#LA recommendations

[butididntpourthewhiskeys]

you should do ggiata for lunch! best sandwiches

Ohhhh where is that? 👀

[owlyjules]

Hi! Sorry if you've been asked this before (or just don't want to say, because that's cool too), but I was wondering if you had any book or author recommendations you could give? :> Your art is always accompanied by such lyrical captions, and I was wondering what inspired them. Thank you for your time and all the gorgeous art you share! <3

Thank you so much!!

I just love creating little stories with each picture when i paint them! (Btw big thanks to my wife for helping me spellchecking and beta reading those since english is not my first language!)

For recs, a lot of the inspiration from fairytale books I read as a kid and some more recent influences but its really a little bit everywhere so its hard to pinpoint!

But heres a few of my favourites for this october mood!

The last Unicorn

Anything by emily caroll!

Tove Jansson

T kingfisher

The angels game by Carlos Ruiz Záfon

Hope you find one you like!:D

[bengiyo]

Hello 👋

All of your favorite horniest sex scenes?

Hello! I've been busy, so this has taken forever to get to!

I don't always need the guys to bounce around on each other and gyrate enthusiastically for it to out as horny. Oftentimes, I find myself more drawn in by the building desire between the characters, and the explicit acknowledgement of release. I like when the sex feels like it's also revealing something to us about the characters. I've highlighted many of these before, but it's fun to revisit.

Ghost Host, Ghost House Episode 4 Couch Scene

I will never get over this scene, and especially the director's cut of it. These guys knew they liked each other almost instantly, and it was so rewarding to see them reach a place where they could express that. Bonus points for discussing the logistics of gay sex.

This show has been on Gaga and YouTube for a while, but it's also now available on Viki!

La Pluie Episode 6 Floor Scene and Episode 7 Bed Scene

I liked this scene so much that I wrote about it. Again, there's a lot of anticipation between these two, and you can tell how far it's built up because Patts has to dial it back down when Saengtai wants to stop. It's especially important to me because Saengtai does blow Patts in the next episode. If you're on iQIYI, there's an extended cut of that at the end of the video lists.

Mood Indigo: The Post-Funeral Scene

These two are so horrible for each other, but damn are their sex scenes compelling. Theirs are the kinds of scenes only possible between two people you know can never work long term. I was so glad that we got back to Haruhiko in Playback, and the first thing he did was blow Rio in a car. If you haven't seen the Novelist, and you're itching for hornier BL, it's right there.

The End of the World With You "You're Soaked"

From the same team as The Novelsit, we got to experience baby's first fuckboy in this incredible show. Again, I love when we get scenes with couples who aren't ready to work, because they're allowed to have raunchier sex. They get to amp the intensity of the physicality because they need to give a reason why someone was so caught up and missed the warning signs. I actually love the car scene later as a more romantic intimacy scene, but we're focusing on horny here.

Jack o' Frost Birthday Sex

A common theme here with the Japanese offerings is that people are allowed to have more interesting sex scenes right before they split. This is true even in Jack o' Frost. We get a really great oner from the leads that precedes their breakup and Ritsu's accident. I think this might be my favorite of this list because the actors have to build the entire scene together since there aren't any cuts.

Gameboys 2 Bed Scene

Cairo and Gav are one of my favorite pandemic couples we got on screen, and I was quite relieved for them when they finally got to have this moment. We also confirmed they switch, and I love that.

Wedding Plan: Namnuea Showing Off His Stamina

No list for me would be complete without including them. I really loved seeing two gay men go at it after clearing out all of their misunderstandings. They had already had sad goodbye sex. It was thrilling to see them having enthusiastic, athletic sex. This also leads directly to one of my favorite emotional payoffs for a closeted character of all time.

Kiseki: Dear to Me Reunion

The second couple stole this show, but damn if I didn't love the way these two played out sex across multiple years between their characters. These two really suffered, and I really love the way Taro Lin and Hsu Kai captured the changes between these two as Bai Zong Yi grew and matured. This really was a solid sex scene.

Love Class 2: Sungmin and Joo Hyuk

I just really wanna thank them for reassuring me that if Korea wanted to, they could deliver.

Sleep With Me Jeans Scene

I am not a lesbian, but I share their beliefs. This scene was so good. I loved that these two, who have different kinds of disabilities, were able to have a very fun sex scene. I really like when it's clear both characters want to be there.

Only Friends: Boston and Top in the Car

Despite my eventual disdain for this show, I was impressed with Neo and Force for giving this incredibly selfish sex scene between their characters. This entire scene is about injured egos, and it's a standout scene from this show. We won't discuss the rest of the show here.

Thanks for the ask!

[amandamariee]

☾ clarisse la rue fic recs (my girlfriend....real):

if looks could kill by @rztaros

don't delete the kisses by @star-girl69

↳ music to watch girls to by @/star-girl69

↳ american teenager by @/star-girl69

↳ better than revenge by @/star-girl69

↳ let me love you like a woman by @/star-girl69

hands off by @larueluvr

a helping hand by @cranberryjuice-posts

this is a life by @abbeym28

i like a challenge when the prize is you by @aphroditesmoon

↳ wish you'd ask me by @/aphroditesmoon

gardens of babylon by @strawberryyivy

holding your hand by @lecsainz

[sysig]

Light and darkness, but mostly darkness (Patreon)

[figcatlists]

Classic ghost stories and weird tales list

A selection of chilling and unsettling short stories, novelettes, and novellas from the golden age of horror and supernatural fiction. It includes celebrated tales of ghostly apparitions, monstrous creatures, otherworldly phenomena, and macabre predicaments. The full web version features 100 titles, each with links to free public domain texts.

[schibi12]

Greek Gods being desgined as colorful rainbow people my beloved

[vierdandi]

la belle et la bête (2014)

dir. christophe gans

honnêtement pour moi c'est la meilleure adaptation de la belle et la bête. léa seydoux est beaucoup trop belle pour cette planète c’est une dinguerie!

[tvmusiclife]

!!! lol the only thing Kate Martin is fighting is her Las Vegas Aces teammates hazing her with extreme love and admiration daily

[enlitment]

Do you have any book/movie/podcast recs for entering the frevblr Fandom? I'm very into marie Antoinette, but I want to dive into the rest of it

Hi, thanks for the ask!

Marie Antoinette is an interesting gateway to frevblr, as she tends to be quite unpopular here. But I'm certain that if your interest in her runs deeper than an appreciation for the glamour and aesthetic, you'll fit right in!

MOVIES

I myself started with watching La Révolution française (1989). The movie has been criticised a lot here, and for good reasons, but I still think it works well as an introduction, as long as you don't treat it as the literal truth.

Plus, finding differences between the movie and a more accurate historical interpretations is, at least for me, part of the fun! You can watch it here. I would definitely recommend watching the second part with subtitles, as @saint-jussy points out some of the movies... biases as the scenes play out.

There are certainly better movies to watch though. La Terreur et la Vertu is one of them. It has been recommended to me by people on frevblr (@nesiacha I'm pretty sure?), and I'm definitely more than happy to pass the recommendation on!

There's also the Danton (1983) movie, but I'd personally recommend to go straight to the source and read Stanisława Przybyszewska's The Danton Case (and Thermidor, if you find yourself liking her style!). It feels different from the more contemporary plays, but I personally think it's great! It also covers the period of the Revolution I'm personally most invested in (1793 and especially pre-Thermidor 1794).

Oh, and if you're not put off by old movies, I have watched the 1927 Napoleon and thought it was really spectacular! It focuses mostly on Napoleon obviously, but you get to see the revolutionaries as well, in a way that is now rarely portrayed on the big screen.

PODCASTS

When it comes to podcasts, there's one called Revolutions which covers the French Revolution in great detail, but I haven't listened to all the episodes myself yet. It's not always perfectly accurate but I think you can see that a lot of work went into it.

I'd usually recommend BBC's In Our Time as a solid starting point for any topic you might be interested in. They bring on academics that specialise in that topic and often have great discussions. That said, if there's one thing I've learnt this year, it's that the French Revolution and the BBC don't really mix...

BOOKS

As for books, Twelve who ruled by R. R. Palmer is a classic! It helps to show how the evil all-powerful dictator Robespierre narrative is very much a myth.

I have also read Scurr's biography of Robespierre as well, but I feel like I'd risk being thrown to the Luxembourg if I recommend it to anyone. It's a fun read but Scurr's approach to historiography is often... let's say lax and a bit too creative a lot of the times. McPhee's Robespierre: A Revolutionary Life is meant to be much better, but I'm sadly yet to read it!

I also loved Marat's biography - Jean Paul Marat: Tribune of the French Revolution! I love a good biography and Marat is such an interesting and important figure for the revolution.

That said, if you are looking for books to read, @saintjustitude already put together a great list here!

Hope this helps, and welcome!✨

(if anyone feels like adding things to this feel free to reblog!)

[lurkingshan]

The Ride or Die Drama Couples List

So the other night I got a little sassy on main because some of the girlies were complaining that King the Land is focusing more on the couple moments (aka relationship development) between Gu Won and Sa Rang and doesn’t have enough plot. Which is a very typical fandom complaint about romcoms that I absolutely hate, because in a good romance the relationship is the plot, people! It’s bizarre attitudes like this that get us random murder plots spliced into every other romcom for the ratings, and I am begging y’all to stop the madness. 

Ahem. Anyway, that post seemed to resonate with some folks and get them discussing other dramas, and so inevitably @troubled-mind wandered into my notes and said gee Shan, it seems like maybe you should make a list of dramas that show us couples in a relationship and explore how they make it work and ultimately stay together. And I’ve warned y’all before, if you make a stray comment in my direction there will be a list coming your way. So here I am again, doing the absolute most.

Today I present to you a list of my favorite dramas that show you not only how the couple gets together, but also how they stay together. Criteria:

The couple doesn’t have to be together when the drama starts, but they do have to actually begin their romantic relationship no later than halfway through the drama’s run so that we have substantial time with them as a couple

The relationship development between the couple is a primary plot driver (so no dramas where there’s a great long term couple just hanging out in the background)

The relationship story may include some physical separation or even a temporary breakup, but not the betrayal kind–these are the sort that actually force an unaddressed issue to the surface and ultimately bring the couple even closer 

Happy endings only, these pairs are sticking together 

Ride or Die Drama Couples

Bad Buddy - Pat and Pran

(Thailand, YouTube)

This is tumblr so do I really need to tell y’all about Pat and Pran? There is a reason we all lost our minds over this show and it’s because we got to be in this relationship with them so intensely and see them fight to stay together despite it all. Their ending is bittersweet because of their families, but the show leaves us no doubt that they both think the other is worth it and they will always stick it out together. 

Dark Blue Kiss - Pete and Kao

(Thailand, YouTube)

Shout out to the OGs! Pete and Kao originally got together in the Kiss series (you can watch it, but you really don’t have to, fam) and Dark Blue Kiss brings them back three years into their long-term relationship to give us a peek into their struggles with the closet and the toll it takes on both of them individually as well as the strain it puts on their relationship. 

Flower of Evil - Hee Sung and Ji Won

(S Korea, Netflix or Viki)

Hee Sung and Ji Won are already married (with an adorable daughter) when this drama begins, and the backstory of their relationship is unspooled alongside the larger mystery at the heart of the show. One of the most fascinating and heart wrenching love stories I have ever seen, centered on a character who is so emotionally damaged that he genuinely believes he is incapable of love even as love pours out of him. Damn, I’m gonna make myself cry into my oatmeal.

It’s Okay, That’s Love - Jae Yeol and Hae Soo

(S Korea, Viki)

Speaking of crying, lord. Ahhhhhhh. Let me pull myself together. It’s Okay, That’s Love is a healing drama about two people who fall in love and support each other through serious mental health challenges. I don’t really want to say much more than that. Bring tissues, besties!

La Pluie - Patts and Saengtai

(Thailand, iQIYI)

My beloved! This Thai drama is about a pair of soulmates–or are they–who find each other and try to make their relationship work. That’s it, that’s the show. In this drama, the relationship truly is the plot, despite some of the fantasy elements being used to highlight its themes. La Pluie is about the importance of choice and a rebuke of romantic fantasies that fate and destiny will handle your love life for you. I and many others have written about it extensively, so if you decide to watch, you can go nuts on meta. 

Lighter & Princess - Li Xun and Zhu Yun

(China, Viki)

I really love this show. This is a long format drama so there will be longer stretches where the couple still has not officially gotten together, but the relationship between them is the heart of the entire show, and we get the distinct pleasure of watching them fall in love twice, and the second time figure out how to make it stick. Such a treat.

One Spring Night - Ji Ho and Jung In

(S Korea, Netflix)

Oh how I love this quiet little drama about two people who fall for each other while one is still in a relationship with someone else, and figure out how to untangle the mess they’re in. We get to see them not only fall in love, but figure out how to become a unit who can withstand the harsh judgment coming their way and become a family on their own terms. Bonus adorable child alert!

Tomorrow With You - So Joon and Ma Rin

(S Korea, Viki)

This time travel melodrama is one of those that I started with no expectations and then sat up part way through and said what gave you the right to be this good! This is another one where the relationship begins for dubious reasons, but the suspect motives are quickly taken over by genuine feeling. We really get to live with the relationship in this one and the message is all about treasuring the life and time we have together. 

The Rebel Princess - Awu (Wang Xuan) and Xiao Qi

(China, Viki)

I think the phrase Ride or Die was actually invented for them. Talk about a power couple. Once these two get to know each other (this is a historical so as per usual, their marriage wasn’t actually their choice but rather the result of some asshole’s machinations in a quest for power, joke’s on them though) they are in, baby, and their devotion and loyalty never wavers. This is a historical epic in war time, so the couple will be physically separated multiple times, but it only makes them stronger and each of their reunions sweeter. Their relationship is the heart of the show and the throughline in their chaotic lives.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? - Shiro and Kenji

(Japan, the ether)

Saving the best for last because this right here is the GOAT in this category. It sits at the top of my all-time favorite dramas list and I love it passionately. Because y’all? This drama is explicitly about a middle-aged couple learning how to be together in a long-term relationship. That is the entire plot. And it’s fantastic. Stop reading this and go watch it!

Honorable Mentions

Yumi’s Cells - Yu Mi and Goo Wong 

(S Korea, Viki)

This one is not on the list proper because (gasp) the couple doesn’t end up together. I know, I’m still sad about it, too, even though I went into this drama fully aware of the concept (a season about each of Yu Mi’s major relationships). But man. Yu Mi and Goo Wong just have that something, you know? Even knowing they don’t stick it out, it’s a delight to watch them fall in love and settle into a relationship together. Technically there is a second season featuring Yu Mi’s next relationship (Babi? I don’t know her), but I don’t want to recommend it and you can’t make me.

I must also give a shout out to the bl season 2s that exist expressly for the purpose of showing how the characters settle into a relationship after the first season get together:

Gameboys 2 (Philippines, Gaga) - Cairo and Gavreel

Minato’s Laundromat 2 (Japan, Gaga)- Shin and Minato 

SOTUS S and Our Skyy (Thailand, YouTube) - Kongpob and Arthit

Still 2gether (Thailand, YouTube) - Tine and Sarawat

Utsukushii Kare 2 (Japan, Gaga) - Hira and Kiyoi

And because this is my post and I make the rules, I am also doing some honorable mentions of the friends to lovers slow burns where technically they are not together until the final arc of the story but let’s be serious they are together the whole time and just don’t realize it yet so you know exactly what their relationship is going to look like:

Fight for My Way (S Korea, Viki) - Dong Man and Ae Ra

Happiness (S Korea, Viki) - Sae Bom and Yi Hyun

Hospital Playlist 1 and 2 (S Korea, Viki) - Song Hwa and Ik Jun

My Only 12% (Thailand, iQIYI) - Seeiw and Cake

My Ride (Thailand, Gaga or YouTube) - Mork and Tawan 

Romance is a Bonus Book (S Korea, Netflix) - Dan Yi and Eun Ho

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (S Korea, Viki) - Joon Hyeong and Bok Joo

Whoops you woke the beast @troubled-mind. @rocketturtle4 @neuroticbookworm @chickenstrangers here are more for your mile long rec lists. :)))

[monstrousdesirestudy]

Monsterfucker Movie Rec: La Belle et la Bete (1946) 🥀

I’ve been watching so many monsterfucker movies I thought I’d share with the rest of the class in a movie rec series ✨

[mbirnsings-71]

something something having a new hyperfixation and now having several new WIPs about it AND just starting to draw certain characters from it just yesterday uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah-

[victusinveritas]

[supercalifragipopculturevomit]

DANIEL BRÜHL'S FILM RECOMMENDATIONS

Danny is such a cinephile I thought I'd compile all his film recommendations in one resource post (and maybe branch out to TV shows and songs after). He personally set me on the Alain Delon path and while I found Rocco And His Brothers too melodramatic for my taste, I've seen six other Delon films that just blew me away—Le Samouraï one of them.

He often cites inspirations when preparing for a project but I've been very careful to add only those he outright praises. Sometimes, you only like a certain aspect of a film—perhaps the aesthetic or the pacing—and not the film as a whole. Knowing how drastically tastes can change over the years, I also didn't include those he mentioned loving when he was still young, like Pulp Fiction or Festen. He could still like those but I just didn't want to make the assumption. Anyhoo, contributions (with sources) are most welcome. Will update this list with every addition. He's mentioned WAY more, these are just the verified ones.

MOVIE LIST WITH SOURCES:

To Be Or Not To Be (1942)

Shoeshine (1946)

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Breathless (1960) ~58:18 of 1:08:18

The Apartment (1960)

Rocco and his Brothers (1960)

Le Samouraï (1967)

The Things of Life (1970)

The Emigrants (1971)

Cría Cuervos (1976)

Taxi Driver (1976)

Wild Tales (2014)

Force Majeure (2014) ~19:38 of 29:55

Parasite (2019)

Past Lives (2023)

p.s. Spanish speakers, can you clarify something for me? In THIS VIDEO, does he mean Sunset Boulevard the 1950 movie OR the 2021 documentary? Also, am I right in adding Les Choses De La Vie (The Things of Life) to this list?

[melisusthewee]

Rafael Federman as Eduardo Strauch in La Sociedad de la Nieve/Society of the Snow (2023)

requested by Anon