#itsay who i only know ipytm

[freensrcha]

- and if it wasn't for that hope, i would've let you go, long long ago

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Thank you for the Ask! Typically I find these questions difficult because I consume a lot of content and I love so many things dearly, and I inevitably forget about things that I cherish and then feel bad about it. So here are 10 of my favorite pieces of media I’ve pulled from my mental list of all the things in the world that have made an impact on me, I’m going to do these in alphabetical order

180 Degrees Longitude Passes Through Us 

I only saw this show recently but it is an absolutely gorgeous piece of media. I have a bit of a theater background and this show definitely reads like a stage play, in the dialogue, in the setting, in the way that Nike carries himself around the space as Inthawut. This is a perfect piece of media in my opinion. The performances are a masterclass in acting, the use of vertical lines that place barriers between the characters or that cage them in, the complicated dynamics between the characters, the throughlines of grief and pain and loneliness that just radiates out of the screen for every character in this story. I have been through some shit, let me tell you, but there was a ten second moment in the final episode of this show that sent me in to the worst emotional distress of my entire life for a totally innocuous, complete reasonable, and minimally tragic scene and for that it does deserve immense praise. 

Big Eden 

I am making up for forgetting to put Pike on my Favorite Characters list by remembering to put  Big Eden on my favorite media list! I saw Big Eden for the first time in my freshman year of college. Back then I was not aware of, or at leas was not acknowledging my own queerness, and to find a film like this one just healed a part of my soul I didn’t know was wounded. When I say I watched this film back to back two or three times when I first saw it, I mean that this is one of if not the only film that I have immediately started from the beginning the second that the credits started rolling. I love this film for what it gave me, an older queer romance, non-existent homophobia, PIKE! Some of the greatest lines of all time, that to this day get reactions out of me, mainly:

“I just want things to be nice for him” 

and

"Well, screw you, Henry Hart. I do know what love is. You are my family. And I'm sorry... I'm sorry if that's not good enough for you."

And

“Why can’t you see how much love there is that people want to pour on top of you? I can’t help thinking that your grandma and I didn’t do right by you somehow. I feel like maybe we taught you something wrong, because you won’t tell me who you are. Did we teach you shame? Did I teach you that? Because it would break my heart if I had,” (watch the scene here)

Don't let the stars go out at night, don't let the moon break your heart, indeed.

I Told Sunset About You and I Promised You The Moon

ITSAY/IPYTM is two parts of one continuous story and therefore counts as a single piece of media. 

I just got done gushing about this show the other night, because for me it is a foundational piece of queer media. It is one of my favorite pieces of media, point blank, period. Queer characters are allowed to complex, three-dimensional, and frustrating. They are allowed to make mistakes, and hurt the people they care about in their quest to better understand themselves. They are human. And the emotional honesty and vulnerability that the script and the actors showed struck deep in to my experiences figuring out my own identity. It has some of the strongest characterization that I have ever seen in media. The actors commit to the craft, the production team clearly put love and care in to every aspect of this show, every frame of it. The director trusted the audience to understand what was happening and trust the actors to play with silence. There is so much silence in this show because the actors portray so much with just the way they move around the space, the way they carry themselves, the way they look at each other. It is a gorgeous, gorgeous piece of media. It took me three watchthroughs of I Told Sunset About You before I was able to form a single analytical thought about it, because the first time I saw this show my brain went fuzzy. This show rewired my brain and changed my DNA. 

And as a side note, anyone that thinks that Billkin is a bad actor or a bad crier can kindly meet me outside the Denny’s parking lot at 3am because I will not stand for Billkin slander in my household. That man is absolutely demolished the role of Teh. The constant fidgeting, the way his whole body just screams out whatever he is feeling without him ever having to say a word. 

Moonlight Chicken 

I have talked numerous times about why this show remains my favorite, and a lot of that has to do with the community that I gained around me because of it. But stepping back to the piece itself, I love how much this show is really dedicated to the importance of community. To showing the different mindsets of three generations of queer people, the way they struggle and don’t. The conversations that happen around poverty, and disability, and grief. The way that Li Ming and Heart are screaming to be understood. The way Jim has been hurt too many times and how that makes him scared to start over with Wen. The way Aof was able to take this BL structure and transform it into the story whose primary focus is on how a queer elder keeps and cultivates a relationship with his queer nephew. Jim and Li Ming’s relationship is the focal point of this show and I am so grateful to have that. The acting is phenomenal, the lighting is incredible, and it is a very technically strong piece. I know that Aof tends to tell us sad gay stories, but by god am I in love with every single Aof show I have seen (GOBK(with Jojo), ATOTS, HCTM, BB, MLC)

Pushing Daisies

What a deeply deeply tragic story wrapped up in the shiniest paper! I will never get over the fact this show got canceled because it is one of the greatest of all time. I love that Lee Pace has acknowledged how queer this show is, and how intentional that was, even though it was not discussed at the time of its release. Like, fundamentally this is a show about a man named Ned and his partner Chuck who can never touch. I’ll talk about this a little later too, but I am just such a sucker for stories where people can’t touch each other. I love the angst in it, the wanting to, the need to be intimate, to comfort, to care for someone and just…not being able to hold them. I loved watching how Ned and Chuck navigated this issue, the kissing through plastic wrap, the dancing in beekeeper suits, them getting excited for winter cause it meant they could wear gloves and hold hands like any other couple. 

This show is hilarious and funny and fast, with a really intriguing concept and an extremely clear vision and it did not deserve the end it got. 

I heard it might be on HBO Max, not sure if that is still true, but if you can find you, and you haven’t seen it, you should absolutely watch it, and if you have seen it, this is your reminder to watch it again. 

Sense8

Before I begin, I just want to say 

FUCK

NETFLIX

Once again, another incredible show, with very interesting themes, and things to say was canceled before it’s time. I will die mad about the fact that Netflix did not give this show the room it deserved to tell the story THAT THEY PITCHED TO NETFLIX AS A FIVE SEASON ARC. This show was so good, it got my homophobic dad to watch the whole thing without even squirming at the gay sex (like he did when he watched Game of Thrones). 

I love love love love love this show. I love the way it connects people from all over the world, I love that these random strangers become a family, I love what it says about every day people being important, having important skills, and how much that can vary from being a good actor, knowing chemistry, driving, and being a skilled martial artist. I love how sex positive this show was. I love the utilization of orgies to demonstrate the way these characters are all connected to each other. I loved the mystery behind it all, they way the function of this psyllium network got progressively more understandable to us as time went on in much the same way that the characters get used to it. I love the humanization of drug users, that it touches on the struggles of trans people, queer people, eldest daughters, poor people, etc etc etc; ON BODY AUTONOMY IN MEDICINE!!! I truly believe there is something for everyone in this show and even though I am mad we really only got a two hour filmed storyboard of general concepts the Wachowski sisters were planning on diving in to over the next three seasons, I do love with my whole heart, for the memes, that Nom’s mother gets over her transphobia as a result of one very good weed brownie. 

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

I got in to these books after seeing the first season of Shadow and Bone on Netflix. Full disclosure, I did not read the Shadow and Bone trilogy, I will not read the Shadow and Bone trilogy, I do not care about the Shadow and Bone trilogy. This is a Crows Only household. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are very incredible heist books first of all. The main plot is compelling in and of itself, before you even add the characters in to it. And what phenomenal characters we have: Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Matthias, NINA MY BELOVED. I’m glad they aged them up for the show, but it is very funny to me to think of a bunch of gremlin teenagers running around and taking down criminal empires for the sake of revenge...and coin. Leigh Bardugo is a disabled woman and I love that she gave Kaz her same disability because it means that we get a really authentic portrayal of disability. His cane is seen as important, he is never embarrassed by it, and his chronic pain is always highlighted. (can we also talk about how pissed Kaz was when Genya offered to fix his leg?). I love how contradictory he is, how much he loves Inej and wants to be with her, and wants to touch her, and the way his trauma and touch repulsion just constantly stops him from being physical able to do what he actually wants. Inej, who loves Kaz back, and sees the boy underneath the image of a monster he has crafted for himself, who has her own hang ups around touch and understands Kaz, but values herself enough to not pursue a relationship with him if he will not or cannot work on himself. Who grew claws with the knives she carries with her, who herself is a walking contradiction, deeply religious and also murderous, and so brave, and kind, and patient, and who I love with my whole heart. 

Wylan, whose own father tried to have him killed because he was dyslexic. Jesper who has been hiding who he is because of what his power did to his mother, who is always the comedic relief while harboring pain, our favorite gambling addict, ADHD, gunslinger. Matthais who has to confront a lifetime’s worth of propaganda. Nina who is just an all around badass motherfucker, who is fat and sexy and brilliant. My favorite superspy <3

The Fall (2006) dir. Tarsem Singh 

You really have to go looking for this film if you ever want to watch it, because it has almost entirely been wiped away, which sucks because it is one of my favorite movies. Why? 

Because it is one of, if not the most visually stunning piece of media I have ever seen. The plot for this film is a stuntman (played by Lee Pace) falls, is injured, and hospitalized at the same time as a 5-year-old Romanian immigrant who fell and broke her arm picking oranges. Roy (the stuntman) starts telling Alexandria (the little girl) a story, to manipulate her in to doing things for him, like spying on people and stealing pain meds. The movie cuts between real life, present day, and this grandiose epic tale that he is telling. This was 150% a passion project on Tarsem’s part, he spent 30 million of his own money making this movie, for it to only make 3 million in theaters upon it’s release. It took four years to film and was filmed in 24 different locations. 

I love the overarching story, and how the growing friendship Roy builds with this little girl literally saves his life. The cast of characters is certainly interesting, Charles Darwin is a character in Roy’s story, but by GOD is it just a great watch, hours of stunning cinematography, with incredible costumes. Would highly recommend watching this if you can find it. 

The Magnus Archives

I love this podcast for many reasons. First, because I think it was absolutely brilliant to start this show off as almost an anthology, lulling the audience in to a false sense of security by having each early episode be completely unrelated to one another, until they aren’t. Until names start popping up in multiple tales, until monsters and ghosts and any number of other unexplained creepy things start showing up in other people’s stories. How slowly you start to realize everything is connected and always has been. That set up was just…beautifully handled. Second, I love what this show says about survival and fear. That the more we believe in fear, the more powerful it gets. I love how often the survivors of these tales come out the other side of these experiences by thinking of people that are important to them, people they love. When The Buried tried to get that spelunker trapped in the cave, it was the thought of finding her sister, of getting help for her sister that got her through the other side. When Martin is in The Lonely, it is his thoughts of Jon that get him through the other side. I love that the avatar of Death is kind. I love that the Boneturner just wants to build a garden. I love the experiences and the world that Johnathan Simms builds in every story, and that he is able to create so many different types of fears, a little something for everyone. I love the heart at the center of this show. 

The Princess Bride

Again, another piece of media that is fast paced and full of quips, with a beautiful, ridiculous, hilarious story, and a solid emotional core. I was raised on this film, which is part of why I love it so much. You can see and feel how much fun the cast had making this film. To this day it is beloved, highly quotable, and poignant. Also a great fencing movie, but I’m biased on that end as a fencer myself. I don't have much more to say about this film because I think it is perfect and I have no notes, but I will say I love how much this film helped Mandy Patinkin process his own grief around the loss of his father.

[shortpplfedup]

Chapter 7: My Heart Represents the Moon

Wrecked. This show has absolutely fucking wrecked me. Like...ITSAY/IPYTM-level wrecked. I'm never going to recover. Jam comes to town, and Ms. Hong departs in the absolute saddest episode of the entire series, yet you're still left with a sense of hope amidst the wreckage.

Khaotung motherfucking Thanawat y'all. Gaipa gives us the full range of human emotion this week, from joking with Leng about how he feels sad for Jim losing out on him, to having a full on breakdown as he sings 'The Moon Represents My Heart' at Ms. Hong's cremation. I absolutely knew how talented Khaotung is, but honestly he blew me away this episode. You could feel the layers of sadness as Ms. Hong's sudden death piles up on top of Jim's rejection. The moment Gaipa comes out of the hospital room to tell Jim, Leng and Li Ming that Ms. Hong is gone...I don't think I've ever seen a more accurate depiction of that kind of moment in all of cinema. The way he can't even comprehend it, then can't say it, then it tumbles out and he just crumples...honestly every time I was on the verge of being okay Gaipa would break down again and I would be in shambles. I don't go in much for hyperbole so when I tell you that this is an award-winning performance, know how sincerely I mean that.

Jam's unannounced arrival stirs all kinds of pots over at Jim's house, as Jim finally decides to discuss the New Year's kiss he witnessed with Li Ming at the worst possible time and in the worst possible way, not knowing Jam was there and could hear them. Jim's struggle to accept Li Ming's sexuality is threaded throughout the episode. Jim and Li Ming (of course) fight about it. Then Jim tries to discuss it with Jam calmly but of course that's a fraught conversation because Jam's comments about his own sexuality live rent-free in Jim's head, along with the ghost of Beam's betrayal. Jim eventually seeks Wen's advice, which is a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig step forward for him, and of course Wen gently chides him, telling him literally all the things he already knows intellectually but doesn't feel emotionally: that Li Ming being gay isn't a bad thing, that Li Ming isn't gay because of Jim's influence, and that yes, the world might be harder on him because he's gay, but that doesn't mean he can't have a good life. Eventually, Jim and Li Ming settle into a new normal where Jim can tease Li Ming about 'trying' Heart and liking him, and Li Ming can tease Jim back about minding his own business.

The other pot Jam stirs is Li Ming's very presence at Jim's house, as she wants to take him back north with her. Whether Li Ming came to live with Jim before Beam died or after I'm not sure (he may have been with his grandparents before coming to Jim, he mentioned living apart from his mother for '5 or 6 years' and Beam only died 4 years ago), but he's been with Jim for years at this point. Jim has essentially been the one raising him. But Jam's stable now, she's about to get married, to a man with some means, and she wants to try to be a mother again and provide for her son. Jim, surprisingly, tries asking Li Ming what he wants rather than telling him what it's going to be, and the ensuing conversation is a new direction for them, a first stab at a new kind of communication. And we discover that as much as he and Jim fight and argue, Li Ming is clear about who he considers as his parent. As he tells Jim, he's not sure how he feels about his mother, but he knows he loves his uncle.

Jim continues his softening and opening up to Wen, essentially admitting to him that he wants him around, but he's still not quite sure of what that means for them in the future. That sniff kiss Jim gives Wen, aside from somehow being the hottest sniff kiss I've ever seen, is a promise of a kind; it says 'give me time, but yes'.

Side Dishes

I know that Alan/Gaipa scene will make a lot of folks happy.

Alan releasing Wen from the responsibility of taking care of him was hard to watch. He's so sad, and seeing Wen immediately meet Jim as he drives away makes him even sadder. Awww, you'll be ok Alan!

Ms. Hong seems to have left Gaipa a very rich man. I think I have some idea of what he's going to do with that.

Heart's parents finally starting to learn sign...they're trying to make amends and reconnect with their son, and Heart seems to be really happy about that.

Li Ming not making the slightest move to help his mom with her bag at any point was a clear indication of his feelings.

Li Ming not understanding how his mom could have loved his dad and also love her new husband, because she loves them differently is so perfectly, preciously young of him.

So Beam's parents stole everything Jim had except the damn car after Beam's death, and they could do that because Jim had no legal protections as Beam's partner, and Beam put nothing in place for him. He LITERALLY had to start from scratch when Beam died. I think we've finally found some villains in this piece. Also Thai BL continues its marriage equality push.

Jim is FINALLY gonna close that damn diner and I'm happy and sad at the same time. Him deciding not to buy the place and also cancelling the lease is him finally taking a step forward into his life after Beam.

Finale tomorrow! What the hell am I gonna do when this show is over?

[lurkingshan]

5 Songs Tag - QL Shows Edition

Tagged by @troubled-mind, here we go!

When you get this, list 5 songs from the Asian QL shows that you actually listen to.

🎶They do not have to be custom-made for the series. 🎶Non-western tracks only. Let's support Asian music and languages! 🎶Feel free to tag anyone who may be interested in participating.

🎶Add #5qls tag to your post for others to find the new favourites!

Eternal Yesterday - Sunshower, Ayumu Imazu

Eternal Yesterday, my beloved, is a gorgeous Japanese bl about losing a love too early, grieving and accepting the loss, and treasuring your final moments together. So naturally, its theme song is a bop! Sunshower is a classic in one of my favorite music genres - peppy pop songs that are actually sad as fuck if you listen to the lyrics. Sharing a translated lyric video here for maximum pain.

I Told Sunset About You - Skyline, Billkin and PP Krit

Kat, you knew I was gonna put an ITSAY track on here to further entice you, right? The OSTs for both ITSAY and IPYTM are amazing and I listen to them constantly. Skyline is the theme of the first series, and there are several versions of it used throughout the show in both Thai and Mandarin. This video is a brilliant fan-made mash-up of the two language versions.

Red Balloon - 框不住的愛, Evangeline

Red Balloon is the lesser known Taiwanese bl predecessor to Your Name Engraved Herein (it even has the same lead actor). It's a gorgeous story of impossible first love, and it has a soundtrack of beautiful melancholy tracks like the above.

Love Sick - ผ่าน, Gunsmile Chanagan

Love Sick has a banger soundtrack. Most people remember Shake by the legendary Boy Sompob, but I have always been partial to this track (and I was today years old when I realized Gunsmile is the singer, @bengiyo did you know this!!).

The Eighth Sense - Who, Wetter

You didn't think we were getting out of here without me mentioning Wetter, did you? I love all their tracks on t8s soundtrack, but this is the one that played in the first episode and made me sit up and say what is this? I immediately ran to the internet and found all their stuff.

Thanks for giving me another excuse to make a list! Tagging @wen-kexing-apologist, @callipigio, @blmpff, and @negrowhat if you want to play.

[lattexalmond]

5 Songs Tag - QL Shows Edition

tagged by @morkofday. Thank you for tagging me in another game. I feel so special ☺️

When you get this, list 5 songs from the Asian QL media that you actually listen to.

🎶They do not have to be custom-made for the series. 🎶Non-western tracks only. Let's support Asian music and languages! 🎶Feel free to tag anyone who may be interested in participating. 🎶Add #5qls tag to your post for others to find the new favourites!

These will most likely be from Thai shows. I don’t know how to pick just 5 😭

I. Coming of age (ไม่ปล่อยมือ) Ost from I Promised You the Moon by Bilkin and PP Krit

This will always be my favorite song. It is one of my ringtones and I use it as an alarm. I just love the way Pp and Bilkin sang this. It’s so so good 😍 IPYTM is better than ITSAY. I said what I said.

II. Unable (สิ่งเดียวที่ไม่ยอม) ost from Be My Favorite by Gawin Caskey

This song just idk what it was. I loved it from the second I heard the teaser. I am obsessed with it. I love Gawin’s voice and I love how lovey dovey and painful the song is. It’s both. Both is good.

III. Closer (ไม่ไกลหัวใจ) Ost. Cupid's Last Wish by Mix Sahaphap and Earth Pirapat

This is a tricky one because I actually did not enjoy Cupid’s Last Wish nearly as much as I wanted to. This song is super catchy though and I really enjoy listening to it. Plus Earthmix are special to me lol

IV. Just Being Friendly (เพื่อนเล่น ไม่เล่นเพื่อน) by Tilly Birds

I don’t even remember how I found this song, but I was listening to it so much and then Nunew covered it on Cutiepie and I was like 😍😍😍 Then we got it again in My School President. It’s such a cute song. I love it so much.

V. REDO (ย้อนเวลา) Ost. Be My Favorite by Krist Perawat

Everything about this show has been amazing. I love the music. I love the characters. I love the way they are telling the story. This song is so upbeat and catchy. I love it.

Bonus: Our Way from Sky in Your Heart by Mek Jirakit, Have I Found Vice Versa ost by Sea Tawinan, 1000 Stars Ost by Earth Pirapat(not Gun Napat) Tomorrow by Ford Arun from Moonlight Chicken, My Side from Not Me by Off Jumpol and Gun Attapphan, and finally My Luck A Boss and a Babe ost by Book Kasidet

Tagging: @forcebook @forever-in-phapundao @gunsatthaphan @wanderlust-in-my-soul @machikeita @mrsandypants @mantrisanu @pharawee @taeminie @boun-prem @oswlld

[lurkingteapot]

5 Songs Tag - Queer Asian Live Action Shows Edition

@troubled-mind put this together, and @plantsarepeopletoo tagged me.

When you get this, list 5 songs from the Asian QL shows that you actually listen to. 🎶 They do not have to be custom-made for the series. 🎶 Non-western tracks only. Let's support Asian music and languages! 🎶 Feel free to tag anyone who may be interested in participating. 🎶 Add #5qls tag to your post for others to find the new favourites!

I should probably preface this with the fact that I … don't really listen to music. I mean. I do? but only when I'm learning a language, obsessed for other reasons (songs connected to a shows I love, etc), or trying to drown out other noise out. I don't even have a spotify account.

That said, here are a few songs I've listened to often enough that I can sing along to them by now or even know them by heart. This selection ended up kind of sappy, lots of ballads … l do listen to rock and hip hop, too! but those don't feature that heavily in the shows as much, unless it's Tilly Birds and while I LOVE Tilly Birds, I figure everyone already knows them.

SO.

1. 邓丽君 《月亮代表我的心》 (Teresa Teng "The Moon represents my heart")

This is a bit of an odd one – I'd known it for 12 years at the point Moonlight Chicken unveiled it as a theme song, because it's a CLASSIC. I cannot make claims about whether it's a song every Chinese person knows, but it's definitely one of those songs every person who learned Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language in the past 50 years knows. It's heartfelt. It's devastatingly simple. It's an evergreen. I love it to bits.

2. 25hours ไม่เคย (Never)

This doesn't actually make an appearance as more as a mention: Pat suggests it as a song to play for the Christmas concert in one of the flashbacks to Pat and Pran's high school days in Bad Buddy. I was (still am, arguably) obsessed with the show, so I sought it out, and it hit me like a freight train, because ouch. This was the first Thai song I learned to sing by heart, and I love it lots, still.

3. 宇多田ヒカル 「Prisoner of Love」 (Utada Hikaru)

Since we're talking queer shows in general, I get to include this! "Prisoner of Love" is the theme song to one of my all-time favourite shows, "Last Friends" (2008). It's also a really lovely one for karaoke.

4. Q Flure กันและกัน (Each Other)

THE Love of Siam song. Stuck with me. I prefer the version in the movie, but dang, this is still powerful as all get out.

5. Billkin กีดกัน (Skyline)

The entire soundtrack to ITSAY and IPYTM is FIRE, but I had to go with the OG classic here. First song I tried to copy the lyrics out for in Thai. The Chinese version is also gorgeous.

If you've made it this far, consider yourself tagged and let me know if you do this? :D

[victorianera]

*spoiler alert 🚨 | I told sunset about you*

I just finished rewatching ITSAY, and probably during the very first episode all I could think was “why did I ever root for Teh?” Seriously though, I had completely forgotten about the fact that he was originally pursuing Tarn. So when I remembered everything that goes down, I started getting more and more frustrated. Teh was a jerk that didn’t deserve Tarn or Ohaew. Tarn was hesitant to let herself fully have feelings for Teh, but she decided to give love a chance. Only for him to start becoming more and more distant, constantly bailing on their plans, even though he’s the one that initiated them. Like imagine if your friend announced that they were gonna start pursuing you romantically, and did so for 2 years, causing you to develop romantic feelings for them, only to reject you because they have feelings for someone else. And often times in bls, they have a girl as the third wheel and either make her character desperate, annoying, or lowkey homophobic, so that the audience will hate her and root for the main couple. But Tarn was nothing but a sweetheart and amazing friend that didn’t deserve to get her heart broken. She even went to check up on Teh after everything with down, because she still considered them friends and was worried about him. Then with Ohaew, he had a crush on literally the sweetest and most wholesome guy the writers could have possibly written, Bas. Bas is someone who was always by Ohaew’s side, constantly checking up on him whenever he was sad. Bas was never jealous or possessive over Ohaew (unlike Teh) and only ever wanted him to be happy, even if it was with someone else.From the time Ohaew and Teh became friends again, he was constantly putting Teh’s feelings before his own because he cared about him. Teh had to constantly be pacified, because he didn’t have a proper grasp over his own feelings/emotions, and only ever did what he wanted to even when it was selfish. And by his overall behavior towards Tarn and Ohaew, it was pretty much foreshadowed that Teh would be a cheater (those who have seen IPYTM will know). Overall I don’t think the chemistry and love they have is at all enough for me to excuse what Teh did.

[ryansjane]

top 10 bl couples?

btw, your gifs are really beautiful, i love the blue tones in some of them💙

awwwww, thank you so much it means a lot 💙 so this changes a lot, not necessarily the ships themselves but more the order of them if you will. let's go:

1) seanwhite (not me)

these two just... kicked it out of the park for me. not only are they incredible & still super interesting separately, but when brought together they just WORK like frankly no other ship has ever worked in my opinion. their intimacy, emotional scenes, the way their relationships builds up carefully and has many setbacks, yet... you can’t imagine these two with anyone else. they were truly built up as soulmates & that’s what they are, absolutely lovely & I can’t get enough of them.

2) untwo (theory of love)

of COURSE, for anyone who has followed me for more than a month, y’all know these two were my number one favorite ship for almost 3 years. it’s honestly the first time I fell so hard for a secondary ship, and I loved the potential that these two had. they have a very touching story and are both deeply relatable, insecure and loving characters. they just WORKED, and for a secondary ship they really managed to steal the show for me. they’ll be forever special to me, and I will forever be the self-proclaimed untwo queen <3

3) danyok (not me)

another side ship, pretty ironic for someone who doesn’t really love most side ships usually :’))) contrarily to untwo, who were amazing DESPITE their small development, danyok are amazing BECAUSE they frankly got as much love from the writers as the main ship. and gosh are these two equally as amazing! not only is their story genuinely super interesting on its own, the chemistry was there, the compelling characters were there, the emotional scenes were there... what is there not to love?

4) khaithird (theory of love)

of course, THE ship that made me fall for offgun. these two are so flawed, and that’s what makes them great, because their love story is one that almost wasn’t. they went through so many obstacles together, so much so that their story almost feels like an odyssey of its own, and I love them for it. they’re truly a sort of ying & yang that shouldn’t work together but DOES, and these two will forever be in my heart.

5) phunnoh (love sick)

so, I often mention that love sick has grown on me over the years, and yup, it’s mostly thanks to this ship. I also often call phunnoh the healthiest bl ship ever, and I truly believe that. despite being deeply immature, closeted, and cheating with their girlfriends together, phunnoh still managed to have the most mature relationship I’ve ever witnessed, always talking through their problems, desires and insecurities. they were truly there for each other and loved each other unconditionally. and because the show is so long & we get to spend a LOT of time with them as characters, it only makes them more endearing and special in my heart.

6) saifahzon (why r u)

truly the only thing I loved in why r u, despite the fact that their storyline got cut and rushed, is saifahzon. what I love about these two is that while they have more cringey fanservice moments, firstly bc they’re such fun characters it just works, and secondly it gets balanced out by the incredible job they did in more emotional / tense scenes. by ep 8, you can SEE how much they care and trust each other, and mii2 just nailed every single moment they had in my opinion. they’re just such a soft, fun ship, and I truly love them SO MUCH.

7) tehoh-aew (I told sunset about you)

y’all know I consider itsay a perfect show, and while ipytm has knocked the tehoh-aew ship down a few notches, I still love them so much & choose to entirely ignore the sequel lol. these two are so immature, and dramatic, and they hurt each other so much... but they also feel so fucking real. every single one of their actions, even the more cruel ones, make sense, and these two are built so insanely beautifully I still can’t believe it. in terms of chemistry, acting, emotions... everything is there, and they’re such an amazing ship who is also, like seanwhite & danyok, built up like literal soulmates so... I’d say iconic!

8) morktee (my tee)

so I often say that I dislike my tee as a show but I adore morktee, and it’s really true, they’ve managed to become one of my favorite ships over the years. not only are they messy, and relatable, and fun to follow, but there is an authenticity comparable to the one phunnoh has that comes from them. they truly feel like a first high school love, and while the show’s writing is its biggest flaw, morktee as characters and as a ship are just really wonderful & will always have a piece of my heart :)

9) zihao (crossing the line)

so you might not know but crossing the line was my number one bl show for a long time, until itsay actually. it’s a show that has such a special place in my heart, and it’s definitely because of its main ship who is just... incredible. once again, I just LIVE for these “first high school love” kind of stories, they’re just too pure in my eyes, and this ship really had it all, like all of the ships present in this list, they have the softness, they have the angst, they have the pining... it’s just such an effective story bc these two characters are so different but complete each other so well, and these two simply KILLED the more emotional moments. the ending kiss scene??? literally makes me sob every goddamn time.

10) popoat (what the duck)

listen, I hesitated between these two & kurodachi bc I honestly love both ships equally, but decided to go with the one I’ve loved the longest. here we have the only ship with a sad ending alongside kido & kijima in mood indigo, another ship I love lol. but I fell in love with these two way before knowing they’d end badly, and frankly I cried for hours when the sequel ruined them lolololololol (: ANYWAYS, I love them bc they’re both this very silly, ridiculous & over the top ship, and also this very angsty ship as well. oat’s love & devotion to pop has always just fucking RIPPED my heart in two, and even though what the duck is a fucking shitty ass show & I hate literally everything else about it, these two just stole the show for me. and even now, 4 years later, after they ended badly one day before my birthday, I still fucking love them. just like phunnoh, I think that since the first season had 20 episodes & was very much slow-paced, it really allowed me to fall in love with the characters more.

honorable mentions: kurodachi (cherry magic), tangmolove (great men academy), jackzi (trapped), aepete (love by chance), phuphatian (1000 stars), kidokijima (mood indigo), sunsky (golden blood), markkit (gen y), mingkit (the original 2moons), morktawan (my ride)

xxx

[itoldsunset]

things i really appreciated about the first episode of ipytm

the fact that we were all right in guessing that they were playing rock paper scissors for who has to buy condoms and teh lost! i feel like it was such a genius way to be like "yeah they're having sex" without showing it while also normalizing buying condoms and showing the teenage awkwardness of doing it when you're relatively young and inexperienced. also it was CUTE and totally best friends who became boyfriends vibes.

the transition of the music from the guitar in the beach scene to the synth pop when teh's family is driving to bangkok, almost like an announcement that this is a new show now!! we are in bangkok!!!

teh's mom telling him she knows about oh-aew and leaving that voice note!!! it was so sweet and i love that they addressed this right off the bat so we know going into the episode that we can expect other sources of conflict to be the driver of ipytm.

the tiny bits of realism that i'm sure come from p'meen's own experiences as an outer province kid going to study in bangkok. the fact that they drove teh into bangkok to bring his motorcycle, the fact that teh had to experiment with different modes of transit just to figure out how to get to class on time and be with oh-aew because bangkok traffic is a nightmare. and the homesickness of having to explain something that's normal to you but is foreign to the people around you (oh-aew having to explain his namesake to his new friends) is SO REAL.

q making bingsu because it's the closest thing to oh-aew/shaved ice that they had at his house. SO SWEET. i know folks are worried about him potentially getting in between teh and oh-aew, but he's a really sweet friend and that's what our boy needs right now!! i say let life happen because i trust teh and oh-aew to find their way back to each other.

goy's character being this really sweet and supportive older student who just seems to adore teh. i love her!! she's so cute and i hope we get to see kim get the roles she wants. also her dynamic with top and jai is really adorable.

jai potentially having a boyfriend?? i know people suspect him but i'm still holding on to the potential that he might be the person teh goes to for relationship/career advice. i just feel like he needs someone to talk to about oh-aew.

i loved getting to see more of oh-aew's perspective. i feel like in itsay we saw him as this super outgoing, popular kid, and he was!! but now that he's in a totally brand new setting and out of his element, he's kind of lost and struggling to adjust because he doesn't seem to have same kind of anchor that teh does with the drama club. it's like oh-aew's anchor is teh at this point, which isn't sustainable or good and i'm so excited to see oh-aew become more of himself and rediscover who he is in this new setting.

oh-aew's entire friend group, but ESPECIALLY the banter between plug and mangpong.

p'meen did say he was a nerd and that ipytm would lean in on drama/theater the way that itsay leaned in on mandarin and so far i'm loving what i'm seeing. teh being wowed by the backstage light trick and then using it later to help oh-aew see him in the dark? SO CUTE.

when teh said "i've already given so much of our time to others." oof. the callback to the boat scene. i felt that.

the cinematography of the whole aquarium scene. the fact that their first date in bangkok was to basically go to the closest thing they could find to home. these phuket boys!! also oh-aew's face when he was listening to teh's mom's voice note. the cheek kiss!! them kissing on land and in public, but still paralleling with the underwater kiss from itsay.

teh geeking out by the billboard sign talking about his dreams and the oscars, it's like we can see that little kid who announced to his friends in the 7th grade that "one day, i'm going to be a protagonist like yongjian." that same energy is still there!!

both of them trying to make compromises for each other because they're so in love. teh losing sleep to commute to and from oh-aew's condo because he knows oh-aew is homesick. oh-aew giving up time with teh because he knows teh wants to work on the drama club. obviously we can already see the conflict brewing here because they're still young and they're learning but i love that we can see clearly it's both of them making an effort to make the other happy.

the nod to their class differences, which has always been there since itsay but i've always wondered whether it will actually come up in some way. obviously we see oh-aew lives in a giant condo by himself while teh is in a dorm with a roommate. but i'm actually thinking about the comments about the taxi fare, where teh ended up taking the skytrain because the taxi fare was too expensive, meanwhile oh-aew said he could take a taxi to see teh at any time because it's only a few hundred baht. i don't really know if it's going to be a thing but i imagine whatever class differences they have, it's going to become more apparent in a big, more expensive city like bangkok.

[liyazaki]

Reveal Your Watch & Rewatch Drama List

thank you @billlkin @itoldsunset @villaneelle & @spicyvampire the tag! 💖 I was watching seven shows at once (help) until a bunch wrapped in the last week or two, so don't be fooled by the short list.

currently watching

Cutie Pie- I'm just having so much fun watching Cutie Pie... they're giving me everything I wanted & I'm loving every minute.

Cherry Blossoms After Winter- too many people are sleeping on this sweet, gorgeous little show. The romance is so tender & I would lay down my life for the precious baby boy that is Haebom- just look at him (& no- the mains aren't actually stepbrothers).

starting soon

KinnPorsche- I felt pretty neutral about the show, then that trailer dropped & hello, insta-feral. I'm beyond ready for a dark, twisty BL clearly made for the grown sluts out there with nary a university campus or engineering gear in sight. (Apr. 2nd)

Gameboys S2- I was starting to lose hope we were ever going to get a second season (fun fact: they shot the movie & S2 at the same time), so I'm feeling blessed that I even get to write that. (May 22nd)

Cherry Magic: The Movie- *insert high-pitched 'eeeeeee' squealing ad nauseam* (Apr. 8th)

GAP- this blog's about to be one big sapphic free-for-all when this starts. abandon all (non-wlw) hope, ye who enter here. (start date: ??)

Oh! My Sunshine Night- I'm so excited to see OhmFluke my beloveds in a drama that was quite literally made for them. (start date: ??)

To My Star S2- another one I'm vibrating with anticipation for- we are truly being blessed in the year of our BL Lord 2022. (start date: ??)

Between Us- excited we finally got a release date (Nov. 2022) & it's going to be long- as in UWMA long (16 eps!)

rewatching

I've only had one 'true' rewatch recently (i.e. watching a show all the way through) so except for #1 & #2, these are just go-to comfort shows I'll sporadically watch an ep or two of for my mental health.

I just finished a random Gameboys rewatch, ironically on the same day IdeaFirst announced S2. I'm not saying I single-handedly manifested this; I'm just saying stranger things have happened.

@flukenatouch & I will be starting our own little UWMA rewatch soon involving Thai desserts, bingo cards- the works ✨

Love By Chance (AePete/some Tin/Can scenes only)- I have no clue how many times I've rewatched LBC for the mind-melting sweetness that is AePete...honestly, I don’t want to know.

History 3: Trapped- another one I have rewatch amnesia for (ignorance = bliss), mainly for the Jack & Zhao Li scenes.

Cherry Magic- CM is the visual equivalent of a warm hug for your soul & I will never not want to rewatch it.

I'm really missing my Light On Me boys lately & the most perfectly-executed love triangle of all time. maybe a rewatch this week- before even more new shows kick off- is in order (she says like she isn't a working professional with 10,000 obligations).

I will rewatch ITSAY & IPYTM until my dying day- that being said, I've got to be in the right headspace to rewatch (i.e. in the mood for total mental-emotional-spiritual annihilation #angstwhore).

no-pressure tagging @nanons @jaehwany @rose-nebulijia @lettucebeshrimp @icouldhyperfixatehim @suzukibeanes @snimeat @aheartandashirt @ommited-miscellaneously @rashfcrd @absolutebl @negrowhat & anyone else who wants to join in!

[pharawee]

bl/gl tag game

I was tagged by @aejeonghae​. Thank you so much! 😊

your all time favourite bl character and why.

I’m totally doing this w 5 characters as well bc I can’t ever choose (plot twist: not even 5 characters are enough, I need an alphabetised list).

Teh (ITSAY + IPYTM) // I know, not technically a BL, but he just resonated with me so much. 🥺

Ae (Love by Chance) // So actually Saint is my fave Thai actor but Ae as a character is just so amazing. He’s just so grounded and matter-of-fact about everything (until Pete leaves but we do not talk about this).

Meen (Fish upon the Sky) // Meen is naive and annoying entirely by choice and doesn’t want anyone to change him. I love that about him because I too am naive and annoying.

Pharawee (Gen Y) //  Okay listen, hear me out. Technically Gen Y is, uhm, not a very good show and Pha as a whole is not a very good character. BUT THE POTENTIAL. The power this character wielded through all of season 1 without being shown on screen until the very end. And the way they could have used all of this for some seriously good storytelling if they hadn’t completely thrown him under the bus. Starhunter, you owe me a show w Big Thanakorn as the main protagonist. I’m waiting.

Toh (SCOY) // The way Toh started out thinking he could never ever measure up to Nuea and so he resorted to collecting things and photos because that’s the only way he could be somewhat close to him... yeah, the way he went about this is not okay in rl but this is a show that’s deliberately way over the top. Anyway, Toh deserves everything and the way Seng portrays him is 👌😩

what’s your one character from a bl you wanted to punt into the stratosphere (you only get one so choose wisely).

Aey from Lovely Writer but only because he needs a timeout and I love him very much.

the best music moment from a bl

I’m not really into Cutie Pie but when Kuea sang that cover of Tilly Birds’ Just Being Friendly? Those synths, that voice...

Also, Bbomb in Nitiman singing พร้อมเคียง (there was a link here but tumblr didn’t like that so: “youtu.be/Nr7EpXqs1i8″) for Jin up on stage. Still one of my fave songs (but you all know that by now bc I never shut up about it). 

what’s a popular heterosexual text that you would like to see adapted into a bl/gl?

Uh idk, nothing comes to mind except for tropes and genres? Like, a psychological thriller would be nice. Or horror.

a scene from a bl that always makes you laugh?

Kit & Mark’s first meeting (Gen Y).

The trust fall gone wrong with Sean and Black (Not Me).

Mix & Match’s reaction to Ryu’s cooking (My Mate Match). Coincidentally, they used the same trope with Mon + friends in Our Days and it was just as hilarious.

Porsche. Just Porsche (Kinnporsche).

biggest disappointment?

That one time Starhunter not only straight up killed off my fave char, no, they had to do it in the most ridiculous way possible w him potentially dying of rejection and his parents leaving the room BEFORE he breathed his last and then not showing up for his very strange funeral in a one-person-graveyard with the most ridiculous fake gravestone ever.

Thanks, Starhunter.

But also, the way The Tuxedo is such a weirdly-paced mess. Green and Chap deserve better than this and I was so looking forward to seeing them as mains in a show together. 😔

what two random bl/gl characters would make hilarious exes?

Okay listen, I want Nuea (SCOY) and Nubsib (Lovely Writer) in a room together. Not because they’re ridiculously good-looking but lmao the super possessive energy these two emit might destroy us all.

who would be the funniest person to watch a bl in its entirety and which one would you make them watch.

I have made @cytharat​ watch the Gen Y recap with me. I don’t want to brag but that’s how much she loves me lmao. I have also made her watch TonhonChonlatee (and Fish Upon the Sky). A lot of inside jokes were born that day.

best wardrobe moment/or character wardrobe from a bl.

Khai in Theory of Love & Oh-Aew in IPYTM have an amazing sense of fashion. They might have inspired some purchases. 🤡

Daisy in SCOY. No, seriously, has someone sourced Daisy’s wardrobe? I need to acquire all of it.

P much everyone in Don’t Say No has impeccable taste imo but Fiat’s red suit really stood out for me. Apparently in reality it’s not exactly that shade of warm red which was somewhat disappointing.

Also, not a BL character but Mile Phakphum (and Bas Suradej, too?) is really selling those flared 70s trousers. I wasn’t ready for them to make a comeback but he singlehandedly convinced me otherwise.

Also also, for the record, I really liked Tong’s hair in Gen Y 2. Fight me!

tagging: @cytharat​ @snimeat​ @heureum​ @icouldhyperfixatehim​ @absolutebl​​ and anyone else who wants to do this. 😊

[bucksbisexual]

ive been tagged to do this by @spicyvampire and ive got time to spare so why not do it 🤓

1. your all time favorite bl and why: this one's hard because i always end up finding things that i dislike about them or (mostly side)couples that i can't stand but i'd say bad buddy is my favourite one. i feel like the reasoning behind it is pretty simple: im queer and this show is entirely queer (compared to most bls that you can Feel the straightness from either bts or the premise of it)

2. that one bl that scarred you for life: uwma but only because of inkorn 🥲

3. bl that made you feel very single: dark blue kiss :help: they are so in love and talk about the future so many times...... the secret and not so secret love declarations.......... the gifts........... the hand holding........... cries shakes sobs i love petekao ((before anyone says "oh but what about- no. i don't like them and i will speak of them because i know when to stfu 😁))

4. if you could change one thing from a bl, which one would it be? can it be all of them? because if so i'd change the endless amount of "i don't like men only you" there are in bls. if it's only one thing from one bl then uhm i'd change the cheating plot line from ipytm (that i have 0 knowledge of because the moment cheating was Implied i stopped watching)

5. your top five: hm no particular order: bad buddy, dark blue kiss, manner of death, itsay, atots (and allow me to add a sixth one because history 3 trapped will Always be that bitch)

6. that trashy bl that you lowkey like: none because i don't finish trashy bls lmfao

7. your favorite korean bl (it’s important we know): ive literally only watched where your eyes linger oops so i guess it's that

8. but also your top 3 for kbls: refer to last answer

9. season 2? which one? my engineer 2 where are thou..... jkjk i'd like mod s2 simply because i want to see tanbun with a child but like. with no crime. the show is just about them taking care of this child and with the side couples doing things too (imagine the bbq parties omg.....)

10. a bunch of dramas will air soon. which ones are you the most excited for? i have absolutely no idea what's airing next but i don't think im gonna watch any other bl besides maybe not me lmfao i'm in my animanga era (my sideblog for that, incase anyone's interested) and bad buddy was the exception because i'd been waiting for it for a year

11. tagging : i have no idea who has done or not done this so i'm just gonna tag the besties @gramsblack @inkpha @lovingtrans @petekaos @patandpran @nanonkorapat okay i can't remember any others sorry :help:

[shortpplfedup]

Episode 5: Turning Point

GIFs by @liyazaki

There was a day when I woke up and I saw her, and then I realized that she was the one who I wanted to see when waking up for the rest of my life. Maybe love is just that simple. But that doesn't mean everything is easy. - Hoon, the ultimate wise man

Loving is a skill that we do not feel the need to teach...We treat love as this intrinsic thing that everybody knows instinctively how to do (and love IS something that you DO as opposed to something that you feel), but it’s something you have to learn. - IPYTM 1: Ice Breaking

Love is never exactly the same from day to day anyway. Love’s a decision you make, over and over again. The way you feel is a part of it, but what you decide to DO, every day is the biggest part. Love is a verb, it’s an action... The glue between Teh and Oh Aew from the time they were twelve years old has always been that Oh Aew believes in Teh and doesn’t judge him, and Teh needs that DESPERATELY to see himself as worthy. - IPYTM 3: Memory Recall

They are together, and that’s what matters. - ITSAY 5, on the impossible task of rebuilding fallen walls

Kintsugi/Kintsukuroi: 'to repair with gold'; the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold; understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken. - GIFset by @liyazaki

In my heart of hearts kintsugi is what I think of when I think of Teh and Oh Aew. What's broken can be repaired, and be even stronger and more beautiful for having been broken, but it can only be repaired properly with gold. In this episode, three wise men (Top, Bas and Hoon) speak, Teh and Oh Aew have three key conversations, and our boys repair their broken relationship, hopefully with gold.

Act I: Lessons learned

If you feel like there's something still missing, that means you haven't got all that you dreamt of. - Top, the first wise man

I find it interesting who Teh and Oh Aew choose to talk to about the big decisions they have to make in this episode. I've wondered why Teh wasn't closer to Top, since of the 3 seniors Top was the one actually living the life he was striving for. Honestly, I think he might have been a little scared to hear what Top might say. It was a bit of kismet here, Top showing up, because I doubt Teh would have sought him out to talk about how he was feeling. But Top was exactly the right person to have this conversation with, and his advice was right on the money: if you feel like something's missing in your life, it probably is. And I think this talk with Top was probably the final push for his breakup with Airy.

I'm not surprised Teh finally dated a woman, and that woman was Airy, who was basically a hybrid of Tarn and Khim, and a mirror of himself. I'm also not surprised that he ended up dumping that woman, not because she was a woman, but because he's finally realised that dating himself won't make him happy. I'm glad at least he seems to have ended it properly this time instead of blowing things up somehow. Lesson learned.

Oh Aew's lesson learned here shows up in how he very gently and without actually having to reject Q...rejects Q. If Oh Aew hadn't had the experience of Bas, that experience of trying to make it work with a nice boy and a good friend he simply did not feel enough for, only to break his heart in the end, I think he might have tried it with Q. But our emotionally intelligent boy doesn't make the same mistake twice.

Act II: Two conversations

Two of the three conversations.

Teh and Oh Aew's way back to each other hinges on two conversations, about six months apart. The time jump isn't explicit this time, which is a bit disorienting, but once you realise that Teh took in everything Oh Aew said in their chance conversation and basically poured it into his thesis play, you kind of want to weep from the beauty of it, but also to strangle him a little...lol.

The first conversation is a ballet. It's a reminder of how well these boys know each other and how strong and easy their friendship has always been despite everything. It's a little awkward to start, but once it starts flowing, it sings. They move from teasing and joking to being serious and back multiple times, in this comfortable back and forth with real emotional high and low points. It's just a gorgeous dance and it may be the scene I dissect this week for the anatomy of a scene series.

The second conversation is a battle, but they're not really fighting each other. They're fighting their entire history: Teh's bad choices and Oh Aew's bad memories. As Teh said to Jai 'Why would anyone go see their ex's play? The story surely had to be about us.' I understand completely why Oh Aew leaves the play. Because how is he meant to process this? Teh always makes these grand gestures without ever thinking about how Oh Aew is going to receive them. Imagine you ran into your ex and had a pleasant chat six months ago, you pretty much left it at that, and then he basically confesses his undying love to you on a huge public stage. It's too much. It's overwhelming. Oh Aew is so composed, because I'd have been screaming at Teh in the parking lot like DUDE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME? However, because Oh Aew is not me, he quite calmly explains to Teh that he absolutely CANNOT do this to him, and wishes him well before yeeting out of there like he's on fire. And he kind of is, because Teh has once again set his emotions aflame.

Act III: Love is a decision

If you really want to know if it's gonna work out or not, you go back and try. But if you don't want to know, there's no need to go back. Because in the end, the one who chooses what's best for you is yourself. - Bas, the second wise man

Talk about your interesting choices of people to talk to. Oh Aew chooses to discuss his dilemma with somebody who knows him, who knows Teh, who knows their history and understands their dynamic, but who is squarely on his side. Unlike the serendipity of Top happening to be in the right place at the right time for Teh, Oh Aew seeks Bas out because he understands that he needs Bas' specific perspective.

And BOY does Bas understand Oh Aew. Because Oh Aew always had trouble trusting himself, always doubted himself. He's grown out of a lot of that over the course of the story, but it makes sense that he would be worried that the self he's built wouldn't be able to stand up against his feelings for Teh. Because Teh upends his life, he always has. So what's different about now? Can he trust that Teh has changed? Can he just take a leap and go flying off without a net like this? Bas' answer: there's no way to know, except to do it, and that's simply all there is to it. There's no 'answer' when it comes to love except: do you want to know or not?

Act IV: Homecoming

We don't have to promise we're gonna love each other forever. We don't have to expect that things will be the same and never change. I just wanna be with you. - Oh Aew

Teh and Oh Aew, our Phuket boys, have always talked out their feelings and been most open and honest with each other on the beach, those private, secluded Phuket beaches, just them and the sea and the sky. And this particular beach, this is where they first confessed, where they first kissed, where they first made love, so of course it's the place where they reunite. After the third wise man, Hoon has said his piece, they have their third and final conversation of the episode on their beach. And this one is neither a dance nor a fight; there's no more prodding, no more jousting. This is the most mature conversation they've ever had. It's cards on the table time: are we going to do this or not?

Oh Aew has always known how he feels about Teh. That has never been in question, not once. The question of what he was going to do about that though, has ALWAYS depended on Teh. This time though, Oh Aew has complete agency; what happens now is entirely his decision, and they both know it. That's why this conversation is so solemn, has such weight to it, and why Teh looks so scared. Because he knows, he KNOWS, that if Oh Aew says no now, it's over for good. But Oh Aew even being there is a reason to hope. So he shuts up, and he waits, and his heart rises and falls with Oh Aew's every word.

I love that their reunion doesn't feel like a 'happily ever after' but more like a 'let's try it and see', at least to me. Teh is romantic, but Oh Aew is pragmatic (such a Pisces/Virgo dynamic...lol). He's decided to take the leap, because he wants to know, but he's ready this time for it possibly not to work. And in the end, that's all that love really is: deciding to take a leap.

Sides:

I will never get tired of Oh Aew being lovingly annoyed by his big dork of a boyfriend.

Q and Oh Aew trying to figure out how to handle any potential Plug/Mangpong split was HILARIOUS. Note: nobody suggested Auu take care of ANYBODY...lol. He truly is the bad decisions friend.

Oh Aew is a powerful person because there is no way I could 1) not block my ex who cheated on me and also 2) keep 29 unread messages from said ex for a YEAR AND A HALF without reading them.

Mod and Karakade going the distance SLAYED me.

The flashcard on the screen in Oh Aew's final project presentation? 月亮 (yuèliang): the moon. It's only ever been Teh for him, and it will probably only ever be Teh for him.

God all the moments hit so hard, you really felt the weight of their history together. Flashcards, coconut, Oh Aew sticking out his tongue at the magazine cover, the tiny tea tattoo, "I Told Sunset About You directed by Krittikorn Saetun", the single sunflower, the heart to heart on the beach...it's all there. And then the MONTAGE. The montage truly broke me.

Teh trying to IMMEDIATELY put a ring on it is just SO TEH. Calm down my guy...lol.

Lots to discuss in cinematography this week, look out for that next!

[gilly-bean]

Thank you @suzukibeanes for tagging in me this. Let it be known I was so excited I got the reading glasses out for this one.

1. your all time favorite bl/gl character and why

Oh-aew, Oh-aew, Oh-aew. Is it because I love PP more than anything in this world? Maybe so. But that moment when he said to Teh in the hammock "You don't know? But I think you know" he stole my heart and I don't think I'm ever getting it back again. To have that kind of goodness intersect with such confidence? Ugh I only wish.

2. what's your one character from a bl/gl you wanted to punt in to the stratosphere (you only get one so choose wisely)

Am I supposed to just choose one from such a large selection of old creepy guys from these shows? I couldn't possibly- Dr. Sam from FriendZone.

3. the best music moment from a bl/gl

Listen Phuket Confusion playing on the background of Teh and Oh-aew rubbing each other's thighs? That was a moment. I was on the edge of my seat already but with that music I just stopped breathing altogether.

I gotta give props to Bad Buddy too though, the way they timed Cold Light of Day with that first kiss was perfection. The buildup in the scene matching the buildup in the music, that moment when they first come for air timed with those beautiful strings (guitar? piano keys? idek I'm not a very musical person) and the way the music comes down as they come down. Perfection.

4. what's a popular heterosexual text that you would like to see adapted into a bl/gl?

Who is reading heterosexual texts in this economy? I really gotta scrounge the dregs of my childhood for this one.

Hunger Games? Katniss definitely should have been gay.

6. a scene from a bl/gl that always makes you laugh

Every time that Pat does something super annoying and Pran looks like he's gonna kill him and then himself for falling for such a fool. I couldn't possibly choose a scene it happens in every episode. Most definitely every time they eat something.

7. biggest disappointment?

You know the only answer I can possibly have for this question is everything about IPYTM.

8. what two random bl/gl characters would make hilarious exes?

The possibilities are endless. We need some absolutely feral, loud, annoying people, like Pete from DBK and....actual Black from Not Me.

9. who would be funniest person to force to watch a bl/gl in it's entirety and which one would you make them watch?

If we are talking about actual people who would need to be forced, I would force my sister to watch IPYTM. She didn't like ITSAY because of the excessive crying (but loved SOTUS for example which tells me everything I need to know about her level of straightness) and she refuses to watch IPYTM once I told her the basics of what happens in that. But I think it would be fun to see her lose her entire mind watching it. When she gets mad it becomes existential.

10. best wardrobe moment/or character wardrobe from a bl/gl (screenshots if you are brave)

If nothing else, I approve everything PP wore in IPYTM (except for that god forsaken wedding suit) but it's the play get up that was so sleek I was afraid he might cut me up from behind the screen.

Tagging @liyazaki @elnotwoods @kyr-kun-chan @praninlove @pranparakul @plaidcladjuno and everyone who sees this and wants to do it

[skamamoroma]

I Promised You The Moon - Episode 1 Thoughts - aka did John Hughes direct this and not tell us?

Oh I had to wait so long today to see episode 1 as I was working but I am so very happy I waited till I was in bed and with a cup of tea... which I then cried into four times. So that’s where I’m at. This is going to be long, I’m not even sorry in the slightest!

For ITSAY, I made so many posts about this show and how moving and beautiful it was, how the symbolism and writing was exceptional, how the music was absolutely incredible and how much I adored BK and PP’s chemistry. P’Boss’ work is special and the feel of Part 1 was a delicious kind of awkward, indie movie full of metaphors, fraught pain and emotion and pretty breathtaking storytelling of love and growth. I fell absolutely in love with Teh and Oh and their story, obsessed with Teh as a character (as I see a lot of myself in him and I love when he spirals) and I just felt utterly moved by the whole show. So I never needed Part 2. Part 1, for me, is perfect. And I certainly didn’t expect to love Part 2 as much or feel as much emotion because I just thought it wouldn’t be possible especially with a change of director and city and storyline... but I genuinely think that was a good idea after seeing Episode 1.

I just finished it and I’m kinda tear stained and the first thing I couldn’t get out of my head was just how much it reminds me of the late dear John Hughes movies from the 80s. Those of you who are a little old like me born right at the beginning of the 90s, will have been brought up on those movies filled with 80s synth music, stories of growing up, artsy camera work and filled with colour and emotion. Those movies are some of my all time favourites and I absolutely felt their influence on Episode 1 and maybe the rest of the season, I don’t know! I really wonder if P’Meen used them or was aware, hahaha. Anyway...!

But first off, I cannot, and I mean CANNOT handle the music. Part 1 really did floor me with the use of the score and how it was such a huge part of the reason it was so beautiful. Phuket Dreams has me in tears about 3 notes in... so cue me crying at the remixes of the old score with 80s synth sounds and almost Dream Pop echoy sounds. That right there is my jam, my absolute favourite music and the way IPYTM is so clearly going to be full of it makes my heart very happy. Especially those last scenes with Oh, that sweeping 80s style music taking him from heartbroken pain to dancing to forget had John Hughes all over it and just felt so impactful. So I will bang on every week about the music I’m sure.

As for the beginning and the casual buying of condoms (yesssss god damn Nadao, thank you for safe sex lessons for LGBT+ youth and a nod to actual sexual expression, I’m mega proud) leading into the way Hoon and Suri were involved (they didn’t give me Tuty 😭) in transferring Teh, it felt like such a gorgeous transfer from ITSAY vibes to IPYTM... watching Teh’s mamma so proud, Hoon watching over him as always and then gently leading into the first moment that made me cry...

How dare they put a remix of the old score over Teh being told by his mamma that she accepts him as he is so casually and softly, in a way that not only lets Teh know he’s loved but welcomes Oh as someone she cares about deeply and is happy being someone her son loves. It was beautifully done and I couldn’t help but think of Teh’s teary face on the Cape at the end of Episode 5 and thinking how proud I am of him. The way Hoon stroked his hair - help.

Teh. Now I made no secret of the fact that I loved every moment of watching Teh go through it in Part 1, how his very physicality and struggle played out especially him writhing all over his rug! But we had to see him grow. He isn’t the same boy he was but he still feels like Teh, just a little more comfortable, a little more mature in some ways and just READY for life. He feels tentative but also prepared to grow more and I just adore him. Oh, on the other hand, the one who was much more secure in himself in terms of his self and sexuality in Part 1 is now absolutely thrown into the unknown and isn’t handling it well.

Oh was established so beautifully as a Phuket boy. His name is rooted in his home, he lives in shorts and by the sea, he’s shaped by that place and what it means to him... his signature scent is coconut! He literally embodies Phuket... so it doesn’t in any way surprise me that we are watching him flounder and feel lost. It feels so human and so many moments felt so moving. When he told Teh that the best part of his day was seeing him, when he imagined the waves on his mind, when he listened to his mamma talk about the coastal weather... it’s hardly surprising that he cried as he was asked to explain his name. That was the second moment that got me. I was a wreck. Watching him break down and fall to pieces infront of total strangers just because he was recounting the meaning of his name, the foundation of who he is, the thing he misses to very much... he doesn’t fit, he doesn’t feel at home and he didn’t feel himself. It was beautifully done, for me. I caught my breath the second he started crying because it was so utterly human and raw. I have felt the way he does and recognised every second on his face. PP has come so so far with his acting.

Then we get the mention of Yongjian. NOW SOMEONE TELL ME IS THAT TEH AS YONGJIAN IN THE TITLES? If so, how dare they spoil it?! I am going to weep uncontrollably if Teh gets his dream. But the way Teh spoke of their future, the way he tried to recreate their past with Yongjian’s speech. Their entire history as friends and boyfriends is rooted in that story, that character, the idea of being Male protagonists... and Teh is so sure of their future. Also, you cannot also avoid the meta of it all with BK and PP. That moment and their words felt so personal to them too and their own real lives!

Do not even start with how their first kiss in Phuket was underwater and arguably their first kiss in Bangkok is the same albeit in public. DO NOT LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS TOO MUCH.

The issue is that, Part 1 set out for us how they ended up where they are. Oh fell into acting, it was never his dream from the start. Then it all became a fight, a thing to win from his rival and in the end a thing to prove. We haven’t really ever see Oh show a passion for the stage and acting, not really. He worked so hard to get his place in Uni but there’s so much irony at play. Their entire story of rivalry has actually caused this current situation. Oh “won” the coveted Uni spot (helped in part by Teh) and Teh “lost” and was making do. But we see how that’s not how life goes. Oh never really felt he knew what he wanted and so he just ploughed on. He’s now in a situation where he has to start deciding, has to be his own person and he’s just... lost. I can’t wait to see him find it whatever it may be! The difference with Teh is that he may not have got his number 1 desire but his passion is ENOUGH. He loves what he’s doing and that moment where Khim (is that her name, I forget now, it’s so late, but Goy’s character) was explaining the lights was gorgeous. Teh’s passion was ignited, you could see that “oh wow” moment... and you can see the difference in how they’re going to progress, Teh didn’t need the top Uni because his passion can carry him and will help him succeed whereas Oh doesn’t know what his passion is and perhaps he’s where he is for the wrong reasons after all. The story telling is lovely to me, if completely heartbreaking.

The tears came again at “but I’ve already given so much of our time to other people”. Oh the tears. The boat scene from ITSAY is my favourite scene of the show and that line is one of the most beautiful bits of writing I’ve encountered for a long while... and to see Teh use it and remember it and effectively set out the issue they’re facing was heartbreaking. They made that promise on the boat and they’re breaking it. Oh-aew is trying to be what he thinks Teh needs and Teh is wide eyed and filled with this new world and getting to indulge his passions. They’re both so human and both trying the best way they know but they’re so young and so unsure and have so little life experience that they don’t know how to be adults or how to manage all of this stuff. They know they care and love and are each other’s person but they have such a lot to learn.

So the introduction of Q and the boys... and let me say they’re glorious... feels both beautiful and tragic because they look like they will be accepting and also potentially LGBT+ themselves or maybe Q (I see your gorgeous painted nails, sweetheart and the way you didn’t question Oh saying “partner” for a second)... but also they’re what Oh is using to fill the time he promised to Teh. It’s not Oh’s fault. He deserves friendship and a world of his own too but he was relying so much on the familiarity of Teh and Teh’s presence to keep him grounded and comfortable but he can’t do that all the time. He is trying so hard to be good and thoughtful and kind that he’s not telling Teh the truth. He’s doing what he said he wouldn’t do on the boat, but we can’t blame him in the slightest, he’s the sweetest boy.

I have so much to say but I guess that’ll do for now. I really loved the episode. Yes, it’s different but I think I realise now why it needed to be. In a way I’m kinda of happy about it because ITSAY stays sacred!!!! It stays as that beautifully fraught and emotional indie movie of my heart filled with metaphorical depth. It can’t be touched as far as I’m concerned but with IPYTM it feels just as moving, just as emotional, just as impactful but in a different way that reflects maturity. I don’t think it would have worked if it still felt fraught and characterised by ITSAY vibes. They’re not kids, they’re not insecure about who they are anymore in terms of their sexuality and they are moving into adulthood.

I know it’s going to break me. Episode 1 had me genuinely crying into my tea but I also know that it had the potential for its own special brand of symbolism and meaning. We can already see some special moments which seemed to be saying way more than the words themselves like the speech on light and how we see things and the way Oh even used it himself to see a different perspective at the end. That felt really very meaningful. They’re going to need to be able to see different view points as they navigate what will probably be a shit ton of pain! They will need to adjust to the light, to their circumstances to be able to survive and for their bond to be what is important without allowing other stuff to pass into their line of sight. Oh saw nothing. Empty stage, no Teh, not even himself... he opened his eyes too soon. He needs to learn to adjust and learn how to see the world and his place in it so that when he opens his eyes he sees what he desires and has worked for and made for himself rather than emptiness.

The last thing for me is the chemistry. What more can you say other than they’re perfect? They have the most natural, enigmatic, intense and sweet chemistry. They work so beautifully together. They sell even the smallest of moments and they absolutely destroy with emotion. I just feel every second of Teh and Oh’s emotion and that is such a damn skill. Their talent, man.

So I loved it. I am going to be dreaming tearstained in 80s synth music tonight! I can’t wait for the rest to emotionally destroy me a little more.

[lurkingteapot]

Thai BL Favorites Tag Game

Tagged by @lurkingshan, @ginnymoonbeam, @incandescentflower and @recentadultburnout! Created by @thatgirl4815 as Thai BL Favorites Tag Game, and that's the name I'm playing it under because, a) well, it's all BL on my particular list, it'd feel disingenious to call it anything else except maybe Y Series because we're talking Thai audiovisual media specifically and b) I'm not entirely comfortable with the unilateral renaming of a genre which which originated and grew into its current forms in another cultural context. Don't get me wrong, I made the jump from calling it Yaoi to Boys Love to BL in the 1990s and 2000s; I know to say danmei and dangai (or boy boy) when talking about it in context of media from China/Taiwan, or Y series when talking about it in Thai. If fans and markets in the communities of origin change the names again, so will I. But for now I'm sticking with the term BL. Thanks for understanding.

Favorite Thai BL: @lurkingshan makes a great point with best vs favourite, and her contenders are also mine – is ITSAY my favourite? is Bad Buddy? I suppose if we go by times rewatched, Bad Buddy takes the crown; if it's "what do I rec other people with the least amount of caveats", ITSAY wins.

Current obsession: Laws of Attraction, with Be My Favourite as a close second.

Favorite pairing: I don't particularly like this type of industrially-pushed shoehorning of actors together as a general rule (let's not pretend Julia Roberts and Richard Gere or Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire weren't also a kind of fixed ship, and I know the Philippines does a similar thing with their (mostly het) love teams – this is not Thai BL exclusive, at least historically speaking), but it clearly sells, so I don't think the industry's going to move away from this model for a long while yet.

That said: tough, but I think it'll have to be Billkin and PP. Just. Look at them act together. Look. Whether it's ITSAY/LTIP/IPYTM and related material, or one of the advertisement shorts or the incredible music videos from last year or even My Ambulance – they're just. So!!!!

Most underrated actor: Fiat Patchata. Give that boy a main role, goddamnit.

Favorite main character: quoting @lurkingshan here:

Teh, I Told Sunset About You and I Promised You the Moon. Yes, both shows, and before you all come yell at me: I SAID WHAT I SAID. 

because she's not the only one who loves this disaster of a boy.

Favorite side character: I really loved the friend group in Secret Crush on You, and Tin's friends in Triage.

Favorite scene in a BL: There are so many to choose from, but I'm going to go with the bus stop scene in Bad Buddy ep 3. The way brick shithouse Pat, all 180some beefy adolescent centimetres of him, turns himself into a cute girl at the drop of a hat … that rewired something in me, had me sit up and take notice (and block the Bad Buddy air time slot in my work calendar for the remain of the show's run time). Because they took it seriously. Didn't play it for laughs.

Favorite line in a BL: oh, there are so many. But I guess if we want to go with largest impact on me, personally, I'm gonna go with Thian in Khun Chaai going "May I love you, Jiu?" because. whew. That just hit me right in the feels.

Most anticipated BL (& why): Only Friends and Love in Translation. Only Friends because it looks to shake up a lot of the things we're used to from GMMTV in particular – I know we've had a little bit of flirting outside of the fixed ships this year already in Moonlight Chicken and Our Skyy 2, but if Jojo is going to shake it up more I'm very, very here for that. Love in Translation because the Thai title is รักไม่รู้ภาษา "Love doesn't know language" and languages are my jam.

Healthiest relationship in a BL: I don't really enjoy thinking about relationships in these terms because it just … urgh. I don't care if it's ''''healthy'''' (and seriously, who gets to decide what is and what isn't healthy, anyway? and why are we making this a moral judgement?)

Questions I do ask about relationships: Is the relationship compelling? is it believable? do the people involved behave like they don't only love and desire, but also like each other as people? that's what I want to know.

Most toxic relationship in a BL: see above. 

Ginny suggested Relationship dynamic I would most like to have myself: and Relationship dynamic I would least like to have myself: to replace the "healthy" and "toxic" questions and I think that's fantastic, but I'm honestly blanking on both so I'm skipping this part.

Guilty pleasure series: I like what I like, I don't see a reason to feel bad about that.

Most underrated series: He's Coming To Me. It's such a lovely little show.

If you'd like to play, please consider yourself tagged (and feel free to tag me if/when you play -- I'd love to see!)