#Global Goal 03

[bspoquemagazine]

Urania Berlin: die Highlights im November

Liebe Leserinnen und Leser, Das aktuelle Programm des Urania Berlin e.V. für November bietet eine Vielzahl an Themen – perfekt für kalte und regnerische Tage. Ob Vorträge, Diskussionsrunden oder spannende Gäste, hier ist für jeden etwas dabei. Lassen Sie sich von unserem Newsletter inspirieren oder stöbern Sie gern einmal in unserem aktuellen Programmflyer: Zum Programmflyer Macht Zucker süchtig? …

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[the-conversation-pod]

Second Rate Second Chance: The Letdowns of Love is Better the Second Time Around and Living With Him

And we're back! We brought our good friend @twig-tea back to talk about how two Japanese BLs should have been 10s but absolutely flopped for us. This week we're talking about second chance romances, long-term pining, and their roles in queer narratives. Join us to break down what it's like to watch a show fall apart in real time.

Timestamps

The timestamps will now correspond with chapters on Spotify for easier navigation.

00:00:00 - Welcome 00:01:15 - Intro 00:02:38 - Love Is Better The Second Time Around: What Worked 00:13:31 - Love Is Better The Second Time Around: What Didn’t Work 00:23:32 - Love Is Better The Second Time Around: Final Thoughts and Ratings 00:26:54 - Living With Him: How it Started 00:36:33 - Living With Him: Where it Went Wrong 00:44:40 - Living With Him: Final Thoughts and Ratings 00:52:03 - Why The Queerness Matters

The Conversation Transcripts!

Thanks to the continued efforts of @ginnymoonbeam as transcriber, and @lurkingshan as an editor and proofreader, we are able to bring you transcripts of the episodes.

We will endeavor to make the transcripts available when the episodes launch, and it is our goal to make them available for past episodes (Coming soon thanks to @wen-kexing-apologist). When transcripts are available, we will attach them to the episode post (like this one) and put the transcript behind a Read More cut to cut down on scrolling.

Please send our volunteers your thanks!

00:00:00 - Welcome

NiNi

Welcome to The Conversation About BL, aka The Brown Liquor Podcast.

Ben

And there it is. I’m Ben.

NiNi

I’m NiNi.

Ben

And we’re you’re drunk Caribbean uncle and auntie here sitting on the porch in the rocking chairs.

NiNi

Four times a year we pop in to talk about what’s going on in the BL world.

Ben

We shoot the shit about stories and all the drama going into them. I review from a queer media lens.

NiNi

And I review from a romance and drama lens.

Ben

So if you like cracked-out takes and really intense emotional analysis…

NiNi

If you like talking about artistry, industry, and the discourse…

Ben

And if you generally just love simping…

NiNi

There is a lot of simping on this podcast…

Ben

We are the show for you!

00:01:15 - Intro

Ben 

And we're back. This week, we're gonna be unpacking two Japanese shows that really let us down this season in our Second Rate Second Chance episode. We've brought our friend twig-tea back to the podcast. 

Say hi, Twig. 

Twig 

Hi everyone. 

Ben 

We brought Twig back on because Twig and I have been watching Japanese BL and Japanese cinema for a long time. We have seen a lot of the good and bad of Japanese BL, and unfortunately both Love is Better the Second Time Around and Living with Him fall into the bad column for us. 

We both have a genuine fondness for the way that Japanese teams often execute queerness with a lot of approachable specificity that really lets both of us connect to the queer truth of these characters. 

That's personally important for me because, beyond these shows kind of fumbling the bag, they also undercut the queer narratives they're telling with some of the mistakes they've made. This is something that's becoming a burgeoning issue for me and Twig in our discussions about the state of global BL, and so we're going to also get into that towards the end. 

00:02:38 - Love Is Better The Second Time Around: What Worked

NiNi 

Let's start with Love is Better the Second Time Around. Ben, what is Love is Better the Second Time Around about?

Ben 

Love is Better the Second Time Around is a second chance Japanese BL about two guys in their earlyish 30s who were very close in their teens when they were in school together, broke up, and are now running into each other again as a result of work. 

Our main character's name is Miyata Akihiro. He is an editor for some sort of business and economics magazine and he is assigned to work with this writer and professor, who happens to be his childhood boyfriend. They were supposed to be very serious, and then they had a really painful breakup at a crucial moment. Iwanaga Takashi has clearly still been in love with Miyata this whole time and is flirting relentlessly with this man. They work through some, but not all of their issues and are able to start going out together again before the show absolutely shits the bed. 

Before we get to that portion of it,Twig! Walk us through the early developments when we were initially responding positively to the show and what we were really dialed in on. 

Twig 

The first four episodes of this show were some of my favorite television this year. Which is why I’m so upset about the last two, but we'll get there.

When they meet each other as adults, the messiness of their past is established right away, and you can feel the tension between them. The grudge that Miyata holds is really fun to watch. Iwanaga is a real flirt. He leans into the sort of playboy personality that was also really fun to watch. 

It immediately felt adult. Iwanaga admitted to having casual sex with his assistant. Miyata made fun of him for it. They had a kiss in that first episode. It was so good. Miyata decided that he was an adult now, and he wasn't gonna be pushed around by his senpai from high school anymore. The assistant, Shiraishi, was a bitch. A really fun bitch to watch. [laughs]

Ben 

[laughs] He really was. He was a real bitch for like, the first four or five episodes. I loved it. 

NiNi 

I enjoyed that. 

Ben 

He was played by Takamatsu Aloha, who was in Tokyo in April Is… playing Ren there. It was really fun to see him again. 

NiNi 

He really nailed the whole bitchy, “Who is this new person? Why are they around this person that I am perceiving to be my man? I need to get rid of this person quick, fast. What is the fastest way that I can do that?” Mm, loved it. It was so, so bitchy. Perfect. 

Twig 

And it played so well to what felt like the point of the story, which was that the main characters are older now, and to have this younger person around acting younger really helped highlight the fact that these older characters are a little bit more mature and so they're making slightly more mature decisions. [laughs] I won't say very much more mature, but a little bit. He actually worked really well to help emphasize that part of the story. 

And we learned early on that Miyata was trying to get engaged; we also see him [laughs] fail at it so badly. That scene is one of my favorites, where he's opening the ring box and Fukuda-san, she won't let him propose. She keeps closing it in his face. 

Ben 

That was honestly one of the most enjoyable meta moments about BL, where the girl who doesn't deserve this sees a very bad proposal coming and physically restrains [laughs] restrains [NiNi laughs] the main character from opening the ring box so he can't propose. 

NiNi 

It was super funny. So good. She was just like, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. 

Twig 

It was perfect. And then, of course Miyata then called Iwanaga to complain about not being allowed to propose, which was perfect and gave more opportunities for extreme flirting. 

I loved so much that these two characters started having sex again while Miyata was still mad and still unwilling to be in a relationship with Iwanaga. Miyata confirming that the sex did not mean anything. 

NiNi 

I loved that he was just like, “I wondered if you were good at this. I'm so mad at you right now.” [NiNi and Twig laugh] That was so funny!

Ben 

That was also kinda hot, let's be real. 

Twig 

Yes! Ben and I had a whole conversation about how finally a scene with tension in yukatas pays off and we see people actually have sex. 

Ben 

Let me tell you. The real sign that you've been in Japanese BL for a while is when you see two fuckin’ boys in yukata sharing a room together and you know no one's gonna fuck. 

Twig 

Right? [laugh]

Ben 

There's a fun one for the listeners. Sound off in the comments. List all of the Japanese BL that put those boys in yukata and then did not deliver. 

Twig 

But we got it in this one, finally. And we also got that iconic line, “If you love me, don't apologize.” Which is also, whoo. 

NiNi 

I did enjoy that. “Do not apologize for this because I'm ‘bout to have a good ass time.” 

Ben 

I wanna do a quick follow up on one of the comments you made about the maturity of these characters relative to Shiraishi in the story. This is a moment where Shiraishi intentionally doesn't deliver a message about an updated deadline to Iwanaga for the column he's writing for Miyata’s magazine. And it causes a real problem because now Miyata has to go rush to Iwanaga, who was away on a work trip, and get him to hurriedly write this article. It leads to an important sex scene, which is great for us and the yukata delivery that we were very happy about. But I really like that Miyata is so done with Shiraishi. When he finally confronts him about it, he's like, “I don't care if you don't like me, but you're fucking up other people’s lives when you do shit like this.” He wasn't angry at him, the just jaded disappointment cut that man to the fucking bone. He was not ready for it. 

Twig 

It both illustrated Miyata being more mature and also wasn't letting Shiraishi get to him, that you're not actually a threat, but you're now a problem, so you need to stop. It really highlighted how young and petty he was. 

Ben 

I really love the way you sum that up. “You're not a threat, you're a problem” is so succinct. And that's really what hurt him in that moment, he realized he had really fucked up. There's no winning at that point. There's only the huge loss of face on his part. 

Twig 

Exactly. 

And then we got Miyata jerking off to Iwanaga’s face in the shower. 

Ben 

It was really accessible sexuality in this show that was actually really surprising for us because we've been dealing with a lot of cutesy BL lately, it feels like, so it was really refreshing to have these guys have access to their own sexuality and be able to express that and act on it. 

Twig 

There are ways in which sex is handled in BL. Sometimes it's held back to add tension to a story, but it's often also done in a way that makes the story feel puritanical. From episode 1, we knew that they wanted to fuck. By episode 3 they were fucking. 

That just felt so refreshing. Yeah, these are grown ass adults who have had a previous relationship before. They know each other, so there's some level of familiarity there. They're attracted to each other. They want to bone down and so they do. That seems perfectly reasonable. It's actually ridiculous it doesn't happen more often. 

NiNi 

From the moment that Iwanaga sees Miyata again, it's game on. He's like, “Okay, this? This is happening. I don't care what it's going to take for this to happen, but this is absolutely happening.” 

Twig 

He bought that man cufflinks. 

NiNi 

He did what needed to be done, absolutely. He was not playing around. He decided that this is what they're doing and he made it happen. 

Ben

So I think what I really wanna highlight here about this particular show with the second chance component is we were actually super dialed in on how seriously the show was taking that part of the premise. Iwanaga comes from a very wealthy family and he was dealing with some shit and he was like, we're gonna run away. Normal, stupid kid shit. The two of them planned to meet at the train station and get out of there and go make it in Tokyo. A stupid character we'll talk about later complicates the situation by convincing Miyata that Iwanaga is just toying with him. Miyata is hurt and embarrassed by this, and does not show up to go on the train. The two of them end up separated by Iwanaga’s family circumstances, and that was their big break. 

So when they meet up again, Miyata has real beef with this man. And the show doesn't downplay the seriousness of Miyata’s hurt. That was such a real relief. If the characters have done real harm to each other, we do need to focus on the reconciliation that's critical for this relationship to work this time, and that was something that this show was handling so seriously. Even though Iwanaga wasn't actually giving Miyata all the things that we, the audience, were like, he needs to do these things if it's gonna work. His charm was enough that Miyata was wanting for them to complete the reconciliation. 

We don't get second chance like this where the breakup was actually the fault of one of the guys, even if it's complicated by familial homophobia stuff. They were serious about each other at the time, but Iwanaga was doing this playboy shit even then. And so Miyata can't feel secure with him because it's the same bullshit again. I like that their 30 year old selves were not fundamentally different from their younger selves. They were just more experienced. 

Twig

The last thing on my list of when I was still really vibing with the show is the “feelings-off,” as I like to call it. Miyata challenged Iwanaga, “You never felt as strongly about me as I felt about you” and Iwanaga said, “Try me.” And so Miyata challenges him, “Did you ever cry about me into your pillow? Did you think about me when I wasn't there? Do you jerk off to me, ‘cause I did.” He gives him four or five things to say, “Were you this embarrassing about me, because I haven't seen you be embarrassing about me.” And Iwanaga says, “Yes. I was.” And that's finally the thing that allows Miyata to give him another chance. 

00:13:31 - Love Is Better The Second Time Around: What Didn’t Work

NiNi 

So we build all that up. We're having a great time. Everybody's vibing with the show. And then it all turns. 

From the time that the family started showing up, that was when the show went, to me, off the rails. I was just like, all of this is interesting, but not the same story that they were telling all the time. 

Ben 

It was confusing. We were in this really solid second chance romance arc where we were focused on the guys rebuilding their relationship with each other. And then it feels like they didn't know what to do with the guys once the “fuck you, don't touch me” barrier falls away. They immediately complicate that by trying to reintroduce Iwanaga's family trauma as this sudden barrier. 

This is the common theme with the two shows that we’re gonna talk about, introducing contrived bullshit barriers to keep the characters apart and fuck up their ability to talk to each other when the entire arc is built upon these guys improving the way they talk to each other. That's the real fundamentally unsatisfying aspect of all of this. I'm usually a defender for the way people interact in Japanese cinema. We talk about trying to bring a level of cultural competency to watching Asian media, having been raised in the west. Respect the way that these cultures handle some of their communication protocols when they're engaging with each other. We talk about respecting the way honorifics work in these languages and how that impacts the way these people talk about each other. Listening to some of the tones they use with each other, about how certain terms immediately signify things, and these things don't always translate well. You just have to be able to hear and understand these things. I don't really wanna give these two shows that we're gonna to continue talking about here a lot of credit for this. 

This show was in the middle of a really satisfying second chance romance arc of rebuilding a relationship and then completely throws that out the fuckin’ window. Iwanaga is now the male scion of a wealthy family that disowned him for being a homo, but now needs him to come back because his sister is like, “Yeah, fuck all this Japanese nonsense. I'm marrying a foreign man and we're gonna r-u-n-n-o-f-t. That's fine as an arc on its own, but I kinda wish we had like an extra episode or two for these guys to move further along their arc before we introduced that, and it was doubly frustrating because Iwanaga immediately regresses in a way that is not satisfying because he isn't our main character. If Miyata was the one who was suddenly regressing, we have been in that man's head. We were in the shower when he was beating his dick to this dude. We get it. We know what this man is going through. So if he were the one to regress, we would be down with it. We would understand the emotional complexities that he was facing. But the difficulty with Iwanaga being the one to suddenly back off in the middle of all this family nonsense is we never understood the family nonsense. So reintroducing that with this shit heel of a cousin who really wants to fuck Iwanaga was just so deeply unsatisfying, and honestly kind of offensive, because they don't even dwell on it. They're relying on the shorthand of us just going, “Well, they're gay, right? Homophobia. Whatchu gonna do?” 

NiNi 

[laughs] What I was gathering the story was leading up to the family coming in at that point in time, is that at this point in the story, maybe their romantic feelings had gotten ahead of their commitment. So they're feeling a lot of things, but they haven't talked about a lot of things. They haven't decided what they're gonna do or who they're going to be to each other. They're just sitting in the moment enjoying being together, enjoying having sex and all that kind of stuff. But they haven't really decided what they're gonna be. And then all this family shift comes in so you're just like, oh, okay, they're out over their skis. They don't know what they're doing. All this stuff is happening at exactly the wrong time because it's throwing them back into a history that they haven't really dealt with. Okay, this is good. 

But then instead of focusing on that, they focus it towards Iwanaga’s family and what actually happened back then and how it affects Iwanaga, and that doesn't really work? I don't care about that at this point in time. I want to know what's happening with Miyata and Iwanaga’s relationship. 

Twig 

I think there's room for where we could have cared about it, but we weren't given time or space. There's a story there of Iwanaga so alienated from his family that he wanted to run away with his boyfriend, and they found out about it, and he took all of the blame and didn't let anyone know who Miyata was so that he wouldn't get in trouble. And so his family disowned him. He was cut out of the family registry and cut out of his family’s life. There's a really tragic story there and we're given almost no time to sit with that or care about it. His hurt isn't given any time. 

Instead, we just find out that Iwanaga made the decision to let Miyata think he was the butt of a joke and stay heartbroken for years, decade, rather than admit that Iwanaga had family problems when they were kids. And then we see him be willing to let Miyata go again for the exact same reason as adults. And so all of the work we'd seen Miyata do to process what had happened in their relationship in the past and decide to trust Iwanaga again. Iwanaga betrayed that trust, frankly, by not allowing himself to be vulnerable with Miyata. We find out in the very last episode that Miyuata actually fell in love with Iwanaga in a vulnerable moment, he saw him crying alone on the pier, and that was where his feelings turned to love. So we know that Miyata cares about Iwanaga as a person who is not perfect, and he wants Iwanaga to be less cool. And Iwanaga has not learned the lesson. 

So, I left this series feeling like I can't trust this relationship to continue in any other way than exactly the way it's happened twice before. It's very frustrating. 

Ben 

There’s this moment in, like, episode 5 or 6 where Miyata goes and confronts Shiraishi, who decides to stop being a bitch at the final moment. Why? 

Twig 

I was disappointed. 

Ben 

He should have been a bitch the whole time. [laughs]

Twig 

I just needed to see this man be mean to Miyata one more time and they didn't give me that. 

Ben 

That's the point, because Iwanaga never has that important vulnerable moment with Miyata. The emotional reveal has to come from the not-rival, which is not satisfying.

You know what? I'm not done bitching. Let's talk about what the show thought it was doing with the cousin. I feel like the cousin is meant here to be the stand in for what trying to be queer and closeted inside of this family does to you. So we get this vile man in Sugimoto who is just so gross and playing these goofy, manipulative games trying to achieve some sort of position for himself or his branch of the family. Is what I think they thought they were doing? It did not land for me at all. 

Twig

Yeah. At some point, it seemed like we were supposed to believe that Sugimoto was secretly on Iwanaga and Miyata’s side the whole time. And he was, like, testing them and that test was supposed to be some sort of thing that they should be grateful for. I was like, no. 

Ben

I'm gonna do that the next time I get called on some bullshit. You passed the test!

[all laugh]

NiNi

I legit don't understand, like I actually don't narratively understand what happened there. Not just in terms of what they thought they were doing thematically, but narratively that whole part of the story is so confusing. 

Ben

NiNi is correct. The first four episodes we were like, “This is a banger. This is gonna be a 10. We gotta tell all the other girlies you need to watch this.” Episode 5 happens, we were like, “Whoa, what the fuck?” And then by the time episode 6 ends, we're like, “Never mind, girls. You don't need to follow us in this one.” 

Twig

Shiraishi and Sugimoto have the same role and arc in that final episode. 

Ben

Like, we already had a bitch. We didn't need another one!

Twig

Two bitches is too many bitches. [laughs]

Ben

And they didn't even team up and have, like, nasty sex or something. 

Twig

Oh my God, I could have forgiven everything if that had happened. 

NiNi

First of all, “Two bitches is too many bitches” is perfect, but the other thing is it feels like they thought they needed to have a bitch in the past and a bitch in the present. 

Twig

Do you want me to tell you my theory? 

Ben

Oh, bestie, I want to hear all of your theories. Go for it. 

NiNi

Tell us. Tell us. Spill the tea. 

Twig

So I tried really hard to find the manga for this because I needed to know what had gone wrong in the adaptation and I couldn't find it. If anyone out there has it, please send it to me. What I do know is that there are three volumes and that it's still ongoing. One of the things that Japan likes to do, usually one of its worst mistakes when they do an adaptation, is they try to squeeze together at least two volumes into what should be one volume series adaptation. And so we get one really good arc, and then an entire volume or two squeezed into the very end, feeling rushed because they are rushed. So that's my totally uneducated, but based on experience, guess about why this felt like two different shows and two different arcs. Because it probably was? 

00:23:32 - Love Is Better The Second Time Around: Final Thoughts and Ratings

Ben 

Unfortunately, that is gonna end it for this show. I really want you all, if you've taken the time to listen to us, to really understand that…end of episode 4, we were like 10s, 10s all around. This show is doing some great shit. There's some hot messes here that need to be resolved, but the way that we're being led through this with these characters, the way they're talking to each other, the way we're in it with them was so, so satisfying. Before this show shits the bed. 

I am a queer cinema critic who really loves BL and the role it fulfills in the global queer cinema landscape. My goal is to connect other queer people to meaningful stories that they can enjoy. And sometimes that means that we have to say a show really fucked up, guys. If you do watch it, please understand that we loved the show for four episodes and then it transitions in a way that is not satisfying at all. But the first four episodes were still some of the best shit we've seen in a long time. And with that in mind, let's rate this motherfucker! 

NiNi? 

NiNi 

I get to go first. Oh me, oh my. 

Ben 

We love J-BL, so you get to rate without us giving our ratings. [laugh]

NiNi 

I will give this a 6.5. Disappointing me at the end is always gonna hurt me more than something that was wobbly from the start. 

Ben 

Twig-tea? 

Twig 

I gave it a 7. After I first finished it I gave it an 8, but the longer it sat with me, the madder I got. So I’ve downgraded it. 

Ben 

It is also a 7 for me, because where this show goes wrong is very obvious. I think BL viewers would learn a lot about the genre from watching this and understanding where some of us have come from. With that in mind, I'm giving this show a 6.9 from The Conversation because the sex was good in this show. 

[NiNi and Twig laugh]

NiNi 

Producer privilege rearing its head, I see you, I see you. 

Twig 

We didn't talk about how pretty Iwanaga is. 

Ben 

You know, we have not simped over these men. Let's talk about how fuckin’ beautiful Furuya Robin and Hasegawa Makoto were. Holy shit! We have needed some older guys in J-BL—older being 30, for fucks sake. [NiNi laughs] But these guys are fucking beautiful. 

Twig 

He put on his reading glasses and I [goofy voice] swooned. 

NiNi 

Hasegawa Makoto was a delight to look at. 

Ben 

Holy shit! As we're recording this, it is Furuya Robin’s birthday. Happy birthday, sir. 

Twig 

Happy birthday! 

NiNi 

Happy birthday, indeed. Keep aging like fine wine. 

I'm so mad, though, this show was at 10 right up until, like episode 5, and then it went from a 10 to 6.5. 

Ben 

It really was. NiNi’s rating is not off. If I didn't think the show was useful to talk about for people, I would have given it probably a 6.

NiNi 

Love is Better the Second Time Around gets a 6.9 from The Conversation, recommended with severe caveats. 

00:26:54 - Living With Him: How it Started

NiNi

Let's move on to the next show that disappointed us: Living With Him. Ben, what is Living With Him about?

Ben

[deep sigh] Living With Him is about how we will never get the roommates BL that we deserve. [NiNi laughs] All of the energy that we were supposed to get out of roommates BL was lost to the Philippines during the quarantine period. We blew all of that energy on lockdown stories. Goddammit! 

Living With Him is about two college freshmen who are going to live together because they were once childhood friends, and their moms think it might be financially beneficial and emotionally beneficial for the two of them to reconnect, since they're both going away to start school away from home and they would like for them to have someone to live with that they also know. We're primarily following Natsukawa Ryota, who is so excited to be going to college. He has dyed his hair brown. He is no longer gonna be doing house chores and taking care of his little sisters. He is ready to spread his little wings and figure out who his actual personality is going to be. He is living with his childhood friend, Tanaka Kazuhito, who is obviously gay and obviously has had a huge crush on Natsukawa for a long time. Kazuhito is also dealing with some major changes in his life—he was a national competing level baseball player in high school who can no longer play baseball due to a shoulder injury. It's very clear that Kazuhito has feelings for Natsukawa, and Natsukawa picks up on this fairly quickly, particularly because all of Kazuhito's friends are being real shady about it. 

And I was really excited about what this show was going to be, because this was about two childhood friends reconciling and dealing with this major thing between them. What was really enjoyable about this show—now that we covered the premise of two childhood friends moving together, one of them has a crush, the other one picks up on it—is they talk about this crush in episode 3, and we were primed for the rest of the show to deal with this crush being in the open and reconciling what that change in your relationship is gonna look like. 

Where this show goes wrong. After episode 3, episode 4 is them being awkward around each other—a completely reasonable reaction. They come to some sort of agreement by the end of that, and decide they’re going to go on a trip together in episode 5, but they do nothing with that. Episode 6 is a useless fuckin’ flashback episode about shit we already knew to lead into the seventh episode where Kazuhito decides to preemptively reject himself for Natsukawa's benefit, who suddenly can't open his fuckin’ mouth. Into stupid forced separation nonsense for a whole fuckin’ episode and then Japanese track star run for no reason, don't link up with each other, and then pick up episode 8 not dealing with the failed Japanese track star BL run. And we end on this perfunctory note where they wanna suddenly get us back on track in the finale. 

Gone on an extensive ramble there. I apologize for you having to edit that, NiNi.

NiNi

I was just lettin’ you cook, fam.

Ben

I would like for you to unpack your experience coming behind us and catching up with our disappointment.

NiNi

As usual, when it comes to the shorter BLs, I like to binge, so I started Living With Him loving everything about it, loving the emotional core of what it is. One of the big things that really got to me is that they do, throughout the show, have flashbacks to their childhood, and there's a lot of good The Knowing content in there. I was just like, “Oh yes, this is so good. He's been feeling this way for such a long time. We're gonna delve into that. It's gonna be so good. It's gonna be so emotional.” [sigh]

And then they don't really do anything with that. For five episodes, the show had me. Kazuhito is teasing Ryota, saying-not-saying the thing. Ryota basically figures it out with the help of Kazuhito’s friends. He's now starting to think, “Okay, well, what is this?” To have a conversation about it. And then you're getting into episode 4 and episode 5, where they’re turning these things around in their heads, and then the last thing that happens in episode 5 that I really responded to, they have like a physical movement where he tells Kazuhito “You can hug me,” basically. And that moment was so heavy. It was so good. And I'm looking forward to having the outgrowth of that moment. And instead we get a fuckin’ flashback. [laughs] And then we get weird sort of casual-homophobia-not-homophobia from Kazuhito's mother.

Ben

Worse, we got compulsory heterosexuality.

NiNi

And then it's like that didn't happen in the end like, okay, that's a digression that we went on. We don't know why we did that. We're going back to the main story now. But now I've lost the emotional thread. They're doing all this stuff and it's cute or whatever, they decided they're going to be together, great, but it's not landing anymore. They've lost me. They've broken the tension. They've broken the emotional thread. I don't feel it anymore. 

Okay. So, Ben and I have both talked a lot. Twig you step in here. What are your thoughts about this? How did you feel that the show went wrong? What did you think the show did well?

Ben

Walk us through your process, Twig.

Twig

It’s so, so bad. [laughs]

Ben

Walk us through it, bestie.

Twig

All right. Okay. I was so invested in these two. We start with Natsukawa and the show sets up so well that he's excited to be on his own, and he's unsure about his childhood friend Kazuhito being there. Kazuhito is immediately weird in ways that throw Natsukawa off, and which the audience, or at least the gay audience, immediately clock as, “Oh, this man is gay and catty about it.” NiNi, you called it teasing. Oh, it’s more than that. I was having so much fun with Kazuhito and the way he was like, “Mmm. I wonder what it could be. Why would girls always be unhappy with me as their boyfriend? I wonder.” This man. [laughs]

NiNi

It was so good. He was basically like, “I am trying to tell you in every way possible that I am A) gay and B) into you, and you are just not picking this up, sir.”

Twig

And he was mean about it in a way that wasn't mean mean, but when they go on their adorable not-date, which was some of the best domesticity we've had in a while, Kazuhito says to Natsukawa, “It's all right, you wouldn't get it.” The way he was just calling him out for being obliviously heteronormative without actually calling him out, it was beautiful. And the best part about that was he was wrong. Natsukawa did figure it out, and so Kazuhito being so sure that Natsukawa was too straight to get it, actually blew up in his face in a way that I loved. 

The way that they were so honest with each other and the way that they cared about their relationship, this is one of the things that this show does really right about friends to lovers. Even though they're a little bit unsure with each other cause they haven't talked in a while, they still really care about this relationship between the two of them, and they don't wanna fuck that up. But rather than not fuck it up by holding it all in, they actually talk to each other about it ‘cause both of these men have an understanding that communication is actually important. Both of them say to each other at one point or another, “I think you've misunderstood something that I said. I'm gonna clarify that.” Or, “I said that that was a joke, but I was actually lying about that. I did mean it.” The fact that we got to a place where Kazuhito owned his feelings and said, “Listen, tell me if you're uncomfortable, but I'm happy to just keep things as they are” and Natsukawa immediately empathized with him and said, “Wow, this must have been so hard for you. Is there anything I can do to make this better for you?” That was beautiful. It was such a loving moment, even though it wasn't romantic yet? Their relationship was so good and then the show fucked it up so badly. [laughs]

The other thing I loved about this show, before I move on to why I'm so mad at it, was the way they used the friendship group to establish that Kazuhito had clearly talked about this man before, when he wasn't around, [laugh] to the point where his friends recognize who he was and how important he was to Kazuhito. So they met Natsukawa—they treated him like he was a minor celebrity. Like, “This is Natsukawa?”

NiNi

He reminded me of What Did You Eat Yesterday? When what's-her-name finally meets Kenji.

Twig 

Oh yes! Yes.

Ben

I would like for you to note that NiNi is the one who brought up What Did You Eat Yesterday? this time, not me. [Twig and Ben laugh]

NiNi

Duly noted. It's delightful. He doesn't even have to introduce himself. Yoshida is like, “Oh, you must be Natsukawa.” And he's like, “What?” and she's like, “Shhh shh shh shh shhhh. Don't worry about how I know that.”

Twig 

Kazuhito gets called away and he's like, “Come on, guys. Let's go there.” And they’re like, “No, we're good. We're gonna stay and talk to this man.” [Twig and NiNi laugh]

NiNi

The gossip is here! Why would you go where you are, this is where the good stuff is.

Twig

[sigh] And then.

00:36:33 - Living With Him: Where it Went Wrong

Ben

And then! Take us in, Twig.

Twig

Okay, so, episode 4 happened, and I did appreciate sitting with the awkwardness after the intensity of those emotional conversations and the uncertainty of what things were gonna be like now. That actually felt true. But the problem was it started to feel slow. This is where I think it started to drag. 

Episode 5 was clearly filler. We go camping. Okay, there shoulda been a kiss. I'm still mad about it. What it seemed like they were trying to do with the camping episode was establish some of Natsukawa's insecurities. He wants to seem a little more competent and cool in front of Kazuhito. That already felt a bit weird to me because in their apartment he's the one who cooks, so he already has established himself as someone who does things that Kazuhito can't. He also in the flashbacks, in the earlier episodes to their childhood, was established as the one in Kazuhito's life who didn't see him as perfect. Who liked him as he was and as not perfect. So for him to suddenly be caught up in Kazuhito as a perfect guy didn't feel true to the character we'd gotten to that point?

NiNi

I felt like this episode was really about Natsukawa trying to flirt. I feel like Natsukawa has certain confidences, but the insecurities that Natsukawa is dealing with here are about his romantic potential. It's not that he sees himself as smaller or less, but it's more like when it comes to romance and sex and all those things he doesn't feel as confident in that way.

Twig

I agree with you, which is why it was so weird that so much of the camping thing was about how Natsukawa learned all of these camping things so that he could give Kazuhito a good time and then couldn't get the lighter started and so they had to rely on these girls. It felt like they were focusing on the wrong parts of him that he didn't have confidence in.

NiNi

But if he's trying to flirt with Kazuhito in this way, then maybe it's more like, “I'm trying to flirt and I'm failing at it” kind of thing.

Ben

See and this is where things could have been really interesting. Here is the problem: Natsukawa wanting to take care of Kazuhito as his primary way to respond to their situation made total sense. The only skills he's really developed outside of studying are domestic chores. Being unable to deliver on that front when they went camping was totally reasonable and there was something potentially interesting there, but they don't really deal with that properly. There's this actually kind of satisfying moment at the end where he says plainly, “I want you to rely on me more,” that lands pretty smoothly from where we were in episode 3, where he was like, “You must have been holding this for a long time. How do I help you?” And ending on “rely on me more, dummy,” was absolutely fine. 

The big problem for me was episode 6. If the thematic point and the thrust of episode 5 is “rely on me more, dummy” the byproduct and answer to that in episode 6 should have been that man waking up and saying, “I've always relied on you.” But instead, the show backs off from them entirely by having Kazuhito break up in the next episode because they don't know what the fuck else to do. I guess. The natural response to that fucking long-ass flashback telling us that this man has always thought about this man, that he has defined a huge part of his adolescence, was for him to wake up and say it. And he doesn't. This leads to the finale episode where finally he says what he has to say and Kazuhito's like, “This is the happiest moment of my life. Let's dead fish kiss” and I'm like, absolutely not! This man has been horny for 10 years. I need to see that being released now. 

The thing about me with this is, like—Shan and I joke about this. We are real haters. But like a big part about being a hater is being a lover! You love these shows. You love what they do really well, and where they fuck up is so obvious sometimes. The obvious fuck up of this show is Ryota saying clearly “rely on me more” and then Natsukawa not talking to him for basically two episodes after that, the end of episode 5 is a very clear request from one of our romantic leads to the other that the other romantic lead does not respond to. The guy who has been in love with this man the whole fucking time receives a direct request from him. The guy who was apparently the reason why he was able to get his fucking life back together, and he does not respond to that clear stated request, and because he can't respond to that, it shuts down Natsukawa's arc for the rest of the show about who is he beyond caring for other people. It's so deeply unsatisfying.

NiNi

Twig, in terms of where it breaks down for you, is that similar to where Ben's talking about or do you have a different place where things start to break down?

Twig

Episode 6 is definitely the waste of an entire episode, just illustrating things that they'd already told us through conversation. Show, not tell, but there's no point in showing us what you already told us. That's a waste of time. Natsukawa, his arc got completely fucked up by all of the wasted space in this show. That's why it feels so confusing and unsatisfying, because the order of what he goes through internally no longer makes any sense. 

What we see him do in this show is he starts confused, uncertain about what's going on with Kazuhito. He has a realization about what's going on with Kazuhito, and they have the conversation about it. He has time to reflect on it and think about what his feelings are. He accepts his feelings. We see him realize that he likes Kazuhito, he wants to be with him. Then we see him hesitate about that, “Because I like you, it's actually really hard to tell you,” which is not how they've been communicating to date, but okay. And then he goes from that to concern about homophobia, which makes no sense to have as a thing to happen after you've already gone through acceptance and hesitation. And then it gets resolved. It was a confusing clusterfuck because it didn't make any sense, and the only reason why his arc happens that way is because they had those two filler episodes of his acceptance and hesitation in the middle that weren't in the manga. I did read it to figure out what the hell went wrong.

Ben

Twig, walk us through the experience you had reading the manga to get some clarity.

Twig

A lot of the things that I thought didn't necessarily work or I was confused by in the show, worked perfectly in the manga because of the order in which they happen and the lack of space between them. Natsukawa’s arc in the manga is, he reunites with Kazuhito, is confused by what's going on with Kazuhito, he has a realization and the conversation with Kazuhito about it. He's left to think about it. He immediately goes from that to his concerns about homophobia and then it's resolved. 

So all of the moments where he realizes he feels good with Kazuhito, he wants him in his life, he misses him when he's not there, those happen after the concern about homophobia. It made a complete difference. Things that I hated in the show worked perfectly well in the manga because they made sense in terms of an order of events and the emotional arcs that people went through. It was a really good illustration of understanding the overarching arc you're telling and not just the moments, because they kept all of the moments of the manga, they're all in the show, but by moving them around a little bit and adding so much in between them, it completely changed how they landed for the audience.

00:44:40 - Living With Him: Final Thoughts and Ratings

NiNi 

The show feels like it wanted to touch on a lot of things, but it also didn't want to touch on a lot of things, so we get some of Natsukawa’s arc regarding the way that he feels about having spent his teenage years looking after his sisters and some of the things that have come out of that. His family is a decently big part of the show. And there's some things there with his mom and how his mom may feel guilty and like she needs to make up for certain things. And then his sisters are still asking him for stuff even after he's moved out. They're still buggin’ him all the time. There's stuff in there that's swirling around, but it never really gets concretized. 

And then there's stuff around Kazuhito's mom that again, swirling around and never really gets concretized. And I just feel like the show wanted to do all of these things, but they weren't serious about any of them. And then they spend all this time in the middle, these two entire episodes, pulling in a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with any of this. 

Twig 

I wanna pick up what you said about the parents. The show spent time with both Kazuhito and Natsukawa’s moms. We Natsukawa’s mom clock immediately that there was something wrong with Natsukawa because he was making something deep fried, which is a sign that her son is going through it. And I thought that was a really beautiful way of showing that his mom understood him. And then we got the conversation with Kazuhito's mom when the comphet happens where Kazuhito's mom asks Natsukawa to let her know if Kazuhito meets anyone so that she can find out about his love life because he never tells her anything. 

And then the final episode, we get a moment with both moms where they clearly clock that something's going on with their sons and seem happy about it? And that was so unearned and made me so angry. Natsukawa’s mom at least seemed like she knew her son, but Kazuhito's mom was fully oblivious, and for her to get that moment of, “Oh good. My son is now happy with his boyfriend” to the point where—I took in these yukatas so that they can have this yukata moment—mmm, to bring that back. 

Ben 

There it is. Sorry, listeners, you won't get to count this show when you list them out. 

[all laugh]

Twig 

So they get these yukatas taken in so they can have them permanently. And nod to, “I know that you guys are gonna be a thing,” a quiet without having to say it aloud, “I'm cool with your relationship” and she makes an offhand comment that Kazuhito is so much happier now, like he was when he was younger, that indicates that she knows that Natsukawa is making a difference in Kazuhito’s life and she's happy about it. 

Where the hell was that energy when she was talking to him before, where did this come from? 

Ben 

You're right, man. After two episodes of angst in episode 6 and 7, they rushed the shit out of the resolution in episode 8. 

Twig 

This show had too little material to work with, was too cowardly to add very much at all. The little bit that they did add was not good, so maybe for the best that they [laughs] didn't try to do too much, but they wanted to keep the main beat in the same place, which meant that they shoved a bunch of filler in the middle that fucked up the entire emotional arc and then rushed the ending. They just shat the bed on it. The part that I was actually really interested in—which is, what is this relationship going to look like once it gets off the ground?—we didn't get any of that. 

Ben 

This show was good for like 30 percent of its run, tolerable for about 62 percent of its run. 

NiNi 

62 percent, that was so specific. 

Ben 

It’s what 5 divided by 8 is. [Twig laughs] It's just math.

NiNi 

Sir. Sir. Sir!

Ben 

Anyway, this is from the same team that brought us Old Fashion Cupcake, so we're trying to understand why the people who have made a five episode banger decided to take what should have been a five episode banger and make it an eight episode fart. 

Twig 

Talk that talk. 

Ben 

This show was so vacant. They clearly ran out of the great source material by the end of episode 3 and did not know what to do for the rest of the show. Spending this much time in one character having intense angst over another character not ending in a satisfying release of that tension is extremely disappointing. If Kazuhito was holding these feelings for 10 years, that perfunctory little dead fish kiss was so unsatisfying. I rebuke it. 

NiNi 

We shall not speak of it. 

Twig 

The one thing that did keep me going through that last episode were the performances specifically of Sato Ryuga and Sakai Sho. The performances in this show were good and I would like to see them in something else. 

Ben 

I would very much like them to try again. 

NiNi 

I absolutely agree, even through all the nonsense I think that the acting was solid and I would like to see these boys do something again. [sigh] I don't wanna talk about this show anymore. 

Ben

Let’s rate it!

NiNi

[laughs] Let's rate this sucker. 

Ben 

It's a 6. It's a 6. It was not exactly offensive, but this show made the egregious sin of being boring. How do you make a Japanese BL boring? That is the reign of Thailand, with its 50 to 100 fuckin’ minute episodes. 

[Twig laughs]

NiNi 

I'ma let you cook. For now. 

Twig 

The worst part about it is it's so close to being so good. You can almost fix it just by watching 1-4 and then 8. 

NiNi

No.

Ben 

No.

NiNi

No.

Ben

No.

NiNi

No.

Ben

No.

Twig

No?

Ben

[laughs] No. Absolutely not. 

Twig 

Ha! [Twig laughs]

NiNi

I would be right there with you normally, but 8 is not good. 

Ben 

I love you, Twig. [laugh] I will be back-to-back with you against anyone in this fandom. But I can't be with you on this, sis. Episode 8 fucking sucked because it doesn't complete either character’s actual character arc! Mm-mm.

NiNi 

It doesn't pick up on the stuff that was going on up to episode 5, and then it also doesn't pick up on the stuff that they were doing in 6 and 7. So it doesn't follow either of the arcs that they were going with. 

Twig 

This is my point. You have to cut out all the shit it didn't pick up on [laughs] and then it's fine. 

Ben 

[laughs] You're gonna make it the five episode BL it should have been.

Twig

That’s what I’m saying! 

NiNi 

No. I'm sorry, even if you wanted to do that, I'm sorry, those lame ass kisses at the end? Forget about it. 

Ben 

NiNi! Rating. 

NiNi 

It was a 7 until this conversation, now it's a 6. 

Ben 

Twig-tea! 

Twig 

Yeah, I'm with you all, it’s a 6. 

Ben 

It's a 6 from The Conversation. 

00:52:03 - Why The Queerness Matters

Ben 

Both of these shows got less than a 7 from The Conversation, and the conversation about them is different. Love is Better the Second Time Around was actually so fucking good for the bulk of its run and then clearly jettisoned to go be something else instead. With Living With Him, it's very clear that they didn't know what to do with the amount of runtime they had. You can see this show falling apart in real time. This show was not it and it should have been. The potential was sky high and the show really let me down. It went from being a 10 to a 6. That is a terrifying fall. I don't think I've ever had such a turn with a show in my experience in BL. 

NiNi 

So, the thing about these two shows, why we ended up placing them together, aside from the fact that they started strong and flopped. The flop happened for both of these shows in trying to go for a flashback. Trying to go to time prior to the show to tell us… what, exactly? And I think that's the thing that really I'm taking away from this. If you're gonna do a flashback in a story, the flashback has to give you something, it has to mean something, it has to illuminate something. And for both of these shows, I do not feel illuminated by the flashback. I didn't feel like the flashback gave me either new information narratively or new information thematically and emotionally. I just feel like the flashbacks were there because they wanted to flash back to a different time for whatever reason, but there's no real reason in either of these stories for the flashback to exist. 

Ben 

It's because they're making the mistake of not recognizing what western M/M romance understands, that if you're going to break the characters up in a meaningful way, do it at the 60% mark. 

Twig 

I want to pick up what NiNi said, too. The flashback has to accomplish something and we should learn something from it, but also the character should have learned something since, and it should set us up for them to move their arcs forward in a way that makes sense from what we had before the flashback. 

NiNi 

Absolutely, yes. 

Twig 

In both of these cases, the flashback did not fill in the information to allow us to follow that character arc in any way that was meaningful or satisfying. 

Ben 

I'm not always keen on flashbacks in romance. I gotta be honest. The problem with romance flashbacks a lot of the time is, unless you're contextualizing something that the audience has picked up on the whole time, you're just retconning your show. 

Twig 

Yeah, I agree. For the most part. I think sometimes shows seem like their goal is to trick the audience and that most of the time should not be your goal except in very specific genre circumstances. Most of the time, your audience should be able to at least anticipate sort of what's coming-ish and be excited about it. The how and the why is the part that's interesting, not the, “Oh, you did something that you didn't tell me you were doing for the last however many hours of my life.” It shouldn't be a surprise. 

NiNi 

For me, that's not entirely it. I have enjoyed before a midstream flashback that tells me something brand new that I have to go back to the beginning and be like, “Oh a twist!” Like, I've enjoyed a twist flashback before. It's not even a question of that. It's a question of, the flashback has to have a purpose. It has to have a reason, it has to give me something, sooomething that I did not already know. Like I said, whether that's narrative, whether that's thematic or emotional, but it has to illuminate something new for me. It has to have a reason for being there. And I just feel in both of these cases the flashback had no reason for being there. 

That said, I have enjoyed this episode. For many reasons. 

Ben 

It's because we dunked on Japan. That's it. [NiNi laughs] That's it. 

NiNi 

You can't even let me have the fun of saying it. 

Ben 

No, no, no. You don't get to have it. ‘Cause I love Japanese BL. This dunking is me trying to grab them by the shoulders, like James T Kirk grabbing people by the shoulders, and being like, “What are you doing? I need you to get it together. [laughs] 

NiNi 

I am enjoying this episode because sometimes I do feel sort of alone in my little “Eh, I'm not entirely feeling it” bubble on some of these Japanese shows, so it's nice to have company for a change, is what I was saying. I was not trying to shade you. 

Ben 

Here's the thing, let's unpack this. Japanese BL works for me the most often because their romance stories often track for something very specifically queer about them. All the Japanese BL that I constantly bring up on this show has romantic angst that also taps into my very specific concern as a queer critic. And that's particularly why I get frustrated when these shows fuck it up. 

As Twig pointed out, Living With Him introduces a compulsory heterosexuality moment after the character has made the big emotional turn and recognized that he does want to remain close to his friend after he learns an important queer detail about him. That is a huge queer fuck up! The big fuck up with Love is Better the Second Time Around is, these guys went through the task of getting back together and trying to be open with each other and being vulnerable and kind of embarrassing with each other. When the homophobia rears its head again and is gonna separate them, the show does not reward us or the characters for the growth that they've been trying to achieve by letting them have that moment together to become a battle couple. 

That's the real problem with it, ‘cause, like, in a normal fucking heterosexual romance, who gives a shit if the straights are gonna stay together? The whole world is going to help them stay together if they want to, or let them divorce if they don't. We're the only ones who're going to give a shit about each other when the boots come marching again. And so when I'm watching BL, I'm watching from the queer part, and when these shows fuck up on the queer part is when I turn against them so aggressively. That's why you’ve seen Japan not even catch strays this time. I'm sniping at them for these shows because this is not correct. [NiNi laughs]

This is the true fuck up. This is the crux of my disappointment here. They fucked up on the queer front, not on the romance part. I can take it or leave it on the romance part. Writing romance is not as easy as people think it is. People fuck that shit up all the time. But if you can do something that feels queer in a way that feels truly correct to me, I'll be very forgiving about some romance missteps. But both of these shows fucked up on the queer part of their romance arcs and I do not forgive that. 

Twig 

After they were doing so well, that's the part that hurts. They started getting the queer part so right and then got it so wrong. 

Ben 

I truly get you, why you don't always vibe with these shows, NiNi, because they're not always satisfying in that way as romance stories. I totally get you on that. But what always works for me in the shows that I want to advocate for when we get together is that these shows have a real kernel of queer truth that is worth connecting to and worth advocating for for people who want to engage with queer stories. It's why you and I were able to bond so strongly over I Told Sunset About You, I Promised You the Moon, and Bad Buddy. Those shows are satisfying romantically and also as queer cinema. The shows that we both love the most on here are very good at both of those things. But the queer part of their storytelling is non-negotiable for me in a genre about boys kissing each other. 

NiNi 

I hear you. I'm with you. This episode is gonna air right at the end of June. I think this is a great way— 

Ben 

Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

NiNi

—for us to—

Ben

Oh yeah.

NiNi

—end Pride month. 

Ben 

Happy pride, bitches!

[Ben and NiNi laugh] 

NiNi 

Because it is important to remember that among everything else, amongst all the love and romance in this genre, that this genre is a queer genre and the queerness matters. 

Ben 

Any final thoughts you'd like to share with the audience, Twig-tea? 

Twig 

I don't have anything to add. That was right. Correct! That's what I have to say to that. 

NiNi 

That is going to wrap us up on Second Rate Second Chance! Twig, thank you so much for being with us. 

Twig 

Thank you for having me. 

NiNi 

We will see you guys next time. Until then, we out. Say bye to the people, Twig. 

Twig 

Dispatch! 

Ben 

Dispatch! 

NiNi 

[laughs] Say bye to the people, Ben. 

Ben 

Peace. 

[odisparo-writes]

I started organizing my books/stories so that it's easier to work on them. I'm a horror writer that uses many other genres in my work, and the stories are mature. You'll often find in them complex storylines, controversial or disturbing content, strong sexuality, and violence and blood. However, a good story's most important to me, so I balance the darkness with themes of romance, friendship, love, sacrifice, and other positive moments.

My writing can be scary, or intense, so I always warn readers before they enter that it could be a trip, but it's always a journey.

Rated R.

MY DESOLATE PATREON. See all the ghosts there, my biggest fans.

Find out more about the tales after the jump.

I sometimes/often include alternative sexuality, so if that matters to you, please be warned--or pleased. Native Blood has elements of that, and if you like it full-on: Crystal Hearts has a lesbian heroine. That one's a dark high fantasy adventure with strong erotic elements. Not an erotica, but sex is embedded into and important for the exciting storyline. Designed that way! :)

Right now, I'm adding my writing to my dusty old Patreon, and eventually they'll all be readable on there for subscribers/supporters. I do share the stories freely elsewhere at random times, and many people have read the full first books of Native Blood and Isolated Together multiple times over the years.

I created these quick synopses a while ago. It'll give you an idea of what the stories are about, and what kind of fiction I create.

SYNOPSES

Native Blood

(Novel Series) Elias Pendergast is the president of Silatem, a sovereign hunting company with global powers on an alien planet. Contracted to defend both the population of humans and the peaceful immortal natives of the alien planet they're stranded on, the hunters face issues when hostile native cults make it their mission to exterminate their mortal guests. Complications arise when a lethal parasitical infection spreads from their comingling, threatening the safety of everyone involved.

Native Blood follows the hunters of Silatem and a wide cast of characters as they struggle to survive in their current home. After 1000 years of humanity's settlement with the natives, the goal remains to return to Earth. Someday.

STATUS: Rewriting Vol 01; Planning Vol 02 (tbd); Rewriting Vol 03 (tbd)

# of Books: ~13 Novels

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isolated Together

(Novel Series) Leah is a vampire hunter genetically enhanced by the U.S. government with immortal genes. She's been a hunter since conception and operates under an assumed identity, executing stealth operations in the hidden undead underworld. After a fellow hunter is brutalized by the master of Coven Forty-Eight and left paralyzed, Leah's agency tasks her with locating the criminal to position him for capture.

Inner turmoil at the agency leads to a personal breakdown for Leah and paired with her growing closeness to her target as ordered, the unthinkable occurs—she develops sympathy for the enemy. Her sympathy grows into attraction and worse, it's reciprocated. In response to the breach of conduct, Leah faces backlash from her agency.

STATUS: Target 2025 - Rewriting Vol 01; Planning Vol 02

# of Books: 2 (Duology)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lessons From A Fallen Empire

(Comic/Illustrated Series) Crown Prince Dagan of the Sky, child heir to the magical Sky Empire, awakens after a devastating alien attack and finds his planet in ruins, sapped of magical energy aside from the deformed, violent spells cast by a population transformed into hostile ghouls. He's rescued by fellow survivors to discover that he's the only one still alive from the Sky family and that his powers are intact. With assistance from his new friends, Dagan learns to control his powers as a force to rebuild.

While acclimating to new conditions, Dagan must face dark memories of his final days with his mother, Empress Lil of the Sky, coming to terms with her controversial legacy. Despite his critical power in a fallen world, his name and ties aren't forgotten by all. In addition, the same evil that annihilated his home lurks in the shadows, following his trail.

STATUS: Target 2025-2026 - Remaster Vol 01 (13 Episodes), Planning Vol 02 (~13 Eps.)

# of Volumes: TBD

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peace For Nebiria

(Novel) Lord Ulrid Tyrdragen is a venerated mystical hero who resides in the realm of Nebiria, a world between and beyond worlds granted authority to facilitate magical intervention in the affairs of other worlds. Ulrid led the crusade against an encroaching otherworldly enemy that threatened to destroy the realities of all magical worlds, restoring the balance of light and dark and freeing those enslaved by the shadows.

During a time of peace and prosperity, disturbing reports lead Ulrid and his party into a protected forest where he discovers the massacre of an important mana-producing fairy population. Unsettled by the possible reappearance of an old threat, Ulrid launches an investigation and enlists the help of an old ally, a fairy who once served the enemy.

STATUS: Target TBD, Story Started/Planning

# of Books: 1 Novel

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaldr Fólk

(Anthology) A viking warrior is turned draugr after his violent death during a raid and is also cursed by his killer, a foreign concubine that he slayed in the same moment. Laden with a strange burden from a faraway land, the draugr's mere existence of being haunted by the phantom woman triggers an unraveling of world mythologies, inviting turmoil to his Norse gods.

Odin, master of the Wild Hunt, discovers that in the confusion a usurper has stolen his seat and continues wreaking havoc throughout the world and other mythologies. Powerless to stop the thief behind the veil of his divine limits, the Allfather tasks the shamed draugr to follow the Wild Hunt wherever it appears and restore order before all is lost.

STATUS: Target TBD, Revising First Story/Planning

# of Stories: TBD

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crystal Hearts

(Format TBD/Adult) Celestia Dread and her twin brother Cyan hail from the Dread family, powerful contenders for the world throne of Crystal Empire. The family's held the seat for many generations thanks to their natural talent for the rare skill of enchantment. Difficult to overcome, the Dreads maintain streaks of victories against their challengers.

Celestia and Cyan's father, the emperor, falls victim to magical corruption and stirs violent unrest. The twins are born with duplicate crystal shards in their hearts, pieces of the relic meant to grant the emperor immunity and an omen for his demise. Stripped of power and defenseless as a coup arises, their father tries to murder the twins for their shards but is killed by Cyan to defend Celestia. The twins are spirited away. Years later, Cyan resurfaces to become emperor, though falls to the same corruption and downfall. Nightmares stir in Celestia but she avoids the call until mysterious outsider pushes her to act.

STATUS: Rewriting Two Entries/Planning

# of Entries: TBD

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other Stories

☼ The Second Sight of Halford James (Short Story, 11-15k): An ordinary man discovers he can see and vanquish demons.

☼ Coven Forty-Eight (Companion Anthology to Isolated Together): A collection of short stories about Coven Forty-Eight.

☼ Nyctophilia (Anthology, Series Tentative): Themed horror shorts.

[aurianneor]

Todos somos cómplices

Los republicanos, Richard Nixon con la apertura a China en los años 1970 y Ronald Reagan con la deslocalización a México en los años 1980, pusieron en el mercado cantidades de productos a precios inferiores a los de antes. Esto se presentó como un regalo al poder adquisitivo. Esto significaba que la gente disponía de más dinero. Los propietarios aumentaron entonces los alquileres y los precios de los inmuebles. En 1980, el alquiler medio ajustado a la inflación de un hogar estadounidense era de 243 dólares. En 1985, era de 432 dólares. En 2022, había subido a 1.388 dólares.

How Much the Middle Class Paid for Rent in the 1980s Compared to Now – Go Banking Rates: https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/economy/how-much-middle-class-paid-for-rent-in-1980s-vs-now/

New Data Show Just How Much Mortgage, Rent Payments Have Outpaced Income Growth; Some Cities Remain Affordable – CU today: https://www.cutoday.info/Fresh-Today/New-Data-Show-Just-How-Much-Mortgage-Rent-Payments-Have-Outpaced-Income-Growth-Some-Cities-Remain-Affordable

Las mejoras del poder adquisitivo fueron absorbidas por el coste de la vivienda. Ya no había vuelta atrás, y ya no era posible subir el precio de los bienes de consumo.

Tras el 11 de septiembre de 2001, los partidos de derechas de G.W. Busch explotaron el miedo a la identidad para restringir la inmigración legal a Estados Unidos. Presentaron a los extranjeros como una amenaza, como terroristas. Al mismo tiempo, redujeron considerablemente los recursos de sus inspectores de trabajo. Esto ha provocado una explosión de mano de obra inmigrante ilegal mal pagada, especialmente en las granjas. Ha provocado una caída del precio de la comida de la población. Una vez más, ha provocado un rápido aumento del coste de la vivienda, así como de los gastos de educación y enfermedad.

Size of U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Workforce Stable After the Great Recession – Pew Research center: https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2016/11/03/size-of-u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-workforce-stable-after-the-great-recession/

La política de precios bajos ha convertido a gran parte de la población en cómplice de la explotación de inmigrantes ilegales o trabajadores baratos en el extranjero. Las personas ya no pueden permitirse comprar alimentos o bienes producidos al precio justo porque ya no pueden pagar su vivienda, educación y sanidad. Las pequeñas empresas ya no pueden prescindir de la mano de obra ilegal. No pueden contratar a personas legales al precio adecuado, así que los inmigrantes les quitan el trabajo. Si hoy se aplicara la ley, todas estas pequeñas empresas quebrarían. Esto convierte a toda la población en cómplice de la explotación humana.

Un candidato que va a luchar contra la inmigración legal y a reducir los controles está poniendo más trabajadores ilegales en el mercado. Cuanto más dura sea la política de inmigración, más barato será el trabajo ilegal.

Para cambiar esta situación, la vivienda, la enfermedad y la educación no pueden seguir dejándose a las simples leyes del mercado. Hay que controlar los precios para que el poder adquisitivo de los ciudadanos les permita comprar bienes de consumo al precio justo, bienes que respeten a los trabajadores, el medio ambiente y el bienestar de los animales. Ahora mismo, la gente no puede pagar el precio justo.

The global challenges of labour inspection – ILO: https://www.ilo.org/media/318756/download

Kamala Harris propone controlar estos precios.

New homes and end to price-gouging: Harris sets economic goals – BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8xqy0jv24o

Kamala Harris unveils economic agenda cracking down on ‘price gouging’: https://youtu.be/DMrNAMWYTjU?si=PYbBhSjubxIxYVu4

Traducido con DeepL.com (versión gratuita)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tous complices: https://www.aurianneor.org/tous-complices/

We’re all in it together: https://www.aurianneor.org/were-all-in-it-together/

Arizona, Nevada y California Dream: https://www.aurianneor.org/arizona-nevada-y-california-dream/

¿Quién apoya a los militares estadounidenses?: https://www.aurianneor.org/quien-apoya-a-los-militares-estadounidenses/

El Rust belt: https://www.aurianneor.org/el-rust-belt/

Una porción del pastel: https://www.aurianneor.org/una-porcion-del-pastel/

Precios de techo y suelo: https://www.aurianneor.org/precios-de-techo-y-suelo/

La vivienda: https://www.aurianneor.org/la-vivienda/

Una vida digna: https://www.aurianneor.org/una-vida-digna/

Tener la mayoría del poder sin la mayoría de los votos: https://www.aurianneor.org/tener-la-mayoria-del-poder-sin-la-mayoria-de-los-votos/

Sólo dos candidatos, ¿cuál elegir?: https://www.aurianneor.org/solo-dos-candidatos-cual-elegir/

Will you get what you expect from Trump? Chaos is unpredictable: https://www.aurianneor.org/will-you-get-what-you-expect-from-trump-chaos-is-unpredictable/

The army’s duty is to stop this fascist: https://www.aurianneor.org/the-armys-duty-is-to-stop-this-fascist/

Immigration: https://www.aurianneor.org/immigration-2/

Les intermédiaires: https://www.aurianneor.org/les-intermediaires/

Dans l’ombre de Trump: https://www.aurianneor.org/dans-lombre-de-trump-elections-the-electoral/

Rob the poor to feed the rich: https://www.aurianneor.org/rob-the-poor-to-feed-the-rich/

[warningsine]

Seven coal-fired power stations in Germany were shut down over Easter, power generators RWE and LEAG said on Sunday.

The government took five plants out of mothballs to cope with a shortfall in gas supplies through the winter as Europe's largest economy sought to reduce its dependency on Russian gas.

Two more were allowed to continue operating after their scheduled shutdown dates.

Which plants have been taken offline?

Five of the plants were located in the Rheinish mining district of Western Germany, near the city of Cologne. 

They included the Grevenbroich-Neurath and Bergheim-Niederaussem sites.

The move means that some 2,100 megawatts (MW) of lignite capacity will be decommissioned, operator RWE said.

Two other plants at Jänschwalde in the eastern state of Brandenburg, near the capital Berlin, were also shut after being brought back online recently.

Why did Germany keep coal plants open?

Germany's plans to reduce its reliance on coal to tackle climate change were dealt a blow by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Germany and other European countries cut their dependence on Russian gas in the months following the war, which helped spike the price of energy.

To lessen the impact, the German government decided to extend the life of some coal-fired plants and restart other closed plants temporarily.

Berlin also delayed the closures of several nuclear power plants as a contingency measure. The last three nuclear plants were shut in April last year.

Now that the 2023/4 winter season has ended, Germany's grid operator said it does not foresee any impairment in the security of power supply as a result of the coal plant shutdowns.

Germany's Economy Ministry is legally obliged to review the increase in greenhouse gas emissions from its early decision to delay the closures.

By the end of June, the ministry was required to propose measures to offset the additional emissions.

Decision hailed by Green Party politician

"In view of the worsening climate crisis, the closure of coal-fired power plants is an important measure to reduce greenhouse gases," said Green Party lawmaker Kathrin Henneberger in a statement.

She said the closures were "a great success for climate justice and is happening in the knowledge of the historical and global responsibility for achieving our climate goals."

[goodsfox]

5 different ways to promote a product

Promoting a product is an essential task for any business, whether it is a newly launched product or an established product that has already had some market share. Besides increasing brand awareness, attracting potential customers and boosting sales, advertising also can build brand loyalty, and even beat out competitors. But how to promote a product effectively? Here are 10 ways that can help reach your target audience and convince them to buy your product.

Source: anythingprint.co.uk

01 Leverage social media posts

Social media is not only a powerful and free way to promote your product online, but also a great place to showcase other promotions, such as discounts and giveaways. You can use your company’s social media accounts to share fun and relevant information about your product with target audience. Live streaming, commenting on other people’s posts, or joining groups and forums related to your product niche are also helpful for promoting a product.

Remember, most people are not fond of watching ads on social media. Instead of directly advertising, try posting interesting, valuable, or entertaining content that will increase product recognition. Interacting with people who comment on your posts and ask you questions about your product will make you more inviting and playful. The more engagement you get, the more likely you will see growth.

Source: Getty Images

02 Spy on your competitors’ ads

Goodsfox is a great way to monitor and analyze competitors’ ads, which allows you to find out their advertising strategies, performance, and trends. It covers 28 regions, 19 mainstream media , and 23 categories of global e-commerce ads. You can search for more than 12 million TikTok hot-selling products, 189,317 TikTok ad volume, 27,327 independent store data, and 2,251,219 independent store ad volume.

Goodsfox is also a platform to find ads inspiration. By using Goodsfox, you are enable to discover what kinds of ads are attractive and suitable for your products. Use your competitors’ ads as ads inspiration and think of how you can differentiate yourself from them and offer something better or different. Then it will greatly help you grow e-commerce business.

Source: Goodsfox

03 Write a blog post

A blog post is a way to provide more in-depth information about your product and its benefits. You can write a blog post that showcases how your product works, how it solves a problem or how it compares to other products. It is also feasible to include Testimonials, reviews, or case studies from satisfied customers who have used your product in your blog post.

A blog post is helpful for ranking higher on search engines, as long as you use relevant keywords and optimize your content for SEO (search engine optimization). This way, more people who are searching for solutions related to your product can find your website and learn about your product.

Source: APA Style Blog

04 Run a contest

Generating excitement and buzzing about your product are achievable by a contest. You can offer your product as a prize for people who enter by following certain rules, such as liking and sharing your post, tagging their friends, leaving a comment, or answering a question. By running a contest, it’s also possible for you to increase your social media followers, email subscribers, website traffic, or brand awareness.

Source: Path Digital Solutions

05 Collaborate with influencers

Collaborating with influencers can help you reach a wider and more engaged audience, boost your brand awareness and sales, and generate valuable user-generated content for your product.

To collaborate with influencers, you need to find the ones who are relevant to your niche, have a high engagement rate, and can share your brand values. Using an influencer discovery tool like Modash to filter the database of 300M+ creators can be effective to do that.

When collaborating with influencers, make sure you set clear goals and KPI with them. It is also important to track and measure the results of your campaign so as to ensure the effectiveness of the collaboration.

Source: CommBox

06 Conclusion

Advertising a product is a crucial step for any business that wants to grow and succeed. By using these five ways, you can create a comprehensive and creative advertising strategy that will showcase your product’s value, attract potential customers, and increase your sales. Remember to always keep your target audience in mind, test and measure the results of your advertising campaigns. With the right tools and methods, you can advertise your product like a pro.

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Sun Myung Moon’s death as reported at the time in Korean media (9.2012)

Unification Church Founder Moon Sun-myung Dies at 92

Chosun Ilbo Sep. 03, 2012 08:09 KST

One of the most prominent and controversial Koreans in the world has died. The Unification Church says its founder, Moon Sun-myung, succumbed to complications from pneumonia on Monday at the age of 92, in a church-run hospital east of Seoul.  



Moon leaves behind not only an apocalyptic religious movement, but a global empire possibly still worth billions of dollars. Its businesses are involved in publishing, education, real estate, the hospitality industry, health care and even gun-manufacturing. A church-controlled seafood conglomerate is believed to supply most of the fish for sushi eaten in America.



Moon was born in 1920 in what is now North Korea. He started his church in 1954. His followers became known as "Moonies" with the church gaining a reputation as a cult with deceptive tactics in recruiting followers and maintaining tight control over their lives.



The group gained notoriety for mass weddings where couples, who had never met, were married to other church followers selected by its founder, who presided over the ceremonies in a robe and with a crown atop his head.



Honorary research fellow in contemporary religion at Britain's University of Birmingham, George Chryssides, says Moon and his church were shunned by established Christian organizations.

 "Within mainstream Christianity there is an absolute rejection that anyone should produce new scriptures or claim to be a new messiah. It is certainly something that does not go down well in religious circles," he said. 



Professor Tark Ji-il, who teaches religion at Busan Presbyterian University, contends that in the Unification Church's theology the ultimate goal was to establish a heavenly kingdom on the Korean Peninsula with Moon as king. Tark said this did not deviate since the church was established and its vast business activities were focused on this goal. 



Japan was once considered to be a primary source of the church's wealth, in part derived from persuasive door-to-door peddling of religious icons. But there were more nebulous allegations there from late 1960s when numerous Japanese ultra-nationalists and gangsters joined the church.



Over the years Moon sought to influence politics in both South Korea and the United States. In the 1970s he was the target of U.S. government investigations.



In 1982, Moon was convicted of tax fraud [and document forgery] and spent 13 months in a U.S. federal prison. He denied allegations his attempts to influence lawmakers were done in collusion with South Korea's intelligence agency, an allegation raised during a subsequent congressional investigation.



Even though he once was an ardent anti-communist, Moon later put ideology aside to do business with Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, where he had once been imprisoned in the late 1940s [and sent to Heungnam for bigamy with a married woman, Kim Chong-hwa, who had three children. Her husband complained to the authorities].



Chryssides, author of "The Advent of Sun Myung Moon: The Origins, Beliefs and Practices of the Unification Church," predicts money, rather than theology, will be Moon's lasting legacy. "It is also something that will keep his organization going in whatever form the new leadership sees fit," he said. 



Leadership roles in the church's sprawling empire in recent years have been split among several of Moon's children. Some of the businesses have struggled amid reports of infighting among the heirs. It is unclear if the family-run empire will be able to remain intact without its charismatic founder who regarded himself as the Messiah.



Professor Tark, who is also editor-in-chief of South Korea's Contemporary Religion magazine is skeptical. Tark said the conflict among Moon's sons over financial assets is becoming serious. He notes media accounts of it referring to the in-fighting as "the rebellion of princes."



Moon officially handed over the presidency of the church to his youngest son, Hyung-jin, also known as Sean. But Chryssides says Moon's widow, Han Hak-ja, retains a critical position within the church.



"Theologically she is the Messiah, as well. In Unification thoughts, there is not just one messiah there are the two – there's the male and the female. So what role she is going to have is not at all clear. And I think anything could happen," he said.



Professor Jo Eung-tae, in the unification theology department at the church's Sun Moon University in Asan expects the children to remain subordinate to their mother. 

Jo says, overall, Han will now lead the entire church while her children will have their own roles with the youngest son responsible for religious activities.



Moon was quoted in his teachings predicting "a big commotion" after his death, but promised he would continue to lead his church from the spirit world.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/09/03/2012090300389.html

_____________________________________

Moonie Founder Laid to Rest

Chosun Ilbo Sep. 17, 2012 13:18 KST

The funeral of Unification Church founder Moon Sun-myung, who died on Sept. 3, was held on Saturday at the church's Cheongshim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. 



The funeral was attended by Moon's family including his wife, Unification Church devotees, and some 40 representatives from 31 denominations from the American Clergy Leadership Conference.

The church said 35,000 people attended the funeral, including some 10,000 people from Japan, but the Moonies have a history of inflating such figures.



Moon Hyun-jin, the third and the eldest surviving son of the founder, who leads the Unification Church International, was absent, apparently because he is at loggerheads with his siblings and mother over the succession. 



The attendees laid down roses and lilies, Moon's favorite flowers, instead of traditional chrysanthemums.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/09/17/2012091701508.html

_____________________________________

Sun Myung Moon’s second wife – Kim Chong-hwa in Pyongyang

Moon’s first wife, Choi Seon-gil, and Kim Deok-jin interviewed

Dong-sook, born in 1955 and listed as a ‘True Child’, was married to Sung-jin Moon

6,500 Japanese women missing from Moon mass weddings

[aqueerpolysocialist]

Just to make this comparison more direct, Hitler and various Nazi theorists CONSTANTLY referenced the USA as their inspiration and goal.

This whole article (https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/03/nazi-germanys-american-dream-hitler-modeled-his-concept-of-racial-struggle-and-global-campaign-after-americas-conquest-of-native-americans.html) is great but let me pull out a couple of sections for particular examination:

'In the late 19th century, Germans tended to see the fate of Native Americans as a natural precedent for the fate of native Africans under their control. One colony was German East Africa—today Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and a bit of Mozambique—where Berlin assumed responsibility in 1891. During an uprising in 1905, the Maji Maji Rebellion, the Germans applied starvation tactics, killing at least 75,000 people. A second colony was German Southwest Africa, today Namibia, where about 3,000 German colonists controlled about 70 percent of the land. An uprising there in 1904 led the Germans to deny the native Herero and Nama populations access to water until they fell “victim to the nature of their own country,” as the official military history put it. The Germans imprisoned survivors in a camp on an island. The Herero population was reduced from some 80,000 to about 15,000; that of the Nama from about 20,000 to about 10,000. For the German general who pursued these policies, the historical justice was self-evident. “The natives must give way,” he said. “Look at America.” The German governor of the region compared Southwest Africa to Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado. The civilian head of the German colonial office saw matters much the same way: “The history of the colonization of the United States, clearly the biggest colonial endeavor the world has ever known, had as its first act the complete annihilation of its native peoples.” He understood the need for an “annihilation operation.” The German state geologist called for a “Final Solution to the native question.”'

Nazi ideology was always drawing heavily from American politics; Manifest Destiny is Lebensraum, and postbellum race laws were directly referenced as an ideal execution of legalised racism.

'Hitler compressed all of imperial history and a total racism into a very short formulation: “Our Mississippi must be the Volga, and not the Niger.” The Mississippi was not only the river that runs from north to south through the middle of the United States. It was also the line beyond which Thomas Jefferson wanted all Indians expelled. “Who,” asked Hitler, “remembers the Red Indians?” For Hitler, Africa was the source of the imperial references but not the actual site of empire; Eastern Europe was that actual site, and it was to be remade just as North America had been remade. The destruction of Soviet Jews would mean the removal of Jewish power, which would allow the creation of an eastern empire, which would mean the replay of American frontier history in Eastern Europe.'

[aanews69]

The Hidden Cost of Russian Sanctions You're Ignoring The hidden cost of Russian sanctions extends far beyond what meets the eye. Join us for an in-depth analysis of the latest US sanctions targeting Gazprombank, Russia's third-largest financial institution, and discover how these measures impact global markets and your daily life. We break down the strategic importance of these sanctions, exploring how they target Russia's war-funding mechanisms and energy sector influence. Learn why the coordination between the US, UK, and Canada makes these sanctions particularly significant, and understand the potential ripple effects on international energy prices and market stability. Subscribe👇: https://sub.dnpl.us/AANEWS/ From examining Gazprombank's role in compensating Russian soldiers to understanding the broader implications for global energy markets, this comprehensive analysis reveals the complex web of international finance and geopolitics. We explore both the intended consequences and potential risks of these economic measures. Whether you're interested in international relations, concerned about energy prices, or simply want to understand how global events affect your wallet, this video provides crucial insights into one of today's most pressing economic developments. Share your thoughts in the comments: Do you think these sanctions will achieve their intended goals, or could they have unexpected consequences? Subscribe for more analysis of critical global events that impact your daily life. Want some Great Buys check out our List: https://viralbuys.vista.page #news #ukraine #russiaukrainewar #globalnews #gazprombanksanctions CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:33 - Importance of Sanctions 01:25 - Effects of Sanctions 02:16 - Domestic Impact of Sanctions 03:35 - Effectiveness of Sanctions 04:51 - Sanctions and Everyday Life 05:45 - Implications of Sanctions 05:57 - Key Takeaway

[kloudac132]

Establishing a Company in the UAE with Kloudac.com: A Simplified Approach

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is known for its thriving economy, strategic location, and business-friendly policies. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a small business owner, or a multinational looking to expand, the UAE offers ample opportunities to grow. However, navigating the legalities and processes of setting up a business in a foreign country can often be daunting. This is where Kloudac.com steps in, making it easier for you to establish a company in the UAE and focus on scaling your business.

Why Choose the UAE for Your Business?

Before diving into how Kloudac.com simplifies the business setup services in uae process, it’s important to understand why the UAE is such an attractive destination for businesses.

Strategic Location: The UAE is strategically located between Europe, Asia, and Africa, making it a key global trade hub.

Tax Benefits: The UAE offers a tax-free environment for most types of businesses, especially in free zones. This includes no corporate tax for certain periods and no income tax, which can result in significant savings.

Growing Market: The country has a strong economy with a focus on diversification, especially in sectors like technology, real estate, and tourism, providing numerous opportunities.

World-Class Infrastructure: From international airports to state-of-the-art office spaces, the UAE is known for its modern infrastructure, ideal for businesses looking to expand globally.

However, setting up a company in the UAE requires meeting various legal requirements, navigating regulatory hurdles, and dealing with administrative tasks. This is where Kloudac.com comes into play.

How Kloudac.com Makes Company Formation Easy

Kloudac.com is a leading business setup consultancy based in the UAE, designed to make the process of establishing a company as simple and stress-free as possible. By leveraging their expertise and comprehensive services, you can focus on what matters most: growing your business.

Expert Guidance and Consultancy: One of the biggest challenges in setting up a business in the UAE is understanding the regulations. Kloudac.com offers expert advice tailored to your business needs. Whether you are starting a small enterprise or a large corporation, their team provides personalized guidance on the legal requirements, business structure, and suitable free zones or mainland options.

https://kloudac.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Financial-Consultancy.png

Simplifying the Paperwork: Setting up a company involves a considerable amount of paperwork, from obtaining licenses to drafting contracts and meeting government compliance. Kloudac.com takes the burden of paperwork off your shoulders. They handle all the documentation, ensuring everything is in order and submitted on time.

Fast and Efficient Process: The process of setting up a company in the UAE can sometimes take weeks, especially if you're not familiar with the procedures. However, Kloudac.com’s streamlined services help speed up the process. By managing the submission and approval of documents, they reduce the time it takes to officially establish your business.

Business Setup in Free Zones or Mainland: Whether you choose to set up your company in one of the UAE’s many free zones or on the mainland, Kloudac.com helps you determine the most suitable location. Free zones offer benefits like 100% foreign ownership and tax exemptions, while mainland companies benefit from access to the local market and greater flexibility. Kloudac.com’s team helps you choose the right option based on your business goals.

Visa and Immigration Services: Setting up a company is only part of the process. If you’re planning to live and work in the UAE, you will need the appropriate visas for yourself and your employees. Kloudac.com offers comprehensive visa and immigration services, handling the application and approval processes efficiently.

Bank Account Setup: Opening a business bank account is another critical step in setting up a company. Kloudac.com assists with bank account applications, helping you navigate the UAE’s banking system and ensuring smooth approval for your business.

Focus on Growing Your Business

With all the legalities and paperwork handled by Kloudac.com, you can devote your time and resources to growing your business. Whether it’s expanding your product range, enhancing your marketing strategies, or building strong relationships with clients, Kloudac.com allows you to focus on what you do best—running your business.

Their dedicated team is always available to assist with any ongoing needs, offering continued support throughout the life of your business in the UAE. As your business valuation services dubai evolves, Kloudac.com remains by your side to help with expansions, employee management, and even setting up additional branches or subsidiaries.

 

Establishing a company in the UAE is a smart move for businesses looking to capitalize on its strategic location, tax benefits, and growing market. However, the administrative process of company setup can be time-consuming and complex. By partnering with Kloudac.com, you can streamline the entire process, from paperwork to legal compliance, and ensure that everything is in place for your business to succeed. With their expert guidance, you can focus on growing your business while they handle the rest. Visit Kloudac.com today to get started on your journey to success in the UAE.

[uk-visa-updates]

UK Home Furnishings Business: How Foreigners Can Start

Introduction

Establishing a home furnishings company in the UK as a foreigner can seem challenging at first, but it can be a profitable business with the correct strategy and in-depth knowledge of the market. The UK's home furnishings market is vibrant and diverse, offering ample opportunities for entrepreneurs to succeed. Furniture manufacturing is one of the top 03 divisions driving manufacturing growth in the UK.

The UK Home Furniture Market size is estimated at USD 18.78 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 21.98 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 3.20% during the forecast period as per https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/uk-home-furniture-market

In this guide, we'll walk you through every step of the process, ensuring you have all the information you need to get started.

Research and Planning

Market Research

Before diving into the home furnishings business, it's crucial to conduct comprehensive market research. Understand the current market trends, consumer preferences, and major competitors. Analyze the demand for various types of home furnishings, from contemporary to vintage styles.

Identifying Your Niche

Identifying a niche can set you apart from competitors. Whether it's sustainable furniture, luxury home accessories, or affordable décor, focusing on a specific segment helps target your audience more effectively.

Creating a Business Plan

A comprehensive business plan serves as your blueprint for achieving success. It should include your business goals, target market, competitive analysis, marketing strategy, and financial projections. A well-structured plan not only guides your business but also attracts potential investors.

Visa Options and Legal Requirements

Understanding Visa Requirements

As a foreigner, obtaining the proper visa is essential to legally live and work in the UK while running your Home Furnishings Business. Ensure you have the appropriate visa that grants you the right to do so.

Types of Visas Available

UK Innovator Founder Visa

This visa is for those looking to set up an innovative business. It requires an endorsement for the business idea, and there is no minimum investment level, but you must have sufficient funds to launch your venture.

Learn more about the Innovator Founder Visa.

UK Global Talent Visa

Aimed at leaders or potential leaders in digital technology, science, humanities, engineering, the arts, and more, this visa is ideal for highly skilled individuals who can contribute significantly to the UK.

Learn more about the Global Talent Visa.

UK Self-sponsorship Route

This route requires you to have a British national working for your business in the UK as an Authorising Officer before you can apply for a sponsor licence.

UK Expansion Worker Visa

Part of the Global Business Mobility scheme, this visa is for overseas businesses that want to establish a presence in the UK.

Understand the UK Expansion Worker Visa.

Self-employed Visa

For individuals planning to work for themselves in the UK, this visa is suitable for entrepreneurs who prefer to operate independently.

Our team of business expansion experts possesses in-depth knowledge of the UK immigration system, specifically for foreign entrepreneurs. They can guide you to choose the most suitable visa path to launch your Home Furnishings Business in the UK!

Business Structure Options

Decide on the legal structure of your business. You can decide to run your business as a sole trader, partnership, or limited company, each of which has unique benefits and legal considerations.

Registering Your Business

Register your business with Companies House if you're setting up a limited company. For sole traders and partnerships, registration is less complex but equally important.

Understanding UK Taxation

Familiarize yourself with the UK taxation system. You'll need to understand VAT, corporate tax, and other relevant taxes. Consider hiring a local accountant to ensure compliance and efficient tax management.

Financial Planning

Initial Investment and Funding Options

Determine the initial investment required for your business. Explore various funding options like personal savings, bank loans, and investors. You might also consider government grants available for small businesses.

Budgeting for Start-Up Costs

Create a detailed budget covering start-up costs such as premises, inventory, marketing, and legal fees. Accurate budgeting prevents financial pitfalls and ensures smooth operations.

Financial Forecasting

Develop financial forecasts to predict your business’s performance over the next few years. This includes projected income, expenses, and profit margins, helping you make informed financial decisions.

Location and Premises

Choosing the Right Location

Location plays a critical role in the success of a home furnishings business. Select a spot that attracts a lot of walkers and is easily reachable. Research the local market to understand the demand in different areas.

Leasing vs. Buying Premises

Decide whether to lease or buy your business premises. Leasing offers flexibility, while buying is a long-term investment. Consider your financial capacity and business goals before making a decision.

Setting Up a Showroom

A well-designed showroom attracts customers and enhances their shopping experience. Invest in interior design to create an inviting atmosphere that showcases your products effectively.

Sourcing and Inventory

Finding Reliable Suppliers

Building relationships with reliable suppliers is crucial. Attend trade shows, visit supplier factories, and negotiate terms to ensure quality and timely delivery of your products.

Importing Goods

If you plan to import goods, understand the customs regulations and import duties in the UK. This knowledge helps avoid legal issues and ensures smooth import operations.

Managing Inventory

Efficient inventory management prevents overstocking and stockouts. Implement inventory management software to keep track of your stock levels and streamline your supply chain.

Branding and Marketing

Creating a Strong Brand Identity

Your brand identity sets you apart from competitors. Create an original brand identity, including a distinctive brand name, logo, and tagline that connects with your desired customer base. Consistent branding builds recognition and trust.

Digital Marketing Strategies

Digital marketing plays a crucial role in expanding your reach to a wider audience. Utilize SEO, content marketing, email campaigns, and online advertisements to drive traffic to your website and store.

Utilizing Social Media

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are perfect for showcasing home furnishings. Engage with your audience through posts, stories, and live videos to build a loyal following.

Sales Strategies

Setting Up an Online Store

An online store broadens your customer base beyond the local market. Choose a user-friendly e-commerce platform and optimize your website for mobile users. Offer comprehensive product details alongside premium visuals.

In-Store Sales Techniques

Enhance in-store sales by training your staff in effective sales techniques. Personalized service and product demonstrations can significantly boost sales and customer satisfaction.

Building Customer Relationships

Building strong relationships with customers encourages repeat business. Implement a loyalty program, send personalized emails, and provide excellent after-sales service to keep customers coming back.

Compliance and Regulations

Health and Safety Regulations

Make sure your business adheres to health and safety standards. This includes fire safety, electrical safety, and proper storage of hazardous materials. Regular inspections help maintain a safe environment for customers and staff.

Consumer Rights and Protection

Understand consumer rights and protection laws in the UK. This includes clear return and refund policies, product warranties, and accurate product descriptions to avoid legal issues.

Environmental Regulations

Adhere to environmental regulations by managing waste responsibly and using sustainable materials. Promoting eco-friendly practices can also attract environmentally conscious customers.

Hiring and Training Staff

Recruitment Strategies

Recruit skilled staff to provide excellent customer service. Advertise job openings on job boards, social media, and local newspapers to attract potential candidates.

Training Programs

Implement comprehensive training programs to equip your staff with product knowledge and sales skills. Ongoing training ensures they stay updated with the latest trends and techniques.

Employee Benefits and Retention

Offer competitive salaries and benefits to retain talented staff. A positive work environment and opportunities for career growth also contribute to employee satisfaction and retention.

Technology and Infrastructure

Implementing Retail Management Software

Retail management software streamlines operations by integrating sales, inventory, and customer data. Select software that aligns with your business requirements and financial constraints.

E-commerce Platforms

Selecting the right e-commerce platform is crucial for online sales. Popular options include Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento. Ensure the platform supports your business scale and provides necessary features.

Utilizing Data Analytics

Data analytics helps understand customer behavior and preferences. Use this information to make informed decisions about product offerings, marketing strategies, and inventory management.

Customer Service

Importance of Customer Service

Exceptional customer service differentiates your business from competitors. Train your staff to handle queries effectively and resolve issues promptly. Satisfied customers are inclined to come back and refer your business to others.

Handling Complaints and Returns

Develop a clear policy for handling complaints and returns. Addressing customer concerns promptly and professionally helps maintain your business’s reputation and builds customer loyalty.

Building a Loyal Customer Base

Create strategies to build a loyal customer base, such as loyalty programs, exclusive discounts, and personalized services. Engaging with customers and making them feel valued fosters long-term relationships.

Networking and Partnerships

Joining Industry Associations

Join industry associations to stay connected with the latest trends and network with other professionals. These associations often offer training, certifications, and industry news.

Building Supplier Relationships

Strong relationships with suppliers ensure consistent product quality and availability. Regular communication and fair negotiations build trust and long-term partnerships.

Partnering with Local Businesses

Partner with local businesses for cross-promotions and events. Collaborations can increase your visibility and attract new customers.

Adapting to Market Trends

Keeping Up with Design Trends

Keep up-to-date of the most recent design trends to align with customer preferences. Attend trade shows, read industry publications, and follow design blogs to stay ahead of the curve.

Sustainability in Home Furnishings

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important. Offer eco-friendly products and promote sustainable practices to attract environmentally conscious consumers.

Adapting to Consumer Preferences

Regularly seek customer feedback and adapt your offerings accordingly. Flexibility and responsiveness to consumer preferences help maintain relevance in the market.

Conclusion

Starting a home furnishings business in the UK as a foreigner involves careful planning, research, and dedication. By understanding the market, securing the right visa, and implementing effective business strategies, you can establish a successful venture.

Remember, persistence and adaptability are key to thriving in this competitive industry.

Contact The SmartMove2UK

Ready to Furnish Your Future in the UK?

Start your entrepreneurial journey with confidence by partnering with The SmartMove2UK. Our team of expert business immigration consultants is dedicated to guiding you through every step of starting your Home Furnishings Business in the UK. From selecting the right visa to crafting a solid business plan, we're here to ensure your venture is built on a strong foundation.

Don't let the complexities of immigration reduce your dream. Connect with The SmartMove2UK today, and let's weave success into your business tapestry!

Contact Us Now - Transform your vision into reality with The SmartMove2UK.

FAQs

What are the initial steps to start a home furnishings business in the UK?

The initial steps include conducting market research, creating a business plan, securing the appropriate visa, and registering your business with Companies House.

Do I need a visa to start a home furnishings business in the UK as a foreigner?

Yes, you need a visa to legally live and work in the UK. Options include the Innovator Founder Visa, Global Talent Visa, Self-sponsorship Visa, Expansion Worker Visa, and Self-employed Visa.

How can I find reliable suppliers for my home furnishings business?

Attend trade shows, visit supplier factories, and build relationships through regular communication and fair negotiations.

What are the key legal requirements for setting up a home furnishings business in the UK?

Key requirements include registering your business, understanding UK taxation, complying with health and safety regulations, and adhering to consumer rights and environmental laws.

How important is digital marketing for a home furnishings business?

Digital marketing is crucial for reaching a broader audience, driving traffic to your website, and building brand awareness through SEO, content marketing, and social media engagement.

[the-good-projxct]

June 19th, 2024

10:03 pm. Listening to run me dry by Bryson Tiller babbyy. I saw on IG that Aniza went to see Bryson Tiller in the Siggz. Baby gworl is living my East African in Americana dreams. Hehehehe. Wow, hello Gøod Blog. I can’t even remember what I wanted to call the readers? Was it Goodies? LMAO, kinda sounds like my coochie. Anyway, whatevz. I had such an interesting day. It took me a long while to fall asleep last night. I was mostly home chilling on tuesday, I literally left the house because I wanted McFry’s chicken and chips. After I got up today, I decided I wanted to do my hair and feel nice. Then Kendi and I walked to the Chief’s office in my neighborhood to try and sort out my ID. The walk was nice as it was a sunny day. Once we got to the chief's office, they told us to go to Langata. So we hopped on TWO matatus to get there, it didn’t take long. Once we got there, they heard us and the lady told me to come back tomorrow with all my paperwork printed. Sigh. At least there is some movement. I have been dealing with this ID situation for like three months and I am low key over it. I am glad I took it upon myself and Kendi came along. Sometimes waiting on people is so frustrating. So yeah, I am hoping tomorrow pans out bc after that I can apply for a passport and get my drivers license, get mpesa and just exist as a Kenyan. The adventure was fun. Moving around this city with KendiKane is always a vibe innit. Something about sorting this ID situation is giving me hope about my life in Kenya as a Kenyan. I still sometimes wonder what life would be like if I had chosen Barbados. Anyway, I needed to come here to sort my paperwork and I chose here because of my family. I still wonder what could have been. My wanderlust is kicking in. I was thinking of a summer in NYC with King Zoulien eating poke bowls on a fire exit as the sun sets on a blistering hot day. That just feels like LIFE. Or a coconut on a Bajan beach while listening to the waves crash around me and some Rihanna tunes on the speaker. Tbf, I hope the ID settles too so I can feel more stable here and not feel one foot out the door. I applied to go toa global peace and leadership conference. I applied as a volunteer bc mandem ain’t got no money to pay 150$. But it seems like a fitting sorta ting. The keynote speaker is Ruto. LOLOLOLOL. How you gonna speak on peace when you’re over taxing your people to the point of revolution? I applied though because I feel like it fits with my studies, interest and future plans. Also, some nice networking possibilities. Getting a DL, a job and ID are my goals over the next few months. I have some plans/schemes up my sleeve. But mostly I want to finish the Gøod manifesto. Y’all Christinito sent me the website while I was in a bar on Friday and OMG. WOW. OMG. Mandem really did THAT. It is perfect. Even the colour schemes, the planet placeholders, the stars, he linked the music. I am so grateful I went to him and that he saw the vision. Honestly, I was feeling meh about finishing this. I was feeling meh about it all. Turns out all I needed was some inspo. I am so inspired. I am now ready to finish the 20 single page essays and Love as its own 8 pager. I Love when inspo comes unexpectedly. I always say with my writing and drawing that I cannot really force it. It’s a feeling. And I can feel the end of this is here. I am so excited. I am so ready. And then Life in Kenya can truly begin. Life is Gøod. I am Gøod. Ase. Ase.

[boldcompanynews]

Leicester vs Tottenham: Preview, predictions and lineups - Journal Global Online - BLOGGER https://www.merchant-business.com/leicester-vs-tottenham-preview-predictions-and-lineups/?feed_id=170556&_unique_id=66c2ff0a560cf After a largely positive first season under Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur kick off the Australian’s second campaign at the helm with a trip to Leicester City this Monday.Spurs’ 2024/25 Premier League opener sees them make the tricky trip to newly-promoted Leicester City, a fixture they lost 4-1 on their most recent journey to the King Power Stadium. Having just missed out on Champions League qualification last season, the Lilywhites will be desperate to breach the top four come the end of campaign.The acquisition of sharpshooter Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth will certainly help their chances. Spurs lacked an orthodox number nine last term but appear to have fixed that particular issue with the 26-year-old, who scored 19 Premier League goals in 2023/24.Despite winning the Championship title last season, Leicester’s return to the top flight comes with trepidation. The Foxes could yet face a points deduction, have had to replace Enzo Maresca with Steve Cooper and have been underwhelming in pre-season. They will be firmly in a relegation battle come May if they don’t make a fast start.Here is 90min’s guide to Leicester vs Tottenham this Monday.Leicester vs Tottenham H2H Record (Last Five Games)Current form (all competitions)LeicesterTottenhamLens 3-0 Leicester – 10/08/24Tottenham 2-3 Bayern Munich – 10/08/24Augsburg 1-0 Leicester – 03/08/24Bayern Munich 2-1 Tottenham – 03/08/24Leicester 0-1 Palermo – 26/07/24K-League All Stars 3-4 Tottenham – 31/07/24Shrewsbury 1-2 Leicester – 23/07/24Vissel Kobe 2-3 Tottenham – 27/07/24Villarreal 1-2 Leicester – 20/07/24QPR 0-2 Tottenham – 20/07/24CountryTV channel/live streamUnited KingdomSky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD, Sky GO, Sky GO ExtraUnited StatesfuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSOCanadafuboTVVardy is unlikely to feature / Copa/GettyImagesLeicester are likely to be without four players for the visit of Spurs, including forward duo Jamie Vardy and Patson Daka. Both are doubtful with minor injuries, meaning there could be a surprise start for Tom Cannon on Monday evening.Backup goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk is out for the long term after undergoing surgery and centre-back Conor Coady is also missing for at least the next three or four weeks.Cooper will be tempted to hand competitive debuts to new signings Caleb Okoli, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Facundo Buonanotte, the latter having recently signed on loan from Brighton.Leicester predicted lineup vs Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Winks; Fatawu, Buonanotte, Mavididi; Cannon.Solanke could start on Monday / Warren Little/GettyImagesTottenham don’t have many injury concerns heading into their opener but they could be short up top. Richarlison has missed pre-season through injury and may not be fit enough to feature against Leicester, while new signing Solanke is nursing a minor foot injury – although Postecoglou has hinted at him starting in the Midlands.If neither forward is available then Dejan Kulusevski will feature in a false nine role, as he has done in pre-season. James Maddison is likely to turn out against his former club for the first time, while new signing Archie Gray could get a debut against a team he knows well from his time at Leeds United.Yves Bissouma has been suspended by Spurs for Monday’s match following a video emerging of the midfielder using nitrous oxide.Tottenham predicted lineup vs Leicester (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Gray; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Solanke.Leicester’s clashes with Tottenham tend to produce goals – 28 in the last five meetings to be precise – but Cooper will be desperate to make this game as tight and scrappy as possible.

With injuries up top and goalless outings in their last three pre-season friendlies, defence is likely to be prioritised against an attack-minded Spurs side.However, there is only so much that Leicester’s defence will be able to do and Tottenham should find a way to make their superior quality count. Son Heung-min has scored five times in his last three meetings with the Foxes and could be the difference-maker again for the north Londoners.Prediction: Leicester 1-2 TottenhamREAD THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, RUMOURS & GOSSIP“Tottenham face Leicester in their Premier League opener this Monday. Preview includes team news, predicted lineups and more…”Source Link: https://www.90min.com/leicester-vs-tottenham-preview-predictions-lineups-19-8-24?utm_source=RSS http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/7359e262ef27-thumbnail-leicester-v-tottenham.jpg #GLOBAL - BLOGGER After a largely positive first seas... BLOGGER - #GLOBAL

[winterbirb]

John Kerry knowing the problem is the capitalist class without saying those exact words:

Do you think the goal is still alive today?

If we did the things we could do — that we know how to do, and that we have the technologies for — we could actually do it. We’re just not. We’re not doing it on a global basis. Emissions are going up in too many countries. Oil and gas are still on a binge and their profits are obscene. I mean they’re just shocking. And everybody seems to be locked into a place of indifference.

What explains that?

Greed in a lot of cases, the ease of business as usual in a lot of cases and some wishful thinking in a lot of cases. And then, in some cases, just lies — complete distortion paid for by those profits.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/opinion/john-kerry-climate-change-china.html?unlocked_article_code=1.D04.Fe4U.fiFc7ZCdHCR7

Link is unlocked for 2 weeks (iirc)

[karajage]

Cooling in Transition: Navigating the Impact of Refrigerant Phase-Outs in the Chiller Market

Refrigerants play a crucial role in the proper functioning of chillers, and their environmental impact and efficiency are critical factors to consider. Several refrigerants, such as R-134a, R-123, and R-22, are being phased out due to their ozone-depleting and high global warming potential (GWP). This phase-out is significantly impacting the chiller market, necessitating the adoption of alternative refrigerants.

Reasons for Phasing Out Traditional Refrigerants :

Ozone Depletion 

The phase-out of refrigerants like R22 and R123 is driven by international agreements such as the Montreal Protocol, aimed at protecting the ozone layer. These refrigerants have high ozone-depleting potential, necessitating their replacement with more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Global Warming Potential (GWP): 

Refrigerants like R134a, while not ozone-depleting, have a high Global Warming Potential. As a result, there's a growing emphasis on transitioning to low-GWP alternatives to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Impact on the Chiller Market : 

The phase-out of traditional refrigerants has created several challenges and opportunities for the chiller market:

Transition to HFOs and Low-GWP Refrigerants: 

Chiller manufacturers are adapting by transitioning to Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and other low-GWP refrigerants. These alternatives offer similar performance but with significantly reduced environmental impact.

Energy Efficiency Improvements: 

The refrigerant phase-out has prompted chiller manufacturers to invest in improving the overall energy efficiency of their systems. This not only aligns with sustainability goals but also helps end-users reduce operational costs.

Technological Innovations: 

The necessity to shift away from traditional refrigerants has accelerated the development of innovative technologies in the chiller market. Magnetic-bearing chillers, for instance, are gaining prominence for their efficiency and environmental benefits.

Retrofitting and Replacement Demand: 

The phase-out has created a surge in demand for retrofitting existing chillers with new refrigerants or replacing outdated systems altogether. This has opened up opportunities for service providers specializing in chiller upgrades.

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Case Studies:

Carrier's AquaEdge 19DV Chiller: 

Carrier's AquaEdge 19DV chiller uses HFO refrigerant, offering excellent energy efficiency and environmental performance. It demonstrates the viability of HFOs in large-scale cooling systems.

Trane's EarthWise Puron: 

Trane has introduced the EarthWise Puron, a line of chillers using a low-GWP refrigerant. This technology showcases Trane's commitment to sustainable and efficient cooling solutions.

The Future of the Chiller Market 

The chiller market is undergoing a significant transformation due to the phase-out of traditional refrigerants. Continuous research and development are essential to identify and optimize refrigerants that meet both environmental and performance requirements.