#Our Dining Table Meta

[halliescomut]

Our Dining Table: Costuming Analysis

Alright…week 3..4?? of me begging you to watch Our Dining Table. No spoilers in this one, I actually wanna talk about one of my favorite underrated things in TV shows…wardrobe and costuming.

I’m going to be focused on the wardrobe of Minoru and Yutaka, but I’ll also touch on Tane and Koji (who I may also call Papa).

Wardrobe is one of the most fascinating things to me about film and television, but it is especially important in television (I think) because TV shows more often show a day-to-day story.  There may be time jumps, but in general you’re following these characters through daily life.  Character costuming is intended to not stand out unless that’s the point (see Tankhun) but instead add additional dimension to each character and enhance the information being presented by the script, actors, and director.

Looking at Yutaka first, what we know about Yutaka is that he is fairly simple, not very gregarious, quite kind, and from a monetarily privileged upbringing. He works a steady job, I would imagine likely has a college degree, and while he may be a mid-level employee, he’s probably making a decent salary. His clothing you see throughout the show is often simple, we don’t see loud patterns or a lot of color, he generally sticks with neutrals across the board, which makes it simpler for him to build perfectly fine outfits. His clothing is generally very neat, seems to most often be natural fibers, making it comfortable to an extent.  It also appears to be more on the expensive end, not designer, but not Walmart.

So, what does this tell us about Yutaka? He’s not really interested in appearing fashionable, his clothing allows him to blend in, not be noticed, which we’ve seen is kind of his preference. He takes pride in looking well put together but doesn’t necessarily want to put in a large amount of effort. The natural fibers tell us that comfort matters a bit more than style, but also that he’s not going out of his way to buy something markedly expensive. Touching back on the expense, with his history and being from a fairly privileged family, my interpretation (which is based on experience with friends) is that he’s not seeking out buying expensive clothing for prestige, but more just shopping at the stores he’s used to going to, the stores his parents would have taken him to.  A secondary benefit is that he’s buying higher quality clothing that with care is going to last him a fairly long time, which means less having to shop for replacements.

Moving to Minoru, but also the Ueda family as a whole. They’re clearly a working-class family, but may not be financially struggling, but more just coasting to a certain extent. The family as a whole wears some brighter colors, mostly Tane by the simple fact that he’s a child and children’s clothing is often colorful. I’m not going to say their clothing is unfashionable, because that’s too much of a subjective term, but more I’ll say that it’s serviceable, especially the adults. Papa and Minoru both wear comfortable basic clothing items, rarely anything ‘fancy’. We don’t see slacks, or neatly pressed clothing, just comfortable basics. Minoru tends to stick with cargo pants, jeans and sweats, with cotton t-shirts and hoodies.  Any of these items could be looked at and seen as well used, or possibly even purchased secondhand. In Minoru’s case specifically, it’s likely that much of the clothing is pieces he’s had for several years, as he’s a young adult and isn’t having to purchase new items to accommodate for regular growth spurts.

So, what does this say about Minoru? Comfort is high on his level of importance with his clothing. While his clothing is always clean, not in need of repair, or clearly mended, which indicates that he takes care of his clothes, but also doesn’t feel pressed to make a single item last as long as possible. Again, with the natural fibers, which promotes the individual comfort of the wearer, but also conveys a sense of comfort and softness to the viewer. We’re far more likely to think of someone as comforting wearing a soft, worn sweatshirt versus an itchy wool sweater. By their ages, which are fairly similar, we do also see Minoru looking slightly more juvenile, which could be indicative of him continuing to wear clothing from his teen years because it’s still in perfectly good condition for wear. What look to be the newest items he wears are his coats and jackets and his uniform at the ramen shop, which you can attribute to a combination of outerwear generally being worn less often, meaning less wear and tear, and the likelihood that his uniform is provided by his employer, and therefore replaced whenever it’s worn to a point where they deem it unwearable.

Looking at Tane, his style matches that of his father and brother in that he’s seen wearing very comfortable clothes. There’s occasionally some mismatching going on, which for his age (I’m guessing around 6) could be just because he’s dressing himself or because Minoru and Papa don’t care if he’s mismatched…or both honestly. His clothes, noticeably to me, look to be slightly better quality than what we see on Minoru. They also obviously look newer, but Tane is likely only just getting to the stage where his growth has plateaued to the point that he might wear out an item of clothing before he grows out of it. I also don’t see much cohesion in the styles or themes of his clothes, which to me implies that they’re letting Tane pick a lot of his clothing in the store, versus them picking it out. Generally, when parents purchase clothing for their kids, they stick to the colors and styles that they themselves feel comfortable in. Going off Minoru that would mean Tane in sportswear like sweatshirts, track pants, etc.; maybe jeans but with limited funds, items with more give, would be preferable. Tane also has some ‘nicer’ clothing as well, not necessarily formal, but whatever the child equivalent of business casual would be (I would call them church clothes).

So, what can we read from Tane’s clothing? It’s in good condition, fits well, contains a few what I would call department store pieces, which are slightly more expensive than what we see on Minoru and Papa. This indicates he’s well cared for and that new good quality clothing for him is prioritized over other members of the household. The mismatching, and not so cohesiveness of the wardrobe overall indicates that he’s probably allowed to pick his own clothing and outfits regularly. In some cases, combined with other things, this could indicate lack of adult involvement, but here it’s mostly likely meant to imply that Minoru and Koji are encouraging Tane’s independence, and helping him learn to be self-sufficient (which is in line with general cultural norms of Japan).

Papa, or Koji, now we get to a little more fun. Of all the characters, Koji’s wardrobe and costuming is the most interesting to me and generally the most interesting to look at. His wardrobe, like the rest of the Ueda family is comfortable, well-worn, but also includes far more traditional Japanese cultural pieces than Minoru and Tane, who wear majority 'western’ styles. His clothing is often mismatched outside of the occasions where we see him wearing a full outfit. The styles we see of western clothing is along more classical lines, as opposed to ‘trendy’ pieces.

Looking at what this information is meant to impart, we see some repetition of course, the desire for comfort over being fashionable, serviceable clothing that shows wear as well as care. The inclusion of traditional Japanese clothing pieces emphasizes the generational divide, but also I think serves as an intentional counterpoint to Papa’s clearly accepting nature. As this is a queer story, the audience would have some concern over the possibility of him not accepting Minoru and Yutaka’s relationship. The mismatching outside of full outfits that don’t require decision-making to match, tells us that Koji doesn’t particularly care about looking ‘good’ especially while at home, as we actually only see him in the Ueda house. The classic styles of his western clothing I think serve a two-fold purpose.  The most important is I think an indication of how he is able to be both traditional and modern in his mindset. He can respect and appreciate the traditions and styles of his culture and want to keep those alive without perpetuating outdated discrimination. A common phrase you see in the western vintage clothing community is “Vintage clothing not vintage values”, which I think gets my point across a little better and definitely more succinctly.  The second purpose is that it makes it difficult to determine when a piece would have been bought. Take the polo shirt he’s wearing- the viewer would have no way of knowing if it was purchased in 1984, 2006, or 2019 outside of physically inspecting it (and having a remarkably in-depth knowledge of polo shirts).  We also wouldn’t know if it was purchased new, at a discount shop, or second-hand.

I’m going to make a brief stopover to talk about Yutaka’s adoptive family, just to give some context. All dress very similarly to Yutaka, expensive, higher-end clothing, but not ostentatious. They follow a similar muted color palette of mostly neutrals as well. I would note that Yuki’s clothing is more well-fitted than Yutaka’s perhaps not tailored, or not always tailored, but probably actively tried on in stores where Yutaka would likely just buy the size he knows usually fits and if it’s a little loose who cares. Bottom line is Yuki is a man who strikes me as someone who knows what his inseam length is while Yutaka may not even know what an inseam is.

The Evolution of Yutaka’s clothing through the series

Yutaka’s sense of fashion doesn’t necessarily change, but you can see a progression in him through his clothing. We get a sense of two Yutaka’s in the beginning: work Yutaka and off-duty Yutaka. His work attire is as expected, your standard salaryman suit with an assortment of bland ties. Occasionally he wears a sweater as well, which makes sense as it’s winter. Off duty Yutaka wears jeans, though nice ones, not worn, no decorative rips, with sweaters and occasionally a button-up as well. We only see him in ‘comfortable’ clothing at home. The first time Minoru sees him in ‘comfortable’ clothing is episode 5, when Tane spills something on his shirt and Minoru gives him a sweatshirt to wear. Seeing Yutaka in that style of clothing is him becoming more comfortable with Minoru. He’s okay with Minoru seeing him at ‘less than his best’. We see it again in the next episode with Minoru coming to take care of a sick Yutaka at his home.

The ‘comfy’ clothes indicate Yutaka’s willingness to be vulnerable in Minoru’s presence. We also see a progression from mostly blacks, whites, and greys to more colors. We start with blue, which makes sense to me, as it’s not outside of Yutaka’s comfort zone, but it’s also a color we see a lot of in the Ueda house. This is a visual indication that Yutaka is not only welcome there, but fits in. He can belong there. I feel it also shows Yutaka becoming a bit braver over the course of the show as well.  In our most recent episode, we see our biggest leap-- THE YELLOW SWEATER. 

Interestingly he wears this sweater to his parent’s house. Seeing him in that space…he doesn’t fit in there anymore. That house is all cool-tone neutrals, but that’s not Yutaka anymore. He’s come to life. And do we even need to talk about the metaphor of him taking off the neutral greige jacket and showing that sunshine yellow underneath? Right before he reveals to his brother that he’s found his place, that he’s found himself??? He’s not going through the motions of trying to fit in, he’s not attempting to blend into the background. Oh! It’s beautiful!!  Not to mention we see Tane in yellow throughout the show, which I believe makes the yellow sweater a little bit of a nod to Tane’s youthful kind spirit helping bring life to Yutaka.

In a final wrap up I want to discuss what is one of my favorite things to see in serialized television and that is outfit repeating…or at least clothing pieces repeating. It’s not something you see a lot of in television, though you see it more in long running or serialized television in the west, because wardrobe and costuming can be expensive.  But I specifically appreciate it when you’re dealing with working-class characters. It’s impractical for a character who supposedly depends on their job to live to have an entire new outfit every single day.  Having limited wardrobes for characters and showing items worn repeatedly adds to the realism of a show. It also enables you to add personality. As in real life a character would wear their favorite items of clothing a bit more often. We see Yutaka repeat whole outfits, which probably means that he’s not really thinking about making unique fashion choices, but instead just knows what goes together to look presentable. With Minoru you see different items of clothing repeated but never a whole outfit (outside of his work uniform). But you also don’t see anything that looks contrived or like an attempt at a fashionable or cohesive outfit, which indicates a lack of concern about fashion, but also a lack of concern of other’s perception. He doesn’t care what other people think about the way he dresses; it just isn’t something that has occurred to him at all.

Well, I hope you enjoyed. I don’t know if this will have encouraged you to watch the show, but I certainly hope you will.

NOTE: Many pics were pulled from various posts here, and I wanted to give credit. Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4, Link 5, Link 6, Link 7, Link 8, Link 9, Link 10, Link 11, Link 12, Link 13, Link 14

[waitmyturtles]

Okay, okay, omg. My wee brain is at max at the moment. I’m on a work trip at the moment, so this will be shorter than usual, but also, I’m far too overwhelmed with the discovery about the Bad Buddy x ATOTS crossover that will take place over two weeks starting next week, so like -- my itty heart is like, whoa whoa!

AND THEN THERE’S OUR DINING TABLE, that comes in like the cutest machete in the world, being awl like, yeah gurl, we are going to just take you down once and for all, all while you’re all already emotional and shit. GREAT!

No, actually, no complaints. I’m insanely excited for Pran and Pat to come back, and deeply thrilled that Our Dining Table continues to best out the current competition. Best episode yet. Our Dining Table, episode 8, thoughts:

Again, continuing to be such an empathetic show to dear Yutaka, who really needed this entire episode to process everything that was happening to him. I loved that last line of the episode: “How am I going to deal with these things?” IT WAS SO HONEST TO HIS PROCESS FOR THIS ENTIRE EPISODE.

I really liked how Minoru DIDN’T panic at Yutaka’s needing time and quiet to understand what was happening. 

Besides the use of silence, which continues to be so important to this show -- all of the solo scenes with Yutaka, in his house, in his office -- something that actually moved me was the bright music of the scene where Ueda-san, Minoru, and Tane are outside, throwing the ball. Around Tane, guess what? The adults have to continue adulting and living.

I have to say. As a parent. That’s really hard. If I were Minoru, I would want to curl up in my bed and stay there for days.

With a little kid around, you can’t. (Quick tangent: little baby Tane’s flip-out in the park, when he was laying down, wanting to be picked up? And the ladies were saying, “poor boy?” Come AWN. That was NOTHING. If Japan thinks that was a big freak-out by a toddler, COME TO MY HOUSE AND MEET MY KIDS, sheesh.)

Anyway, ha. With a little kid -- you cannot retreat. I love that when Minoru came back home the second time in the episode, the first thing he asked his dad was -- where’s Tane? That’s parental thinking. The kid comes first.

So I really want to emphasize here, and Ueda-san knows this, too -- Minoru has spent his last few years putting other people first. I think that’s what’s happening between him and Yutaka, too. He kissed Yutaka, for sure, but retreated -- and allowed Yutaka to then set the pace. With Yutaka needing the time to process, Minoru withdrew fully, apologized, and is processing on his own.

He’s in pain, but Minoru is also empathetic to Yutaka’s position, because Minoru has gotten to understand people, at a far younger age than your usual adult, because of the parenting he’s done with Tane. It’s all full circle and SO BEAUTIFUL to me.

@respectthepetty‘s tribute to Ueda-san is so perfect in this moment. Ueda-san is just THERE, and loving, and is a keen parent to know that BOTH his sons need his parenting in this moment.

And. We got to see another angle of the kiss. @troubled-mind -- did you know that it was a side kiss from the manga? I had no idea!

I wish I had more time to deeply analyze this episode, but so be it for this week. That we get this show WITH the BBS and ATOTS reunions -- we are IN THE MOMENT IN BL, FRIENDS, IN. THE. MOMENT.

[indigostarfire]

Our Dining Table episode 6

Thoughts on why this show has such a hold on me and moves me deeply.

First of all the Christmas holiday is painful for both Yutaka and Minoru. Yutaka never felt a part of his family, and Minoru never had any time to do what normal people his age would do, like go to college or pursue a potential love interest. He was too busy working or taking care of Tane. (In dramas Christmas is often depicted as a holiday that couples go out on dates.)

Tane never really knew his mother so Minoru goes out of his way to cook their mother’s unique recipes—ramen fried rice when you’re down and disappointed, or yuzu udon when you’re sick. This is Minoru’s way of letting Tane know their mother. This is how much he loves Tane and how important the family is to Minoru. There are consequences for these choices Minoru has made but he is willing to accept them.

That’s why it’s so lovely at the end of this episode when Minoru makes yuzu udon for our ailing Yutaka. He gets to share a bit of his mother through her food. And then Yutaka responds by saying that the yuzu udon has a “yasashii aji” which literally translates to “kind flavor” and once again I’m teary-eyed. Yutaka is basically saying “what a kind and caring mother you have and I can tell just by eating her food” which not only validates Minoru’s choices but also he gets to see that his mother’s spirit lives on through her food and can touch another individual…someone who is important and who he just happens to be in love with.

Getting back to Christmas, it was painful but everything changes with with the prospect of Yutaka and Minoru spending this day together. Yutaka is included in a family that enjoys and values his company. And for once Minoru has a “taisetsuna” (important) person in his life and who he wants to go on a Christmas date with. Seeing their happy faces is so heartwarming. It just fills me with a deep joy because they are such a healing presence for each other.

Then at the end of this episode there’s that moment when we see that both Yutaka and Minoru bought each other scarves. I burst into tears when I realized that scarves insulate us from the cold and that’s what Yutaka and Minoru do for each other.

Yutaka is insulated from the memories of his cold past, and Minoru is insulated from his cold and isolating present where other people make him feel bad due to Tane’s interruptions or spilling things; this in addition to being unable to pursue a love interest which is isolating because he’s too busy being a caretaker. But they are each other’s scarf. They insulate one another from the cold and isolation, and provide the warmth of a kind and loving heart.

It’s just so beautiful to see the interlocking dynamics of these two characters. How each of their personal wounds rise to the surface but then are healed because of kindness and understanding. And there’s something about how the mundane things in life like cooking and eating can bring people together. Perhaps this is what is so touching and beautiful—that sharing these ordinary, mundane moments with another, can be surprising and make life joyful, heartwarming, and profoundly healing.

[forkaround]

i love reading meta but sometimes it just seems like a stretch. Like good for you for using them braincells but it's not as complicated as you think, you know.

[ineffable-opinions]

How should I reply to this after that awesome opening 「SALAAR サラール」 had in Japan? There would be lot more Prabhas doujin in Comiket after this movie. So much for reclusive Japan taste narrative...

I think AbsoluteBL's confused use of the terms BL and yaoi is very revealing.

Yaoi = [how AbsoluteBL (ABL from here on) uses it] synonym for older ボーイズ ラブ (boys love) manga.

            = [popular use in anglophone BL animanga fandom] BL manga with explicit content; as opposed to shonen ai.

            = [original meaning] mostly derivative works (there were original works too), which were mostly plot-what-plot type, that are self-published (doujinshi). I have italicized yaoi when conveying this meaning.

Boys Love (BL) = [how ABL uses it] newer BL.

            = [popular use in anglophone BL animanga fandom] (yaoi + shonen ai) umbrella term, referring to all BL content.

           = [original meaning] commercially published BL works.

Original Yaoi (BL doujin) is what Nekoyashiki produces and sells at the comic convention in Kabe Sa Doujin Sakka no Neko Yashiki-kun wa Shouninyokkyuu wo Kojiraseteiru (2022) which is based on a BL manga by, Minamoto Kazuki, a gay mangaka (artist).

source - This post has the direct link to all doujin and manga shown in the live action. They are all real and you can purchase them from DL site and other manga websites.

Here are two panels from What Did You Eat Yesterday dj - the live action was based on the seinen manga and does not include these yaoi scenes.

BL seems to be the most popular term among viewers of BL live-action. There isn't any yaoi – shonen ai type bifurcation between live-action content given the limits on what can be shown on screen.

Japan only has the term ‘boys love’ ‘BL’ for all commercially published BL. Meanwhile, anglophone BL animanga fandom uses the terms yaoi and shonen ai to classify works based on sexual content. Please mind that these terms are practically loan words (hence not italicized) with different meanings (so I have italicized yaoi and shonen-ai to convey this) their different usages in past and present Japan.

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I want to quickly mention the Top 10 BLs Out of Japan post. The terminology issue is very prominent in it. ABL classifies Seven Days as a live action yaoi. Seven Days is not a yaoi. Anglophone audience would call it shonen ai since the original manga lacks sexual content. [The manga is way too overrated for fu-people (BL fandom) to mistake it as anything else at this point.] For the Japanese, it is a BL.

Takara-kun and Amagi-kun is also just a BL for the Japanese. It is not a yaoi. It is a shonen ai. But for ABL, it is BL because it belongs to “modernized version of the genre…”

ABL doesn’t stick to own definition, jumping onto yaoi again when referring to Minato’s Laundromat, purportedly a “modern take”. By anglophone categorization, this work is shonen ai - based on (lack of) sexual content. Arguably, the first actual yaoi on the top 10 list is Old Fashion Cupcake. But the adaptation self-censored all explicit sexual content from the manga. They hinted at seme's fixation with oral cavity irrumation (aka throat-fucking) with a thumb in uke's mouth.

My Beautiful Man season one showed fingers in mouth, to hint at the fellatio from the novel it was adapted from. Subsequent season/movie gave clear indication of sexual content but never very explicit.

Cherry Magic, Our Dining Table and Restart After Come Back Home are all adaptations of shonen ai. Life: Love on the Line didn’t adapt to screen any of the sexual content in the yaoi.

My Love Mix-Up! manga is not exactly a BL in publication. It is a shoujo romance with a BL in it. The live action adaptation, however, is marked as a BL and hence can be considered so. By anglophone categorization of BL, it can be considered shonen ai.

Wondering why sexual content is self-censored?

Why so many shonen ai live-action? (commodity fetishism)

BL “Censorship” & Commercialization

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Now back to the post in discussion.

ABL: In yaoi there’s light (sweet, clean, bright, airy) vs dark (erotic, serious, gritty, rough).

There is no such bifurcation in yaoi, or in BL for that matter. Even the yaoi-shonen ai bifurcation doesn’t exist in Japan. [Moreover, what’s with those descriptors attached to “light”? It sounds like we are discussing architecture rather than media. What exactly is “airy” yaoi?]

As for narrative progressions, there are five identifiable ones:

あまあま – sweet

Characterised by smooth progression of ship’s romantic development. There would be no serious threat to the our ship's relationship. Happy ending is assured. Audience’s worldview (世界観) is never threatened. Main characters would be paragons of virtue or at least easily redeemable. It would ensure the most comfortable viewing experience. There are plenty of erotic works with sweet narrative progression, but not any live action.

e.g.: Cherry Magic, Old Fashion Cupcake, Seven Days

2. ユニーク – unique

All the themes discussed in the BL would be treated in a unique manner. It will defy all rules and expectations, but would not necessarily be completely unpredictable. Nothing is guaranteed. Most likely to threaten audiences’ worldview. It is the opposite of sweet BL in a way – opposite of comforting.

e.g.: One Room Angel, Sing in Love

Sing in Love (2022) – it is best to venture into this movie without knowing anything about it. I’ll only recommend it to people who are comfortable with all sorts of themes and treatments and don’t require any kind of content warnings. In case you are interested in watching but unsure about triggering content, feel free to message/ask me.

3. シリアス – serious

The mood as well as themes and their treatment would be serious. Audience’s worldview (世界観) would be threatened but won’t deviate too much. Main characters would be virtuous to an extend or redeemable. It would not necessarily be comforting.

e.g.: Takara-kun and Amagi-kun, No Touching At All

4. 邪道 – evil road (Jadō)

Audience’s worldview (世界観) will be threatened. Characters would do despicable things. Bad ending and meriba (merry bad) ending are the expected outcomes. It would not be comforting.

e.g.: Fujimi Orchestra, Sei no Gekiyaku

5. 王道 - royal road (odo)

Characterised by rough progression of ship’s romantic development with significant ups and downs. Audience would get a rollercoaster ride. There would be serious threats to the couple’s relationship. Happy ending is not assured. Characters may do despicable things. Audience’s worldview (世界観) can be threatened. It would be oddly comforting.

e.g.: Given, The Novelist

source

In the chart:

ほのぼの – heartwarming – Example: Restart After Come Back Home

コメディ – comedy – Cherry Magic

ダーク – dark – Sing in Love

シリアス – serious – Cornered Mouse Dream of Cheese

キュン – exciting (kyun) – Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss

ABL: Generally speaking, the shows that are very light very sweet and very bright, cartoony, with lots of slapstick elements will have little to no sexual contact at all: so Cherry, Mix Up, Ossan, Same Difference, Mr Unlucky, Our Dining Table to fall into this category.

ABL’s assessment of why there is no intimacy between the main couple in certain BL is a misattribution. Most of the works used here as example are either shonen ai or self-censored adaptation. Such self-censorship is driven by commercial motivations. Ossan's Love 2016 had a kiss and a seduction scene, not to mention a harem set-up.

There are plenty of BL that are erotic comedies – which can be considered ‘very light very sweet and very bright, cartoony, with lots of slapstick elements’ – such as Dick Fight Island, Yarichin Bitch Club, Hangout Crisis, and Kimi Ni Koisuru High Heels. Live action adaptation of Cosmetic Playlover could go there but after self-censored adaptations of 25 Ji, Akasaka de, and Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka, I don’t really have any hope.

There are plenty of live action BL that are the opposite of bright and sunny and lack intimacy between the main couple - Kei×Yaku: Abunai Aibou andThe Night Beyond the Tricornered Window. This again is due thanks to self-censorship as an adaptational decision, driven by commercial motivations.

Also “light BL” owes more to yaoi (doujin BL) than to its predecessor shonen-ai (early BL that was published as a shoujo sub-genre; not to be confused with the English loan word "shonen ai"). First ever live action BL was adaptation (Summer Vacation 1999 released in 1988) of the shonen-ai The Heart of Thomas by Hagio Moto and it was very “dark” by ABL’s standard. Moreover, ABL seems to be unaware of both this movie and how sexually explicit some of those shonen-ai manga were.

Also, use of terminology such as “uke” which originated years later, during yaoi boom, when discussing shonen-ai is anachronic. Of course, uke-like androphilic male representation is really old (see this post on customary male androphilia in Japan) but shonen-ai was working with very different takes on gender(s).

A foursome scene from the shonen-ai Zankoku Na Kami Ga Shihai Suru by Hagio Moto

Risqué is Risky

Wide marketing usually involves cutting down on sexual content. It ensures run even in conservative medium, exemplified by the success of What Did You Eat Yesterday manga that was serialized in the magazine for middle-aged men called Morning.

A lot of live action BL, that are not comedies, have been directors’ passion projects – reading manga and deciding to adapt them. There are no lanes in Japan for BL. Directors have been trailblazers. This is bound to continue into the future.

Some notable directors:

Yôka Kusano (草野陽花) - Bokura no Ai no Kanade, Forbidden Love, BL: Boku no Kareshi wo Shokai Shimasu

Satoshi Kaneda (金田敬さん) - Ai no Kotodama (2008), Junjou (2010), Fujimi Orchestra (2012)

Miki Koichiro (三木康一郎) - The Novelist, Given, Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko

Yukisada Isao - The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese (2020)

Some notable screenplay writers:

Takahashi Natsuko - No Touching At All, Seven Days, Silhouette of Your Voice, Does the Flower Bloom?

Kanasugi Hiroko - Takumi-kun Series 1-5 +  Our Kogen Hotel (2013) [no Thailand didn’t invent branded pair], Sukitomo (2007), Udagawachou de Matteteyo, Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai!, Cosmetic Playlover

That being said Dangerous Drugs of Sex (2020) was the first “hard” BL film in Japan. I would be disingenuous to argue that it was Japan sticking to its lanes. It was a whole new sub-genre of live action BL – there has been plenty of anime adaptations of ero-BL but that was the first live action adaptation. It was also a new thing in Japan’s queer media landscape. The mindset of the cast and crew is remarkable, including the MC, Ishiguro from Future comics.

Risqué can be rewarding too.

Dangerous Drugs of Sex was a blockbuster, enjoying long run in theatres and ranking number 1 in Netflix Japan. It stayed true to the explicitness of content and pushed the boundaries enough to bring about convergence between gay pinku cinema and BL.

OP Pictures’ entry into BL genre, The Shortest Distance Is Round movie series, has also been successful. Their new movie Heavens x Candy (2024) is now showing in theatres in Japan. Interestingly, this one is 15+ and not 18+ like their previous franchise – clearly aiming for wider demographics and opportunities to promote. OP’s entry into BL making is internally fu-culture (BL fan culture) driven, mediated by BL fan and AV actor Kasai Ami.

There are many super popular themes and settings, other than ero-comedy, that BL live action is yet to touch - yakuza (with the exception of Double Mints), historical, beast-man, fetish, etc. Live action BL will probably grow more accommodative in the future.

And to counter the wild claim that Japan doesn’t care about markets outside itself:

Here are some popular Thai BL actors promoting Japanese BL Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (2023).

While I understand where ABL’s obsession with Japanese exceptionalism comes from, it is particularly duplicitous and disingenuous when imposed to BL since it is driven by ever-present moe (affect) and transnational fu-culture. Also, it is China and Korea, and not Japan that has produced some of the lewdest and goriest BL.

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As always I welcome all corrections, critiques and comments.

Hi fave bl encyclopedia ❤️

So my question is about Japanese bl, like I don’t understand it! Please help 😭

So I know japan is like the motherland of yaoi and they pretty much started it all, and they make some pretty graphic and explicit bls ( which is not my cup of tea tbh), but then they also have shows like cherry magic and keita and the most recent KEI X YAKU (I am watching this one rn, and I actually like it so very much) but for the life of me I can’t figure out why these shows are made with zero intimacy between the main couple, not even a simple innocent kiss?!

are these shows considered more mainstream? Are the yaoi only allowed in fandom space? And not in mainstream media?

Just why are these shows made the way they are?

Don’t get me wrong CM and KH are two of my absolute favorite bls of all times, but I still don’t get just… WHY?

Hi! 

The Weeds of Japanese BL 

So I am going to go off of this blog post on the history of Japanese BL and yaoi and only bother to repeat myself if strictly necessary. 

Top 10 BLs Out of Japan - top 10 plus history of BL (part 1 in the series on the history of BL)

Otherwise there would be a lot of rehash. 

So my question is about Japanese bl, like I don’t understand it. Please help! 

So have you read the above post? Because if you haven’t reading that will at least give you some kind of foundation for your understandable confusion.

But part of most people’s misunderstanding over Japanese BL actually has to do with the nature of Japanese cinema. 

Here’s the thing, the Japanese have a very specific taste to their cinema. They have a style and lens that they stick to and (with a few noted exceptions) they pretty much haven’t deviated since the 1950s.

In film style there’s atmospheric (cinematic and sweeping, think Kurosawa) vs live action manga (think cartoonish + sound effects, stylized framing and staging techniques meets slapstick). 

In yaoi there’s light (sweet, clean, bright, airy) vs dark (erotic, serious, gritty, rough). 

In the sexual sphere there's prudish & chaste vs kinky & explicit. 

Everything seems to be bifurcated in Japan. Now, on a very few occasions they can tread the line between the lanes, and borrow bits and pieces from different approaches, but most of the time they stick to those lanes pretty cleanly. 

I can’t figure out why these shows are made with zero intimacy between the main couple, not even a simple innocent kiss

Generally speaking, the shows that are very light very sweet and very bright, cartoony, with lots of slapstick elements will have little to no sexual contact at all: so Cherry, Mix Up, Ossan, Same Difference, Mr Unlucky, Our Dining Table to fall into this category.

They'll owe a lot more to Shōnen-ai (which is turn has a lot to do with Bildungsroman) which means it's more gentle and tends to be a journey of self discovery for the uke - undertaken by younger characters (or younger acting/seeming innocents), and thus (like YA) much less sexualized.

(I am not going to comment on KEI X YAKU since I didn’t watch it because it appears to be a bromance.) 

are these shows considered more mainstream? 

Sort of, it’s more that they’re just considered a different category. Like how USA draws a distinction between the amount of sexual content that is allowed in a sitcom versus a soap opera. Similar kinds of topics, frameworks, filming style, and target demographics dealt with, but expectations around nudity and sexuality are way different. Different air times and lengths too. 

This doesn’t seem weird to me because I grew up with soaps vs sitcoms. But if I step outside of my upbringing, it’s odd right? The nature of the sexual content is so different, but they’re mostly both family dramas with a ton of romance. And then the “late night” (read sitcom timeslot) soaps came along kinda blending the two. Ah... the 90s. 

Where was I? 

Okay so, why are they different? Because Japan thinks of them differently. 

Another thing to know about the Japanese film industry? 

They take little to no interest in or guidance/feedback from the international market. They do not care. Their attitude, when something like Cherry Magic does well outside of Japan is... oh do the internationals like that one? How quaint. That’s special. Should we consider... distribution? A second season? *yawn* how tiresome.

Which is why a JBL will drop locally, get mad pirating and illegal subs and such, and then about half way through suddenly show up on a distribution platform like Viki or GaGa pretending it has always been there.

Can you sense my frustration? This is why backlist is so hard to get hold of too. But it KEEPS happening. 

Like Japan just forgets about us.

Which is probubly because THEY DO. 

Japan cares about their own internal market interest and style way way WAY more than any other BL producing country. (I would argue including Mainland China.) 

Japan respects Japan’s taste.  

PERIOD. 

End of discussion. 

Look at the HAIR.

I rest my case. 

When I talk about the fact that Japan has an unchangingly firm point of view? This is what I mean. 

Set your expectations based on what Japan has done in the past, because that is what they will do in the future.

You will never be disappointed. They will hold steadfast to their traditions, the good, the slapstick, and the kinky. 

Are the yaoi only allowed in fandom space? 

Cherry Magic I would call both mainstream, popular, and live action yaoi. 

Plenty of yaoi of this type (and back in the day) has very little on page kissing (or anything else for that matter), either. There is a whole sub-genre of sweet, or even clean, yaoi. Which is not to say it didn’t piss me off that they couldn’t actually kiss in Cherry Magic. Especial with that elevator fake out and the dead fish kiss from the side dishes. Very disappointing. 

Might be expense involved. Talent ain’t cheep in Japan, might be too costly to have them kiss. 

Or they just being coy teases about it. 

Basically they brats, and we in a non-con kink relationship where they promise but never deliver kisses in some kind of weird passive aggressive D/s dynamic. Also, VERY Japanese.  

Oh shit, my dating trauma is showing. 

Ignore that last bit. 

Just why are these shows made the way they are? Don’t get me wrong CM and KH are two of my absolute favorite bls of all times, but I still don’t get just… WHY? 

I know it is super frustrating. I would like it if they just put at least one kiss in there too. 

Here’s the thing: I happen to like Japan’s lanes, even as I am frustrated by them. Because when they do it well, they are square root of it all. 

Get it???

SQUARE root? 

Because, ya know, no kisses = so square. 

Okay I’m pushing it. 

But also the other lane gives us kisses = great = MURDER DEATH MUTILATION!!!! 

Oh, Japan. 

Here’s some interesting stats on Japanese ‘s BL (or more properly LAY - live action yaoi) for you: 

As of early 2022, there’s still only about 55 of them. 

High heat erotic LAY & pinks: 21 

Light cheerful LAY in which there is little to no kissing, or it’s very dead fishy: 21 

LAY that managed to be very yaoi but actually strike a balance between the two: 12 (and I include all the Takumi-kuns in here and they seriously might not qualify because... Takumi) 

I just did the count for this post and it’s wild how even the split was. 

(I’m missing some and not all are really BL, but with a sample of only 50+ it’s not really statistically viable anyway). 

If you want to really understand how Japan adapts yaoi you should delve into Love Stage!!: 

Read the yaoi manga 

Watch the anime 

Watch the Japanese live action adaptation 

Watch Thai BL adaptation

It’s a pretty informative experience. Tells you a lot about Japan’s relationship to the industry and genre that they started and how yaoi is treated differently in the different mediums. 

But honestly, the answer to your question is gonna really frustrate you. 

This is all just Japan being Japan, and it’s the way they approach BL. Because it’s the way Japan approaches cinema. 

Because, in the end, even if we call it BL, Japan is always going to do LAY, and that is kind of its own creature. The starter to the sour dough, not the bread that results. 

Because Japan is always going to pick their lanes and stick to 'em. 

Having said that, here’s some LAY that actually manages to have all of the things we expect from BL including kisses! 

Seven Days  

Given 

Life: Love on the Line

Restart After Come Back Home AKA Risutato wa tadaima no ato de

Utsukushii Kare AKA My Beautiful Man

That last one is absolutely amazing. See me lose my tiny mind over it and how it manages to be SO yaoi and SO Japanese and SO WONDERFUL despite everything. Or perhaps BECAUSE of everything. 

Utsukushii Kare is a BL that actually no other country could make. It’s PURE uncut Japanese live action yaoi and it’s AMAZING partly because of that. 

Mr. Unlucky (AKA Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai!) is an interesting test. 

I, and many other aficionados of LAY, expect it to have no kissing. But it’s already odd in that it got its distribution sorted before it started airing. Like a goddamn adult. This is confusingly un-Japanese of it.  

If Japan produces this as a slapstick comedy, in the vein of Kieta Hatsukoi (AKA My Love Mix Up), but it actually has decent kiss like Utsukushii Kare? It means Japan, whether it likes it or not, is finally being influenced by the popularity of Korean & Thai BL. 

But if it doesn’t give good kiss, it means they are still sticking to their established traditions. 

And this being Japan, my money is on the later. 

Let’s see how much crow I eat in a month.

More on Japanese cinema here.

(source)

[todayisafridaynight]

YIPPEEEEEE I'M SOSOSOSO EXCITED FOR THE FIC I'm glad it sounds like you've had a pretty good day, it's well-deserved! :] I love Barbie aesthetically... I love Meta Knight...

OH BUT YEAH this was actually my third time watching The Deer King but it is JUST as good as the first... As I've Said I really love Tsutsumi's character and his little daughter and how their relationship progresses [Top Ten Most Doting Fathers Every Other Scene Makes Me Violently Clutch Whatever I Can Get My Hands On], BUT ASIDE FROM THAT the cast as a whole is very enjoyable!

Although it's a novel adaptation, it's also really intuitive to understand the setting and lore thanks to its decision to put personal conflicts in the foreground while the politics and major themes develop in the background, on top of some pretty well-utilized exposition and the movie's strong visual storytelling/direction/editing.

Visually It's Stunning, there isn't a single frame that's not SEAMLESS, but what stands out to me consistently throughout every scene is definitely how much weight there is to every movement [like The Physics Are Off The Charts, but it's also exaggerated to emphasize things in the way only animation can], and how strong the character "acting" is.

OVERALL. MAGNIFIQUE. I do Highly Recommend checking it out if you were interested :] Tsutsumi's character isn't the type to talk much but y'know... proud of him...

DON'T BE EXCITED YOU'RE SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR DISAPPOINTMENT but if i release it any time soon.. i hope you find some enjoyment from it.. but omg meta knight :)

THREE TIMES WATCHING well now i have to watch it if you've watched it three times: it MUST be worth its salt then.. 👁️👁️

[emotionallychargedtowel]

BL meta master post

I've had an Utsukushii Kare master post as my pinned post for a while now, since I've posted so much about it. But I think it's time I do a general BL meta post instead. All of the links and information from the Utsukare post are here, too, but so are links to my other BL meta posts.

It's going to take a while to get everything in here so I'm going to go ahead and publish it even though it isn't entirely complete. I'll continue updating it until it is complete, and I'll add newer posts as they come.

Posts covering multiple BLs

The pursuer-distancer dyad & how it applies to the world of BL - a primer on this psychological concept and how it applies to BL generally, touching on how it applies to Utsukushii Kare, Semantic Error, and To My Star 2

BL ask game: Long-term pining and grumpy/sunshine

My top 5 rewatched BL scenes, responding to an ask by @wen-kexing-apologist (Spoiler: it's still mostly Utsukare)

Zettai BL season 3

What's different about Hatano, part 1 - In short, Hatano isn't fucking around.

What's different about Hatano, part 2 - Hatano's awareness of Mob's fourth wall-breaking and other ways he sometimes senses Mob's reality in a way no one else has

25 ji Akasaka de

Prying off the shell - In episode 7, Hayama's friend Mihara makes a an interesting observation. He says that Shirasaki doesn't seem to have a "shell"--his way of talking about a social self, a persona that a person experiences as separate from their core self. Then he points out that Hayama not only has a "shell," he has multiple layers of shell, so many that it's essentially impenetrable, like a neverending set of matryoshka dolls. I wrote here about what these shell metaphors really mean psychologicaly, how Hayama's family of origin played into his multilayered shell, and the implications of both their personalities on how they relate to each other.

Nominating a runner for 25 ji - If someone has to do the traditional JBL thing of running through the streets to get to the other person, who should run? That's a question @my-rose-tinted-glasses and @lurkingshan discussed, and it got me thinking.

Hayama's mask finally slips - Looking closely at Hayama's affect in the opening scene of episode 9--and trying to process the level of blorbo distress that entails

Over-analyzing the finale trailer in a vain attempt to try to manage my pre-finale angst

The Eighth Sense

The Eighth Sense e5 & e6: Portraying trauma with nuance

On The Eighth Sense episodes 7 & 8

The Eighth Sense episodes 9 and 10: All we can do is try

Bokura no Shokutaku/Our Dining Table

Thoughts on the "spinoff" (bonus episode) and how it's a logical extension of the leads' character arcs

Old Fashion Cupcake

I had a realization about Nozue's constant, somewhat inappropriate complimenting of Togawa while looking at a gifset and reblogged it with my thoughts

To My Star

Notes on a gifset by @jimmysea - Nerding out big time on that one season 2 kiss

Only Friends

Sand, compulsive caregiver - On Sand's documented history of parentification and how it relates to his relationship with Ray

Minato's Laundromat

About that Minato's Laundromat season 2 storyline... - Commenting on a certain character's traumatic brain injury and its effects from a psychology perspective

Kiseki: Dear to Me

Chu chu chu; or, intimate scene tips from the Kiseki cast

Brief commentary on a reblog of some behind-the-scenes footage

HIStory 3: Trapped

A reblog of the "chu chu chu" post about Kiseki that adds similar information about how intimacy was handled on the set of HIStory 3: Trapped - featuring a helpful linguistic note from @nibupei

and, last but not least...

Utsukushii Kare meta

The psychological paradoxes of Utsukushii Kare

This is a series of posts (the current plan is to write three installments) about what it says on the tin: paradoxical psychological dynamics in Utsukushii Kare. These are things about the characters that may seem contradictory at first but can be accounted for by digging deeper into some psychological concepts. These posts are focused on the series (both seasons) but will draw from the movie and from the novel and related stories when they illustrate points about the series.

Part 1: Covert grandiosity and finding status through idealization - A pretty deep dive into 1) the subtle ways Hira shows that while his self-image can be highly negative in some ways, in other respects he feels superior to others and 2) how by elevating Kiyoi’s status and humbling himself in comparison, Hira attains a different kind of status.

An addendum of sorts to part 1: Hira's parents and his self-defeating tendencies - Some guesswork about how Hira's parents could have contributed to his self-defeating personality, with some further discussion of specific self-defeating strategies he uses in his relationship with Kiyoi and elsewhere.

Utsukushii Kare through the lens of pursuer-distancer dynamics and related psychological concepts:

The pursuer-distancer dyad & how it applies to the world of BL - a primer on this psychological concept and how it applies to BL generally, with a brief reference to how this concept applies to Utsukare (also touches on Semantic Error and talks in detail about an example from To My Star 2). This one isn't super focused on Utsukushii Kare but is pretty de rigeur for understanding my UK posts on this topic.

Paradoxical roles; or, I think I finally figured out the pursuer-distancer dynamic in Utsukushii Kare - This post comes after some of the posts listed below but I recommend reading it first as this is really where (I think) I cracked the code on this aspect of the story.

Pursuer-distancer roles & attachment style in Utsukushii Kare, Part 1: Hira - In-depth discussion of Hira's role in the pursuer-distancer dyad, his attachment style, and his personality

Pursuer-distancer roles and attachment style in Utsukushii Kare Part 2: Kiyoi - In-depth discussion of Kiyoi's role in the pursuer-distancer dyad, his attachment style, and his personality

Re-evaluating pursuing & distancing in Utsukushii Kare season 1 - super detailed post working out my thoughts about pursuing and distancing in season 1

On the way Sakai Mai (the series' director) uses seme left, uke right framing and its significance in BL and other Japanese media:

Using an example from the s2e1 with the girl who hits on Hira at a party (via a reblog of a gifset from @nanons)

On the way Sakai flips Hira's and Kiyoi's position in the frame in two versions of the same scene and what it tells us about its significance

How the persistent/cute trope plays out in Utsukushii Kare season 2, plus related overanalyses of the big season 2 finale kiss:

The persistent and the cute (how "persistent" and "cute" are code words with specific meanings in BL/yaoi/other drama and manga genres/Japanese culture more broadly)

Analyzing the season 2 finale kiss in light of seme left/uke right framing and the persistent/cute trope (in a reblog of a gif post by @nanons)

Reblogging @bl-bracket to lobby for the season 2 finale kiss, with more overanalysis

Fragrance nerd discussion:

This bittersweet fragrance - on the significance of osmanthus/tea olive in Utsukushii Kare season 2, with additional information on the possible significance of the fragrance of osmanthus and perfumes that are either osmanthus soliflores or feature prominent osmanthus notes

Posts on specific season 2 episodes:

initial thoughts about S2e1

Additional (informal) thoughts on s2e1

S2e1 rundown

Hira's incongruous/misaligned affect at the end of s2e1

S2e2 rundown

on S2e2, including pursuer-distancer dynamics and seme left, uke right

Utsukushii Kare S2E4: “face me straight on” (mostly discussing relationship dynamics pointed out in topic-specific metas)

on Utsukushii Kare: Eternal:

Kiyoi and Anna: on Kiyoi’s friendship with Anna and its significance for his personal growth

[variinfreefallfalling]

After EP10

Me after watching Bokura no Shokutaku

[heretherebedork]

To The Last Year...

Well, we went from Absolute Zero to Beyond The Stars this year but that's not to say we aren't in the House of Stars where I Feel You Linger In The Air. We all said Be My Favorite because I'm a Cutie Pie 2 You and want a Dangerous Romance and a chance to Hit Bite Love in our Individual Circumstances while being a Destiny Seeker and Crazy Handsome Rich (we wish). Some people took the chance to Bump Up Business or make a Bed Friend or be Naughty Babe or be Only Friends or even the chance to Sing My Crush and Stay By My Side or even just Stay Still while we took the year Step By Step. But now it's time to look to the Future and say Be Mine Superstar while letting go of our Hidden Agenda and looking for A Shoulder To Cry On and a Happy Merry Ending. We followed all the Laws of Attraction and rode on the Love Tractor and took Love Class (2) and discovered Love In Translation on the way. The Promise that we made over Our Dating Sim left us Star Struck for My Personal Weatherman on The Day I Love You. Everything set off The Eighth Sense while we ate Moonlight Chicken and saw Venus in the Sky when we looked up. We shared Our Dining Table and said Bake Me Please when we felt A Breeze of Love and called out Bon Appetit with the occasional Naked Dining. Some people tried All The Liquors to go with our stories while others just listened to Low Frequency and visited the Midnight Museum or went to Home School with My Dear Gangster Oppa. There was a Tokyo in April as there always is and someone told Our Story (very badly) but we embraced the Dinosaur Love and tied up our Chains of Heart for out One Room Angel. We drank The Luminous Solution and discovered The Middleman's Love. A lot of people said Oh No! Here Comes Trouble and were right but winter kind of forgot about Jack o' Frost this year. There were so many kinds of Love Mate and Fake Love and Friends Forever. But, in the end, I just want to say to everyone here who has ever enjoyed my meta or gifs or jokes... You Are Mine but also Why R U? and feel free to make Wedding Plans but I'll only show up for the food. You might want to Tie The Knot but I've still got Love Syndrome III and there is no cure, not even a Marry Go Round. Just don't say I Cannot Reach You, instead say If It's With You. So cheer Tim Tem Jai and reach out to grab A Boss and A Babe for the party and let's make A Story To Remember again this year! We'll Jun & Jun to our destination and leave behind the Past-senger. And remember you're Kiseki: Dear To Me on every level and this is My Beautiful Man: Eternal on here.

(It's not yet 7 Days Before Valentine but the Cherry Magic is real and we've all got a Cooking Crush or at least a Night Dream and probably even a Last Twilight and we all see The Sign and VIP Only section with our Cooking Crush because we do it For Him, he's the center of My Universe and the best Pit Babe who's ready to be a Playboyy because I Became the Lead In a BL Drama so I could impressed Mr. Sahara and Toki-Kun.)

Anyway, it's been an amazing year of QL with all of you and I love every single tag, cheer, reblog, like and comment and every last one of you. Here's to many more (QLs and years)! You're all amazing people and you made it to the end of 2023!

[wen-kexing-apologist]

WKA Gay Analysis Assembly

Hello! Welcome to my blog, please note I am unhinged about my silly little gay shows and as evidence I give you an exhaustive list of all the analysis posts (and some non-analysis posts) I have written :)

I will be updating this post as I write more, and the most recent show I am watching/writing about will be listed first. Please know my DMs and my Inbox are always open!

By, For, and About Queers (The By, For, and About Queers posts are not about any particular show, and are instead a little write up of the way I categorize the BL shows that I am watching)

By/For/About- Part 1 (a conversation with @absolutebl)

By/For/About- Part 2 (a conversation with @solitaryandwandering) Also check out the really lovely response from @solitaryandwandering here

Toxic and Messy: TharnType v. Only Friends (aka We Trust Jojo) (a conversation with @absolutebl and @respectthepetty)

The Sign

Feelings Made Visible: Design Choices in The Sign

Fantasy v. Reality in The Sign

Last Twilight

Episode 1 Thoughts (in which I state my fears that were later realized)

Reflections in Last Twilight (Episode 1-2)

Physical Touch in Last Twilight (Episodes 1-3)

Thoughts on Last Twilight, Ep. 5 (aka when I still thought the show was good)

Last Twilight, Ep 12 (in which I rant about the ableism in the narrative and the undermining of the show's themes)

Shadow

Shadow thoughts

The Left Hand of God

Is Brother Anurak the One Armed Man?

What Happened to Trin? aka Paying Attention to my Favorite Straight Boy

I Feel You Linger in the Air

Let's Talk About Sex: ESSAY #69!!! (breakdown of the sex scene in IFYLITA Episode 8)

Only Friends Academic Essay Series

Only Friends, Boston, and Queer Culture

Only Friends and Respectable Promiscuity

Only Friends, Racism, and the Commodification of Queer Asians Everything else

Ray and Rehab

Boston the Slut

Hypocrisy

Who is Mew, Anyway?

You're Mine No Matter What: The Commodification of Sand

Explosions (fight night round two, Ep. 6)

Fight Night (scene breakdown of the fight in Episode 5)[Sand Addition by @ranchthoughts]

Poor Boy (a discussion on the beloved Poor Boy t-shirt)

Watch The Warp Effect before Only Friends

Misunderstanding Top? (a conversation with @respectthepetty)

What the Fuck is Boeing Doing Here?

Only Friends Reflection

My Ride

Rain, BL Boys, and Reciprocity

My Ride Finale

Be My Favorite (how did I get here, I wasn't planning on watching this!)

Permanence in BMF (in conversation with @stuffnonsenseandotherthings)

Lack of Touch in BMF (in conversation with @wanderlust-in-my-soul and @dropthedemiurge)

Cupid's Last Wish 1. Trans Allegory in Cupid's Last Wish (in partnership with @so-much-yet-to-learn and @lurkingshan)

La Pluie

The Language of Love In La Pluie Ep. 8

Ep. 8 Stray Thoughts

Hands in Ep. 7

Hands in Ep. 6

Subversion (a conversation with @lurkingshan)

Pee Peerawich Can Fucking Act

Connection

Body Language in La Pluie Ep. 12

Step by Step

On the Subject of Pat 2.0- A Defense

On the Subject of Pat- A Timeline (a conversation with @waitmyturtles)

Totally Normal About Episode 7

Lighting in Ep 9 (a conversation with @istanchan)

Going Out- Sharing Space with the Unhoused

Compartmentalizing

Workplace Homophobia and Relationship Development Between Pat and Jeng

Our Skyy 2

OS2 x The Eclipse - Characterization

OS2 x BB x ATOTS- Phupa and Queerness aka Damn You WMT (that's right! Damn you, @waitmyturtles!)

OS2 x BB x ATOTS- Validation! aka Phupa and Queerness- Part 2 (and a shout out to @lurkingshan and @waitmyturtles for writing such brilliant meta I almost...almost didn't have to write one myself)

Pat, Pran, Losing Parental Relationships, and Sex (a conversation with @shortpplfedup)

Our Dining Table

Silence (including conversation with @laowen)

Yutaka and Yukata

Bed Friend

True Colors? (a conversation with @dribs-and-drabbles and @respectthepetty)

Uea and Red

Reflections + Uea and Yellow

Uea and Gray (a conversation with @respectthepetty) Uea and Gray but this time not tacked on to RTP's post

Mommy Dearest 2.0

Uea's Episode 7 Costumes

Bed Friend and Reflections- Part 1

Bed Friend and Reflections- Part 2

Bed Friend and Reflections- Part 3 (this is my favorite of the parts)

Water, Songkran, and KingUea

Moonlight Chicken

Heart Confrontation Scene

Heart and Li Ming Colors and Stripes

Red, Wen, and Blue

Naming the Deaf Character Heart

Heart's Communication

Wen's Badge Parallel

Modern Thai Sign Language to American Sign Language Index

Heart's Vocalization

Mommy Dearest (Jam and Li MIng)

Isn't it Difficult to Be Born Poor?

Moonlight Chicken is for the Queers

Resolution

Heart's Signs Translated (this one is not mine, but I don't want to lose this post so I am placing it here)

Best Criers in MLC

Worst Parallel

Utsukushii Kare

Self-Deprecation Harms Everyone

Our Flag Means Death

Over-analyzing the Color Red

Silk as Symbolism for Ed's Heart

[toastofthetrashfire]

My Top Shows 2023

Doing this at the last minute but here goes--the top 10 shows I watched in 2023!

*Note: I rate my shows on a letter scale cause I don't like narrowing it down to a specific number. (S-standout As-Strong Bs-Fine Cs-There's some problems Ds-ooof)

1. Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

This one instantly became an all time favorite. It covers themes about grief and loss in a deeply empathetic and humanizing way along side the supernatural elements. I don't know if it's because I've experienced loss myself or because it's a universal experience, but I love shows like this that help you understand what it means to grieve and heal in a familiar yet new light. It reminded me a lot of Natsume Yuujinchou (another favorite) in that respect.

Aside from the larger themes, you have a distinct directing style, quirky sense of humor, well-rounded cast of characters, and excellent acting (the lead actor was also in Your Name Engraved Herein and he's just as standout here). In addition to all that, the show gives us a main trio of characters whose strengths are deliberately not their wits. This is used for humor but also to make more meaningful points about connection, empathy, and different ways of thinking (yes, I headcanon the main trio as neurodivergent).

Rating: S+

2. The Eighth Sense

This show! Another piece that is deeply rooted in exploring trauma and loss. This time within the framework of a romance. I'm usually pretty hesitant with stories that bring disability into romance, especially mental illness. There's a tendency to lean into the idea that love cures all and other not so great tropes. The Eighth Sense does a great job balancing that line, giving us romantic beats without wading into them uncritically. In the end, healing and love are things we choose not something guaranteed, but there's still an immense hope in that. I'm an giant sucker for shows that tackle both queer and crip experiences with nuance and grace, and the Eighth Sense hit that mark for me (so much so it even had me writing a little meta). On top of that it has beautiful cinematography and visual choices.

Rating: S

3. Moonlight Chicken

A beautiful show all around! P'Aof constantly knocks it out of the park with every show he directs, but I felt particularly strong about Moonlight Chicken. I adore the way it centers on themes of home and community. It even inspired some meta and a bit of personal reflection for me on what it means to choose home as someone who is queer and disabled. The show gives us the messiness that comes with navigating new and old relationships and somehow also the simplicity of it all. And of course, the show includes a Deaf character and handles his story with nuance and clear care.

Rating: S

4. Shadow

Singto, Fluke, and Fiat in a queer horror show--sign me up! It wasn't as scary as I expected, more psychological (which is good because I am so picky about what types of horror are too much for me vs what I enjoy). I loved the way the show played with time and reality and drew upon various religious practices to create a unique atmosphere. I also adored the attention to small details that make the piece ripe for analysis. I will probably be eyeing clocks and tech in many shows to come. It's also a show that is bringing up themes about queerness, mental illness, domestic violence, and historical trauma. I'm continually drawn to pieces that are queer and crip, so I suppose it's no surprise that this one drew me in too.

I know this show was divisive, about as many people thought it stuck the landing as didn't. I happen to land in the former category. I adore media that makes me stop and think, and given the amount of meta the show had/has me writing, I'd say it well and truly tickled my brain. The show didn't always go where I most wanted or expected but I think that challenged me even more to really think about what the show might be trying to do (my thoughts on that here, spoilers though).

Rating: S

5. Our Dining Table

Japan does a lot of things well, but I'm particularly fond of their slice-of-life. Our Dining Table fits right in there with food and found family at the center. It's warm and cute, but has a depth beyond it's soft exterior, delving into loss, loneliness, and what it means to be fully seen by those around us. All of this tied up in a queer bow. It was easily the show I was most excited to watch each week when it was airing.

Rating: S

6. Mysterious Lotus Casebook

Another one I fell in love with this year! While it has plenty of tropes, cutting through the core of all of this is the growing friendship between the main trio, especially between Li Lian Hua and Fang Duo Bing. Their relationship and personal growth as characters was really beautiful to watch, on top of it just being a fun show with a great balance of humor and drama. Plus Fang Duo Bing's mom 😍

Rating: S

7. One Room Angel

Another solid entry out of Japan. As much as I love Japan's bright slice-of-life offerings like Our Dining Table, they also excel at stories that don't shy away from heavy or complex emotional themes. And I'm noticing as I tackle this post that I really resonate with heavy themes. One Room Angel has it's lighter moments and own quirky humor. But it also tackles depression and suicide as it explores the journey of finding enough connection and meaning in life to keep moving forward.

Rating: S

8. I Feel You Linger in the Air

I Feel You Linger in the Air was such a beautiful show! I'm so happy we got a historical thai bl this year and that it was so so lovely. I really liked last year's To Sir With Love but it does have it's Lakorn/soap style that is a bit more of an obstacle for me. IFYLITA certainly has it's drama, but it feels more tightly drawn. Throw in a little time travel and beautiful love scenes and it was a delight to watch.

Rating: S

9. My Beautiful Man S2, Eternal

When I watched the first season of My Beautiful Man I liked it but wasn't exactly sold. I read a bit of meta from the community which changed my tune a bit. But it wasn't until watching season 2 and Eternal that something really clicked. I immediately went back and watched season 1 after finishing the film and oh boy did I fall in love. Not only do S2 and Eternal give us great character growth and forward motion to Hira and Kiyoi's relationship, and they feel like a natural expansion of the first season in the best way possible. What can I say, I love the whole series!

Rating: A+

10. Kiseki: Dear to Me

Kiseki: Dear to Me feels like an outlier to me. It's hard for me to put my finger on just what made it click for me, but I was so into it when it was airing. I recognize that plot wise this show is a bit of a mess, but at the same time it hit something just right in my brain. Perhaps it was the emotional intimacy the actors portrayed? They did a fantastic job drawing me in. Apart from that I couldn't take my eyes off of Ai Di's impeccable fashion choices, and the many many cameos were quite fun.

Rating: A+ YMMV

A few close contenders:

My School President (S) *split airing 22' and 23'

Tokyo in April Is... (A+)

Laws of Attraction (A)

Bed Friend (A)

The End of the World with You (A)

Me, My Husband, and My Husband's Boyfriend (A)

If it's with You (A)

Our Dating Sim (A)

Love Tractor (A)

The Warp Effect (A) *split airing 22' and 23'

The New Employee (A) *split airing 22' and 23'

La Pluie (A-)

Midnight Museum (A-)

[waitmyturtles]

How was yesterday the day of the end of BAD BUDDY, AND A TALE OF THOUSAND STARS, AND OUR DINING TABLE?

HOW? HOW????

And how did we survive? I survived with dranks, lol. But as the ever-lovely @solitaryandwandering noted to me yesterday, it was an insane but blessed day in BL. Damn, are we lucky. 

So, thoughts on Our Dining Table, episode 10 (finale), but we know we have an epilogue coming, one that at least is, in part, not canon. Not that that matters. 

What this show has done with going beyond the manga canon is -- and I’m harkening back to the show’s initial previews -- something that I’ve only seen done as well in What Did You Eat Yesterday, particularly WDYEY’s New Year’s special, when Kenji gets a nicely focused turn with Wataru/Gilbert, and we see Kenji’s sassy and wise side up close. All of that was not canon.

The date. THE DATE! Clothes shopping! (We saw that yesterday in OS2/ATOTS, awww.) THE PULLING BACK OF YUTAKA’S HAND!

What a FANTASTICALLY PHYSICAL WAY to show Yutaka’s hesitation, one that was depicted in the manga as just mental worry about the pain -- the possible inevitability, for someone who lost their parents -- of losing the person you love the most in the world. 

THIS SHOW EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF THE MANGA, and sets it loose and free, and humanizes it for us. I honestly felt that this episode was BETTER than the manga, and this was the first time I felt that -- I had felt equally good about both beforehand. THIS SHOW LIFTED that POTENTIAL emptiness that Yutaka is FIGHTING AGAINST, that has kept him reticent from feeling and closeness with anyone around him for so long. It showed it and demonstrated it to us, in the silence of the room where he and Minoru and Tane slept; in the shining and sparkling tears on his face and his red eyes as Ueda-san spoke to him about pain making love real. 

(I am, unfortunately for my sanity, going to do some sort of follow-up BBS/ATOTS/ODT meta on pain and love and just, why am I doing that to myself, good lord.)

But I clocked something during that conversation with Yutaka and Ueda-san -- I clocked something that made me realize, while Yutaka may not have begun to realize it, that Yutaka was ALREADY a part of the Ueda family BEFORE that conversation.

Something that I loved noticing about that conversation with Ueda-san is that somewhere down the road, Yutaka had begun calling Ueda-san otousan, or father (I’ve never heard this before, but I loved that Minoru called his dad “otou” for short). Yutaka was ALREADY familiar enough with the Uedas to feel comfortable to call Minoru’s dad, DAD. 

But Ueda-san still needed to remind Yutaka that he was family already. He got family-ed when he got served the special kimchi hot pot. But he had been clocked as family from the moment Tane had accepted Yutaka, and from when Yutaka had crossed the Ueda threshold. 

Yutaka had SUCH a defensive and messed-up vision of what family meant. At least in the show, he had MISSED his older brother trying to make amends, because Yutaka had ALREADY experienced so much loss. In this case, it was family -- it was Yutaka’s NEW ADOPTED FAMILY in the Uedas -- who could FINALLY coax Yutaka OUT of that defensiveness, as Yutaka’s first adoptive family wasn’t able to do. 

And through the Uedas, Yutaka is able to find himself. To join his friends, his co-workers, and his first adoptive family back into the movement of everyday life, no longer hiding himself and shielding himself.

Yutaka is risking pain. (Annnnnnd so are Pat/Pran and Tian/Phupha sorry let me leave that alone, dammit). Ueda-san tells him -- without pain, there isn’t love. Pain is what makes you realize that you have and had love. 

With the support and the LOVE of the Uedas -- of Ueda-otousan, of KING TANE-KUN, of Minoru -- Yutaka can accept the pain of love, and find love in the world around him. It was always there. 

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE EPILOGUE. And, geezus. Inukai and Iijima BODIED THEIR ROLES. FUCK. THE ACTING, THE ACTING!

WE ARE SO BLESSED IN BL-LAND. SUMMER EPILOGUE VACAY, COMING UP!

[indigostarfire]

Our Dining Table ep. 9:

A Transformed Yutaka

Wow what an episode! Never before have we seen such resolve and quiet strength in Yutaka!

When Yutaka was a child, he thought his brother viewed him as someone who’s a “jama”, (meaning in-the-way, a bothersome hindrance or nuisance) because he intruded on the Hozumi family and now the brother had to share his parents with this “stranger.” The brother’s words were wounding and deeply imprinted Yutaka so that all of his subsequent behavior and actions were then based on this belief that “I’m a jama, I’m in-the-way, an unwanted intruder, and I don’t even know how to eat.” Once a belief like this is imprinted, a person operates from this belief. So of course Yutaka will act as though he is not a part of the Hozumi family. His belief locked him into only perceiving a reality where he is an unwanted intruder. Thus no matter what the truth is, child-Yutaka would never be able see it.

And this is what we see in the scene where the brother is holding a ball and asks, “hey Yutaka, together let’s…” but Yutaka walks out of the room before his brother even finishes his sentence.

A reality where his brother would want to play with him does not exist for an unwanted intruder. This is what trauma does to a person. Trauma clouds one’s eyes and deafens one’s ears so the truth of what is actually happening can’t be seen or heard.

Yutaka’s experience with the Ueda’s has slowly changed him though. Why? Because it’s a new reality he’s experiencing—one that’s contrary to what his wounded beliefs dictate it should be. He found a place where he does belong, where he does feel valued, included, and is a joyous addition to their family, and this begins to change his wounded belief about himself being a jama. This is what transforms Yutaka. This is what gives him the strength to face his older brother and admit his true feelings —that he’s always felt apologetic for being an unwanted intruder but “I’ve finally found my place, so I won’t get in your way anymore.”

Because Yutaka found the courage to show up at the Hozumi’s and was able to candidly share his true feelings with his brother Yuki, this allowed an opportunity for Yuki to share his perspective and feelings. Both of their perspectives surprises the other.

The brother didn’t realize Yutaka stayed away from the family because he thought he was a jama. Yuki then calls Yutaka an idiot, and this catches Yutaka by surprise. The brother acknowledges that it was partly true at first but he was young and immature. Yuki tells Yutaka that “weren’t you the one who acted like you’re not a part of the family.” Basically Yuki goes on to say that this is your home too so Yutaka should show up for mom and dad on important days.

Yutaka isn’t completely convinced though. It’s only us viewers who were privy to the scene where Yuki is trying to ask Yutaka to play ball together but Yutaka walks away. So it’s wonderful how the mom reveals that Yuki stayed up all night to take care of the sick Yutaka.

This truth hits Yutaka. His dream wasn’t a just a dream with an unknown person without a face. That person was his brother. Yuki really did care about him, and this is where we see Yutaka taking in the truth and allowing it into his heart.

So Yutaka now smiles. His belief that he was a jama and should stay away was wrong. His past can be reinterpreted. New beliefs can replace the old false ones and this has the power to completely change the reality Yutaka can now experience with the Hozumi’s henceforth.

Now with the resolution of this major issue, Yutaka can now address the relationship issue with Minoru. I have to mention that @wen-kexing-apologist did a fantastic post filling in those silent pauses of Yutaka’s in ep. 8 because I thought what I was sensing might’ve just been my wishful thinking. https://www.tumblr.com/indigostarfire/718586099196362752 So thank you @wen-kexing-apologist for your insightful observations and commentary! It truly was heartbreaking to see how despondent Minoru was but thanks the post above, I wasn’t anxious and everything got cleared up by the end of this episode.

It’s been such a heartwarming experience to watch what a healing influence Yutaka and Minoru have been on each other. Both Yutaka and Minoru did extraordinary feats of bravery. Yutaka speaking his truth with his brother, and Minoru expressing his true feelings for Yutaka and kissing him! Both of them got to experience a different reality from what they were previously used to because of the healing power of a place to belong that’s filled with love and kindness. What a beautiful journey this has been…and we still have one more episode.

[berglietz]

Seasons Greasons: A Meta Analysis based on Caspar's Culinary Palate + Return Gift For Shez's Whistle

AKA: no one should ever 'jokingly' challenge me to write a meta to my irl face. take these 1k words now

THE BACKSTORY:

May 6th, Baltimore Inner Harbor. It was a lovely day—by which I mean the sky was grey and gloomy and decided to start spitting a fine mist down from the clouds as soon as Lucius and I stepped out of the light rail and started our trek toward our destination. Our destination being a birthday celebration for Erica, which obviously made the day lovely regardless of the weather. At this point we had already gotten past the 'hello's and reciprocal 'oh god you really are shorter than i remember's, and had settled into our table at the cafe. Inevitably, the conversation quickly turned to Fire Emblem. We are who we are.

Playthroughs of Warriors: Three Hopes entered the scene, and then discussions of the Merc Whistle mechanic. "I haven't given mine away yet." I said. "Don't they give you a return gift that you can wear as an accessory to use their special ability?"

I pulled out my phone. I learned that Caspar's return gift to Shez was called Seasoning Set. Across the table, past the strangely shaped flasks of hot water and growing number of drained shirley temple glasses, N "Njamin" Von TOAmod smiled at me and said "I expect a meta post about Caspar's seasoning set on the dash by [due date]*" *I do not remember the exact phrasing, nor the initial due date. I am going to say it was 'next month', that way I don't get any of my extremely real roleplayer points docked for tardiness.

And thus, I was committed to the bit. Straight up married to it. Welcome to the wedding. The reception is catered, obviously, and we'll be serving—

Well. I'm getting to that.

THE SEASONING SET

(This is a crunchy screenshot that I cropped myself from my own Switch. Forgive me)

The details of note to me are:

Clarifying that you have matched your bestie/S-support equivalent's sentimental gift with something you "don't need" is so rude LMFAO. I'm glad he is keeping up the same behavior from his story about a girl trying to ask him out to the Goddess Tower in Three Houses where he seems to totally misread a situation and make an ass of himself by dismissing the person/not matching their energy. Really beautiful stuff.

Multiple spices, you say? Looks like I have to come up with more than one. It's not just salt in there.

CASPAR'S COOKING SKILLS

They are bad. He has a big red downward-facing arrow next to his face in the list of candidates for cooking together in Three Houses. If you choose to let him cook anyway, he tells you his pitfalls himself:

"All right! Leave it to me! I'll fry it, grill it, and try not to burn it!" / "Sorry for making you do all the work, Professor. I mess up the ingredients every time!"

With this info, I am taking the text saying "he forgets to use spices" very literally. The impression I get is he gets so overwhelmed by multi-step cooking processes that he loses track of ingredients. He does like some spices in his food and drink, though, so I will presume that the spices in his seasoning set are ones that he would enjoy putting in his food if he ever remembered to toss them in.

THE FAVORED FLAVORS

The easiest spice choice comes directly from his favorite type of tea.

Ginger Tea: "The sharp spiciness of ginger laces the body of this tea, unforgettable and brightening."

Bam. Right there. We can put ginger on the list. For the rest, I'll take a look at the dining hall dishes he likes that fall under the Spicy category.

Sauteed Jerky: "Jerky aged in the monastery and sautéed for a delightfully salty flavor. A perfect snack to go with your favorite drink."

The description doesn't give me any seasoning beyond salt, but according to the resources on serenesforest this dish is counted as a spicy one! When I think of spicy jerky (and look up a few recipes to confirm my memories) I think of a peppery sort of sensation on the tongue—black pepper and cayenne (or other hot peppers).

Sauteed Pheasant and Eggs: "Thin slices of bird meat and shredded cabbage, mixed with scrambled eggs and sautéed with spices. Invention of a certain noble."

This one gave me no hints as to what types of spices. RIP. I relied much more heavily on googling for this one, and settled on interpreting this dish as a take on anda bhurji, maybe?? (literally 'scrambled egg'. it's an Indian scrambled egg dish). Online recipes for this one gave me spices such as turmeric, coriander, red chili, and ginger.

THE SEASONING LIST

Just to have it all in one place, here's all the hypothetical seasonings I've thrown out all put together:

Salt

Black Pepper

Ginger (mentioned x2!!)

Cayenne/Red Chili (or whatever Fodlan equivalent capsacin-haver there might be)

Turmeric

Coriander

Go forth, Shez. Make a delicious spicy scrambled egg dish. Perhaps you can share it with friends for brunch. That'd be a beautiful way to bring things full circle, don't you think?

BONUS: MY BOY HATES FISH

I just think it's so fucking funny that he hates every seafood dish. Look at this list of foods he hates.

Grilled Herring, Fish and Bean Soup, Small Fish Skewers, Spicy Fish and Turnip Stew, Onion Gratin Soup, Sweet and Salty Whitefish Sauté, Fruit and Herring Tart, Cheesy Verona Stew, Fish Sandwich, Super-Spicy Fish Dango, Pickled Seafood and Vegetables, Two-Fish Sauté, Gautier Cheese Gratin, Cabbage and Herring Stew, Bourgeois Pike, Fried Crayfish

Only three out of this list don't have something referencing fish/seafood right in the name, and two out of those three do have fish in the ingredients if you go looking:

Onion Gratin Soup: "Onions stewed with white trout and baked with a layer of cheese on top. Will warm you up from the inside out." Cheesy Verona Stew: "A rich dish consisting of verona and sautéed Teutates loach. These ingredients are boiled and served with two kinds of melted cheese."

Maybe there is something he dislikes about gratin, though, since he dislikes Gautier Cheese Gratin as well. A texture problem, perhaps? Either way, it doesn't feel as prominent a dislike as his thing with fish—the guy also hates the Fishing Float gift. Caspar is a certified fish hater. This makes his participation in the fishing tournament even funnier to me: he will straight up make an exception for his seeming disdain for fishing if it's turned into a competition he can try to win. Definitely no way he was eating his catch though. Maybe he fed it to his cat friend from his supports with Ashe, lmfao

Anyhow, I'll leave off with this silly indulgent little meta here. Thanks for playing along! ilu toa ❤

[absolutebl]

TOP 10 BL Trends of 2023

This is just me with my analysis hat on. 

1. 2023 = the year EVERYONE went outside their lanes

Everything went topsy-turvy this year in BL. 

For example, Korea gave us agonized yearning and outright queerness (The 8th Sense, The New Employee) while Japan served up soft office workers and tender family (Our Dining Table). 

The BL world went askew for a while, especially in the spring of 2023. 

Not that we still didn’t still get Korea’s soft angsty bubbles or Japan’s “what are you doing and why does it hurt?” kink-fests. But there were quite a few BLs that made us chronic watchers sit up in confusion and wonder if Korea was dabbling in Taiwan’s territory or Japan in Thailand’s. Then they fudged the kisses and we were like... okay, back in familiar territory. 

In contrast, Thailand stayed course-correcting for the damage they’ve done in the past with tropes (2022) and self referential meta criticism (2021), but also almost aggressively returned to their BL roots after last year’s series of shockers. Certainly, they are reexamining those roots, transplanting some, aerating others. But they really went back to classic Thai university and high school BL and pulps in a big way in 2023. 

Taiwan is always difficult to gage because they produce so few but they seem to have stuck with what they do best with no deviation while producing more this year than they have in ages. I’m happy for that, why change a good thing? But there is a tiny part of me that really wants them to hit it out of the part with a quality piece soon. For me, We Best Love still reigns supreme, but I would really like the HIStory franchise to give us that level but longer - like a happy version of Your Name Engraved Herein. I think Taiwan has the chops to give us something as good as The 8th Sense or Old Fashion Cupcake but in their style, and I would like to see them exercise their talent for good rather than just profit. 

I know, what a very odd thing for me to say. But if any BL is going to break into the mainstream American market, I genuinely think it’s most likely come from Taiwan. 

Vietnam and the Philippines are falling behind, in general. They just didn’t bring out very many shows in 2023, and what the brought out tended to fub the endings. This is forgivable in Japan (because of their style and quality) but not what watchers want in the lower production value propositions. In other words, if you do a pulp, you can’t mess up the ending (by romance standards). that doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon. 

2. The Office Romance Dominated

After years of Thailand serving us an endless (and slightly bland) buffet of university (and a few high school) BLs, this year Korea was basically like...

Ofiice. We like the Office. It’s cheap to film we can use grown up actors, acting (mostly) their actual age. 

And yeah... it totally worked. 

To be fair, Japan has always given us office live action yaoi from the beginning (they had the source material) but this year everyone else, including Thailand, seriously started playing in this setting. 

3. Boys Danced with Boys

The darling @heretherebedork​ was a big fan of this one, and I rather like it myself. Prior to this boys dancing together was very very rare in BL, but this year we got way more than our fair share. It was lovely. 

Never Let me Go

My School President 

Bed Friend 

The Day I Loved You 

Step by Step

Be Mine Superstar

Tie the Not 

Dangerous Romance

I think there were a few more. These are the ones I remembered to write down. 

4. Getting (even more) Meta With Tropes 

BL has been getting more and more meta over the past few years but this year they really focused in on tropes specifically. Calling out their own biggest and most favorite tropes in a massive way, especially Thailand and especially GMMTV. 

Like they tunneled in on damaging tropes with Bad Buddy and the like over the past 2 years, and now they are just having fun with us. 

I mean they just started the dancing trope and already they are calling it out? That’s like rapid-fire regurgitated meta there, GMMTV. 

5. Cameos are the norm now 

Taiwan has always loved cameos but in the past the other countries have been show and steady with only one or two a year. (Unless Japan does a parody.) 

This year Korea got in on the game.

Korea rarely starts trends but they do adopt smaller and lesser known existing ones and make them super popular. 

This year they did that with cameo couple appearances, even borrowing a few of Thailand’s pairs (TutorYim and MaxNat traveled north). They did it so much I stopped tracking. Love Class 2, Why R U?, and Jun & Jun were the heaviest hitters. 

Taiwan, of course, came back swinging. Kiseki was the gum-ball machine of pair cameos. (In Taiwan mafia = gay.) 

6. We are entering the cross pollination age

The number of remakes picked up or started this year was startling, not just countries revisiting their own content (Thailand, Japan) but countries revisiting OTHER countries stuff.

Lemme explain...

Korea has started remaking Thai content (Why R U?) alongside cameo'ing Thai pairs.

Thailand is doing Korean IP (My Dear Gagster Oppa) and has 2 Chinese ones slated for next year. 

GMMTV acquired a lot of Japanese IP (Cherry Magic, Ossen, and My Love Mix Up) - and then had problems distributing it. 

This is probably the most surprising trend for me. Especially the Japanese stuff. I would have thought these properties well outside of Thailand's price range (even GMMTV's) not to mention Japan’s legendary IP issues (I swear I typed this pout before the pulled TayNew’s excellent Cherry Magic). 

Also why not option some of the older popular manga instead? Bet that's much cheeper. (I did see a NEW Thai translation of Finder into Thai, which is 90s yaoi, so I have my fingers crossed on that front.)

I shouldn't be too surprised. 

Thailand is running out of y-novel content. Their publication industry is just not robust enough (I was just talking to a friend about this at length recently). But I didn't think they had the funds to option, especially from Japan. 

Perhaps the option deals are for peanuts?

7. Korea got cheeky

I’m not sure quite how else to put this. 

After finally figuring out boys can kiss, Korea started to do not just higher heat but playful higher heat, with more aggressive word play and linguistic innuendo, like they are entering their racy rom-com teenage years (Why R U? Love Class 2 and Jun & Jun in particular.) 

I guess: Welcome to your BL teens, Korea? 

It’s cute of them. I am very much enjoying it. 

And now that comedy is warming them up, we get to see them play with actual queer burgeoning physicality in shows like The 8th Sense. 

It’s nice. I like seeing Korea stretch its wings. They still stick to their bubble, but that bubble seems to be expanding. 

8. The Amnesia Trope is back

And I, for one, would prefer to forget about it. 

9. BL got trendy 

I’m not quite sure how to articulate this category but basically we started seeing a lot of “modern” romance trends out of the west (like a/b/o) show up in our BL. Not a ton and sometimes quite small, but there has a been a steady rise of things like: no seme/uke, femme gay, out gay, condom use, messy gay. 

We also got an increasing range of sub genre frameworks (like mafia, office setting) that’s moved BL pretty firmly (even in Thailand) out of school and into the workplace, whether actual working is involved or not. 

It’s not to the point where it feels like we get more non-school BL than school BL (if I include all countries in this assessment).

Japan, in classic Japanese fashion, quietly started moving in the opposite direction. It’s what they do. 

10. The Vampires are coming 

This is an announcement trend, which I don’t usually report on but it’s so CLEAR. 

So last year we had a spate of announcements of possible Omegaverse (2 from China, 1 from Japan, 1 from Thailand - the only one that’s happened). 

This year we got 5 Vampire (or vampire-esk) Thai BLs announced including one from GMMTV. 

Whether all 5 will actually get made is unlikely, but having had (basically) none prior to this (Kissable Lips), I’m pretty confident that we will get at least 2 of them. And I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one other country made one as well. (Side eyes Taiwan with interest.) 

Final thoughts

It feels like we are also seeing a decline in BL (both by quantity and quality) from Vietnam and the Philippines. As you all know, I don’t track or really watch either of these two very closely. But it feels like, now, no one else is either. 

I think we have likely seen the BL heyday already in both places and their industries are now on the decline. 

We might be witnessing a thinning in the players in the BL field. 

FYI we had approximately 

136 BLs in 2023

Previous Years

2022: 117

2021: 95

2020: 62

2019: 40

2018: 30 

2017: 44 (China’s last gasp)

2016: 27

2015: 17 (50% micro)

2014: 17 (50% micro)

And that’s it! Let me know in the comments if you’ve spotted any additional trends you want to call out.

Last year, 2022′s trend report

2021′s Trend report

Last Year’s Stats & Predictions

(source) 

[leiflitter]

Saltburn Ficlist and Other Fun Things

Oneshots:

Hang Me Up To Dry

A drunken Felix Catton visits Oliver Quick, after the room-tidying argument, to ask why he doesn't want to be friends any more.

Stop The World I Wanna Get Off

Oliver didn't lie about his family, and Felix feels very, very bad about it.

Power Couple

A little peep into the end of Elspeth's time as a lesbian.

Intelligent Design

Shameless Smut, Missionary Felix / Sinner Oliver

When in Rome

A cutesy lil drabble, Oxford days Cattonquick discuss Italian Cheek Kissies

You Dress Me Up, I'm Your Puppet

Oliver is a Ventriloquist's dummy. Felix is an amateur Ventriloquist. Also Felix has to fuck Oliver to make him human. I should not be allowed to have ideas.

The Behemoth and YAH expanded universe:

You're Almost Home / You Are Home

Minor canon divergence, in that Felix doesn't die, but that's about it tbh.

Almost 20 years after the events at Saltburn, Oliver Quick is an Associate English Professor at Oxford.

Sir Felix Catton is married with three kids, a wife who doesn't really like him very much, and he's just buried his sister.

When Harriet Catton decides to get her daddy to lay down the law with her firm-but-fair English professor, she accidentally sets off a chain of events that lead to a lot of self discovery, truth-telling and shagging in a bathtub. And the dining room table. And the car. And the chapel. Please send help, they will not stop.

For YAH meta/art/general madness there's my tag:

Once In A Lifetime

A little YAH adjacent drabble about Farleigh and his long-term partner.

And, finally, for direct screaming, the Harricat Groupchat (18+ plz)