#bromance in concert

[mono-socke]

character doodle dump because I love all of them

[lukehemmingsgallery]

[novemberwasgrey]

Random Xavier Thorpe headcanon

Xavier's love language is gift giving and he's very good at choosing gifts.

The thing is, he's rich but money doesn't mean a lot to him (because obviously all his dad can do is giving him money instead of being present like an actual parent) so he just doesn't care how much he spends as long as it makes the people he loves happy. Also it's not just about money, he likes to offer something that proves how well he knows the person.

Ajax will randomly talk about these Nike sneakers he's been saving for and Xavier will get them for him the next week.

The Nightshades make a Secret Santa every year at Christmas and they all secretly hope he picked them. He got Enid the year she got into the Nightshades. They have a limited budget but Xavier always goes over it.

Enid: XAVIER

Xavier *smirks*: Yes?

Enid: Are THESE Ed Sheeran tickets?!

Xavier: Yup.

Enid: ARE YOU ACTUALLY KIDDING ME

And when it comes to Wednesday, homeboy could spend millions on his girlfriend. As much as Wednesday claims "she isn't some venal materialistic girl", she was shocked when Xavier got her these very rare first editions of Frankenstein and Hell House. But her favorite gift from him is this blood vial necklace he got her for their first year anniversary.

Wednesday: Is it... your blood?

Xavier: Yup. I remembered when you told me it symbolised a magical bond between two souls.

Enid: Ew, wait, so you made yourself bleed to-

Wednesday *sighs dreamily*: I shall never take it off my body.

[hopkei]

(in response to taiki's igstory where he referred to him and Taki as TakiTai)

the way taiki keeps using pairing names whenever he is together with someone reminds me of a magazine interview (i think its the sekasawatai one) where he implies that he likes doing it bc he knows bromance sells but unfortunately (based on his dramas), he's the most straightest guy ever

always with the creative excuses for him pushing sawatai

but ofc sns mogul taiki knows everything😤

typecast as scandalous nc-17 straight boy in his dramas while off to the side he sees yuseriku and keito&jyutaro and even sota and ton-chan getting so much attention for just getting dinner together😔😔 so he just pushes his bromances on his own time wwwww

[lilianhuas]

Mysterious Lotus Casebook Concert Shenanigans [Humour]

[ineffable-opinions]

BL “Censorship” & Commercialization

Content: 1. ubiquitous censorship - special focus on Japanese BL 2. commercial viability of live action BL & generalizations 3. solutions - special focus on state support of Thai BL

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Censorship is a sensitive topic. I have tried my best. Please feel free to comment and critique.

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History of Korean BL is one of censorship and commercialization and Korean fu-people has struggled against both. There have been different victors at different points in time. Aljosa Puzar’s "BL"(Boy Love), "GL"(Girl Love) and Female Communities of Practice and Affect in South Korea chronicles that struggle. (Highly recommended.)

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I have tried to problematize BL commercialization before. But that was in the context of fu-culture and the commodity fetishism associated with the consumption of BL, particularly in live action form which is probably its most capitalist rendition for many many reasons.

Here I would like to look at it from another angle: censorship. This is a continuation of my earlier post (Why so many shonen ai live-action?) motivated by the live action adaptation of ‘조폭인 내가 고등학생이 되었습니다’ (I, A Gangster, Became a High School Student) by 호�� (Ho Rol).

The live action has jumped genres switching from BL to 판타스틱 휴먼 드라마 (lit. fantasy human drama). This switch got it tagged as ‘Censored Adaptation of Same-sex Original Work’ on My Drama List. I personally don’t like that tag. Almost all BL adaptation is a censored adaptation, with notable exceptions like Sei no Gekiyaku. But no one uses that tag for, say, 25 Ji, Akasaka de (2024) which censored all sexual content, especially from the volume 1 of the manga which was critical to the story and the couple’s development in the original manga series’ and its multiple adaptations’ popularity. Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (2024) went as far as removing the more sexual second couple from the live action adaptation all together, yet it does not get a "censored" tag.

An interesting question that the controversy surrounding High School Return of a Gangster (2024) has sparked is that of BL media’s commercial viability, especially in live action form. Here’s what producers told the Korean newspaper, Hankook Ilbo, about the genre-jumping:

"BL 장르는 제작비 투자나 리쿱(제작비 회수)에 한계가 있는 게 사실이다. 그러다 보니 처음부터 이 작품은 브로맨스로 해보고 싶었다"

“The BL genre is limited in terms of investment in production costs and recoup (recovery of production costs). So, from the beginning, we planned it as a bromance (beulomaenseu).”

The author of this article cites examples of works that enjoyed success on OTT platforms, namely Watcha’s Semantic Error and TVing's Unintentional Love Story (2023). However, the article also highlights the fact that BL continues to be a niche genre and live action adaptations don’t guarantee success.

이성택 (Lee Seong Taek), the director of High School Return of a Gangster, previously directed the BL Love Class (2022). The producer 넘버쓰리픽쳐스 (Number Three Pictures Co., Ltd.) have BL works like Unintentional Love Story under its belt.

'Unintentional Love Story' Director Jang Eui-soon (장의순) | source

If the producer of one of the two most popular live action BL is admitting to it, then it is not easy to dismiss the issue of commercial viability of live action BL.

Very famous BL publishing houses (starting with JUNE) and hosting platforms with relatively lower expenses have struggled. Some of them are no more. It is also difficult for authors to survive merely on earnings from publishing houses and hosting platforms, especially when those platforms are not very rich. So, it is not difficult to imagine that live action production houses also struggle to survive.

Take GMMTV for example. They are probably one of the most successful BL producers. According to their managing director, BL content (series) is not a profitable business in itself. They rely on khujin (branded pairs) of actors to bring in advertisement revenue, merchandize sales, and pull crowds to concerts and fan-meets. It is not enough for actors to just act. They are expected to sing, dance and perform. Meanwhile, GMMTV is forced to keep working with these actor pairs and stick to templates that suit them. While it works for now, it remains to be seen how long the business model can last.

Now there is also investment from Mainland China that has migrated to other BL producers following dangai ban. But those who invest already burned themselves pretty bad with all the money they poured in during the short-lived but explosive dangai boom. It is sunk cost at this point. Another crack down could be the death knell for Chinese investments in BL. 

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More generally, it is likely that commercial viability of a live action BL project hinges on the following:

#1 Target demographic

Like all other BL content, live action too is primarily targeted at fu-people (BL audience) – both queer and non-queer. The target demography is further sub-divided based on the type of BL and purchasing power.

Sweeter ones are supposed to appeal to all ages and that’s the area Thailand and GMMTV in particular are focused on. Most of Japanese BL series are sweet. Korea too produces sweet BL. However, they are unlikely to bring in explosive success the way odo BL (those following royal road narrative progression – wherein characters face significant challenges, interpersonal or otherwise, to reach happy ending).

Older and, perhaps more hard-core fans, are likely to support jado works (BL that follow the evil path where neither happy ending nor resolution to challenges are guaranteed) with surprising frequency. This might be partly due to the erotic content in jado works.

Purchasing power of BL fans vary widely. There are those who are

“sending gifts to their actors in Thailand, sending food trucks to their shooting locations, putting up billboard advertisements and doing charity events [as well as] ordering merchandise in bulk.”

They also travel to BL producing nations [on fan pilgrimages] and attend fan meetings, concerts and other events regularly.

(Source: The Print)

The other group of BL fans who are probably younger and/or can’t afford to show support in the above-mentioned ways. BL commercially benefits from being appealing to those with higher purchasing power.

#2 Popularity of original work in case of adaptation  

Popular BL novels, manhwa, etc. bring in a set of fans who are interested in the live action. Longer and more-acclaimed works are likely to ensure success of the live action given decent making and reasonable changes during adaptation. Semantic Error is a case in point. However, missteps during adaptation can have the opposite effect.

#3 Cost of production

It is difficult to get investment in the first place, especially with how niche the genre is. Moreover, higher cost of production sets the bar for success higher too.

On the other hand, high production quality and better cast and crew (likely more expensive too) makes the viewing more pleasurable and increases the likelihood of success.

There are other factors which influence the success of BL producers. The most popular BL live action from China, Addicted, was produced by the author, Chai JiDan, with a tiny budget. Its dangai family drama remake, Stay with Me, also has an interesting producer.

Source | Mame with her Japanese fans

Orawan Vichayawannakul’s MeMindY is another BL author led production company that has enjoyed considerable success.

OP Pictures’ entry into BL genre has also been successful.

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Solutions

#1 Let’s start with the worst

BL as money laundering vehicle. It is probably the most obvious, sort of win-win until it isn’t. Sustainability depends how much skin the ruling class have in the game.

#2 State sponsorship

(or better yet, tax payer supported BL production)

State sponsorship is what Thailand has perfected.

source | 2023 seminar on "Beyond Borders: Exploring the Global Appeal and Diversity of Thailand's Boys' Love Contents" by 9 companies from Thailand organized by Department of International Trade Promotion under Thailand’s Ministry of Trade.

The eleven speakers, including an official from the Office of Commercial Affairs, Royal Thai Embassy in Japan, vigorously pitched partnerships with Japanese content companies [at the above-mentioned seminar.]

Also, several of the companies pitching at the seminar, such as Star Hunter Entertainment […] were plumping for BL not as a niche product but rather a core element of their corporate strategy.

Halo Productions representative Tewarat Supunnium [trumpeted] the vertical integration of his company, from talent representation to contents distribution.

source

Thai BL has been big hits in China, South Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and beyond, which has motivated Thailand’s government to ‘deploy Boys Love as its latest soft power weapon to promote the country on the global stage’. In an article published in The Nation, BL director, Bundit Sintanaparadee, explains how that affects production.

He pointed out that the international popularity of Thai shows can boost tourism and generate interest in the featured locations – a vital aspect of soft power. The government can facilitate this process by providing support and streamlining the bureaucratic obstacles to filming in attractive locations like Bangkok’s Chinatown district of Yaowarat.

Filming in iconic places such as Yaowarat can be costly and complicated due to the need to coordinate with multiple government agencies and pay location fees. Bundit said the government could simplify the process to benefit not just filmmakers but also tourist revenue in the locations.

Bundit also cautioned against a top-down approach to soft power, where the government dictates what represents Thailand on the world stage. He emphasises the need for industry professionals to have their say.

source

In a 2022 article, Bangkok Post explores the impact of BL on Thailand’s economy ‘as export products that can draw lucrative revenue streams and foster business opportunities in other areas, including tourism.’

[According to government estimates from 2021,] Thailand's Y content market was worth more than 1 billion baht... In June that year, the Department of International Trade Promotion held an online Y content business matching event to boost the industry, with the participation of 10 Thai content creators. More than 360 million baht was generated from the purchase of the Thai content, with the top three buyers coming from Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Noppharnach Chaiyahwimhon, GMMTV's senior director of content production, said [that the] business ecosystem linked to Y Series in Thailand shows a growth of 30-40% per year. [He also said that] Y Series can also be a boon for other businesses, such as films, artist management and merchandise. [He mentioned] Y Series from Thailand [getting] translated into several languages [and one of their Y Series having received theatrical adaptation in South Korea.]

[According to] Kanokporn Prachayaset, chief commercial officer and country manager of WeTV Thailand, … Y Series from Thailand is one of the most popular content genres on its platform. [Half of all the BL content on the platform was Thai.] WeTV [was] sourcing Y Series from Asia as well as having its own WeTV original shows by working with various local production houses, such as GMMTV, TV Thunder, Dee Hup House, M Choice Studio and All This Entertainment. [She also highlighted the contribution of the fan base, which is] active in organising activities and campaigns for their idols.

Seksan Sripraiwan, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) Tokyo office, said the TAT and the Royal Thai Embassy have actively promoted the country by using Thai entertainment [and that] Thai BL content is considered one of the most popular recent cultural exports to Japan. Japan's market for Thai BL is around 1 million viewers, of which 20,000-30,000 are heavily active on social media sites for renowned BL actors, led by Bright-Win and Krist-Singto. He said Japanese tour operators already offered tailor-made tour packages which contain elements related to BL TV series, such as shooting locations like universities, cafes, Wat Arun or the Amphawa floating market.

Kanokkittika Kritwutikon, director of the TAT Chengdu office, said Thai BL TV shows have gained popularity in China, such as the coming-of-age series "I Told Sunset About You", which helped drive tourists to Phuket, the main location of the story.

"Most Chinese BL fans are millennial females who can offer long-term support for their favourite actors," Mrs Kanokkittika said. [Recognizing the 3 million strong queer population of Chongqing,] she said the LGBT segment could be categorised as luxury travellers as they are high-income earners, live in key cities, and want to spend more for travel experiences.

source

Earlier this year Ministry of Commerce have partnered with Be On Cloud and Idol Factory to promote ‘Thai products, services, tourism, and culture by incorporating them seamlessly into’ their new series “Shine” and “Pin Phak” aka “The Loyal Pin” respectively.

“This will help create around 2 billion in value for Thailand’s economy,” said Commerce Minister Phumtham.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and two actresses, Becky and Freen, witness the signing ceremony between the Ministry of Commerce and Idol Factory Co., Ltd. on February 28, 2024....

According to the Department of International Trade Promotion, the Thai movie and series sector and related industries will generate 8,000 million baht in exports by 2023. In 2024, it will likely reach 10,000 million baht, particularly in the Y-movie and Y-series, which are expected to expand in value from 1,000 million baht to 2,000 million baht as a result of the Ministry of Commerce’s proactive cooperation with the private sector.

source

The Thai government’s efforts are paying off.

Oramon Sapthaweetham, director-general of the Department of Business Development, revealed that the Boys’ Love series had helped revitalise the film production industry, generating substantial profits and extending economic benefits to allied sectors, such as advertising, leveraging actors as influencers, event organisation, and tourism. 

"Over the past 10 years, Thailand has produced over 177 Boys’ Love [series], continuously gaining popularity and expanding its customer base, eventually leading to exports to international markets," Oramon added.

The film production industry in Thailand is witnessing substantial growth. In the first four months of 2024, 56 new businesses were registered, marking a 12% increase from 2023. The total registered capital also saw a significant rise of 146.44% to 195.18 million baht. In 2023, the industry grew by 20% with 137 businesses and a capital of 258 million baht. The total revenue in 2022 was 12.895 billion baht, indicating a continuous growth trend.

source

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#3 Diversification

Ok, so this is based on my limited knowledge and imagination. Feel free to skip.

There are two production companies that I have ever been interested in - Bhavana Studios and Mammootty Kampany. Both of them have produced experimental Malayalam movies while managing to remain commercially successful. While is partially attributable to these companies being brands, I think their overall strategy of diversification have worked in their favour.

Mammootty Kampany could produce art-house movie Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam for award circuits and with no expectation of commercial performance by banking on their other production Kannur Squad which was action entertainer sure to bring in the big bucks. Their queer family drama Kaathal – The Core and neo-noir psychological thriller Rorschach did exceptionally well in the box office as well as garnered critical acclaim. Bhavana Studios has similar track record of their commercially successful projects kind of cross subsidizing their experimental and unique projects and lifting the heat off in case of flops.

Having production companies which are aspirational in their approach to BL while having the economics sorted out help where government support is not forth coming.

Censorship as No-thing

When sometime is truly censored, we wouldn’t know. Unless we ask. Here’s what Jooyin Saejang learned from asking.

Conclusion

I have a strong preference for live action adaptations that are willing to go the last mile in terms of sexual content, social critiques and addressing real-life issues. That’s the reason why the header image for this BL side blog is from Moothon (2019).

But realistically this isn’t always possible. And I prefer having more production companies offering variety. I don’t want them to sink under the weight of BL that didn’t do well commercially and me being left at the mercy of media conglomerates with seemingly bottomless funds and monopsony over BL authors, original works and the culture that creates them.

Also, there is queer content from Korean that is neither mainstream nor from fu-culture. Support those.

[mrkeatingsblazer]

Rick should make a pjo universe short story book.

Like pair up random characters with a member of the Seven and have them go on stupid quests and just do teenage things.

My favourite one I’ve thought of is Will and Leo going on a road trip to Austin to see Naomi preform. Will was gonna take Nico but Leo caught whiff of the fact he had two tickets and basically begged to go (I headcanon Leo LOVES country music, Naomi Solaces no.1 stan fr). Leo ends up building a fucking truck and is like “ROADTRIP❗️” Will is just like “huh” because he was low-key either gonna get Nico to shadow travel them or cash in his son of Apollo privileges and get him to drive them via the sun chariot.

The whole thing would just be a country filled shitshow and it would be amazing. They’d find themselves in a dance hall, Leo would get flung around on a mechanical bull and Will starts line dancing (of course they found themselves in a thrift shop before this after somehow destroying their clothes and they would buy cowboy boots and hats). A funny little moment would happen of a girl hitting on Will and he’s like “I have a boyfriend!!” And Leo just appears after winning the bull riding record and jumps into a hug with Will and the girl is just like “Awh sorry I didn’t know! You two are such a cute couple” and walks away leaving them flabbergasted.

They’d obviously have to fight a few monsters and maybe an enemy of one of there fathers(I can’t think of one that hasn’t already been defeated, maybe Geryon?!?). Both of them would be running around losing their shit bc neither of them are big fighters but Leo goes into his belt and starts tinkering and he just yells to Will who’s trying to hold the enemy back “Apollo kids have a good shot right” and Will’s like “Yeah but I’m not the best a-“ and Leo just throws something at him and says “shoot this!!!” And will just looks down and he’s holding a fucking gun that has celestial bronze bullets and he just blindly shoots and defeats the monster on his first shot leading him to realise that he has brilliant aim with a gun.This would send him spiralling for a page bc what do you mean he has good aim?!? He’s been horrendous with a bow all these years and all he needed was a gun to activate that power?!?

They would end up at the concert and have a blast (Leo 100% starts crying, Naomi is his Beyoncé) but Naomi would finish a song and invite a special guess out and out comes fucking Apollo. They would sing a duet (islands in the stream or smth idfk) and Will is just shocked. I feel like he would get a little sad and Leo’s just like “bruh you good?” through his own tears and Will just opens up and is like “ they seem so happy together, I wish I grew up with both of them” and Leo just hugs him as they watch Apollo and Naomi sing their hearts out on stage.

Sorry the Will and Leo Texas solidarity/bromance gets to me fr.

But like seriously this would be such a great idea!! Imagine Frank and Clarisse or Piper and Nico going on a random adventure together. It would be so chaotic.

[should-know-better]

An interview from Italian Rolling Stone Magazine which I put through Google Translate.

- Note how Alex says that Sweet Dreams TN is about a beautiful Mexican girl 🤔

- Also how Alex is self deprecating about his nose 🥺

Fooling around with the Last Shadow Puppets

Alex Turner, frontman of Arctic Monkeys, and Miles Kane are more like brothers than friends, and they introduce us to the new album by stealing each other's jokes.

25 April 2016. Di Silvia Danielli

They look at each other secretly and burst out laughing, one finishes the other's sentence, from one word they begin to remember a thousand anecdotes about them. They call it bromance, that friendship between two people of the male sex so strong that it resembles a romantic brotherhood. Once upon a time, Bruce Springsteen and his saxophonist Clarence Clemons were a clear example of this, while in the Hollywood field it is Brad Pitt and George Clooney or Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Alex Turner and Miles Kane, both recently thirty, of The Last Shadow Puppets are no less so.

Some classify it only as the side project of Turner, frontman of Arctic Monkeys, others see its potential. Turner and Kane, the latter in the Rascals and Little Flames and now a soloist for a few years, met at a concert in 2005 and since then "have never left each other". In their free time, obviously, because Arctic Monkeys are a group with a high maintenance rate with a fan base worthy of a boy band and Last Shadow Puppets represent, after all, the time for messing around. In these years they have only produced the album The Age of the Understatement in 2008 and now Everything You've Come to Expect. The proportions, however, could also be reversed: AM are currently at a standstill, TLSP have recently started a long world tour (with two dates in Italy: July 5 in Ferrara and July 6 in Milan) and they already have the last chapter of this ideal trilogy ready (even if they still don't know when it will be released).

We meet them in a boutique hotel in London and it’s 9.30 in the morning. Early for them, very early in fact. Alex is the first to arrive and, even with his eyes rumpled and his quiff ruffled, he is still elegant. Like a new crooner, one might say, in tune with the general mood of TLSP. He starts interviewing me: “Where have you been in London these two days? Where did you eat your Sunday roast? Do you like Saint Paul’s?” After asking him in turn and finding out that he has a house in London, that on Sunday he was also in the Islington neighborhood for the ritual of the roast at the pub with friends and that the ghostly atmosphere of Saint Paul’s Cathedral scares him, Miles arrives and apologizes for the delay. I immediately sense that interviewing two subjects suffering from a bromance at the same time will be anything but simple.

Turner and Kane have both left England (Turner is from Sheffield and Miles from Birkenhead) to live in Los Angeles, so they have even more anecdotes to share, without involving the third wheel (me). They recorded this new album at Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, once Bob Dylan’s and now Rick Rubin’s. They certainly had a pretty good time during that time: “Well, you know, having the Pacific Ocean in front of you all the time gives you a certain energy. Nothing like recording the previous album in the north of France. We also had lots of friends who came to visit us while we were in the studio. And we never went to the beach, you know, otherwise we would have been too distracted. Anyway, that air, the moonlight, the romantic atmosphere…” They laugh. And any chance of bringing them back to a more serious tone is lost forever. They steal each other’s jokes, like when they swear that in L.A. they go to bed early, “because, you know, we wake up really early.” Looks of understanding. And they say they only get pissed off for “fundamental” reasons: “For example, when we both want to wear white shoes in the evening. Even now, I arrived late because I had to change, for example,” Miles explains.

Back on track with Everything You’ve Come to Expect, they say they once again used James Ford (also in Simian Mobile Disco) on drums, Zach Dawes of Mini Mansions on bass and Owen Pallett on strings, but this time they limited the references to Scott Walker: «We chose him for his ability to use strings and transform the pieces into ideal soundtracks, but this time it went differently: we tried to give it a more personal touch». Like the first album, however, this one also seems like a soundtrack with a dreamlike atmosphere. And they reiterate it, using the word dream in two titles: The Dream Synopsis and Sweet Dreams. «Yes, you know, dreams are important, don’t you think?», Alex sneers. Apart from everything else, Sweet Dreams, where Alex brings out his best crooning skills, is remarkable. «It’s the only love song on the album, you know? Dedicated to this Mexican girl, very beautiful…», and he starts singing.

The two have defined the sound of this album as halfway between the Beatles and the Fast and Furious. The first reference is evident in some songs (in the title track, for example), but for the second I ask for explanations: perhaps it applies to the first single they chose, Bad Habits, which is the most rhythmic, quite different from the others and reminiscent of the Strokes. «It could be, some of the Strokes' albums were really fundamental for us, and we still like them». In fact, the video of the two of them at the Strokes concert in New York last summer, while they happily dance to Barely Legal in Hyde Park, went viral in a short time. Like the photos that portray them with it girls, from Alexa Chung to Suki Waterhouse, or the models of the moment, to the delight of the English gossip newspapers. Tombeur de femmes? They laugh. Surely fans of the genre, to the point of choosing sensual women for the covers of their albums, like for the latest one, where there is a young Tina Turner. “Always better,” Alex concludes, “than putting my nose on the cover, don’t you think?”

[hestiviea]

swap au but i can't draw

I hate when they de-age Matthew just so he can be in knives role, I hate when swapaus just change the characters and their names instead of making an actual AU of what happens when the other character's events

to me, I don't want Scott to be the one skating around Ramona's headspace

I don't want Envy to be in gideons role or add two other characters to fill in the katayanagi twin's roles

I want AUS to be its own, not some kind of copy-and-paste from the source material

My swap AU is closer to the actual source

In my swap AU,

Ramona is still skating around Scott's head space but she is the one who gets obsessed instead of Scott, Scott works as a pizza delivery man

Scott in this AU is still an autistic nerd but is clueless about everything around him, he's just keeping a cool head in comparison to the source materials, he's still the bassist of Sex Bob-Omb but doesn't reveal that to Ramona yet cause he temporarily quit after Gideon became their producer

the seven evil exes are not Ramona's version of Scott's friends cause fuck that, instead the 'seven evil exes' are more just exes that are not evil and overly obsessed with Ramona cause Gideon ain't there to join forces with them

(In my head, Gideon is the reason why most of the league even took revenge on Ramona, since he was the one that said it, katayanagi twins just followed with it cause damn do they have it rough, despite not being evil, Lucas also went with it, todd is just angry that ramona has the audacity to leave after he punched the moon for her, Matthew and Roxy are the only ones that genuinely are sad and angry)

The League of Evil Exes are just the same 5 with Lynette for support, they are not in any of the OG league's roles, they're on their own

their name will be, Vv cause V is the Roman number 5, and v as in victims

knives are the first V but she's still 17, she keeps coming back to fight Ramona until finally realising it isn't worth it

Kim is the second, they met after a Sex Bob-Omb concert, they're not Clash of the Demon Heads in a sense by the way, they're much more different, Kim explains the whole thing to Ramona, and they fight for a bit while also talking as they fight, then they stop and just decided to go out for a drink

wallace is the third and doesn't actually fight with Ramona physically, rather using psychic powers thanks to his current boyfriend, but after the fight, they're still hesitant cause it turns out that Wallace was the one that made the Vv and Ramona is genuinely jealous of Wallace but they later just become buddies

next is Lisa, at first Ramona doesn't even know what to do with Lisa, originally Ramona thinks Lisa is just a friend who is getting too close for comfort with Scott, then boom, big reveal that Lisa is actually one of the exes, they start to fight, but it ended up alright

last is envy and Lynette, the reason for this is that I like to believe that Envy was the one that wanted to take revenge on Scott, but nobody truly wanted to fight other than knives, Lynette is there to help cause they have a much healthier relationship compared to the comics, also envy's reason is cause she's jealous over Scott and ramona after hearing the fact that todd is now living with ramona and Scott is dating her

but what happened to the seven evil exes you may ask

well

Matthew and the twins would probably be the only people that Ramona talks to daily, i like to think Matthew lives nearby and that the twins are not as rich as Gideon but still have enough to have a house up in Toronto

Lucas after another flop movie (blame it on the writers, Lucas did nothing wrong) gets broke and starts to live with Ramona at first, Lucas is kinda like Kim in terms of his relationship with Scott, hot take that maybe Scott and Lucas have a better bromance than Gideon and Lucas

todd would be Ramona's roommate, but unlike Wallace, he's this self-destructive asshole that made himself sympathetic after Envy dumped him and he had nowhere else to go other than to Ramona, which just causes Ramona to feel like she's once again with a prick like Gideon

Roxy comes by every week or so to talk with Ramona and clearly is still hang-up over ramona. also has the best wlw/mlm solidarity friendship with wallace

Gideon would still be a billionaire and he's Sex Bob-Omb producer, and at one point forces them to fight against Ramona by using the glow but they manage to break free and turn against Gideon

basically yes the same thing with the comics and the anime, but Ramona is the one being paranoid and self-conscious about things but trying to act like she's not affected by this, and Ramona is the one who has to fight with Scott exes plus confront herself

and everything is not in the same chronological order as the comics

this swap au focuses on ramona and her ex, while Ramona and Scott realise why Vv was even made in the first place

young Neil, Julie, and Stacey would be Ramona's friends before Ramona gets to know the others

part two of this!

[mono-socke]

the he, the guy ever

it‘s jt‘s birthday, let‘s gooooooo

[streamdotpng]

Yknow I've been watching the movie she's the man and I'm thinking

Obviously an au, but here's my thoughts

It's about to be the start of the school's first semester and Enid has an older brother who has a passion for singing

He has the chance to go on a tour with his friends but he can't just leave his school like that

So he has the brilliant idea to ask Enid to step in for him. Literally. Like full on crossdress.

Enid, who attends a special school for special werewolves (plot hole and an online school) has finished her course work for the next two months and is currently just crotcheting shit in boredom. She hasn't gotten much reasons to be out the house because well, her condition is low key kinda volatile

She can't shift, but intense emotions makes her pop a wolf attribute or two

The fam are generally better here, while they think wolfing out would fix Enid's condition, theyre more concerned and focus on coddling her

Enid, who knows their ways of dressing is absolutely different and that she'll get caught immedietely: are you serious??

Brother: I'll buy you first seat tickets to that one Taylor swift concert that's arriving around the time I get back

Enid with nothing else to do and alot of free time: SOLD and make it two

Brother: wha- fine!

Enid: you're also going to explain it to mom and dad

Brother: NO-

Esther and Murray aren't pleased but they're generally more concerned over Enid.

It took a bit, alot of convincing because this would be the longest Enid would be out the house but they agreed. The reason that it'd be good for Enid to socialize and talk to people her age convincing them that a new environment might help her wolf out

Anyways, for this au we gonna end up messing up Enid's design :(

her brothers hair looks alot more dirty blond so if I ever draw this, it'd look like that. And actually draw short hair Enid! Woo

Also I wasn't wrong abt the wolf features so she usually has some sort of side burns bc she's just genuinely really happy to be out the house and being about

She also probably rooms with Ajax, much to her horror bc fuck she's rooming with a guy!? But then she remembers that she roomed with her brothers, it's not that different

Enjax bromance happens, he's usually to high to notice and they're vibing

Then Enid has to partner up with the ever so infamous wednesday Addams for biology

Wednesday here is rather known in nevermore as the silent ice queen. Studious, cold and uncaring. She's there to get her things done and gtfo, no friends needed

But then her attention gets caught at the rather squeamish werewolf of a partner. Most men who talk to her usually had two types, business or annoying. The annoying were the ones that try to court her, acting all tough and that they can handle her. I can fix her! Is a phrase that gets tossed around. It all crumbles the moment they realize that threats she make, the lines she is willing to cross and the things she keep in her room weren't simply lies.

Yoko can barely handle it and she drank blood. It's not surprising but it is disappointing.

It disgusts her, that false brovado. All fake and lies. The promises they can't even keep. How can they even be a partner, let alone a good husband if there was no faith?

Atleast she can deal with business, those were the ones she can tolerate the most. They were there to do their work and only bother her when necessary.

Enid Sinclair (we gotta work on a boy name or smth) was.. Interesting. He would be situated in business, if he didn't seem to always be right where she was most of the time.

In the library (Enid's eyes got overstimulated walking outside so she took a break

Or she does extra online school work there bc it's a good area to focus in, Wednesday Def wonders why tf she taking advanced insert subject name)

The greenhouse (the smell is reminiscent of her room back home, she takes care of alot of plants and she hopes that her mother is taking care of them)

Outside in the dark (enid has all this freedom so you bet she's doing all sorts of kinda reckless things. Like staying up late, running around the campus at night and maybe buying some food from Jericho at like 3 am)

Fencing of all places (reason explained later on the post but Wednesday is wondering how such a stick thin boy is handling himself OK)

But what frustrates her the most is how unapologetically a pussy he is. Like this boy isn't afraid to scrunch his noise and lean far away from the carcass they have to dissect. Then he inches closer and tries it with an obviously green ass face bc he needs to do it for the grade.

Not to impress her but for school

The courage is admirable

And well, can you blame her for wondering what's up with the guy that always says hi whenever they pass by each other after their first class together? Not alot of people are willing to interact with her other than the usual brisk acknowledgement between her and yoko

There's Bianca but they're rivals so it doesn't count

Enid? He'd be walking with his pack of stoners and still say hi if he passes by. Gives a thumbs up if he ever sees her looking and mentions that he saw this flower and that it reminded him of her

It was weird

It was.. Nice

(oh no)

Enid on her side is hyped as FUCK. she's finally out of the house so she has freedom to do some reckless shit

So you bet she signs up for the fencing club bc rough housing? Her parents didn't let her do that!

Gets her ass beat by yoko

Asks for a rematch

Still gets her ass beat

It's only when she's lowkey bruised and her body is sore does Yoko come over and ask if she's good

Enid laughs and accepts the hand given. "never been better!" bc that burn in her muscles? Addicting and so friendship is born

Bianca and Wednesday watching from the side

Bianca: did ur roomie awaken something in him?? Bc this is just masochistic

Wednesday, admiring how sisyphus-esque the whole situation was: no he's always been weird

Anyways that's it, there's definitely a moment where yoko is going into the bathroom and Enid nearly follows her in out of habit

Enid definitely is alot touchier here as well. Always gotta have an arm around someone's shoulder and a hand on someone's back.

Wenclair happens eventually!

[5soshqgallery]

michael & luke >>>>

[moreofthatdrowse]

JO Survey: What's a favorite JO moment of yours? Could be very small or something big

There were too many good answers in the questions with open answers in my Joker Out Survey, so below the cut are the answers to Question no. 14: What's a favorite JO moment of yours? Could be very small or something big

When bojan exists but also when they sung the boys are back from HSM in an interview in all the languages

Nace & Bojan completing my heart hands thing at a concert :) (& Nace showing the heart on his bass in my direction )

sparklative, the turtle interview, every interaction between jan and nace (it's hard to pick a favourite)

It's so hard to choose! Aside from repeating what I said before, I'll say I love them doing stuff with pride flags during concerts, and them hanging out together during Novi Val. Also them just wearing each others clothes. And the whole thing with Because of You during Eurovision. And Bojan singing Cha Cha Cha. And Tavastia. And Kris during the Katrina video whirling around his jacket. Ok I can't choose and I can go on forever.

When Nace started talking about his turtles

kris being a hater 🫶

how dare you make me pick one smh i guess the performance of novi val in Glasgow with the pride flag i dotn get emotional about artists raising pride flags in general even tho im queer but that specific moment in a CHURCH with THAT song made me sob

I can't choose so I've got 3: 1. WHY THIS HAS BEEN SO HAS BIVEN SPARKLY?! SPARKLING?! SPARKLATIVE?!?!?! 2. the interview where they talk about Nace's turtles ("shiiiit, they don't like to be pet!") 3. every time Bojan and Kris banter with each other 😭 and I saw this irl too when I was at their concert in London and Kris wouldn't stop playing his guitar whilst Bojan was trying to tune his

I've really enjoyed watching the behind the scenes video series' from Eurovision and the tour.

It's a tie between (i) pretty much any interview they've ever done and (ii) the Cvetličarna concert (didn't attend but have watched the footage)

Them comforting Käärijä together after his loss

Bojan's thighs lol

I really like drunk Kris at Barcelona preparty screaming "OH, SSF!" and dancing like the tall tree he is 🤣❤️‍🔥

Their joy in eurovision

"Sparklative"

The moment that Jan signed my jacket

Jan and Nace interacting on stage

Idk i love all the behind the scenes videos?

Them all singing together (see carpe diem series ep 7 amsterdam :D)

The backstage series

The Electric Ballroom gig in London & their reaction when Slovenia entered the grand final at ESC

Jan and Nace playing kazoos in the UK tour ep 2

You expect me to chose?? /j

Every Novi val performance.

anything Jan and Nace get up to tbh

Every moment in that "joker out being bros for 5 min straight" video or wtv or was called. Need friendships like that fr

don't know if it's my favorite moment per se but i do love how they all immeadiately fell in love with jere (käärijä), especially bojan ofc <3

Why has been so sparkling? ✨

Bojan draped in a pride flag in an old church while singing novi val. Top 3 moments to cry about at 3am tbh

The performance of Novi Val in Križanke. Also, this is not a JO moment as such, but a clip where Bojan imitates a german kid telling his mom he wants to jump on the trampoline(?) I'm sorry, but man's funny as fuck, I think about that clip often.

I haven't seen them live yet, so all the best moments are yet to come :)

All of them cuddles

I don’t knoww Maček in a box

kris tilting his head back, eurovision in my city, SEEING THEIR TOUR BUS IN LIVERPOOL WJEN ME AND MY FRIEND WERE OUT IN THE CITY CENTER THE DAY AFTER WE SAW THEM @ MANCHESTER

I don't know yet - there's so many moments! So many smiles and like laying their heads on each others shoulders during concerts and looking out for each other. <3

I liked how promptly they got rid of gregor on a serious level and also on a happy level when they qualified to the Eurovision final

cvetličarna

Bojan and Kaarija’s bromance

I don't know to many options

Love how often TURTOL is brought up. Nace would be proud <3

QUESTIONS 1-11 I QUESTION 12 I QUESTION 13 I QUESTION 14

[dojae-huh]

For sure I'm thankful to c-jdist for lot of jaedo 'qna' moments but do you think it bother them and make them feeling burden to answer? To get same question bout certain member, it's crystal clear they notice fans ship them.

Doyoung - yes, Jaehyun - no. Do is unconfortable in general when the focus is on his love life, plus he needs to come up with lies and cover ups during fancalls which makes him nervous. While Jaehyun actually likes the attention (everyone should know Do is his). And nowadays he doesn't even feel the pressure to hide.

As long as shippers don't cross the line, it's OK in my book. Plus, it is better for Doyoung to learn to relax and be calm with such questions. There are Korean actor couples who keep up their charade of bromance in public for years and years. Being "sus" and fidgety raises more questions.

A question from a fan like "What would you say if the world ends to Doyoung?" is no different from a question "Who will you take to an inhabited island?", the kind neos get from interviewers. It's not romantic in its core.

When it comes to idols, shipping is used both by companies and by artists themselves as a promotional (to attract attention) and binding (to develop an attachment) tactics. All idols know perfectly well they are shipped, and they can find with whom with one click on socmed. It's a part of job requirement. They lie when they feign being clueless. JaeDo were given "romantic" skits back in 2015 during their ShowChamp times by the writers. The Origin concert had lots of in your face fanservice incorporated in the music numbers by the show directors.

All neos know they are shipped. However, if a question is normal (like about TMI), it's not even possible to tell whether the fan who is asking is a real shipper or just biases both. All fans during the fancalls are the "obsessed" ones. Whether shippers or stans. I would think meeting the same rich fan tens of times who makes you do silly dances is worse than answering a quasy-shippery question.

Also, you didn't mention other neos. Why don't you entertain the idea that the questions may be actually welcomed? As a sign of being accepted and supported? Even Doyoung was happy JaeDo posters sold out first in a shop they went to buy albums in 2019. There was a time he wasn't afraid of the attention from shippers. (I mean... the iconic sweaters).

[toxicrivalries]

2, 13, 18 for the sports asks!!

2. what sport moment made you cry? (happy)

I am very often a cry from joy man so there's more of these than the sad ones.

I think for f1 the most recent would be monza! something about it all just struck a very specific chord and i was tearing up in an airport cafe.

For football I have to go with the 2022 wc final. Whenever I think about it I get a bit misty eyed, what a fairytale that was. Especially because of that string of heartbreaks before hand, it was even more dreamy

13. have you been to a game? what was your favourite part?

I've never been to a GP, I've been operating on a student budget all my adult life. I have however been to several football games, and I think my favourite thing is actually the build up to the game oddly enough. The crowds of people all buzzing with excitement, team colours everywhere, the chanting, the songs. There's something about the community of it all that's just beautiful to me. The equivalent of a concert crowd singing.

18. favourite friendship/bromance between athletes?

this one is DIFFICULT! of currently active athletes, I'll have to say charlos in f1, and pedri&gavi and wilo saliba & big gabi in football ⚽❤️ (honourable mention: here we goooooo saka & emile smith rowe 😭💔 arsenal reuinite my boys please some day)