#i know my account is to be a bl account but I am on a danmei binge lol

[incorrectbldrama]

Jingyi: So are you two dating now?

Shizui & Jin Ling: Yes.

Jingyi: Why?

Jin Ling: I happen to find Shizui very appealing.

Jingyi: Yeah, I can understand that.I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with Shizui.

[lurkingshan]

Japanese BL Starter Pack

It’s been awhile since I dropped a rec list, so I am here today to share one that is very near and dear to my heart—a Japanese bl primer for those who are new to the jbl game. I created this for @neuroticbookworm to help her on her journey when she decided she wanted to start getting into Japanese works. The fandom (on Tumblr and generally) tends to focus primarily on Thai shows because they are the easiest to access for international fans, since Thailand is working its way toward world domination via ql media and wants us all to be able to watch. But there is a lot of great stuff to watch beyond the easy access Thai channels, and Japan is the country where this genre originated, so its shows are important for anyone who considers themselves a bl fan. Japan doesn’t cater nearly as much to the international audience so tracking down the shows sometimes takes some ingenuity and can-do spirit, but that’s part of the fun!

And so, the list! Bookworm is about halfway through it and having a ball, so I figured it was time to stop hoarding it and share it with anyone else who would like to dip their toes into jbl and isn’t quite sure where to start. A few notes: 

I am not here to teach you about the deep roots of the jbl genre or give you a primer on yaoi manga. I am by no means an expert and there are other places to find that information. Start here with this great post by @nieves-de-sugui and then maybe wander over to @absolutebl to read up more on the evolution of the genre.

This list is by no means an exhaustive accounting of every important Japanese bl ever made; it is simply a nice sampler platter of the cream of the crop among various styles you will find in jbl. Watching through this whole list will not only expose you to some fantastic shows, but also give you a sense of what makes jbl unique and how the country’s style differs from others, and point you toward the types of jbl you’ll like most (they tend to put shows in pretty specific style and tone lanes and once you find the ones you like there are lots more where that came from). 

If you’re coming to this post as a jbl lover and you don’t see your favorite here, I promise it’s not because I don’t love it very much; I simply had to make some choices to get this down to a reasonable shortlist. Feel free to leave extra recs for others to find! 

I’m putting these in a loose suggested watch order that will take you through the various jbl lanes in a kind of popcorn style, because I always think it’s good to change it up so you don’t get too stuck in one mode, and it works its way up to most of the extremely Japanese stuff (you will know what that means by the time you finish). But do what’s in your heart and change up the order if you want, friends, I am not the boss of you! 

Cherry Magic (Crunchyroll or grey)

gif by @liyazaki

I believe everyone on Tumblr is pretty familiar with this one, which is not a coincidence—this is one of the most accessible jbls. Not in terms of actual access to watch it, mind you (we’ve all jumped through shady internet hoops to watch it) but in terms of its content and style. Cherry Magic is a classic workplace romcom with a magical twist, and it is charming af. It’s a great exemplar of Japan’s light and zippy comedy lane for bl—a lane in which, importantly, the romances stay chaste even when the actual plot is about sex, or lack thereof. My friend @waitmyturtles would kill me if I didn’t make sure you know that Cherry Magic also has a lovely follow up film. And bonus: there is now a Thai remake airing so if you watch the original you can get in on the discussion about the different adaptations between countries. This is pretty easy to find these days in all the usual places, but I strongly recommend watching it here.

Old Fashion Cupcake (Viki)

gif by @liyazaki

Moving on to a slightly more mature workplace romcom. Old Fashion Cupcake, another Tumblr favorite, is an age gap boss-subordinate romance, and it’s both very adult and somehow wholesome af at the same time. Sure, there is a lot of carnal desire going on here, but there is also a lot of wooing via fluffy pancakes. It’s a tight five episodes and a fantastic example of what Japan, with its extreme technical precision in writing, directing, editing, pacing, and acting firing on all cylinders, can do in two hours. There’s not an ounce of flab on this thing and you’ll want to watch it over and over again.

Utsukushii Kare (Viki)

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

Time to get a little weird! Weird is a key feature of Japanese media, and lots of jbls explore unusual relationship dynamics rooted in complex psychology. This is the first show on the list that will likely feel very Japanese if you’re new around here—my advice is to lean into it and finish the show, even if you get uncomfortable along the way. In Japanese media, discomfort always serves a purpose. This is a high school story with a twisted relationship at its center, and I’m not saying any more than that. Don’t spoil yourself and go watch it! This one also comes with two sequels—one short second season and one movie—that continue from the original story. They are less essential but still excellent.

I Cannot Reach You (Netflix)

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Next up, another high school tale, but with a totally different vibe. This show is kind of a revelation in its willingness to tell a story about overwhelming desire—including sexual desire—with young protagonists. It’s rooted in a classic but often misunderstood trope, friends to lovers, and takes the angst of it seriously, giving us a low stakes story that feels extremely high stakes to our leads. It’s also gorgeous and uses a classic Japanese visual style (bokeh) that you’ll be dying to learn more about. 

His (Viki)

gif by @gabrielokun

Time for a break from high school, and we’ll sprinkle in a movie for some added flavor. His is a jbl film featuring a second chance romance between a stoic, introverted man who moves to a remote town to start over, and his ex-boyfriend who follows him there unexpectedly, adorable child in tow. Importantly, this movie does not take place in what we often refer to as the “bl bubble” where homophobia doesn’t exist; the leads’ experiences of being gay men in a homophobic society are hugely important to the plot and themes of the story. It’s a beautiful film and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it. @bengiyo would surely also like me to tell you that this film follows a brief prequel show called His: I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love about the characters originally meeting in high school; I do not think it’s really necessary to watch it but completists can start there.

The Pornographer series (Gaga)

By now you should be ready to get into some classic Japanese fucked up psychosexual material, right? Right! The Pornographer series is told in five installments in this order:

The Novelist, a six episode miniseries

Mood Indigo, a six episode prequel series

Spring Life, a 15 minute short

Pornographer: Playback, a two hour film

Spring Life Continued, a 15 minute short

Confused by that distribution model? So say we all; sometimes Japan likes to make us work for it to make sure we really appreciate its many gifts to us. The story across these installments is about a very difficult to love protagonist, what makes him the way he is, and the also-unhinged-but-in-a-different-way man who finally gets through to him. It’s an extremely satisfying love story and one of the best character arcs I have ever seen, full stop. For this one, you’ll want to just pull the word problematic out of your pocket and store it in a drawer; nearly everything that happens in this story is problematic and that’s the point. Lean in! All of these installments except for the film are on Gaga, if you get that far hmu and I will supply you with the final puzzle piece.

Our Dining Table (Gaga)

You could probably use a break after those last two, so it’s time to shift over to a heart-tugging twofer: family trauma mixed with the cutest shit you’ve ever seen. ODT is an example of another classic type of Japanese show: the food drama (you will see the GOAT in this category at the end of this list). In Japanese culture, food is love, and the act of preparing food for your loved ones is a common path to romance. You’ll love this story about an isolated office worker who meets a pair of brothers, learns to cook as a way of connecting with them, and begins to heal from his own trauma as a result. The image above is a scan from the manga, which @troubled-mind curates to make extremely cool comparison sets like this one. Many jbls are faithful adaptations of yaoi manga source material, so it’s good to have a bit of familiarity with them.

Minato’s Laundromat (Gaga)

gif by @liyazaki

Japanese media loves to explore taboo, and often manages to do it in a way that is surprisingly light and chaste. This is an age gap romance between a teenager and his adult neighbor that explores internalized homophobia, emotional repression, and falling in love across seemingly impossible social chasms. It’s also a great example of old school yaoi seme-uke dynamics that still show up across the bl genre. Also, take my advice: end your journey with this one with the first season and just pretend season 2 doesn’t exist.

Eternal Yesterday (Viki)

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

Remember what I said about weird? Time to do that again, but with a heaping dose of grief and pain on top. It’s not a spoiler to tell you this show involves a major character death; a major character death is, in fact, the root of the entire story. This is a magic realist tale of first love turned tragic, and it will hurt and heal you. It is one of my favorite dramas of all time.

Restart After Come Back Home (Gaga)

And now for a break for your poor exhausted brain. This film is basically the jbl version of a Hallmark original movie, about a city boy who goes back home to the country and falls in love with a total sweetheart while working together on a farm. Enjoy it, bestie, you’ve earned it! 

Tokyo in April Is… (Gaga)

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

You’ve probably noticed by now that emotional repression and failed communication are big themes in Japanese works. This second chance romance has plenty of both, and it’s a great example of a kind of muted emotional style that Japan does so well, where the surface of the story seems almost placid and calm even as deep emotion roils underneath. This one (and Eternal Yesterday above) are part of a special line up of jbls on Japanese channel MBS called Tonku (Drama) Shower. The shows air one after another in the same time slot on Fridays (in Japan, perhaps Thursdays for you depending on where you live) and you truly never know what you’re gonna get, but they’re all interesting. Warnings on this one for sexual assault and trauma. 

The End of the World With You (Viki)

Time for sexy and weird again, but even more so! This has to be one of the most unique bls ever made; it goes to some truly divine and strange places, and it feels incredibly queer while doing it. Made by the same screenwriter/director of the Pornographer series with a lot of the same sensibilities, but in a more heightened apocalyptic setting. This one has existential angst, a road trip, a redemption tale, and a variety of interesting side characters in the mix.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? (Gaga)

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Congratulations, you’ve reached the end of the list and your reward is watching one of the best bls of all time, and a perfect slice of life food drama to boot. WDYEY now has two seasons (along with a couple specials and a movie that fall in between) because the universe clearly loves us. You can now get it on Gaga for easy access but I’m partial to the versions over at @kinounaniresource for better subs. Wherever you watch, settle in to get cozy with Shiro and Kenji and make sure to always eat before you hit play.

[waitmyturtles]

I LOVE 4 MINUTES.

I love it! GAAAAAHHH, I love it. While Be On Cloud’s KinnPorsche was so BL-referential, I just love this juicy Dr. Sammon-mystery genre that takes us out of trope-land. Queer murder mysteries, my beloved.

I have no theories, per se, about where I think this show is going, but I am going to jot down some observations for my own posterity and memory. After reading some theories on Twitter (including one that Dr. Sammon herself retweeted), I went back and fast-forwarded through all the episodes so far, so here are my notes (and these VERY WELL may have been repeated in the tag, so I apologize if I’m just pooping what we’re already assuming here).

1) This Twitter account noted that Tonkla saw his cat in episode 1, after what-we-assume-to-be present-day boing with Korn. Tonkla sees this AFTER Korn rushed off after getting off the phone. After this week’s episode, we seem to be informed that said cat had died in the past.

We also know that Tonkla has a habit of lighting up after sex and during times of duress.

There might be more than just tobacco in those cigarettes he’s lighting up, I’m not sure, but we also know he hits the shabu, pipe-wise.

Besides Great being in what I assume to be, and what I call, a fever-state, or better phrased, a cardiac episode, I am assuming that Tonkla is transcending his own lines of reality through drug use.

1a) [(A quick aside: I just wanna say that I will be VERY. CURIOUS. as to how Tonkla’s drug use is positioned alongside his predilections for unprotected sex, and if I think there will be public health commentary in this. Drug use is, of course, generally not recommended by medical professionals, and at the same time, it’s a culturally important element of many facets of queer culture that many physicians who work with LGBTQ+ patients are trained to be aware of; for example, using poppers to ease the process of preparing for intercourse. I don’t know if the show means to indicate that Tonkla, vis à vis being on PrEP and meth at the same time, is an automatically unsafe person…but he also might be a murderer… so yeah, I will be curious about this underlying public health messaging.)]

1b) (Speaking of public health, yo, we needed those Durex bottles in episode 4, YOWCH.) (😬) (ANYWAY.)

2) So, speaking of Great and Tonkla living in their own realities, I also want to posit that Tyme has created his own sense of delirium by literally not sleeping.

Homeboy is on his shifts, he’s working out, he’s solving mysteries, he’s kicking literal ass, he’s investigating and courting Great, he’s following Korn. He’s doing a lot! We haven’t caught him sleeping yet, again, literally.

I wonder if this may be Dr. Sammon commenting on the culture of insanely long shifts for doctors, which impacts their mental and physical well-being. We’ve also separately learned that Tyme is driven by revenge, and by a need to support his grandma and save Nan. But how can he do all of that, if he’s physically depriving himself of the ability to rest? I don’t know if this is going to go anywhere, but I do notice the camera work, whenever Tyme is scrubbing out of a shift, re-centering from a tilt, which makes me wonder about what these shots are telling us about his mental state (and we saw comparable camera work when Tonkla thought he saw Dome).

(I’m also not forgetting that the show shows him stabbed at the very start of the series, and I’m constantly wondering about that.)

3) Finally, I want to offer that Korn, Great, and Tyme are not out. At least for Great and Tyme, does that contribute to a delirium mindset (and maybe even Korn, too) by way of the stress of holding in secrets? (Please note that this linked article is from 2004 and does not have fully updated terminology.)

I don’t know if this theory holds for Great, because a popular theory for him at the start of the series was that he may not have realized he was gay until he met Tyme. I don’t know that I saw that in my very-fast rewatch except for his surprised looks during the stitches moment in the hospital. Great’s comfort with Tyme in the car after the claw machines makes me think he knew more about his sexuality, and his physical separation from his family at the dinner table in episode 1 also makes me wonder if he realized his preferences were always going to separate him from his nuclear family. I’m not sure, but I’m chewing on this.

4) So, where I’m gonna go entering into episode 5 is that there isn’t a centered or accurate “present day” for anyone….mayyyybe except for Korn, who is certainly living his own fever dream of being stuck in a reeeeeeally bad job, but maybe isn’t being subjected to mental delirious psychoses (just, you know, the general stress of hating your work thoroughly). But I could be wrong there, too, because we know that Korn is driven by greed, filial piety, and a desire to take over the family business. So maybe that’s creating a delirium of his own, one that takes him away from his boyfriend for weeks at a time.

4a) (By the way, isn’t it interesting that we are not seeing NC scenes with Korn and Fasai? I know, I know, Be On Cloud does queer/BL content, but. I think it’d be interesting if the show ran the gamut of intimacy. Just a thought.)

Anyway! This show is so good, it’s making me babble. I absolutely love it, and it is the comeback that Bible Wichapas deserves.

[olderthannetfic]

since OTNF has a book and I assume some percentage of readers also are publishing original queer stories I wanted to ask people how do you market them practically?

My thing is that I already have a revised draft (for context it's a simple M/M contemporary romance). I didn't hire an editor to look through it but I'm considering it too. Getting the cover and things like that are also on to do list but the thing that keeps getting my skin to crawl is the "start a tiktok page and use ao3 tags to market your queer book" part that everyone keeps saying.

I assume because it works for them but I don't think I'm built for tiktok and being there as an author.

Now I know this sounds like a cop out. That I'm just complaining (maybe I am) and the reality of the matter is that I have to start doing something in that department given I have no social media presence at all (not on my personal accounts, and I don't wanna tie this down to my fandom accounts).

And every time I open advice youtube channels or blog posts it's all the same. Post on social media 10 times and week. Market yourself without actually marketing yourself. Be consistent etc etc.

I guess I wanna know how other people are doing it? Or do you have resources that help with this? Are there resources that help with this? That are not just parroting the same 5 advices and in the end try to sell you a marketing course?

--

I haven't tried advertising on tiktok. I don't know how much things have changed in the last few years, but it used to be that a lot of the paying customer base was older and hanging out in Facebook groups for "m/m romance".

I've been too busy in my personal life and with trying to get a few books under my belt to even really try to advertise. When I do (probably when I finally get this next book out), I don't think tiktok would be my choice.

One thing I'm more invested in is building a BL index so we can get away from amazon and especially from paying amazon to advertise. I think that kind of thing (not ratings, not reviews) is the future for us, both as writers and readers.

[exo-raskreia]

As a GojoHime shipper, what do you think of SatoSugu?

⚠️🚫 SS shippers DNI 🚫⚠️

Oof... Well, first things first, everyone has different preferences & BL is not my cup of tea. Fujos are also a toxic breed so I have no interest in engaging with them either.

In regards to zigzag (a lovely nickname given to this ship by many 🤪)... I find Get0 unappealing in general & am mostly neutral to his character. I don't get why he's so popular, lol? I personally find it almost offensive that ppl ship him with someone as handsome as Gojo. 💀

They are canonically best friends & nothing more (reiterated time & again by Gege & his affiliates). Their views didn't align in the end, hence they parted ways & became enemies. Despite this, Gojo still saw him as his best friend, a huge part of his "springtime of youth," & regretted not being able to help him back then. Get0 was also the cause for Gojo's identity crisis about being the strongest & was jealous of Gojo's strength, but certain ppl conveniently forget that 😒.

Zigzag would've been just another ship I don't pay attention to. Thank their insane fandom, especially the Get0 stans, for being the major cause of my intense dislike for this ship, however. Their toxicity towards other shippers (esp my fandom), misinformation, & misinterpretations of Gojo's & Get0's characters have solidified this ship as a MAJOR NOTP for me. I can't stand it with every fiber of my being. 😬

This meme encompasses that:

They act like they're canon when they're not. There's literally NO canon evidence to support their ship. Everything they claim as evidence has been debunked & has a shounen-esque explanation for it. They choose to ignore it, however, & it doesn't help that big accounts on Twitter, Tik Tok & other platforms use zigzag for clout & spread lies 🙄. All they really have are the three M's: mistranslations, misinformation, & misinterpretations 💀.

They can ship in their own lane but these freaks go out of their way to harrass others, even fanartists of other Gojo ships & neutral translators. Then they go & victimize themselves when they get called out 🙄. They like to act innocent & blame others but everyone knows it's always them who start things. It's no wonder they've made enemies of every corner of the JJK fandom. They may have the numbers but they're surely in the same boat as the rest of us shippers 🤷‍♀️. We're all in Delulu Land.

They hate Utahime for no reason other than that she's shipped with Gojo. You might not believe the insane things I've seen them say about her. Despite her being a minor side character, & her only screentime has been to help others, esp Gojo, they hate on her as if she was the main villain. Heck, not even Sukuna gets this much hate from them 💀. They spite-ship her with her bestie Shoko or even that bum Kusakabe just to "get her out of the way" of their mid ship but they don't actually care for either ship. They even drag Gojo thru the mud when hating on GojoHime, mischaracterizing him by saying things like he hates women 💀. They hate on GojoHime as if it was the worst ship anyone could have in JJK.

They cannot stand how popular GojoHime is, especially in Japan (according to Pixiv, they're the most popular M/F ship & #6 overall in JJK 👀).

They also have the audacity to claim they care more about Utahime than us GojoHime fans do. They say we mischaracterize her & how dare we ship her with a man she hates? Like?? Where is their Utahime content, like fanart, headcanons & theories? When do they ever talk about her unless it's to hate on her & try to discredit our ship? I've heard they even villainize her in their zigzag fics, make her OOC 💀. But they understand her better? 🙄

It really comes to show that they genuinely see Utahime as a threat 🤣. But why, tho, if they claim that GojoHime has nothing to stand on? That it doesn't make sense? 👀 Why are they so insecure if they're "so canon"?

They also feminize Get0 & have made some very disturbing posts, yet they hate on female characters? Those that "get in the way" of their non-canon mlm ships? Even Gojo self-shippers hate on Utahime but are okay with Get0? 🙄 I know this word gets thrown around a lot but these ppl are misogynists...

Zigzags should go read actual BL instead of self-queerbaiting with a battle shounen manga 💀. They're as delusional as Naruto & Sasuke shippers (and those 2 had at least a better written dynamic than Gojo & Get0 💀. Even Gojo & Sukuna had a more interesting dynamic than them imo 🤣).

It annoys me when even some GojoHime shippers include past/implied zigzag in their fics, & worse without tagging. I ignore the properly tagged ones & immediately drop the ones that aren't. I'm always on alert when I click on a fic & won't relax until I know it doesn't have any zigzag. 😕 It shouldn't be like this...

I'm also like?? You're ok with having Utahime be second choice in a GojoHime fic to a non-canon mlm ship?? I get it's the multishippers but still. 😒 Please tag them so I can stay far away from them 🙏.

Sorry for going on a full rant, haha. I really cannot stand that ship nor its shippers. This post is not about the sane shippers, btw, only the crazy ones. 😅

Anyway, Gojo likes older women & that's FACT. 😌

[shintaru]

I won’t write fanfics ever again.

A couple of mutuals thought I was back I never deleted my account so I could return to writing. I did want to delete it but so many people still reacted with what I already wrote so i decided to leave my account up so people who loved what I did write could still read it. I probably won’t be active on here just occasional posts about windbreaker. Once windbreaker ends I’ll change the password and I won’t log back in.

I’ve grown to hate sharing any fandom I’m in on social media because people are very rude. They are quick to attack, cancel, dox, threaten, and etc all over fictional stories… its ridiculous I’ve been on fandom social media since I think 2014 and I’ve been told I should kms numerous times over artists I had a fan page for over liking characters that were either villains or morally gray and for reading BL. I got told idiotic things over posting about a yogurt… I also got attacked for making dark jokes I love dark jokes and I never once made fun of anything bad like someone passing away. I’ve had people become obsessed with me and threaten me, I’ve also had people twist my words in here when I meant to genuinely be nice and let them know they aren’t alone and they get vicious with me because of that.

I’ve had people say we can’t support certain artists or their companies but never explain why but the second you say anything about liking their music they get nasty because apparently you are supporting bad people but no one will inform you. I understand you can do your own research but a lot of the things people are talking about I never heard it never popped up when searching the artists it’s only listed on Reddit so a lot of it’s buried in the internet.

I’m just very tired of being in fandoms online cause you can never enjoy it cause people lack common sense I’ve had someone get rude with me on here for writing about a fandom they hated. Just block me and don’t read my post cause idgaf it’s my page I’m not going to cater to you that pmo cause it’s not hard to block something you disagree with. I don’t like fanfics about real people it’s fine if it’s their character like Ryan playing Deadpool I’m ok with but not fanfics about Ryan himself I’m not hating on anyone who writes or reads those that doesn’t bother me at all I’m ok with that. I personally just am uncomfortable with it so if that pops up on my explore I block it I never hate on the writers or readers because that’s cruel to do when I’m the one that doesn’t like it but I have enough common sense to do that these other people don’t. If it’s their own personal preference or issue with something not everyone has to join them in that.

[shamera]

March-April manhwa reccs

In the vein of my last few reccs, here is the latest instalment in Shams-reads-too-much (I know it's only mid-April). This time, I'm back to the top 3 format but with a list of Honorable Mentions because oh boy, the readin' don't stop!

3. The Guild Member Next Door [30 chapters so far]

How is no one talking about this one? The first BL series to make it on my top lists, this is an online gamer meet-ugly cafe story that had me cackling through every chapter. It will brighten your day (threat). The story of an office worker slash secret gamer who starts playing the MMO Illusion and tries to join Poseidon guild only to immediately get PK'ed and accused of being a stalker's alt account, and in his revenge he befriends the entire guild as an FU to his attacker, only for his attacker to in-game propose to him to troll him in return. An adorable and hilarious story following the two as they purposefully step on each other's toes all the way until they're friends in-game, never realizing that they actually know each other IRL!

2. Martial God Regressed to Level 2 [one season]

Let's just say in chapter 1 all of humanity dies, so we already know how this story's going to go. Another OP protagonist whom I really enjoy, starting from scratch in hopes of saving the world. It's Seong Jihan's relationship with his family that makes this series hit different, as he not only uses his knowledge to try and prevent humanity's tragedies, but also does his best this time around to save his niece from her downward mental spiral and become a good role model for her after her father walks away. With little to lose now that he knows what's to come, the MC is more than willing to make enemies out of everyone to ensure they step up their game before the real fight for humanity begins.

1. SSS-Class Suicide Hunter [3 seasons]

This was already on Honorable Mentions back in December, and I know my recc list is meant for new reads, but I had to slap this down again after the PHENOMENAL season 3 ending. We've already seen Kim Gongja's crazy fights to ascend the tower, but the sheer hope. The belief in a better world that these characters have, and their determination to make it so, brought me to tears at the end of season 3. The story of a hunter with negative survival instincts, and a power that allows him to regress to a day before he dies every time he dies... it's not the type of story that I expected to see such delicate beauty within suffering, but here we are, with an MC ready to delve into storybooks to empathize with and relieve the suffering of the characters within, no matter what it takes. I'm so excited for season 4 and the next storybook, I am vibrating.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Raising a Sacrifice

This series is impossible to describe and impossible to put down for long. This is the ultimate fantasy time-loop transmigration system apocalypse god-maker BL I have ever read? It's what happens when the apocalypse keeps resetting and you can never escape that last year no matter how many times you die, and the toll on one's mental state when you start trying-- everything. Murder. Genocide. Madness. And falling in love, again and again and again. And being alone again, after every reset. Thousands and millions of times until you lose all hope, until one day... the MC wakes up with memories of being murdered by his faithful knight, and now there's finally two people with memories beyond one timeline.

Medical Return [complete!!]

The story of a surgeon who led a pitiful life, only to return to his childhood once more by the grace of the gods-- and this time he's determined to not lead the same life again! Now if only the world got that hint, as he seems to be continuously steered back onto his original path, while trying to dodge the tragedies in his life and save just one more person others gave up for dead. This time around, he has a little outside help to finally uncover just why his life went so wrong at every turn the first time and help him retain that inherent goodness without being taken advantage of once more. With an MC with a deposition truly befitting a good doctor, this is for all fans of hospital dramas, and is complete!!

Kill the Villainess [complete!!]

The only way to return home is to play the role of the villainess, Eris, who is condemned to death after attempting to kill the heroine. There is no way to escape that fate, as Eris can't even succeed at taking her own life before she completes her part in the plot. The story of a villainess trying to die to change the story, yet unable to as she continues to uncover backstory beyond the original novel to find the reason why her soul was stuck in this world and unable to leave, while attempting to bypass paths that would trap her in the novel forever. At what point will her actions make her a true villain, and just what is she willing to do in order to return home to the real world?

Little Mushroom

...my cheat this month, with me using the novel cover and everything. (Please read the books, there are only 2 novels and the prose is breathtaking.) The manhua is absolutely gorgeous beyond compare, and the story covers a sentient mushroom post-apocalypse who is journeying into a dangerous human settlement trying to find the spore that was taken from him. In a world where threats to humans loom at every corner and shadow, drastic measures are taken to protect those who survive, employing "Judges" with absolute power to kill if they suspect a being of not being human. It's the story of a non-human and a Judge finding themselves and each other by navigating the active end of the world.

My Darling Signed In [complete!!]

Cute?? Adorable???? Another online gamer couple who meet in real life, this BL story is genuinely all fluff as the MC is found to play a beautiful female elf online, yet their beau falls in love either way as it was the same charisma and personality that drew them in. A green flag couple with turns that surprised me every time with how wholesome things are. It's 2 seasons and complete, featuring them from collage to work space through their ups and downs, navigating their relationship and growing as people all the while continuing their game. Do you need a cute read with a guaranteed happy ending? Here it is!!

Zero Day Attack [1 season done]

Another BL on the list?? This month is full of surprises, as this time it's about a hacker who had to go into hiding after being exposed and is now a barista by day while working to find the man who betrayed him by night, all the while running away from both the organizations he hacked and his old colleagues who are looking for him. Things get complicated when a man who shows up at the cafe he works at won't leave him alone, and blurs the line between his search for revenge and the fake life he's currently living. This one eked its way above Netkama Punch for the mystery and intrigue (as well as having a main couple who is obsessed with each other without wanting to bring harm to the other).

I Will Change the Genre

A transmigrater meets a regressor, and suddenly the novel plot is going very, very awry! In the novel, Judith Maybaum is the hateful aunt of the main character who betrays her nephew and dies for it, yet "Judith Maybaum" isn't actually the same character now, and her nephew is also acting very odd when the story starts rolling. She's determined that her nephew will not go through his lonely and sorrowful life this time around, even if it means giving his custody to the Duke Winterwald, yet for some reason the protagonist clings to her and calls her 'mother' when the Duke comes to take him away! A touching and funny story with, once again, a green flag couple as well as an adorable aunt and nephew pair, both with foreknowledge of the future in different ways as they mess things up and unravel a story that neither of them knew.

GOOD ENOUGH I READ EVERYTHING: -Netkama Punch -The Bromance Book Club [complete] -The Live [complete] -I'll Be the Matriarch in this Life -Reincarnator -Dark Mage Returns to Enlistment -The Main Characters that Only I Know -My Lucky Encounter from the Game Turned Reality -The Archmage's Restaurant -I Tamed a Tyrant and Ran Away -I Created an Urban Legend -The Regressed Demon Lord is Kind

[chronicoverthinker]

So uhm since people are talking about my tiktok I’m actually kinda upset about two things :

1-them saying that I’m accusing mokmoklen of queerbaiting when I’ve literally put a GIANT red disclaimer saying that I am in no way accusing the author since the story it’s still ongoing and I was just going to make a rundown of what the author has done recently that has made many upset with the recent chapter

2-that after reading my 30 slides all they’ve got was me saying that the queerbaiting is because Yoshiki’s ancestor is a woman WHICH IS NOT THE CASE AT ALL.

What has actually upset many , me included with hikarugashindaupdates as well who’s a dear friend of mine , is how mokmoklen has been backtracking from the original idea of the story and is now trying to erase all the subtext and implications of their feelings for one another.

When the story first started it was advertised as BL and horror , and the kind of dynamic she wanted to develop for Yoshiki and Hikaru was way different compared to what we got now (I talked about this in detail in my video so if you wanna know more look it up).

Around the beginning of volume 3 a shift happened. It first started with mokmoklen deciding to remove the BL tag , which tbh at that time still didn’t seem like that big of a deal. Especially to me , I’ve always felt like the story didn’t need to specifically be categorized as BL for Yoshiki and Hikaru’s feelings to shine through.

But then she started to make clear how “Hikaru” CANT whatsoever feel or understand human love.

Now this is where the first problems start , because in the first volumes you can clearly see that THIS is not the case AT ALL.

And it’s not proven only by his overall behavior in the story , but also from the art she used to post.

To be fair I wouldn’t even been mad about Yoshiki’s ancestor being a woman if you told me in volume 1 , because to me it was clear that Yoshiki and Hikaru loved each other.

And fundamentally speaking , since the story is still ongoing , I know that Yoshiki’s ancestor being a woman doesn’t really take anything from the possibility of Yoshiki and “Hikaru” still ending up together. But what truly upsets me about this it’s the intentions and the meaning behind this choice.

Plus the fact that mokmoklen made it clear that now Yoshiki doesn’t feel anything for “Hikaru”. It also worries me how she still hasn’t made Yoshiki open up about his feelings for the real Hikaru either. It’s as if what was so clear to us in the first volume is now being precluded to us for whatever reason.

Hikaru and Yoshiki’s love for each other and their homosexuality is one of the main points that makes them who their are and why they act in certain ways. Their struggles to accept their orientations in a closeted and homophobic village are what makes them such layered and complex characters.

And I literally concluded by saying that I do NOT believe that if this ever turns out to be queerbaiting she ever intended for any of this to happen since the beginning. Something is going on in her life because she has delated most of her BL works on her private accounts

[scarefox]

I love that the thai BL industry moved over from fake-relationship fanservice to letting their actors just be silly and wilding on tiktok & insta.

Still as a task / homework / testing area requested by the producers obviously. But it feels more natural and free in most cases. In that setting the cast can still do fanservice if they want to but it's closer to in-character acting and simple teasing than whatever ''maybe we are dating maybe not'' they had going in the past in interviews & promo events.

imo it's more obvious playing around and having fun from the actors sides (tho there are still delulus who can't differentiate between acting, joking, reality and wishful thinking). It's more fun for us to watch. I rather witness my beloveds being silly or thirst trapping on their own accounts, doing what they want with whom they want from the cast. It's neat.

Like best examples atm are the casts from Pit Babe, The Sign and Playboyy (the only 3 I follow, it's probably more hopping on that trend. I know some other companies are in on it too).

Specifically noticed with the Playboyy cast: the fixed actor duos are all very different in how they use tiktok in their ship constellation. Some are more flirty, some more silly, some are more into acting stuff out, some just do cute dancing or memes, some barely do any of the couply stuff. It's up to them, which is fine.

And then we still have tiktoks with different / all cast members doing stuff together, not just the pairs being highlighted. That's new too and nice to see.

Anyways I am fine with whatever they want to give, as long as they have fun and it's not fake relationship or fake friendship. If they don't vibe with eo personally then so be it, don't make them act outside of their job and boundaries.

AND if there are close friends within the cast who are not a ship but still like to do stuff together publicly SO BE IT (looking at Nut and Sailub from Pit Babe).

[waitmyturtles]

Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: KinnPorsche, and Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist Edition (Part 2)

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. Today, I conclude a two-part series on my thoughts on KinnPorsche, my very first Thai BL, and the impact that I think KP has had on the Thai BL industry since 2022.]

Top of the morning (or whatever time zone you're in) to ya! Yesterday, I ruminated on KinnPorsche's foundation in regards to how the show wasn't as innovative as newbie members of the Thai BL fandom, like myself, may have thought in 2022 -- but was rather a great example of a show that derivatively used a lot of excellent past Thai BL influences in order to make a newly stylized show that I think, for the most part, worked well.

Harkening back to the outline for these two pieces that I laid out yesterday, this post will concentrate on:

3) How I think KP has impacted how other studios approach, market, and write Thai BLs now, and 4) A quick passing thought on BOC's own continued influence on the Thai BL genre and industry since 2022, particularly by way of Dead Friend Forever.

Before I get fully into point 3, I wanted to take a second to offer one more thought on an element about the KinnPorsche series itself that I didn't unwind on much yesterday, and one that'll connect with point 3 in a second. I mentioned yesterday that I personally (in my own opinion, I am accountable here) don't think that some of the VegasPete elements of the show helped the show's flow and continuity at all times. After my rewatch, I think the show could have stood for more episode editing to better its flow. I very much know how beloved VegasPete are in much of the KP fandom (thanks so much to dear friend @wen-kexing-apologist for the conversations about this during my rewatch!), so I don't want to pooh-pooh very hard, because at the same time, I think Bible as an actor was valuable to the show regarding Vegas's interactions with Porsche -- that side storyline offered intrigue and depth particularly into Porsche's mindset at the end of the series. At the same time, I think the VegasPete scenes contained enough questionable takes on trauma and attraction that I think now contribute to the show's legend and status as a uniquely heaty drama, but (in my opinion, people, I own this!), I think some of those takes could have been removed, smoothed, or tamped down for editing's sake, vis à vis those questionable takes in particular.

Taking VegasPete's trauma-and-kink-driven storyline, and KinnPorsche's romps and unravellings, into consideration, along with the show's excellent use of comedy as a plot driver: I think that KinnPorsche has clearly had an impact on how subsequent "heat" BL dramas have been created and marketed since KP's run. I'm thinking in particularly of some big ones (heh heh), including 2023's Only Friends, and 2023-24's Playboyy (which I did not finish, FYI).

Heat -- and the increasing use and management of it -- has long been an important element of the Thai BL industry. Like I said yesterday, MaxTul (my beloved) were pioneers of it in Together With Me and Manner of Death, and MAME consecrated episodic heat in 2019's TharnType, and even introduced enough of it notably in 2018's Love By Chance by way of those awesome spicy AePete scenes. And the WONDERFUL Lovely Writer offered meta commentary about the dependence that the Thai BL/Series Y industry has on heat in order to drive in fans, oftentimes to the detriment of more interesting and/or fulfilling and/or emotionally complicated plots.

KinnPorsche's lengthy marketing, from its Filmania days in 2020 and 2021, to its eventual 2022 premiere through Be On Cloud, certainly helped to drive interest and intrigue in the show, from the debut pairing of MileApo, to the clear use of heat that the show was promising before its airing. (Red Peafowl could never.)

Looking at the moment we are in right now -- early spring of 2024, with the ability to look back on the conclusions of both Only Friends and Playboyy -- I see the influence that KinnPorsche had on these shows being HUGELY marketed as cutting-edge-entrées to a high-heat and high-interest slice of Thai BL, particularly for Only Friends, which was GMMTV's own first step into really high-heat territory.

Both of the shows ended in meh territory (and both shows were written by the same writer in Den Panuwat, who may very well have a monogamy kink). Both shows ended up putting pure monogamy on a pedestal, and seemed to judge extra-monogamous sex as a "mistake" that was worth rectifying through "true," i.e., monogamous, love.

I posit, and I'm glad, that KinnPorsche did NOT go this route. Extracurricular sex wasn't even in the show's genes anyway, but -- the heat that KP marketed at the time of its premiere was solely associated with the centralized romances of the two main pairings. KinnPorsche didn't have to get extra-monogamously messy in its bones (huh huh) in order to be hot -- and it makes me curious to wonder why shows like Only Friends and Playboyy felt the need to promote relational messiness as a way to hype up their heat, all of which kinda putzed out in the end run of both of those shows.

Of course, we've still had heat in many other shows since KP's premiere, including in directions that roundly surprised the larger fandom, such as Pit Babe's take on omegaverse, and maybe even the vets Earth and Mix getting hot and heavy in Moonlight Chicken, a direction that Aof Noppharnach has been known to not take for the sake of keeping the ratings on his shows kid-friendly. But I do find it interesting that the heavy promotion of Only Friends and Playboyy led the fandom to think that these shows were going to have progressive takes on sex and sexuality, when they ultimately did not (I'd even argue that both of these shows ended up being judgemental of sexual experimentation). And while I don't think KinnPorsche's takes on heat were necessarily progressive, I do think the marketing of their actors getting into that, particularly as compared to Apo's previous career path in leaving acting for a while, was notable -- and as well, the care that the show took to depict heat scenes with excellent cinematography makes many of those scenes so memorable today.

I want to make one final note about KinnPorsche's and Be On Cloud's general influence on the Thai BL industry, in that I'm impressed by their investment in generally good-to-great writing and directing. As I overviewed yesterday, KinnPorsche heavily featured veterans from across the BL landscape, and Be On Cloud's latest serial offering, Dead Friend Forever, continued that trajectory, having an OG BL director in Ma-Deaw Chookiat partly take the helm of that show. Very importantly, Ma-Deaw Chookiat has been the screenwriter and director of a number of seminal Thai queer films and shows, including 2019's Dew, and more impactfully, 2007's The Love of Siam, which is considered a harbinger of the television Thai BL industry, and a film that has notably influenced important Thai BL creators, especially New Siwaj, who doesn't hesitate to include references to LoS in many of his shows, including Until We Meet Again, My Only 12%, and more. Chookiat has also screenwritten and/or directed three shows written by the notable Thai Y novelist, Sammon, in DFF, Manner of Death, and Triage. Sammon has been on a tear recently, as she will be the screenwriter for BOC's upcoming drama, 4 Minutes, as well as Spare Me Your Mercy, the hugely anticipated BL drama starring Tor Thanapob and singer Jaylerr.

Going back to my thoughts earlier about big marketing of big BLs: we've seen some duds recently from shows that were marketed at a big tip, from OF, to Playboyy, to Idol Factory's The Sign. From what I've gathered from the Tumblr tag regarding The Sign -- it seems that show suffered mostly from a lack of editorial context and plot sensibility and tightness, and that there could have been a good show, if the show had spent less money on CGI, and more money on the script.

Be On Cloud seems to mostly be putting its money where its pen is. I say "mostly" as a caveat. Was the ending of DFF fantastic? No, and I totally admit as much: while the show mostly stuck to its slasher genre conventions (thank you so much to @lurkingshan, my genre guru, for explaining this to me), the show seemed to poop out in the end by giving us a PheeJin BL ship, instead of Phee's and Jin's gruesome deaths. Womp womp. The pull of BL, and the need for clean-ish endings for the fujoshi crowd, may still be too economically enticing for studios, including Be On Cloud itself.

But I'm optimistic for BOC's upcoming shows, with the talent and money they're putting into scripts and directing. And we know that BOC's first film, the non-queer Man Suang, was an important artistic point for the studio as it continues its investment in MileApo and experimental content to market within and outside of Thailand. It was important enough that Dead Friend Forever, emanating from the Thai BL world, took on an entirely different genre instead, and literally presented that back to BL fans on a silver platter. I hope 4 Minutes can tread similar experimental territory. And I'm glad to see Be On Cloud being able to invest in high-quality writing and directing after the publicly major obstacles the studio experienced last year during the Build Jakapan scandal.

From the time I discovered Thai BLs in 2022, to now: I would not have expected KinnPorsche and Be On Cloud to start such a journey in my personal drama fan life. As well, considering how many damn shows I've now watched from Thailand, I also didn't expect this rewatch of KinnPorsche to be so much fun. AND, I truly didn't realize I had this much to say about it -- but there was a lot of say, especially by way of how referential the original KinnPorsche series was, which touched my little nerdy BL heart.

With that, I say ta-ta to my entrée to this fun world of Thai BLs, and move on to the next one!

[OKAY! We are kind of back of the grind, although my ability to watch dramas has really been hampered by real life obligations and schedules. BUT: I'm trucking along through War of Y, and I have some fun rewatches coming up in The Eclipse (my first-ever GMMTV BL), as well as two new-to-me dramas in GAP (the first GL on the list, WOO!) and My School President, which I can't wait for.

I've made a few tiddly adjustments to the list below, including adding Dead Friend Forever as an important addition, and I'm deep in my giggles with 23.5, which I am LOVING. ONWARDS! For more details about the ongoing list, please checkity-check here!

1) The Love of Siam (2007) (movie) (review here) 2) My Bromance (2014) (movie) (review here) 3) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 4) Gay OK Bangkok Season 1 (2016) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 5) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 6) SOTUS (2016-2017) (review here) 7) Gay OK Bangkok Season 2 (2017) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 8) Make It Right 2 (2017) (review here) 9) Together With Me (2017) (review here) 10) SOTUS S/Our Skyy x SOTUS (2017-2018) (review here) 11) Love By Chance (2018) (review here) 12) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) (no review) 13) He’s Coming To Me (2019) (review here) 14) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) and Our Skyy x Kiss Me Again (2018) (review here) 15) TharnType (2019-2020) (review here) 16) Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey (OffGun BL cuts) (2016 and 2017) (no review) 17) Theory of Love (2019) (review here) 18) 3 Will Be Free (2019) (a non-BL and an important harbinger of things to come in 2019 and beyond re: Jojo Tichakorn pushing queer content in non-BLs) (review here) 19) Dew the Movie (2019) (review here) 20) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) (review here) (and notes on my UWMA rewatch here) 21) 2gether (2020) and Still 2gether (2020) (review here) 22) I Told Sunset About You (2020) (review here) 23) YYY (2020, out of chronological order) (review here) 24) Manner of Death (2020-2021) (review here) 25) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 26) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake Of Rewatching Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (re-review here) 27) Lovely Writer (2021) (review here) 28) Last Twilight in Phuket (2021) (the mini-special before IPYTM) (review here) 29) I Promised You the Moon (2021) (review here) 30) Not Me (2021-2022) (review here) 31) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 32) 55:15 Never Too Late (2021-2022) (not a BL, but a GMMTV drama that features a macro BL storyline about shipper culture and the BL industry) (review here) 33) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) and Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (2023) OGMMTVC Rewatch (Links to the BBS OGMMTVC Meta Series are here: preamble here, part 1, part 2, part 3a, part 3b, and part 4) 34) Secret Crush On You (2022) (review here) 35) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here)  36) KinnPorsche (2022) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For the Sake of Re-Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist (part 1 here)

...interrupting the OGMMTVC list here to watch War of Y (2022) (watching) in chronology to decide if it gets listed...

37) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 38) The Eclipse OGMMTVC Rewatch to Reexamine “Genre BLs” and Internalized/Externalized Homophobia in GMMTV Shows  39) GAP (2022-2023) (Thailand’s first GL) 40) My School President (2022-2023) and Our Skyy 2 x My School President (2023) 41) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here) 42) Bed Friend (2023) (tag here) 43 La Pluie (2023) (review coming) 44) Be My Favorite (2023) (tag here) (I’m including this for BMF’s sophisticated commentary on Krist’s career past as a BL icon) 45) Wedding Plan (2023) (Recommended as an important trajectory in the course of MAME’s work and influence from TharnType) 46) Only Friends (2023) (tag here) (not technically a BL, but it certainly became one in the end) 47) Last Twilight (2023-24) (tag here) (on the list as Thailand’s first major BL to center disability, successfully or otherwise) 48) Cherry Magic Thailand (2023-24) (tag here) (on the list as the first major Japanese-to-Thai drama adaptation, featuring the comeback of TayNew) 49) Ossan’s Love Returns (2024) (adding for the EarthMix cameo and the eventual Thai remake) 50) Dead Friend Forever (2024) (thoughts here) 51) 23.5 (2024)]

[namtanlovesfilm]

as someone who's only moderately interested in joss, I went through his whole ridiculously long follow list on insta (more that 1250 accounts in total, that shit's crazy) as soon as these statements dropped and I can only say that what I saw isn't even remotely bad as people made it out to be. his problematic follows were less that 1% of the whole thing and the total list included liberals too, not only politicians but comedians that dunk on trump and maga and what not. the list looked like a bot randomly followed a little bit of everything from everywhere. I personally think it's a reach equalizing him with foei and others that actually shared their bigoted views or did something shtty, and I'm willing to give him a benefit of doubt because other than this he seems to be a solid person. a friend linked me some videos and interviews and he highkey sounded more mature and empathetic than most bl actors, just saying. dgmw, he deserves criticism for this but I'm willing to give him some grace too

so as I mentioned I have been a huge joss stan since 2019 so trust me, I AM giving him the benefit of the doubt. in fact I have been doing so since I saw with my own eyes that he followed andrew tate 2-3 years ago, and was willing the make excuses for him that maybe he followed him way prior to tate's turn into the manosphere from his days as a boxer. I was willing to cut him some slack bc I, too, believe joss to be mature & level-headed from his interviews, etc. however, I'll reiterate the same point I answered here to someone defending joss, which is that he NEEDS to address this. everyone at the moment is doubting his intentions bc of his lack of answers & clarity, despite the fact that there's no way he doesn't know people are aware of his following list. I'm not someone who thinks celebrities owe their fans anything, but in this case, by staying silent instead of either dispelling or confirming this issue, joss is creating problems for his own career & his fans. his fans (who are again 99% minorities like women, lgbtq+ & poc) are now feeling like they supported a guy that is actively against their rights & hates them. from that, joss is facing bad press & fan loss which is a problem for his career. frankly his lack of addressing it, as simple as saying "no I don't support trump & others" does make him look more guilty. once again, I've been a fucking fan of this dude for more than half a decade, trust me when I say that I'd take what explanation he'd give us sincerely. but there's no explanation yet, which only allows this problem to grow bigger & make us fans more conflicted.

xxx

[yannig]

I watched Koisenu Futari, and it was grandiose!

It's a Japanese show about two AroAce characters who try to make a life together and support each other in the face of society's expectations. My first post here and my second one there.

By the way, thanks a million @guzhufuren for including it in your guide to the best queer Japanese shows!! I would not have discovered it without you <3

I was in love on principle because, you know, AroAce rep?! On screen?!? As the main plot!?!?!

But it was also really good and I love it and I will rewatch it and make it my entire personality!!

Anyway, first of all: actual canon labels. By which I mean, I am not the one taking characters who say they aren't interested in romance or sex and calling them AroAce. They both explicitly label themselves as such. And while characters just, living their life, can be good (like, half of the BL don't even use the word gay), for an identity that is so often ignored, having actual text to back it up feels great!

Also, watching Sakuko find the aroace label after wondering if she was broken brought me to actual tears from sheer joy and relief. And that hadn't happen to me in a while!

By the end of the show, my dearest Sakuko and Satoru are living what basically accounts for my absolute dream life! I, too, want to move to the countryside to become a farmer and have the kind of relationships where we call each other too cook together and also live in the other's house even when he's moved out.

And I want aspec friends! Like, my whole friends group is queer, but still allo. That aspec meeting looked great! They even had little flags!!!

Also props for all the allo characters who also struggle with amatonormativity.

Overall : great show, great characters, splendid exploration of aroace tensions and facings with amatonormativity. 10/10, no notes (so many notes), will watch again.

Side note: it had been a while since I watched a Japanese show. It always feels good to go back, I love the musicality of the language.

[yinwaryuri]

Fuck this, I wasn't tagged by anybody but since y'all are making me insane sharing your lovely faves on my dash I gotta join the fun!

10 BL People That I Want Carnally

Just so we're clear, I'm immediately not limiting myself to 10. I'm bi. You think we have limits? (Tumblr says yes, but that's why I'm on desktop for this instead of mobile)

Night from Dirty Laundry

Are we surprised? This awakened a whole thing in me. I was constantly yelling from the rooftops about my love for this man in the cheapest drag you ever saw. This is my JAM. I'm already trying to calm myself down making the first entry on this post. GOD. And his whole committed-to-the-bit romancing a mafia leader and then robbing her because he needs money, but really he's a wee romantic who just wants to write exciting stories like all of us bitches on AO3? Honey I am FREE at 5pm on Saturday. Also, shush, I know it's not a BL, I'm counting it as part of the Midnight Series as a whole :P

Yok from Not Me

PAINT ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR POLICE OFFICERS. We already have matching tattoos babe. He isn't perfect but he's a well-intentioned mama's boy and has swagger.

Maya from Laws of Attraction

Listen, I don't think much explaining is necessary here. I'm a woman but she can call me "pretty boy" any day. Is she just Silvy Pavida with a MILF wife? Yeah. That's the point. I'll join. They would let me.

Speaking of Laws of Attraction, Nawin

I deserve an insane golden retriever boyfriend. I deserve a man who can't spell his ex's name but can get a pilot's license. He deserves someone who will enable his silliness, even when there's trouble with the accountant. *kisses all over his wing tattoo*

Togawa from Old Fashion Cupcake

Mr. Hamster Cheeks my love <3 The dates would be so good. And so would the food. And the food naps afterward. I'm a good snuggler, he's tall and there's a lot to snuggle. Win-win.

Ink from Bad Buddy

I know many of us are weak for Milk Pansa, but like, there's a reason for that. She gave us the ICON for lesbian side couples. Please, girl, scare men away from me when they mistake a boner for full-fledged love. Make me feel welcome and important and pretty and like I'm the specialest girl alive. Be taller than me ;)

Wen Qing from The Untamed

She didn't die, actually, we just eloped together, haha. I just think as someone who studied medicine, she'd have a lot of good tricks up her sleeve and I don't mean acupuncture needles.

Saifah from Enchanté

Yeah. I needed to use this gif. Get that record deal my man. Live your dreams king. I also love that he's both the old man and woman here. Impeccable. We deserved more of him.

Uea from Bed Friend

Gimme this catboy realness right now. Also, I just love him so much. He owns his narrative despite all the shit he has suffered and gets everything he deserves for it. We could be besties even. We could be...no I shan't say it.

SamMon from GAP

I just want whatever is going on right here. Let me join. Simple as that.

Tops and Marwin from Ingredients

I'm this guy. Except I think they'd be sad to see the other with someone else so I gotta have them one at a time. Tops, who's a shy cutie who can make yummy foods. And Marwin, who is basically Jeff Satur just pumped with extra himboisms.

Todd from Not Me

All principles out the window. He's evil, he's sexy. I know exactly how much that specific hotel room costs to stay in for a night. It would be luxurious.

Rain from Love In The Air

I know most people would say Phayu, and for Boss, yeah I understand, I am all there. But something about the way that little guy can fuck kinda makes me dizzy, I'm owning that. He doesn't have to be smart, he's just gotta be given compliments. Plus, my bed sheets match!

VegasPete from KinnPorsche

They altered me chemically once and I'd let 'em do it a second time and many more after that.

Tagging @kissporsche @thisautistic @omegaphobe @shubaka @risu442 @khathastrophe @loveable-sea-lemon @fawndlyvenus @viva-yas-vegas @first-kanaphan @wherelanguage-ends @xxatlasxx @adanima @snake-and-mouse @scarefox @scattered-stardust @callipigio @sparklyeyedhimbo @jdotsodomite @futureexmrsmalcolm @suzteel @jeffsatyr @coconuts-mafia

[tempural]

Changed fannish opinion. Mine? Appreciating the term "yaoi".

This 3am ramble will discuss "problematic" themes in art, sexism and racism/xenophobia. Crossposted from my mastodon/fediverse account.

I used to be one of those annoying "my glorious gay porn, their bad yaoi for GIRLS" people when I was an underage tf2channer. So I know exactly how those people think, and hope they grow out of it by the time they're 17.

It comes from:

Trying to impress your peers by rejecting nerdy weebery, like saying that western cartoons are better than anime (spoilers: its all cartoons).

Trying to present more masculine (regardless of transness or gender identity) by rejecting femininity as a safety mechanism. (We live in a Joker society)

Trying to make fun of other people's interests before they can make fun of your "cringe" interests. Spoilers, it's all gay cartoon porn and anyone who's not a internet addled nerd thinks its weird.

The funniest thing about the modern iteration of 'yaoi is bad gay porn', is that in Ye Olde Days, yaoi was the "bad gay porn" because it wasn't problematic enough to be cool! While now it's 'real m/m is good representation, yaoi is problematic"

The stereotype used to be that yaoi was too girly and full of flowery nonsense and melodramatic emotions and kissing. While the REAL GAY PORN FOR REAL GAY MEN full of snuff and age gap daddy kink and wolf rape. Gengoroh Tagame comics were popular "shock art" amongst the internet crowd back then ya see.

In [current year] it's more obviously xenophobic. Japanese terms like BL and yaoi are the "bad terms" used by "bad people". Meanwhile English language queer shows and books are localized as BL in Japan lololol.

It's never too late to embrace that everything and nothing is dank yaoi! I embrace the word "yaoi" now rather than any other label, because:

I like that it makes ignorant people mad.

It is nostalgic and reminds me of my youth reading final fantasy doujin scanlations.

I like the history of the term being applied to "comics with no point or plot" (from the perspective of professional editors) speaks to me. Lowbrow comics about dudes kissin'. I don't care if you can't find a deep message or world building. I have fun thinkin it up and making it.

I like this history of the term being used for "self-indulgent doujinshi" from the 70's-80's. Doesn't necessarily only apply to pornographic comics. And I like those decades in art 😼

I like to be oppositionally defiant and challenge people who have preconceived notions that all Asian artists draw in a certain art style, by using an Asian term. I know my art doesn't scream ORIENTAL to most people lmao, I got old teachers that told me that I should draw more "ethnically" to appeal to illustration/animation standards for non white artists. But the truth is I am very inspired by azn comics like Old Master Q and Dragon Ball and all those doujinshi I read as a kid, even if other people can't see it. #snowflakeChallenge2025

[mjonthetrack]

bl 2

“Damn,” Joe uttered after hearing what the

woman in front of him had been through the

last couple of years. It has been the middle of

the kick back when the woman finally decided

to agree to talk with the tall Samoan who’d been

trying to get her attention since he arrived. She

gladly took the glass of lemonade he offered

her,”I don’t drink anymore,” he offered rubbing

he back of his neck,” the woman thanked him

taking a sip of the drink,” yeah so that’s

pretty much what I’ve been going through, my

ex husband is on the run nobody has been able

to find him, I didn’t even know he was dabbling

with drugs, he was a regular ass accountant

when we met, if I had known he would have

been the reason I’d lose my son I would’ve never

gotten with him.” Joe didn’t bank on this level

of trauma and normally if a woman tried to

speak this long it was a fabricated means of

getting either his money or dick. Yet here

she sat in such strength and honesty it was

admirable, he gently took her hands in his own,”

if there’s anything I can do to help you I would

be very happy to do so.” Soleil quirked a brow at

him,” if this is your attempt at flattering me old

man it’s weak.” The Samoan grinned at her

sharp tongue, he raised his hands in defense,”

no games here I swear I just think you could

use some support, I’m so sorry about your son,

as far as your ex goes I promise you won’t ever

be in danger.” Soleil laughed at that,” oh I know

that and I’m not afraid of that pussy, I am very

knowledgeable with a gun I was in the army for

a few years back in my early twenties, before I

went pro, I can handle myself.” Joe looked at

her with surprise,” you were no doubt the

prettiest soldier, thank you for your service

beautiful.” She smiled and shook his hand,” it

was my duty, no thanks needed, but what about

you any kids of your own, I’m sure your wife is

wondering where you are?” He chuckled at that

sipping his lemonade,” no wife, never married, I

am probably the only one of the cousins not

married and without kids.” Soleil sat up a bit,”

there’s no way, no fiancé or anything, I’m sure

you have a ballot of beautiful women wanting

their slice out of a millionaire athlete.” Joe

shrugged,” I hadn’t found the right one, but I

would love to have kids, as far the women go, I

don’t find much appeal in those who grovel

or hide their intent behind lustful gestures.”

Joe met her eyes in amusement,” if you wanted

to know if I was single you could have just asked

Sol,” he teased bumping her shoulder making

the woman laugh brightly shaking her head,”

regardless of your relationship status I’m not

interested.” Joe grinned hearing her laugh from

something she said,” I am single by the way and

I heard from your brother in law yesterday you

weren’t seeing anyone.” Soleil looked over to

where her brother-in-law was eyeing the pair

but quickly turned his head at her eyes on him,”

I’ll have to talk to him about putting my business

out there.” Joe looked over her face in interest

listening to her talk about her pro ball career

which he found very attractive not to mention

how sure of herself she was. Her independence

and the way she was confident in her ability

was insanely sexy to him. When she had told

him what happened to her son his heart sank for

the beautiful woman, he couldn’t imagine what

that pain was like, then to not know where the

man behind it was must’ve been a scary thing

to deal with as a woman who was by herself.

He didn’t like how she was alone, no matter

how confident in her ability to be alone and

protect herself she made it sound. Joe grew

up around strong women, bravery was a trait

that anyone should have in his mind, but that

determination to keep going was what drew

him to her. It was as if the woman was the sun

and would continue to shine bright regardless

of whatever storm she faced. Joe had to admit

he never went for a woman younger

than him not by seven years at that, but here

she was speaking as if she had the wisdom of

a maternal elder, and he admired her spirit. “You

are one amazing woman Soleil,” she smiled

earnestly,”call me Sunny.”

The twins eyed the pair talking casually

laughing back and forth, neither seemingly

displeased with the others presence,” I’m

surprised she didn’t seem to give him any play

at the banquet,” Jey muttered. Trinity shrugged

eyeing the pair as she fed Jimmy a fry who was

using his wife’s lap as a pillow,” I think they look

good together, it’s like two dominant forces

pairing up.” Bianca swatted at Montez who

muttered about why she didn’t feed him,” I

know my sister, sure Joe is a good guy but I

don’t see that going anywhere.” Montez scoffed

stealing a fry from her plate,” that man is as

stubborn as the rest of them usos I’m telling you

if he sets his eyes on her crazy ass it’s a done

deal.” Bianca rolled her eyes,” whatever man,

Joe doesn’t do serious relationships, he don’t

even let the thirsty hoes get to girlfriend status.” Jonathan shrugged,” my cousin is a good man,

she’s a good woman, why not, I mean at least

they both have all of us to vet for their

character, besides my cousin doesn’t cheat

he clearly respects her.” Bianca took a sip of

her margarita smiling over at her sister,” let’s

just keep an eye on that, she’s my little sister

and she deserves a happy life.” Joe nods his head in the direction of the

others,” they’re talking about us,” Soleil shrugs,”

let them we aren’t doing anything just talking.

He hums in acknowledgment but stands

offering his hand,” let’s head inside, we can

talk more freely, plus we need more lemonade.” Soleil took his hand noting how hers fit in his

larger palm, taking in the warmth of his touch.

Soleil let him lead her back into the home

despite her ability to walk on her own, she

flipped off Montez just for looking at them as

she went inside. Joe poured the pair more

to drink handing her the glass,” I’ll be honest

Sunny I am very attracted to you.” Soleil

swallowed her drink surprised,” I know, you

have made your intention very clear from the

way you’ve approached me, I will say I haven’t

been interested in dating or anything of the sort

for a while now.” Soleil fixed herself onto the

couch,having turned on the tv to a football

game groaning at the score,”I’m so fucking sick

of them damn chiefs.” Joe laughed at the

change of her focus,” yeah I’m not a fan myself,

you’re nothing like these other women, I don’t

know any who like sports as much.” Sol raised

her brows,” boy you’re talking to a decorated

Olympian, pro baller, I live for sports.” He sat

beside her watching the game in equal interest

finding his arm naturally resting on around her

waist. “Bruh what the fuck,” the woman cussed

as the Chiefs were beating the Ravens, this

made Joe laugh at her passion he rubbed her

arm softly,” you ever been to a game?” Soleil

shook her head,” I’ve been busy over seas but

I am home now and maybe sometime I will be

able to see a game.” Joe grinned,” I actually

have tickets to the Buccs in Florida for this

upcoming week, we have time off from work

and the boys and I usually head to Florida to

see family and chill out.” Soleil gapes at him,” no

fucking way, those tickets sold out a few

minutes after they went live.” She gasped seeing

him pull up the online copy of his tickets,” it’s

in the owners booth I’m good friends with some

of the management there.” Soleil pouts hitting

the man’s bicep,” you lucky bastard, well I’m

sure you’ll have a good time.” He looks her over

his mouth moving surprising himself,” would

you like to come with me, I didn’t have a plus

one.” Her mouth shoots open in shock and a

bright smile replaces it,”no way dude, you’re

fucking with me!” He couldn’t help but match

her brilliant smile the enthusiasm seemed to

infect him,” I’m not fucking with you, would you

want to go with me?” Soleil grinned nodding

and wrapped him in a quick hug thanking him

then shot out of the room yelling at her sister

that she would be going to Tampa, and that

Montez was a lame hoe.” Joe who was now

outside leaning in the doorframe watching

the woman argue with Montez, saw the way

his cousins were eyeing him.”What is it now?” he casually sat alongside the men taking a plate

of food,”you’re gonna act like you didn’t just

invite her to that game to get cheeks,” came

Sefa’s voice who got hit in the arm by his wife. Jonathan sipped his beer avoiding his own

smart remark noting how his wife was glaring

at him. “Ah man, you really going after her,

she don’t wanna go see no ball game,

women like trips and girly shit like they nails and

hair getting done,” Jey retorted taking a sip of

his beer. Joe rolled his eyes,”yeah like I’m taking

advice from you, ain’t you in the dog house with

wifey anyways?” Jey muttered under his breath

going back on his phone scrolling making

Jonathan laugh. Joe couldn’t help but let

his eyes wander to the woman who was

animatedly telling her sister about the tickets

and how she needed to pack and get some

new outfit for the game. He felt a warmth in

his chest knowing he was the reason behind her

smile, it hadn’t really dawned on him as of

yesterday she had been a complete stranger,

yet the woman shared her story with him and

it felt like a small gesture of respect for the

woman’s strength. Joe had no intention on

plotting to bed the beautiful woman, though

if the opportunity presented itself he would

more than happily rearrange her insides. It

was the way she hadn’t thrown herself at him,

she didn’t bat an eye when he flirted or subtly

touched her. Soleil hadn’t brought up money

at all with the wrestler, nor what he had or

planned on buying, she talked about her life,

they talked about sports, it was refreshing and

felt familiar as if they’d been friends for years. Joe rarely came across women of an iota the

quality of her, he wanted to get to know her,

it’s like she made anyone she came across want

to gravitate around her, her bright energy was

addictive and welcoming. The fact she had lost

her six year old son, to the hands of her ex

husband amazed him that she still smiled as

bright as she did. That smile would have him

on his knees if she asked him to, Joe grew

bored of the skimpy clothed women who trailed

behind the men on the roster, even some of the

other wrestlers like Tiffany would annoyingly

saunter around him like flies. Joe admittedly

wished he had settled down when he was

younger, maybe by now he’d have three or

four sons of his own, teaching them football

or even to follow his steps to the bloodline

dynasty. Joe’s mind wandered daydreaming

three little boys with curly hair like Soleil, a mix

of his eyes and her smile running around a

beautiful home. He would be rubbing her

pregnant tummy as she laughed at him trying

to sing to her some Al Green, whilst she made

breakfast. His heart swelled at the thought, he

felt his skin break out in goosebumps when the

woman who was in his daydream was in front of

him smiling,”hey Joe, did you have a hotel

booked already or did I need to order my own

suite?” Joe swallowed roughly,”I actually have

a home in Florida you’re more than welcome to

stay with me while we go?” He couldn’t believe

his own words, inviting her to his home after the

game invitation he was two for two surprising

not just himself but the twins who gaped at him.

Soleil shrugged,” that makes sense, I’m down,

but I will warn you, I like to blast my music when

I cook in the mornings.” Joe smiled at her,” it

doesn’t bother me at all, how do you feel about

Al Green?”

[alans-snz]

Enjoy this C/el/ls A/t W/or/k drabble short fic inspired by @dsnzfb 's wonderful snzario from the other day. I initially wrote a bit of it and wanted to turn it into a drabble, but it turned instead into a mini fic, so here ya go!! Enjoy!! And I am going to bed now since it's after 4 am. But this man put in this scenario was living rent free in my brain so much I had to write this before going to sleep!!!

Snz'er: Wh/i/te Bl/o/od C/el/l U/-1/14/6 (my beloved, shown here)

Minor spoilers for C/el/ls A/t W/or/k season 1. Continued below the cut.

Giving a gentle sigh, U-1146 finished his usual patrol around the body. Although things had been peaceful lately, being a part of the first line of defense meant he always had to stay alert. Regardless of how "normal" things might seem, he could never be too wary of any antigens possibly invading the area, whether it was through a breakage in the vascular endothelial cells, a viral infection, or anything foreign that dared cross paths with him, for that matter.

Today, everything seemed almost...too peaceful. When he experiences such a quiet day like this, especially when it comes to such a sensitive place like the epidermis, he always is extra careful and pays more attention to his receptor. After all, its job is—

"Da-ding!"

46 spun on his heel and frantically looked around. Complete silence except for the occasional hustle and bustle of red blood cells. Hm...how odd...

Speaking of, as he searched for the culprit his receptor was detecting, he noticed AE3803 taking a break on a bench nearby to stock up on more glucose. She looked up from her ice cream, smiled, and waved to him, before slowly lowering her hand, looking confused at his sudden search. He decided it would be good to head over there while he tried to sort out the current situation. Besides, it's possible she may have seen something he missed. No harm in asking! On his way over to her, he subconsciously rubbed his nose lightly.

"Snf! Red Blood Cell. Good to see you again," he stated with a nod, carefully holding his hat as he softly nodded as a gentle greeting.

"White Blood Cell! Same to you!" 03 piped up and smiled once more, but it didn't last long, as her expression and tone turned concerned quite quickly. "You seemed to be searching for something, and I noticed your receptor is up. Is everything okay?"

46 carefully nodded and turned slightly. "It seems an antigen is hiding somewhere nearby. Actually, that's why I came over here." He turned back to her, his expression determined, yet still sweet and calm. "I wanted to ask you if you'd seen anything odd." He stood there patiently while Red Blood Cell thought for a moment. However, after a short silence, she only ended up slowly shaking her head. "I see," 46 continued simply. The two of them stood there quietly while 46 eyed the surrounding area once more.

Eventually, 03 narrowed her eyes and looked down at her ice cream as if in deep thought before eventually breaking the silence, "You know, I've been meaning to ask...How do you go searching for hidden antigens anyway?"

46 couldn't help but crack a smile. Seeing he always expressed interest in Red Blood Cell's job, it was always fun to explain his own tasks to her as well. "Well, it's all in this," he said simply, pointing at his receptor. "Any time something is hiding, it's often easier to detect by taking into account when it does and doesn't react." He paused and sniffled softly.

03 gently nodded. "That's so fascinating. I'd love to hear more about how it works!"

"Sure! So when it stops reacting, I...I..." Suddenly, 46's train of thought became occupied elsewhere. He could feel a prickling sensation swiftly building in his sinuses, feathering so quickly through them that he automatically scrunched his nose, his mouth fell slightly agape, and his brow furrowed.

"...You...?" 03 asked in confusion, seeming very intrigued on how this worked and very confused on why 46 suddenly stopped speaking. Little did she know, this reason would become obvious very quickly.

"...I...hh-have t-to...sne—hehh!—sneeze!" He quickly brought his wrist to his nose as his eyelids fluttered and he inhaled sharply. "Heehh...! Hiht'TSSschyuu! Hah'AS—shuu!" His shoulders shook with the force, and although they didn't sound too intense, he struggled to keep himself from bending forward slightly from the intensity. He paused, shook his head, opened his eyes, and sniffled harshly from behind his wrist, seeming to consider whether any more sneezes were lurking in his sinuses before daring to bring his wrist down from his face.

"Snrf! O-oh no, hhiih!..." That sniffle instantly riled his sinuses up even more, and he quickly found himself gasping behind his wrist and snapping his eyes shut yet again. "Haaah'YTsSchhyuu! Hih!...iht'KSSs—chuu!—uungh..." This time, both sneezes made his whole body quiver violently, and he let out a soft groan after the final one. He rubbed his nose vigorously with the back of his wrist before letting out another sniffle. "Snf! Urgh, 'scuse me."

"...Is that usually a part of your process?" Red Blood Cell asked in confusion. White Blood Cell chuckled in response and gently shook his head as he lowered his hand. He also took a mental note that his receptor had gone down afterwards, similarly to that other day when he first learned his receptor will react shortly before he sneezes.

"Not usually, but sometimes, yes." He disconnected his receptor and held it in his hand. "I always have to take my receptor's reactions very seriously and jump into action, regardless of what I'm doing at the time. Since it also tends to detect when something is bothering my nose though, it can be frustrating to start searching for an antigen, then find out I just had to sneeze." He couldn't help but laugh a bit at the idea. "Though silly, it's a welcome change of pace to realize everything is still peaceful in this body, and my receptor just wanted to alert me to my body's irritants too." He smiled softly.

While incredibly odd and unusual, it was in fact relieving for White Blood Cell to experience this situation again. While peace in the body is refreshing, having false alarms from his receptor being affected by his own body as well is one of the unusual trade-offs he would happily take if it meant he could keep this body and all his fellow cells safe!