stemmed from, but honestly, that's just great - we've just always encouraged people to speak kindly because there are people who relate deeply and personally to some of the characters and might get hurt if they feel like people are being too rough with their words. We're all human and flawed, just like the characters are and we all deserve some grace when it comes to critiquing traits that can be seen in real people too (btw this isn't directed at you, Camila, it's just something I wanted to add to the discussion).
FTN really is a story that needs patience because it has evolved into a character study and it's difficult to see the full picture without, well, having the full picture in front of you. The pack is pushy, yes, but there are reasons for it just like there's an explanation behind Minho's self-destructiveness, and some of those things are just part of who they are, and removing some of those aspects wouldn't remove parts of their identities which would just make them bland and flat characters. The important thing is that they care for and love not in spite of the hurt they've inflicted on each other but because of it.
And, like, wow it's a lot to know our fic is helping you, regardless of the capacity. As we always say, we're happy and over the moon with delight as long as our words bring some sort of comfort or happiness to your life. It's why we write and post, because we enjoy making people happy (or making them question a lot of things about themselves, but, hey, that's also part of the fun about writing. we didn't know we had some issues before Minho suddenly walked around with those problems and presented our weaknesses to everyone reading the fic😅 and don't even get me started on Chan's "gotta stay positive and keep everything inside even though the ship sinking with me on board" because I will cry)
Thank you for bringing your insight to the table, Camila, it's always great to hear from you💖 And don't worry, you were perfectly understandable and not confusing in any way. In fact, I think the confusing one here might be this bread🍞
