#(HI I HAVE QUESTIONS @ TOEI)

[shannonsketches]

last one I promise just always mad at toei/funi for always making them so constantly contentious when they're consistently not that they're literally just having an urgent conversation

[koushirouizumi]

{G.G.!Digital World}

cap by @koushirouizumi (PLEASE ASK To Use)

[jojotichakorn]

so, in the midst of me constantly thinking about and analysing phum, i didn't write that much meta on peem or really think about his reasoning too much. for a long while, i dismissed his slightly erratic behaviour as a response to phumpeem's initial meeting and how their relationship has been set up because of it, but this episode solidified the fact that that's not it.

instead, for whatever reason, peem is insecure.

the most damning piece of evidence for this, i think, does not involve phum at all (and that is exactly the reason why it's such good evidence). though the majority of this post will still be about phumpeem lmao.

so, when peem claims that there is nothing going on between him and phum, kluen says that means he still has a chance, which gives us this confused face:

nothing in the world could produce this reaction in these circumstances, aside from insecurity. kluen isn't phum. he and peem don't have any bizarre backstory together, and he is very direct about his romantic pursuit. he explicitly said he came to the camp to hit on peem in front of all his friends and he reiterated the sentiment by saying what he did in this scene. the only kind of person who would need a clarification, when things are laid out that clearly is a person who is insecure and therefore has a hard time being sure about the fact that someone likes them and/or is actively trying to hit on them.

now, onto the star of the show: phumpeem! what do we know about peem's pov of their relationship at this point? 1) he has fully admitted that he likes phum, to the point of literally calling himself out on even trying to deny it. 2) he is happy about the fact that he likes phum. we are leagues away from the possibility that he has any issues with phum or the fact that he has a crush on him, which we have so much proof of, whether it be him actively enjoying the fact that phum is trying to get his attention, him looking at phum as if he hung the moon and calling him prince charming, him literally giggling and kicking his feet at that memory the next day, him instantly forgiving phum because he genuinely trusts him and thinks he is a good person, even if he makes mistakes sometimes, or any of the other clear signs that he is enjoying what's going on between them, both in the moment and in retrospective.

and now, let's take a look at all the moments from today's episode through the lens of peem's insecurity in himself and security in his feelings / phum:

him acting a little weird and distant after hugging phum the whole night, very reminiscent of the way he acted the day after their first kiss. both times after moments when peem made the first move.

him acting genuinely confused about phum's behaviour towards kluen, despite getting a fairly clear confirmation that phum is jealous when he literally bribed a child to get peem away from kluen. this is definitely not a "what a weirdo" face, this is a "wait, what's going on here?" face. he does not get it.

him claiming there is nothing going on between phum and him, despite clearly wanting that something and being in the depths of the talking stage, which is definitely a real relationship stage to him, as that was how he described chain and toey to q.

him looking a little heartbroken, when phum says he wants to call off the deal, as if that would actually mean that they stop spending time together.

him confirming that that is indeed his fear, when he literally looks terrified at the prospect and fully asks to continue being phum's "slave".

him not being able to admit why he kept the flowers

or making up a lie about not having finished the painting, even though he definitely has, because he literally said so to his aunt.

and him answering a question with a question, needing to hear the fact that phum likes him directly first, before he confesses back. which, in all this context, just doesn't read as stubbornness.

all of this makes sense, if you consider the fact that peem is insecure and is afraid of reading into other people, when what he's trying to glean is their opinion of him specifically.

one big thing that he constantly repeats (this moment is far from the only time he says that in this episode alone) is asking phum to tell him what he thinks directly. mind you, unlike phum, who is just constantly deeply confused about everyone and can't take implications for shit, peem is actually absolutely incredible at understanding what other people's feelings are, even when they don't tell him directly, as long as the feelings in question aren't about peem.

he also manages those small bursts of confidence, like kissing phum first or reaching out to him, but they are not long-lasting and are often followed by bursts of denial and shyness, which is extremely common for someone who is insecure but also impressively brave.

and here is your key to pre-relationship phumpeem and the reason why we are on episode 10 and they are still not dating. insecure x insecure can be hard at times. they both need the other to outright state their feelings, and that is just not easy for either of them. but they are getting there. together 🫶

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Lesbians WIN & I'm excited about a Thai BL again!

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

April 2024 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

My Stand-In (Thai Fri iQIYI) ep 1 of 12 eps - Adaptation of Chinese novel Professional Body Double by Shui Qiang Cheng. Stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please) directed by the same team as KP (not a recommendation IMHO - my biggest criticism of KP was the clashing directing styles). The MDL description made it sound complicated af but actually it's not so bad. In fact it's GOOD.

Stuntman Joe dies on the job and wakes up in the body of another Joe who has an entirely different life. But our Joe just gets his new body right back into his old existence, full of friends, enemies, and one troublesome ex. Poom is absolutely killing it in the lead. Mek is perfectly cast as the Actor du Jerk. I’m not sold on Up’s bratty brokenhearted rich kid... yet. The show though, I like it. I like a one (two) night stand starting things off and I like a lot of morally gray characters. Fun fun!

Deep Night (Thurs iQiyi) ep 8fin - The lesbian moms are the cutest thing in the world and my favorite thing this week. Bar none.

Summation:

It's about a host club and all the gay boys in it and some stuff that's not important because... PEOPLE OF EARTH WE HAVE A HONEST REP OF POLY IN A BL. Stand up and raise your hands in prayer to the Thai BL gods because sure as shit no one else was ever going to give this to us. For that alone this show gets 8/10 from me. Bonus Lesbian moms and great kisses.

Two Worlds (Thurs iQIYI) ep 7 of 10 - Say what you want about MaxNat all these years that they've been paired makes them great onscreen boyfriends. And you know me, I'm a total sucker for linguistic negotiation. Makes my heart go all mushy. That said, now that the leads are together, I’m really uninterested in all the drama around the ex-boyfriend/triangle. I'm glad this is only 10 eps.

1000 Years Old (Thurs iQIYI) ep 11 of 12 - They gave me the tiniest teaser for the kinky vampire BL that I have wanted my whole life. And now I'm just fucking annoyed with the rest of the show. 

We Are (Weds iQIYI) ep 3-4 of 16 - Q & Toey are the only interesting thing going on. I actually didn’t like this pair in My School President, but I’m enjoying them here. The others are all fine but these two have my heart. I have questions like: did Phum ever get his shopping bags back? And why is Phum driving a different colored car half way through the ep?

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 3 of 12 - The quality is good (it’s GMMTV) but the acting is... not. Still I loved that Moo just made the confession for both of them. Very in character. Does this plot remind anyone else of Footloose? Just me? Side couple was cute but now a bit too stalker for me. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unknown (Taiwan Tues YouTube & Viki) ep 10 of 12 - It’s fantastic. Such a great show. We are so lucky. This is basically Taiwan’s The Eights Sense. I didn’t know they had it in them, but I’m really glad that they did.

Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - As JBL’s go this is way more my speed (than Alaska). It’s just so sweet and awkward but charming about it. The confession was so earnest. 

Blue Boys (Korea YouTube) 2 of ? No MDL link - It’s very sexy this one. Not sure what Korea thinks it's doing, but I’m not mad about it. 

Gray Shelter (Korea Thurs iQIYI) ep 5fin - summation: About a slacker nursing a crush on the (brief) older stepbrother who abandoned him. Upon finding him again he moves in with him, upends the mans lost suffering life. A dark gritty piece with confusing subs making it too chewy to really grok. It's trying to do too much for its length. The tension is real and the acting is good, it's just everything else stymied clean execution of the core concept. Frankly I spent this show expecting (and wanting them) to just fall into bed together - in a kind of desperate fight sex. It didn’t happen, and I’m disappointed by the non-ending we got. (Whether it’s going to have more in the series or not.) 7/10 I'm open to changing the rank if a part two fixes this one's flaws.

Boys Be Brave AKA Roommates (Korea Thurs Viki) ep 1-2 of 8 - Oh dear. Terrible hair. Jock nerd pairing. OCD baby cakes. Cohabitation trope. Killer side couple. Def unhinged. 

At 25:00 in Alaska AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 2 of 10 - I’m still genuinely not sure about this one. It’s just a little too awkward for me in the wrong way. I expect all Japanese BL to have a certain aura of awkwardness so I don’t know what it is about this one turnign me off. I do enjoy that we’re getting both stories, the one between the actors, and a little bit of the roles that they’re playing on screen but... yeah

Love is like a Cat (Korea Mon Viki) eps 7-8 of 12 - The leads finally had a moment but there is negative chemistry. Why am I watching this? 

It's airing but...

Lady Boy Friends (Thai WeTV grey) 16 eps - reminds me a bit too much of Diary of Tootsies only high school. Not my thing. DNF unless it turns a corner and is truly amazing.

Memory in the Letter (Thai WeTV) - 6 eps, when it's done, tell me if I should bother?

In case you missed it

Kiseki Chapter 2 (Sun iQIYI) 6 eps - finished its run but I won't be finishing it. Stays dropped.

GMMTV announced the second half of their 2024 line up. I got excited and picked my favorites, details + trailers here. Basically my ranking is:

The Heart Killers

ThamePo

Revamp

Sweet Tooth

Perfect 10 Liners

The Ex-Morning

Ossan’s Love Thailand

Next Week Looks Like This:

What happened?

Knock-Knock Boys (Thai WeTV) - 4 college friends conspire to help their friend lose his virginity. Familiar faces like Seng (yes, Billy's previous pairing) and Best, news here. But will it actually air this month?

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

I have adopted him. He is MINE. I love him, your honor. (The Stand In)

I love them SO MUCH. (Deep Night)

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will add you to the template. Easy peesy.

[calciumcryptid]

We Are the Series but Omegaverse Because I Have Opinions™

BEGINNING NOTES:

I haven't read the novel.

This follows my own personal interpretation of the omegaverse.

The characters don't have a scent kink, but the author sure does.

PHUMPEEM

Phum is an omega.

He smells like roses, vanilla, and musk.

Peem is an alpha.

He smells like sea salt, ambrette seeds, and sage (the sea shore).

Phum presented as an omega while he was in another country. Everyone thought he was an alpha like his two older brothers. This delayed his return to Thailand. When he returned home, he crammed his scent under scent blockers. On a typical day, he passes as a beta, and on a good day, he passes as an alpha.

By the start of the series, the only people outside his immediate family who know he is an omega are Toey (who sniffed him out), Beer (who Phum told), and Mick (who wasn't told, but made an educated guess).

By the end of the series, Phum stops using his scent blockers around the group. By graduation, he stops using scent blockers altogether.

As Phum's narrative foil, Peem has no problem with his scent. He was raised in a supportive family and a strong platonic pack.

This may come as a surprise, but their storyline doesn't change until the Volunteer Camp Arc.

Due to PhumPeem's odd mating dance, their biology was very confused about whether or not they were mates. To play it safe, their biology started to view the other as their mate.

Omegas are known for getting territorial (aka, power-boosted) when protecting their packs and mates.

This resulted in Phum nearly throwing hands with Kluen, barely circumvented by TanFang's interference. Fang took Phum aside to calm him down. When Peem heard, he started to freak out about letting his mate feel threatened. This was when their friends realized something more had been going on between them, and they encouraged them to talk it out before someone got hurt.

They are officially dating/courting by the end of camp.

Afterward, Phum takes permanent residence in Peem's lap.

They mated before they got married.

QTOEY

Q is an alpha.

He smells like cedarwood (pencils), oakwood moss, and amber.

Toey is an omega.

He smells like milk, coffee, and sugar (yes, a milk frappe)

Q has a weird relationship with his second gender.

He doesn't hate being an alpha, but people weirdly fixate on it to an uncomfortable extent. Many were displeased when he wanted to pursue art because they thought he should pursue something more alpha-like. Q hates it when he plays into textbook alpha behavior. His friends figured this out, and don't comment on it.

Q was a lone wolf in high school until Peem leaned over during an art elective to ask him a question. Q was (platonically) attracted to Peem's chill vibes, and the rest is history.

Asexual people don't have ruts/heats.

Aromantic people don't have scents.

Aromantic Asexual people don't have either.

However, demiromantic people gain a scent once they are romantically attracted to someone. Demisexual people gain a heat/rut cycle once they are sexually attracted to someone.

Before he started university, Q developed his scent. His friends noticed before he did, and everyone was confused.

Unfortunately, Toey got the worse end of the stick. He went into his first heat late into high school. His omega instincts kicked in and guided him to the nearest omega.

That was Phum.

This is why Toey knows Phum is an omega, and why Phum and Fang protected Toey.

In a twist of fate, scents save the day as QToey started to date earlier than canon because Q connected the scent on the post-it notes to Toey.

They were the first ones to have a pup.

TANFANG

Fang is an alpha.

He smells like amber, vanilla, and musk.

Tan is an alpha.

He smells like mandarin orange, mint, and mugwort.

Instead of punching each other, they got into a full-on brawl.

In high school, Tan was a textbook alpha who was overcompensating. When Pun said he felt unsafe around him he realized he was going off the deep end. The day he left that hangout was the day he saw Fang and Phum.

Fang knew about his affection for Tan; however, he valued his parents' love more. He believed if he entered a relationship with another alpha, he would be considered a failure.

Between high school and university, they both tried dating omegas. It didn't work. They were ruined for anyone else.

When canon rolled around, Fang realized his love for Phum outweighed any love he held for their parents (though he was in the process of letting go), but believed he missed his chance at happiness because he was a coward.

He nearly confessed first when he reunited with Tan.

He nearly cried when Tan confessed his feelings.

Fang keeps his relationship hidden from his parents. He plans for them to find out when their marriage is finalized and they've adopted their second child.

On a side note, I've decided Tan has a lesbian alpha/omega couple as his parents. One is an alpha lawyer, and the other is an omega mechanic. They love Fang dearly, and Fang gets his turn to cry over familial affection.

They're always bathed in each other's scent, to the point people meeting them for the first time get confused on whose scent is whose or what their scents actually are.

Fuck Head Alpha and Head Omega, this pack has two Head Alphas and people get very intimidated about this fact.

CHAINPUN

Chain is a beta.

He smells like mint (toothpaste).

Betas have weaker one-note scents.

Pun is an omega.

He smells like juniper berry, saffron, and seamoss (penguins).

The two had been courting/dating since high school without realizing it. This was a point of suffering for their pack.

Chain: I don't understand why people keep breaking up with me?

Pun, laying next to him in his nest which Chain helped him make: Yeah. I don't know why either. You are a catch. :D

Chain gifted Pun a penguin plushies he keeps in his nest.

Chain: Ah yes, me, my mate, and his six-foot penguin plushie.

They mated before they got married.

Apparently, exhibitionists. Good for them.

They are the second ones to have a pup.

MICKMATT

Mick is an alpha.

He smells like smoked cedar, oud embers, and vetiver.

Matt is a beta.

He smells like fruity cereal.

They met online before they met in-person.

Matt when he learns Toey studied art because of an alpha: That isn't very omega rights of you.

As previously mentioned, Mick guessed Phum was an omega.

Mick: Oh, are you worried about telling Peem you are an omega?

Phum and Beer: You know???

Mick: Yeah. :D

BONUS: BEER

Beer is an alpha.

Fortunately, he doesn't smell like beer (like piss).

He smells like grapefruit, lavender, and silver birch.

He needs a vacation.

[watchingblsnowandforever]

We Are Ep. 11

Part 2

Hello again!!!

Here's part 1 of this post. It's not necessary to read that, but this does follow directly from there.

Warning: long post 😊😅

And again, we see Phum coming here for no reason but to drop Peem off.

Also, he usually just stayed in the car previously, but now he's walking with Peem all the way.

I reckon we'll be seeing much more of Phum appearing in front of the Fine Arts building for nothing but to drop off or talk to his boyfriend Peem, in a slight reflection of all the times he came here to take Peem off somewhere to make him do something for him.

And I can't wait for it. <3

Q: something very gay is going on here hmm 🤨

Be glad it's Q (who has enough tact to ask you about it in private) and not Toey who'd immediately call y'all out 😭

He played in water all day with Phum and then they cuddled all night. Next question.

Poor Peem 😭

You just confessed you woke up together 😭

And you think someone as smart (most of the times) as Q wouldn't catch on?

[Also, just an observation: Peem is painting a scenery with water here too.]

Beer knows everything. 😌

He's the only one in their combined friend groups with two braincells, and he has no difficulty calling out his friends (Phum) when they're being idiots.

And again 😭

I see it's not your turn with the braincell yet, Peem

Also, the chicken sounds in the background I was dying 😭😂

Phum's backstory was painful to hear, but I kind of expected something like this. It would explain his attachment to plushies, his fear of losing people and behaviour that might seem "childish".

SO CUTE OH MY GODS

Q gives his beloved pencil case to his beloved nong Toey to draw on, and what does Toey do? Make the most adorable doodle of his beloved P'Q 😭👍🏼

Seriously though, this is really good, and it also probably has a beautiful symbolism that I'm too lazy to go into right now 😭

Coming from Q that means a lot. And Toey knows that very well.

Again, what secretly, you're both about as subtle as the glaring sun on a hot summer day.

And it's time you two idiots (affectionate) get your shit together and kiss as boyfriends (gods know you've kissed as... whatever you are right now more times than I can keep count).

Yeah! You're talking nonsense, Phum, it's obvious you fell first!

*sigh* honestly though, at this point, I don't know how, but they managed to be worse than even ChainPun.

Jokes apart, I know they're both a bit insecure, and they didn't get off to the best start. But I hope that in the next ep, they'll realize they're both head over heels for the other and finally start dating.

Also, about time Peem finally accepted Phum as his personal driver <3

That scene in the shop was very sweet too, and most PhumPeem scenes in this ep had me going all gooey and mushy hehe

This show I calling me out 🥲

But I'm even worse because I can only make Maggi (with or without added condiments) 😭

Do y'all see the importance of this moment?!

Phum in the painting studio?!

This painting studio is Peem's safe space, and he's allowing Phum in there willingly.

Slowly, but surely, he's letting Phum in, and starting to accept that yes, this guy is an idiot, but he's an idiot Peem really really likes.

I knew this was coming but that didn't mean I was ready for it 🫣😳

TanFang are absolutely slaying

Love them. <3

This scene is a goddamn masterpiece. It rendered me speechless. What am I supposed to say to that?

Peem's soft little "You did a great job, getting through those times." has me in a chokehold. The nose boop, the kiss- I'm screaming crying rolling around on the bed.

Tried to do a confident walk away but the gate was in his way 😭

Peem is me though, I bump into things like thrice a day at the least.

He- 😶

I gasped at this scene, because you realize what this means right?

This painting, that was ruined due to Phum, that he had to painstakingly repaint while having to obey Phum's whims, this painting that represents his comfort (I don't know shit about art interpretation, but in grade 12 I had friends who'd taken art and I learnt a couple things from them), that represents himself, and in this painting, he adds bright red roses, for the ones that Phum gave him when he was driving him back because he was absolutely wasted, the roses he didn't have the heart to throw out.

And he's drawing these red roses to represent Phum, to show that inexplicably, but undeniably, Phum is a part of his life now; a part he likes enough to embed in one of his most prized paintings (as assumed from various context clues and such along the series). And when he does, he thinks of how Professor Po said "Every work you create contains a piece of you".

If this doesn't show that despite his caustic and sarcastic exterior, Peem is a sappy mushy romantic at heart (he is a Fine Arts student after all), I don't know what does.

This moment felt so poetic (I literally could write a poem about it and it still wouldn't be able to capture the raw beauty and vulnerability and love of this scene.)

Update: I really did write a poem about it 😭

I really like this scene.

Apart from not leaving Kluen hanging, and making sure he knows, this moment is also about Peem admitting to himself aloud, that yes, he does like Phum. He's slowly getting out of De Nile.

He didn't have to say this, but he did. To gently reject Kluen and tell himself that there was no going back now.

Matt: what in the gay chicken-

Toey: ooh this seems interesting. will they kiss? 👀

Poor Chain 😭

Let him enjoy being shipped with his husband bestie!

And all the while these two are having a staring contest to decide who'll tell their friends.

Beer knows exactly what's going on.

This moment is everything to me (other than the one in the painting studio of course).

Peem tried to muster the courage to tell all his friends that he and Phum were... well, more than enemies or friends at least, but he couldn't.

And Phum, my beloved, while more than a little emotionally constipated, he has consistently tried to tell Peem what he feels. And now, he's the one outright saying he likes Peem in front of everyone. He's the one saying "okay, if you can't, I will." And I love him for it. He does it while staring right at Peem too.

Live Reactions of Friends Who Just Found Out that the Guy Who Ruined Other Guy's Painting and The Other Guy, Who Kicked Him In The Balls For It, Have Fallen Victim to the BL Laws and Are Now Very Much In Love.

Beer: knew it 😌

Fang: my little brother?!

Tan: YOU AREN'T SWORN ENEMIES?!

Matt: I have to deal with another couple?? 🥺🥲

Q: I'm not drunk enough to deal with this shit.

Toey: wait... I WAS RIGHT?!!

That freaking cliffhanger though 🥲

It's better now but at the moment I wanted to commit homicide 😭

I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself, Q's "RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY SALAD?!" expression is just too hilarious 😭😂

So that's all for ep 11, see you next week!

And if you made it this far, thank you so much for reading! 😊

Here, have a burger and some fries 🍔🍟

[If you want, my previous posts: Ep. 8 Ep.9 Ep.10]

[tobiasdrake]

Which version of Broly do you think has the better character design?

This is a funny question to get right after shit-talking Toei in that last one because DBS: Broly is both the best Dragon Ball movie ever made and one of the best characters in Dragon Ball.

I love New Broly so fucking much. And his character design slaps.

I know the point was to differentiate him from the Planet Trade characters since Broly's never served in the PTO; He was banished before he ever became a Saiyan warrior proper. So he doesn't wear the standard Frieza armor that all the Saiyan and other PTO crew are dressed in.

But this design makes him look like he's here to dance for your entertainment. It gets better when he transforms; Half of the jewelry he's dressed decorated in are restraining bolts meant to control and contain him. So it's a little less gaudy once he breaks free.

That's better. He's still decorated in an awful lot of gold and jewels which is like.

Like. There's a reason I'm saying "decorated in" and not "dressed in", because Broly's whole deal is that he's a slave. There are two kinds of people who dress in this much gold and jewelry: Royalty and servants. Royalty chooses to wear it; Servants are decorated in it. Broly is explicitly decorated in it, as half of his jewelry is a control mechanism forced on him by his father.

But Broly is also supposed to be the main villain. His father is restraining and controlling him, but Broly himself is an unstoppable Saiyan beast who serves as the main nemesis and threat of the film. This character design speaks to a more sympathetic character than the Z film presents.

This look doesn't hit "Monster? No. I am THE DEVIL!!!" vibes for me.

This lands way better for me.

He's got the PTO armor because in this continuity, Broly was recruited by Frieza early in the film. He still has a restraining bolt but it's around his neck, looking (and acting) as a shock collar, as if he were dog. This is a much easier concept for conveying Broly's abuse than the psychic manipulation and emotional influence crown/armbands.

And. There's. The ear that he has tied around his waist. What a fantastic piece of character design.

Ba's ear, which Broly shares a heartbreaking anecdote about in the film, is a critical piece of his backstory and it directs the tone of the conversation the film wants to have about this character. Where the Z film treated Broly as a sort of an abused and sympathetic victim but ALSO AND MORE IMPORTANTLY a vile monster who we should hate and want destroyed, DBS picks the other lane.

As the fight wears on, Broly breaks free of the restraining bolt. He also sheds the PTO armor that Frieza put on him. He breaks free from the identity that's been imposed on him by others.

But the ear remains. The one piece of his character design that is truly his own, the heart of his character, he never sheds. Even as he loses control, even as the berserk rage of the Super Saiyan seizes his senses, he carries Ba and his desire to be loved and accepted by others with him always.

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Oh these two idiots are both so gone.

Ooh, "creating art is about exploring what you like" is a nice line. So often we put too much into feeling like creativity has to end up with a good product, and less about what it can teach us about ourselves.

I like how this show talks about art. And New is making it so clear here that he does put a part of himself in all of his shows, whatever people might think. Respect.

And we're normalizing taking breaks and that you can't be productive and creative all the time! Fabulous.

We love a queen who makes the most of her background time.

I mean, valid question Peem, but also - pot, kettle, etc, etc.

Oh god, their actual boyfriend era is going to end me.

You know what I really love about this Phum/Peem scene? They're making it clear that mutual attraction is just one piece of the relationship puzzle. But the friendship still needs to be there, the caring when someone is having a bad day, and being there to pick them up. So many BLs gloss over the mutual support part of romantic relationships in favor of the swoony bits, but this is the kind of thing that makes a couple seem likely to actually last.

Also what does it say about BLs that I was so relieved they actually rolled up their pant legs at the pool? (Of course they still end up wet in the end, but it's the principle of the thing!)

Phum is just 100% always thirsty for Peem and I respect it.

Haha, love Q being all "hands off my baby, stat".

And they're communicating so openly! My sweeties.

Omg, omg, Fang trying to teach himself to express tenderness to Tan, I cannot.

Just go slow Fang, or you may kill this man with happiness!

Aaaaaah, not Pun finding a little bird and wanting to help it, going to Chain (of course), AND naming it Penguin.

I am already at lethal levels of cuteness overload, and we haven't even gotten to the FangTan scene yet.

Staawwwp.

Lolol, of course he got sick, he got wet for 30 seconds. But again we get the subversion, we're paying tribute to the sick trope, but not fully engaging! Heh, this show is so fun.

Has anyone else noticed the slight tone shift for Phum when he's talking to Peem? There's a new softness to it and it's adorable.

Toey, no, no crying wolf to your boyfriend!

But the pencil case thing is adorable.

I think the Peem and Q friendship chemistry might be my favorite in the whole show.

Lol, not Peem letting slip he slept with Phum last night!

Beer, you are such a champion. Good wingmanning, while also not excusing Phum's bad behaviors.

Oh, baby Phum being sent away, that's heart-breaking. No wonder he has walls like that.

I am loving these reveals with Fang. He's such an internal character, so we are unpeeling the layers slowly. But seeing how annoyed he is to not be able to reach Tan, and how fast Tan is able to make him smile again, makes it so clear how much he really needs him.

And the way he smiles so big when he thinks no one can see, but goes right back to pouty face with Tan because it gets him the attention he craves...

Whoever dressed Q for this series, I love you.

Phum going from self-doubt to full steam ahead the moment he gets reassurance his feelings are returned is delightful to see.

Omg, domestic Fang and Tan. But also Fang, you can learn to cook other things, y'know?

Lolol, Fang absolutely loves Tan's antics, it's so freaking adorable.

Aou and Boom always frickin bring it, we thank you for your service boys.

Also more trope play! Tan holding Fang down in the cliche way, but Fang still showing agency and not playing the blushing maiden. Perfect.

Ok, I liked the Kluen scene. He's being shown as a real person with a life of his own, he's not just the "rival". And Peem is being more straightforward with him.

Hahaha, Chain short-circuiting more and more as Pun gets closer.

MATT, WHAT THE HELL?! You do not interfere with my crumbs, dammit!!

Omg, not Chain just blurting out that he likes being shipped with Pun.

I love that everyone is shocked by Phum except for Beer, who is just like "yup".

I do typically hate public declarations, but I will let it go here, because the friend group is the key to the whole series.

Also, Pun is drunk again, so Chain better be ready for some biting! Chomp, chomp.

[moongothic]

You think Crocodile's gonna blow his stack when he finds out how shitty Luffy's upbringing was? His baby boy repeatedly got tossed into the jungle to fend for himself against wild animals, as well as off cliffs and left to float into the fucking air on balloons all courtesy of Garp. He got left alone for long periods of time possibly as early as infancy, also cuz of Garp. And oh yeah, he was tortured by pirates, almost burned to death in a giant garbage fire, and went through the trauma of losing a brother.

Like, no matter how stern or distant of a parent Crocodile may be, I don't think he would be content to stand by and let any of that happen to baby Luffy. Also also, Crocodile witnessed firsthand Garp impeding Luffy's attempts to rescue Ace. The Cross Guild wants Garp for his bounty. Crocodile wants Garp for REVENGE.

With Garp I feel like it could go either way because like, let's be real for a second

This is 100% played for laughs.

Like if we're being serious then yes, in the Very Real World this is absolutely child neglect and abuse, Garp's parenting would NEVER fly (🥁) in our Very Real World. But just like Nami can physically abuse Luffy and co for laughts and get away with it, Garp's "training" is very much the same tonally, a Cartoon Slapstick Gag (made even more obvious when Toei animated Baby Luffy flying off into the sky going "UGYAAAAA" (that clip lives in my head rent free it's so funny??)) and a reflection of how this ridiculous old man (who might've been through even more ridiculous training in his childhood) views how a small child can be trained.

And so like. I could imagine Crocodile being like "who the fuck does that to a small child, are you insane" at Garp if he found out how Garp had been raising Luffy, but I think whatever reaction Crocodile might have would be played just as much for laughs as Garp's original comments were

Like IDK if Crocodile and Garp did have a relationship I think it would end up being similar to how Zoro and Sanji interact. Like Crocodile would to some degree be indebted to Garp because Garp did look after his son when he couldn't, and Garp wouldn't have a precious grandson (whom Garp sincerely does love, deeply) without Crocodile, so like. I think there could be like this mutual respect and gratitude for the other. But also it'd be kind of a begrudging gratitude and they would also hate each others guts and what they stand for and probably bicker. Lots. But in a funny way. (Like Zoro and Sanji)

Also I feel like even if Crocodile personally hated Garp's guts I don't think Crocodile would ever try anything to harm Garp. Like he saw how Luffy absolutely shattered after losing Ace, so even if Luffy and Garp's relationship wasn't the strongest, if Luffy loves his grandpappy then I don't think Crocodile would want to take his son's only grandfather, his family, away. Crocodile isn't in any kind of position to "take revenge" on the man who did look after his son for him (even if his methods were questionable at times) (Same for Dadan and the bandits too arguably)

The convenient thing of me letting this ask sit in my ask box for 20 days before actually responding is that I managed to post this thing the other day, and I want to continue an observation from that post; While I do agree Crocodile would probably be horrified to find out about all shit Luffy went through as a child... In the end, what's happened has happened, and I think Crocodile might believe that if he had wanted to ensure his son wouldn't have to go through things like that, then he should've raised the child himself. That Luffy's childhood not being all sunshine and rainbows is kind of his fault.

[thunder-point]

Cole, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this but how do you think it goes down when Peem introduces Phum as his boyfriend to his parents?

Cause I keep imagining Peem realizing he doesn't know the extent of Phum's issues with his family/his dad and comes to the realization of how hard it was for Phum to go there (with the possibility of his dad being there).

So, Peem decides to introduce Phum (so Phum knows he always has another home he can turn to). But of course Phum is nervous because he knows how close Peem is to his parents and how much his parents love him. So, Phum decides to bring some fancy, expensive alcohol.

But when they get there and Peem tells his parents, Phum doesn't even have time to give them the alcohol because of how ecstatic Peem's parents are.

His mom is so happy and is hugging Phum because all of her sons have found significant others (she's still waiting on Chain and Pun to get together). She's fawning over Phum and asking him questions about himself and their relationship.

Peem's dad is more laidback and teases Peem about how long it took him to bring a significant other home. Then he welcomes Phum and asks him about himself, he's interested in his studies but he's even more interested in Phum's photography. He goes to get his own camera and tells Phum about the best places in Chiang Mai to take photos.

Phum is of course slightly overwhelmed because this is most positive attention (and just attention in general) he's ever gotten from parents. Peem is also ecstatic, but seeing how flustered Phum is he steers the conversation to the gifts Phum brought.

Needless to say, Peem's parents get even more excited when they see Phum's gifts.

Just Phum getting showered (and slightly overwhelmed) by positive attention from Peem's parents and getting adopted by them like he was adopted by Aunt Pui.

Peach this is Everything. I’ve read this so many times because it’s so full with emotions and yes, this is what should happen. Phum and Peem’s parents creating a bond so strong that it would shatter any stability to his insecurities towards parental figures.

!!!! Also Peach imagine. Just imagine Peem’s mom starting to call Phum like she calls Q. Just from time to time, just to ask about his day, or how Peem is doing, or how Fang and Toey are doing (because she knows those are his beloved brothers), just to see what juicy gossip he has to offer.

The first time she calls him, Phum is trembling whole with an emotions he hasn’t felt in so long. He can barely talk through the knot in his throat. And then, the next times she calls he gets emotional from other reasons entirely. He gets emotional because she remembers everything he tells her. Every little detail of any conversation they have. And she recalls them and asks about advancements in certain situations and it’s such a whiplash from his conversations with his own mother, where she’e tuned to him with one ear only most of the time.

Imagine that he gets so comfortable and so happy with their calls that he starts calling her back. Peem finds his boyfriend and his mother giggling at each other as they face time one day, going on about idk knitting or something.

His relationship with Peem’s father takes a bit longer to get to a deeper level of comfort, because of obvious reasons (he has a harder time letting his walls down), but it gets to a point where Peem’s dad sends Phum all kinds of locations around Thailand, and lightly teases him “take cat to these places, son ;)” and fiejdiej AAAAAAAH I WILL COMBUST ITS JUST SO

So soft, Peach 🥺 Thank you for sending me this ask. I need face time calls with Phum and Mama Peem and Peem being so overly soft at seeing them doing it.

[crepes-suzette-373]

I was told the little changes/additions put in the anime made the VS siblings' scenes when they come in to help Sanji escape so much better, so I went to look at it (because I don't normally watch the anime).

Oh yes, yes it did.

The light streaks they make seriously just make me think of Powerpuff Girls. Oh good Lord, self, no, stop getting dumb ideas.

I also find it so funny that they added the above additional bit where they had to Black Bug a bomb out of the sky, because then when Ichiji kabooms Oven with Sparking Valkyrie, he had to come flying back down to do it like a classic superhero saving civilian scene.

In the manga since he was right behind Sanji, he just turned around and didn't have to do any dramatic swoops.

He doesn't make additional comments, but I always maintain that Ichiji's "silent stares" speaks more than words, pffft.

Yonji's rescue part is exactly as-is in manga, so they just had him make sarcastic comments at the end.

I dunno, Toei, it doesn't suit him to be saying this LOL. Like, from the manga, I just don't get the feel like Yonji would go out of his way to say tsundere things like this if Ichiji or Niji doesn't start first.

Anyway. They also had that split second where you can see Niji flying in and grab Sanji mid-air right before the bomb explodes.

Like, they could've just shown a big explosion and then show Niji flying while carrying Sanji unscathed in the next frame, but they actually put that bit in where he goes NyOooOM:

I don't know why this just seems so funny to me.

Maybe because in the manga because of the panelling, it looked more like Niji managed to pull Sanji out of there before the bomb hits. Here, the way it's timed and animated made it look like the bomb actually had hit, it just hit Niji on his Germa cloak and didn't do anything anyway.

Niji's part needs to be heard, because it's in the tone of how he talks:

Because it already looks and sounds like a typical sibling bickering. You know.

"Didn't ask you to help". "We'll help even if you don't ask. Dumbass".

(come on, you can just tell that struck out part is the unsaid part XD)

And this:

It looks like a fond(er) farewell (compared to the manga anyway, where this last bit doesn't happen).

Like, with Reiju it's not really a big difference, because she cares and it was never a question. It's the boys that's funny, because they're all dumb. Every single last one of them.

[meganechan05]

Trying to read as much as I can tonight from the King-Ohger Official Perfect Book so here are some notes:

The original pitch Omori-P gave to TakaMina didn't involve bugs at all, only a team of Kings. It only ended up having a bug motif because their conversation about how each King's country works which turned into connection to bugs.

TakaMina showed up to a production meeting with a 16-page pitch on what he wants to do for the show including character, settings, and overall plot.

The two did have ideas on connecting KingOh to previous sentai teams but scrapped it in favor of making KingOh being a standalone team.

The Kyoryuger episodes were done solely for the anniversary. The only reason they managed to make it work was because they already had plans on making Caucus Kabuto Castle a spaceship.

They didn't want to do KingDon at all because it would break the flow of how KingOh worked. But when they finally decided to do it, they had to discuss with Kato-D a lot and get his input as he's worked on Donbros.

Prince showing up in Episode 40 was a last-minute decision because Sakamoto and Kaneko already submitted the script for KingKyoryu V-Cine and they needed to make sure it'd make sense.

The two praised KingOh but most of their focus was on Kyoryuger which was why the V-Cine felt more like a Kyoryuger movie than a crossover movie.

Omori was probably the most level-headed of the Main 3. While working on the idol episode, everyone in the cast and crew including Sony PCL who gave them the LCD screen went crazy with production. Omori questioned their sanity as he believed they didn't have to go that far for a joke episode. (Yes, they did. KingOh needed the silly break)

Costume designs actually struggled a bit with the ranger suits. Because of the inclusion of armor and bug motif, they had to be extra careful to not make it like Rider. To make it more Sentai, they decided on having the visors be a big piece in the shape of the bugs. The proportions had to be skewed in order to make the visors work.

Kamakiri's is the only visor that faces the bug from the front rather than the back like the rest (also the only Main Shugod who faces to the side in the Soul). When it was decided KamakiriOhger was going to be female, they made sure the visor didn't look too sharp.

PapillonOhger being purple was a decision made by Toei.

They were made to be neither male or female when designing. When designing PapillonOhger, they went through 5 different shades of purple before settling on the final product.

The belt is the thinnest in history as its only use is to store the OhgerCalibur. They added the phone to the front even though the Kings never takes said Hotlines out while transformed.

The OhgerCaliburs were designed with the decision there weren't going to be any additions made to them. Most of the design struggles was how each switch was designed and used.

The King's Weapon was hard to design as it's a 5-way weapon that connects to the Calibur but they were happy it ended up working out.

No idea if I'll read more but these are very interesting to note.

[jojotichakorn]

the real question is, do we think toey heard All That? i mean, he was definitely still awake when phum came in. could he really have fallen asleep right as he laid down? even with his eyes closed, the phrase "goodnight kiss" is hard to interpret any other way.

[girlsbandcryentls]

Otaku Souken interview part 1 -What did Scriptwriter Jukki Hanada want to convey with 『Girls Band Cry』? We talk at length about characterization and behind-the-scenes production.

(this article was published by Otaku Souken on August 2nd)

Airing in April 2024, the TV Anime 『Girls Band Cry』 has exploded in record-breaking popularity. An original series by Toei Animation that's been drawing attention from their combination of fully 3DCG animation, to create a smooth lively motion and a non-stop roller coaster of a story. Even now after one month since it has ended, there are many fans still reeling from "post girls band cry depression".

And so this time, we are publishing this special feature on TV anime 『Girls Band Cry』. We interview the production staff and cast members at length about what they feel towards this series and the unknown behind the scenes of this production. This feature will be split into 3 parts as we dive deep with plenty of questions to ask, so please look forward to it.

In part 1 of this feature, we talk with the scriptwriter in charge, Mr.Jukki Hanada. From 「K-ON!」 to 「Love Live!」, he has penned and worked on multiple popular series. Continuing on his trend of writing youth stories. What did Mr.Hanada want to convey with 『Girls Band Cry』? How did he create these fascinating characters? By reading this feature, there's no doubt you'll get more excited about this series!

Topics Page 1. A story about learning 「This world can't be easily divided into black and white」 Page 2. On Rupa and Tomo's relationship, there's plenty of room to expand. The dynamics of the 5 main casts are 「Like a Family」 Page 3. Nina's rival isn't 「Diamond Dust」 but Hina Page 4. 「Life does not end after graduation」, writing about facing society head-on

A story about learning 「This world can't be easily divided into black and white」

――First off, you have joined this project as the main writer/series composition of the story. I like to ask, how you came to be in charge of this role. Hanada: At first there was a pitch from Hiramaya about creating a music-centric story. Personally, I've been writing about idol stories for years. So this time I wanted to make it about a band. I've always been a big fan of old-school Japanese rock. And so I suggested 「If we're making it about music, let's turn it into a band」.

――What about the decision to centre around an all-girls band? Hanada: You know, I also wanted to write a story about boys (laughs). Hirayama (Editor's note: he is the main producer of this project), director Sakai and I all worked on 「Love Live! Sunshine!!」 together before. And so we went with a girl's band. Personally, I'm more used to writing about female characters after all…

――The setting of this story is based around the city of Kawasaki, is there a reason why? Hanada: When we were location scouting, I found that city to be extremely pleasant. It was easy to visualize the characters living in such a place. There's also the live house CLUB CITTA’. This city has a high affinity for bands, so it is easy to set the story up here.

――Onwards, I would like to ask more about the characters. First off regarding the main character Iseri Nina. I believe you have also spoken about it on your social media but, she's quite a sharp-tongued character who stands out huh. Hanada: At first the image I created for her is a bit more reserved. But once we started to develop her backstory and reason for coming to Tokyo, I thought 「Ah well, she's pretty grumpy now」

――So while planning out this script, things were constantly changing, right? Hanada: Most of the time when it comes to original series, that's how we slowly solidify the script. With Nina, she has developed into quite a pain in the ass for us. By episode 1 she was still alright. But by episode 2 when she first met Subaru. She gets easily depressed and instantly leaves to go back home. Slowly but surely all the anger and rage inside her began to surface. That's the kind of character she became (laughs)

――Whether it is towards herself or others, I get the impression that her anger comes off really strong. Hanada: She came to Tokyo after being bullied. As such she has a binary view that everyone is either an enemy or ally, a good person or a bad person. But that isn't limited to just Nina, I believe it is a common feeling when one is still young and naive. However, this world can't be easily divided into black and white. The concept of the story is Nina learning this lesson. And so we thought this story should start with her being on edge to some extent. But she ended up being way more grumpy than expected (laughs).

――Speaking of things can't be easily divided into black and white, I feel like representing that point is the character Kawaragi Momoka.

Hanada: Both Nina who came to Tokyo carrying all that anger, and Momoka who is pursuing a music career in a band, are in a way bonded by this mutual 「unfiltered earnesty」. However, Momoka is a character who has experienced first-hand how reality is not so black and white. Especially towards the start of the story, Nina looks up to Momoka but feels 「Why are adults always so gloomy with pent-up feelings」. For Nina, having this gloom is what makes someone not a good adult. In other words, this is someone who should be a baddie and her enemy. But because she admires Momoka, she can't easily label her as such. At first, her image of Momoka is someone who shines brightly. But Nina learns that Momoka drinks and rambles while drunk. She even pukes inside Nina's toilet (laughs). But, it's not like Nina hates that part of her. So Nina starts to change how she looks at things. But on the other hand, because of Nina's personality, she can't quite accept that part of Momoka. That's why she keeps pressing on Momoka 「Please shine like you once were!」

――Thinking only in terms of Enemies and Allies, she struggles to categorize her as an ally right. Hanada: She's probably not that grumpy when she's still in Kumamoto and might have accepted Momoka for what she is now. But once she came to Tokyo alone, there was no longer a reason to hold back. There is no point in coming to Tokyo in the first place if she still has to hold back her feelings.

――And so comes Awa Subaru and her role as a dampener between these two's relationship. Hanada: That's right. Nina and Momoka are both very awkward around each other. So in a sense, we thought it was important to add a balancer who is skilled at navigating social situations. But it won't be interesting if that's all she is. So we explored how Subaru came to be such a character by looking at her relationship with her Grandma. She is the complete opposite of Nina. So long as she puts on a smile in front of people, she thinks it's fine to delay all her problems that need to be answered. That's why for Nina, seeing such a liar first-hand pisses her off the most.

――But even so, they managed to build a very close relationship with each other thanks to how open-minded Subaru was. Hanada: But, Subaru hates the part of her personality of putting on airs and delaying important things. That's why she respects and admires how straightforward Nina is.

Page 2

On Rupa and Tomo's relationship, there's plenty of room to expand. The dynamics of the 5 main casts are 「Like a Family」

――From there, Ebizuka Tomo and Rupa are added. First off, I like to ask about Tomo's character setting. Hanada: She's like an extreme version of Nina. She's a character who had to start living by herself at a young age. She puts on an even harder shell than Nina and would not let anyone get close to her. After setting up the shin-kawasaki trio, I was thinking about what should we do for the remaining 2 characters. So how about making one character who is even harder to approach than Nina. Tomo draws out this side of her, like a catalyst to easily get a chemical reaction going.

――I see, so in this setting, she's a character who amplifies this part of Nina who hates adults. Hanada: In fact, I even wrote an episode halfway through focusing on Tomo. But Nina was more of a pain in the ass than expected, so we had no choice but to cut it(laughs).

――Continuing on, what about Rupa's character setting? Hanada: While we were thinking about Tomo's personality and setting, we also asked ourselves, if there's someone who can be with her, what sort of person would that be.

――So in other words, similar to Subaru who is good at navigating social situations, Rupa has an image of someone who can act as the adult in the room. Hanada: I don't think she is someone who wants to find sympathy in people with the same kind of scars she has. Nor is she looking for anyone to understand that pain. In the first place, it's not like Rupa herself thinks she can understand the pain of others, nor does she want to. She's the type of character who's strong-willed and is not looking to lick each other's wounds. In other words, she's like an adult who knows how cruel reality can be. There's her backstory of her family passing away. It's not like her bandmates didn't ask her about it, it's a situation where they can't. I also wanted to write more about Rupa's story, but I decided not to force it in due to time constraints. Like the audience, Nina and the band are in a situation where they only know fragments of her past. So it'll be better to write Rupa as someone who says "I want to stay by this person's side" and "Let's get along".

――The fact that she's the only half-Japanese in the band. We don't know her family name, only her given name. That makes her a very unique character. Hanada: Part of that is we wanted to emphasise her as a mystery character. On top of that, it's not unnatural at all for at least one person to be half-Japanese among a group as large as this in this age.

――From the cast members, we've also heard that it was actually easier to act out Rupa because her background has not yet been set in stone. (For more details, check out part 2 of the interview with the cast members!) But now that the anime has finished airing, there are a lot of people asking what exactly her character setting is. Hanada: Of course, there are more details for her character. Not every information about her has been perfectly depicted on screen, but no doubt a good part of her personality has. Teshima's illustrations (Character Designer in charge, Teshina nari) and Shuri's voice acting have greatly contributed to her standing out. Especially that sound check scene in Episode 11 「Centre of the World」. We were confident that 「This will definitely be a hit!」, and were very excited to see the audience's reaction when it aired.

――Regarding Tomo, she's been in a band before, but as seen on screen it didn't work out well. In all of them, only Rupa was always by her side. So I want to ask what's their relationship like. Hanada: Tomo doesn't want anyone digging into her heart. That's the same with Rupa. I don't think things will go well if every band member has the same 「Let's speak candidly with each other」 way of thinking. But when it comes to music, they are both serious about it. So Rupa and Tomo get along well on the same wavelength.

――Were there any non-explicit settings for the band overall? Hanada: For me, I have the image of a family in mind when I write their dialogue. Momoka is the dad and Rupa is the mom. Subaru is the older sister, Nina is the older brother and Tomo is the youngest sister. That's why, when the dad and son always end up fighting, the remaining girls watch over while Subaru the older sister tries to mediate.

――That's true, whenever Nina and Momoka clash it feels like a fight among boys. Hanada: Certainly when it comes to Momoka and Nina, when their feelings clash it kinda feels like a fight between boys. Sure harmony and reconciliation are important, but if there's no meaning to the fight if there isn't any conviction or pride. That's what I keep in mind when writing how they clash.

Page 3

Nina's rival isn't 「Diamond Dust」 but Hina

――Continuing on, I like to ask about the setting for 「Diamond Dust」 (from now on referred to as 「DD」) Hanada: Regarding DD, initially they were positioned as an enemy that Nina must defeat. When Nina came to Tokyo and heard Momoka's story, she thought that 「Momoka was bullied by her former bandmates and they were now her enemy」. But in truth, Nana, Rin and Ai are all really good people. And Nina slowly understands that they are all working hard and struggling in their own way. My intention was to obscure that part from the start, so both Nina and the audience feel 「What a bunch of show off!」 towards DD. But once Nina and the audience hear more about their story, call it from an adult's point of view or from something realistic, they slowly learn that Momoka too had a part in this problem. On top of that, Momoka herself thinks that she's in the wrong. It's through the course of those events that Nina and the audience learn how should one compromise with society and how people can't be easily simplified. For example in Episode 4 「Kansha (Odoroki) 」 with the story of Subaru and her Grandma. If you look at it objectively from the outside, pure evil doesn't exist much at all in this world. Everyone is just doing things their way, which is what I wanted to show. Nina had a clear divide between enemies and allies, justice and evil when she first came to Tokyo. She learns this world isn't as black and white as she thinks. Nina herself also started saying it at the end of Episode 4 but as Subaru replied 「Who are you to preach!」 (laughs).

――I've asked about this before from the producer(Tadashi Hirayama) and director(Kazuo Sakai). Regarding the vocalist for DD, Hina, her character wasn't in the initial script right. (We'll dive deeper into this topic with part 3 of the interview!)

Hanada: So in the middle of the story, after Nina learns that DD are in fact good hardworking people, she would've lost her initial motivation. In other words, the existence of 「An enemy she must defeat for Momoka's sake」 is gone. So there was a question of how the story should develop from there. At first, I thought of a story about an evil producer in DD's agency and the script went down that path. But I really didn't want to write such a story, director Sakai and HirayamaP were also at a loss because this didn't feel right. And that's when Hina was born. Rather than focusing on Momoka's DD, we structure the story around Nina facing against Hina. The course of the story turns to Nina learning just what is behind the mind of the one person she is utterly incompatible with.

――During her first screen appearance, the viewers get pulled along by Nina's hatred of Hina. But once I saw how Nina got back on her feet in the final episode, I somewhat understood just what exactly Hina was trying to say to her.

Hanada: For Hina, the reason why she is so attracted to Nina is very similar to Subaru's reason. Nina holds a kind of childishness in her heart while Hina doesn't have that explosive energy. That's why in the final episode 「Rockn'Roll Won't Stop Ringing」, she went out of her way to agitate her. 「I don't want you to get caught up in this mess made by the higher ups」 Hina thought. She knows exactly how Nina will act if she agitates her, so this is her way of cheering Nina on.

――In a way, no one understands Nina more than her. Hahada: If you watch it till the end, one can say Nina has no enemies.

――Besides that, is there also any inexplicit setting regarding DD? Hanada: If I have to say, there are some but, I want to keep those a secret for now (laughs) But if I have to give you one, it'll be about their relationship with Momoka. It's not shown on screen but, it was Momoka who pulled the other 3 with her to Tokyo. At that time Momoka was the one who was not looking at reality the most. So in the end, when she was the first to say she was running away, she felt an enormous pressure in her heart. She felt like she must carry the weight of responsibility for those 3. That's probably also one of the reasons why it was too hard for her to continue being in the band. But with 「Togenashi Togeari」 (from now referred to as TogeToge) things were different. Nina was also shouldering part of that weight of responsibility. Their relationship in this band is on equal grounds. With TogeToge, Momoka could see a different world compared to when she was in DD.

――On top of that, the members of TogeToge all joined the band of their own free will, that weight of responsibility is pretty different. Hanada: Momoka's time at DD is similar to the story of Takeshi Tomizawa in the manzai duo 「Sandwhichman」. Tomizawa had convinced his friend Mikio Date to become stand-up comedians together. But for 10 years they couldn't make it big, barely surviving on doing part-time and odd jobs. Tomizawa said to Date 「The only way I can apologize to you is by killing myself」. That's the kind of mental state Momoka was in. That weight of responsibility crushing on her was the main reason she felt like she could no longer be in the band.

――Once again, with regards to the band name 「Togenashi Togeari」. How was the name decided? In the anime, Nina saw it by chance on the T-shirt of an audience…

Hanada: Oh there's no deep meaning to it. Just one of the many ideas that we whittle down in meetings.

――The name of their rival band 「Diamond Dust」 is in a way very typical. So TogeToge's name is quite impactful.

Hanada: Not really, at first I thought 「Are we really fine with this name?」. It's going to be the name of the real-life band as well after all. But, when it comes to names of famous bands and manzai duos, having a somewhat random name surprisingly works out well (laughs). We had a lot of different suggestions but, since this is a band that was formed from such a story, we decided this thorny name that stands out is the way to go.

Page 4

「Life does not end after graduation」 , writing about facing society head on

――As for the members of the real-life band, this is the first time they have all voice-acted, I want to ask what are your thoughts on it? Hanada: Sure when it comes to acting itself, a professional with plenty of experience would be better. But the way these girls put their soul into the character, they all have an extraordinary level of passion, as they build on it episode by episode they get better exponentially. Combining both voice acting and band practice, it links to the essence of TogeToge in the anime.

――You gave the example of a family of 5 earlier, the cast members managed to portray it exactly as you said. Hanada: When I first watched Episode 1 「Tokyo Wasshoi」 and Episdoe 2 「Yakousei no Ikimomo sanbiki」, I never expected they could perfectly encapsulate their characters like in Episode 8 「 Moshimo kimi ga naku naraba」. It was truly incredible.

――Were there any scenarios you added to your script from inspirations from the activities of the real-life band? Hanada: No, I try not to. If the real-life band doesn't sell at all like in the anime that would be very troubling (laughs). Nina and the band said 「Even if we aren't making money, we will still move forward!」. So if we were to mix those together would be pretty bad…Like before in the halftime show of the J league.

(referring to the Kawasaki Sprint half-time event Tomo's VA Natsu ran on May 11th, a J1 league match between Kawasaki Frontale and Sapporo Consadole)

The members of TogeToge were on the field cheering on the event. But if it was Nina she would absolutely say 「Why are we doing this! This is not why I'm in this band!」 while her thorns go flying about (laughs). If I do link this to the anime I'll have to spend the rest of my life apologizing to the cast.

――You mentioned on social media that you wanted to write more episodes. I believe it was about Toma and Rupa. Are there any other ideas? Hanada: I wanted their trip to Nagano to be just a little bit longer. Oh and a comedy episode like the first half of Episode 9 「Kaketa Tsukiga Deteita」. Just an episode of them chittering and chattering around would be very funny.

――My impression after all 13 episodes, is it was mostly the drama aspect that's been cramped in with little room for the comedic element. Hanada: Yes that's right. Nina barging into Tomo's house in episode 9 is an example, I thought it'd be nice if we had more chances to include this kind of scene.

――Rupa also kicked down Subaru's door in that episode. I'm surprised that this gag showed such a gap compared to what we usually see of Rupa. In a way she's quite the martial artist, that is one of Rupa's inexplicit settings right. Hanada: Right right, Rupa is extremely strong in a fight. Oh, and she also loves to defeat her opponents by getting them drunk on alcohol. She'll line up glasses of tequila and have a drinking match. She loves the look on her opponent's face when they are passed out drunk.

――She has the impression of someone who's light and drifting, but in reality, when you go against her, she has no openings. On top of that, she is physically strong as well. Kind of like a Final Boss of a video game. Hanada: Speaking of being strong in a fight, for Nina, Rupa is an adult who knows the right kind of fights to take on. Compared to Momoka who surprisingly doesn't. That's why in Episode 11 「Centre of the World」, that concert was the best way to take on a fight against DD. That is how adults should fight is what I'm trying to express.

――In this series, Nina's relationship with her family is a very critical part of the story. How did you structure the story? Hanada: Regarding Nina's family as depicted in Episode 10 「Wandervogel」. Actually, director Sakai requested a big change from the original script. In my script, after Nina talked to her father beyond the sliding door, her father did not come out and send her off. The final scene was her holding the keys to her apartment and a shot of the cut-down branch in the front garden. Like with the ending of Episode 4 「Kansha(Odoroki)」, I had no plans for things to end happily where everyone understands each other. That aspect is still around to a certain degree, but I left some space for others to write. Nina and her father in the end couldn't understand each other, but they both recognize that the only path they can move is forward. Director Sakai is an actual father with children. So as a father, he thought Nina should receive a proper send-off from her father.

――In the very last scene of the anime, the band quits the agency and starts from scratch. Hanada: If the ending was a fully seated Budoukan and they won against DD, the story would just end up like 「Love Live」. I have no plans for a happy ending right from the start. Like Episode 10 we discussed earlier, I don't think any problems can be that easily solved. But even so, one can only move forward. That's the one theme I want this story to be consistent with. So when I thought what's the best way to express such a theme in the ending. I came up with what we have now.

――If you could make a sequel, what sort of stories would you like to include? Previously you mentioned the comedic elements… Hanada: This is just an example I thought of but, Nina gets persuaded by a super ikemen vocalist to heedlessly follow him into his house. But when it seemed like he was about to make a move on her, Nina knocks him out with a tomoe-nage judo throw and runs back home. I can't include bits like this if it was an idol show. So I thought it'd be pretty funny to include it. Oh, and I would love to make more episodes about their daily lives.

――Once again, now that the anime has finished airing. Do you have any response or thoughts about it? Hanada: Of the stories I've written about a group of girls centred around music, all of them are set in high school so the story ends after graduation. But, life does not end at the graduation ceremony. When I thought about it, I gave myself homework of sorts. I must write a story about 「Life Beyond Graduation」. This series has a bit of that in it. 「Beyond Graduation」 is in other words, facing head-on against society. There comes a time when one must face society with nothing to protect you with. So for me, including such a theme in my writing is like stepping into uncharted waters.

――As a whole, this story seems like it is written from the perspective of Nina's coming to terms with society.

Compared to episode 1, Nina has grown a lot by the final episode. For example, if it was the Nina who first came to Tokyo. She would have never accepted their manager Miura lowering her head to DD, asking for help about the band battle. Nina would've been extremely angry about it. But she has come to understand that one needs to compromise with society. Adults have their own complicated situations to deal with too. Mirua's actions are for the benefit of the band and Nina has learned to be grateful about it.

――Lastly, do you have any messages for the fans? Thank you for supporting this story with such a pain-in-the-ass main character (laughs). When I was writing this story, I thought that it would be hard for people to love this girl. But in the end, she has gained so many fans. I'm honestly shocked by it but nonetheless, I am grateful. I wish one day there's another chance for us to meet again somewhere. Please continue to support us.

――Thank you very much!

Part 2 of this interview will be with the cast members

[calciumcryptid]

what would the we are couples be like during heats/ruts?

Anon, you just asked a magic question. General warning for the omegaverse and the questionable consent inherent to heats and ruts along with the even more obvious smut talk.

We Are Omegaverse: Heat and Ruts

PHUMPEEM

Dynamic: Alpha Peem/Omega Phum

Peem knows he is close to his rut when he wakes up exhausted. He is calm and relaxed in his daily life but he is bone dead when he enters pre-rut. The twenty-four hours before his rut are spent sleeping with a single text to whoever is closest (his parents, his Aunt Pui, Q, and eventually Phum). He has to have other people do the necessary preparations because his alpha instincts don't want to leave his den. The next time he wakes up it is rut time.

Predictably, Peem is full of energy during his rut. His body has stockpiled, and he wakes up bursting with energy and desire. His rut is the most energetic Peem ever is, and Phum was taken aback when he experienced it for the first time. The sex is rough, seemingly never-ending, and Phum has to incorporate eating and drinking into the foreplay for Peem to do it. When they are connected by Peem's knot, Peem naps on Phum and while it is uncomfortable Phum can't find himself angry as he watches his mate sleep.

At the end, Peem passes out for another twenty-four hours before he is back to his regular self.

Phum knows he is close to his heat when his body itches upon not having Peem in his eyesight. He is clingy, territorial, ridiculously so and won't let Peem leave their den, leave their nest. He pads after Peem like a lost puppy as Peem prepares them food and water and calls time off work, reaching for him and wrapping himself around. Peem can't get on the phone with Toey and Pun, because while Phum knows they have mates of their own they are still omegas and his pre-heat brain views them as reproductive threats. Once Peem has stalked their fridge, Phum drags him back to their nest and scent him until his coastal scent has vanished under vanilla and roses.

During his heat, Phum has lost his vocabulary. He lets out whimpers, whines, and other lewd sounds that drive Peem mad. It would send Peem into overdrive, but Phum is dominant while in heat. Riding has always been Phum's favorite sex position, but Phum's omega instincts utilize it a ridiculous amount as he uses Peem as his personal dildo. Peem has tried to flip their positions before, but Phum is stubborn and fought back like he did the first day they met. Ultimately, it doesn't matter as Peem gets to watch Phum's eyes glaze over and his face flush in real time.

At the end, Peem draws Phum a bath and washes him. He says Phum's thighs wouldn't hurt if he let Peem take charge, which only earns him a splash in return.

In the times they sync up, they've matched each other step for step pace for pace as they fuck around their den never a step apart. Their nest turns into a warzone as they fight for domination, and only then does Peem has the strength to hold Phum down and fuck him into the quivering shivering mess like he does in their regular sex life.

QTOEY

Dynamic: Alpha Q/Omega Toey

In case you weren't here for my initial Omegaverse headcanon post, I stated my own interpretation of the Omegaverse respects aromantic and asexual identities. Biology will not give aromantic people a scent, nor will they enforce heat/ruts on an asexual person. In case you aren't here for my entire We Are experience, I interpret Q as demiromantic and Toey as demisexual. Demi identities are a little more complex, but still respected. Essentially, a demiromantic person will obtain a scent after they become romantically attracted to someone and a demisexual person will obtain a heat/rut cycle when they become sexually attracted to someone. When the demi person falls out of romantic/sexual attraction those traits will shut off.

Something I did not mention was demisexuals have longer gaps between their heats/ruts. In typical Omegaverse, heats/ruts are meant to occur similar to periods in they happen in a cycle. Fortunately, I don't believe they are meant to happen as often as periods but in my interpretation of the Omegaverse they occur roughly every three to four months so four to three times a year. A demisexual person will experience them every six to nine months so two to one times a year.

That wasn't really relevant, I just had to lore dump. Anyways-

When it comes to his rut, Q is odd. Media will try to tell people all alphas and omegas lose their sense when they enter their cycles, but it simply isn't true. Unlike Peem, Q is conscious during his rut. He didn't have a scent for about two decades of his life, so no one noticed he was in a constant state of arousal. For Q, it was a week off with awkward boners so he would hole up in his place with the occasional masturbation. He prefers to spend it alone anyways.

Q knows he is close to his rut when he gets affectionate. He gets affectionate, not clingy, an important distinction to make as he doesn't latch onto someone like an overly cuddly octopus. Instead, he does touch and compliment his friends a little more, and he doesn't shrug off affection, even plays along, as he transitions into his rut. As mentioned, he spends the week off painting with occasional masturbation sessions.

Then Toey entered his life, and Toey is a little scared to spend Q's rut together. This is reasonable. Toey is an omega, and he has heard the horror stories about alpha ruts. However, Q spends the entire first day of his rut eating Toey out, coming untouched. They aren't limited to the nest, spending a few rounds in the bathtub, and by the time Q has knotted Toey for the first time Toey is relaxed and blissed out.

By the time it is all over, Q snuggles close to Toey and naps.

On the contrary, Toey's first heat was a bit of a disaster. While his omega instincts guided him to safety it was an embarrassing time so he doesn't know what he is like before heat. It turns out, pre-heat Toey is similar to drunk Toey in the way he gets sleepy. Unlike Peem, who is dead to the world from exhaustion, Toey is cuddly and slightly delirious. He curls around Q like an overly affectionate octopus, and Q strokes his hair as he falls asleep to preserves energy. At least, that is what Q assumes Toey is sleepy for.

In their usual sex life, Toey is a pillow princess. However, a Toey in heat becomes a pillow queen. He doesn't want to do anything and gets fussy when Q doesn't tend to his every need. Toey is embarrassed when it is all over, but Q finds him adorable. In an odd way, it reminds Q of the days before they got together where Toey would beg Q to teach him art and bait the alpha into touching him. Toey may not be able to say anything more than 'alpha' and 'more' but Q will give him whatever he wants with care and dirty talk.

After it is all over, Toey goes back to being an octopus. Q is right, the next time Toey wakes up he is immensely embarrassed.

They don't sync up often, but when they do it is soft. Q wants to take care of Toey, and Toey wants to be taken care of.

TANFANG

Dynamic: Alpha Tan/Alpha Fang

Fang didn't know it was possible, but Tan becomes even more affectionate when he enters his pre-rut. Correction, Tan is the one who is an octopus as he latches onto Fang and refuses to let him go. Fang has to convince Tan to bring them their phones so he may make the necessary arrangements for his rut. Fortunately, Tan is willing to do anything and everything when it comes to other preparations as long as Fang doesn't take a step from their bed.

When the time comes, Tan is a mix between Peem and Q. He is rough, the way both him and Fang like it, but he wants to take care of Fang for better or for worse. Fang doesn't need Tan's rough tongue rimming him, but he knows he needs more preparation as his body doesn't produce it naturally like an omega. Tan marks Fang up, and the first time they spend a rut together Fang walks out looking mauled. Afterwards, Fang incorporates a muzzle into Tan's ruts until he is ready to receive the mating bite. Tan doesn't care. A rut spent with Fang is a rut worth spending.

Afterwards, Tan continues to be overly affectionate. He sees how long he can go with it before Fang stops believing he is under the influence of rut. His record is forty-eight hours.

In a twist of fate, Fang becomes clingy and territorial in his pre-rut too. He doesn't allow Tan to leave their bed, he holds him down, similar insecurities he shares with his younger brother brought to the forefront and tripled by the fact he lays with another alpha rather than omega like his parents society demands. He needs Tan with him, so Tan makes the necessary arrangements from their bed.

When rut hits, Fang is all over Tan. Tan likes to mark Fang up, but Fang needs to mark Tan up until there is no part of him not covered in bites or claw marks. It is rough between them, the pain a reminder they are there together, and in another twist of fate Fang is the one to bite Tan. He is constantly biting Tan, drawing blood, renewing their connection every moment he can. It is a miracle neither of them have died from blood loss.

Afterwards, Fang is pleased. He is immensely pleased. There is a level of possessiveness in the omegaverse, and Fang and Tan have it in spades about the other but a small manageable amount.

The times they sync up, well, their sheets are stained red and they are wrapped up in the peaceful bliss they found in each other.

CHAINPUN

Dynamic: Beta Chain/Omega Pun

Betas don't have heats and ruts. They are normal people with one note scents who are expected to keep the world running while disregarded in favor of their alpha and omega peers. In many ways, Chain can't keep up with the stamina and energy demanded of Pun's heats, but he is going to try.

It helps Pun is snugly and affectionate before his heat. He is like this always, affectionate towards his friends and always touching Chain. The two were married/mated before their official marriage/mateship. However, since Pun has no distinct change between his regular behavior and his heat he does this fun thing where he doesn't set time before he enters it aside to prepare for the time off. To be fair, he is around Chain ninety-nine percent of the time and when he isn't he is around his friends so he is never in danger. It gives Chain a heart attack regardless as he rushes Pun back to his nest.

Honestly, Pun's personality never really changes. At most, he comes across as slightly drunk, sometimes high, but he is safe in his nest by the time pheromones cloud his judgement. Though, the first time he spent his heat with Chain he was in stunned awe similar to the way he reacted to their first kiss. He couldn't believe Chain was there, in his nest, rather than outside his door only bringing him water and food and ensuring he take care of himself. Of course, this is before he lunges at Chain overwhelmed by desire. It is all blurred, but Chain takes care of Pun like he always does and Pun is content.

This won't be controversial, ChainPun exchange bite marks the first heat after they get together. With the way they reacted and acted, those two were the first to get married too.

MICKMATT

Dynamic: Alpha Mick/Beta Matthew (Matt)

When Mick enters his rut, he is similar to Q. Mick is completely conscious for it, which is something he emphasizes to Matt. Matt, a beta, would probably be under the impression Mick would lose his sense like it is portrayed in the media. This would reassure Matt, as misinformation would cause him to believe Mick would see a beta beside him and reject him in favor of a random omega.

I am still torn on how I imagine Mick and Matt's sex life would be, whether it would be tender or rough. Regardless to me, MickMatt are the couple who have the most fun during their sex life (not to say the others don't but MIckMatt hits different for me) so Mick's rut would be no different. They would laugh through their mistakes, and cheer through their successes.

BONUS: BEER

Dynamic: Alpha Beer

There isn't much to say about Beer since I waver on him, but I imagine he is like Q and Mick in the fact he is conscious for his rut. I imagine him as a caring lover too, but still fairly rough.

[watchingblsnowandforever]

Hello!!

I'm back to crack posting about my favourite shows and/or characters! =D

We Are ep 8 was gold. It had comedy, friendship, silliness and romance in the absolute perfect amounts.

Warning: long post 😊😅

This scene with Peem and Matt is peak comedy. I rewatched it so many times hehe

Phum: I'm gonna ignore every inch of space to stand right beside you. <3

Peem: *bombastic side eye*

Also Peem: *leans into him*

Khaofang woke up today and chose violence 😭👍🏼

Let's be honest though, that was not the sibling we'd expected to throw fists.

Meanwhile, Toey: that's my hia Fang 😊

Isn't that the million dollar question Mick 😭

If they got together already, how would the series run for 16 eps 😭

Toey with his hias ^ (also Matt edging him on like he's in a competition I'm dying 😭)

Toey with his P'Q:

However savage Q may be, he still shares the same braincell with his friends 😭👍🏼

IT WAS SO MEAN OF THEM TO MAKE MATT PAY WHEN THEY'VE HARDLY EVEN TAKEN A SIP! T-T

Peem before, when Phum even touched him: LET GO YOU ASSHOLE

Peem now: *fond, indulging smile* what do you want to do?

*shakes head with a sigh* boys in love ay

The motorcycle 'hold me tightly' trope being reused with a bicycle aka how to make them sit even closer

Peem saying so-so when Phum asks if he looks handsome: Peem, babe, you were the one who called him handsome first remember? 😭

What secretly. Phum was about as subtle as a football directly hitting your painting (yes I think I'm very funny).

With all due respect, please get the f out and let my boys be. Please and thank you. :)

^This is the answer to any question about Pun. 😭👍🏼

This scene is so, so beautiful. I am absolutely loving how they’re giving friendship/platonic love as much importance as romantic love because yes. I've been waiting for a bl like this forever (or at least since I got into bls hehe-). Bad Buddy and MSP came close, but We Are took the trophy. They love each other so much. Kill for each other? Nah, they'd go together and make that person's life living hell, and that would make my day.

I really really love that they're still so silly with each other in college, and are close to and comfortable enough with each other to be able to be childish and play in the middle of the day, to be each other's safe space.

This friendship is so precious and close to my heart. Even more than the romantic parts of the story, this is what makes me want to watch this series every week to see what new shenanigans they've got up to.

I love them. So much.

Beer is me, I am Beer.

Smiling at them so softly. Oh, he knows. And he ships. 👍🏼

This scene was also so beautiful.

They've finally started acknowledging that there's something between them.

I think more than Phum being unable to express himself, he's taking small steps to guage how Peem reacts. He wants them to be on the same page before he takes the next step.

Like with the kiss, he didn't hesitate to talk about it, to tell how much it means to him and then kiss Peem again. But he waited until Peem kissed him first, and till he was sure that Peem wanted to talk about it.

I really like this about him. He's not taking a step back per se, just making sure that when he takes a step forward, he's not leaving Peem one step behind.

Phum explains again and again how Peem is his safe space (his dialogues this time reminding us of Peem's little speech to his own friends and Fang talking about why he likes Tan with Phum), to make sure Peem knows.

It's already been told to us how alone he's been most of his life, so Peem and his ragtag group of friends is very new for him, but it's fun, and it not only brings him closer to Peem but also a friend group - a support system he didn't really have before. Sure, he has Fang, Beer and Mick, and Tan, but it's nothing like this silly little group that puts paint on each other then plays with water and gets almost black out drunk on a regular basis.

Also, did anyone else notice the two matching rainbow coloured jars behind Peem here? No? 👀

Simp. (affectionate)

I always love these call scenes where one of them somehow travels through his cell phone to land in the other's bed hehe

Peem is so done with Phum and his branded fashion outfits 😭😭

"You were born in Thailand."

Pond and the "I'm Thai" meme 😭

wait.

A bl lead realising he likes someone (his romantic interest) all on his lonesome??

Colour me surprised!

I actually didn't think I'd get to see this happen ever in a Thai bl, but good for him lol

So that's that for this week! If you've gotten this far, thank you so much for reading! 😊

Here, have a bubble tea 🧋