#green flag seme

[absolutebl]

2024 BL - Top 10 Trend Report

In last year's rend report I said:

"I think Taiwan has the chops to give us something as good as The 8th Sense or Old Fashion Cupcake but in their style, and I would like to see them exercise their talent for good rather than just profit."

And Unknown happened.

I asked for it, they gave it to me. I could not be more happy. So anyway, I just wanted to crow a bit.

And now...

2024's TRENDS!

1 Trope Subversion Levels Up

My Stand In went so far as to subvert the whole damn romance genre. But in general we saw a lot of BL recognizing, highlighting and calling out it's own absurdities and tropes. From Korea commenting on the Dead Fish Kiss to Wandee Gooodday actually promoting green flag behavior (the real deal).

It was an interesting year for meta commentary, it kind of whole scale left parody behind (say goodbye, Japan) and entered almost every BL from Thailand, even the ones who should have left it alone. (Side eyes Mame.)

2 Old Tropes Revisited

Unknown revisited the step-brother trope (as did Addicted Heroin of course). But there were other old ones we haven't seen in ages, like kidnapping for love, kissing on rooftops, and all the dub con (Blossom). Love Sick rebooted with very little modernization (except where it counted) right up to and including no kisses. Mix Up even did "trapped on the rooftop" which I haven't seen in over a decade.

And then Wimpy dropped. And it felt like I was reading yaoi in my tiny attic bedroom in the 90s.

3 BL Enters All the Workplaces

I love how many adult leads and sides we are getting, even from Thailand. By which I mean, BL outside of a school setting. We still have high school and university set stuff, but that used to be ALL we got. I don't mind school settings, but I like that we have some kind of balance going on these days.

We are starting to get not just cubicles and offices (as Japan foretold) but all kinds of workplaces from retail to authors to the film industry.

4 BL Passes the Sniff Test

He smells good has always been a trope that I love. It was one of my favorite things about Bad Buddy. But this year it felt like every third BL trotted this one out. I was delighted by it. Of course I was. But it happened A LOT.

Century of Love was a key use of it since smell is so coupled to memory, I thought they dealt with it particularly well. But even Japan and Korea deployed the sniff test.

(Seoul Blues)

(Blue Boys) Same actors, different characters.

Pitt Babe

Century of Love

Meet You at the Blossom

Soul Blues

Blue Boys

Dangerous Romance

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans

Cosmetic Playlover

Sunset X Vibes

Monster Next Door

Secret Love

Perfect 10 Liners (technically a 2025 show, but the sniff happened in 2024)

5 Fewer Shipper Characters within BL

Negative trends are always harder to call (it's easier to track the presence of something over the absence) but I'm still calling this one.

In a discussion of The Shipper @heretherebedork and I got into a discussion about this. It really seems like both we are getting less "female shipper" characters and/or they are evolving into overly interested but very supportive female friends instead. Softening, if you will.

I think partly this is because there has been a general decline in this archetype in yaoi over the past 5-10 years, but also they tend to incur pretty bad reactions in fans, and Thailand (especially) tends to pay attention to that kind of thing.

Unfortunately this also means we are seeing a worsening of the "no female representation at all" backbone of BL. We Are, which I loved, didn't have a single female character. Not even a throw away.

6 The rise of the green flag seme!

The seme (active attacker in the relationship) got a lot of green flag action this year. We saw lots of Dommy boys, Daddy types, and players asking for permission, trying to communicate, talking about safe sex. Particularly out of Thailand.

To make sure this is clear, green flag means he communicates about the relationship and sex, takes no for an answer, asks for permission for (almost) everything, and doesn't do things like (just spitballing here) take a hotel room key and go into the other mans private room when he's not around (or asleep). Okay? Christ on a cracker. (When it comes to flags Mame has red/green colorblindness.)

Some examples:

Alan from Pit Babe

God from Monster Next Door (except for the one journal reading incident)

Sun from Sunset X Vibes (almost too far)

Yak from Wandee Goodday

Latte from Knock Knock Boys

7 Japan Came to PLAY

Japan came to play and will not leave the field that they built. I may not always like JBL, but when I love it, I REALLY LOVE IT, and when it hits it hit hard (pain or joy). And even when I don't like it, it always gives me a lot to think about.

We had 19 JBLs in 2024:

Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun

At 25:00, in Alaska

Dominant Yakuza and Wimpy Corporate Slave

I Became the Main Role of a BL

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan

Takara's Treasure

Although I Love You and You

I Hear the Sunspot

Living With Him

Love is Better the Second Time Around

Love is Like a Poison

Perfect Propose

Cosmetic Playlover

Sugar Dog Life

0.5D

Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru 2

Mitsuya-sensei no keimakutekina ezuke

Happy of the End

Ossans Love Season 2

Japan had 18 total BLs in 2023.

17-15 in 2022 (a couple I couldn't get hold of and a couple I just don't think are BL, so 2022 is vague).

7 in 2021. <- THAT was when the big jump occurred, 3 years ago. Which might have more to do with the pandemic than anything else.

But back to now: 19 in 2024 means they are actually just increasing their production gradually and in a steady way, as might be expected. In round numbers we didn't see anything unusual.

BUT

The series they've been airing in 2024 are running longer (for them) and being aired over longer periods of time. Not to mention getting better and quicker distribution.

By which I mean, Japan used to have more shorts and movies, less actual series with full run times (by their & Korea's BL industry length standard) on streaming platforms. So I think it's JBL runtime and distribution that is experiencing real growth. And the consistency of that runtime.

In other words, it feels like there are more JBL airing because we have access to most of them (for a change) and they're running long enough to cross into each other (which has been rare in the past).

What's almost more interesting to me is...

8 What the hell happened, Korea?

Korea cut back on their BLs in 2024. I am not sure if that's money drying up, a crack down within the industry over there, the political situation, or something else.

Still, it was wild to see such a stark fall off in production. They had 18 BLs in 2024 but fully half of them were shorts, and more than half were poor production quality than is prior standard. By contrast they had 21 in 2023, but only 1 was a short, and most were very high production (getting 8/10 or higher from me).

Since Korea tends to produce some of my favorite shows, it's no surprise I had no 10/10 BLs at all in 2024 with so little KBL's stepping up to the plate.

I sure hope this isn't a trend but it feels like it might be.

9 Why the hell is the not-kiss back?

Korea doubled down on being a pain in 2024 by bringing back the "they don't actually touch lips and we pretend they did by panning around the back of the head" with the camera. (Jazz for 2 sides, example. Yes, I'm still mad.)

Then Thailand did the with Addicted Heroin. AND with Love Sick.

What is this, 2016?

Color me annoyed. I thought we saw the last of that nonsense with Make It Right.

I remind you all, if they would kiss if they het but they don't kiss when they gay, it smacks of a phobia and I'm salty about it.

Yes yes, there are actor (idol, age) excuses in play. But they should cast differently if this is going to be a problem.

End of discussion.

No really, I don't wanna talk about it. I just want it to go away.

10 The rise of Great Grandmas

We have had cool grandmas before in BL but in 2024 we had so many of them. The Sign, Love for Love’s Sake, Monster Next Door, Jack & Joker, Every You Every Me, The Rebound, Wandee Goodday.

(thanks to @small-dark-and-delicious for bringing this one to my attention)

See the comments for additional discussion of the "why" behind some of these trends as well as a few I missed.

(source)

2023's Trends report here.

[vanillaxbiscuit]

IchiHime Yaoi [Pocky Kiss]

Happy Pocky Day~

[maybe-boys-do-love]

The Only Friends Conspiracy Corner

Welcome to my Only Friends conspiracy theory corner, where I lose my mind on the regular and explain why I believe Only Friends is a veiled commentary on the Thai BL entertainment industry and its relationship to Thailand's soft power economic model, especially Thailand's gay (aka pink money) tourism. As The Heart Killers gets relatively explicit about issues of structural political and economic power, now seems as good a time as ever to talk about Jojo’s last show that seemed to me to put so much of its political work in the subtext. This is just the starter pack. Hit me up with more thoughts anytime!

The Only Friends Hostel business. We have business majors in this show, a rarity in Thai BL, and for their class project they're opening a hostel. Each member of the friend group has a business role to play--Ray provides the real estate, Mew takes on leadership of finances and accounting, Cheum provides PR, and Boston's tasked with creative direction--but the value of the individuals, their roles in the business, and their willingness to collaborate with one another is the tension that drives the series. The characterizations, dialogue, and events in the series ought to be viewed in light of this. Mew, for example, partners off with Top, who encroaches on the friends' trivia group to answer for them a question about Thailand's first hotel, The Oriental, which two Americans established for sailors in Bangkok shortly after the opening of the Kingdom of Siam to international trade in 1855 and later two Dutch business partners reestablished after a fire. A single answer links Top to the influx of Western capitalism in the form of a hotel in Thailand! To count up the economic references in Only Friends would take a massive spreadsheet.

Artistic Passions. Each boy in the Y.O.L.O. bar friend group is associated with one artistic medium. Boston with photography and visual arts more broadly, Ray with music, and Mew with books (lol there's a scene in the last episode in which the translation has Force use the word force in a sentence immediately followed by Book as Mew mentioning his "books"). These are the components of the television and film medium: visuals, sound, and writing. Their romantic entanglements are also colored by their preferred medium and the narrative styles associated with them. Boston has his sensual dark room developments *wink wink,* Ray hooks up with a musician to visit record stores and concerts like a romantic movie couple, Mew makes his ideal seme court him in bookstores and dates straight out of a BL romcom novel. Even Cheum’s girlfriend, April, makes indie movies that go over our token lesbian’s head.

Atom, Cheum, and Mew’s BL Fantasies. It’s not surprising Cheum’s not about those art house flicks. Her, her brother, and Mew all espouse some BL tropes with harmful consequences. The most blatant is Atom’s stated belief that he ‘turned gay’ because of Boston, which he’s corrected on, but Atom, Nick, and Mew all commit to the BL (and broader romance) trope of equating first affections with true love. And Cheum sorts the gay men of her life into simplified categories of red flags or green flags, predators or cinnamon buns. Not all BLs are so simplistic with their trope usage and characterizations, but Only Friends highlights damaging tendencies that occur in the genre and among its fans.

The Pairings. Speaking of fans, one of the key strategies for creating fan interest are the pairings. While not unique to the BL industry entirely—Hollywood’s been pairing actors for publicity and dollars from pretty early on—BL pairs have a pretty distinct flavor, and Only Friends’ casting takes advantage of that. For our pair associated with the most fluffy BL narratives, we have ForceBook, a CP only ever paired together who have known one another since kindergarten. The maturer second love romance goes to FirstKhao, who both worked in other pairings before landing in their current contractual partner relationship. The situationship to end all situationships goes to two actors who, at the time, were not in a CP, something that Jojo has specifically mentioned as relevant to his interests when casting.

The Boeing of it all. Named after a fucking airplane manufacturer, with multiple references to his dreams of traveling internationally (concerts with Sand), flight (he's working to be a airline attendant), and flightiness (both his flightiness toward his bf’s and his encouragement of others to fly away from their partners). In a show explicitly about the hospitality industry? In a genre dependent on international viewers??? In one name, we get such a fountain of economic insight!

Begin Again. In the finale episode, Ray tells Sand he always wanted to wander around listening to music like they did in Begin Again. In fact, Mew and Top’s silent disco moment plays homage to the same sequence. Begin Again, however, is not a romance, despite what the marketing and weak reviews (from critics who expected a swooning repeat of indie gem Once from its director) implied. Instead, Begin Again uses romantic expectations as a trojan horse for an insider portrait of the music industry as the streaming industry changed its operating models. The leads are Mark Ruffalo who plays a has-been alcoholic producer (an important reference to even better understand Ray’s role in the hostel business) and Kiera Knightly, playing a singer-songwriter betrayed by her rising star boyfriend (acted by Adam Levine from Maroon 5). Spoiler alert: If you imagine something more between Knightly and Ruffalo’s characters than the deep relationship creatives can form making art together, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Ruffalo’s character goes back to his ex-wife (a bad omen for SandRay stans since the characters spend the time preceding their romantic walk in the last episode arguing about whether they still have feelings for their exes). Knightly’s chanteuse gets her former boyfriend to apologize and sing her song without pop theatrics on stage but she chooses not to join him and stick to her own independent path. Importantly, the film by the end respects both the popular and auteur artistic sensibilities, reserving more ire for the business models. No one character or method is completely demonized or sanctified. I can’t help but recognize a similar spirit in the portrayal of the three gay romance narratives in Only Friends—Boston’s queer tragedy, Ray’s tear-jerking gay romantic drama, or Mew’s BL comedy. The show acknowledges the formative role of those storytelling modes in the BL industry and even touches on some economic realities of choosing one mode over another. Some exemplary dialogue from the Begin Again: 

“I just think that an A&R [a record label’s artists and repertoire representative] man telling an artist how they should dress or come across is total bullshit. People don’t want that. They want authenticity”

“Authenticity! Give me the name of one artist that you think passes your authenticity test…I’m not saying you can’t be a real bona fide motherfucker in this business but you’ve got to do whatever it takes and get people in to see your shows where THE MUSIC can start to do its real work.”

Personal Hygiene Lessons. In the last two episodes, we witness Ray’s community service teaching children about hygiene. “Once upon a time…” he begins, which immediately alerts me to television writers depicting the act of storytelling. It’s a story attempting to encourage daily toothbrushing to protect from plaque, but Sand steps in and scares them with the threat of a bug crawling into their body if they don’t brush their teeth—suspiciously more similar to issues of sexual health than teeth brushing. The next clinic presentation is about washing out your nose. Either Thailand’s got some hygiene practices I don’t know about, or Jojo’s writing team snuck in a sneaky reference to douching. Watching, I was reminded that Jojo and his good friend and fellow director Aof Noppharnach (Bad Buddy, ATOTS, so many other huge GMMTV series!) began their careers writing and directing a series directly about sexual health for GayOK Bangkok, produced by an HIV testing organization. After the first presentation, Sand explains, “I’m approachable to all ages and genders,” a prime marketing demographic if I’ve ever heard one! Just like Sand, Aof, who is now the senior director of content production at GMMTV, has made inroads for himself and others into a massive market by developing a writing, directing, and producing strategy for integrating queer content (here’s my post about his recurring motifs around HIV treatment) within family-friendly BL shows, often with a romantic fairytale-like quality hearkening back to Ray’s “Once upon a time…” 

The Politician. The parents included in the series have distinguished economic and political circumstances they're associated with. Bear with me on the political-economy history lessons here. Boston, most prominently, has a father running for political office, and we meet him for the first time while Boston's wearing a 1998 t-shirt, the year the Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party was founded by Thaksin Shinawatra, telecom billionaire and Thailand's first prime minister to lead a democratically elected government through a full-term in office beginning in 2001. He led key initiatives to promote tourism, make healthcare accessible, and, controversially, crackdown on drugs. Essentially, he provided the vision for the government that kick-started Thailand's move to its current project of soft-power. In fact, his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, (who describes herself as a "socially liberal capitalist") is the current prime minister partly responsible for overseeing the equal marriage bill into law. Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 following his family's decision to sell its shares in major Thai telecom group to a Singaporean company and, faced with corruption charges in 2008, lived in exile (until September 2023, less than a month after Only Friends started airing). Ousted for not playing his part in supporting a Thai business? Boston, is that you? There is also a comment in the first episode about the massage parlor Boston's father built his financial success off of, and there's a conversation to be had there about Thailand's Thaksin-led shift away from and crackdown on its sex tourism industry. (The Department for Communicable Disease Control shirt on Style's shirt in episode 3 of The Heart Killers is a government organization in Thailand, not Alabama as the shirt says, which among other things monitors direct sex workers for STDs.) How might a focus on constant financial and moral improvement harm those who fail sanctions against promiscuity? What I find so artful about Boston's potential linkage to Thaksin is how he's constructed as Thaksin's parallel--in his journey toward exile and the over-consumption that led him there--and his antithesis. Boston's the victim, at least in his emotional well-being, of a neoliberal legacy. Thaksin's policies, similar to those of Rudy Giuliani and his predecessors in NYC, promoted family-friendly tourism and industry growth by supporting the corporate partnerships and broken window policing to price out and criminalize those unconventional populations who had taken refuge or even just found themselves in these locales after being marginalized elsewhere. In the same vein, the privileging of monogamous pairing in both BL narratives and BL fan-service expectations serve important goals encouraging breadths of people to accept and embrace gay love socially and politically—Thailand’s upcoming marriage rights bill, more expansive than most western countries, certainly has the BL industry’s influence to thank. Without further input, however, they neglect queer experiences beyond the realm of the first love or marriage plot. They neglect greater issues of equity, compassion, and freedom due to each individual human being (both actors and the general population), which the LGBT population, among others, has historically had an intimate experience with being denied or limited. 

Nick’s Digital Underworld. Nick’s our little tech wunderkind in OnlyFriends. His character fixes phones, hooks up cameras and recording equipment, makes digital campaign posters, you name it! And I personally love that he’s both a skeevy pathetic tech wizard and radiantly beautiful. His cute-factor almost lets us forget about his voyeuristic tendencies. He’s just a content enjoyer, and Boston loves creating content—he just doesn’t want himself recorded…So why doesn’t Nick just get off to some porn instead? Only Friends didn’t name itself so closely to the amateur adult content website for no reason! In fact, we got an OnlyFans reference in The Heart Killers episode 4. Imma have to thank this post for noticing an OnlyFans sign in the background of Addicted Heroin Th and pointing out that it’s illegal in Thailand, cuz I had never considered anything about the country’s pornography laws or internet censorship. I’ll try to restrain myself from blabbering too much about the history I found here and here, but the important part: Thaksin’s once again our guy kicking it off. The Thaksin government censorship focused heavily on antipornography and the 2006 military coup brought in a more Orwellian political flavor to the proceedings, both of which have basically proliferated with continuing regime changes. In 2020, mainly because of increased censorship of adult websites (which is a current global conservative trend—I’m looking at you Project 2025—so don’t hate on Thailand too much), Thailand dropped to the third-lowest tier of internet freedom, according to the company Comparitech (which focuses on cybersecurity and online privacy), only above North Korea, China, and Iran. Both content creators and consumers can have some harsh punishments under the laws. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine Jojo’s team giving us Boston’s pornographic art and Nick’s digital pornographic consumption as mere character dressing. The fact that they are the two excluded from the friend group at the end, excluded from the local business, from acceptance! Meanwhile, having censored the “deviant” contingent out of the equation, romance is alive and well at the OnlyFans—I mean, Only Friends hostel. As one kind of gay content is uplifted, another is suppressed and banished. No, Boston and the pornography industry he seems to signify are not perfect, but neither are his friends, nor the entertainments and political-economies with which they’re equated. 

Without too much moralizing, these are the sorts of observations and hypocrisies Only Friends highlights. In my reading, at least, it depicts these media and economic trends through its characters, allowing them to play out and contend with one another as they have in reality. Sometimes the allegorical tensions or pairing of genres and capital occurs in the dynamics between characters. Other times, as I pointed out with Boston and his Thaskin connection, the tension exists within a single character. These strategies allow the show to engage with political issues while under the government’s censorship laws, but this is also just what great literary political writing looks like! It speaks to its time, but it will stand much longer as simply a character-driven story about the contentions that arise between money, sex, love, and friendship. I cannot wait for Girl Rules to give us Jojo’s GL perspective on related issues and for Only Friends Dream On to explore this territory in the context of an actual BL production! Let the chaotic theorizing ensue!

[heretherebedork]

I actually wish we were more comfortable putting criticism in the main tags. I know that Tumblr's tagging system is kind of annoying, so filtering out critical tags when people are probably using like 50 different versions would be difficult. But sometimes tbh, I did not enjoy a piece of media I consumed. Sometimes, I didn't like a BL, and I don't like having to hunt through blogs like a crazy person to find someone who agrees with me.

I used to do that, anon.

And then I didn't like a popular show.

And got attacked. By anons and comments.

So now I don't put it in the main tag unless it is very specifically about a show I love that I need to criticize as well.

Alas, anon, the search continues.

And it happens! People dislike shows and watch them and critique them and sometimes you can enjoy a show and see the critique and sometimes it feels like they're watching a totally different show then you and that has to be okay.

But, sadly, many fandoms are not ready for that dichotomy and that's okay, it has to be okay, it's never going to change.

But also honestly my MAME and Jittirain criticism really doesn't belong in the show's tags because no one enjoying the show would agree with me. And they don't want to hear it and that's okay.

I don't understand why it's so different for We Are or for other goofy shows but that's also okay. Some people are more comfortable with critiquing openly or tagged and some people aren't. I am not. I had a very bad experience in that popular fandom and never again.

I know that I watch MAME shows and groan about consent and other issues where so many people just see romance. I know that Jittirain stories about lying semes and the ukes they manipulate always make my eye twitch. I don't need to subject their fans to that. They know.. Or at least I think they know? I don't know anymore, people were putting MAME characters into green flag contests and I've got nothing.

I do understand how frustrating it has to be to try to find criticism only to realize that it's all hidden. But sometimes that just how humans work. In order to share an experience we have to set aside space for criticism that isn't in the same place as the love and praise. Not always... but sometimes.

And that's why I watch all the shows I watch and I make sure to talk about them, tagged or not, if I have anything to say.

(I mean, y'all, I got multiple annoyed anons for how I talk about Joke and Jack and I like them both.)

[herefore-ve]

My green flag babies

I want me to be all semes but I couldn't resist putting My Naoto"s whole family

[fujoshimayor]

30 days of BL challenge

Day 20: your favorite top?

I'm cheating and doing my top 3 semes in green, yellow, and red.

Green flags:

Kang Daehyung from On or Off & Work/love balance

He's so daddy. Cougar hunter. Ceo. Well dressed. Smart. Bisexual.

But forreal one of favs. He encourages, supports, guides Yiyoung through the business world with wisdom that only comes from experience. He's just a sexy and mature character.

Sa Dowon from Full Volume

Another mature,older bf. He is so goofy. Really a golden retriever bf. Down for whatever when it comes to Boem. Forever horny.

Ahjussi/Bum Geon Woo from Dangerous convenience store

Ok so I like older tops.... sue me! Director Kang's gangster doppelganger. He is so unintentionally funny. Dead pan face and says the funniest shit.

For example:

Yellow flags:

Yoon Seungho from Painter of the night

Brat summer? Lord Yoon had a brat 365 24/7. So bratty. Also unintentionally funny because he'd had a tantrum anytime Nakyum mentioned Inhun. 🤣. Anyhow he's such a fun and interesting character. I loved reading his character arc.

Kang Dooshik from Pearl Boy

Even before the side stories I never thought of Dooshik as a green flag. He wasn't/isn't but he is a dynamic character. He's funny and he and Jooha have really good chemistry. He's charming and has a really interesting backstory. Pearl Boy isn't my favorite but I really do like Dooshik.

Yeo Taejoo from Lowtide in twilight

Honestly ... he has so much rizz. Definitely a gangster and doesn't hide it. It's been joy to read his redemption arc. Euja doesn't change his personality. He's still pervy and goofy. He actively tries to be better but also messes up. That's realistic.

Red flags:

Kwon Hee-ryang of Steel under silk

I love him. War crimes and all. Geneva Convention? Who is she? She should stay away from my man. I really love that he doesn't apologize for his actions. He did them and would do it again and that's something he owns up to and must live. So clever and fun. Also hot! Tan and a scar? Yeah... he's taking it.

Lee Woo Yeon/ Phillip from Love History by Willful negligence

You can get my read most stories if I find the toxic top funny and interesting. This mother fucker is hilarious. He says the wildest shit to get a rise out of Inseob. I'm sure he's 100 percent serious but also probably is tickled by his antics. He is certified crazy but I'm sorry if you said "I've tasted all your holes", I would die laughing.

TJ/ Oh Taejoon from Wetsand

Doyak really drew the sexiest character. My god. He's so delicious. I do love an obsessive bad boy and gangsters and men with scars... I'm a bird, I guess. Anyhow, I really enjoy he and Ian's backstory. I know it's toxic, but damn they look so good together.

[myblackcamera]

Pilot Blog: Hot Manhwa Semes That Will Make You Ignore Red Flags!

Category: Yaoi Title: Hot Manhwa Semes That Will Make You Ignore Red Flags! Meta-Description: Is your fictional man a red flag? I've listed all the hot manhwa semes that will make you go colorblind for them! _______

Toxic Yaoi often gets a lot of hate. But if we’re being real, they’re pretty solid reads.

Some people read it for the plot. But the cultured fujoshi? They read it for the plot.

The plot in question:



[Alt Text: Ahn Jiwon from BJ Alex Volume 1 Manhwa Cover]

That’s right - we’re talking about a manhwa semes with a lethal face card and a weapon that can kill - if you know what I mean. 

Manhwa semes who say “I’ll be gentle” or “Just one more round” even though we all know it’s a lie!

But with a lot of manhwas out there, it can be difficult to find a well-written and well-drawn seme. And by that, we mean someone toxic but HOT!

Here are the most toxic but hot semes of the season! (Spoilers ahead!)

1. Joo Jaekyung from Jinx manhwa



[Alt Text: Joo Jaekyung Jinx Birthday Art]

Coming from the left corner wearing the biggest red flag, the most toxic seme Mother Mingwa has created so far - Joo Jaekyung! 

Some people dislike Jaekyung for very valid reasons, and many of them concern our adorable uke, Kim Dan. 

The most memorable scene has to be when he throws away the Hermes keychain Dan bought for his birthday.

Now, Hermes is by no means cheap. But Dan thought he’d show some appreciation to his employee by buying him something nice and useful for his birthday. He even worked part-time jobs and skipped sleep because of it!

But for all his faults, Jaekyung is one hell of a man. He’s hot, he’s rich, and he’s well endowed. Who wouldn’t fall for a guy like him? (Well, if we ignore his personality)

When Jaekyung does the bare minimum, the entire fandom cheers. Yes - that’s how down bad his simps are for him.

And the smut scenes? Absolute art. Whenever he and Kim Dan smash, every panel is filled with their love juice. And when we see Jaekyung naked? That's the moment the spirit of feminism leaves a fujoshi’s body. 

Jaekyung isn’t nearly as bad as the other semes out there, but he certainly can do better. Season one just ended, and almost everyone is looking forward to his redemption arc when the next season comes. 

You can read Jinx on Lezhin.

 2. Kang Woojin from Love Jinx

 [Kang Woojin Love Jinx Lezhin]

If this is your man right here… Let me just tell you, you are BRAVE.

Now, there’s no shame in admitting that you love this man. Because Woojin is the type to sacrifice the world to save you - and that’s no exaggeration. 

He’s obsessive and possessive, but he will never lay hands on you. He will stalk you and invade your privacy, but he will also cut off everyone in his life to be with you.

Will he go that far? Yes. Yes, he will. He burned down the mountain his grandfather was buried in as an act of love and revenge. After all, he was the reason Haekyung (the uke) avoided him like the plague!

There’s just something about Woojin that makes us love him despite being such a huge red flag. You can call everyone who loves him crazy - there’s no changing the fact that this man will do anything for your love.

Read Love Jinx on Lezhin.

3. Cain from Yours to Claim



[Cain Yours to Claim Official Art Royal]

You might be surprised to see Cain here instead of Yahwi. 

Cain treated Jooin with so much love and respect from start to end. He accepted whatever he was given and stepped in for him whenever Yawhi would do him wrong. 

He did all that only for Yawhi to be the endgame. Imagine what Team Cain fans felt.  

Given it was a bit predictable, almost everyone felt it was a bit unfair, and Cain deserved better.

Cain also felt the same because he turned into a red flag from being a green one just so he could have Jooin. But even though he was controlling and possessive over Jooin, he always had his best interest in mind. If we compare him to Yawhi, you can clearly tell he was the better option. 

As frustrating as this manhwa was, at the very least, Cain had his happy ending. But Team Cain will forever stand for the fact that Jooin lost a good man.

Read Yours to Claim on Lezhin. 

4. Jaehyuk from Can’t Think Straight

 

[Yoon Jaehyuk Can't Think Straight Lezhin]

Jaehyuk is an a-hole. But he is a funny a-hole. And this ironically made him an icon in the BL community. 

Women don’t lie when we say we love someone who is funny. Why else are we turning a blind eye towards Jaehyuk, a homophobic playboy?

If we’re being honest, his only red flag is being homophobic. What's really ironic is the fact that he eventually turns gay. He turns so gay that he can no longer get it up with a woman. At least, not after tasting sweet Garam’s (the uke) butt. 

If you’re reading the current updates, you (and all the other fujoshi) must love how he’s become an absolute puppy for Garam. Cleaning the dorm for him, bringing him food, and, most especially, selling his stuff to buy a home for him. 

He’s not even boasting to Garam about it like he usually does!

The latest chapters made him even more lovable in our eyes. His redemption arc is ongoing, but we cannot wait to see how his character grows even more!

Read Can’t Think Straight on Lezhin.

5. Seungho from Painter of the Night



[Yoon Seungho in a bath from Painter of the Night - Byeonduck]

We all have a good reason to fear Seungho. Nakyum (the uke) does too. But if evil, why hot?

Seungho is a well-known sodomizer, and he kills whomever he feels like killing. Talk back to him? You die. Refuse his commands? You die. Well, you get the point. 

This is why Nakyum, despite being a painter, allowed Seungho to make advances towards him. And thank god he did. If not, we wouldn’t have found out how big Seungho's you know what was.

Now Seungho had a very valid reason for being who he was: daddy issues. That’s right, folks - he’s just like the rest of us.

Most people think Seungho’s backstory is a cop-out for the way he’s treated his bed partners (including Nakyum) in the past. After all, this is a common trope BL writers pull out whenever they have an irredeemable seme. 

But in Seungho’s case, this was well executed. It did not feel forced. Rather, it gave us a different perspective of his character. He was homicidal but also loving towards Nakyum. 

It’s no wonder why the “I can fix him!” girlies love this man. Not only was he willing to change for love, but he was also willing to sacrifice his life for Nakyum. 

Read Painter of the Night on Lezhin.

6. Ilay Riegrow from Passion



[Ilay Riegrow wearing a uniform]

If you like semes that will literally chase you to the ends of the earth, look no further. Ilay will find you no matter where you go. 

It’s as scary as it is arousing. It’s 'scarousing'. 

Taeui (uke) and the other Passion characters have called him a psychopath multiple times. With his track record of “accidentally” killing his subordinates? The claim isn’t too far-fetched.

By no means is Ilay excused for all his crimes. In fact, everyone acknowledges it. But a fujoshi is a lot simpler than you think. You see hot yandere, you simp. Crimes and all forgiven. 

With that attitude of his, it’s no wonder Taeui took revenge on him and ran away. He even changed his name and went as far as living in his future brother-in-law’s house.

But Ilay had a very logical plan in mind. He burns down an entire mountain. That’s right, people - we have another mountain-burning psychopath in our hands. Isn’t that hot? No pun intended. 

Read Passion on TappyToon.

7. Zhenya from Codename Anastasia



[Zhenya eating an orange — from Codename Anastasia Official Art]

If there’s any word that best describes Zhenya, it’s that he’s an absolute menace. 

This blondie looks like an angel but is actually the devil in disguise. (And if you haven’t read the novel and the manhwa, I suggest you skip reading this section.)

Still here? Well, here it goes:

He has assaulted him, kidnapped him, left him to die, and attempted to add his name to St. Peter's book. The worst part? He was behind Taekjoo's mom's death. 

So why are people still rooting for him despite all this? It’s because he has what we call pretty privilege. 

Look at the Tiktok edits. This man has over 359.3 million views! Almost all of these are thirst traps, and I'm not gonna lie; they’re mesmerizing. 

Does this man deserve the worst coming to him for what he did to Taekjoo? Yes. But is he also pretty? Definitely. 

But just as a friendly reminder to all the colorblind ladies: always keep these red flag acceptance in fiction only. After all, our preferences in fictional men do not necessarily reflect our taste in real life.

It's kind of like how we read Game of Thrones. Sure, we may root for the villains sometimes, but does that mean we condone their behavior in real life? Absolutely not. 

Read Codename Anastasia on TappyToon.

Did we miss out on your favorite manhwa seme? You can share more about who deserves to be on this list at the Otaku Community! Get to meet your fellow fujoshis and share your manhwa recommendations!

[allthefujoshiunite]

hi, is the anything like Checkmate [TAN] where the uke is possessive and yandere ?

I have already read Boss baby bitch but didn't like it as much.

Hello! Agreed, I wasn't very interested in the couple of chapters I've read from BBB as well so I dropped it.

As for titles similar to Checkmate; I don't read a lot of BL with manipulative characters and obsessive ukes are quite rare. I don't think I've read another title that's similar to Checkmate. I checked out some of the manga I've read with such characters that I really liked, but it was almost always the seme who were possessive. I'm going to list a bunch of titles but please don't expect too much :,) They are all great though!

With manipulative/possessive uke:

Under The Green Light (Tapas): The first title that came to mind. This series is still on hiatus and isn't finished, but Matthew is waving all the possessive red flags his hands can hold! I decided to drop it after the season ended but there are a lot of people who like it!

Yuki and Matsu (Manga Planet/Futekiya): This manga is superb, although it doesn't exactly fit in this list. The uke is kind of unhinged, but we love him that way.

Wonna Do It? (Lezhin): This is a very short series, very instense and UGHHH it left me wanting for more! The uke is quite manipulative and sexy.

I Love You Anyway, Mr. Kasahara: This title jumped from one platform to another so not sure where it's available now (I got my digital copy from Bookwalker). It's a great & toouching Omegaverse story with a (kinda sorta) scheming Omega who pesters an alpha colleage to bite his nape and mate with him. (I think I reviewed it somewhere.)

With manipulative/obsessive seme:

Fish Tied with Fate (Manga Planet/Futekiya): Arai Niboshiko's works always have this eerie undertone and I love it. Beware of the tags though.

How to Kill a Heart (Manga Planet/Futekiya): THIS!! Honestly, I loved this title a lot because it's almost a step-by-step guide to how to break a person; both mentally and physically. I was enthralled by how careful the artist's approach to the subject was.

Kakine and Keidai (Manga Planet/Futekiya): This one is kinda fukked up but it's my kind of fukked up. Loved the tension and mystery throughout the volume, it was intense. From Omaru, the artist of I Love You Anyway, Mr. Kasahara.

I'm sorry it wasn't much, like I said, I don't read a lot of stories with possessive characters, and even when that's the case, I tend to look for some type of substance to the story. I hope you were able to find something you can enjoy, have a nice day!

EDIT: Forgot to add two series...

Well Done (Lezhin): This is not something I've personally read but I have it on my TBR list because a friend with a similar taste said good things about it. It's less about uke being the manipulative one but both sides apparently are trying to manipulate & bring the other down. I dig it!

Liveta (Lezhin): This is kind of similar to Checkmate with puppy seme x scheming dark-haired uke. I've read only 10 chapters and it was interesting, although I had to put it on hold because no money, no coins TvT AHAKUSHD

EDIT 2: I TOTALLY FORGOT MATTHEW WAS THE SEME IN UTGL xD where the heck is my mind… So sorry.

[shinahbee]

BL Semes Tier list

Okay this is inspired by my last post on un popular opinions on BL characters and some one decided to make a tier list for ranking the “Semes/ Tops” lol. I decided to rank mine with only ones that I have read, there are ones that I know the character through osmosis but I haven’t read it at all so I won’t be including those.

there is also a Uke tier list so I might rank those too!

again if you are offended by people talking crap about your favorite character maybe not read any of my posts cause that can’t be avoided here.

but let’s be real for a sec...the actual challenge is me remembering all these people’s names LMAO.

so how I ranked my list was red flag to green....lol not really but it turned out that way. the highest tier is the spicy-nice tier and if you have followed me for a long time I have named my favorites “ spicy- nice “ because they are neither bad boys or good boys entirely and they have that extra something that makes you go...huh? 

Spicy-nice tier:

dooshik -Pearl boy

hyunwook- Secondo piatto

taekyeom- Omega complex

wolfgang- kings maker

Giovanni - Hold me tight

hyorung- don’t get me wrong boss

yoonseul - the third ending

Like I said they all have that extra something that separates them from the next ranking of just being the “nice guy” they have parts of them that are imperfect but does not let that affect the relationship with their partners.

----------------------------------------

Good personality but need more development:

woowon- the pizza delivery man and the gold palace

sunyul - Love tractor

jinseng - path to you

seheon- No moral

woon - between the stars

yohan - liveta

jekwon- butler

sunghyun- the origin of species

Dahyeok- killer crush

Hoin- Lucky paradise

Taejun- Unintentional love story

inhyun - insatiable man

reok- willow love story

seowoo- seeing double

holy crap I forgot some of these characters names and even the title, lol its been so long since then. but hopefully these are all right. But these character are great in personality but I feel as though they don’t have a lot of character development yet or was not expanded, which is what disconnects me from them and if that is explored later on they might moved up in rank since I would know them a lot better.

------------------------------------

Don’t feel one way or another:

Howon - runway hit

byeol’s brother...lol. I dont know his name I think its hesung..- Between the stars

Jaeyoung - semantic error

jiwoon - my suha

seongho- painter of the night

Jaeshin- the ghosts nocturne

tsukiyama... lol. I’m kidding but I forgot his name for real - Dine with a vampire 

cain- your to claim

taekung..I think lol- Love or hate

Jaewoo -seeing double

so as you can see I don’t feel one way or another, this is due to the fact that I either prefer one character over the other in the same series or in most cases I dropped the entire series and I don’t care about any of the characters. If I don’t know thier names I usually give them nicknames lol. 

--------------------------------------

looks better than their personality:

wooyeon - Love history of willful negligence

Ilay - passion

Nakwon - beware of the full moon in march

Jaehyuk - limited run

sehan- shadow realm

ajusshi - dangerous convenient store

like I said 10/10 for looks 4/10 for personality. some of these protags are really shitty and I’ll talk about some of them in my monthly favorites but they just have that personality that I hate (ajusshi is an exception, I just don’t prefer his personality, he isn’t bad ) even though they are good looking fellas.

------------------------------------------

NOPE:

juwon- Love or hate

yoojin - Turn off the camera

Yawhi- Yours to claim

sungyeon - even if I don’t love you...forgot the title

Jaekyung- jinx

ilmo - blind play

jiwon- BJ alex

seoreok - Chess piece ( not that he is bad, I just don’t find him attractive lol)

I don’t think I need to explain really but no means no and sometimes these characters would not take no for an answer and sometimes do despicable things, physical and mentally assault either their partner or people in general...yeah not the most ideal type, but some people love them like their lives depend on it and I worry for them.lol.

the thing that separates the not so good personalities from the nope tier is that there is something about those characters that motivate them to do the things they do..even if it makes them despicable eg. wooyeon is a good example of a sociopath that does not understand peoples actions and feelings towards him which makes him able to get away with punching someone in the face with a smile on and just walking away like nothing just happened. some of the people they do that to are worse than scum...so who is bad person here? 

-------------------------------

anyways, that was fun, I need to do an updated BL tier list soon cause I have read more since that time and let me tell you...rankings have changed.

hope you enjoyed and if you feel the same let me know. 

[yayooichan]

🏠 Manga : Living With Him 🏠

🏠 Alternative : 彼のいる生活 🏠

🏠 Author : Miyata Toworu 🏠

WAAAAAAAA KAZUHITO THE SEME IS A FREAKING WALKING GREEN FLAG 😩♥️♥️♥️ this was the cutest shit ever it deserves a review! ε=ε=(ノ≧∇≦)ノ seriously read it now to cleanse your heart 😤✨

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - It's odd rn but VERY PRETTY

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

Oct 2024 Week 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Jack & Joker (Thai Mon IQIYI) ep 4 of 12 - I love Joke so much! And I love War in this role so much. It’s great. This is a great show it’s such fun. The comedy is somewhat leaving me flat. But that’s normal for me in this kind of Thai BL. I also like Hope. I shouldn’t, but I do. I love the little girl character as well, and I do believe that Joke has found his scion in her.

(As per usual the grandma of this BL speaks for all of us.)

Kidnap (Fri YT) ep 5 of 12 - Coils be coiling. Mummy dearest is v hot. I do like the twist on the henchmen. It would’ve been really gut-wrenching if Q had put the rope around his own wrist the night that he slept by himself (or tried to). And they have now made "the promise that is destined to be broken" waves at trope. Meanwhile, great flirting. Next week being episode six we should be getting our kiss.

(Was GMMTV gently poking at Jack & Joker with that play-within-a-play reference to Jack as Min's stunt part?)

Fourever You (Thai Thurs YT) ep 1 of 16 - Sampler pack university BL from Wabi Sabi that's trying to be a gay Boys Over Flowers (4 older med student hot boys + frosh) and it’s exactly what I want right now. Is it good? No, not really. Do I care? Not at all. It is, in fact, boys over flowers... only boys no flowers. I really couldn’t want anything more than that. What can I say? I’m easy. I love a pining seme. I guess what I am saying is, I am trash for trash. Inject this shit directly into my eyeballs.

Love Sick 2024 (Thai Sun iQIYI) ep 3 of 15 - At least in this version they talk bit more with each other about what’s going on. (Then again in the original we didn't need it, the acting was so good.) Still it’s a lot more modern to see representation of communication, but but the previous version felt more honest to teen behavior. This open communication entirely changes the push pull dynamic of Phun & Noh's whole relationship. I actually LIKE that change because it makes it very different from the original. I’ve been hoping that this one would veer in a different direction. I'm enjoying that they've made it Phun with the long term crush, and that he’s sort of testing himself with heterosexuality. It is selfish, but it is also a very rich kid thing to do. I love the shouted confessions and the decision to not date. This is a really good twist on the original. I’m liking this a hell of a lot more now that it’s substantially changed in direction, if not in tone.

Monster Next Door (Thai Thurs Gaga ) ep 11 of 12 - It’s very sweet and wholesome. And everyone kisses pretty. And I do like the communication and green flag aspects of this show. But I'm also finding it a touch dull. 

Battle of the Writers (Sun YT) ep 9 of 12 - I don’t know. The pretending to be blind thing is weird. This whole show is weird. I’m kinda weirded out by it. I like the two side couples well enough, but we get barely any time with them at all.

I Saw You in My Dream (Weds Gaga) ep 12 fin - I like that they did come around to the dreaming thing as a major plot point in the end. Even though it felt like they forgot about it in the middle. And I liked that it was an inherited family trait. I didn’t expect that (should have, but I didn't). And I thought it suited this kind of drama, even if it was a little pat. The whole family helping at the very end was very sweet and a nice full circle for the narrative. (Like the Ae's family sort of adopting the next-door kids originally. 

Summation

A cute friends to lovers romance, that’s a little bit like the stepbrothers trope since these two grow up next-door to each other and in and out of each other’s lives. The paranormal element is about prophetic dreams, and it is threaded through the narrative even if it gets somewhat lost in the muddy middle. All in all, a sweet fun little series with decent chemistry. 8/10

Addicted Heroin (Thai Tues WeTV) ep 8 of 10 - I've totally forgotten what’s going on. There was another kidnapping. Maybe they’re actually dating now? I don’t know. Honestly, it won’t really matter cause everything will change by the end of this episode... again. That said, I did love the parental confrontation sequence. It’s not as good as in the original because it’s a lot more direct and modernized, but it was pleasingly aggressive. Which I weirdly appreciated for the military angle. The cross-dressing thing was odd. The dolls advertising thing is even odder. Jealous baby on sports day was good though.

Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - Why did I feel like I’ve seen this entire episode already. It’s just different characters saying the same thing to the main characters or flirting the same way or whatever. 

Live in Love (Sun Gaga) ep 5 fin - I did not like this ep at all. Fully half of it was evil backstabbing and some bullying and some sort of trying to engender sympathy for a friendship betrayal. And I was not on board. (Wouldn’t mind seen Hali and that cute kid in something together tho.) 

Conclusion

Basically this was a story about online relationships and how they interface with the real world, and in personal friendships, plus bullying of all types and some backstabbing and shipping. The acting was weak, the sound was terrible, and generally it was an old style pulp offering. It tried to deal with some interesting issues, but was awfully clumsy about it. 5/10 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Sugar Dog Life (Japan Sun grey) ep 9 fin - Such a great confession, so truthful and earnest and honest. And he’s also like that with his friends. And such a nice answer. I love that during the cool off they both realize how very much they both act like are boyfriends to each other all the time. Ooo running of the gays! And we even got a cute little smile kiss!!!! and an adorable boyfriend montage at the end. How unexpectedly satisfying of you, Japan!

Summation 

This is a phenomenally charming and adorable little romance about a forlorn university kid and the police officer who adopts him. They are relentlessly kind to each other, in fact it’s an extremely kindly show over all (everyone in it is so nice to everyone else including us) so there’s very little tension. But what it lacks in drive and complexity it makes up for in earnest acts of service and simple affection. These two are basically boyfriends from the get-go, it’s just one of them acts like it and doesn’t realize it and the other one realizes it and has to figure out how to make it a reality. It’s incredibly sweet and incredibly wholesome, nourishing but delicious. Everybody who can should watch this show. It will make you feel better about life. 

Easy 9/10 on this one from me.  

GO WATCH IT  

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 2 of ? - We have some semblance of a plot! Yay! Our BV tsundere character is secretly an online judge who whistleblows and exposes corruption in the school system. How very Pump Up the Volume. I am not mad about it. Also 2 of the prettiest seme bullies EVER. The epic pout-off with these bad boys. Be still my heart.

Our Golden Times (Hong Knong ??? YT) 1-4 of ? - Billed as a BL from Hong Kong I’m not sure we can trust this one to a get finished or be cohesive or have an HEA. But the optics are good. Everybody’s very pretty. It’s chaotic and clumsy and a little odd. But most of the stuff on my dash is these days, so what the hell? And ya know what, I kinda like it.

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 4 of 10 eps - It remains entertaining but off kilter in that way that indicates 50% chance of ultimate dissatisfaction in the JBL pantheon. 

First Note Of Love (Taiwan Mon Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - I wish we knew a little bit more about Sea's background/family. Neil should just tell him what the hell is going on. Why wouldn’t he? Instead they artificially wedged the main couple apart for most of this episode and Orca wasn’t there at all? = Not a good episode IMHO.

It's airing but...

My Damn Business (Korea Sat ????) 7 eps - supposedly airing on Saturdays starting 10/5 have no roleand I found the trailer but nothing else.

The Hidden Moon (Sat WeTV) ep 1 of 10 - This is a supernatural romance (my ghost boyfriend trope) by Violet Rain (I Feel You Linger). A man is hired to write an article about an old mansion in Chiang Mai being converted into a café. He sees the ghosts of people who died at the mansion, falls in love with one of them. Was substantially recast. I loved IFYLITA except the ending so I think I'll let this one run it's course you can tell me if it's work tracking down... if they managed to land it. I have my doubts.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Coming Oct 2024:

10/7 Every You Every Me (Thai Mon Gaga) 10 eps - Jade and Chin have lived over a thousand lifetimes. In each one they somehow manage to fall in love with each other. (This pair, TopMick was piloted in a My Universe ep, that was one of the only ones I liked.)

10/10 Eccentric Romance (Korea Thurs Viki & Gaga) 12 eps - Silkwood’s 2nd Thai/Korean colab, that has been in production since 2022 which is a LONG time in the BL world. I'm worried but I like the concept: friends of 10 years who’ve been hiding feelings for each other enter the same university. Plus MURDER.

10/10 Gangster and His Boyfriend (Korea Thurs ????) 8 eps? - Kim Dong Bin (famous trainee & idol reality competitor, yeah that happens) stars as a fallen idol who unexpectedly becomes entangled in a gangster family. Discovers that his friend’s father is responsible for the murder of his entire family years ago. I don't know much about this one, neither does anyone else and I'm not sure where I got that release date so……

10/21 Love in the Big City (Korea ????) 8 eps - Okay both a movie (already out) and a series. Neither one is likely BL and I can't imagine it will end happily. I'm giving both a pass but here's your synopsis.

Cynical fun loving student Young pinballs from home, to class, to on night stands. He and Jaehee, his female besie and roommate, frequent nearby bars where they push away their worries about life, love, and money with soju and hookups.

10/23 See Your Love (Taiwan Gaga Viki) 10 eps? - Zi Xiong, a third-generation heir, attempting to flee from taking over their family business, meets and falls in love with Shao Peng, who works as a hearing-impaired nurse. From the same production house as Kiseki Dear To Me in partnership with Shinehouse Theatre, funded by Taiwan’s BIGART + Japan's Rakuten (Viki). Show includes Lin Chia Yo (Be Loved in House: I Do). Director Chiang Ping Chen’s childhood experiences with his deaf uncle have inspired the drama.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I kinda love it when someone else does the prophetic claiming. Our Golden Times

Crumbs in Summer Nights but they very cute crumbs. We didn't even really get to see them get together but I'm glad that they are.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

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

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many at-ings.

[sodapopcore]

yall want some cursed shit? heres some cursed shit

seme / uke flags, for the gays who wanna reclaim shit from nasty fujoshis (if ur fem-aligned or ur not mlm don’t fucking touch this)

color meanings:

seme - black and grey are to represent the darker color schemes semes have [nod to junjou romantica], the brown is for subtle warmth and a nod to the bear flag, and the dark red is for a mature sort of love

uke - the yellow, blue, and pink are nods to the twink flag and pillow princess flag, and the green is for the big innocent eyes ukes have n green is a sweet color

[junipershill17]

twelve Things You Should Consider When Obtaining Your First Condo

1) Exploration the Builder:

Not all building contractors are alike. Many make high quality condos and have some sort of track record of success, while others lower corners and build substandard condo rentals. Aside from reviewing the general contractors webpage, one should also complete an internet search for watchdog accounts, lawsuits and discussion boards regarding proposed and existing condo properties. One thing to look out intended for is whether the builder that is project you are interested in, has a qualifications for completing their plans on time. I had a client who have purchased with a builder (who shall remain nameless on this article) that habitually sent back completion dates. My very own client was promised typically the keys a little under some years after purchasing the unit, plus the builder delayed possession 3 x from their original projected end date. After many infuriating delays, he final gotten the keys a whole 3 and a half years after the unique scheduled completion date. That tied his deposit income up for an a total connected with 5. 5 years. Its almost semed like a 2 . 5 calendar year interest free loan on the builder! In retrospect, for investor, he would have preferred to invest in another project on 15% deposit, then do the other 10% and preserved another 5%, and put that money into a different project, returning him likely double the return, as 2 . 5 less several years. This is why it pays to research often the builder!

2) Choose the style of condo that meets your thoughts:

Not all condos are similar. Some have age prohibitions, and rules about household pets. Other condos are more friends and family friendly in terms of the unit shapes and amenities. Still other individuals cater to retiree's. A good way to establish this is have a look at the number of bachelor's, one, two and a few bedroom units in the total building. You may also contact the home or property manager for the condominium to help verify whether it is a lifestyle condo catering to a certain demographic. Individuals fewer two and several bedroom units will likely not draw in large families. juniper hill

3) Identify financial status:

If you are a newbies buyer, getting pre-approved for just a mortgage is a must. Contact your traditional bank to determine your buying capabilities, and get a firm commitment notification from them locking in the charge, and approval amount. Not a soul wants to be left for the closing day without a home finance loan approval after you already manufactured the purchase. I have got countless past clients that had been given what they thought seemed to be an approval from their bank, exactly where in fact it was nothing more than a new verbal agreement. Some people experienced credit issues in the past which might warrant a more difficult endorsement process, and possibly at a bigger rate. It is always better to are aware that you received a formal pre-approval before you fall in love with a home that one could not afford.

4) Always soeak with local real estate agent:

Real estate agent's can give you statistics of which apartments are appreciating well in Mississauga as well as the most popular unit forms, and floor plans. This would help you to make a direct comparability between different condo houses in order to establish the true associated with the unit you are interested in. Don't just simply settle for any real estate agent. All over again, not all real estate agents are the same. Aim to work with a local expert that are experts in the type of properties that desire you. After all, why will you work with a realtor that stocks mainly full sized households in the suburbs, when you are hunting purchase a condo in the urban center? It is like going to the dental practitioner for your flu!

5. Complete your own research:

If you plan to order a home without a real estate agent, it is best to look into the sales of the adjacent area yourself. Again, these kind of resources will be less acquireable to the general public, but you can have access to the asking selling prices of similar properties. That does not mean that those prices are classified as the market values for that distinct property, or even necessarily these people sell for. Be careful if information gathering. I have possessed a number of past clients cheer me after their try to find educating them on place values, and explaining to these individuals what to look for when they are searching. Obtain get the assistance of a neighborhood expert, when they're expert services are free?

6. Find out creating to order capability:

Although freehold houses allow the owner to carry out makeover without anyone's consent, accommodations have restrictions on what is usually altered for each unit. An overall rule of thumb should be to request prepared permission from the property managing before making any renovations. The home or property managers consent is always instructed to various degrees depending on the residence. Usually renovation work that needs removing a wall or maybe upgrading bathtubs and bath areas will have limitations on what can certainly, and cannot be done. Many require that a detailed remodel plan be submitted into the condo board for agreement prior to the renovation taking place. As well as better to be proactive. You actually wouldn't want to reverse the actual reno back once is probably the best completed! I had a client who all removed all the carpet of their unit, to replace with wood. She did this to raise the value of their unit previous to selling it, only to determine that management had to agree any floor renovations. The woman tried to then sell the system thinking that hardwood wood enhance the value of her unit. The item did increase the value of your ex unit, but in failing to put on and receive consent from property manager, she was could possibly be renovation restrictions in the making. It was later found this she did not use the right sound-proofing underpad beneath the real wood. The condo corporation thought that this would hinder the particular enjoyment of the unit owner specifically below hers because of disturbance. Consequently, she had to dissect out the hardwood, install completely new underpad, and then replace the wooden. This ate into all of her profit, and your girlfriend investment, and time was definitely not rewarded. The moral with the story is to always get these renovations with the rental property manager before you begin. It could save you a large amount!

7) Ask for a disclosure statement:

The developer as well as builder of a new terme conseillé is required to have an information book giving details of the building, along with the legal terms under that your condominium will operate. Often the booklet is available immediately after typically the Agreement of Purchase along with Sale is signed. Sufficient reason for resale units, this "Condo By Laws and Declarations" booklet is always made available over the 10 day conditional interval when you purchase a unit. It is placed on the status certificate that is definitely forwarded to your lawyer to get review. Your lawyer in that case has 2 business time to review the certificate, in addition to consult the purchaser having his/her findings. If anything checks out, the buyer may make progress with the purchase. If there usually are red flags in the documents, often the purchaser always reserves it is your right walk away within the conditional time.

8. Ask for a site approach:

It is important to know if the model that you want to purchase is in the initially, second or third level of development so that you know any future construction that will block your existing perspective. Of equal significance is definitely knowing when, and everywhere more development may arise around this building. New progress adjacent to the building will effects the use and enjoyment of your rental due to noise, vibration, bothersome construction, dust and strong smells. It is also good practice to know where your unit will be with proximity to the elevator, junk disposal room, and features, as units near these components usually have a stigma installed on them in the resale sector. Besides, who would want to fragrance the garbage room after a longer day at work.

9) Establish development plans for the associated with area:

Many condos are purchased under the premise of a apparent view to the Lake, scenery, or green-space. To ensure that your lovely view will be maintained in the long term, an instant trip to the Planning Department will help you ask if any other improvements are planned nearby, in order to have a look at the architectural paintings. The planners should be able to provide help to understand the types of developments that happen to be proposed around you. I have acquired many calls from folks who bought privately through the local building company units with south vistas of the lake as an investment property. These investors would store the unit until they be given the keys, and the building detects as a condominium corporation. At this moment, they would try to resell it, only to be shocked that your new condominium just begun construction in front of they're system, obstructing their perfect sth view. The investors miscalculation was being too excited during the buy process, without taking a take a step back and asking the right issues up front.

10) Review thoughtfulness details:

If the developer databases a swimming pool, it is important to determine what size and whether it is indoors or outdoor. The same is rue party rooms, exercise parts, gyms, sports fields, gyms and lockers. Find out how significant, how many, and where sun's rays located.

Again, these 12 considerations can affect both your fun, and the resale value of your personal condo. It is always better to local plumber upfront, and then enjoy the incentives of your hard work once you have changed in!

References Apartment

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Getting hot under the collar and in the kitchen and on the pool table and...

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

Aug 2024 Week 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

Monster Next Door (Thai Thurs Gaga ) eps 3-4 of 12 - one of the things I'm enjoying about this show is the fact that the introverted super shy uke is having hot fantasies, and the extroverted seme is having the sweet fantasies. It's another way this show is highlighting God being the world's greenest flagged seme BL has ever produced. (And he's being given stiff competition this year - trend alert.)

Anygay: God is so cute and so not cool and so in love and all the consent asking word salad coming out of this boy. I LOVE him. 

Diew: It’s ep 4 so I’ve decided we can talk face-to-face.  God: So how many children do you want? 

The teaching him to play basketball bit, where God politely asks to hold his hand, is so freaking adorable I can’t.

I'm thinking of calling this show the anti-Mame pill.

Blue pill? Red pill? GREEN pill!

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 11 of 12 - We gotta talk. I do like this version, but it’s starting to feel lackluster. Perhaps it always was by comparison to the bright sparkle uniqueness of the original. Perhaps I didn't notice because I was distracted by G4. But now I gotta say it's become a bit disappointing and even my love for G4 can’t seem to bind me to this. Frankly, this show is making me want to watch either the Japanese version, or My School President. It’s never a good sign when a currently airing BL makes me want to stop that and go rewatch an old one I’ve already seen.

NO SINGING.

Meanwhile, the "locked on the rooftop" trope! I haven’t seen that one in years. Cool. Also cute kisses. They learning. 

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Fri iQIYI) ep 7 of 8 - I can’t believe this is ending next week. But also I can. And I have thoughts.

I really love SailubPon. They might be one of my favorite newer pairs on the scene right now. But I just don’t believe in these characters or this couple. I don’t feel like they are going to have a lasting relationship. It feels like they’re just using each other for sex and distraction, and that’s how the script to set it up, and as a result they’re never gonna make it as a couple. As soon as the sexual fire between them burns out, what do they have to build a relationship on? Frankly? That would be fine if this were a modern love drama, and not a BL. But this IS a BL.

Putting the health code violators aside, I really do believe in the secondary pair, but they haven’t been given enough bandwidth to develop as a couple. There’s no way they’re going to adequately resolve Methas and JJ in the final episode.

At this juncture, I’m mostly finding this show annoying. Which in itself is annoying, because I wanted to love it.

Why is it that Thailand, the land of the best food in the world, king of BLs, struggles so hard to produce the restaurant set BL of my dreams? I’m really pissed about this.

That said, the Methas & JJ stuff is killer. Loved JJ running away. So good. Plus the age old decision - love or money? 

Battle of the Writers (Sun YT) ep 2-3 of 12 - The issue was me and I've managed to get hold of this show again. The story within the story is so ridiculously badly written I'm going spare. I’m not sure if the outside show is not ALSO badly written. That said, I do love how the 3 writer friends are all shipping our leads. It’s VERY silly. Meanwhile, cohabitation trope is a go. 

I like the side couple too. Stern Daddy + lost puppy is a very cute dynamic, I hope we get more than just crumbs. I actually am enjoying this show now. Ep 3 kinda derailed into this weird chimera novel that they’re all writing together and I’m finding that bit the least interesting, but I adore the domestic components which I think may turn out to be TutorYim's strength (if they're allowed to lean into it). 

Addicted Heroin (Thai Tues WeTV) ep 1 of 10 - Man I hope this gets some kind of distribution at some point. It was a pain to find and watch. But I enjoyed it. The focus is more on the seme in Thailand’s version. Which I don’t mind since that's rare in BL, and it’s more August on my screen. It’s all round softer than China’s version but still feels very familiar. I know some fans are struggling with it, but not me.

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 10 of 12 - I like that Sam’s crafty business espionage has paid off. Them teasing Sam & Yo really had me belly laughing. It was so funny.

Legitimate question. Would one put perfume on one’s cheeks in Thailand, as one does on wrist or sternum? Because of the sniff cheek thing? Scented face powders?

I do feel like with MosBank & SailubPon scorching up our screens, we’re being spoiled by some of Thailand‘s best high heat pairs at the moment.

I Saw You in My Dream (Weds Gaga) ep 5 of 12 - It remains kind of sweet and cute. It's also calm and slow moving. Oddly it reminds me of La Cuisine in its style and execution (if not content). I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would.

The Trainee (Sun YouTube) ep 7 of 12 - I don’t know. I’m getting bored.

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 10fin - Fort’s acting during the break-up was truly great. But I feel for Rak. It’s rough to learn that someone else is playing a long game with feelings while you were playing a short game with d**k.

Ultimately this is probably a solid 8/10 show but I’m mad I wasn’t madder at it, and I'm mad I was so bored throughout. So it gets a 7/10 and let us not speak of this again. I’d like to simply forget about it. Trash watch.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Sugar Dog Life (Japan Sun grey) ep 1-2 of 10 - OMG a uni student who looks young and a... COP! GAH. The subversion and kink of it all. I had to go grey to get it and I hate everything about what I had to do. But ya know what? Fucking worth every single repeated crash-causing advertisement.

I love it. The grumpy lonely little student cook and the cheerful mature police officer. What a fabulous dynamic. Is the cook looking for a boyfriend or a Daddy, and do we care if it has the same result? It is filmed VERY manga style camp. I’m a little nervous about that, but this means it’s also very fluffy and so damn sweet. It made me squeak with the cute. I’m gutted this didn’t get distribution.

Ironic that Tawada Hideya is in a new BL while Sunspot is re-airing.

Cosmetic Playlover (Japan Tues Gaga) eps 3-4 of 8 - Ah, the gays are doubting the bisexual again. How familiar. I like how this one is paced and moving through time, even if the relationship seems to be going comparatively slowly by contrast. I love the way Sahashi is always looking at Natsume, even when they’re in conversation with someone else. Ah yearning. I think the conflict was kind of inevitable, given the two personalities of the protagonists, and I like that. (No manufactured angst here.) But I still hope they can repair the breach and I’m still interested. Frankly this is so classically Japan - I don’t know what story beats it’s following and I’m not entirely sure where it’s going, but I kinda like that unpredictability. Makes me think it could go into "must you, Japan?" territory but fingers crossed.

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 9 of 10 - I'm enjoying it very much. I could do without the girl character. I know she’s more interesting than most (this is Japan after all), but she’s not really for me. It’s the complexity of the connection between the leads (and why they like each other) that’s being executed so brilliantly in this show (and in the manga, FYI). Both actors are so on point with their roles and the nuanced emotions required of these characters that every time it’s only them interacting I'm riveted. I could do without the rest of the cast tho.

Seoul Blues (Korea Fri? YouTube) ep 1 of 8 - I have a confession to make, I’ve been watching this whole series as it goes along. But this is the pair I absolutely like the most. I’m not sure I would necessarily recommend any of the installments, and I’m not sure how this one is going to go, but I’m VERY invested in this particular couple. They are so pretty!!!! This is a true friends-to-lovers struggle. I like that a lot. (Reminds me of I Cannot Reach You but a different dynamic.) Did I mention how pretty they are? And we already know they gonna kiss well. I bet the uncut version is stellar.

Meet You at the Blossom (China) - It's no one's funeral, turns out! Reports are in - not only are there kisses but it ends happily with wedding plans. So I'm eating crow, binging the fucker, and live blogging. I'm enjoying it. Ya'll know I adored Chinese BL before censorship. It has a certain unhinged quality I very much apreciate (and is the reason I'm so tolerant of the Thai pulps) that I think will marry well with Wuxia's effervescent and ever-present tropes. Watch me suffer here.

First Note Of Love (Taiwan Mon Gaga) eps 1-2 of 12 - About a singer with stage fright and his timid fan starring Charles (H4 the puppy one) and Michael Chang (the youngster in My Tooth Your Love), plus side couple featuring a Thai actor Jame (Koh in Gen Y) and Liu Min Ting (of Guardian fame). What a damn team. With their powers combined they are...

fine.

This is a fine BL. The fight scene was fun and I like the meet cute. I’m not sure about the chemistry of the leads, but I think they’ll probably do okay. I admit I’m struggling a bit with a singing and the music. Are you surprised? I think I like it enough, but I’m not wowed.

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - Oh! Out of the blue attack kiss. What IS this show? I don’t get it at all. Bah. I guess they’re dating now. It’s… so odd...

It's airing but...

4 Minutes (Thai Netflix/Grey) - A rich boy at uni suddenly gains the supernatural power to see four minutes into the future. I have a source, but I've decided to hold off and binge if it ends okay, since it's only 8 eps. I depend upon y'all to tell me if it's safe.

8/16 The Last Time (Thai Fri YT) ? eps - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something. Again delayed? Not sure what's going on with this one but the continued push-backs do not bode well.

In case you missed it

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer IS COMING IN SEPTEMBER!!!! (Yeah this is gonna sit here until then).

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Still Coming This Month!

8/22 The On1y One (Taiwan Thurs Gaga) 12 eps - announced in 2023 this one has a high school set stepbrothers trope and is reputed to be high heat. From Taiwan! It's made for me. Based on a novel Mou Mou from the Your Name Engraved Herein folks, so it could go dark. Still, I'm very excited.

8/22 The Paradise of Thorns (Thai movie) theater release - Jeff Satur is back but this does not look like a BL (the gay lover's death is the inciting event). More in Goodbye Mother vein. Looks dark and dramatic. He opposite and extremely well known actor Toey Pongsakorn who has never done gay before.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

WHY IS HE SO FINE?

I truly belly laughed. Sam & Yo did not go in the direction I expected, but this scene alone made me not mind that they curtailed the suffering Sam was rightfully due. (SunsetXVibes)

Tall boyfriend armpit, anyone? (Monster Next Door)

The two extremes of BL in one show (Long Beans indeed).

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

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

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I Still On1y Care About...

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

Sept 2024 Week 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Monster Next Door (Thai Thurs Gaga ) eps 7 of 12 - Deeeelightful. They are so damn cute + a nice kiss! The rise of the green flag semes continues. I like it when Diew flirts and shows that he does have some experience in a relationship, and he can/will flex his power. Props to God for being a man who remembers to TAKE HIS DRINK with him. 

Addicted Heroin (Thai Tues WeTV) ep 4 of 10 - Yep I still like it and all its toxicity. It’s fun to see how closely it follows the original. Now I really can’t wait to see how this one ends. Since this time around we get an actual ending.

Battle of the Writers (Sun YT) ep 6 of 12 - How did they know that what I wanted more than anything was a side couple = spoiled prince + demon lord? How clever they are to give them to me. Meanwhile, in a shocking twist, the leads have known each other since childhood. Because why be original? 

I Saw You in My Dream (Weds Gaga) ep 8 of 12 - Oh it’s very cute. I love Ing. I love that Ai was honest with his bestie. Best friend's older brother trope is a go! Also good kisses all round. 

Kidnap (Fri YT) ep 1 of 12 - Ohm has his shirt off less than 5 min in. I guess GMMTV is learning what we want. My boy Title is the creep character again. I’m assuming that’s why GMMTV brought him on board at this juncture. Sigh. New boy, Q, looks like Mek’s younger brother. Ultimately? I'm not convinced on this one. It is doing what it says on the tin, but nothing more than that. I’m not wild about it, but I will keep watching.

The Trainee (Sun YT) ep 10 of 12 - The more OffGun BLs, the more time they spend communicating as characters in those BLs. It’s kind of charming. They've become the pair that advocates for communication in relationships. I like it as evolution for their brand. Flirting via the printer was very fun. Especially as the Thai script is so beautiful.

Live in Love (Sun Gaga) ep 1 of 5 - I guess this is a lockdown narrative? Odd choice. A lot of familiar faces but from more minor rolls. Is this from the Destiny Seeker people? It feels like that. It’s a bigger cast than I was expecting, and a sort of classic university BL of the kind star Hunter produces. Or the end of love people. Pretty classic Thai pulp stuff. I’m mildly enjoying it. Hali is too hot to be the dorky second lead. Nice to see Boat back on my screen. However, it is… what’s the word I am looking for? Oh yes. Boring. Plus singing. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

The On1y One (Taiwan Thurs Gaga) eps 5-6 of 12 - I entirely lost my mind over this show this week. Fuck me it's so good. The delicacy sends me. I keep expecting it to be clumsy and then is just isn't - it's so subtle and it demands we pay such close attention. I feel like I'm holding my breath the whole time I'm watching.

Cliff's notes on these 2 eps as follows:

The pure unadulterated tsundere of it all.

The awesome angst, it aches.

The series of repercussions after the fight was pacing genius.

The brilliant juxtaposition of "the kid who self isolates too easily" versus "the one who has been forced into isolation" meets both of them being smart enough to know why they react out of hurt, but neither can stop doing it.

Baby’s reaction to learning he’s going to be left behind = to instantly make plans to do the leaving in the future hurts my heart in the best possible way.

"Maybe what we call eternity is just persistence."

Maybe one boy simply deciding to be another boy's rock is romance. 

Production better nail the second half of this show! It better be the world against them from here on out or the audience is gonna riot.

And by "audience" I mean me.

Sugar Dog Life (Japan Sun grey) ep 5 of 10 - Oh noes! Poor baby boy!!! My heart hurts. But also gah so cute and next week they shack up together! Hooray! 

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 11 - too much time spent on the girl again. I don’t need excuses for why she’s a bitch. So can we talk about Taichi instead? It’s such a good characterization, this boy who understands everything about other people but doesn’t notice anything about himself, including his own abilities of observation. The person who is special never realizes how special they are, I guess. The soundscapes are so good with this show. The moments where prod decided to be silent are so vital and so pivotal and used with such delicacy and strategy, it’s truly audio magic manipulation.  

First Note Of Love (Taiwan Mon Gaga) eps 7-8 of 12 - I loved how Orca just jumped on the stage. What a great side couple. CHARMED I TELL YOU. Orca was all… singing? Naw. I came back to fuck the manager's brains out. Anything less than that is unacceptable. 

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 10 fin - Essentially this was a growth story for Takara and an exercise in patience while the two of them learned each other’s quirks and languages. It was also an exercise in patience for me... who doesn’t like the power differential of a weaker younger character having to do all the pursuing while constantly feeling like he is inferior to the older popular hot character. I know this was a BL that was definitely for some people, since plenty liked it way more than I did, but I didn’t like it very much even though there’s nothing objectively wrong with it. It simply wasn’t to my personal taste. 7/10 

Seoul Blues (Korea Fri? YouTube) ep 5-6 of 8 - Enter an ex or something? Well he certainly has a type. Bah. This whole series seems to be mainly about cheating. It’s very annoying because they are all so pretty. 

Happy of the End (Japan Tues Gaga) - Based on a manga, longer than usual run time. A boy is disowned for being gay, dumped by his boyfriend, and ends up in a dysfunctional co-dependant relationship with his would-be kidnapper. We were due for another messy JBL. Messy gay pain here we go.

Oh it’s exactly what I expected. Do I like it? No I do not. And ya know what? There is plenty airing. I have a bad feeling about this one. DNF 

It's airing but...

4 Minutes (Sat Gaga) eps 1-6 of 8 - Gaga picked this one up so we can watch it there. I'm waiting until the end, it seems angsty and confusing and full of awful people being awful. But also... high heat and I'm shallow. So we shall see which devil wins (and how it ends).

The Hidden Moon (Sat ????) ep 1 of 10 - This is a supernatural romance (my ghost boyfriend trope) ‘เดือนพราง’ by Violet Rain (I Feel You Linger)... A Bangkok writer is hired to write an article about an old mansion in Chiang Mai which is being converted into a café. He gets into an accident and nearly dies on his way there. After that, he sees the ghosts of people who died at the mansion, one boy catches his attention. Was substantially recast. Couldn't find it. Didn't really look.

In case you missed it

Meet You at the Blossom (China) - I'm eating crow, binging the fucker, and live blogging. It's just taking me some time. This isn't really a bingable show, not for me anyway. It's A LOT to take all at once. No new one this week.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Plus:

9/9 Jack & Joker (Thai Mon IQIYI) 12 eps? - Be gay YinWar, do crimes. Dehup gives us Yin, War, Mark and a few other familiar faces in a Leverage sitch, only queerer.

9/14 Love Sick 2024 (Thai Sat ????) ?? eps - Remake of the original. I'm scared too.

9/15 Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) 10 eps - Assistant to a player boss who is in love with that boss decides to quit to save himself. The boss then makes a move. (A gay What's up with Secretary Kim?)

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Coming SEPTEMBER 2024:

9/17 Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 10 eps - Lawyer and a con artist meet at a bar, pair up, fall in love.

9/28 Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YouTube) ?? eps - oh I don't know just Ba Vinh doing his thing with pretty boys again.

9/? The Time of Fever (Korea iQIYI) 6 eps - HoTae & DongHee are back! Side couple from Unintentional Love Story, same actors, same character names I an WILD for this.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Not sure what this is from but I capped it for a reason so, shrug.

The scent trope AND the childhood crush trope? I see you suckering me into one trope because I like the other. Clever, Battle. Very clever.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

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

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many at-ings.

[absolutebl]

Mirror mirror on the wall,who are the top 5 greenest flags of them all?

ooof, this is more @heretherebedork than my cuppa but lemme see

you didn't specify seme or country so that makes my life easier, because bettcha can't guess who's gonna top this list

My Top 5 Greenest Flags in BL!

Noh from Love Sick

Look, he's just like the Nicest Little Dude. He's loyal and kind and good to his friends, and tries really hard to communicate the truth and be honest about his feelings even when he's a crazy hormonal teen and doesn't understand his own or anyone else's. Noh is not just any green flag he's a teenager green flag. That never happens.

Xun An from My Tooth You Love

He is so damn sweet and thoughtful and he tries so hard to protect everyone (except himself). But it's that moment in the car where he finally understands the extent of his baby's psychological issues that we all got to meet The Real Deal. Because what does he do? OMG he actually recommends Bai Lang seek professional help, from an actual therapist! Like that's THE MOMENT. The biggest green flag balls we have ever seen in a BL. Ever. I will brook no discussion on this matter.

Plustor from Destiny Seeker

Bite me. I know you haven't seen this. How do I know? No one has seen this show. Such a shame. Plustor is 1/2 of the 3rd-string couple, the crumbs, the freshmen babies. Most of the drama is with the 2 older pairs, but these boys are GREAT. One of them is out gay (with his shit together) who hooks up with hot jock CHAOS bisexual and we all think we know where it's going (because when does the chaos bi have his shit together and not act like a predator slut? - yes I AM looking at you, Mame). Except, Plustor fucking TOTALLY has his shit together! He researches gay sex and how to do it right, he asks his new bf questions, he communicates his self-confidence issues over never having been with a dude before. He talks. They talk. As a result these kids spend most of the show annoyed by the unnecessary drama of their piers who do NOT have their shit together and being the best bfs ever.

Mork from My Ride

What, you surprised? Mork goes through an entire identity crisis and manages NOT to drag anyone else into his drama. He keeps his life together, takes care of his family, asks his gay uncles for advice, realizes he is in love. He does not force that love on his beloved. Instead he stays in the side lines, tries to be a good supportive friend to the object of his affection, and a consistently chooses the path of decent human being. He's careful and kind and communicative when he eventually does make his move. Stand up dude! Adorable dimple! We likie.

Yak from Wandee Goodday

I feel like I have to include someone from this year because Green Flag Semes are such a 2024 trend. For me, it just had to be Yak. He such a great communicator and he just defines the GGG (good, giving, game) attitude that one wants in a sexual partner. I gotta say, it's actually not uncommon to have better sexual communication with a play partner or a fuck buddy than within a relationship. It was nice to see that portrayed on our screens in a BL. Whatcha know, mature characters being mature and shizz. Insanity.

I have to say, if you had given me 6, Alan from Pit Babe would have also made this list.

Others I Thought About

Seryou (Seven Days)

Kakeru (I Cannot Reach You)

Ida (My Love Mix Up)

Kyosuke (Sugar Dog Life) - does cluelessness count?

Kazuma (Tokyo in April)

Both in Some More

Qizhang (About Youth)

Sato (See You After Quarantine?)

Tatch (2 Moons 3)

X (21 Days Theory)

King (Bed Friend)

Khun (Brothers)

Karan (Cherry Magic)

Fueangnakhon (City of Stars)

Gun (Tossera)

Ram (La Cuisine)

Ae (Love By Chance) - I'm WELL AWARE I'm picking a Mame character

God (Monster Next Door)

Li (Moonlight Chicken)

Sun (Sunset X Vibes)

Latte (Knock Knock Boys)

Moo (Only Boo!)

Rome (Puppy Honey)

Alan (Pit Babe)

Touch, Sky (Secret Crush on You)

Na (Tonhon Chonlatee)

Tan (We Are)

San (You're My Sky)

Oh should I define what green flag means to me?

respectful: no dubious consent, takes no for an answer and stops, alcohol is not an excuse,

honest: depicted demonstrating good communication - verbal, emotional, physical

safe: practices safe sex

decent: no violations (emotional, ethical, moral, sexual, cultural, or ya know legal) like breaking into his fucking hotel room

dependable: I'd be fine if my nibbling were trapped in an elevator with him

kind: forthright and not inclined to be manipulative

(source)