#i asked my friends who were into thai bl or thai media in general to talk abt the gmmtv girls

[harryandginnydeservesbetter]

Fucking look at this?????? There is 94 fics for the mlm but only 60 fics for the gl. What is the series abt again? Isnt it about sunonsga? Alyinluna? P'Alpha? So many other implied sapphic!? But no what is more trending? Cause i feel like everyone's been watching a different series.

Apologising for the rant because whatever i said is true but some people cant handle it🥰

Also i was aggressive abt it...but it needs to be said so

Ep 6 of 23.5 came out about a week ago and I think there's supposed to be 12 eps in total, so we're about halfway through the series, whoo!

So if that's the case, why are over 60% of the fics in the 23.5 tag on ao3 all about characters that don't even exist in the show? 😭😭

Am I missing something here? From my very limited knowledge of the show's making, North and Night were supposed to characters in the show but they were cut at some point (I think? I could be mistaken). So what are these North/Night fics (that are nearly a hundred in number) even based on? Were North and Night characters in whatever source material the show is based on (in that case, maybe they should be in a separate '23.5 (The Novel)' tag or something instead of the show's tag)? Are these fics amalgamations of Gemini and Fourth's characters in other shows? Are they based on nothing at all except whatever the author decided to write about? Which is fine, but I'm just baffled at how these characters, who don't even exist in the show, make up over half its tag.

I mean, I have nothing against the existence of these fics but it's just very ??? to have them take over the entire tag of the show.

[bengiyo]

This is a broad one, so take it whatever direction you wish: what are five shows, actors, or creative teams that have exceeded your expectations or pleasantly surprised you?

WOW. I struggle with broad asks because there's so much I like and think about.

Nadao Bangkok

I loved Nadao Bangkok so much. I had basically only engaged with really stylish Thai movies and media before BL. It's the kind of stuff you see at film festivals. I was not really used to the quick and efficient production processes and talent pools of the TV show production of BLs. I adapted, but it was such a relief to watch things like Project S, I Told Sunset About You, I Promised You the Moon, and Great Men Academy. I also just adore the talent they cultivated and how so many Nadao alums are still doing things in entertainment. They really did something special there.

Koisenu Futari (2022)

We talk so much about about representation and wanting to see more kinds of stories. I really loved the way this story explored the spectrum of asexuality alongside loneliness and the search for companionship. I love that it's a story about people who all care about each other, but they are all out of alignment for various reasons. I love that so many of the relationships don't resolve in a way that pairs people in an expected way. The sister left her cheating husband, Sakuko and Takashi don't live together, and Kazu was actually able to just be her friend. It's an unexpected delight.

For the Boys (2021)

I will never stop pimping this show out. Many of the folks are new to BL and queer TV in general, so they don't even remember Noah's Arc. I've been wanting more shows about black queer friend groups, and this show delivered. Every week I check on Slay TV to see what else they're up to. This show features a femme/GNC character finding their way through presenting publicly and dating, a fat black gay man struggling with body image and race identity issues, and a promiscuous black gay man struggling with his place in the world. It's a nuanced look at queer friendship, and I really wish more people would watch it.

Ossan's Love: In the Sky (2019)

I already apologized to this show once, but I'll bring it up again. This AU season could have been a real flop, but in some ways it's my favorite. I love doing an AU as a way to soft reboot your characters and dig deeper into their interiority before returning to them years later. I like Haruta so much more because of this season. I also really love the bonds between men in this series and the ways they push each other. It's really excellent, and this is a special franchise we have been lucky enough to return to multiple times.

Sherri and Teri Polo on The Fosters (2013-2018)

In an era where almost every TV lesbian died, these two delivered some of the best onscreen chemistry I've ever seen. They felt like a married couple for the entirety of a dramatic and often-messy Freeform (formerly ABC Family) TV show. We talk about Business Gay Performance (BGP) around here a lot, and these two are masters of their craft. At no point did you ever think these two actresses were secretly dating or cheating on their partners, but they were open about how much they loved each other and how important the friendship they built on this show was to them. I have immense admiration for the work they did and continue to do in the queer space. We are really lucky that these two took on the role of playing loving moms to all them kids, who got to also got to have a romantic and sexual relationship with each other onscreen.

Thank you for the ask! Since it wasn't explicitly BL, I decided to have some fun.

[scarefox]

Some BL babies under the Playboyy trailers: "But can the actors ever face their parents again?" and "BL is doing too much now"

I don't even know where to begin with this. Like literally porn actors and / A(dult)V(ideo) idols exist and they still have good relationships with their parents and friends. Some parents are totally fine with their GROWNUP kids to go into the adult industry. SOME (grownup!) "kids" may not even care for their parents opinion. Gown up people should not have to ask their parents for permission to act in certain media. Sex scenes acting and even literal (modern) porn and sex work gets treated professionally within their industries. So why can't the rest of the world treat it rather with respect?

And the Playboyy actors are not even porn actors (I think. but wouldn't matter if they were) but 'normal' actors who just play pretend sex scenes. Literally most of hollywood and Cos actors have sex scenes that are on the same level of graphicness as they are in Playboyy (like Game of Thrones????). They still all show their faces in public and infront of their family.

Some people are simply not that prude and shy. It's that easy 🤷‍♂️

And some parents may be totally fine with the stuff their kids do, but simply don't watch it or skip it if it's too awkward. I think that's more common actually.

ALSO it annoys (and secondhand embarrasses) me so much that so many BL babies act like Playboyy is the first and only explicit gay themed drama ever existing on this planet. Not even in the box of the BL genre are they the first (maybe only for the thai corner... but even there it is not much more explicit than KinnPorsche and Love in the Air so far, it's just more scenes all together due to the plot setting). But meanwhile the whole LGBTq film industry all around the world is that explicit too. Some more, some less. The ones that are tame are made for a rather general audiences, younger audiences or to appeal to cis-straight audiences even. But a lot of LGBTq stuff is explicit like that. So that's not new?

The LGBTq movies and series I have seen in all my life are wild. Also not always wholesome, nor 'perfect representation' either (a lot of gay movies are kink fantasies or trauma themed, some of them are so much darker than any 'toxic' BL but yea... ). So idk what this annoying discourse around BL and good representation is supposed to be in that context. That ALWAYS sounds to me like "but we have to make this queer content in a way that the homophobes and queerphobes can watch it by accident without finding us weird and disgusting"...

And regarding Playboyy I don't even know if that's supposed to be BL aka if it's supposed to please the general BL audiences or if it's not rather purely from and for LGBTq folks (+allies) in and outside of the BL genre bubble. But as I said before already, the genre borders are melting at some projects anyways to the point that it's hard to find the differentiating factors (for BL I would say the only fixed point is that it has the romance (romantic fantasies) genre at it's core, anything else is optional). I feel like a lot of people assume that BL has to be for teenager's. Meanwhile not even the origins (manga) and the source material (usually web comics and novels) of today are all for teens. That genre is diverse and for ALL audiences of ALL ages. And it's GOOD that more parts of the audiences can get their own niche content now! Like I for example am originally not that much into sappy romance and marriage plots but I still watch it since it's with characters I can identify with more than the heteronormative & gendernormative stuff from the west (I also learned a thing or two maybe, like the fact that I may like sappy romance plots sometimes after all).

Anyways, Rule of thumb for anything in general: If you don't like it, then it is not made for you. So stop complaining about stuff that is for others* 🤷‍♂️

(*unless it's proven to be harmful or disrespectful, as in the tone of the whole story, not the action of characters that are supposed to be dumb sometimes.)

[absolutebl]

Thanks bunches for the response! It's incredibly sweet of you to take the time to do this for a random ass person online. Hope you know you are loved and appreciated! :)

Firstly, with your point on Cherry Magic and Old Fashion Cupcake, I agree! They were so close to being perfect, with everything, including all the conflicts and narrative beats being nigh on perfect in execution. They just failed to deal the deal for me.

Hence why I put them in the close enough list. Only the first 6 shows I mentioned nailed the landing for me.

Regarding your reply to my second question, do you see any way to resolve this issue regarding the post-honeymoon phase for the viewers? Is there any way it could be presented engagingly without going full WBL2/Tharntype 2? Are there any BL's that actually attempt to linger on a couple **in** a relationship and the problems they may phase in the first season itself?

As for if I grew up watching much anime, not really lol. I got into BL in my early teens and that was my first exposure to Japanese media via Yaoi/Shounen-ai manga. After a while, I had to reconcile with my new found queer identity and BL, which (back then) was not very queer affirming. [This isn't just Japanese stuff, I read a lot of Thai Y Novels with the help of Thai friends who graciously would let me in on group reads and translate for us while we translated Japanese works for them]

In general, the structure of anime doesn't tend to bother me much. I enjoyed Given a lot and had fun watching Sasaki to Miyano without too many qualms (except the singing in Given cos I hate BL and signing together).

As for Disney stuff, it's real hit or miss imo. I tend to not like it that much though so yeah. Tangled is my exception though. I love the movie. That and Beauty and the Beast.

Youa re spot on in saying that I don't like the classic structure of romance plots unless the final conflict is something that has long been established and has been creeping up at the couple. What you say about Korean stuff sounds VERY unappealing to me. It kinda sounds like WYEL territory which completely lost me with its ending. Not that I was head over heels for it anyway.

Regarding 1000 Stars, I've watched it, but found it to be kinda drab and dull fornsome parts in the middle to the point where I struggle to remember much of it. Hell I don't remember much of that show AT ALL. Only the touching scene where Mix counts the stars, vague flashes of the airport, and then a **very** hazy vision of their reunion. Nothing else. The show felt truly meh for me. Mainly due to the compete lack of chemistry to me between Earth and Mix. I sincerely just couldn't see it at all. That, and Earth's acting leaves...a lot to be desired. His "deffo-real-beard" was HILARIOUS though. The narrative itself seemed decently paced if a touch long winded from my recollection. Then again, I can't recollect for shit so I should probs rewatch. Also, PhuPha is quite literally the SOLE cause of ALL conflict in the show and I hate him for it.

Thanks for the recommendations on Moddy Arthouse stuff. I do love me some of that!

I've already watched YNEH, TCMDOC, and the Pornographer. I haven't gotten into Vitenamese stuff because My Cinderell was so clearly underfunded, it suffered hugely for it. And that is still held up as peak Vietnamese BL. I'm watching Want To See You now and my god is it extra. It is truly CAMP. The way the women are portrayed, golly.

This is to ask if Goodbye Mother is good.

As for the rest,

- L:LOTL because I cannot STAND Akira lol. His decision was close to irredeemable for me and I hate the way the denouement is done in either version. This is why I prefer His the Movie. It got to take it's time to unpack the singular issue between Shin and Nagisa and give us some form of satisfactory resolution to the conflict. Here's me on reddit ranting in an exaggerated tone about L:LOTL, where I'm left to fight in the TRENCHES for defence. (I really shouldn't have tried to be comedically exaggerative in the post lol. I got FLAMED.): https://www.reddit.com/r/boyslove/comments/vgae27/am_i_the_only_one_who_didnt_like_life_love_on_the/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share [WARNING: This isn't a good look for me lmao], and Here's a comment where I defend my hypocrisy for liking His but not L:LOTL if you care lmao: https://www.reddit.com/r/boyslove/comments/vlfens/my_review_about_the_japanese_movie_his_2020_share/idv9hud?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3

- Not Me I felt was sorta shallow and faux deep. While I appreciated the attempts to highlight systemic failures in governance that lead to the corruption ridden systems that take hold in large parts of South and South East Asia, allowing for moguls to rule with impunity, I felt that the politics lacked nuance and self awareness in action and most importantly, it failed to show consequence, which is truly where the large majority of the injustice lies. The romance and stuff was fun I guess. Gun KILLS it this time aswell! Love him as Black. Wish we got more of that Gun instead of White Gun imo.

- Manner of Death is a show that I enjoyed watching, but never finished because I love bringing a series and this series in particular felt unbingable. I'd get through a few epsidoes, get bored and quit. Then a few months later, restart, catch up, watch one more episode, feel fatigue, and quit. Rinse and repeat. I'd love to finish it though.

- What Did You Eat Yesterday is something I've heard of a lot. I know the manga is in my to-read list. Will get to it.

- Isnt Great Men Academy body-swap? No thanks if so.

Now finally for the bromances, I'm simply not brave enough to commit to 300 million episodes of content, only to potentially deal with het fuckery AND not get ANYTHING out of it. I know some of these things are supposed to be implied and queer coded but to what extent? How explicit is it? How shrouded is it? Cause I'm sorry but I'm not watching a 30 episode buddy cop type dynamic series as a substitute for good BL.

Jesus I type too much. I need to touch grass.

[Had to send this as an ask because character limits. Dear lord.]

Do you see any way to resolve this issue regarding the post-honeymoon phase for the viewers? Is there any way it could be presented engagingly without going full WBL2/Tharntype 2?

Many experienced and brilliant romance authors have tackled this one with mixed results. The nature of romance as a genre makes it very difficult. 

I think, the conflict in the second season needs to be external and set up by the narrative and world building to work successfully. So, for example, even though I know it was a toss away because the actor refused to return, I didn't mind Color Rush 2 removing Yoo Han, because it total made sense he might be kidnapped, trapped by his family, or otherwise messed with given the sinister nature of the CR universe. I'd even be fine seeing a different actor portray him in a 3rd installment, again because plastic surgery or on-the-run visual shift works for the story, (so long as the new actor could convey the same kind of physicality as Hwall).

Another example: 

I would have had TMS2 take Korea’s homophobic culture to task with a plot that had paparazzi exposing Seo Joon as gay and then the extreme public fall out. I would have had Ji Woo totally unable to deal with the negative fame (because of his past trauma and shy retiring personality) and flee for THAT reason. This would have made both characters more sympathetic (and still pining for each other), just torn apart by circumstances beyond their control. And I would have ended it with Seo Joon tragically having to give up his career but happily shacked up with Ji Woo in increasing obscurity in a countryside restaurant and small community that has learned to accept and protect them (ah la His the movie). 

Are there any BLs that actually attempt to linger on a couple in a relationship and the problems they may phase in the first season itself?

You mean they get together like halfway through? Hum. Well Secret Crush On You, any BL where one half of the party has a super important secret or that tackles the fake relationship trope. Because of it’s style (that you specifically said you probubly wouldn’t like) any 4 act structure (or show that borrows this pacing style) so Chinese bromances and some stuff out of Korea, will do this, but still inject dumb break up conflict in the final quarter. 

Also any BL that is more soap opera-ish will do this, like Japan’s Ossan’s Love, the Takumi-kun series, Pornographer series, or China’s Irresistible Love. Thailand’s Love Sick, Make it Right, Puppy Honey (in many of these the couple is apart at the end of season 1 tho). 

I do have a statistical analysis of 2nd seasons (from before Korea started getting in on the game). 

Second Seasons I Think Are Actually Pretty Good 

In that they use external conflict to drive the couples apart rather than angst or internal conflict. 

SOTUS S is my first pick. I like the conflict in both the 2nd season and the Our Skyy special. It’s around coming out in the workplace and separation due to being at different life stages. You need to buy into KongArthit’s dynamic though. If they didn’t work for you as a couple in SOTUS, the rest of the series won’t work either. But they satisfied me by moving from a college setting to a workplace setting and I really enjoyed them a lot. 

I actually don’t like Present Perfect, but I think you might. If you haven’t seen this 2 part movie series (Thai + Japan production from a queer arthouse director) you might enjoy it. It’s a little slow, but maybe? The conflict is internal but believably based on personality, so a little like TMS2. 

[badapricot]

Sorry this is a sticky question, but new to BL here and I've come across a lot of mewgulf hype. Like they're inescapable. My ig and yt feeds are full of them and I've never actively gone looking for them. I guess once you watch one bl your socials just get sucked into the BL vortex.

Anyway my question is, because I've seen a lot of mewgulf stuff, unintentionally albeit, but I've seen a lot of it, and chemistry wise I do agree they have some professor x level concoction going on. And I read your mewart post on all the drama that went down before mewgulf... Anyway my real question is (god why is it so hard to get to the point for me 🙄)... 🥁 Is there any truth to mewgulf or is it pure fantasy?

Like I don't wanna arm twist you into answering this extremely uncomfortable question, but I'm just really really curious and it's hard to find an unbiased and objective opinion in a circle of shippers. I'm not a real-people shipper, I stick to fictional couples only, but those two are just on a whole different level of fantasy building, they might be deserving of Oscars for how convincing they are. (Oscars are shit tho but they are still considered gold std because of hollywood industrial complex but I digress.)

This is a sticky topic because Waanjais are pretty crazy and intense but I’ll try to answer this the best I can. I was a pretty firm MewGulf “believer” up until December 2020 when a bunch of issues started happening between them.

The vague timeline on when their relationship started going south:

Mew started totally ignoring Gulf on social media.

On the day of Gulf’s GMM BOYFRIEND concert, Mew posted a “Good luck bro” message to Gulf on top of a picture of the flowers he’d gotten him. Not weird at all, but fans were joking about how it seemed like they’d fought because Mew would usually call Gulf the Thai equivalent of darling.

Gulf had an issue where crazy fans were starting rumours that he hooked up with a dancer from his concert just because they had a sexy dance routine together. Mew posted a photo with a sun emoji on IG and Gulf replied with a sunflower comment. This is because they’ve turned sun and sunflower into a shipping brand. Mew replied with a rude emoji and then posted a coded message on his IG story that said “Every time you have problems you use me. It’s not cool at all bro”. It’s not hard to figure out that he was shading Gulf for “using him” to distract from his scandal, especially after he recently called Gulf “bro” which he never has.

Mew and Gulf had a really awkward live in December 2020 where the whole comment section was full of fans pointing out that they were fighting, and they were reading the comments with the MC.

Mew got home and blew up at a MewGulf fan who said he was unprofessional for his behaviour during the live.

Mew ignored Gulf’s New Year’s greetings and thanked everyone under the sun, including their Mom’s, but totally left Gulf out of them (despite Gulf being his partner of two years) and he ended it with a shady comment about “leaving people behind in the New Year”.

Mew deleted 90% of his and Gulf’s couple photos on IG.

Mew and Gulf had a lot of really awkward lives together as soon as 2021 started.

Mew totally ignored the Waanjai MewGulf anniversary even though their fans bought a firework show for them. Meanwhile, Gulf made a video visiting all the fansites and he did a live during the fireworks show where he gave away cookies to fans. When Mew was asked about fireworks in an interview, he pretended that it was a gift just for him and not for him and Gulf.

Mew’s sails had the wind taken out of them after he was nationally clowned for 8 days by NCTzens because his cover MV was accused of plagiarism.

Mew recently unfollowed CH3 right after they posted Gulf’s teaser (Gulf was recently signed under them).

Gulf did an interview with CH3 where he was asked if Mew had congratulated him for joining CH3 and his answer was, “Maybe?”

Mew tried to blame Gulf and CH3 for MewGulf not having a fanmeet in 2021, even though he himself said he’s booked for the next year.

I’m probably missing more details because I’ve left the fandom but since his NCT issue, Mew has generally gone back to being polite to Gulf at least in public, but he’ll still occasionally do or say shady things about Gulf, while Gulf treats him with the expected professional respect.

I don’t know if they dated or if it was just a crush or a work romance, but I do think there was something romantic between them because I’ve “known” Mew for 3+ years and he’s a really emotional and erratic person. He lashed out at Gulf, the exact same way that he lashed out at Art. He wouldn’t have done all those things to Gulf if they weren’t involved in some way, but that’s just my personal opinion.  Mew doesn’t shit where he works, unless he has feelings for his work. I also don’t think either of them are that good at acting. You can genuinely see that they had a lot of love for each other at some points.

As of now? I think they’re living in a friends to lovers to enemies AU and they’ve come to a professional understanding, because Mew can’t handle more scandal at this point, and Gulf doesn’t want any. I think they’ll continue to work together cordially until their couple contracts end, and then they’ll eventually split professionally. I don’t think they’re currently dating and I don’t even think they’re friends.

[misterbitches]

hi! this is long as shit i’m sorry. i hope it makes sense. i ahve adhd and like 5 million learning disorders so this is just word vomit cos there’s so many words in my brain. my b.

i’ve had such a tough day so thank you for replying and sharing! @yeedak​ 

i was thinking about what i wrote and i meant to clarify that as well. some cases are fine for both parties and it’s not like you weren’t consenting and it seems like you were happy! same with my friend who was dating a 20 yr old. if they’re happy you know i’ll clown on ‘em but yea. so for anyone that sees these posts your relationship with your partner who is older or whatever. i’m some dumb girl on the internet okay. ill side eye older ppl tho

i think a lot of people feel the same way you do now (me included.) it feels really good at the time but alter we can see the dynamics playing out. i’m 29 now and i think aging is just such a huge process. it’s wild how you at 31 are a totally different person, right?

and the US racism is probably some of the worst ever in its iteration because of slavery which started from europe etc but USA is so fucking unique bc of columbus bringing slaves here and displacing indigenous peoples or hispanola and because america is so influential the way it views race, particularly with black people as objects, has so deeply permeated into the current historical psyche globally. it’s fascinating to track how necessary anti blackness is to the flourishing of america but also the world at this point. also want to point out how fuckign scary sinophobia is here especially for covid. one is a straight historical line (black ppl + the US) and the other had to be manufactured and to continue to exploit the non-white americans and keep antiblackness in tact.i could go on about this all day. the pain of this place is immense.yet as bad as it is here, this is still the only place i truly feel safe as a black person. because of the unique experience we have in america and through the diaspora especially because we are veyr much ocncentrated here. it would be nice to like move to norway and have some alleviation financially or get free healthcare it’s just not feasible if no one looks like me. it’s fucking tough. 

i hope you don’t hate it here though and people treat you with respect. but as you know being a woman and jewish and an immigrant....shit is tough. the USA is a hellhole. :( america is so deeply tainted and desperately bad because it was founded on strife and blood and there’s no way to reverse that and what this country did in turn when it gained enough power and could capitalize off of the colonial forefathers. this is why we hsould all luv revolution!!!

HOWMEVERRRR 

boy oh boy oh BOY OH BOYYYYYYYY. well wlecome to the world of BL lmao especially as an adult with some obviously deep perspective just given your background. it is a fucking mess and it’s a hard mess to like but it pulls you in. i approach it like i do with soap operas since these are essentially telenovelas, you know? just like the drama at a billion. but the tricky part of that is like....what parts of it do we understand for critiquing? because so many of the shows are so bad at being like good pieces of things to look at just production wise and story wise. but i feel like these shows ask us to take them seriously, so why shouldn’t we take the content seriously? and this is being primarily peddled to young girls. 

i bring this up often but i read this thing about yaoi and the interest younger women/girls have in BL and its fascination with pederasty essentially. this component i think is key when we talk about who gets affected by these things the most. society in general is bad 4 girls bla bla we know lmao but in “more sexually conservative” societies it may be harder for these girls to feel safe even expressing normal emotions romantically and sexually and particularly with guys. some people hypothesized, and i think i agree with this hypothesis, that they can live through the casualness of BL. they don’t feel threatened because they can put themselves into the shoes of the other character. oftentimes, the more feminine or the younger. this was in conjunction with the age gap aspect (they say pederasty as well because there’s unethical age gaps that r gross and that is indeed what we would at least call a touch of sexual abuse if people dont feel like calling it an obsession with youth and power and uhhh young ppl and perhaps kids) where maybe girls could see themselves in these situations as the person being saved, loved, taken care of, and sadly also sexually active and penetrated. 

i think that’s just one aspect of it but i do think there’s validity in who gravitates towards it. i cannot imagine seeing this stuff and not getting enough information as a young kid, i sure as fuck know i didn’t!, and seeing these things and you look at it with 0 critique because you’re young and you may have no interest in it or you simply cannot understand what is wrong. no one is teaching you these things and these shows confirm it. and it is wild how intrinsic patriarchy is to BL although in its existence it also can’t be in line with patriarchy given the nature of two [cis] men!

it begs the question about the replacement aspect. is it just so girls can put themselves in these characters shoes? if so then that means we believe that gender is so interchangeable within our relationships and interactions and that doesn’t seem right. there’s more to lgbtq+ than just existing; it’s finding ways to communicate, finding a family, safety, your people, being a free person. there’s a lot to gain and a lot a lot to lose. and a gay man is also not a woman because those are also two distinct experiences.  especially in societies that have a more hidden aspect to sexuality (idk how to word this bc the BL industry would NEVER survive in america but in a way there’s a more “progressive” look at homosexuality but it’s still fucked up because we live in a Society, you know? at the same time look at what we are doing to trans kids. literally waging war so it’s bonkers how we all collectively have some real progress happening but at the same time not at all. the concept of ‘ladyboys’ and the frequency we see trans people in thai shows is wild and something that we absolutely do not see here in the US. still, none of these groups feel safe or are getting better material conditions in either place. we just show the ways we can try and tolerate oppression witout eliminating it imo)

to me it is clear: it’s money. which most things exist to make money so. but also who is the audience for these shows? and they have to market towards them. all that said all hope is not lost there are some decent shows. it’s just like regular media on TV though where it’s so fucking saturated as an industry that it’s literally sifting through garbage. and there are some days when you can handle the trash and others where it really fucking hurts to watch the violence, the rape, the manipulation, the violations, the stupid messaging. i have never seen more people trying to do mental gymnastics and seeing if things were “technically rape” than in teh BL fandom and that is so fucking sad.

i came into these shows at 28 with almost 0 clue of what as media BL was like esp as media that countries can use as soft power with the revenue. but i realize like...i’m 29 now and so many people don’t have a sizeable, though not huge, amount of life experience. and i wonder for people on the internet who are usually searching for something if they spend so much time on it like what a 15 year old girl thinks. what a 20 year old girl thinks. 

it is incredibly problematic and so awful but there’s also some rewards. if you haven’t i would definitely watch i told sunsset about you which i don’t think i’m going to finish and i doubt i’ll watch the second installment (watch this be a lie) but when i say some fucking impeccable storytelling and art? phew. now that is a fucking piece of media that works. it takes from moonlight heavily and you can see like...the artistic dedication is there and the story makes its world and sets up its stakes extremely well. 

i think because this is marketed towards much younger people too they know they dont have to try as hard. but they SHOULD because then you can have a fucking masterpiece like that. i think even this prolific gay thai filmmaker (who is like solidly against the government) who is so respected (and who i like a lot! if u wanna know i can tell u lmao but the films are very uhhhhhhhh “artsy”) would like i told sunset about you. i wish more people had budget like that and also just cared about the stories. it’s the fucking magic of art to figure out what you can do but there is very little incentive honestly. idk i am very pessimistic. there are days when it’s really a great pick me up and distraction but it is never a place i would love for to feel seen or heard but i’m more of the mind of i never trust the mainstream until they prove me wrong ;) 

or i never trust the mainstream and i still buy into it anyway and then cry when i don’t like what i see adn i yell “BOO GET OFF THE STAGE!” when an old man won’t leave a teenager alone

[aylinaliens]

I am officially caught up on Oxygen and I started it yesterday, so that’s a new record. I’m so freaking obsessed! And, I’d love some recs because I need more to watch. My first step into the world of Bls came from My Engineer which was brilliant and frustrating, but I loved it. Now, I’m just looking for more and more and more, and this started in July 😂. I’d love some recs and to pop in randomly to chat about the bls if you’d be up for it because they all kill me ~♉️

Sorry for the delayed response but I wanted to take some time to compile a list of recs for you. I tried to mainly rec ones that are mainly available on YouTube, Viki, Line TV, and Netflix but if you need help finding links to watch them let me know!

I highly recommend these (based on the previous ones you’ve seen or ones that I personally loved):

Cherry Magic: This is a Japanese BL that’s currently airing but it’s so good and easily my favorite of the year. It has a wacky premise but it’s very heartwarming, realistic, and soft.

Like In The Movies (aka Gaya Sa Pelikula): This recently ended like a week ago but it was a masterpiece. GSP accurately depicts the struggle of being the LGBTQ+ community and is just generally really well made in terms of the script, cinematography, and OST. There were quite a few BL’s from Philippines released this year but IMO this was the best.

He’s Coming to Me: Incredibly underrated which sucks because it’s really good. The premise is very unique and it’s another accurate depiction of the struggles that LGBTQ+ individuals have to go through. This is pretty angsty but hilarious/heartwarming/adorable at the same time.

Theory of Love: People either absolutely adore TOL or absolutely despise TOL. I personally adored it because I’m a big fan of angst, flawed characters (oh boy were they flawed), and OffGun so it’s one of my favorites. But fair warning the characters are frustrating. So frustrating that you’ll probably want to reach through the screen to smack them but if you hang on till the end it’s worth it. Plus they just released a special episode like a month ago and it really improved any issues I had with TOL.

The Untamed: this is technically labeled as being a ‘bromance’ because of China’s censorship laws but like...it’s extremely obvious that the two ML’s are more than just platonic bros. In the book it’s based on they were together romantically and the drama does a good job of expressing the love they share with subtle (and not so subtle) looks, dialogue, cinematography, touches, and music. The Untamed is very long and at times confusing but 100% worth it.

History 3 Trapped: This was my first introduction to BL and it spoiled all other ones for me. It’s about a gangster and a police officer who go from enemies to lovers. The plot is messy but the chemistry between the leads + second leads makes up for that.

Where Your Eyes Linger: This is a Korean BL and almost everyone I talked to ended up loving this. Sadly this is really short (only 8 episodes that are 10 minutes long) but it’s worth it. It’s about two childhood friends—one of them is the son of a wealthy family and the other is his bodyguard. It handles the friends to lovers excellently and plus the leads have a ton of chemistry.

Mr. Heart: Another Korean BL that was produced by the same company that did WYEL. It’s also short but it’s fluffy and adorable which is a big shift tone from WYEL but I loved both equally.

Life Love On The Line: Another Japanese BL! It came out this year and I feel like it’s really underrated. It’s based on a short manga so the length of the series isn’t that long (4 ep that are 20-30 min long) but it still manages to effectively tell a beautiful love story.

Kinou Nani Tabeta? (What Did You Eat Yesterday): I’m only on episode 1 but...woah. People need to stop sleeping on this. It’s a slice of life drama centered around two men in their forties who are already together. It’s wholesome, soft, and makes me feel all warm inside. Please give this a chance okay?

I Told Sunset About You: I haven’t finished this yet but it’s honestly a masterpiece. The cinematography...the OST...the acting...the script...I’m in complete awe of the whole thing.

Gameboys: Another wonderful PINOY BL! It’s set during this year when the pandemic is going on and it was really good—so good that it got a GL spin off (Pearl Next Door, I highly rec this too even if it’s not BL) and a season 2 which comes out next year.

Hello Stranger: Honestly the Philippines are thriving this year because this was another stellar BL! It’s kind of like Gameboys in how almost the whole drama is filmed over video chat/social media but it was very cute. I believe Hello Stranger is also releasing a movie next year.

Ingredients: This is literally just a very long supermarket ad that’s been going on for 8 months now but it’s adorable. It’s a very low stakes fluffy BL where nothing happens plot wise yet you can’t put it down. Plus...they were roommates ;)

Sotus/Sotus S: not one of my favorites but it’s one of the OG bl’s for a reason. So many people loved the first season but didn’t care for the second (but it was the complete opposite for me). This is kind of the one of the most quintessential Thai BLs out there so feel free to give it a try.

History 2 Right or Wrong: Bls rarely center around mature individuals let alone parents so when I found out the premise of this I was sold. Its only 4 episodes so it’s not the most fleshed out thing ever made but it was incredibly adorable, fluffy, and as honest as they can to address LGBTQ+ parenting. Basically it’s about this college student who ends up as a babysitter for his professor (yeah okay that premise is not for everyone so just be aware if you don’t like that kind of thing) and they fall in love. The whole thing is so fluffy and heartwarming!

Ossan’s Love: This is a Japanese BL about this thirty year old office worker who finds himself in a weird love triangle between his married boss and roommate. I know it sounds like a mess and trust me it definitely is but it’s hilarious. It was a wild ride start to finish but I loved (and hated) every second of it.

Diary of Tootsies: Okay this isn’t a typical BL I guess but it’s about three gay men + their lesbian best friend so you know what? I’m including it on this list. It’s hilariously dumb yet also addresses serious topics like homophobia/sexually transmitted diseases. It’s underrated and I’m so sad about it because it’s genuinely a delight to watch.

YYY the Series: do you know those crack videos on YouTube full of memes and references? Yeah. That’s basically YYY summed up. The whole thing makes zero sense because of how chaotic it is but despite how it’s constantly makes everyone ???? it also has a TON of heart. It’s so dumb but it had me reflecting on my life all the time. I really rec this not just because of how hilarious it is but also because it breaks the mold of other BLs! Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t have a comedic show and talk about consent and how important healthy communication is in relationships because YYY does it perfectly and so much more.

Dark Blue Kiss: I didn’t love this but you might. It’s a sequel/spin off to like two other series (Kiss Me & Kiss Me Again) but you don’t have to watch the others to understand this. Just know that the leads have been dating awhile before the start of the series.

Great Men Academy: People debate if this is a real BL because the main character is a girl who can transform into a boy but I think it still counts. I really enjoyed this and thought the whole cast had a ton of chemistry between them—it was sweet, funny, and had the right amount of angst.

HIS: this is a Japanese movie (I know you said dramas but I enjoyed this so I figured I would include it too). It’s beautiful, angsty, and sweet. There’s a prequel series this is based on but you don’t have to watch it to understand what’s going on.

I have way more recommendations but I figured I would stop there. Hopefully if you give these a go you enjoy this and my asks are always open if you ever want to talk about BL :)

[ctl-yuejie]

Answer for the lovely @scheusal and the Namnuea/Namnhao anon (major spoilers for The Judgment Ep. 7)

Anon: Hi, I'm the anon who asked about nao~ thank you so much!! I now know that at least his brother supports him. tbh I was kinda worry by the "theme" of the drama and how the air was feeling when he's with his family. I hope nao gets all the help and space he needs to heal :(

scheusal: Hello hello! How are you? I caught with The Judgement and f*ck everything!! 😭😭😭 I get that the show is dark but did they really have to do that? I’m so tired and I don’t know how I’m gonna be able to ever survive until the end.

tw: rape

Heya! @scheusal , I’m doing really good - not in regards to this series though- . I hope it’s okay to answer like this cause I wanted to avoid spoilers for people who haven’t caught up yet, so they can be blissfully unaware for a little bit longer.

I 100% agree with you on this. I’m maybe not as mad as if it’d been a romantic comedy we’re dealing with (side-eyes most thai BL) but I still think it was totally unnecessary. I loved everything about Jamie and Namnhao until this point and there was already a good amount of angst tied to their plot: the fear of coming out, homophobic parents etc.

In regards to ep 7 I think it’s valid that they wanted to address sexual assault in the community and men as victims of it. But they didn’t have to go through with it to show the viewers the horror of it all. 

Also I went into this series knowing that it would focus on sexual assault in the main story, but I could’ve really done without Namnhao getting r*ped as well. They did incorporate important and tough topics in their storyline that I think were addressed in the right way, but ep 7 was too much for me. I think there would’ve been a way to deal with the topics of sexual assault inside the community and homophobia without Namnhao having to get hurt. 

Imho the main plot starts to drag and is getting too depressing for me without offering any silver lining. It somewhat feels like they add plotlines for the shock-value now and not so much to create an intricate picture about a sensitive and horrific topic. There are too many rape cases in reality, but in the context of the show it feels like the repeated sexual assault (I think the count stands at 3 atm??!) just leads to the viewers getting desensitized to some degree and they’re loosing the impact of the first episode. Which is an additional reason as to why it would’ve been better if Namnhao didn’t get r*ped. (I also don’t really know how they want to go from here on because atm everything is really depressing and infuriating). My wish would’ve been for the two guys to try and get Namnhao to come with them (which is scary enough) but that Jamie would return in time to save him. Or have drag queens rescue him and beat up the guys. Or even better have the two guys from Jamie’s school who started gossiping about them fend of the two men and stay with Namnhao until Jamie returns.

Jamie and Namnhao are listed as side-characters so I fear that they just don’t have enough room in the series to deal with the aftermath of this in a sensitive and appropriate way. And their storyline to this point had so many interesting themes that they most likely won’t explore further now....urghh.

Regarding Namnuea:

Despite Namnuea being somewhat of a macho and having generally the wrong type of people as friends we see that he loves Namnhao and really cares for him. They do have a strong bond even though their personalities and lifestyles couldn’t be more different. Namnhao keeping his sexuality a secret for so long might have created some distance between them but they are still very close.

We can see that Namnuea doesn’t really know what he can do to help Namnhao and feels quite helpless. So his reaction to Namnhao getting r*ped might come off as unhelpful or cold, but I believe he is trying his best but is overwhelmed by the situation himself. 

Their parents reaction is really the worst so I don’t blame Namnuea for failing at being helpful, he at least stands up for his brother against his parents and tries to sooth him. (The preview shows Namnuea standing up for his brother even more).

On that note: I freaking hate his parents. His mom doesn’t say anything or even tries to distract his dad for what it’s worth. His dad outright tells Namnhao that he’s just happy that his name didn’t get spread to the media and that Namnhao is to blame for drinking and being in a gay club in the first place.

(my heart is not really in this series anymore but I think I will watch on cause I love the characters that much)

[jojotichakorn]

To my dear fellow anons (esp.), the amazing Archer and all of his mutuals (who are undoubtedly all sweet beans too 😘),

I was still working on my next ask, but after reading you’ll be away for NYE Archer, I decided I had to wish of all you happy 2022 beforehand. So here we go:

🎆 Happy new year!!!!!!!!! 🎆

Archer. I’ve only known you and the anons for less than a month. But it feels like I’ve been interacting with you like forever. ☺️ And I love the energy you and your blog brings to me. I got into the Bad Buddy fandom completely by accident. At the time, I had gotten pretty stuck in a lot of fandoms I was in (the plotlines went in wrong direction, beloved characters left, my favourite shows were cancelled 😭 or most often: fans got pretty nasty to each other which created a toxic atmosphere). So I was hoping to find something completely different to immerse myself in. Something that could lift my spirits and inspire me to try something new (let’s get personal: I was depressed during 2020 and parts of this year -> and I still have a fear of failure and anxiety about trying new skills -> I am slowly but steadily improving, but recovery takes a lot of time ❤️‍🩹).

But boy, am I happy that I did stumble upon that one Bad Buddy gifset. 🙏 It’s not just the story (I am kind of the seasoned media consumer, so there isn’t a lot that can faze me.) But it’s mainly the interactions I have with other blogs. The positive vibes, the comradeship, and the honest discussions. Via Bad Buddy I got into a completely new genre, BL, and from that I got into Thai media in general. And that has given me so many positive vibes, and it’s very inspiring to feel so immersed in a culture that is so different from my own. (That sounds pretty cliché and privileged, but I never really had the opportunity to travel very far or even on my own, so let’s say GMMTV is the closest I can come to seeing Thailand [or any East-Asian country for that matter] for myself.)

Archer, you’ve been a great guide through the world of for me. And from your blog, I managed to “spread my wings” and interact with other blogs. But most of all: I appreciate you as a person. I hesitate to say this, but sort of feel like a friend to me. And whatever that “friendship” might be, it’s helped me through some more difficult days. So thank you. For the next year, I wish you love, happiness and tolerance. (If it’s not in Russia, then it will be here, or I will make my mission! 🦹‍♀️) And a lot of luck, and opportunities for you to thrive, and safe spaces for you to be who you are.

To my my “siblings in knighthood <3: I never appreciated anon mode as much as I have done right this month. I don’t have a lot of friends IRL (I have been told I am a good friend, but due to trust issues [both in myself and others] and my “membership to the neurodivergency association” 🥲 it’s pretty hard for me to welcome a new person in my inner circle), but I would consider several of my mutuals here “friends.” Tbh, I’m not exactly sure what our “status” is here (since we literally don’t know each other 😅). Whatever it is, I want to thank you all for contributing to it. Like I said, I haven’t been feeling great for a long time. But all of your lovely asks and our hilarious interactions with each other brought little sparks of unbridled joy to my mind.

Anyways, 2021 has been quite the year for me (I learned A LOT about myself, and finally got around to accepting who I am 💗💜💙, but also about my mental health), yet I can’t wait for it to end. You might have joined me in the very last month, but that doesn’t mean I appreciate you any less. I wish all of you lots of luck 🍀, love ❤️, and ofc great GL/BL/drama content 📺! 😚

Love + (consensual) hugs + kisses

~ operanon 🎼

i am so sorry for not managing to answer this before i left, thank you so much operanon and happy new year to you too!!

thank you so much for all your kind words - i am very happy you could find what you were looking for in this fandom and a safe space on my blog specifically, among all my beautiful anons 💛

[onetine]

end of year asks

Im just going to answer these instead of waiting to be asked because I’ve got time to kill before lunch gets here and D&D starts

but cut because this is a long one!

what did you learn about yourself this year?

that virtual hangouts are delightful and a great way to hang out with people that you would have only seen a few times a year. My closest friends I’ve made in person, so we always hung out in person, which didn’t work so well when they moved to other states. But now we’re doing calls and hanging out in discord rooms and it’s been SO lovely

best moment of the year?

getting a new manager so I dont need to deal with my last one’s pettiness anymore

worst moment of the year?

The Unpleasantness

what was the biggest change you experienced this year?

Working remote. I’m still not as productive as I was in office, but at this point I think that’s more to do with constant stress due to .... you know 2020, and not the change in where I’m working

best song of the year?

According to Spotify the song I listened to the most was Brutus by the Buttress, mind you it apparently came out in 2016 soooooooo

best album of the year?

According to Spotify, the album I listened to the most was Dreamland by Glass Animals

what’s one thing that happened this year that you want to change?

The Unpleasantness

best book/book series of the year?

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune was the one book that made me cry, and one of my few 5 star reads of the year, so I’m saying that one.

best television series?

Oh gosh, I watched so much many more shows then usual due to This Year, but I’m going to say 2gether. Did I start watching it solely because one of the main characters is named Tine and that’s the nickname went by throughout all of middle/high school (and what a number of people still call me)? Yes 100%. It was such a sweet fun show, and it was the first in a long line of Thai BL shows I ended up watching this year. The genre is problematic as heck, 90% of the shows I’ve seen are honestly pretty awful representations of queer relationships, there are entirely too many fans of the genre fetishizing young asian men, and often you’re being encouraged to with the writing/fanservice scenes which is extra unsettling as a queer 30 something lady. However a good deal of the shows I’ve watched remind me of fluffy fanfic, and I am ALL about fluffy low stakes romance media this year.

how was your love life this year?

my what

what made you cry the most this year?

general compounded stress due to... you know this year

biggest regret of the year?

Pretty early on in the year I made a choice to be extremely gentle with myself because of everything happening. So while I probably should have more regrets for not going as aggressively after promotions or whatever, I’m choosing to really just focus on getting through this.

best movie of the year?

The Old Guard

favourite place you traveled this year?

*sob*

did you make any new friends?

Not exactly, but I did get closer to a number of friends that were more casual acquaintances

did you learn anything about your sexuality this year?

Nah, still queer, still mostly identifying as aro ace

what are some hobbies that you developed?

brewing kombucha! I started this pretty early in the year because I got a kit last Christmas, and have been having a lot of fun figuring out how flavours work together and how to subtly tweak the brew. I don’t have the space at the moment to expand my experimentation, but it’s been making me want to get into other fermentation projects as well

what surprised you the most this year?

how spectacularly badly my country reacted to The Unpleasantness. I was not under any delusions that the US cared about people who aren’t pointlessly rich, but I didn’t expect it to be QUITE this bad

do you look different from the beginning of the year?

My hair has gotten a lot longer and I’ve started using colored conditioners to give it a tint. My haircuts have always been a once a year major chop, so missing that this year has resulted in it being quite a lot longer then I like.

how did this year treat you in general?

In the grand scheme of things, not bad. Everyone in my household (that was still employed) also work in an office, so no one lost their job when things changed. There’s also the thing where I’m from a middle class white family so thanks to living in America, that automatically stacks a lot of things in my favor

what message would you give yourself at the beginning of the year?

You’re going to want to order some comfy pants, toilet paper, and snacks in advance.

has your fashion style changed this year?

My general look has gotten way more casual since I’m not wearing my office clothing anymore. Which is honestly kinda sad because my office wardrobe is Ms Frizzle lite, and my casual wardrobe is all my old nerdy tees. But I’ll get back to it eventually, or if we’re permanently switching to work from home, I’ll eventually cave and start buying cuter comfy clothes

one of the best meals you’ve had this year?

Any time I’ve caved and ordered a meal instead of making it has made me terribly emotional, so really any takeout meal. Listen, the one thing I really spent my money on was going out to lunch and trying new things. Going from that to making sandwiches at home or eating some combination of an egg and a carb for most meals was more of an emotional blow then I expected.

who has made the biggest impact in your life this year?

The fuckin’ US government, and not in a good way.

what’s one thing that you hope will continue next year?

I do hope that people normalize wearing masks in public when you’re sick, and limiting the number of people in a location instead of jam packing it full. Also I hope that virtual hangouts continue so I can see my friends who live far away more often.