#[our magic window]

[biffhofosho]

HAPPY MBB DAY

Celebrating yet another year with the Monstas and all my gorgeous, talented, funny, charming monbebe. <3

Here's a quick post of some of my fave pcs and pc holders to celebrate!

[spentflower]

1 year anniversary of my ynfg i guess..? i want to update this thing already :[

[creative-hanyou-girl]

If the PJO show gets renewed for future seasons, I really hope the audience doesn't give the child actors crap for being a little older than their characters in the show. I'm already seeing some people be like "they better film season 2 and 3 ASAP NOW!!!!" and like, I get that as fans you want the characters to still pass as certain ages, but its neither the child actors nor the PJO crew's fault if things get delayed a bit, especially when they haven't even been given the greenlight to film yet.

And another thing: I don't want the cast and crew to feel pressured by being on a deadline, whether its given by Disney themselves or by the audience pressuring them to start filming as soon as possible. Especially the child actors like Walker, Leah, and Aryan. We've seen on how deadlines can affect the overall quality or payoff of a piece of media with Frozen 2. But more importantly is the fact that the cast and crew have lives OUTSIDE of PJO and television that they deserve to experience. They are not machines who exist purely for us, the fans', own benefit. Especially the child actors.

I think it'd be great if we could get a season 2 or 3 renewed soon, but I also know that the PJO people can't do much until given the greenlight. Walker, Leah, and Aryan can't help that they are growing up. And again, putting deadlines on the cast and crew can really effect the quality of a season, as well as be very stressful on said cast and crew, especially the younger actors.

To put it short, be kind guys. If the show is renewed, be kind to the young actors and don't give them crap for being like, 1 or 2 years older than the characters they are portraying. They can't help the fact that they are growing up. And putting a deadline on them and the PJO staff would just add more stress on everyone involved and can effect the quality of the end result. Again, they've all got lives outside of PJO and TV too, and deserve to experience those lives without pressure from fans.

[anethara]

for the Kid Behaviors ask game: 4. Playing a speaker on the bus

joke's on you i'm taking this seriously. so, how about a song that makes me feel nostalgic:

I'm with You by Avril Lavigne

[figofswords]

princess tutu has got me feeling unwell in the brain right now

[thunderheadfred]

I'm fine I'm just really really pissed off at this guy

fuck you and your local meme billboard arms

[dels-bluevoid]

i really like this photo

[kittyeekcube]

soo i made a uquiz where we make a friendly exchange. u give me a little piece of yourself & i give you back a little playlist for u only<3 let me know what u got in the tags<3

[whumptober]

WHUMPTOBER 2024: PROMPTS LIST

Welcome to Whumptober 2024 — Seventh Time's a Charm!

Please make sure to read the Event Info and FAQ below carefully, as most of your questions will be answered there already. For everything else, you are welcome to come to our ask box or ask questions in our Discord server here.

This year’s AO3 Collection can be found here.

This year's playlist can be found here.

The 'Anatomy of a Whumptober Prompt' post can be found here.

And our 'Resources for Writing Sensitive Topics' post is here.

We’re very excited to see the community come together for another year of Whumptober! Go wild with the prompts, and support your fellow creators - we wish you all the fun!

Best of luck and happy whumping,

Mods Vanne, Yenn, Kitty and Surro

(Text versions of the prompts, as well as event information, rules and FAQ are posted below the cut!)

Whumptober 2024 Prompt List

No. 1: RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK

Search Party | Panic Attack | "If only we could hold on.” (Icysami x Renegaderr, Strangers.)

No. 2: TRUST ISSUES

Amusement Park | Role Reversal | “You got away with the crime while the knife's in my back.” (Charlotte Sands, Rollercoaster)

No. 3: SET UP FOR FAILURE

Fingerprints | Wrongfully Arrested | "I warned you."

No. 4: HALLUCINATIONS

Hypnosis | Sensory Deprivation | “You're still alive in my head.” (Billy Lockett, More)

No. 5: SUNBURN

Healing Salve | Heatstroke | "If my pain will stretch that far." (Lottery Winners, Burning House)

No. 6: NOT REALISING THEY'RE INJURED

Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms | Healed Wrong | "It's not my blood."

No. 7: ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES

Unconventional Weapon | Magic with a Cost | "It's us or them."

No. 8: SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Isolation Chamber | Forced to Stay Awake | "Leave the lights on." (Coldplay, Midnight)

No. 9: OBSESSION

Broken Window | Bruises | “Frame me up on the wall, just to keep me out of trouble.” (Fall Out Boy, Irresistible)

No. 10: BLOW TO THE HEAD

Slurred Words | Passing Out from Pain | "I can't think straight."

No. 11: SEEING DOUBLE

Convenience Store | Loneliness | “Leave no trace behind, like you don't even exist.” (Taylor Swift, Illicit Affairs)

No. 12: STARVATION

Underground Caverns | Cannibalism | "Just a little more."

No. 13: TEAM AS A FAMILY

Familial Curse | Multiple Whumpees | "Death will do us part." (Set It Off, Partner's In Crime)

No. 14: LEFT FOR DEAD

Hunting Gear | Blackmail | “Because I want you to know what it feels like to be haunted” (tiLLie, kooL aiD mAn)

No. 15: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

Painful Hug | Moment of Clarity | "I did good, right?"

No. 16: NECROSIS

Swamp | Wound Cleaning | "No, I can't feel anything."

No. 17: NOWHERE ELSE TO GO

Ruined Map | Shipwrecked | "We had a good run."

No. 18: REVENGE

Unreliable Narrator | Loss of Identity | “I see what's mine and take it.” (Panic! at the Disco, Emperor's New Clothes)

No. 19: BLOOD TRAIL

Abandoned Cabin | One Way Out | "Is there anybody alive out there?" (Bruce Springsteen, Radio Nowhere)

No. 20: EMOTIONAL ANGST

Shoulder to Cry On | Giving Permission to Die | "It's not your fault."

No. 21: BODY HORROR

Body Horror | Tattoo Gun | Spirit Possession | “Let the bedsheet soak up the tears.” (Apparat feat. Soap & Skin, Goodbye)

No. 22: BLEEDING THROUGH BANDAGES

Tourniquet | Reopening Wounds | "Oh that's not good."

No. 23: FORCED CHOICE

Public Display | Broken Pedestal | "I'm doing this for you."

No. 24: RADIATION POISONING

Collapsed Building | Equipment Failure | “I never knew daylight could be so violent.” (Florence + The Machine, No Light, No Light)

No. 25: SURGERY

Stitches | Being Monitored | "It's for your own good."

No. 26: NIGHTMARES

Breakfast Table | Parting Words of Regret | “I'm haunted by the lies that I have loved, the actions I have hated.” (Poe, Haunted)

No. 27: VOICELESS

Laboratory | Muzzled | “I have no mouth and I must scream.”

No. 28: DENIAL

CCTV | Exposure | "They caught me red handed."

No. 29: FATIGUE

Labyrinth | Burnout | "Who said you could rest?"

No. 30: RECOVERY

Hospital Bed | Holding Back Tears | "What have I done?"

No. 31: ASKING FOR HELP

Therapy | Making Amends | "I'm alive, I'm just not well." (Elliot Lee, Alive, Not Well.)

Alternatives List:

Body Swap

Communication Barrier

Finding Old Messages

Forgotten

Friendly Fire

Motion Sickness

No-Holds-Barred Beatdown

Regret

Secrets Revealed

Shivering

Survivor's Guilt

Time Loop

Used As Bait

Venom

Vermin

Event Info & Rules

WHUMPTOBER is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like. They are meant to serve as inspiration without being taken literally (e.g. you don’t have to include the exact wording of prompts into your work). Feel free to run rampant on interpretation. For example, if the prompt is “flame", you could create something with reference to a candle/campfire, your character could have suffered a burn, or the flame could be a reference to an ‘old flame’ - an old relationship. It’s truly down to you!

In total, there are 4 prompts for each day. These are optional suggestions and can be used in conjunction with the theme, or as options/alternatives.  We want to give everyone as much creative freedom as possible, as well as increase event accessibility for folks with triggers and squicks. There is also a list of 15 alternative prompts that can be subbed in for any day, again to give participants as much creative freedom as possible.

Creators can PRODUCE work in any media they choose, including but not limited to: writing, visual artwork, photo/video/audio edits, paper crafts and elaborate recommendation lists (not just a list of links). Creators can PARTICIPATE as much or as little as they want (i.e. you don’t have to do ALL the prompts if you don’t want to) and prompts can be used in any order. They are also free to use even after the event ends.

When uploading Whumptober content to your blog, be sure to tag it with:

#whumptober2024 …..(the event tag)

#no.1, #no.2, #no.3, …..(theme number)

#bruises, #stabbing, …..(the theme or specific prompt you chose)

#altprompt …..(if you use an altprompt, tag the post with the number of the prompt you replace)

#fandom or #OC, …..(ironman, original content, oc, etc.)

#medium …..(gifs, fic, podcast, art, etc.)

#teeth, #etc …..(trigger warnings & any additional tags. Keep in mind not to add “tw” in front but only use the word/trigger itself)

#nsfwhump …..(only for nsfw content)

#your own tags go here

PLEASE BE DILIGENT WITH YOUR TAGGING. Only properly tagged posts are considered for archiving on the official @whumptober-archive blog. They must be tagged in the order above. An elaborate post about our tagging system can be found [here]

Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of participants in recent years, we cannot guarantee your work will be archived. A random selection of properly tagged posts from all genres will be reblogged each day.

Whumpers who produce content for 31 total theme days are considered event completionists and will be tagged in a masterpost at the end of the month. A form will be published at the beginning of November asking you to tell us if you completed. This is based on trust and we will not check this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read this before you send an ask!

TIMELINE

July: Trope voting form released. Late August: Prompt list is released for at least four weeks of preparation time. Tropes cannot be posted earlier than August 25th because of Moderator obligations in real life. (But, you know, go ahead and start writing/drawing, and add the themes in later, if you want!) September: Do as much or as little on your works as you want. You can prepare everything in advance or let September go by with vibes and start working in October. It’s up to you. October 1st: Challenge begins! A storm of whump breaks upon us all! During this time, some posts will be reblogged to the whumptober archive blog. We open the yearly AO3 collection for posting (optional). November 1st: The challenge is officially over! Completionist form opens for those who want to be included in the hall-of-fame. Early November: We release completionist and participant badges, solicit feedback, and post a hall-of-fame list of completionists by the 10th.

PARTICIPATION AND COMPLETION

Q: What counts as participation? Create or continue at least one work inspired by one of this year’s prompts. Q: What counts as completion? Creating work(s) inspired by at least one prompt from each day (or alts), for a total of 31 unique prompts. Q: Do I need to create 31 works? No. You can, if you want. Or you can create one work that you add to every day with a new prompt. Or several works that combine prompts. You can also update an existing work by adding new material with the current prompts. Q: Do I need to post my works somewhere to be a completionist or a participant? No. Q: How do you know I actually completed the challenge? We’ll take your word for it! Q: Do I have to finish my work(s) to be a completionist? No, you can post WIPs. And you’re not obligated to finish them in October, but if you want it to count towards being a completionist, you must have completed 31 prompts by the end of the month. So for example, if you’re writing a long fic and you fit 31 different prompts into the writing you did in October, it’s okay if that fic isn’t finished by the time October ends, you’ll still be a completionist. Q: Is co-writing/illustrating allowed? Yes, absolutely, and it would count towards being a completionist for both/all of you. Q: Is there a min/max limit on word count for written works? No. Q: Is there a min/max limit of quality for art? No. Q: Do I have to do something each day to be a completionist? No. You can skip days whenever you want, and as long as 31 daily prompts (or alts) are in your works done in October, you can be a completionist. For example, if you wrote a 1000-word ficlet that covers prompts in days 2, 3, and 17, you can check all three days off your list even though it’s only one work. Q: Is this challenge just for fics? No! Artworks, GIFsets, headcannons, rec lists, poetry, moodboards, or any other creative work is encouraged. Q: Can I combine Whumptober with other creation challenges? Absolutely, as long as the other challenges allow it too.

PROMPTS

Q: How do the prompts work? There are FOUR prompts per day: a theme and three ideas. You can use one, two, three, or all four prompts for each day. If you don’t like any of the daily prompts, you can substitute one of the ALT prompts instead. Q: How strictly/literally should we interpret the prompts? As literally or as figuratively as you want. For example, if the theme is WATER, that could mean drowning, waterboarding, raining, swimming, take place underwater, be lost at sea, construct a metaphor about a character’s mood that changes like a flowing river, crying, or whatever else you can think of that fits that theme. Q: Can I combine prompts? Is there a limit on how many? No limit and combine as many as you’d like. If you create a work that checks off multiple prompts, that work will count for a fill of multiple prompts. You need to address 31 different prompts to be an official completionist, but you don’t have to produce 31 separate works.

WORKS

Q: What’s whump? Hurting a character, whether that’s physically, emotionally, intellectually, psychologically, or any other way you can think of. Comfort afterwards is optional. Angst is emotional whump, so it counts. Q: How do I know if it’s whumpy enough? If your character is just mildly inconvenienced, it probably needs more whump. However, no participant has to prove whumpiness to the mods. Whatever you write is up to you. Q: What kind of characters can I create for? Anything. Generic “whumpee,” OC, PC, NPC, major characters, minor characters, or whatever you want. There are no limits. Q: Does it have to take place in a specific fandom? No, you can create works for your own worlds or for fandoms or for both. You can also create more generic or pan-fandom works. You can do cross-overs or use OCs, whatever you want. Q: Can I create AI-created works? We will not reblog or promote any works we know to be generative AI-created. Q: Is there anything we’re not allowed to write? As long as it contains whump and is based on our prompts, it’s fine. Please courtesy tag your works if you post them so people who follow the #whumptober2024 tag can filter according to their preferences. Q: What about sex, minor characters, and potentially disturbing content? You can create whatever works are legal in your country and post them accordingly. Please courtesy tag anything you think might be objectionable if you post to Tumblr so people who follow the #whumptober2024 tag can filter according to their preferences.

POSTING

Q: Where can I post my work? Post where and how you want. You don’t even have to (cross)post it to Tumblr. Just keep in mind if it’s not on Tumblr we will not be able to add it to the blog archive. There is an AO3 archive for Whumptober 2024, as well as the parent collection for works completed outside of the event. Q: Can I start posting early? You can, but this is an October event and wouldn’t it be more fun with everyone doing it at the same time? We won’t be reblogging any work predating October 1st. Q: Can I post late? Yes. For the sake of our hardworking Post Fairies, only a day’s themes will be reblogged to @whumptober-archive each day of October. But you can post whenever. Some of us are still working on and posting Whumptober fics from years ago. Q: Do I have to use your tags? Only on Tumblr and only if you want us to reblog your work on @whumptober-archive. Q: How do I have my works reblogged to the archive? Properly tagged posts will be reblogged to @whumptober-archive. If you want the official archive blog to reblog you, post on Tumblr and tag correctly (see this FAQ link for more info on tagging). Please note not all posts will be reblogged each day. Q: Can we @ you? For questions and comments, of course. We’ll be getting a flood of notifications, so if you really want us to see something send an ask. Q: Can I cross post on other blogs? Yes, multiple platforms and blogs are perfectly acceptable, as long as they allow cross-posting (to us). You can also post different works to different accounts under different names, without posting them everywhere at once. If you post some works under your main and others under an alt blog, that’s fine for completionist purposes. Q: Can I upload/repost my Whumptober content to other social media platforms? Of course! We’ve created an AO3 Collection to archive any fics posted there, which can be found here. The blog is the official archive, so please respect the personal boundaries of any whumpers in your social circle (don’t out anyone as a participant who would prefer not to be outed).

Most importantly, have fun, create, and enjoy all the whump posted this October!

[x-h3kk3ning-x]

Sometimes I forget that there are people who have never experienced the magic of living in an urban area, and randomly getting visited by deer in your yard. It's. Magical.

[transsexula]

How my Google is looking rn:

🔍How to deal with neighbor being a creep

🔍How to stop neighbor from sitting outside bedroom window

🔍Peeping Tom laws for neighbors

🔍Neighbor only sits outside window when I'm having sex what to do

🔍Discouraging peeping toms

🔍Price of hoses

🔍Garden hose

🔍Garden hose cheap

🔍Airhorns

🔍Cheap airhorn

🔍World's loudest airhorn (cheap)

🔍blackout curtains

🔍Cat proof blackout curtains

🔍Cheap cat proof blackout curtains

🔍How to make sheets not look trashy in your window

🔍How to kill a man and get away with it

[shekiko]

1 Piece Owl Painted Window Hanging Sun Catchers Birds Sun Catchers Window Decor Home Decoration

[ineffable-opinions]

How should I reply to this after that awesome opening 「SALAAR サラール」 had in Japan? There would be lot more Prabhas doujin in Comiket after this movie. So much for reclusive Japan taste narrative...

I think AbsoluteBL's confused use of the terms BL and yaoi is very revealing.

Yaoi = [how AbsoluteBL (ABL from here on) uses it] synonym for older ボーイズ ラブ (boys love) manga.

            = [popular use in anglophone BL animanga fandom] BL manga with explicit content; as opposed to shonen ai.

            = [original meaning] mostly derivative works (there were original works too), which were mostly plot-what-plot type, that are self-published (doujinshi). I have italicized yaoi when conveying this meaning.

Boys Love (BL) = [how ABL uses it] newer BL.

            = [popular use in anglophone BL animanga fandom] (yaoi + shonen ai) umbrella term, referring to all BL content.

           = [original meaning] commercially published BL works.

Original Yaoi (BL doujin) is what Nekoyashiki produces and sells at the comic convention in Kabe Sa Doujin Sakka no Neko Yashiki-kun wa Shouninyokkyuu wo Kojiraseteiru (2022) which is based on a BL manga by, Minamoto Kazuki, a gay mangaka (artist).

source - This post has the direct link to all doujin and manga shown in the live action. They are all real and you can purchase them from DL site and other manga websites.

Here are two panels from What Did You Eat Yesterday dj - the live action was based on the seinen manga and does not include these yaoi scenes.

BL seems to be the most popular term among viewers of BL live-action. There isn't any yaoi – shonen ai type bifurcation between live-action content given the limits on what can be shown on screen.

Japan only has the term ‘boys love’ ‘BL’ for all commercially published BL. Meanwhile, anglophone BL animanga fandom uses the terms yaoi and shonen ai to classify works based on sexual content. Please mind that these terms are practically loan words (hence not italicized) with different meanings (so I have italicized yaoi and shonen-ai to convey this) their different usages in past and present Japan.

-

I want to quickly mention the Top 10 BLs Out of Japan post. The terminology issue is very prominent in it. ABL classifies Seven Days as a live action yaoi. Seven Days is not a yaoi. Anglophone audience would call it shonen ai since the original manga lacks sexual content. [The manga is way too overrated for fu-people (BL fandom) to mistake it as anything else at this point.] For the Japanese, it is a BL.

Takara-kun and Amagi-kun is also just a BL for the Japanese. It is not a yaoi. It is a shonen ai. But for ABL, it is BL because it belongs to “modernized version of the genre…”

ABL doesn’t stick to own definition, jumping onto yaoi again when referring to Minato’s Laundromat, purportedly a “modern take”. By anglophone categorization, this work is shonen ai - based on (lack of) sexual content. Arguably, the first actual yaoi on the top 10 list is Old Fashion Cupcake. But the adaptation self-censored all explicit sexual content from the manga. They hinted at seme's fixation with oral cavity irrumation (aka throat-fucking) with a thumb in uke's mouth.

My Beautiful Man season one showed fingers in mouth, to hint at the fellatio from the novel it was adapted from. Subsequent season/movie gave clear indication of sexual content but never very explicit.

Cherry Magic, Our Dining Table and Restart After Come Back Home are all adaptations of shonen ai. Life: Love on the Line didn’t adapt to screen any of the sexual content in the yaoi.

My Love Mix-Up! manga is not exactly a BL in publication. It is a shoujo romance with a BL in it. The live action adaptation, however, is marked as a BL and hence can be considered so. By anglophone categorization of BL, it can be considered shonen ai.

Wondering why sexual content is self-censored?

Why so many shonen ai live-action? (commodity fetishism)

BL “Censorship” & Commercialization

-

Now back to the post in discussion.

ABL: In yaoi there’s light (sweet, clean, bright, airy) vs dark (erotic, serious, gritty, rough).

There is no such bifurcation in yaoi, or in BL for that matter. Even the yaoi-shonen ai bifurcation doesn’t exist in Japan. [Moreover, what’s with those descriptors attached to “light”? It sounds like we are discussing architecture rather than media. What exactly is “airy” yaoi?]

As for narrative progressions, there are five identifiable ones:

あまあま – sweet

Characterised by smooth progression of ship’s romantic development. There would be no serious threat to the our ship's relationship. Happy ending is assured. Audience’s worldview (世界観) is never threatened. Main characters would be paragons of virtue or at least easily redeemable. It would ensure the most comfortable viewing experience. There are plenty of erotic works with sweet narrative progression, but not any live action.

e.g.: Cherry Magic, Old Fashion Cupcake, Seven Days

2. ユニーク – unique

All the themes discussed in the BL would be treated in a unique manner. It will defy all rules and expectations, but would not necessarily be completely unpredictable. Nothing is guaranteed. Most likely to threaten audiences’ worldview. It is the opposite of sweet BL in a way – opposite of comforting.

e.g.: One Room Angel, Sing in Love

Sing in Love (2022) – it is best to venture into this movie without knowing anything about it. I’ll only recommend it to people who are comfortable with all sorts of themes and treatments and don’t require any kind of content warnings. In case you are interested in watching but unsure about triggering content, feel free to message/ask me.

3. シリアス – serious

The mood as well as themes and their treatment would be serious. Audience’s worldview (世界観) would be threatened but won’t deviate too much. Main characters would be virtuous to an extend or redeemable. It would not necessarily be comforting.

e.g.: Takara-kun and Amagi-kun, No Touching At All

4. 邪道 – evil road (Jadō)

Audience’s worldview (世界観) will be threatened. Characters would do despicable things. Bad ending and meriba (merry bad) ending are the expected outcomes. It would not be comforting.

e.g.: Fujimi Orchestra, Sei no Gekiyaku

5. 王道 - royal road (odo)

Characterised by rough progression of ship’s romantic development with significant ups and downs. Audience would get a rollercoaster ride. There would be serious threats to the couple’s relationship. Happy ending is not assured. Characters may do despicable things. Audience’s worldview (世界観) can be threatened. It would be oddly comforting.

e.g.: Given, The Novelist

source

In the chart:

ほのぼの – heartwarming – Example: Restart After Come Back Home

コメディ – comedy – Cherry Magic

ダーク – dark – Sing in Love

シリアス – serious – Cornered Mouse Dream of Cheese

キュン – exciting (kyun) – Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss

ABL: Generally speaking, the shows that are very light very sweet and very bright, cartoony, with lots of slapstick elements will have little to no sexual contact at all: so Cherry, Mix Up, Ossan, Same Difference, Mr Unlucky, Our Dining Table to fall into this category.

ABL’s assessment of why there is no intimacy between the main couple in certain BL is a misattribution. Most of the works used here as example are either shonen ai or self-censored adaptation. Such self-censorship is driven by commercial motivations. Ossan's Love 2016 had a kiss and a seduction scene, not to mention a harem set-up.

There are plenty of BL that are erotic comedies – which can be considered ‘very light very sweet and very bright, cartoony, with lots of slapstick elements’ – such as Dick Fight Island, Yarichin Bitch Club, Hangout Crisis, and Kimi Ni Koisuru High Heels. Live action adaptation of Cosmetic Playlover could go there but after self-censored adaptations of 25 Ji, Akasaka de, and Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka, I don’t really have any hope.

There are plenty of live action BL that are the opposite of bright and sunny and lack intimacy between the main couple - Kei×Yaku: Abunai Aibou andThe Night Beyond the Tricornered Window. This again is due thanks to self-censorship as an adaptational decision, driven by commercial motivations.

Also “light BL” owes more to yaoi (doujin BL) than to its predecessor shonen-ai (early BL that was published as a shoujo sub-genre; not to be confused with the English loan word "shonen ai"). First ever live action BL was adaptation (Summer Vacation 1999 released in 1988) of the shonen-ai The Heart of Thomas by Hagio Moto and it was very “dark” by ABL’s standard. Moreover, ABL seems to be unaware of both this movie and how sexually explicit some of those shonen-ai manga were.

Also, use of terminology such as “uke” which originated years later, during yaoi boom, when discussing shonen-ai is anachronic. Of course, uke-like androphilic male representation is really old (see this post on customary male androphilia in Japan) but shonen-ai was working with very different takes on gender(s).

A foursome scene from the shonen-ai Zankoku Na Kami Ga Shihai Suru by Hagio Moto

Risqué is Risky

Wide marketing usually involves cutting down on sexual content. It ensures run even in conservative medium, exemplified by the success of What Did You Eat Yesterday manga that was serialized in the magazine for middle-aged men called Morning.

A lot of live action BL, that are not comedies, have been directors’ passion projects – reading manga and deciding to adapt them. There are no lanes in Japan for BL. Directors have been trailblazers. This is bound to continue into the future.

Some notable directors:

Yôka Kusano (草野陽花) - Bokura no Ai no Kanade, Forbidden Love, BL: Boku no Kareshi wo Shokai Shimasu

Satoshi Kaneda (金田敬さん) - Ai no Kotodama (2008), Junjou (2010), Fujimi Orchestra (2012)

Miki Koichiro (三木康一郎) - The Novelist, Given, Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko

Yukisada Isao - The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese (2020)

Some notable screenplay writers:

Takahashi Natsuko - No Touching At All, Seven Days, Silhouette of Your Voice, Does the Flower Bloom?

Kanasugi Hiroko - Takumi-kun Series 1-5 +  Our Kogen Hotel (2013) [no Thailand didn’t invent branded pair], Sukitomo (2007), Udagawachou de Matteteyo, Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai!, Cosmetic Playlover

That being said Dangerous Drugs of Sex (2020) was the first “hard” BL film in Japan. I would be disingenuous to argue that it was Japan sticking to its lanes. It was a whole new sub-genre of live action BL – there has been plenty of anime adaptations of ero-BL but that was the first live action adaptation. It was also a new thing in Japan’s queer media landscape. The mindset of the cast and crew is remarkable, including the MC, Ishiguro from Future comics.

Risqué can be rewarding too.

Dangerous Drugs of Sex was a blockbuster, enjoying long run in theatres and ranking number 1 in Netflix Japan. It stayed true to the explicitness of content and pushed the boundaries enough to bring about convergence between gay pinku cinema and BL.

OP Pictures’ entry into BL genre, The Shortest Distance Is Round movie series, has also been successful. Their new movie Heavens x Candy (2024) is now showing in theatres in Japan. Interestingly, this one is 15+ and not 18+ like their previous franchise – clearly aiming for wider demographics and opportunities to promote. OP’s entry into BL making is internally fu-culture (BL fan culture) driven, mediated by BL fan and AV actor Kasai Ami.

There are many super popular themes and settings, other than ero-comedy, that BL live action is yet to touch - yakuza (with the exception of Double Mints), historical, beast-man, fetish, etc. Live action BL will probably grow more accommodative in the future.

And to counter the wild claim that Japan doesn’t care about markets outside itself:

Here are some popular Thai BL actors promoting Japanese BL Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (2023).

While I understand where ABL’s obsession with Japanese exceptionalism comes from, it is particularly duplicitous and disingenuous when imposed to BL since it is driven by ever-present moe (affect) and transnational fu-culture. Also, it is China and Korea, and not Japan that has produced some of the lewdest and goriest BL.

-

As always I welcome all corrections, critiques and comments.

Hi fave bl encyclopedia ❤️

So my question is about Japanese bl, like I don’t understand it! Please help 😭

So I know japan is like the motherland of yaoi and they pretty much started it all, and they make some pretty graphic and explicit bls ( which is not my cup of tea tbh), but then they also have shows like cherry magic and keita and the most recent KEI X YAKU (I am watching this one rn, and I actually like it so very much) but for the life of me I can’t figure out why these shows are made with zero intimacy between the main couple, not even a simple innocent kiss?!

are these shows considered more mainstream? Are the yaoi only allowed in fandom space? And not in mainstream media?

Just why are these shows made the way they are?

Don’t get me wrong CM and KH are two of my absolute favorite bls of all times, but I still don’t get just… WHY?

Hi! 

The Weeds of Japanese BL 

So I am going to go off of this blog post on the history of Japanese BL and yaoi and only bother to repeat myself if strictly necessary. 

Top 10 BLs Out of Japan - top 10 plus history of BL (part 1 in the series on the history of BL)

Otherwise there would be a lot of rehash. 

So my question is about Japanese bl, like I don’t understand it. Please help! 

So have you read the above post? Because if you haven’t reading that will at least give you some kind of foundation for your understandable confusion.

But part of most people’s misunderstanding over Japanese BL actually has to do with the nature of Japanese cinema. 

Here’s the thing, the Japanese have a very specific taste to their cinema. They have a style and lens that they stick to and (with a few noted exceptions) they pretty much haven’t deviated since the 1950s.

In film style there’s atmospheric (cinematic and sweeping, think Kurosawa) vs live action manga (think cartoonish + sound effects, stylized framing and staging techniques meets slapstick). 

In yaoi there’s light (sweet, clean, bright, airy) vs dark (erotic, serious, gritty, rough). 

In the sexual sphere there's prudish & chaste vs kinky & explicit. 

Everything seems to be bifurcated in Japan. Now, on a very few occasions they can tread the line between the lanes, and borrow bits and pieces from different approaches, but most of the time they stick to those lanes pretty cleanly. 

I can’t figure out why these shows are made with zero intimacy between the main couple, not even a simple innocent kiss

Generally speaking, the shows that are very light very sweet and very bright, cartoony, with lots of slapstick elements will have little to no sexual contact at all: so Cherry, Mix Up, Ossan, Same Difference, Mr Unlucky, Our Dining Table to fall into this category.

They'll owe a lot more to Shōnen-ai (which is turn has a lot to do with Bildungsroman) which means it's more gentle and tends to be a journey of self discovery for the uke - undertaken by younger characters (or younger acting/seeming innocents), and thus (like YA) much less sexualized.

(I am not going to comment on KEI X YAKU since I didn’t watch it because it appears to be a bromance.) 

are these shows considered more mainstream? 

Sort of, it’s more that they’re just considered a different category. Like how USA draws a distinction between the amount of sexual content that is allowed in a sitcom versus a soap opera. Similar kinds of topics, frameworks, filming style, and target demographics dealt with, but expectations around nudity and sexuality are way different. Different air times and lengths too. 

This doesn’t seem weird to me because I grew up with soaps vs sitcoms. But if I step outside of my upbringing, it’s odd right? The nature of the sexual content is so different, but they’re mostly both family dramas with a ton of romance. And then the “late night” (read sitcom timeslot) soaps came along kinda blending the two. Ah... the 90s. 

Where was I? 

Okay so, why are they different? Because Japan thinks of them differently. 

Another thing to know about the Japanese film industry? 

They take little to no interest in or guidance/feedback from the international market. They do not care. Their attitude, when something like Cherry Magic does well outside of Japan is... oh do the internationals like that one? How quaint. That’s special. Should we consider... distribution? A second season? *yawn* how tiresome.

Which is why a JBL will drop locally, get mad pirating and illegal subs and such, and then about half way through suddenly show up on a distribution platform like Viki or GaGa pretending it has always been there.

Can you sense my frustration? This is why backlist is so hard to get hold of too. But it KEEPS happening. 

Like Japan just forgets about us.

Which is probubly because THEY DO. 

Japan cares about their own internal market interest and style way way WAY more than any other BL producing country. (I would argue including Mainland China.) 

Japan respects Japan’s taste.  

PERIOD. 

End of discussion. 

Look at the HAIR.

I rest my case. 

When I talk about the fact that Japan has an unchangingly firm point of view? This is what I mean. 

Set your expectations based on what Japan has done in the past, because that is what they will do in the future.

You will never be disappointed. They will hold steadfast to their traditions, the good, the slapstick, and the kinky. 

Are the yaoi only allowed in fandom space? 

Cherry Magic I would call both mainstream, popular, and live action yaoi. 

Plenty of yaoi of this type (and back in the day) has very little on page kissing (or anything else for that matter), either. There is a whole sub-genre of sweet, or even clean, yaoi. Which is not to say it didn’t piss me off that they couldn’t actually kiss in Cherry Magic. Especial with that elevator fake out and the dead fish kiss from the side dishes. Very disappointing. 

Might be expense involved. Talent ain’t cheep in Japan, might be too costly to have them kiss. 

Or they just being coy teases about it. 

Basically they brats, and we in a non-con kink relationship where they promise but never deliver kisses in some kind of weird passive aggressive D/s dynamic. Also, VERY Japanese.  

Oh shit, my dating trauma is showing. 

Ignore that last bit. 

Just why are these shows made the way they are? Don’t get me wrong CM and KH are two of my absolute favorite bls of all times, but I still don’t get just… WHY? 

I know it is super frustrating. I would like it if they just put at least one kiss in there too. 

Here’s the thing: I happen to like Japan’s lanes, even as I am frustrated by them. Because when they do it well, they are square root of it all. 

Get it???

SQUARE root? 

Because, ya know, no kisses = so square. 

Okay I’m pushing it. 

But also the other lane gives us kisses = great = MURDER DEATH MUTILATION!!!! 

Oh, Japan. 

Here’s some interesting stats on Japanese ‘s BL (or more properly LAY - live action yaoi) for you: 

As of early 2022, there’s still only about 55 of them. 

High heat erotic LAY & pinks: 21 

Light cheerful LAY in which there is little to no kissing, or it’s very dead fishy: 21 

LAY that managed to be very yaoi but actually strike a balance between the two: 12 (and I include all the Takumi-kuns in here and they seriously might not qualify because... Takumi) 

I just did the count for this post and it’s wild how even the split was. 

(I’m missing some and not all are really BL, but with a sample of only 50+ it’s not really statistically viable anyway). 

If you want to really understand how Japan adapts yaoi you should delve into Love Stage!!: 

Read the yaoi manga 

Watch the anime 

Watch the Japanese live action adaptation 

Watch Thai BL adaptation

It’s a pretty informative experience. Tells you a lot about Japan’s relationship to the industry and genre that they started and how yaoi is treated differently in the different mediums. 

But honestly, the answer to your question is gonna really frustrate you. 

This is all just Japan being Japan, and it’s the way they approach BL. Because it’s the way Japan approaches cinema. 

Because, in the end, even if we call it BL, Japan is always going to do LAY, and that is kind of its own creature. The starter to the sour dough, not the bread that results. 

Because Japan is always going to pick their lanes and stick to 'em. 

Having said that, here’s some LAY that actually manages to have all of the things we expect from BL including kisses! 

Seven Days  

Given 

Life: Love on the Line

Restart After Come Back Home AKA Risutato wa tadaima no ato de

Utsukushii Kare AKA My Beautiful Man

That last one is absolutely amazing. See me lose my tiny mind over it and how it manages to be SO yaoi and SO Japanese and SO WONDERFUL despite everything. Or perhaps BECAUSE of everything. 

Utsukushii Kare is a BL that actually no other country could make. It’s PURE uncut Japanese live action yaoi and it’s AMAZING partly because of that. 

Mr. Unlucky (AKA Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai!) is an interesting test. 

I, and many other aficionados of LAY, expect it to have no kissing. But it’s already odd in that it got its distribution sorted before it started airing. Like a goddamn adult. This is confusingly un-Japanese of it.  

If Japan produces this as a slapstick comedy, in the vein of Kieta Hatsukoi (AKA My Love Mix Up), but it actually has decent kiss like Utsukushii Kare? It means Japan, whether it likes it or not, is finally being influenced by the popularity of Korean & Thai BL. 

But if it doesn’t give good kiss, it means they are still sticking to their established traditions. 

And this being Japan, my money is on the later. 

Let’s see how much crow I eat in a month.

More on Japanese cinema here.

(source)

[theglamorousferal]

Immortal Everlasting Trio who have been exploring the Infinite Realms for the last few centuries. The three of them are flying, braiding their paths as they make their way through the Realms.

“How do you think Ellie is doing in her current incarnation?” Nightshade asks of her partners,

“Hmm probably well, she was exploring the galaxy this time right? I could always check?” Pharaoh responds, a keyboard made of sandstone appears at his fingertips.

“She feels content.” Said Phantom, soothing the worries of the other two. The stars that are freckles on his face brighten with the comment.

They swirl around each other in lazy patterns, unknowing of the passage of time, when Phantom feels a tug at his core. The trio circle up, his partners noticing the shift in mood.

“I don’t recognize this one.” He mutters to himself, placing a hand on the center of his chest. “It’s none of the family, but it is a bit familiar.” He furrowed his brow, trying to trace the sensation to its source. He closed his eyes and felt the pull of magic. “It doesn’t feel malicious, there’s desperation and curiosity for sure, but I feel no ill intent.” He thought for a moment. “I’m going to follow it. I want to know why this feels familiar”

Nightshade formed a purple bloom and tucked it behind one of his ears and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Be safe.”

Pharaoh gently took his hand and kissed it, bestowing a glass bangle to his wrist. “Don’t make stupid decisions,” he smirked, “without us.”

Phantom laughed and in a flash of bright white light he was gone.

* * *

With a flash of light so bright it temporarily blinded, Phantom appeared in a summoning circle. The room he now occupied was large, a massive sofa made up a good portion of the room and there was a kitchen off to the side. Turning around, there was a large screen with even larger windows behind it. He turned back and now saw the people in the room.

One was green with a unitard on, one was sitting criss cross in front of some candles, a book and a small cauldron, one was floating and had a mass of bright pink hair, one was a cyborg of some kind and stood at the ready with a cannon for an arm and the last was shielding his eyes with a black cape.

“Who summons me?” Phantom asked in a far quieter tone than the teens apparently expected.

The one who appeared to have done the ritual stood and spoke first. “Mighty Phantom, we seek your assistance in dealing with a massive threat to our world. The demon Trigon looks to the Earth as his next conquest.” They took a breath and looked down. “He intends to use my power to do it, and I do not have the strength to stop him.”

Phantom settled his feet on the ground and placed a hand on their shoulder. “Peace young one. Why don’t we start with introductions? As you know, I am Phantom, he/him, now who has managed to summon me?”

“I am Raven, she/her, the rest here are my team the Teen Titans.” She turned to her team, they all seemed shocked. “I apologize for them, usually they take things in stride a lot easier. This is Beast Boy, he/him, Starfire she/her, Cyborg, he/him, and Robin, he/him.”

“Hmm, may I see the text you used to summon me?” He gestured to the book on the floor. “I was not aware of anything that could summon me in this realm. It is familiar to me though, I can’t place why.”

Raven raised the book into his hand. He leafed through it humming to himself before stopping on a photo of a note that looked familiar. He smiled to himself, remembering the time a century ago to him that himself and his partners helped a small civilization and they left a way for the leader to contact them if they needed help. He skimmed the next few paragraphs and then laughed and closed the book.

“I’ll help. In fact, my partners and I will help. It’s been a long while since we were in a mortal realm. I will return in a week’s time your time to discuss what we need to do. This will work to summon us if we forget or if your danger arrives early.” He magicked a paper with a seal on it and handed it to her. “I must discuss with my partners and will do research on this Trigon. Thank you for calling us, we’ve been aimless for too many decades. Have a good night.” He vanished in another flash of light.

* * *

Phantom appeared in a flash of light cackling as he tumbled across the chess board his partners were playing on, scattering the flowers and sandstone pieces across the green sky.

“Beloved you know not to do that,” Nightshade gathered the giggling king into her lap, Pharaoh moving to lean against her shoulder and push the hair from the eyes of Phantom, “but what has you laughing so?”

Phantom mimed wiping a tear from his eye. “Remember that civilization we helped out a century ago? Well apparently a few hundred years have passed in that world and the people we helped revered us as gods. A sorceress summoned us for help defeating a demon. They were so cute, little teenage heroes like we once were.” He sighed and settled into the arms of his lovers. “Have either of you heard of Trigon?”

[harvestmoss]

 💫 Why Protection Magic Is Useful (even if you have no enemies)

A lot of witches will tell new witches (baby witches) that they should start by learning and using protection magic. However, I've started to see a lot of witches say that protection magic is not as important as other witches claim it to be. Saying that they don't have anyone coming after them or an enemy in real life to warrant a spell of protection.

I think this may also be due to how I've not personally come across anyone really explaining why a witch may want to use protection magic all the time.

Now, it is true that there's no need to be paranoid all the time and have protection up 24/7. But here's a list where you may use it, find it useful, or haven't thought protection magic could be included.

An actual person -- This one is obvious, you have an enemy in real life or on the internet and you need protection magic to protect you from their curses.

A malevolant spirit -- They can come from your windows, mirrors (including tv screens, computer screens, and other reflective surfaces maybe), they seep through floor cracks, hanging onto your coats from outside, etc. Just like how you'd use garden gloves to avoid dirt up your nails being trapped there. Protection magic is just like putting on those gloves.

An energy -- Say you have a neighbour who's arguing with someone. They're yelling and screaming and it can be heard through the apartment walls. That negative energy is seeping into your home and your energy. So it may be worth protecting your home and energy from that sour neighbour's energy. (ever been scolded by your mother and your mood is sour? it's kind of like the same here.)

Your own spell -- Now a self-love spell is probably not something you should protect yourself from. But let's say you're doing a curse. It would be a smart idea to make sure you're protected before beginning such a spell. Much like how you'd wear an apron to protect your clothes from stains when cooking food. You may not always spill your food when cooking, but damn it is it annoying when you do and the stain won't wash off. It's the same with a spell.

Unintentionally -- Sometimes things can happen that's out of our control and it's a good idea to be a little prepared. A black cat suddenly running across the street? Bad luck. Someone got jealous when you told them something good? Evil Eye. Think of it as going to the store with an extra bag for your groceries. You may not need it, but isn't it handy when you at one point do need it?

Protection magic doesn't have to be elaborate or grand or be convoluted. Protection magic is powerful but also extremely simple. All you need is a horseshoe above the door, a little talisman in your pocket, a sigil for your car, etc.

So don't dismiss the importance of protection magic. It may help to improve your spellwork and your energy.

[hrrtshape]

✶ THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU’RE DOUBTING SHIFTING.

𖥻  SPACE. just.. HELLO ?? we are literally a speck of dust in a ginormous cosmic playground that we can’t even fully explore because we’re too busy figuring out if cats can vibe to beethoven or if that godforsaken dress is white or blue. you think THIS is the only reality? somewhere out there, there’s a planet where the sky is pink, dogs talk, and you’re riding unicorns. shifting is NOT a crazy concept.

𖥻 DINOSAURS. THEY. WERE. REAL. like actual dragons without wings, stomping around, acting like they owned the place. if THAT can exist, why not shifting ? you think the universe peaked at “giant chickens with teeth”? no way. reality is way too wild for limits.

𖥻 DÉJÀ VU. EXPLAIN IT WITHOUT THE MULTIVERSE. I DARE YOU. why do we randomly feel like we’ve been here before, done this before, or even said this before? because we HAVE. somewhere, somewhen, sometime. you’re already living proof of infinite realities brushing shoulders.

𖥻 QUANTUM PHYSICS (4 da nerdies). scientists out here with their schrödinger’s cats and double-slit experiments proving that reality isn’t fixed. it’s ALL probabilities until you observe it.

𖥻 YOU'RE HUMAN. our brains are INSANE. dreams? lucid dreams? daydreaming? thinking of a time and feeling like you just tasted it? if your brain can already do ALL THAT, shifting is just another level. literally just....closing your eyes and opening them in another place.

𖥻 YOU'RE ALREADY DOING IT. every time you daydream or even think “what if,” you’re stepping closer to a version of yourself in another reality. you're peeking through the multiverse’s window. shifting is just diving in instead of peeking.

𖥻 YOUR DESIRES EXIST. if you can imagine it, it exists somewhere. that’s not wishful thinking; that’s logic. where do ideas come from if not from infinite possibilities? you’re not just dreaming—you’re remembering. nothing goes by you without a purpose. if it found you, it was supposed to !!!!!!!

𖥻 THE MANDELA EFFECT. remember when pikachu definitely had a black tail tip, or when the berenstain bears were called the berenSTEIN bears? reality’s already glitchy as fuck. shifting? just another glitch—but YOU’RE IN CONTROL.

𖥻 FAIRYTALES HAD TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE. you think someone just WOKE UP and said, “dragons, magic castles, enchanted forests!” no. no. no. those stories? they’re just whispers from realities where that’s NORMAL. you’re not making it up—you’re tuning in. experiencing it. liviiiiiiiing it.

𖥻 TIME IS FAKE. i said it. not to get too conspiratorial on my tumblr blog, but what even IS time? a straight line? a wibbly-wobbly thingy? we made clocks, but the universe? the universe is, like, “what is a ‘tuesday’?” shifting doesn’t care about time; it’s above all that silly nonsense. and so are you.

𖥻 PARALLEL UNIVERSE ARE A THING ('n' SCIENCE effing SAID SO). quantum mechanics already told us there’s an infinite number of realities where every possibility plays out. in one of them, you’re already living your best life. shifting is just YOU popping in to say hi to THAT version of you.

𖥻 REALITY IS (lowkey) BORING WITHOUT BELIEF. why settle for “this is it. this is my life. a 9-5 job. a life which i barely live out” when the multiverse is basically screaming, “come explore!!” ? you’re a creator. you’re a wanderer.

𖥻 "I FEEL IT" IS ENOUGH. don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. if you can close your eyes and feel that DR, the love, the magic, the LIFE—you’re already there. the multiverse doesn’t need proof; it needs belief. so don't let idiots with half a brain on tik tok tell you that you're wrong, when you're so, so, so, so, SOOOO close to BEING THERE and living your best life.

𖥻 finally, LITERALLY, WHY NOT ?  life’s already bananas. people thought flying was impossible, and now we’re out here booking ryanair flights to halfway across the world. people said sex with robots isn't true, and kim k is already siting on a robot's lap. people said the government cannot be stupid, and elon musk is already part of it. shifting is just the next “impossible” (and not to be cheeky...but the word literally has 'i'm possible' in it) thing that YOU are proving possible.

so. girl. dude. diva. bro. go shift.

part two of my series: DIVING INTO THE CONCEPT OF THE SOUL.

part three: MINDSETS.