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feuqueerfire · 2 months ago

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January - March (Q1) 2025 Wrap-Up

A little quarterly (spoilery!) wrap-up of all the shows, movies, and shorts I’ve watched or am watching in the first quarter of 2025, general thoughts, and ranking of them all.

This used to be per month, but I'm changing it to quarterly this year since I don't watch enough per month anymore lol.

Recommendation of the quarter: Squid Game S2 I guess, though I doubt that's anything new to anybody.

Ranking

Squid Game S2

Love In The Big City (2024) = ThamePo (2025) = The Heart Killers (2025)

Red White & Royal Blue (2023)

Let Free The Curse of Taekwando (2024)

CW: Pluto (2025)

Average Rating: 6.4/10

MDL Updates - Added to Watchlist:

A section because I’m curious about how many shows I decide to add to my Watch List a quarter and also the ratio of watching them:adding them.

Title MDL (year) - (date added to Considering or finalized to Watchlist): initial reaction

Squid Game Season 2 (2024)

ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat (2025) - 250311: Been looking forward to it since the pilot trailer and it's gotten overall good reception. looking forward to it a lot

The Heart Killers (2025) - 250311: I can't tell if the overall reception was good or not but I might watch it for the ships and the (crime + humourous?) shenanigans.

Billie and Emma (2018) - 250311: Saw this tweet (shamelessly promoting this filipino lesbian movie with a gnc lesbian lead set in an all-girls catholic school (++ aside from the queer story... it also tackles teenage pregnancy, abortion, etc. and still lighthearted and fun)) and I'm sold, hope it's great

Secret Love Affair (2014) - 250311: first added to my Considering list on 240806, I don't know why I'm just adding it to my watchlist properly. Original Reasoning for consideration: Heard about it in Afternoona Asks - Part 1 2023 review + I saw in Certified Noona's what’s coming out in August 2024 that a Japanese remake called Tokyo Tower is coming out… feels like i should just give it a try considering scandalous morally corrupt noona affair…. Thoughts now: Noona romance with age difference + infidelity ahh The rating isn't that high but the people who love seem to love it in the MDL comment section and I think I could be one of those people.

Pluto (2025) - 250327: I'm suddenly wanting to watch this... I had this in my Options list just in case I ran out of GL and wanted to watch another one but right now, I'm not out of GL, I just specifically want to watch this GL lol. I'll look forward to starting it today/tomorrow.

Secret Relationships (2025) - 250327: toxic, messy kBL, that's fun! Everybody was invested, I'm curious to see it.

Gelboys (2025) - 250327: Seems cute and fun but also being a bit messy? People seem to love the first 6 eps and then were disappointed in ep 7, but seems like the first 6 eps are still worth it?

To Watch List At Start Of Quater: 56

To Watch List At End Of Quarter: 55

Removed from To Watch List:

Title (Year) - (date removed): reason

Deep Night (2024) - 250327: I don't feel drawn to this anymore but who knows maybe someday

Chaser Game W (2024) - 250327: Similarly don't feel drawn to it anymore. still keeping it in the Options list though because I might crave a ex-gfs GL

Knock Knock, Boys! (2024) - 250327: same as above

hmmm I don't know why I have 55 when I'm supposed to have 54. Maybe I had added Miseinen: Our Youth to my watchlist? but i removed it after one of the guys got arrested for sexual harassment. Actually, it was probably Love is Better the Second Time Around since that was on my 2024 masterlist but I had removed it from MDL

Completely Watched

Squid Game Season 2 (2024)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Dec 26, 2024

Watch Via: ;>

Watch Dates: Jan 18, 2025

Rating: 7.5/10

Overall Impression: Man, I want the next season now because it's such a cut-off in the middle. This didn't change my heart/have such a hold on me like season 1 did but I did binge all 7 episodes in 1 day and it was a good time. It feels like there was very little progress in this season, like Junho's getting nowhere with finding the island (the boat captain is a traitor too) and throughout the whole season, Gihun's plans didn't feel like it had much weight because Inho knew about all of it. I'm obsessed with Hyunju, my beloved. I'm curious about most of the other characters but since they mostly didn't die, I haven't had like strong reactions to them or anything. I'm glad Hyunju's still alive though. Gihun himself was meh, wish he was giving me brain worms so that I could fujo out over Gihun and Inho the way the director was doing lol. Also wanted to know what was going on in Inho's mind. The purpose of this specific season is a little lost on me. It focused a lot on Xs vs Os and how people are so eager to stay out of greed by giving the money to the living contestants to split instead of to the dead people's families. But the bigger picture commentary just seemed to be about how difficult and futile it is to try to bring these systems down and there'll be traitors in every direction (Boat Captain, Inho)? Not a very conclusive season but we'll see how it goes next season.

tags: squid game, squid game s2

Also Appears In: Squid Game Season 2 Live Blogging

Love in the Big City (2024)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Oct 21, 2024

Watch Via: ;>

Watch Dates: Jan 21 - 24, 2025

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall Impression: I really liked the different stories and relationships this show showed, whether it be Goyeong with Miae, his mom, and his friends, or Namgyu, Yeongsu, or Gyuho. I liked going through each little story and seeing how he and his circumstances changed through each pair of episodes. I was nervous about a sad ending, but it’s not really a super sad ending, an ambiguous, bittersweet one. I think I’m less annoyed at not ending in a relationship and a bit more ? at the fact that it doesn’t feel conclusive because Yeong’s still so hung up on Gyuho and is also so lonely. idk… somehow still didn’t feel finished. Yeong feels real, with his flaws and all. And I enjoyed going through the story with him. I also like how, often, this show feels so… without judgement, we just follow the story and the characters and their decisions and relationships, and of course there is fallout or consequences (and occasional like obvious villian-y like with Yeongsu) but generally, it’s just seen as how humans behave and live, without attaching morality or judgment value to these things.

tags: love in the big city

Also Appears In: Love In The Big City Live Blogging

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (2024)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Oct 17, 2024 - Nov 7, 2024

Watch Via: ;>

Watch Dates: Jan 26, 2025

Rating: 5.5/10

Overall Impression: For me, this one was more like a To My Star S1 than Blueming, technically well-made and a well-told story but it didn't do much for me specifically. I did find it a bit boring in the middle but the early episodes were pretty interesting and I liked the main characters fine enough when they were actually together. I just think that after the time-skip, I found Juyeong and Hyunho to be interesting but Dohoe to be boring or to be not good to to Juyeong. I was unreasonably into Hyunho's storyline, like it's not anything new or innovative but I was still into it and kind of thought Dohoe and Hyunho would maybe be a better story because of their edges. But I like Dohoe and Juyeong too, they were cute in the first 3 episodes and the last episode. Actually, the scenes with all 3 of them were so good in terms of tension and their tenuous relationships with each other and the assumptions and competition. I don't actually know what more I wanted from the plot/relationships but it didn't resonate with me as much as I hoped/expected. I miss Blueming.

tags: let free the curse of taekwando

Also Appears In: Let Free The Curse of Taekwando Live Blogging

Not my ratings of the first 3 2025 watches going 7.5 -> 6.5 -> 5.5... All within like 8 days, too. Maybe I should take a pause before the next show (I'm eyeing Heart Killers or Thame-Po)

Red, White and Royal Blue (2023)

Country: America

Release Dates: August 11, 2023

Watch Via: ;>

Watch Dates: Mar 8, 2025

Rating: 6/10

Overall Impression: I read RWRB in June 2019 (apparently like 2 weeks after the novel came out lol) and enjoyed it/was giddy over the couple but did think the storyline and politics aspect were corny. That remains in this movie where the political aspect of it doesn't just seem corny but like... stupid in the wake of it all but the main romance arc is fun enough. I also remembered a lot of the plot and at first I thought I just remembered the book but actually I think I probably I watched someone react to it in 2023 and thus am remembering that, not the novel I read and forgot about 6 years ago. Not super duper into the characters or their relationship but I think I'll look up on AO3 to see if they have any good fics though hmm.

Also, I'm slightly tempted to watch The Idea Of You now, I'll always be curious about an Older Woman/Younger Man romance lmao but I know everything and the spoilers since I watched a few people's reactions on youtube when it first came out lol. So probably not. Anne Hathway is gorgeous though.

Watch official trailers: Breakup Service, Leap Day, My Golden Blood, Good Dentist Sweet Tooth, maybe Us and older trailers,

Leap Day Trailer

Very dark, very bloody, very intense. It looks interesting but I wonder how they’ll execute it and if it’ll be a high intense show throughout.

Break Up Service Trailer

Who would have thought that I’m much more excited about the goofy fun romcom over the moody dark intense show… but this seems fun! excited about all the cameos, about Off being bi with maybe Tay as ex-bf and also cross dressing, his chemistry with the female lead seems good. Will I watch? mayyyyybe. Hope it’s good

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist Trailer

I reeeeeally did not like the pilot trailer for this and this didn’t convince me necessarily to watch it but it’s not as bad as the pilot trailer

ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat (2025)

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Dec 13, 2024 - Mar 7, 2025

Watch Via: Youtube

Watch Dates: March 16 - 28, 2025

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall Impression: Been looking forward to this one since the pilot trailer. Overall, an enjoyable show and I like the relationship between Thame/Po and also Thame & Mars. I also liked getting to see my beloved celeb/non-celeb trope and also idolverse trope (though I didn't actually watch or listen to much of the songs/performances, they weren't for me). The show seemed polished in terms of direction, cinematography, styling, etc; they followed the kdrama styling that it seemed like they were aiming for. However, I do think being so into kpop hindered my enjoyment when it strayed from like... what makes sense. I couldn't figure out how popular Mars were and the disbanding Mars + Thame Korean debut didn't make much sense to me. But I liked Thame and Po well enough as characters and the storyline of the show, even if it did get muddy sometimes.

tags: thamepo

Also Appears In: ThamePo Live Blogging

The Heart Killers (2025)

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Nov 20, 2024 - Feb 12, 2025

Watch Via: Youtube

Watch Dates: March 21 - 25, 2025

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall Impression: Generally enjoyed it, liked the first half more than the second half, though Ep 6-7 run is probably my fave. It was extremely important that I know that, apparently, the creators and actors were touting it as a rom-com, so I knew the focus was going to be on the relationships developing and hearing mixed reviews (esp about how it kinda derailed at the end) also helped bc i thought it was going to be worse than it was. Liked the main characters well enough and ships, Kant and Bison more so toward the beginning. I thought it was more fun when Kant was using Bison more clearly at the beginning, like he would be putting himself through the pain that Bison likes and be mostly flirting with the goal in mind (he fell for Bison later than Style fell for Fadel) + the way Bison flew off the handle after finding out about it and kidnapped Kant and treated him badly. Wasn’t really into how sugary, sweet, and boring they were in the last 1/3 of the show tbh. I was surprised by how much I liked Fadel (and Style) and their couple being kinda DunkJoong, a new and exciting dynamic. They really hit some emotional beats for me (ep 6 Fadel saying I love you + dancing with + hugging Style after learning of his betrayal) and many of the sexy vibes as well (ep 8 bathtub scene…). I wrote so much for this in my actual show post.

tags: the heart killers

Also Appears In: The Heart Killers Live Blogging

Currently Watching

Pluto (2025)

It is with great tragedy that I write that even though I started the show on March 27, I only watched 2 episodes in 4 days and so am 2/12 done on March 31 :') I considered making this a Jan - April post but decided to hold fast and continue doing Quarterly posts instead of 3x a year... It's fine, I'll hopefully finish it soon and it'll be fine.

Watching On-Air:

January: I don't know if I want to watch ThamePo or Heart Killers as it's airing or not. I've been look forward to them but it doesn't matter how good these show start out, seems like pretty much all of them have shitty ends and agh.

March: Okay, I'm glad I didn't watch either of them, I'm leaving my attempts at watching on-air shows behind because I think I would've liked both ThamePo and Heart Killers less if I watched them as they aired.

Conclusion after watching Heart Killers: Binging is better than watching weekly is my verdict. It doesn’t let you think every week, nitpick, be disappointed in the new episode, etc. I’ve tried to watch weekly multiple times, (The Eclipse, Never Let Me Go, 23.5, Wandee Goodday, 4 Minutes, Spare Me Your Mercy) but I’ve fallen off keeping up every week because my interest isn’t maintained for the full 6 - 8 weeks, especially toward the end, and I’ve been disappointed by all of their endings (except NLMG maybe, I don't remember) and even dropped Wandee. I think if I watched this weekly I would’ve liked it a lot less and I was already feeling less invested after like ep 8/9, so I would’ve been even more indifferent after that if I was watching weekly. Going forward, I should focus on binging instead of trying to watch weekly just because it seems to work out for other people.

Posts Created This Quarter:

DMD 2025 Line-Up Showcase

2025 Anticipated Series & Movies

#general bl #tracking #squid game #love in the big city #let free the curse of taekwondo #thamepo #the heart killers

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visceralcreature · 7 years ago

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By ROXANE GAY

It can be very difficult to separate the art from the artist. In the case of Roseanne Barr and her critically acclaimed television show based on her life, it is nearly impossible. I wasn’t going to watch the reboot because I find Ms. Barr noxious, transphobic, racist and small-minded. Whatever charm and intelligence she brought to the first nine seasons of her show, a show I very much loved, are absolutely absent in her current persona, particularly as it manifests on Twitter. She is a supporter of Donald Trump, vocalizing her thoughts about making America great, claiming that with her vote, she was trying to shake things up. She tweets conspiracy theories, rails against feminism and shares Islamophobic opinions.

Where once she was edgy and provocative, she is now absurd and offensive. Her views are muddled and incoherent. She is more invested in banal and shallow provocation than engaging with sociopolitical issues in a thoughtful manner. No amount of mental gymnastics can make what Roseanne Barr has said and done in recent years palatable.

Nonetheless, I was curious about what Roseanne Conner, her famous television alter ego, has been up to. The original “Roseanne” was a smart, hilarious and groundbreaking show that covered a lot of important ground in prime-time television. I wanted to see how the Conners were doing 20 years later.

What I found is that the tensions in the TV show — which more than 18 million people watched, a network TV high since 2014 — are the same tensions that shape this current political climate. Roseanne the character voted for Donald Trump because he talked about “jobs.” For that she sacrificed so many other things. The promise of jobs and the myth of the white working class as the only people struggling in this country, which animates so much of our present political moment, are right there, in this sitcom.

In many ways, the first two episodes of the “Roseanne” reboot are excellent. It is difficult to admit, but nearly everything about the production is competent. There is the familiarity of the Conner house, still well-worn, the iconic couch taking center stage in the family room. The original cast returned and their faces are pleasantly familiar — though not as aged as they could be, given the benefits of wealth, good skin-care regimens and, perhaps, medical intervention.

Darlene, the middle daughter, has moved back home with her two children, Harris and Mark, the latter of whom is gender nonconforming. D.J., the Conner son, was in the Army and has recently returned home from a tour in Syria. His wife, we learn indirectly, is still in the military, serving abroad, and D.J. is raising their daughter, who is black, while she is away. Roseanne and her sister, Jackie, played by Laurie Metcalf, have been estranged for a year because of the 2016 election, and when Jackie shows up, she’s wearing a “Nasty Woman” T-shirt and a pink pussy hat. Of course she is.

The Conners are still dealing with many of the economic struggles they have always faced. Darlene has lost her job. Roseanne and Dan are getting older and, like many Americans, cannot afford adequate health care as they try to share various medications. Becky, the oldest Conner child, is going to become a surrogate and sell her eggs to make $50,000. Darlene’s son, Mark, is being bullied at school for his gender presentation. The show isn’t shying away from difficult topics, and that is both what works and doesn’t. The Conners are portrayed as a typical working-class family and their problems are relatable, but it also feels as though the show is working through a checklist of “real issues” it wants to address, to demonstrate how the Conners are a modern American family.

The presence of D.J.’s daughter, Mary, is particularly awkward. When she appears, one of these things is clearly not like the other, but the show makes no mention of it as if to suggest how at ease the Conners are with difference. But Mary has no lines and very little camera time. We are given little information as to how she became part of the Conner family and what life for her is like in a small, predominantly white Illinois town where everyone, seemingly, voted for Donald Trump. Young Mary is just there, a place holder, tokenized and straining the limits of credulity.

When a lot of the mainstream media talks about the working class, there is a tendency to romanticize, to idealize them as the most authentic Americans. They are “real” and their problems are “real” problems, as if everyone else is dealing with artificial obstacles. We see this in some of the breathless media coverage of Trump voters and in a lot of the online chatter about the “Roseanne” reboot. What often goes unsaid is that when the working class is defined in our cultural imagination, we are talking about white people, even though the real American working class is made up of people from many races and ethnicities.

During a Television Critics Association panel promoting the show, Ms. Barr said, “it was working-class people who elected Trump.”

This myth persists, but it is only a myth. Forty-one percent of voters earning less than $50,000 voted for Mr. Trump while 53 percent voted for Hillary Clinton. Forty-nine percent of voters earning between $50,000 and $100,000 voted for Mr. Trump while 47 percent voted for Mrs. Clinton. The median income of these voters was $72,000, while the median income of Hillary Clinton voters was $61,000. A significant number of middle-class and wealthy white people contributed to Trump’s election.

In the show, during an exchange about their political disagreement, Roseanne tells Jackie one of the reasons she voted for Mr. Trump is because he “talked about jobs.” And that was all the political ideology we got. If we are to believe the circumstances of this character’s life, a few vague words about “jobs” was more than enough to compel Roseanne, with inadequate health care, with vulnerable grandchildren, and struggling to make ends meet, to vote for Mr. Trump.

How do you reach people who make dangerous political choices grounded in self-interest? When Roseanne and Jackie finally reconcile, Roseanne never apologizes or concedes. She merely tells Jackie, “I forgive you,” and Jackie acknowledges how hard that was for Roseanne. Clearly, we cannot reach people who make dangerous, myopic political choices. We concede, as Jackie does, or we resist, as hopefully the rest of us will.

In my book “Bad Feminist,” published in 2014, I wrote about giving myself permission to be flawed but feminist. I wrote about how sometimes I consume problematic pop culture, knowing I shouldn’t, knowing how harmful that pop culture can be. I still believe there is room for that, for having principles and enjoying things that challenge those principles. But in the ensuing years, I’ve also been thinking about accountability and the repercussions of our choices. I’ve been thinking about how nothing will change if we keep consuming problematic pop culture without demanding anything better.

As I watched the first two episodes of the “Roseanne” reboot, I thought again about accountability. I laughed, yes, and enjoyed seeing the Conner family back on my screen. My first reaction was that the show was excellent. But I could not set aside what I know of Roseanne Barr and how toxic and dangerous her current public persona is. I could not overlook how the Conner family came together to support Mark as he was bullied at school for his gender presentation, after voting for a president who actively works against the transgender community. They voted for a president who doesn’t think the black life of their granddaughter matters. They act as if love can protect the most vulnerable members of their family from the repercussions of their political choices. It cannot.

This fictional family, and the show’s very real creator, are further normalizing Trump and his warped, harmful political ideologies. There are times when we can consume problematic pop culture, but this is not one of those times. I saw the first two episodes of the “Roseanne” reboot, but that’s all I am going to watch. It’s a small line to draw, but it’s a start.

#roseanne

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