#2023 - 2024 season

[gogogogolev]

Some excellent news today. Stephen is going to be competing at 2024 Skate Canada Challenge in Winnipeg, MB. He's not actually required to compete here as he has a bye to Nationals, but this will give him another event before Nationals, and another opportunity to woo those tough Canadian judges. Also a good time to remind you all that Stephen has won Challenge at every level from pre-novice to senior.

I have to really commend Stephen for some good decision making this time. Way to go.

There is going to be a time schedule posted but right now you can look at the schedule here. The men are competing November 30 and December 1. I will be able to cover this one thankfully.

Good luck Stephen!

[codedsoul]

[filipinosamflynn]

Do you ever just think about how Disney fucked over the development of Nimona, only for it to get the most Annie Award nominations amidst the 2024 selection, while all Wish got was a consolation prize

[rosemariiaa]

uconn wbb europe trip , you will always be famous in our hearts.

[fanofspooky]

Scream King - David Dastmalchian

[local-space-gay]

There’s just something so vindicating about the fact that Nimona got an Oscar nomination and Wish didn’t. Disney refused to finish the movie only for it to get picked back up and completely outperform the movie they released in the same year. Something something something we win.

[clarkgriffon]

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 7x22 | “Chosen” 

[valyrfia]

when we said “lestappengate is about max and charles becoming teammates” we never specified in WHAT sport

[evercelle]

How do you do anatomy? And when you get artblock, what are you doing?

anatomy: make stuff up use references, observe bodies in art + media + ur everyday life, look at anatomy notes! i got taco1704's book (it's in KR and EN) but they also posted a lot of it online; simodasketch and kawaiisensei also have a lot of excellent diagrams. and sometimes i really do just make stuff up

artblock: that's harder to answer :') i got pretty burned out and couldn't draw anything good for what felt like months, even though i tried every day... if you get stuck, i think it's probably better to take a break and go consume instead of create for awhile. i played a bunch dawntrail/fields of mistria and started reading orv until the worms came back home haha. recharge ur battery and look for new inspiration...!

[amaranthineghost]

it's okay, I think this will sell them

[wejustvibing]

🫶🏾 [©Stephane Cardinale]

[gogogogolev]

Stephen has withdrawn from the 2024 Canadian National Skating Championships.

I applaud him for this decision. I know he was really well prepared to compete here and after having Benoit come in he was ready to show off that free skate. But his health is most important. A healthy and happy Stephen is more important to his fans than any result. I'm sure he will be back next season. I want to reiterate our love and support for him. I wish him all the best in his recovery and hope to see him compete again in the near future.

[bitchesgetriches]

We have lovingly, painstakingly updated our tax filing how-to guide for the 2023 tax year. So if you haven't filed your tax return yet, here's everything you need to know... including the due date, which is a month away.

Get after it, my lovelies!

[rabidline]

2024 Prince Ice World: Yokohama - May 3, 2024 Shoma Uno → SHOW PROGRAM (No Commentary) Music from "Ladies in Lavender" by Nigel Hess, performed by Joshua Bell: Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra Choreographed by Mihoko Higuchi

[earth-to-agnes]

me tying to work out what THE FUCK is going on

[absolutebl]

Hi!!! I'm a big fan of BLs, I really love all types, but I stopped watching and keeping up with the news ones around the summer of 2023. Do you have any recommendations of BLs that I should start with again that have come out since spring 2023. Or like a best of 2024 list? It's a bit overwhelming trying to jump back in and I'm not sure where to start again! Thanks :)

My top 2 BLs of 2023 both got 10/10s from me and they were:

I Cannot Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai

Japan Netflix?

This classic friends-to-lovers BL is everything Japan does best. Angsty. Emo. Aching. Driven by real thirst. Yamato is deeply in love with his childhood bestie, Kakeru, and has been for ages, unable to hide his ungainly damaging high school need. He wants Kakeru in every way possible and it oozes off of the screen. Kakeru is silly and a little simple, but not frenetic or overly camp about it. He is earnest, and genuinely wants to keep Yamato in his life which means giving a romance (and gayness) a fair chance. We watch him realize his affection and what form it can take in a truly authentic way. This show was impossibly kind to both of its lead characters and I felt almost honored that I got to watch something so lovely and rare play out on my screen. Full review here.

Our Dating Sim

Korea Viki

This is a perfect short form KBL, an office set reunion romance featuring geeks that really suits 8 eps with no fluff and no chaff. Just comforting and yummy. I adored every aspect from the casting to the pristinely simple premise to the quietly smooth execution. Sure it’s low stakes, but that makes it high domesticity and extremely warm and gentle. This is a fuzzy blanket of a story - a cozy BL. It lives in my rewatch pile and you know what’s best about it? Every single episode is in that pile. There’s no skipping with this one, it might be good natured and calmly sweet but it’s tight and the pacing is excellent. Full review here.

Here are the rest of my best of 2023 round ups:

Best of 2024?

I haven't started any 2024 round ups yet but here's my current working top BLs of 2024. These are the ones I gave a 9/10 (no 10/10s from me this year, sadly):

Century of Love

Thai Gaga

This is a very pretty drama about a young man who fell in love with a nice girl 100 years ago, and when she died in his arms, he was cursed to live until he could meet her reborn self. Only this time around, she’s reborn into the body of a man. Or is she?

 Cherry Magic (Thai remake)

Thai grey

A soft charming warm hug of a show about crushes and mind reading and self worth that really worked for me. With no-fuss execution from a consummate team (at GMMTV) and an OG lead pair (proving why they remain eternal and deserve to grow up). Look, here’s the thing, Cherry Magic is a great Thai BL in its own right - not comparing it to any other iteration.

Cosmetic Playlover

Japan Gaga

I love this little show more than most. It's a classic office BL about the older workaholic who loves his job and the younger upstart who unexpectedly loves his boss.

Love For Love's Sake

Korea iQIYI

KBL isekai about a man who must win a game by convincing a reserved teen outcast to fall in love with him. Of course, that teen represents himself and his own unhappiness.

Sugar Dog Life

Japan grey

This is a phenomenally charming and adorable little romance about a forlorn university kid and the police officer who adopts him. They are relentlessly kind to each other, in fact it’s an extremely kindly show over all (everyone in it is so nice to everyone else including us) so there’s very little tension. But what it lacks in drive and complexity it makes up for in earnest acts of service and simple affection.

The Rebound

Thai iQIYI

Actually no one liked this as much as me. This was a sports romance Thai BL pulp with everything I could have asked for given this sub genre. More, actually, since MeenPing are both great basketball players and the team component really did form part of the connective tissue of the show (vital in a sports romance). Meen has his shirt off within the first two minutes which is all I needed but he's still pretty great as the sullen secret keeper against Ping's cheerful survivor - childhood sweethearts torn asunder and now reunited.

The Sign

Thai YouTube

This show is literally everything (except straight) all at once. It's BL, queer, band of brothers, romcom, erotica, PNR, fated mates, police procedural, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and slasher. It’s the king of genre mash-up chaos. Sure, it's madness but there is genius in it.

Unknown

Taiwan YouTube & elsewhere

Unknown is a wonderful BL with a pitch perfect portrayal of long term pining, age gap, and the stepbrothers trope. The acting and chemistry are ON POINT (especially from the leads) which made the resulting characters very believable.

Wandee Goodday

Thai YouTube

A charming quintessentially modern Thai BL about a doctor and a boxer who start as a one night stand and then fall in love. Great rep for everything from Muay Thai, to safe sex, to FUN sex, to ace, to bisexuality, to smiley kisses, to the first legal gay wedding in a Thai BL.

For me this was GMMTV's best of the year.

We Are

Thai iQIYI

I unabashedly loved show. It was slow to find its stride (I didn’t get into it until ep 6) but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. It’s a soft ensemble piece with multiple couples and very little plot, but I didn’t care because it’s not trying to be anything more substantial.

There you go. Hope these hold you over until the end of year round ups.

Welcome back!

And HAVE FUN!!!

It's been a good year for BL.