#YUTAKA'S BROTHER ACTUALLY LOVES HIM

[bl-bam-beyond]

BOKURA NO SHOKUTAKU (2023, JAPAN)

Episode 9

Looks like the boys are mutual in their feelings as Minoru (IIJIMA HIROKI) and Yutaka (INUKAI ATSUHIRO) kiss one another willingly.

@pose4photoml @lutawolf

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Don't you think it's funny cause actual canon gay characters in BL manga will say "I love you" but only the shounen bromance can spew out some of the most romantic shit akin to a 19th century poet writing a letter expressing his surpressed love for his lover 😭.....

Genuniely can't tell if it's bait or not, but I'm going to treat this ask seriously anyway.

Here, have some examples of beautiful and poetic expressions of love in BL media!

I'm going to start with my favourite murder husbands, Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu from Word of Honor/Faraway Wanderers!

This happens in episode nine, less than one third into the story- it's that early, they've known each other for like a week and are already able to tell they're meant to be. They've made their decision to be together, and over the course of the story:

They defend each other multiple times and fight side by side in multiple episodes, sometimes protecting their adopted kid/mentee Chengling as well

Zhou Zishu is willing to go against the whole martial arts society for his boyfriend. With zero hesistation, might I add.

They both know the other has done horrible things (lots of murder on both sides here) and that's not only okay, it's a big part of why they're soulmates and get each other so well!

Zhou Zishu is slowly dying (poisoned nails in his chest, long story) and Wen Kexing can and will risk his life to save him. Don't worry, they get a happy ending both in the show and the novel even if the show's last episode is behind a paywall and Netflix didn't even include it for some reason?

But enough about them, let's move on to the immortal fantasy genre boyfriends Hua Cheng and Xie Lian from Heaven Official's Blessing!

Please note how Hua Cheng is ready to accept Xie Lian in whatever state he's currently in- as a god, a fallen outcast, even grieving and angry and at his absolute lowest. He's stood by Xie Lian in his worst moments, even if at the time Xie Lian had no idea it was him.

Hua Cheng has loved Xie Lian for 800 years, ever since he was a boy Xie Lian saved from falling to his death during a procession.

Xie Lian became a god, then fell due to horrible circumstances, almost committed a war crime against another nation that destroyed his country, spend 800 years wandering the mortal realm as a poor cultivator with his powers greatly reduced, and eventually ascended to become a god again. Throughout it all, Hua Cheng loved him and did his best to help him and then find him.

They're both adorable and the definition of a power couple once they're reunited- no spoilers, but they eventually fight an incredibly powerful god side by side and win & the last scene in the story is them reuniting for good since there's no more obstacles to their immortal love.

Let's move on to my favourite Japanese BL, Our Dining Table (also available as a series that came out semi-recently, but the examples below are from the manga.)

Yutaka is a lonely salesman who meets Minoru, a restaurant worker and his much younger brother Tane grieving the death of their mother.

Yutaka and Minoru hit it off by bonding through food they cook and share. The series is incredibly heartwarming, and as seen above Yutaka becomes a much happier person thanks to both his new relationship and big brother-like bond with little Tane.

As a little bonus, the whole found family together!

This post can't be complete without Golden Stage (or Golden Terrace, as the English official translation calls it).

Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan aren't even in love at this point! This is at the beginning of the story, when their marriage has just been arranged by the emperor and they're still bitter rivals.

Yan Xiaohan is already protective of his future husband- later on, he also builds him a mansion meant to accommodate his disability (nerve damage in both legs, which requires a wheelchair and/or crutches). They're both incredibly powerful military generals, and the emperor was an idiot thinking an arranged marriage would humiliate them.

Of course they fall in love, of course they're a power couple, of course they send each other letters through trained geese when they're separated during the war, of course they run to each other as fast as they can across a wide cold river when they're finally reunited! Of course they're important to me!

....Aaand how about some Wangxian to wrap up this post? They need no introduction, an absolutely wonderful and complex relationship in a complex fantasy/intrigue story available in several forms - the books, the animated series (as seen above), the live action series, the audio drama, there's so much!

Some of their most beautiful moments:

Lan Wangji writing a song for Wei Wuxian and naming it Wangxian. Years after it's composed, Wei Wuxian plays it and LWJ is able to recognise him even in a different body.

LWJ begs WWX to come with him to Cloud Recesses, to safety, after WWX makes himself an enemy of the whole cultivation world for protecting innocent people.

They confront the final villain together, and work together to expose his crimes. This is also when their final love confession happens, and it's hilarious- in front of everyone's salad, WWX declares he also wanted to sleep with LWJ.

Despite censorship, the animated series was still able to allude to their wedding, showing them in red wedding robes (unfortunately can't find a gif rn)

Respectfully, if you genuinely think BL doesn't have beautiful love confessions and displays of romance, you need to find better BL.

[one-vivid-judgment]

I'm not sure if you have a character request limit but I couldn't help myself with the fluff! Could we get some headcanons on how the following characters would propose?: Yamai, Eiji, Ebina, Tomi, and Sawashiro? Thank you in advance! 💚

Oh brother, I'm sensitive af bc pre-period hormones do be hitting like that and the cuteness of it all actually made me tear up 😭😭

Yutaka Yamai

See, normally that wouldn’t be his thing. Either you propose or he’s most likely not gonna do it himself. Last time he tried to follow his heart and do something for someone he was in love with, he was framed for murder and had to flee to Hawaii, for fuck’s sake! If you proposed though, he would say yes 100%.

In the very odd case that he took the initiative and proposed though, it’s gonna take him so much mental preparation beforehand. It’s gonna be nothing fancy; no out in public, no expensive restaurants, no one but you and him. Probably at home, doing something so mundane as watching a movie while he hugs you from the back so it’s harder for you to make eye contact.

It’s one of the only times that you can think of that he’s had trouble getting the words out. His confession won’t be anything too fancy either; he’s gonna go straight to the point and tell you how it is. He loves you, he wants to be with no one else and wants you in his life forever, so... Would you marry him?

Eiji Mitamura

A fucking wreck of a guy. Cause first of all, in his head, after everything he’s done and after serving his time, there is no way you’d want to marry him, even if he is trying to change. Of all the people in the world, why would you pick the guy who was willing to hurt a child, manipulated and blackmailed a woman, faked a disability to garner sympathy and has endured public humiliation ever since? Sure, you saw something in him (though he doesn’t know what, exactly), but you wouldn’t be willing to go that far, would you?

You know he’s got something eating him up, but he brushes it off whenever you ask him. So, you just let him sort out his thoughts himself and come to you when he feels ready. It’s not easy though, because you know he’s beating himself up over something that probably is fucking ridiculous.

Well, no, it wasn’t fucking ridiculous after all: he wanted to fucking propose, but didn’t know how. It’s super simple, and could barely even qualify as a proper proposal; he didn’t buy a ring, he didn’t get down on one knee, he just totally broke down over dinner one night when you asked if he was okay and he told you everything. He loves you, he wants to be with you forever, but how realistic is that? With all the baggage he has, why would you want to be with him over someone more... less like him? Of course, he would love it if you said yes, but... you don't have to feel forced to accept, or anything! You’d probably have to kiss him to make him shut up and then say your piece.

Masataka Ebina

Pulls out all the stops to the point that you can see him coming a mile away. Not that he cares—only the best of the best for you, obvious as he may make it look. If you outright ask him if he has something planned for tonight though, he’ll just smile it off and say, “Why don’t you mind your own business for now, huh sweetheart?”

Kind of a stereotypical, picture-perfect proposal when you think about it. Fancy restaurant, people around to watch, the ring with the fattest diamond he could find at the jewelry shop. You bet there are also candles and expensive wine, and of course he is going to pay for the meal, so order to your heart’s content.

Probably prepared a whole fancy speech as well. Absolutely no shame to spout all that in public whatsoever either—he can tell you are going to say yes regardless of how he confesses, he’s kind of a cocky son of a bitch in that regard, but he wanted to make it extra special for you anyway. Besides, you gotta give these people a good show, right?

Eric Tomizawa

This guy proposed once, yeah. But seriously, do you think he has any idea whatsoever on how to do it a second time? It’s like his brain short-circuits and suddenly Tomi.exe has stopped working. You ask him how he proposed to Marie? Oh, he remembers it all down to the last detail. But he’s not about to do the same thing for you. He’s not so lame that he will reuse a whole proposal.

You can kinda tell he’s plotting something behind your back. He gets startled and denies it very vehemently when you ask if there is something wrong. So vehemently, in fact, that you can tell he’s lying. He is not a very convincing liar to begin with, but the way he scratches at the back of his neck and his laugh gets all high-pitched is pretty telltale.

All-out, public proposals are not his thing, so no fancy restaurants in his agenda. He will, however, take you out on a date first, then offer to go for some ice cream, then a walk down at Aloha Beach to finish off. Pretty sunset, nice weather, and then he’s down on one knee. Sure, the ring is nothing fancy, but it’s all he could afford with his taxi driver income, and it is pretty regardless. He’s all nervous and stumbles on his words a few times, but that just makes it a more 'Tomi' proposal.

Jo Sawashiro

You thought Yamai was closed off? Try this guy. First off, he thinks he’s too old to be getting married at this point. Then again, he really does love the feeling you bring to him—it’s an inner peace he’s never felt before, and why lie... it makes him feel good. But honestly, how do you propose at this stage of life? He never even proposed to Ikumi, they only lived together, so it’s not like he has previous experience to go off of.

It’s very likely that it won’t be a proposal per se. You’ll just be lying down in bed after making love one night, and when he thinks you are sleeping, he’ll kinda... blurt it out. A simple enough “God, I want to marry you”. He gets soft after making love (not just fucking, but when it’s deliberately softer, more gentle) like that, sentimental even.

As it turns out, you were not asleep. You kinda scare the shit out of him when your eyes pop open right after he says that. It’s late at night, but really, you’re gonna have to talk things through right now or else, he’ll just go back to his closed-off self in the morning and pretend it never happened out of embarrassment. You want to marry him too, no matter what he’s done or how old he thinks he is for it. He can buy you the cheapest ring at the shop, or no ring at all, and you would still want to marry him.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - A Blah Week

May June 2023 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

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 6 of 10 - It’s so damn cute. Seme is still sus... but cute. I didn’t even mind the pratfall since they clearly both wanted to take advantage of it. These two are great kissers - like MaxTul level. I am PLEASED. Meanwhile, sides have a drunken MOMENT. 

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 2 of 10? - I’m enjoying it which is fucking with my head, trash watch here! 

Luminous Solution (Sat Gaga) ep 2 of 6 - Dome has aged so pretty! Do we think the café owner doesn’t want him because he is happy in love? I’m enjoying the high school story arc a lot, and I wish we were just watching that and none of the others (Dome or no Dome). I finally figured it out the actor playing Mai is from Manner of Death.

The Promise (Weds YT & WeTV) ep 10fin - Soap opera brother relationship suddenly? Also more not communicating and more separation? Just bullshit. The best part of the ep was the interstitial cat. It feels like this show dragged on forever I am so glad it’s over and I intend never to think about it again. Full review below (although I pretty much just said it all.) 

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - no ep this week, no idea why. It better not be because of the ZeeNew freakszoids or I am banhammering with a will. Our Skyy 2 (Bad Buddy & 1k*) eps 13-14 - skipped it this week as it concludes next week so I’ll binge all 4 at once.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 9 of 10 - It’s just so good. I say it every week but it IS. Oh the running of the gays trope! Japan1 For us? How thoughtful. Awe, Yutaka’s confession in tiny was the best. SMILEY KISS! It took 3 BLs but Inukai Atsuhiro has finally actually kissed a boy. 

Star Struck (Korea iQIYI & Gaga) ep 5-6 of 8 - Oof this is such a hard show. Too much angst. It is a complicated story worth further analysis, but it’s too much for me and I don’t wanna dwell in it. Also, sweetie, you don’t get to cockblock the boy you rejected then invite him to sleep over, I don’t care how confused you are. Good for Hanjoon for standing up for himself, but holy shizz is this hard to watch. 

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) - Cats are not caretakers. The neighbor is a cutie. Fun convo for a VBL - top/bottom & everything. Faen fatale showed up + a pratfall kiss and frankly I’m finding this show a bit dull now that the charm of the initial premise has worn off.

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 8 of 12 - I never know what to say about this one. This was the dark separation doom episode. I was pretty blah over it. I’m just not engaged with this show. 

It’s Airing But ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy ????) 7 eps - It’s mostly in English and set in LA so I’m not bothering to hunt.

Let’s Eat Together AKA Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai (Japan movie) cinema release means no inter distribution. Looks cozy: daily lives of college students and roommates who enjoy meals together, and a v codependent, adaptation of yaoi Let’s Eat Together Aki and Haru. I’ll keep an eye open for it but assume we can’t get it for now.

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan Sun ????) ep 1 of 10 - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I? (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?*) 

Ended this week 

The Day I Loved You (Pinoy YouTube) ended. I have been reliably informed it’s better left a DNF.

My Story (Pinoy YouTube) ended. I bounced at ep 4. Someone tell me if I should bother with the rest?

Pure Vanilla (Singapore) - 10 min short on Gaga featuring a cafe, boss/employee, friends to lovers. It’s very sweet. Bit awkward acting. I love seeing real tats on my screen. I wish Singapore would give us a full proper BL. 7/10 RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS 

The Promise (Thai YouTube) - Although well acted this show dragged a too simple premise out into the ultimate manipulative miscommunication repeats of idiotic "why don’t you just TALK!?” Phu & Nan are childhood bffs through college (almost lovers) until Phu disappears. After looking/waiting for him, Nan gives up and self isolates, and the actual story takes place 10 years later. Phu’s “reason” and inability to say it out loud makes the whole show just frustrating, squandering good chemistry, and a stellar cast of multiple faen fatals (whose personalities would’ve made them better boyfriends). Seriously do not bother. What a damn waste of talent, time, and electronic bandwidth. Fatally flawed. 4/10 NOT RECOMMENDED 

Okay it ended a while ago but I finished it:

Make A Wish (Thai grey) - 6 part PNR (from Sammon - Manner of Death & Triage) about a doctor who can see the dead and strikes a bargain with a wish-granting irreverent tree angel - naturally they fall in love. Stars Fluke Natouch opposite not Ohm, but who cares bc Fluke has chemistry with everybody. Once again the Thai afterlife is incredibly bureaucratic but I enjoyed the premise and the unfolding of the story (it’s not predictable but still satisfying and with nice little twist). I like that the doctor is just gay af and has a fag hag bestie and everything. The cast is excellent but the comedic stylings are too overblown and tonally off. It had sad parts and did make me cry but is ultimately happy with a great sex scene, good smiley kisses, and all the agency. 8/10 RECOMMENDED 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting:

6/7 Love Tractor (Korea iQIYI) 8 eps - announced in 2022 from WATCHA (Semantic Error) I've been WAITING for this one. About a stressed-out law student who family obligations force into the countryside where a series of strange encounters and misunderstandings with his hunky young farmer neighbour. Will this be an extended version of Strongberry’s Some More? Or Korea’s take on Restart After Come Back Home? I'm chuffed. Country boy meets city boy is a very underused romance trope in BL.

6/9 Boys Love Omegaverse AKA The Boys Love sequel no one asked for (Japan movie) - everyone jockeyed to release the first ABO but it looks like Japan will take it. They do like to do all things BL FIRST. This seems to just be borrowing the branding of Boys Love, showing little resemblance to either original, since it's about 4 men in an idol group. (But could go very dark with that title. Boys Love is technically the first and one of the darkest BLs ever made.) Movie+Japan = no inter distribution.

Still Coming June 2023 

6/15 Tokyo in April AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Gaga) 8 eps - Based on a yaoi, this is a reunion romance that takes place in an office. Japan does Our Dating Sim? Yes please.

6/22 About Us but Not About Us (Pinoy movie from 2022 on Prime) - A professor grieving the loss of his partner meets an ambitious literature student.

6/24 Why You (Khmer BL ????) - Billed as a horror romance, not sure if this is a movie or a series where it will air... nothing except that it exists.

6/24 Tie The Knot AKA Under the Same Sky (Pinoy movie on Prime) Trailer - I guess Prime is coming for our Pinoy BL? From OXIN Films (Rainbow Prince), announced for 2022 based on a true story, Briggs's family runs a bridal business but he has never had a chance to fall in love until he meets Shao, a groom to be.

6/25 Dinosaur Love (Thai iQIYI) Trailer 5 eps - from Ultimate Troop about a uni student, Rak, whose partner cheats on him with Rak's best friend. This gives bad boy hazer Dino an opportunity to hit on Rak at last. From The Yearbook people so I will not watch this as it airs. After Remember Me? Never again with them.

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

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

From Make a Wish. 

Found my side dish. (Be My Favorite)

We asked this question literally the ENTIRE show. (The Promise) 

My point exactly! 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? BTOB on Killing Voice - honestly I’m ded, end this show, no one else can ever be this good. 

[bengiyo]

Our Dining Table Ep 9 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Minoru and Yutaka broke up in the most painful way possible: with Minoru misreading Yutaka and believing he had offended him with the kiss. Yutaka didn't feel that way, but he's not yet able to express how much Minoru means to him. Instead, everyone is suffering, including the dad and Tane.

We literally just started and I'm mad about the motion ghosting.

It's only a week between Christmas and New Year, so there's a lot of angst being crammed into this week with Yutaka being bummed that Minoru hasn't reached out to him.

Tane is such an easy kid to love. He wants to see Yutaka, realizes something happened between them, and says the obvious that they should just go apologize together.

I'm not sure how I feel about the older brother's added context about Yutaka also being distant. He definitely wasn't great in Yutaka's memory, but I feel like I have to respect his frustration at Yutaka being closed off their entire lives.

And now Yutaka realizes that a core memory of being cared for, that he recently projected onto Minoru, was actually his stepbrother. Fascinating. I like that there's no apology. Just an acceptance of what has happened. In any case, to Hozumi family seems to care about Yutaka's well-being.

Yes, Yutaka! Run! RUN!!! RUNNN!!!

Minoru has been in the same slumped position and in this grey look while missing Yutaka. I'm gonna need him to get it together.

Thank you, Papa Ueda. Pick his ass up by the scruff and tell him to fix it before the year ends. He said, "Bring my future son-in-law back and mend it."

I love how we can see the light returning to Minoru over the course of this conversation on the swings.

Well that kiss was lovely. The build up where Yutaka reveals that Minoru is also important to him, and that he does want Minoru to touch him. I like the reciprocation from Yutaka at turning to meet the kiss. Breaking the moment after with giddy humor at the relief of being close again really worked for me.

I like that Tane is starting to call Yutaka brother as well. "ni-Yukata" is adorable. He and Yutaka have such an easy rapport.

The pinky touch still belongs to the gays!!!!

I also like Ohata a lot. It's been fun how her issues somewhat feed Yutaka's anxieties, but also encourages him to take care of his things.

Genuinely looking forward to the conclusion for this. Pain and loss have been big themes of this series, so having them face the fear that they might lose each other as the final hurdle feels appropriate.

[kolaicendionysos]

I can't think of anything other than Our Dining Table lately? YES! Don't worry, i'll get straight to the point.

Older brothers/sisters are always a parent figure to their siblings especially when they lost one of their parents.I don't say to their actual father a ''bad parent'' but you know life situtations led them this way.

Minoru is a real big brother to Tane, but on the other hand, he's like his single father.

In episode 2, when after Tane got sick and because of that they had to cancel their plans.

Minoru said ''I mean, kids get sick so often, right? Even if we have set a date, there are many times that we have to cancel it.''

Yutaka responded ''But that can't be helped right?'' and then Minoru replied : ''Yes, that can't be helped. Thats true. But a lot of people don't understand.''

We often see how single parents struggle with their children's responsibilities when trying to get into a relationship and how their partners actually even their friends don't understand/want it. (Of course, there may be relationships that are not like this in real life)

I thought in there, how must be hard for Minoru keep his social life in his life. How many relationships did he fail to start? (because he think of Tane) How many friendships ended because of he not having time for them? I remember how his dad feel so happy when he sees Yutaka in their house.

And i love how their relationship devolop from this narrative. Minoru shocked and happy when he sees Yutaka take care of his little brother/son as well as him. Yutaka always understands him, his burdens, his worries and Minoru fell for that. Sometimes we fell for someone who understands us. Its looks really simple but i really really reallllllyyyyyyy love that.

in episode 4, Yutaka had formed a closer relationship with Tane. Minoru found another parent figure for his child. (those who reads the manga gets it it) (as a single parent would consider when choosing a partner.)

Thank you to everyone who has read this far! I just want to talk about every moment of this series.

[lgbtqmanga]

New Releases Nov. 21, 2023

Anti-Romance vol. 2 by Shoko Hidaka

FINAL VOLUME

Suou and Ryou have been friends since childhood. The hairstylist and writer have lived together for six years now and, though they definitely aren’t dating, their close relationship is hard to define. Will they ever move beyond the nebulous territory of “more than friends” or will they keep living in a stalemate forever?

Delinquent Daddy and Tender Teacher vol. 2: Basking in Sunlight by Tama Mizuki

In high school, studious Hitsuji had a secret crush on one of his guy friends--a friendly delinquent named Hatoyama--but never confessed. Years later, Hitsuji is a slightly anxious but responsible adult who found his calling as an elementary school teacher. One of his young students is upset with a sloppy and nonconformist dad--who turns out to be Hatoyama! When Hitsuji learns that Hatoyama is struggling to raise his son as a single parent, Hitsuji helps him out, first as a teacher and then as a friend who can teach Hatoyama how to clean his home and cook actual vegetables. As the men grow closer, some of Hitsuji's anxieties begin to melt around the welcoming (and grateful) Hatoyama. What will become of the feelings Hitsuji used to harbor for his first love?

Ennead vol. 1 by Mojito

The full-color Boys’ Love webtoon/comic hit inspired by ancient Egyptian mythology!

Nine powerful gods of ancient Egypt form the Ennead. When the god of war, Seth, kills his brother Osiris and takes over Egypt, he ushers in an era of chaos and cruelty. Centuries later, a new challenger appears: Horus, the child of Isis. Horus is not yet a full god, but he has the support of other deities to dethrone Seth. The conflict between Seth and Horus that begins as a series of trials warps into a complex web of deceit, obsession…and desire.

This hit Boys’ Love webtoon–a dramatic fantasy epic–is a reimagining of one of the oldest myths in human civilization. Already available in multiple languages to fans around the world, this is the very first time the graphic novel series will be printed in English, presented in beautiful full-color editions in an oversized trim! Seven Seas will release two versions of the series, which were originally drawn for different audiences: a paperback version rated Older Teen, and a deluxe hardcover version rated Mature. (Each version is standalone but has alternate depictions of some adult material.)

Kase-san and Yamada vol. 3 by Hiromi Takashima

After the events of the first five Kase-san and… manga volumes, Kase-san and Yamada are now university students. Yamada’s working diligently in her horticulture program, while Kase-san is training hard at her university. There might be a long train ride between their schools and hectic new schedules to plan around, but they’ll always make time for each other!

Kiss the Scars of the Girls vol. 1 by Aya Haruhana

Deep within a dense forest stands an academy for girls, whose students share a secret—they’re all vampires. To learn to hunt without attracting human attention, the maidens forge bloody bonds of sisterhood, but what fate will their ties bring…?

School Zone Girls vol. 5 features story and art by Ningiyau

Rei and Kei’s “friendship” is evolving at last. Could they really, finally be taking the first steps forward in their relationship? And they aren’t the only ones! Everyone in their eclectic group of friends seems to be leveling up their relationships. When the sky is falling, you know the School Zone Girls are falling in love!

Shonen Note: Boy Soprano vol. 6 features story and art by Yuhki Kamatani

Vladimir’s voice has begun to change, and he is losing the ability to sing in the soprano style he so loves. Anatoly takes him to Kawami in the hopes that Yutaka can help him. Meanwhile, the residents of Kawami are troubled to find their city has approved the construction of an industrial waste disposal facility...

The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This vol. 4 by Takashi Ikeda

FINAL VOLUME

Thirty-year-old Eri and twenty-year-old Wako are "roommates." Eri is a professional writer, and Wako's a voice actor who's building up her reel. Having worked together and now living together, these two women in love have a nice little life for themselves! Follow this comfortable couple in a heartwarming manga tale about the everyday humor, stressors, and joys of a life shared together.

You Can Have My Back vol. 2 (novel) by Minami Kotsuna and Hitomi Hitoyo

Leorino, the fourth son of a margrave, retains the memories from his past life as the knight Ionia and love for Prince Gravis. Leorino is unaware that he has come under the prince’s protection. Prince Gravis’ decision results in backlash against Leorino, and interaction with a jealous colleague ends in Leorino falling down a flight of stairs.  

[killerandhealerqueen]

Sass's 2023 Drama Awards

Following in Jina's (@tytangfei) footstep, I too have a 2023 drama award! (I started doing the drama awards after seeing hers, so it's only fair that I give credit where credit is due)

Anyways, without further ado...here are my drama awards! Explanations of each category/drama under the cut!

Best Overall

Best Overall CDrama: My Journey to You

I'm honestly surprised I loved this drama as much as I did. I loved everything about it, from the characters to the plot (we're ignoring the last five minutes), the costumes...just everything. Loved it, loved it, loved it

Best Overall JDrama: Bokura no Sokutaku

I loved the manga and I loved how they adapted this into a live action. I also loved the actors, especially Tane...felt exactly like how he thought he would and Minoru's dad...oh, loved him. Everyone was perfectly casted, the story was well done (with lovely additions that weren't in the original manga)...and the food looked absolutely delicious

Best Overall Kdrama: The Uncanny Counter 2

Gotta love my Uncanny Counter team. I actually really liked this season and the villains...overall, a very good drama. Love my little family

Most Delightful/Fun Drama

Most Delightful CDrama: Order of the Sommelier/A League of a Nobleman

The way I shrieked with laughter while watching Order of the Sommelier...and A League of a Nobleman...I love me some shenanigans and these idiots were full of them (fond)

Most Delightful JDrama: Bokura no Shokutaku

Tane was just absolutely delightful, as a child should be, and I really loved him. He brightened up the drama when it got too heavy/serious and it was a good balance

Most Delightful KDrama: The Uncanny Counter 2

Yeah, I laughed a lot with them. They're dorks and I love them

Most Impactful Drama

Most Impactful CDrama: My Journey to You/Stand by Me

Yeah, My Journey to You...it hit me in the feels. Had me crying at fucking 3 am and no drama has made me do that since Killer and Healer, so it goes here. Stand by Me also had me in my feels, just like Killer and Healer so it also goes here

Most Impactful JDrama: Bokura no Shokutaku

I definitely shed a tear or two with drama, especially during the scene where Minoru's dad and Yutaka talk about Minoru's mom and love as well as the scene where Yutaka talks to his older brother about how he made him feel unwelcome when he was younger and how he was hurt by that and what not. This drama had a lot of good, heartfelt and impactful scenes

Most Impactful KDrama: The Uncanny Counter 2/Evilive

The Uncanny Counter always has been an impactful drama and this season did not hold back on the angst. Evilive...jesus this drama was impactful from the first five fucking minutes. But it was a good drama

Most Unexpected Drama

Most Unexpected CDrama: Four way tie between My Journey to You/Pledge of Allegiance/Love is Written in the Stars/Desire Catcher

My Journey to You was unexpected because of all of the twists that you don't see coming...you think the story is going one way and then it turns around and shows you that you were completely wrong

Pledge of Allegiance was unexpected just because of the characters and their backstory and the overarching case (which I love. I love overarching cases)

Love is Written in the Stars was unexpected mainly because of the ending. I enjoyed the drama but the ending came out of fucking left field (but not in a Killer and Healer way)

Desire Catcher was unexpected because of the overarching case and how everything just tied together. It was unexpected in a good way. And I enjoyed it

Most Unexpected JDrama: Gifted

Gifted was unexpected in the way they solved the cases and the backstory of one of the main characters as well as his powers. I wasn't expecting it, but I enjoyed it

Most Unexpected KDrama: The Uncanny Counter 2/Evilive

The Uncanny Counter was unexpected this season because of the villains as well as the stakes...they were way fucking raised as well as how their powers worked this time...very unexpected and very stressful

Evilive was unexpected in how...fucking dark it got. And how tragic it was. My god, we knew the ending was gonna be tragic but holy shit

Best Soundtrack

Best Soundtrack CDrama: My Journey to You

This soundtrack fucking slaps and you cannot tell me otherwise

Best Soundtrack JDrama: Bokura no Shokutaku

Jdramas always have really good osts so I'm not surprised I enjoyed the soundtrack for this one

Best Soundtrack KDrama: The Uncanny Counter 2

Again, the Uncanny Counter always has good music

Best Costume Design

Best Costume CDrama: My Journey to You/Love is Written in the Stars

The costumes in these dramas were just so pretty, especially My Journey to You. I also loved Love is Written in the Stars because they made Patrick Quan look like a fucking fairy and they put Ian in the prettiest green robes I have ever seen, like he looks so god damn pretty

Best Costume JDrama: As Long As We Both Shall Live

Oh yeah, the costumes in this drama fucks hard. The kimonos and the yukatas and the police uniforms? Oh, they fuck severely

Best Costume KDrama: The Uncanny Counter 2

The outfits in this drama were amazing and I'm glad they got an upgrade from their red tracksuits. I much prefer the black tracksuit, honestly

Favorite Drama from Any Year

Favorite Drama from Any Year CDrama: Killer and Healer (2021)

The day this drama gets knocked out of this position is the day I fucking die, honestly. No drama can replace this drama

Favorite Drama from Any Year JDrama: Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna (2022)

I love this lesbian short drama and I'm so excited that they're making a season two, oh my god

Favorite Drama from Any Year KDrama: The Fiery Priest (2019)

I love this drama, it was my first introduction to dramas and it's just so god damn funny

So, what were y'alls top dramas this year? Let me know! I'd love to hear about them

[colourme-feral]

As @respectthepetty​ has pointed out, Yutaka’s brother, Yuki, is a trashy asshole, but their parents are the worst and here’s why.

Their father brings Yutaka home and simply gives him a speech about how he is now part of their family to Yuki’s displeasure, who rejects the idea of a younger brother. In the manga, they have other siblings, but it seems like they are presenting Yuki in the show as an only child, prior to Yutaka’s adoption.

Being an only child, Yuki was probably used to his family’s attention and love, so just bringing a child home and saying he’s your new brother isn’t exactly what anyone is looking forward to. But their parents seem to think it isn’t a big deal and didn’t consult or discuss with Yuki beforehand?! Their mum even dares to look surprised that her son wouldn’t be happy about this.

YOU DON’T JUST BRING A KID HOME AND SAY HERE’S YOUR NEW  SIBLING, WHILE ASSUMING IT’LL BE FINE.

Furthermore, their parents’ inaction at actually making Yutaka feel like he’s a part of his family doesn’t help. This is a completely new environment, a new family with its own dynamic. Neither parent has been shown to actually help him acclimatise or tell his brother off for saying things that are clearly out of hand. In fact, the family is never actually shown having a conversation with Yutaka, merely talking at or throwing insults at him. At no point does Yutaka feel wanted by them, even though that is so essential for a child who has been adopted. The neglect that Yutaka faces impacts him even as an adult and has contributed largely to his discomfort and fear of making people, other than his family, uncomfortable with his presence.

Since Yuki’s rudeness to his brother isn’t addressed, he’s probably realised that he can continue this way without any consequences. In fact, when he jeers at Yutaka for his lack of knowledge of table manners (Yutaka is holding his fork and knife in the wrong hands since he’s a right hander) and goes on to say food tastes bad when Yutaka is around, their mother only calls Yuki’s name as a warning, but doesn’t go further than that. They ought to be pointing out why this asshole can’t be talking shit without getting hit, but instead, their mum just starts a conversation about a completely different topic and the three of them start talking about Yuki’s finals, as though the matter can simply be forgotten if it is ignored.

[tanenigiri]

We got a spin-off episode! And "spin-off" is very apt as it's all brand new scenes not found in the manga. As much as I wanted to see the manga's epilogue adapted, the show's had a pretty good track record in terms of adding new scenes and elevating the manga's plot. I'd even say it's one of its greatest strengths, so how does this attempt fare?

Here are some thoughts and ramblings on Our Dining Table's spin-off episode:

I'll start with my favorite part: A new bento box is 500% the best gift Yutaka could've ever thought of to celebrate the anniversary of them meeting up. Sorry to the matching Christmas scarves but this takes the cake. There've been a lot of posts made about how deliberate the choice of items are in this show and I look forward to reading about all of that with this bento box. I also have to mention the utter sweetness of Yutaka wanting to commemorate the date where he first ran into the Ueda brothers - that's definitely the mark of a year of character growth.

Ueda-san continues to be the best dad. Sure, he isn't as prominent here as in the finale, but he continues to read the room so well and know what to do before Yutaka and Minoru even realize it. Love the Minoru teasing at the beginning too - it reminds me of how he was when he was witnessing Minoru's blatant pining. (That tidbit about how Minoru being antsy reminding him of his wife was both really funny and really sweet.)

Glad to know that they've recognized that Tane is the one keeping this whole thing together. (Half-joking but really, how they've made this child not only relevant to the main dynamic but also his very own character is one of my favorite things about this series.)

Ok, I have to be honest: I wasn't feeling the conflict. It's not helped by the fact that the misunderstanding trope is a bit tired for me - one of my favorite things about the manga, actually, was how it generally avoided this and actually made it a point that being open about their issues was a prerequisite to them getting together - but I think my biggest issue with it was how it seemed inconsistent with the characters? Minoru especially, and I haven't been shy with my overall praise for how the show had not only expanded his character but elevated it from the manga because of how well they executed his plot. But him getting jealous over a text he doesn't know the full context of seems a bit much, even if you anchor it to his fear of Yutaka leaving him just like Nao and the rest of his friends did. And even then, that anchor wasn't really brought up, as how he acted over it seemed quite possessive instead of insecure. If anything, the insecurity came from Yutaka, which I do think is consistent with his character, but it's the sentiment I expected from Minoru instead?

I think the closest thing I can compare this to is the bonus Valentine episode of Cherry Magic (spoiler warning if you haven't watched it), where Kurosawa finds a Valentine's gift in Adachi's desk drawer and panics over who could've given it to him. He's seen to be pretty jealous of the mystery admirer and laments over how he's no longer the only one who's noticed Adachi's charm, only to find out that the gift he found was actually Adachi's gift to him. It's a similar misunderstanding situation, but I think what made this one work better for me (aside from how Cherry Magic is a comedy while Our Dining Table's tone is a lot more serious) was how it was very consistent with Kurosawa's character, as he's shown to be quite possessive and easily jealous over Adachi several times throughout the show.

I can't say the same thing for Minoru at all, as while as a boyfriend he definitely has the right to feel jealous over a potential threat to their relationship, this is the same person who, in last week's episode, told Yutaka that if there's anything bothering him, they should talk to each other, especially if it's about their relationship. Why wasn't he following his own advice until the very end of the episode? (The actual answer is to prolong the episode but still.)

I don't know, I feel like they could've executed it a lot better if they wanted to stick with this conflict. The misunderstanding could've come from how they communicated, as I think that would not only be consistent with the takeaway from the previous episode, but it would also be quite realistic as Yutaka has shown to not be the best with words. I'm not saying that how Minoru acted was invalid - he absolutely has the right to feel jealous about a misunderstanding, especially with how rocky his experience with relationships had been - but I think they could've showed this insecurity in a way that didn't make it seem like he was moping over Yutaka having friends who weren't him. (If anything, shouldn't he be happy that Yutaka now has other people he regularly talks to? He was quite literally traumatized from eating with other people.)

(And yes, I absolutely think that if Ohata just showed up and explained everything herself, the episode would've been much better lmao I'm gonna miss her character so much.)

Bit random but the balloons showing "bad day" tripped me up a bit because I was genuinely confused since there's only one 'D' in "Happy Birthday" until I realized that they used the same 'D' balloon for both shots lol.

Sorry if those bullet points were a doozy, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on if you agree or disagree. But like I said in my previous post, I'm glad that the show has things that I don't necessarily think highly of, as a 100% perfect show would be quite boring. I may have some gripes with it, but I still enjoyed the spin-off for what it was - and more Our Dining Table content is always welcome.

And honestly, despite these gripes, I'm still gonna rewatch this show so many times and never get sick of it because I think it's such a fantastic adaptation. They absolutely knocked it out of the park with it and I hope that the team gets their hands on other titles. (I would love a Koimonogatari adaptation but I would very much prefer new chapters instead lol.)

[muchadoloo]

Great perspective. I think the only thing I’d nuance a bit is that the show pays Yuki’s comments a bit more tame than the manga does. In the show, Yuki only says “this is my family” and “food tastes bad when you’re around.” While in the manga, he also says “you don’t belong here,” “the way Yutaka eats is dirty, “your fang teeth are weird/gross,” “your manners are disgusting” etc. etc. He wasn’t just bratty. He tore Yutaka down with his words day in and day out. Also, in the manga, Yutaka has more brothers and sisters who also just sat around the table while Yuki said cruel things. In essence, no one came to Yutaka’s defense or stopped Yuki from saying that, just because he was grieving the loss of life as he knew it. I suppose I’m disappointed by the lack of accountability. The presence of empathy is not the absence of accountability. Though I can understand Yuki’s response, I also think youth is no excuse especially when, in the show, he realized what he said was wrong but never actually apologized or performed a sufficient apologetic act. The fact is, Yuki did harm him to the point of traumatizing him. Before a relationship can begin, there needs to be repair. He just didn’t know that when he was younger.

Also, a meaningful point to add: The show added the family conversation while the manga never included one. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling the family scene (and I was encouraged to learn many viewers didn’t either). I found that conversation lacking and felt Yuki’s response was still childish. Rather than being an adult and saying “Yes, I was young and yes, my world was turned upside down but you didn’t deserve that. I tried to make it right but I realize I never actually apologized. I’m sorry,” he said — “well, it’s on you too. You never come around.” This is complicated. Yes, Yutaka didn’t give his family the chance but I also wonder how could he have? He lost his biological family, his adopted parents worked late hours growing up and he spent most of his time with Yuki, who made it clear Yutaka had no place here over and over again. The fact is, in light of all Yuki said over the years, just taking care of someone while they’re sick or inviting them to play ball, isn’t enough to undo years of trauma. What I didn’t hear him say was “I harmed you” instead he stated how young he was at the time. Although that is true, that is still a dismissive response. There are things I said in my youth to my siblings that, when I got older, I learned had profoundly impacted/hurt one of them. I didn’t say, “Well, I was young.” I was, but the FACT IS I said something incredibly rude and demeaning toward her and it impacted her in ways I still regret to this day. I had to own that. But again, we can hold compassion for ourselves and still hold ourselves accountable. Yuki, in my opinion, lacked that humility of accountability.

Again, I find it interesting that the manga never included such a conversation. Instead, Yutaka found an internal resolution where he realized “I AM loved by the Ueda’s.” I love the statement above that two things can be true at once. I’d concur and say Yutaka’s family can have tried to love and care for him AND Yutaka can still feel uncared for. This tension doesn’t always need to be resolved. In the manga, he goes where he feels the most loved and that’s with the Ueda’s. For me, I prefer the manga’s ending.

Our Dining Table and Complex Family Trauma

I finally caught up on Our Dining Table this week, just in time for the big penultimate episode. (I must give a shoutout to @isaksbestpillow here once again for giving me life with her excellent subtitles, which are so much better than the ones on Gaga). And unsurprisingly, I love love love this show. It’s just as good as everyone has been saying. I love the undercurrent of melancholy running underneath this very cute storyline. I love Minoru and Yutaka’s gentle dynamic as they become friends and then more. I would obviously throw my body in front of a moving train to protect Tane. I love Ueda, the ultimate shipper and Good Dad. 

What is most on my mind this morning, however, is the reveal in yesterday’s episode about the more complicated dynamics at play in Yutaka’s family. I’ve been reading some of y’all’s posts and I understand that 1) this perspective shift is not fully elaborated in the original manga; 2) some don’t like it much because they feel it asks us to put blame on Yutaka or absolve his family of their neglect. I've been chatting a bit with friends @wen-kexing-apologist @bengiyo @kyr-kun-chan @shortpplfedup @waitmyturtles about why I don’t feel that way and I wanted to talk a bit more about it (she says as she prepares to write a thesis). 

First, I think the show played fair on this. Despite grounding us firmly in Yutaka’s entirely valid perspective on how it felt to grow up in that house, we saw hints from the start that this was not as clear cut as his memories implied. We see his mom reaching out to him constantly, inviting him to come spend time with them. We see that the memories that shaped his trauma are from what seem to be his first few days with the family - when they first brought him home, and when they first sat down and ate a meal together - and that his brother Yuki was quite young at the time. We see that adult Yuki looks at him with genuine confusion and frustration when he runs into him at the grocery store, and seems to feel wronged by Yutaka’s refusal to talk to him or visit their parents. With no reason to think otherwise, you can read all of that as a neglectful and willfully obtuse family being unreasonable toward him, but the show left some gray space there so that we would be able to go back and recontextualize it when new information was presented. 

Second, this introduction of Yuki’s perspective makes so much sense and makes the family backstory a lot richer. Yes, absolutely, teen Yuki was being a little asshole when Yutaka was first brought into his home. This is not surprising. He went from being an only child who was used to having his parents’ sole attention to being told he has a new little brother he has to share everything with. He was a child and he behaved childishly about it, lashing out at this poor kid who truly did nothing to deserve it. And their parents, in an effort to appease their son who they probably felt guilty toward, let him get away with it, and did not properly tend to Yutaka’s emotions or provide him with the reassurance he needed. 

All of this sucks, but it’s so real, y’all. Anyone who grew up in a blended family can tell you as much. When new siblings come into the mix, whether by adoption or marriage or new relationships, there is nearly always resentment. I can recall one particularly bratty moment in my youth when after a remarriage my mom told me she was pregnant again, and because I was worried about my own prospects in life and already pissed at her for getting remarried, I said something along the lines of “we’re already poor enough, don’t you think you should stop having kids?” I said that! To my mother! I made her cry! It was horrible! And she forgave me, because she understood why I was so anxious and already carried a lot of guilt about not being able to provide for me the way she would like. Which is to say, I do not like Yuki, but I get him.

But the crucial piece here is we now know, via Yuki’s perspective and the supporting commentary from their parents, that this period of resentment only lasted a short time, and not long after Yutaka joined the family, he did accept him as his brother, he did care for him in the ways he knew how, and he did try to reach out and connect with him.

Which brings me to my third and most important point: Yutaka does carry some of the responsibility for how estranged he has become from his family, these behavioral patterns repeat in his struggles with accepting Minoru, and that is good storytelling. Two things can be true: Yutaka’s family did a poor job of making him feel loved and emotionally cared for as a traumatized child and never took the proper steps to make up for it, and Yutaka has made himself willfully blind to the love and care others try, albeit imperfectly, to give him.  

Stemming from losing his birth parents and then that first bad week with his adoptive family, Yutaka fears abandonment, emotional vulnerability, and rejection, and so he rejects others first. He shut himself down to the point he didn’t even perceive it when his brother was taking care of him. He literally did not remember that happened, like his brain forced him to forget. He accepts his family’s care when it comes to material things and financial support, but won’t connect with them emotionally. He ignores his mom when she reaches out to him, blows off his dad’s birthday, and avoids contact to the point he has no idea how they actually feel about him. He isolates himself at work and in his community, living a very solitary life. All of this is deeply sympathetic, because we know he is doing it out of a sense of self-preservation and a deep fear of being faced with something that could emotionally break him. 

But ultimately, this is unhealthy, and the show is very clear on this. We see how lonely and miserable Yutaka is until he meets Tane and Minoru. We see how he slowly opens up to them, how their particular style of straightforward communication, easy warmth, and gentle pushing connects with him in a way his much more emotionally staid family could not. We see how Yutaka blossoms as he essentially joins their family, but we also see how his own unresolved family trauma gets in the way. How easily he shuts down when he runs into Yuki, and how that causes him to backslide and begin pushing his new family away, as well. And we see how absolutely overwhelmed and unprepared he is to hear Minoru’s confession, how that also causes an emotional retreat, how his own fear about opening himself up to that kind of love (and therefore that kind of potential hurt) sends him hurtling back into his patterns of self-preservation.  

Finally hearing Yuki’s perspective on their childhood and allowing himself to briefly connect with his adoptive family didn’t magically fix the years of neglect and hurt between them. There is a lot of work to be done there if he actually wants a decent relationship with them, and that work has to be mutual and reciprocal. But those moments of connection did give Yutaka the push he needed to examine his own perceptions and his tendency to shut people out and realize he needs to change this aspect of his behavior. If he wants to be with Minoru, and be a family with him and Tane and Ueda, and if he wants to have joy and love and care in his life, he absolutely must allow others to connect with him. Which means he has to open himself up to hurt again, because you can’t have one without the other. And at the end of yesterday’s episode, he made the incredibly brave choice to do exactly that.

[demonoflight]

FrontierFest - Day 16

(Full prompt list here)

Favorite relationship in the series

I really love Takuya and Tomoki’s broship.

Takuya sees this sad kid who’s the same grade as his own little brother and his first instinct is “I must protect this small child”. For all he claims he’s not a very good big brother, he makes for an incredible one to Tomoki. He’s protective of the boy, he’s kind to him, and he’s endlessly supportive of him in the good times AND the bad. He doesn’t always know what to do, but he’s always trying to do his best by Tomoki. His relationship with Tomoki makes him reconsider how he has taken his real brother Shinya for granted, and he resolves to cherish his family more and be a better older brother. Though judging by his treatment of Tomoki and the flashbacks we get, I get the feeling he’s always been a good brother and is a tad harsh on himself.

Tomoki has this older kid protecting him and then transforming into a cool Digimon and is immediately inspired. He’s always wanted to be a hero and now he actually met a real life hero in person! Takuya doesn’t baby him like his parents do but doesn’t scoff at him like his brother does, he’s just extremely nice and cool and encouraging in just the right ways. He’s the big brother Tomoki wishes he had. Of course, he does realize later his real older brother cares for him in his own way, and wishes to reconnect with Yutaka and show his appreciation. But, Takuya is the older brother figure he needs in the Digital World, straightforward and brave and always ready to encourage Tomoki to keep fighting on.

I love that A Train Named Hope has them keep this relationship, but evolved further. The loss of “Takuya Onii-chan” is tragic, for sure, but the deep respect Tomoki has for his older brother figure remains steadfast, as he called on him specifically to discuss his student council plans, knowing Takuya would support and uplift him and give him the advice he needs. And when Takuya expresses doubt that he can get a hang on the Italian language in time for the big leagues, Tomoki is there to remind him he’s not the type to give up so easily! They’re so important to each other, it’s so lovely to see.

[tsuki-sennin]

Once upon a time, there was this famous author guy by name of Samuel Clemens, well known by his pen name of "Mark Twain", who wrote a classic novel known as The Prince and The Pauper, in which Prince Edward VI of England switches places with a street urchin by name of Tom Canty. Poor Tom struggles to keep up with national matters, while Edward is forced to realize how cruel and injust the Tudor royal family's legal system truly is on his travels. Twain, money hungry as he was known to be, viewed it as a simple paycheck, but this book endured so hard that the House of Mouse and Barbie made their own adaptations of it that both remain beloved to this day, albeit in... much less intense form.

So, what's Yui Nagomi cooking up with this classic recipe, huh? Well, you're just gonna have to watch to find out, right? I doubt Yui here's gonna have to be made to deal with things so dire as class divide, religious persecution, and murder as in the original novel, but hey!

Spoilers, I guess...

-This is Yui Nagomi! She fucking loves food! She will be playing the part of the "Pauper", previously held by fellow Toei hero Kaito Kumon, the Armored Rider Baron! Speaking of whom, I recently learned that Yutaka Kobayashi is taking steps to fully recover from his mental breakdown from much earlier this year and is currently training as a chocolatier in Paris. Good for him, I wish him all the best :)

-Don't be intimidated, Amane! She's just as scared of you as you are of her!

-The Smiling Princess Maira, who just so happens to look exactly like Miss Yui Nagomi!

-See, even she knows~!

-...HOLUP WHAT

-YUIN WHAT THE FUCK YOU'VE BEEN RUBBING ELBOWS WITH ROYALTY AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN TELL US

-Y'know, a certain Haruka would be proud if you pull off this princess role. ...Kirara perhaps not so much, but it's okay, Minami's there to balance it out.

-Oh, don't worry, I mean Twilight, I mean Towa, I mean Gentle, I mean Amane. If Yuin met Jesus Christ himself, she'd turn the five loaves and two fish into a massive sashimi bar in his stead.

-TAKUMICCHI YOUR DAD WHAT THE FUCK

-Isuki Island...

-That's quite the cat design.

-"I was told you didn't speak, and now you don't shut the fuck up!"

-Oishi-Na Town! We have a Prince hangin' out here, actually!

-Well golly, Amane! It seems as though you are a direct accomplice! Good for you, Amai-kaichou!

-Guess this all works out! Maira-ojou samples local cuisine, and Yuin gets to live the high life! ...assuming she doesn't get stuck with hours of paperwork and/or seeing her own mother get violently knocked away by guards upon recognizing her.

-What would that make you, Amane? Hendon? Ah, no, he didn't really notice...

-Right, so, you'd probably have a lot more in common with Koko-neechan and Mari-chan than Ranchi, but don't worry! The noodle girl doesn't bite! ...I hope you don't witness somebody getting whipped and/or burnt alive, that'd be terrible.

-Er, wait, hold on... Ohohohoho, yes! Lady Maira is very princesslike, you know!

-Genma, you fool! The Princess's mistakes are innumerable! ...in... in like a good way!

-A one point landing!

-Seems like Amane's really

-Ahhhh, succession crisis.

-Y'know, I don't understand why anybody'd be so dead set on a ceremonial role if they weren't able to assassinate their competition no problem.

-Princess Kokone...

-"Never you mind that, LOOK AT THE FUCKING FISH"

-Damn, even the fine art is delicious cuisine.

-Awwwww, itty bitty princess

-God, I fuckin' love fried fish.

-Mem-Mem guard!

-Takumicchi!

-Okay, it is a very good thing that you're left out of the loop, I don't think your poor brain can take it.

-"Nothing to see here, Shinada, go home now!"

-Deliciousmile~!

-A whole dinner table laid out!

-Genma seems like quite the distant paternal figure.

-"Perfect Parfait~! Just like your big brothers, huh Amane?"

-"I'm getting a brain freeze just listening to you two."

-Deliciousmiles all around!

-...do the folks in Isuki just eat fried fish? I think there'd at least be like... a Micky D's or something there too.

-...ohhhhhh, looks like Genma's catching on.

-Oh shit, we're getting jumped!

-Political insurgents!

-Sanza, you son of a bitch!

-All my dreams are coming true!

-"It's okay, Maira. I am a goddamn Pretty Cure!"

-"Don't try this at home, children!"

-HOLY SHIT, YUIN'S GONNA BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM

-FUCK YEAH LET'S GO

-Guys, idk, I think this might be my favorite Yui episode so far

-ROSEMARY'S FUCKING FACEPALM JLBKHHB

-"Cure Precious is what she says when she morbs."

-LET'S FUCKING GO PRECIOUS

-Oh of course, my apologies, ladies generally prefer privacy when they change. Mari-chan and I will wait outside then.

-Ah, a proper delivery service! Just like Spider-Man in Spider-Man II the video game, on PS2, where you have to deliver the pizza pasta put it in a box deliver it to my house and-

-Daaaaamn, Amane! You're smooth!

-Just a Pretty Cure passing through. Don't forget that!

-Awwww no violence hjlklhb

-Speech obtained!

-What a lad, aren't you Genma?

-We did it! We saved Isuki Island's reputation!

-The sheer shock and horror.

-Ahhhhhhhh, that's nice.

-Food brings smiles. No matter the time, place, or status.

-This was a very fun episode. I've recently been rewatching older seasons of PreCure in my spare time (currently alternating between Splash Star and Fresh, if you're curious, probably not a great idea but), and I kinda appreciated having this episode to kinda like... breathe a bit, y'know? Definitely one of the funnier episodes, if only for the implication that Cure Precious chose to beat up all these insurgents and a prince with zero hesitation.

-Anyways, next episode Ranchi has a noodle crisis!

-Ah, the Bundoru Gang come back next episode! ...I miss you, Spiritoru. Seccy's a real bad bitch, but she can only fill the void so much.

[bungoustraypups]

36!!!!

NAME: Enzo Dazai

PARENTS: Osamu [Dazai] & Chuuya [Nakahara] Nakahara-Dazai

AGE: 3 (at the beginning of Hateful Eight) - 10 (end of Courtesy Call)

BIRTHDAY + STAR SIGN: March 3, 2011, 02:48 PM + Pisces

GENDER + PRONOUNS: Genderfluid xenogender girl + kit/nya/paw/she/they/it

SEXUALITY: Lesbian

HEIGHT: 5'9" (175 cm) (when grown)

WEIGHT: 175 lbs (79 kg) (when grown)

TAROT CARD: The Star [Bright future; a great future; fertility; guided by the stars]

AFFILIATION: Armed Detective Agency + Apprentices of the Armed Detective Agency [eventual]

SIBLING(S): Fumiko (older sister, older twin of Shuusaku), Shuusaku (older sister, younger twin of Fumiko), Sawako (older sister, older twin of Ryoi), Ryoi (older sister, younger twin of Sawako), Kiyono (older brother), Yutaka (older sister), Ikki (older sister, older twin of Rohan), Rohan (older brother, younger twin of Ikki), Saiichi (older triplet brother), Tama (younger triplet sibling), Yasushi (younger brother), Kimifusa (younger sister, oldest triplet of Kenzaburou and Sean), Kenzaburou (younger brother, middle triplet of Kimifusa and Sean), and Sean T. (youngest brother, youngest triplet of Kimifusa and Kenzaburou, adopted) Dazai

SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S): N/A

NAMESAKE: Enzo Matsunaga

THEME SONG: Crocodile Rock - Elton John

But the biggest kick I ever got, Was doing a thing called the Crocodile Rock, While the other kids were rocking 'round the clock, We were hopping and bopping to the Crocodile Rock!

ABILITY: Dreameater

ABILITY DESCRIPTION: Dreameater allows for the manipulation, activation, or removal of "subconscious memories" a subject has; or specifically, memories the subject either does not remember they have, or are not actively remembering at the time the ability is activated and used on them. The user is able to change said memories, bring them to the forefront of the subject's mind, or remove them entirely, though this is done at the cost of the user's physical energy, which they usually need to sleep in order to regain.

BRIEF OVERVIEW:

Enzo is a sweetheart in every sense of the word, though kit can be a bit troublesome, especially when in a group with kits triplet siblings, Saiichi and Tama, who almost always encourage each other's bad or otherwise undesirable behaviors. When not with them, though, Enzo is actually rather well-behaved, if a little (a lot) of a hyperactive mess at times. As long as you can give kit an activity to do which isn't incredibly boring, one can control kit quite easily. Food also keeps kit distracted, and this is a fact kit's father Osamu utilizes to the fullest degree. Speaking of Osamu, he is Enzo's favorite parent (not to say kit doesn't love Chuuya, just that kit loves Dazai more), and when not with kits siblings, kit can usually be found with Osamu, spending time with him whenever kit can. Despite him being kits father, however, his tendency for mischief is just as strong, if not stronger, than Enzo's, and the two of them can get up to just as many shenanigans with each other as they would if kit were alone with kits siblings. Additionally, kits most treasured object is a stuffed animal Osamu made for kit before kit was born, and kit carries the stuffed bear named Honey everywhere.

[firstagent]

Since it popped up on the Podcast, how would you rank the sibling dynamics from healthy to trainwreck?

This is an innocent-sounding question until you go over the franchise and realize just how many sibling relationships there are in Digimon and that all but like three of them have elements that might raise eyebrows. In the interest of being comprehensive, this includes all named characters in any anime, manga, and game I’m familiar with, treating the reboot separately and including Survive because... (looks at Kaito and Miu’s bios) ...holy crap.

Sibling Relationship Rankings! (Healthy is Higher)

Joe & Shin Kido (Adventure): Shin understands Joe’s hang-ups and offers support to make his own choices without steering him in any specific direction, for or against the family. And Shuu exists too (depending on the language you’re watching in)

Juri & Masahiko Kato (Tamers): For all of the awkwardness and potential points of fracture in the family, Juri and Masahiko are very close. Fun Fact: She started carrying around her iconic hand puppet to amuse and entertain him!

Keito & Nozomi Tamada (Re:Arise): Even with very different personalities, Keito and Nozomi have a lot of respect for each other. Unlike some big brothers, he comes to a mature conclusion when he realizes she’ll be just fine with Pumpmon at her side.

Yamato Ishida & Takeru Takaishi (Adventure 2020): Yamato’s worry over Takeru only affects his reluctance to take on time-consuming side quests when he might be in danger. Far more chill about trusting Takeru with the rest of the team, he’s a motivation rather than a mental handicap.

Masaru & Chika Daimon (Savers): Perhaps a more controversial pick for the healthier side, but Masaru and Chika have a playful relationship that proves that Chika dishes out as much as anyone in the family. Given how much harm DATS and Digimon have done to the family, Masaru risks her love to keep them away from her.

Joe & Shin Kido (Adventure 2020): Shin’s still supportive and still encourages Joe to make choices for himself, but having that bugout bag ready to go raises some serious questions about that family and which side Shin’s really on.

Ai & Makoto (Tamers): Toddlers fight. It’s okay. They come together for Impmon’s sake and the fact that they’re the only duo in the franchise with mutual custody over a digivice has to say something about the strength of their relationship.

Nene & Kotone Amano (Xros Wars Manga): Nene’s tactics are still desperate but not quite as extreme as the anime, and it counts for so much that Kotone fights so hard for Nene once the tables are turned. And good lord that backstory...

Takuya & Shinya Kanbara (Frontier): There’s definitely a sense of Takuya lapsing into thinking Shinya encapsulates everything frustrating about having an older brother, but he gets over it.

Miyako Inoue + Three (Zero Two): Perfectly normal large household. And while wondering what it would be like to be an only child is something every youngest does... top of mind fantasy, Miyako? Really?

Jianliang & Shaochung Lee (Tamers): Speaking of four-packs... there’s no doubting how much they care about each other, but Jian’s occasional short fuse with Shaochung betrays his usual calm demeanor, and we never get a picture of the full family dynamic once Rinchei and Jaarin are included.

Daisuke & Jun Motomiya (Zero Two): Everyone likes to paint Jun and Daisuke as something uglier than it really is. As much as they annoy each other, it’s still a pretty conventional sibling dynamic and they’d still fight hard for the other... even if the feeling’s closer to obligation.

Koji Minamoto & Koichi Kimura (Frontier): There’s no questioning the bond they develop, but there’s no way Koji and Koichi go from “don’t know the other exists” to “ZOMG Twinzies!” without a ton of awkwardness and feeling each other out. They’ll get better, but from our standpoint this is where we start to drift into trainwreck territory.

Tomoki & Yutaka Himi (Frontier): Tomoki can spin it all he wants but Yutaka comes off as a real jerk. Not that some resentment isn’t a little justified given how much Tomoki is coddled, but taking it upon himself to be the bearer of tough love is still not cool.

Taichi & Hikari Yagami (Adventure 2020): Hikari has a blind faith that Taichi can save the day in any circumstance, up to and including international shipping crisis. Meanwhile Taichi sees Hikari lapsing between typical friendly eight year old to brainwashed robot and doesn’t find any problem with it.

Yamato Ishida & Takeru Takaishi (Adventure): Lessons in how not to be an overprotective big brother. Yamato freaks out at the slightest notion that Takeru might be exposed to danger, including his very presence in the Digital World. When you have a complete nervous breakdown realizing that little bro’s actually pretty capable on his own, it’s not about your relationship with him anymore.

Touma & Relena Norstein (Savers): There’s caring about a little sister, making her plight a central cause in your life, and then involving her in a chess match with a madman. There’s a lot to forgive here (they are raised in a family where your kneejerk reaction to Grandma is “I bet she supported the Nazis in World War II”), but everything about their relationship just makes you uncomfortable.

Kaito & Miu Shinonome (Survive): Maybe it’s not fair since their game is the franchise’s unicorn, but their bios have warning flags all over it. He’s overprotective, ready to fight at the slightest hardship, and she repays this attitude by being rebellious and weird and eager to pursue trouble. May end up being worse once the game actually comes out.

Rei & Hajime Katsura (Appmon): Another one where their backstory makes you sympathize with the lengths they go to in order to stay together, but risking the security of actual guardians to go it alone? Jesus. Even with their ride or die attitude, you still sense a bit of friction in their relationship, and so many of their hardships are their own doing. 

Nene & Yuu Amano (Xros Wars): There’s nothing seemingly wrong on the surface between Nene and Yuu, but that’s why their actions are so extreme. Yuu’s more than happy to treat her as an enemy general in his game, while Nene’s aligning herself with dark forces and causing real trouble to get him back. It’s all very loud and intense for a relationship that, without external influences, is just nice and cordial.

Yuuko & Yuugo Kamishiro (Cyber Sleuth): You can be anything you want on the internet! So why not take the identify of your big brother who was stricken with a mystery illness at a young age and lead a legion of hackers? And if you’re Yuugo, use your digital body to take control of that avatar! Nothing weird about any of this!

Ken & Osamu Ichijouji (Zero Two): Like Tomoki, Ken can come up with whatever rationale for Osamu’s abuse he wants, and Osamu at least had some kind moments, but there’s no denying that this family was a mess. And of course Ken’s reaction to Osamu’s death... could have been better.

Taichi & Hikari Yagami (Adventure): Hikari’s introduction to the series was intended to be a little creepy, and that just sets the tone. Her blind loyalty to Taichi is a primary point of emphasis through three series, and Taichi sometimes goes ballistic worrying about her... when not accidentally endangering her life. And that’s before she unleashes a world-destroying abomination at the mere suggestion that Taichi’s dead, and why telling him “what you’re doing is wrong and I kind of hate you for it” is a big moment for her, even though she’s wrong.

Neo & Rei Saiba (V-Tamer): There’s going a little overboard to keep your family together or save a sibling’s life, and then there’s aligning yourself with evil forces to avoid having to deal with your sister’s manageable disability. Call it being jaded or delusional, but when it drives your sister to attempt suicide there are definitely issues you two need to work through.

Erika & Ryuji Mishima (Cyber Sleuth Hackers Memory): Because aligning oneself with Arkadimon is always a fantastic idea. He’s overprotective, she manipulates him because of it, there’s resentment, there’s anger, and basically the entire game is spent watching these two outdo each other in terms of causing wanton destruction throughout the city and cyberspace.

Honorable Mention: Bagramon & DarkKnightmon (Xros Wars): The battle of who can stab the other in the back last.

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[asteroiideae]

okay, so I don’t make these kinds of posts often because tbh I’m a little lazy and very tired like 24/7 lmao but I’ve been seeing a lot of Pride reading lists hit my dash (and they’re excellent, and I save them all!) buuuut reading books is still a roadblock I’m struggling to mentally overcome -- and audiobooks are great, but they take 84 years (sometimes literally???) to get through. so! I thought I’d share a (very tiny) list of the queer manga I’ve read this year that you might enjoy for Pride, with some descriptions/trigger warnings/thoughts to go with them. so here we go in no particular order other than where they sit on my bookshelf:

What Did You Eat Yesterday? by Fumi Yoshinaga

okay so I know I go on about this manga at literally every presented opportunity, but I honestly just can’t help myself??? as a thirty-something queer adult, I really love the quiet maturity of this relationship between Shiro and Kenji; especially when it’s highlighted by references to shenanigans of their youth, and the ways in which they are still growing as both individuals and a couple. I’ve only read the first six volumes but I’m OBSESSED.

Status: Ongoing (17 volumes; 15 translated) Summary: Shiro and Kenji are an established adult couple with separate careers and interests, whose relationship is depicted over the meals cooked for them by Shiro. This doesn’t have an overarching plot, which might be off-putting for some readers; each chapter can be compared to a fanfic one-shot, usually containing it’s own tiny storyline or theme. It’s literally just domestic moments and meals shared between these men. Warnings: While I didn’t personally have a problem with this, younger readers might find some of the dated terms offensive. If you’ve spent any time with older queer folks (older as in 45-50+) this won’t be anything you aren’t used to, but if your experience of queer folx skews younger or online, you might get taken by surprise. There’s also some internalized homophobia; and by some I mean quite a bit. Shiro’s personal arc (at least in the first six volumes) heavily revolves around how much he closets himself and tries desperately to pass as “normal” in Japanese business culture.

Boys Run The Riot by Keito Gaku

holy shit holy shit holy SHIT. this story is so good??? so VERY good??? I was a little cautious, and a little bit uninterested in a story about teens (only because I’m in my thirties and crave more adult representation,) but I was VERY WRONG to be. Boys Run The Riot is beautifully drawn, beautifully written, and probably my favorite work on this list. the mangaka is also trans so the inherent understanding and nuance of our protagonist’s experience is really lovely. Also featuring a fantastic brotp between a trans boy and his new himbo bestie; no seriously if you want a story about a trans boy getting to have good broships with other boys his own age I CANNOT stress this enough. Volume two is releasing next month; I have it preordered. I’m laying on my floor wishing for time to hurry the fuck up. I need more of this smol angry trans boy and his big soft himbo bff. PLS. Status: Ongoing (4 volumes published; 2 translated) Summary: Ryo Watari is a second year high school student who is trans and struggling to feel comfortable with his very rigidly structured life at school, at home, and among his friends (to whom he is not out.) By chance he meets Jin Sato, a cis boy who also feels outcast (often judged for his appearance without any deeper thought.) When Ryo comes out to Jin in a state of frustration, Jin accepts who Ryo is and makes an offer -- why not start a fashion line that subverts all the expectations that have been put on them both; why not express themselves even when they’ve been told they shouldn’t. Warnings: Ryo is struggling with gender dysphoria, and it is written by someone who has probably experienced it, so it might be a little real for any trans folks who deal with that. Also, while neither the narrative nor Jin misgender Ryo (at least, not once he expresses to Jin that he is a man), Ryo is not out to anyone else and so he frequently is misgendered at school and we see how badly that impacts him and the way he views himself and processes his emotions. Ryo spends a lot of time being angry and trying to swallow it down, and that can be very raw to witness at times. There is also a depiction of unsafe binding (though the mangaka has an immediate note about binding safety, and goes further in-depth at the back of the manga.)

Our Dining Table by Mita Ori

okay, so I was a bit on the fence about whether or not I wanted to include this as a rec, but I decided that it might actually been what someone wants or needs, so here it is! while I really enjoyed this concept, and I’m always a sucker for found family stories (let me tell you I’m queer without telling you I’m queer, much?) it feels like this story is a bit rushed at times, and the romantic relationship between our protagonists is very blink and you’ll miss it. I don’t even want to call it subtle so much as it is just not remotely the focus of the story so it’s a little startling when it happens. but! if you’re looking for a story about adults processing grief and trauma together, and learning how to care for another person (and as a result, learning how to care for themselves,) this is a nice read that isn’t too heavy!  Status: Complete (one volume) Summary: Yutaka is a salaryman whose past experiences prevent him from reaching out to others, even through something so simple as sharing a meal. Despite this is REALLY loves to cook, and wishes he had a reason to do it more often. Then he meets Minoru, and his muuuuuch younger brother Tane (it’s like a 17 year age gap between the brothers?) and finds himself teaching them how to cook, and overcoming his fear of eating in front of others. Warnings: Good news, there’s no overt homophobia in this story! Bad news, the other trauma makes up for it! We have a lot of trauma surrounding parental death, childhood bullying, and adoption; in addition to an actual fear of eating in front of others.

Our Dreams at Dusk / Shimanami Tasogare by Yuhki Kamatani

this is the first manga series I collected, and I’m still very pleased about that. the art is ABSOLUTELY stunning? the use of visual imagery and surreal analogies to explain queerness is fucking on POINT. I cried so hard during a couple of these volumes I developed a migraine. I only have one piece of critique on the whole thing (addressed in the warnings,) and I intend to do another re-read when I’m ready for the catharsis of sobbing into my pillow again. Like Boys Run The Riot, Our Dreams at Dusk is drawn and written by a member of the queer community (a non-binary mangaka, this time,) and as a result it hits pretty fucking close to home in a lot of ways. while I really love this series it’s super not for the faint of heart, you WILL come out of this reading experience with some things to unpack. Status: Completed (4 volumes; 4 translated) Summary: We mostly follow Tasuku Kaname, as he is outted at school by a classmate as being homosexual, and his initial despair and subsequent journey of acceptance. In this process, Tasuku finds himself at a drop-in center, which seems to primarily function as a safe space for queer people; we meet several lesbians, an elderly gay man, a trans character, and a young character who isn’t ready for any kind of label because they are still ??? about themselves and their identity. Each of these “secondary” characters is given room to breathe and to work through difficulties of their own while Tasuku watches and learns that even though life is hard sometimes, there’s beauty to be found in one’s own strength. Warnings: hoooo boy; well there’s all kinds of homophobia and transphobia; a character is outted against their will (multiple times), there’s some really insidious transphobia covered by “concern”, there’s internalized homophobia everywhere, and a very complicated asexual character whose presentation left me (as an ace) with super mixed feelings and a lot of frustration (though I wouldn’t call it bad necessarily; just wanted to put that out there for my fellow asexual folks.) If you have read (or go on to read!) any of these, please let me know! I’d love to chat about the stories, and hear your thoughts on them -- because we’re a broad/diverse community and our own experiences shape us differently and give us different insights. <3 ANYWAY, for those of you who read this monstrous self-indulgent post, thank you! Feel free to add any queer manga you’ve been reading below - I’m always on the hunt for more recs!