Cho-min

"I think, these friends of mine may kill me."

- Cho-min, in his diary

Lee Cho-min is a beautiful young man that goes missing one day, prompting local cops to open a missing persons case that becomes a murder investigation after three days pass without word from him. Every single clue points to his disloyal, backstabbing best friends as the likely killers. Case closed, just about.

You couldn’t ask for a clearer portrait of the K-Pop idol than Cho-min. He’s funny, smart, has a great personality, and in the appearance department, he’s a total number-one stunner. Oh, and did we mention that he was the inspiration for the popular (fictional) children’s book series, Amazing Cho-min? That's right, when it comes to finding your dream boy, Cho-min fits the bill.

Cho-min is the epitome of privilege: he’s stuck-up and elitist and completely out of touch. What is relatable about him is his emotional response to his friend and his relationship: the fairy-tale romance that quickly devolved into a toxic relationship via money troubles and family problems; the lying, cheating, emotionally distant friend who “took and took from [him] until there was nothing left.” Again, this is not a universal experience, but the way that it all made him feel is something that a lot of people can relate to -- that resentment and anger that festers in a dysfunctional friendship and that eventually, inevitably boils over.

Cho-min is almost a sociopath. However, coupled with his intelligence, it makes him extremely dangerous. He is able to lie, blackmail, manipulate, control and murder without shame or remorse. In his goal to achieve what he wants, being “Amazing Cho-min”, he even gets himself physically assaulted just to keep BTS on a leash. Cho-min is a young man, trained throughout his life to appeal to people as “Amazing Cho-min” and as the movie concludes, that is exactly what we see he become.

Physical Appearance
Cho-min deceptively has a youthful appearance. He is 20 in actuality, so it’s not hard to believe that he looks young, but he in fact looks quite a bit younger than he’s supposed to. He puts this down to his delicate features, good complexion and childish hairstyle, but the reason for this is unknown. He looks more like a 17-year-old than his real age, which gives him the appearance of someone who is innocent and, in some ways, adorable. It suits his personality well, he thinks, which only works to enhance this. With his height being considered somewhat shorter than the average man, what he lacks in the height department he more than makes-up in the beauty department as he has always been considered rather "gorgeous" and "beautiful." The first thing that captures his peers’ hearts and gazes was the alluring stare of his almond-shaped eyes. They’re a milk-chocolate color with speaks of a deeper, darker brown around the pupil, and in most lighting they almost look like they’re sparkling. They’re framed by long black lashes, long enough to cause much jealousy from the fairer sex. Although, in terms of muscles, Cho-min has none, he is able to distract from this point with his facial features.

Throughout these three distinct periods of Cho-min’s life in the show, the way in which fashion and Cho-min’s personal construction of his image take place show how fashion works to assemble a person’s identity and the ways in which fashion can have great implications for an individual as well as for those around him. When we are first introduced to Cho-min, he uses his clothes and fashion to speak for him as well as to reflect how he wants to be seen by others. In complete contrast to this idealized image, while in hiding, Cho-min constructs his image as frumpy and undesirable. Tired of constantly being noticed and scrutinized by everyone in his life, Cho-min decides to gain weight, have pimples and acne, and wear loose and unflattering clothing so that he is no longer analyzed and examined as the masculine ideal. In the final portion of the season, Cho-min reconstructs his original image of desirability and attractiveness. Throughout the season, Cho-min uses fashion and individual style to construct distinct images and personas, which work as means for him to achieve his personal goals, including the seeking out of a romantic relationship and an attempt to go unnoticed. Moreover, Cho-min’s use of personal adornment and the deliberate construction of his image demonstrate that fashion can be used to achieve many different objectives, and that clothes are able to speak varying messages based upon the context in which they are placed.

Personality and Traits
Soft-spoken, serene and polite, Cho-min’s usual demeanor suits his effeminate appearance perfectly. Always willing to put others before himself, both in terms of well-being and social standing. He carries himself with an air of amicable temperance, politely conversing with the people he encounters and freely giving his meager services to those who need a hand. Cho-min naturally can turn on the charm like a switch, and there are very few people who have not melted at least a little bit when he flashes a smile and praises someone -- especially since the praise is always about something sincere, even if very small.

Cho-min fits the criteria for being a sociopath extremely well but generally shows indications of other issues. He’s very confident in himself, and for the most part has the skills to back it up, but he does overestimate himself at times -- and underestimate others. He’s an absolute perfectionist and insists on being seen as flawless at all times, freaking out if anyone sees him as any less, he plans things far in advance, he is obsessed with proving how smart he is at every opportunity, reacts to minor slights and inconveniences with extreme anger and wrath.

Cho-min’s fatal flaw is his ego. He can't comprehend anyone being even as smart as him, and usually assumes everyone is much stupider. He is always eager to be the smartest, most accomplished, best person wherever he goes, and strives to make others jealous. Cho-min is absolutely convinced that he knows what’s best for people and sees no issue in forcing them to change their behavior to suit him. And god help you if you happen to disagree with him. He seems genuinely unable to understand the concept of unconditional love, being offended that such a thing was expected of him in a relationship. Cho-min is also unable to grasp empathy as he has none of it himself, though he’s capable of making people feel sorry for him whenever he wants.

A handsome and charming face, so innocent and loving that, throughout the investigation of his disappearance, Cho-min is constantly valued so highly for his refined, classical beauty. He toys cleverly with the other characters’ expectations based on his outward appearance that he immediately has the upper-hand in all situations. Cho-min knows this is the best card he can play because his boyish good-looks is refined. No-one ever lets him forget that he’s attractive.

Comes with the territory of being a narcissistic psychopath; Cho-min is incapable of accepting blame, or even seeing himself as in the wrong. Most notably, he thinks all his actions in framing BTS are totally justified and any trouble his scheme lead to is on the stupidity of others, not his own actions. He also never even considers that he might possibly be even partially to blame for the friendship breaking down.

Downplayed in that Cho-min’s excuse for being the way he is, was already exhibiting some sociopathic traits in his early childhood. His parents really didn't do him mental well-being any favors growing up and their behavior undeniably played a huge part in why Cho-min is so messed-up now.

Pilot
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