#Watching the Midnight Series as I wait for Moonlight Chicken

[respectthepetty]

Dirty Laundry gets that people who were raised on soap operas and telenovelas are built different.

We will not hesitant to slap you. Repeatedly. Time and place does not matter.

It also understands that Nanon is very pretty.

Appreciated.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Most memorable items of clothing in bl series in 2023

In order of their airing/me watching them:

I'm thankful I've gotten into the habit of noting which shows I watch and when otherwise I wouldn’t be able to remember. As it is, first on my list is Bed Friend, which kind of sets the tone for this post since it features the best and the worst outfit choices for Uea. The waffle robes and cat ears vs the fake sleeves shirt.

Next is a quick shout out to Por in My School President, since the show started in 2022 but did finish in 2023, and basically all of his outfits. The man is a style icon. But this stripy polo shirt takes the biscuit for me. I need to have it.

On to Moonlight Chicken and this one is a combined effort between Heart and Li Ming. @telomeke prompted me to write a little about it, but essentially the two shirts together are saying 'you're my other half'. Urthe / Tomato sauce.

The Gloves! Need I say more? (Alright, for those of you who don't know - how could you not?! - they're from Chains of Heart).

And now not strictly an item of clothing but an accessory, the most straight ankle bracelet you'll ever see in a thai series. Totally platonic, not gay AT ALL. In Midnight Museum.

In July the different Thai production companies took stock of three versions of the same stripy linin shirt – the cream long-sleeved, the brown short-sleeved, and the charcoal short-sleeved - and proceeded to clad every actor they could in one of them within a three and a half month period (six shows*, eight different characters). We had couple-shirts with both Kawi and Pisaeng and Mew and Top wearing them, and Namneua in Wedding Plan wore all three. (*Step by Step, Be My Favourite, Hidden Agenda, Wedding Plan, Love in Translation, and Only Friends).

Staying in July for a while, and speaking of weddings, Kawi rocked on up to Pearmai and Not's wedding in Be My Favourite in this brown houndstooth shirt and black pants outfit - an almost exact replica of Ray's outfit in the original pilot trailer for Only Friends. I waited with baited breath to see if Ray would still wear the outfit in the actual series...and he did! Not only that, I then realised Uea had already worn it in Bed Friend earlier in the year.

In a surprising turn of events, Be My Favourite – and Krist – turned out to actually be Quite Good. Perhaps distracted by Krist's puppy eyes, we weren't entirely ready for the first appearance of the Dudes shirt – itself a wonderful comment on the narrative since Kawi was figuring out his feelings for Pisaeng – but it was a delight to see it again on Nick in Only Friends, and offering a different narrative comment.

This next one may only be notable for me, but when I was doing my dedicated scan through of oh so many shows to collect items for the communal wardrobe, I noticed this sand and grey sweater amongst the many other items of shared clothing which appeared in The Warp Effect and then very briefly on Pisaeng in Be My Favourite. Not long after, the trailer for Last Twilight dropped and I spotted it again immediately. I've also since noticed it in a speed scan of The Shipper. Not only do I think it's a pretty neat sweater, but I loved the effect it gave in Last Twilight, which I wrote about at the end of this post.

This is getting long but I'm going to keep going (this might be the only 2023 wrap up I do so I'ma make it count).

If you've been following me for a while (or since the BBS days), you’ll know how rabid I go when I see a pair of the yellow-soled Mustard brand shoes in a show. The most recent being in Hidden Agenda worn by Zo…but they're not the ones on this list. Oh no, it's Joke's blue-soled shoes which made me sit up and scream this time...meaning even their shoes were colour-coded in this show. Oh how I wish I could buy a pair of each.

There were many fabulous outfits in Laws of Attraction (especially Charn's) but Tanthai's green rope shirt wins out for me. Green seemed to be used in the show to represent the lies and secrets Tanthai was forced to keep because of his father, and he was metaphorically bound and trapped in these lies and his life. Ah perfection!

I've mentioned a lot of brilliant items but there have also been many awful ones, and the one I can't seem to stop thinking about (or horrifying over) is the Droopy Tits shirt (or Nipple Protector, whichever way you want to call it) which first appeared in Dangerous Romance and then The Jungle just three days later. I'm surprised we haven't seen it again to be honest, but I imagine if we get more spoiled rich kids we probably will.

These next two aren't specific items but more of a shout out to the whole wardrobe design of the shows.

First, Only Friends, with Mew and Ray's transformation to Ray and Sand's (respective) wardrobe choices, as well as the inversion of colours to highlight differences in relationships, and the use of colour-groupings to separate characters (<- a post i have yet to write). I wish I could write more about it…but life is just too busy to give it the time it needs.

The second is, of course, Ai Di and Chen Yi in Kiseki: Dear to Me with how they always share a colour in their different outfits. @respectthepetty details this perfectly here, so I don't need to. I am however still feral about these two and can't wait to do a full re-watch of the show.

And lastly, much like Baseball Mom in Bad Buddy two years ago (and to be honest many of Pat's other shirts), Aof recently gifted us another absolutely ridiculous but brilliantly poignant t-shirt slogan in Mhok's Fart Proudly shirt in Last Twilight, which I went into detail about here. Just A+

Thanks for sticking with me through all that! Any others that stood out for you or that I missed?

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - 2023 Begins!

Jan 20232 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) 4 of 12 - I keep saying this, but I can’t get over how delighted I am to have Perth back on my screen, and under the GMMTV umbrella. He is a stellar actor. I like that the first kiss of this show wasn’t btw the leads. Felt more realistic to high school. Big drama next week!

My School President (Fri YT) 5 of 10 - I missed these two so much last week. But also there was A MUSICAL INCIDENT and it caused a bit of a rant from yours truly. 

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) 9 of 12 - no ep this week, resumes tomorrow WATCH ALONG HERE.

609 Bedtime Story (Fri WeTV) 7 of 11 - Game remains my spirit animal (pushy fucker), and the plot of the main couple is interesting even if I don’t like the cheating component. 

Cutie Pie 2 You (special) 1 of 4 - Oh it’s a full on special. Very very pretty and, is possible, more sappy and full of manufactured angst. Nuea protecting Hia’s interests was sweet. Lots of making out. So... more of the same, basically. What year are we in now, anyway?

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) 8 of 12 - (note from my Thai language spy rgr ep 5: the writing on the stone tablets was their names + 2 family members) And now we are suddenly firmly in BL territory and baby Dom is just a baby Seme. No bisexual identity crisis needed... just diving into cheese fest. 

Remember Me (Sun Gaga) 13 of 14 - I would have kept JaFirst apart for longer, quite frankly. I mean otherwise why bother split them up in the first place? Please just end this show already. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

The New Employee (Korea Weds Viki) 3 of 8 - I love them so much, and they are so cute, and this is not open to discussion. Viva la age gap! 

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner (Korea Weds iQIYI) 7-8 of 10 - There is a lot implied about the leads history together, but it was still nice to get backstory plus GAT KISSES. I love it when they flip the dynamic and give the uke agency. I’m really enjoying this show now, I’m even invested in the love triangle.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future (Taiwan Weds Viki) 2 of 10 - Side couple ascension: Daddy Long Legs trope, it’s been a while since I have seen this in ANY romance drama. I’m not really into the main couple, at least not yet (and I totally missed that they hadn’t met each other in person yet), but I really love the side dishes. It’s like H4 all over again only with less dub con.

Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox (Japan Fri Gaga) 4 of 8 - nothing this week. 

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

Love Bill (Vietnam Sat YT) - Bah Vinh is back but I’m too distracted. Also there’s a lot of fund raising stuff going on with them. I can wait.

The Star Always Follow You (Vietnam YT) - same Team RL peeps we have seen before (Sunshine, Stupid)

Moonlight Chicken GMMTV’s Midnight series (Weds YT) 1 of 8 eventually - first segment has begun bit it’s not the EarthMix messy gays. Sorry all, I’m so not interested in messy hets, so I’m waiting until they grace my screen.

Questions!!! 

Should I watch The Warp Effect? Tublr seems excited about it and BL bits look good? Will they end happy? Thoughts anyone? 

Till the World Ends (Thai YT) finished at 10 eps, the heat looked good but I don’t know about the ending with that kind of title, so did anyone risk it and want to tell me what they thought? I haven’t seen much chatter on my feed so I am not optimistic. 

In Case You Missed It

2022′s The Usual Night (Twitter account) from Japan is a 10-ep fake documentary series starring the members of Jpop group the Fantastics. It flew under everyone’s radars but apparently has a BL subplot featuring Yagi Yusei (My Beautiful Man) and Seguchi Leiya. This officially means they beat OnlyOneOf to the punch as the first inter-group BL pairing. Keito Kimura (Onoe from Candy Color Paradox) is also a member of Fantastics and in the show. Source reddit. No word on official international release. Japan is like that. 

OnlyOneOf’s Nine dropped the last (?) in their BL Kpop series, 'beyOnd' (be #6) 

I posted all my 2022 wraps, top picks, industry stats, etc.. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Jan 19: Individual Circumstances 8 eps - A reunion romance between a movie director who was once promising and a writer who disappeared due to past wounds. Stars JunQ (main rapper of 2nd gen group MYNAME) and Han Jung Wan (Mr International Korea winner).

2023 forthcoming BL master post is in the works... wait for it... I had to finish all the 2022 wrap ups first. Also waiting for the last of the studio announcements.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Never Let Me Go

Ah the love triangle. 

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner caught himself a live one. 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? You gotta check out VIXX (sub unit) new single. Gonna Be Alright = 2 BL stars in one croon. (Hyuk Color Rush 2 & Leo Happy ending Romance). *props chin on hand and bats eyes winsomely at Ken* So?

[dramatothethirdpower]

Dramas I finished in 2023 (In Ranked Order from 1-5 stars)

5 Star reviews at the bottom

Bump up business ★★☆☆☆

Boss and a Babe  ★★☆☆☆

Professional single  ★★☆☆☆

See You in my 19th Life ★★☆☆☆

Crash Course in Romance  ★★★☆☆

Forecasting Love and Weather  ★★★☆☆

Glory Part 2 ★★★☆☆

Jun and Jun  ★★★☆☆

Kill Boksoon (movie) ★★★☆☆

Kingdom S1 finished ★★★☆☆

Maid’s Revenge  ★★★☆☆

Meet you in my 19th life  ★★★☆☆

My Lovely Liar ★★★☆☆

Only Friends  ★★★☆☆

Zom 100 (movie)  ★★★☆☆

Shoulder to Cry On ★★★☆☆

Strong Girl Nam Soon ★★★☆☆

Boy For Rent ★★★★☆

Castaway Diva  ★★★★☆

Exclusive Fairy Tale  ★★★★☆

First Love Again ★★★★☆

I cannot reach you (Japan) Netflix ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Jack O Frost ★★★★☆

La Pluie ★★★★☆

Midnight Silence (Movie)  ★★★★☆

Minato’s Laundromat ★★★★☆

Moonlight Chicken  ★★★★☆

Our Dining Table  ★★★★☆

Our Secrets  ★★★★☆

Unintentional Love Story  ★★★★☆

Unlocked (movie)  ★★★★☆

Why you? Y Me? ★★★★☆

20th Century Girl  ★★★★★ - I watched this one blind so I'm going to ahead and warn you, it's very, very, very sad! Sobbing hysterically on your couch, sad. Can't watch anything else until the feelings go away, sad.

Alchemy of Souls Part 2 ★★★★★ - I was worried with this one when they "recast" it that I wasn't going to like it, but it was gripping all the way through. I highly recommend the whole thing!

Glory  ★★★★★ - This one should be coming with all kinds of trigger warnings. It's a revenge drama about a girl who was brutally mutilated via school violence. If you, like me, love a good FAFO story give this a go. If you're even mildly squeamish, maybe don't.

Go Ahead ★★★★★ Go Ahead is... an acquired taste. It's found family, and it's coming of age, and it's love triangle and it's breathtaking beautiful. It examines different family dynamics and what it means to choose your family and what it means when your family doesn't choose you. All of that said... it is also a little bit about dating your step brother, and I know, okay, I KNOW, but if you just trust me on this, it's only a tiny bit weird and then it's not, and you're rooting for these maybe a little bit incestuous but not really, idiots.

Be My Favorite  ★★★★★ This thai BL is not your typical coming of age, falling in love, enemies to lovers, story. Instead we have time travel, and the butterfly effect of the consequences of our actions. Gotta be honest, I'm a total ho for sci-fi tropes and this was done well enough that it rocketed into a favorites of 2023 spot before it was half finished.

Hidden Love  ★★★★★ Come cancel me, Tumblr, I'm ready because one of my absolute favorite tropes is the *dun dun dun* age gap! In this drama a young girl falls hard for her older brother's best friend, and you get to watch as their relationship changes and grows as they mature. There is no hanky panky or even interest in our female lead before she comes of age but if you're a puri-teen steer clear, you won't have a fun time. My favorite part of this drama was actually the relationship between siblings, which felt much more authentic than many portrayals I've come across.

My Beautiful Man S2 ★★★★★ The second installment in this series delivers! There's angst, there's humor, there's *eyebrow waggles*. I'm a tiny bit obsessed with Hira and I can't wait for more!

My Personal Weatherman ★★★★★ Miscommunication, or as I call it, idiot plot, is the best. I know some people hate a storyline that could be resolved with less than 5 minutes of open communication between the romantic leads, but not me. Let these idiots stew in their misconceptions, let them leap tall buildings in a single misguided assumption. GIVE IT TO ME. Anyway, if you don't like that, don't watch this, but if you do, it's crack.

My School President  ★★★★★ GeminiFourth stole my heart in this cute coming of age story. It hit all the right notes, with the added bonus of Fourth! I will say normally I hate when they shoehorn music into Thai dramas (so that the stars can go on tour?) but it fit well with the plot and the soundtrack is amazing. They can be my only exception.

That's my dramas of the year wrapped! You can find all the drama's I've watched (that I remember) here:

[singto-prachaya]

Another watchlist already when it’s been only a month? Wonder if I can keep this up or forget again 😂 Anyway let’s get going.

Bed Friend

I’m enjoying this. However I didn’t expect this series to be heavy. The trauma Uea is dealing with oof. But please can we get better subs. It’s not the worst but still.

Chains Of Heart

I was ready to drop this because after 2 eps I was still confused and the subs didn’t make it any better. They were really bad. But since I hate dropping things I was like let me just try one more ep. And wow I was shocked when I saw the subs. They became so much better.

Love Syndrome III

Well what can I say. Low quality and terrible subs. Lee Long Shi really needs to find better projects to star in. Because so far all of them have been a miss. But either way I will try and continue this.

My School President

Well Fourth and Gemini stole my heart in Moonlight Chicken so I then decided I would bing this while I am home alone. One more ep to go while writing this. Anyway I am in love 🥰

Our Winter

Same as last time. No plot but at least it’s cute. They revealed the plot for their upcoming Korean collab and it’s about a fan who has feelings for his idol. I feel a bit iffy abut that plot but I’ll wait and see.

The End Of The World

This show is just not doing it for me. And today’s ep wasn’t that good for my mental health. Doesn’t mean it’s a bad show. Just not for me.

The Promise

Watched the 2 short movies before the series started and I really liked them. Despite the fact the sadness hit me hard and stayed with me longer then I wanted. Enjoyed the first ep. Heard some bad things about the second ep. I hope it’s not as bad as they made it seem.

Tin Tem Jai

I will just skip around for the side couple. Don’t care about the rest at all. 

Future The Series (12 March, YT, Gaga) 

Rookie Thailand BL’s are always low heat but I enjoy them. So I can’t wait for this.

Midnight Museum (7 March, YT)

You have no idea how excited I am for this show. P’tor and Gun in the same show? Sign me up! And 2 eps a week? Even better.

[anotherblblog]

2023 Review - Shows

okie okie, well, I'm not the most consistent poster but I did wanna join the look back at 2023 with some top hits (and misses)

Top Shows

1. Utsukushii Kare s2/Utsukushii Kare Eternal

I literally flew across the world and then proceeded to fly back and forth between Thailand and Japan I think 4 times to watch all the Utsukare stuff happening and it was very much worth the miles and hectic sleep schedule. Utsukare s1 made me love bl's again after I had gotten burnt out on them and when I saw the trailers for s2 and the movie, I fully let myself have hope and both of them delivered. Utsukare s2 did more with 4 episodes than many many many many shows do with 12-14-18 episodes. And this was the second bl movie I saw with no subs because I couldn't/didn't want to wait and similar to Gameboys the movie, this was the right decision for me. ITSAY was my longtime number 2 favorite bl show but Utsukare s2 and the movie and the hope for a 3rd season let it get the leg up my overall rankings.

2 - 5 the best of the 2023 GMMTV suite Moonlight Chicken Only Friends My School President Midnight Museum

I think the one I had the fewest critiques about is Moonlight Chicken and the ending of Only Friends still makes me unhappy to pissed depending on the day. It's hard for me to settle on a ranking for them because there's something about each of them I would desperately want to change/see done differently. Actually thinking more about it, my Moonlight Chicken critique is this should be one of the shows GMMTV has 12-14 episodes of. So sure, Cheating McChicken, Nightly Nuggets, McInfidelity is my favorite of the GMMTV shows I watched. My School President was really strong but I think the cast could have been culled a bit. Tinn's mom's arc was so damn compelling for me, really stands out. And I am a Gun simp and him playing multiple characters again and being evil gay Jesus and Tay Tawan also being evil gay Judas or whatever, sign me the fuck up.

6. Jack o'Frost

I wanted to watch this one because I saw a picture of Kyoya Honda and said "oh she's pretty" out loud to myself and then watching this series and then Me, my Husband, my Husband's boyfriend, Kyoya is pretty and can act. Amnesia plots aren't my favorite but I do think Jack o'Frost is the best executed of the ones I can remember (pun intended?).

7. The Campfire/My Universe

I felt nearly contractly obligated to watch this one because Turbo told me directly he was proud of his acting in this one and that he and Kaow did really well and he was right. I was engaged and affected by the gayest campfire horror short story. "I (M) like him but he liked you (F), so I (M) dated you (F) to stop him from getting a chance." And then comes ghostly revenge. Hilarious comedy and gay rights and gay wrongs galore.

(Dis)/honorable mentions:

8. Our Skyy 2: Bad Buddy X A Tale of Thousand Stars.

I would not have bet my worst enemy's money that we would see Ohm and Nanon together again. So them getting an Our Skyy episode was definitely a surprise. I didn't dislike their episodes or the crossover execution but I do think it could have had another 2 episodes or something so it could have had more room to breathe. I considerd the Our Skyy premise to be kinda like OVAs in anime, it's semi canon material, mostly just letting the cast and crew "do a silly one" as it were, so I wasn't necessarily looking for anything as powerful as Bad Buddy and AToTS but seeing them together again, just made me want more than what I was given.

9. Shadow

Well, you gotta swing to hit some shots. Singto and Fluke are two good actors who have had.... some odd projects they've done that I felt didn't let them really act - looking at you Oh My Sunshine Night. Shadow at least let them act and the premise/first half was really promising. The ending was a bit botched in my opinion but I do think the potential and the performances from Singto, Fluke, an Fiat were all really strong.

10. Love Syndrome 3 Uncut

When the trailer said this would be the erotic thriller of the year, I knew we were being threatened with maybe a good time. Then the show started and I was like all the softcore dry humping can't execuse whatever the fuck is supposed to be happening onscreen. Then halfway? through the airing, they started airing the uncut version which had more high heat scenes and also made the story more coherent (not necessarily a better story mind you but at least somewhat more of a coherent one). What a trial that was. But I wanted to see Doctor Kok in something again and the show introduced me to my 2023 Mark Pakin Babygirl Award winner Rossi, so I won't be too mad at it.

Top New Characters

Boston (Only Friends) Boston was me in my early 20s. Boston was a lot of my friends in their 20s and some now in their 30s. Boston is an actualized gay af drama queen horndog icon legend he's the moment and if you don't get it, you don't get it. For all that Only Friends was poised to do, it fell flat on its face when the narrative wronged Boston. Neo acted his ass off following a strong performance in the Eclipse and this rocketed Neo up my radar for someone to watch. I have to excise ep 12 from my mind but Boston is easily my favorite new character of the year and would make my top 10 overall. Boston is my young galvanized gay praxis.

Nick (Only Friends) As I was a Boston in college, boy did I have a Nick and lord jesus did my BostonNick college relationship end POORLY. I have a Mark Pakin stan since he was Teh's hot roommate in IPYTM and seeing him get more and more promiment roles has been the biggest "we're so back" of the last year and a half for me. Only Friends also did Nick a little dirty in the final arc but not as bad as Boston but damn did it hurt having Nick walk away from Boston and out of the story like that. Regardless of how bad the end of OF was, almost everytime Nick was onscreen, it was instantly on the highlight reel.

Photjanee/Tinn's Mom (My School President) A parent in a BL having their own growth arc, unprecendented (don't fact check me too hard). Mrs Ma'am here went through a full ass soap opera arc about her gay child and did the vast vast majority of it on her own without adversely affecting her son. Just masterfully done and really healing and refreshing to have in the bl pantheon.

Gaipa (Moonlight Chicken) "Is it possible for me to be the right one for you?" girl, get the fuck out, that scene was so damn brutal and nearly every Gaipa scene was like the systematic destruction of this poor lil twink. Also the fact that Khao went from Ayan to Gaipa to Ray within a year and half. That's a fucking actor.

Boeing (Only Friends) He's sexy as hell. Don't think I've seen a character drip this much sex appeal hell maybe ever. Idk. This is a ranking based soley on Mond making me wanna hard and nasty [REDACTED].

Li Ming (Moonlight Chicken) An contextually sensible angry character. This little hothead had me rooting for him the whole way through. We were promised a healing love story and Li Ming and Heart and Li Ming and Jim and Li Ming and Jam delivered.

Night (Love Syndrome 3 Uncut) Rossi is my background babygirl of 2023 now that Mark is getting prominent roles. Night was a breath of fresh air in a sticky and dank and confusing experience.

Dan (Shadow) There are protagonists who refuse the call and then there's Dan who straight up was so fed up with the fuckery and mysticism and spoopy oogy boogey shit following and haunting him that he would have rather stayed in limbo than deal with more of that fuckshit and honestly BIG MOOD. Honestly, I would have loved him being aroace (and have that not be a trauma response or at least done well if it were) because his non-reaction to Nai's kiss and affection was hard to watch.

Dome/The One/Evil Gay Jesus (Midnight Museum) If I stumbled upon Gun in a boat and got to live exclusively with him alone, I also wouldn't wanna give that up.

Top Lines/Moments/Scenes

Delicious pure camp. Also the fact that relatively baby faced Earth is playing an almost 40 year old man. More camp. Then his sister, Li Ming's mom joins the cast and we're supposed to believe she and Earth "grew up together," heehawlarious.

Gonna bullet list the rest of this

Kiyoi: "sorry, I won't let you have a one sided love anymore" (Utsukare s2/eternal) [could have been number 1 favorite line]

Kiyoi's jealousy and possessiveness at and after the actor's party (Utsukare s2/eternal)

Anna's waterfall photoshoot (Utsukare s2/eternal)

Kiyoi's photoshoot (Utsukare s2/eternal)

Hira starting off s2 by admitting he lied about his end of s1 confession (Utsukare s2/eternal)

Koyama taking Kiyoi to task (Utsukare s2/eternal)

the bathtub scene (Utsukare s2/eternal)

BostonNick's like 4-5 episode fuck spree (Only Friends)

Nick: "you destroyed my happiness" (Only Friends)

Nick: "Boston was about to love me" (Only Friends) [could have been number 1 favorite line]

Boeing just being sexy and chaotic and at times menancing af (Only Friends)

Ray vs Boston at Sand's impromptu bday party (Only Friends)

Rock & Star performance (My School President)

Gun: "would you like to tell me what to do Mister President" (My School President)

LISTEN (ฟัง) (My School President)

TiwPor non school outfits (My School President)

Li Ming throwing the pad and demanding Heart write out the truth about who broke the alcohol bottle (Moonlight Chicken)

Heart taking his parents to task about them failing him (Moonlight Chicken)

Wen's love stares (Moonlight Chicken)

Nick being a true chaos gremlin and instigator (Love Syndrome 3)

all the raunch and high heat scenes (Love Syndrome 3)

the slow motion pool hall fight scene (Love Syndrome 3)

Night: "Let's let the past be the past" (Love Syndrome 3)

The wife being like "you're not gonna stop fucking this twink so I'm going to ask him to move in with us and we're gonna figure this out" (Me, My Husband, My Husband's Boyfriend)

[invisiblegarters]

Not-So-Micro BL Reviews

This is mostly me doing catch up on all the things that I have been watching/was watching and then abandoned when I found Midnight Museum and fell like a ton of bricks (this is still something that confuses me but what can you do, really?) It will be long - I missed or ignored a LOT for a while.

Catch Up Dramas:

All the Liquors - This one never did anything revolutionary, but I have to admit that I liked the awkwardness of Chef. I really liked BFF cutie though. He was seriously the highlight of the entire show for me. Cute, if mostly predictable and not really plot heavy. Very KBL kiss. 7.5/10

Our Dating Sim - This was just a little gem of a series. The chemistry was on point and the conflicts made sense from what we were given of the characters. For how short it was, the emotional arc was satisfying. It's a solid little drama, and I quite enjoyed it. Good kisses, too, and not just for a KBL. 8/10

A Shoulder to Cry On - I just don't think that this one was for me, and that's okay. Part of me feels like if I were younger it would have landed better - it's dealing with some pretty serious topics and yet something about it feels a little too OTT for me, like they're kids playacting at adult emotions rather than it being genuine. IDK. I wanted to like it more than I did. This is one of the ones where the time skip actually worked in its favor though. 6/10

The New Employee (I know, don't look at me) - you know, I don't know why I randomly stopped watching this. It's adorable, and it actually does manage to convey the business drama pretty well on top of the cute, which I didn't expect from such a short drama. They also made me really dislike Manager Park, so kudos to them for that. I do like that Jong Chan genuinely believes in Seung Hyun's ability, and that he encourages him in that capacity. Overall this show was just cute, okay? It was. 8/10.

Bed Friend - I had such high hopes for this one. High apple pie in the sky hopes, even. I love me a FWB that gets serious (even if King was clearly pining for more from like, day 1 I don't even care. I've been wanting that fix since Between Us (another one where at least one of the FWB was clearly ready for more almost immediately, but hey what can you do). And these two are very, very good at selling that they want each other so kudos for that (and they clearly still want each other after the feelings and do not turn into blushing maidens who apparently haven't heard of kissing before, Team)). But around the time the gross boss Krit decided to invite himself over for family dinner with worst mother and SA stepdaddy and worst mother was like "oh yes he's perfect for you, son" I tuned out and didn't bother tuning back in until recently. I feel like there's only so much misery you can pile on one character before I either stop caring or start finding it unintentionally hilarious. I have to keep reminding myself that I am a Westerner so I don't understand the family dynamics in these things, that's all. Honestly Uea's inability to cut his awful mother out of his life is just not something that I can resonate with. It does amuse me though how often parents in these dramas are either amazing or awful, with not a lot of in between, normal sort of hey, sometimes parents do dumb things too because they are fallible and human. I guess that doesn't make for good drama. King and Uea are very cute, though, and I do really like them when they get to just chill and be boyfriends with each other, although I have to admit the end got a little too saccharine for me. I swear I can be so picky, sigh. The show might not have fulfilled all my hopes, but once it got off the misery train it was fine. 8/10

Moonlight Chicken - I loved this drama. And the funny thing is that it was low on my radar - literally the only reason I was planning on watching at first was due to First and Khao. That was it. The plot wasn't even really my thing, I figured I'd just be waiting for those two to show up and that would be that. But nope, I loved it. This felt like just the kind of grown up drama I've been aching for, one that was ultimately less BL and more, well, life, with all of its complications and messes. It just so happened that the main characters were gay. More of this, please, Thailand. I promise you that there is an audience for it. I liked how messy it was, and in such a believable way. From Wen and Alan's extremely slow breakup to Jim's trauma becoming a sort of shield for him against opening up to people to Heart and Li Ming's wholehearted jump into a first relationship, the characters felt real and grounded and i loved it. No one was perfect (well, except Gaipa who is honestly a sweetheart too good for this world - I loved his huge crush on Jim even though I knew it wasn't gonna go anywhere, he was so sweet and unassuming about it, best unrequited love ever). Jim especially won my heart, because the way his walls worked was so relatable to me. I think that some people don't quite get how easy it is to shut yourself off, and how once you do it it is so much easier to just keep letting past trauma keep you from moving forward, not necessarily in ways that hinder your entire life, just parts of it. Jim's utter reluctance to let Wen in and his worry about Li Ming made so much sense to me. He'd been burned and burned hard, it's only natural that he'd want to protect his beloved nephew from the same pain, even though he went about it in the worst way possible most of the time. :D But that's not how it works for the young, and that's a good thing. Yeah, Li Ming might crash and burn, he and Heart might not be forever, but that's okay. I have heard people complaining that Earth is way too young to play Jim, but I honestly thought he suited the role, actually. It might be my favorite role of his yet. Final Verdict: 9.5/10. This was almost my perfect drama and if I could have more of this I would be delighted.

New (to me) Dramas

A Tale of a Thousand Stars - watched because of Our Skyy2. I wanted to be looking forward to more than just The Eclipse and Never Let Me Go, haha. It was fine. I really liked Tian, even when he was being a spoiled shit. There's something about Mix, I think, that makes him extremely watchable. I do not really feel that way about Earth and I was mostly annoyed by Phupha. *shrug* I wanted him to actually talk to Tian rather than making decisions for him - sure Tian was impulsive but so much of his problem was with his parents running his life, he didn't need that in a lover, too. Once Phupha pulled his head out of his ass it was better, but my goodness that took a while, didn't it? Also what is it with this pairing and these weird "does he love me or my sister/the woman who's heart I have" plots? Glad Moonlight Chicken moved away from that kind of plotline, even if I do actually really like Cupid's Last Wish (more than this one, actually - I get the sense that is unusual but I don't care, I love it). Overall though this wasn't bad, even if I felt like it dragged a bit in places. Am genuinely sad that they put Khaotung in a Earh/Mix vehicle and didn't have him gently pining over either of them. He did it so well in Moonlight Chicken, after all. Final Verdict: 8/10

Star and Sky - Star In My Mind & Sky in Your Heart - these were fine. I felt like there was a lot of drama over very little, but they're decent little slice of life kind of dramas. Easily consumed, easily forgotten. 6/10 for both.

Rewatches (because why the hell not right)

The Eclipse - I just love this drama. *shrug* It's so incredibly rewatchable. Plus, you know. I love Akk, he's exactly my kind of character. I honestly can't wait for the Our Skyy2 episodes but they look a little nuts. Honestly though I don't even care so long as we get some cute - I think that there were enough tears during the show proper. Yes both First and Khao cry well but still.

Cupid's Last Wish - You know, the first time I watched this I think that I said I was pleasantly surprised because I expected it to be a lot less obvious that Korn was so gone on Win that no one else even entered his big, dumb head. I was worried that it would be more of a "oh, I fell in love with you as a girl but it's still you" thing, and it...was very much not. I thought they also did a real good job walking the line between showing Win and showing Lin, and I have to give a lot of credit to Jan for her portrayal of Win as Lin. Pitch perfect, really. I say again, there's just something about Mix that is likeable - I've enjoyed him in ever single drama I've seen him in thus far, although Earth as Moonlight Chicken's Jim has my whole heart. He really shone in that role. My one quibble with this is how everyone just forgives the mom for being awful. I don't know, I guess I'm just a grudge holder. Anyway I originally rated this at a 7.5, but due to sheer rewatchability and how much fun I actually do find it, I'm moving it up to an 8.5/10. It's fun, I like it a lot, I will probably watch it again at some point.

Looking Forward To

I'm honestly kind of out of the loop with this! I don't really know what is coming up, so my list is very short:

Only Friends

Dangerous Romance

Both of them seem messy, messy, and i am ready for it. I also can't wait for the Utsukushii Kare movie but I'm going to have to, so.

I'm also excited for whatever comes up for the renewed drama shower slot for MBS. I wasn't a fan of all of them last year (I loved one of them beyond all reason, liked two, was meh on two and DNF one), but I love that I can look forward to at least one drama coming out of Japan for a while.

Whew! That wasn't so bad, was it?

[stormyoceans]

Just wanted to let you (and anyone who might saw it) know, even if you were to get Disney+ you won't have access to The Midnight series. It's exclusively on Disney+ Thailand and you need a thai phone number to even be able to watch it. It's s shit show. EarthMix deserve better

OH i didn't know it was also geo-blocked...... and if you need a thai phone number im assuming having a VPN won't help either

i guess the midnight series will have the same fate as cupid's last wish, which aired on disney+ first and then got released internationally on GMMTV youtube channel a month or so later

it's honestly a pity because all three midnight series look really interesting and have a stellar cast that a lot of people love (off, jan, mond and louis in midnight motel, nanon, film, jennie, godji and pond in dirty laundry, and of course earthmix, firstkhao and geminifourth in moonlight chicken), which means they have the potential to become extremely popular, so it just seems really counterproductive to delay the release for international fans like this (especially considering that in this day and age there are other less proper ways for people to watch things)

anyway, thank you for letting me know, anon!!!!! i guess at this point im just gonna hope we won't have to wait too long before the international release, because i DO want to support all these amazing actors as best as i can!!

[agustdblues]

GMMTV 2023

•23.5: I am 1000% going to watch 23.5 cause I won and we are finally getting milklove gl series😭 it’s the only gl but I’ll take it!

•Our Skyy2: moving onto bls, they brought back the multiverse of gmm bls lol. I’m getting back a lot of my favourite characters in this

•Dangerous romance: Perthchimon is a very interesting duo but a plot matters alot to me and ngl I’m tired of school plots so I’m gonna wait for this until the air time to decide

•Last Twilight: P’Aof is doing this and storywise, it feels like something aof would definitely make. I’m not really sure if I will watch it maybe cuz jimmysea haven’t reached a point of vision for me yet but this show might change it who knows 🤷‍♀️

•Cooking Crush: I was not expecting an offgun show but it’s still good to see them, Looks like a cooking bl with comedy and drama. Also NeoLouis not being paired was a bit sad

•Only Friends: P’Jo is directing this and it’s as spicy and messy as it could possibly get😭 just very P’Jo of him. I’m very torn if I should watch this while airing or afterwards. This show will definitely have ppl divided

•Cherry Magic Th: I can’t believe they’re doing the remake of THE Cherry magic. Taynew are good actors so I’d say take the manga as basis and pray💀

•Double Savage & Midnight Museum: Talking about non bls, these are the only two interesting ones. Having Perth and Ohm in a show is great casting and it seems quite intense. Midnight museum seems to have some horror elements and the cast looks good

In conclusion I’m watching two gmm shows this year lol. tbh this year I’ve barely watched gmm’s shows (not me and the eclipse). I was looking forward to watching Moonlight Chicken and give Never Let Me Go a try but these won’t air till next year now🤡💀 For now, the shows keeping me company in the year end are GAP and Spy Family

[shortpplfedup]

Thinking about how I can't wait to watch Mix cheat on First with Earth and Khaotung cry about it. Moonlight Chicken my beloved I cannot wait to see you.

Also, can't wait to watch Off, Jan, Mond and Louis play out a Thai adult version of Extracurricular, and Nanon in drag. The Midnight Series was really conceived and made just for me.

[celestial-sapphicss]

Crying. Screaming. Throwing up.

If you want thriller and cool, watch Midnight Motel. If you want to laugh out loud, watch Dirty Laundry. If you want to cry and be dramatic, watch Moonlight Chicken.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Ending the Year FINE & simple

Dec 2022 Wk 4

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) 3 of 12 - Butler Dad (v.2) is going to be a problem, I can tell. Chimon is a cute, if suspicious, flirt. Palm, on the other hand, is the gentlest flirt imaginable. He wants spoiled prince + attack dog dynamic so bad. As, indeed, do I. 

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) 8 of 12 - still enjoying it very much, annoyed by filler couples, WATCH ALONG HERE.

609 Bedtime Story (Fri WeTV) 6 of 11 - Oh, I see! The Mint storyline is to give more characters motivation to murder Dew. It’s all set up. How clumsy. Meanwhile, we got a confession right on schedule, classic romance beats. 

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) 7 of 12 - Whatever. 

Remember Me (Sun Gaga) 12 of 14 - Honestly? I’d DNF this show but its almost done and I've watched 12 already. Sunk cost fallacy in action. I’m not going to make this mistake with this production house again. JaFirst cry well, but I’m vetting and binging these in future.  

My School President (Fri YT) 5 of 10 - no ep this week, resumes Jan 6

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

The New Employee (Korea Weds Viki) 2 of 8 - It’s giving me life, this one. Pining boss. Drunk lesbian bestie of awesome. Plus gay player (former college heartthrob) is a fun background for the faen fatal, not to mention rainbow rice cakes. COME ON. RAINBOW RICE CAKES! 

HIStory 5: Love in the Future (Taiwan Thurs Viki) 1 of 20 - A cheerful kid from 1999 travels to 2022, works as a deliveryman, and meets an heir with a domineering personality. Directed by Nancy Chen (HIStory 4, Papa & Daddy). The time travel premise is interesting, the leads are giving me whipping boy vibes, but I don’t like seme’s stalker energy. It feels very HIStory franchise which means it could go any direction but sensible and I’m expecting problematic tropes. However! The sides are GREAT - they’re an office romance boss/intern relationship. And this is 20 full episodes so we will get plenty of them. Also, is that Taiwan I see giving us a femme character? I am all amazement. I think I like this show, actually. (Note; will be referring to this as H5 going forward.) 

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner (Korea Thurs iQIYI) 5-6 of 10 - Is there a not very small part of me that wishes this were a love story between the earnest assistant baby boi, and the older anxiety-riddled rockstar? Yes. Although I did not expect Korea to go there with the lipstick mark AND an actually gay idol. What alternate reality are we currently living in? Also, is every character in this show slightly insane? Yes. Is every actor in this show slightly too pretty for my emotional well-being? Also, yes. Bring it on 2023. 

Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox (Japan Fri Gaga) 3 of 8 - I think I just don’t like the photographer character much (although he’s very typically Japanese tsundere seme). Really quite a good kiss though, for Japan. On the flip side, it was nice to see the reporter being good at his job (competency porn is a very underused trope in BL). Then we get confession, immediate retraction, and a disbelief counter attack. Then more kisses. Huh. This isn’t progressing how I expect. And that’s kinda nice too. Oh Japan, you so cute & trixie. 

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

Love Bill (Vietnam Sat YT) - Bah Vinh is back but I’m too distracted. Also there’s a lot of fund raising stuff going on with them. I’ll wait and binge.

The Star Always Follow You (Vietnam YT) - same Team RL peeps we have seen before (Sunshine, Stupid)

Till the World Ends (Thai YT) 10 eps - it seems to be good but I don’t know about the ending with that kind of title, so I’m waiting.

Moonlight Chicken GMMTV’s Midnight series (Weds YT) 1 of 8 eventually - first segment has begun bit it’s not the EarthMix messy gays. Sorry all, I’m so not interested in messy hets, so I’m waiting until they grace my screen.

In Case You Missed It

Coffee Melody special feat TitNuea & Jean like it’s counterpart was rather dull, but I find this a more appealing couple than the mains so I liked it better. 

Moments Of Love - featuring SmartJames AKA LeonPhob from Don't Say No) from Foremorfilm Production supposedly aired Dec 24 directed by Golf Tanwarin (609 Bedtime Story and The Eclipse). But it has no rating on MDL so I guess not? 

Next Week Looks Like This:

2023 forthcoming BL master post is in the works... wait for it... I’m doing all the 2022 wrap ups first. Also waiting for the last of the studio announcements. 

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Mujigae-tteok (Korean rainbow rice cake) - a new item has entered my never ending food quest list. 

OhmFluke do domesticity well, gotta give them that. 

Quick end of year thoughts on 2022 BL & the future of these weekly posts: 

Honestly? Overall it’s been a fine year for BL with some good shows & and some ho shows, and also a lot of dross. But the most notable aspect was the overwhelming quantity to keep up with. My work world is opening back up with tons of travel. This plus my recent revelation that I actually prefer binge watching (especially the lower quality stuff) means that I can’t keep up with BL if it keeps up this insane pace. 

So in 2023 you can expect me to try to keep these weeklies updated with what’s airing, of course, but also pull back on how many I personally watch and summate. 

In 2022, BL sort of became my 2nd job, and it doesn't pay well enough for that.

All that said I think... 

2023 is going to be GOOD for BL. Happy new year! 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? I’ve been in a “beastly” mood recently so it’s Lee Gikwang’s (Beast, Highlight) Don’t Close Your Eyes. I forgot how fucking banging that opening rift is. Thank you Kpop gods for putting the 2nd gens through the ever eternal slut phase. 

Now just put them all though a BL phase and we’re golden. Yes, I am thinking of Unintentional Love Story (Gongchan B1A4), why do you ask? 

[taisorato]

tagged by @sunsetandthemoon, thank you for the tag and giving me the opportunity to ramble LOL

Your all time favourite BL and why For a long time, it was Gaya Sa Pelikula because it was so sincere and kind? It played around in the BL genre and paid tribute to series that came before it! I felt taken care of every single episode and was ready to go where the story was taking me. Now, predictably, Bad Buddy has taken over as number one for the same exact reasons except it's just all around technically better and (we hope) the writers/directors are not pieces of shit :)

That one BL that scarred you for life There are two different answers I could give depending on how I interpret this and because I make it a point to never mention one of them on this blog, I'll say the other: Theory of Love. Something about it unlocks some secret forbidden emotion in me that I can't quite explain. It fucks me up, man.

BL that makes you feel very single Yeah, Bad Buddy.

If you could change one thing from a BL, which one would it be? Everything to do with Non in Dark Blue Kiss. I just don't understand why this was the story they decided to go with and it's just so infuriating how shitty the main plot is when the rest of the series is just so good.

Your top five Bad Buddy, Gaya Sa Pelikula, Theory of Love, History 2: Crossing the Line, 2gether (yes, even now). Shout out to ITSAY obviously but I don't enjoy it As A BL, you know what I mean?

That trashy BL that you lowkey like 2moons2 LOL I just think they did some very interesting and frankly underrated things with queer friendships in this series that others don't really? The way that Wayo was adopted by a group of queer kids as soon as he stepped foot on campus, everything about the friendship dynamic between Pha, Kit, and Beam, the way that FourthBeam even began... there was something there imo... too bad we'll never get more because the production company is Literally The Worst.

Your favourite Korean BL (it's important we know) So, like, I've only watched one and a half Korean series LOL. So I guess Where Your Eyes Linger because it's the only one I've finished 😅

But also your Top 3 for KBLs Again. Don't really watch them but I think Filipino BLs need more love so my top 3, besides GSP, are: Gameboys, Quaranthings, Meet Me Outside

Season 2? Which one? Yeah, also GSP but only if JMS isn't a part of it. Other than that? My Engineer Season 2, where is it???? Tell me what happens to RamKing, I'm fucking dying.

A bunch of dramas will air soon. Which ones are you the most excited for? I'm assuming this is supposed to be about BL dramas but, quite honestly, my most anticipated GMMTV 2022 are Midnight Motel and 10 Years Ticket + I'm STILL waiting on Mama Gogo, which should be soon!!! In terms of BL though, Moonlight Chicken, obviously, The Eclipse, and Cupid's Last Wish, mostly for Janhae, if I'm being honest. I'm also keeping an eye on Never Let Me Go (solely for P'Jojo, I do not care about PondPhuwin) and Vice Versa LOL. I am a GMMTV shill (read: too lazy to figure out how to watch anything else).

Tag them! i don't know who has done this already so if you like BL and we're mutuals, consider yourself tagged (seriously i was just going to go through my entire following list)

[meu-light]

GMMTV 2022: BORDERLESS

AN HONEST PERSONAL OPINION (Part 5)

10 Years Ticket

I’m SO EXCITED about this one. Can’t wait to see Ohm, Off and Tu act in this, it looks like it will open a whole new dimension. I’m excited to see a few of the supporting cast members act in this as well. I have a feeling this one is going to be a good one. The more projects Ohm and Off do the better they get and I just can’t describe my emotions. Plot-wise this seems interesting, the way everyone’s characters will handle the murder seems to be going very very very deep. Also I feel a bit bad for Off being the oldest cast member and he also has to third-wheel, poor baby.

Would I watch it? A hard yes.

Why would I watch it? I’m excited to see the cast members grow.

You Fight, and I Love

Awwwww Love looks so tiny next to Josh! I think they look good together. I’m also excited to see Neen, Victor, Force, Papang and Mick in this. It looks full of angst of course but I don’t hate it. Plot-wise nothing special but what can I say, I want to give this show a chance.

Would I watch it? Eh, I guess (?)

Why would I watch it? I’m really interesting in how Josh and Love’s chemistry would work out.

MIDNIGHT SERIES

Midnight Motel

Man this one looks so good! I want to watch it SO bad! Off is taking another step forward in his career with this one! Jan hun, yes! Mond and Louis, what a turn table! The plot feels so fresh to me I would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s dark but not as dark as we’re used to. It’s the right amount of mysterious. I just love it! And murder again, man I have to re-read all the Sherlock books and get ready!

Would I watch it? Y to the E S

Why would I watch it? I’m into it, it’s feels new and refreshing.

Moonlight Chicken

ANOTHER EARTHMIX PROJECT??? I know we’ve been manifesting for an EarthMix Project but don’t you all think we may have overdone it a bit?

P’Aof directing this one hits home and I am so desperate to watch this one!

So Earth’s character is this extra hot restaurant owner that raises his nephew (?). Somehow he meets Mix’s character and they start something although Mix has a boyfriend (AH FIRST MY DEAR BOY)… Khaotung’s character is in love with Earth’s character (?) ALSO WAS THIS SIGN LANGUAGE????? The more I think about it the better it gets!

Would I watch it? ABSOLUTELY

Why would I watch it? PLEASE! I’M NOT ANSWERING THAT!

Dirty Laundry

Film and Nanon, I approve! P’Godji’s character, so good. P’Jennie and Foei, YES I AM SO IN LOVE. Pond, please stop it! Nanon is indeed a chameleon, THE BOY CAN DO ANYTHING! Plot is so weirdly good that I can’t stop thinking about it. It looks like a silly show but we need those as well and with so many good stuff in this one I WOULD NEVER SAY NO! It literally has everything, from gangster drama to silly love stories.

Would I watch it? A hundred times yes.

Why would I watch it? Nanon, I love you.

[joyfulsongbird]

i love you

this was supposed to be a part of a larger series but here. take some modern au orphydice fluff at midnight <3

***

It’s so easy to say I love you.

Eurydice realizes this slowly. Over a stretch of time that feels far too long to realize something so simple. She’s always been afraid of those words. What if, when she said it, it didn’t feel right, or it wasn’t the right moment, or she didn’t really mean it? The world is complicated and the idea of love itself felt like just another layer of fear to add to all relationships. Far easier to just never say it or to wait as long as possible, to avoid making a mistake.

But she finds that she has said “I love you” so many times without knowing it.

*

The first time is after a long day at her work, and she’d come stumbling home in the dark. The apartment is pitch black, not a single light on, and she knows Orpheus is already asleep. Pushing down her disappointment, she stumbles to the couch and flops face forwards onto the cushions. He had already been gone this morning when she’d woken up, though there was a text on her phone wishing her a good day that made her smile, but she wanted to see him, wanted to hold him when it wasn’t already nighttime and they were both exhausted. Her bones ache and her fingers are stiff from the autumn air… the pillows smell like him. She can imagine him, lying here watching one of his movies, mouthing along to Singin’ In The Rain or some other oldy. The image makes her smile and she rolls onto her back, sighing audibly as she stares up at the dark ceiling. Their neighbors upstairs must be asleep too, sometimes she can hear their footsteps in nights where she can’t sleep. They’ve met the older couple a few times, mostly in passing. The woman, Persephone, gave them a welcome card when they first moved in. It’s still hanging on the fridge.

Finally, she gathers the energy to push herself off the couch and walks quietly to the kitchen. Before looking in any of the cabinets for food she knows isn’t there, she leans against the counter, scrolling through her phone, looking at pictures and texts from throughout the day, distracting herself from the gnawing hunger in her stomach and the exhaustion behind her eyes. It’s only when she reaches the text from Orpheus that she had gotten around noon that day, reminding her to eat lunch and several heart emojis, that she cements herself to get dinner. She can just hear him, his voice tinged with worry, “Eurydice, you gotta remember to eat! It’s important!” Even just the thought of his worry and slight disappointment at her lack of self care is enough to get to open the fridge and flip on a light in the kitchen.

To her surprise, sitting on the first shelf is a plate, covered in fogged plastic wrap. With a post-it on top that when she pulls it off, reads “don’t forget, see you in the morning <3”. She can’t help but smile to herself, pulling the plate out and feeling a warm buzzing in her chest that can only come from him. She has only ever felt this way around her Orpheus; when he takes her hand while they’re walking and squeezes it twice, when he hugs her from behind and rests his head on top of her head. The intimacy of such a simple gesture makes her feeling infinitely better, pulling the plastic wrap off of the plate of roasted vegetables and chicken that Orpheus must’ve made for dinner that night. A nicer meal than they’re used to and she wonders if he had been expecting her back sooner, if he had been preparing a surprise dinner of some sort. Either way, the plate is piled high and she eats it slowly, wanting to savor every bite.

She can see the night outside the window, the stars hidden by the treeline but she can faintly see the glow of the moon. Casting a soft gray glow over their porch. It’s a peaceful night, the wind isn’t too strong especially for an autumn night, and the air around her feels peaceful, each breath feels the same. Light and fresh.

When she’s done, she washes the plate and dries it, carefully placing it back in their cupboards, careful not to make too much noise. It looks like he did the dishes too, it’s the least she can do since it seems like he did so much while she was out. She gets the idea from the intense cleanliness of their apartment that he might have been anxious. After living with him for about half a year at this point, she has become very comfortable with the different sides of anxious Orpheus. How he cleans when he worries, how he’ll write music when the world gets too overwhelming, so many little habits too that would take hours to name. It feels like she knows him both inside and out and not at all at the exact same time. She knows exactly how he looked when he was washing the dishes, but she could not for the life of her figure out what goes on in his head half the time. His thoughts are foreign to her, and when he voices them, she can’t help but melt at the dreamish nature that he exists in all the time.

“Our honeymoon should be at the ocean.” he’ll say out of the blue (even though they aren’t even engaged).

“Do you ever think about how there are billions of people we’ll never meet?” he’d ask.

And he sings. Oh, he sings all the time. Under his breath, it always seems like there is a song playing perpetually in his mind. She tries to convince herself at times that it gets a little too much, that anyone who dreams that much and sings that much cannot be connected with reality, but she knows she’s lying to herself. She’s jealous of him, most of the time. She wishes she could exist like that, able to disconnect from reality and paint a picture in her mind of some other place. Travel to a different realm outside of this chaos they live in.

When she’s climbing into bed, she doesn’t expect for him to be awake but nevertheless, he shifts softly and opens his arms, which she climbs into. He’s half asleep, she can tell, and slipping away into whatever dreams he has at night but she pauses for a moment, looking over at him. The moonlight from their window makes his skin glow and his eyelashes appear to be made of dark chocolate and gold. She’s always known he’s beautiful but sometimes it hits her all over again, this is her life. He’s a part of her life. And she never wants him to leave. In these quiet moments she wants to say so much.

“Thank you.” is what she whispers quietly into his chest.

“Mm, for what?” his words are slurred with sleep.

“For leaving me dinner. For making sure I eat. For being there for me.” she murmurs, fluttering her eyes closed. It feels as if they’ve had this conversation a dozen times over, like they’ve thanked each other for existing over and over.

“You’re welcome,” he murmurs into her hair. “Night, ‘rydice.”

Goodnight. I love you.

Her mind fills it in easily enough, but with her eyes closed and Orpheus heartbeat in her ears, she can’t seem to bring those words past her lips. He’s said it to her before, and she’s told him that she’s too scared, that she’s not real, and he hasn’t pressured her. He’s loved her from the start, and moved much faster than she was comfortable with but it’s been so long… maybe he’s wondering if she really does love him. But she does. Gods, she does. Orpheus says “I love you” every day, in the smallest ways possible. She can recognize them more and more, the way he did tonight, showing her love in a soft, domestic way she has never known. He didn’t need to say it.

She should be able to.

[se-hos]

tbh it is kinda hilarious seeing tumblr love last year’s gmm conference and hate this year’s when it’s the opposite for me, i hated last year’s but loved this year’s lol

the series i’m interested in this year are

nanon’s alien girlfriend show. does it look good? no, not at all but it looks fucking wild and i’m so in lol

cupid’s last wish. does it look good? NO, this looks like trash but i’m a dumb earthmix sheep so i’ma still watch it, i’ma watch it. they really deserve better than this.

the eclipse. YES, YES, YES!!! khao’s acting is so earnest and honest in this trailer when he held first’s hand and waited for him to confess UGH MY HEART!! idk what the plot is but that alone sold it for me lol. i’m glad he wasn’t partnered with podd again because they were not it sry not sry. also i’m always down for more neo!

never let me go. ok listen i was excited for futs last year too and we all know how that turned out lol but i already said i love messy crime gays so i can excuse a lot more bullshit than i can in romcoms. i’m a little worried about pond’s acting but i’m not worried about phuwin, he was one of my faves in TGG so i’m excited to see him take a more serious role again.

midnight series. ALL of these so good!

midnight motel. mond could run me over with his car and i’d thank him.

moonlight chicken. do i even have to say it??? do i????? it’s earthmix, it’s p’aof, the cinematography is beautiful, i’m in!!!!

dirty laundry. ok this one just looks fun! 

you are my favorite. DON’T @ ME OK, I KNOW. I KNOW. i’m only watching this for mike. it’s his first lead role and he deserves good things.

i’ll probably check out the star & sky show (shows?), home school, p.s. i hate you and vice versa at some point. i might check out my school president too but that seems like the kinda show where you binge it and then immediately forget you seen it lol.