#but yeah they're both BL series

[waitineedaname]

Yo, friendo What's the best way to consume these funny doomed men I keep seeing?

( Didn't mean it literality, but I can't help but think that the answer is with spice )

depends on which ones!! there are two series I've been posting about a lot, both by the same author: SVSSS and MDZS!

Scum Villain's Self-Saving System/SVSSS is a book series, and you can read it physically (which I did through my local library for the first two books) or online on the Internet Archive or Anna's Archive (which I did for the last two books when I got too impatient to wait on my holds). It also has a ten episode long donghua called Scumbag System that covers most of the first book and it's terrible (affectionate). You can find that one on youtube or most anime pirating sites. In short summary, SVSSS is about a terminally online dude getting isekai'd into the villain of a webnovel he absolutely hates, and in his attempt to avoid the villain's horrible death he sends the story completely off the rails. It's unhinged, hilarious, and everyone in the series is a complete freak <3 It's only four books long (three of which are the main plot and the fourth is extras)

MDZS/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation is also a book series by the same author! Similarly, you can check your public library or the Internet Archive and Anna's Archive. It also has a donghua (which I haven't watched) and a wildly successful live action drama called The Untamed (which is how I initially got into the series!). The Untamed is available on Netflix and Youtube and probably other places. It does make some significant changes due to censorship reasons and it is extremely cheesy, but I enjoy it. If you want more classical tragedy, I'd say start with The Untamed, and if you want more gay necromancy shenanigans, I'd say start with the books! In short summary, it's about the life and death and second life of Wei Wuxian as he goes from war hero to widely reviled necromancer, and it's quite fun. The book series is five books long, and The Untamed is 50 episodes long. I have a character guide for that one if you need it because the names do get confusing!

[namtanlovesfilm]

Can you recommend me any BL or Queer dramas / series that is just pure fluff and soft without much sexual scenes? Just been wanting to watch something not to heated

um... yes! I very much can :) (although shows that fit this description are actually quite rare to find so I had to rack my brain for this lol)

WHOLESOME FLUFFY BL SHOWS

COOKING CRUSH

I mean... as soon as you said 'pure fluff & soft' I thought of this show, bc it's the LEGIT definition of it! it's adorable & hilarious and truly has the healthiest bl ship ever who is composed of the two cutest patooties. it's a true romcom bc it nails both the comedy & romance elements and is just THE feel good show for me :)

MY SCHOOL PRESIDENT

this is another show that has very little drama or un-cute moments. the characters are adorable, the friendship is top-tier, and the slice of life aspect really invests you in the story. definitely will have you smile most (if not all) of the time!

MY RIDE

this show is my little underrated gem! it does have SOME drama, but it's mostly about two overtly kind main characters who fall in love despite odds. it's so cute, so wholesome, and genuinely just a fucking good time if you wanna cheer up :)

OUR DINING TABLE

another show that does have some deeper, sadder moments (almost all shows do lol) but is overall a beautiful story of healing through community & food with, again, incredibly kind and lovable characters which I could not recommend more!

WE ARE

this show is one I had no expectation for... except perhaps that I thought it would suck. however, while it is in no way a masterpiece & will frankly go down as a forgettable show for me, it was actually REALLY enjoyable. this show truly has close to zero drama and is just about love & friendship. frankly the friendship element is what did it for me, paired with the unique & lovable characters. this is just a great time if you want to turn your brain off & enjoy the cuteness imo (there's a couple sex scenes tho but nothing very explicit)

WHAT DID YOU EAT YESTERDAY

yet ANOTHER show about food lol, bc one thing about food bls, there's 500 of them & they're all super cute and wholesome lol it's law :') this one is the OG, it's as non-sexual as it can get since there's barely any intimacy, but it's very wholesome and has 2 seasons + 1 movie + 1 special ep. you just follow this older gay couple through life as they cook their awesome recipes while still getting some social commentary on being lgbtq+ in japan, it's just... I fully want this show to keep getting seasons forever, I love it so much! (also idk if you're interested in gls but 'she loves to cook and she loves to eat' is also a show with the same premise but wlw & I adore it!)

THE NEW EMPLOYEE

this one is also an underrated gem of mine even though it's a very overlooked kbl :( it's a very simple story that is explicitely lgbtq+ (very rare for kbls) & the couple really is the cutest with great chemistry! I really enjoyed this one & would recommend it :)

I WILL KNOCK YOU

now... with a title like this, you might be wondering if this is truly a "wholesome" and "pure" show... IT IS! this show is the proof of the kind of silliness thai dramas can offer, and why they're so great. it's dumb and frankly weird at times, but it's also one of the funniest thai comedies ever & has great character growth! despite featuring SOME violence, it is actually just a really wholesome romcom, and the character of noey is frankly iconic af. one of my fave niche bl shows!

RAK DIAO

speaking of dumb, silly, wholesome comedy... rak diao is the first (and still the only lol) thai bl sitcom. it follows a very simple story with almost no drama and has a very lovable & fun main character. this is such a cute show which is, again, way too underrated!

BON APPETIT

what did I say about food shows & being wholesome? yeah, that! this one does have SOME drama, more than the other shows featured on this list, but it's very quickly squashed down & also so predictable I don't think it will influence your mood whatsoever. this is overall very cute & wholesome, although a bit basic. but the chemistry is very good so I'd recommend it!

LOVE SICK

now, I've mentioned over the years (MANY TIMES) about how love sick is my comfort show. yes, it's old & the camera work, acting, etc. are MILES behind current bl shows, and yes, it's actually not that wholesome bc they're cheating on their girlfriends the whole time, but... this is like the OG my school president, but even more lovable imo. it's a true slice of life, and the characters are all so cute & fun, the friendship literally carries the entire show & phunnoh are one of the most healthy ships ever (despite the affair!) this show has a lot of obstacles to enjoy it but imo it's worth it. I love it so much. it'll forever be super special for me :) also I feel like watching the first ever thai bl should be a rite of passage lol!

BOYS' LOCKDOWN

I had to mention at least one filipino bl here, and it's one that pretty much no one watched but I absolutely loved! this is soft & wholesome to the T, two guys accidentally meet during lockdown (bc they both are wearing masks with d*cks on them lmao this show is great) & fall in love but encounter difficulties meeting through quarantine. there's no drama, the chemistry is great, the story quite well written... it's so cute!

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

my love mix-up

star & sky: sky in your heart

papa & daddy

ossan's love

my secret love

takara & tamagi

our dating sim

destiny seeker

my mate match

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Currently Watching - June

aka The Masterlist

Because I love a good little list - in alphabetical order! 😊

Regularly updated during the month, latest update 30.06.2024

A little link to my favorite bl-tropes-collection 💙

gif-requests are currently closed🌼

Here you can find all of my gifs.

At the end you can have a look at what we can expect in April with a MDL link and a link for a trailer (if avaible).

This is guaranteed to contain spoilers!

1. Blue Boys Part 2 🇰🇷 (1/4)

They are back and they made up 🥰 There is going to be a little bit drama, at least I hope just a little bit and not another break up or cheating -.- But they talked and I really liked it! And I loved that this stupid bitch got dumbed! Now I wait for the next parts.

2. Hidamari ga Kikoeru 🇯🇵 (1/12)

And with this first scene I fell in love. I was totally absorbed! And I got my giffing joy back. I don't know what happend, but I adore these two. And I can't wait to whitness their story to be told! Because they're in balance right now. One is loud and one is silent. One is hiding and one is seeking. And both are happy to see the other one happy.

3. His Man Season 3 🇰🇷 (4/?)

I love this format! I enjoyed the first two seasons to the max and the third one is something else too. There are so many different people with different personalities and thinkings. As always there is some kind of tension and love triangles, but there are some really wholesome moments too. I really hope people keep in mind that these people have their own feelings and not a script to act on.

4. My Love Mix-Up! ����🇭 (4/12)

I see so many posts from people not liking this one and I am sitting here enjoying this story. I don't compare it to anything. i just enjoy some awkward fluff. And I think the casting is quite good. I don't have the strongest feeling for the japanese original. I really enjoyed it and it is a great series, but I think the thai one is entertaining too and the chemistry between those two is still there.

5. My Stand-In 🇹🇭 (10/12)

I loved this scene! The way Ming caressed Joe and the way he fucked him, finally facing him. Thank you! Tong is a stupid shitface. He is such a bad fucker. I have some strong feelings here. And yes, I liked the progress of Ming's and Joe's relationship. I don't like the ending, but I liked seeing them happy together. Perhaps mostly because I want to see Joe happy. The ending was cruel and next week comes episode 11 so... yay...

6. Wandee Goodday 🇹🇭 (9/12)

Do I like it when they kiss? Hell yeah! Do I like the back and forth with the kisses? Hell no! At this point I don't know where they are going with the story. It is quite repetitive. Yak wants a kiss, Dee plays shy. Yak smiles and kisses him on the cheek and they live happily like boyfriends, but they aren't boyfriends, even though they both like each other! At least Yak finally understood his feelings. Now please let Dee work on his problems. There are three more episodes to go. Let them be happy and work on their problems together! It gets a little bit boring...

7. Word of Honor 🇨🇳 (20/36)

Those two flirt a lot and are a married couple. Everyone knows that. And I love and enjoy that! Overall this is such a fun watch and the different sects and intrigues are sometimes a little bit confusing, but interesting. I love this world of martial arts and I love how protective Wen Kexing is over Zhou Zishu. I haven't felt like watching this lately. I wasn't in the right mood.

Finished in June

Series

Taxi Driver 🇰🇷

I looooved the first episodes, when we got our weekly revenge stories. But around episode 12 there was so much going on with the police and the illegal organ-trafficing-ring and it got kind of boring. And yes, Kim Do-gi is some kind of super human. He can take punch after punch and still beat 30 men in a row. That is a little bit unrealistic, but it was fun watching him. I don't know if I'll watch season 2. Perhaps I start and watch the first episodes with joy before some big shit happens and it gets boring again... But overall still a 7,5 out of 10 for me.

25 Ju, Akasaka de 🇯🇵

They finally talked! Thank god! They finally spoke to each other! And now they are happy and Japan delivered, I must say. The misunderstanding trope was well done, but a little bit drawn out in the end. But I really liked this not so slow burning slow burn. The story was well rounded with the background story, the characters had depth and there was Nagumo Shoma in this soooo... I liked it. A good 9 out of 10 for me.

Cityboy_Log 🇰🇷

Volume 3 came to an end, I guess. I don't know when it will continue. I really hated this "season". It was confusing and the time jumps were disturbing and I really hated the character development. The lying and the cheating and the escalations and the make ups - they lost the characters and their growth on the way. It can be to be attracted to some one else, that is humane, but you don't have to act on it. This "season" really pissed me off. I am still mad! I won't rate it, jsut because the format is confusing for me 😂

Only Boo 🇹🇭

This was a dancy ride with the last part missing the beat. I loved the fluff and Moo was such a delightful character and Kang is such a sweetheart. I loved these two together! And I loved that Moo had to fight a little bit to get Kang. What I didn't like was the fact, that in the end it all felt too rushed and too easy? I like that they got together again and that Moo still could fullfill his dream, but it would be nice if we could have seen him starting a little revolution and the fans rooting for him and Kang and finally changing something. But that didn't happen. But over all this one was such a sweet wholesome watch! So in the end it is a 8,5 out of 10 for me.

Short Film

Movie

Double Mints 🇯🇵

Can I say I am a little bit disappointed? Don't get me wrong. This is a good movie, but it is always depicted as this fucked up, dark movie you should be warned to watch and named in one breath with Dangerous Dr*gs of S*x or The Shortest Distance Is Round. And yes, it is brutal and dark and their relationship is interesting but kind of messed up, but it did not meet my expectations. Nevertheless I really liked it and from all those dark movies and series I watched so far, this is one of the better ones. I really like the devotion and enjoyed watching the D/s relationship. The ending was very much fitting for this kind of movie and kind of romantic. Yes, this sounds fucked up, but I guess both of them were very much on the edge and this is the only solution for them to be together forever and become one again. They found each other and that is all they needed. Guess I liked this movie more than I first thought. So for me it gets a good 8,5 out of 10.

Dropped in June

Looking forward to in June

My Love Mix-Up - Trailer (June 7th)

Love Sea - Trailer (June 9th)

Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai 2 Haime! (June 14th in cinemas)

SunsetxVibes - Pilot (June 15th)

His Man Season 3 (June 21st)

I Hear the Sunspot (June 26th)

The Rebound - Trailer (June 26th)

The Trainee - Trailer (June 30th)

Blue Boys Part 2 - Trailer (June 18th)

Born to be Y - Teaser (allegedly in June)

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 成化十四年/The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

(The) Sleuth of (the) Ming Dynasty (it's hard to get an agreement on how many definite articles should go where) is a beautiful, high-budget 2020 drama about a weenie genius detective, his long-suffering and deeply traumatized sugar daddy, and the eunuch with the most difficult job in the Great Ming: keeping these two dumbasses from getting their fool selves imperially executed.

Depending on how you like it, it's either an OT3 or an OTP with an intense, underage third wheel, and either way, it's delightful. I wouldn't call it a comedy, but it has very many funny elements that keep the drama fun and engaging. The first half is full of shorter mysteries that are clever and thoughtfully plotted, and the second half goes in on the longer mystery that ties them all together.

I've already done my quick guide to the early-episode characters, if you want a taste of just how many people are running around and how wonderful they all are. But in case you want to know a little bit more before you commit yourself to a 48-episode series, here's five reasons I think you should watch it!

1. The whole thing smacks of gender

Yeah, this was originally going to be selling point #2, but I know what the people want.

This is not a show about gender. But boy it is a show that has a lot to say about gender, and not just by way of critiquing premodern Chinese gender roles (though it does do that!). Many of the cis characters are either a) somewhat gender nonconforming, b) canny enough to weaponize binary gender expectations, or c) both. Sui Zhou's entire third-act storyline is about how expectations of masculinity exacerbate PTSD in veterans. Three different AFAB characters either dress or live as men. The part where one of the male characters goes undercover in drag is played for laughs, but the joke isn't 'ha ha, a boy in a dress,' it's 'ha ha, this particular boy in a particular dress, and also he's terrible at it.'

And that's even before we get to the eunuchs.

There are several professionally dickless, permanently unmanned characters running around. One-third of the OT3 canonically had his external genitalia nonconsensually removed when he was five years old, and because of this, he has been given unimaginable authority. He's basically the second most powerful man in the entire empire, and he only gets that way by being unquestionably, ostentatiously, and genuinely submissive to the first most powerful man.

I have seen other Chinese media where eunuchs are treated like sinister clowns, good only to be the bad guys and the butts of jokes. Sleuth's main eunuchs are real and complex characters, and because of this, the show gets to explore what it is to live in this weird third-gender category of incredible power and powerlessness.

Now, don't go into this expecting woke gender treatises. Wang Zhi's never going to sit down and go, "You know, my friend and fellow eunuch Ding Rong, because of my lack of a penis, I understand my relationship to masculinity differently than other men do." But the show understands that even if he doesn't say it, it's true. And that makes a lot of the characters and their relationships just so much more interesting.

2. Uncle Jackie Money

Sleuth was the was the fourth c-drama I dove into, following the Untamed, Word of Honor, and Guardian -- or, Some Money BL, Less Money BL, and No Money BL. So imagine my absolute wall-eyed shock to find this was All The Money BL, courtesy of its executive producer, Jackie Chan (seen here with some of his handsome boys):

Sleuth looks good. The costumes are amazing. The sets are stunning. The cinematography is beautiful. Everything is so detailed, and while I can't speak to the absolute historical accuracy of all those details (see point 3), they're still gorgeous. In fact, you know what? I'm going to shut up and show you some of the promotional images.

(For actual screenshots, I'm just going to point you at @rongzhi's tsomd photoset tag, as they have done a tremendous service to the fan community -- though do beware of spoilers.)

Uncle Jackie's influence doesn't end with the money, though. Even though things get a bit goofy and wirework-y near the end, most of the drama's fights are shows of real martial arts skill. You can see his fingerprints on a lot of the choreography -- I'm thinking particularly of the time Tang Fan tries (and fails!) to stab Sui Zhou three times, which is pure Jackie Chan high-speed dexterity.

Add this one to the category of shows your Average American Television Enjoyer Who Can Handle Subtitles would like. In fact, I have shown the first episode to my normie father-in-law, who was impressed. Show it to your dad! See if he picks up on the gay!

3. I am from ... HISTORY!

The Chinese title translates to "The 14th Year of Chenghua," which works out to the year 1478. There are some clear anachronisms, but they tend to be played for comedy, so it's hard to hold that against them. On the whole, though, the show is trying real hard to evoke a very specific moment, and I feel it does so beautifully.

This does, however, mean that several of the characters are real people. I don't even have a good sense of how many of them are based on historical figures, that's how many. Hilariously, Wang Zhi's tag on AO3 used to read "Wang Zhi (?-1487 CE)."

Moreover, these are characters I've seen pop up in other media, played very differently! In particular, Noble Consort (up there in blue) tends to be written as an uncomplicated villain elsewhere, whereas Sleuth gives her a chance to add some goodness to her badness, until, damn, you can't but root for the bitch. (It also downplays the cradle-robbing, which, honestly, is for the best.)

You may have guessed from the eunuch section earlier, but it bears repeating: Wang Zhi is straight-up the best character in the show. He's smart as hell, and he has to be, because the second he's stupid, he's dead. I actually consider it helpful to know ahead of time that he's never going to do a heel turn -- I feel like on my first watchthrough, I was holding my breath for the first two-thirds of the show, waiting for his sudden but inevitable betrayal. It does not come. Wang Zhi is one of the heroes.

He's also, like, evil. He orders people flogged, tortured, and executed. The very first thing you see him doing is sinister as hell. And the show clearly doesn't think this is good, but it also doesn't judge him for it. He's a traumatized seventeen-year-old who has not had a normal moment of his entire life. He's working thanklessly for a boss who could kill him on a whim -- and he's doing it because he literally, physically was made for his job. He's mildly freaking out because he has no emotional grounding to help him understand that these weirdos want to be his friends.

Was the real Wang Zhi like this? That's beside the point. The point is, you get to see how someone in that position could wind up as the war-crimes-committing platonic ideal of a little meow meow.

4. oh my god the food

Warning: This show will make you hungry.

Again, beware of spoilers, but @peppersandcreamsicle and @qinzai have put together an entire cook-along Google Doc so you don't just have to drool -- you can do something about it! Or you can just read it and learn about Chinese cuisine, which is a little more my speed.

But it's not just about how good the food looks. Food is a vital emotional part of the series. People bond over it. They make and share it as a sign of love and care. It indicates status, ethnicity, interest, personality. The show's message about the healing power of cooking for the people you love will bring you to tears.

And yes, Sui Zhou is the main one doing the cooking, so get ready to drool over both the dishes and the handsome man preparing them.

Oh, and as though that weren't enough, Fu Meng Po can actually cook in real life. He's so dreamy. Absolute unreal handsome man with a devastatingly sexy voice. (I know my opinion might be different if I could hear his Taiwanese accent, but I can't so it's not!)

5. An Unsunk Ship

So like I said, my intros to c-drama couples had been WangXian, WenZhou, and WeiLan. That meant I'd basically come to terms with the idea that you can't have a main couple in a BL-but-not-really drama without splitting them up at least a little in the end, for no-homo plausible deniability reasons.

Tang Fan and Sui Zhou are still definitvely, unequivocally together when the story ends, as the iconic pentultimate scene of the series confirms with beauty and simplicity. I refuse to give any more details than that, but that ship's afloat.

(These shirtless pictures aren't from the end, but I wanted to include them, and I didn't have a better place to do it. ...Also, you know, ships and water? Yeah?)

And I think their winding up together reflects Sleuth's entire attitude. Tang Fan is made of sunshine, and the series loves him for it. There is tragedy aplenty in this show, but there's no misery. It is ultimately a hopeful show that believes in the power of second chances, if you're willing to take them. Time and again, the moral of the story is that you are only ever as good as the people who have your back -- but you have to be willing to let them have your back. Let people help you. Let people cook for you. Let people give you a reason to keep living. And then keep living.

Also, Sui Zhou gets two good kabedons off on that little twink, which means they're legally married now. I don't make the rules.

Bonus: Banger opening theme

This is one you will watch all 48 times.

Bonus #2: The Halo Video

This is the video that made me go, huh, these Sleuth boys seem like other boys I've enjoyed! Perhaps I shall enjoy them as well! And then I did. So if that might be convincing to you too, well, have at it. Even if it isn't, it's a fascinating three-minute study of shared those-boys-are-in-love visual language across these shows.

Fair warning that it contains shots from right up to the end, so if you'd rather go in completely blank, give this one a pass until later. (Excuse me while I now go watch it for the 10000th time.)

Have I convinced you to watch it yet?

It originally ran on iQiyi, though Viki's got it as well, and Viki's is free if you're willing to put up with some ads about it.

...I just noticed iQiyi's description of the series reads, "When the two handsome leading actors Darren Wang and Fu Meng-Po work together, what will happen? A lovely prefectural judge and an arrogant embroiered [sic] uniform guard join hands to crack unusual cases! Are you going to choose a new idol?" And you know what? Yes. The details are a little off, but that is the correct spirit. Thank you, thirsty blurb.

[tbhimnoteasyonmyself]

15 Day BL Challenge - DAY 27

As Louis once said: on our way to 27~~ sdkjskdjskdjskd

Also for anyone catching up with this: my wishes for Christmas became true, I did get an album from my brother, he got me ATE by Stray Kids (it hasn't arrived yet but it will soon).

Top 3 BL Kisses

Asking really hard questions, tbf... I really like kisses. All kinds. So I'm sorry to most kisses out there, I'm sure you were all great, but I was forced to choose.

Number 3: TongrakMahasamut Beach Kiss (Love Sea)

I was calm, I was tense and then I WAS FUCKING SAT. The italicized "oh"? You know? The "Oh. Oh." FUCKING FELT THAT. This was the exact moment this series had me. I was shooketh. They are crazy and they are nasty and I was in for it. Man found in his house, glued to his seat watching guys being filthy on a beach.

Number 2: PatPran Rooftop Kiss (Bad Buddy)

I've mentioned this scene before for other reasons but if you know me, you know I'm gonna keep mentioning it bc it's just FUCKING MINT. The acting is so, gooooodddddd, ah OHMNANON, OHMNANONNNNNN... At least they're interacting again, right? Oh, well... But yeah, it changed my perception of what BLs were (or what they could be). From the lines, to the facial expressions, to the body language, to the intensity of the kiss... Absolutely stunning scene.

Number 1: JackJoke's 1st Kiss (Jack&Joker)

Jack&Joker made my Mondays better but no Monday was better than the one where THIS KISS happened. What a fucking moment... WoW... The emotion, the rawness, the want, the desperation, the desire, the LOVE... There's so much story being told right there and it's so... Well done. YinWar's chemistry is legendary and their acting is fucking real but damn... God fucking damn it, it was a pretty scene. Nobody is out there doing it like YinWar and we all know this. Big W.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: UncleMilk's Goodbye Kiss (Choco Milk Shake); FadelStyle at the Concert (The Heart Killers) & SandRayBoeing's Kisses (Only Friends)

What I love the most about uncle and Milk is uncle's understanding. He knows how Milk is and he respects that, the feistiness is not something that scares him and his avoidance of touch is not something he takes poorly. But also... When he needs to push him forward, he does. This all is shown in that kiss and I adore it.

I think Fadel and Syle got me more not on the kiss itself but on the context of the kiss. What it means. To both of them and to each of them. To Fadel is freeing, to Style it's caging but to both it's an expression of love and want. Fadel feels like Style is the best thing that happened in his life in a while, Style feels like he's probably the worst thing that's happened in Fadel's life in a while... And it's painful and gorgeous and NEXT EPISODE IS GONNA HURT SO FUCKING MUCH, HOLY SHIT!!!

Idek how to explain that scene... Oh, no, wait, I kinda do! (link) dkjskdjskdjsk But basically, I just think the differences between kisses are glorious, it portrays the relationships between each character so well. It was a bold move but it was a GREAT bold move. Shout-out!

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Goddamn, we are getting such good shows to wrap up the year. And they're all so different!

But god do I adore Idol Factory for going all in on the action/supernatural BL, because there's a reason that there are a million books in this genre, and it's ridiculous no one has capitalized on it yet.

The chemistry between Billy & Babe, fucking hell.

I just love that mix of both sweetness and being brats to each other as they figure out their feelings.

I also really appreciate the boys being set up as actually intelligent and asking good questions, because so often series will tell but not show when people are supposed to be smart. (Although this is of course fantasy in all of them having such noble goals in wanting to be cops).

Also, nice slide in of some exposition! What happened to Tharn's dad? Is it related to his reincarnation?

Ok, Thongthai!! I see that snatched little waist.

I just love the cinematography in this show, especially the night & water scenes. They got someone who knows their shit, and it shows.

So Phaya was lured back into the water, and at first I thought it was something bad using the image of mermaid Freen to trick him, but then he wasn't actually harmed? Was it to get Tharn to come to him?

See, I keep going back and forth on if the Lieutenant Tam thing is real or just a setup to get them to investigate. If it was real, and truly dangerous, wouldn't the supervisors be freaking out a lot more?

But damn, I love all of these losers.

Ooh, ok, I was wondering if all of them were connected, not just Phaya & Tharn! And the show is saying yes!

If just them flirting makes me this insane, I may not survive a full on relationship.

Oh yeah, we are in full on "no one touches this man on my watch" mode.

These idiots are the worst wingmen alive. Stop torturing Tharn! He isn't going to say shit, and Yai, you know that!!!

Damn, the way they physically react to each other. Phaya literally couldn't stop himself from kissing his forehead.

They are playing the intensity between them so damn well.

Oh, shit! Chalothon has arrived! And already knows Tharn! Drama!! (Also, hi Heng baby, missed you!)

This is definitely the show that is going to torture me the most having to wait week to week. Oof.

[hotasfahrenheit]

yeah that's right it's weekly umbrella propaganda time!

here we go after another fun quirky hilarious episode (this show is so funny and so bright and colourful and so good y'all how did we even get this lucky with such a great start to The Year Of Vampire BLs)

first off, our repeat umbrellas this week, in episode four:

the ol' reliable Big Red Umbrella (tm), the clearly well loved white lace umbrella (it was perfect for being at the temple!), the bright blue with pompom edging, and the yellow umbrella from the car last week just chilling on the floor next to Pun. (the clearest shot i could get of the umbrella has Kamsai blocking Pun but i swear he's sitting on the couch she's walking towards)

as for new umbrellas, gracing us this episode is a truly glorious piece that @poetry-protest-pornography dubbed the "Ultimate Umbrella" (and she's not wrong) and it's this absolute treasure that Pun uses both outside and inside the house:

OBVIOUSLY this is my favourite umbrella this episode, how could it not be? who could even question or have any doubts?

next up we have a subtle, easy to miss fun lil black and grey number on the floor in the middle foreground with a light grey or white border detail, and our first Giant Porch Umbrella:

(that's an actual cane in the immediate foreground on the left, not an umbrella handle, i was also confused for a moment expecting a new umbrella collector to appear)

then there's another layered/two tone umbrella this week in orange:

and finally, an understated solid black umbrella, as well as a second Giant Porch Umbrella in pink that's joined the purple one from earlier in the episode.

a solid collection of new umbrellas for the catalogue!

if you're wondering why I'm counting these Giant Porch Umbrellas but not the appearance of other giant umbrellas in other episodes that showed up at food stalls, these aren't regular umbrellas, sure, but they're for Pun's soup stall which means they're his, so they're part of his collection.

also because i can do whatever i want 🤣

this episode umbrella count: 6

total series umbrella count: 23

you can check my pun's umbrella catalogue tag for previous weeks of umbrellas!

[einsatzzz]

Can we get more crumbs of Hibakana please please!!

Ask and you shall receive anon!!! Thank you for dropping by (--again! if ur the previous anon sdjhvshfvsh) Sorry it took a while, I wanted to time it for Kana's birthday hehehe 🥰🥰💜✨ Anyway, here's another ship chart for them plus some ramblings!

The song in the chart is Hibana (Spark) by DE//CO*27, and I mainly imagine this song for their relationship during Daily Life Arc, mostly in Hibari's POV. Besides that, I do have a Kana POV song that's also by DE//CO*27, which parallels Hibana, and it's Ghost Rule. I'm one of those believers who think these two songs actually communicate with each other, one from each person in the relationship.

We actually even considered this song when thinking of the ship name for them, just look at Sou and I's chat around the time when its abt to be New Year 2022 at the ungodly hour of 12-1AM hahahaha (we're finalizing ship names for both hibari/kana and tsuna/kurumi here btw)

Back then, it was only to reference the song title itself. But turns out, their relationship also fits oddly so perfectly with the lyrics. I shit you not when I say I can do a dissection of the lyrics on how it fit them sdjfbhsdfsf

Other Notes

The Dialogue in the Balloons - Yeah...💀

PDA, Jealousy, Clingy - There's definitely little to no PDA and if there is, it's probably subconscious. But as mentioned before, they're both very private people. Same with jealousy and clinginess. Though, it's still something I'm investigating 🫡🫡🫡 so far I'm observing little to none from these crazy animals.

Who Confesses First - Explained here.

Who was the First Kiss - Sorry bruh, I also legit do not 100% know yet. What would be more interesting? lmao They're very elusive and are always bonking each other when I stalk them inside my brain hahahaha we'll get there when we get there!

Slow Burn - It's usually painful, but it's very fun for them! Sometimes, I feel like it's also a good amount of my brain coping for the BL ships that I have in shou/nen series that are written in a super slowburn way or have insane "its in the subtext" dynamics but will actually never end up together. I find those types of pairings in itself charming too, I go into those ships already assuming that it will sink but I still have fun.

Together Forever (?) - I can't fully choose this because they aren't even ""together"" you know???? 🤣🤣🤣 but they kinda still are in a way???

Insane AU Potential - I've always had fun putting them in a few AUs before, but I only fully realized their insane potential for AUs when Dee told me about it and my brain is like 🤯🤯🤯 The main story is still being worked on right now, but we're going to AU territory in the future too!

Snapshots/Rare Down Time - Something about them is so winter-coded. I have like two more wips of these two in winter-themed art.

[watchingblsnowandforever]

GMMTV lineup (part 2, mostly, with some unreleased part 1) in order of my preference: (these are only the QLs. Most of the het shows fall under my Indifferent category. If I feel like it, I'll watch them.)

The Heart Killers. Pretty sure this is #1 on most of y'alls lists and for good reason too. My reasons? Pretty simple. I love action, mafia and romcom and this is all in one. And also FirstKhao and JoongDunk so-

Peaceful Property (part 1). After TayNew outdid themselves in the beautiful soft little thing that was Cherry Magic Thailand (anyone wanna join my Cherry Magic Th propaganda?), I can't wait for this series. Also: if they give me besties, it'll be a hard pill to swallow but I'll be fine, but if they give me bromance, I'll commit homicide.

Wandee Goodday (part 1). Releasing tomorrow. I am interested to see how GMMTV will handle this trope.

My Love Mix Up! Thailand. I loved the original Kieta Hatsukoi, and I'm just a bit skeptical if they'll be able to recreate the magic of the original, but I have faith in GemFourth and after Cherry Magic I've decided to trust them.

Pluto the series. A GL? With NamtanFilm? I'm in.

Revamp. Previously: The Vampire Project. Love me some vampires <3. Also, BounPrem.

Sweeth Tooth, Good Dentist. The plot sounds super fluffy and cheesy, so of course I'm in. And no way I'm missing Mark Pakin first lead. (Also, as a dessert-loving person who had many teeth-related problems as a kid, the premise just sounds too relatable. Except the falling in love part with your dentist obviously.) But... JittiRain. I have complicated feelings for her works.

ThamePo/ My Heart Skips A Beat. It seems soft and sweet, though it does have the secret/forbidden relationship overtones.

Ossan's Love. I found the trailer hilarious, but trailers, especially pilot trailers lie. Also, I'm not hearing the greatest things about the original, but I haven't watched it so I will reserve judgement. If I like it I'll like it I guess.

Us the series. You might ask how a GL ended up so low in my list. Personally, it's a bit jarring to see BLs have this safe space/bubble for their gay bois, but GLs are proclaiming love between women as "taboo" off the bat. I also saw this in 23.5, and yeah okay I get it, wlw is seen in a much harsher eye sometimes, but in 23.5 all Ongsa did was go on repeating "But we're both girls..." without explaining the why and resolving it properly. For now, I will not think too much into it, and worry about it when the time comes.

Perfect 10 liners. What put me off in the trailer itself is the clear discrimination based on looks/physical appearances. It also seems like at this point they're just trying to give each pairing some screen time this year but have run out of plots, and are thus shoving pairings into series like it's the metro/tube/subway/whatever you call it in your country during rush hour. Will I like it? We'll see. But after We Are, I have some hope left.

Currently Airing:

We Are. It's absolutely great for my tastes and I get to detox once every week. Love it. Has absolutely no plot but has loads of fluff, and it's something I didn't know I needed in my life until I had it.

Only Boo. I kinda like it, but I have zero idea where they plan to go with the current storyline. Fluffy and cute, I'll keep watching, but it probably won't end up high on my favourites list.

[ren-rambles-often]

Hello.... If you don't mind me asking, who are your favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series (can be canon or non-canon)? Feel free if you want to write the reasons or not of why you love them...Thanks if you want to answer....

Thanks for the ask and damn I'm always so excited when it comes to these so ofc I don't mind, also warning I'm about to kinda go off. It's a pretty long list so I'll only talk about the ones that left the biggest impression on me.

Warning for mentions of twincest, incest and age gaps.

Starting off with the ship that indoctrinated me into the bl life style *drumroll*

Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter (aka Drarry); enemies/rivals to lovers, blond x ravenette, they basically set the precedent for every ship I pick up like a stray cat these days.

Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku (Bakudeku): Enemies to lovers, plus constantly on each other's mind as a motivation in one way or the other. I love them so much.

Mikage Reo/Nagi Seishiro (NagiReo): one of my current hyperfixations, mainly cuz they're one of the few ships I have that wasn't introduced as rivals from the start as well as being extremely close canonically. They click so well despite their miscommunication (more like no communication but I'll probably get to that another day).

Gojo Saturou/Itadori Yuuji (GoYuu): Most of my blog will you a clue already lol.

Sukuna/Itadori Yuuji (SukuIta): Number one toxic ship rn, but would you believe I prefer their siblings falling in forbidden love trope?

Mikaela Hyakuya/Yuuichiro Hyakuya (MikaYuu): Found family lovers that will give anything for each other? Sign me up.

Tyki Milk/Allen Walker: I walked into the D.gray man fandom late and I will never not regret it, I need more people that at least know who they are (〒﹏〒)

Eren Jeager/Armin Arlet & Eren Jaeger/Levi Ackerman (Eremin & Ereri): Getting these two out of the way at the same time cuz while I think Eren is undeniably his best self a lot with Armin, I love the thought of Levi being there as his inspiration.

Itoshi Rin/Itoshi Sae: Their beef is adorable but they need to fuck.

Roy Mustang/Edward Elric: I love their banter and they've both been through way too much together.

Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent (Superbat): one is batman the other is superman...Need I say more?

Dick Grayson/Tim Drake: I watched Titans and they had me.

Luka/Adrian (Lukachat): I stopped watch Miraculous at like S3 but these two are the only salvageable treasure from that mess to me.

Sherlock Holmes/William James Moriarty (Sherliam): From Moriarty the Patriot not any other adaptations please. There was that one movie tho. I love how they're constantly teasing and trying to outsmart each other like yeah babes, burn that city down to get his attention.

Kageyama Tobio/Hinata Shoyo (Kagehina): I haven't finished Haikyuu S2, spare me.

Kagami Taiga/Kuroko Tetsuya: what's with sports anime and K names, that aside, I don't know but their separation leaves me in tears everytime.

Yukio Okumura/Rin Okumura: Rin cares so much, Yukio stop being a yandere you closeted brocon! I know you!!!

Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji: I have a thing for broody possessive tops and oblivious bottoms and they were my awakening.

Hideyoshi Nagachika/Ken Kaneki (Hidekane): Receiving Tokyo ghoul spoilers of how things ended kept from finishing the show or starting the manga, what even is the point .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.

Draken/Mikey/Takemichi & Draken/Mikey: DraMiTake is something I'd consume if I find it cuz I read this one precious fic I will forever cherise but DraMikey has way too much angst potential on its own. Tugs my heart to know Draken keeps Mikey grounded.

Baji Keisuke/Chifuyu Matsuno: Kazutora I will never fucking forgive you.

Hanma shuji/Kisaki Tetta: psychotic boyfriends, we love to see it (✿ ♡‿♡)

Reinhard Van Astrea/Natsuki Subaru: They are literally my banner plus he's one of the few people that doesn't give Subaru a hard time (I only watched S1)

Sebastian Michaelis/Ciel Phantomhive: Butler x master, what else do I need to add. I do absolutely adore the thought of Sebastian being cheeky when putting his young master in his place. I also love soft Sebastian, go figure.

Carnegie/Jonathan Sterling: No one remembers Darkside so I won't even dive into it. These two are the reason I'm trying to finish the series right now, book girlies, read Darkside by Tom Becker and come find me please ಥ‿ಥ

Dante/Vergil: It just makes sense ngl.

If you made it this far...why did you lollll, but honestly thanks for reading, talking about ships is one of my things and be free to ask again if you want me to expand upon or analyze any of these, that or if you just want recs. I'm down for anything.

[matan4il]

Hi, I’ve seen some gifs of that Thai show, but are those two actors together in real life too?

Hi lovely Nonnie!

Oh wow, I did not expect an ask about Kinnporsche The Series / Mileapo, but I probably should have since I went off a bit in the tags of that gifset reblog, didn't I? XD Please never take me too seriously whenever I claim two specific individuals have invented love, I'm just joking around. Unless I'm talking about David and Jonathan, because they totally did. ;p

But if I'm to try and answer seriously, I would say that officially, the last time either Mile or Apo have addressed the issue of their romantic status, they both said they're single (Mile in Aug 2022, Apo in July 2021 if I'm not mistaken). Of course, that's also the response I would expect from them if they were together. Because just like there are opposite sex couples who meet on the sets of movies and TV shows, and fall in love or just have an affair, there are same sex couples who go through the same thing. The difference is that society (and the entertainment business even more so) is still so homophobic, that these same sex couples often can't come out. I mean, if opposite sex couples sometimes feel they need to keep it to themselves, and we only find out about their romances decades later, like in the case of Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve (if we find out about them at all), then imagine how much harder it is for same sex couples who fall in love as co-stars... (or even when there's a same sex celebrity couple, period)

Other than Mile, Apo and the people they trust, no one really knows if Mileapo actually are a couple and have to be closeted, or if they're just truly the best of friends who bonded so much as co-stars on the set of KPTS that their behavior is hard to distinguish from the way lovers act towards each other. We also have to take into account that they're from Thailand, and the cultural norms for how men are allowed to interact can be very different. Especially when we remember that they starred in a BL (gay themed show) together, and the norm for that is heavy fan service. I AM convinced that even then, their bond runs deeper than fan service, especially since the original production of KPTS was canceled, and the production company that was set up instead explicitly said it would not require fan service. Plus, this company was co-founded by Mile to save KPTS and give Apo his second chance to shine as an actor, after he had been previously bullied by homophobes into leaving the acting world. So yeah, I have every reason to believe their connection is real.

And the fact that this is a part of their unhinged story (that they met briefly as models 7 years before they auditioned for KPTS, that they obviously thought the other one is an attractive man and remembered each other all of these years, that Mile watched Apo's shows, that they re-connected at the auditions and seem to have been inseparable since, for over 2.5 years now, that they fought together for KPTS to be made and then gave us on screen an astounding love story, that they chose to go on working together on their next projects, including the upcoming queer film Man Suang, and continue to hang out even outside of their busy schedule together) brings us to what is most meaningful to me about them. Whether their bond is romantic or platonic, it's clearly so deep that I wouldn't hesitate to call them soulmates. They love and care for each other, support one another, and I think they healed each other in ways that make me feel soft and happy to know that such love exists in the world. So I'm going to continue rooting for them, and possibly joke about it like I know that they're a couple, because in a very profound sense of the word, even if it's not romantic, they are.

This was probably way too long, my apologies. Okay, have a Mileapo being in sync gif just to make it a bit better...

Have a good day! As always, my ask tag. xoxox

[min-kit]

The whole “Buddie buildup for seasons!” thing is so funny to me as someone who’s been watching from the start. The very moment Eddie appeared in the first ep of season 2 and talked to Buck (which was pretty charged and slightly negative) people started shipping them and demanding for them to get together based on chemistry alone, with no build up or backstory. It obviously continued as the show went on and more moments happened but as someone who shipped them back then they actually made MORE sense when the ship and chemistry was fresh imo, in seasons 2 and 3, and no one debated it as then. Now that Tommy appeared now suddenly it’s all “3939 seasons of buildup!”. Especially weird when there were some seasons where there was negative buildup for Buddie. Again, I used to ship them so it’s not like I’m against the idea but saying Buddie makes more sense than BuckTommy only because of madeup is BS.

warning: this is long!!

I actually came into the show with buddie goggles on. I think my first episode live was 4x4? It was either Future Tense or the episode RIGHT after Future Tense, idr which but I had a mutual or someone I followed on twitter who was really into the show & would share ppl's edits. Now I knew they weren't canon & even then I didn't need them to be (i like a good "queerbait" as the kids call it, tho i have arguments for what actually constitutes queerbait. I simply call it "shippable"). But as someone who went in knowing about their ship, I looked at EVERYTHING with those goggles on. So yeah I shipped them hardcore for those seasons. Then s6 happened and I packed my bags on that ship to ever actually happen in canon and resolved to watch the show a bit more casually season 7 onwards (and I would've done too had I not heard the rumors about bi Buck!! haha)

But I did start rewatching the series through the reactions of someone who did not have those goggles on a few months ago and it really shed some light on certain things. All that is to say, I do agree with you. If it was something that was ever gonna be done, during s2 & 3 makes the most sense. I think ppl forget that fanon is not the same as canon & things that work in fanfiction do not work in the actual canon world of the show. Now that Buck is bisexual, I do fully believe & adopt the headcanon that he had feelings for Eddie early on & just didn't realize it, but they developed fully into friendship.

I don't think they're going to make Eddie canonically queer too. I just don't. I'm not sure why I ever thought they might give both coming out stories (maybe it's because I watch a lot of Asian BL). Unfortunately, that is just not how network television works in America. The fact they made Buck queer 7 seasons in is already HUGE. I'm not gonna hang my hopes on what's probably an impossibility when I have this beautiful canon queer storyline happening on my screen already & I genuinely like Tommy & think he's the perfect LI for Buck.

I think here is what people need to realize too. Once again fanon =/= canon. There are no so many years of build-up. Unless and until they make buddie canon, those years of build-up do not exist because, currently, they're not trying to build anything up. Tim has said they aren't currently planning it, Ryan again and again has said how much Buck & Eddie's friendship means to him to see on television because you don't see male friendships portrayed that way (and you don't! especially not friendships between 2 "macho" men both in their 30s, 1 of whom is canonically queer. This too is an important storyline to tell).

People watch this show with buddie goggles feeling like they're owed these 2 to get together but that just isn't the case. Tim will tell the story he wants to tell & ppl viewing are signing up to watch THAT show. If you don't like that show, stick to fanon because that's something you can control.

And, one day, if they do decide to go in that direction (and I'm firmly in the camp they're not going to & if they do it's gonna be in the final season, but I truly think ABC wants 911 to be another Grey's Anatomy; something that can go on for 20 seasons so who even knows if these actors will want to stick around that long) it's not going to be the story of Buck & Eddie realizing they've had feelings for each other all this time. They won't be able to convince the GA of that. It'll be them falling in love for the first time on screen. But first they need to convince the GA that Eddie is whatever brand of queer they decide on (it's not going to be gay, I will say that right now. As much as I understand why people headcanon him as such & even agreed for a long time, that is not the reality within the show's canon. The show is not trying to lie to people about Eddie enjoying sex with women, they would make it more obvious for the people who don't sit online analyzing if that were the case. Personally I've started reading Eddie as aromantic but I know most ppl here would never be cool with that since it puts a damper on buddie too).

If people want to continue living in a delusional world where these things will for sure happen, then that's on them and is their right. Have fun with it! Fandom belongs to the fans. You can do anything here. But to get upset and angry because other fans might not agree, or the people in charge of the show don't go the direction you want? Well that's just silly. We are viewers (& also writers can NOT use the things fans say. They could get in serious trouble for that). You can be active in a fandom space, but at the end of the day, being a viewer is a passive job. The writers write the show, then they film it and put it out to the world & a viewer views it & enjoys the art that these hundreds upon thousands of people created.

And, also, there's a lot more passive viewers than there are active members of fandom. And people forget that. If every single hardcore shipper stopped watching right now, the views would hardly dip. They won't lose anything just because they decide not to make fandom's favorite ship canon.

[waitmyturtles]

Turtles Catches Up With Jojo Tichakorn: The Warp Effect (2022-23) Edition

My life is so insane right now with the usual adulting responsibilities that afflict me and so many others (AFFLICT, I SAY!) that I've been spending most of the little time I have to write meta focused on the Old GMMTV Challenge -- I'm even neglecting my DARLING Japanese doramas in Minato's Laundromat 2 as I catch up on everything else, gah. (Dangerous Romance and Only Friends on consecutive days. SMDH. GMMTV said, hey beesh, your time belongs to MOI NOW, and I'm all like, HOW DID I LET YOU DO THIS TO ME.)

BUT ALL THAT BEING SAID, fuck, if you wanna make something happen, you make it happen, right? I heard the demands, the slamming of hands-hands-hands on the table from my dear friend @wen-kexing-apologist (HANDS!) to take on The Warp Effect as a means of preparing for the Only Friends onslaught, and to get to know another clutch project by the inimitable Jojo Tichakorn.

The Warp Effect was airing just as I really began to launch myself into watching more GMMTV dramas late last year. At the time of its airing in December 2022, I had literally only watched The Eclipse and A Tale of Thousand Stars like a GMMTV BL dilettante, not knowing 1) anything about 2) anyone and 3) why anyone, from the actors to the filmmakers, would be important to know about for any particular show. If I had picked up on The Warp Effect literally as it was airing, I, as an Asian-American, literally would have been like, THEY'RE MAKING THIS STUFF IN THAILAND, HOW DID ANYONE NOT TELL ME?!?!?!?! And that would have been it.

So, yeah, thank goodness I've watched it *now*, ha, in the midst of the OGMMTVC, where I've gained knowledge not only of the history of GMMTV's BL slate (of which The Warp Effect DOESN'T belong, just to clarify), but of the many significant actors who were in TWE, and also of the history of the GMMTV network airing increasingly progressive content in the first place. While BLs of all kinds, by various filmmakers, have aired on GMMTV since 2016's SOTUS -- as many of us know, Jojo exists outside of the BL bubble, making progressive art that's focused on sex and sexuality, sexual health, and the inclusion of queerness and various sexual expression and identification spectrums in everyday life.

I committed to knowing more about Jojo's oeuvre when Only Friends was first announced, because I'm always of the assumption that 1) artists talk to other artists through their artistic oeuvres, and that 2) artists also talk to their own growing body of art, through new art, progressively over the course of time. I figured that by being as familiar as I could be with as big of a scope as possible of Jojo's body of work, that I could pick up more deeply on where his mind might be going within Only Friends.

So anyway -- that's why I took on The Warp Effect. After watching Gay OK Bangkok -- Jojo's BRILLIANT 2016 collaborative web series with Backaof Noppharnach about male queerness and men's sexual health -- I knew The Warp Effect had to be next on my Jojo list. I also utterly devoured Jojo's 3 Will Be Free for the OGMMTVC, but in The Warp Effect, I wanted to see Jojo's continued conversation about sex, and his openness about sex in his art specifically, as a means of understanding better the framing from which he's coming to Only Friends.

Both P'Aof and Jojo have an utter expertise in teasing out brilliant performances from actors who you wouldn't necessarily think could pull off what these two demand in their work. I think on a regular basis about Tay Tawan's spin as Shin in 3WBF, and I shake my damn head at that performance every time -- how Tay, coming off of the jock role of a lifetime as Pete in Dark Blue Kiss, could play with such aplomb an unassuming gay virgin, out of the closet and inexperienced, who had a STEEL core of survival within him. It was such a great role.

I felt the same about seeing New Thitipoom as Alex in TWE. (And, honestly, I thought it was SUCH a G move for Jojo to continue exploring how to get some GMMTV guys out of their jock reputations by casting New from his own Dark Blue Kiss past, just like Tay. BRILLIANT.)

I LOVED New in this role. He clearly was acting outside of his usual boundaries, and I think he ate this role with eagerness. New as Alex emphasized a major core of The Warp Effect for me -- as opposed to 3 Will Be Free, The Warp Effect was rooted in a particular genre that's not always explored across the GMMTV portfolio: COMEDY.

The Warp Effect was fucking hilarious! New as Alex was out of control so much -- bumbling, mistake-prone, disoriented, but quickly gaining in centered control as he organized himself to begin tackling his way out of the curse that he had been put under.

What I love about what Jojo did with TWE was that with every curve this show took, every direction the story went, he clearly was driving the course of this show with one foot on the gas -- but with razor-sharp steering. A show rooted in comedy and depictions and dialogue about sex could have gone off the rails at so many moments. He began a number of episodes with montages of various intimacies that brought such a sexy and mature vibe to the show, that he rooted himself firmly in the ability to then dialogue about that intimacy with fluency. He knew how to set up conversations about sexual health with not an ounce of teachy condescension. He leveraged comedy when necessary to lighten what could have gotten dragged down by just about anything -- fear, judgement, condemnation. We know from Jojo's past oeuvre (GOKB, 3WBF) that he'd never go there. But that he took SUCH control of a complicated narrative that involved a sizable number of characters -- the fact that he wove commentary about sex and sexual health into that complicated narrative, and did it with sensible comedy and drama, was brilliant.

3WBF didn't talk about sexual health, but Gay OK Bangkok did, in spades, directed towards the Thai queer male community. I predict Only Friends is going to have some amount of commentary about alcohol abuse in queer partying culture vis à vis Ray. Selfishly, as a mom -- something that I will forever take away from The Warp Effect was the focus on women's reproductive health. I haven't seen such a close look -- and an ACCURATE READ -- on women's reproductive health in a show before this one.

So, first of all, I DO hope that it was meant to be indicated that Alex's memory about being an OB-GYN came back because, shit, you don't learn about giving Pap smears in a 30-second montage, HA. But that being said:

Stirrups? Speculums? Questions about looseness and fluids? Vaccines? Fertility? IVF? HORMONES? PREGNANT MOMMY HORMONES???

Damn. I mean. GIMME. I felt seen as a mom. Yet again, this is why I watch shows from Asia, and particularly Thailand by way of this country's openness with sexual honesty in media. How Jojo was able to turn the topic of women's reproductive health into compelling television. Western media would likely pooh-pooh this topic and/or turn it into cringe-worthy comic-ish commentary that would ultimately condescend to a woman's experience. I've been pregnant a few times, and let me tell you -- Jojo got Nim's experience CORRECT. (Except for her drinking what I hoped was a mocktail at the prom wedding. I know there are cultures that allow for minor drinking during pregnancy -- I'd have to find out where Thailand falls on that -- but my own personal experience was that my OB was so strict that I was afraid if she FOUND OUT I had a sip of something. Anyway, red drink in martini glass, let's hope it was Hawaiian Punch or the Thai equivalent.)

And of course, this being Jojo -- how The Warp Effect ALSO treated men's sexual health and queer male sexuality was also amazing, even heart-wrenching. I found myself getting emotional at Army's conversations with Joe about penetration and positioning, due in large part to Joe being so resistant at the start of even exploring these issues within himself. How Alex hilariously intervenes to provide Army the information he needs to come back to Joe to make intimacy better for the both of them -- again, the use of comedy here being so brilliantly leveraged to discuss a topic that could otherwise carry discomfort within it. The writing and filmmaking of Army's overall leading dialogue was incredible.

(ALSO?! FLUKE PUSIT?! MY FIRST TIME WITH FLUKE PUSIT?! Tell me why this dude doesn't have his own show again?! FLUKE AND THOR? THESE DUDES JUST WENT FOR IT! FUCK, MAN, LITERALLY! Holy shit, Fluke and Thor WERE RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING GEMS.)

(Let me also say: I hope Fah comes back to Thai television. She just NAILED her role as Jean, and I'd love to see her act again, and get to know her repertoire better.)

I think what made The Warp Effect so successful was, besides the tight but complicated storyline, is Jojo's TOTAL FEARLESSNESS at tackling topics that he is DEEPLY rooted in, at a very high comfort level. Even in 2016's GOKB, Jojo and P'Aof wrote VERY FRANK dialogue about men's sexual health. (And for good reason, as GOKB shared that in 2016, 25% of Bangkok's queer male population was HIV-positive -- a stunning stat.)

When a director is rooted in that FRANKNESS -- without fear or hesitation, and even pressure from a network or sponsors -- they can really go places by way of making bold content with equilibrium. Many of us have noted that Only Friends is not sponsored -- no Oishii or Lays in sight. That means that Jojo (and his team) are going into OF unfettered. Give me more unfettered content about sex and sexual health. The world needs it, especially if it's centered around a redemption story of such a good order, that it makes every single actor within the show better because of it. The Warp Effect was a joy to watch -- even while it was rooted in fantasy, the truth it shared about intimacy and health are permanent lessons that are always needing to be learned.

--

P.S. Gawin Caskey's theme song was a BOP.

P.P.S. Shirtless, tied-up Joong: YES.

P.P.P.S SILVY! GAH, SILVY! HOW GOOD WAS SHE?!?!?! CAN SHE PLEASE GET SIGNED BY GMMTV?!?!?! OMG. I LOVE HER, YOUR HONOR!

[eruhamster]

Hi....! If you don't mind, can I ask, who are your top 7 favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series/etc (can be canon or non-canon) and your top 10 favorite characters ever from any media? Why do you love them all? Thanks if you want to answer....

THIS WAS REALLY FUN TO WRITE!!! Thank you! I spent like an hour and a half writing. I thknk that these answers would vary from day to day but at least the top couple answers for each have been pretty consistent.

It is skewed from me recently reading tons of BL...

Favorite relationships:

1. Gutsca/Guts and Casca from Berserk: This one has a stranglehold on me I don't think really fades. I think it's the one M/F couple that truly feels equal without it being sidelined. Guts and Casca know each other's pain more than anyone else and accept each other for who they are, fully. They would both do anything for the other even if the other doesn't know it. They hurt each other but it isn't toxic; they are actively trying to get better together, and help the other get better. They fall apart when they're separated, and yet at the same time the narrative refuses to let them be together. It's painful but you can really feel their devotion to each other. And unlike other M/F, there isn't some kind of feeling of a power imbalance. Guts isn't Casca's owner. In fact, he's depicted more of her loyal dog. He has no control over her, and he knows that due to her trauma, there's things he as a man cannot do for her, so he steps aside and allows the women in her life to assist her. She was his first step toward breaking from toxic masculinity and understanding women not as an other species, but as other people. He treats her as an equal. Not a thing he owns, not a child. Even when she is catatonic and acting like a toddler, he treats her the same as anyone deserves to be treated. He has demons just like she does, but even at his worst you can tell he respects her deeply and doesn't ever want to wrong her. It's breathtaking to me. It's so rare in media to see a relationship like theirs. It's why I can't give up on Berserk even with Miura's death. I need to see them succeed.

2. Bongchun and Soongap from Bongchon Bride: I think this is still my all-time favorite romance story. For a million reasons outside the main couple. Read Bongchon Bride if you have time, it's beautiful. But yeah; I like two genres of romance pretty evenly- noncon stuff and romances where people fit together like puzzle pieces. And they're the latter. No matter how Soongap thinks he's not truly married to Bongchun, they are 100% married. They act exactly as a marriage should be. There is no selfishness between them; they always think of what is best for them together, as a team. They lift each other up and fill the others' shortcomings. They heal each other and comfort each other and keep each other safe and out of trouble. A lot of romances will have a sort of one-sided romance where one person is the giver and one person is the receiver; not with sex, but in general. One person has all the wealth, power, emotional stability, etc, and the other is essentially pampered. This manhwa starts out like that but Soongap is not the kind of person to take without giving. He isn't just a trophy or a toy for Bongchun, he fits himself into his life and makes Bongchun's life substancially easier. He helps him come out of his hermit shell, he makes things for him, he takes care of his mother, he handles the finances and bartering, and he lends Bongchun his advice and warnings, which helps Bongchun when he is so naive and lacks Soongap's critical thinking skills. They fit together like puzzle pieces. :)

3. Hee-ryang and Yeonjo from Steel Under Silk: These two are sort of like the anti-Bongchun/Soongap. You can see how perfect they are for each other. They think very, very similarly. They get along so well when things are going good because they're so similar to each other. In a different universe, they would make a conniving power couple that could take on anything. But instead, they're stuck in a situation where they're both miserable and refuse to allow themselves happiness because that would hurt their pride too much, and their pride is all they have. There's this feeling that if they were in opposite scenarios, they'd end up doing exactly the same as the other did. So it feels equally toxic and heartbreaking instead of other noncon stories like it where it's an abuser and an abusee. They can hurt each other so deeply because they're mentally on equal playing fields, and because technically Yeonjo was the initiator of all of this. Hee-ryang was going to buy him out of slavery. Yeonjo at every step of the way has gotten himself into a situation to crush Hee-ryang's heart to pieces, and that's why it ends up spiraling and why Hee-ryang goes for really deep-hitting insults like saying that Yeonjo's body 'betrays' him and loves sex. He says stuff that Yeonjo told him in confidence just to hurt him because he's got nothing else and because he feels the same way about himself; he had to use his body to survive too, but in a way that left him littered in scars. I know if they can turn from each other to a single villain, they can be a strong team because they clearly understand each other so deeply.

4. HuaLian/Hua Cheng and Xie Lian from Heaven Official's Blessing: This one's hard on the mind since I've been on a kick for this series but it's more of that puzzle piece thing. Hua Cheng is only the rich, powerful man he is because Xie Lian believed in him. He was part of the reason Xie Lian went through 800 years of suffering, but Xie Lian never once thought of it that way. Never in all those books did he ever regret saving that little boy. He only wonders what happened to him. And when he finds out that that little boy was Hua Cheng all along, he isn't upset. Because all Xie Lian ever wanted in his life, the thing he lacked even as the pampered crown prince of that perfect kingdom, was a person who understood him, including his faults, and still believed in and accepted him. His parents didn't understand him, even if they loved him unconditionally. Feng Xin cared for and believed in him but could not accept his faults and ultimately left when Xie Lian told him to. Mu Qing understood his faults but was so petty that he misunderstood and twisted his intentions and fucked off when things got bad. Hua Cheng believes in Xie Lian strongly enough to not budge even when Xie Lian is at his absolute worst. He only leaves Xie Lian through no fault of his own. Because he knows Xie Lian needs someone. Just one person. To be there and believe in him, like Xie Lian was the one person to believe in him.

5. Beefleaf/He Xuan and Shi Qingxuan from Heaven Official's Blessing: A more doomed version of Hualian. They get along like two peas in a pod. As much as He Xuan tries to act like he hates SQX, you can tell he doesn't. He keeps him safe and throws joking jabs in ways only a friend does. He Xuan is a good actor but there's no reason for him to act that was as long as he did. And even at the end of the story, when he's trying to appear as Hua Cheng, he treats SQX the same way. Because it wasn't an act. He genuinely cares for SQX, even despite everything. But he is such s resentful ghost who sits atop a mountain of bodies and still has the fucked up mindset of a hungry ghost, so he can't let it all go. He can't. He hurts SQX by killing his brother, who deeply wronged him. He feels he had to. For his family. And yet he still carries SQX back to the capital, where SQX loved to go. And drops him off safely, and without changing his fate. And keeps his distance. But SQX does not seem to hate He Xuan. He knows his brother wronged him deeply. He knows he doesn't deserve godhood, so he doesn't want it. Even before his brother is killed he was dead-set on ditching godhood when he found out the truth. His brother had to tie him to a bed and sedate him to stop him. And even after it all, he makes sure Xie Lian does not wrongly blame He Xuan for things he didn't do. He takes responsibility for the situation he ended up in. And while he's afraid, as the coward he is, when he realizes He Xuan is there again, he doesn't react badly. He wants to ask him something. But he's gone before he can. I'd like to think when the story ends, they do rekindle their friendship, and maybe become more. There's time for it. And SQX is a cultivator, and a good one. He could continue cultivating and live a long, long life, even without godhood. There's time.

6. Sylhan and Gjord from Antidote: This manhwa is still ongoing but so far I've really enjoyed their dynamic and I think they'll end up a favorite. There is a power imbalance here but ot wasn't always this way. You get glimmers of it from talk of the past and Sylhan's occasional dreams. As Lord Khallak he was a genius who was good at what he was, which is why Gjord, a king of a people that hate Khallak, has devoted himself entirely to Sylhan. He accepts Sylhan even at his worst, unconditionally, and is clearly doing his absolute best to work in the shadows to give Sylhan the life he deserves after he was wronged by people who hate them. I'm eager to see more because you can tell they were that puzzle piece kind of relationship with how Gjord tells him how they used to argue all the time over political and governmental things, and how Sylhan used to be very strong-willed. Sylhan is weak and confused now, but you can get glimmers of the past. Reminds me of wedding vows. In sickness and in health.

7. I don't know that I have a very specific 7. This probably fluctuates with time. But I'll point out the one I've liked and am still mad about being sidelined; No Name and Jihwa from Painter of the Night. They're complete opposites but their personalities seem reversed. You would think that twinky, soft-hearted son of a nobleman would be the more gentle one, but it's the nameless criminal. No Name takes all the abuse Jihwa throws at him and just does not care and responds kindly in turn; he pulls his hand away from his face when he's chewing his nails raw, he drapes him with robes when he's cold, he gives him advice, he drops by and warns Jihwa and then saves Jihwa's life. They feel to me like a curly-haired, yippy little pomeranian and a big, tired wolf. To be honest, I would have preferred a story with them as the main couple. They're far more interesting. And they act this way even when they don't actually care for each other yet, by the author's own words. There's some kind of natural pull there.

Favorite characters:

1. Casca - I could go on for ages about her character. Anyone who insults Berserk is a moron. Casca is handled phenomenally. She is a woman with trauma and people who care about her enough to try and help her through it. She is not treated as a fridge, she is a main character as much as Guts is, and her trauma is not magically solved. It's even acknowledged that Guts is centered in her trauma and it's other women that help her the most. But she still cares about that man, and appreciates both what he did for her, and what he didn't do - what he understood he could not do.

2. Sansa - A girl dealt a bad hand who doesn't have to become 'masculine' to fight back like you usually see in fiction(including ASOIAF itself with characters like Arya). I think any girl who was in a bad situation can relate to her.

3. Miquella - God-twink who is not evil no matter what Twitter tries to make you believe. He genuinely wanted to fix his mother's warcrimes and make things better for everyone. He cared too deeply and that was his downfall, as to become a god you have to remove that caring part of you. I like to think the Grace leads you to him to kill him specifically because he is the ultimate threat to the Greater Will, far more than Ranni, and could have legitimately ushered in an age of peace and prosperity.

4. Kaji - The one character who had any sense in Evangelion who is largely ignored. He cared deeply, deeply about Misato even when Misato was too fucked up mentally to accept him, and he fought for what he believed in. He isn't the kind of character to just let things be.

5. Bulma - Obsessed. She's smart but she's also stupid and she is the worst person to exist on the planet. I know she is all kinds of isms and wouls be insufferable IRL. Compells me though

6. Hange - She's been a constant even though I don't like AoT anymore and hate the ending. A genius who cares deeply about things. The anime flanderized her.

7. Shi Qingxuan - Obsessed with how unapologetically flamboyant he is while also just being the most generous and common sense person in the story behind Xie Lian. He was somehow consistently the only one with his brain attached and would call others out on their stupidity - and was always correct.

8. Yamcha - He was hot in the original, before Toriyama made a laughing stock of him. Also, I gotta say I'm obsessed with the sort of long-haired, tan-skinned, silly, muscular guy that's obsessed with love that you see in stories every now and then. Yamcha, Sokka, the main character of Golden Boy, the wolfy boy tertiary character from Inuyasha, Casey from TMNT, etc. That kind of guy.

9. Bada from Dreadful Night - I love green-haired, long-haired boys with no-nonsense personalities.

10. Gwyndolin - Man, I am obsessed with that design.

[tbhimnoteasyonmyself]

15 Day BL Challenge - DAY 16

We're doing overtime, guys dksjkdjksdjskd

What Show Has Taken You by Surprise This Year?

Have I been disappointed this year? Yeah, sure. But, tbh, this has been a good year, I think. Many series have been pretty good and it seems like we're heading towards a future with more quality, which is always nice, right?

This being said, here are my best surprises this year:

Jack&Joker & Wandee Goodday

Can you believe me? I saw the trailer for Jack&Joker and I was like: "ah... okay, whatever..." WHAT A JOKE, WHAT A MOTHERFUCKING JOKE! sdjskdjskdjkj This turned out to be one of my all-time favourite series, I was hooked on it from the 1st episode. Not a boring time in this universe, not an episode I didn't absolutely love, what a great fucking series! From the satire to the romance to the found family, everything was on point. Truly buzzing for February!

I watched Wandee Goodday bc I thought it could be "cool". BUT WAS IT FUCKING COOL??? NAH, IT WAS COOL AF!!! We need more working gays as opposed to high school or uni gays. Give me adults with established lives. It's so nice to watch a bunch of freaks who know who they are, actually. And still have so much to learn and discover tho! It's also way better to watch ppl in their 30s be single and still figuring it out, like, it's a good reminder your life doesn't end at 29, like they be saying. I had so much fun with this series, I want 20 of these.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Mr. Mitsuya's Planned Feeding & Caged Again

Not even gonna lie, I did start watching MMPF bc of Sakai Taisei bc, get this, I knew him from Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger. Yes. This is another tokusatsu to BL pipeline. Can't lie, I mean, I was curious. And boy, was I not disappointed. This series is so cute and heartwarming and actually well-written. My only complaint is that it should've been 2x hornier but that's okay.

PS: Ya boy over here is the creator of Mr. Mitsuya's tag on AO3, so if you wanna check out the only work in it (mine) here's your hyperlink xdkjdkjdksjdk.

Caged Again was probably the biggest surprise bc... Wdym he was a penguin and the other guy was a panther and they both escaped the zoo and are now students at a boarding school and 2 ppl from the zoo are after the human penguin to traffic him with his brother and then they got lost in a forest and older gays tried to help them and now they're being rescued by a spirit all while falling in love and trying to get a hold of the panther's predator instincts??? This is PitBabe 2. This is exactly the same level of brainfuck. And just like I was here for the furry men with a traffic plotline, I'm here for the furry teenagers with a traffic plotline. Nothing changed. dsksjdksjd Curious to see where it's gonna go!

[discluded]

often I see people saying MileApo are different from other couples, do you mind to explain what makes them standout ? what makes their relationship special from others?

Hi, not to sound purposefully obtuse, but do you mean Thai BL actor pairings that promote together? I know "couple" is often what they call those too, but just trying to make sure you don't mean like, people who are dating or married. 'cause that I can't answer.

ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ coupla what durr hurr hurr

Thailand seems to have a film/media culture where there are actor pairings that often work together and those pairings are really well loved by the public in terms of their chemistry. This was an old Hollywood standard that doesn't happen as often anymore, but they still exist even in the west, for example, with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler's work, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gossling already cast together on a Ocean's franchise movie, and also Ryan Gossling with Emma Stone.

One such popular Thai couple is Mario Maurer and Mai Davika whom Apo has both worked with before, and Mario one of Apo's good friends. They've appeared in a number of films and projects together, though they often do work separately as well. Like the aforementioned Hollywood pairings, Mario and Mai are are also openly dating other people. Apo is good friends with Mario's partner Junji too!

The QL/BL industry has taken this and set it up where often, successful partnerships will involve the pairing working together across multiple projects almost exclusively. The standards for getting into acting into a QL/BL project are also not very high, which contributes to the Thai general public's perception of the quality of work and the actors' skills among those who participate in BL projects.

As such, a lot of people who want to get into acting see doing BL as a stepping stone into a more "respected" acting career, such as doing lakhorns. Oftentimes, these pairings will work together for a few projects and then like, sometimes part on bad terms. Often times, if the first project is super successful, they might not even pair in the projects even if they're both in the series or show (See: BrightWin).

MileApo differ in terms of that because Apo started out as an lakhorn actor and was relatively acclaimed as an actor on a local level. He's appeared on magazine covers, both for the series he's starred in and solo prior to KinnPorsche.

For actors who achieved such the level of success they have in their first series, many similar actors would decide to part ways and pursue more "respected" roles/projects, like BrightWin have. Part of the reason there's so much toxicity and infighting between solos and couple fans is that has been the precedent set for among BL fans, and solos were expecting them to part ways as acting partners with their own projects.

In fact, I've read quite a number of not-so-nice tweets implying Mile was "relegating" himself to BL roles when he doesn't have to do "that kind" of project anymore. (ah the inherent homophobia of people choosing to consume BL shows... 😑)

So they're mostly different in that they're actively choosing to work together across multiple projects even when they have the opportunity to pursue solo projects given how famous their first project made them. Of course, none of us expect this to be forever since Mile will have to return full time to his sexy CEO job at some point... but the future isn't written in stone.

But yeah, toxic solos be big mad that Mile and Apo genuinely love and respect each other and want to continue working together despite having multiple options otherwise. LMFAO.