#micro-weddings

[studiocapturelife]

Wedding Photography Trends for the Coming Year

In the ever-evolving world of wedding photography, trends come and go, but timeless moments endure. As we anticipate the upcoming year, it’s an opportune time to explore the emerging trends that promise to shape the way we capture love stories. From innovative techniques to sentimental touches, here are the wedding photography trends to watch out for in the coming year.

Authentic Storytelling

Gone are the days of stiff poses and forced smiles. Couples today crave authenticity in their wedding photos, opting for candid moments that reflect their genuine emotions. Expect to see more documentary-style photography that captures the raw, unscripted moments of love, laughter, and tears.

Intimate Micro-Weddings

With the shift towards intimate gatherings, micro-weddings have become increasingly popular. These smaller celebrations offer couples the opportunity to focus on meaningful connections and personal details. 

Wedding photographers are embracing this trend by capturing the intimacy and warmth of these smaller-scale events with a focus on close-up shots and heartfelt moments.

Eco-Friendly Practices

As sustainability becomes a greater priority for many couples, eco-friendly wedding photography practices are on the rise. 

From using digital albums to reducing paper waste, photographers are finding innovative ways to minimize their environmental footprint while still delivering stunning images. 

Expect to see more couples opting for outdoor venues and natural landscapes, embracing the beauty of the earth in their wedding photos.

Artistic Expression:

Wedding photography is increasingly being recognized as an art form, with photographers pushing creative boundaries to capture unique and visually stunning images. 

From experimental lighting techniques to bold compositions, expect to see more couples seeking out photographers who can infuse their wedding photos with artistic flair and imagination.

Inclusive Representation:

Diversity and inclusivity are at the forefront of today’s cultural conversations, and wedding photography is no exception. Couples are seeking out photographers who celebrate love in all its forms, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In the coming year, expect to see a greater emphasis on diverse representation in wedding photography, with photographers actively working to ensure that all couples feel seen, valued, and celebrated in their images.

Drone Photography

Advancements in technology have opened up new possibilities for capturing breathtaking aerial shots of wedding venues and landscapes. Drone photography allows photographers to showcase the grandeur and scale of the wedding day from a unique perspective, adding an extra layer of excitement and visual interest to the final collection of images.

Conclusion

As we look ahead to the coming year, these wedding photography trends promise to shape the way we capture and commemorate love stories. Whether it’s through authentic storytelling, eco-friendly practices, or artistic expression, one thing remains constant: the timeless beauty of love captured through the lens of a skilled photographer

Ready to capture your love story in the most stunning way possible? Contact Studio Capture Life today and let us bring your vision to life.

[bengiyo]

Hello 👋

All of your favorite horniest sex scenes?

Hello! I've been busy, so this has taken forever to get to!

I don't always need the guys to bounce around on each other and gyrate enthusiastically for it to out as horny. Oftentimes, I find myself more drawn in by the building desire between the characters, and the explicit acknowledgement of release. I like when the sex feels like it's also revealing something to us about the characters. I've highlighted many of these before, but it's fun to revisit.

Ghost Host, Ghost House Episode 4 Couch Scene

I will never get over this scene, and especially the director's cut of it. These guys knew they liked each other almost instantly, and it was so rewarding to see them reach a place where they could express that. Bonus points for discussing the logistics of gay sex.

This show has been on Gaga and YouTube for a while, but it's also now available on Viki!

La Pluie Episode 6 Floor Scene and Episode 7 Bed Scene

I liked this scene so much that I wrote about it. Again, there's a lot of anticipation between these two, and you can tell how far it's built up because Patts has to dial it back down when Saengtai wants to stop. It's especially important to me because Saengtai does blow Patts in the next episode. If you're on iQIYI, there's an extended cut of that at the end of the video lists.

Mood Indigo: The Post-Funeral Scene

These two are so horrible for each other, but damn are their sex scenes compelling. Theirs are the kinds of scenes only possible between two people you know can never work long term. I was so glad that we got back to Haruhiko in Playback, and the first thing he did was blow Rio in a car. If you haven't seen the Novelist, and you're itching for hornier BL, it's right there.

The End of the World With You "You're Soaked"

From the same team as The Novelsit, we got to experience baby's first fuckboy in this incredible show. Again, I love when we get scenes with couples who aren't ready to work, because they're allowed to have raunchier sex. They get to amp the intensity of the physicality because they need to give a reason why someone was so caught up and missed the warning signs. I actually love the car scene later as a more romantic intimacy scene, but we're focusing on horny here.

Jack o' Frost Birthday Sex

A common theme here with the Japanese offerings is that people are allowed to have more interesting sex scenes right before they split. This is true even in Jack o' Frost. We get a really great oner from the leads that precedes their breakup and Ritsu's accident. I think this might be my favorite of this list because the actors have to build the entire scene together since there aren't any cuts.

Gameboys 2 Bed Scene

Cairo and Gav are one of my favorite pandemic couples we got on screen, and I was quite relieved for them when they finally got to have this moment. We also confirmed they switch, and I love that.

Wedding Plan: Namnuea Showing Off His Stamina

No list for me would be complete without including them. I really loved seeing two gay men go at it after clearing out all of their misunderstandings. They had already had sad goodbye sex. It was thrilling to see them having enthusiastic, athletic sex. This also leads directly to one of my favorite emotional payoffs for a closeted character of all time.

Kiseki: Dear to Me Reunion

The second couple stole this show, but damn if I didn't love the way these two played out sex across multiple years between their characters. These two really suffered, and I really love the way Taro Lin and Hsu Kai captured the changes between these two as Bai Zong Yi grew and matured. This really was a solid sex scene.

Love Class 2: Sungmin and Joo Hyuk

I just really wanna thank them for reassuring me that if Korea wanted to, they could deliver.

Sleep With Me Jeans Scene

I am not a lesbian, but I share their beliefs. This scene was so good. I loved that these two, who have different kinds of disabilities, were able to have a very fun sex scene. I really like when it's clear both characters want to be there.

Only Friends: Boston and Top in the Car

Despite my eventual disdain for this show, I was impressed with Neo and Force for giving this incredibly selfish sex scene between their characters. This entire scene is about injured egos, and it's a standout scene from this show. We won't discuss the rest of the show here.

Thanks for the ask!

[authentic-bee]

My favourite couple finally got married.

[crowleyscleaninglady]

I can’t sleep and all I’m thinking about is a GO and hunger games style fic

Like Aziraphale would be Peta with the heart of gold, people thinking he’s weak when he’s really strong, and just being a cinnamon roll (the baker part would fit too)

And Crowley would make a fantastic Katniss like full of spunk and spite. Like being the one to try and trick the gamemasters at the very last second. And also just risking everything to save Peta/ Aziraphale

More characters include

President Snow - Metatron

Seneca - Michael

Prim - Jim/Jimbriel

Gale - Gabriel

Rue - Muriel

Haymitch - Nina

Effie - Maggie

[invisiblegarters]

Micro (or not) BL Reviews

It's that time again. Seeing as how a couple of things have ended recently and I let my obsession with a certain drama sort of take over everything else of late, I dedicated this week to catching up on all the things I've been missing and doing a quick round up (or not so quick, as it's me).

So let's get started, shall we?

Recently Completed

Stay By My Side - Oh Taiwan. I just love you. I think we had like eighteen "fall into you" moments in the first three episodes alone. The premise was fun - it reminded me a lot of Master's Sun, but the execution of course is totally different. The leads were cute. The chemistry was chemistrying. I loved the sister and that basketball boys. It was mostly fluff, which I am not complaining about because I love me some fluff. That said, I don't think it did anything particularly revolutionary and it never really did manage to grab me.  7.5/10

Wedding Plan - A MAME offering, but…not bad? I mean, not great either, although I will put up with a lot for the premise because I eat shit like that up, but I've seen way worse from MAME. However, it's not going to become a guilty pleasure show like LITA or an unexpected comfort show despite myself (at least the AePete parts) like Love by Chance. It was fine.

Things I really did like:  Nuea's family and his workmates (I loved how fiercely both sets of people stood by and supported him through everything from his huge mistake in sleeping with the groom to running back home to deal with it to basically adopting Lom into the group when they worked it out ("we have a new brother in law"). The lesbians - I could have used a bit more heat but I'll take it for now. Let's work on normalizing GL in our BL (frankly I'd love it if we started doing more of that and less of the token straight couple or three)! Was a little annoyed by how they had to fix everything but I won't pretend that the bits with them in episode 6 didn't get to me - I may have teared up a little when Marine was being treated so horribly by Yiwa's mother - that whole thing was so upsetting on a number of levels. And I was happy for them that they could afford to run away to their own happy ending. Also the gag of Lom pretending to be devastated when he was anything but was kinda funny, I will give the show that. And I did like the way that Lom's mom came around - realizing with time that losing her son the same way Yiwa's mother lost her could be a very real result if she kept being rigid. I also liked that she didn't just suddenly become a PFLAG member (or whatever the equivalent would be here) but simply told her son that she would work on it, because that felt more realistic.

The show also got me with how fucking lonely it must have been for both Lom and Yiwa, to know that they were gay and that they could never say anything, and how overwhelming and relieving it must have been to find someone who understood in each other. No fucking wonder they'd do anything for each other. I would have too, if I'd had someone like that growing up.

So yeah. It was fine. I mostly had a good time, even if I got a little bored once or twice. Frankly when it comes to MAME, being a little bored is preferable to feeling like the top of my head is about to come off because I'm so annoyed. Final verdict 7/10

Jun & Jun - Korea keeps making office BLs and I will continue watching them until the end of time. Especially if they keep on serving good kiss while they do it. And this one had bonus scent kink! I honestly don't know what's gotten into Korea lately but I am very much here for it.

This was a fun little office BL.  I liked how flirty it was from the get go, the way that both Juns danced around each other with the full knowledge that they were flirting. The intern group was fun, too. I really enjoyed the boyfriend episode at the end.

Everyone was very cute in this, but Simeon was my utter favorite. He totally stole the show for me. Him and Young. Young especially was a surprise, since she drove me bonkers when she first showed up. But she grew on me. I liked how fast she decided to embrace Lee Jun, and her and Choi Jun's friendship was cute.

I shipped Simeon and Hyung Hyun Jae too. Hard.

All in all this was cute, even if it didn’t manage to grip me as hard as I hoped. Like I said before, I'm not sure what's gotten into Korea lately but I hope it continues. 8/10.

Laws of Attraction - When I first saw the trailer for this, I decided to skip it. The leads were attractive enough but to be honest it seemed kinda poorly made and like it didn't know what it was going to do with itself. And I was feeling surly and judgmental and decided that it just wasn't for me. Also it was on iQIYI and I had no interest in signing up for another subscription.

But then I saw someone had stuck it on youtube and I was bored one Saturday an there were a few eps already out, so I thought, eh, why not?

And I've not regretted it for a moment.  I loved this show so much my god. Even when OF started (and you all know how much I obsess about OF) this was still the thing I looked forward to most on Saturdays. I adored Charn and his shark smile from moment one, and that adoration did not cease throughout the entirety of the show's run. His character development was by far the best on the show, and I loved the slow, stumbling way he regained the person he used to be, while still keeping the ruthlessness of the man he allowed anger and bitterness to let him become (up to a point). I loved that the show began and ended with his shark smile, but for very different reasons. And he and Tinn were adorable.

I appreciated them banging the marriage equality drum, too, and especially Charn's very pragmatic reasons for wanting it to be legal (as a lawyer, he would think like that, and I appreciate that the show kept him in character even when he was sappy). I also loved his wedding jacket I want four.

I also loved Tinn, and I have to give credit to Jam for the way he portrayed him. While Film totally ate as Charn I do think that in some ways a character like Tinn is harder to portray, because it would be very very easy for him to become preachy because of his morality and rigid sense of justice. But Jam played him with enough nuance that he never slid into that for me - he was willing to occasionally be at least slightly underhanded when the situation called for it, and while he expected Charn to be better (and read him to filth when he caught him out lying to and manipulating him), he thankfully also seemed to understand the fine art of compromise. Plus he's really pretty. Both of them are really pretty.

But the thing that I never expected was just how hard I turned around on Thaenthai. He drove me absolutely bonkers for the first few eps, and I was loudly annoyed by the fact that after about ep three (if not sooner), it became clear that he was not the one who had hit Tonkhao but that he was being made to take the blame. It felt to me like the show wanted me to excuse how vile he was (acting like Tonkhao's death was nothing, beating the crap out of Tinn when he was already tied up and helpless, just generally acting like a spoiled, entitled, horrible shitstain of a human being) because his father beat him. And while that was horrifying and I wanted him to get the hell out of there as soon as possible I still felt that a worm is a worm is a worm, even if the worm's father happens to be worse.

But then the show went and did something I did not expect it to do: it didn't just tell us that Thaenthai was lashing out because he was caught in a desperate limbo of wanting to run away from his and wanting to please him, but it went and did the work to show it. I started turning around on him after he found out about the gardener his father used as a scapegoat once things started getting heated, because we finally got to catch him before he had time to put on his mask. And it just kept coming, because now we knew what to look for. He's still an ass for beating the shit out of Tinn when he was tied up though, lol.

Another thing I really loved that this sow did with him was show him loving his dad in spite of everything. This man beat him, nearly drowned him, let him take the blame for a murder he did, tried to kill the only person Thaenthai felt was really on his side (because I do think that the intent was always to kill Thee - I'm just not entirely sure why it didn't happen as soon as Thaenthai got on that plane. I guess because we needed a happier ending. I am not complaining), and told him to his face that he could never love him because he killed his mother, and yet Thaenthai still loved him, still wanted his attention and his respect and his love in return. And it just rang very painfully true to me. You don't stop loving your parents because they're shit, and humans for some reason tend to be wired to try harder for love that is hard to receive (or impossible, in this case).  It did not surprise me that Thaentha tried to visit his father in prison, or that he was sad when he died. But neither did it surprise me that something in him seemed looser in those scenes as well, because even though he loved his dad there's a part of him that's glad he's gone.

I love stuff like this, because it's so complicated and realistic and it hurts in a way that only something that resonates with reality can. I ate it up.

Shout out as well to Not Vorarit, because he really did a good job with Thatthep. The way he slowly unraveled as the show went on was pitch perfect, every little nuance from his first intro as the shady but possibly not *that* shady "concerned" parent right up until that last scene with Charn where he's just a cackling monster. Kudos, you created an excellently detestable character. Watching him get his comeuppance was certainly a highlight of the show for me.

I was also really into the way that Tonkhao was very much a main character despite the fact that she died so early. One of the best strengths of this show was the way that it never let us forget what started this whole thing, it showed Tinn and Grandma grieving for their little girl, talking about her, missing her. Being reminded of her around every corner. They kept her in the forefront of our minds exactly the way that they should have, and I was delighted by it.

Other fun notables are himbo ex Nawin and Rose and Maya, our GL couple that I wish had gotten a little more screen time *as* a couple but either way were fabulous. I will love this show forever for introducing Nawin in the final hour and making him such a great combination of ridiculous and ruthless. And the way they let him breathe as a character - they really just stood back and were like "look at this ridiculous man stealing the show" and it was amazing. And Rose was just - she was such a good friend to Charn the whole way through, and both her and Maya's utter delight for him when he found Tinn (and them welcoming not only him but grandma into their little family so readily) warmed my cynical heart. And I will watch Sylvie Pavida in pretty much anything, I think.

All this raving and yet I still have to go with a final score of 9/10. I recommend this show, it's way better than I thought it would be, but there are some questionable choices made, the CGI and the fight scenes are laughable (the fire at Charn's office made me laugh so hard I had to pause), and they pulled out a guitar and sang not once, but twice. And they don't even have the excuse that one of them is supposed to be a singer. Also frankly nowadays every Thai show I watch I have to ask myself "did I enjoy this more than Moonlight Chicken?" which I only gave a 9.5, and for this one, the answer was no. So 9 it is, but a highly recommended 9. This was so much fun and it will be very missed on Saturdays.

Currently Watching

Be Mine Superstar - I really do  not get why they have decided to give the doom eleventh episode to this drama. It makes such little sense from this couple, who are the least dramatic pairing possible. They should have just left the angst to Muang and the doc.

Speaking of which, I have been disappointed with that storyline. I feel like we went from nothing to boyfriends with no real development, and now that they're not boyfriends again we're supposed to care, and I just don't.

Also Title is really out here doing the most. My dude, can't you just bow the fuck out gracefully? Blergh him and the manger stuff is still really annoying. Kevin was a delight though. Even though that's one too many dudes thirsty for Ashi for my personal taste (although he is very pretty so I totally get it).

Hidden Agenda - I actually kind of loved how ridiculous the conflict between Joke and Zo wound up being. Oh sure, Pat helping Joke along was a betrayal of trust or whatever, but it just felt perfect for the kind of drama this is. I get the idea that it felt like a betrayal of trust, but I also don't really get how it was too much different from what Zo was trying to do with Nita. Whatever, I love my low stakes drama on Sundays, keep it coming Hidden Agenda.

Kiseki: Dear to Me - This show is doing what I wanted from Only Friends and giving me all the cameos. The way I yelled when I saw the two from history: make Our Days Count. I think my favorite is Ai Di - poor little ball of adoration and pettiness and jealousy. I adore him. Oh, and that scene in the spa was great - I loved how everyone was looking at everyone else while the episode's guest stars (HI, Be Loved in House I Do guys! Good to see you) side eyed the lot of 'em. Me too, my friends. Me too. They're all messy and in love with everyone else and I am here for this weird quadrangle.

The main couple has less of a chokehold on me, but I like our uptight, traumatized doctor to be. And okay, yes, it got me with his unwilling return to a solitary life after Ze Rui disappeared on him. My guess is we're gonna speed run to the imprisonment and amnesia in the synopsis, and I'm good with that. I hope the cameos continue, but even if they don't I'm really enjoying this.

Taikan Yoho / My Personal Weatherman - I saw this called live action yaoi and at first didn’t really believe it, but no. No, it really is. And I am *here* for it. I can't say it's my favorite thing airing right now but I'm enjoying it.

The Jungle - (not a BL, so I'm cheating here, ah well) I don't know who thought that what we needed was four entire episodes of Pine's manpain, but they were very wrong. At least for my money. On the bright side, August is gorgeous and Pat is killing it. The series has been uneven for me and I'm a little annoyed they apparently want to wrap up Pine's BS, Nathee and Florence, *and* address Hunter's backstory in just two eps. But eh, whatever, I was only ever really watching for the women and Mix and thankfully Hack and Irin gave me all the mess that was promised (and not really delivered on, unfortunately. Not that I wanted a bunch of assholes womanizing, but aside from freaking Pine everyone's stories wrapped up in a couple of episodes of mostly no mess at all). 

Looking Forward To

23.5 - Come on GMMTV get this thing out already I want it. I have been patient but come oooooon. I had three highly anticipated dramas for this line up and this is the only one that hasn't been released yet and I want it. Gimme my GL.

Absolute Zero (Sep 27, iQiYI)- this is gonna hurt but at least I know it going in?

The Box (Sep 22, not sure about where) - Not a BL, but looks like a good time. Plus I'm interested to see Prem in a thriller - I think he'll do well.

I am also wondering what will replace the Monday/Tuesday hole The Jungle will leave when it stops airing or if they plan to do reruns.

And apparently we're getting the GMMTV 2024 lineup in Oct this year, which seems really early but maybe I'm wrong. I didn’t actually pay attention to the 2023 lineup until way after it came out so I can’t be trusted. *whispers* please let Midnight Museum have a season two, please let Midnight Museum have a season two.

[the-vc-group-chat]

GOD I wish I was brilliant enough to have come up with this punch line. Instead, I am forever grateful to this Valentine's fic by @rainbowcarousels

[ball-of-butter]

biblically accurate mareven wedding where mare is wearing the groom’s tux and maven is wearing the bride’s gown

[moonlightchess]

He all but booted open their apartment door, breathless and furious. It was so unlike him that she was startled, watching him storm in as she chopped vegetables for dinner. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"I got stuck in traffic for an hour!" He sank wearily onto their sofa, and she approached from behind to gently massage his shoulders.

"It's all right babe, it's only seven. I wasn't even finished with dinner yet, I got home late from work too."

"It's not that," he groaned. "Tonight was supposed to be the night, I had everything planned to make this proposal perfect."

She stared at him, and he stared at her. Then, "...Shit." Laughing, she circled the couch to kneel in front of him, drawing him into her arms.

"Well, I'd better get to pick the theme now." She winked. "How do you feel about art deco?"

[bengiyo]

Too 5 horniest sex scenes

There were actually a lot of really solid sex scenes this year. For you, I will cheat and add extras.

Masumi and Ritsu in College in The End of the World With You

I actually think these are better in retrospect because we got to see what these two look like ten years later.

Yang and Phumjai Knocking Down Their Own Store in Love in Translation

I just know this was a fantasy for Yang and he absolutely still has that footage somewhere. They both had beds upstairs!

Namnuea Showing Sailom the Real Him in Wedding Plan

We did not get enough focus on characters who have experience sharing that with each other.

Kim Sung Min and Yoo Joo Hyuk in Love Class 2

We don't often get solidly built boys together in BL, and once again we got two men who knew how to fuck going at it.

Boston and Top in that Car in Only Friends

Top was trying to send that boy into orbit the way he jackhammered him! You know Boston's ass was clean and ready for this moment that he orchestrated.

That First Night Between Nail and Him in For Him

Nothing like a rebound hookup. Bonus if he looks exactly like your ex, amirite??

Saengtai Blowing Patts in La Pluie Ep 7

There's an extended version of this in the special episode on iQIYI. You should check it out. My man Patts was about to lose his mind in this and got what he needed to keep going.

Kon Diao and Yi on the Couch in Naughty Babe Ep 6

Let us never again mention the thumb incident in episode 8. Instead, let's talk about Kon Diao taking charge in this scene and blowing Yi so good that he had to keep his socks on.

King and Uea Explore Kinks in Bed Friend

King was trembling in anticipation when he shared this with Uea.

Ask Me Top 5 BL 2023 Anything

[karisamariephotographyutah]

A Love Story in the Utah Mountains: A Stunning Park City Elopement

Imagine a wedding day that’s all about the two of you—surrounded by Utah’s breathtaking autumn landscape, with the final golden leaves adding the perfect touch of magic. For couples looking for something beyond a traditional ceremony, an elopement in the mountains creates a space for authentic moments, real emotions, and an unforgettable adventure.

This recent Park City elopement shows just how incredible a personalized, intimate wedding can be. From a cozy welcome party in a sunlit backyard to a mountaintop ceremony with loved ones gathered under a soft, honey-gold sunset, every moment was filled with love, laughter, and meaning. For anyone dreaming of a romantic, inclusive ceremony in nature, Utah’s landscapes make a truly stunning backdrop.

I’m passionate about helping couples bring their unique love stories to life in these beautiful surroundings. Ready to plan your own adventure elopement? Check out my blog post to see more of this magical day, explore location ideas, and get inspired to start planning your unforgettable Utah elopement. Let’s make your love story one for the books!

[invisiblegarters]

(Not so) Micro BL (mostly) Reviews

It's that time again; I've been watching things and I want to talk about them. So here I go.

These are all shows that I watched but for whatever reason did not (or am not, in the case of the currently watching ones) liveblogging week to week. Mostly they're binge watches so make of that what you will. I would love and welcome discussions about any of them, if anyone wants.

Watched - New to Me

Tonhon Chonlatee - Did I watch this entirely for Khaotung? Yep. Am I sorry? Not really. Did I wind up shipping Na and Chonlatee way way harder than Tonhon and Chonlatee in spite of myself? Oh, most def. So when are Neo and Khao gonna get a BL, huh?

I am glad the horrible former faen trope is slowly dying out, though. Really couldn't stand Amp, but then again I was way more offended by the attempted SA followed by literally nothing (and by the fact that Amp was somehow worse than the person actually trying to SA Chonlatee, like no. NO nononono). Also incredibly incredibly annoyed with the whole "I will kiss you to prove I'm a man who isn't afraid of women" thing. Nope, sorry. It was dumb, I'm calling it out as dumb, Ton is just lucky Chon loved him too much to keep staying mad at him because that's a dumping offense, my friend.

I liked Chon's spine, though. Khao is so tiny and fox faced that it would be very easy to play into that and have Chon be this sweet, spineless little thing that can't stand up for himself and that  Ton has to protect constantly. And in some ways he does, although I think the show does a really good job of showing that Chon is more than capable of taking care of himself. I liked that.

Honestly I just feel like the writing failed both Pod and Khao. They did what they could with what they had, but Pod especially could have had so much more. There was so much meat there that they just…didn't let the man chew, and I saw nothing that made me think that he couldn't.

The chemistry between them was good though, even if I am one of the (few? Idk I have no idea how people see this show) people who liked Na for Chon better. Na was actually my favorite character, and in the end I'm pretty sure I was only watching for him. Final verdict 5/10. I would probably have forgotten about it already except I keep coming across that set of gifs. You know the one. A+ gifs, 10/10 no notes.

The Warp Effect - This was my second drama ever from Jojo, and I loved it so much. I enjoyed all the characters, especially Jean and Mollie, and I loved the relationships and the way that Alex had to navigate his new (to him) adult life as an asshole after (essentially) passing out as a fairly earnest, well-meaning seventeen year old. I adored the things the show had to say about sexuality, about gender, about the way people who don't conform to expectations (in whatever way that is) are treated.

I loved how it continuously pointed out the hypocrisy towards women in particular (there are several examples of this, but I am thinking particularly of how Jean was treated after the party vs. how Alex was. I love that the show made a point of explicitly stating how messed up the disparate reactions were, and how unfair. I also liked that despite following Alex as he goes on this journey, the show never attempted to pretend that he was the wronged party in that situation. Neither did Alex himself, which was refreshing). I'm not used to that from my shows, full stop.

I loved how queer friendly it was. I have read over and over again that it is one of the queerest shows people have seen, despite focusing mostly on a het dude. And you know what? They were right.

I spent eleven episodes loving this show with everything that I am, so enthralled with it that I did nothing else but binge it over the course of like a day and a half (if it hadn't been a work night I probably would have stayed up just to finish it, that's how hooked I was). And then…the final episode. I have to say that it disappointed me.

I am one who puts a lot of stock in an ending. A great ending can elevate a drama for me, a bad one can kill it stone dead. The Warp Effect didn't kill things, but it disappointed me. It felt like the show was saying something really interesting about forgiveness using Alex and Jean, about how sometimes you do things in your life that can't be forgiven. That sometimes things happen and the best you can do for the person you wronged is to step the fuck back like she's asked you to and let her try to forget.

But nope, Alex gets to go back in time and wisely fix all his friends problems and never have that awful encounter with Jean. And everything ends in a pat, happy way that kind of set my teeth on edge. If not for the fact that Jean (my darling) didn't deserve what happened to her I might have disliked it more, but the truth is that she didn't deserve it, and I'm happy for the unambiguously happy ending for that and that alone. No clue how prevalent this opinion is but knowing how my opinions tend do go I'm guessing not very, ha. Final score 8/10 - yes I docked it two points for the ending, I said they can make or break things for me.

Step By Step - I will watch any and every office BL that I am given. Do you hear me? Any. And. Every. Except A Boos and A Babe, oops (does it count if I tried because it was an office set BL and then just bounced off hard? I'm counting it).

Anyway, tangent. The point I'm making here is that I was never going to not give this a shot. And I am glad I did. It wasn't my favorite thing but I was happy to see it actually tackle the realities of what it look s like when you're dating your boss. The way that all the crap rolled onto Pat was very true to life, if painful to watch, and I appreciated the show for going there.

I was also kind of unimpressed with the time skip BUT that's only because it happened in the dreaded episode eleven and I would have liked more time with the 2 years later Jeng and Pat. Ah well, it was still cute. 7/10

Enchanté - Watched this because I was curious about Force & Book after I bounced off of A Boss and A Babe (and since they are in one of my most anticipated dramas of the year, possibly as the main main couple but definitely as one of them). I was curious if I would bounce off of them here as well, because if so that probably wouldn't bode well for the future.

And? I liked it. I liked the bickery romantic tension between them (I blame my misspent youth and all those slap slap kiss shows from when I was a wee, impressionable thing too long ago to want to talk about). I was highly annoyed at the beginning when it seemed like eight hundred different men wanted to date Theo (as well as incredibly baffled why Theo was so damned into this dude who wrote two whole sentences in a book with him. But I have no romance in my soul so I was willing to let that part go) because I start to get twitchy at two, let alone literally every guy he talks to. But once that mystery started unraveling and we started learning what was going on with all these dudes, I liked it a lot more. And I don't know if Be My Favorite has made me appreciate Gawin more (yes, definitely) or if I was just way too hard on him in Not Me (maybe, idk I still think he was kind of drippy), but I really enjoyed him in this one, too. Yes, even with the singing. Gawin for me is a rarity because frankly, he can actually carry a tune. I will never understand what's with making all these BL boys sing and dance. Sometimes you just aren't a triple threat, and that's okay.

Anyway remember my endings problem? Yeah, didn’t love this one. I mean, fine, chase your love interest all the way to fair Paris because he's having a crisis about his parents (and honestly, that part I really liked? I liked how selfish he was about it. Idk it just worked for me), I would have let him run off and found someone else but as I said I have no romance in my soul. 7.5/10

Naked Dining / Zenra Meshi / 全ラ飯 - Cute, but. I found myself really really annoyed by all the misunderstandings. This never happens to me, I love a good misunderstanding or three, but my gosh there just comes a point when you need to stop making assumptions and talk, my guys. Food porn was good, though. 6/10

Hello Stranger - Baby's first Pinoy BL! So I guess this is in the same vein as Gameboys, but I did not see that one, and I found this charming. The leads were adorable, and I do have a fondness for shows told almost completely via skype. Look, I still haven't seen enough of them for the novelty to have worn off. The mix of Tagalog and English was a little hard to adjust to at first but after a couple eps I got there. It was just a cute, breezy little thing that was easily digestible and I'm happy I watched it, although to be frank I probably won't put it into my rotation. 8/10

Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Soul -

While I really enjoyed most of it, I feel like it fell apart for me at the end and I'm having a hard time articulating why.

I think it might be the reincarnation bit. While I get what the show was going for there, what are we saying, exactly? Is Tua gonna wait now until Prakan is of age before showing up to be his boyfriend again? Are they gonna go back to phi and nong until then? Or is Tua gonna watch Prakan like he's straight out of a Police song without speaking to him for the next 5/6 years? My problem isn't even really with the idea that Tua and Prakan will continue to meet in all of Prakan's lifetimes until perhaps Tua's time as a reaper is over and they can be reborn in the same timeline again and maybe be together for real. I think it's the idea of them both waiting around for Prakan's minor clock to expire that's doing it. I feel like Goblin did this trope better. Personally I loved Tua and Prakan being together until he passed, and for me, I think that the show would have been stronger overall if they had left it at that and not done the end bit with the new Prakan.

That said, the child actor who played young!Prakan was stellar and I hope that he has been getting steady work. I have to say that in a lot of the Thai dramas I've watched, the child actors have been standouts.

Other than that, I did really enjoy the drama. It was interesting and I liked seeing Yacht play a character that wasn't super Pond-esque for once. I did feel watching Between Us that he could do better, if given the material (not his fault, Between Us had too many side couples, both he and his partner did what they could with what they had), and I'm happy to see I was right. Metha actually became one of my favorite characters - he had a whole arc from conflicted asshole to loosening up and remembering that he actually loved his friends/realizing his uncle had manipulated him into hating Prakan for his own personal gain, and Yacht did a really good job with playing both the asshole and the decent dude beneath.

I saw a lot of comments complaining about Prakan's inability to be mature regarding Tua's job, but I think that for the most part it was actually fairly believable a reaction, especially after his mom died. And it would be hard for me to deal with the idea that death can be around any corner no matter how hard I try to prevent it, let alone someone for whom that is their entire job.

I was annoyed, however, by the weird ep 11 (I think, might have been 10) "Nuch could die" plot, simply because it was so late in the game, took up so little time, and seemed like a plot device just to get Metha to finally tell her he loved her. Annoying and pointless. Wasn't needed - he could have done it a million other ways.

Enjoyed the couple of Kheeta and Nathee as well - Nathee was another one that did a 180 as the show progressed, but unfortunately I believed his less than I did Metha's, mostly because I just don't think the actor is as good. He was kind of a weak link in Between Us too, although I think I enjoyed him in Even Sun? I can't remember (and just as I said that I did remember, and no, he wasn't one of my favorites in that either. But the less said about Even Sun the better, really). Still, the whole plot for them is one of my bulletproof tropes. It would take a lot for me not to be into it.

Overall though, I enjoyed it. It kept me extremely engaged and made me cry more than once, and up until the last let's say half episode it really worked for me. 8/10

Rewatched

He's Coming to Me - Seeing everyone talk about this lately made me want to rewatch it, and aw, I forgot how much I loved it. It truly is a gem of a show, and I am glad that a lot of people are talking up how good it is lately. Ohm especially really shines.

What a gem this show is. I really enjoyed the slow burn between Med and Thun, and I liked that it went hand in hand with Thun's realization that he was gay. Really enjoyed how supportive his friends and mom were about it, too. Just a really lovely group of people all around.

Another thing that was fun was the mystery of how Med died. I liked that once Thun decided to help him find out he was all in, willing to help him pretty much no matter what. I honestly don't know if I guessed the mom thing or just remembered it from before but that was a kind of hilarious twist - well mom, I'm in love with your ex who's been a ghost for twenty years. Blessings?

The one thing that knocked this down for me was the whole story with the grandpa/uncle. I think I will never get used to these dramas downplaying things that seem like a pretty big deal to me. Manipulate your student into committing literal crimes and nearly drive him crazy with the pressure of holding up an impossible standard? It's okay, you have trauma too so we understand! Deliberately sabotage your son's happiness so that you can make your marriage scheme become reality? All's well that ends well! Plot and then actually go ahead and murder your own nephew, or at the very least orchestrate events so he could die? We can't change the past, all we can do is hope for a better future! Clearly I take these things too seriously.

Overall though, I really did have a good time. I thought that the chemistry between everyone was excellent, not just the two main characters but the entire cast, and I think the eight episode run time worked in its favor because it kept the show from ever feeling bloated, or like they were trying to find things to do to fill time. And the ending, while bittersweet in its way, is perfect for them. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable show, and I'm very glad I decided to watch it again.

Currently Watching, Sans Liveblogging

Laws of Attraction - I am LOVING this. I did not expect to from the trailer, but nope. I'm hooked. It's got plenty of time to off the rails I guess, since it just started, but I'm not even sure I will care if it does, so long as our very cute lawyer keeps smiling and flirting (and then trying desperately to gtfo of the room whenever Tinn gets to close the whatever killed his ideals (mom was murdered and then the murderer got off? Drunk driver who got released due to a slick lawyer? It's definitely mom based, and I am very curious). The chemistry between the two leads is very very good, too. I've not seen them in anything else, but I might check out To Sir, With Love because I like them that much. Also Silvy Pavida is in this, and she was one of my favorite things about The Warp Effect. I gave out a little cheer when I saw her, and I hope she's in the show more.

Stay by my Side - Cute, has all the tropes. It's Taiwan so I expect it to be solid. Reminds me a bit of Master's Sun kdrama, but BL. That is not a criticism - I freaking love Master's Sun. Although our ghost repellent isn't aware that's what's happening in this one. I'm enjoying it a lot.

3 Will Be Free - I'm working my way through this, and am way more invested in Mae than the three main characters. Oops? If anything happens to her I will lose it.

The Jungle - MIX VILLAIN ERA GO. If it goes too far in the womanizing direction I will probably drop it, but otherwise I will stick around just to see if I am right and Hunter is the worst of the lot. It has a cast mostly filled with actors I like, and I have to admit I got a kick out of watching Lookjun play a character in love with Off's character again. Also they're giving Nanon the Gun Atthaphan treatment and having him play two people. Whee.

Wedding Plan - It's MAME. Enough said. No telling if at some point I'll have to drop it, but well. MAME. I hope the lesbian couple does more than coo at each other, though. Even if the cooing is indeed very cute.

Looking Forward To

At this point I think we all know, but just in case we don't:

Only Friends

Dangerous Romance

23.5

Only Friends and Dangerous Romance are neck and neck in the race to get a premier date. My ideal would be to have them both released in August so I can have max messiness and angst to finish out my summer.

23.5 is on Q5 so I expect we won't see it for a while, but I'm waiting and very excited. We need more GL and I adored Milk and Love in Bad Buddy - I shipped ink and Pa so hard and watching it become canon was one of the best times I've ever had. I'm also pretty jazzed that it looks like there's a second GL couple as well. Both View and June are actresses I like and I'm just very ready for this.

Also I watched the GMMTV 2023 lineup again and I think Last Twilight is now on my list too. Like I'll watch stuff like Cooking Crush when it comes out but I'm not really jazzed about it, lol. Last Twilight however has moved into my "I think I'm excited for this one" list. 

If you made it this far, congratulations. I'd offer you a prize, but I have none. So instead, here. Have a dancing Chonlatee.

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(via Modern Love: A Luxurious Museum Styled Shoot)