#Jin Nong

[nobrashfestivity]

Jin Nong 金农.

Qing Dynasty

 Chinese Art Museum.

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: January 2024 ~ 

✨ Happy February!!! 🎭

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post! 

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank In Hen - January 2nd (Japan) 

🌟 Ossan's Love Returns - January 5th (Japan) 

🌟 Refund Love - January 7th (Thailand) 

🌟 Time The Series - January 9th (Thailand) 

🌟 Intern in My Heart (BL side couple) - January 10th (Thailand) 

🌟 Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (Although I Love You, and You) - January 11th (Japan) 

🌟 Beside You (mini series) - January 11th (Thailand) 

🌟 I Wish You Love - January 21st (Thailand) 

🌟 Happy Ending - January 23rd (South Korea)

🌟 Love for Love's Sake - January 24th (South Korea)

Monthly likes/dislikes

👎🏻 I've been catching up on some KBLs from last year this month and sadly most of them were very disappointing. I put a few on my watchlist that generally had good reviews but yeah let's just say I'm glad I didn't miss anything in the last 2 years lol. The only one I liked was Love Mate, the rest was pretty much pointless. Hopefully the upcoming ones will be better 🤞🏻

New series & movie announcements

🎥 Beating Again (dance-themed, starring Kaownah K., Earth K. and others) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Unknown - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 The Book Store - Date TBA (South Korea)

🎥 Term Begins - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Mafia Prince and the Bookworm - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Black Forest - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Go Alone With Me - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Can I Love You? - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 The Shining Star - Date TBA (Vietnam)

🎥 At My Fingertips (Unintentional Love Story spinoff) - Coming May 2024 (South Korea)

🎥 Connecting To You - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 The Star (movie) - Coming March 2024 (Thailand)

🎥 What's the Nong? - Date TBA (Thailand)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ Actors Mike Chinnarat, Fluke Pusit, White Nawat, Pluem Purim and Lee Thanat have left GMMTV.

❗️ After Korean actor Choo Youngwoo won an award for "Best Rookie Actor" at the recent KBS Drama Awards, he came under fire for not mentioning his participation in the BL You Make Me Dance which launched his career and earned him the award.

❗️ Actors Jin Hoeun (All Of Us are Dead), Kwon Hyuk (The New Employee), Byun Junseo (Perfect Marriage Revenge) and Nam Yoonsu (Extracurricular) have been confirmed to star in the upcoming BL Love In The Big City, which portrays the life and love of an HIV-positive gay writer.

❗️ ZeeNunew and GeminiFourth won an award respectively for "Best Thai Artists" at this year's Seoul Music Awards.

❗️ The Chinese BL Stay with Me is getting an audiobook. The series furthermore recently confirmed its second season, further details are unknown.

❗️ Over a year after its initial premiere, the Thai BL To Sir, With Love won "Popular Foreign Drama” at this years's Vietnam Face Of The Year Awards.

❗️ The Thai BL Playboyy will no longer air on youtube after the suspension of the channel due to explicit sexual content. The show will continue to exclusively air on Gagaoolala, as well as RakutenTV.

❗️ Actors EarthMix had a cameo appearance in Ossan's Love Returns; they will star in the Thai adaption of the same name later this year. Details about the production are still unknown.

❗️ MileApo (KinnPorsche) were announced to star in the upcoming series Shine. The show is an extension/spinoff of Man Suang and focuses on Khem and Chatra's story in more detail.

Upcoming series & movies for February

👉🏻 Anti Reset - February 2nd (Taiwan)

👉🏻 Perfect Proposal - February 2nd (Japan)

👉🏻 City of Stars - February 2nd (Thailand)

👉🏻 Love Syndrome: The Beginning - February 8th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Baka Pwede pa? - February 9th (Philippines)

👉🏻 1000 Years Old - February 14th (Thailand)

👉🏻 My Strawberry Film - February 16th (Japan)

👉🏻 A Secret Love - February 17th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Unknown - February 24th (Taiwan)

👉🏻 Wedding Impossible - February 26th (South Korea)

👉🏻 Kiseki Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 - February TBA (Thailand)

[lost-my-sanity1]

something about be on cloud's story telling got me hooked. the way they show their stories and shapes the narrative in such a way that it leaves space and time for audience to question and think about what they're watching. it's not just placed infront of our eyes to just take and digest. it's placed in such a way that we get to pick it up and dissect our way inside it and take elements apart and make our own decision. and later when we are after all doing all these and there's a little bit confusion but mostly satisfaction and the want to know what actually happened, they give us that.

the fact that the show started with all of them going in that house to spend some fun time. but gets roped into something gruesome, and they try and try and that's when we are shown the flashback about why and what they fear, and then we get another flashback of how phee and non (pls I'll never stop talking about their names. like phi??? nong??? help😭😭) came together. I love what they're doing with the story

ALSO. the way the characters in the story are so human. except keng of course he's a fucking asshole and he should die (jin could have not recorded it :(()

[shookethdev]

a o e i i er ai ei ao ou an en ang eng ong i ia iao ie iu ian in iang ing iong u ua uo uai ui uan un uang ueng ü üe üan ün a o e er ai ao ou an en ang eng yi ya yao ye you yan yin yang ying yong wu wa wo wai wei wan wen wang weng yu yue yuan yun b ba bo bai bei bao ban ben bang beng bi biao bie bian bin bing bu p pa po pai pei pao pou pan pen pang peng pi piao pie pian pin ping pu m ma mo me mai mei mao mou man men mang meng mi miao mie miu mian min ming mu f fa fo fei fou fan fen fang feng fu d da de dai dei dao dou dan den dang deng dong di diao die diu dian ding du duo dui duan dun t ta te tai tei tao tou tan tang teng tong ti tiao tie tian ting tu tuo tui tuan tun n na ne nai nei nao nou nan nen nang neng nong ni niao nie niu nian nin niang ning nu nuo nuan nü nüe l la le lai lei lao lou lan lang leng long li lia liao lie liu lian lin liang ling lu luo luan lun lü lüe g ga ge gai gei gao gou gan gen gang geng gong gu gua guo guai gui guan gun guang k ka ke kai kei kao kou kan ken kang keng kong ku kua kuo kuai kui kuan kun kuang h ha he hai hei hao hou han hen hang heng hong hu hua huo huai hui huan hun huang z za ze zi zai zei zao zou zan zen zang zeng zong zu zuo zui zuan zun c ca ce ci cai cao cou can cen cang ceng cong cu cuo cui cuan cun s sa se si sai sao sou san sen sang seng song su suo sui suan sun zh zha zhe zhi zhai zhei zhao zhou zhan zhen zhang zheng zhong zhu zhua zhuo zhuai zhui zhuan zhun zhuang ch cha che chi chai chao chou chan chen chang cheng chong chu chua chuo chuai chui chuan chun chuang sh sha she shi shai shei shao shou shan shen shang sheng shu shua shuo shuai shui shuan shun shuang r re ri rao rou ran ren rang reng rong ru rua ruo rui ruan run j ji jia jiao jie jiu jian jin jiang jing jiong ju jue juan jun q qi qia qiao qie qiu qian qin qiang qing qiong qu que quan qun x xi xia xiao xie xiu xian xin xiang xing xiong xu xue xuan xun

NAKU 🫵

[respectthepetty]

Hiiii

please read this after you've finished ep8 (also cw/ discussion of s*icide)

What do you think about ayan's hesitation when his mom asked, “are you leaving me too?” it broke my heart. his attempt to smile just to comfort his mom and then shifitng the focus on akk and not himself. idk, i always thought akk might have s*icidal tendencies and i felt like ayan knew that too, that's why ayan is so overprotective of him. ayan blames himself for what happened to his uncle and he fears that akk's fate will be the same.... especially that ayan sees uncle dika in akk (i think). based on the old trailer, i always felt like akk's jump is just a product of ayan's fears (nightmares). but now this hesitation changes things, right? do u think the series was intentional in emphasizing ayan's hesitation in this scene? is he really thinking about it? And do u think the creators might actually go there? Also, do you truly think uncle dika's depression was a factor in his s*icide? uncle dika's words in the journal, showing he was depressed and had attempted multiple times before solidifies the theory that chadok did push him to the edge but is that the only reason?

im sorry if my thoughts are all over the place and i hope wasnt offensive in any way. i just cant get that scene out of my mind. because ayan looked like he was contemplating it but then just smiled so as not to scare his mom and i felt like that in itself says so much but im not sure if the series will ever go back to discuss this or parallel it?

Note to self: I miss you terribly

 Do you want revenge, or do you want the truth? - Lee Woo-jin, Oldboy [2003]

Trigger Warning – Suicide, self-harm

TLDR: Several others have written about this here and here, but I think Ayan’s a boy lost in his mission for vengeance.

In Oldboy, a movie about revenge, the protagonist and antagonist are so focused on revenge that they allow nothing to get in their way, and when they complete their revenge and the truth is revealed, the antagonist has nothing left to live for, while the protagonist doesn’t even know what to do with his life (this is a really tame summary of the film).

Who was Ayan before he transferred to this school? Did he have friends? Did he enjoy school? Did he have a life outside of school? Who was he before Dika died by suicide (and yes, I do think he died by suicide)? Who was he before he decided to go on this quest for revenge?

We know he met his uncle occasionally at the café. We know he was at the rival high school his uncle taught at until he died by suicide, but previous to that, he had been at a different school for a long time (his mother mentioned this during their phone call in the first episode). Even those tidbits show that Ayan was on a self-discovery journey.

Now, within a span of a few months, Ayan has lost the only person he felt understood him (through the phone calls, we see he has conflicts with his mom), he has distanced himself from his journey of self-discovery, and he has completely thrown himself into a hostile environment with one single goal in mind – to find out how this school contributed to his uncle’s death, so he can destroy it.

Throughout his mission, he has helped The World Remembers find the confidence to keep fighting, he has helped Thua find his voice to speak to his mother, he has helped Kan realize his feelings for Thua, and he is helping Akk with his fear of judgment, perfectionist tendencies, and eating (read: Akk is so stressed he isn’t eating!).

Who is helping Ayan though? Akk comforts him when others aren’t around, but the second he believes someone could see, he rejects Ayan. Thua warns him to not cause a ruckus, but that’s advice, not help. Nun, Nong, and Nian have each other and their boyfriends. Kan has Wat and Akk. Ayan has no one.

Ayan blames himself for Dika’s death because he believes if he had been there for him, it wouldn’t have happened. Now, he is trying to be there for everyone. Ayan is experiencing high levels of anxiety (grabbing the necklace), anger (fists curled up), sadness (crying at home, at school, and at the beach), and he isn’t sleeping (regular nightmares that also surface during the day). Ayan didn’t sleep in that tent because he has nightmares that wake him up. He didn’t sleep in that tent because Akk already made fun of the way he cries out in his sleep. Ayan wants to be vulnerable, but where? With whom? When?

Now, his journal, which is one of the last connections to his uncle, is missing. He can’t trust the people he wants to trust that they didn’t take it. He seeks comfort in the only place he can think of – Dika’s journals. He has read them often, as pointed out by his mother, but now he finds this page that he hadn’t seen before that outlines how Dika survived two suicide attempts, something he doesn’t seem to have known. If translated, the page actually goes into detail about those non-fatal attempts, and it’s…rough (hanging and overdose).

Ayan knew his uncle was suffering from a depression disorder, but the mom stated they thought he was well. They thought he was doing well, yet Ayan read that Chadok did something to affect his uncle’s recovery, an uncle who had two previous non-fatal attempts.

Whoever Ayan was before his uncle died has been lost in who he is now under the pressure of trying to save everyone including the memory of his uncle. And who is he now?! When his mom asks if Ayan is leaving her too, it’s ambiguous. Where is the Ayan who was happy? Where is the Ayan that was simply a high school kid? Where is the Ayan before all of this happened to him? Is that Ayan gone?

Ayan’s mental health is declining. However, that hesitation when answering seems to be one of reflection, something he hasn’t done. The music even stops. He has told no one that Dika is dead. Whenever he is asked, he changes the subject. Whenever he cries, he wipes away his tears and carries on. Whenever he gets upset, he smiles and flirts. He is training himself to be numb, so when his mother directly questions him, he has to evaluate his feelings.

But he doesn’t. He has a chance to really think about all that has happened to him and is happening to him, but that’s too real and he has learned that there isn’t space or time for that, so instead, he smiles and says all is well. And we see an image of the eclipse right after, which signifies his decision to continue on this path of vengeance. Then, he goes to Akk’s and demands that they search Chadok’s office.

We know all isn’t well at school, but much like Kan, Thua, and Akk, his defense mechanism kicks in – smile, nod, reassure. We know the school is getting to him, but he says it isn’t. He can’t tell his mom that because she’ll force him to leave the school, and Ayan can’t have that, not now that he KNOWS Chadok is linked to his uncle. His entire life is focused on that school. As with Akk, he is becoming more intertwined with the school each day, so who would he be without this school, without his mission, without his vengeance?

He’d be lost.

Ayan is having a Taylor Swift moment (yes, I wrote that). The Ayan his mom asks about is already gone. Whoever he was before he decided to seek vengeance can’t come to the phone right now because he’s buried him within himself, so he can focus on his mission for revenge.

Ayan believes finding out the truth will give him the revenge he is after but as the quote from Oldboy shows us, they are not one in the same. Ayan is already seeing that the truth (Akk being the curse) will not grant him the revenge he seeks. Reading Dika’s journal foreshadows that the truth of Dika’s death is much more complicated than Ayan initially believed. Ayan’s lost in his mission for revenge, but he is going to have to decide between wanting the truth and wanting revenge. If he continues on this path of revenge, it will be all-consuming and take Akk, the boy he wasn’t expecting, down with the school.

Ayan can have the truth or revenge, but he can’t have them both without losing something, and so far, he seems to be losing himself.

[eyenaku]

Ji ji fu ji ji

a o e i i er ai ei ao ou an en ang eng ong i ia iao ie iu ian in iang ing iong u ua uo uai ui uan un uang ueng ü üe üan ün a o e er ai ao ou an en ang eng yi ya yao ye you yan yin yang ying yong wu wa wo wai wei wan wen wang weng yu yue yuan yun b ba bo bai bei bao ban ben bang beng bi biao bie bian bin bing bu p pa po pai pei pao pou pan pen pang peng pi piao pie pian pin ping pu m ma mo me mai mei mao mou man men mang meng mi miao mie miu mian min ming mu f fa fo fei fou fan fen fang feng fu d da de dai dei dao dou dan den dang deng dong di diao die diu dian ding du duo dui duan dun t ta te tai tei tao tou tan tang teng tong ti tiao tie tian ting tu tuo tui tuan tun n na ne nai nei nao nou nan nen nang neng nong ni niao nie niu nian nin niang ning nu nuo nuan nü nüe l la le lai lei lao lou lan lang leng long li lia liao lie liu lian lin liang ling lu luo luan lun lü lüe g ga ge gai gei gao gou gan gen gang geng gong gu gua guo guai gui guan gun guang k ka ke kai kei kao kou kan ken kang keng kong ku kua kuo kuai kui kuan kun kuang h ha he hai hei hao hou han hen hang heng hong hu hua huo huai hui huan hun huang z za ze zi zai zei zao zou zan zen zang zeng zong zu zuo zui zuan zun c ca ce ci cai cao cou can cen cang ceng cong cu cuo cui cuan cun s sa se si sai sao sou san sen sang seng song su suo sui suan sun zh zha zhe zhi zhai zhei zhao zhou zhan zhen zhang zheng zhong zhu zhua zhuo zhuai zhui zhuan zhun zhuang ch cha che chi chai chao chou chan chen chang cheng chong chu chua chuo chuai chui chuan chun chuang sh sha she shi shai shei shao shou shan shen shang sheng shu shua shuo shuai shui shuan shun shuang r re ri rao rou ran ren rang reng rong ru rua ruo rui ruan run j ji jia jiao jie jiu jian jin jiang jing jiong ju jue juan jun q qi qia qiao qie qiu qian qin qiang qing qiong qu que quan qun x xi xia xiao xie xiu xian xin xiang xing xiong xu xue xuan xun

[alittlebitofrainbyyourside]

🎁👀

"We should celebrate!" Mama says into his neck. "We'll video with your father and oh! You should invite that Phayu of yours over for dinner. I know how much he helped you these past few weeks, and more importantly I would love to see Nong Jin again."

[dear-indies]

Hi there Cat and Mouse! Do you have any recommendations for female dark academia fcs? I’m aiming for late 20s-early 30s, any non-white ethnicity is fine. Thank you for everything you do for us in the rpc 💕

Aja Naomi King (1985) African-American - How to Get Away with Murder.

Jessica Lucas (1985) Black Canadian / European - The Murders.

Jessica Matten (1985) Métis, Saulteaux-Cree, Chinese and British.

May Calamawy (1986) Egyptian / Jordanian, Palestinian.

Nong Poy (1986) Thai - is a trans woman.

Wunmi Mosaku (1986) Yoruba Nigerian - Luther.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste (1987) Afro-Jamaican.

Kaitlyn Leeb (1988) Chinese and Irish.

Summer Bishil (1988) Indian / Mexican, German, English, distant Dutch.

Elarica Johnson (1989) Black British.

Nafessa Williams (1989) African-American.

Shaunette Renée Wilson (1989) Afro-Guyanese - The Resident.

Danielle Brooks (1989) African-American - has openly dated women but hasn't labelled her sexuality.

Kylie Bunbury (1989) Afro-Guyanese / Swedish, as well as Polish, English, and German - Brave New World.

Anna Akana (1989) Japanese, Kānaka Maoli, possibly English, Irish, German, French, and Chinese / Filipino, possibly Spanish - is bisexual.

Damaris Lewis (1990) St Kittitian.

Marianly Tejada (1990) Dominican - One of Us Is Lying.

Aiysha Hart (1990) English and Saudi Arabian - A Discovery of Witches.

Amala Paul (1991) Indian.

Im Jin-ah / Nana (1991) Korean.

Tanaya Beatty (1991) Da’naxda’xw and Himalayan.

Deniz Baysal (1991) Turkish.

Lulu Xuan (1991) Chinese.

Ayça Ayşin Turan (1992) Turkish.

Dilraba Dilmurat (1992) Uyghur.

Georgina Campbell (1992) Afro-Jamaican / English.

Medalion Rahimi (1992) Iranian and Mizrahi Jewish - uses she/they.

Jade Olieberg (1993) Black Dutch.

Kitty Chicha Amatayakul (1993) Thai.

Olivia Liang (1993) Chinese.

Taylor Russell (1994) Black Canadian / European.

Jaz Sinclair (1994) likely African-American / Italian, Irish, Swedish - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo (1994) Chinese / Italian.

Aurora Perrineau (1994) African-American, Afro-Haitian / English, Irish, French, German.

Adeline Rudolph (1995) Korean / German - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Zión Moreno (1995) Mexican [Spanish and Unspecified Native American] - is a trans woman.

Thanks to the amazing @katherine-mcnamara for helping me with these suggestions!

[visualpoett]

Plum Blossoms, dated 1757

Artist: Jin Nong

[silkscroll]

静夜思 (Thoughts on a Quiet Night)

床前明月光，疑是地上霜。 舉頭望明月，低頭思故鄉。

The moon shines bright before my bed; I think it frost upon the ground instead. Looking up, I gaze upon the moon; Then long for home with downcast head.

Li Bai 李白 (701-762, Tang dynasty)

Jin Nong 金农, "Painting of Moonlight" (Qing)

[boywithflowersartgallery]

A collection of 91 high-resolution digital images of Jin Nong/金農 ▶️https://boywithflower.gumroad.com/l/gzbtv ▶️https://www.boywithflowers.com/product/jin-nong/ ▶️https://www.patreon.com/posts/74378844 Get more digital paintings. https://boywithflower.gumroad.com/ https://www.boywithflowers.com https://www.patreon.com/boy_with_flowers_art_gallery

[feuqueerfire]

My Secret Love Live Blogging

Need to watch some regular old uni BL after the intensity of To Sir, With Love. Also, I’m invested in that random side couple that’s been dating for 7 years despite only having seen a few tiktoks of them.

Playlist

Ep 1 (Dec 26)

1-1

bro so many people were introduced I’m dead

Say No to SOTUS project and school hard workers: Kim, Lee, Bomb

Thunderous Sky channel: Mek, Park, Bare 

I think the ships are Kim-Mek, Lee-Park (the 7 years established couple?), Bomb-Bare? 

Absolute Tim channel: Tim, the friend. I think these two are a pair also.

Kim’s sister Q who was watching a BL

1-2

Linguistics: oh Thunderous Sky people are older than Kim and his friends and use Phi/Nong and Pom

heh Park being reasonable, wonder if he’s aware that Kim and Bare are Lee’s friends. it’d be hilarious if the 7 years pair isn’t Lee-Park and I just mixed people up lol

haha just kidding they are indeed a couple and Lee seems to love pinching Park lol

Linguistics: Park using ‘ter’ with Lee and also using -krab (i don’t yet know if it’s an indulgent thing for now or if it’s regular). can’t tell what I/you pronouns Lee’s using tho

ofc Mek and Kim are probably neighbours lol

tf Mek’s sister also loves BL content but why do both Q and Mek’s nong want their own brothers to have BL moments like that’s your broooooo

1-3

naurrrr Mek’s gonna mess with Kim’s work on the Say No SOTUS project to embarrass him in front of the chancellor?

i don’t get this ‘fake first year activity prank’ lol I think it’s supposed to get at Kim but i don’t get how

oof, Bomb got a moment with Bare but also fainted fr

1-4

I guess Mek replaced the plant with a whole new, blooming one after breaking the pot of the one that looked dead

Mek’s sister’s name is Dao. Dao and Q are meeting each other, can already see their antics to get their brothers to get together or smth. I wish they were a side GL couple but I probably would’ve heard about it if that happened

k i knew about Mek’s prank going wrong, so him and his group having to work with Kim to fix it via another video (though I thought it was a BL series instead of music video)

chef Kim so true I wish my sibling also loved to cook

Ep 2 (Dec 26)

2-1

dance practice and Kim injured his leg, causing Mek to give him a motorcycle ride back home

2-2

please Park ripping his shirt during the dance, Lee taking off his own shirt in the bathroom to give it to Park, but Park not realizing and going “are you going to do it here?”

ayy bathroom funny scene where Lee and Park are taking off shirts

lmfao i’ve also seen talks about this fall kiss

2-3

the music and dance is killing me

not a BTS “smooth like butter” reference

Park and Lee getting the ad drink lol

Linguistics: Lee also calls Park ‘ter’ and I think the -krab Park was using before was just for exaggeration. now I gotta figure out what pronouns they use for first person.

Sniff kisses all over Lee’s face so cuteee

how are Q and Dao so excited about their brothers kissing people plsssss

I heard the term ‘ku-jin’ or whatever = imaginary couple

not the chancellor threatening them all with removal of position or failure to graduate to make Mek and a BL couple goddamn

2-4

Is his name Bear or Bare?

nutsuda57 released the kiss clip

Bear has a nose piercing

lmfao pls the chancellor’s name is Nutsuda and they’re wondering who released the clip?

This is extremely typical BL so far but it’s engaging nonetheless

Fave Scene: Park and Lee exchanging shirts and Bare coming in screaming Park’s name lol it was funny in the tiktok I saw and it’s funny here too

Ep 3 (Dec 26)

3-1

lol all of Park-Kim’s cutesy BL moments turning into them teasing and fighting

oh Tim saving Kim? love triangle?

3-2

to get the complex women in To Sir, With Love only to come back to this where the only purpose of girls is to fangirl over guys or BL couples goddamn

Linguistics: the chancellor also uses ‘ter’ for the students

kinda funny that Lee reminds me of Pawin and even Kim reminds me of Saint from extremely specific angles

3-3

lol “how’d you come up with this? seems like someone who’s in a relationship” Park-Lee glancing at e/o and quickly away

Q and Dao are cute with how they wanna be captains of the ship and want Park-Kim to be popular but only wish they weren’t shipping their brotherssss wtf

lmfao Bear-Bomb giving a very small dose of celeb/fan trope

loll the car scene with Park-Lee and Bear-Bomb where Park and Lee try to hide Lee’s stuff in Park’s car

3-4

aww Park-Lee date <333 they’re so cuteeee, reminiscing about their past and teasing each other

damn, not the old classmate Fluke going “seems like ever since you started dating, all of Lee’s talents have transferred to Park” bc Lee dropped out of Comm Arts (which Park is still in) 2 years in and joined Liberal Arts

lol Mek being delighted by the shipping and researching shippers

frrr Kim being like “Why are you obsessed with this shipping thing? Even when it has to do with your own brother!”

Kim delighted to read the fans’ comments too

actually this meta thing is fun where they talk about fans and shippers’ comments and such

Mek-Kim are kinda cute now, since Mek have started helping Kim by driving him home and buying ingredients and Kim making extra egg for eh and saving food from the sale for him

I’ve been watching this at 1.5x speed at it’s 45-50 min eps, so I’ve been like why am I already in ep 3 so quickly? Girl, watching 3 eps of this takes 100 mins (1h40) max where as 3 eps of To Sir, With Love at 1.25x with 70-75 mins took  168 mins minimum (2h48). that’s over an hour longer lol

Ep 4 (Dec 27)

4-1

Mek-Kim talking about their future plans and different planning styles

“his mood swings are even worse than crypto currency” sooo true Bear

oh yeah I heard smth about a horoscope fucking up Lee-Park’s relationship. also i just realized they’re in their 7th year and apparently there’s a 7-year curse in Thailand for relationship that BE Podcast mentioned for Tharntype 2: 7 years of love (not to confuse with the 7-year curse in kpop lol) 

oof, Bear saying he has a crush on the fan who comments about him all the time but he doesn’t know how they are and Bomb not realizing that that’s himm

4-2

agh Q telling people that Mek-Kim are “sailing off-screen” as well like privacyyyy

i like how Mek-Kim are soo acts of service and food as love language for each other

4-3

oof Mek ignoring Bear and their Thunderous Sky live Q&A to do ship Q&A with Kim

pls not Park convinced that Lee’s cheating

4-4

bro huh Tim’s asking Kim to be like BL imaginary ship partner?

Ep 5 (Dec 27)

5-1

Dang, interesting. we see how Mai confessed to Tim and then it not going anywhere. wonder if Tim also liked him back then but didn’t wanna change

fans reaction to ships and changing ships and such are fun

so the Bear-Bomb thing where Bear finds out Bomb’s the commenter didn’t happen? 

oh jk it did

5-2

damn the Thundourous Sky is really going through it cuz Mek gives so little fucks about it 

oof, soft-hearted Bear

5-3

goddamn, not Park thinking Lee’s convo with another dude is about them cheating T.T and running in shoving them T.T naurrrr (but it did sound kinda suspicious if you overheard the convo with cheating in mind)

Bomb and Bear are kinda endearing

Mek is so... he switched the chocolate or smth with some other thing that smells horrific but also I feel like since they mentioned Tim’s allergic to a bunch of stuff, he’s gonna be allergic to this too agh

5-4

oof i mean Kim was harsh to call Mek rubbish but Mek was doing rubbish things so

Ep 6 (Dec 27)

6-1

Aww pls I know everybody gets kisses in ep 6, so hopefully Lee-Park will make up pls

6-2

oof, Mek-Kim both saying sorry at the same time

6-3

lmfao Mek-Kim having a heart-to-heart and Q and Dao taking one of the bikes away in the background, leaving only bike for Mek-Kim lmfao

T.T flashback to how Park-Lee met, which they’d talked about a bit before

aoo ofc it was Lee’s surprise for Park and it was for their 7th year anniversary :00

ooohhhhhh Bear-Bomb cute peck, they’re pretty cute honestly

6-4

tryna figure out if Mek’s mom is just supportive of her son and interested in his life vs super fucking weirdly into his kujin like why are you shipping your son seek help

actually, we get approval from them in general and also marriage equality so it’s better than the Lovely Writer stuff ig  

aww Park-Lee making up a bit by minimal talking and more so physically but I hope they still talk about what happened next ep

damn, Tim-Mai confrontation and even a kiss but it’s all angsty :<

Mek-Kim confessions and kiss as well - hope their families don’t see them. oh, they’re gonna sleep together inch resting. lol silhouette in the tent

Fave Scene: all of part 4 tbh

the ships were all juggled pretty well and got progression of some sort

Ep 7 (Dec 28)

7-1

Mek-Kim morning after is cute

okay Mek apologized to Tim via text but is too prideful to do it in person yet hmmm maybe he’ll do it later

oof Park explaining to Lee why he acted the way he did (rip horoscrope)

bro Park-Lee’s high school stories are wild. what do you mean Lee taught Park photography and then Park beat Lee at the competition and got a scholarship alskdfj and then Park overhearing Lee being sad to his mom that he’s jealous of Park ahhh insanity

insane relationship dynamics where Lee feels so jealous of Park’s successes and talents over his own and doesn’t want people to compare them (thus hiding the relationship) and trying to not resent Park and even feeling inadequate to be in a relationship with Park

no like we’ve seen enemies to lover where the couple would be jealous and competitive before dating and maybe remain competitive after dating but they’d always be head-to-head number 1 and 2 of the class etc but this is a new sort of relationship dynamic

omg the girls screaming and squealing over an f/f couples! lesbianism ftw ig

heh Bomb telling his friends he’s dating Bear

oh Lee also coming clean about him and Park. “Since when did you like him?” “7 years ago” “you have a crush on him for 7 years? “we’ve been together for 7 years”

7-2

please the Bear and Mek overdramatic making up and apologizing

Bear and Bomb are so cute too even though so many of their scenes are just Taco Bell ad

7-3

naurr Mai coming back and telling Tim it’s all okay and to forget what happened

damn, don’t Mai and Tim know that Mek was the one who ‘pranked’ them? or is Mai still taking it out on Kim cuz he wanted Kim to maybe check it before having Tim eat the cake or smth

oof Tim’s jealousy starting - I saw a clip in ep 10 where he punches some guy who was boutta kiss drunk Mai

T: I think he was flirting with you. M: and if he was? What would you do about it?

7-4

okay very interesting. Mek called the server? owner? of the restaurant Hia and she was like “what do you mean by Hia? It’s Jie now” and that was that

wtf is this spicy challenge Mek and Tim are doing tf

lol Mai really said “it’s none of your business”

lmfao pls Mek getting self-conscious and Kim literally gulping at seeing Tim shirtless

Kim does look like Saint

pls Mek and Tim’s endless competitiveness

pls Mek is so lmfao his “Sorry, I’m not act like a child again.” had me going yeah sure how many times have you apologized for being a child again. then he goes on with “But if you ever want me to... I promise I’ll be a good boy for you.” like okayyy didn’t know you were into that

damn who’s Pam?

Ep 8 (Dec 28)

8-1

Kim roasting the guy in the BL that Q and Dao are watching that represents Mek

the OST is such by Jeff Satur! it’s good, added it on Spotify

lol Mai specifically making Tim jealous lol

please Thunderous Sky are so silly. Park saying he has a faen, Mek falling from the sky at that, Bear’s chill bc Park’s faen told Bear’s faen who told Bear

8-2

naurrr this Thunderous Sky compilation

This show is full of actors who remind me of other people. Lee = Pawin. Kim = Saint. Park’s smile = Tay Tawan’s smile

are we getting Mek taking care of sick Kim?

8-3

oof is the food Mek made gonna be bad or good

ohhh Mek’s ex-gf’s name is Pam. i thought the message was on Kim’s laptop oops

naurr Kim’s gonna misunderstand agh what with Mek telling him to go home + he gave her the bottle plant. i’m scared mans somehow saw them hug too lol but Kim doesn’t know that Mek told Pam that he likes Kim a lot

8-4

Tim and Mai’s relationship is sooo rancid right now ahh like Mai unbuttoning the top two buttons of Tim’s shirt because that’s more like him --> asking Tim to choose him an outfit for his date with Pete --> Tim basically asking a bunch of qs but then talking about how Mai told Tim to let him make his own decisions (even the way they frame this is alkfd) --> Tim looking at his own shirts to let Mai borrow

oh Mek, tell Kim you like him instead of telling Pam bc Kim’s out here “he never tells me he likes me once, he only said he’s possessive of me” 

so true Bomb and Lee telling Kim to confess first instead

not them giving Kim a heart attack and a horror scare as a birthday surprise tf

wtf why is Kim’s “I like you” being met with :< from Mek

Ep 9 (Dec 29)

9-1

why’d Mek not accept his confession? is he going through something after meeting his ex-gf and scared of new relationship? 

ah, uni acceptance letter? can’t he tell Kim? damn, he’s fr just avoiding Kim?

oof, university in Australia

oh stupid Tim being possessive and jealous of Mai’s new guy but refusing to admit in his feelings and make a move. agh i want more of them because their interactions are sooo rancid and passive aggressive rn 

oh yay more of Tim and Mai 

lmfao Mai for sure gonna think Tim just tryna sabotage his new thing that’s outside of Tim. oh Tim didn’t even mention it “hm. if you like him, that’s good.”

9-2

Bomb and Bear are just cute

lmfao Kim always taking his anger on Mek out on the plant Mek gave him is endearing 

dang first BTS reference, now Squid Game spoiler 

oof, I guess Mek probably won’t go to the uni in Australia but I kinda hope he does cuz like passing up academic opportunities at a young age for a relationship that hasn’t even begun

9-3

oh Mek misunderstand Tim and Kim talking

Kim Tim heart-to-heart

Park and Lee talking to Park’s mom ahh does she/will she know bout their relationship

alksdfjlak;sdfj they’re sooo cute and domestic but also like kissy kissy bang bang lmfao wtf is “I’m tired of the bed” and jumping onto Park. keeping it spicy 7 years into the relationship ig

9-4

o lol I got nervous for a sec that  

Ep 10 (Dec 30)

10-1

pls Bomb calling Bear to sit beside him instead of Kim so that Mek can sit beside him and then Park squishing Mek-Kim to one corner of the couch

10-2

first Mek last ep and now Mai seeing Tim and Kim’s convo lmfao

Mek deciding to not go abroad, who would’ve guessed

10-3

ik from that tiktok clip that Tim gonna come and punch Pete lol

Mek and Kim making up that easily? meh like at least make Mek explain about the abroad opportunity

Tim punching Pete and claiming that Mai’s his bf is so annoying like instead tell Pete off for tryna kiss Mai when mans is drunk out of his mind, that’d actually show you care about Mai instead of just wanting to posses him agh

why are the Mek-Kim makeup and Tim-Mai confession both so meh and anticlimactic 

10-4

lmfao Kim now being like ‘i don’t like you anymore, P’Mek’ because maybe he found out about the abroad thing? and wants Mek to pursue that?

the classic ‘i’ll break up with you so that you pursue your dreams but neither of us will actually communicate anything to each other’

Ep 11 (Dec 30)

11-1

pls I don’t wanna watch Kim work shitty job, like that’s so not my interest

so how many years is this time skip? 2 years? since i guess they were juniors before and now it’s their first day working? or acc just one year because they were at the end of junior year

11-2

dang, why’s Kim mean to his mom? Is he resentful that they left them all alone

ofc Kim just gets assigned to Mr. Mega who nobody knows but is somehow Mek 

Mek being a dickhead to workers reaching out to him with just an email that he doesn’t have to answer? unsurprising ew

11-3

Park-Lee are interesting but also give me a headache like oof now Lee thinks Park’s cheating. oh he has a ring

agh I’m so annoyed by Kim’s boss and also Mek being annoying as a client like idgaf 

11-4

please I hope both Park and Lee have rings and plan to propose. one of the best things about same-gender couples is sometimes accidentally proposing at the same time

pls Lee snooping through Park’s phone --> Park saying “Lee” --> Lee chucking the phone across the bed --> turn around to see Park kneeling with a ring

anyway yay them both proposing 

their hands with the ringsssss as they makeout

oh Bear-Bomb physically intimate scene too

often shows fall into extremely PG territory (possibly with a serving of being grossed out by the thought of sex without explanation) or it’s like an NC-17 show but this series has like sprinkling of nsfw scene or hints of the couples being physically intimate because that’s just how they are

ofc Mek and Kim get blackout drunk every time they drunk tf

okayyy Mek and Kim kiss and make up, I’m so tired of this. hope its’ not a dream of Kim’s

Ep 12 (Dec 30)

12-1

oh Mek orchestrated meeting Kim at his company

lol Kim’s mom walking in on them sleeping in bed

k it’s kinda interesting to see Kim go from student president with plans to someone who struggled to get a job and is working unrelated to his studied field

12-2

naurrr Bear forgot his and Bomb’s anniversary date

so Mek and Kim are bfs now

naurr Bomb and Bear were so cute throughout the whole thing but they’re making them sad and going through a rough patch in the last ep???

12-3

naurrr Bear and Bomb T.T

pls Mek and Kim asking Kim’s mom about moving in together

okayyyy one mention of work-life balance from Bear. it’s interesting to see these characters go through these things

12-4

damn history of Thunderous Sky

pls Park-Lee wedding T.T sooo domestic, esp watching this after I just reread the 2 novellas where Magnus/Alec adopted their children (The Land I Lost and Born to Endless Night). queer couples being domestic and being a family T.T

“look at Mek! He’s stealing the spotlight for himself right here at Park’s wedding” literallyyyyy why’d you pull out a ring rn? at least he didn’t propose very publicly with all the attention on them lol

mek-kim’s proposal makes no sense considering they’ve been dating for about 2 days but k

Overall: 

I wish the Mek-Kim storyline went differently and there were multiple times where out of the 4 couples, their story was #3 or #4 in terms of interest from me. Considering they’re the main characters, not too good. However, when they were cute, they were cute. I think there were just some poor choices especially with the separation and they could’ve written it better rip

Park-Lee my lovelies who call each other ‘ter’ and propose at the same time and are physically affectionate and have feelings like insecurity or jealousy. Really gave me the established relationship trope I always creave.

Bomb and Bear were so cute in the beginning but then became :< sad in the end but it didn’t feel super melodramatic because it felt like something that could happen with wonky work-life balance.

Tim and Mai were sooo rancid and passive aggressive in the middle, I was liking it but then the confession was anti-climactic and then they fizzled out (kinda reminds me of NetJames’ characters’ relationship moments disappearing from the show once they got together in Catch Me Baby).

This show had a lot of heart. Don’t think I’ll remember much except Park and Lee but it was a fun enough watch while it lasted. 

Rating: 6/10

Tiktoks:

Ep 2 Park and Lee in the washroom

Ep 2 Park kissing all around Lee’s face 

Ep 1 - 3 Park/Lee compilation

everybody from each group dating 

[bestkoreannoodles]

Best Korean Noodles

Find the greatest Korean ramen here. You've arrived at the proper location. My sisters request ramen from my Korean husband at some point every time we travel to our home in the United Arab Emirates. They are capable of making it themselves, but they once realized as they watched him prepare a dinner that they had only been boiling water. If you know where to find decent Korean ramen and how to make it, Korean quick noodles may actually be very satisfying. Korean ramen instant noodles has received a lot of attention recently, which is typical of Korean cuisine.

Simply put, ramen is a Japanese noodle soup made with a variety of noodles, a richly flavorful broth, and a variety of meats or vegetables, frequently topped with a boiled egg.

Now check out the Best Korean Ramen.

Nongshim Shin Ramyun

We always have a few of them in our home at any given moment, and we always pack them when we go outside of Korea. These are likely the most well-known Korean ramyeon. nong shim ramen from Nongshim is highly known worldwide, making it one of the simpler brands to locate in local markets and online. If you've never tried it or aren't accustomed to Korean spices, it will be a little spicy the first time even though most Koreans don't consider this to be one of the spicier selections. It was, at least, to me. But I've come to like it over time.

Ramen Ottogi Jin

The taste of Jin Ramen is quite similar to Shin Ramyun, with the exception of a stronger red pepper flavor, which my husband always has on hand. Although the one with the blue is the more popular one, this one also has some variation. There is also a red option that is hotter. When you're missing Korea, the beef and kimchi flavor of Jin Ramen's broth will satisfy you. Most people concur that Jin Ramen is often considered to be milder than other ramyeon brands, making it a decent choice for individuals who are unfamiliar with the spice and need an introduction.

Chapagetti, Nongshim

I initially had my doubts about Nongshim's fusion-style quick noodles with chajang sauce, but my spouse absolutely adores them. Carrots, onions, ground beans, and other grains are included in this delicious sweet ramyeon meal. The meal is Korean-Chinese, but what sets it different is the distinctive black sauce that tops it. It also qualifies as a "dry" or "no-broth" ramyeon.

Spicy Nongshim Neoguri Seafood (Udon Noodles)

The peculiar spicy seafood flavor and thick udon-style noodles are the main reasons why neoguri gained popularity. It continues to be one of Nongshim's most well-liked items and is produced with genuine fish components. This is the option you should try if you prefer thicker noodles. Both a hot seafood and a mild seafood are available in this dish.

Bibim Paldo Men

This no-broth instant noodle has a gochujang, or hot red pepper paste, sauce topping, and is one of my absolute must-haves. To appreciate this, you MUST add a hard-boiled egg, cucumbers, and carrots. Summertime is when it truly works. For the greatest chewy consistency, take this recipe from the boiling water as soon as it's through cooking and quickly rinse with cold water. You will feel bad if you don't make that stride or speed.

Nongshim AnSung TangMyun

Nongshim's AnSung TangMyun, one of my all-time faves, is actually the sixth-best-selling ramyeon in Korea. It has more of a miso flavor than the extremely spicy ramyeons, which is probably why I was drawn to it. At this point, it is among my go-to meals when we travel abroad.

The most popular ramen variation—which is actually far more well-liked than the original—is packaged instant ramen. Although it might not exactly replicate the feeling of consuming fresh ramen noodles in a slow-simmered bone broth, this product is generally adored, from the dining room to the dorm room. They are, in many respects, a culinary staple in their own right.

Commonly, after boiling the noodles for two to three minutes, a seasoning package is added to the hot water to create the broth. However, creative chefs have come up with countless inventive uses for instant ramen, including ramen stir-fries, sandwiches, salads, waffles, chile rellenos, and even desserts.

[uwmspeccoll]

Figure 1.  Jiang Biao’s fan calligraphy, UWM Special Collections (cs 000089).

Graduate Research: Chinese Scroll and Fan Work, Part 10

For the next two weeks, we will focus on the artistic dichotomy of Zheng (正, normative or orthodox) and Qi (奇, unusual or strange ) between five fin de siècle calligraphic fans in our Zhou Cezong Collection of Chinese scroll and fan work. and the work of calligrapher Fu Shan (1607-1684). Zheng is a conservative style, relying on established styles and techniques. Qi is an idea of originality, requiring artists to break from social and political conventions, and challenging recognized norms. According to art historians Dora Ching and Katharine Burnett, the first half of the seventeenth century witnessed Qi as one the primary markers of Chinese art history, which was represented by Fu Shan and a few others. Fu claimed that he would rather have his calligraphy be awkward, not skillful; ugly, not pleasing; deformed, not slick; spontaneous, not premeditated. However, after 1670, this revolutionary pursuit was held in thrall to the prescribed reiteration of Zheng until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when Kang Youwei (1858-1927) made an emotional harangue against the latter’s stultifying nature.

(From left to right): Figure 2 (a): Detail from rom Figure 1; Figure 2 (b): Detail from the Stele of Mount Yi; Figure 2 (c): Detail from Fu Shan’s work. 

The fan in Figure 1 is a small seal script (first appeared in Qin Dynasty: 221-207 BCE) written by Jiang Biao (1860-1899), the educational commissioner who worked with Chen Sanli (see my previous blog) during Hunan Reform from 1897 to 1898. The format of his characters (Figure 2a) drew inspiration from the Stele of Mount Yi (Figure 2b), which contains a quintessential small seal script created around 219 BCE. Both of them emphasize a balanced, neat, and standardized form, symbolizing the main features of Zheng.

However, in Fu’s view, Zheng style was the degeneration of Chinese calligraphy, and only by deviating from this orthodoxy can one’s works attain vitality and the spirit of nature. One of his ways to achieve this vitality is to exaggerate parts of his composition. In Figure 2c, he first stylized the top half of the character to a wiry linearity; then he exaggerated the bottom half with a fluffy and ostentatious curvature. By these exaggerations, the character produces a strong visual contrast and awkward rawness, exhibiting a feeling of novelty and surprise. 

Figure 3. Jin Nong’s Guanyin (Bodhisattva). From Zhongguo meishu quanji, Huihua bian 11 中国美术全集， 绘画编, 第11卷 [The Collections of Chinese art: Painting Section, volume 11](Shanghai: Shanghai renmin meishu chubanshe, 1988), 29.

Fu’s exaggerated presentation of Qi is also manifested by another iconoclastic artist Jin Nong (1687-1763) in the middle of Qing Dynasty. As a great literati-artist, Jin’s paintings retained a charismatic, somewhat whimsical flavor which derived in part from his amateurish exaggeration. In Figure 3, the head of Guanyin (Bodhisattva) is foreshortened to a restricted rectangular space, while his swirling and gargantuan drapery is expanded and elongated to a scope that strains credulity. The stark contrast of the proportion between his head and body is reminiscent of Fu’s audacious approach in Figure 2c.

Figure 4. Peng Yunzhang's fan calligraphy, UWM Special Collections (cs 000094).

The second fan (Figure 4) is a clerical script by Peng Yunzhang (1792-1862), a high official in late Qing Dynasty. Derived from small seal writing, the structure of clerical style is undulating and flaring. For instance, the horizontal stroke will begin with a rounded head similar to a silkworm cocoon and end with a wavelike flourish resembling the tail of wild goose (see the last horizontal stroke in Figure 5). This style reached its zenith during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 CE); and it marks the conclusion of ancient pictographic script and heralds the beginning of the current system of writing.

                                      Figure 5. Detail from Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a faithful imitation of the Ode of XiXia Pathway, which is a cliff stele designed to commemorate governor Li Xi’s achievement to construct a pathway along the face of a precipitous cliff around 171 CE. Peng’s fan possesses the easygoing poise and smoothness of the original stele. However, the character in Peng’s writing is too elegant and orthodox (Zheng), bordering on banality and rigidity. On the contrary, Xixia’s character is imbued with improvised kinetic variations. 

Specifically, in terms of structure, Peng’s layout is properly arranged and equally spaced (Figure 6a), whereas in Xixia (Figure 6b), imbalance is the leitmotif---at first glance, the three parallel strokes on the top right give a vertiginous illusion and structural disharmony; nonetheless, they echo the three tilting horizontal strokes on the left. By following an invisible diagonal line, Xixia pushes a directional force that invites audiences to view the images from an oblique angle. This diagonal perspective does not run out of control; instead, it is perfectly buttressed by two prominent perpendicular strokes and two arch-like components in the character, thereby bringing a kinetic balance to the overall structure.

(From left to right)  Figure 6 (a): Detail from Figure 4;  Figure 6 (b): Detail from Ode of XiXia Pathway;  Figure 6 (c): Detail from Fu Shan’s work.

As an advocate of Qi, Fu viewed imbalance as a barometer of his pursuit of Qi. Xixia’s masterful control between imbalance (diagonal kinesthetics) and balance (perpendicular buttress) might serve as the epiphany for his experimentation. In Figure 6c, the three skewed strokes on the top and the two leftward cocoon-shaped dots on the left are joined to create an imbalanced diagonal. However, the central 口and its two supporting vertical lines act as a counterweight to stabilize that imbalanced balance. In this case, the unusualness of Qi does not transgress the boundaries of accepted conventions; rather, it just brings a precipitous visual contrast to animate the stereotypical practices.

Figure 7.  Eugen Kirchner’s November (from the MOMA collection).

The use of imbalanced balance in a diagonal composition can also be seen in Western paintings. In the aquatint November (Figure 7), Eugen Kirchner (1865-1938) adopts a similar arrow-like diagonal to push the silhouettes of people to their furthest depth (a compositional imbalance). The pronounced diagonal perspective amplifies the blusteriness of the weather (an environmental imbalance), and indicates a sense of dreariness and angst (a phycological imbalance) within the throng. However, the erection of the road sign in the middle right not only works as a supporting counterweight to the composition, but also attenuates the stress from the environmental and phycological imbalance. The road sign is unaffected by the wind and the people move freely to almost a same direction. Here, the imbalanced diagonal is balanced by a vertical sign in regards to the compositional, environmental, and phycological perspective.  

View more posts from the Zhou Cezong Collection of Chinese scroll and fan work.

– Jingwei Zeng, Special Collections graduate researcher.

[xiuxiueig]

Branques i flors

Jin Nong

[gabrielokun]