#and it’s because i have a parasocial relationship with him

[callmeizukunotdeku]

Dick

yearned for the cape so much that he invented it

yearned for revenge, yes, but this man would have found an excuse to invent the cape in one way or another regardless of how his life went

he is yearning personified

Steph

didn't necessarily yearn for the cape (robin) but undeniably yearned to be a cape haver

Cass

yearned to fill the unnamable void of anguish inside of her

saw the cape and went "close enough"

doesn't yearn for the cape because it's who she is; she doesn't really have a civilian identity

people (mainly bruce and babs) try to convince her that it's okay to give up the cape, it's okay to be just Cass every once in a while

she knows this but doesn't know how to explain that they yearn for the cape because you yearn for what you don't have; she's always had the ability to fight for herself and doesn't yearn, doesn't need in the same way they do

Duke

i don't know his character well enough to say exactly what it is he yearns for but the cape feels like more of a craving

from what i do know about him, i want to say that he yearns to help people and sees the cape as a means to an end

Jason

yearned for safety

he always had to watch his back to stay safe and wasn't safe even when he was supposed to be

"Had the misfortune of getting "helped" by Bruce Wayne." I absolutely agree with this. Before his death, he didn't yearn for the cape, he didn't even crave the cape. He wanted to be safe and he figured that, if he was doing something for Bruce, especially something as big as being his Robin, it would give Bruce a reason to keep him around. Secure his "position" as Bruce's son. Being replaced hit him so hard because did Robin even mean half as much to Bruce as it did to them? was he always replaceable? he felt safe in the manor, secure, was he tricking himself? was he ever safe?

Tim

had a parasocial relationship with the bats and, because of a lack of proper authority, guidance and connection in his life, let it run out of control

yearned for the good old days when he could watch batman and robin be happy and could pretend that bruce was jack and he was jason and they were happy

becoming robin broke something in him, because batman wasn't jack, but it was still bruce who cared for dick and cared for jason but couldn't find it in himself to care for tim

like duke, saw the cape as a means to an end; he could fix batman then just get back to watching from a distance after bruce chose a robin he actually wanted again

still yearns for the good old days because he has photos from when all he could see of the bats was their success, their smiles

has not figured out that there weren't good old days, just times when he didn't have the full picture

"The children yearn for the cape"

The Batkids, ranked by how much they actually yearned for the cape.

Dick Grayson. Literally invented the cape. He manifested it out of pure unbridled pre-teen rage.

Stephanie Brown. Technically already had a cape before she ever even met Bruce Wayne.

Cassandra Cain. Considering how she grew up, it's kinda hard to say. As an adult, very committed to the cape.

Duke Thomas. Manipulated by Alfred, along with a bunch of other vulnerable teenagers, into yearning for the cape.

Jason Todd. Yearned for a roof over his head and food in his mouth. Had the misfortune of getting "helped" by Bruce Wayne.

Tim Drake. Actively did not want the cape. Only took it up to keep Bruce Wayne from murdering people.

I haven't read any comics with Damian yet so I can't say about him.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Mame is fielding one of my favorite shows, what is the world coming to?

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

(This was gonna be ready yesterday and then I realized I'd missed 2. Sigh. I'm doing well.)

Feb 2025 Week 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

ThamePo (Fri YT) ep 10 of 12 - SHUT UP. I love them more than anything. I love how nervous and hesitant Thame was the next morning. Def the younger boy who bagged the experienced older dude. This show makes me go “aww” a lot. I do hate this part of the plot though. Because I loathe parasocial fandoms with every fiber of my being and this is why.

The Boy Next World (Sun IQIYI) ep 6 of 10 - The plot has gone wildly off the rails, like into Days of Our Lives waffle iron territory. It is utterly absurd. But I'm still watching it.

The Heart Killers (Weds Gaga) ep 12 end - I love Style so much. The perfect Brat but he is playing Petruchio not the shrew! Ironic and very kinky twist on the original. I also love how most BLs are like “we’re gonna separate them for 2-5 years in the final ep” and Kant & Style were all “fuck that noise.” 

Summary

Jojo directs this action romcom about assassin brothers (Khao & Joong) meets tattoo artist ex-booster (First) and very flirty mechanic (Dunk) conmen. I dithered over how to rate this. It felt like an 8 show wearing a 9’s britches. There were dropped threads, forgotten characters, and unfinished plot lines even with a particularly long run time. And, for me, it doesn’t have significant rewatch potential. But it was fun (when one applies no expectations or logic) and I enjoyed the wildly unhinged relationships and, weirdly, music. I mean nobody claimed that we needed Taming of the Shrew only with gay Thai hitman, but we really needed it. And no one asked for Petruchio as the gayest brat ever to strut his perfect skin and copped-top across our screen, and yet we loved him for it. Sure it didn’t make sense, was utterly absurd, but it was terribly earnest and sexy about it. IN the end this goes hand-in-hand with all these other absurd crime pieces we’ve been getting since KP, and frankly I like this one the best from Thailand so far. 9/10 but I’m slightly uncomfortable with that decision.

Perfect 10 Liners (Sun YT) ep 16 of 24 - It’s cute. They were cute. I enjoyed it. But I am still mostly just looking forward to the next couple.

Sangmin Dinneaw (Sun iQIYI) ep 7-8 end - I forgot to watch this one for over a week, goes to show how engaged I am. Anygay, ep 7 amnesia trope is ago. A lot the ep was fuss in hospitals so I went ahead and watched the finale as well. It was fine.

Conclusion

Given its charmingly simple premise and a solid lead pair, this could’ve been quite an tidy little BL, but it went all weird and slapstick and overtly sexual (and I enjoy high heat). It was a little bit like YYY meets modern Thai BL but mixed with early Japanese pinks. All very strange. I ended up being half bored half annoyed half confused half embarrassed. And if that’s too many halves for you, now you know how I felt. 5/10 

Flirt Milk (Sat YT) ep 4 or 10 - Umm plot? Where are you?

Ossan‘s Love Thailand (Mon YouTube) ep 6 of 12 - Workplace harassment, form of... Thai BL. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

When it Rains it Pours (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 6 of 10 - Is the live-in boyfriend meant to be perceived as a psychopath or just a controlling monster? I love how blunt Sei was with him. Such and honest little bean. Ah, controlling monster.  Well, I really hope they can resolve this in the final episode. Despite all of the pain I’m enjoying it, it's being true to itself.

This is JBL doing its thing and toeing the Tokyo in April party line. I don't know why anyone would expect anything different. Go watch Eternal Yesterday and drink me later. This is what Japan DOES with BL at least half the time. The more JBL we get, the more of this kind of show we get with it. It's a numbers game - just add bruises.

Heart Stain (Korea Weds IQIYI) eps 3-4 of 8 - I have to admit that the only reason I even tolerate love triangles as a trope is because of K-dramas. But I still don’t like it. That said, I do like all of the honesty and conflict that's built into this story and frankly dealt with because of the trope. And I love how massive Woohyeon is so baby girl. The lap sitting was extremely cute. The teacher finding them lap sitting was also cute. And the handhold drag afterwards was cutest. The whole scene was adorable. 

FC Soldout (Korea Thurs iQIYI) eps 5-6 of 8 - Tiny idiots. Every. Single. One. (@heretherebedork you must be loving these boys.) Give me a sec to talk to a character: Captain. Sweetcheeks. You know there are better ways to exhaust your adorable boy-toy late at night than forcing him to do physical labor, right? Or, at least, not that kind of physical labor.

Eternal Butler (Taiwan Fri Gaga) eps 9 of 12 - Oooo. emotional Ever 4. Poor baby. I did want to see him kick ass. Hopefully that’s the beginning of next week’s episode. 

Impression of Youth (Taiwan Weds Viki) eps 6 of 9 - Very little happened in this episode. Lots of flashbacks. And stuff we’ve already seen.

Fight for Love (Vietnam YT) ep 2 - Ooo 2 timing? Coils within coils, tongues within tongues, my goodness these boys are getting around. It’s all very messy gay drama llama ding dong but... comedy. It’s a new one on me. But sooner that than Thailand’s Only Friends version.

Exclusive Love (Taiwan Fri Gaga) eps 1-2 of 12 - Shy aspiring singer inherits funeral business. Nice to have something more from Taiwan to watch. But this is extremely odd, and somewhat extreme behavior, given the premise. That is a lot of personnel and sunglasses just for one guitar-playing influencer. Even if I agree that he shouldn’t be allowed to play. Surreal that it’s a mafia funeral business, although I suppose it makes sense. It’s not creepy, but the creep-factor is high with this show. It's also v thirsty already. I kind of like the sides, but they seem to be in a different BL. So far, mostly whiplash but I'm not mad about it.

Checkered Shirt (Korea YT) ep 2 of 8 - It remains awkward and cute, but a little boring for a short. 

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 19 of 20 - Today in: how to tell your suicidal stepbro you wanna d**k him out. 

It's airing but......

Gelboys (Thai Weds iQIYI) ep 1 of 7 - I’m immediately terrified by the fact that he’s carrying a guitar around. It’s slow with that dirty gritty high school authenticity thing from OG Love Sick. Which is not my favorite style of any show, let alone BL. I always get Kids PTSD. I think I’m gonna give this show a pass. It’s just too far out of my wheelhouse. I don’t have patience for this right now.

The Last Time (Thai WeTV) trailer - from 2024, not sure about this one, looks dark. Since it's also difficult for me to get hold of I am giving it a pass until I know about the ending.

Speaking of which...

In Case You Missed it

I Will Turn Back Time (China Gaga) 6 eps - Spies report it does not end well. Stepbrothers trope = yeah! but all other messaging = boo. I'm not gonna bother.

End of year wraps are here!

2024 Trend Report

MY BEST & WORST BLs of 2024

Best Kisses (and sex scenes) of 2024

BL's 2024 Quirky Awards

2024 Awards - Quick Picks

Next Week Looks Like This:

2/21 Bali Hai (Thailand ????) no MDL listing, only rumors, unsure on deets.

2/27 Secret Relationships (Korea iQIYI) - Stars Wei's Kim Jun Seo. Adapted by Cradle Studio (Kakao). About clever and resourceful Daon who has worked hard to overcome being poor. His cheap ways annoy his coworker, Sunghyeon but after “an incident” with his parents, Daon grows closer to him. But Daon also has feelings for his former tutor. This has the signs of a classic Kdrama all over it: Office setting, love triangle, lead suffering for his self-actualization. I’m optimistic about a longer treatment.

2025 Line Up

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

GMMTV 2025 Line Up - My Totally Biased and Wildly Flawed Feels

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Got nothing. Frankly you're lucky this came in a somewhat timely manner, with any screen caps at all. It's chaos 'round these parts.

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

[no1whippedcreamenjoyer]

Yandere smilk hcs?

SLAMS MY HANDS DOWN

THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING THIS

rambling below

Preface, My base HCs for Smilk are that he has BPD and CPTSD from the horrors

So as all who have read 'Never Left my Sight' know, my personal yandere Smilk went Batshit Insane from Isolation- and fell in love with Pure Vanilla solely through watching him through the souljam.

So this starts their relationship off REALLY BAD

Smilk's entire perception of PV is based on a parasocial relationship. It's never interracted with PV but expects him to react a certain way- as if they'd been friends for a long time

that's why at the end of 'never left my sight' his ass splits so hard on PV he wants to kill him

But let's talk yandere shit I think it's done before and after getting out of mind prison:

-It had a shitton of time, and nothing to do, and access to materials since the witches keep throwing garbage into the other side of the moon (HORRIFYING FAILED EXPERIMENTS)

So;

Throughout the Millenia it's been watching Pure Vanilla, it's been writing love poems, plays, songs, books, even sewing Pure Vanilla clothes

I had a scene planned where they're about to do the do and Smilk keeps trying to pick a Lingerie set for PV to wear

PV thinks this is so funny because when would it have taken the time to buy him so much lingerie while it's only had a body for like 6 months.

Shadow Milk comments that of course it didn't have time- it sewed the set he's wearing about a century ago.

Cue Pure Vanilla being fucking horrified that Shadow Milk has thought of him like THAT for at least over a century- taking a deep breath- forgiving it- and saying "I had no idea you were so good at fashion design!" (They'll talk about that LATER)

- My personal opinion for what happened in Chapter 8 with Shadow Milk realizing he wants Pure Vanilla, not just the souljam

is that, upon interracting with the Real Pure Vanilla, not the version in its head. It realized it loved the actual, genuine, flesh and blood Pure Vanilla so much more than the image watching him for a millenia put in its head

Pure Vanilla has reactions as TR that he's Never Had while Shadow Milk was watching him. It's unexpected, it's exciting, It's Incredibly Intimate to Shadow Milk that he can pull reactions from Pure Vanilla that no one else must have ever seen!

- Despite having actually risked PV crumbling a bunch of times, Shadow Milk is incredibly tender when it comes to intimacy.

Even if it wants to hurt PV, it wouldn't be any fun if PV weren't enjoying it- or was at least Into It!

- Shadow Milk watches Pure Vanilla sleep A LOT.

If it hasn't pulled Pure Vanilla into a nightmare, it's probably somewhere in his room. It loves taking in how vulnerable he looks- how that vulnerability is only its own to see.

- Shadow Milk genuinely loves Pure Vanilla, but it's never experienced anything like that before. It was Created to be a tool for the witches. It was never Supposed to be a real person. It doesn't know HOW to be normal. And witches forbid it ever Say anything to Pure Vanilla about that.

[heart4harris]

Tccers need to acknowledge the fact their tcc crushes do not know them.

Something that’s been pissing me off in tcc is the amount of people who have been talking about their favourites as if they knew them personally. They need to be stopped because it’s getting foolish, I dislike the people with parasocial relationships with their favourites. That Layla girl who is obsessed with Salvador makes me UPSET. Why does she have an entire flag of him, pillow, blanket, and NECKLACE of him like he was her family member or something? Not to mention she MESSAGED HIS MOM ASKING FOR HIS CLOTHES.

Now I have nothing against having a little fan girl crush like “aaaa hes so cute,” but doing all that is a bit much. I’m only speaking as a third party and have no personal interest in the matter, I objectively say it’s insane.

[dysthoepiadaily]

I think... yes and no? Like, I think watching someone and being invested in them are very different things, and I feel like the mystery of phan was something that made people put in a lot of effort into finding things out.

It's not just that people watch/watched Dan and Phil... It's that they put in a lot of effort into learning about Dan and Phil, discovered a lot about them, and it made people feel closer to them. And, I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing, either.

People watched all sorts of people. People were in love with those twins who got popular, caspar lee, etc. Many of those people even had more followers than either Dan or Phil. Crucially, none of those people had the kind of INVESTMENT in them. No one gave a fuck beyond their videos, and those people barely exist in the zeitgeist anymore.

Like, even today, there are those youtubers like Drew Gooden, or Danny Gonzales, or Kurtis Connor, and while they're popular and get views, they won't have the same lasting power as Dan and Phil, because they won't have people invested in their personal lives, as people were with Dan and Phil.

I want to reiterate, I don't think this is a bad thing. I think, being popular on that sort of "I just like this person's content" is great, and I would feel that way about Dan regardless (and, it's why I started watching him. Sorry to Phil, but I've never really enjoyed the format of his stuff. I usually don't gaf about youtuber's lives, and Phil's content relies on you having a parasocial relationship with him), but the sheer passion that Dan and Phil have in their fandom wouldn't exist if it weren't for phan.

Ok I’ve just had a truely eye opening conversation, I was talking to a non dan and Phil fan friend of mine and she casually said “oh well people only really watched them because it was like the mystery of whether they were together or not”

and then I remembered the line in Dan’s diss track where he says “the only reason you get views is because you’re another white guy that people ship with his friend because they think it’s kawaii” and now I’m thinking, is this true?

like I personally would watch them no matter what, like even if they both had secret other spouses, it makes me sad though that the general public and maybe even dan and Phil themselves could think that the only reason they’re entertaining is because their relationship is ambiguous, I think they’re genuinely very smart and incredible entertainers and they should be proud of that

[theharmonious13]

Guys hear me out (this is a YouTube animatic/animation community deepcut I think??? At least for me it is)

🎵 Two Birds on a Wire 🎵

Kamimura and Hasegawa

"One tries to fly away" - Kamimura

"And the other watches him close from that wire" - Hasegawa

It summarises their relationship PERFECTLY

I can already imagine scenes now in my head. Kamimura branching out to Tamba, Mai etc. while Hasegawa watches him quietly in the background clinging to his one and only friend. And then literally every single

And the song is symbolic of so many things, ranging from Kamimura's more outgoing nature to his character development in finding a reason to live/future plans outside the killing game. Meanwhile Hasegawa is very introverted and closed off, he's reluctant to leave his room before and after Kamimura's death, deep down he wants to follow in Kamimura's confident footsteps but can't get himself to. Especially when they split up for the first time during the killing game :3

~~~

Other duos this would work for in my head (in chronological order of how passionate I feel about the ideas):

Tsuno and Wada: Literally their whole screentime together. As Wada struggles in countless ways throughout the chapters while Tsuno "tries to fly away" by being super duper helpful to the group OR by opening the woodshop door. Perfect duality by having Wada reluctantly not open the door, and Tsuno hyping him up in her final moments :3

Okazaki and Watari: Their differences and friendship exemplified, the sadness and bittersweetness of them having fun together as Okazaki does fucked up things to Wada and the others in the background. Watari having her final moments with Okazaki saying how she hates her, and breaking down at their unmistakable differences in morals. I love how both characters were bold in personality, but Okazaki was on a different level of existence to everyone else, and how she was delusional/thought that playing the role of a villain would solve all of her problems. I would be evil and draw Watari looking through glass at Okazaki's final moments of her being filled up with gold :3

Sasaki and Yanagi: Case 1 Angst mainly highlighting their estranged relationship in Chapter 1 and how they technically work together in the trial before Yanagi has to spit out the horrifying truth. Imagine Yanagi's face as Sasaki gets executed, and wanting to know why she used him afterwards. So much delicious angst, I love it hehe

Hama and Chiba: a HUGE commentary of Chiba's life during the killing game, how she's reluctant to live a normal life because she feels she's unable to. And Hama living his life with kindness/confidence while trying to get Chiba to do the same. Before something unfortunate and heartbreaking happens to Chiba regarding a certain tiger :3

Mai and Yanagi: Mainly an End Chapter 3/Beginning Chapter 4 recap following their interactions and fight regarding unlocking the door. Mai literally tries to break down the door out in the open while Yanagi tries to pick the lock in secret. If that doesn't scream the duality of these two/the song I don't know what does. Also them making plans together, being glad to have each other's company

Isono and Wada: Mainly a fun little recap of their relationship transformation, from streamer/viewer/parasocial to friends. It's a great way to highlight chapter 1 Wada too, he's very closed off and reluctant to get help from what I remember, you can even pan forwards to Tsuno's death/Chapter 4 Wada to see how angsty is he/far he's come. OR close it off with Wada talking to Isono quietly/in solidarity in her room. Or omg, breaking the PC when Wada finds out about the reward :333333

*Always assume for the above that the first person listed is "one tries to fly away" and person two is "and the other"

For example: Kamimura (Person 1) and Hasegawa (Person 2)

~~~

I feel so passionately about it being for Hasemura but this song resonates with so many of the cast duos it's unreal

[oatnene]

.

[inkskinned]

you know, you know. no gods, no masters, no kings on pedestals. everyone is fallible. death of the author. you know! you are balanced about your intake of media - you allow the wiggle room, the grace, the gratitude, the skepticism. nobody above criticism.

but still. a weird gut-punch feeling, something akin to betrayal. you read the article. surprise! an author you love is actually: a serial fucking predator.

well, shit. what now. no, you knew he was a person (all people are), but now you're wondering - what have i overlooked by accident? what messages have i internalized that are strange and cruel? and also, like, what the fuck?

his actions lay a thick glaze on top of everything. like each place is now ruined, opaque in a new way. but okay, fine, you've done this before. you knew better, right? you've been betrayed by many a cherished childhood author.

still, this stickiness. fuck. can you pick up that book again. will you read it to your children. you've recommended it to others - will you ever do that again? and of course, of course, no parasocial relationships. you were theoretically above this kind of sentiment. but the artist informs the art, right.

so it's not something as clear-cut as feeling he owed you, specifically (a stranger) better behavior - just that you kind of, in a distant and odd way... sort of trusted him to do better. it's not like a real trust or something speakable, just the faint hope that the product (good books) was a thin representation of the soul. now it feels like the product (good? books?) was a mask. in some small or insignificant way, your previous support of this person lent them power. your money and your time and your laughter.

and the thing is - you have this terrible, echoing sensation. how many times will this happen? over and over. you find out that the singer you love is actually a predator. you learn over drinks that your favorite high school english teacher is in jail for what he did to her. you listen to the news idly and suddenly discover that a woman you used to idolize has been abusing her kids for an actual eon.

what can you touch without the static melting off. you can't even really complain about it too much (you were supposed to know better, and besides, you don't want the same re-split "it's not your fault, love what you love" basic advice), but now it's here. somehow, it feels like - you let him into your life.

it's not that things need to be pure or an artist has to be like, endlessly perfect, mindful. demure. it's more just this terrible truth that has been replayed through your veins so often it feels criminally vain. power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. did you want any one person to be worth that power?

it's just that he wrote books where he seemed to understand that. he seemed to know about hierarchies and unfair systems and bigotry and privilege. you thought they were books about what it means to struggle. you thought they were about having power and still using it for good rather than for control. he spooned you a narrative of being a good guy, a kind soul. you fucking bought what that fucking monster sold.

maybe that's why they were fantasies, after all.

[harrywavycurly]

I just think people need the gentle reminder that while you may consider a celebrity a loved one, to them you are just someone who loves them. I’m sorry if that hurt your feelings✨

[rragnaroks]

hello. it is i, your friendly neighbourhood goblin that pops up every now and then to scream about something new.

i love damien haas.

this has been a psa.

[alexjcrowley]

HOW DID I FUCKING FORGOT IT WAS MAX'S BIRTHDAY OH MY GOD I AM SO DUMB HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX KNOW THAT YOUR MERCH POPULATES MY VIRGINITY CORNER

[eddie-rifff]

fucked up that bill bruford knows i exist. like hes probably forgotten about me at least i pray to god he has but like he perceived me. what the hell

[sunlightfeeling]

I genuinely feel like I dont have a right at all to complain or talk negative about Japanese fans but like……..the evident cliqueish-ness of honestly what looks like a very unfortunate larger chunk of them ……😮‍💨

like i gotta be honest the concert was a lot more isolating than it actually already was in itself because of the vibes at least a couple of clusters of fans gave me

[ruvviks]

the way i need to write about roksana so bad

[rondocapri]

Sometimes I feel like the things I post about Yuzuru are just too inadequate for the admiration I have for him and the impact his skating has had on my life. I genuinely just am in constant awe of his particular style as an artist and his determination. He’s just inspired me a lot in many aspects of my life and I don’t think I’ll ever really be able to put it into words

[jittyjames]

“lmm popscare” is so unoriginal y’all. write some new jokes. it’s just boring at this point.