#martini blue

[ultimate-bamtori]

martini blue, yeah

everything you do, yeah

[fyeahdprian]

[AV Club] Head In The Clouds

Head In The Clouds is the biggest festival you haven't heard of (yet)

The festival, a celebration of Asian heritage in music, featured performances from CL, Saweetie, DPR Live, DPR Ian, and more

By Shanicka Anderson  |  November 11, 2021 | 8:04pm

Until we meet again, Rose Bowl Photo: Shanicka Anderson

The last concert I attended was way back in January 2020. (It was Seventeen, at the Prudential Center in New Jersey). At the time, I had no idea it was going to be my last show for almost two years. So the opportunity for me to fly out to L.A. to attend 88Rising’s third Head In The Clouds festival—and its lineup that boasted CL, the queen of K-pop, along with Saweetie, Rich Brian, DPR Live, DPR Ian, Japanese Breakfast and many others—seemed like the perfect event for me to reenter the world of live music.

Additionally, West Coast Asian and Asian-American culture has influenced and directly birthed so much of the music I love, so I was stoked to finally attend a festival that celebrated it. For the uninitiated, 88Rising is a music company with a simple goal for its fest: It tries to round up the best and brightest acts from the Asian continent and the Asian diaspora. And after nearly two years of increased violence and prejudice against the Asian community in the wake of COVID-19, a celebration of its culture felt even more necessary. 

Following my five-hour flight (which included a very yappy Pomeranian who barked the entire trip) I was shuttled through LAX into an Uber (I know everyone says you have to drive everywhere in L.A., but damn, y’all really have to drive everywhere) and deposited at my swanky hotel in Koreatown this past Friday night.

Of course, Friday night was also the night of Astroworld, which means I received the horrific news just as I was getting ready to start my own festival weekend. It’s very dizzy and unsettling to prepare for a music fest so soon after learning of the tragedy and the deaths��that transpired there, and I’m sure it was something that also weighed heavily on HITC organizers and security guards’ minds as we all headed into the weekend.

Head In The Clouds, day one (DPR Live and DPR Ian, eaJ, Saweetie, CL, and Illenium)

3:15 p.m.

Well, the vibes are off to a bad start. After getting dropped off at the Rose Bowl, I notice immediately that line for will call is very long. Like, probably the longest box office line I’ve ever seen at a concert before, or has possibly ever existed in human history. When I join, I ask around to find out if there’s a separate line for media. They tell me, no, it’s all one line.

Which of course means that, about 40 minutes later, when I finally get close enough to speak to someone else the the box office, I realized that there is, in fact, a completely different line for media. I walk over to that window and get my wristbands in five minutes flat. Sigh.

4:00 p.m.

When I make it past the gates, I am immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of people. After over a year of being in quarantine and avoiding crowds, I’ve forgotten how to be around a crowd larger than ten people. And as I walk awkwardly and stiffly across the grassy field, I’m pretty sure it shows.

I walk past the merch stalls and take stock of the food vendor options (I notice a boba stall, a dim sum stall, one place that serves pork belly buns and another place that makes mapo tater tots at first pass), heading towards the main “88Rising” stage. 

I also survey the crowd. It’s a pretty eclectic mix: There are the guys who look like frat boys from a state college, couples who already can’t keep their hands off of each other, girls in fishnets and mesh who look dressed for a rave, and people who look ready to party like it’s 2019. I’m not totally sure how many people are expected to turn out this weekend but I already know that this will easily be the largest festival I’ve ever attended.

4:30 p.m.

DPR Live and DPR Ian’s joint set was the one I was looking forward to the most. Live’s music is more firmly hip hop-based; I’ve listened to him for years, and his set was full of crowd pleasers like “Martini Blue,” “Text Me,” and “To Myself.” (For that last one, just picture thousands of people screaming along to, “DPR, we gang gang!”) Live and Ian were joined by Korean-American musician eaJ for their collaboration “Jam & Butterfly,” and I was absolutely thrilled—I’m interviewing eaJ later, so it was good to get a little a preview before his own HITC slot tomorrow. 

Ian’s contribution to the DPR set included “Nerves,” “Scaredy Cat,” and his powerhouse debut single, “So Beautiful.” This was also Ian’s first time performing a show—ever. A pretty rad stage debut, if you ask me.

6:00 p.m.

Saweetie has just kicked off her set, and with the light work and projection screen illuminating the crowd, I can see how much the main stage area has filled out. My friends and I pick a less crowded patch of grass in the VIP section of the field to hang out for the evening. Also, it’s finally dark out, so it feels more like a concert now; the energy has ratcheted up.

Saweetie is one of those artists I never though I’d see live, so having her on this lineup is a treat. During her set she expresses appreciation for HITC and gives a special shoutout to her “Asian king and queens” in the crowd, delivering a set list that includes “My Type,” “Tap In,” and “Best Friend” (sadly, she performs that last one solo, without Doja Cat).

7:30 p.m.

My interview with eaJ goes smoothly (you can check that out when it goes up this weekend) but I was nervous that I would miss the main draw: CL. As I leave the media clubhouse and hurry out to the stage, it all kind of happens in slow motion: CL starts singing my favorite song “+DONE161201+,” I power-walk to the grass, and plant myself among a group of concertgoers who have decided to enjoy the show while sprawled out on top of some picnic blankets.

By the time CL brings Ian and Live out on stage to do “No Blueberries,” I’m getting a little embarrassingly emotional over how much I fucking missed live music. I forgot what it was like to listen to a song over and over again in your room alone, for months, and then go to a show and have the chance to scream the song with a bunch of strangers who love it just as much as you do. It’s so damn powerful.

8:00 p.m.

This is when the night takes a turn for the worse.

After CL’s performance, I meet back up with my friends, and we all decide it’s finally time to get food. All of the lines for the food stalls are incredibly long, so we decide to hop on the Korean barbecue line. After 20 minutes in line, we get to the cashier, only for me to discover they’re out of their only vegetarian option—which for me, a vegetarian, sucks. And to add the most brutal insult to injury, though I didn’t know it yet: It was time for Illenium’s set.

8:20 p.m.

To be honest, before Head In The Clouds, I’d never listened to Illenium. After HITC, I realized that my ignorance was bliss. Illenium is a DJ who makes some of the most grating EDM I have ever heard in my life. Maybe the people who aren’t covering this festival for work and who are on multiple recreational substances can appreciate his set, but for me, it’s awful. As his performance continues, I leave the field and seek refuge in the media clubhouse.

9:20 p.m.

With the vibes of the evening thoroughly destroyed by Illenium (the only white dude performer on the lineup, and he sent our mood and energy levels into a nosedive!), I decide to call it a night. After all, I have to be back the next afternoon to do this all over again.

As I’m leaving the Rose Bowl, I walk past the Double Happiness stage. Japanese Breakfast is in the tail end of her set; the crowd is more subdued over at this stage, but they’re super-engaged, and I can tell that JBrekkie’s set was the polar opposite of… whatever the hell Illenium had going on. 

We left the Rose Bowl and only had a slightly sketchy and mildly terrifying experience with the fake “cab company” that took us back to our Airbnb. The L.A. experience, baby! A rich tapestry!

Head In The Clouds, day two (Feelghoodmusic, Keshi, eaJ, Niki, Joji)

4:30 p.m.

The Feelghoodmusic set is another combination, featuring MFBTY and Bibi—artists from the Feel Ghood Music label, created by Tiger JK in 2013. Tiger JK, his wife and bandmate Yoon Mi-rae, and Bizzy—all of the OG K-hip hop group, MFBTY—take the stage, and they don’t let us forget their long history in the industry. “We’re old as shit,” Tiger JK tells the crowd.

However, that doesn’t stop them from dialing up the energy as we head into the second evening of the festival. The group’s enthusiasm is so infectious, I watch two separate breakdancing circles open up just on the other side of the VIP fence. And I mean honest-to-god breakdancing—people are doing handstands and backflips! Tiger JK doesn’t seem eager to leave the crowd, because he blatantly ignores his cue to end their set until the music is cut, the projection screen goes black, and the metaphorical rug is pulled out from under them. 

For Bibi’s half of the Feelghoodmusic set, she keeps the momentum going but adds a layer of slightly unhinged sex appeal. “Who’s having sex tonight?” she asks before shoving a hand into the giant beige purse she brought onstage with her; it’s filled with condoms and she gleefully throws handful after handful into the crowd. (I find out later that she actually hopped down off the stage, walked over to the barriers, and smooched one of the festivalgoers right on the mouth.) A part of me is obsessed with the chaotic and powerful energy of that… but a far bigger part of me is, uhhhh, horrified at the idea of kissing a stranger, in the middle of a crowd, in the middle of a pandemic. 

5:38 p.m.

One of the best things about a festival is when you stumble onto performance you hadn’t planned to watch, and end up walking away with a brand new music obsession. That’s what happened with me and Keshi.

Before he comes out, the crowd starts chanting his name. No performer yet has inspired such a reaction, so my interest is piqued. When he starts the first line of “Beside you,” every single person has their phone up and is recording. Again, no other artist other has had this much of the crowd completely enamored, all at once—and to be honest, I’m hooked too. He keeps the audience in the palm of his charismatic hand, even when his mic goes out. 

Keshi’s stage presence was especially shocking for me because the music he makes is pretty low key, lo-fi R&B. “It’s quarantine music,” my friend tells me. My other friend agrees: “Yeah, everyone got super into Keshi” during the pandemic. The way everyone around me is screaming Keshi’s own lyrics back at him seems like evidence enough.

6:30 p.m.

eaJ has a way of building rapport with a crowd. When I saw him perform with his group Day6 back in November 2019, it was the first thing I noticed. The way he bantered with his fans while on stage felt incredibly intimate. I wonder if he’ll be able to recreate that relationship with this massive festival crowd, especially given it’s a solo stage this time around. 

I quickly got my answer: Yes. When he gets on stage, eaJ jokes about the arrangement of his setlist, “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m stupid and I make bad decisions. The energy transfer [and] how I divided between songs is not good. I don’t know who the fuck made the track list… I did. I don’t know what I was thinking.” He also playfully laments his fans and their purposefully embarrassing handmade signs. “Why are all my fans always meme-ing on me, bro? Y’all are whack!” 

But he isn’t all quips and no substance. Somehow, eaJ—who still technically doesn’t have any songs available on streaming platforms—commands the crowd. He brings Keshi back out onstage to perform their song “Pillows,” and when it’s time to do fan-favorite “50 Proof,” eaJ pulls off a gut-wrenching rendition that feels like I’m being taken to church. “I know some of y’all don’t know me but I know you fuck with me now,” he tells the audience at one point. Amen.

7:33 p.m.

Niki is a goddamn superstar. For those who don’t yet know this artist, she’s a 22-year-old singer from Indonesia and who’s been releasing music with 88Rising since 2017. 

And from the moment she walks out onstage, Head In The Clouds becomes The Niki Show. First of all, she has not one, but three outfit changes (first a sparkly sequin outfit with matching eyeshadow, then a pink ruffled dress, and finally a gold romper with matching gold duster jacket). She cycles between doing choreography with her dancers, playing the piano, and playing the guitar. It’s riveting. Keshi comes onstage with her (his third stage appearance of the night) but his mic is still messed up. His mic issues have lasted for hours; what the hell?!

8:48 p.m.

It’s time for headliner Joji’s set, but after reaching the end of these two days, I am tired. Tired enough that I tell my friends to go ahead into the crowd while I sit this one out. And I mean literally sit it out—right here, on the plush faux-suede couches just outside of the media clubhouse.

As I watch Joji’s set, I find myself again filled with the same emotions I felt this time last night. I missed live music, and I’m so beyond grateful to be here. I’m also a nostalgia monster—so naturally, I’m already mourning the end of this festival and this weekend, even while I’m still here. 

It’s hard to describe the West Coast Asian-American music scene, but I’m struck by how very L.A. this festival has been. From the warm and sunny weather, to stalls selling spiked boba, to the festival’s lineup itself: Many of these performers are from overseas, and yet they were able to draw massive crowds of people who likely wouldn’t get to see these artists live outside of HITC. 

After seeing the enthusiastic crowd this weekend and witnessing how smoothly things went (terrible box office experience notwithstanding), I have high hopes for this festival next year. I imagine that—following the huge turnout and the fact that the entire show was livestreamed on Amazon—Head In the Clouds 2022 will be bigger, better, and have an even more impressive lineup. (Especially if we are finally freed of COVID and its subsequent travel restrictions.)

So, I’ll be back next year… but I’m renting a car.

[alterenjun]

happy new year!!! i hope you had a great time ♡ wishing you all the best. also my biggest wish for this year…

IS FOR HAECHAN TO JUST FUCKING RELEASE MARTINI BLUE ALREADY, i literally think about that song at least once a day and thanks to him i won’t be able to live a peaceful life until he just gets that song out.

[pinkinsect]

i am nothing like him. my anger is only righteous. i am righteous.

[saturn-nite]

"she goes boom!"

- drabble . gojo satoru x afab!reader .

summary: maybe you deserved it, maybe you didn't, but satoru can't resist breaking you down to make you beg

cw: dom!satoru, sub!reader, edging (a lot), a very teasing satoru, brat taming if you squint, dumbification for a bit, satoru being unfair, mentions of cunnilingus + fingering, a sprinkle of degradation (calls reader slut), praise (calls reader a good girl), one (1) daddy used, nicknames (honey, darling, my girl), clit spanking briefly, begging, punishment play ish , slight dacryphilia

a/n: first time writing smut and first time posting on tumblr :")) hope yall like xx [this is a repost]

"You still with me, baby?"

The words, low and teasing, are mumbled into your inner thigh in between playful nips, but the concern is still quietly audible. Shakily, you prop yourself up on your elbows, looking blearily where Satoru has lifted his head up from your core.

It's unfair how beautiful he looks- alabaster strands artfully ruffled from when your hands had clung onto them, blue eyes bright and cheeky, glossy pink lips made even glossier with your arousal.

A sharp tap on your thigh reminds you to focus and you force yourself to rein in your thoughts to focus.

"I asked you a question, honey," Satoru murmurs, tilting his head mockingly. "Don't tell me you're already fucked dumb? I haven't even done anything yet."

Your first instinct is to scoff- liar. He has been doing something- someone, rather- and has been for the past hour in fact. Teasing you with his fingers, tongue, playfully slapping your throbbing clit as his fingers massage your outer folds, their tips skimming your entrance but never pushing deeper to soothe the burning ache in your core to let you cum, playfully dangling you at the edge of release every time before pulling back.

"I- Satoru-"

"Focus," he singsongs, his smirk widening into a grin, slapping your clit in quick succession, causing you to squeak slightly. "You never answered my question, darlin'."

"Mm-" you struggle to rein back your thoughts, still panting and sniffing slightly, remembering his check-in. "I- y-yeah, 'm good."

Satoru hums, gently kissing your inner thigh, a quiet agreement to continue this.

"Good girl," he murmurs, letting his soft side show for just half a second before his smirk's back on his face, eyes half-lidded with mischief, low tones transforming into a growl. "Or well... not. This is a punishment, no? 'S what you get for being a bitchy little brat."

You cry out when he spanks your pussy hard to punctuate his point, a half sob lurching out your throat as you try to close your legs and hide your poor cunt from him, but his hands firmly lock your thighs in place, spread out and wide open just for him.

"S-said I was sorry," you whine.

Satoru chuckles lowly and you can't but clench involuntarily at the sound. "Aw, but brats like you never do mean their apologies, do they? But that's okay," he continues casually, conversationally, hands gliding up and down your thighs, tone turning faintly mocking. "Daddy's just gotta fuck the brat outta ya, hmm?"

You whine. "'toru-"

"Shh..." he cuts in smoothly, clambering on top of you, caging you in, gently raising your hands up to pin them on either side of your head. "Just stay pretty for me, hm?"

His lips meet your own, wet with your arousal and you can't help but moan into the kiss, eager for more as your hips needlessly bounce up to rub against one of Satoru's thighs that had sneakily pressed up against your core. The slight friction makes you dizzy and you whimper, mindlessly rubbing up and down his thigh as the kiss deepens.

"God, you're such a slut, huh?" he chuckles, breaking the kiss. "Can't last two minutes without me touching you down there, can you?"

"Satoru, please-"

"Please what, honey?" he chuckles, mouth moving down to nibble on that sensitive spot on your neck and you keen. To him, you're so cute like this, your walls breaking down from some simple pleasure, tongue-tied from trying to answer a couple of questions. "You gotta be specific."

"'Toru," you gasp. "Just- please."

Satoru clicks his tongue, shaking his head, mock pouting. "Darling, I know you can to better than that... use your words, huh?"

"Satoru-"

He frowns and sits up, releasing your hands. "Hmm? Well, I guess you don't want it that much then-"

"Toru, please-" you grab his wrist, blinking away tears of desperation, trembling. "Please just fuck me, please, need you inside me, wanna feel you-"

"Aww, you're so cute when you're honest," he purrs, leaning in close, right beside your ear.

You screw your eyes up at the feeling of his warm breath fanning over the shell of your ear. Even with your eyes firmly shut, you don't need to imagine to cocky, fox-like smirk on his face, canines ready to devour you.

"But I think my girl can last a bit longer than that, right~?"

[trashbins-stuff]

All done!! (The naim was too kuch for ghostpie tho)

Oc moodbkard

I mak3 the last five just today!!

[s-pyder]

🕷️Dirty Pair, 1985🕷️

[justarandomgirly]

Red white and royal blue (2023)

[themancorialist]

Church Street, Manchester.

[romisora]

Reflecting on Romeo and Alfredo's Relationship in Romeo's Blue Skies

This is going to be a very long post as I dig through years of interviews with the creators of the series and spend time reflecting on my own feelings since first seeing this show as a kid over ten years ago; I'm curious to see if there are any other queer fans who resonate with my experience. If you're just interested in reading the staff interview snippets, scroll towards the end.

TL;DR Romeo and Alfredo's feelings for each other were confirmed to be romantic in an interview with the director of the series in 2010.

For some background context, I first saw this series as a closeted queer kid. I had seen other media prior to this that were canonically queer on-screen, but had prevented myself from getting too invested in them. Deep down, it scared me that I was drawn to them and I was trying to convince myself that I wasn't like them. Also, I fall somewhere on the asexual and gray-romantic spectrum and as a result I never had much interest in romance-centered stories in the first place. However, something I didn't realize at the time there actually were types of romantic relationships that I desired, but there was an absence of me seeing them portrayed and allowing myself to be drawn to them.

When I first watched Romeo's Blue Skies, I was not prepared for how emotionally invested I became in the story, especially in the relationship between Romeo and Alfredo. I remember feeling confused why I was having feeling so many emotions while watching, and wondering why I was moved to tears over two fictional characters. At the time, I could tell it hit me on a deeper level than some people around me who I re-watched it with, and I was at a loss for what the reasons were. No piece of media had made me feel this deeply before, and few have come close since then. There's definitely a lot of other personal things about the story and characters that have grown with me over the years that contribute to how much I love this series as well, but Romeo and Alfredo were always at the heart of it. Back then, I tried to merely chalk up my feelings to the two characters having a beautiful friendship, one that I desired to have . . .

Years later, after I had figured out a lot more about my queer identity, I decided to revisit this show which had consistently been in my top 5 favorites even though I had not re-watched it in a very long time. Immediately, I started picking up on all the cues and realizing all the things about these two that had moved me and why it had been the case. The way they talked and supported each other, the way they thought each other, and the emotional intimacy between them. Regardless of anything that was stated on-screen, their connection felt incredibly romantic.

Something to keep in mind, I'm analyzing this series through the lens of the split-attraction model and am talking purely about romantic attraction here, not sexual attraction. If you are not familiar with the split-attraction model and different types of attraction, I recommend researching and reading about it. Being a kid on the asexual spectrum, I think it was precisely the innocence and pureness of Romeo and Alfredo's romantic attraction to one another that struck a chord with me. Additionally, being closeted, I believe on a subconscious level I resonated with the fact that these two were clearly in love with each other, but just like me, they did not understand it themselves either.

There were also a couple moments on my re-watch where my interest was piqued by dialogue nuances which were left out in the fansub translations.

From Episode 24, here Alfredo is saying "Romio ga inakucha dameda" (ロミオがいなくちゃだめだ。), which translates a bit closer to "I need you, Romeo," or "I can't do it without you, Romeo." However, depending on the context, this phrase can have a much stronger meaning, translating closer to "I can't live without you."

From Episode 26, although technically Alfredo is agreeing with Bianca here, his exact words are "Aa, subarashiiyo" (ああ、素晴らしいよ) which is "Yeah, he's wonderful."

Later in the same scene, Alfredo says to Bianca, "Omae mo itsuka kitto, Romio ga daisuki ni naru" (おまえもいつかきっと、ロミオが大好きになる。)

"Omae mo" which means "you too," what he's saying here is actually closer to "You too, will surely grow to like Romeo a lot someday." Potentially, there's a stronger undertone here which could be closer to "You too, will surely fall in love with Romeo someday."

"Daisuki ni naru" can mean either "fall in love with" or "grow to like a lot," and can be romantic or platonic depending on context. Bianca's reaction afterwards certainly feels rooted in the fact that his words fall in this gray area.

Ultimately, regardless if Romeo and Alfredo's relationship was not meant to be seen as romantic, it would not change the reasons why the series impacted me so much. However, on my recent re-watch, I couldn't help but wonder how much of it was intentional since so many creative choices in the show felt very deliberate. Alfredo's quickness to grab Romeo's hand, the gentle touches between them, the longing gazes, the promises, the daydreaming about each other when separated, how romantic the accompanying music tracks feel whenever they were together.

A side note here, two things about this situation can be true simultaneously. There can and should be more platonic male friendships with this level of emotional intimacy, and this should be more encouraged, accepted, and represented. At the same time though, there is no need to deny the queer-coding of these two characters. Both interpretations can exist alongside each other. After all, romantic or not, a huge part of their relationship is based on a strong foundation of friendship.

Somewhat related to this, I'd argue that a huge part of why the emotional chemistry between these two characters is so strong is because the story/script writer was a woman and they were both played by women. I joked to myself on my recent re-watch that Romeo and Alfredo have lesbian energy, and later realized that perhaps there were actual reasons why I was getting those vibes 😆

I have the 1996 Megu Extra artbook for the series I had picked up years ago. Since I had been recently been starting to study more Japanese, and Google Lens and DeepL have become pretty good at character recognition and translation, I started to casually read some of the staff interviews in the back of the book. My heart skipped a beat when I read this passage from the interview with the director, Kouzou Kusuba:

(scan of the page is edited to just show the relevant passage here)

Here's a translation I later got from a professional translator:

—It ended up becoming quite popular.

Kusuba: Contrary to my expectations… The fans are maniacs (laughs). Every work has its own fans, but for this one, it really did defy expectations. Well, I do understand the reason. I did depict Romeo and Alfredo in a homosexual-like way. Two men staring into each other’s eyes, or being quick to touch each other. Such depictions were not done previously in the Masterpiece series, and they were quite common here.

The vagueness here was what intrigued me, was he saying they were intentionally gay or just explaining why fans were interpreting them that way? He certainly did not seem to be outright denying the possibility.

I started digging deeper down the rabbit hole of interviews with the staff in various books over the years, burning with curiosity.

I found a couple more interesting vague allusions to the nature of Romeo and Alfredo's relationship in interviews with the script writer and voice actors in the 1996 Megu Extra art book and the 10th anniversary book.

From the 1996 Megu Extra interview with the script writer, Michiru Shimada. Translated with DeepL, edited for readability:

Interviewer: Please tell us about the process of adapting the original story into an anime.

Shimada: At first I thought the story would be a bit hard to follow. But as I worked on it, I think I was able to write something that I never thought I would be able to do. At first, I didn't think it would become this much of a friendship story between Romeo and Alfredo. Of course, I thought that would be the main theme and the climax of the story, but I feel that their friendship, or rather their relationship of trust, went further and further than I had expected.

From the 10th anniversary book interview with Michiru Shimada. Translated with DeepL, edited for readability:

Since I started using the Internet, I found out that "Romeo" had fans, and now that it has reached its 10th anniversary, it still has as many fans as ever. It's very surprising. I am deeply moved that 10 years have already passed, and at the same time, I am filled with gratitude that so many of you remember it. At the time of the broadcast, the ratings were low and I wondered if anyone was even watching the show. So I had no idea that there was a lot of talk among some fans about the relationship between Romeo and Alfredo being "suspicious" (laughs).

From the 10th anniversary book interview with Ai Orikasa and Toshiko Fujita, the voice actors of Romeo and Alfredo, respectively. Translated with DeepL, edited for readability:

Interviewer: So what "Romeo" depicts is the most important part, and in that sense, it is an eternal theme. Even when you grow up, you still think, "I want this kind of friendship," at the heart of it, don't you?

Orikasa: In some ways, it's ideal. I wish I had a friend like Alfredo…. Also, you are drawn to both the innocence of a boy like Romeo, whose hard work is beautiful, and the coolness and fragility of a brilliant but unfortunate boy like Alfredo.

Fujita: Even though they're just boys, there's a deep bond between them, like a romance, right? That's a big theme of Romeo and Alfredo's story.

Interviewer: What do you think is the secret behind Romeo and Alfredo's popularity?

Orikasa: Alfredo is unquestionably cool. Even being unfortunate has a kind of charisma…Romeo, on the other hand, is definitely a blank canvas. He's absorbing everything, but he's desperately trying to survive. He loves people desperately, he desperately wants to do something about it, and he can be clumsy or childish at times, but that's what makes him so charming. As for the relationship between the two, Romeo will never be able to live like Alfredo, and Alfredo will never have anything like Romeo, so they admire each other.

Fujita: I don't know which one of them is happier, but each of them has different qualities that they were born with or things that they acquired without realizing it. On the one hand, I feel like I have to protect them, but on the other hand, I also want to throw them away…That's why Romeo's blank canvas looks wonderful to Alfredo. Perhaps his canvas had been already painted over ever since he was born. They both have something wonderful from the start, but they're both attracted to what they don't have.

…It sounds like we're talking about a man and a woman (laughs).

Orikasa: That's really true. So, I'm sure the fans saw the two of them that way as well. But we were also laughing in the recording studio. There were long scenes where they stared at each other (laughs).

Fujita: That was hilarious. "Isn't it a little too long?" (laughs) We would say things like, "That look in his eyes is not normal."

By this point, I was still wondering if the romantic subtext was actually intentional, or if the creators were just joking around and acknowledging fan interpretations. However, at the very least, I felt I could be satisfied knowing that no one was arguing against the interpretation of them being more than friends. I began to assume that even if the romantic subtext was intentional, the creators would never officially confirm it and would continue to skirt around the topic forever.

Then, to my absolute shock, I found it. Fifteen years after the show aired, in the 2010 World Masterpiece Theater Europe Memorial Book, the director unabashedly confirming the feelings between Romeo and Alfredo were always intended to be romantic.

From the special interview with director Kouzou Kusuba. Professionally translated:

Romeo and Alfredo, the two had fallen in love . . .

With Romeo and Alfredo, that was love at first sight. Without even going into male friendships, the two are lovers. Before they start walking down the road of hardships, when they meet during the apple incident, it was love at first sight. They fell in love. That is the only explanation for having a bond that is that strong.

After Angeletta, Romeo’s heart moves towards Bianca. That is because he saw traces of her older brother, Alfredo, in her. So in the end, it was Alfredo for Romeo.

For comparison's sake, the DeepL translation with my own edits for better readability:

Romeo and Alfredo, they fell in love . . .

Romeo and Alfredo, it was love at first sight. Before you say anything about male friendships, these two are lovers. They fell in love at first sight when they met at the apple incident before they started down the road of hardship. They fell in love. If we didn’t think of it that way, they would not have had such a strong bond.

Romeo's heart moves on to Bianca after Angeletta. It is because he saw in Bianca the image of her brother Alfredo. After all, it really is still Alfredo for Romeo.

There's a crucial bit of info to note about the interview in the original Japanese that confirms it was romance without a shadow of a doubt. The director uses the word 恋 (koi) to describe their love, which is a term that is only used for romantic love in Japanese, as well as 恋人 (koibito - lovers/sweethearts/boyfriends). This leaves no ambiguity unlike the words すき (suki - like), and 愛 (ai - love), which, like their closest English counterparts, can be platonic or romantic depending on context.

Although I didn't need the romantic connection between them to be canon, actually having it confirmed simultaneously fills my heart with so much joy and ache even more. The story hits much harder when viewed through the lens of being an intentional, fleeting childhood romance between two boys who are oblivious to the fact that they are in love with each other. There's a sense of disconnect between them knowing that they feel strongly towards each other, but not realizing what their feelings mean and the people around them not understanding how deep it is either. I certainly had feelings as a kid that I wasn't able to identify as romantic until years later because of compulsory heterosexuality, and I'm sure many other queer people would relate to this as well.

It's beautiful, yet heartbreaking. If you consider it, the way their romance is presented contextually makes sense from both the standpoint of being realistic to the 1870s, time period it is set in, and the constraints of when it was created and aired on TV, in 1995. Especially with Romeo's Blue Skies being a children's show and a World Masterpiece Theater series, there probably would have been no scenario where the creators could have explicitly stated it on-screen. Instead, they poured it all into subtext, which shines brightly.

Romeo and Alfredo never needed to say, "I love you." A few words, a tender gaze and a gentle hand touch between them to me almost feels more romantic than a kiss ever could. It is so painfully evident in the way they look at each other and treat each other that they have a much deeper emotional and romantic bond between them than any other characters in the series.

I think that's what spoke to me all those years ago. The feeling of finding someone you're on the same wavelength with; those unspoken understandings between each other. I saw these two and was struck somewhere deep in my heart with the desire for a relationship like that. Even now, there's a part of me that feels: If I were to find my equivalent counterpart of Romeo and Alfredo, I would be set for life . . .

[acocktailmoment]

Sapphire Martini !

You’ll need:

30 ml of Gordon's The Original London Dry Gin,

15 ml of blue curacao,

15 ml of elderflower liqueur,

15 ml of lemon juice

Directions:

Place a martini glass in the freezer to chill (not more than 10 minutes or it might develop cracks).

Then in a cocktail shaker, add the gin, curacao, liqueur, lemon juice, and lots of ice, shaking vigorously for about 20 seconds.

Then strain the mixture into the chilled martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Voila!

Courtesy: The Bar / Ananya Desai

This article was not sponsored or supported by a third-party. A Cocktail Moment is not affiliated with any individuals or companies depicted here. 

[fyeahdprian]

DPR Live + IAN - Jasmine, So Beautiful, To Myself 등 @HITC 2021 in LA | [DF CAM] DF X 88rising | 11.6.2021 4:30pm

Dingo FreeStyle Uploaded: Dec 12, 2021

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DPR Live, DPR Ian, eaJ Performed: November 6, 2021 at 4:30pm

00:00 Diamonds + And Pearls 03:24 Boom 06:50 So Beautiful 10:04 Dope Lovers 13:23 Jasmine 17:07 Kiss Me 20:31 Scaredy Cat 23:22 Yellow Cab 26:41 Text Me 29:36 Jam & Butterfly 33:46 Hula Hoops 37:25 Martini Blue 40:55 To Myself

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HEAD IN THE CLOUDS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL DPR Live, DPR Ian, eaJ Date: Saturday, November 6, 2021 Time: 4:30 PM PST Location: Rose Bowl Stadium

[chasingrainbowsforever]

~ Blue and Gold ~

[onthewaytosomewhere]

Espresso Martini for whatever rwrb ship strikes your fancy!

ok so i got a lot of espresso martini requests i just so happens i have one that will fit with this and not the other 2 so here we go

@duchessdepolignaca03 requested

---- so what we have here is firstprince but alex and philip meeting up

Alex is uncertain about this whole meeting, but he knows that Phillip has been trying, and Henry and Bea are both hopeful for some semblance of the relationship they used to have. So, here he is, about to enter the pub Philip picked out. He takes a deep breath, puts on his best not-quite-press smile, and walks through the door. He looks around the room and sees Philip sitting at a table at the back of the room. Alex walks towards him and watches as Philip turns his phone off and slips it to the side of the table.

He stops at the edge of the table, and Philip smiles up at him, “Alex, thanks for coming,” he gestures to the bench across from him. Alex sits down, and Philip slides the espresso martini across to him; it’s still cold, so it was recently ordered. Alex raises his eyebrow, and Philip shrugs, “Henry wouldn’t shut up for months about your love for coffee, so I figured this was a safe bet. The barkeep definitely laughed at me for ordering it, so please tell me you’ll drink it.”

Alex looks down at the drink in front of him, “Yeah, sure, I like a good espresso martini. Hopefully, y’all know how to make them here.”

“I’ve never had a bad drink here.”

The silence between them is awkward. Alex knows he should say something; he knows that Philip is owed an explanation, but he’s unsure how to start. He’s saved from having to say anything when Philip speaks.

“Alex … I suppose I would have ordered the espresso martini anyway; I remember your fascination with coffee without Henry having to bring it up every time I was at breakfast with him. Does he know?”

“That I’m here right now? That once upon a time, I considered you a friend? Yes, he also knows that, although he’s not sure how that could be. I guess I got lucky. I knew you when your Gran was just starting to get her claws so deep into you.”

“I’m sure it also helped that you met me after you met Henry at the Olympics, and what did you call him a pompous dick or something like that? So, of course, you expected me to be horrible, so it wasn’t a high bar to be better than you expected.” Philip raises his eyebrow in the same way that Alex thought was utterly annoying the first time they met, at some party after his mother won the election. He still finds it annoying, but it’s almost funny how it’s the least irritating thing about the man Philip became.

“Yeah, your brother definitely helped you out in that regard. Although maybe I just have a weakness for Fox men, your father was undeniably hot, and both you and Henry have some features in common with him. Although, I guess it’s probably good I didn’t have my bi-awakening with you. Martha would be even more unhappy with me.” Alex chuckles as he takes a drink of the martini at the appalled look on Philip’s face.

“Yeah, though, to be fair, she was trying to tell me there was something between the two of you back then. I didn’t want to hear it. I guess I assumed that even if we weren’t necessarily as close as we had been for a while there, you would have told me. Although it is pretty par for the course for you not to have known it yourself.” Philip shakes his head as if he can’t believe it and Alex takes another drink to avoid laughing. “Do I want to even know how you figured it out?”

“Well, you remember how Henry and Pez came to our New Year’s Eve party?” Philip nods, and Alex continues, “Well, Henry kissed me, and I found myself kissing him back. And then he ran back here and wouldn’t talk to me.”

“Wait, wasn’t he your guest at that dinner with the Prime Minister not long after that?” Philip looks as if he’s attempting to figure something out but is unsure if he really wants the answer.

Alex smirks and says, “Yes, he was,” with every bit of filthy implication he can pack into the three words.

“Ugh. I do not need to know what you are implying right now.”

Alex laughs and sees some heads turn their way out of the corner of his eye. “Well, I’m sure you were taught, with all your fancy education, not to ask questions you don’t want the answer to.”

“Well, I guess it does prove that I could have never been your bi-awakening, no matter how much you think I share any amount of looks with him or my father. I forgot you had a thing for Dad’s Bond movies; how does Henry take that?”

Alex chuckles, remembering the first time he had brought up how hot Arthur Fox was to Henry. “Well, better now than he used to. We actually watch them sometimes, which I think helps him feel a little bit closer; sometimes, I can get him to tell me stories about some of the ones he was on set for at some point during filming.”

They continue talking, and before Alex knows it, he’s on his third martini. It feels almost like he’s there with the Philip he knew a few years ago. He knows it will take a while, but he’s willing to help the Fox siblings work their stuff out; he knows Henry really wants it.

They’re leaving the bar, and before Philip turns to head toward his car, Alex says, “He loves you, ya know.” At Philip’s confused look, he says, “Henry, he loves you, so maybe figure your shit out so he can have his brother.” He turns and heads toward the car, waiting for him before Philip can answer, anxious to return to Henry.