#love in the air review

[dream-thief-forever-amen]

Review: Love in the Air - A Masterclass in Kissing

long and media heavy review on Love in the Air... got a bunch of tumblr fandom in there...

https://subtitledreams.com/2022/12/26/review-love-in-the-air/

I tagged everyone I saw, there’s probably a few I missed

@kdrama-mama @shippingcontacts, @prapais, @liyazaki, @scarefox, @bird-inacage, @perths, @endlessly-ranting-antheia, @piningintrovert, @guzhu-furen, @gunsatthaphan, @paisky, @viva-yas-vegas @yeetlegay, @alpha-peen, @akindofemotionaltether, @wahgifs, @dramaism, @pharawee, @djeterg19, @prometheuswelsh @alwayspining, @kwonzoshi , @hecalledhimhyung, @dramabiscuit, @intothealone, @7-starboi, @baijingting, @dreamingsnowflake2013, @cornyonmains, @laurenkmyers, @thefreeblog, @purplenimsicle, @themagnusbane, @theyellowhue, @zhaozi, @hoshinisuzu, @maibpenrai, @iwatchalotofshows, @fortpeat

[gunsatthaphan]

"do you agree? - yes."

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Why so much on right now?

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

NOV 2024 Week 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Your Sky (Sun iQIYI) ep 1 of 12 - Classic old school Thai BL. Of course I love it. Naïve sunshine freshman vs strict older protective boy (who already likes him but refuses to show it). Is he grumpy or just gay and tired of all of these women? We don’t know. We don’t care. We just want to see them fake a relationship. And that’s what we’re getting. I love it. I also love the friendship group, and that the younger brother is in it and he has some of the same magic BL-hottie superpowers as his older brother. It’s great.

Love Sick 2024 (Sun iQIYI) ep 10 of 15 - Phun actually turns into dangerous babygirl when he is flirting, who knew? (Dangerous Babygirl is a new archetype I have just invented by the way. Yes, I am pleased with myself.) Noh, who is a nice boy, doesn’t stand a chance. Neither does Jeed, since this new babygirl superpower gives Phun a damn near perfect “back off bitch” face.

The arm drape public claiming, it gets me every time. Has done since SOTUS. Nong Mick is hero-level in this version, hands-down my favorite character this time around (and a non-entity last time). I love him so much I can’t stand it. I haven’t updated my 1:1 comparison yet this week, didn’t have time to rewatch 2014, but I will later tonight.  I'm chronicling my experience with 2024 as compared to 2014 here. 

Kidnap (Fri Gaga) ep 12 end - What an absolutely excellent final episode. Smiley kisses! 

Conclusion 

A cute if patently absurd little show about a stuntman who is somehow convinced to kidnap a rich kid except they fall in love. It takes itself a little more seriously than it deserves for such a silly plot and some crappy stunts and contradictory content, but it was a pleasantly romantic experience all around, and I enjoyed myself. Extra credit for Q in that perfect blue color throughout. No complaints, a solid BL. 8/10 

The Heart Killers (Weds Gaga) ep 1 of 12 - Jojo directs FirstKhao & JoongDunk in an action romcom about assassin brothers (Khao & Joong) who meet a tattoo artist (First) and a cocky mechanic (Dunk). I'm highly amused that Joong plays the older brother to Khao and that we have a take on the Taming of the ShrewBL. This has all GMMTV's best chemistry in one BL and some fresh concepts that I've only seen tackled in m/m romance novels (check out Amy Lane's Racing for the Sun, thank me later). My only quibble is Jojo, I like his style but his characters can get unreliably messy so…... this gonna be interesting.

Buckle up buttercups I got thoughts:

Frankly, I haven’t decided if this is good or so bad and so camp that it’s good? The latter I suspect. Either way, I’m enjoying it very much, but I had very little doubt that I would. This falls into so many of my wheelhouses. Not just the premise but the casting and the approach and the script. They pretty much knocked it out of the park with the first episode: one night stand + safe sex + linguistic negotiation = I’m in! During the opening sequence I spent the entire time worried about how many fingerprints Bison was leaving everywhere. And then I realized this show is going to require DEMAND we turn our brains entirely off.

We are in KinnPorshce / The Sign territory people. Take emergency precautions! Do not engage brain meats!

Kiss Me Kate only gay and hitmen? Frankly, it sells itself. The music is extremely stupid though. (Brain, stop it!) I gotta say that FirstKhao are good because…… FirstKhao. But JoongDunk are absolutely perfectly cast. Like: couldn’t be a better pair in these roles. Dunk, in particular, is slaying. I did not have Dunk as Petruchio down on my “best casting choice of all time” BL bingo card, but apparently there he is. Awesome. 

Fourever You (Thurs YT) ep 8 of 16 - I’m warming up to the second couple a little bit. I actually don’t mind a bully romance the way some do. But this isn’t quite hitting the notes that I want from one. Still, I found this week more engaging than last week. 

Secret Love (? YT?) 1-12 of 81 eps - They dropped 12 eps at once randomly on YT totaling about 20 min. So of course, I watched it. Because I have no self-control and STEPBROTHERS! Adopted into a rich family, boy falls in love with heir. But when he is made the heir instead, everything goes wrong. Now enemies the two boys reunite and sparks! I hate this format but dammit I love this utter dross. It’s very early Chinese BL feeling but from Thailand. I don’t care. It’s so stupidly great. This is my kind of BL.

Caged Again (Fri Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - There is something sweetly innocent and earnest about this show. It reminds me of Takara and Amagi or even Light On Me but less stiff - this one is quintessentially quirky and casually Thai about it. It’s interesting that this has an 18+ rating, which means it’s either gonna go very violent or sexy or both. Right now I can’t imagine that, it doesn’t suit. But I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes. Junior with his Mean Girl crop top moment is the goddess of the week though. Fierce queen penguin.

Perfect 10 Liners (Sun YT?) ep 4 of 24 - I love the side couple so damn much. How are they so adorable? Still not wild about the mains, and not likely to get there anytime soon. That said, I did like seeing the “sleeping in your boyfriend‘s class while he gives you his jacket” trope drop. We haven’t had that one for a really long time. My Engineer maybe?

Every You Every Me (Mon Gaga) ep 7 of 8 - I did find this installment kind of boring. I just don’t like actors as main characters. Much as I’m enjoying this show and I think the actors are doing a good job, I really do wish it was more like what we had been sold on: Connected reborn characters fated to be together over and over again. Not this weird little mishmash of whatever. I’m now annoyed by a format I was initially charmed by. 

Jack & Joker (Mon IQIYI) ep 10-11 of 12 - still on hold until it ends or I can cope with the pain.  I just can’t go into darkness right now.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Youth AKA Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Japan Tues Gaga) ep 3 of 11 - SNIFF TEST! But done by Japan so it’s that much better and more kinky. The way H looks at M pretty much defines naked lust. “I got extra beat up so you’d take pity on me and then I admitted it to you” is so damn warped I can’t even with this boy. This feral kid is gonna drive me feral. The power and the control and the execution of this show is just spectacular. I keep thinking about it after its done and telling people IRL about it. (I rarely talk BL IRL.) It’s classy. I do love it when Japan does classy BL for us. 

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 6 of 13 - so completely and utterly adorable. The learning sign language thing! I loved it so much.

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 10 of 12 eps - Possibly one of the best confessions of the year I have to say. Also a wonderful character growth arc for our lawyer. Exactly as one might hope. The plot twist was slightly predictable but still adds a delicious note of tension to our final episodes.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (China Sun iQIYI) eps 7-8 of 12 - You don’t want me but you won’t let anybody else have me either. The song of the repressed seme. I did like the irrational jealousy moment and a few other bits, of course the crying kiss. You know I love a crying kiss. Even if it’s a somewhat censored one. But this is also leaning a little bit darker than I want at the moment. This being China, I anticipate the darkness and doom getting worse not better.

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 9 of ? - The incredible migrating lip injury continues. Could we please get on with the BL aspect of this show? I’m getting frustrated as well as slightly bored at this juncture. Pacing darlings. Pacing.

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - Still not sure. I think I like this better than the original, but I’m confused. I did make disgusted scoff noises and say “oh dear” a couple of times. Which makes me sound like a World War II grandpa (only the housemate's cat noticed), but is also classic me when profoundly disappointed by a piece of media. That’s said, the sex scene was pretty good. In the end, I wasn’t as frustrated by this version of these characters, but they didn’t have as many highs or lows as the original. So first half probably works out about the same in my all-purpose rating system. The true proof in the pudding is going to be couple number 2 tho......

It's airing but......

Winter Is Not The Death of Summer (Weds YT) ?? eps - Criminals who meet in prison fall in love. I did find it on YouTube, but I did not find any English subs for it. The first episode seems to be only six minutes long. It is very pulp. But it is intriguing. So I hope it gets some sort of international or something at some point. for now I’ll put it to the wayside.

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.

Bad to Bed (Taiwan Sat YT) 10 eps - This is a little too low production value even for me + just very very odd. DNF

In Case You Missed it

Love for Loves Sake got some kind of special on 11/9. Not sure what, why, or where. Only the rumor that it...... is. I'll believe it when I see it...... literally. Let me know if you found it.

The Bangkok Podcast covered Marriage Equality in Thailand: More Complex Than it Seems. They missed some of the point and all of the queer perspective. But it's a local lawyer talking about it and how it was implemented, which is quite interesting.

Dominant Yakuza and Wimpy Corporate Slave AKA Ore-sama Yakuza to Hetare Shachiku: Kuni wo Koeta Jingi Naki Dekiai, Japan YT. A 30 min slice of ridiculousness. This mini walked out the back of one of my 1999 yaoi (you know those little shorts they always had along with the main story?) and randomly got cut together by some helpful malcontent, tumbled into my YT feed like a Taiwanese prat fall, and I couldn't be happier.

This is the Cliff's notes of a story that could have been amazing, but I adored it anyway. Basically what it says on the tin: office cutie from Taiwan working in Japan runs across hot AF mafia hit man beating up lesser thugs. Falls instantly in love, turns out so does the yakuza. They end up together for...... reasons? (one is cute and the other is cool?) That's it. It's dumb and I loved it. 7/10 because it really isn't good, but it lives on in a very warped corner of my shriveled old heart.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Still to come:

11/28 Spare Me Your Mercy (Thai Thurs iQIYI) 8 eps on OneD (no word on inter) - Increased rates of deaths in terminal patients has a police captain investigating the palliative care doctor with whom he's fallen in love. Their relationship deepens but the mystery persists, driven by mistrust. Adapted from the novel "Euthanasia" by Sammon (Triage, Manner of Death) stars some old guard BL actors: Tor Thanapob from Hormones as the doctor and (fuck me YES) Jaylerr from Great Men Academy and goddamn Grean Fictions as the captain!

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.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

We stan a smitten seme who's too reserved for his own good. Sunshine is gonna have this boy wrapped around his little finger in no time. (Well in 12 eps, but we know what we like!) Your Sky

King behavior.

Dangerous Babygirl behavior.

Both Love Sick 2024.

(last 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

[bird-inacage]

bird-inacage's BL Meta Directory

For all you meta lovers out there, I've collated a master index where you can easily find all the deep dives I have written in long-form around BL shows I've watched or am currently watching. This is being updated in real time.

The Heart Killers Meta Index *CURRENTLY POSTING*

EP4: Kantbison as "Partners in Crime"

EP4: Is Bison Playing Dumb?

EP2: Kant's Game of Deception

EP1: Early Hints into Kant's Backstory

EP1: Kant & Bison's Desire for Agency

Character Interviews (Kant/Bison Focus)

Predictions: Kant as Bison's Keys to Freedom

Character Styling Update (FirstKhao Focus)

Pilot Trailer: Initial Observations (FirstKhao Edition)

ARCHIVE

Love Sea Meta Index (10 posts linked)

Only Friends Meta Index (22 posts linked)

Love in the Air Meta Index (38 posts linked)

BL REVIEWS

Only Friends (2023)

Bed Friend (2023)

The Eclipse (2022)

Love in the Air (2022)

[sizzy-ling]

hello, hello good people of the internet! I have a new chapter for you because I gravely missed this story and writing in this universe

I hope you'll like it!!

[screechingfromthevoid]

The reviews are in folks shit hurted

[starrynightsxo]

re-reading how the king of elfhame learned to hate stories because I feel like I didn't deep it enough and my oh my was I right to do so...

[jynxedtoxicityreports]

Love In The Air

Episode 8-13 PrapaiSky

Rating: ☣️🌋 (Heavy triggers and multiple uncensored NC scenes)

Triggers: Off Screen SA, Off Screen Abuse, Trauma from SA & Abuse, Disembodied Voices, Invasion of Privacy, Depression, PTSD, Victim Blaming, Flashbacks, Panic Attacks, Breakdowns, Bad self image/low self worth, Trauma Responses, Academic Pressure

Sky has nightmares & flashbacks of his SA & Abuse. The flashbacks has several times but do not anything beyond Sky crying & hands touching him

Sky blames himself for his trauma and makes several self hating comments

Sky suffers several breakdowns. They are intense in the level of emotional distress & fear but they are not anymore than sobbing

Sky dissociates on screen. Is just him having a blank face staring ahead

Sky displays signs of trauma repeatedly throughout the episodes. Nothing big but just certain ways he reacts, speaks, and feels toward things are in line with trauma symptoms

Pai uses several questionable methods to get into & stay in contact with Sky. It's nothing wild just repeated phone calls & randomly popping up. Sky is never scared of his behavior. It stops later.

Pai is very persistent but never escalates beyond pestering Sky

Sky struggles with academic pressures & obligations

Episode 13 Full Spoilers

Aftermath of abuse 8:52 -9:29 Sky has bruises on his neck & two cigarette burns on his arm

On Screen Abuse 9:40 - 11:01 Sky has his hair pulled,gun ignores Sky saying expressing that he doesn't like what they are doing, sky's gets face grabbed, sky's pushed, gun manipulates sky, it's implied that gun burns Sky with a cigarette but it's not shown

Group SA on Screen 11:11 - 12:28 Sky is held down by two of guns friends, Sky says no multiple times, there's the sound of Sky being hit but it's not shown, SA scene only involves clothes being removed, being restrained & the two men touching Sky & that's all.

Unwanted Touching 26:22 - 27:52 Gun touches Sky, he grabs him, and he presses against him

31:26 - 36:08

▪︎On Screen Violence Sky is forcibly restrained, hit several times and pushed

•Manipulation/Gaslighting Gun & his friends attempt to convince Sky that Pai ordered them to SA him

•Implied SA Gun is shown taking off his shirt & the scene ends

On Screen Violence Typical fight violence, Eyebrow snatched out shown but only a small amount of blood is shown, Gun is shown having blood on his face at the end of the scene but it is not graphic

37:30 - 41:55

Attempted SA 1st Gun on top of Sky but nothing graphic is happening. 2nd Gun is shown on top of Sky again but they are both still clothed from the waist down & that is the end of the moment

Dissociation Sky spends a significant portion of the scene in a dissociated state

Story of SA 45:31 - 48:00 Sky speaks about his past abuse & SA. There are no flashbacks. Sky speaks about himself negatively

[brettesims]

Film: A Room with A View (1985)

Mr. Emerson: I don’t believe in this world’s sorrow, do you?

Helena Carter: No, no I do not at all Mr. Emerson

Mr. Emerson: Well there you are. Then make my boy realize that, at the side of the everlasting why, there is a yes and a yes and a yes!

Helena Bonham Carter is one of my favorite actresses and not just because we have the same birthday lol. I just see my self in so many of her roles. This was one of her very first rolls. She was 19 when this was filmed. It’s something about her open minded, free thinking, endlessly creative Gemini spirit that always inspires me. I recently rewatched this film and I’m glad I did. It’s super dreamy; filled with gorgeous nature views, romance, philosophical conversations and travel. I recommend it!

~ B

[gargelyfloof118]

Just added a solar fan to the coop to push hot air out and create more of a draw. These little things can move some air. I'd like to get 3 to 4 more sets and figure out a better way to hang the solar panels. This will do for now.

[blerdyotome]

✨️NEW VIDEO✨️ Follow a newbie voice director as he runs his own recording studio & interact with his charming voice actors!🎤 Check out my review of Voice Love on Air!

As always likes, shares, & comments on the video are appreciated! 💜

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Actually a pretty fab line up right now

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

NOV 2024 Week 5

Ongoing Series - Thai

Love Sick 2024 (Sun iQIYI) ep 11 of 15 - This is where the teen awkward comes to grab me by the throat. No other Thai BL does this better than Love Sick (except maybe Make it Right). And it’s always a challenge to watch because Phun is so ready to come out and Noh is so not. I love what cramming 3 eps into one (and better side BL couples) did for the tension and pacing in this particular part of this story. The new version really is excellent. I'm chronicling my experience with 2024 as compared to 2014 here. 

Your Sky (Sun iQIYI) ep 2 of 12 - They are so awkward and I love them so much for it. They are terrible at faking romance, yet Fah want’s Rak so bad. This is moving so slowly but that’s part of it’s charm. I'm not frustrated instead I’m getting Oxygen vibes from it. Or perhaps it’s is more just I feel the way I felt when I was first watching Oxygen. Which is to say, I’m totally addicted and I keep re-watching new episodes. 

Spare Me Your Mercy (Thurs iQIYI) ep 1 of 8 - Gah! JJ grew up so pretty. I love these leads. (No one is shocked.) I love the lawful good paired against (we’re not sure yet but possibly) neutral evil. I love our very sus very flirty very gay doctor. A lot happened in this first episode. I’m getting Manner of Death flashbacks but there’s nothing wrong with that. Bring on the chili. 

Incidentally, if you're interested in true crime, here's the IRL version of this story. How a Nuclear Lab Helped Catch a Serial Killer from the Science Vs podcast.

Jack & Joker (Mon IQIYI) ep 10-12 end - I got the go ahead on a safe ending, and thus I watched the last 3 eps all as one. I love how defiantly verse these two were. I also really enjoyed the final episode. I do like a finale that ends on a bang (yes, both kinds). 

Final thoughts

I enjoyed this show a lot. A caper BL starring two of Thailand's best and focusing on class struggles, corruption, and poverty, was always gonna appeal to me. But I’m not sure, ultimately, whether I liked it because it was good in it’s own right, or because YinWar were so good in it. I do wish it had been a little more Leverage and little less chaos, Dr Evils, and "watch War cry." It was a great vehicle for YinWar, and for them to prove that BL can defy its own tropes. To that end, this goes comfortably into the Manner of Death category more than anything else I’ve encountered befor (although slightly less unhinged). It's good, but it loses the plot, the side couples, and it's own mind a couple of times, and YinWar were definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Thus I feel an 8/10 is fair, especially considering I'm unlikely to rewatch.

The Heart Killers (Weds Gaga) ep 2 of 12 - Dunk is illegally pretty in this show. I gotta say I covet his skin care routine. (I love YinWar as much as the next person, but THIS boy should be the spokes-BL-rep for Laneige.)

Manwhile..... FirstKhao might be GMMTV’s best flirters. It’s a pleasure to watch them just inhabit these characters and bounce off each other. I do keep saying “what tf are they doing?!“ with this show. In this instance, it was the dancing in the bowling alley. What is going on? is it meant to be a Pulp Fiction reference?

Also this gd soundtrack is bonkers. I *can’t!* with the 70s orgy porn music and the very bad not quite metal intro music. And then, I remember, brain must be turned off! (That’s really hard for me OK?)

All that said, both the sauna and the jerk-off scenes were much appreciated. It’s nice to see this kind of visceral physical attraction depicted in a BL, we get it so rarely.  

On a side note, I entirely support Thailand’s one country agenda to put all the cute boys in crop tops. Keep it up. And up. And up. 

Fourever You (Thurs YT) ep 9 of 16 - I just don’t get the (new) main couple. They don’t work for me. I like the surprise gamer boys side crumbs though. They are v cute.

Side quest: Genius move anytime Hill comes on screen to basically have Pond make love to the camera. He v good at it. Break down everyone’s fourth wall, baby. Take no prisoners. 

Caged Again (Fri Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - That exchange! “Are you worried about me” (attempted flirtation) vrs Junior’s response “yes I am.” Just utter frankness. It’s very sweet. All in all this show is very sweet. Somewhat incomprehensible world building, but sweet. And the head lift into the lap was next level adorable. Sun’s shy smile is everything. 

Perfect 10 Liners (Sun YT?) ep 5 of 24 - This show is very silly. I love the sides so much I can’t EVEN. But I think it was a big mistake putting Tay into this show. Never let an OG out of the bottle like that. He gets all our attention because we think he’s gonna grant all our wishes. By which I mean, all I could think the whole time he was on screen was WHY IS HE SO FINE?

I’m not joking, I had to watch his scenes 3x because I kept getting distracted and losing the plot. Not that there is much plot to lose. Just Tay’s mouth. I’ll stop now, but seriously tho LOOK AT HIM!!! 

Every You Every Me (Mon Gaga) ep 8 end - Honestly I’d like to see this pair handed something much more meaty. Like a Japanese adaptation? Tokyo in April is… for example. I think they do a great job with something like that.

Conclusion

This was supposed to be a linked series about reincarnated soulmates, but ended up being more like a Y-Destiny grab bag BL with no rebirth through line, just the same acting pair. The leads were excellent. And I must praise this show for representing things I always want in my BL (and rarely get), switch, verse, communication, and safe sex. It’s just that this format with the same actors but no unifying theme (despite the pitch/packaging) made for a disappointing viewing experience. Some of the installments I enjoyed, and the visuals are on point, but I was ultimately let down by style and execution, if not acting. 6/10 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Youth AKA Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Japan Tues Gaga) ep 4 of 11 - “I won’t fall in love with you” is an easy promise to make if you’ve already fallen. I love this show SO MUCH. “Infect me just a little.” Holy fuck. This BOY. Also, so much for “not kissing.” This BL is fantastic. I’m so worried about where it’s going. Japan could very much hurt me with this. I didn’t expect to fall in love so hard.

Man, JBL...... when it gets you it really gets you (then it locks you in a basement and gets kinky). We are not safe but we must sit back and suffer enjoy it. I hate this. I love this. What a rush. 

See Your Love (Taiwan Weds Gaga) ep 7 of 13 - I think this show has a “crash into me” trope in every single ep. This ep alone had 3, plus a flash back to the first one. Still, their damn date was so flipping adorbs!!!

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 10 of ? - I couldn’t be less interested in the stuff with the mean girls. I’m annoyed we spent so much of this episode on them. Fewer bullies more smooches.

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - Arashi as the doting bf was cute if sudden, also holy musical montage BLman.  Kai is my favorite character (as was Sky) but I'm still not wild about the blackmail sex start to this relationship. It does seem a little bit more like Kai went after a one night stand, also bit more switchy, which is better...... I guess. But not by much because the chemistry with these two isn't as good as the original.

I remain suspicious.

It's airing but......

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues ????) 11 of 12 eps - My source hasn’t yet uploaded 11. So…… I wait. 

Secret Love (? YT?) 13-?? of 81 eps - I don't know what's going on either.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (China Sun Viki) paused at eps 9-10 of 12 - I got the "stop" on this one as it's gone (no surprise) dark. Being China can not be relied upon to HEA. So I'm on pause until I'm told it's safe. If it ends sad/bad I will dnf. But for now I wait......

Winter Is Not The Death of Summer (Thai Weds YT) ?? eps - Criminals who meet in prison fall in love. I did find it on YouTube, initially unsubbed, then subs happened by which time I got distracted. The first episode seems to be only six minutes long. It is very pulp. But it is intriguing. For now its to the wayside until someone tells me what it whats to be and if it's headed in a safe direction. Occasionally Thai pulps want to be edgy and it's not a good look on them.

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

Bad to Bed (Taiwan Sat YT) 10 eps - This is a little too low production value even for me + just very very odd. DNF

In Case You Missed it - GMMTV 2025 Line Up

There have been a ton of hot takes already, including mine.

Here are the titles and links to MDL for you (confirmed full BLs only), these are organized in order of the ones I'm anticipating the most at the top.

Dare You to Death - trailer

Boys in Love - trailer

Memoir of Rati - trailer

My Magic Prophecy - trailer

Me and Thee - trailer

A Dog and A Plane - trailer

Cat for Cash - trailer

That Summer - trailer

My Romance Scammer - trailer

Head 2 Head - trailer

Ticket To Heaven - trailer

Burnout Syndrome - trailer

Melody of Secrets - trailer

Only Friends Dream On - trailer

Love You Teacher - trailer

Next Week Looks Like This:

End of year drops:

12/4 0.5D (Japan ????) 10 eps - Sales ace, Sada, has a secret that only his junior, Daiki, knows. He has pretended to have a gf for years, resulting in him being a virgin. But now Sada has fallen in love. Confused, Sada seeks advice from his junior. I sense another queer Cyrano De Bergerac. Info here.

12/6 Be Moon - Falling for my enemy's son (China ????) movie from HBD Studio - Not much on this one just a trailer, looks intriguing...... if it's from/through Taiwan, but if it's all China, I'm wary.

12/13 ThamePo Heart that Skips a Beat (Fri YT) 12eps - A boy band member and his documentarian start a forbidden relationship. I LOVE Est and am delighted to see him at GMMTV. This was my #1 pick for 2024. I've been waiting for a Blinding Lights style idol romance and this looks like it might be it (Korea and Japan have systemically disappointed me). Bring it, boys.

12/14 & 12/21 The Renovation (Thai mini One31) 2 eps - Writer turns his blossoming romance with holiday resort owner into a novel.

12/29 Sangmin Dinneaw (Thai ????) ??eps - trailer Childhood friends (Thai & Korean) reunite after being apart for ten years. As the boys reconnect, their bond matures and feelings of romance begin to develop, in Thai.

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.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

His smile. (Caged Again)

Look at them!

Look, I don't mean to tell you your business, but THIS? This is peak Thai BL. This is it. This is What They Do Best. Sure they dabble with silly kinky crimey-whiney fashizzal, but Thailand's true BL power is right here, in the sweet awkward school-set first love arghhhhh. Yes I said, school. Bite me. (Love Sick... damn it, 10 years later and it still has me in a choke hold.)

Hey all you idiots who thought (or think) there is ever a green flag in any Mame ever, this character if for you. This boy, THIS ONE. This is what a walking talking ACTING green flag energy actually looks like. You wanna date a dude? Find you one like him. Okay, peaches? sheesh

Meanwhile, this, this is not a green flag. This is GMMTV thinking they are being clever by calling out Thai BLs' worst behavior to make a character who has 'slightly less than worst behavior' look better. Sigh. When meta is used for ill gotten gains.

This, on the other hand is meta being cleverly deployed.

And this is language play. P'ABL's favorite.

So endeth this lesson.

(last 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

[bubblelove56]

I can actually see the quality decrease as I upload it.

[bird-inacage]

I’ve noticed an influx of newcomers to the LITA fandom of late and firstly - welcome! I never did do a wrap-up review when the series ended (probably neck deep in hysteria then) so I figured why not write one now. I will keep this brief, as I have a tendency to get carried away with my analysis on this show. You can peruse my index of deep dives for more if you wish. I will largely be referencing the Love Sky portion of this series because... well, my blog says it all really.

LITA is a story of two halves; the first 1-7 episodes focus on Rain's arc, whilst the proceeding 8-13 episodes focus on Sky's. Most BLs tend to have an interlacing structure that weaves multiple couples simultaneously. But LITA has done this to allow for chronological story-telling and doubles up well as a framing device. Rain's arc is more 'slice of life', humorous and light-hearted overall. Whereas Sky's arc is weighty and pensive, involving more serious themes, highs and lows. There is a distinct tonal shift between these two halves that feel like different movements within the same symphony.

As an adaptation of MAME's original novels, 6-7 episodes is a tight window to do each couple justice. This just about works for Rain’s arc over Sky’s, the latter of which definitely needed more run time, and feels awfully rushed at its crucial conclusion. Otherwise the narrative and romantic development progresses at a pretty steady pace.

Difficult topics around trauma and abuse are approached with sensitivity whilst still packing a gut punch. Thankfully this isn’t used as a gimmick but serves as an integral thread in Sky’s characterisation, and is consistently signposted throughout. What I really appreciate is how both couples overcome obstacles in a healthy way and learn to communicate. Our characters are able to learn and grow from conflict, and ultimately move forward in a positive direction.

Main Leads: Why this pairing really works for me is that I enjoy them as individual characters as well as together. A couple is only as strong as the sum of its parts - and for me to buy into a partnership, I need to be firstly convinced that these two people exist outside of just their relationship. Prapai and Sky are well balanced in that respect as they have clearly established identities of their own. This pair also had the added advantage of being introduced in Rain’s arc which really helped lay some ground work. Sky is a character most will easily love; perceptive, reliable and devoted, his insecurities are hugely relatable to anyone who has struggled with self worth. Whereas Prapai may divide audiences at first with his seemingly misplaced charm and (dorky) rich playboy aura, where a multitude of hidden depths are later revealed. You’ll come to adore this man in a similar fashion to how Sky is won over, seeing beyond his flirty teasing to the caring, patient and loving man underneath.

Pairing Rating: [SWEET + SENSUAL] This pair deliver on both soft comfort/domesticity as well as highly-charged intensity, a combination that will make your heart ache and break.

Other: This series very much centres its efforts around the leads. Relationship dynamics outside of our main couples tend to be overlooked and are increasingly forfeited towards the end (most namely Sky and Rain’s friendship which had a great kick-off in Rain’s half but was almost non-existent in Sky’s), likely due to time constraints.

Acting Performance: Relative newcomers Fort and Peat do a stellar job of making their characters feel fully realised and believable in such a short span of episodes. Both actors share uncanny similarities with the roles they are playing, which must have helped and is proof of great casting. I’m also hugely impressed that they were able to work against the reverse age dynamic they share in real life (Peat is 26, Fort is 22). Due to the heavier undertones in Sky’s storyline, this script really allows both actors to showcase a wider range of their acting abilities. Fort is a revelation, providing a very grounded and surprisingly mature performance. Peat does a wonderfully committed job of throwing himself into such a challenging role with enormous vulnerability. I give props to any actor who is willing to ugly cry and I mean ugly cry.

Visuals: Arguably one of the strongest characteristics of the show is it’s pleasing aesthetic that feels bright, clean, and really rather beautiful in certain scenes, particularly when it comes to the use of lighting, colour and camera angles. It’s very easy on the eye and elevates the charm of the everyday as its setting. Imagery is also utilised well when portraying Sky’s trauma.

Sound: The common gripe with LITA is the inconsistent quality of audio. Oh my, the audio. In some places the sound is insanely crisp and loud (think ASMR levels of breathing and shirts crinkling), and yet in others, dialogue is tenuous due to music, ambience or just dodgy recording in the first place.

>>>

FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s the couples that will lure in your heart and hold it captive. Despite the fairly simple trajectory of the storyline, the series is engaging with decent rewatch value. It would have benefited from a longer run. My blog is testament to how much I adore them - having written over a dozen metas on their relationship alone (but hey, I may be slightly biased). I wildly underestimated what this show was going to deliver when the trailer first came out, and my expectations were largely surpassed on all fronts.

(Disclaimer: These are just my own opinions. It goes without saying that one still can enjoy a show for all its successes as well as recognising its shortcomings.)

[sizzy-ling]

Hello, internet people!! I hope you're all doing well! I have a little something something for you

I am not exactly happy with this chapter, but here's to hoping you'll like it more!!

[minimoniii]

and they’re boyfriends