#ONE OF MY FIRST BL'S (SORTA)

[petrichoraline]

belt move: success WE ARE EP.4

[kissablelips-desireslure-vol1]

THE TIME OF FEVER (2024)

DO WOO (as DongHee)

&

WON TAE MIN (as HoTae)

[madeinjapan-thailand-blbambeyond]

MADE IN THAILAND

SUPPAPONG UDOMKAEWKANJANA

[Nickname: SAINT]

TANAPON SUKUMPANTANASAN

[Nickname: PERTH]

[writingwithcolor]

Afro-Latine Jewish woman maintaining cultural connection in an isekai comic

Anonymous asked:

Hello! Mixed Latin American nonbinary Jew here. I'm working on a, relatively light-hearted, isekai-style fantasy comic concept of an afro-latine Jewish lady who gets sent through a portal to a colorful scifi/fantasy land, inhabitated by various imaginary creatures sorta like in Alice in Wonderland. She gains magic powers and goes on adventures, working as a scientist researching the land's magical energy. (some of the local creatures she befriends are entirely original species, and some are inspired by my local folklore, but otherwise I try to avoid culturally coding the creatures since they're mostly nonhuman looking). The story isn't supposed to touch any heavy topics like antisemitism or racism, but I've read about the cultural problems in ""normie protagonist finds a new home in a funky fantasy world"" stories, f.ex. how Harry Potter's narrative basically implies that Muggleborns have to abandon their original cultures in order to successfully integrate into the very prejudiced but ""cooler"" Wizarding World. My original goal was to break the mold that escapism fantasy usually revolves around white protagonists adventuring in heavily Western-inspired fantasy worlds, and poc-coded characters are usually nonhuman creatures or racial stereotypes. However the protagonist girl in my story comes from a loving, latine-jewish human family, and while she regularly visits them on Earth instead of just staying in the fantasy land 24/7, I'm afraid that making her story be about being happy adventuring in a separate imaginary land filled with nonhuman characters might turn into an ""abandon your family and culture"" narrative. Are there any ways how I could avoid this? Maybe making the fantasy land's worldbuilding and designs more Latin American or Jewish inspired and thus resonate more with her cultural background, or making it clear that the land is not ""perfect"" and she still loves her family?

One of the first things that stands out to me is that you haven’t set her up to need to abandon her culture in order to make a life in another place. She has the ability to go home and visit her family, but I also don’t see any reason why, if she lives primarily in the fantasy land, she couldn’t be portrayed as practicing Judaism actively in her new home. It’s true that Judaism isn’t solely defined by religious/cultural practices, but it’s also true that religious/cultural practices are one of the most recognizable and most uniting elements of Jewish identity.

I think it might help in this case to think about Jewish practices in terms of communal versus personal: that is, what are practices she would need to seek out a Jewish community for, and what are practices she can do independently?

Does she control when she is able to visit her family? If so, visiting for Jewish holidays so that she can be at a family meal or holiday services seems like a way to highlight that she is just as connected to her family as someone who moved to a different city might be. If she experiences/has experienced the death of a family member or partner, going home to be with a Jewish community for shiva or to say kaddish on a yahrzeit is another touch (for readers who may be unfamiliar, Jewish mourning practices are intensely communal and are intentional about bringing the mourner into an active support system and slowly reintroducing them to the world, and as such a mourner is likely to spend this time somewhere where they can access and be supported by a Jewish community).

As far as practices she can engage with on her own in the fantasy setting, it would be nice to see her observing Shabbat, either in a traditional way by refraining from adventuring and instead engaging in hospitality and prayer between dusk Friday and sundown Saturday, or in a less-halakhic way if she comes from a Reform or comparatively-assimilated background, by marking Friday sunset with candles, blessings, and a good meal, even if she is intending to continue her research through the next day. She would hardly be the first Jewish person to live in a place without an established Jewish community, and a festive meal can be shared just as happily with non-Jewish friends if they’re griffons and fauns as if they’re Christians and Muslims.

Here’s one idea that I think would be hugely meaningful as a way of establishing both that she intends to make her home long-term in Fantasy World and that she intends to carry Jewish traditions with her into her new life: hang a mezuzah.

Think about it: a mezuzah is the visual marker of a Jewish home, as much to the resident as to a guest. When she is home from her adventures, in her garden cottage or enchanted tower or wherever she returns to between adventures to record and categorize her research, simply showing a mezuzah in the background instantly makes the point both that she is intending to stay, and that this is a Jewish space. If as time goes on she adds other Judaica items to her space, it can add to the sense that her Jewishness is present and alive in this world, simply because she is present and alive in it.

If she doesn’t have a settled space or if you’re not planning on setting any scenes there, having Jewish visual markers on and around her can help, too. For low-hanging fruit, maybe she has a silver Jewish Star or chai necklace that catches the light now and then, but since you’re going for a light, fun vibe, maybe she’s packing her adventuring supplies in a bright-blue vinyl backpack emblazoned with “Temple Shaarei Tzedek Junior Youth Retreat 1998” (am I old? I’m pretty sure there are adults reading this who were in Junior Youth groups in 2003, but I’m willing to bet retreat swag hasn’t changed that much).

I do like the idea of including Latin American and Jewish elements in the worldbuilding, especially as an intentional way to combat the cultural dominance of Western European folklore over fantasy writing, but because your character is from and has access to our world, you have the beautiful opportunity to carry real-world markers of Jewishness with her as well.

-Meir

I adore Meir’s answer, but then, I’m the kind of person to whom “enchanted tower with a mezuzah” as an aesthetic is so near and dear to my heart that I wrote a whole fantasy series about it. Couple of random suggestions: one thing I really enjoy is exposing my gentile friends to Jewish food—I love watching the absolute shock of delirium hit someone’s face the first time they taste my charoseth. Imagine this little bowl of chopped apples and walnuts, looking vaguely dirty because they’re soaked in cinnamon-infused wine, so it’s basically dingy beige slop….so that first bite of sensuous, deep sweetness is a huge surprise. Pick your favorite equivalent and imagine the first time a centaur or a winged princess or whatever other fantasy character tries it at your MC’s behest! (Feeding brisket to dragons would make a great name for…something…)

I don’t think you’re likely to do this anyway but since these are public answers: “fantasy world fun, Jewish upbringing a chore” is a narrative I would not feel at home in or care to read. But that’s a rather predictable remark from me anyway ;)

And of course I support the “the secondary fantasy world is actually Jewish” solution too, having one of my own.

–Shira

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Korea drops my favorite cameo ever & gives KISSES

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized sorta by favs in each category.

Sept 2023 Wk 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Fri grey) ep 4 of 12 - Well that’s one way to find out if he’s gay, see how he reacts to reading a het sex scene out loud. Yai is flirting so hard it’s like he knows everything. 

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 4 of 12 - Oh no! I love them. Also cohabitation trope! Also ALL the other ones: hair dry, meet in childhood... GMMTV going no frills with this one.

Hidden Agenda (Sun YT) ep 9 of 12 - Zo’s drama over Pat helping Joke flirt seems awfully manufactured. I’m losing faith in this show. Could GMMTV PLEASE hand JoongDunk a decent script? 

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 5 of 10 - Sand & Ray are the only interesting couple, and I’m pretty much only watching for them. They gonna go south fast, tho, and they're already ruined by persistent singing. Ooo. When Sand said Top "stole his ex" did he mean Boston? How gay. 

Naughty Babe (Sat YT) ep 2 of 8 - The pronoun conversation had a bonkers translation but I enjoyed the actuality of it. The reasons for Yi's trickery are very convoluted soap opera. But I suppose that is the amnesia trope for you. 

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 10 of 12 - Boys. We discussed this already. No sex in onsens! I found this one dull, until the end when LLS showed up. Happy to just have him in everything. Thank you Thailand. Looks like it is a classic ep 11 DOOM next week. Who cares? 

Venus in the Sky (Tues iQIYI) 1-2 of 10 eps - The usual Thai pulp claptrap this time a reunion romances in and around a convenience store between a boy who recently quit his job and his former bestie who is now a doctor. Mostly not great acting, plot, or production but the sound is okay and no bad effects or singing (so far), so that’s something. The gay brothers have a fun relationship. It’s vampy and campy but fun. I like it but not sure anyone else would.

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 10 - The date was cute but I still don’t like the lead or the premise (we moved into Cyrano de Bergerac territory). It’s moving slowly but it seems like we might be over the crush/stalker part of the narrative, so that’s a relief. 

Crazy Handsome Rich (Sun Gaga) ep 2 of 10 - I just can’t. The sound is too weird. With punch down humor and other issues incoming I may DNF this. You’ve been warned. This ep we got to see LLS with his shirt off. Did anything else happen? 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thur Viki) ep 8fin - No wonder he is everyone’s favorite hyung, boy can read the room like no one else. I love that we got to see exactly how clingy and demanding Choi Jun was always going to be. Only Lee Jun is easy-going enough to put up with him. Also I’ve never watched a KBL with more innuendo. For Korea this was… raunchy. I gotta say had Laws of Attraction not come along, Simon might have been my favorite character of 2023.

Final thoughts on Jun and Jun:

A delightful office romance about an ex-idol who joins cubical life only to find his new boss is his first love. Others boys are sniffing around too. Operative word being "sniffing" as much of this romance involves smell. With a snappy script, enjoyable sides, a pretty as peaches cast, and descent chemistry this show made up for in style what it lacked in substance. I like fluff. I loved this. I smiled every moment I was watching. With tons of rewatch potential (especially the last few eps), my only caution is this is for fans of the BL genre only, I don’t think it’ll work for anyone else. A solid 9/10 from me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I like that Korea is trying high heat, but Taiwan and Thailand are leaps and bounds better at it.

Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 9-10fin -

Omg they so cute as flirty bf. Eeeeeeee! CAMEO!!!!! My fav guest couple ever! So exciting!!!! I love that they intersected with MY Strongberry couple (Private Lessons). I’m not used to this but Holy innuendo Korea, what with Jun & Jun and now this show? It’s a bit much for my gay little heart. The final episode was entirely unnecessary, but it was fun to see them being all domestic and stuff. Maru with his dumb lettuce leaves was hilarious. I feel like I need to rewatch this one to really understand it properly, so I will likely do that soon.

Summary of Love Class 2:

3 couples form within a semester of university: 1. a hyung romance reunion of exes, one of whom has a dangerous past, 2. a friends to lovers romance, and 3. a mature student and TA one night stand + complexities (many aspects of which had me laughing). I enjoyed the characters and dialogue of this show immensely. It was a little bit more breezy and friendly than I was expecting after the first installment, Love Class. I’m not entirely sure Korea can handle multiple couples like this because it definitely felt disjointed, especially the 3rd more mature couple (also my favorite) who probably should’ve had their own series. But it was definitely fun and something different from Korea. 8/10 RECOMMENDED

Also, Korea tried to give us higher heat... that was... interesting. I mean, you tried hon...?

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) ep 4 of 13(?) - Everyone is a sad sack this ep. Ooooo. Teach/student my favorite. We never get this one. It’s messy. I’m not sure if there is a plot. I’m not sure they’re sure if there is a plot. But I am still enjoying it.

Why R U? (Korea Wed iQIYI) eps 5-6 of 8 - Why is the Fighter character always so frustrating regardless of name or country? Ji Oh stalking his crush via IG is so relatable. He’s very first crush awkward, unsure, and sweet. They also gave a nice kiss - I love the backpack drop (kiss version of a mic drop?) I still hold that if you haven’t seen the original this might not make much sense. But I am enjoying it. 

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 4 of 8 - Oh goody, another JBL where we have to pay attention solely to what they do and not what they say. 

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - Big fat sigh. 

It's Airing But...

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) ep 3 of 24 eps - I couldn't get hold of it and I'm not mad. I'm putting it on hold until distribution gets sorted, or icky get their shizz in order (like that'll happen).

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting

9/15 You Are Mine (Taiwan Gaga) Secretary has to deal with grumpy boss.

9/15 Bump Up Business AKA Bump Up Project (Korea movie) suspected cinema release? I don't know much about what's going on. Last status update. Love story between a trainee who is about to debut and a celebrity from the same agency. Kpop boy group OnlyOneOf has signed up to star in this idol-based BL (based on a webtoon). They’ve been auditioning for this since Libido IMHO. You can watch me chronicle their BL MV series in this post. It’s from Idol Romance who will do sad but can do good kisses (Wish You, Nobleman Ryu, Once Again, Kissable Lips, Poongduck 304, Tasty Florida, Tinted With You).

Still To Come In September

9/26 I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other.

9/27 Absolute Zero (Thai iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally bring us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance. We don’t always get HEAs from them, so I'm on my guard.

9/27 Bon Appetit (Korea iQIYI) - from 2022, 8 eps from GoGo Studio, romance between an office worker who lives off junk food and the man next door who cooks well.

9/? Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam YouTube?)

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I love him. And I love his version of this character better than Jimmy's.

I also love it when a show gets meta. (Both Why R U? Korea) Why they didn't just go for YRU? the world may never know.)

(Last week) 

[chaos0pikachu]

Trends in BL (Sorta): Genre Trends

So I've seen a few posts discussing trends in BL and I wanted to talk about that from a different angle. Specifically discussing what trends are, how they're formed, and to not remove BL from the rest of their countries own media.

The latter is something I see a lot when discussing BL this kind've ~separation of church and state~ but it's BL and Country's General Media. As though BL lives in a separate bubble outside of all other media and thus never influenced by the media being made in its country of origin nor the countries they share direct borders or trade with. Or all influence began and ended with seme/uke dynamics imported from Japan and nothing beyond that (no, Pit Babe was more than likely not inspired by Supernatural) and it's been static ever since.

All of that is, untrue, but also a really limited way of viewing international media. These countries are places with their own history, culture, politics, and of course, media arts. BL is a part of all of that. Which also effects the trends and potential trends we'll see in BL individually (as it's going to change country to country with some crossover).

I think a way of identifying trends in BL and also the root of those trends is by looking at the media of the country of origin their surrounding countries, and what BLs have unprecedented success and what has the industry learned from them?

So I'm gonna break this down by: genre, technical and business trend(s) in 3 part posts. In this post I'm just going to talk about genre trends in Thai and Korean BL as that's what I'm most familiar with.

Basically this post got hella long, I'm not in college anymore, and my motivation was tied to the length of my Jennifer Hudson Best Of playlist. So I had to split it up, es lo que es.

[This will not be a comprehensive list of like all BL trends ever respect to y'all who do but I do not and will not watch every BL in existence, bendicion]

To start we gotta talk first about how trends in media tend to work and also what we mean by "trends". Because there's genre trends, technical trends, and business trends.

Here's a good article breaking down various aspects of all three. When we talk "trends" in film it's not as simplistic as "office romances" or "cross country remakes" of which, one is a genre trend and the latter a business trend.

Some examples of what I mean:

Shared Universe (genre trend)

3d boom (technical trend, trended a few times in the industry, first in the 1950s until the 1960s and then again in the early 2000s until the mid 00s thanks to James Cameron)

Remakes/Reboots (business trend, this is a business based decision b/c the risk threshold for a pre-established work is lower than for an original work that may or may not have financial data backing it)

Trends in media, whether they are genre, business, technical or a combination, tend to take time to build up, and also tend last much longer than a singular year (generally for as long as something is profitable).

Example: it took time for the Shared Universe genre trend to gain traction.

Batman v Superman (2016) wasn't released until five years after Avengers (2012). Following this, The Mummy (2017) starring Tom Cruise was meant to kickstart Universal's The Dark Universe was released six years after Avengers. Before that Dracula Untold (2014) was supposed to be reworked to also start The Dark Universe (both these films flopped so no Dark Universe, rip).

Since the Avengers release, we have the shared universes of: Monsterverse (which combines Godzilla and Kong franchises together, technically started in 2014, officially started in 2017 with Kong Skull Island), and the Sony Spiderverse (Venom, Spider-man, Madam Web, Mobius lol) and The Conjuring Universe (Annabelle, La Llorona, The Conjuring, The Nun).

It's been almost 12 years since Avengers was released (fuckin'a) and we're only now starting to see some minor diminishing returns (Disney had a horrid year financially last year) for this genre trend, and not even across the board.

I want to iterate that Avengers did not 'invent' the idea of a cross-franchise shared universe. Things like Xena and Hercules, or Hanna Barbara cartoons existed long before the Avengers. However the Avengers kickstarted a genre trend in film. Just because a piece of media started a trend does not mean it invented the genre or technical innovation (James Cameron didn't "invent" 3D but he did revolutionize it with Avatar and I suffered through many 3D horror movies because of it).

[I point this out because sometimes ppl be getting testy when ppl say kinnporsche influenced the increase in mafia/crime BLs with well, um, actually history trapped/manner of death came first - yes, yes we know this. And Bi No Isu came out before all of them so everybody drink some tea and relax, everybody's faves are pretty okay😘]

Okay to let's get to what ppl actually wanna talk about, BL.

(Some) Genre trend(s) in Thailand and Korea:

In Thai BL genre trends I'm noticing are: horror, supernatural, paranormal, action crime, and magic/magical realism. A lot of these crossover, horror shows typically are also paranormal - Ghost House Ghost House (2022), After Sundown (2023) - supernatural shows tend to cross over with magical realism like time travel, or other soft magic elements - Time (2024), I Feel You Linger in the Air (2023), Cherry Magic (2023).

For the horror, supernatural/paranormal genre trend, this isn't at all surprising if you look at Thailand's recent film output from 2020 to 2023: The Medium, The Whole Truth, Ghost Lab, Haunted Tales, Cracked, Death Whisperer, Home for Rent, The Maid, Waning Moon, School Tales, and others, are all horror, paranormal, or supernatural films of some sort.

The horror genre trend especially has been around Thailand for a while, as far back as 2018 with the smash success of Girl from Nowhere which only gained a larger following when it hit Netflix in 2021. I'd almost argue the horror genre trend really picked up with Girl From Nowhere as now one of the main acquisitions of Thai series and film on Netflix are of the horror genre.

That larger media trend is now trickling down into BL with series like: Shadow (2023), After Sundown (2023), Dead Friend Forever (2023) and upcoming projects like Vampire Project.

While supernatural/paranormal series like Ghost House Ghost House (2022), 1000 Years Old (2024), I Feel You Linger in the Air (2023), Two Worlds (2024), Golden Blood (2024?) are increasing. OMG! Vampire (TBD?) will at least be supernatural but we can't say with certainty if OMGV will be horror or not as we only have a poster.

I imagine with the success of Dead Friend Forever, and I Feel You Linger in the Air we'll see the trend of horror and supernatural/paranormal series (I know some have already been announced) continued.

Then there's the genre trend towards more action and crime focused series; which more than often crossover but not all~ the time.

In terms of the increase in crime based Thai BLs I'd argue it was a joint combo of Kinnporsche's (2022) wild skyrocketed success, and the success of Manner of Death (2020). Alongside the influence of rise of crime and thrillers from Korean media (The Gangster, the Cop and the Devil (2019) and Unstoppable (2018))

Manner of Death I'd argue influenced projects like Never Let Me Go (2022), Unforgotten Night (2022), and Big Dragon (2022) if only because of their release times and taking into account the time it takes for a production to film and be edited down.

Whilst all these series came out after Kinnporsche - NLMG released a trailer in Nov, Big Dragon in Oct, and Unforgotten Night in Jun, while Kinnporsche dropped their trailer in Apr - they're series releases are so close to Kinnporsche that I don't feel confident in saying Kinnporsche 100% influenced their acquisition. Ngl it's hard not to see influences of KPTS in at least Big Dragon & Unforgotten Night if only in terms of technical film making, so there could~ be influence but I can't say that definitively. I'm gonna attribute these to Manner of Death since it came out two years prior to these other series.

Meanwhile series both released and unreleased My Gangster Oppa (2023), Red Peafowl (TBD?), Chains of Heart (2023), Kidnap (TBD?), are def riding the crime genre trend that Kinnporsche started and I'd argue series like Pit Babe (2023), Playboyy (2023) were acquired for production in part because of the crime elements included in their respective series.

Meanwhile series like Law of Attraction (2023) (crime/action) and The Sign (2023) (crime/action/supernatural) are combining crime, action and supernatural elements together.

I've said before Kinnporsche takes a lot of cues from Korean and Hong Kong crime films like Jet Li's The Enforcer, and Fist of Legend, Donnie Yen's Flash Point, Raging Fire, and Kung Fu Jungle, Han Dong-wook's The Worst of Evil, Kim Jin-Min's My Name, along with Japanese manga like Bi No Isu and KeixYaku.

Meanwhile The Sign is def taking cues from Chinese costume dramas like Ashes of Love, Fairy and Devil, White Snake (and it's many adaptions), Guardian, & Ying Yang Master Dream of Eternity. Alongside Hong Kong and Korean cop and romance shows like Tale of the Nine-Tailed, Hotel Del Luna, Director Who Buys Me Dinner, First Love, Again.

[I think the only reason Thailand or Korea hasn't jumped on the full fantasy train and pulled an Untamed is because of budget. The Sign has done very well for Idol Factory so I could see more studios trying to go in that fantasy direction if they can get the funding for it.]

Meanwhile shows like Time (2024), Two Worlds (2024), and Cherry Magic (2023) are leaning more into a combination of magical realism and a supernatural. Which is something that's been popular in Korea (Mr. Queen (2020), The King Eternal Monarch (2020)) in the past and obviously Japan (Cherry Magic (2020).

This, again, isn't a fully comprehensive list. I'm sure there's shows I've missed, and there's going to be evergreen genres that are always produced - university, high school, office all with a general romcom flavor - because they're cheap, easy, low risk and for the most part reliable.

That's not an insult to shows like Cherry Magic TH, or Middleman's Love or Cooking Crush or whatever.

Cooking Crush is just going to cost way less than The Sign it's simply a fact. Likewise Middleman's Love cost less than The Next Prince (TBD?) and was less risk as an office romcom. What helps offset the risk of something like The Next Prince is casting Zee and NuNew in the lead roles.

[watch these two trailers and tell me they cost the same]

Think of it of like, the 50 cop procedural dramas networks are always churning out; they do so because they're cheap, easy, low risk, and reliable.

Gmmtv made Cherry Magic not for the art of it all but because it was low risk and low cost to produce with a high value return. I imagine that's also why gmmtv cast Tay and New because while I don't know who the hell they are, lots of folks in BL fandom do because of Dark Blue Kiss and the reuniting of a well liked costars will also help offset financial risk for the project. Studios will often only greenlight a project if "a name" is attached to said project.

Anyways, Korea's turn.

The data for Korea is less because Korea comes out with fewer series than Thailand. Like currently Thailand has 9 ongoing BLs in 2024 while Korea has 1 (oh City Boy Log you lonely thing you).

For Korean BLs I'm still seeing mostly evergreen genre trends: the workplace (The New Employee, Oh! My Assistant, Roommates of Ponngduck 304,), high school/university (Light On Me, Cherry Blossoms After Winter, Semantic Error, Love Class, Love for Love's Sake) and Joseon (Nobleman Ryu's Wedding, Tinted With You, Director Who Buys Me Dinner) romances - which make sense, a lot of these were the trends of romance kdramas in the early to mid-00s.

What I am hoping, is we'll start seeing the acquisition of KBLs that are closer to what's currently trending in Korea: revenge (Revenge of Others, The Glory, Marry My Husband, Perfect Marriage Revenge), thrillers (My Name, Midnight, Somebody, Celebrity, Mask Girl), more class based social commentary (Devil Judge, Golden Spoon, Vigilante, Kingdom), and an increase in both sex and violence (Somebody, A Shop for Killers).

I could totally see more revenge based KBLs in the coming years since revenge and thriller shows can be combined pretty easily and you don't need a huge budget for either. You can also set them in evergreen settings like the workplace (Marry My Husband) or high school/uni (Revenge of Others).

KBLs have mostly stuck with evergreen settings with a couple outliers like Kissable Lips (2022), Once Again (2022) for example. I enjoyed Love for Love's Sake but it stuck in that evergreen space of school based romance, with magical realism. Again, not surprising given KBLs are just following trends of romance kdramas of the past.

Whilst not a bad~~~ thing, it can be a bit stale and hopefully with a bit more budget/investment we'll see the acquisition of series that are more in line with what's trending with Korean audiences currently.

There's other things I'd like to see develop into trends for KBLs but they're mostly technical and business trends.

That's all I got in the tank, this post took me almost six hours to write b/c of all the sourcing and research I'm freaking peeked.

See y'all next time ✌️

Check out other posts in the series:

Film Making? In My BL? - The Sign ep01 Edition | Aspect Ratio in Love for Love's Sake | Cinematography in My BL - Our Skyy2 vs kinnporsche, 2gether vs semantic error, 1000 Stars vs The Sign | How The Sign Uses CGI | Is BL Being Overly Influenced by Modern Western Romance Tropes?

[like these posts? drop me a couple pennies on ko-fi]

[ineffable-opinions]

Unknown - Review

An adaptation that worked better for me than the source work, to an extent.

Priest is a highly regarded danmei author. When I discovered the author through fans, I really wanted to partake in all that awesomeness too. But time and time again, Priest’s writing style failed to resonate with me. I could never immerse myself in any of her works, truly get into them, be moved by characters and their action. Nothing Priest ever wrote seem to impact me. I always felt like I was at bus stop waiting for a bus that would take me to a destination that everyone else seemed to be able to reach and praise so highly about. I would board every bus that said it would take me to my destination but somehow, I couldn’t reach there.

When live-action adaptations came out, I chased them, in multiple languages (I tried Mandarin, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam in that order; Indian language dubs can be found on MX player). But then even Malayalam dubbed version of Word of Honor was a chore and I gave up.

When I heard of Unknown based on 大哥 (da ge; Big Brother) (a work I found reprehensible at certain points due to pretty normalized racial and heterosexist psychological depictions) I had no interest in checking it out. Things couldn’t be so simple. I heard Huang HongXuan (Kurt) was going be in it. Now, I must watch it for he had rizz in spades in VIP Only and I wanted more of that. (Spoiler alert – I think the Unknown by focusing on Wei Qian missed out on cashing that sweet charisma except for glimpses of it in the last few episodes.)

That’s how I ended up watching Unknown in the first place. It is safe to say I am glad I did. I never thought Da Ge will become something like this. I am impressed by the meticulous cultivation that source material underwent. That little carp really crossed the gate to become a dragon.

Da Ge is a popular and critically-acclaimed work. IMHO, it was for most parts a classist, 金手指 (golden finger) plot with half-baked versions of then popular danmei tropes. For context (I don’t want to say comparison), 弟弟 (didi; younger brother) by 人体骨架 came out in 2011, two years before Da Ge. In BL, newer don’t necessarily mean better. 

What Unknown managed to do was tone down the golden finger bits and keep things realistic to an extent.

Wei Qian got the funds he dearly needed not from killing and snitching on gangsters but from gang-boss Le ge who was Dr. Lin’s senior. Le ge defied some gang codes and sorta wronged his own underlings to that the plot can turn in favor of Wei Qian. The whole triad bit was decent enough that I didn’t mind the snitching part much – I chose to ignore it.

Removed three female characters who were there for man-pain purposes in the novel. Instead gave Wei Lili, pavam xiao baobao, time to shine.

Did not airlift Wei Qian into the waiting arms of a benefactor with sufficient connections in Mainland who would rescind everything in grief, right when Wei Qian could take over and reign. Instead, Unknown let Wei Qian build a company with San Pang and Lao Xiong which fits right into Taiwan’s SME-heavy capitalism.

Didn’t include anything that I found reprehensible in the novel.

Gave relatively explicit intimate scene.

Toned down novel Wei Qian’s Valliettan-aura to build a warmer, more sensible relationship between the Wei siblings.

Made passing mentions of novel events, in ways that was more connected and believable.

Didn’t make villains into caricatures who loose brain cells to benefit Wei Qian. Instead fleshed out Le ge and his relationship with both his underling and his junior. Made him interesting.

Got us a character with blacked out tattoos. I have listed this one at the last but this is the best thing about Unknown for me. Here’s why…

While organized crime is a popular setting in BL, it is rare for BL characters to have visible evidences of their criminal pasts after leaving it for a civilian life. Usually, they either hide it with full-sleeves and what-nots. But here’s a character in a BL with blacked out tattoos trying to make a living through street-vending. Tattoos are customary, ceremonial and meaningful in the context of organized crime, triad in this case. While involved in the triad, tattoos signal trust and loyalty, etched into skin. But it is a burden too. It is part of the cage that leaves no way out. As Le ge’s underling emphasizes, it is not easy to get away having once involved oneself with the triad. Moreover, the tattoos evoke fear among civilians – so ex-gangsters can forget prospects of finding jobs. Even if one is to be self-employed, tattoos doesn’t signal anything good and are effective in scaring customers away. In Unknown, the blacked-out tattoos signal a dark past he has shut door to; all symbolisms that meant something in the context of triad has been wiped out by ink.

There are points where I felt Unknown was rush through the plot, some others which I felt drag. But overall, it was a good BL and a surprisingly enjoyable adaptation of a source novel I didn’t enjoy at all.

[oakantony]

My bestie just watched Haikyuu for the first time and she has the rarest pair I've legit ever heard:

Tsukki and Kenma.

LMAO. Obviously there's almost no content for them and so she asked me to write something. Y'all, we've been bff for like 25 years and she has never asked me to write anything...ever.

I obliged. Here's a short ficlet that I may (???) turn into a full fic (???) one day.

-

Tsukishima always thought Kenma was odd.

He was too small for volleyball. Well--not really. Little players were pretty common in high school. Going pro was different, of course, but Kenma wasn’t interested in going pro.

No, and that was the odd part. Kenma was too short to play, didn’t seem to have much athleticism, and also didn’t really care about the game. Tsukishima got backed into it because he’d been born perfect to play. He was tall and athletic and good at the damn game without any effort. He didn’t care about volleyball really, not at first.

Neither did Kenma, seemingly.

He was a damn good setter, though. Tsukishima felt like the matches Karasuno had against Nekoma were his entire team versus Kozume Kenma. (Perhaps the same could be said for Nekoma; their matches were versus Kageyama, the freak.)

All of that was weird, yeah, but when Tsukishima considered Kenma odd, he really meant it outside of the game.

Tsukishima had been told, more than once, that Kuroo was Kenma’s best friend. Childhood friends. Attached at the hip.

But Kenma didn’t seem to care about Kuroo. Or the rest of the team. Or school? Or anything?

They had one conversation outside of volleyball, during his final year of high school, when Tsukishima visited Tokyo with Yamaguchi to tour some college campuses. Kuroo and Kenma met them for dinner at a diner near the station. It seemed likely that Tsukishima and Yamaguchi would attend XYX university next year--the school Kuroo and Kenma studied at--and they’d all wind up on the same team for the first time.

Well, not all of them.

Kenma didn’t play volleyball anymore. It’d been two whole years since his last match, supposedly. He was still trim as ever, though--Tsukishima noticed Kenma’s pale, flat belly when he reached up to accept a glass of water from the waitress and his sweatshirt lifted without his notice.

In recent months--since his eighteenth birthday, when someone on the team jokingly gave him a BL manga--Tsukishima found himself noticing things like abs, thighs, and, humiliatingly, on occasion, the shape of a man’s dick through his pants.

He was pretty sure he was gay. And like with volleyball, he really, really hadn’t asked for this.

It was in this silent moment of despair--the fifth time he’d had one of these moments that specific day--that Tsukishima found himself alone with Kenma for the first time ever, actually.

Kuroo stepped away to use the bathroom and Yamaguchi got a call from his sorta-kinda-girlfriend and had quietly slipped out the front door to chat with her in the half-empty parking lot.

Tsukishima stabbed a french fry into a pool of gravy, snapping it in half. He scoffed. Perfect. Now he had to fish out a fry from the sauce, getting it on his fingers, and then he’d have to go wash his hands, and--

“You don’t have to eat them,” came Kenma’s quiet voice.

Tsukishima jerked his head up and narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“You’re staring at the fries like you hate them. You don’t have to eat them if they’re bad. Kuroo will finish them for you.”

“I don’t hate them. What the fuck?”

“Why are you glaring like that, then.” It wasn’t a question.

“Maybe you should stop staring at my face and mind your business.”

Kenma didn’t reply to that. Instead, he turned to his gaming console, and began to click around.

“Why are you here?” Tsukishima asked.

Kenma didn’t look up from his game. Eventually, he shrugged.

“Why are you even friends with Kuroo? You have nothing in common. All I ever see you do is play some game when you’re with him. Or anyone else, for that matter.”

Kenma seemed to entirely ignore him this time.

“It’s rude.”

That got a reaction, and Tsukishima’s heart skipped a beat when Kenma’s honey-brown eyes snapped to him and he said, “I’m not the one being rude right now. Are you the one that doesn’t want to be friends with Kuro?” He looked back to his game, clicked a few buttons, and sucked his teeth as a game-over noise trilled quietly from the speakers. “Or me. You don’t have to be friends with me.”

“Great,” Tsukishima said, belatedly, after he found his voice again. “I’m so glad I have your permission.”

Kenma exhaled a sound that almost sounded like a laugh.

For some reason, the way Kenma’s eyes latched onto him in that moment--that stuck with Tsukishima for weeks. He revisited that big golden stare inside his own mind again and again.

Kenma was…odd.

[mutsky]

love sea ep 6 running commentary

i think im finally in the right headspace to watch this (on the clock remotely)

-aww hes still wants to dress up his little ken doll

-if mut doesnt care what he wears might as well get him something nice

-mut: hes 30 but he has aegyo down

-the fluff i cant sooo cute

-sister there is still rice on your plate finish that first

-this is the first time tongraks eaten in his adult life so proud

-not his white wine mom coffee cup

-muts just like me ... has a death note

-mahasamut is the perfect man i knew hed be bc tr is like mames self insert ofc shed give herself the best male lead

-peats pretty eyes

-damn mama owns all of bangkok

-my poor meow meow

-prapaisky call backs we are so up

-ok vienus williams

-congratulations to love sea for being the first ever bl to pass the bechdel test (they passed it ep 1 but wtv)

-they just called her bitchless

-whyyyy is he getting in bed in jeans

-ok paid body pillow

-if i say the hands on the face is the most erotic thing thats happened in this show id be the bad guy

-tongraks literally gagging for it

-damn

-connor came too in the book :( wheres our white boy

-i love you island rain and sky

-finally some sense

-khom and tongrak have the same necklace/earring combo in different colors connor you are not slick it was bogo huh

-yeah terribly

-the picture is sending me

-when did he put on pants

-ngl im probably one of two people that care about connorkhom so i am enjoying this interlude

-its also HILARIOUS how connor only exists off screen

-no his phone is in muts hand how would he get in the taxi

-these two sulky kitties

-the only one out of the 4 of them with any sense is khom

-theyre literally 2

-"hug me" vie is too much

-gaslight gatekeep girlboss your way back into your girls heart

-these are not 13 year olds they look 5

-awww sad puppy is back

-30 year old man squeals into a pillow but is soooo not in love

-she has access to the internet which is BAD

-NO YOU CANT READ THAT

-poor meena she has to be so vigilant :(

-yeah mook is sorta useless here

-tis a bit weird to have a 20 year old picking up a 13 year old hes not related to but i think its fine there are precautions in place

-using your uncle to get dessert a+ tactic incredible

-woah how do you know these words

-shes right this is a call back

-i think kaimook would beg to differ

-cuteeee awww

-he went from sad to horny in two minutes

-jesus fucking christ

-it could be her other grandma ... right?

-shes gonna take mook to france huh

10/10 no notes

[komotionlessqueenmm]

Imagine # 1,038

Gif NOT mine.

If this gif is yours (or you know who's it is) please let me, so I can give you/them credit.

Gif credit goes to - @bulletproofthroat (Unless told otherwise.)

Year posted - 2022

*Based entirely on → this ← post I made on my main/junk profile. And I liked to imagine this with the Iowa era Corey, but you're welcome to imagine whatever era you want.

Touring with Slipknot was interesting to say the least. They were loud, crazy, and sometimes gross, but despite their roughness they were genuinely nice people. Don't get me wrong, they could be assholes as much as anyone else, but in my personal experience, they were all bark no bite, looking like they could kill, but are actually total cinnamon rolls. Especially Corey. Yeah I know what you're thinking, Corey Taylor sweet? Well he is, with me at least.

You see it was within the first week of our tour, and Corey, Sid, and Mick all witnessed first hand just how bad my social anxiety can get. It was after the show was over, my band had finished our last song, and was heading for our dressing room. We were hot, sweaty, and still amped up on the energy of the crowd. Corey, Sid, and Mick were coming back from doing God only knows what. And from the other side of the hallway, was a massive crowd of fans trying desperately to meet us all.

One guy got passed security and made a mad dash for me, as he was apparently a particularly big fan of me. I tensed up and just sorta froze, my eyes wide and hands shaking when he essentially tackled me into a bone crushing hug. Everyone was yelling, but I couldn't make out what was being said over the ringing in my ears. And eventually someone, Mick I think, pulled the guy off of me, and I crumbled to the floor in a shaking sobbing mess. I was later told just how much the Slipknot guys were freaking out about the whole thing.

But my bandmates got me out of there and calmed me down, assuring me that everything was okay now. Ella my best friend, and bandmate, told me about everything later that night after I'd calmed down, and come back to my senses. She told me how pissed the Slipknot guys seemed, and how a few hours later they had all come knocking to see if I was okay. I had been taking an exhaustion nap when they showed up, so she had assured them I was fine and left it at that.

Since then I have been spending quite a lot of time with them all, finding their crude and sometimes childish humor very amusing. And the few times fans tried in such desperation to meet me, one if not all of them were by my side, berating and yelling at the fan to fuck off. Then they'd lead me away somewhere a little more quiet and make sure I was okay before leaving me be for a while. But today... Today I wasn't exactly able to run away from the individual making my anxiety spike.

It was a massive group interview that my band, and Slipknot were all involved in. Things were okay for a while, and most questions weren't directed at me, so I was calm and content. That is until the guy doing the interview suddenly asked me about the fan that "attacked" me. My mind went blank and I found myself unable to speak, the interviewer didn't seem to notice my discomfort and began prying for answers. My bandmates tried changing the topic, but he just kept prying.

My hands started shaking, my heart racing in my chest, and ears ringing loudly. Then suddenly a warmth enveloped my right hand, a warmth that clasped around my hand tenderly. A warmth I came to realize was Corey's hands holding my hand still. My racing heart calmed and the ringing in my ears ceased as I looked to the masked singer. Who was in turn looking at me with those piercing eyes of his, a faint smile ghosting his painted lips when he gently squeezed my hand in his.

The smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and his gentle eyes cast hatefully to the interviewer. Who he gave a piece of his mind to, cussing and raging about bringing up that and I quote "shitface". He kept a hold of my hand the entire time, blowing up even more when the interviewer tried turning things around and pointed it out. Before long me and Corey were at the back of the crowd, as both mine and his band got between us and the interviewer, all hell raining down on the guy as they all cussed and spewed hate at him.

Next thing I knew the masked man was dragging me off, the both of us leaving the interview without another word. Then once we were in the safe confines of my hotel room, Corey finally let go of my hand, but he kept casting glances to make sure my hands were no longer shaking. "You didn't have to do that you know." I had told him, picking at a loose string in my sleeve. "I wasn't going to let him talk to you like that." Corey shrugged, pulling his mask off after a moment. "I care about you, you know." He mumbled quietly. I smiled softly, reaching over to take his hand in mine. "I care about you too." I had assured him.

[boozles]

Okay, at this point I have went wayyyy off course so I'm just gonna post the last few questions of the #BLChallenge2K24 tonight <3

Day Thirteen: Give five good boys a gold star

Cher, A Boss and A Babe My goodest boy that ever gooded. I honestly fell in love with this little ball of energy as soon as he popped up on my screen. This was my first ForceBook series and I'm glad it was because it was perfect for me. But this is about Cher! Cher, who loves his friends more than anything. Cher, who let his entire village hate him and spread lies about him to attempt to protect his late best friend. Cher, who spent his young adult years financially supporting his late best friend's little brother because he felt guilty over not knowing she was suicidal. Cher who plotted to take down the step-father who assaulted his best friend. Cher who worked his butt off to prove he was good enough for Gun. Cher who was a clown and a comic and made everyone smile. Cher who was there for everyone. He is the goodest boy.

Gavreel, Gameboys Oh, one of my original babies. (For those who don't know, Gameboys was my gateway into BLs <3) Gav is just the sweetest. He's cheeky, and will push the limit, and probably wind you up a little, but he's such a good boy at heart. He falls in love so deeply, and will do everything in his power to capture the stars for Cai. He's so kind and thoughtful, and so generous (to a fault, sometimes). He's so much fun, and his smile literally makes me blush every time he's on screen.

Karan, Cherry Magic If you don't think he's the sweetest, goodest boy, then I don't think we can be friends. In many Thai series we see the boy with the crush refuse to give up, but not Karan; he spends so much time worrying about making Achi uncomfortable, to the point he removes himself from the situation, allowing Achi the time to digest his own feelings. He goes out of his way to help not only Achi, but his colleagues; his hard work isn't just for himself. It's not a good thing that he allows his superiors to utilise his attractive looks, but it is a self sacrifice. I just love this good boy so much, and I think he was a classic example of how different the roles that Tay can do.

Gun, My School President First of all, that smile. He is a total baby. Like, seriously, I would let him get away with murder if he were my son (because he's young enough to be /o\). He loves his friends and his mother so damn much. He's so passionate and goal driven, but not to much that he'll sacrifice those around him for it. He's trustworthy and easy to talk to (I mean, Sound just sorta looked at him and was like, "yes, I'll tell you everything.") He's just a really good boy.

Choco, Choco Milk Shake Okay, I know this is probably cliche considering Choco literally IS a good boy, but he actually is. He literally escapes the afterlife (dragging his kitty friend along for the ride) because his former human is depressed and lonely. He just emits love to those around him like a god damn Care Bear. I know some find this drama's premise a little odd (I mean, can you imagine falling in love with someone who is actually your childhood pet? I'm not sure how I would feel about that XD) but the love and joy these characters bring, especially Choco - he just gives off the golden retriever vibe. When he does something bad/wrong he struggles with it so much, and he'll always try to the right thing. Gosh, I adore this boy.

[megan0013]

week 1 - dystopia

Arcadia’s defense systems are some of the best in the country. The walls around the town are high and sturdy, their arsenal of weapons well-stocked and diverse thanks to a successful raid on Area 49-B, and, oh yeah, they have advanced technology only aliens have ever seen before. Because there are aliens in Arcadia. And a coven of very capable witches and wizards. And a legion of gnomes that have sworn absolute fealty to The Town Council after some incredibly difficult negotiations involving dream houses, nougat nummies, and a full-time hat maker.

And there’s the Trollhunter

His warnings are the reason the citizens of Arcadia were able to defend themselves after Gunmar’s hoards had taken the east coast and started making their way west from New Jersey. Without him, they never would have built the wall in time or stockpiled munitions and non-perishable food. They wouldn’t have known anything about weak spots in gumm-gumm armor and how to take advantage of them, or the typical battle strategies the troll army employed. And they certainly couldn’t have designed the vast, complex system of tunnels and traps that had been used to obliterate whole legions in one fell swoop.

Of course, that’s probably because he’d once been a very prominent tactician in the Skullcrusher’s army.

Not that many Arcadians know this about him. His wife and stepson do, obviously, and a handful of close family friends, but to everyone else he’s just Walter – the guy who loves puns and used to teach history at the high school before everything went to hell. They don’t know he’s one of those scummy changelings or that his armor isn’t the real reason he can switch forms. And why should they? Most people have only ever seen him become a troll when Daylight is in his hand. If they want to believe his stone skin is just a byproduct of being named the Trollhunter, then so be it.

The trolls in Trollmarket, though... Well, they know exactly what he is.

It was a tough sell at first, being accepted, but gaining Vendel’s approval and introducing his small family had gone a long way in earning their respect. Draal loudly declaring he’d only had Jim for a day and half but if anything happened to him he would kill everyone in the room and then himself hadn’t hurt, either.

The few who remained wary of him eventually left for what they thought were greener pastures, or quickly changed their tune in the aftermath of Gunmar’s escape from the Darklands.

And now, after three years of successfully leading trolls and humans alike, the Trollhunter’s judgement has been called into question by his own wife.

At least, that’s what it feels like to him.

“Stalklings aren’t pets, Barbara! They are killing machines.”

Barbara, however, doesn’t look the least bit impressed by her husband’s outburst as she continues strolling through the stable of what was once a petting zoo but is now home to a clutch of brand new stalkling pups and their mother. “Just because you’ve had a few unfortunate encounters with them, doesn’t mean they’re all bad. I mean, seriously. Look at that cute little face.”

The stalkling in question does not have a cute little face. Not at all. In fact, she’s got blood-red eyes and an ugly gray head and terrifyingly large teeth.

“It literally tried to eat you at the supermarket,” Walter says, watching incredulously as Barbara takes the great winged beast’s beak into her hands for a scratch. “You still have the scar on your leg from where it bit you.”

“We surprised her, that’s all. Persephone would never hurt me on purpose. Would you, my sweet girl?”

“Persephone? You named it?” Walter huffs out a sigh, fingers going to pinch the bridge of his nose in obvious frustration. “Darling, you can’t name them. Now we’ll never be rid of it.”

Barbara raises a brow. “That’s sorta the point, Walt.”

Persephone snorts in agreement.

“And, anyway,” his wife continues with a gentle peck to Persephone’s beak, “Jim wants a vespa or a puppy for his birthday, so…”

Walter blinks.

Barbara bats her eyelashes.

Walter frowns. “That’s not a vespa, nor is it a dog.”

“Oh, no, babe. Of course, not. But since all the scooters have been stripped for parts and I’m allergic to dog hair, I thought, well,” she grins and gestures to the five pups chirping away in the corner of the stall, “these little guys might be the perfect gift.”

The Trollhunter whimpers, knowing deep down in his heart that he’s already lost this particular battle and he's about to become the proud grandfather of not one, but five baby stalklings.

“Besides,” Barbara pats his cheek before pressing a kiss to it, “he can’t have Persephone. She’s my pet.”

[emotionallychargedtowel]

Takeda Kouhei on Kamen Rider, a Primer

I’m not the only person on tumblr who’s a fan of both tokusatsu and BL shows, but there aren’t a ton of us. Which isn’t too surprising. They don’t have a lot in common aside from being genres that originated in and are still produced (in the case of tokusatsu, almost exclusively) in Japan. But, for reasons that are hard to pinpoint for those of us in the U.S., there’s quite a bit of actor overlap between these genres. From what I’ve seen the biggest contributor to the BL casting pool is Kamen Rider. My impetus for writing this post was a post by @waitmyturtles​ that mentioned being interested in seeing other work by Takeda Kouhei after seeing him in Old Fashion Cupcake. And really, who wouldn’t be? His performance was really lovely. Subtle, moving, funny, endearing, everything you would want in that role.

So I thought I’d post about Takeda’s Kamen Rider work in case other fans are curious. I don’t know how likely BL folks are to get into Kamen Rider but at the very least, I thought Takeda appreciators might enjoy a glimpse of him doing something really different from Cupcake.

Takeda has been in two Kamen Rider series, mostly playing two characters. The first, Kamen Rider Kiva, I’ve seen in its entirety and the other, Kamen Rider Build, I’m currently watching with my family.

Kiva is a pretty unique series within the Kamen Rider franchise. The aesthetic is bonkers. The opening credits give you a decent idea of what that’s like–basically, we’re talking about violins, rose petals, and chains everywhere with a nu-metal soundtrack. It came out in 2008 and definitely feels of that time. Opening credits for these shows are usually pretty easy to find but for some reason this one is only on Tiktok. You might have to squint to make it out but it’s still worth a look.

The basic plot of the series is that there are creatures called Fangires that are kinda-sorta similar to vampires except that they suck out your life force instead of your blood, and there are humans who hunt them and protect humanity. The Fangires can look like humans and then transform into their Fangire forms, and the Fangire hunters have the technology to turn into armored superhero-type people as well. Except there’s also this kid who is half Fangire, half human, the protagonist, Kurenai Wataru. He also transforms, in a way that is like a combination of a Fangire transforming and a human using the hunter technology. The show follows his story in 2008 and at the same time, the story of his dad’s experiences 22 years earlier in 1986. His dad, Kurenai Otoya, is Takeda’s character and at a lot of points in the series is almost a co-protagonist.

They did a pretty good job casting a realistic father-and-son pairing, I’d say.

I’m not usually a big fan of this particular type of shag hairdo that was big in Japan in the 2000s but I’d say they’re both pulling it off quite well here. 

According to an interview I read, Takeda was pretty inexperienced when he played Otoya and as a result he started out overacting a bit, but the showrunners really liked how it worked–basically, Otoya is an over-the-top dude anyway. Otoya is an interesting character. He’s this overconfident, sometimes irritating wannabe womanizer who wears some seriously loud blazers (it’s the 80s, after all), but he’s also a highly skilled violinist and violin-maker who ends up making some huge sacrifices for the people he loves. In a lot of ways he’s the polar opposite of Takeda’s character Nozue in Old Fashion Cupcake.

(In case you’re wondering about the gif above, father and son are in the same timeline briefly because of some magical shenanigans here.)

Toward the end of Kiva, Takeda also (briefly) plays Wataru’s son/Otoya’s grandson, Kurenai Masao, who has traveled back in time to help his dad. Apparently in the future we’ll all be wearing a whole lot of bobby pins.

I didn’t realize until after I had started watching Old Fashion Cupcake that Takeda was also in Kamen Rider Build. I’m about a fifth of the way into that series but Takeda’s character has only been around for a short time. I’m really enjoying him, though, and I think the difference in Takeda’s skill level between the two shows is really palpable.

The basic premise of Build is that after an expedition to Mars, a mysterious cube (the “Pandora Box”) is brought back to Earth, a weird light comes out of the cube that changes people, and a wall springs out of the ground that divides Japan into three subregions that end up at war. The mechanism for the characters to transform into Kamen Rider forms involves human beings that are subjected to experiments using stuff from Mars that alters them and allows them to use these objects to transform. Sawatari Kazumi, Takeda’s character, owns a large farm before the Mars cube disaster, but environmental effects of the disaster make his land tainted and infertile. He spends all of his remaining money trying to support the workers from his farm that are now out of work, then basically goes into the villain business to try to pay the bills. It’s pretty clear he’s not going to be a villain forever. I’m on episode 20 (of 49–these shows are long) and it seems like he could join the good guys any time now. (Recognize the other two dudes below? I’ll talk more about that in a bit.)

Sawatari is super different from both Otoya and Nozue, so viewing the three together really can’t help but make you appreciate Takeda’s versatility. Sawatari puts up a very tough front most of the time, except when it comes to Misora, who is part of the main character’s core group but also has another identity as an online “idol” (kind of like an influencer, I guess) called Mii-tan. Sawatari is a Mii-tan fan with a huge crush on her. He seems oddly naïve for someone who is basically a mercenary, and she brings that side of him out in a big (and extremely goofy) way.

Sawatari is also the butchest character I’ve seen Takeda play, which is fun in some ways but not in others. On the latter end, his wardrobe on Build is his most boring I’ve seen as he wears slight variations on the same parka-and-mottled-pants combo nonstop. But on the plus side, he gets to do a lot of fighting, trash talking, and sneering and since it’s Takeda it’s all pretty cute. 

My favorite thing about Sawatari so far is his “henshin” sequence so I’ll talk about that for a moment. Transforming characters are a big theme in tokusatsu, and often when we talk about that genre folks are referring more to the suit transformation type shows as opposed to straight kaiju movies like Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, etc. that are also considered tokusatsu. Having an actor disappear and then someone in a masked suit appear in their place requires some kind of neat transition in order to make it work, and these transition sequences usually have a lot of visual interest and meaning built into them.

Characters usually have something they say when they transform, like a word or catchphrase. In Ultraman shows, they usually yell out their Ultraman name. In the Kamen Rider franchise, the tradition (usually upheld) is for characters to simply say “henshin,” meaning “transform.” They usually have some kind of transformation item (in Kamen Rider it’s usually in the form of a belt) and they have a set of actions or gestures they do just before they change. Then different kinds of effects, often CGI, are used to show the normal human being turning into their masked fighter form. Below is a nice example of a henshin move by someone BL fans might recognize, Naito Shuichiro from Kamen Rider Saber and Senpai, This Can’t Be Love.

Apparently, from some things I’ve watched and read, the actors on these shows seem to come up with their own pre-henshin moves. Takeda apparently put quite a bit of thought into his, according to one interview snippet I read. It makes sense because when he transformed in Kiva (only rarely), his henshin routine was kind of dull (sorry!).

I can just imagine him thinking in the intervening years about how he’d do it a second time if he had the chance.

Well, it paid off because Sawatari’s henshin sequence is right up there with the best I’ve seen in my Kamen Rider viewing. The whole thing has an insolent quality and he tops it off with a beckoning finger that looks like he’s flipping his opponent off (which I take it he sort of is, because supposedly beckoning to someone in the American style is considered extremely rude and demeaning in Japan). Basically, it’s like the “fuck you” version of henshin and it makes him look like a badass. It’s also, frankly, pretty hot.

The gif above is just a snippet so I recommend the longer clip below if you want to see the whole thing.

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While I’m at it, here’s his first scene, when all the audience knows is that he’s a mysterious surly cutie.

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If anyone reading this decides to try watching one of Takeda’s Kamen Rider series without being familiar with the franchise, I have one thing I’d suggest keeping in mind. This is just my take so others may not agree. I’ll refrain from theorizing about why this is in this post but I’ll just say I have some thoughts.  The first 10-15 episodes of most tokusatsu shows tend to get bogged down in worldbuilding, introductions, team formations, and other things that can get tiresome quickly. But this is only a relatively small portion of an entire series since they tend to go for 50ish episodes, like I mentioned above. My advice is that if you check out one of these shows and aren’t feeling it at first, you should give it a chance to get to that 15 episode mark and then see how it seems to you. You can always skip around if you have to in order to get to the point where things get juicier.

One last note–in addition to Takeda being on Kamen Rider Build, it also features two other actors that BL fans might know. The first is Inukai Atsuhiro from The Man Who Defies the World of BL and Kei x Yaku: Dangerous Buddy (which I’m not really familiar with but I think I remember hearing it was sort of an almost-BL where the Bs never end up in L?). He plays the protagonist Kiryu Sento, whose Rider form is Kamen Rider Build. Kiryu definitely has a certain level of sassiness in common with Mob from TMWDtWoBL, but he has a lot more agency in his life and the stakes are higher than whether or not he’s going to fall in L with a B.

Also, Akaso Eiji from Cherry Magic plays Banjo Ryuga, another main character who eventually becomes a Rider. His character in Build is extremely different from Adachi Kiyoshi—he’s a boxer and an impulsive meathead type, albeit one with a heart of gold and all that. A far cry from his shy cutie persona in Cherry Magic. His character also usually has some sort of tiny French braid situation going on with his hair but I’ve spared y’all from having to look at that for the moment.

If you’re curious about any other actors who are in the middle of the BL/tokusatsu Venn diagram, or just found this interesting, let me know. I might do a few more posts of this type.

[shortpplfedup]

My School President Episode 3: Fantasy of love

Y'all, I was in love from the first episode, but now I'm REALLY in love. As a lover of musicals, I'm geeked at the nods to the conventions of the genre, including the (sorta) dream ballet this ep. As a lover of BL the references and homages to the pillars of the genre (2gether, Bad Buddy and Gaya Sa Pelikula all get a nod in this episode) are so fun. As a lover of sharply-written romcoms, the quick pace, assured storytelling and subverting of expectations are keeping me on my toes! The slow unveiling of the depths of this story is giving me the very best of Bad Buddy (unsurprising given the crew behind it all worked on BB). This week we discover that Tinn's one-sided crush may not be so one-sided after all, and tropes are skewered in a series of fantasy vs. reality side-by sides.

Verse: Come live with me and be my love

The way you make me feel (The way you make me feel) You really turn me on (You really turn me on) You knock me off of my feet (You knock me off of my feet) My lonely days are gone (My lonely days are gone)

Michael Jackson | The Way You Make Me Feel (1987)

So what I'm starting to get here is that Tinn is just as dumb as Gun, just in a different direction and I love that for us. This is not morosexual4idiot, this is dummy4dummy. If it wasn't for Tiw, Tinn wouldn't be making an ounce of progress in his plans to woo Gun into being his boyfriend, because his plans are...how do you say...DEAD STUPID. They're that meme with the question marks at step 3 somehow leading to the desired outcome at step 4, except that the question marks start at step 1. Throwing Tinn and Gun together in a domestic setting alone for a whole week allows them to actually get to know each other some, because these boys don't really know each other very well. The enforced proximity of the week alone together lets Gun see Tinn as something other than the hardass he thinks is making his life hell, and lets Tinn take Gun off the pedestal he has him on.

Chorus: Expectation vs. reality

I want to love you (P.Y.T.) Pretty young thing You need some loving (T.L.C.) Tender love and care And I'll take you there

Michael Jackson | P.Y.T. (1982)

That week of domesticity also allows Tinn's daydreams to go full unhinged. Man oh man Tinn is fighting for his life and losing badly. I love how this show uses dream sequences to give us kilig moments that wouldn't make sense for the narrative at all, but work perfectly in a dream. And because they set up the use of dream sequences literally from the beginning, these don't feel like cheats at all, just part of the storytelling style, a way into the characters' heads that isn't narration.

What Tinn's daydreams also show is how he fails at every attempt to babygirl Gun (via an increasingly hilarious series of cheesy flirtation moves), but Gun handily babygirls Tinn without even trying. Gun turning the rice thing around on Tinn totally unawares (or was he?), and saving him with the ballroom dance...Tinn's giggly and swoony reactions are total babygirl.

Bridge: Dance with me

Out on the floor There ain't nobody there but us Girl, when you dance There's a magic that must be love Just take it slow 'Cause we got so far to go

Michael Jackson | Rock With You (1979)

In the end, Gun may not be as oblivious as he seems, at least not anymore. The flirty heart to heart he and Tinn have in the pool, and the dance they share there create enough of an atmosphere that Gun feels comfortable inviting Tinn to share the bed, and Tinn feels comfortable accepting. And then Tinn asks Gun if he could look him in the eyes, and it's GAME ON. Tinn has been too shy to hold Gun's gaze, and he wants to challenge himself to look him in the eye, but he also he wants Gun to look, really look at him. And when Gunn does look at him? Gun's little oh moment…is this gonna become a mutual secret crush story? PLEASE DEAR GOD LET THIS BECOME A MUTUAL SECRET CRUSH STORY.

Ad Libs

Mark Pakin is playing the perfect straight man in this sea of absolute clowns. That's that Nadao talent shining through. Looks like everybody wants him on their team too, he's going to be the busiest man of 2023.

When Gun hugged Tinn after the exam I'm pretty sure I saw his soul leave his body, and the look on Tiw's face was INCREDIBLE.

Tiw in general might be my favourite character in a cast full of characters I love unreservedly. Every time Gun shows off the two marbles knocking together that functions as his thought process, Tiw's like 'really? this guy? I mean, I got you bro but...are you sure?'

When even Pat looks at Gun like 'bruh...I knew you were dumb but this is a lot' 🤣

Tinn's dad being like 'yes, get out of here so I can shag your mom in the kitchen like we used to before you came along' is peak counting-down-to-an-empty-nest behaviour.

Chinzhilla washing the wrong car...🤣

Fourth is the most adorable kid, I just wanna squish him and set him up with my baby cousins.

The Bad Buddy DNA looks like it continues next week with the catalyst character entering the story.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - New & Old Tropes Galore

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized sorta by favs in each category.

Sept 2023 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Fri grey) ep 7 of 12 - occasionally I forget that Yai is like 20 and this is his first love affaire. That poem bit gave me very Goethe vibes. Lots of doomed lesbians in this ep. Doomed love in general. Frankly? I was hoping for more oil less sad. Also, these two are making some v stupid mistakes. Also: MORE boys dancing.

Finally... who was it wanted a rain kiss? You got your rain kissing here, okay? No umbrellas to be had, apparently.

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 7 of 12 - I love them so much. They are so darn adorable. I like how forthright Kang is. Boy has no game and is such a dork but at least he's enthusiastic. I love the “my boyfriend smells good” trope that BL is into these days. I’m into it, too. The bff enemies drunken bathroom shenanigans was v funny. Also @heretherebedork your boys are couple dancing all over the damn place this week.

I guess we get the boyfriends ep next week?

Hidden Agenda (Sun YT) ep 12fin - The conflict really kind of wasn’t in this last ep. But I guess it was a fine, if not a particularly strong, ending. I wish we’d had the family conflict threaded throughout the series. It would have felt like a deeper more honest drama and the actors could have handled it. They’re ready. How pretty were Joong’s single picturesque crystal tears? Honestly, it's been lovely, boys. Not at all memorable, but lovely.

Quick pitch Hidden Agenda: 

A relatively simple and harmless old-fashioned style university Thai BL, that started out Cyrano de Bergerac style but then drifted away into forgetfulness. It felt like it could have fit into the En of Love universe, except that it was high quality GMMTV with very pretty makeup. I enjoyed it for what it was, it's just that wasn’t much. 8/10 RECOMMENDED

Naughty Babe (Sat YT) ep 5 of 8 - Am I mostly watching this for Est and annoyed he doesn’t have a pair? Yes. (Am I writing a whole revenge plot in my head: "seduced to the good side by my enemy's hot bodyguard" with him and the Tem character? Yes. Yes I am. But that’s way too KinnPorsche for this show.) That said, MaxNat really are a great pair. Nice that Dio is figuring out how evil his own family is. Weirdly, I kind of like this speculation that if gay marriage were legal rich families would use it for arranged-marriage power plays. Can you imagine what China would do with this concept if they had access to it? 

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 7 of 8 - The morning after was sweet, I do like it when we get these scenes in BL. FYI no one misgendered Bojji except the caption writer. The screaming "discovery" scene was adorable. And I am very much falling in love with all of the side characters. I also love how aggressive Yang is, like he stepped out of a 2016 Chinese BL into Thailand. And I adore the main brother relationship.

I have to say, this is going to be a difficult BL for me to review. I didn’t like the first 4 episodes but it seems like I’m going to love the final 3. I’m actually really looking forward to the finale next week. Boy, do I feel strange about this. In other news, is it just me or is it weird to get a gay kiss from Ngern almost 10 years later? How late is too late for smooching a boy? 

Never too late...

Absolute Zero (Thai Weds iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally brings us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance based on the novel of the same name. I think we can expect this to be sad (so it will likely slide down my list as I become more confident about this). Mix is a great actor, so I’m not worried about that aspect, but I am warning you this won’t be your classic fluffy Thai BL. It’s a bit slow moving for me so far. Meanwhile, a revelation:

Thai high school BL is all about the hands. I blame Love Sick.

FYI the outdoor movie they watch is Love of Siam Thailand’s first real queer movie, also featured in My Only 12%.

I'm in trouble, Ongsa is such a sunshine cutie and Sansoon is so lost and sad. Pretty sure I won’t have the patience for 12 episodes of this, but I’ll stick with it for now because a pair like this is yaoi-induced catnip for me.

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 8 of 10 - Ah, Ray, baby, you can’t get what you want if you want the wrong thing. Also, corruption charges much? Is Ray turning into Ton or is that just me? I still hold that Jenny’s is the only story I actually wanted. Although, I did enjoy the two bi boys bonding over Freddie. GMMTV sure is making good use of Title now that they got him away from Wabi Sabi and I’m NOT mad about it (4 shows & counting). Under ordinary circumstances, I probably would have dropped this show by now. But something keeps dragging me back.

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) Right Time Right You ep 6 - This couplet ended up feeling like an amateurish short. It was interesting in that way shorts can sometimes push into unusual territory, but very slow. My favorite so far, but that’s not saying much since we've only had 3. Kinda amorphous ending. 5/10 watch it if you have nothing better to do. Next week's looks pretty but silly: You Are My Soulmate.

Venus in the Sky (Tues iQIYI) 5 of 10 eps - I don’t understand the bit with the girl, car & eyebrows. Was that all just ad copy? This show is so bad I’m mostly fast forwarding now. I mean the leads are cute and earnest but that’s it. NO SINGING! And... nothing happened this ep. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) ep 7-8 of 13(?) - Buckle up I got A LOT to say. Ep 7 was the boyfriends ep! Look there’s a a lot of problematic going on here by western standards: age gap (FYI age of consent in Taiwan is 16) + teacher+student, but if you’ve been reading this blog for a while you should know that Taiwan likes both high heat and taboo content (and so do I) plus (unlike Mame) they just lean lube into those kinks. And I, for one, am delighted. I talk about taboo in terms of age gap here and stepbrothers here. I’ve never done teacher/ student because we don’t get it often enough (insert sad face). These are not things that I’m going to complain about or rehash, so, moving on...

I found a lot to love about ep 7: tie grabs, smiley kisses, communication, being held down, younger aggressor, AND preliminary research= all good things. They even brought in morning aftercare, and shared trauma! I love a show that’s both unexpected yet entirely classic Taiwanese BL. I love that the family appeared as a plot device and then disappeared again. It’s all highly amusing.

Gaga dropped ep 8 a week early, I’m assuming this was a mistake since they skip next week. But hey! 

Ep 8: def uhaul lesbians. Also cute queer fam moment. Ring finger biting = v hawt. Then of course it all goes south. Tres romantic means of taking the rap, gotta say. No one does gay sappy quite like Taiwan. Also, now we know why he loses his memory and Ai Di has to go in after him. Honestly, I’m not pleased to see yet another amnesia trope raise its ugly… head (why so many this year?). But it seems to be this year's trend. 

And I know there is more trauma coming, but in classic Taiwan fashion it’s all gonna be fine in the end even if that HEA is chaotic and entirely unearned. Don't worry, all. We good.

You Are Mine (Taiwan Fri Gaga) eps 4 of 10 - Oh noes, sunshine has a cold. And not from the rain... just, like, a normal cold. Amazing. But then when baby gets kidnapped, daddy gets v mad. Honestly, I am charmed by the show. It is very old-fashioned "domineering CEO puts little lady up against the wall" and it’s Taiwan, and thus I am not mad about it. This is what we would be getting from Mainland China if China we’re still making pulp BL. I am disposed to simply enjoy the utter "80s bodice ripper but gay"-ness of it all.

Bon Appetit (Korea Weds iQIYI) 1-2 of 8 - from 2022. If you have premium icky VIP you can binge it all now. I don’t, so instead I’m watching it 2 new episodes every Weds. Struggling heartbroken loser-ish office worker who lives off junk food + sunshine neighbor who loves to cook (from his past with a long-held crush). Also there is a "love class" element. Why does Korea like this conceit so much? Do their universities really engage in socialization training? Gotta say I’m getting whiffs of stalker... but only whiffs. Basically, this show is going poster child “way to a man’s heart is through his stomach“. Bit too much flashback, but I like that our chef is open about liking a boy, and I like that they remember things differently and in alignment with their own egos. And I like that we got a confession already. Ah KBL, it is nice to watch something that MUST move plot quickly. 

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 6 of 8 - Jealous weatherman is ridiculous. Japan = queen of “why don’t you guys just talk?” 

Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 2 - Ba Vinh & Minh Thao reprising their roles as Dung & Khoa what do we think? 8 eps? 10? We got the stepbrothers (or whatever they are) backstory. Also My Prettiest Cat-boy does certifiable nutcake v well. Psychopath looks hot on him.  

It's Airing But...

Crazy Handsome Rich (Sun Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - The sound. No. DNF 

I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan Tues Netflix-Japan & ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be.

Unfortunately I Cannot Reach You, in classic JBL fashion, could not be reached. 

In case you missed it?

Viki dropped Our Dating Sim the movie. I didn’t notice any extra footage and they took out all the in game/high school flashback stingers. At first, I didn’t really miss them but by the end of the movie I really did. So this is going to be one of those rare KBL instances where I recommend sticking to the original series over the repackaged movie.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming October BL

10/1 Can I Buy Your Love From A Vending Machine? AKA Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka? (Japan cinema release in-country only) - This one is a movie from Japan so in customary fashion who tf knows when (or if) it will get international distribution. Salaryman Ayumu Koiwai just can't tear his eyes away from the strong, muscular man as he checks on the stocks of the vending machine in his office.

10/5 If It’s With You AKA Even If I Fall In Love With You AKA Kimi to nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo’ (Japan Gaga) - from MBS a live action adaptation of Kubota Maru’s manga ‘君となら恋をしてみても. Amane has stopped loving people due to trauma until he meets Ryuji. At first Amane just wants to play with Ryuji but… feelings. I am assuming 8 eps and rumored to be taking Weatherman's spot so that date is likely wrong.

10/6 What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) - 4th installment in this series (1st series, 1 special, 1 movie prior) about a lawyer who lives with his boyfriend, a hairdresser, and cooks for him. Season 2 will follow the couple as they enter their 50’s. Slice-of-life drama adapted from a beloved manga series of the same name.

10/6 My Beautiful Man: Eternal AKA Utsukushii Kare Eternal (Japan movie Viki & Gaga) - This is the 3rd and final installment the series. The 2nd season didn’t blow me away the way the 1st did, but I still liked it. I'm looking forward to the finale. I hope we get character growth for a change.

10/31 SHADOW (Thai VIU ????) - this is a horror BL featuring ghosts and other paranormal elements in a high school setting. I'm not wild about Thai horror (or horror at all, but if it must be done in BL let Japan do it). It features Singto (who did paranormal BL He's Coming to Me) opposite Fluke N (who's done a couple horror's before). Also Fiat. Dan suffers from sleep paralysis, and in his dreams he sees a shadow that suffocates him. It gets worse when he transfers schools.

October? Bump Up Project AKA Bump Up Business (Korea ????) - BL staring OnlyOneOf that released(??) as a movie in July but is now being recut and reissued as a series. Stars NineMill and from Idol Romance bulled as a love story between a trainee who is about to debut and a celebrity from the same agency (based on a webtoon). OnlyOneOf have been auditioning for this since Libido IMHO. You can watch me chronicle their BL MV work in this post. Idol Romance will do sad but can do good kisses (Wish You, Nobleman Ryu, Once Again, Kissable Lips, Poongduck 304, Tasty Florida, Tinted With You) but I don't think we will get any in this. After that OmegaX Shoulder bullshizz buisness I am very wary of this show.

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

There was a ton of truly great stuff in this week's Kiseki, but this was hands down my favorite. (Pun intended.)

Oh and the neck kisses of course.

I LOVE HIM your honor.

GMMTV's ongoing love affair with the scent trope.

Calling out out new couple's dance trope. (Both Dangerous Romance)

(Last week) 

[domokunrainbowkinz]

fuck it. have some more manhwa posting:

pearl boy (18+): I did NOT expect to like this one so much like if you told me 3 days ago that a comic about a boy who cums pearls will make me tear up and almost cry on multiple occasions i would've laughed in your face. the art is a little rough in the beginning but it improves by MILES and the current artstyle is so gorgeous. the relationship between the 2 leads is SO SO GOOD, they are the definition of ride or die, by ch 20 i was ready to kill everyone and then myself if anything happened to them. dooshik and jooha are so much fun, and their interactions are just *chefs kiss* they are so good man. I am a little iffy about the ending, but the side stories are making up for it (it's nice to see how jooha would've fallen in love without The Horrors looming over him). controversial opinion but I was pretty eehhhh about the sex scenes, especially bc there is A LOT of SA and sexual violence in general in the series (not between the 2 characters, they're just literally chased by the worst people ever), so even when the 2 leads are having nasty disrespectful consensual banging a part of me is like :/. despite my gripes with the ending and some of the events in the series, i still thought it was a good read. I really do hope the side stories give dooshik a chance to like heal bc I don't think he's doing so hot 😔

pizza delivery man and the golden palace (18+): I originally wasn't gonna read this one bc of the goofy ass title but it was surprisingly very sweet?? it was very nice to see 2 people at their low points meet and help each other with their issues and to heal. I really enjoyed s1, however I heard s2 isn't that good and that it unfortunately falls into a lot of typical BL tropes (derogatory), but I will hold out judgement until I finish the 2nd season.

under the green light (18+): mannnn this one is good. I originally stopped reading bc Matthew creeped me out and gave me the ick (he doesn't do anything bad, he's just a little creepy), but I decided to continue bc I love jin (I am forever biased towards confident snarky characters). I'm really glad I kept with it bc there actually was an explanation for why matthew became so fixated on jin that made me go "OHH....that makes a lot of sense". rly curious to see where the story is going, it's a mafia story so ofc I got my popcorn READY.

a tree without roots (18+): the first scene of the first chapter starts off with a bang and really sets the tone of the story, like they literally slap u over the head with "hey!!!! this is a fucked up story turn back now!!!" before flashing back 8 years, so now you're left with the question of "good lordt what HAPPENED???". as someone who likes fucked up stories and is biased towards obsessive characters, I really enjoyed s1, and I'm curious to see where s2 is going. my 1 gripe is that taekyung is a little dumb when it comes to his treatment of heeseo, like i sorta get it, but also dude...there's DEFINITELY a better way this could've been handled. anyways huge warning for non-con/dub-con between the 2 characters if u decide to check it out.

uncanny charm: I dropped this one bc I found it a little boring, it has a really interesting premise and is also a modern-day supernatural romance, but something about it just didn't click with me. the relationship between the 2 characters was pretty lukewarm, and I'm also not a huge fan of the artstyle.

limited run (18+): dropped this one bc I don't like the MC or the ML, their relationship is just bizarre and weird to me. I wasn't invested in anything that was happening, and the ML's thought process makes no sense to me. idk man I just don't like stories where the MC is like helpless or passive about their situation and grow a spine!!! weakness is not tolerated in this house >:(

cry me a river (18+): dropped bc once again I don't like the MC for being passive and weak. I got baited into reading this one bc the ML is very very pretty, but unfortunately good art is not enough for me to continue a series. once again the relationship between the 2 characters is just weird, what is it with ML's being unable to like idk express emotion?? or communicate?? anyways I also did not give a shit abt what happened so 👁👅👁

nerd project (18+): I really liked this one!! it's a fun fluffy college story about a drama and biotech student. the banter and interactions between them are such a delight to read, but I cannot BELIEVE they ended s1 in the middle of a sex scene what the fuck man 😭