#i used to watch more jdramas

[sandreeen]

Kamiki Hikaru (Ninomiya Kazunari) ⍟ Oshi no Ko Episode 7

[keepyourpantsongohan]

Ayesha Liveblogs Cherry Magic S1

For anyone who doesn't know the premise of this series, it is about developing touch telepathy from 30 years of virginity. Believe it or not, at least in live action, it is a much more sincere, kind and lovely show than that premise might lead you to believe

"It's not a very useful power, and it's hell while commuting on the train." Anime Adachi is a bit more sombre than I expected. Grumpy little man

Interesting that the anime actually immediately confirms bisexuality for Adachi in a way that the live action only implies

"This is my colleague, Kurosawa. He's handsome, good at his job, friendly to gloomy plebs like me." Ah, the original Colleague Adachi Thinks About Such A Normal Amount

"You better have a crap personality." HAHAHAHA Adachi, please

"He's so close. He's so cute. I love him so much." I do love the visual representation of Kurosawa's thoughts going a mile a minute

"I thought I gained magic powers, but what if I imagined all of it?" I've said this so many times before, but it is INCREDIBLE that Adachi was fully willing to believe that he had magical telepathy until he learned his coworker had a crush on him and he was like, 'Unrealistic. Blocked.'

I gotta say, the flirting is so far not as cute in the anime as in the live action. Timing, perhaps? Tone? Not sure

"Maybe, I'll have you thank me with your body next time." This is an INSANE way to ask your colleague to dinner, Kurosawa!!!!

I do appreciate the consistency in Kurosawa only having nice thoughts. Also the pajama fantasies continue to be funny

"His place is dripping with popular guy vibes." At least in this version, Adachi says this about Kurosawa's bachelor apartment with FOUR houseplants instead of one. That's growth!

[Thinking about Kurosawa with this shirt half-open] "Would this have been simpler if one of us were a woman?" As a fellow bisexual Adachi: No, probably not

"Kurosawa likes me, right? So why didn't he make a move?" [Blushes, thinking about Kurosawa leaning over him] "That makes it sound like I was hoping he'd try something." Oh, Adachi, you're in it now

The way they both can't sleep through the night because they're too nervous thinking about each other is very sweet

"Try to get along, boys," said the director, as he set them up on a little thank-you barbecue date

"This is actually kinda fun. Kurosawa seems to be having fun too. This is pretty fun." Adachi is having such a good time the barbecue date he had to say it in three different ways

Adachi feeling guilty about wanting to leave things as they are... kind, sweet man

"It's not like I can reciprocate Kurosawa's feelings," said Adachi, like he doesn't compliment Kurosawa in every other thought and mentally flashback to him with his shirt unbuttoned

"It sounds like he's being nice to you. Why not use it to your advantage?" "What? I can't do that." Tsuge has absolutely NONE of the moral reservations that Adachi has about imposing on Kurosawa's kindness

"This is why you're unpopular. Too earnest, too awkward, too dense," Anime Tsuge handsome, but a hater

Also Tsuge, babygirl, your only other friend is your cat. WHO ARE YOU CALLING UNPOPULAR

Also, I looove Udon the cat sleeping in the bookcase. Babyyyyy

"Instead of worrying about what you should do, maybe you should think about how you feel about him." That's actually really solid advice. Good job, Tsuge!

"I bet he'd be really nice if we dated." HAHAHA it didn't take Adachi long to start fantasizing himself!!

Fujisaki first spotted!! I can't wait for more of her as well

"At first, I wondered why I had to get such a stupid power. This is the first time I've been glad to have it." I LOOOOVE that the first time Adachi sees an advantage in having his powers is for him to rescue Kurosawa from work trouble. It is so sweet!

Lmaoooo the gendered alcohol is so funny. Why are men only allowed to drink beer and women only allowed to drink wine

Kurosawa giving a Adachi forehead kiss while mentally saying "Sorry," for them being roped into the King's Game dare also gets me in the heart every time

"I'm sorry, Adachi, for falling in love with you." KUROSAWAAAAA

Adachi clarifying that he doesn't mind that Kurosawa kissed him is perhaps the flirtiest thing he's done yet

"For the first time, I want to get to know him better," said Adachi, while Kurosawa swerved into him ready for Kiss #2

"What were you two doing?" "Nothing!" HAHAHAHA I take it back, the flirting is fun. Also this is just as, if not more suspicious, than standing 1cm apart:

"I think I might've gotten ahead of myself." Realistic Rooftop Romance Re-Evaluation

"I was glad to hear he didn't dislike me, but I rushed things. I don't want to bother him, so I'll act normal at the office." Kurosawa is sooooo attuned to Adachi's needs

Every time they show them from behind I keep being distracted by what an ass Kurosawa has. Baby got back!

Also also also. The Yaoi Hands proportions of it all hahahah. On one hand, Kurosawa is also very tall in the JDrama. On the other, Adachi wasn't this short or slight of frame in it

"I hope it ends soon," said Adachi, only a little bit talking about karaoke, and otherwise mostly thinking of the women flirting with Kurosawa:

"It's Rokkaku, the recent graduate!" I also love Rokkaku. He's Valentina, an ally. Also the IRE in Adachi's voice

"You're surprisingly considerate, Ando-san." "It's Adachi." HAHAHA I now understand why the ire

Wild that Rokkaku's main characteristic is being a playboy. I guess everybody needs a trope

"Frustrated the words that came to mind were 'what a handsome face.'" I LOVE the text interjections about what the characters are thinking. A new angle only the anime could provide. Also LOL Adachi

"It'd be hilarious if someone so handsome were tone-deaf. I really want to hear." Shockingly mischievous of Adachi hahaha

LMAO, EVERY VERSION OF KUROSAWA IS CURSED WITH BEING HANDSOME AND TALENTED AND LIKED BY EVERYONE:

"Why would someone so handsome sit next to me?" Because he loves you, stupid

"If someone like [Fujisaki] liked me... No, nothing that convenient would ever happen." I think it would be too much to ask to have TWO of your coworkers in love with you

It's interesting to see how the JDrama really tried to ground them in every day work tasks but instead the anime (and presumably the source material) has the Punks Bother Fujisaki all as part of a Karaoke Confrontation. They have such a busy post-work social life!

"D-do you think you could stop?" You tell 'em, Adachi!

"I had no idea I was so narrow-minded," thought Kurosawa, like jealousy wasn't a normal human emotion that we all feel sometimes

"Until now, I thought Kurosawa was perfect and always composed. But he actually isn't. He worries and gets anxious too... Just like me." Hot Coworkers: They're Just Like Us

Also Adachi working himself up into getting annoyed at Kurosawa for being perfect and then liking him more because he ISN'T perfect is really a 'Congratulations, you played yourself' moment

Awwwww I love them sneaking off to get ice cream, very cute

Ah, the sauna adventure that made it into the Thai adaptation but not the JDrama. Let the embarrassment commence!

In the anime tiddy debate, Cherry Magic says: Men DO have nipples

"I know Adachi isn't interested in my body, though." Give him a second, he'll get there, Kurosawa

"I like Adachi, and I've fantasized about him, but I've only ever dated women before." Honestly I have never really given Kurosawa's sexuality much thought, he just seemed like he was pretty settled in his feelings regardless

"[Adachi's stomach] probably feels really nice. No, it definitely does." "'Steam conducts excessively strong thoughts.'" CRAZY WORLD-BUILDING. Tell me more

Kurosawa's tragic backstory being that he's too handsome is still the funniest explanation for inner turmoil I've ever seen. Sweet angel, I want to study you:

"Adachi. He doesn't know how how to brush off people like that because he lacks tact." Kurosawa said: I like them tactless and tense!

Kurosawa falling in love with Adachi because he sees him as an individual with flaws is sooooooooooooooo. They are the blueprint for Park Bench Romance:

"I never thought I'd experience what feels like a first love at my age." <3 We love finding yourself in your 30s

Also I have also said this many times but: I love love love that Kurosawa's feelings far predate the powers. The powers give Adachi some confidence to reach out to Kurosawa, but they are NOT what brought on the feelings

"If I said it felt like magic, would Adachi laugh at me?" Only out of extreme nervousness that you can also read minds

So engrossed was I in the love story of Adachi and Kurosawa, I didn't even think about the fact there's really been no Tsuge B-plot in these first three episodes.

Udon the Cat may in fact be my favourite side character. I hope Tsuge gets to read HER mind

"I thought he was a just a shut-in, but he's a good guy after all." Hey now, Party Boy Minato, you can be a shut-in AND a good person

Tsuge feels SOOOO normal through the lens of anime LOL. This show can never match the energy of "what emotion does this image make you feel" "lust"

"Would you like to like to come again some time? Udon seems to miss you." OKAY TSUGE, SMOOTH

THAT'S MORE LIKE IT. This is the slightly off-putting vibe I expect from Tsuge:

"In fact, [Kurosawa] completely overshadowed me." "And yet you seemed to have enjoyed it." Hee hee, I love how Kurosawa brings out a more sociable side to Adachi

"Damn it. I always end up thinking about Kurosawa's face." Adachi starts to admit that Kurosawa perhaps is a colleague thinks about more than a normal amount

"Of course he's got an ex or two. I should've known. [Gasp] Why am I so shocked by that? I don't understand." Adachi experiences romantic jealousy for the first time

HAHAHA not Adachi reliving all his romantic traumas after seeing Kurosawa talk to one pretty girl. Connect the dots, my love

LOOOOL it's funny how in the JDrama they had Adachi get sick at work and THEN Kurosawa takes him home (reasonable), as opposed to the anime where he just shows up out of nowhere on Adachi's sick day (much less reasonable, how do u know where he even lives).

"It means they'll be your first, right? I think that would make [who you end up dating] really happy." [Silently] If it were me, I'd be really happy. KUROSAWAAAAAA, I love how what Adachi sees as a flaw, Kurosawa sees as something to love

"It makes me feel like I wouldn't mind experiencing all my firsts with him." Adachi recognizing his feelings <3333333

I thought Adachi might actually kiss him until the interruption

HAHAHAHAH NOT KUROSAWA'S SISTER FOISTING HIM UPON ADACHI AS AN INVOLUNTARY ROOMMATE:

SCREAM KUROSAWA HAVING TWO INNER KUROSAWAS FIGHTING BETWEEN REASON AND DESIRE? I guess that's more realistic than him never thinking lustful thoughts

"No wait, Adachi's getting over a cold. I shouldn't be getting happy over this. But we're so close." [Quiet laugh] I'm amazed none of that ever shows on his face. Adachi is SOOO endeared by Kurosawa's thoughts

Adachi blushing through their train chat is adorable as hell

HAHAHA I also never tire of Adachi inviting Rokkaku to ALSO stay with him to avoid the romantic consequences of his situationship

[Internally, in a sea of mental flames] "You're not ready to try to win over Adachi with food." The energy of this was SO threatening I genuinely had to look up if Kurosawa was ALSO the VA for Sukuna from JJK. He isn't!

"He's such an idiot. He can't eat spicy food, but he will for my sake." The prophecy of the spicy true love chocolate returns <3

"It won't kill him." HAHAHAHA not Kurosawa making the spicy food challenge lustful in his mind and Adachi abandoning his plan to help as punishment for his spicy thoughts

[Rokkaku, internally] "I still dream about it sometimes. Aw, man. I'm still not over it. That's so lame." [Adachi, aloud] "Why not?" "What?" "You got good enough to compete in a tournament, right? Why not dance sometimes?" I absolutely love when Adachi uses what he learns to comfort people. That is what makes him so loveable. Not that he can know what others are thinking, but the desire and ability to help them with that knowledge

"I thought he was just some shallow playboy, but he seems kinda cute to me now." Bold move to call your coworker cute in front of your situationship

"What were you going to say last night before my sister showed up?" Kurosawa said: I will hold my silence on our romantic tension no longer!!

NOT Rokakku and Kurosawa experiencing the "there was only one futon" trope LMAO I love a romantic trope turned comedic

OH NOOOOOO not Fujisaki fetishizing for her coworkers. I miss when she was their ace homie being a confidante for their office romance

"Maybe it's not that I fell in love with Kurosawa, but I'm just happy that somebody likes me." This is a valid question for Adachi to ask himself

"I love you. Not as a colleague or friend." Kurosawa said: While we're defining our feelings, I have some to share

Extremely fair of Adachi to need to ask himself if his romantic interest in Kurosawa is about Kurosawa's feelings or his own

"I don't know much about her personality, but she's earnest." Maybe it's good for you to know less about Fujisaki, Adachi

Adachi only hearing the first half of every thought Fujisaki has is killing me. If you're GOING to eavesdrop, eavesdrop fully!!

"Does she really have feelings for me?" No, she doesn't, she just wants Kurosawa to rail you

"Dating him would probably be a pain." While true, not dating him won't unbisexualize you, Adachi

Awwww, I kind of like that Adachi doesn't know Fujisaki doesn't like him, because it means even when presented with other romantic options, he chooses Kurosawa

[Internally] "It would probably be easier to remain coworkers. But, I... No one's been able to touch Kurosawa's heart before... and I want to know more. Kurosawa said he'd treasure all of me, and now I want to treasure him too." ADACHI GOT THERE EVENTUALLY

"Me too. I'm in love with you too." YEAHHHHHHHH ADACHI!

"But perhaps I became a wizard in order to touch Kurosawa's heart." I will never tire of this line. He touched Kurosawa's heart much before this, but to be grateful to a power you once spurned because it opened the door to you deepening your relationship. To believe the universe has brought you together. It's such a nice way to reflect on falling in love:

HAHAHAHAH them both having the realization about the PDA at the same time

I LOVE THE REASON VS. INSTINCT ARGUMENTS IN KUROSAWA'S BRAIN, AND HOW REASON EVENTUALLY GIVES UP. ALSO LMAOOOO @ ADACHI APPEALING TO REASON KUROSAWA IN HIS MIND AS IF HE IS NOT EQUALLY CAPABLE OF ENDING THE HUG:

Hahahahaha Adachi shoving Kurosawa away at the speed of light so they don't get caught canoodling by Colleague Asahina

"People who engage in office romances are crazy," said Adachi, tits deep in office romance

"Damn it, stop thinking about him." Adachi's brain has left the building and now lives in Kurosawa Town

Adachi feels guilty about feelings Fujisaki doesn't even have

"For some reason, these two have been spending a lot of time together recently." Oh, I cannot wait for Detective Rokkaku to try and piece this one together

"Kurosawa-san and Adachi-san are... working together to use a carrot-and-stick method to help me improve! They must really love me!" HAHAHAHA gets me every time. Rokkaku at their wedding: I can't believe you're going to mentor me together for the rest of your lives <3

Also the fact that Rokkaku's inner monologue has Adachi's name correct implies that he messes it up on purpose. Incredible!

HGKJHGKJHGKJHG Tsuge just ordering deliveries to see his deliveryman every day without once questioning himself on what motivates him to do so

You know, I'm so used to calling him Flashy Minato (or in the case of the anime, Party Boy Minato), I did not remember that Tsuge doesn't know what the fuck Minato's name is:

LOL, Tsuge considering buying a How-To Book for romance. Valid! He needs the help

"Worrying you're wasting your time, anxiety about the future, doubting your own abilities, and fear of being an outcast are all feelings I know well. However, you don't rue want to give up yet, do you?" "How do you know that?" "You wouldn't practice until your shoes were falling apart if you actually want to stop." Wow, Tsuge can be emotionally AND physically observant! Good for him

"I knew I'd lost my mind when I realized I wanted to buy him all the shoes he wanted." That's love, Tsuge

Adachi and Tsuge having meltdowns at the same time in different places is true friendship

"His voice is scary hot. His face is distractingly handsome, but not being able to see it makes me nervous, too." I love Adachi's Loverboy era

HAHAHAHA did they Eren Jaegerize Adachi's date outfit for just a second? I feel like they did. They were like 'we're releasing at the same time, gotta get our jokes in while we can'

Adachi worrying that Kurosawa is out of his league and Kurosawa immediately unintentionally comforting him by thinking of how cute he is and how he loves that their hoodies match. GOD

KUROSAWA MAKING A SONG ABOUT THEIR DATE IS SO MUCH FUNNIER THAN HIM MAKING A POEM. GREATEST 10 SECONDS OF ANIME I'VE EVER SEEN THAT WAS SO UNEXPECTED:

"The lyrics are insane, but he sings them so well." This is the man you have chosen to love, Adachi <3

Adachi doesn't need to mind read, Kurosawa wears his heart on his sleeve and his thoughts on his face

"When a man gives someone clothes, it's because he wants to undress them." Bold take, shopkeeper, tell me more!

THEM CONTINUING THE KUROSAWA SONG AS THE DATE SOUNDTRACK HAHAHAH

Adachi shocked that on his and Kurosawa's date people can perceive that they are on a date

"A walk, like I said. In the sky, that is." Insane way to ask someone to join you on helicopter ride, Kurosawa????

[Kurosawa, aloud] "I wanted to talk privately." [Adachi, internally] "That's not the problem, here! What is this, a trendy Showa-era drama? This isn't something 30-year-old men should be doing! To be honest, helicopters scare me, and I can't hear what he's saying because it's so dang loud!" REAL LMAO. Except for the 30-year-old men thing, what's the problem with an adult man taking a helicopter ride?

"I really like your smile." The helicopter pilot also on the same radio channel hearing what Kurosawa is saying into his headset 👁👄👁

Hahahahaha I see how they translated this into an amusement park ride in the JDrama. Much more grounded, same result of Adachi not being able to stomach the date activity

"Next time, I need to tell Kurosawa how I feel." Maybe I don't watch enough romance anime, but I feel like Adachi is the only anime protagonist I've ever seen to realize the solution to dealing with your relationship problems is communicating your feelings

NOT KUROSAWA SO UPSET HE MESSED UP THE DATE THAT HE'S DISINTEGRATING TO ASH AT WORK

I looooove Adachi taking Kurosawa to read manga they both like and to a dinner spot where he's comfortable so they can relax with each other. He is so good at acting on his feelings

"There's no point in going on a date unless you have fun, too." [Soft gasp] It's kind of heartbreaking that Adachi has to TELL Kurosawa explicitly that his feelings matter. Baby boy, how have you been living?

"It doesn't matter others think or if I know what I'm doing or not. I just want to have fun with you." ADACHIIIIII

I truly do love the visual representations of Kurosawa's thoughts:

[Kurosawa, internally] "'The moon is beautiful tonight.' I wonder if Adachi's familiar with the romantic meaning of that statement." [Adachi, aloud] "I know that one." The Psychic Boyfriend Ball begins to drop

"I'll be 262 days older than him. For some reason, that excites me." "What, why?" Hahahah Adachi's aware that his boyfriend is a little weird

"There's no way he can dance. He's not that kind of guy." I hope this leads into a High School Musical-esque I Don't Dance Number

It DID lead to a (brief) dance interlude, and now Tsuge has twisted his ankle HA

I do actually like the Minato/Tsuge better in the anime. Maybe it's that their age difference feels less apparent (or rather, Tsuge specifically looked older than 30 to me in the JDrama) or something about the smiles and nice animation:

"I don't know much about dancing, but I thought your dancing was beautiful." Awww that's sweet, Tsuge

"When he takes off his glasses, he's actually kind of hot." HAHAHA, what is this, a 90s teen movie Minato?

I'm really curious what the hell Adachi and Kurosawa's company actually does. They were a stationery company in the JDrama, but now they are doing customer panels for exercise equipment? Are they broadly like a consulting/consumer data collection firm?

"I guess normies have normie friends." I haven't really talked about this but every so often Adachi thinks something vaguely spiteful about 'normies.' Is this just because he likes manga/is an otaku? Seems a bit of an extreme divide? I have friends who like anime and friend who do not

Also. Kurosawa likes manga ALSO. What is your normie definition, Adachi? Handsome guys? People with relationship experience?

[Internally] "'He's our top salesman and my boyfriend. 'I could never say that." Being in an office romance is tough

Distracted by the fact Adachi AND Kurosawa's ties change colour for their close-up. Animation error or colourblindness error?

"So that's the odd man who's in love with Adachi." That's right. I hope that one day this is his contact name in Tsuge's phone

"I can't help it. Love has made a fool out of me, too." "Love?! Wait, were we just having a conversation?" (Subtitle: Wizards can communicate telepathically.) HAHAHAHA what a way for Adachi to find out

"Be more confident in yourself. You're nice and actually pretty good-looking." Pot-kettle, Adachi!

"I've never seen Adachi smile like that when he's with me." He is distracted by your hotness and many thoughts, Kurosawa, both of which make him nervous and embarrassed but also very happy

I do absolutely understand why Kurosawa would be worried about their relationship given both Tsuge and Adachi staring at each other (talking telepathically) and the overheard mention of love

"I've been reading your thoughts the whole time. Since before you told me how you felt, like how you think I'm cute, how you love me, how my stomach looks like a shiratama, or how you bought pajamas that would look good on me." HAHAH Adachi, while it's good you're being honest, I don't know if you should be THIS specific

Also I can't believe they're having this whole conversation in an office supply closet!

"You reallize how I felt because of that, right? Then, I'm glad." Kurosawa takes the Psychic Boyfriend news better than anyone could expect

"Does that mean the more you touch me, the more you know how I feel?" Kurosawa said: I have already figured out the positive for this situation!! He's not top salesman for nothing

I cannot believe we are macking in the office supply closet. New Office Romance Achievement Unlocked

Good for them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JDrama Kurodachi Elevator Kiss Found Dead on Scene; No Witnesses

[Mentally, to Adachi] "I'll show you all your good qualities." Kurosawa has immediately found multiple benefits to having a telepathic boyfriend

I do like that Tsuge's mind-reading is now starting to come up in a different way as well with him finding out why Rokkaku and Minato are avoiding each other. I hope like Adachi, he gets the chance to help them through it

"Where have you been? I already started cleaning up!" Macking in the office supply closet

"Maybe they're just friends now, but he's more likely to get along with someone who isn't almost eight years older than him! I needn't help rivals." HAHAHAHA once again Tsuge proves his moral compass is a little more floppy than Adachi's

"We can still make friends as adults, but college friends you can speak frankly with are hard to come by. Both for you and him." Awww Tsuge, you couldn't help but help

"I feel safe around him, like he's my dad." BRUTAL review for Tsuge who was worried about being a 30-year-old with this 23-year-old Minato

"We'll be sending a few veteran employees to the new branch in Nagasaki." Awwww, not the Nagasaki Long Distance Relationship

HAHAHAHA Adachi getting jealous because Kurosawa as better at using Adachi's magic power situation than him

"I can't imagine leaving Kurosawa." It's tough having to choose between your career growth and your boyfriend!

Maybe I'm just Canadian and used to being in a huge country, but I think he and Kurosawa should just fly to see each other. Like yes maybe it's 10 hours by train but it's a two hour flight and some of the flights cost less than Adachi's jacket purchase on their date!

"I get anxious when I can't see his face, because he's good at pretending to be perfect." AWWWW that's so sweet, wanting his powers because he wants to understand Kurosawa

Honestly although it's ultimately Adachi's decision whether he denies the transfer or not, I appreciate that Kurosawa wants Adachi to 1) not miss out on this opportunity for him and 2) be willing to discuss it with him instead of handling what involves a relationship decision all by himself

"Unlike you, I don't know what you're thinking unless you tell me." Extremely valid, Kurosawa, this must feel very one-sided

ALSO: I LOVE THAT EVERY VERSION OF CHERRY MAGIC IS ABOUT LEARNING TO COMMUNICATE

"Without an audience, writing is meaningless nonsense." Disagree Tsuge, you can write for the joy of writing

I do enjoy Tsuge and Minato's chat about their respective passions

"He can't read your mind, unlike us." "You're right." Adachi had to hear it twice for it to stick

"Even if I can read Kurosawa's mind, I'll never get anywhere unless I tell him how I truly feel." YEAHHHHH ADACHI

"I figured this was God telling me to give up." Wow, Minato, bleak

Minato and Tsuge's story is sooo much more well-developed in the anime, going to the focus group together, repairing Minato's relationship with Rokkaku, Tsuge helping him get to his audition, no ex-boyfriend, the push-and-pull of Minato's dance dream vs. the office job opportunity

"Why are you so nice to me?" He looooooves you

"Because... I have ulterior motives." HAHAHA wild way to start telling someone you love them

HAHAHAHA is Minato MIA because he's trapped into an idol no-dating contract?

"Even if we're dating, I have no right to dictate Adachi's choices." That's a healthy perspective, Kurosawa. You get an opinion, not a vote

A letter is a nice way to communicate. Good advice Tsuge!

"But there's one thing I hope you believe. I love you so much that being away from you makes me anxious." Adachi, you romantic bastard

Awwww Tsuge unable to write about Minato because he cares about him too much (it's such a "If I loved you less, I'd be able to talk about it more," moment AHH)

"I wasn't sure how I felt about it, so I couldn't text you." Actually an incredibly reasonable reaction from Minato

"I resolved my feelings by writing books about the people I fell for." I think this makes a lot of sense for Tsuge. Also. NEW TSUGE LORE UNLOCKED!

Also also. Tsuge: Actually all of my protagonists are self-insert OCs

"No story compares to the real you. Minato. I'm in love with you." TSUGE, you're good at this!! 10/10 confession

"Oh, come on, can't you figure it out?! You're a romance novelist?!" HAHAHA they left out the 'baka' in the translation. Also I love Minato just like, implying repeatedly that he loves Tsuge rather than saying it aloud

I can't imagine what it was like for someone who read the manga and whose favourite couple was Minatsuge having to watch the JDrama first, because the energy here is LEAGUES different. My god, this is romantic. Giggling and kicking my feet:

"Your eyelashes are really long, Kurosawa. I thought you were handsome since I started working here, but I'm amazed that I find you even more handsome now. It's cool that you don't let on how much reasearch you do, or how hard you work for your job. I've never heard you speak poorly of anyone either. Also, even though you're normally calm, your thoughts are so excited. I thought you were a perfect person, but surprisingly your expressions show on your face, and you have a narrow-minded and jealous streak. And sometimes when you're trying hard to act cool, you end up looking lame instead. I think it's cute." Adachi sharing every single thing he likes about Kurosawa, even things Kurosawa doesn't like about himself. THIS IS SO SWEET

Adachi kissing Kurosawa because he can't express how he feels in words alone <3

[ProZD voice] Oh, they fuckin'

"We finally did it! I could hear his thoughts the whole time." OH MY GODDDDDD I've had this thought before, I can't believe Adachi is confirming it

"I thought I became a wizard because I was still a virgin when I turned 30, but... was I wrong? Is my definition of virginity wrong?" HAHAHA not Kurosawa making coffee in the background while Adachi has a crisis over the logistics of Virginity Magic

"It wasn't your magic power that first touched my heart. It was your words." YEAH IT WAS <333333333333

"But now, if I ever get anxious, I'll use my words. I know we can touch and be touched to confirm how the other feels. That's it. I finally figured it out. It's because I felt like I'd be okay with you even without my power. That must be why I lost my power!" The way that Adachi orients the rules of the universe around his feelings for Kurosawa is the most romantic thing in the world

"When I'm around you, I'm incapable of being perfect. But for some reason, I don't hate that version of myself." Kurosawa learning to love his imperfections through Adachi!!!

"I think I'd go crazy if I fell anymore in love with you." [Seriously] We can't have you acting any crazier." HAHAHA ADACHI. Honestly fair, Kurosawa's got a lot going on mentally

I do love Adachi going for the transfer <3 He really has such a growth in his interests and capacity at work

HAHAHAHA Tsuge accidentally finding out Adachi lost his Virginity Magic by accident, because he hasn't yet (clearly this version of Minato isn't so fuck forward LMAO)

I really do love Kurosawa and Adachi navigating their long-distance and trying to trust that if there's something to know, the other one will tell them

"There are things that can't be conveyed with words. But some things have to be conveyed with words." <3 COMMUNICATION

"Why are you here? I was on my way Nagasaki." HAHAH I predicted this for the movie (that they'd both try to visit each other at the same time), they didn't lean into the trope though. But I was right, after a fashion!

"When I finish the job in Nagasaki and return to Tokyo, I want to live with you!" Adachi moving the forward as a couple by clearly sharing his desires. That's growth, baybeeeee

WHAT DID I SAY? MASTERS OF PARK BENCH ROMANCE:

I LOOOOOVE HOW AT THE END OF ALL OF CHERRY MAGIC MEDIA THEY GO 'YEAH, THEY GET MARRIED. LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE. MARRIAGE 4 ALL JAPAN!!' I wish I could kiss all of the people who made Cherry Magic on the mouth. It is such a gorgeous, kind show that deserves every good thing that has ever been said about it. Both the JDrama and anime have carved their own places in my heart:

[storge]

It's been… 15 years? It's been that long, huh.

Halation Love (2023) 1.01

[cubedmango]

romances w food as a love language >>>>>>>>>>

[lurkingshan]

2024 Recap: ✨A Summary✨

Post your most popular and/or favourite edit/gifset/analysis for each month (it’s okay to skip months!)

@troubled-mind and @my-rose-tinted-glasses brought this back, so here is mine! I can't believe some of this stuff happened this year, it feels like it's been 84 years.

January:

most popular - Deep character analysis of Phaya from The Sign

favorites - The birth of Japanese QL Corner, Breakdown of the Last Twilight finale (siiiigh), love for I Became the Main Role in a BL Drama and Gyeongseong Creature, and this list of some of my fav non-BL jdramas

I was a busy little bee in January! Not surprising, as I tend to hermit at home in the deep winter and do nothing but watch dramas and post too much. JQL Corner became my big project of the year, and I can't believe there wasn't a single week that I didn't have Japanese QL to talk about. I Became the Main and Gyeongseong were both surprise delights that ended up among my favs of the year. I’m still holding my LT grudge, in case anyone had any doubt.

February:

most popular - Praise for Dead Friend Forever's mystery arc

favorites - Appreciation for Love for Love's Sake's ending, every single LITBC book club post that I either wrote or read, my final review of Cooking Crush

The original run for the LITBC book club that @bengiyo and I led! What a great time reading a fantastic book, chatting with besties, and making new friends. I also stand by that praise for DFF's mystery arc--that was the strongest part of the show; the things I took issue with were elsewhere in the story. I have just been thinking I need to rewatch LFLS and this post reminds me why (I remember when it first ended me and @wen-kexing-apologist were like, we're going to watch it again immediately! And then realized we were in no way emotionally prepared for that LMAO). Cooking Crush remains a fav and I may or may not be rewatching right now.

March:

most popular and favorite- An actual love letter to TsukuTabe, my beloved

other favorites - Analysis of Unknown ep 6 aka The Turning Point and big love for Cherry Magic Thailand after the finale

Wow, three of my very favorite shows of the year all happening at once. What a blessed month this was. Also, this is not a specific post, but this is the month when I read Da Ge and then spent weeks with people coming into my DMs to get their own copy of the translation, which was a top fandom experience for me because I met a bunch of new people, some of whom stuck around to talk about Unknown, and it made me feel like an illicit dealer which was very fun.

April:

most popular - The boopening

favorites- A breakdown of the pseudo-incest trope and this list of my favorite friends to lovers dramas

The boopening was a once in a lifetime whimsical tumblr event, and I am so glad I was able to participate fully. I also really like these other two because I feel strongly that all tropes have their place and can be enjoyed when executed well and I love talking about that.

May:

most popular - Love for Oyei and Cher from Wandee Goodday

favorites - Trans Allegory in Cupid's Last Wish, co-authored with @wen-kexing-apologist and @so-much-yet-to-learn and this cdrama rec list.

I spent much of May watching and posting about shows I did not end up liking much in the end, but that is also the month I finally watched CLW with my friends and enjoyed it more than expected, in part because WKA had us watch it through the lens of trans allegory, which totally worked.

June:

most popular - Class disparity themes in Love Sea

favorites - 10 Things I Love About Triage, celebrating Thai marriage equality with @my-rose-tinted-glasses, praise for Marahuyo Project

What a fun Pride month with the start of Love Sea, Knock Knock Boys, Marahuyo Project, The Trainee, and me finally watching Triage.

July:

most popular - Teaching the youths about face fucking and power dynamics in Love Sea

favorites - 10 Things I Love About Oppan and The Miracle of Teddy Bear Saved the Gays with @twig-tea

More great shows. I'm so glad me and Twig ignored the rumors and watched Teddy Bear because it's one of my favorite Thai dramas of all time.

August:

most popular - Cheering on the defeat of noble idiocy in Love Sea

favorites - Praise for Knock Knock Boys and this spicy JBL rec list and this other quality JBL rec list and calling out weird fandom attitudes about JBL

Another good month, and the busiest by far for QL Corner. There were so many JQLs airing this summer! What a time to be alive.

September:

most popular - Documenting Wang's behavior in The On1y One

favorites - 10 Things I Love About Mr. Mitsuya's Planned Feeding, clocking Doku Koi as a fav early, this high school bl rec list and this BL romance rec list

I'm filled with so much bitterness reading that Wang/Tian post. I'll be taking this grudge to the grave!

October:

most popular - Moar boops

favorites - Analyzing Dohoe in Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo and celebrating the first two episodes of Love in the Big City and the creation of the LITBC Drama Book Club Round Up

Two moody Korean shows with complicated gay leads dropped in my birthday month, the book club band was back together, and I got to do Halloween themed boops. I WAS THRIVING IN OCTOBER.

November:

most popular - On fandom as a life saving force

favorites - This list of some of my trash favs for @happypotato48 and getting my feelings out on Young and Gyuho and Hirukawa and Minase and final thoughts on the LITBC drama

I was having a lot of feelings in November.

December:

most popular - Democracy in Squid Game 2

favourite - QL superlatives and grievances, this round up of my fav dramas of the year and being so very normal about Hirukawa

This write up really helped me appreciate that I had good stuff to watch and write about every month this year. There were some disappointments, but also a lot of shows I really loved and it was fun to remember some of the things I wrote. Also, i got to make so many fun rec lists! If you were tagged here, or if you just see this and want to join in, consider yourself invited to do your own!

You can go here to find your top 10 posts of each month.

[saffron-words]

Introduction and UtsuKare Translations Master Post

Some of you might recognize me as that Russian translator of Utsukushii Kare books from Wattpad. I decided to revive my tumblr to compile all the links and explanations here for those of you, My Beautiful Man fans, who can't wait for official English releases of the books.

I could never keep a blog, so for now here I'll just tell how it all came about, and you can find links to all my MBM translations at the end (feel free to just skip the wall of text).

So a couple of years ago I finally bowed down and decided to read Utsukushii Kare series in Japanese for language practice, even though I found the summary unappealing and I'm generally suspicious of overhyped media (as far as BL novels go, these books seemed to be The most hyped-up series in Japan). Much to my surprise, I loved it so much it was hard to move on. And while I waited for a chance to buy book 3 and Interlude, I gobbled up everything else related to the series that I could. The manga was only just starting, I didn't like dramaCDs (but I'm in the minority), and the drama somehow revived my love for watching Jdramas, even though I thought that this part of my fandom life has been over for years. When the second season started airing, I made a new friend in the Russian-speaking parts of the Internet who was even more obsessed with MBM than I am, and we fangirled to our hearts' content. At some point I promised her to translate the big sex scene from the end of book 3 as a gift for all the talks. I did, and since back then there was nothing for book 3 in any European language, as far as I know, I decided to post it online and give a link to English-speaking UtsuKare fans too. And since Wattpad doesn't allow copying text, and the browser translator feature from Google Translate was really inadequate, I also put up a link to the translation made with Deepl. As far as machine translators go, it is noticeably more comprehensible, and I didn't have the time (or skills to do the book justice, really) to translate it to English myself. Anyway, after this excerpt I thought I could manage one more important scene from book 3, then one more, and then I finally gave up and started translating it properly from the beginning. I also started correcting mistranslations in Deepl-versions that I kept doing for English readers, so some parts of the book are now much more readable than others. Now the third book is done and I started to work on book 2, Nikurashii Kare. I also translated several stories from Interlude and plan to do at least one more, but that is put on the backburner for now since I want to do as much of the book 2 as I can before book 4 in the main series comes out. Yes, we're getting a new Hira and Kiyoi book! This year too, probably It came out at the end of October 2024 in Japan and, unless something terrible happens IRL, I' plan to 'm thinking of translating it as well.

So here are the links to everything I've translated from My Beautiful Man book series:

Book 3 "Nayamashii Kare" which continues the story past the movie (completed). The text is in Russian, but there are links to decent machine translations to English at the beginning of each part (I've also run through most of them and corrected the mistranslations). Or you can use the in-browser translation feature, but the results would be less readable.

Book 2 "Nikurashii Kare" which was technically turned into season 2 of the drama and the movie, but the script has deviated so much from the book, at times it's like a completely different story (in progress; another 2 updates, and the book will be done). I don't make Deepl translations for this since the official English release finally came out in December.

Stories from other books in the series. The first part is a short scene from Nikurashii Kare, and the rest are stand-alone stories from Interlude. One of them had also been translated to English by Mauli before, but I didn't use her version when working on mine. The rest of the stories have never been translated by anyone else, as far as I know. These, too, have links to Deepl-versions at the beginning.

Disclaimer: my Japanese is not yet really on a level good enough to translate fiction, and there are bound to be mistranslations even if you read the original Russian versions. But I'm cross-checking myself on everything to try and keep those mistakes to minor things. I also know how to translate so I made sure that the text flows well, doesn't feel choppy and retains the same vibe that I get from reading the original.

[dramashutup]

My 2024 dramas rating

I wanted to do 10 of these but it turns out that I've only watched 8 of 2024 dramas lol

Rewatched a few of my faves but I'm not rating those.

These will have spoilers. So here goes

1. Flex x Cop 10/10 !!

✅ This drama has a special place in my heart. It's crime, action-hero and it made me fall in love all over again with non-romance drama

✅ Park Ji Hyun as Lee Gang Hyun 🫡. (in another news I'm gonna go look up her latest work) I've only seen her as the annoying 2nd fl before this and she was great in this one. She broke the mold of annoying 2nd fl and is an independent, capable and cool-headed detective

✅ There's no dark past whatsoever. She just loves her job. And she may seem judgemental and prejudiced towards I Soo at first but she learned that I Soo is not just another arrogant chaebol as they work together; it's that he's actually an arrogant, smart, caring and resourceful chaebol lol

✅ Jin I Soo? I love him. Arrogant chaebol with a golden heart who has a clumsy way of showing he's not heartless definitely will have my heart. He's smart, he's funny and he's shameless 100/100 😂

✅ What makes a story much more interesting for me is banters. Yessss banters. Their relationship is fun even w/o romance. They trusted each other, even tho it all started on the wrong feet

✅ Gang Hyun's parents is also a highlight for this drama :))

Second season is coming !!! 🫡🙂‍↕️📢💕💕💕

Excited!!!

2. Eye Love You 3/10 (dropped)

I'm sorry. I tried to love this.

❌ I do watch jdramas and jmovies but this was just simply wasn't it for me.

❌ I wanted to love it because of Chae Jeong Hyeop, but bulldozer sunshine is not my vibe. I dropped it like halfway thru?

✅ The fl's office is really nice tho. And the fl is really funny, that, I remember well.

The suspension of disbelief simply wouldn't suspend the disbelief for me for this one :||

3. Serendipity's Embrace 6/10

❌ This could've been shorter. There I said it. XD. Yes shorter than 8

✅ I love love Hye Ji, Hong Joo's best friend.

✅Hoo Yeong's uncle was relatable, sad and single,

❌ tho I wish he didn't have that weird first love line thing with Hong Joo's boss too. That was just uncomfortable

❌ And what about Hoo Yeong, you ask? Well..... tbh..... I don't really like broody mls. I'm not a fan of those 'he treats her specially nice because he loves her but to everyone else he's just cold'. I'm not a fan of that because I am an anxiety-driven gal and this trait simply doesn't vibe with me

✅ It's funny that Hong Joo's ex was Kim So Hyun's rival in her previous drama tho (My Lovely Liar) Mr. Yoon Ji On 👀

Which leads me to....

4. Love Next Door 4/10

Ha ha ha hahaha

❌ As you can probably guess from the poster of this drama I used which is of the side character Jeong Mo Eum, I simply couldn't stand the main couple

❌ Actually I did loved the main couple initially. I even defended the ml after the first 4 episodes, but then... I took a step back metaphorically and realized that his behavior and the fl's family behavior grated my teeth so much

❌ They kept nagging at the fl. Everything the fl did was wrong to them. She was not allowed to have her own views or that they didn't want to see things from her perspective

❌ Personally, I've met these kind of people irl and the suspension of disbelief and rose colored glasses couldn't do their jobs for this drama for me

❌ I dislike both the family and the ml until the end. The ml is whiny and entitled. That's it.

I hope she divorces him and run away from the neighborhood in the future lol

✅ Kang Dan Ho and Jung Mo Eum were so cute tho. And as all the other side couples ever, they deserved more screen time and development.

I'm looking forward to future works of Yoon Ji On. He's the reason I started this drama initially lol

5. What Comes After Love 7/10

After the disappointment that was the previous drama, I watched this.

Ok, here's what I learned. I can read melodrama (?) novels, but I need to use 1.25/1.5x speed when I'm watching slow dramas. Is it the adhd? Probably

Anyway

✅ This drama is so pretty. The contrast between the flashbacks when the couple was younger in Japan and the grayer aesthetic in Korea after their breakup is ✨✨✨

✅ I envy Lee Se Young for being able to speak Japanese so well for the drama lol. She really made me believe she spent her younger days in Japan.

✅ i love the side characters at the shop she worked at. The boss? So tall 👀

👀 I'm just surprised the ending implies that they're back together. After all that pain and those sad lingering looks

6. Fangs of Fortune 8/10

I know I was basically rambling about this drama for weeks and therefore you'd think it'd get full marks

Okay

✅ It's a fantastic story.

✅ Costume? 💯 So effin beautiful. So beautiful.

✅ Humor? 💯

✅ Characters? 💯 I love the characters to pieces, you don't even know. This is my Six of Crows cdrama version

✅ OST? 💯

❌ But then it relies sm on dramatics. And tears. Oh so much tears.

❌ And I may also be side eyeing the ending. Some people say it's a good ending, but I will agree to disagree. 🙂‍↕️

Edit : yes I've watched the extra episode and I don't like it still. Death is a very permanent thing imo lol and while his soul does come back, it's no replacement for the real person to me. I've never liked the death trope.

It's a bit traumatizing tbh lol 😂

7. Family By Choice 9.5/10

Edit :

❌ I'm also dissatisfied with the development of the m/f main ship. I love them, they had the potential to be The OTP for me but then the didn't really get developed, possibly because they were kinda already established before the event of the story, in a way, and so the storyline focused more on ZYC and ZYZ flip flopping relationship....so yh. It's fantasy with a dash of romance

And I went into the drama after seeing cute spoiler scenes of Wen Xiao and ZYZ so yeah... I was on the Train bound for Disappointment Terminal

✅ This drama welcomed me like a loaf of warm bread, blanket and warm chocoa after the pain of FoF

✅ Yoon-sajang is the best dad in kdrama land. He's the president of Good Dads of Kdrama. 💐 💐 🫡

✅ Glad that Kim Sanha's mum was not redeemed at the end. She just backed away after being a complete and utter bitch with no self-awareness. Thank you for not redeeming her.

✅ plsssss I love Hwang in Yeop as this gentle boyfriend 👀🤗

✅ This is such a warm drama, a family drama of the year for me. I know I'll rewatch this a lot

My issues are only that

❌ I need more episodes 😔😔 xD

❌ Kim Sanha's issues didn't really have their own proper build up closure. The focus was too much on Hae Jun's 😔 when Sanha is also one of the main characters. Not to mention Juwon as one of the trio? ://

8. The Story of Pearl Girl 9/10

(my sister is obsessed with both Liu Yuning and Zhang Linghe and tried to get me to watch their dramas; Princess Royal, and My Journey to You and Story of Pearl Girl,

I can't watch another Edward Guo's drama for the time being so I chose Princess Royal which I haven't finished but I'm loving, and The Story of Pearl Girl which I have!)

What is it about cdramas and death of the main lead idek smh

✅ Ik this drama let a lot of people down for some reasons but I'm guessing it didn't let me down partly because I started it after it ended lol. So the binging was great!

✅ I think it fits that it's the story of pearl girl; that is Duanwu, we watch her grow from this hotheaded determined girl into a capable smart businesswoman Su Muzhe

✅ while Zhijing's story began with him being at the top of his game, hunting down the people who killed his family as a merchant, then he learned to love and learned that his actions have consequences to his loved one

✅ It's not his story, but it's the story of the pearl girl, so I guess goodbye was in due time. Poetic or something something

✅ The way they fell in love with Duanwu being the only person who questioned him and then kind of got under his skin. 🤌🏻🤌🏻

✅ I love how Kang Ju implied a couple times that Duanwu was growing more and more like Zhijing; calculating, resourceful, and smart, that by the end I think it's poetic that she becomes the successful businesswoman. Apart from her own very capable brains, she also learned from a lot of people who were basically not very good, who were good to her, and Zhijing himself; the strategist

✅ That 1.9m guy and the 1.6ish gal. Love the height difference 🤌🏻

✅ Kang Ju, the best not third wheel 😆

I was informed that in the novel Zhijing dies and afterwards Duanwu marries Zhang Jinran and they have a child. They didn't go down this route in the drama

And ngl, I quite like the novel ending. Zhang Jinran is a good guy and he's not an annoying 2ndml

Moving on is not a bad thing imo, it simply means the character found love again. It doesn't mean they've forgotten their previous love

And I'm quite partial to the idea that for the drama, Zhijing didn't die, but went on a journey to find an antidote with Kang Ju.

Pls... If they're not gonna straight up show him being buried or stabbed like ZYZ in FoF, I'm not gonna believe that he dies 😆 let me die on this hill.

____________________

I'm currently watching

1. Princess Royal

2. More rewatching of Story of Pearl Girl until the serotonin runs out

3. Brewing Love. Love this! Kim Sejeong! <3

4. I might go look for A Journey to Love next after finishing 1. and 3.

5. Light Shop!! So creepy!! So intriguing!!

If you're wondering why most of these don't have extensive explanation, that's because I have the memory of a mayfly. After some time I only remember the vibe 😀 unless it really gave me a lasting impression

[bl-bracket]

What would you recommend as the first bl to show someone just starting to watch bls/qls?

This is a really hard question tbh. Cause a lot depends on someone's personal tastes and what type of other shows they have watched before. And it's going to differ between countries. And also my recs are going to be limited to what I've actually seen or are familiar with.

For Thai bls, Bad Buddy is one that gets brought up a lot as a beginner. I also watched pretty early in my ql journey. I think it's a pretty good one for getting an idea of what Thai bls are like stylistically (as well as just being a pretty solid show). Another one I think really sets the tone would be Cherry Magic Thailand. Another solid show that doesn't veer too off the rails, while having a compelling romance, and also engaging stylistically with the genre.

Now if you're dealing with someone who isn't even ready to get a feel for the style of Thai bls, you just need to get them comfortable with the idea of bls in general, then something like I Told Sunset About You or Moonlight Chicken is probably better. Though these shows are very different tonaly so it's going to depend on the person's tastes which to recommend (itsay is more for people who enjoyed the vibes of Call Me By Your Name or other similar style).

For Korean bls, Semantic Error is a classic. It'll set you up good. It's good for beginners too since it's a solid plot that feels like a kbl, but isn't like super deep into the genre if that makes sense, The Eighth Sense is also brought up a lot as a beginner one, especially for folks more accustomed to western cinema. Another good one is Blueming, which has the artsy feel with still a strong kdrama feel.

For Japanese bls, the original Cherry Magic series is good. It definitely has the style and feel of a jdrama and sets up well the humor/fluff side of jbls. Old Fashion Cupcake is another good one for introducing more of the cozy food side of jbls. She Likes to Cook, She Likes to Eat is another well done cozy food jdrama, this time a gl. I think those all set the tone well of what to expect in those type of jbls. Now there's definitely a darker side to genre, but honestly I've still only dipped my toes into that side and it's probably not the best thing to start with someone just getting into the genre as a whole lol.

For Taiwanese bls, honestly See Your Love is like exactly the vibe you can expect from a Taiwanese bl. It'll teach a lot about this niche of the genre and give you a good idea for the style of a lot of the shows, while also landing well in all the most important parts. My Tooth Your Love is another one with a bit less crazy of a plot, but very much ticks the boxes of a Taiwanese bl and is a good watch!

When it comes to Chinese bls, there's so few currently available (hopefully soon that'll change) so it's hard to give recs without just listing every major title in the genre. Another barrier is that if you're not familiar with the wuxia or xianxia genres, you're going to have a pretty steep learning curve in any of those dramas you watch. (And if you're not watching wuxia/xianxia that leaves you with even fewer options). Honestly I don't think any Chinese bl is better suited than the others to give you a taste of the genre. Meet You at the Blossom is shorter and uncensored, but it's also some classic toxic stuff, which I don't know if you want to use as the introduction. The Untamed has a lot of fans independent of the bl fandom, or even just the censored chinese bl fandom, so that could be a good sign that's it's a good entry point, but it's also quite long and again, if you don't know what xianxia is, you're going to be confused a lot. Idk for Chinese bl, if you're new, just pick whichever plot sounds best to you and accept that you're not going to understand everything at first.

[valfeathers]

YOUR JDRAMA L POST !!!!! jumps up and down i love love love the jdrama it speaks to me so good and your art style for him was so perfect…. do you have a post about your thoughts on the jdrama as a whole or !.!.!.!! also . i was not really a lawlight shipper for the animanga …. but oh man the drama lawlight…… it got me so good

JDRAMA TIME!! (tysm btw !!!!)

ramblings below the cut as usual (also spoilers? go watch the jdrama i double dog dare you)

ok so i watched the jdrama with my sibling after seeing a shitpost about the casting and i lost my MIND. i hadn't really seen any major spoilers beforehand so i basically experienced it all in real time and boy i loved it.

i know it def took some liberties with its story but that's part of why i liked it so much, i eat up aus and different interpretations or whatever so i really didn't mind the minor changes. my only qualm is that watari's bitchass outlives L smh who decided that /lh

above all i love the way they characterized light so much. they let him be stupid!! thank god!! he yelled at ryuk in a lecture hall full of students!! he finger-gunned!! he walked into a door!! he felt much more flawed and even i found myself relating to him at times! they really added to his relationship with soichiro which i loved. their arc had me gripping my heart in agony but that's normal for me when i think of soichiro for too long so like,,

jdrama light quickly became my favourite light because of this. i could think about him forever and i just might!

the only word i can use to describe jdrama L is 'babygirl'. the way they characterised him was so fun and different,, and lord if episode 8 didn't break me. suddenly i'm 12 years old again and grieving this man. and the way light reacted to his death?? the way the scene played out?? it was absolutely gut wrenching. i had to take a walk.

and while we're talking about gut wrenching, can i just say that L & soichiro are such an underrated duo?? i didn't expect to lose my mind over L saying that he thought of soichiro like a father but here i am, still not recovered completely,

and i'll just cut this off by saying that making mello a fucking PUPPET was certainly a choice.

[sojirosteacup]

As you know, I'm researching for a Hana Yori Dango fanfiction. I was watching bits and pieces of several dramas the other day. This got me thinking about when the many drama adaptations of Hana Yori Dango were filmed, each production team used a different version of the Saturn Necklace. Is there a version of the Saturn Necklace that is your favorite and why? I know many necklaces were based on star themes because of Meteor Garden. I have a soft spot for the Saturn Necklace from the J-Drama because it was the first drama I watched based on the series. However, I also find the Thai version pretty.

So, about the necklaces

I'm gonna start by saying I don't really have a favorite or least favorite bc they all have their own charm. Idk, as an astronomy nerd I just like space themed necklaces in general.

Like, I love the saturn necklace. Not only bc it's the closest one from the manga (though, at least in the above image, i kinda miss the engraved stones the manga one has), but also bc i'm a capricorn like Makino and saturn has always been my favorite planet. I'd love to have a saturn necklace for that reason (there is a specific one, i believe was a Margaret sweepstakes prize, that has a bunch of colorful engraved stones on it and it's adorable, i wish i could find one for sale without needing to sell my kidney for it).

Both the meteor garden remake one and the f4 thailand one are pretty and the ones closest to today's fashion. They feel like something i could see someone wearing on the street nowadays, but this is probably bc they are the newest adaptations, so of course they don't feel as dated fashion wise. Ask me this again in ten years. I feel that the Thailand one is the prettiest of the two, but the meteor garden one is the easiest to recognize from afar that it's supposed to be a shooting star.

I haven't watched the og meteor garden so i don't know if i'm right but is it supposed to be a star with things orbiting it? Idk, but it's still pretty.

The kdrama one feels very late 00s and a bit out of fashion nowadays (again, ask me this in ten years) but it has a soft spot in my heart for the same reason the jdrama one is your favorite: it was the first version i've watched. It's also the necklace I have so I've worn it more times than i can count. And I really like the little moon. It's pretty.

TRDL:

[ceoandslutler]

have you heard kuro dubbed in any language other than english? or in any other asian language other than korean or chinese? well i found a persian one and it's so fucking bad that it's hilarious.

(also stay tuned to find out why the persian dub of kuroshitsuji being so bad has directly to do with anti-shipping sentiment and puritanism)

i would like to politely invite anyone who's ethnically from/lives in/speaks the language of a country with an ultraconservative government to contribute to this post if they know a dub of kuro (fandub or licenced by a company) in their language to contribute to this post (agree or disagree that policing media causes a drop in its quality and accessibility in other countries) but let's keep it civil. if you are not from a country like this but have something to say, feel free to add anything on, the conversation is open to all :)

so i just heard the homemade persian dub of kuro's first ep made by some young people who sound like they're in uni (probs 18-23 yr olds), tears have been flowing from my eyes for the past 20 mins

(link under the cut)

to save time, go watch the bits i linked below or just laugh at the whole thing (full link) but don't blame these kids for being awful at this or just skip to the end of the post. as i said, there is a reason this dub is so bad and no official dub exists and it has to do with... anti subculture?!?*

but first, the funny stuff

ciel's voice is awful but just listen to the goofy dub laugh seb's va did at the start I'M FUCKING SOBBING (00:15-00:35), and also not ciel's va MOANING after the op song (2:35) ??? i REPEAT the woman who VA'd ciel was fucking MOANING, the YAWN was the worst part, dub team shotacons???

also SHEEL FANTOMHAYO?? THE KID'S NAME WAS DUBBED AS SHEEL FANTOMHAYO. (refer to 6:30 in the video linked)

now this isn't because we lack a 's' in our language (my alias is literally a persian name meaning shadow aka ✦sayé✦), we've just transliterated it as shiyel, but SHEEL???

the other guy calls him fantomhayo too (8:25) and the fantomhayo condition strikes again with sebastian's va talking about the fantomhayo hospitality at 12:40 ish in the video.

this is particularly bizarre because we do have a V in persian, please guys, use it!

please note: i have nothing but good things to say about finny's va... the way the va says "sebaastiyaan!" (12:43) is so cute <3

at 13:00, we get this golden crumb "meyrin... oh meyrin" from this college aged dude doing sebastian (who is SO lost) then he proceeded to say in persian "i beg you, ON MY LIFE, just pour the fucking wine in the glass and walk away" save me from the bad dub, ono daisuke, save me...

the furnace scene is just gold (18:50 onward is comical, the scream at the end... priceless), these people deserve an award, im tempted to do subs on this whole video because the translation is so wrong yet absolutely too hilarious to leave untranslated. also, i like how you can hear other people talking in the background constantly, they didn't even bother finding a quiet room 😭😭

finally i translated some of the best comments under the vid (everyone fuckin hated it 😭)

..tldr: irani/persian speaking netizens are brutal. but also, it shows that persian speakers are used to quality dubbing, otherwise this wouldn't be so offensive. if we were used to badly done dubs, the comments wouldn't look like this. many famous kdramas and jdramas and indian/turkish films have been dubbed. animated movies e.g. disney films and most commonly 70-80s anime have huge followings in iran and were dubbed extraordinarily well. in fact, in iran, many of our own films are dubbed especially if the original footage did not capture the audio well enough/the director was unhappy with the actor's delivery and it's usually hard to tell if this has happened because it's done very well. shockingly, dub is more popular than sub. so why does kuro not have an official dub? why is the fandub so bad???

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING

*IMPORTANT: an anime like this is not allowed to be legally dubbed by studios in iran because iran is under an islamic theocracy (the islamic republic) and all media that promotes devil worshipping and blasphemy is banned, homosexuality is too (anyone can tell kuro has homoerotic undertones, the homophobic heads of media would never let this queer gothic romance through). oh and trans people are "allowed" on TV but only if they're not vulgar/explicit (not even then, half the time) & grelle would not make it into the anime AT ALL. even if we ignore all the devil worshipping and queerness, sex is banned too (as well as lewd appearances of women), so season 1/2 & boc would never make it. oh and alcohol, bom would never make it. oh and also, women's empowerment is banned too so boa would never make it. when will it end? will someday everything be banned? sure looks like it. but isn't this what anti shippers want? i mean kuro IS problematic media, it never condemns people for having sex or partaking in drinks, not even murder is condemned.

moving on, the subtitled version of the episodes are very well done for what they are but it's still not good, you won't understand what's going on properly. meanings are lost. a dub is much more accessible to those who can't read subs and generally a necessary option. people NEED dubs. don't get me wrong, the iranian fansub team are dedicated however subs are much easier for fans to do than dubbing. as you heard, kuro's persian fandub was frankly terrible. these kids didn't even know how to pronounce ciel's name and it's NOT because of the language barrier, my theory is that because the internet access is so limited, they had to figure out how to pronounce ciel's name purely from the japanese original or another lang dub and had no access to the eng dub. as you can see, they are not able to follow the mouth movements either (don't have editing software); i assume the internet restrictions targeted streaming platforms w the dub on it (because the government wants to CONTROL what media people consume) so they had to figure everything out from japanese or another language, (they probably used another fandub to translate since the ed seems to credit the eng vas while they can never be heard in the bg) which is not easy. unfortunately english is taught in schools around the world not japanese so the dubbers' translation was quite honestly terrible- after all, they had no official script to base their translation off. BUT if a professional dubbing studio (e.g. iran's glory entertainment) got their hands on kuro, it'd probably be dubbed very well. if mehrdad raissi, CEO of glory, was on for seb's role, it would be glorious (pun intended). if he did flynn rider well, he can do sebs well too. but that studio often has their shows played on state televisions and the last thing they want is to get blacklisted and arrested for dubbing the gay demon butler anime. please do not take this fandub as representing all persian-language dubs. and remember, kuro itself is banned for being problematic media in counties like iran... no sebaciel needed (although anyone can definitely see the gay undertones to the story from a cover alone).

if you want to ban people from shipping things or making fan works that are problematic... soon you'll have to get rid of problematic media in general. and already, antis sound like the media people in charge under a dictatorship. "violence is okay, murder is okay but s-sex?!? women in scandalous clothing!!! oh good heavens..!" this is the kind of mindset which leads people down the rabbit hole of "this is problematic!! let's ban it!!!" until there's nothing left, a slippery slope. imagine this was the english dub of kuro. imagine it was banned in western countries and a team of young'uns had to gang up and make their own dub using only the japanese raws. imagine problematic media like kuro wasn't picked up the west because it's "shota" and that's bad. we'd be stuck looking at the same sanitised stuff and if we wanted to watch kuro, our options would be trash dubs (no offense) like this one. pretty scary to think this could be the state of the english dub if puritanism was as bad here as it is in countries like iran. policing media and deciding what creators should or shouldn't create will take you to the side of theocratic dictatorships and you will fall into alt right puritan lunacy, fanpoll are about as woke as a dictatorship, remember that.

don't sound like this:

NEVER sound like this.

it is clear that conditional freedom is no freedom at all. there should be zero criteria to the media we want to create, no religion or purity culture to it. just be media literate. let nobody control what you want to create or consume! (or you'll end up in a world where the media that is deemed "problematic" is maintained but only through underground circles, losing quality and accessibility day by day, until these channels are shut down too and only a sanitised husk of options for media consumption remain)

[shijiujun]

Final Thoughts on KDTM + Finale

Where do I even begin?! Honestly this show was filled with a number of plotholes but as long as you're not watching for logic but stupid men in love it's 100% fine XD Like there's really so much to love about the mafia fam dynamic, and this one gave me so many surprises!!

Perfect acting, much better than most Taiwan BLs I've seen - none of that awkward whatever, they were super into it, and it's no wonder too since Hsu Kai is a long-time actor and Jiang Dian is a talented boy who already has an award for a role under his belt, and it SHOWED?!

They've got the childhood friends growing up together plot, the student x teacher, the on-the-road saving thing, all the smexy plots, and they're really not shy to show just how much they desire each other, but it didn't feel like the smexy scenes were THE point which is such a feat considering how many there were LMAO, they've got the old man yaoi, the EVERYTHING

DRAMA >>>> NOVEL so much like the drama filled up so many holes and even then we could probably have used another 10 episodes - novel really left out everyone else but Bai Zongyi and Fan Zherui

Every frickin like trope I liked was there, there was a bit of whump toooooo and like?!?!!? All the usually cringy stuff was great too in this one ;-; (like ahem couple cushions my god)

I AM JUST A LITTLE SAD WE DIDN't GET the part about Fan Jiang Ruichen and his boyfriend (?? maybe 7th uncle ahem??)

Very happy there was like no real amnesia and I have to say everything closed up from start to end more or less, even the last minute knifing :DDD

They really gave every CP enough screen time and I love that they were so damn extra to put every single other BL drama actor in, I'm just sad we didn't get FRICKIN CHRIS JAKE but it's okay we take what we get, because this show is proof that all our Taiwan BL couples live happily ever after okay?!!! EVEN BUY SALT CP they live in other jdramas and whatever else not JUST ARGH not this one and MODC in actuality

AI DIIIIII MY LOVE the most thoughtful, most feral, most sweet and loyal and devoted MEOW MEOW

SO MANY GOOD LINES from the drama <3 The humour was super on point as well and the slightly sad parts too <3

I WILL BE CRYING MYSELF TO SLEEP FOR FOUR WEEKS GOING COLD TURKEY FROM THIS SHOW

[usertoxicyaoi]

Hi Faiza, I was wondering if you had an easier way of watching smells like green spirit pls 😭💖

hiiii my love!!! rn its difficult. i'm torrenting the raw files from here (the place i usually get jdrama downloads from) and using fansubs that are srt files from here to watch the show! its such a shame this hasnt been picked up yet by platforms for international release, and i hope it does, bc this really isnt a typical "bl", its not focussed on romance, but more on mishima and kirino's friendship as they deal with their queerness in a rural homophobic countryside town in japan!

[tm-trx]

currents.32[2024]

selections from my week in media [4-10 august 2024]

[dropping]

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans - I watched four episodes, took a break, then watched ep five to see if I liked it better. And got annoyed all over again at the setup so it's getting taken off the list. I'm disappointed, because I like all the actors and was looking forward to the show, but I think Oab is the only character I like.

[listening]

[watching]

4 Minutes, ep 3 - I'd love to screencap this show for a heading some week, but it's shot so dark I can barely see it while watching, let alone find a beauty shot. Other than that, I still have no complaints. I have theories though. Many.

The Double {finished: 4.5 stars} - I really really loved this cdrama. I spaced it out and made it last over a few weeks so I could savor it. But then that last episode happened. :/ Hence, the half star. But other than that I loved it. Angsty AF, just how I like dramas. And all the actors were so good, wow. Excellent all around.

Fuujinshi {finished: 5 stars} - Rewatched and loved it more possibly. Scratched the urban fantasy itch perfectly.

Love is Better the Second Time Around {finished: 5 stars} - Finally dipped into my jdrama watchlist hoard and it was the highlight of my week. They are always so short, but so good. Loved seeing Aloha again too.

Monster Next Door, ep 1-3 - I am delighted and relieved. The masks and big head costume in the trailer made me nervous, but I adore how they're being used. No phobias triggered here. \o/ The communication between God and Diew is amazing and I love how they are utlizing the balconies. Such a cool visual too.

previous Currents posts

.

[liaroflesbos]

finally revisiting Gintama after many years--it was also the first anime I ever watched. I was like, I wonder if the experience of this show changes now that I know more about Japanese culture/history and also have to pay rent, and have had hangovers.

the animation style feels so old school now, closer to 90s than modern animation

i really can see how much they cheap out on animation now in a way i didn't understand their meta commentary age 14

i do not think i fully understood the kagura consuming rice gag at age 14 because i don't think i knew what a rice cooker was so it didn't register when she pours the rice down her gullet straight out of the cooker

honestly if i really wanted context i should've given in and watched/read dragon ball before this rewatch

the localization is trying to translate stuff into american jokes rather than giving me full paragraphs of japanese context like the crunchyroll subs used to, which is sad but also means i'm having a fun time actually listening to the audio to hear what's said

specifically i watched the one with the old guy at the hospital who turns out to be looking for otose and they are clearly making a joke about some kind of jdrama protagonist with the lead doctor but idk what!! the translation has changed his name to "Gregory Homes" which is very funny but i wanna know which jdrama is being referenced

still respect for all the work to try to make the madao joke work in english

one translation thing that does bother me is that every time kondo talks to hijikata the sub has kondo calling him hijikata instead of what he actually says, which is toshi, a nickname of his first name. like why change that??? i get leaving out the nuances of gin-san and gin-chan, but like. it is revealing to their relationship and it is very understandable even in english.

i actually think the biggest change is that it means so much more to me that gin-chan basically adopts two kids, and then they begin emulate and mimic him... like to go from a wild beast to a dad, but in the way we kind of quietly understand both aspects of the transformation, both gin as former wild beast and present as a dad over time...

[alloveydovey]

Ok, random thoughts on dramas I finished watching this month (some of which I've been dragging out since July).

Meet Yourself (cdrama) 10 ⭐️

It's the first cdrama I've seen that I felt was well-acted and felt genuine. Perhaps because the ML has a personality and isn't simply some stone-cold dude and the FL (who I was obsessed with) is mature and insightful.

It’s very light and yet deeply meaningful. Yes, it could be a little draggy at times (could have been shorter), but I can't really complain because I didn't want it to end. You really find yourself falling in love with the entire town, as well as most secondary characters.

A Time Called You (kdrama) 8

It was really emotional, but I lost interest in episode 9 and wanted it to end. I don’t know if it was because I didn’t fully understand what was going on or because, although I like time travel plots, this one was just too twisty for me to get.

King The Land (kdrama) 8/8.5?

People complaining because it had no plot— what do you mean? The plot was ✨love✨

I mean yeah, I get it, though, because I started it in August and finished it in October (I got low-key bored on episode 11). The .5 is only because Yoona and Jun Ho’s chemistry was insanely good, like the kind of chemistry where you feel like you're intruding on them or something.

My Lovely Liar (kdrama) 7.5

This one was all over my fyp on tiktok, and I'm not sure why everyone was so into it.

I initially started to watch it because of Kim So Hyun. The first eight episodes were okay. I wasn't particularly intrigued by the mystery of who the killer of the ML’s girlfriend was, but it was enough to keep me going. But, later on, I just wasn't into it at aaall. The ML and FL were cute, but i didn’t feel any spark between them :\

Here We Meet Again (cdrama) 8

Another cdrama with good acting 🙌🏽 lol I swear I’m not bashing Chinese dramas, it's just I watched some questionable ones. I wasn’t that much into the whole work thing but, let's be honest, I only saw this one because FL and ML were the cutest and had an insane chemistry.

Why I Dress Up for Love (jdrama) 9

Workaholic social media girl moves into a house with four roommates and ends up having a situationship with one of them.

This is my fourth jdrama (Only Just Married, The Fallen High School Girl and The Crippled Teacher, and A Girl and Three Sweethearts), and it is without a doubt the best one and most likely a future all-time favourite. The obstacles the characters experienced were not too deep, but enough to soften you, and the chemistry was excellent. It was simple, natural and cute. An overall feel good 👌🏽

Destined With You (kdrama) 8.5/9 still not sure lol

Okay, I’ll be honest, this probably doesn’t deserve a 9. That whole extra point is for Rowoon's face and Bo Ah's cuteness.

I feel like the writers of this one got down and began pulling out pieces of paper from a bag full of common clichés that are currently used in dramas. Past lives lovers? Check. Sort of enemies to lovers? Check. Rich ML x Poor orphan FL? Check (although a little twist with the mom being the cutest mother ever) Mean ex girlfriend who can’t get over ML? Check. A culprit dressed all in black who is after the FL? Check. I don’t know what else but I’m sure there’s more… and it should have been boring but somehow they made it work?!?! And I was so into it?!? The comedy was comeding, the chemistry was chemistring, the Samsung phones were samsunging (?), Subway was there, music was banging? Magic was entertaining, even the angsty moments were hitting.

Like yeah, I don’t know. Maybe it was Rowoon and his perfect face or maybe this was a really entertaining and romantic watch. Anyway, a 9.