#PLEASE let me have queer rep that is funny

[indigoire]

Literally watching some awful rip of Deadpool 3 online because of this ice cold take from Twitter:

Like I'm literally trying to figure out if I missed something in the movie the two times I saw it in theaters, cuz this definitely wasn't in the movie I watched and I almost feel gaslit.

One, I feel like if you think this way you probably don't believe the various writers of Deadpool that say Wade's pansexual. Like, it is very clear, that is a queer man.

Two, and I said this on Twitter already, but god forbid queer people make gay jokes 🙄

[favcharacterpoll]

ROUND 6 MATCH 3: CECIL VS. C!WILBUR

Cecil Palmer from Welcome to Night Vale faces c!Wilbur from the dsmp. @10piecechickenmcnugget get over here sage

Cecil Propaganda:

"Cecil is not only the Tumblr sexyman, he is the first gay protagonist of a podcast that most of us have ever heard. From the very first episode he was unashamedly queer and no one has ever called him out or given him shit for being gay. He is a gay Jewish fashion disaster who is the mouthpiece for an incredibly bizarre town and plays the whole “this horrifying thing is completely normal”thing so well. If Cecil wasn’t there, I think a lot of people wouldn’t have felt so accepted for just being who they were. Cecil is an inspiration and the queer podcast rep we all deserved as we were growing."

"he’s gay. he’s a dilf. he’s ageless. he has been since there’s was nothing and he’s still here after the world ended. he can summon music. his mother is a oracle his father is a tree. his cat is a man who got cursed and also has wings a stinger and poison??? he thinks a tutu and crocs is formal wear and has talked to god and she said ‘I love you. I’m sorry’. he’s definitely guilty of manslaughter from negligence"

"this is the website Night Vale built!"

c!Wilbur Propaganda:

"Accurate depiction of mental health and spiral, handled delicately and deliberately, every piece of his story was thought and planned and in the end he went home to Utah. Thank you lord."

"Please don’t let the name dream smp effect how you feel about this submission, this character is completely unrelated to dream and I’m pretty sure the person who played him has nothing to do with dream anymore. This man single handedly got me through a horrible patch filled with extreme paranoia by also being extremely paranoid. Genuinely really helped me feel seen and I coped a lot by getting invested in this character. I almost cried when he died :("

"He’s so fucking stupid. I could infodump for hours this man transed my gender. Everything has gone wrong in his life. He’s the definition of a bisexual disaster."

"I didn’t fail 10th grade math bc I was thinking about c!wilbur for him to lose round one"

"I mean look at him!! his Minecraft skin is adorable!!!"

"if you people vote for cwilbur i'll draw him in a bikini."

"A VOTE FOR C!WILBUR IS A VOTE FOR GIRLBOYS EVERYWHERE"

"i should not have underestimated minecraft fans they came together"

"Season 1 changed me. I didn’t know minecraft videos could have good acting, dramatic plots, etc. Wilbur was one of the best there. His plot was so interesting with the L’Manburg and the unfinished symphony arcs. He was funny, dramatic, sad… I fondly remember my dsmp days (though I only saw up to like part of Tommy’s exile)"

[dyemelikeasunset]

I can't sleep so I'm venting. for the most part i love my d&m readers, but oml sometimes i get qpoc blues so bad 😭😭

It's just liiiike. ppl either don't talk about Mor or completely misinterpret her personality. Like I can always tell if my readers are black or not because nonblack readers no NOT see Mor's significance, or just miss the mark when they talk about her, or they misread her personality. Like I don't understand what's so hard to understand about a cute and thoughtful artist??

AND LIKE LMAO Dom's sexuality gets brought up all the time but no one talks about Mor being a lesbian and how rare that is to find in media 😭 white lesbians are always talking about "we need more open lesbians in media!! ppl shouldn't be afraid to use the word lesbian!! blah blah" and i'm like "here you go!!" and no one claps at all lmao. Like I get it, i know why it happens, i understand racial microaggressions, i know how fandom spaces treat Black women, I UNDERSTAND BUT I CAN STILL BE UPSET. I have the right to be upset about it!!! 💀💀 And I know fem lesbians get ignored all the time, invalidated all the time, but it just sucks to see it happen to my character. I just feel like her being lesbian doesn't clock a lot of people, and I get asked to do more thirst trap art of Mor and I do want to but i'm also trying to be careful about like. Idk reducing a dark skinned fem lesbian to being validated only thru being sexy? LMAO.... Mor should be able to be attractive and lovable without tons and tons of thirst trap art (and it's not like I don't do it at all!! I'm not trying to be overprotective or deny her sexiness but I guess it's considered not enough?? give me a break)

And mannnn I was so mad actually that several comments voiced thoughts that essentially said Mor didn't "help" or "take care" of Dom enough, and that when Dom was finally opening up to her it was "Morgan finally doing something" LIKE HELLO??? HELLO??? It's DOM'S flaw that she can't open up? And Morgan does a lot??? I know immature ppl do not appreciate more soft and domestic/feminine forms of care bc they're used to taking their mothers for granted lmao but wooow I was taken aback. First of all, like, I try to show that Mor is the main cook, works just as much as Dom (let's go double income household), is always checking in on Dom's comfort as she navigates being queer, and is overall a very considerate girlfriend. AND SECOND OF ALL LMAO like even if she didn't do all that she doesn't need to have relationship currency to have a doting girlfriend, like the fucking trope of black women needing to suffer for love is so terrible I'VE HAD ENOUGH AND i"M NOT EVEN BLACK. Like there is NOTHING WRONG with their typical dynamic and I'm sick of people acting like there is. SOMEONE SAID DOM WAS LIKE A COMFORT PILLOW W NO AGENCY AND i"M LIKE WTFDYM???? She has TONS of agency and her sense of agency says she wants to LOVE AND DOTE ON HER PARTNER LIKE LMAO. WHAT?? Why is that hard to understand??? Is it because I made one (1) joke bout Mor being a pillow princess and the anti-princess squad are grinding their teeth in the bushes seething over it? Ppl are so twisted sometimes oh my goddddd. Like as an ace who was very confused navigating the lesbian dating scene as a teen and young adult I WISH i had met a pillow princess. Sometimes ppl don't realize that stone dynamics are very safe for aces!! Dom literally says she prefers it!! It's not Mor being selfish like lord please GOD ALLAH I'M TIRED I'M SO TIRED

and like on the topic of Domi overall she is more "popular" but sometimes I feel like people don't even really take the time to appreciate the significance about her either. She's not just a funny thirst trap 😭 and I feel like ppl dont acknowledge that she's asian half the time. I have so many white aces who only zone in on that aspect of her and it's like YEAH I GET IT, I'm ace and we don't have a lot of nuanced rep but she's also got more layers than that too. Tons of people related to her in the chapters where she talks about her childhood abuse yet very few people really, like, talked about the type of generational trauma that is very deeply embedded in her different cultures, no one saw that and oooof idk idk it felt inivisible. It's sometimes harder to talk about the racist microaggressions that Domi experiences thru my readers bc ppl will argue "well most webtoon leads are asian" but not many of them are asian in a way that like. talk about it. I'm born in the US so my experiences with being othered as an asian is just gonna be different and it's gonna affect my art and writing but it feels so unappreciated. I've had some queer asians relate to her but i can count them on my hand 💀 (I actually think it's two LMAO i"M SO SAD)

And going back to Dom and the comfort pillow w no agency comment lmao. This is another thing that rubs me the wrong way is once again, people are ignorant to the ways asians get pigeon-holed to media roles that have us being depicted as incapable. Maybe I want Dom to be more of a protector archetype bc I'm tired of meek Asian women in media? 🤔 Maybe I want Dom to be a prince-like character because asians get emasculated a lot?? 🤔🤔 Maybe I want Domi to maintain her prince persona instead of being "'physically' androgynous/masculine but really soft and girly on the inside uwuwu please treat me like a 'real' girl" because even in east asian media we won't allow women to exhibit strength and dependability??? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 Like why is a tough girl empowering but once we have a gentle and doting personality in a romance it's considered cliche and the flaw of her partner for being "too weak." MAYBE THEIR PRINCE/PRINCESS DYNAMIC COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER??? HAVE YOU CONSIDERED? I WROTE THEM THAT WAY FOR A REASON??

Good lord this turned into an essay but I have so many things on my mind always

if you read this all. Thanks. I mainly needed to scream into a towel and put this down somewhere bc I complain about these issues to my discord and they understand/validate me all the time, but I wanna give them a break 😭 I also lowkey wanna document my various feelings as I work through Dom & Mor so I can remember and also grow from it

[dapperinsanity]

An aroace-spec’s personal thoughts on Alastor & Representation

This is purely my opinion and I wanted to share it as it’s been highly bugging me.

Personally, Alastor was always bad representation for me. If you feel like he’s good representation that’s fine! This is purely my opinion and I want to discuss some red flags I’ve noticed. It all has to do with the reasons behind why Al is asexual. I’ll make a small list of my main points and I will expand more on the points below later.

According to Viv Alastor is aroace because…

He was made to be a tumblrsexyman and then Viv thought it’d be funny to make him asexual.

While, personally, idgaf about fans shipping Alastor or making smut…Viv’s comment (“I don’t wanna ruin anyone’s fun”) before confirming his identity was just not it.

According to her own words, Alastor is too focused caring about himself (don’t remember if she used the word narcissistic but I remember mentions of narcissism) which is why he wouldn’t be in a relationship.

In the earlier years, we only knew he was asexual. Yet, everyone acted like it meant he was aroace. Which was fine but I need to point out that just being asexual is different from being aroace. This, in itself, isn’t a red flag. It’s how viv talks about his asexuality.

Ok, so I think it was recently confirmed he is aroace after his show va “slipped up” saying he was aroace and not asexual. I’m not sure but if he is, I only see his asexuality discussed amongst viv and other people involved in the show.

Why is the only asexual/aroace character a “villain”? I’m all for aroace villains and queer villains. It’s when you take other things that she has said, I can’t help but be suspicious.

So, why do I think Alastor being made asexual as a tumblrsexyman is a red flag? Well, him being ace and a tumblrsexyman isn’t bad at all. My concern is that Viv thought it’d be funny. Knowing the type of person viv is (bigoted, racist, transphobic, misogynistic, fatphobic, etc.) his asexuality is a joke. Also, let not forget about the fact that she doesn’t actually care about representation in general. If she did care, she wouldn’t be acting the way she is and wouldn’t portray her characters the way she does.

Secondly, her comment before confirming his identity on stream was…dismissive? I can’t find the correct word but her caring more about pleasing the fans, further proves my point in how she doesn’t care about actual representation. You know what she could’ve done? Confirmed it. The fans still could have fun doing whatever they want with Alastor in their fanworks. Its fandom. It’s not canon and fandoms are meant for works that don’t stick to canon. Like, you’re the creator and you decide on what’s canon because it’s your character…Bruh.

Third, she mentions that Alastor is too focused on himself to be in a relationship. First of all, asexuality doesn’t equate to not desiring a romantic relationship. There’s a difference between just being asexual and just aromantic versus aroace. Secondly, why is his asexuality related to his vanity/selfishness? If you don’t desire a relationship because you’re too focused on yourself, that’s not asexuality. Asexuals and aromantics are highly stigmatized and conflating his selfishness with his asexuality perpetuates aroace stereotypes.

Fourth, is the lack of discussion about his aromanticism. If he’s confirmed to be aroace, why do we only talk about his asexuality? Because being asexual doesn’t equal to being aromantic. One can be asexual but be in a romantic relationship and vice versa.

Fifth is the fact that the only aroace character we have is a “villain”. While I’m fine with aroace villains and queer villains, when you observe why Al is aroace, I can’t help but to side eye it. Aroace people are often stigmatized as heartless and cold or treated like a monster due to their lack of attraction. I feel like this only adds to the stigma.

So, yeah that’s why I feel like he’s bad rep.

[never-forget-viva-la-pluto]

To the SPN fans that are hating on good omens rn bc of the leak, I hope you choke. I've seen some really nasty shit today from some of my (now unfollowed) followers whom I followed for spn content. So let's make one thing clear from actual posts ive seen today:

-Saying that the "wrong angels kissed", is...homophobic. I was with destiel from beginning to end and yeah we were completely shafted, but it's not okay to then say that other gay couples in media aren't allowed to kiss just because they aren't the ones you thought were hot. Jesus christ didn't think I needed to write that one down for ya-bo burnham

-I saw so much fatphobia about how Castiel deserved a kiss more than Aziraphel bc "he has far more sex appeal." Wtf wtf wtf. How do you live with yourselves saying that shit?You can pry Micheal Sheens body type Aziraphel out of my cold dead hands, you CW brainwashed morons!

-hate against the author for some reason, no one is willing to give specifics about it, but I think the majority of them maintain that GO is not good rep because they didn't kiss and now they are claiming pandering or something? Honestly that guy has only ever stood with the writers guild and queer people his whole career from what I find so I don't think it's fair whatever hate they are spouting. He isnt even saying he is upset with fans that saw or shared the video. Hes being super nice about it!

-I will say, non of us SPN fans have a fucking leg to stand on when it comes to hating something bc of the authors, OK. I saw someone saying the writing for spn was better and I can say you did not watch the show. I loved spn but don't do the late Terry Pratchett like this. He did nothing wrong

-on that same ish strain, as an ace person who thrives off queerplatonic relationships in media, maybe they kiss, I dunno. I just have to wait until the season comes out. Not 1 SPN fan gets to bitch about GO asexualty rep when SPN never even tried that route with any of its characters. But also ace characters are allowed to kiss, so you can write them that way of you want and interpret them that way if you want still. This is your viewing experience.

-this leak is truly not the same as the SPN yo a ti leak, solely bc the episode hasn't aired yet. "None of you GO fans would have survived the yo a ti leak." No I think you wouldn't bc the spn leak was clinging to an already mangled straw, while the angel's in GO are queer already. Queer queer queer and no amount of kissing or lack thereof is going to change that. We have no idea what happens in that episode of GO, but we saw the creators butcher the only moment in the show that could have meant anything real for queer viewers in SPN.

-"SPN crowly was kissing dudes first so this one is not that impressive". I see two cakes. One was made with the intent to make gay people look evil, but over time got kinda funny and a little better bc gay people liked it, and the other was about telling an interesting story about how love is so important, especially at the end of the world, and gay people liked that one too! So for me it's YaY two cakes!

-again the anti aziraphel is so plainly just fatphobia. You have no excuses. Sorry you don't think someone who looks like a slightly chubby micheal sheen could ever get kissed by someone who looks like David tennant, but you are not only wrong, you are also childish.

OK I'm done. Go watch good omens s2 when it comes out for my fucking sanity please. Or don't if all you are going to do is try to rip it apart like you do to all media that tries to be better.

[lythiumd]

I have some thoughts about the whole finale. Like everyone I guess.

- Budget cuts kind of made this whole season feel rushed. However, despite all of that, it was still enjoyable and I did like it overall.

- Funny despite the drama. Good.

- Finale left me neutral. That’s all. I didn’t hate it, but it’s not my favourite thing. I still hope for a GREAT S3 Finale if renewed, however. Potential is there!

- Honestly, Izzy’s death isn’t a big turn off for me. Am I sad? Kind of. Is it something that would make me drop the show? Nah. Is he even really dead? Could we see him as a ghost haunting the inn in a S3?

- NO BURY YOUR GAYS. If more than 75% of your cast is queer, killing ONE off isn’t burying your gays, it’s just killing a character off. Some of you need some critical thinking course.

- The inn part kind of makes me happy.

- MATEYS!

- This season has some of my favourite OFMD scenes. Stede and the cursed coat? The " Soft" joke? Lucius being petty? Izzy signing in drag? Ed and Stede’s kiss scene in the finale?

- More Zheng Yi Sao. PLEASE. I love her.

I also think it’s good to add:

- Some of you need to stop complaining about the queer rep. What’s the issue with this show? I can’t even see it.

- As someone in their mid twenties, seeing how far representation has come makes me feel warm inside. This show is proof we can make progress happen as a community, despite all of the hardships and current pushback.

- Queer shows always get the short end of the stick when it comes to cuts and cancellations. Please understand this too.

- Actors and writers did amazing with what was given to them. Bravo! Let’s just hope that if there’s a s3, its ending is gonna be way more satisfying.

- Go read DJ’s interview.

I’d say the positives outweigh the negatives overall. Because of the rushed aspect, I’d give the overall season 8/10 and the last episode a 7/10.

[sparrowrising]

Hey, hi, hello! I'm just going to re-edit this post every now and again, I think.

This is a catch-all blog skewed towards everything writing. There will be some funny reblogs, fanfics and original writing, reblogs of art and other things I stumble upon and want to share.

I'm working on a couple of different original writing projects and I write occasional fanfics (ao3). I'm also quite proud of these two edgy fff poems: Devouring & watered down poison.

About me:

Early thirties, bi, working in tech, whichever&no pronouns work (lets just both pretend to not worry about it and move on). If I step on any toes, I probably just don't know the unwritten rules and I am sorry <3

Genre/tropes:

In the main original wip I'm writing: Urban futuristic fantasy/post cyberpunk, found family, romance, murder mystery, parallel universes. Currently 1/3 of the way through draft 1.

In the secondary original wip I'm writing: YA, dark forest, spooky atmosphere, learning lessons, John Bauer meets Alice in Wonderland.

In what I like to read: Grim-dark fantasy, urban fantasy (<- at least in theory! Give me some good recs, please!), modern sci-fi. I'm picky with prose. I haven't found any romance books that quite match what I like yet.

In fanfiction: Some fics do romance so well I lose words, queer rep, hurt/comfort, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers. I love it when there's a twist to the source material that recontextualizes something. I adore short poetic and pretentious (in a good way) fics, there's too few of them, please give me recs.

Other:

Open to tags/ask games! Might be slow to reply but happy for each one (even the ones I don't answer, I'm so sorry, it's just sometimes I don't feel I have anything good to add so. Yeah.)

Very open to constructive criticism - if you can tell me why you don't like something about my writing, I will find that very valuable. 

Do feel free to dm me if you want to vent about your wip! I'll gladly be someone to bounce your ideas off, if you want:)

[mars-ipan]

OK green day concert highlights bc it’s the next day now and i’m really happy i got to go still. these won’t be in chronological order bc i don’t think like that

billie joe did the freddy mercury call n response thing throughout the whole show and it was sick (i have always wanted to participate in that)

he also kept telling us he wanted to see us “jump around and go fucking crazy” and the entire time i was just thinking BILLIE MY KNEES. PLEASE

tre cool has a really good stage presence (i mean obviously . he’s a performer. but still) also he kept throwing his drumsticks throughout the Entire show he had. so many drumsticks

he was also incredible with his performance of all by myself. funny as fuck song (has an angsty kmhn animatic in its head about it)

before the show these green and pink paper hearts got handed out to us and we put them over our phone flashlights for wake me up when september ends and bobby sox. a lot of the show’s lighting and branding was green and pink too which felt special To Me as someone who. well. marzi is green and pink Das Me. so i’m letting myself take that as a sign that things are looking up bc i need that lmao

someone complimented my epic heart-shaped bag <3

when brain stew ended i pulled my phone out to record what i thought was gonna be the transition into jaded. what i ACTUALLY ended up recording was the transition into american idiot and it fucking ruled

during “know your enemy” billie joe brought an audience member from the pit up onstage and had them sing and it was really cute. shoutout to kierstan i loved watching you jump around onstage <3 oh-way-oh-way

in the middle of letterbomb billie joe paused the song and gave this huge speech about how tonight he wanted to see us all jumping together and dancing together and singing together for us and for each other and for our loved ones and those who are gone and that this wasn’t a party but a celebration and It Made Me Tear Up. letterbomb is one of my favorite songs in american idiot (love me an anthem) and the unity i felt with everyone there as the song resumed was incredible

just. scream-singing lyrics with the rest of the audience in general. extra big love to when the band would play at a slightly faster bpm than the song usually is so we would all sing a little faster too and it was so hype

for most of the show i was next to this blonde girl who clearly was just as passionate about the band as i am. and we never spoke and we didn’t know each other but singing and dancing alongside her was really really fun. my opinion of her was slightly lowered when she pulled out a vape but at least she always blew the cloud somewhere where people Weren’t

during bobby sox (which also made me tear up bc i am a faggot !) someone handed billie joe a pink ribbon bow and he put it in his hair and it was really sweet and queer and i’m so happy i got video of it

sidenote for being like. in their 50s. green day still look really good. billie joe especially. seeing him live made me realize it is not just gender envy i feel for that man he is genuinely just attractive. cannot help my weakness to guyliner and boys who look a little like girls </3 it’s ok tho i needed some middle aged man rep in my “people i find attractive” list. first realized it when he blew kisses to the crowd and my heart skipped i went “wuh oh” to myself

he’s Been doing this for this show but the line “not a part of your redneck agenda” in american idiot was modified to say “maga agenda�� which was. satisfying

at some point during dookie this huge blimp-shaped balloon with a sad animal face on the front and the words “BAD YEAR” on its side was carried through the audience by staff and i got some cool videos of it. saw that thing and immediately thought “oh so real”

so many of these songs felt amazing but look ma no brains felt particularly electric to me for some reason

at the start of are we the waiting billie joe jumped down into the pit and i presume mingled with the audience for a bit. it was cool :)

i LOVEDD watching billie jump around and get into character during st. jimmy. he was cheeky and energetic and cute and it was fun

at some point during dookie billie joe was given a mexican flag and he held it up to the camera and wore it like a cape for a bit. viva la méxico

this is standard concert fare but hearing billie joe shout “AUSTIN !!!!” and “TEXAS !!!!” throughout the show and include the location in the lyrics felt really really good. loved cheering with the audience every time it happened

billie joe started singing the “nobody likes you” sequence in a falsetto to mimic the female voice in the recording and slowly faded out to let the audience hit the notes exactly as we sang it with him. it felt like we got to pitch in and help it was cool

for some reason abt halfway through american idiot (album) a solid amount of people in our little chunk of audience just . got up and left. it was really bizarre but also worked out pretty nice for me bc i was able to get better videos and when i had to take sit down breaks i could still actually see the show. which was REALLY nice for homecoming because that song is another of my favs from the album but i was getting Tired and couldn’t stand for the full thing

usually with live music you feel the bass in your head but for some reason i felt it in my chest (as did the friend i was with) especially sitting down. it was a little odd but also made you feel like the music was squeezing your heart which. on brand. i had the song in my veins

the last song billie joe played was time of your life bc. duh. obvious end-of-show choice and i’m sure that’s something they’ve been doing for years and years now. but i pulled my phone out to record it bc it was Sweet and clearly i wasn’t the only one bc billie literally got two lines in before pausing to make fun of all of us for pulling out our phones. we got scolded lmao. i recorded through him chastising us but put the phone away afterwards bc He Was Right. so now i have a recording of billie joe armstrong going “let’s see how many videos we can get on The Youtube” and giggling to himself :]. he laughed through the song too. also later on during the song tre came back onstage with his phone out and got way up in billie’s face with it and made him laugh again. it was very silly and sweet

god the set was so cool. it made me miss doing theatre it was so fucking cool. we had fire and fireworks and lights and fog and

after the show tre pulled out a giant trash can filled with drumsticks (this must have been where his infinite supply of drumsticks was coming from) and threw them into the pit for the audience members. when the trash can was empty he threw the can OVER his drum set and cleared it. i was so afraid he was gonna hit it but he did not

[poetry-protest-pornography]

Those tags killed me, but also, please kill the idea that all representation needs to be "good"? Do you know how rare it was to get any queer rep when RHPS was made? And as the main character?

If you think we're lacking in queer rep now, it was all but unheard of in 1975! And to have a queer character who wasn't demonized and doomed by the narrative (he was doomed, but only because he was a dick, not because he was queer). Like, Frank N Further was not a good person, but he was honest about it and the plot framed him as an irresistibly attractive nutbar. You root for him to get to go home, even after you realize what an asshole he is.

(sorry for not just letting this be a funny post, but like... Come on)

Just saw a video like "um actually rocky horror isn't good queer representation because frank sexually assaults janet" girl he kills and eats people. It's called the rocky HORROR picture show not the rocky cute gay rep tw t-slur picture show

[matan4il]

You joked the other day in an anon response a funny line like "I don't even need to see these 2 bozos kiss" and it actually really drove home a point I was trying to crystallize in my head.

I have watched this show live since the beginning and I don't think people really comprehend how different S1 was from the rest. When it came back S2 honestly, totally different show. In fact it was almost Hallmark like it was so pure. S1 was for sure more sexual and gritier.

So at this point its like I just want Buddie Canon and if there is someone homophobic blocking it then please do it without the kissing. I would think it was a cop out but at this point I just want it you know. Queer actors play straight people all the time, so I don't think it's fair to let straight actors not, but like please I will take it.

If you just want them to like grab the back of the other's neck. Or forehead touch. The thing is this isn't a very sexual show so you could do it like that I guess. I don't think they ever showed Michael and David ..

And what really kills me is kissing aside making them Canon really wouldn't change the intimacy of how they are written because they already are written so much like a couple you know??

So I would be disappointed but seriously I will take them anyway I can get them at this point. I'm happy to fill in the blanks in my head and fanfiction.

Hi lovely Nonnie! Thank you so much for your response to this post! And also for the kindness about my awkward brand of humor. XD :*

I very much agree with you that s1 was darker and more sexual, though it wasn't necessarily a positive view of sexuality. We got a sex scene of Hen cheating on Karen with Eva, we got Buck having sex as part of his self-destructive pattern, as well as the sex with the shrink which was actually her taking advantage of him (as I discussed more in depth in my Buck & consent meta). The one "positive" sex scene we saw was Buck with Abby, but even that one came in ep 107, when we had already heard her calling him her boy toy in 106. So s1 was the only really sexual season, and actually getting a sex scene was not a positive during it. From s2 onwards we indeed have such a huge shift in the tone of the show! But we still only get sex scenes (rather than implied/referenced sex) in a negative context, such as the ones Buck has with Taylor in 206, which she's clearly portrayed as "the wrong choice" (as opposed to Ali). Basically, sex scenes in the world of 911 are a bad sign, while sex which is positive, which is good and loving (even when it's implied to be naughty or kinky, like Bathena's), is only implied. That's why I never expected or even wanted any sex scenes for Buddie.

Now kissing, that's different. You're right about us not getting any Michael and David kisses. IDK to what a degree that had to do with the fact that a big part of their story overlapped with the height of covid, but I find that 911 still managed to pull of a cute, loving, beautiful (even while it was minor) love story for them. So maybe with the exception of Michael saying yes to David's proposal, the lack of kisses didn't bother me much. And when we got to the proposal, we found out Michael's actor was fired due to being an anti vaxxer, so it made sense they wouldn't be able to film a kiss with him.

For other couples, Bathena, Madney and Henren, I do think it matters that we see them kiss. Especially Henren, as they're the show's only current canon LGBTQ rep (sorry Josh and Carson, your meet cute in 516 is still not integral enough to the show to count). But just generally, I think it matters how, despite sex scenes only being shown in a negative context, 911 makes it clear that sexuality is healthy, beautiful and even vital to a good romantic relationship. So those scenes implying couples having sex and getting to enjoy it and be fulfilled by it? It would be too much if they didn't include kissing.

And in that context, I do think Buddie should kiss. They should be treated equally to all the other couples on the show. Also, I agree with you that there is no reason in the world why straight actors should get away with playing gay, but refusing to kiss a same sex character. Incidentally, I also think neither Oliver, nor Ryan would have any issues with kissing another guy as a part of their job.

But for me, personally? Yeah, I can be okay with not seeing the kisses because Buddie are so there. They're so stupidly in love with each other, it's almost like kissing is just the fine print. It's exactly like you said! They have so many of the ingredients of a romantic r/s, they're so practically married, that if they officially got together, the difference on the surface would not be so big. But there would be a big shift below said surface. For example, they'd still be giving each other heart eyes like crazy, as we've seen them do. But as a couple, for the first time, they would know exactly what those heart eyes mean. And they would look at each other like that with the knowledge that they're allowed. That it's mutual. That it's intentional. That they get to look at the other man like he's the most amazing person to ever exist, and that man was theirs, that amazing man chose them. THAT is where the difference would lie, and kissing would only be an extension of that, not the source.

So yeah, you get me exactly right, Nonnie. I want to see THAT so much, I will take it even without any onscreen kissing. I'm glad my throwaway line helped crystalize things for you, I hope this reply was also a good one for you, and thank you for letting me babble on about this subject! Have a great day! xoxox

(If you're looking for my ask replies, here is my ask tag! xoxox)

[strangertheories]

I don't want to raise any false hopes/expectations but do you think there's the possibility they are just slow burning for Ronance? Robin obviously has a thing for Nancy, and I can't tell if she's still into Vickie or not. I don't see J*ncy lasting after Jonathan lied about his college apps, even if its not important. Nancy's smart, she'll find out eventually. Then there's St*ncy which I'm not even going to get into right now, but I'll be very mad if they decide to go in that direction.

Thanks for the ask. Those of you who follow me will know I'm a massive pessimist so I think deep down Ronance probably isn't going to happen... but I still have a smidge of hope. I'm mildly delusional about the ship and nothing can convince me that they aren't in love. They share bras, they hold hands, they have the world's most intense eye contact, they are clearly both girl kissers. I love them so much together that I literally have dreams in which they are canon and have big love confessions which I would turn into fanfic if I could creatively write. And I think narratively it could easily happen as a slow burn ship and it would be amazing.

Johnathan and Nancy are heading towards a break up at full speed so instead of having her fall into the arms of a dude who told her he has a dream of them having six kids despite the fact she has a boyfriend and doesn't want to be a typical suburban mom (look I love Steve and it was a funny haha moment about the mom meme, but that was weird writing), she should fall into the open arms of the world's coolest lesbian, one Robin Buckley.

However, they're really pushing this Johnathan and Steve love triangle annoyingly as well as the fact that Vickie exists to be Robin's love interest. At best, we'd get Robin having a crush on Nancy because of the way she acts around girls that she likes is the same as how she acts around Nancy. I really hope the Duffers get Natalia and Maya to write Ronance interactions because it would be so good and they both ship it but as Natalia said, the romantic tension was not the Duffers' original plan.

HOWEVER as I said, I really do see them together. Like the show could end with Steve and Nancy running away in their RV and having six kids together and Robin and Nancy would have some intense eye contact and I'd believe she loves Robin more. So whilst I don't have faith in the Duffers that they would actually write such a good slow burn queer ship, I still will always believe that they are girlfriends. And you all should too! I'm not trying to ruin the Ronance is canon parade because I really think it would work very well and be great sapphic rep, I'm just a huge pessimist.

Let's pray the Duffers make them canon for now! But even if they aren't, nothing can stop us from shipping them. I'm sorry if this isn't the response you were hoping for, anon. And if someone in the reblogs or replies has some Ronance optimism, please share it!

[metamorphicrocky]

adult animation appreciation post bc we've got some good shows lately

Bojack Horseman

a lot of us know it and love it, but for the ones who never got around to it, PLEASE watch it at some point in your life. it has so many good storylines centered around depression, addiction, sexism, repercussions of child abuse, and the daily struggles of living in this messed up world that we all know and can relate to. it'll punch you in the gut with some of the most unique storytelling you'll see in your life

Tuca & Bertie

created by the lead character designer of Bojack, this show may seem like a spinoff from the look but it isn't in the slightest. created and starring amazing women and letting women be funny in their own unique way that feels so genuine and following the story of these two crazy bird friends, I cannot tell you the emotional rollercoaster this one took me on. our mains struggle with anxiety and sexual harassment, with some great queer rep, and the stories are so fun and inventive that you can't help but have a blast

Final Space

I could talk about this show for DAYS, but I already have in this post so I won't go on a massive rant rn. it may look like a normal little scifi comedy show at the beginning, but this show'll blow you away with plot for days. if you want an action show that has consistent storylines, here ya go. it's so heartfelt, and it has stories revolving around coping with loss and loneliness by building new connections and new families, and it rips your heart out while leaving you shook over how great the animation and the soundtrack is

Castlevania

this one is insane. it is super gorey and violent with tons of swearing, but if you like that stuff you'll love this one. vampires and action with some stunning animation drags you in quickly, and the plotline is actually really good and you'll end up feeling for the characters so hard. their struggles are so investing and even if there's blood every second, it still manages to hook you quickly and wanna know what happens next. still haven't seen the new season yet, but I bet it's great

Primal

created by Genndy Tartakovsky, the legend behind Samurai Jack, so you already know this one is good. it's a short miniseries but whoo boy is it good. the animation is so nice, and this one is so unique. following the story of a caveman and a dinosaur becoming unlikely companions after loss, there is no dialogue. that makes it such a unique experience and it gets so emotional with some pure raw emotions that just crush you

The Midnight Gospel

the newest addition to the family, created by Pendleton War, the genius behind Adventure Time, this one messed me up in ways that I can't even put into words yet. it's an animated podcast with crazy trippy animation behind it and holy shit it is so unique. it takes time to process everything going on, but once in you get in the flow of it it hits you with emotions. following a guy who goes into a simulator to different worlds to interview people for his spacecast, expect for some great discussions of the struggles of hoping, coping with loss, and meditation. take your time with this one, it is so beautiful and funny

adult western animation is finally swinging up, and these are only some of the good ones. thought it would be good to advertise how not adult animation is ugly and just gross humor all the time, because people are finally telling stories that only adults can understand and relate to and feel, and I for one am absolutely here for it

[no1monstersimp]

Salty ask list number 16

Thank you for the ask!

There are some things I would change, more specifically just small things I think that annoy me.

Some of these are probably controversial, but it's just what I think so no one take offense please!💕

Darkshine

For one, I would definitely want to change Darkshine's backstory. I know it's not intended to be racist, but it honestly does come off that way. I think the English voice actor chosen makes it worse too. The thing is, he's not a bad character, in the aspect that he's a cool guy honestly. He seems to genuinely care about Garou when the rubble of the MA starts to fall, even after what he did to the heros. He's an inspiration for other heros like Mizuki, encouraging others. The backstory just kinda makes it hard for me to like him, and it's really sad...

Kama

The other thing that annoys me is misgendering Kama. Some have said it's a translation error in the manga, however, in the "Going Fishing With Middle-aged Men" OVA, Atomic refers to Kama as "he". They even call her "Queer Blade" in the Sub version, instead of Okamaitachi. It erases her as being trans, and instead makes viewers think she is a gay man in drag. This is where most of the discourse came from a few years back and still today.

It just annoys me tbh. Especially when Iai and Bushi do it aswell, because it's just off to me. They're her friends, so I would think they wouldn't misgender her. Even Atomic doing it weirds me out. I can appreciate they haven't done anything stereotypical with her or mocking, I think she's very beautiful and funny, I love her character. I suppose that's why it gets to me so much.

Puri Puri

Puri Puri annoys me too, he's just a character I can't like at all if I'm being honest. The stereotype is just...eh. The only things I like that he did was let Maiko and EC Man live, also him motivating Darkshine into not giving up with Amai. It was a wholesome moment that I loved from them both.

LGBT Rep

And the last thing I obviously would change if I could, I would make some of the ships I like cannon. I wish there was other gay rep besides Puri. It's implied, to me, that there are some gay couples but they aren't said outright. Such as Golden Ball and Spring Moustachio aren't outright said to be dating, but there are moments I think would suggest it. There are many duos like that too. DO-S also seems to be bisexual, she clearly has an attraction to both Amai and Fubuki, imo.

Sorry if anyone gets upset over these, but I especially had the Darkshine one stuck in my brain, thinking if I should even say anything about it. It's been discussed before so it's nothing new, along with most of what I said.

[itsclydebitches]

to offer something to the previous anon, i could probably say the Voltron reboot (2016?ish? i dont remember)(i did truly adore it, warts and all), in that it shares a trajectory with rw by. Started strong, some minor missteps, but as it went on it just got progressively worse, with execs just completely butchering it six ways to sunday to where they basically massacred the last two seasons and frankensteined them for publishing. Its a fascinating topic, seeing how much a solid franchise can be driven into the dirt when the people at the helm are straight up fuckwits.

rw by beware, you thread the same path

("Previous" anon being the one discussing bad media, since I'm always a few days behind in responding lol.)

I actually watched a good portion of Voltron, though I never got sucked into it like many others did. Given everything that went down in the show and in the fandom, I'm rather glad I was never that emotionally invested. But yeah, that's a good RWBY comparison in many ways, right down to the problems with queer rep, harassment in the community, and — as you say — a strong start that ultimately collapsed in on itself the longer it went on. Alongside everything I mentioned in the other ask, admittedly another reason I stick around is just pure, morbid curiosity. We've seen train-wreck shows in the past (plenty of them) and there's a legitimate investment in wondering just how bad things might get, even if you're simultaneously, honestly hoping that they'll somehow get better. It reminds me of the long-running joke on here that yeah, at this point we expect bad things to happen, but hopefully whatever bad thing we get next will at least be funny? Whenever RWBY/the fandom hits another snag I'm going, "Please let this be the kind of nonsense we can all laugh over and not, you know, more offensive behavior, horrible revelations, or changes that fans are legitimately upset by." Sadly though, RWBY doesn't have too much of that nowadays. I suppose the confusion surrounding RWBY: Ice Queendom falls into that category, helped along by legit interest in its potential, but by-and-large, yeah, it's more of a Voltron vibe of fans getting angry and/or upset the more RWBY stumbles. It's not (from what I've heard second-hand) a Riverdale situation where a good chunk of the community expects stupidity and is wildly entertained by it lol.

[iamnmbr3]

#like? I’m tired-#this is about the Loki show specifically but it applies to quite a few others as well#I see mfs on Twitter (and on here) all the time fighting to the death to defend Herron and Waldron etc over the bi loki thing#when like#babes???#WHAT bi loki thing??#if you had reached for an m&ms at the wrong time you would’ve missed the entirety of the show’s Bi Rep completely#it’s almost nonexistent#I’m begging young queer people to demand just a tad bit more#fucking please#antisylki#anti sylvie#anti loki series#queer representation via @musclesandhammering​

yeah and also. re the loki show in particular. let’s look at how loki was characterized. in the show where they made him bi (with one vague line of dialogue) they also retconned his entire character and turned him into a pile of offensive stereotypes about queer men stacked on top of each other under a hideous beige trench coat. 

like. suddenly in the show he’s bad at exercise and complaining about having to walk too much? despite being a an alien viking warrior prince from a warlike society? despite many previous canonical scenes where we saw him engage in physical exertion and demanding fight scenes with no problem? despite having gone toe to toe with Thor, who is probably the most powerful warrior in Asgard, and more than held his own? but no. suddenly in the show he’s weak and bad at sports. for no reason that has anything to do with his previous characterization in canon. 

same with him going from being very minimalist in his movements and expressions to suddenly waving his arms and flailing around constantly like an overdramatic cartoon octopus on cocaine. same with him suddenly being extremely cowardly even tho before even when he was afraid one of his defining features was his refusal to show it. he was also previously characterized as being very quiet (in direct contrast to Thor’s brashness and directness - because remember they started out as foils) but suddenly the show wants us to believe he’s overly talkative.

And yeah sure. someone could happen to have these traits and also be queer. bc queerness is not a personality type. any type of person can be queer. but none of these character traits were ever associated with Loki’s original canon actions and characterization. and that to me does not seem like it deserves to be called good representation.

and that’s without getting into the whole bit where the whole plot revolves around how loki deserves to be beaten, dehumanized, tortured, assaulted, humiliated, and called names. not only deserves it, but that it is funny when this happens and the audience should laugh and his mistreatment. and we should cheer when loki hugs the person who called him a cockroach and subjected him to torture. that's what we're told by the show.

miss me with that. that’s not progressive. AT ALL. and Disney shouldn’t be able to get away with it.

True that bi characters in m/f pairings are valid, but like…

Are we just going to ignore the fact that tv writers in the last 10 or so years have figured out that they can continue to pander to homophobes and simultaneously get queer rep brownie points by never showing any actual queer content at all, having a character in 52 different m/f relationships, never once alluding to them being into same sex stuff… and then just giving a one sentence easily-edited-out vague confirmation of them being bisexual?

You guys are so starved for any confirmed queer rep at all that you’re perfectly happy letting film companies get away with this shit and it’s frustrating as hell honestly.

[life-rewritten]

Gifts of BL! Aka Christmas Goodies For BL Fans Who Want Important Discussions About   Representation.

Oh wow, we're closer to Christmas. Where has the time gone?. So here's a gift for you all—another list of great BLS that will make you have a great time. If you find it fun rewatching and feeling all the emotions from these love stories, then I hope you enjoy these. Today I bring you guys a list of recommendations for our sometimes serious, sometimes heartfelt, sometimes innovative educators in BL that are very much needed.

Ah, The educators, the teachers, the serious topics, the displays, the emotional moments. Some of these shows decided to surprise me when I came in expecting something odd and not realistic; only for them to break my heart but also humble me and teach me and others some of the crucial conversations we need to have about LGBTQ+ representation in BL. We have couples discussing about their sexuality accepting they are gay or bi(Yes not just in love with only one person but they actually embrace their sexuality), we have essential coming out scenes and looks into the mindsets of people who struggle with coming out and being in the closet, we have supportive families that have to learn and show our characters warmth because of their own experiences, and we have metaphorical outlooks of what it feels to have to please society with the result of losing ourselves. These are the great BLs, they break our hearts, but they make it hopeful to see people who go through their issues and come out in love, strong and protected and supported. Their journey is worth it, so if you want to find some shows that give you these feelings, then join me and let's look at these great representations in the BL genre. 

BL has a bad rep. How could it not when the reason BLs were created was for straight girls who fangirled about two boys kissing. Not that I even hate fujoshi's, you're allowed to be whatever you want, like whatever you want as long as you don't cross the line and make people uncomfortable with outrageous demands or actions (like the fujoshi's in some BL shows). But BLS has become something more, though some people refuse to take them still seriously and doubt their authenticity, some people refuse to accept some shows as BL, they instead just call it a queer film or tv. But why? BL has become a place for people to run away into a fantasy of stories where there's drama, romance, comedy, mystery, passion and more. BL can be anything, and in 2020 BL showed it could be anything, it could be serious and well produced and not filled with its past problematic enquiries, it could be funny and still tug at the heartstrings, it could be deep and painful and full of lessons but still have a happy, hopeful ending, it could be any genre it wanted, from supernatural, action, thriller and more. BLs improved and also became a source for the representation of LGBTQ+. And I think that's beautiful. It might have a taken a while for people to learn, for own voices to find a way to write new shows, for risks to be made. But 2020 saw the influx of BLS that weren't just fan service but actually art or just good stories with a great message. Here are some of them. 

Thai 

Dark Blue Kiss

It's weird to say that Dark Blue Kiss is an excellent representation for the qualities needed in this list. But what can I say apart from the overbearing, jealous plotline and some irrational over reactiveness with some of our characters. Dark Blue Kiss and Kiss me again has always been a show that has been worth it. Dark Blue Kiss is one of the first Thai BLs, where we saw a supportive parent, and that's Pete's father. He's incredible; he's everything that's healthy, understanding and helpful. He makes jokes with Pete about his relationship but also supports and gives him advice. He's protective and sweet when it comes to Kao and Pete, and they are themselves when they're with him even daring to speak about things like intercourse etc. It's incredible; he was a breath of fresh air for parents we usually encountered in this genre. He had discussions with his son, and in doing so, we saw his son also have more conversations and discussions with his partner about what their sexuality was, why they should come out as a couple, why they were scared to do so, what was holding them back etc. Pete's dad isn't the only supportive parent with advice and warmth, we later also add Kao's mum to the list, she's always known about Pete and Kao and was waiting patiently for Kao to come on his own and tell her. It's incredible. Dark Blue Kiss brought out conversations that didn't seem meaningless, there was an actual exploration of the fears some people have with coming out, and it was brilliant and wonderful to see on screen. Honestly are we shocked? It's Backaof as the director; all his shows should be on this list, every single show of his explores these topics with care and heart. And it's incredible.

Why it's a gift

Deep conversations and moments where you see two people learn and wonder about their sexuality and how the world may react to it. Supportive parents that are understanding, helpful and sweet. A relationship that's incredible despite its flaw, shown wonderfully and thoughtfully. Even the hurtful moments like when Kao gets outed and also has to struggle with claims of being a predator is done well and leads to Kao finally accepting his fears and coming out to the people he loves. By the end of it, all Pete and Kao are back together, happy, finally healthy and mature. Dark blue kiss also explores these two ambitions, their dreams, their ideas for the future and more. And it also has a great friendship group worth stanning. Pete and Kao aren't the only couple in this show worth praising and noticing you also have Mork who goes through his own acceptance of his sexuality once he falls for Sun, they're also great and also have their own plot revolving around dreams, jobs and character and angst. A great side couple in BL.  It's amazing. 

Special mention:

My Dear loser: Another Backoaf directing, no words this is incredible, I think everyone knows how great this is despite the BL coupe being a side couple, that may have an ending that feels unfinished. You can watch both this and My sky for a full experience. This deals with everything so well and also has a great support system from friends. Chimon is such an amazing actor in this.

As always I leave a gift: 

LINK HERE FOR MY DEAR LOSER IN/SUN CUT

DARK BLUE KISS EDIT FOR PETE KAO THEIR STORY

I told Sunset about You

I mention this show on every list; it's like not even a surprise anymore to see it. There's a reason why this show is incredible why people prefer to see it as a queer film instead of BL. Why people think calling it a BL is an insult (which I think why? A BL should be allowed to be seen as a good form of representation). This show has it all. Honestly, a great production company behind it, acting that's phenomenal, and a story that will blow your minds each time you watch it and try to piece it together. What's even more respectful about ITSAY is that it's a coming of age done well, it showcases feelings of the youth and how feelings are seen as a storm that can't be stopped. 

Especially when you are struggling to understand your sexuality, we have two characters, Teh who learns as he grows that he has uncontrollable, addictive and crazy feelings for his best friend, they're drawn to each other, but Teh can't understand what he feels, he doesn't know what this means. He struggles to comprehend it as well with his struggles with ego, pride and selfishness because of his young age. Then we have his best friend Oh Aew he knows what he is, he also is torn apart by feelings when Teh reenters into his life, he also struggles through losing his self, individuality and his confidence because of his feelings for Teh. It's brutal, but one thing stands for sure, these two are meant to be together, these two love each other. Why is this so great? Because the directing and production of this show is serious, every single scene counts, every single action has a meaning, but also this show has incredible moments that show you the struggles of internalized homophobia. 

It's something that's always mentioned in BLS as a struggle. Still, this show used scenes to show it, like for example, OH wearing his mother bra because he wished he was born a girl to be with Teh. Still, then he breaks down in self-loathing only to later stand up and embrace who he is, and Teh who finally comes out to his brother in a heart-wrenching scene; another supportive and healthy relationship who understands him and tells him it's okay to be who he is, to be with Oh, to be brave and take a leap to what he wants. His brother's conversation is everything someone who struggles with the same issues wants to hear; it's a healing effect, a hopeful and painful realization that some people don't have someone like Oh and Teh's family who help them and let them accept who they are. 

It's a journey of discovering the truth about how so many people have to go through this fear because of what society put in our heads, it's a wake-up call, but the fact that ITSAY has a happy ending despite all the realistic representation and angst is a hopeful meaning for everyone who saw themselves in Oh and Teh. It's incredible. 

Why it's a gift:

It's unbelievable; it's not told to you but shown to you the amount of struggle some people can have when they're coming of age and realizing their sexuality. It's a beautiful representation of what it's like to fall in love: the angst, pain, healing but also sabotage, and the growth. It's produced with so much effort and hard-work and research on what would be an excellent story for LGTBQ to see. One of the best made BLs; this is not us being dramatic. 

.A Gift for You

GREAT OST PLAYLIST OF ITSAY

An Edit For Teh/OH 

He's coming to me

Another Backoaf, directing masterpiece. This show is incredible. Like words can't explain how good this show is. Words can't describe what a gift this show still is. How much a BL like this was needed. First, this show is already unique; it deals with supernatural world-building, with ghosts and mysteries of death/murder, it deals with also coming of age, and falling in love and accepting your sexuality. It has two confirmed gay characters who we see explore and finally reveal who they are, they've both known and as they fall in love, they have to go through the angst of what it means that they love each other. 

It's incredible, not just because of the fact that Thun's ability to see ghosts and his need to hide that also mirrors his need to hide his sexuality, the way he breaks down later after realizing that people won't let him just be him or the way people made him feel bad for being who he is. The way that Mes also went through the same thing before he died, and the person who connected them was Thun's mom. She's incredible, and I still believe the coming-out scene of Thun to his mum is one of the best as incredible as his confession on the rooftop to Mes as he breaks down in the rain because he's afraid he's been left. 

The amount of repressed feelings these two hides is insane, and when they later confront it,  it's like OMG really they knew about their feelings all along? It's incredible, with a show that already has an incredibly well thought out plot about ghosts and supernatural, but it also has two characters that are fleshed out, who both have discussions with everyone around them about what they are and the way they have a happy ending after all the angst and tears. It's worth it thousand times over and over again. This show is just great. And no one else can do it like Backaof he just has the most excellent formulas: supportive family members, supportive friend unit, serious conversations about sexuality and feelings, important relationships and no censorship, unique plotlines and risks. He's incredible. No words.

Why this is a gift?

The actors are also one of Thailand BLs veterans. Both of them are incredible and nuanced in their scenes; they make you cry, scream, sigh, and swoon. They make you learn, and it's fantastic, they're amazing people. They're worth it both Ohm Pawat and Singto, their performances are incredible. Every character in this show is fleshed out and necessary, the plot makes sense and isn't written haphazardly, and the directing is phenomenal. Watch it. 

A gift for You

He’s coming to me the whole show

PINOY

Gaya Sa Pelikula 

This time we have the Philippines if Thai isn't your cup of tea I guess. This show is just, so great? It was made with the intention for representation, a love story to the LGBTQ community, actors devoted to researching and learning about the topics presented in the show. This show is outstanding, no words, it's not preachy, but it's still educative. Not one episode goes back when you don't see the effort and brilliance of this show; each message of each episode is so important and needed. The story isn't afraid to explore topics which haven't been shown correctly in this genre, and it's so good they did. 

We have two characters, one a gay out guy (Vlad) who is very bitter about everyone and how they treated him, he's dying to be loved for who he is, and he's desperate to find a safe space where he can be himself loud and proud, he falls in love with another (Karl) who is more in the closet, with secrets that you discover later about his circumstance he's not sure of who he is and as the show progresses he and us get educated about everything. He learns to accept that he is gay. 

This show is about self-acceptance, love and healing. By falling in love; our characters are forced to question everything about who they are, what they've gone through and how that shaped them, and we realize that both perspectives is right in their own way. The show is for people who feel like the guy who's out, who wants to be proud and tell the world he's in love but also it's for people like his partner who feel guilty for struggling and having anxiety about accepting who they are, but this show doesn't force him out, it doesn't force them to be together, it just becomes a realistic story full of hope about the future of these two. It's a healing show; it makes you question your self, it makes you go through your own journey of how you feel you're perceived in the world, it takes you on a trip of your own self-learning, exploration and discovery. And it ends making you feel grateful for the experience of it all.

Why it's a gift:

 I think the best thing about this show is the other extra gifts it brings. It's music playlist, it's like your own gift bundle of new artists to explore and listen to every song is beautiful and needed, with different messages and feelings, you will find one music you love in this playlist, and you'll end up spending hours weeping about them. But it's beautiful, it's euphoric, and the show is worth it. The show has amazing actors and a great team of people behind the scenes. The writer is brilliant, poetic and serious; he knows how to make a plot. He knows how to teach you without you feeling patronized, he knows how to humble you if you didn't know anything before. He's just great. 

A gift for You

GSP OST PLAYLIST- THE BEST

Gameboys 

I haven't mentioned this show on here before, which is sad because it really should be praised. It's an outstanding show that showed up during a time where the world was on pause. Gameboys provided a gift for everyone who looked for something during the lockdown in the pandemic. The fact it revolves around events in the pandemic, it uses it as a great plot device and has important moments that touch your heart and make you reflect on the situation without being too heavy. 

Gameboys is incredible; it also has a unique storyline, a Gameboy and his fanboy who falls in love with him and is confident he can win over his heart. Except, our Gameboy Cairo has to go through some self-exploration first, some self-healing and acceptance, some coming to terms with guilt and self-hatred he feels for things that happened to his past. This show makes you cry, so bring the tissues, I mean every show on this list probably does, but this show has so many moments, we have supportive parents, but even in a more heartbreaking way, we have warnings of what happens when people selfishly out people, the consequences of that, how much anxiety and fear you can have as you deal with internalized homophobia and being in the closet, how it affects family members, and what it means to finally accept who you are and stand up for who you are. It's brilliant, painful, but it also makes you grin from so many heartfelt moments we needed during a dark time. The actors are also amazing, and they make you feel everything they feel so naturally, they're also three dimensional and have exciting character arcs. There's a great support system as well in this show, with the best friend, who makes you smile whenever you see her. This show is worth it. 

Why is it a gift? 

I feel like without knowing it Gameboys was an actual gift for everyone who was struggling during the pandemic, it showed the reality of what was going on, but it also showed healing and hope and happiness derived from being in quarantine and lockdown. It showed that even in lockdown nothing had to stop, we could still fall in love, grow and learn about our selves if we wanted to. It also had a great love story to follow that was both funny, romantic and heartfelt. The directing was genius also, and it touched many people. It was outstanding. 

A gift for You

ALT GAMEBOYS: A SIDE STORY FOR ONE OF THE CHARACTERS

JAPANESE

Cherry Magic 

Finally, we come to this gem of a show. What else can we say about Cherry Magic? Oh I know, no one expected this Japanese BL to be so full of heart, joy, magic but also depth. This show is just ridiculously good, it's not as painful as the other shows, it's slower and more softer than the other angst in the other shows, but this show still tugs at your heartstrings and makes you laugh and cry. It deals with everything that has already been mentioned: self-acceptance, questioning of sexuality, trying to please society that you lose your self, being brave and finding your self, loving your self, etc. 

It's just so great, it's also unique a story about magic and reading minds that our main character has. As he realizes his person (Kurosawa) loves him, we watch Adachi struggle through self-hate, self-deprecation and anxiety to finally come out of his shell and become who he wants to be. This show has an incredible love interest who's just wonderful, he's the ideal man, but that doesn't mean he's one dimensional or stale. 

He's also deep, and has his own flaws and hurts, and the way he loves Adachi is just breathtaking and frankly makes you so jealous. Why is this show for representation? Because it's a slice of life of an office romance, it deals with what people go through in life, the gruels and requirements from work whilst also watching both our characters choose to be brave and come out to each other and pick each other despite their fears about what their environment thinks. 

These two are each other's healing, comfort, support system and they both have incredible personalities. This show is also quite deep, you wouldn't think so, but when you listen to the dialogues and watch some of the scenes, you'll see how deep this show can be for its characters whilst still being fluffy. It perfectly represents the fear of coming out and coming to terms of having feelings for someone you weren't expecting. Its message is more hidden, but it's still great for conversations about representation, in my opinion. 

Why it's a gift?

It was made as one; the last episode is coming on Christmas haha. This show takes some tropes of BL and chooses a healthier option, it also just fleshes out its characters incredibly, you watch how Adachi and Kurosawa changed each other's life without knowing and how their love keeps being needed by each other in many ways. It also is called Cherry Magic, because this show is magical, it makes you grin, be happy and excited from seeing one episode, it tugs at your heartstrings whilst making you blush and squeal from happiness. Its softness is something to look forward to after a hard day of whatever real life looks like to you, it has a healing effect, a warm effect and it makes you smile and forget your troubles in those few minutes. It's wonderful. 

A gift for You

Adachi and Kurosawa EDIT

I hope you enjoy these shows they’re all incredible, they’ll surely make you smile and be happy. They’re all important in their own way, if you haven’t seen any have a go and see which you love. Let me know if I’ve missed some, to be honest I chose the ones that had scenes with important discussions that make you think or scenes that bring out emotions and feelings but also make you learn and realise something. Hope you enjoy the recommendations or if you’ve watched them before hope you enjoy the reviews and commentary. Merry Christmas guys :)

Other recommendations

GIFTS OF BL FOR FANS WHO LOVE ANGST, DRAMA AND PASSION