#Ming is all kinds of toxic

[dramaruni]

Joe is my blorbo and Ming is my problematic fave.

[heretherebedork]

How aware of Ming’s feelings do you think Tong is? Unless he’s an actual brick, he must know Ming likes him. Does he indulge him for the attention?

I think a lot of people give too much weight to people knowing that someone who is hiding it likes them.

I don't think Tong knows. And even if he has the suspicion, I don't think he's sure of it. And he might not want to be sure of it. He might just want to believe Ming is his friend and that they can just be friends.

Just because we know we're watching a queer show and know that Ming has a crush on Tong doesn't mean Tong knows and the assumption that he knows and it using that for attention goes against a lot of what we saw of them in this episode which included Tong try to indulge and treat Ming in his excitement about his return.

I see no reason to assume that Tong knows and is using Ming when he's famous enough to have fans and already has a girlfriend. I think he's just friends with Ming and missed him and was happy to see him come back from abroad.

I dunno, I might be wrong, @respectthepetty might be better for this question.

But I tend to fall on the side of 'most people don't know that their friends have crushes on them randomly because it's just not on most people's radar.

[tossawary]

I've been toying with a "third transmigrator" AU for SVSSS in which the third transmigrator is a teenage girl who ends up in Luo Binghe. This teenage girl tried to read PIDW because someone else liked it, but didn't get far because she didn't like it.

Disinclined to follow the plot, the teenage girl decides to transition, because fuck it (crying breakdown), she doesn't want to be a guy. Ning Yingying is initially the only one in on it (and then some Qian Cao Peak people). This new Luo Binghe knows JUST enough about the plot of PIDW to avoid Shen Qingqiu's attention as much as possible and so swears Ning Yingying to secrecy regarding the transition. She intends to hide it until the Transmigration System lets up on the missions and restrictions a little.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuan is like, "How am I supposed to improve my relationship with the protagonist if i never see him? Did he just jump out a window to avoid me?! Also, hmph, the bullies are all calling him 'Luo-Shimei' now? Just because he's pretty??? I had better go tell them off for it!"

(Shen Qingqiu, please, your students are getting the impression that you're transphobic!!!)

If Luo Binghe's transition comes out before the Immortal Alliance Conference, Shen Yuan is going to 1) think it's his own fault somehow and 2) be more than a little weird (and a little transphobic) about it.

Shen Yuan (internally): "Oh, shit, NOT abusing the protagonist turned him into a girl??? How does that work???"

The endgame relationship here is a messy love triangle between Luo Binghe, Ning Yingying, and Ming Fan. Ming Fan is like, "What do you do when the shidi you hate falls down the stairs and nearly dies, and then apparently can't remember you used to bully him and expects you to be a good shixiong, and becomes best friends with the girl you like but also starts turning into a cute girl too??? But you can't tell Shizun any of this otherwise the girl you like will kill you???" Ning Yingying is like, "I was so caught up in the thrill of makeovers and having a new sister that I forgot to examine why, when she's approached by guys, I want to tear their throats out with my teeth. Ming-Shixiong is not good enough for A-Luo!!!" And Luo Binghe is like, "Wow, Ning Yingying is such a good friend. And so pretty. I could stare into her eyes for hours. Ming Fan is kind of a jerk sometimes, but he's cute, I guess. He needs to shape up if he wants to win Ning Yingying's heart someday! She married a guy, so she's definitely into guys."

This third transmigrator isn't paying too much attention to their own love life partially because they're too busy 1) trying to survive, 2) trying to do right by their friends, and 3) trying to figure out if Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge are in a "toxic yaoi relationship" and, if so, which one of them tops more frequently and where Yue Qingyuan fits into things.

If you haven't guessed yet, this third transmigrator is actually Shen Yuan's younger sister, who transmigrated at like 16 years old at the oldest. This identity reveal comes out at the Immortal Alliance Conference, seconds before disaster (the push into the Endless Abyss), and no earlier. It does not go well. The Transmigration System is mostly to blame.

Live Shang Qinghua Reaction: "Oh, fucking yikes, bro."

This Luo Binghe hands a lot of control over to Meng Mo to get out of the Endless Abyss. An inadvisable amount of control, really, even if Meng Mo is soft on the girl. Afterwards, they sort of stumble into the arms of Huan Hua Palace. Shen Yuan's sister did not read far enough to know pretty much anything about this sect, especially not that it's a terrible idea to be here while being both a Heavenly Demon and (post-transition) looking like even MORE of an identical clone of Su Xiyan.

(Tianlang-Jun and Zhuzhi-Lang ARE both going to be kind of awful and weird about it, yes, at least initially.)

Gongyi Xiao, after showing basic kindness to this poor young woman: "Hey, why are those two Qing Jing Peak disciples glaring at me like they want me dead?"

[respectthepetty]

This is gonna sound very weird but I hope as we go on with the show you won't stop making posts about how much you love Ming's toxic ass cause they make me laugh and I'll need them when in the future I'll feel the urge to somehow strangle Ming through the screen. No pressure but please help a girl in need if you can!

You're writing to the person who is openly praying that Ming gets worse (amen), so I am not one to call others weird.

Something about those who live in a glass house shouldn't throw stones, you know?

Because, once again, I want Ming to be awful to Joe, and only Joe, which I know is kind of weird of me, but I'm just too happy to care.

A few people have commented that Ming will get worse, and I'm giddy from the mere thought of it, so I'll be here all season being unhealthy about Ming's behavior.

Because in the first episode, he was awful, which I LOVED, and I don't think some people really see just how bad he was simply because he is being played by Up, which was a brilliant move by casting, so I love that the show directly told us he is a nightmare, and we could judge all his actions accordingly.

Regardless of Tong's fake personality, Ming just showed up at the set without any warning and ambushed Tong at his job

Ming only wants to eat alone with Tong, and it's of course because he likes Tong, but he even hung up on his sister mid-conversation after she threw him a little welcome back surprise (sidenote: I think he and his sister might be similar personality-wise because her call while Tong was eating with Ming was convenient)

Ming doesn't tell Joe his name or how he got Joe's number

He called Joe drunk and obviously pissed off, then snapped at the staff for being shocked by his behavior

He doesn't tell Joe he thinks of him, but instead reversed Joe's statement to point out that Joe thinks of him

He doesn't compromise

And none of these have to do with sex and Ming wanting to fuck Joe because he looks like Tong because Ming's toxicity isn't just about sex.

This is about how meek Ming is around Tong

Compared to how aggressive he is with Joe.

Pushing Joe down and standing over him, which in the heat of the moment doesn't seem like much.

But Joe took Ming to his house because Ming told him to. Joe doesn't eat instead opting to watch Ming eat. Joe lets Ming spend the night because Ming asked. Joe gets on the bed because Ming tells him to. Joe goes to Ming when called. Joe bottoms because Ming wants him to. Joe does everything Ming wants.

With Tong, Ming can't control anything, but with Joe . . .

Ming's gonna control everything.

Or at least that's what I'm hoping!

So I'll be here all season, cheering every single time Ming does something truly fucked up because he is going about his issues in the worst way by trying to exert dominance on a stand-in of Tong since he is weak for the real Tong until he ends up regretting it once he loses Joe and tries to replace old Joe with new Jo which restarts the vicious cycle that began this entire shit show in the first place! *deep breath*

God, I'm so happy!

[zykamiliah]

what about bingqiu?

this is my response to this post. i didn't want to reply in the same post because it's going to get really long, and i disagree with almost everything, so this way i may avoid the discourse. haha. anyway, i'm gonna try to answer each of op's points.

-why bingqiu are a couple:

♦ because despite everything, they've chosen each other. not because they're soulmates (though mxtx did pull the string of fate thing), but because they genuinely want to spend time together

it's very subtle but they do share some values and similarities: they both repay kindness with kindness and believe that one should pay back those who hurt you twofold/tenfold. furthermore, they are both petty bitches. as @fireandgrimstone pointed out here, they're both busybodies: they get restless if they aren't doing something.

on that note: self-preservation is not a core value they share. sqq is terrible at self-preservation. from the first moment, instead of minding his own business, he risked losing points (which would terminate his account and kill him) just to protect binghe when he was being bullied by ming fan and co. sqq couldn't stand by watching someone being bullied. then during the demon invasion, he was ready to risk his own life to protect all the cqm disciples. he was willing to self-destruct to take out sha hualing.

the thing is that sqq likes to lie about himself and say everything he does is out of self-preservation, but it isn't true.

so, if it wasn't out of self preservation, why did sqq pushed binghe into the endless abyss? yes, it needed to happen, but he didn't do it to save himself. he can't hurt binghe just to protect himself. he did it because he brainwashed himself into believing this was the best for binghe, that binghe needed to in order to become strong and achieve his fate.

(chapter 4: conference)

♦ because they give each other what they need. consistent love, support and understanding was something lbh really needed, and those 2-3 years before the immortal alliance conference did wonders for binghe to allow himself to feel vulnerable and be more in touch with his own feelings. this will get screwed up post-endless abyss but sqq does encourage him in the extras to express his feelings and talk about what he thinks and feels.

now, what lbh gives to sqq may not seem obvious (thank you for the help, luuny!♥), since sqq's layered narration is tricky to deconstruct, but by the end of the novel lbh can get past sqq's tsundere/savin face bullshit. sqq has all his toxic masculinity ideas and internalized homophobia that he keeps dragging everywhere he goes, and his relationship with lbh, who was supposed to be the epitome of masculinity, has allowed him to shed off some of it. but not all. thus, lbh knows when sqq needs to be pushed or coaxed into doing something he already wants to do but thinks he shouldn't want and doesn't know how to justify (sex for example). lbh also gives sqq the whole domestic package: someone to dote on, someone that does the chores and takes care of him, because frankly sqq is good at many things but he fails at self-care.

♦ domesticity and companionship. for bingqiu it wasn't like other couples who were first attracted to each other from one reason or another and from then on the relationship developed. the first period of their relationship is mostly platonic (poor binghe is suffering the teenage hormones), and was based on the easy domesticity and companionship they shared. and honestly that's such a simple yet beautiful kind of love. they genuinely like spending time together, living together, talking to each other. they never get bored of being together or of each other, which brings me to

♦ the obsession. like, it's honestly hilarious how obsessed they are with each other. sy was already obsessed with pidw protagonist bingge, but in svsss he got to love and get obsessed all over again with his own binghe aka bingmei. and from lbh's pov it's more or less the same: he had a complicated relationship with original sqq, which was the start of it all, but the person he loves is not the cold shizun from the past who he needs to prove himself to, but the one that's always trying to protect him, even if it's from himself. in both cases, their relationship started with distance, with the shadow of the other version of each other they'd known before. but what made them fall in love weren't those ghosts from the past, but the person they could see underneath it all: the hardworking boy that just wanted to be loved, and the closeted man who wants to give love and help others and have a purpose and belong to something (binghe understands that sqq would be unhappy if he couldn't visit cqm, qjp and his sect siblings). this relates to the fact that

♦ they understand each other better than anyone else. it takes them time, but that's the point of their journey and by the time we read about their relationship in the extras, we can see that despite everything, they not only understand each other very well but actively try to understand each other better. they already made the mistake of making too many assumptions, and they're not doing that again.

________________

another point that op got wrong:

off the top of my head an example would be how bingge (he-with-no-shen-yuan) took a harem of beauties so he could control xin mo but bingmei (he-with-shen-yuan) decided to just... cripple people's cultivation (...) what i'm getting at is that binghe was willing to pay other people's lives just so he didn't have to be intimate with anyone except shen yuan.

bingge too was cripping other cultivators to get ride of the excess of demonic qi, it's just that after he captured the three nuns from tianyi overlook they taught him how to achieve the same result using dual cultivation. (thanking @stardust-falling for their notes on this topic!)

(chapter 9: borderlands)

[bunnakit]

my stand in ep 2 thoughts, feelings, etc.

alright i wanted to write this up nicely but it took me... two hours to get through the episode bc i kept stopping to write notes, so i'll do my best i guess.

weird thing about me is when i watch shows and write notes for these posts i always write the notes on napkins? i have like 5 different notebooks in arms reach at all times but i really like scribbling on a napkin for the true unhinged effect.

anyway blah blah reminder i'm just a silly dude on the internet, idk shit about dick, i just like to say shit, don't take me too seriously.

also please DO NOT leave novel spoilers in my reblogs, tags, or replies without some kind of warning label. please? it seems to happen with every show i write meta for and i LOVE that people get hyped but there's no way for me to avoid it when it's in my notifications like that.

some before the actual episode stuff; after learning last week that some of the kinnporsche people worked on this it really becomes apparent, especially in the style of the intro.

the music choices also seem a bit reminiscent of kinnporsche (and a little bit of not me) which i really enjoy. it feels kind of familiar and comforting.

immediately i loved how soft this episode started, the slight stubble on each of them, the way joe speaks so softly as if afraid to shatter their little bubble of peace, etc. i also love that the show doesn't skirt around the topic of sex and the fact that sometimes sex is awkward and clumsy, especially with a new partner and doubly so when it's your first queer partner.

and then the peace was shattered with ming kissing his back yet again. ouchies.

"will tong be at the set?" he's just not even trying to hide it. he basically said 'yeah ur great and all but tong????' but DAMN if poom isn't the absolute king of microexpressions.

at this point i can't really tell if tong is being a spoiled prince (derogatory) or if he's tired of acting in general? judgement withheld until a later date.

and then we jump into this actress being a parallel to ming and OOF OUCHIES MY ORGANS. she's a fan of tong but has to "settle" for joe - just like ming. and yet joe takes the time to be kind, to soothe her worries and put her at ease, because he has a heart of absolute gold. "it's her first movie but she was left to drown by the male lead." it's ming's first love and he has been left to drown in it.

mek's acting is really endearing. this is my first exposure to him (ive seen some of his social media and really like what he stands for as a person) and i'm instantly drawn to his performance. he also pulls off a great balance of adorable/sexy.

OOH THE SHOW SAID BISEXUAL OUT LOUD. A WIN FOR THE BI'S WE LOVE TO SEE IT.

i personally find ming's jealously hilarious. what a little caricature of toxicity.

anyway, it seems to me that if ming could get over his feelings and enjoy what he has in front of him he could be part of and enjoy a very sweet family, as it does seem tong IS giving him love, just not the exact flavor he craves.

the cut to joe's training made me laugh. little oat lore dump but my bio dad was actually a stunt man for movies (which is another part of why i was so excited for this show) and i can promise you nothing like this was part of it. what do i know, though, maybe things have changed since the early 2000s lol.

(no, they're probably not any movies you know, aside from maybe wild wild west [1999]. he mostly did westerns, historical docudramas, and historical fiction.)

ANYWAY AGAIN. with this little glimpse into ming's home life we get to see that he's very accustomed to doing what he wants and getting what he wants, which makes a lot of sense when applied to his almost obsessive behavior regarding tong - and now joe. i did absolutely LOVE linin and her sassy independence (minus the 'i can buy anything i need'.)

but... girl... did you just spray perfume in your mouth?

your actions are strange and unsettling. i like that in a woman.

ugh getting into ming venting his frustrations on joe's body. listen. liiiisten. while toxic without prior discussion... i'm into it. it may or may not be one of my favorite tropes in fanfic. toxic and unhealthy as fuck and i'm here for it.

AND THEN DAMN POOM THOSE NOISES. ACTING FOR YOUR LIFE BBY -- and the SNEEZE AT ORGASM LMAAAO oh i hope that's a running bit for some comedic relief.

because we then make a SHARP pivot into "then stop me" and there's so much potential for pain and self loathing there, for joe to think "i can't blame ming, i didn't stop any of it." i'm sat.

a little side bar, but i'm enjoying the fact that while there is discussion of topping and bottoming as a narrative device there really aren't any stereotypes here. i think on a surface level people would think "oh joe is the top" (pit babe style) and the show said no actually he isn't. love that for us.

"you can even move in haha jk" but the thing is, not jk, because joe would do that for ming - for anyone - bc that's the type of person he is.

[i had to stop and have a lil snack here]

hold up is this wut out drinking with them? OH SHIT IT IS. OKAY. it didn't give us much but at least it's a little connection to him finally. we knew joe knew him from his first life, just didn't really know how.

"i missed you" and when was the last time someone missed joe? not who he's replacing or the space he's filling, but HIM?

love ming's goofy ass locking the door and going inside just so he can make a dramatic ass appearance like he's 'the other woman' or some shit LMAO.

"what's in you to make me jealous?" quite possibly the worst dialogue tree choice ming could've picked.

[joe's emotional well being -45]

[everyone hated that]

"don't be so full of yourself" something joe has never been a day in his life. "you're just a stand-in." he knows. it's not something he ever forgets.

but after all that toxicity we have ming back home, seeking out joe's food for comfort, and we finally get to see him interact with his sister. i LOVE that she knows the importance of being a little silly as a treat, one of my biggest life mottos. we also get to see more of how ming is surrounded by love that he misses out on bc of his own wallowing and self sabotage.

oh, the homoeroticism of sparring with your bestie.

[everyone liked that]

oop- joe is wearing the shirt ming borrowed while sol is wearing a shirt with the word 'fantasy.' i'm good, i'm fine, gwenchana, gwenchana.

ough. sol with too many eyes on him and none of them sincere and joe with nothing but sincerity to offer but remains invisible. oof ouch.

enter ming with more religious imagery to match last week's cross scene. something something the sin of greed? confessing your sins? coveting - idk man, i don't have any religious trauma, my family let me just do my own thing.

but with ming knowing joe's true feeling every toxic thing he does is going to be 1000x more painful and i'm here for it. bring it you fucked up little guy.

"we can't mess with each other's privacy" don't mess with MY privacy. "you can't mess around with anyone else" emphasis on YOU, not we.

and then it's driven home what a romantic joe is, both with his workout heartbreak poetry and this little lady and the tramp noodle moment. this man, again much like pit babe, wants to be domesticated so bad.

and i know we all have hated on ming, that's the point, he's been a caricature of a toxic relationship spelled out in neon letters --

but when was the last time ming laughed with someone like this?

ok im exhausted, i'm falling into bed to read fanfic, but i'm absolutely in love with everything this is doing so far. i haven't written anything as in depth as this since last twilight (pre-betrayal) so it's really nice to feel insane again.

[bengiyo]

My Stand In Ep 2 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we met Joe, our stuntman protagonist with a terminal case of Bottom Dementia. He is the primary stuntman and stand in for a popular actor named Tong. He met Ming, a younger friend of Tong that has been secretly pining after Tong for years. Ming mistakes Joe for Tong and begins to pursue him, and the toxic yaoi began. We know that in the future Joe dies in a stunt accident and wakes up in the body of another guy named Joe (not confusing at all) and goes back to work at the same company. We left at Ming possibly recognizing Joe by his back again.

Joe, baby boy, if he can't remember fucking you this is a huge warning.

Joe sneezes when he has an orgasm? I really hope Ming remembers this when he inevitably fucks Wahl!Joe.

Joe, asking to tag along with you so he can see another man is another warning.

Keeping it on the DL is also suspect! Joe, it's so painful watching you when I know you're only going to make bad choices!

This Tong guy seems very difficult to work with. Leaving his costar alone to drown is super unsubtle as a metaphor.

Joe, he is flirting with another man in front of you, who is the guy you are asked to resemble.

Joe, he was just flirting with Tong and now he's jealous of you possibly having feelings for other people! He's mad at you for picking up on the flirting. Get out of there.

There's a lot of use of reflections in this episode. If one of you writes about it, please tag me.

Now, Joe, do not take your frustrations out on the other stuntmen.

Does Ming's mom not know he's gay?

I like this girl. She seems pragmatic.

JOE, YOU ARE EMBARRASSING! Why would you flirt like that??

No lube in a bathroom? Oh, BL.

I don't like the "Then stop me" thing Ming keeps doing.

Porsche!!! Welcome back!

I like that Sol wants to reunite because he left on a major misunderstanding, but recognizes that his feelings for Joe are genuine. This conversation about people taking advantage in the industry being a barrier to real connection is fascinating. I hope we see more of Sol, but I doubt Joe sees it.

Okay, legit fuck Ming. Ming showed up hella drunk and Joe took care of him and put him in a bed. Ming beefed with Sol and then dumped Joe on the floor for stinking of alcohol. I do not support these gay wrongs!

Wait are Ming and Joe NOT using condoms??

"You're just a stand-in." Hey, Ming, come outside. We won't jump you.

It's kind of a hilarious casting choice to put Porsche in a show where a gay man has feelings for his sister's boyfriend after his excellent work on You're My Sky. He's not involved in that plotline, but I'm thinking about it.

Well, that was fun, but at least Sol is still breathing.

Joe, are you really saying MING taught you about love? We're giving up on Sol for Ming??

I see. Ming has been very alone for a long time. I see how he became a stuntman.

I respect and support Ming's Lady and the Tramp desires.

I really hope this isn't the last we see of Sol! I feel bad for Joe because it feels like he's not got folks around to push back on Ming's bullshit. They were smart to pick Up for this role because he can make Ming's attempt to treat Joe and play house feel genuine, even if we know it's going to fall apart. Likewise, Phoom does the wounded puppy thing so well. Really impressed with the casting of this show.

[alwaysthepessimist]

Ming is so fucking pathetic.

He's been in love with the same guy for years. A guy who's been dating his own sister for a while. A guy who, with every interactions, has been showing him that he'll never be his first choice, that his sister will always come first. Literally nothing in Tong's demeanor has implied so far that he would ever give him the time of day. Yet, instead of moving on like a normal person would, he's holding on to this love for dear life, even after spending four years overseas.

Insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result every time. And in that sense, not only is Ming pathetic, but he's also insane and probably gets a kink out of his own suffering . There is no other explanation as to why this man is still spending time with Tong in the hopes that somehow, his brother in law will open his eyes and realise that he is the one for him. No reason whatsoever, when every time they do spend time together, he ends up feeling , hopeless, lonely, miserable and sexually frustrated once Tong leaves, and that man always leaves .

By using Joe, Tong's very own stuntman as a stand-in, Ming seriously reached a new low. Like the lack of self respect went up a notch here. Truly. Fantasizing about Tong making him dinner, while another man is making him dinner, thinking about Tong while having sex with another man. All that is showing us how much of a loser he truly is. The worse part is Joe is actually an amazing guy, way more than Tong will ever be. He is kind, caring, extremely handsome and willing to give him the love and attention he is desperately craving for. But instead of getting out of his own head to see what's right in front of him, he prefers to remain in this toxic cycle he creating for himself while using a poor guy in the process, almost ruining, by doing so, his only chance at true happiness.

It's pretty sad... and I love it!!!!

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

15 Day BL Challenge - Part 2

I had a lot of fun doing @negrowhat's BL Challenge earlier this year, so of course I have to do @slonekaru's as well! Challenge here.

Day 16 - What show has taken you by surprise this year?

This is a rather tricky one for me, because I have gotten very good at going in without expectations. I'm prepared for shows that grab my heart, and I'm prepared for shows that go off the rails. I never know which it will be before we get there, but I'm ready for anything. Which makes it a lot harder to be truly surprised by anything.

But I think the closest I came to being surprised was by My Stand In.

I tend to be someone who gets captured emotionally very easily, but it also can make angst in shows a really difficult experience. I had to binge Unknown so I could cope with the hard episodes by immediately rushing to the next one. I sobbed buckets over I Feel You Linger in the Air and The Day I Loved You, and that took time to shake off.

It's not an inherently bad thing, but I do have to be careful with my real life stress and mental health when consuming angsty media. It can make it hard for me to engage with some things.

And yet, somehow, the creators behind My Stand In managed to nail this incredibly tiny little target of having a lot of chaotic and angsty plot things happening, while staying really low stress and fun for me. It felt so delightfully indulgent to watch. Sure, there were moments I felt for Joe, but I never got pulled in so deep that I stopped having fun. Ming was the kind of toxic mess we'd all run from in real life, but Up made him mesmerizing to watch. It is the probably the happiest I've been watching such an angsty show, and it still makes me smile to think about it.

[starmist]

（forgive the influx of asks but like im just idk suffering the barren abyss that is tteotm fans -- or perhaps I havent gone far enough yet) lmao.

in your opinion- rate the arcs from best to worst? (mortal, bo're, immortal)

(i am still salty they cut the drama from 58 eps down to 40 like nahhh)

I think it would be mortal, bo’re and immortal for me. Which is pretty basic bc that’s the order we got it in

The thing is, I’m here for toxicity and people who should be in jail (susu) or a psychiatric ward (ttj) and I think the mortal arc fulfills that the best lmao

Even with that it’s mostly early mortal arc that I enjoyed the most i.e. everything before bo’re like Sheng arc perfectly embodied ms. Megan’s “He lyin' to me and I'm lyin' to him, guess we both ain’t shit”. Both of them being sooo trusting and actually nice to each other while they were actually just serving their own agendas was absolutely PEAK.

Also. Like. THE BOAT ARC. insane insane insane. I could go ON about this era. Ttj’s delusion + horniness. Susu constantly being ready to throw down at the drop of a hat. Him somehow becoming more down bad for her after she strangled him, beat him with sticks, punched him and said she fucking hated him.

And THE CABIN SCENE. Talked so much with moot abt this this specifically

This is NOTHING short of “she yell at me n I moan”. Word for word during my live tweeting I was like. This is the look of man wanting to be impregnated and I continue to standby it that man wants to be bouncing on it SO bad.

The Bo’re arc was also very fun. Tian Huan was a cunt but also kind of a girlboss? Idk. LOVE how Xiao Lin was Susu’s brother here & love how his only role was hating his little sister’s loser husband. Ming Ye & Sang Jiu had me after the first ep of the arc I swear I was 🤤 all over them day one. Ming Ye sucks for fumbling a bad bitch though

Immortal arc ranks last for me bc of how choppy it is. It’s very clear that chunks had to be cut out, I found the script summary of the dream demon arc on Reddit and I’m so pissed the original version sounds great. Also there’s this one scene where Susu shows up to the abyss in a black veil but she’d left the sect in a completely different fit and ik I just KNOW there was a yiyue tribe interaction there…

The cuts hurt the drama a lot. However unlikely it is I hope we one day get a blurayof the complete version or a streaming platform buys the rights to it or something…

[neutrallyobsessed]

What are your least favorite clone high ships? Any you don't like?

well, tophabe gotta be the one i hate the most for sure, THE lame as fuck, generic red x blue yaoi ship with a toxicity that the fandom refuses to adknowledge?? when thats the most interesting and fun part of the ship?? worst crime of all is the one that should be DOM-ming is subbing like (omg why does this keep happening??) there's only one person who gets the dynamic """correctly""" and even then they're still wrong about like. literally everything else. i can allow a certain level of OOC-ness but whatever the hell is going on here is WAY! TOO! MUCH!! all things related to this ship are terrible terrible terrible all of it SUCKS!!!!

you will find that ppl who hate tophabe are the better topher understanders with like 2% margin of error, and im topher understander no 1 you can trust me on this one ;3

overall i dont ship topher with men, beyond the uncomfortable implication that he couldn't be into me (girl), just----- look, you cant make topher a minority of any kind without compromising a huge and important chunk of his characterization, resulting in him being turned into a completely different character. i love topher exactly the way he is and as canon as reasonably possible, him being into men in any way is the exact opposite of that so dont put that near me thanks i have every tag filtered and its GREAT!

id say tophucius is the second worst on this regard, if the hopeless normie cant be corrupted into liking the edgiest memes 4chan can offer then its not a good ship

joanfucius killed my grandma so i dont like it much either :// and the more i think about it, the more i realize that they dont work well togheter at all.... i see the show, i see the fanart and im like "wow joan looks miserable here, she'd be better off with topher" sure maybe its my own bias but am i wrong?? adsadasdasasadsadas

i dont really think of my notps all that often unless they're popular thus annoying, cause why could i? lol, but mmmmmm cathivan always looked so lame and boring in my eyes :PP

[heretherebedork]

The same Joe who proclaims that all his feelings for Ming died with his body still protects himself from those same feelings by denying everything that Ming is showing him and doing for him that's out of the ordinary.

I love Mike. He is gonna Do Some Things here and probably cause a lot of damage but I am okay with that because he sees what no one else does.

This promise that this is just for a year. That he won't keep coming back. That Ming will let him go... Joe really is so convinced of his own unimportance that he doesn't see how obsessive and possessive Ming really is about him.

Oh, Mike, you're gonna be interesting, aren't you?

He's protecting his big brother. Oh no. That... makes a lot of sense, actually. And is kind of sweet. Ming might be out of his mind and toxic as well but his baby brother isn't going to let him get taken advantage of by a stuntman... even though, frankly, Ming would be pissed if he heard this.

And he was. I do love how the show knows how toxic Ming is and embraces it, holds onto it, offers it out again and again and says 'yes, he's fucked up and he's going to keep hurting people and being hurt and he's broken and shattered and bloody and weary but he cannot rest because the only person who ever let him rest was Joe'.

[becauseimanicequeen]

After having a sleep on it, I feel like I can write something a bit more coherent about ep. 3 of My Stand-In than last night. So, here goes...

This episode felt a bit off-track when it comes to Ming. He's had a great trajectory on his toxic railway, but the domesticity with Joe just felt... off. Ming seems to have lost himself. It felt like the way he was with Joe in this episode was out of his character (imo).

Some moments still showed Ming's questionable actions and behavior (like the bathroom scene, which Ming seems to have a thing for, btw, but I digress), and there were some subtle ways in which he tried to hide his relationship with Joe (like when he grabbed his own pillow and walked away to "hide the evidence" even though he'd been using Joe's pillow).

I'm sure the domesticity here will stand in contrast to the events in the next episode and that's why this was shown here. And I'm sure Ming will be back on track again in the next episode because I'm hoping and wishing for peak toxic behavior before realizing how fucked up he was. And that he doesn't realize it until it's too late. Because that's the pain I'm hoping for.

And, fortunately, it seems like we're getting back to the accident (shown in the preview for the next episode) so we can get back to the aftermath of it all. That's the shit I want to see.

Then there's Mr. Asshole... (I'm sure I don't have to write his name, you already know whom I'm referring to.)

Honestly, I loved the way he was portrayed in this episode. I love that there are more problems in this series than just Ming. I love that there are characters that are different kinds and levels of problems. And I love that he's the asshole I expected him to be. It's setting up for a great showdown when Ming is finally done with Mr. Asshole's assholish ways. And I'm hoping May will follow her brother's lead (even though the parents might be a problem...).

Then there's Sol...

I know a lot of you like him and are rooting for him. But... I don't.

There's just something about Sol that makes me question him. I mean, he admitted to running away because of Joe. And then he basically came back to Joe because he realized other people were approaching him to get something out of him. He knows Joe likes him (or used to) and he feels like Joe is a safe place for him. How is that not using Joe to his own advantage? How is that not using Joe as a stand-in just like Ming does (even though not to the extent that Ming does)?

Maybe it's just me (which is fine), but he's practically standing there in a multitude of red hues and values. Just saying...

Anyway, this felt a bit like an episode to set up for the shit that's coming. So, even though it wasn't my favorite so far, I'm sure it is there for a reason.

(Also, I haven't read the novel, so, please, don't spoil it for me.)

[bitacrytic]

How are we feeling about my stand in? Still tingling all those senses? Haven't had the opportunity to watch episode 4 yet. Will do it soon. How are we feeling? About stuff.

9/10

I don't want to say this because I feel like I'm betraying myself a bit, but I might be liking this show just a little more than I liked Kinnporsche.

Whew, that was a sentence I never thought I'd write.

Someone said that they're packing 10 chapters of the book into each episode and it shows. Stuff is happening. No scene is dragging. Every scene moves the story forward and every episode has a beautiful arc.

Asides from my regular gripes with Thai editing choices, this show is SPARKLING!!!!!!!!

I have loved every episode and I dread every day of the week till Friday.

I have two issues with the story that kind of cancel each other out.

1. I wish Ming was more toxic.

2. I wish Joe doesn't end up with him.

But like I said, since Joe will eventually end up with him, I guess I should be grateful that they haven't raised Ming's shenanigans to the max.

I'm a sucker toxic love stories that end in revenge. Ah, I'll eat it up any day.

But, for the story that MSI is trying to tell about a good man who falls for wretched nuisance, they entire team is doing PHENOMENALLY WELL.

And yes, Anon. All my senses have been tingling since yesterday.

[slayerkitty]

Thai QL Favorites Game

Tagged by @lurkingshan. Thank you for tagging me! I’m really, really gonna try to not make this an Until We Meet Again lovefest. No promises, lol,.

Favorite Thai QL: It’s Until We Meet Again, lol. (Shhhhh, I get this one) While not the first BL I watched, it was one of the first that truly blew me away with it’s plot, characterization, and acting. The choices in directing, costuming and props (including product placement that felt integral to character personalities) are so meticulous. Add in the fact I literally cried at least once an episode for 17 episodes - I am never getting over it. While a couple of other BL’s have come close to the kind of emotions UWMA gave me (Bad Buddy, La Pluie) none of have managed quite to that extent. I wish I could un-watch UWMA so I could watch it again for the first time. 

Favorite Pairing: Ahh, okay. So, yes, the Thai QL branded pairing system is problematic and needs to change but *whispers* I just really love ZeeNunew. I CAN’T HELP IT. They appear to enjoy their pairing and are entertaining to watch onscreen and off. Also Nunew is adorable. 

Most Underrated Actor: Hmmmm. Maybe Mike, from GMMtv. He’s one of those that’s in almost everything but hasn’t gotten to be a main in his own show. I think he could do it. 

Favorite Main Character: Oh no, this is difficult, lol. I narrowed my choices by looking at shows I gave 10′s to on MDL and then reviewed the mains of those shows. It’s definitely Pharm from Until We Meet Again. There’s just something about him that I fell in love with when watching. He loves cooking, he’s an amazing friend, boyfriend, sibling, son, etc. Even when he’s not perfect, I still love him. 

Favorite Side Character: Originally I was going to say Manow from Until We Meet Again, but actually, I think I’m gonna go with Li Ming from Moonlight Chicken. Watching him grow into himself and find love and achieve his dreams was just so fulfilling. It’s one of the things that made Moonlight Chicken a joy to watch (and angsty lol). 

Favorite Scene in QL: Pharm's breakdown in episode 17. Fluke absolutely nailed it. I sob every time.

Favorite Line in a QL: Oh wow. Um. *mumbles* I will not pick a line from UWMA, I will not pick a line from UWMA. *ahem* I was also really close to picking that one line from 2gether (you know the line, I don’t even have to say it lol). I think it might actually be Tai from La Pluie, when he screamed “I don’t want this destiny anymore” (or some variation of it). It happens at this high stakes moment where Patts and Lomfon are fighting and no one is listening to him (the one time he tries to say something) so he screams at the universe and the universe listens. 

Most Anticipated QL: The Next Prince. I love royalty AUs. I love ZeeNunew. If the trailer is anything to go off of, we are in for at least a visual treat. 

Healthiest Relationship in QL: I thought a lot about this, looked through MDL at all the shows I’ve watched and I think I landed on one. Win and Team from Between Us. They started as a mutually agreed on one night stand, turned into a mutually agreed situationship where they became friends along the way to falling in love. They took care of each other without complaint; even their misunderstanding (*glares at episode 10*) was more about not wanting to push the other one for more if they weren’t ready or didn’t feel the same. I have never seen a BL couple practice such enthusiastic consent either. Their relationship is a joy to watch.

Most Toxic Relationship in a QL: Um. TharnType. Presented without comment. 

Guilty Pleasure Series: Love in the Air. I have watched it so many times, lol. 

Most Underrated Series: La Pluie. Not enough people watched or raved about this show. It takes everything you could want about the soulmate AU trope and subverts it in amazing and unexpected ways. Even the things that may have been predictable were still handled or presented in unpredictable ways. There was a tension that ran through the whole show because you never could feel quite settled or sure if the characters would get a HEA, but the fact that they *spoiler* do, feels earned and filled me as the viewer with such joy.  Also, it features a GL third pairing, which is always a plus in my book.

Oh my goodness, this was fun but kind of difficult, lol. 

Tagging @unproductivepeanut, @jessicamdawn, @dribs-and-drabbles, @fiction-is-queer, @respectthepetty if any of you feel like it. 

[iguessitsjustme]

Hi! 👋

3, 5, and 8? 😊

Hello~ (I am only a little bit asleep)

3. Rank the shows you are currently watching from least favorite to favorite.

I just did this but I guess I will explain it that means I explain it now:

7. Derailment - This is intriguing and it's written by Priest. I just hit a spot in the middle that I'm not the biggest fan of so it's taking me a bit to get through but I think I'll end up liking it overall. This one has finished already so I just gotta finish my binge.

6. We Are - I like this show a lot. It really does feel like hanging out with friends every week. Not a lot is happening and not a lot needs to happen. I do think it missed some opportunities to tell a more interesting story and give us more depth in the characters but I'm not mad at the missed opportunities. It's cute, it's wholesome, and it has TanFang so I forgive it for anything. Also it gave a plate glasses.

5. Knock Knock, Boys! - This is just fun. I like the characters. The premise is just wild and chaotic enough for me to enjoy it. I need more though. I'm hoping we get a lot more from the characters but it is only episode 3 so we'll see how it goes.

4. At 25:00 in Akasaka - I actually quite like the slower pace. I know it might not be for everyone but this show feels like going on a walk. Kind of like a reset for my brain. I find the characters fascinating and the way they communicate and the differences there to be very interesting. It makes sense to me that it is taking both of them a while to get to a place to have an honest conversation about their feelings. The last episode was paced a bit weirdly for me and I feel like we didn't get enough of the reasoning why Hayama needed to find his love of acting again. I can see the thread they were pulling at, it just didn't quite unravel the way it should have.

3. Only Boo! - This is just cute okay? Just cute. I am terrified GMMTV will ruin this wholesome little show. I need Moo and Kang to not have any problems. They both communicate so well and they both adapt to each other very well. They have different communication methods but they work together to make sure there are no misunderstandings. I also don't mind when (most) characters sing in this show. Good job.

2. Wandee Goodday - YakDee. Plakao my beloved. I have high hopes for Ter to have a weird amount of depth and that I will come around on at least having respect for his character. I am a bit worried about the pacing on this show. Things have been moving very fast for the number of episodes we have so far and the number of episodes we still have left.

My Stand In - I love my toxic boys. Ming? Unhinged. Toxic. Horrendous. And I love him. I want him to get the boy. I want him and Joe to work out. I want so much for this show and I have high expectations that it can deliver. I also love that the show is not shying away from letting the characters be toxic. The only character that has romanticized Ming at all is Joe and that was before he knew. And I love it when shows embrace the toxicity. These characters are so interesting and complex. I need a million more.

5. What show do you think is doing the best job at utilizing tropes?

I have not been paying a lot of attention to tropes lately. Brain off kind of watching but probably Wandee Goodday or Only Boo.

8. Which character from a currently airing show would you be best friends with in real life?

This is hard. I'm gonna have to think about this. I'm sure there's another one but the first one that comes to mind is Yak from Wandee Goodday.

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