#if we're gonna reference queer asian media

[fracturediron]

I recognise this as being a very petty and specific pet peeve of mine, but nothing takes me out of immersion in an Asian BL fanfic harder and faster than the characters suddenly saying how much they loved The Untamed or saying something like, "Let's watch The Untamed! It's really good!"

And I say this as someone who loved The Untamed, too.

I'm not trying to hate; fanfic is for fun, do whatever you want! And it's not like this can't work in context; I've read fic that broke this rule for me too. But I've seen this trope more than once, and almost every time I see it, for me personally, it breaks my suspension of disbelief and pokes at my brain with, "Ah. So this writer also likes The Untamed then." This is especially true if the characters in question don't really seem like the kind of people who would watch it.

Also, just like, other BLs or dangai exist, The Untamed is very much not the only one in existence. Hell, the characters don't even have to be watching a BL. Why not just something that'd fit for the characters to be interested in?

And not necessarily something from the west either. I know most English-writing fic writers are gonna be westerners and that's the media you're most familiar with outside of Asian BLs, but all it takes is a little research. Hell, you might even find some films or shows you like.

Asian cinema has such a rich history. Why not do a little research and include something about an existing show or film native to the country, or from the popular or iconic non-BL films and TV other neighbouring countries in Asia (because we watch plenty of each other's film/media) for that extra flavour note of immersion and realism?

[waitmyturtles]

Your weekly weekend Old GMMTVC Challenge update -- let's battle, honeys!

1) I've been fighting with Tumblr's new web editor all weekend, so hopefully there will be no glitches, but my review of Gay OK Bangkok, Seasons 1 and 2, drops tomorrow (Monday) morning. I jacked up my list and order of reviews to put this one out (...pun intended, you'll see why) before the premiere of Only Friends this weekend (see what I did there!). Gay OK Bangkok was written by P'Aof Noppharnach and directed by Jojo Tichakorn all the way back in 2016/17, and Jojo himself has referred to GOKB when talking about Only Friends on Twitter. So, to YouTube I went to do my research, and I HIGHLY recommend in my review tomorrow that you do, too!

2) Speaking of jacking my list up, I've added a few pre-television-BL movies to the list after hours of fabulous conversation with the inimitable @bengiyo and others. Next week, I'll review 2007's The Love of Siam, one of the very first films from Thailand that explored queer love in the slightest positive way. Sometime between now and the next 14 days, I'll also drop a review of 2014's My Bromance, starring Fluke Teerapat and Fluke Natouch. For approximately a nanosecond, I considered putting both movies into one review, but I watched My Bromance on Friday night, and just -- I ain't gonna do that to LoS.

I fell in love with LoS, even while the ending is controversial, and I'm planning to approach my review with an intersectional lens towards the history of how mass media has habitually treated queer characters before the rise of BLs across Asia; as compared to broader Asian media, and our general tolerance for suffering and non-happy endings. The Love of Siam captured a LOT for me about understanding who I am as an Asian, and what I expect out of media from Asia, while also digging into my understanding about continental perspectives on queerness. LoS, filmmaking-wise, was extraordinarily well-done, and I cannot wait to sharpen my pencils and get into it.

I took on My Bromance to understand where the Flukes stood between that movie and where they're at in their careers now -- Fluke Teerapat as a successful screenwriter (My Ride, La Pluie), and Fluke Natouch as a seriously well-regarded actor (Until We Meet Again, Make A Wish). I also wanted to get a better grip on common yaoi stereotypes before the rise of television BLs in Thailand. Welp -- My Bromance did just that, HA. Yiiiiiiii. I'll have to have a little tipple by my side while I write that review! But it's important to have on the list, nonetheless.

3) All of these movies mean that I've bumped some television content from the queue. After My Bromance, my awaited Manner of Death review will come out, with my loving homage to my rewatch of A Tale of Thousand Stars after that. Sometime this week, I'm gonna get started on Lovely Writer -- back to Tee Bundit, oh gawd -- and from then on, it's go go go to Nadao Bangkok, Last Twilight in Phuket, and I Promised You The Moon. AND Be My Favorite ends this week, AND Only Friends premieres this weekend, AND Dangerous Romance premieres next week. The riches! The blessings! THE LACK OF TIME, HA, but who cares, we're going down, down, baby!