#Enlisted EP

[headlinehorizon]

Craig Morgan: Balancing Country Stardom and Military Service

https://headlinehorizon.com/Entertainment/Music%20News/923

Country music star Craig Morgan finds harmony between his music career and dedication to serving his country. Learn about his latest EP 'Enlisted' and his re-enlistment in the U.S. Army Reserve.

[umblrspectrum]

SOMEONE'S about to lose kazoo privileges and their head

[lovelost-musings]

For the fact that marry my husband has become so popular that the whole cast is given a week long vacation to celebrate!

[lee-minhoe]

i heard you like song kang so here i am: presenting "gu won and yeonjun have the same style and i'm totally not delusional"

you can't tell me this song kang doesn't give off the same vibes as yeonjun in an oversized cardigan and sunglasses (i don't have a pic but can you imagine the vibe)

and the above is another demonstration of them wearing those low V neck shirts that kind of show off their chest(?) idk they're father and son in my head

also if you're fine with me popping into your inbox to talk about song kang i'll absolutely do it more often <3

you are not delusional because i actually got an instagram reel comparing jeong guwon and yeonjun too 😂😂😂 i see it HAHAHAHA

and yes i welcome any and all song kang content if you want to pop in my inbox again heheeheheh 🥰 loml 🥰 have you seen many of his other dramas?

[jentlemahae]

my money is on taeil for the solo mini album

[indigodawns]

.

[mikrrokosmos]

if there’s one thing bts are gonna do is recognize their roots. they will never forget where they came from, that they came from nothing, that they had nothing but their passion, talent, and a dream.

[tiggyloo]

Gunna start posting to my stupid fucking lets play channel against beginning next weekend even if it FUCKING KILLS ME

[cometblaster2070]

genuinely just OBSESSED with this hc that apple is a complete and utter MESS when it comes to her relationship with darling.

like it's such a funny contrast for the people who know her because this is Apple White; she is calm and polite and put together, and in all the years she dated daring, she was so fucking chill about everything.

daring dating other girls? didn't give a shit. everyone's wondering why they aren't affectionate in public? well, they're just teenagers they have forever after yk. when will they go steady? they have the rest of their destinies to worry about that.

you get my drift; apple does not give a single shit when it comes to this relationship because she is so in control of it. the actual 'relationship' aspect isn't really important to her and as such she's so composed in terms of her relationship with daring.

but throw DARLING in the picture and then there's apple running around like a headless chicken, being absolutely CLUELESS about what to do now that she actually has feelings for someone.

i'd like to have an entire episode of darling and apple going out on a date where there's basically a reverse situation of the dexven date ep where raven keeps trying to hype apple up and keep her calm while thinking 'dear god was i really like this???'

meanwhile, apple's hyperventilating over here just thinking about what to wear, what jewelry will match with her dress, if she's overdoing it or not, whether she should get darling a gift or something, what if she's overdressed or underdressed, and will darling like the food where they're going, and if darling even likes her at all the way she likes darling-

in the end raven grabs dexter and she says fuck this shit you and i are going undercover and tailing them, im too worried for this lesbian disaster.

dexter agrees because he's just come from helping rosabella hide all of darling's armor and assorted weaponry and they had both enlisted the help of the wonderlandians to make sure darling didn't have a breakdown every 3 seconds every time she realized she was actually going on a date with apple.

shenanigans are ensuing and rosabella and raven are getting the worst of it by this point, but they love apple and darling too much so they put up with it.

[bisexualdiva]

ep 1: jk made fun of jms stomachache and not nurse him. so jungkook rude

ep 2: jk cuddled jm so jk whipped cutie

ep3: jungkook rude because he shot jimin with a water gun !😢

ep 4: jk says jm is prettier than the skies, jikook in the pool. back to lover boy jk

ep 5 : jungkook rude and abusive 😟 because apparently he was about to beat the pulp out of jimin.

i couldn't care less about solos and tkkrs but it's a pattern with you all🫵😭😭. these insecure jikookers always treat jm like a 5 year old and want jungkook to tick all the boxes in their perfect boyfriend to-do list. like gtfo and go breath some fresh air. nobody's beating anyone out of anger man leave them alone. and it's not just the travel show btw you people have been this way about jungkook since forever.

also this might be a reach but I think the reaction to that moment is because of the fanarts and fanfiction y'all consume 🤷‍♀️ like why the fck else do you think a grown man like jimin would continue to enlist with an "abusive guy". you just kept on reading all those fanfics depicting jimin as a frail and fragile person that you let it be his real life identity in your head. I don't see these insecure jikookers having the same reaction when jimin is doing all the "beating". maybe learn to differentiate between fanart and real life before passing judgements on a 10 year long friendship. fcking weirdos.

how I wish yall were somehow banned from watching the show 😔💔

[cbrownjc]

Theory: Why this second 'Interview' is happening

So a few weeks ago, Rolin Jones said that there was a reason the second interview had to happen, which will be revealed this season. And we would learn the reason why one character needed it to happen in ep 2x05; then we would learn why another character needed it to happen in 2x08 (the season finale).

Now the person we will learn needs the second interview to happen in episode 2x05 will, IMO, be Louis. For now, he seems the most clear as being one of the two people IMO. For, as we saw in ep 2x01 Louis knows he hasn't been remembering everything correctly, but that he really wants to. At the moment, Louis has been (deliberately) sidetracked from thinking/wondering if anything else he remembers might not be fully correct but, by ep 2x05, he'll start questioning that again IMO.

Plus, for some reason, Louis is very insistent on this interview taking place and happening no matter what. Because just thinking over everything that has happened storywise up to this point? I actually don't think Louis is in any way fully aware of just how off his memories are. I think he knows something feels off or wrong but he can't quite fully place what that is.

So yes, IMO, Louis is the first character who needed the second interview to happen.

But who is the second character who needed the second interview to happen? Well, this theory very much includes book spoilers (that IMO the show is very much hinting at) to talk about, so I'm giving fair warning right now: this theory very deeply goes into something from the books, as well as tying into another theory I have for what might happen at the end of the season. So, just to be safe, I'm going to place this next part under a spoiler cut:

The character who, IMO, will be revealed as needing this second interview to happen, which we will learn in ep 2x08, will be Claudia.

Yep. IMO Claudia is the one who needed the second interview to happen. Or, more importantly, her spirit/ghost does.

And what clicked this for me is remembering something Delainey herself noted in an interview before the season started which was -- yes, Claudia's journals are there but even they can't give you a full and accurate picture of Claudia and her story. So how can Claudia speak and tell her story?

And that is where this second interview comes in. Because, if you know the book, Merrick, then you know that book contained what was thought to be an appearance of Claudia's ghost/spirit. But that wasn't the only book where we see Claudia's ghost/spirit. We also see her in Tale of the Body Theif . . . or, at least Lestat sees her.

And who was the main antagonist of TotBT? Raglan James. Who, hell, even if Justin Kirk really isn't Raglan James (and is actually Marius or someone else) still works IMO -- in the context of hinting toward that storyline that had Lestat haunted by memories of Claudia and dealing with seeing her "spirit" talking to him.

Because yes, I do think very much that Louis is seeing Claudia's spirit right now, in some way. Just like he did in the book Merrick.

And it's from seeing her spirit and just feeling that something is wrong wrt all of what's going on about it, that has Louis so insistent that this second interview has to happen.

And it's why four other people have come to do this same thing Daniel is doing and either ended up dead . . . or undead.

Hell because again, if you know the story in Merrick then you know Merrick Mayfair herself is the one Louis enlisted to help him summon and speak to Claudia's spirit in the first place; and she ended up putting Louis under a spell to make him turn her into a vampire.

Maybe that comment from Raglan James was a hint about that having already happened to the show's version of Merrick Mayfair. Who's maybe already been there to help summon Claudia's spirit in the first place?

Anyway . . .

IMO, Claudia's ghost/spirit is not only around, but IMO she wants what really happened to her to be known; the truth of not only why Louis and Lestat created her, but how she was failed by them and, most of all, the full truth of not only how she felt about both of them about it all, but also the truth surrounding her death (The Frankenstein Experiment) to not just be revealed but understood . . . mainly understood by Louis and Lestat.

And no, the reason Claudia's spirit wants this isn't benevolent. Just as the spirit of Claudia in the books wasn't benevolent when Lestat and Louis encountered her in them. What she wants, I think most of all, is for them both to face the truth of their actions and what that makes them (in her eyes).

I don't think Louis knows all this of course. I think he just knows Claudia's spirit is still around for some reason and that he thinks going over everything that happened wrt his life will help him figure that reason out.

And after four previously failed attempts Daniel was brought in for the simple reason that, unlike maybe three of the first four, Armand won't kill Daniel to stop this whole thing. (And, you know, if Merrick Mayfair was the first of those four, Daniel can't steal either of their blood to try and make himself a vampire.)

And can I just say, if this theory is correct, then I don't think Claudia's spirit is going to rest after she convinces Louis to do in the show what her spirit in the book convinced him to do. Because again, Lestat also got haunted by the spirit of Claudia in TotBT. And while I'm not sure he'd see her spirit in Season 3 when he begins to tell his story and POV of things (and so when we see Claudia it will be when she's alive during flashback sequences) I do think the show would be setting up for her spirit to do so going forward after that.

Because spirit entities do play a major role in what is to come in the overall story I think the show is heading to (which I and others think will be a combination of the Akasha and Amel threats in Queen of the Damned and Prince Lestat). Starting off by showing Claudia as a spirit entity can be used to begin to ease non-book readers into this concept IMO.

And all of this fits very much with why Armand not only doesn't want this interview to happen but still reluctantly let it happen. Because, if you know his backstory, Armand very much can see spirits and ghosts unaided. That is how strong his Mind Gift abilities are. So if Claudia's spirit/ghost is around in the Dubai penthouse, Armand would very well know that. And so would very much not want her spirit hanging around anymore if at all possible. Because of what Claudia's spirit could, at some point, communicate about him. ("My name is in some of those pages.")

Because I do think that while Louis does know about the role Armand played in Claudia's death, IMO Louis doesn't know about The Frankenstein Experiment. Because, in the books, nobody knew about that -- least of all Louis and Lestat -- until Armand himself revealed it over a century later in The Vampire Armand.

And the show is very much not cutting that moment out but, instead, has been hinting and foreshadowing about it.

I said in another post that I think Armand is, for lack of a better metaphor, like a little kid who wet the bed and now is trying to hide the sheets when it specifically comes to this. This is why he's against the interview happening because it being revealed will crumble the contented life he feels he's built with Louis in Dubai. Because Armand just craves love and being loved so much and not being alone . . . and is fearful he very much will be if this all goes in the direction it could.

One of Armand's major faults is that, when he loves someone, he tends to go way, way, WAY overboard in trying to either secure that person's love . . . or to keep it. If you know the book TVL, Armand did that with Lestat, (forcing himself into Lestat's mind and drinking Lestat's blood without permission), and that is the reason Lestat, in the end, could never trust Armand enough to be companions with him.

And Armand repeated that same pattern with Louis in Paris in allowing Claudia to be killed when, as coven master, he very well could have prevented it.

And now Armand is doing something way overboard, once again, in Dubai, in trying to hide the one thing regarding Claudia in Paris that Louis doesn't know about -- as well as keep Louis safe from doing something extreme if Louis remembers everything the real way it happened . . . as well as hiding the one thing about it all -- regarding Armand's own role in Claudia's fate that Louis still doesn't know about (and in the book Armand says he kept closely hidden until this moment).

Many book readers have always wondered about that Frankenstein reveal because, once Armand reveals it, it's never brought up again. We never hear how Louis and Lestat felt about learning about it. However, I think the show is very much going to give Louis and Lestat both a reaction to and about it when they learn of it. (And no, they are not going to kill Armand for it. But Armand might just be right to worry that Louis learning about it very well might cause his life with Louis in Dubai to be destroyed.)

So yeah, IMO, the second character that Rolin said would be revealed to be wanting this second interview in ep 2x08 is Claudia. And, IMO, this theory also fits with what Jacob said about this being Claudia's season more than anyone else's.

[theheightofdishonor]

GL Recs Masterlist

I've watched a couple hundred gls now and so I thought i'd put it to good use and help other people find some. There's not enough gl rec lists anyway

First things first, I'll like to direct you to https://mydramalist.com/list/1xrpwdW3 which is a gl rec list on mdl with more than 200+ titles + links. It's an EXCELLENT resource, kept up to date and even tracks upcoming titles.

Now for stuff that I've watched and thought are decent. I'll link all of these to their mdl page and the links to watch the show can usually be found in the comments. If you're new to gl, be warned that a lot of these are pretty short, ranging from 1-30 minutes.

1 in 10,000 (2018) Korea. This is a soulmates piece told in 3 parts following two girls through different parts of their lives. I think this got more confusing as it went on but I really liked Act I and I think it's worth watching. It's beautiful and angsty and a bit artsy. I'm pretty sure it has a happy ending but don't quote me on that.

Afraid of (2019) Korea. A short film about a girl struggling with her sexuality. Yeah, I know, there's a THOUSAND of these but I do like this one. It's beautifully shot and there's a lot of heart.

Am I the only one with butterflies? (2018) Korea. A girl blogs about falling in love with the manager at her new job. I like part ii better than part one but it's just cute and the pining is very similar to het kdramas.

Anonymous high school girl (2022) Korea. A low stakes love triangle. Good chemistry, low budget, awful kisses.

The Beauty of the Law (2023) China- If you're not familar with chinese gls, I think it's certainly something to get used to. This is like in the top 1% of the category. It's an ad for Adolph Shampoo and i'm going to let you know that they're going to appear often on this list because they make excellent gls. It's a historical about a female unlicensed lawyer trying to help a woman escape her abusive marriage. Makes great points about gender imbalances and women's historical lack of legal rights in China. (f you like this one, Sheng Wei, one of the actresses stars in 50%+ of all chinese gls, check her out)

Beguine (2018) Thailand - It's if the school dancing scene in My School President was a 30 minute sequence with two girls. No plot but adorable.

Cat in the eastern palace (2020) China - Watch this just to have the surreal experience of seeing like 3 whole cdrama arcs which normally take 20ish eps executed in a 7 minute timeframe. Also because it stars laoji who's in the other 50% of chinese gls. As for plot, it's about a cat spirit and a girl pretending to be the crown prince.

Clasper (2021) Thailand - And they were roommates! I liked the production, the dialogue and the acting was pretty decent.

Couple of Mirrors*** (2021) China- Wait to watch this because it will ruin you for everything else. This is like typical thai bl length, like 12 45~min episodes. It's a historical mystery about a wealthy woman who finds out about her husband's affair with her bff and the photographer she enlists to help her. If you watch one thing out of China, watch this.

Dear My Girlfriend (2021) Korea - A group project ft love triangle. It´s pretty classic. A girl starts dating someone who likes her only to realize she might instead be in love with her best friend. The editing is cute. It's a touch angsty as love triangles are and pretty well done.

Dear Uranus (2021) Taiwan. Another school love triangle. Does feature an adorkable female character, you know a bit awkward, a bit cutesy, if you hate this archetype, ignore this one. Personally I think the chemistry for the lead couple was lacking (genuinely shocking considering taiwan tends to be great at this) but both the love interests are hot and I am not immune to hot women

The Demonic lord and the virtuous cultivator (2021) China - Avoid this if you don't like toxic yuri. I personally love it so this is 10/10 for me. Orphan gets taken in by a benevolent benefactor who turns out to be her parents' killer and eventually....you know what go watch it.

Encore Martha (2021) Taiwan. One of the few gls about older women. A tomboy reunites with her first love. This one's only available on gagaoolala so you'll either need a subscription or sometimes they promote it for free. If you can find it though, it's worth a watch.

Family Plan (2016) Korea. This is a bit of an odd one to describe. The first half is two high school girls who are dating. And then the second half is their relationship as adults where they marry guys and use it to have a kid that they raise as theirs. I liked how this examined how two gay people would go about their relationship in in a world where they can't freely be with each other.

Favorite Girl (2022) Thailand. Very standard plot about a girl suffering from a breakup and her roommate but something about it stuck out to me.

Five steps to accept farewell (2016) Korea. Warning for unhappy ending. This is all pure angst, a 9 minute snapshot into a breakup. I like how it's done and the messiness of the situation.

Fragrance of the first flower (2021) Taiwan. A beautifully shot, beautifully acted, slightly too short show about two ex-lovers reuniting ft. all the angst about living in a homophobic society. It stayed in my head for weeks after I first watched it.

Girls Blood** (2014) Japan. A movie about 4 "girls" in an underground fight club. warnings for rape, trauma, domestic assault. One of the main characters is a trans man. There are sex scenes. It's very queer and I highly recommend.

Girls Love** (2016) China. Pre-censorship China had some very wonderful queer work and one of them was this movie It's about a girl who falls in love with her hot butch roommate ft all the tropes AND we get to see them function in a relationship instead of the movie ending when they get together. Warning for both characters being forcibly outed at the end. (nothing bad really happens to them after though). Also do NOT watch the sequel. If you go to mdl, everyone else will also tell you not to watch the sequel and I foolishly did not listen to those people because I liked these girls so much and I suffered for my mistake.

The Girls on Rela (2016) China. It's an anthology of short, I wouldn't say stories, more like moments, sponsored by a lesbian dating app. Each one's really short but the acting and scripts are all pretty good.

The Girls on Rela Season 2** (2016) China. This is sponsored by the same company but it's a totally different format. It's one long show about two girls cohabiting. Pretty well executed if a bit slow.

Graduation, Present + Propose (2021) Korea. A short about a high school girl giving a graduation present to her crush. What it does it does well. It's pretty.

The Handmaiden (2016) Korea. Historical set movie about a conman and thief girl who plot to steal a heiress’s fortune. I make it sound boring but that's only because it's a pretty popular movie and everything to be said about it has already been said.

Happy to have you here (2021) Thailand. Two friends have a sleepover and figure out their feelings. This is definitely in the top 20% for this trope, even though they rushed just a tad into the kiss.

Hello, spring is coming (2019) Korea. I'll let you read the synopsis for this one. What you need to know is that it's pretty, well acted, has good chemistry and is as brightly colored as a lollipop. It's a bit disorienting, parts of it doesn't make a lot of sense but it's a fun time.

I broke up because of you (2023) Korea- A bartender and their client catches feelings for each other. The dynamic is nice, the kiss less so but it can be forgiven.

I’m her weapon (2022) China- It's kinky, it's angsty, it's 3 minutes long and still fits in a separation arc. I would pay money for an extended version.

Kanojo no Kuchidzuke Kansensuru Libido (2022) Japan - two girls fall in love in a hospital. I like the tone of this one.

The L Bang** (2015) China- Another Rela production. It's a 4 episode comedy about a bunch of lesbians + (1) gay man who live in the same apartment complex. It's got queer friendship, queer acceptance and queer love. It's just wonderful. It feels like 2000s American sitcoms but queer and Chinese.

Led Astray by Love (2022) China- Fairly long for a cgl. A girl gets transported to a manhwa and falls in love with the ruler. Sunshine/grumpy. This baby is 52 minutes long and covers like the same amount of plot as word of honor does in 30 something episodes.

Legend of Yunze (2021) China - A human and a half demon vanquish demons from a village. It has a second season and a special that I haven't watched yet.

The Lost World** [Xia Ye Zhi Dao Feng De Tian] (2023) China - After watching as much cgl as I have, I was shocked to see Laoji in a modern piece. This is a college setting running-into-a-childhood-friend trope. The pacing and chemistry are both pretty good. It's one of my favorites from her.

Love in the Tinder Age** (2019) Korea- A black comedy about a bullied lesbian's failed suicide attempt ft psychics, ghosts and a teacher/student relationship. It's not really a gl because the main character doesn't get a romance BUT it's really fun so you should watch it anyway.

Love of Secret** (2022) Thailand- More of a slice of life than a love story but it's cute and fluffy and the main character very much is in a relationship. The actual plot is about a med student who's hiding both her relationship with her best friend and her dreams to be an idol. I found it positively charming.

Lover’s Concerto** (2002) Korea- Calling this a gl is a stretch. It's more just queer? The girls were most likely in love but they don't end up together and the movie itself doesn't really have a happy ending. I did find it beautiful though.

Mayfly angel (2024) Korea- Classic discovers-feelings-for-bestie-after-a-breakup plot. Warning that this is angsty and they don't end up together. But I found it realistic and I liked that they felt like two real people. Take that how you will.

Miss shen and the woman warlord (2023) China- a woman cross-dresses as another young woman's fiance and they fall in love. Despite how i describe it, there's a decent amount of plot and some political commentary.

More or less than 75 celsius (2019) Korea- A tea master and her supervisor fall in love. It's sparse and short but cute.

My Dear (2021) Thailand. A drunk girl confesses to her friend and luckily for her, it's mutual. It's 5 minutes long but it uses its time well and the acting is nice. It feels a bit like gmmtv's confessions. If you like it, the production company ShakeShoulder makes TONS of gl shorts and i'd recommend checking them out.

No distance left to run  (2022) Hong Kong. a 15 minute short film about how fame causes issues in a pop star's relationship. Unhappy ending. The song's a bop though and it's well done.

Nü er hong** (2023) China. I forgot to mention but this one, the legend of yunze and the lost world are all produced by the same studio. They do a lot of fairly long chinese gls. The story is about these two beings from an alien world who crash land on earth and are hunted. One is a healer and the other is a killer, they're in love, the killer goes insane so her lover kills her. Unbeknownst to them, they're immortal so the killer wakes up with no memories 200 years later. The pacing is better than some of their earlier stuff but it's not quite perfect here yet. It is one of my favorites from the studio though and it ends happily.

Our relationship ended before it began (2022) Korea. A barista falls in love with her manager at a coffee shop ft gender roles, miscommunication and the classic "cool one picks on the nice one to show affection" trope.

Pyramid Game** (2024) Korea. This is more gl adjacent like Devil Judge and Beyond Evil. There is a secondary gl couple that's more explicitly canon though. If you've watched other kdramas about school bullying, this is pretty similar except it's an all-girls school and everyone is so gay. It's got so much heart and is one of my favorite shows of the year.

Really, Lily? (2019) Korea. A 6 minute short about two girls who visit a cafe and beats up two men who were making homophobic remarks about them. It's surprisingly comedic and the coloring is bright to match. Features a pretty decent kiss. Watching it, I wished it was longer but what's there is still good.

Secret of us (2024) Thailand. The only longform thai gl that i've liked enough to finish. It's about an idol who comes back to win over her doctor ex. It falters from ep 6 onwards but until then, the show is really good at showing the emotional thought processes of the characters and the way they construct the story is compelling, even though I don't even like second chance romances.

Shackles (2023) China. Another one from the Chinese shampoo ad. The pairing itself is not my favorite but it's so cool that this is basically a warning against nuclear pollution AND features chinese mythology that's used in the brand's marketing. Like a 3 in 1. It's so interesting.

She Makes My heart flutter (2022) Korea. Baby lesbian finds out her aunt runs a lesbian bar and starts working there. It's so goddamn cute but it has this weird relationship with homophobia where everyone in the show is apparently 100% ok with queerness but a lot of the aunt's actions is so driven by her being a queer person in an unaccepting society. A bit like how Moonlight Chicken deals with Jin and Li Ming's different attitudes towards being queer except they don't dwell on why the aunt is the way she is or what she's been through. Anyways, it's worth a watch.

Sleep with me (2022) Philippines. A 6 episode series about two girls who are disabled in different ways fall in love. One of them can only sleep during the day and the other is in a wheelchair and the show does a pretty decent job at showing how these disabilities affect their lives and their relationship

Soshite, Yuriko wa Hitori ni Natta** (2020) Japan. If you follow me, you may have seen me talk about this show earlier this year because I found it and promptly fell in love. It's not quite gl but Mizuki's actions are all driven by the fact that she's in love with Yuriko. It's queerer than you would expect, less queer than you might want. It's a supernatural-adjacent school horror about a girl who's new school has a weird thing where every year, a girl named Yuriko becomes "Yuriko sama" and rules the school while everyone else in that year with the same name mysteriously dies. Yuriko's best friend Mizuki plots to make the sweet innocent Yuriko the newest Yuriko-sama to save her life. It's weird, there's plot holes everywhere by the end, it definitely vilifies it's gays and the ending is weak but it's such a compelling watch.

Stand-in love (2023) Philippines. 2 best friends have a ‘stand in’ relationship where the straight one helps the lesbian one learn how to court someone but they end up falling in love with each other. Like 20 min long and I love it.

Ti Shen** [The substitute] (2017) Taiwan. The mdl synopsis can describe the plot better than I can but it's a romance between an idol and a normal girl that's split into two parts. The first half is about them meeting in high school, the second is when they reunite later on a movie set where one of them is the other's stunt double. I think the first part could've been a bit longer but it's a great movie.

Transit Girls (2015) Japan. Stepsisters. Happy ending though and it's fairly long. I liked this mostly because I like Japan's moody stuff. I also liked how they handled the male love interest.

Truth or Dare (2022) Korea. A 10 minute short about two girls who like each other playing truth or dare. It does a great job at building tension and revealing things without saying it.

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna** (2022) Japan. A woman who loves to cook comes to an arrangement with her neighbor who loves to eat. Japan does food-centered dramas better than everyone else and this is no exception. The romance itself is slow and you watch how their dynamic changes through this and the season two that came out this year.

The Twelve flower gods: Camelia (2020) China. A xianxia romance about a girl falling in love with a flower but it's a minute twenty so I promise you're not watching for the plot. You're watching to witness the ridiculous amount of innuendos that they manage to fit in under two minutes.

Twin souls of destiny (2023) China. Xianxia romance between two elves, one who is made from the memories of the other's past life. I want someone else to watch this so we can discuss whether or not this is selfcest. The color combination is interesting because I very rarely see lovers in red and purple. The time travel is confusing but it's a good time and laoji is in it.

Until Rainbow Dawn** (2018) Japan. Movie about two deaf girls falling in love ft homophobic parents. The director is a deaf lesbian herself so the movie does a wonderful job in how it depicts deafness and their relationship. It's really well done

When the light pours (2022) Korea. A girl's boyfriend wants her to sing him a song so she enrolls in guitar lessons and ends up falling in love with her teacher. The girls don't get together and I really wish they had! So if you watch this, don't watch the ending and pretend that they did end up together.

[stormblessed95]

Watching Are You Sure?! EP 5

A reminder of how I do these reaction posts as I watch things. I just write my reactions and thoughts down literally they happen. Think more of a bullet point format. I'll include links when I can to videos, thanks to the people who twt who upload clips. And at the end, I'll do a better wrap up of all my opinions. I hope everyone enjoyed the show so far!!

Chef JK! Salt bae JK! Absolutely smitten and endeared Jimin!

Jimin absolutely indulging and encouraging JKs cooking enjoyment by asking him questions about his process was so cute. Tae giving such earnest compliments

The way Jikook chugged their Soju lmao damn guys

Jimin making ssam to feed the staff and JK saying no perilla leaves was Hysterical only because of the whole perilla leaf history he has 😂🤣

JK popping open the Soju in increasingly silly ways while Jimin watched absolutely endeared and smitten once again. Until Tae accused him of teaching JK that and he had to defend himself lol

Jimin calling JK very handsome 🥰

Only 2 months until their service 🥺

Them talking about how they don't think they will fight at all when enlisted together..only help each other. And JK saying he hopes they even sleep right next to each other. No one can say they both didn't desperately want to do this together!

Jimin never letting JK elbowing him in his sleep go!

Jimin so demurely petting and loving on the cat while JK runs, jumps, playing and acts crazy while loving on the puppy is so them and so funny 😂

Vminkook car karaoke 😍😍😍

Jimin sneaking out of the pool to go spray JK who was still inside on his phone lol

Vmin teaming up on JK as soon as he gets in. Lol pretty sure Jimin probably pinches his butt behind that wall 😂 and his nipples at one point too lol

Taking turns sleeping on the bottom of the pool 😂

Poor Jimin got water up his nose lmao!

JK pulling Jimin to the top of the pool by his hair was a CHOICE lol he pulled it knowledgeably at least 😅😭😂🤣 I know too much about them at this point. Honestly

Too many fun under water games 😂🥰����

JK playing a prank on Jimin and locking him out of the house lmao and him signing that he is annoying and to open at him 😂🤣

JK saying he is cold and Jimin starting to open his arms like he is going to hug him 💜

Not them having a towel fight 😂🤣🤣

Tae fully just claimed Jimin's bed and made Jikook choose the other two. Lmfao and the way they fought over who had to take the lower bed, but in a "no no, I'll do it's way 😍

Jimin waking up and first thing going to snuggle JK 😭🥰😭🥰

And then we cut and somehow Jimin lost his shirt and is waking JK up very obnoxiously lmao

Tae leaving early in the morning to go golfing with the Wooga squad! Look at him splitting his time so effectively and probably taking a break from the jikookery lol

JK photosynthesizing 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Jimin taking forever to get ready and JK trying to hustle him along was peak domestic behavior lmfao

Jimin wearing the perfume because JK said he likes it 🥰 cuteeee

Tae getting dropped off for their next meal all together and the Vmin hug 💜

Jikook telling Tae they were up till 4am and Jimin fell asleep phone scrolling?! Lol what were y'all doing all night?? You need more sleep! I say, typing this at midnight my time lol

I need my babies to stop counting calories 😭

Tae ruffling JKs hair and him trying on Tae's glasses is soooo cute! Jimin trying them on too! They all look so good in everything.

Not them arguing over if it's ham or pink sausage. Lmfao JK getting so upset about it that he asked the waitress and his "hah" back at Jimin over it! Lmfao Jimin being like whooo hey. It's just food. And their "apologies" to each other. Lol! They are so extra over everything lol How come Tae started this argument and it ended up mostly between Jikook 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Jimin basically telling JK he is happy if JK is happy 🥰 he loves him ❤️

"JK drinking soda means round 3 has just begun" lol Jimin showing off his JK knowledge 😂

Tae spent most of this episode when not actively playing with Jikook on his phone. Part of me wishes we got to see more of him with his other friends too, but I'm glad he made time to hang out with Jikook before they all enlisted too 🥰

Tae baby was so sleepy! He slept through the whole car ride basically and then came back to nap fully too. Jimin woke him up so softly 🥰

JK at a restaurant in NY while doing Golden promo alone with staff and immediately thinking about how he wants to make it for Jimin because "Jimin would love it" is so freaking cute and precious and sweet

JK didn't just cook stew for Jimin or Vmin, but for the entire staff. And I love him so much for that. The sweetest human he is

Jimin napping while JK cooks too 🥰

Jimin somehow lost his shirt at some point while everyone was coming to get food. Lol who knows why, maybe it's just titties out as appreciation for the cook? 😂😂

Both Jikook expressing that they loved having V there and that he helped make it so fun and that a maknae line trip made them feel really young again. And you could tell too. They were so silly! I love these 3 so much!!

Wrap up Thoughts:

So Jikook knew by the end of September that they would enlist together. And the palpable relief they both clearly felt over that was so so clear. This 100% made the experience way more tolerable for them. I'm so glad that they have each other. The difference in the way they talk about military service, especially JK, in the US and in Jeju is striking. In the US, JK started playfully smacking Jimin when he would bring it up, it caused him tension and anxiety and he clearly didn't want to talk about it, especially on camera. While here in Jeju, they know they will be together and they are relaxed, making jokes, expressing their happiness about getting to go together. Expressing their surety about how nice and helpful it will be to have the other there and their faith and trust in each other. How they want to wake up to each other. It's beautiful

I don't like calling any of the members 3rd wheels unless it's stupidly obvious it's a joke, but this episode Tae was third wheeling a bit at times. Jikook seem to have a tendency to hyper focus on each other at times during conversation. When they were all playing and being silly, I never once got 3rd wheel vibes. Only during times of heavy conversation while they were eating. Tae also kept pulling out his phone. He was clearly in touch with amother group of friends during that time as well who were also in Jeju, and him trying to split so much of his attention also probably fed a bit of those third wheel vibes a bit too. I'm so glad he was there with them though. Jikook also were as well. They all had such a good time together and seeing them and sharing in the love they all share is so healing for me personally. I hope Tae had the best time on Jeju with them and his Wooga Squad too! 💜💜💜

And that's all I've really got for this episode. It was a lot of mostly just sleeping and eating and playing this episode! Lol I can't wait to see what Sapporo brings!

[jikooklove9795]

https://www.tumblr.com/jikooklove9795/764513509135548416/all-the-antis-mad-cause-jungkook-said-jimin-and?source=share

I so love it when they can't use their "only Jimin is mentioning JK, JK isn't saying anything he's just minding his own business in the military because he's not a leech & attention seeker" delusional anti card.

But what constantly proves to me that these people are truly sick mentally and actually need serious help is how Jimin is the one who continues to get hate even if JK is the one who mentions him or initiates stuff with him. JJKs especially always give those vibes of miserable women who attack the other woman and tells her "stay away from my man, slut" even though they know very well it's her man who is constantly running after that woman.

The things they'd say about Jimin every time JK mentioned him in his lives, commented about him & stayed up watching him on his TV... Good lord🤦🏾‍♀

Hi Anon! There's a whole circus going on in X after the weverse messages dropped. The sole reason being Jungkook mentioning "Jimin and I ". Thats all it took for them to lose their minds. I'm pretty sure they would be cool with it if it was any other member whom Jungkook had mentioned in the place of Jimin.

You would already know the reason for their despicable behavior. They see what we see. They see how Jungkook behaves in the typical boyfriend/ husband way when it comes to Jimin.

They have seen the RB Ear Suck and that soft peck to Jimin's ear afterwards. They have seen Jungkook strutting around with a HICKEY from Jimin. Refusing to conceal it. Refusing others to touch it. Here, also the exception being Jimin whom he allows to caress it. They have seen Jungkook being protective towards Jimin. From airports to even standing up against his Hyungs ( Poor Yoongi in Run BTS ep 100 😅 )

They have seen Jungkook making sexual jokes with Jimin. They have seen Jungkook get annoyed at fans who were asking Jimin to marry them at an Award Show

They have seen GCF Tokyo. The entire existence of which makes any anti jikooker angry and insecure. They have seen all the other GCFs which followed and realized how Jungkook made sure that Jimin is highlighted in each one

They have heard members complaining how Jungkook gave a bday gift only to Jimin

They have seen and heard about the fan sightings of Jungkook with Jimin OUTSIDE THEIR SCHEDULES OFF CAMERA. Some of them being on romantic holidays

They have heard members saying how Jungkook is always in Jimin and Hoseok's room while they were in the dorm. They have seen this VMINKOOK Live, had their heart shattered after hearing this TMI

They have seen Jungkook's 2023 Lives where he spent hours watching Jimin content, lit up while reading Jimin's messages, asking Jimin to come over, asking if he could go over to Jimin's house, seen him flirting with Jimin while we all third wheeled.

They have seen Jungkook come forward denying the claims of him having a gf. EVERY SINGLE TIME. He even posted this video with the caption " I go the other way ". Posted it, deleted it. Knowing the point has been made

I don't know how they survived AYS??!!

They have seen how Jungkook made sure that Jimin appeared in his documentary

The final blow to them ( for the time being ) Jungkook enlisting with Jimin using companion system

When antis were celebrating Jikook being " distant " during the early months of 2023 Jungkook and Jimin were trying everything in their power to make sure they wouldn't be separated for the coming 18 months.

They have seen how even after Jikook got the confirmation of their applications being accepted and approved they continued traveling together. Wanting to spend as much time TOGETHER, creating memories to look back at while serving in the military ( Jungkook's own words ).

And here comes antis with their worn out trump card " Jungkook was forced ". I just feel like laughing. Cause they sound so childish. Don't they know the man who they claim to love? They do but they ignore it, twist his words and make him look like a company puppet. Cause thats the only way they can justify his actions with Jimin.

Jungkook is forced to interact with someone who he doesn't want to? This is the same man who was told not to get tattoos but got a full sleeve of them. This is the same man who stared down the fans who called him Oppa. The same man who folded his under wears on a live. The same man who fell asleep on his live. The same man who questioned the fans on why he shouldn't release an explicit version of his song.

He was brought up in a way where his parents let him do anything he wanted to. They only corrected him if he did something obviously wrong. This makes him an authentic, sincere person. Not the fickle minded, company puppet they want him to be for their own reasons.

He will never be the person who they want him to be. So, its better if they try to know the real him and love him for who he is.

[jeonscatalyst]

Am I the only Jikooker who's not excited for next episode ? I think antis got one thing right this time - the show is indeed so boring. CT was OK, jeju was typical run episode maknae line version while sapporo is just boring. Nothing intresting, no activities, no fun talks, nothing. Only boring talks between them because they have to do something for camera. I don't remember a single intresting moment happened in sapporo in the show itself let alone a 'jikook moment'. Jikook in memories were much intresting and interactive while this is literally them in show: 🧍🙂🧍🙂

I don't think they are bored of each other because they literally enlisted together but either they are very bad entertainers when it's just them without group or doesn't have anything intresting to talk or do among each other so they just go with the laid back energy and flow. I cant believe JK didnt even lifted Jimin one time which was like a usual moment in all contents they release. They might have enjoyed the trip but they didn't bothered to make it enjoyable for viewers. If they did it was just for them, then make a private trip instead of ruining it for everyone 🤷‍♀️

Ep 2 was even boring than already boring ep 1. I think ep3 will ultimate boredom as there was nothing intresting in trailer either. It's gonna be them just watching previous episodes and laughing.

“Am I the only Jikooker who's not excited for next episode ?”

Yes anon you are the only one.

Anon, you probably are not the only one who thinks the show is boring and that is why you should join the rest who don’t find the show interesting and stop watching. Do yourselves the favor.

When Jikook spoke about this show, they said we were going to see them being their truest and most authentic selves so they are not acting a script here. They took the trip for themselves and to leave something for fans to watch while they are away. They are not putting any pressure on themselves to do more than what they normally do because the show is intended to show us them in their most authentic selves which is what we see.

“I don't think they are bored of each other because they literally enlisted together but either they are very bad entertainers when it's just them without group or doesn't have anything intresting to talk or do among each other so they just go with the laid back energy and flow. I cant believe JK didnt even lifted Jimin one time which was like a usual moment in all contents they release.”

Expecting Jimin and Jungkook to talk about more than they already talk about on a show which millions of fans watch is kinda unrealistic in my opinion because they wouldn’t go on a show to start discussing their private matters now would they? Would you expect them to sit there talking about all the investments they make, or the family visits, or how many times they cuddle or other much private stuff? Did you want to hear Jungkook tell Jimin how much he wanted to kiss him or hug him on a show anon? Did you expect to hear Jimin and Jungkook gossiping about the stuff their friends tell them on a show anon? What exactly did you want to hear them talk about? If you want more thrill and fun then go watch run BTS where they just do activities that have been prepared for them to do. AYS is meant to be a healing show showing us how Jimin and Jungkook are on vacation.

I am not fond of shippers like you because people like you don’t know how to differentiate between a ship and real life individuals. You may ship jikook yes but you shouldn’t forget that they are real people who donot live robotic lives. Do you think Jungkook carries Jimin in his arms everyday in private? Do you think Jimin and Jungkook always do fun stuff in private? Do you think they must be talking about something interesting to like being in each other’s company? If that is how you view Jikook then why do you even ship them because you must believe their relationship is shallow as hell because if two people always need to fill the silence with noise or try thinking of interesting things to talk about before they can tolerate being around each other then that is kinda……sad.

“Jikook in memories were much intresting and interactive while this is literally them in show: 🧍🙂🧍🙂”

You’ve spent so many years watching Jikook in moments when they were playful and chaotic that you don’t know how to feel when you see them in those moments when they are calm and domestic. Are you and you significant other always playing around and carrying each other in your arms anon?

“They might have enjoyed the trip but they didn't bothered to make it enjoyable for viewers. If they did it was just for them, then make a private trip instead of ruining it for everyone 🤷‍♀️”

Who is the “everyone” in question anon? Please speak for yourself because I am having ball watching Jikook being domestic as hell and reaching peak happiness with each other and I am certain thousands if not millions of other fans are. While seeing fun and chaotic and playful jikook is fine, I don’t mind sitting for 4 hours watching Jikook just eat, sleep, giggle and bicker. That is cinema to me. And they clearly enjoyed the trip. They enjoyed it so much that they want to do it till they are 50 so maybe you should take that up with Jikook themselves or better yet, do yourself a favor and stop watching.

“Ep 2 was even boring than already boring ep 1. I think ep3 will ultimate boredom as there was nothing intresting in trailer either. It's gonna be them just watching previous episodes and laughing.”

One man’s yuck is another man yum anon so please do some of us who think AYS is Yum, a favor and not watch ok.

Please don’t take my response as me not respecting your opinion. I sincerely do and that is why I am giving you a very simple piece of advice by telling you to stop watching something you find boring, and not trying to convince you about how the show is interesting and how you must find it interesting. I don’t like your choice of words because they give me the impression that Jimin and Jungkook are some some prop to you but I guess we all have our freedom of speech. Ta ta anon💜

[heartofbusan]

Finally.

As we hit the halfway point of AYS, I've been wondering about the overall story arc. What part of the story is the one that floats over the entire narrative? To me, it is also the story that is the most sensory one, the one thing about AYS that touches me and sets my mind off of these tangents.

I'll give you a clue:

It's them. Their interactions.

The way jikook as a pair kicked off this journey was a contentious one. We all remember the first episode and the talk they had. There are many reasons, from the editing to the self censoring jikook do in front of the camera that have led to #TheCarScene making the audience feel either uncomfortable or made them sit at the edge of their seat. Hanging off of every word (and translation). There is both a lot happening and not enough. But not many can say that scene left them unmoved. I like that! That means that the audience is engaged! It pulls us in. Especially those of us who love to observe human communication. Yet, now we long to move on from the discomfort that interaction sparked. We long for catharsis. To feel that the conversation they had isn't just hanging there balancing them on a precipice, but that it will be OK for them in the end.

Jungkook’s "Finally" went a long way to guide us to such a resolution, but to me, his relieved exclaim is just the beginning. This, to me, is what the entire show portends to be about.

How does that 'Finally' look like throughout the 8 episodes? How will we look back on that 'Finally' once we've seen them all?

Like I said, we're at the halfway point (already 😭), episode 4, and where is that on-screen relationship building towards? What kind of 'beats' does the story NEED to hit in order to come to a satisfying conclusion within the shows narrative? How does the show earn that 'Finally'?

Sure, Are You Sure is a 'travel-vlog-mukbang-buddy-cop-show', but it's also the story of two seemingly estranged best friends/lovers who've been incredibly busy and who've taken it upon themselves to carve out time to be at ease together. If we look at their busy schedules as being in the way of them being THEM, then the most important goal of AYS is to get them back to that state.

Are You Sure is jikook's safe heaven.

If we were to look at all episodes as a way to work towards that hypothetical goal (Jikook back on the same wavelength) then the story beats per episode look a little like this.

Ep. 1: Two friends embark on road-trip, they've missed eo and want to do fun things together. Lot's of eating.

Ep. 2: Even short term illness can't keep them from sightseeing and eating, more warming up together: spanking in bed edition

Ep. 3: Surprise guest! Cut the camera's: the duo take a pause on domesticity and play games as a trio.

Ep. 4: The duo is the core of the story, pick up where they left off: re-kindling. They make beautiful moments together.

Ep. 5: I expect another conversation about their desire to spend meaningful time together 'Deep talk phase 01'. New location?

Ep. 6: New location but treasured memories pop-up from their first Tokyo trip. What does the future for this duo look like (the military service talk?) aka 'Deep talk phase 02'.

Ep. 7: Level-up: fun snow time activities?!

Ep. 8: More deep talk, 'Phase 03' that cements this duo as utterly and completely besotted with eo. They either talk about their joint enlistment or about traveling after MS...maybe both.

How do you think the next episodes will play out if we think of each episode as building towards a satisfying conclusion?