#jbl go 3

[lilidawnonthemoon]

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Some Surprises

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

NOV 2024 Week 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Fourever You (Thai Thurs YT) ep 5 of 16 - I love this show, but I absolutely hate the main couple's communication style. Or complete lack of communication style. I really hope the other couples are not gonna be this bad and it’s just because this one is leaning into the worst of BL archetypes. But I’m not confident. Poor Ter dating Hill put a big old target on his back. Earth being a dramatic stressed gay queen was peak comedy tho. Apparently the good kisses are only on WeTV (I am annoyed) so props to the giffers who keep me supplied. You're doing the BL gods work.

I suddenly realized, after the bullying sequence, that one of the reasons I’m liking this so much is it reminds me of early Japanese yaoi. There’s something about the dynamics of the characters and the way they're reacting to situations that’s not very Thai BL feeling. And if I think of this is more JBL, I forgive it. Or maybe that’s just why I’m liking it so much despite its flaws? Difficult to understand my own feels about this show.

Jack & Joker (Thai Mon IQIYI) ep 8 of 12 - I don’t like this new evil-bonkers rich kid character and whatever is going on with Jack and Rose and that whole story. It’s boring. And then my brain short circuited. No further thoughts... just War in a wife beater. 

Love Sick 2024 (Thai Sun iQIYI) ep 7 of 15 - Phun's bitch face really is epically wonderful. I kinda enjoy everybody ribbing the two of them because they have no idea what’s actually going on. I'm chronicling my experience with 2024 as compared to 2014 here.

Kidnap (Fri YT) ep 9 of 12 - Omg cutest boyfriends EVER. I don’t even mind how cheesy their bf era is. Does this lull jive with the rest of the story? Nope. But ya know that’s GMMTV’s thing these days, flailing during the final act.

Perfect 10 Liners (Thai Sun YouTube?) ep 1 of 24 - Pretty standard Thai BL university fair. I am hoping it’s better than ForceBook’s previous offering. Yet another sniff test. Is this the trope of the year? Meanwhile, they also deployed the crash into me trope in episode one. Who do they think they are? Taiwan?

New is directing this uni BL with a massive cast + massive run time. It's an endurance test ya'll - we will be watching this until APRIL of 2025! Su su na.

Every You Every Me (Thai Mon Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - I really like that they had the bandwidth to give us a little side couple with this installment. Fun crumbs. Meanwhile, the thing with the shirt in front of the mirror was extremely sexy. This installment was very sad though. And, of course, I’m not happy about it. To top it all off, next week is musical themed, so you know I’m disgruntled about it. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 3 of 13 - Aw spoiled neglected rich boy wants to be cared for and spoiled honestly. I do love them. Also tiny idiot syndrome is spreading. 

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 6 of ? - The side couple (teacher student, hyung romance but he’s using em) interesting. Not sure how I feel about them. The subs are so bad it’s largely incomprehensible but I’m still enjoying it for no defensible reason. 

My Damn Business (Korea Sat YT) eps 5 of 7 - I love that our uke can be such a little shit. I love it when a tsundere has some serious snark and attitude to back his petulance up. Also liquid courage. At least we got to the root of the tsundere. Also neck kisses and cuddles! 

Eccentric Romance (Korea Weds Viki) eps 7-8 of 12 - Oooo, cute kiss. Drunken but adorable. I do like it when they use older Korean actors in KBL, they actually know how to kiss. Has the kiss saved this show? Possibly. I’m shallow. 

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 7 of 10 eps - Our con man is such a good little homemaker. And it’s sexy yukata time! Love this trope. 

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - Same plot as the Thai original, only from Japan. Very similar so far. I hope Rei is a bit more smart and Arashi is a bit less of a sleaze. I still get too much secondhand embarrassment and my mame alert is blaring.  I'm wary.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (China Sun iQIYI) eps 1-2 - Triggers for child abuse, alcoholism. Two artists, one an abused rich kid and the other a tough scrappy poor kid, in the same art prep school. I of course adore the side couple of the much younger kid and the older teacher. Oh, I do like it. But it's CBL, I'm very scared as to where it might go.

Bad to Bed (Taiwan Sat YouTube) ep 1 of 10 - Influencer Wan Xiong suffers from insomnia, it’s a physical and mental battle. As he tried to find a solution, he encounters five boys along the way. I'm putting this on the list because it's airing and I just found out about it but I didn't have time to watch it yet. I hear it's v weird.

It's airing but...

The Hidden Moon (Sat WeTV) 10 eps - Supernatural romance (my ghost boyfriend trope) by Violet Rain (I Feel You Linger). A man is hired to write an article about an old mansion. He sees the ghosts of people who died at the mansion, falls in love with one of them. Was substantially recast. I loved IFYLITA except the ending so I think I'll let this one run it's course you can tell me if it's work tracking down... if they managed to land it. I have my doubts.

Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) 10 eps - I DNF'd at ep 7, I couldn't make it. I am weak. Life is hard enough right now, this show is making it harder. It’s not what I want from my entertainment.

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 4 of 8 - I put this one on pause. It's too heavy for me right now. I'll wait to know if the ending is hard fought happy (and then watch) or not (and won't finish). Sorry all, rough times this side of the screen.

Random I watched it

Vending Machine Sabi Koi AKA Can I Buy Your Love From A Vending Machine AKA Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka? (Japan 2023) - This show is utterly adorable, impossibly awkward, and kinda old fashioned. About a cute nerdy little office worker (he's out!) who has a big'ol crush on the tall hulking vending machine guy. They fall in love. And that’s it. And it’s charming. There’s some first name eroticism, because Japan, and there's emphasis on communication, which is so not Japan, but turns this into an organically loving and talkative relationship. There’s a bit of an age gap, and our office cutie may or may not have a muscles fetish (the hot bod not the shellfish) because (if I’ve told you once I’ve told you 1 million times) Japan always goes kinky. And you know what, I loved it. 9/10

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

November BL:

11/4 Our Youth AKA Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Japan Mon Gaga?) 11 eps - Minase was an exemplary high school student who hates Hirukawa, head bully and top delinquent. But then Minase uncovers Hirukawa’s secret and the two get intimate.

11/15 Caged Again (Thai Fri WeTV) 10 eps - Penguin escapes zoo by turning into a human. Gets trapped again and a panther falls in love with him.

11/17 Your Sky (Thai iQIYI) 12 eps - Due to an unforeseen situation, a naive freshman and the campus’s popular senior agree to pretend to be a couple - but their fake deal begins to generate real feelings.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Honor the crumbs indeed. This pair is so much crumbs it's practically dust. (Love Sick 2014)

God he is so stupidly in love.

(lask week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many at-ings.

[dreamgrlarchive]

𝑴𝒚 𝑨𝒕-𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆

as much as i love the results of going to salons and spas for services, there really is nothing like knowing how to do everything to make yourself look your best. i prefer to do all my beautification myself. i fidget in salon chairs, i hate having to stay quiet in waiting rooms and a salon full of people will always make me anxious. i just prefer to set a day out with the house to myself, no work/no school, turn on my fav playlist on my jbl speaker and immerse myself into my pretty girl routine. in this post ill be outlining my 4-year-old at home routine for maintaining my look, xoxo! 💓🍰

daily ❤︎︎

scalp massages (3-5 min)

guasha (15 min)

coconut pulling (3-5 min)

dry brushing pre-shower (10 min)

detangle (15 min) when natural

makeup routine (30-60 min）

silk wrap (5 min) nightly when straightened

weekly ❤︎︎

face mask (2-3x/week) (15 min)

sugar scrubbing (3x/week) in shower

dermaplane (5 min)

LED teeth whitening (30 min)

moisture / protein treatment (20 min) (when natural)

foot soak (epsom salt + jojoba oil) (30 min)

monthly ❤︎︎

mani + gel extensions (removal + new set) (2-3 hrs)

pedicure (1 hour)

honey + oat facial/aztec clay facial + extractions
(20 min)

silk press + refresh bangs (2 hours) (trim/3 months)

individual lash extensions (2x/month) (25 min)

wax brows + lip（20 min）

nair + IPL Treatment (1 hour)

vajacial (20 min)

i keep track of my routines in my beauty binder that i’ve decorated with cute prints and stickers just to keep myself accountable. + of course, life happens and i definitely have slacked in keeping up with this routine, it’s fine. don’t let that get you down when making yours 💗🗒️💕

[ikeoji-subs]

Zettai BL Ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL Ni Naritakunai Otoko 2024 - Episode 5 Eng Sub

VS THE START OF A ROMANCE and VS HELPING

For downloading instructions and where to find the raw files, please check our masterpost.

[Subs link]

We ask that you not upload our subs to streaming sites.

Sharing with friends is fine. We’re also OK with folks sharing them in other ways as long as they aren’t public. Please use discretion when talking about the fansub outside of tumblr, but don’t hesitate to get the word out in other ways, and feel free to promote it here. Please credit ikeoji-subs whenever possible—we put a lot of time and effort into this.

Feel free to use the fansub for fandom purposes. Gif-making, meta-writing, and other fandom-related creative endeavors made using our fansub are not only welcome but encouraged.

Thank you so much, as always, to everyone who has left nice comments in the tags and such. Y'all really make the hard work we put into this worthwhile!

And big big thanks to @my-rose-tinted-glasses for gifs and spreading the word about the fansub.

translation notes:

About “naresome”

As tends to happen when translating Japanese, this is one of those words that don’t exist in English. Its literal translation is “the start of a romance.” So, while we’ve chosen to translate it as “get together,” it would be more accurate to give a more extensive explanation. It is a noun that specifically refers to the moment that love begins. So when we’re talking about “naresome” we’re talking about the thing or situation that triggered the romantic relationship or romantic feelings.–Snow

about casting Tominaga Yuya as a guy who gets busy when it rains

I think this is another tokusatsu Easter egg. Tominaga Yuya, who plays Jouji in the “Vs. The Start of a Relationship” chapter, was also on Avataro Sentai DonBrothers, a Super Sentai series that ran from 2022 to 2023. His character, Sonoi, was the agent of a culture from another plane of existence whose members feed off of the brainwaves of human beings. At first, he and his associates Sonoza and Sononi were enemies of the DonBrothers, but they eventually joined forces with the Sentai. A big reason this happened was that Sonoi had a special connection to the leader of the DonBrothers, Momoi Tarou. Their relationship reads as pretty darned queer to a lot of viewers, myself included.

Momoi Tarou and Sonoi bonding, before they found out they were nemeses

Many JBL fans know Higuchi Kouhei from My Personal Weatherman/Taikan Yoho, in which he played the titular meteorologist, Segasaki. Part of the premise of that series is that at the start of the story, Higuchi’s character only has sex with his partner on sunny days. Jouji, Tominaga’s Zettai BL character, does the opposite: he and his “sex friend” only do it on rainy days. 

Basically, the writers of Zettai BL 3 have made Higuchi’s toku boyfriend’s story into a reverse Taikan Yoho situation. What are the odds that’s just a coincidence?–Towel

Also, he gets his own “Zettai BL” title card moment (and he’s the only one out of the secondary cast who get to have that).–Snow

That’s right!

I’m going to put this in context a little because I’ve given a lot of thought (probably too much) to who’s been featured in the opening credits of the different Zettai BL seasons. For every season of the show so far, Inukai Atsuhiro has had four other actors perform with him in the opening theme dance number. (All of whom also get a crack at some of those title card moments.) For two seasons, three of the four spots were taken up by Yutaro (Ayato), Shiono Akihisa (Toujou), and Itou Asahi (Kikuchi). The fourth spot was taken up by different actors in the first two seasons. It was the guy who played the attractive dude from the goukon in the first season, and it was Izuka Kenta, who played Kikuchi’s ex Igarashi, in the second. 

This time around, I had hoped that Sekoguchi Ryo would take the fourth spot, because he’s my blorbo and of course I wanted to see him in a retro dance number (boy was that wish ever granted!). But I hadn’t expected Shiono not to appear this time. Maybe there were specific reasons for this, like a scheduling conflict or an injury. It’s not like Shiono appears less in season 3 than he did in the others, so that’s not the reason. It’s hard to say. But in that context, it seems even more significant that they gave a spot to Tominaga Yuya. We don’t know the reasons for this. But it’s possible they featured him more heavily in this way because of his tokusatsu backstory and the inside joke it allowed them to make.–Towel

about “pudding relationship” and “prince and princess”

This part was tricky to translate. As you might have noticed by this point, Mob likes to make puns. In Japanese, pudding is written as “purin” and it is used to refer to pudding as well as custard. Mob goes on to follow with “prince and princess”, which in Japanese are pronounced as “purinsu” and “purinsesu”. In here, there’s wordplay with these similar sounding words and the image of the ToujouAyato couple.–Snow  

about “cuteness overload”

Japanese is a language that uses a lot of onomatopoeia. There’s 4 types, iirc: animal sounds, object sounds (like rain, creaking and the like), things that don’t make noise (smiles, stares, silence, etc), verbs turned onomatopoeia (I unfortunately cannot remember this properly but it was something like that). In this case, Mob says “Kyun ga tomaranai” (which literally means “the kyun can’t be stopped”). “Kyun” is an onomatopoeic word to refer to a “momentary tightening of one's chest caused by powerful feelings,” usually tied to a romantic context but not exclusively. Taking this into account, we thought “cuteness overload” might be the closest expression in English.–Snow

It’s worth noting that Mob is also saying “kyun” right after the “cuteness overload” line. I really thought at first that he was saying “cute,” since it sounds so similar, it would make a lot of sense contextually, and English loan words are so common in Japanese. But no, it was “kyun.” There was no way we could get across the meaning of “kyun” in one or two syllables of English, so we went with “adorbs,” which is just another word for “cute,” but at least it has a cutesy pronunciation that steps it up a notch.–Towel

about bouhan buzzers (16:06)

The translation note shown onscreen during this scene reads: “a bouhan buzzer is a security gadget carried by Japanese schoolchildren.” We did our best to summarize the meaning of this term briefly, so that it would be readable in the amount of time it was possible for us to keep that caption onscreen. But here’s a longer explanation for those who might be curious. 

It took a while for me to understand what these things were. At first I pictured something like a hand buzzer–the kind that people used to use to prank people. But it’s nothing like that. They’re sometimes referred to as “personal security alarms.” They’re little doodads that you can clip onto a backpack or carry in your pocket, and if you activate them (the most common mechanism for which seems to be pulling some kind of tab or string), they make some form of alarm-type sound. I found a video, below, that shows someone activating two different types of buzzers, showing the sound they make. 

These two make the same sort of beeping/chirping noises you’d associate with an alarm protecting a car or the entrance to a building–not really a “buzzing” sound, or anything that resembles the sound Mr. Cheerleader makes in this scene. But maybe there are other types that are more buzz-like, or sound more like the sound our buddy is imitating. 

According to some things I read when I looked these up, children often play with their bouhan buzzers, making it somewhat less likely that people will be on alert when they hear them go off. I don’t think I could have resisted setting off a gadget like this if I’d had one as a child. They seem to be available with all sorts of characters on them and in all sorts of colors and shapes, which is cool but might make them seem even more toy-like. 

From what I’ve seen, these things are most commonly used by children, but adults sometimes use them too. If you look for them for sale online, there are more adult-looking versions available (say, a rose-gold blob instead of something with cute characters on it–though of course, adults might want those too). One listing I saw advertised that they’re useful for kids, women, and the elderly.–Towel

Tag list: @absolutebl @bengiyo @c1nto @come-back-serotonin @lurkingshan @my-rose-tinted-glasses @porridgefeast @sorry-bonebag @twig-tea @wen-kexing-apologist

[idkwhatimdoingherehonestlyy]

If your taking requests and are comfortable with it could you write World 42 Miles Morales x fem! reader

Reader has a neice that can't sleep so she puts some music on and dances around the kitchen with her neice in her arms and maybe Miles joining in until the little girl falls asleep

(if it isn't too much to ask but for the song to be rechazame and for skin colour to not be mentioned {I'm Slavic tho💕})

LATE-NIGHT DANCING - MILES 42

A/N: I meant to start writing this a while ago bestie! I'm sorry for the wait, mental health hasn't been treating me the best <3!

Song lyrics will be in blue!

BE PREPARED FOR: SUPER FLUFFY STUFF, SONG LYRICS, DANCING, AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

It was 11:00 PM.

You agreed to babysit your little niece to snag a little extra cash from your sister.

This leaves you stuck in this predicament, her screaming refusing chants as you try to get her to go to bed. So you just give up.

Sitting her down on the couch, you reach for your phone to make a call to your boyfriend.

It only rings twice before he picks up.

"Yo wassup ma" He says over the phone with a smile on his face.

'I need your help" You groan in frustration. "I have been trying to get *niece's name* to sleep FOREVEERRR, and I can't!!" You start screaming, random rage hitting you.

"Damn, chill girl. I'll be over dere in about 15 minutes, you think you can survive that long?" He taunts, slightly chuckling at his own joke.

He think he so funny...

"Ok. Thanks, baby, see you soon" You say as relief washes over your body, knowing you were gonna have a pair of extra hands.

**TIME SKIP**

You hear a knock on the door and immediately rush to it, smile beaming on your face.

"MILES" you scream jumping on him. you knew he was coming you just missed him so much.

"Woahhhh, hey. Te extrañé demasiado ma, eres tan linda." He chuckles hugging you back

"Wheres *nieces name*?" He says looking around

"On the couch watching her tv" You direct to him with a stressed tone.

He walks into the living room and immediately she's jumping up and down.

"m-miless your hereeeee i miss you!" Even though shes very young shes very literate for her age.

"Yes princesa, im here. So now I need you to explain to me why you keep avoiding your bedtime when Auntie Y/N is trying to put you to bed..hm? He crouches down to her level, tilting his head to the side, with a little pout.

"jus not tired" she whispers pouting a little.

"I got an idea!" He stands up quickly, grabbing his backpack and pulling out his JBL speaker and his phone.

"You up for some dancing *nieces name*. He asks her with a huge grin on his face.

"dance!" She screams excitingly.

His head whips over to Y/n with a smug look on his face as Recházame by Prince Royce sounds throughout the house.

He picks up your niece and walks toward you "Trynna dance wit us ma?" He furrows his eyebrows in question

"Why not?" You say as you start giggling.

Ay, recházame Es que no puedo aceptar tu amor Ay, olvídame Aunque nos duela, hay que aceptar ese dolor

You start laughing when Miles grabs your hands and yall start to salsa, Its so hard to believe, A boy who kills people for a living is in your living room dancing with you and your niece.

Nuestro amor Tiene que terminar aquí Yo no quiero, pero es así Aunque me duele el corazón, oh

You gasp as he dips you real quick and spins you around. Your niece just jumping up and down, happy to be there.

"Damn Miles I didn't know you were the type to salsa" You tease

"Don't put me in a box" He replies chuckling.

Y entiende Entiende, corazón Y, ay, entiende Entiende por favor No, no, no, no

You pause when you don't feel the little presence of your niece.

"Where is-" Your words cut short when you see your little niece snuggled on the couch.

"Guess she couldn't take the heat" Miles jokes walking behind you to look at her.

You pick her up gently and walk her to her room, so she can be settled in her bed.

You shut her door behind you once you finish putting her to bed and step out of the room."

You sneak up behind Miles and hug him from behind "Thanks so much I really needed that" You say softly.

"You good, no need to thank me I'll do anything for you." He says resting his chin ontop of your head.

You can't help but crack a smile. You love Miles Morales.

THE END

[emotionallychargedtowel]

BL meta master post

I've had an Utsukushii Kare master post as my pinned post for a while now, since I've posted so much about it. But I think it's time I do a general BL meta post instead. All of the links and information from the Utsukare post are here, too, but so are links to my other BL meta posts.

It's going to take a while to get everything in here so I'm going to go ahead and publish it even though it isn't entirely complete. I'll continue updating it until it is complete, and I'll add newer posts as they come.

Posts covering multiple BLs

The pursuer-distancer dyad & how it applies to the world of BL - a primer on this psychological concept and how it applies to BL generally, touching on how it applies to Utsukushii Kare, Semantic Error, and To My Star 2

BL ask game: Long-term pining and grumpy/sunshine

My top 5 rewatched BL scenes, responding to an ask by @wen-kexing-apologist (Spoiler: it's still mostly Utsukare)

Zettai BL season 3

What's different about Hatano, part 1 - In short, Hatano isn't fucking around.

Part 2 - Hatano's awareness of Mob's fourth wall-breaking and other ways he sometimes senses Mob's reality in a way no one else has

Part 3 - Hatano's perseverance, his strategy of hitting Mob with a flag and immediately heading for the hills, and the way he uses the age gap to his advantage

Part 4 (the final installment) - The way that Hatano treats Mob like a specific human being and has specific reasons for liking him, unlike the vast majority of his suitors, and the way the BL-within-a-BL storyline changes not only the way Mob relates to him but the way the audience does

25 ji Akasaka de

Prying off the shell - In episode 7, Hayama's friend Mihara makes a an interesting observation. He says that Shirasaki doesn't seem to have a "shell"--his way of talking about a social self, a persona that a person experiences as separate from their core self. Then he points out that Hayama not only has a "shell," he has multiple layers of shell, so many that it's essentially impenetrable, like a neverending set of matryoshka dolls. I wrote here about what these shell metaphors really mean psychologicaly, how Hayama's family of origin played into his multilayered shell, and the implications of both their personalities on how they relate to each other.

Nominating a runner for 25 ji - If someone has to do the traditional JBL thing of running through the streets to get to the other person, who should run? That's a question @my-rose-tinted-glasses and @lurkingshan discussed, and it got me thinking.

Hayama's mask finally slips - Looking closely at Hayama's affect in the opening scene of episode 9--and trying to process the level of blorbo distress that entails

Over-analyzing the finale trailer in a vain attempt to try to manage my pre-finale angst

The Eighth Sense

The Eighth Sense e5 & e6: Portraying trauma with nuance

On The Eighth Sense episodes 7 & 8

The Eighth Sense episodes 9 and 10: All we can do is try

Bokura no Shokutaku/Our Dining Table

Thoughts on the "spinoff" (bonus episode) and how it's a logical extension of the leads' character arcs

Old Fashion Cupcake

I had a realization about Nozue's constant, somewhat inappropriate complimenting of Togawa while looking at a gifset and reblogged it with my thoughts

To My Star

Notes on a gifset by @jimmysea - Nerding out big time on that one season 2 kiss

Only Friends

Sand, compulsive caregiver - On Sand's documented history of parentification and how it relates to his relationship with Ray

Only Friends characters' fragrance preferences - Assigning each of the lead characters a favorite fragrance based on their personalities, with some made-up backstory

Minato's Laundromat

About that Minato's Laundromat season 2 storyline... - Commenting on a certain character's traumatic brain injury and its effects from a psychology perspective

Kiseki: Dear to Me

Chu chu chu; or, intimate scene tips from the Kiseki cast

Brief commentary on a reblog of some behind-the-scenes footage

HIStory 3: Trapped

A reblog of the "chu chu chu" post about Kiseki that adds similar information about how intimacy was handled on the set of HIStory 3: Trapped - featuring a helpful linguistic note from @nibupei

and, last but not least...

Utsukushii Kare meta

The psychological paradoxes of Utsukushii Kare

This is a series of posts (the current plan is to write three installments) about what it says on the tin: paradoxical psychological dynamics in Utsukushii Kare. These are things about the characters that may seem contradictory at first but can be accounted for by digging deeper into some psychological concepts. These posts are focused on the series (both seasons) but will draw from the movie and from the novel and related stories when they illustrate points about the series.

Part 1: Covert grandiosity and finding status through idealization - A pretty deep dive into 1) the subtle ways Hira shows that while his self-image can be highly negative in some ways, in other respects he feels superior to others and 2) how by elevating Kiyoi’s status and humbling himself in comparison, Hira attains a different kind of status.

An addendum of sorts to part 1: Hira's parents and his self-defeating tendencies - Some guesswork about how Hira's parents could have contributed to his self-defeating personality, with some further discussion of specific self-defeating strategies he uses in his relationship with Kiyoi and elsewhere.

Utsukushii Kare through the lens of pursuer-distancer dynamics and related psychological concepts:

The pursuer-distancer dyad & how it applies to the world of BL - a primer on this psychological concept and how it applies to BL generally, with a brief reference to how this concept applies to Utsukare (also touches on Semantic Error and talks in detail about an example from To My Star 2). This one isn't super focused on Utsukushii Kare but is pretty de rigeur for understanding my UK posts on this topic.

Paradoxical roles; or, I think I finally figured out the pursuer-distancer dynamic in Utsukushii Kare - This post comes after some of the posts listed below but I recommend reading it first as this is really where (I think) I cracked the code on this aspect of the story.

Pursuer-distancer roles & attachment style in Utsukushii Kare, Part 1: Hira - In-depth discussion of Hira's role in the pursuer-distancer dyad, his attachment style, and his personality

Pursuer-distancer roles and attachment style in Utsukushii Kare Part 2: Kiyoi - In-depth discussion of Kiyoi's role in the pursuer-distancer dyad, his attachment style, and his personality

Re-evaluating pursuing & distancing in Utsukushii Kare season 1 - super detailed post working out my thoughts about pursuing and distancing in season 1

On the way Sakai Mai (the series' director) uses seme left, uke right framing and its significance in BL and other Japanese media:

Using an example from the s2e1 with the girl who hits on Hira at a party (via a reblog of a gifset from @nanons)

On the way Sakai flips Hira's and Kiyoi's position in the frame in two versions of the same scene and what it tells us about its significance

How the persistent/cute trope plays out in Utsukushii Kare season 2, plus related overanalyses of the big season 2 finale kiss:

The persistent and the cute (how "persistent" and "cute" are code words with specific meanings in BL/yaoi/other drama and manga genres/Japanese culture more broadly)

Analyzing the season 2 finale kiss in light of seme left/uke right framing and the persistent/cute trope (in a reblog of a gif post by @nanons)

Reblogging @bl-bracket to lobby for the season 2 finale kiss, with more overanalysis

Fragrance nerd discussion:

This bittersweet fragrance - on the significance of osmanthus/tea olive in Utsukushii Kare season 2, with additional information on the possible significance of the fragrance of osmanthus and perfumes that are either osmanthus soliflores or feature prominent osmanthus notes

Posts on specific season 2 episodes:

initial thoughts about S2e1

Additional (informal) thoughts on s2e1

S2e1 rundown

Hira's incongruous/misaligned affect at the end of s2e1

S2e2 rundown

on S2e2, including pursuer-distancer dynamics and seme left, uke right

Utsukushii Kare S2E4: “face me straight on” (mostly discussing relationship dynamics pointed out in topic-specific metas)

on Utsukushii Kare: Eternal:

Kiyoi and Anna: on Kiyoi’s friendship with Anna and its significance for his personal growth

[bengiyo]

Hello Ben! Hope you're having a good day.

So I just finished listening to the podcast and just wanted to share my two cents about the two jbls tied for Girl, You Tried.

So I actually just rewatched Living with Him yesterday. What are the odds? I hadn't rewatched since it ended so last night I did. And I have rewatched Love is Better the Second Time Around as well. And from a rewatching perspective and a binging perspective, Living with Him is, in my opinion, a little bit better. LIBTSTA is pretty, they are gorgeous, the chemistry is amazing, but the flaw is in the direction they chose to go with the end, and in my opinion, I don't think they actually resolved any of their issues in a way that makes me believe they will stay together. So nothing about is improved better with a rewatch or a binge.

With LwH, yes it dragged, and with a weekly viewing I definitely felt annoyed by it, mostly by Ryota not making up his damn mind, but by the end I could feel some small joy seeing them together, having a small moment of domesticity and making their own little festival party. And the sparkles. I love a jbl sparkles moment almost as much as a running to the beloved.

So yeah. Just thought I'd share my thinking on it.

Hope you have a great week and congrats on 50 eps of the podcast. It's amazing!

Rose🧡

It's kinda wild to think about how @the-conversation-pod is 50 episodes old. NiNi and I mostly started it as an excuse to hang out with each other and try to be as Caribbean as we could about BL.

The reasons you gave here are why we gave Love is Better the Second Time Around and Living With Him a tie for Girl, You Tried. In both cases, there's something to like a lot about it, but a big failure otherwise. When we spoke about it with @twig-tea on our Second Rate Second Chance episode, Twig and I were just so relieved that a show finally released the sexual tension of the yukata scenes, but hated the weird turn in the last third of the show with the cousin.

I really loved Living With Him around episode 3. The conversation they had about what was going on was spectacular. However, the show then went into a holding pattern for basically the rest of the show. It also hurts knowing that they essentially removed Ryota sorting out queerness for himself. This keeps happening lately, and it is not making the shows better. Also, that useless flashback episode felt like a waste of time because it told us nothing we didn't already know. Finally, my man Natsukawa has wanted to fuck that man for like a decade, and they ended on soft and cute.

It's tough, because I like big things in both shows, but also hate big things in both. Highlighting both of these and giving them the shared award feels like a fitting place to put both of them. They must share an award, just like their shows tried to straddle a line.

Thanks for listening to our show!

[gallapiech]

What a week, huh? Captain, it's Wednesday

Thank you @heymacy for this week's tag game and for tagging me :D

name: Fransie

when is your birthday: March 28th!

where do you call home? 🛏️

how many pets do you have? 3

what do you do for work? I draw for work and then I go home and draw for myself.

do you believe in aliens? Yea I think so!

do you believe in ghosts? Only at night. 🤣

favorite subject in school? I loved IT & Music before those classes got cancelled :')

what are you currently reading? It's a fic but i'm currently reading Can't Figure You Out by Crimson_Bebop

what are you currently watching? Rory through the hidden camera I've planted in her house.

what kind of laptop do you have (+ describe it to me): I do not have a laptop :) I have one of those custom built gamer pcs hahaha. dont ask me for the specs though im very dumb.

what kind of phone do you have (+ describe it to me): Got a red iPhone 14! (wanted to like support the aids charity) and a dark case with my own D&D art on it!

no-show socks, ankle socks, or crew socks? colorful crew socks!

what kind of headphones do you use? airpods or JBL headset.

how do you consume caffeine? either through coffee or energy drinks.

and finally, what are you wearing today? a white polo with green khakis & colorful green n orange socks :)

@roryonic @spookygingerr @mybrainismelted @spacerockwriting @jrooc

@transmurderbug @transmickey @lee-ow @creepkinginc @lingy910y

@ian-galagher @matt404b @sleepyheadgallavich SORRY IF I FORGOT TO TAG SOME OF YOU IM RUSHING TO FINISH THIS SO I CAN EAT DINNER THEYRE WAITING FOR ME

[petrichoraline]

what IS kamen rider? something like the power rangers but with jbl actors?

great that you're asking this because I literally asked the lovely @littleragondin three days ago in quite the same manner lol so we're going to use their explanation if you don't mind ❤

"It's a children's show like Power Rangers except that instead of having a colour coded team, you have a Main Dude with Some Friends In Cool Armors and Some Enemies In Cool Armors Too. It's a show produced by toei to sell toys basically and they make a new one every year with a new set of actors and a new theme." (this is an almost exact quote lol)

after I acknowledged the fact there are SO MANY SEASONS:

"Yeah, there are TONS lol though you can mostly dive into one without previous knowledge, it's perfectly fine - that's how I got started and I am not watching them in order. ^^ "

and also it's "a springboard for young actors really" and that's smth I've personally noticed a long time ago while going through jbl actors' mdl pages haha

so this is what I've got for you, if anyone wants to explain smth please feel free to do so in the replies <3

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

3 and 12 especially if 12 does not correspond to the list from 3

3. Rank the shows you are currently watching from least favorite to favorite.

Ok. So I just answered this one. So I guess this time I'll give some reasons for each one.

8.My Love Mix-Up! This one just started so there isn't a lot to say about it and what I got to say I kinda did when it aired. I'll be waiting to see if it improves because I like the actors. 7.Love Sea I literally just finished watching the first episode an hour ago. I'm not sold and the reason it surpasses MLMU is the ocean. I love anything a little bit more if I can watch the ocean at the same time. 6.We Are It's not breaking any new ground. But I'm enjoying the friendship moments a lot. The group is really fun and they are all very natural together. Tan/Fang are my favourites atm and I wish I had more than crumbs Chain/Pun, because I find Pun really fun to watch. 5.Knock Knock, Boys! It's really fun. I'm actually laughing in certain moments which doesn't happen all that often. I really like the house dynamics, it feels very real to me. Seng is great of course, but I like all of them. The food montage was a high moment for me. I was drooling. 4.Only Boo! They are so freakin adorable. I am in pain. That train break up was so sad. Well done but sad. I understand the reason, and it makes sense from what we know of Kang, but it was painful. And that title card '1 year later'... I hate it so much. We don't really know how much happened in that year so I don't want to preemptively criticize it, but I hope that something else changed and not only the calendar. Cause if you're gonna move past so many things, at least give me growth. 3.With You I Bloom This one is a jdrama and thanks to an amazing fansubber I can watch as it airs which is not always the case with jdramas. This is not a bl, but I don't think anyone has told the show yet. I started watching this one because there are a lot of jbl actors in it so I was curious. And I'm having so much fun. It's basically a bunch of dudes learning to fight with swords in very nice clothes. There are a bunch of couples pairs, with very different dynamics, several sad backstories, and the final theme song makes cackle every time because it's always a massive tonal shift, because it's so happy and honestly, so so gay. 2.Wandee Goodday It's a whole new level of idiots in love and I love it. Like there's idiot in love, and then there's Dee. He's going for first place and no one can even touch him. I think if Taem clearly and without reservations rejects Yak, he can accept his feelings for Dee properly. But Dee is all over the place and at this point I don't think the show is doing a good job at telling me why. He keeps going back and forth too quickly for me. I truly hope that final flashback he had when they were running was him accepting his feelings. Also I NEED to know about Cher and Oyei. I need that backstory. TODAY. 1.At 25:00 in Akasaka I love Hayama a normal amount. This last episode was a rollercoaster for me. That ending left me screaming. And then I went through a whole thing when @lurkingshan threw my glasses on the floor and I was able to see everything in a whole new way. Anyway I love this show. What they are doing with the two shows is so interesting, and the editing is so smart. And I love them both. Hayama has my whole heart though.

2. Which show do you think will have the best ending?

Honestly, I have no idea. Endings are hard. It's hard to tie all the loose ends and make everybody happy. Jbl's lately have not done a great job at them. I still trust them more than Thai bl endings and I feel like we are collectively dreading WG end because of that. So honestly. If I'm going by what I've seen so far, I'm gonna say Only Boo. Maybe because the stakes are not as high as for some of the other shows, I expect a solid ending that will leave me with a big smile and a full heart. And that's honestly more than I've been getting so I'll be happy.

Thank you so much for dropping by with questions. 💜

Currently Airing Shows Ask Game

[lilidawnonthemoon]

[markmybirds]

15 Day BL Challenge

Doing this Day-By-Day will probably be too much for brain so I have decided since it's relaxed I will be doing this 1-5 days over 3 days. I just want to also add on that I am an avid watcher of many different kinds of dramas, and I embrace different countries also. But I will probably go off of mostly Thailand here. This will get more complicated if I invest in my JBL and TaiwanBL pools and Growing KBL. I may do honourary mentions to those couples though I choose to use some of those pairings as my faves.

(Mom Life..) Also final beginning note: All original screen grab/posters/gif makers are given credit in the image descriptions. Day One: Favourite OG Actor Pairing My choice is Boun Noppanut Guntachai and Prem Warut Chawalitrujiwong (With Honourary Mentions: Billkin & PP Krit, Both Nattapong & Newyear Kitiwhut, Max Kornthas & Nat Natasitt and Ja Phachara & First Chalongrat) I will say I didn't know who to choose because I don't know who would be considered "OG" so I went with like a comfort couple of mine that has been continuously a comfort couple. I can't put into words how much I love them but really, if it's BounPrem I'm there and I'm watching it. I love how both of them are "comfortable" in their own way and they have shown us that they can be supportive of one another even when working on their solo activities. Boun has also put people in their place a few times for misconceptions of himself and Prem. As for Prem I just have always enjoyed his quiet nature. Also his quick responses that come out of nowhere and surprise Boun. (Example: Saying I love you when Boun told an interviewer he would love someone to say it genuinely to him one day.. Or that he'd donate his heart to Boun if he needed a replacement. Actually my husband and Boun have the same condition! It's something that can be helped when they're older.)

Also. Boun has one of the best laughs in all of Thailand oh and his earrings~! Come at me if you disagree. I am vibrating in anticipation for The Vampire Project.

Day Two: Favourite Rookie Actor Pairing Oh boy. Uh. There are so many but I think in the circumstances that both of the actors were rookies when they did their first series together? Tutor Koraphat Lamnoi and Yim Pharinyakorn Khansawa. Although Yim had been in the business since he was a teenager he didn't have a successful drama until he was paired with Tutor in Cutie Pie as NuerSyn. (Honourary Second Place: GeminiFourth Honourary Third Place: DaouOffroad Honourary Taiwanese Coupling: Tseng Jing Hua and Peng Cian You~. And shush! They were SO A COUPLE OK. ).

I just enjoy these two so much, their aesthetic is of course off the charts with Yim's ethereal alien looks and the fae-kind creature we know as Tutor. I consider them my comfort couple. The moment Yim entered Cutie Pie as Syn I knew he'd be my favourite character. After I finally got more into CP due to War, I got smacked by them a second time years later.

Also don't tell Zee and NuNew or Max and Nat but they were my favourite land for DMDLand2. Poker Land slapped so hard and both of these men are super talented. Yim was even sick when he performed and Tutor kept taking glances to check in on him. They are my comfort couple, I enjoy their relationship (whatever it is offcam) dynamic that we get to see. They admit to bickering a lot at the beginning of their promotions as a CPL. I love how daring they have been since the beginning too, our poor Kla and Ker working hard to maintain their and our sanities with these two. I can't wait for "Battle of the Writers"! Day Three: Side Dish That Should've Been the Main Course Warning to those who are heart broken like me: NetJames Incoming.

This is going to hurt my heart. This drama was not a BL but the side dish was our same sex relationship trope in the drama. The main coupling was two amazing actors who I love dearly I just felt that the director did NOT use Great and Four's actually-there-tension at all. The side couple is: Net Siraphop Manithikhun and James Supamonkon Wongwisut as Captain and Foei in Catch Me Baby. (I advise for people's sanity to never read MDL comments on dramas though. They have a weird hate for Thai actors..) I am not going to sit here and explain how I feel about NetJames since the news. I respect them, and I think NetJames fans need to learn to respect their boundaries and what they are going through right now. Cause ISTG if I read another: WHERE IS ___!? in their IG lives again I will explode and take everyone out. Also, I will forever support them individually or together.

That said Captain and Foei had that frienemies to lovers trope and chef's kiss. Just. I started this drama before I got back into the Thai BL scene again and it was what made me anticipate and watch Bed Friend every week when it aired. I have honourary mentions but every one of these I loved the main couple just as much or a little more than these side couples so I didn't choose them. Or they were the second half of their show's main couple or they got a spin off or show of their own (LOOKIN AT YOU YIDIAO~). GeminiFourth as Heart and Li Ming in Moonlight Chicken, JeffBarcode as KimChay in KinnPorsche, TutorYim as NuerSyn in CP and CP2 and NB, AyaKate as YiwaMarine in Wedding Plan (This is GL couple~), PealSee as TheeThai from Laws of Attraction and you can argue this with me but if you saw MoD you know this is canon: GreatMD as Inspector M/Dr. Oat in Manner of Death. Oh one more. Sorry. I love myself a good Side Couple: Xiao Kaizhong and Gao Han as MaoK in Falling Into Your Smile (they're a couple ok. AS READER OF THEIR WEBNOVEL YOU CAN NOT CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.)

Day Four: Fave Ship Dynamic Oh my gods. Do you know how hard this question is for me? I'm like.. "Yes?". As a character artist and avid role player I like most ship dynamics. Wardog would tell you it's "Side Character Plots". So if I had to choose only one it'd be Character with Trauma x Green Flag. I love it even more if the Green Flag learns to be one through trying to be there for their love interest. They could also just both be people with trauma and both be green flags who heal each other. I am extending an invitation to view this gifset by Pharawee in its entirety because it's my fave part of LITA. And I have a lot of fave parts in LITA.

And here are some couples that fit here: FortPeat as PrapaiSky from Love in the Air, JaFirst as LeoFiat from Don't Say No, Okura Takato and Hyuga Wataru as Kaido Amane and Yamasuga Ryuji from Kimi to Narakoi wo Shite Mite mo, Tseng Jing Hua and Peng Cian You as Pu Yi Yong and Cao Guangyan from Oh No! Here Comes Trouble, NetJames as KingUea in Bed Friend, JimmySea as MhokDay in Last Twilight, PavelPooh (PoohPavel? ekeke) as CharlieBabe from Pit Babe and I could be here all day listing this trope.. So one more and I think this ship works on both sides: BillyBabe as PhayaTharn from The Sign.

Day Five: Biggest Flop Uhm. The problem is I like lower-income-shows but I think because of the lack of ethics behind this show: For Him and not because of the cast. I really enjoyed the cast, I just feel awful they had to work with so little to get at least decent content out. And that Tor had been harassed and stalked by one of the production members. I enjoyed the first few episodes, though the decline in quality of script and shots the cast had been given is very evident each episode you go through. The chemistry of the couples was chemistrying even with scenes like stepping on a new tattoo... For more information about this I would view befuddledcinnamonroll's 15 Day Challenge and pharawee's (wow we're on that tumblr a lot in this) coverage of the issues: here and here. Also reading through some of the casts' Twitters and

Another "Possible Flop" right now, hopefully not forever, I would say is Red Peafowl. Which is such a shame since their pilot slapped so hard.

TBC tomorrow~.

To do your own 15 Day BL Challenge Go Here!

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - In Which None of You Should be Surprised by a MAJOR Upset in the Standings

Sorry this is so late. I had a pretty epic series of delays landing me at NRT for like 18 hours or something ridiculous. To be fair there are much worse airports to be stranded at.

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

June 2024 Week 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

The Rebound (Weds Gaga) ep 1 of 12 - Fuck all ya'all if you thought I had taste. MeenPing are topping this damn list because... have you any idea how LONG I have been waiting for a real sports centered BL starring at least one boy who actually played the flipping sport? My whole damn life. You ready for me to go into euphoric splooges all over your screens? I don't think you are. SUFFER! And now some splooging:

It’s off to a great start. Thank you, Rebound, for being exactly what I wanted. By which I mean Meen has his shirt off literally in the first two minutes of the show. Also it’s a bit of a childhood sweethearts reunion romance. There’s nothing wrong with this beginning. Fantastic. For a change, I even enjoy the intro music. Golf is directing MeenPing this time, so maybe something magical will happen. Frank is aging so pretty!!! How nice for all of us. Even the bb play is good. It’s a proper sports BL. I’m so damn happy right now. 

Wandee Goodday (Sat YT) ep 9 of 12 - I’m so tired of Ter, but everything else was lovely. Also they are SUCH boyfriends. 

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 3 of 12 - They are so cute in these roles. I don’t know why, I just like their vibe better here than in the previous show. (And I really enjoyed Big Dragon at the start.) This show is a lot more classic romance and kind of pat because of that. I do hope the ingénue character gets some kind of additional development and talent. But even if it stays mundane, these two have the chemistry to carry it. So I suspect I’ll keep enjoying it regardless. I am mildly intrigued by the spice of the PNR element, so I hope they run with that a bit more. I suspect they will have to, to extend the plot for 12 eps.

My Stand-In (Fri iQIYI) ep 10 of 12 - Ah Ming... famous last words. This one just makes me sigh a lot and whimper sadly. I don’t know where they’re going with this plot or how they’re gonna resolve it. Joe finally being the asshole Ming deserves is a lot of fun though (double entendre intended). I’m scared but it did make me cry... a lot. (That's fine, I'm a sap.)  

Imma say this because no one else has. Wardrobe is unilaterally terrible in this show. I mean Thailand is notoriously bad in general but this show, nash.

We Are Cute (Weds iQIYI) ep 13 of 16 - They are so fucking adorable. And so flirty! Also a crying kiss? My favorite! Chain’s little moment of "Cupid shoot thyself" was epic. ("Physician heal thyself" but for the BL world?) Honestly, I could watch a whole show about these two...

The Trainee (Sun YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - How does Gun still look like he’s just out of high school? Madness. Does the set for the print shop that he’s working in at the beginning remind anybody else of Mork’s dad’s place in ‘Cause He’s My Boy? I swear GMMTV has about 3 sets they rotate through.

To be brutally honest, I was not looking forward to the show at all. No idea why. OffGun aren’t my most favorite OG pair, but I respect them for their longevity, optics, acting shops, and enduring brand. Maybe I just needed more of a gap from Cooking Crush?

Whatever, I was absolutely riveted by this first episode. I’m enjoying The Trainee a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 4 of 12 - This version did the "clear up of the inciting miscommunication" in such a sweet achey way. Frankly that "ache of first love" really plays to G4's strengths as a pair. This was a good ep and I’m now starting to enjoy this one for its own sake and get some distance from the JBL version. It's just there is A LOT of good stuff coming out of Thailand right now.

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - I was inspired to write a Shakespearean style sonnet in this week's trash watch. Mame seems to believe that no character can have depth without suffering. And I found this episode both boring and rushed at the same time. Trash watch here. (This week's trash watch also VERY delayed.)

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) ep 6 of 12 - It’s eminently missable... so I missed it this week in order to get this weekly update out. Next week will be a two in one. 

Only Boo! (Sun YT) ep 12fin - Okay, that’s it, I guess?

Summary:

An idol romance about a sunshine boy who dances good and wants to be a star and a reserved food stand vendor. Other side of the tracks, grumpy/sunshine pair who fall in love but, of course, to be an idol baby boy can't date. It wasn’t particularly bad, it wasn’t particularly good either. 7/10

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) Ep 1 of 10 - A new series adaptation of beloved yaoi I Hear the Sunspot (first adaptation was feature film Silhouette of Your Voice 2017).

I expected the soundscapes in this one to be fantastic, but I didn’t expect the filming to be something special too. But it really is. I’m not gonna lie, I'm nervous about this show because I love the manga and was disappointed by the film, but we were off to a really good start. First names already? So cute. I love them.

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - Shy awkward Taishin goes to a Tokyo university in order to reunite with Takara, a stranger who consoled him over the loss of a parrot the year prior. He finally gets a chance to express his gratitude but is given the cold shoulder. (My thoughts this weekend's round up)

I can't believe Japan is holding it down for the non Thai BL. I mean to say.... JAPAN!!! What alt reality are we living in? It being Japan, I'm scared of the ending.

It's airing but...

Blue Boys is still going on and I'm still enjoying it (despite the cheating) but I don't know when it drops or where it's going, so I will report in at the end. When they tell me it's ended.

The Last Time (Thai Fri YT?) - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something. Can't find it.

OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ???) 10 eps - I've put the search on hold for and y'all can let me know if it's worth tracking down once it ends?

In case you missed it

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer released to Korean theaters 5/25. HoTae & DongHee, side couple from Unintentional Love Story are back! Same actors, same character names. I love them. Devastated this hasn't had international distribution. I demand you tell me the moment you find it!

Next Week Looks Like This:

NO IMG - we half way through this week already - sorry.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

July Releases to Come

7/5 This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Thai iQIYI) - trailer here, The PittBabe team behind a new restaurant set BL full of hidden agendas and starring my new favorites SailubPon. Delightful!

7/10 Century of Love (Thai Gaga) 10 eps - trailer here, DaouOffroad are back, this time as fated mates in a quasi historical paranormal moment. San has spent many lifetimes waiting for his lost beloved, to reincarnate from her death a century ago. But if he fails to find her within this century's time window, he will succumb to a tragic death. And this time she's a boy. Very much Director Who Buys Me Dinner meets First Love Again, hopefully better than both. I love this pair and think they can handle the premise, it's whether the storytelling is up to the challenge. I'm curious to see but I have reservations.

7/26 4 Minutes (Thai Netflix or iQIYI?) - Great is a university student from Faculty of Business and the son of a wealthy business owner. Out of the blue, he gains the supernatural power to see four minutes into the future.

7/29 Battle of the Writers (Thai ????) - trailer here, TutorYim return and while I adore them, I really hope this is better than Middleman's Love. Won't be hard. However: that premise! Ugh. Something something authors fighting - save me. Why don't writers understand that nothing is more boring than writers?

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Defining @heretherebedork 's favorite endearment of "tiny idiot."

I love him. I also love what a class act they both were about this turn down. Thailand shows Korea how to handle a love triangle by NOT HAVING ONE.

Both We Are.

We stand a lap sit on this blog, but I think this is my first lap spin! I adored it! (Sunset X Vibes)

It's fun to watch them follow the original narrative but with these cute little Thai twists. Sometimes these are shifted for language reasons, sometimes for cultural, and sometimes I think just to draw a clear distinction from the JBL. I'm not mad about any of it. (My Love Mix Up)

Not just for you, honey. Truer words were never spoken. Yak is the biggest green flag ever to walk BL's verdant earth.

Linguistic corner!

I love this way of putting the translation. Usually, in Thai, the phrase used means "he's my happiness" (sounds like: kwamsook). To use sabai is different. Sabai more ubiquitous (sabai is one of the most commonly used phrases in Thailand) but also so different from the usual phrase we hear in ThBL at this moment. Thus, this execution is special, particularly from a doctor. I'm not quite sure how to put it but sabai can also be translated as feeling well, as in, not ill. So there is a way of looking at Wandee saying Yak is both his peace of mind and good for his health and well being.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in it's infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

There's these tricks, remember.

[goodeapple]

☾ a shadow is cast wherever they stand

pairing ... chad x tara x ethan

warnings ... smuttt, mommy/daddy kink (but just a tad), sub!ethan for sure, no spoilers just fun :)

“No no no no. I told you once already Eth, keep them open or I stop.” 

Tara whimpers at Chad’s pause, arching back into his daunting form, her fists wringing wrinkles in the off-white sheets of his bed to keep herself in place. The violent hum of the AC unit balanced delicately in the window fills the air, Starboy on 3 volume crooning from the beat-up JBL speaker on Chad’s dresser. 

The slick purr of Ethan fisting his cock with enough lube to have it puddle on his lower stomach stalls, Abel’s lyrics of lost love and missed connections the only sound besides the trio’s heavy breaths. 

Tara sighs, sweet and soft, as those pretty eyes of his spring back open, pupils olive-sized and blotting out the dark coffee of his irises. 

Tara reaches behind her, gaze unwilling to break from the curly haired boy’s, wiggling her fingers in an invitation until a mammoth hand dwarfs her own. Chad squeezes her delicately, like a flower he’s afraid he might crush, his thumb rubbing over her quivering knuckles. He starts thrusting again- thank God- lacing their fingers together, brushing a kiss over the freckles on her left shoulder. 

Ethan fucks his hips up into his fist, stare wide and watching, his opposite hand rucking up his shirt, letting his blunt nails scratch over the pale skin of his lower belly. He’s sprawled out, knees spread apart whorishly, gifting himself open to the devious couple who plan to absolutely destroy him. He’s a vision that is too stunning to not reward. 

Tara lifts up onto her palms, warming as Ethan’s famished gaze drinks in her naked chest. Her nipples pebble at the attention. Ethan licks his lips. 

“I wonder who he wants to be more right now, you or me?” Tara whispers into her boyfriend’s ear, jaw going slack as Chad picks up his pace at her question, his thick dick pummeling her spread pussy. He’s whimpering, gasping, moaning suddenly, grip finding her waist, clenching her tight as he drops his head to the nape of her neck. 

“Ethannnn,” Chad’s voice is wrecked, a mess of whiny syllables that swirls liquid lust in Tara’s tummy. She bites savagely at her tongue, anchoring herself with the familiar tang of copper as her cunt pulses around Chad. 

Ethan’s eyes go wide, mouth dropping down so far that Tara wishes she could make a joke or something about catching flies but she can’t catch her breath as a thin dribble of drool trails off of his swollen bottom lip and coats the weeping purple tip of his cock. 

Tara wants to ride his fucking tongue until she gushes so much that it’ll drip off his chin and down his chest. 

“Ethan.” And Tara’s voice isn’t a whine but a warning and Ethan- sweet boy he is, so good for Tara and Chad both- sobs wetly, bottom lashes clumped with emotion, squeezes the base of his cock, other hand flying to cup his balls, hips straining fruitlessly to chase the burning ache Tara knows is casting him aflame. He waits and Tara isn’t sure if she likes the dark thrill of having these two delicious men at her beck and call, willing to do anything to make her feel good. Doesn’t know if it’s their pleasure or pain that makes her belly twist just right. But right now, stuffed full and so close to the edge that she feels herself about to careen over it, she settles it as a discussion for another night. 

“Cum for us, baby boy. You’ve been so good for mommy and daddy.” 

Thick white ropes of cum accessorize Ethan’s blue polo, his ass lifting off the chair as he strains down against his planted feet. His face is angelic, lips a circled “O”, cheeks cherry bright and a singular droplet of sweat skiing down the slope of his profile.

Chad chokes, slamming into Tara, fingertips suddenly pinching her clit just the way she needs and she’s gone. All three of them, cumming together in their fucked form of intimacy, Tara muffling her scream with her teeth buried in her arm.

[dramalets]

2024 Watch List pt1

Here we go again!

To sir, with love - This is a lakorn so it's appropriately dramatic. The mothers are absolutely foul and do an awful lot of scheming and yelling. Jam/Film are intensely watchable and make wet fish kisses look terribly romantic. Tongtong Kitsakorn as Yang was a revelation. I'm sad he's pm just a lakorn actor/pop star because he is so watchable. I loved that, though they were evil and insane, the mothers all felt fleshed out and realised. You understood why they were yikes. 3½/5 (2/1/23)

A Boss & a Babe - I quit this at episode 2 and then decided to go back to it. I don’t regret doing so. This isn’t top tier but it’s also not shit tier. Cher, the very dictionary definition of toxic positivity, and Gun, an autism coded cat man, enter into an extremely quick romance (like seriously, it’s taken hard worn lesbians longer to say I love you) the catch being they’re intern and company boss. Honestly in another drama that would have been the the huge hiccup of the series, keeping them apart, but it’s consistently shown to be more of an issue for others that it is for them. This is very low conflict, mostly romcom fluff with two weirdly intense, barely explored side stories for support characters. I didn’t loath Force in this and would actually like him to be given more roles where he’s just a soft simp and not a boring sarcastic one. Book does some good comedy work here. 3/5 (4/1/23)

The day I loved you - I know this won’t work for everyone. It’s a bittersweet ten episode love story between a boy with ASL and the ‘rebel’ exchange student at his school. Pinoy BL, for me, either really hits or really misses and this hit. It does use a questionable model of disability, namely the inspiration model, but I cant nit pick too much when this is only ten 15/20 minute episodes. I enjoyed it a lot, you may also if you’re okay with a bittersweet ending vs an out and out happy one. 3½/5 (12/1/24)

VIP Only - Well this was adorable. Slow as molasses and just as sweet. This probably won’t be for everyone, very slow and not much happens other than character growth and a love story, but it worked for me. The edit is horrendous in places and I do wish Taiwan did longer episodes, but those are my only gripes. 3½/5 (19/1/24)

I cannot reach you - I don’t really watch Jbl. There are just styles and tropes that I don’t enjoy watching that Japan uses a lot of. It’s a taste thing more than it is anything else. So keep that in mind. This is full of a lot of the things I don’t like; over action, randomly running everywhere, sudden non-con. But it’s also endearingly sweet and very well acted, so I did find myself enjoying it. I don’t think this’ll awaken a desire to watch lots of Jbl but it has made me consider some others. 3/5 (20/1/24)

Last Twilight - I had a lot of fun with this. The dialogue and acting were all top notch and, as ever with Aof productions, it was stunning to look at. It weaves the story of two broken people healing one another very well with Jimmy & Sea doing beautiful work as Mhok & Day. I think this came a little unstuck at points in the end. I liked most of the romance movie style ending but I remain a little unsure about Day’s ending. Still, this is a show that I enjoyed every week and will have no issues rewatching. 4/5 (26/1/24)

Old Fashion Cupcake - I’m working on trying out more JBL to get a feel for what I do and don’t like. This? This I like. We don’t have enough stories about older people anyway and this does it well. Togawa’s slow courting of Nozue through shared experiences and casual intimacy is delicious to watch. 4/5 (4/2/24)

Pit Babe - I love when I show wholly knows what it is and doesn’t try and be anything but that. This knew it was a big ol’ fanfic and leaned wholeheartedly into that. Whether it was the breeding program subplot or the consistently dumb toothpaste and sausage ppl it handled them both with equal aplomb. It’s also worth noting that was largely really well acted too! Pavel, Nut & Sailub particularly impressed me but there was nobody bad. 4/5 (9/2/24)

Our Dining Table - My journey into JBL continues and this was the best one yet. Soft pining between two sad boy leads with a gorgeous found family story woven in. The treacle slow courting between these two won’t be for everyone but it was wholly for me. 5/5 (17/2/24)

Cooking Crush - The edit on this was criminally bad at points, sometimes I truly felt I’d skipped a part and I hadn’t at all, but it still served up a good little story. If you’re visiting this for the romance it’s not really that, the story is in the friends and their lives more than it is in Ten & Prem’s romance. I loved the comedy in this, it hit those notes well and was never over the top. (Lots of puns that I expect are super good if you speak Thai.) Nobody is bad in this, everyone delivers, but OffGun are as watchable as they always are and the few kisses they do have are perfect. 3/5 (18/2/24)

The Novelist - When I say I don’t love JBL it’s usually because the tropes are just too tropey for my tastes. Apparently I’m a lying liar who lies because this is extremely Japanese and I loved every moody second of it. Kijima is a sad, lonely, messed up man who doesn’t think he’s deserving of anything good and it’s wildly compelling to watch. 4/5 (18/2/24)

Mood Indigo - Fucked up 4 Fucked up. Two broken, sad, lonely men mess up repeatedly, and erotically, that’s it that’s the show and I ate it up with a spoon. Deeply flawed assholes being toxic together, when it’s well written and well acted, is so disgustingly watchable to me and this certainly was. 5/5 (18/2/24)

The Novelist: Playback - Continues where The Novelist ends. I watched the clean version of this, it was what was available to me, and was still deeply entertained. So if you think people watch this series for the heat then you’re incorrect. This is another instalment of Kijima Rio being a horribly broken fuck up of a man. I loved it. 4/5 (21/2/24)

Tokyo in April is… - I love a good destined to be together trope when it’s done well and this is done beautifully. Kazuma and Ren fall in love as teenagers and are separated before finding one another again as adults. The pacing on this is a little rough, I get what they were doing with the sub-plot but it felt mildly unneeded and time would have been better given to exploring our leads generally or even Ren’s painful family issues. This is still a lovely drama that I wholly recommend. 4/5 (21/2/24)

[gothicbarbie]

BL'S I'm Watching (August 2023)

In order of my enjoyment!

1. Only Friends - Breath of fresh air! It's messy, it's sexy, it's entertaining... it's got a lot of pairings I love seeing together. I like that it's just a more mature BL. Yes, the high heat is great, but it's about these characters feeling comfortable with their sexuality. I want more!

2. My Personal Weatherman - Always enjoy JBL's and high heat ones are even better because imo they always feel more realistic. The plot of this is a bit strange but the chemistry is great and I want to see where it all goes.

3. Hidden Agenda - Joongdunk are just so adorable. Besides the fact that they are just the most attractive pairing to look at, they have clearly gotten even more comfortable around one another. I like that the plot is going in a different direction than I expected. It's not the most amazing BL I've ever seen but I'm enjoying it.

4. Love Class 2 - I was busy last week so I am behind on episodes but I did enjoy the start of the show. A tad confusing on first watch but it made sense in the rewatch. An interesting plot with 3 different pairings to root for, so it's a fun watch. There are a few elements I don't care for but it's not too bad.

5. Dangerous Romance - A bit of a sketchy start and I can't stand bullies, but I am happy that Chimon and Perth get a chance to shine and I wanted more of them. Let's see where it goes.

6. Minato's Laundry 2 - Still a great show. Lots of cute moments. I think season 1 was better and Minato is irritating me quite a bit with his insecurities and pulling away. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me personally but I still like the show and will finish it out.

7. Stay By My Side - Not Taiwan's best, and the main pairing is a bit awkward in their kissing imo but I still the show is very fun and they are cute.

8. Laws of Attraction - Interesting-ish plot. A few pairings to root for. There is def. some boring parts and issues I have with the show but I am still liking it.

9. Be Mine Superstar - I find the plot of this one pretty boring TBH but I freaking love JaFirst. It's not their best series and I find Ja's character pretty awkward. But it's watchable.

10. The Wedding Plan - This plot is weird. Don't get the fake marriage or why the main guy can't be honest. I think the chemistry is alright but not overwhelming. I am not fully invested but its a short series and I wanna see how it goes.

11. Jun and Jun - ehhhh idk about this one guys. I can't get into it. I wanted to, but office romances aren't for me, and I think this one is especially boring. I like the chemistry between the main two but I find a lot of their moments a bit uncomfortable and there is a lack of consent in a lot of areas. Not Korea's best.

12. Stay Still- Not even sure what I am watching but its so short so I'm just kinda skimming.

On Hold:

1. I Feel You Linger in the Air

2. Lost in Translation

Tried the pilots of these and they felt very slow so I had to put them on hold for now and may come back to them later or if I hear good things about them.

Recently Finished:

1. Stay With Me - For anyone with doubts, this is definitely a BL. Some sweet kisses (though not on the lips) and lots of flirting and innuendo. A terrible ending but it'll apparently get a season 2, so I'll hold out. I genuinely loved this series!

2. Sing My Crush - Not big on musical plots and I found the storyline here a bit boring and like I'd seen it before, but it was okay. The main couple was very cute. Didn't love it as much as everyone else, but it was still good and worth the watch

EXTRAS:

Advance Bravely - Not currently airing. It's also I think technically a bromance but there are def. suggestive moments and scenes and I find the chemistry really good an entertaining so I'm enjoying it.

Catch Me Baby - Not currently airing. Only watched 1 ep and had to skim it, I found it very weird. I'm only really watching for Net/James.