#ossan's love 2018

[gillianthecat]

I have Not been doing what I should have been doing this week, which is Not Great. BUT. I have been feeling the urge to watch BL again, so I been flittering around streaming services and binging some and dropping others. Here's the list of the 18, in the order I watched them, with brief thoughts on each. My rating (out of 10) are in [blue]. Feel free to ask me to say more about any of them!

Pit Babe (2 eps) [7]

Fun, enjoyed the tropiness of it, intrigued by Jeff/Alan, whatever secrets Charlie and Jeff are keeping, and that drifting competition which was hella sexy. I like my omegaverse fics "non traditional" so i appreciated that the first BL out there was alpha/alpha. I wasn't engaged enough to keep going, but would like eventually to pick it up again. One of the few shows I'm not filtering the tag for, so I'm enjoying other people's reactions and gifs.

My Personal Weatherman (finished) [8]

I wanted to love it more than I did, many aspects were wonderful, but the leads never felt like real characters to me, just seme/uke tropes fulfilling their roles. Actors very pretty though. I have a bunch of notes I may finish and post eventually.

Laws of Attraction (finished) [9]

10% of it was terrible, 10% was completely nonsensical (instagram live-ing your date while on the lam? really??), 10% was mediocre, 50% was good, and 20% was sublime. Film was phenomenal as the complicated lawyer with his thousands of smiles, and I now have a crush on him. I started watching a het lakorn for him afterwards (Lucky Star, free on Viki, very soap opera, he and his costar are great). I loved grandma and the batshit ex. I've already forgotten parts of the plot. Wish it could have been higher heat, the restrictions kinda fucked with Charn and Tinn's chemistry in the second half, after they got together, but Film made it work with his coy blushing maiden routine. And their chemistry pre-dating was fire. Second leads were cute and I do love me a pining bodyguard, but sadly the actors were kinda eh.

I Became the Main Role of a BL (1 ep) [9]

I am very excited about this, doing so many things well, balancing slapstick and humanity, all the little details are great. I like how the "real world" is still tropey and absurd but also noticibku more grounded than the "drama" world. I'm invested in the managers' stories. I have hopes for its sexiness, given how Aoyagi was touching Akufuji's arm in their rehearsal. Love love love Akufuji stanning.

Double Mints (finished) [5]

um. I didn't hate it. I didn't like it exactly, but there were some poignant moments. My first actually dark BL (I know Pornographer is classified as dark, but it didn't feel that way to me). Possibly there's some profundity in it, but it didn't grab me enough that I want to spend the time thinking about it. Also many plot things that didn't make sense to me. Perhaps just translation issues? Unlike the next on my list, this wasn't porn, it was a violent yakuza story. Not actually very explicit given that it's supposed to be high heat, with the significant exception of a rape scene.

The Shortest Distance is Round (Noir) (finished) [5]

I mean this is literally softcore porn with a weird dark plot around it. I think most of the actors are actual porn actors; I know the lead is. I could have thoughts on the story, but I feel like I'd need to know more about Japanese cinema to say anything meaningful. Just saying, the sexual harassment at the beginning is the tamest bit. Also a hilarious misdirect with the dead fish sleep kiss (at least for me who was going in blind). Some of the sex was hilarious (goat boy!) some of it was creepy and rapey, and some was genuinely hot.

Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss (3.5 eps) [7.5]

Fun and fluffy, like the premise, the seme character has charm, but soon lost interest in that level of slapstick and tropiness. May eventually finish.

Love Stage Japan 2018 (half an ep or so) [6]

Liked it more than the Thai version, which I saw a few episodes of. The set up makes more sense. Soon lost interest in that slapstick style. Wouldn't avoid it, but no current urge to return.

Utsukushii Kare 2 (My Beautiful Man 2) (finished) [9]

I love them so much! As the middle section, it didn't work as well on its own as season one (a hothouse masterpiece) or the movie (their blossoming), but it was an important bridge in their journey.

Utsukushii Kare Eternal (My Beautiful Man Eternal) (finished) [10]

So amazing. I wasn't sure that they could make a good ending of this story but they knocked it out of the park. Managed the tricky balancing act of having Hira and Koyoi grow up and learn to have a healthy relationship while still remaining their kinky weird selves. Echoed season one in so many beautiful and meaningful ways. I may eventually write more about it.

Long Time No See (movie) (finished) [7]

I didn't recognize the title so o started it without knowing anything about genre or plot. I wanted to like this much more than I did. Theoretically I am into all the elements. But somehow it didn't work for me. It felt hollow, or rather like the outline of a movie rather than the movie itself. Nothing really felt real to me. Perhaps just my mood, perhaps because I didn't recognize the name and so went in to it completely lost and confused. And the sex scenes all felt a little off, a little fake to me. Like the actors were kinda uncomfortable with it. It was very low budget for its concept, and I think needed to either be full kdrama length (maybe 8 full episodes) of get somehow even artier about it to be an atmospheric film. Which it should have been, and all indicators pointed to it, but somehow wasn't. I think I needed to know the characters better to care about. Which may or may not have required learning more about them; there are characters I've felt deeply that I knew very little about, but somehow not with these two. Also I couldn't get the sister's deal. It felt like she was hinting she knew the assassin secrets? But also not. Anyways, the leads were very pretty. And the shot of them stumbling out of the final fight was moving. I may write more later.

Dom (a Strongberry short) (dnf) [4]

Only 13 minutes long and I couldn't finish it, even with 1.5x speed in parts. Experimental little short about anthropomorphized condom boxes, and there's some sort of human plot about a virgin and his cheating boyfriend that I lost track of. It's not bad, just not what I was in the mood for.

Bake Me Please (like 10 minutes of ep 1) [5.5]

When I was talking about not being into cooking themed shows this is the kind of show I mean. It already had a bunch of tropes that are not for me, particularly random normal people treated like celebrities, and people on tumblr seem frustrated with it so it didn't feel worth pursuing.

Ossan's Love (2018 Japan) (2 of 7 eps) [8]

Seems very well constructed to be exactly what they wanted it to be. My enjoyment of that sort of slapstick and yelling style show depend on my mood, and I lost interest, but want to return eventually because it's a foundational show.

Love Mate (less than 1 ep) [7]

Some appealing elements, but got annoyed at the employee's negging and pushiness. I guess I'm too particular about realism, but in what company would it be acceptable to turn a meeting about their product into a psychoanalytical critique of why your boss can't love. Also I es confused by the bosses dating strategy. He just regularly meets up with men 1 time for awkward meals that he seems to hate and then doesn't even have sex with them? Or were we supposed to infer the sex was just censored out? Not the biggest deals but both together indicated that this show was going to play loose with logic in a way that would irritate me. And the seme was being a pushy ass.

Naked Dining (Zenra Meshi) (finished) [8.5]

Loved it overall, though had flaws. Loveblogged it so many thoughts in the tags.

My Ride (4 out of 10 eps) [7]

See today's liveblogging for my thoughts. I like many aspects, but lost interest after four eps. Didn't catch me up enough to want to binge it. I think I'm in an actor centric mode, and unfortunately none of the actors are that good in it.

Every Moment That I Think of You (finished) [8.5]

Randomly found on Gaga, 2 very short episodes from China 2021. Very appealing leads, censored, high school romance/intense friendship, partially through the pandemic. Fit a year's worth of story into 28 minutes. Surprisingly solid, though made me want to see the full length uncensored version of their love story, same actors. Ending confused me. Subtitles of voiceover implied that was their last night together but didn't say what happened, but nothing and was shown. Perhaps just a bad translation? Very low budget (sound mixing was amateur) but did a lot with what they had. Chaotic adolescent boy camera work and editing style, always moving, which fit story very well. Recommend if ok with censored stories.

[thebroccolination]

"Ossan's Love" Becomes Japan's Number One Friday Night Drama of All Time

名シーンの連続に、第1～3話とTVerで配信中のスピンオフの見逃し配信総再生数が700万回を突破（※ビデオリサーチにて算出 期間1月6日～24日）するなど、金曜ナイトドラマ枠歴代1位の快進撃となった。 oricon.co.jp

"This series of famous scenes has become the number one Friday night drama of all time, with the total view count of the first three episodes as well as the spin-off episode (available on TVer) surpassing 7 million (calculated by Video Research Ltd. from January 6 to 24)."

The Ossan's Love franchise began in 2016 with a TV movie that earned a small but loyal following that enabled the 2018 series that saw the casting of Hayashi Kento and the introduction of Maki's character. It's his inclusion, the chemistry between him and Tanaka Kei, and the extra work they did on developing nuance in their characters that I think led to the massive popularity of the 2018 drama.

It was only seven episodes, and no one expected it to be popular, but the final episode trended globally at number one on Twitter, which is bananas.

Summer of 2019 saw a movie that continued on from the end of the 2018 version. This was massive. Red carpet event for the premiere, nationwide theaters, merch, and the biggest screen in Roppongi Hills (the one with the fancy armchairs).

Ossan's Love was a massive success.

There was also the plane show in winter of 2019 (without Hayashi). It sure did happen.

The fanbase of the 2018 version (called S1 by the Japanese fandom) is huge and enthusiastic, so it's no surprise to see the success of S2, but to claim the number one Friday night drama of all time!!! For a queer drama!!!

A queer drama just became the number one Friday night drama of all time in Japan, a country that has yet to legalize marriage equality.

Incredible.

[smittenskitten]

(+) Cooking for beloved

Jack o' Frost (2023) My Tooth Your Love (2022) Roommates of Poongduck 304 (2022) Girlfriend Project Day 1 (2022) Sleep With Me (2022) Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai! (2022) Cutie Pie (2022) 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii (2020) Kinou Nani Tabeta? (2019) Ossan's Love (2018)

[bl-bracket]

Bonus Round: Most Unhinged Plot Round 1

[Top 5 will advance to next round]

[bengiyo]

An Apology to Ossan's Love and The Novelist

I'm writing this post today as a formal apology to both Ossan's Love and The Novelist for avoiding them in 2018-2019 due to general negative fandom takes about them. Both shows are great, and I should have watched them six years ago.

I recently watched the Pornographer series thanks to @lurkingshan burning some of her coupons to make me properly engage with the series. In that series I found one of the most compelling expressions of internalized homophobia I’ve ever seen. Rio was not only cut off from being sexual with other people, but he felt like he couldn’t even be a proper man.

Later, in Mood Indigo, we got to see the messed-up way Rio became an erotic novelist but also finally seemed to connect with an important part of himself. He also found a mentor who, despite his proclivities, became an important paternal figure to Rio.

Finally, in Playback, Rio finally faced his own insecurities and accepted that Haruhiko loves him and reciprocated it. At every stage of this story, they are able to communicate so much of their story through the sex that’s happening. We’re applauding depictions of sex happening in the genre now that this series was doing half a decade ago.

I decided to give Ossan’s Love a second try when I saw @isaksbestpillow getting so excited about the second season and providing context for the original show. With Ossan’s Love, I understand why people might have bounced off this series right away. A lot of folks don’t enjoy the way the Japanese do comedy, Haruta is intentionally unlikeable at the beginning, and I’ve seen concerns about the boss either being a predator or that his feelings would be treated as a joke.

Thankfully, I tend to enjoy Japanese comedy and found the show hilarious! I was laughing out loud almost every single episode because of multiple characters, but most especially Yoshida Kotaro as the boss. This show generated so much of its comedy from the core characterization of each character, so every joke landed so smoothly for me.

Something I really liked about this show was that it never said we were wrong for disliking Haruta for being a mess and a slob. He cannot take care of himself, and he barely gets better at it before the end of the show. I like that Maki breaking up with him didn’t make him suddenly straighten up his ways about this and become a fully-functioning housekeeper, but he did get better about doing some chores even as the chief started taking care of him. Haruta isn’t the easiest character to like on the domestic front, but he is good at his job and he is a kind character. I like that you have to figure out why these guys like the mess that is Haruta, because I like the audience has to think about what in men that gay people find attractive. Is that a rosy-eyed read? Yes. I don’t are.

As for the boss, he never uses his position over Haruta, and they’re also in sales. It’s not as egregious to me as it would feel in other positions. I also like that his attraction to Haruta isn’t a joke, but the fact that he’s older and maybe isn’t speaking the language of the youth is very funny. He’s an extremely endearing character and I love Kurosawa Musashi.

So, this is my apology to both of these shows for letting negative fan opinions stop me from facing these shows properly. Both of them were great. I’m currently working through the Ossan’s Love: In the Sky season to get to the movie and new show.

[twig-tea]

TWIG! Friend! I couldn't help but notice your tags in my excitement post about getting to La Pluie -- I see that you and I are YYY mutuals. :) Let's call YYY... say... zany or offbeat -- off the beaten path of the usual romance-dominated field of Thai BLs. What are some other "zanier" BLs (not just Thailand, but everywhere in Asia) that you love and would recommend for an off-the-wall experience? And, why?

@waitmyturtles I'm so sorry you sent this a million years ago and then I kept letting it languish. And it's extra rude because I love this question! It's so hard to add something like YYY to a rec list without a billion caveats, so this is a great chance to shout out some of the series & shorts that don't get as much attention. A few of these I know you've seen but I have to include them for completeness.

First, for the sake of other people reading this, as Turtles has written about, Cheewin brings his own kind of zaniness to almost everything he works on; my faves of his other than YYY are Make It Right and Secret Crush on You (the exception is Bed Friend, which is not in any way zany but I still liked it).

Also going to mention that since Turtles asked for off the beaten path zany, I won't be mentioning any of the popular comedies (in case you're wondering why I Became the Lead in A BL Drama or Man Who Defies the World of BL aren't on this list).

Alright now that's out of the way, let's get into the other recs!

Zany lesser-known BLs other than YYY

Ossan's Love Franchise (Japanese, 2016-2024, GagaOOLala)

It is... less true now that this series is lesser-known than it was when I started writing this draft (in uh... August 2023) but I shall persist! The franchise details alone for this series are complete crack:

A 2016 45-minute short [skippable imo];

The 2018 original series which builds the short into a zany 7-episode comedy series about a man in his late 20s who suddenly finds himself the love interest of his older boss (in his ~50s) and his coworker/roommate (in his mid-20s);

The sequel film Ossan's Love: Love or Dead (2019)which turns into an action film halfway through for no clear reason but also remains a romantic comedy in which the mains from the original season decide if they want to stay together

The AU season Ossan's Love: In the Sky (2019) which has the same characters of the lead and his boss from S1 and the short, but this time they work in an airport and all of the surrounding cast is different and leads to a very confusing love rhombus. Incredible 10/10 no notes [people hate this because they like the mains from S1 & the film but I loved the mess]

The sequel season to S1 and the film, Ossan's Love Returns (2024) which you can absolutely watch in isolation and is about the main couple re-establishing their relationship and their found family friend group after being long distance for a few years.

It's truly excellent comedy, and gets better every outing; there are some barriers that might prevent some enjoying the earlier seasons but the most recent one is really delightful. You can hear me talk more about this series with @bengiyo and @shortpplfedup on The Conversation podcast!

Diary of Tootsies (Thai, 2017, grey/Netflix (for the movie))

I love Diary of Tootsies and the follow-ups so much. SO much. One of the best laughs of my life was the opening to the movie, and I cannot be in a long car ride without thinking about the purse incident in s1. This show doesn't get a lot of BL fandom attention because the romance arcs are not typical for BL (but that's one of the things I love about them). And the friendship in this series is truly what sells it. Season 1 is self-contained, a lot of people dislike the romance plot of S2; I really like the arc across s2 to the movie (as established above, I tend to be less invested in a particular ship across a franchise or multiple franchises). The movie plot is all about reconciling who you thought you wanted and who you are with (amongst all kinds of shenanigans).

HeHe and He (Hong Kong, 2018-ongoing, YouTube)

This mockumentary sitcom-style series does tackle some serious topics and is also absolutely hilarious nonsense across its 3 seasons. The very simple premise is that a gay guy ("hehe" is slang for gay) and a straight guy who are old friends become roommates when the gay friend breaks up with his longterm boyfriend and needs a place to stay, and hijinks ensue. They do direct-to-camera confessionals spliced in with scenes from their lives. I love this show so much, and it would actually be high up in my indie BL rankings if it were completed. I lose it at least once an episode. It's very queer (if you want a show that tackles everything from hookups to turning everything into a joke to being so, so mean to each other while also loving each other dearly to even chemsex, look no further), and I am in love with all of the wacky characters that have formed a love-hate found family that is deeply relatable. The creators posted a video a few months ago saying they're struggling to end it in a way that they're happy with so I'm not sure we'll ever get an ending for the show. But if you like comedy and queer content it's worth a watch even incomplete! I've been very patiently following this project since 2018 and it's legitimately one of my favourite shows.

Rainbow Prince the Series (Filippino, 2022, YouTube)

This is a musical; it is a lot of campy nonsense. There is royalty, political intrigue, a dog, kidnappings, and so. much. singing. The songs are surprisingly catchy and it's all extremely good fun. Also a lot of the dialogue is very clearly improvised.

Hey! First Love (Vietnamese, 2019, YouTube)

This series of shorts are mostly just silly fluff. The very tenuous plot is that these shorts are slice-of-life moments from a young established couple, but it's all really just excuses for Vietnamese comedy and BL romance tropes. If you haven't watched anything from Vietnam, this is a very low-stakes commitment (I think it's under 30 minutes of content all told; there are 4 "episodes" which are spliced together shorts, each of which has a tiny plot but there is not much of an overarching narrative, and then a Q&A with the actors at the end) and gives you a sense of the Vietnamese sense of humour. Both of these actors have gone on to continue to be in other Vietnamese BLs, so if you have watched Vietnamese BL you may recognize them! The production quality on this is charmingly low.

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (India, 2019, Amazon Prime)

This film was such a joy to experience in a live theatre. Billed "the first Gay Bollywood RomCom", this movie was a riot of chaos, dance numbers, shenanigans, hilarity, and cuteness. I loved the way this film incorporated the very real legal change to decriminalize homosexuality in its story. Arguably not "BL" as it very much fits in the bollywood tradition not the BL tradition, but OP did ask for all of Asia!

Like Love (China, 2014-15, grey)

And no I don't mean censored--this is from before China started censoring its BLs. This show has kisses as shown in the gif, and even (poorly cropped) sex scenes. It also is super bizarre. I was so confused by this show, the characterization, the fourth wall breaks, and how disjointed it was so I went to read the source material and...it turns out it's one of the most perfect adaptations I've ever seen, the book is in fact exactly like this. The characters are caricatures, there is no bridging between scenes, and the plot is the most absurd take on 'loserfail no-thoughts-head-empty character who doesn't admit he's gay but still ends up in a dedicated and loving relationship with a rich handsome domineering man ' I've ever seen. It's a bewildering experience. Note the sound quality on this one is suuuper miserable. I like s2 way more than s1 (s1 is getting together and includes a lot of the bullying-teasing and I'm-not-gay-I-just-need-him-to-pay-attention-to-me stuff, s2 is the honeymoon phase + getting the homophobic parents on board) but S1 is definitely the zanier of the two. That being said, if you wanted, I think you can dive right in to s2 (there's a direct-to-camera explanation of what happened in s1 at the start of it). Note that they set up a cliffhanger at the end of 2 in anticipation of s3 which was going to be made in 2016 but was cancelled because of the political changes in China in 2016 (this is one of the reasons I went to read the source material; they do get a happy ending in the books).

This is an extremely silly but also touching franchise with a lot of tropes I don't love, but also a lot of things I do (and just neat to see some stuff so early in BL: Underwater kiss? Helicopter ride? Femme fatale becomes friend of the faen? Supportive grandparent? It's all here). There are some fantastic speeches in s2 about supporting your gay children; I liked how in this the kids didn't give up on their parents but try to reconcile their filial piety with their dedication to each other. If you do watch S1, highly recommended you watch the series version rather than the film. For "S2"/the follow-up film, make sure you look for the uncensored film version.

The Lover Room 709 Cut (Korean/Japanese, 2016, grey)

This starts extremely silly, plays with BL tropes, and gets a little bit serious at the end but is mostly just full of puns and innuendos. Includes one of the most hilarious takes on kabedon, and egregious use of the soundtrack from Brokeback Mountain. Also: fart jokes. Folks worried it was going to stay teasing the audience but it does commit and we do get an actual resolution that is satisfying. I admit I've never seen the whole series (which includes stories of 3 other couples in the apartment building) but the BL cut is readily available if you search. Make sure you look for the deleted scene with the lotion application--this scene walked so IFYLITA could run (I'm kidding, but it's very funny seeing this scene now and thinking about that one).

The Boy Next Door (Korean, 2018, YouTube)

This is another older series playing with censorship (similar to The Lover) in which the two characters end up in BL romance tropes but are not actually in love...or are they? The shenanigans are very fun. This one is left more ambiguous than The Lover, which is one of the reasons it's further down the list.

Go! Go! G-Boys (Taiwan, 2006, grey)

I debated between this and another quirky comedy from Taiwan in the early 2000s, Formula 17, but while that's unequivocally a better movie, this one is lesser known and more zany, so it technically better fits the bill for this ask (but if you haven't, go watch Formula 17!). The plot is a bit cringe--straight boy signs up to gay beauty contest to pay off his girlfriend's debts (accompanied by his gay childhood friend who is in love with him) and finds his truth. Meanwhile a homophobic police officer has also infiltrated the contest for investigative purposes. Amongst all that admittedly not great setup, however, are several bizarre sequences including the incredible Lord of the Rings recreation scene (complete with Gatchaman of course), a killer soundtrack, a random delivery of poultry, someone slapping a cake, and, most absurdly unbelievable at all: police taking harassing death threats to the gay contest seriously. It does a great job of setting up what should be a dramatic scene and then immediately undercutting the tension with something absurd. It's not narratively good, but it is a fun ride! And yes, there is a happy ending. Stick around for a fourth wall break (literally) after the credits.

Something Crunchy Crunchy (Korean, 2018, GagaOOLala)

Extremely bizarre little musical short in which snacks are anthropomorphized as hot guys and they sing songs about being eaten and wanting to be eaten. Played entirely sincerely, but the concept is screamingly funny. Fascinating. Also, kind of poly?

Dom (Korean, 2016, GagaOOLala)

Another hilarious and weird Korean short, this time in which we see the protagonist's sex life from the perspective of the condom boxes that are anthropomorphized and given personalities based on their brands.

And since we can't leave out the ladies,

A few zany GLs:

Lily Fever (Korean, 2015, YouTube)

I wrote about this one a little in my GL rec list; it is absolutely bonkers nonsense. There is not really a plot, it's a fever dream of a show. Chaos! Not so much a romance as an excuse to see cute girls flirt and make out.

Legend of Yunqian (China, 2020, grey)

I debated including this one because only the middle is really the zany part, it's sandwiched with more serious xianxia drama. But in the middle of this miniseries is an extremely cute interlude in which xianxia characters time travel to present day for ~reasons. It's censored but there is very little uncertainty about feelings, and manages to be absolutely charming. Worth the short runtime for this kitten quickcut (subbed "Whomst?!" in the show for ultimate comedy). Warning for character death (but it's ok because time travel to reincarnated character!) Subtitled by the indispensable @douqi7s [see their pinned post for links].

BetCin (Filippino, 2022, WeTV)

A lesbian couple with a YouTube following decide to break up but then find out there's a contest for couples, and they decide to pretend to still be together to try and win the contest rather than tell their fans they've broken up. This series does some really interesting things by starting with a breakup and then looking at how two people who are no longer dating manage BGP while also managing their feelings. There's a lot going on in this show, and the hijinks definitely ensue!

Perfect One Night Stand (Korean, 2020, GagaOOLala)

This is a cute Strongberry GL short in which a friend agrees to help her other friend find a girl to have sex with before the day is over; they go through several quirky candidates looking for the titular perfect one night stand.

[absolutebl]

Hello ABL. First of all, let me just say, that I love your devotion to Seven Days. It was my very first bl and what got me to discover the genre. Of course it was all downhill from there lol. Just kidding. Maybe... Anyway. I've been doing this thing since the beginning of the year where I watch older jbls (usually before 2020, although that is not old by any stretch) to kinda get a broader view of the genre in Japan. I haven't been in this for that long so I'm still catching up. Some of the stuff I've watched so far. All the Pornographer series/films ; Dangerous Drugs of Sex; Takimu-kun 1 & 2; Junjou (2010); Athlete (2019) Udagawachou de Matteteyo (2015); Ai no Kotodama (2008) No Touching At All (2014) ; The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese (2020). I've also watched things like His (series and film), Restart coming back home, Life Love on the Line, and I'm probably missing a couple but not a lot. So I was wondering if you had more recs for me. Anything you can think would fit with what I'm trying to do.

Thanks so much for your time.

Rose💜

Hi darling!

You're missing Boys Love, both of them. If you can stomach it.

Did you see my History of Japan thingy? I'd say try to hit everything discussed in that post: (The top 10 is out of date tho)

And the ones I picked from Japan for the 101 Syllabus

Apart from that's I'm gonna just give you my list of older JBL stuff. I put a * next ones often referenced in the zeitgeist of weedy discussions here on Tumblr in particular, some of which you already mentioned but I just want it to be as complete as possible. These are by date (sort of).

Older Japanese BL (Live Action Yaoi)

* Boys Love 2006

* Boys Love: The Movie AKA Boys Love 2 AKA Schoolboy Crush 2007

Itsuka no Kimi e 2007

Asymmetry 2008

* Forbidden Love 2008

Gymnasium Baby AKA Taiikukan Baby 2008

Melody of Our Love AKA Bokura no Ai no Kanade 2008

Ai no Kotodama 2008

Ai no Kotodama 2: Sekai no Hate Made 2010

* Takumi-kun 1: And The Spring Breeze Whispers 2007

* Takumi-kun 2: Rainbow Colored Glass 2009

Takumi-kun 3: The Beauty of Detail 2010

Takumi-kun 4: Pure 2010

Takumi-kun 5: That, Sunny Blue Sky 2011

* Junjou: Pure Heart 2010

Fujimi Orchestra 2012

Shape of Happiness 1 AKA Love Place: Hakanaki Kata Omoi - Gaiya no Koi 2013

Shape of Happiness 2 AKA Love Place: Shiawase no Katachi 2013

Coming Out AKA Kamgu Auto 2014

* No Touching At All AKA Doushitemo Furetakunai 2014

* Same Difference AKA Docchi Mo Docchi 2014

Forever Summer 2015

* Wait For Me at Udagawachou AKA Udagawachou de Matteteyo 2015

Candy and Kiss 2015

* Seven Days AKA Seven Days: Monday-Thursday AND Seven Days: Friday-Sunday 2 parts 2015

* Double Mints 2017

* Silhouette of Your Voice AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru 2017

* The Novelist AKA Pornographer (Pornographer series) 2018

Mood Indigo (Pornographer series) 2019

Pornographer Playback (Pornographer series) 2021

* Does the Flower Bloom? 2018

* Ossan's Love (original) 2018

* The Shortest Distance is Round (Noir) AKA Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute 2019

The Shortest Distance is Round (Blanc)

The Shortest Distance 3: Fallen Flowers AKA Saitankyori Wa Mawari Kudokute: Rakka Ryūsui 2020

The Shortest Distance is Round 2: Rain and Soda AKA Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute: Ame to Soda Mizu 2020

* His the series: I Didn't Think I Would Fall In Love AKA His - Koisuru Tsumori Nante Nakatta 2019

Athlete 2019

* What Did You Eat Yesterday? AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? 2019

* The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese AKA Kyuso wa Chizu no Yume wo Miru 2020

* Dangerous Drugs of Sex AKA Sei no Gekiyaku 2020

* Love Stage!! AKA Rabu Suteiji 2020

The Reason Why He Fell In Love With Me AKA Kare ga Boku ni Koishita Wake 2020

The Reason Why He Fell In Love With Me 2 AKA Kare ga Boku ni Koishita Wake 2 2021

* His the movie 2020

* Life: Love on the Line AKA Life Senjou no Bokura 2020

* Restart AKA Restart After Come Back Home AKA Risutato wa tadaima no ato de 2020

* Cherry Magic AKA 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii AKA Cheri Maho 2020

Post 2021 - A few lesser knows that might be worth it

Given 2021

Kiss Kiss Kiss series

The 8.2 Second Rule AKA 8.2 Byo no Hosoku

[haveyouseenthisseries-poll]

Original title: Ossan zu Rabu | おっさんずラブ.

[canonicallyanxious]

some assorted thoughts on ossan's love thailand ep 1 [quick note: i am an earthmix stan, an ossan's love "it's complicated"-er, and a gmmtv "it's complicated but in a different way"-er so keep in mind i have my own set of biases etc. etc.]

look i won't lie i was really apprehensive about this going in - i think ossan's love is, like, so of its time and context [by which i mean 2018 KSJNDSKJNDS look that WAS a different time okay] that i think any cross-cultural adaptation of this show really has its work cut out for it to modernize some of the more dated aspects of the show while maintaining the sheer earnestness of the original and i don't always trust gmmtv to deliver on the earnestness skjdfskdjfnskfs

but i think as an adaptation OLT is working well so far!! it's not as ostentatiously balls-to-the-wall insane as the og was but i think that's bc it's very rooted in thai comedic conventions so it has its own unique flair to it. the important thing is that tonally speaking i feel a lot of heart in this episode, particularly in the character writing, which was my favorite part about the og so i hope that continues over the run of the show!

shout out to earth, mix, and krit for the acting prowess on display - the success of this story hinges so much on the charisma of the main actors and they are all three so far nailing it. i like their interpretations of the characters and how you can trace their roots to ossan's love but how they also stand on their own within their own contexts

some smart adaptation choices being made, my personal favorites revolving around Mo's character and the added backstory bw Mo and Heng. i remember when the pilot dropped and it was implied Mo and Heng were longtime friends, i thought that was a neat choice to tailor the story more toward earthmix's dynamic but did stray a bit far from the og. then the full trailer dropped and it seemed like they dropped that choice which i found a bit disappointing but made sense if they wanted to keep close to the source material. i think this interpretation with them knowing each other from the probation period, and Mo secretly holding onto the potential of having maintained a longer relationship but giving up on that years ago, is the best of both worlds and lends interesting layers to the dynamic - it doesn't change too much on Heng's end but it gives Mix as Mo a lot to work with which is good bc they have the screentime to tackle that kind of character work with this show [and he really excels with that quiet brand of yearning i think!]

It also gives weight to Mo's decision to actually step up and fight for Heng at the end of the ep - "this time, i won't lose you to anyone" - and i think provides some interesting hints to his later character conflict toward the end of the story

Small thing in comparison but i thought it was fun that Mo established he was a lightweight in an almost throwaway comment and then at the end of the ep was shown to be drinking beer before going into the bathroom - you know i always appreciate some good visual storytelling!

LOVE the incorporation of Mix's northern background into Mo's character. pls correct me if i'm wrong, i'm not super familiar with thai culture/dialects, but from the flashback scene i was getting the vibe that Heng was picking up on Mo's accidental slip into northern dialect [i think??] and accent as a possible source of insecurity. really fleshes out Mo's character as someone who is quite conscious of how he comes across and possibly has some deep-running insecurities about being an outsider

it says a lot about Heng's character too - his empathy, his ability to put people at ease, etc. - and i thought it was just such a sweet way for them to connect and establish some history, as well as showing how much thought was put into earth and mix for these roles specifically

i remain unsure about the boss character which was my biggest hang up with ossan's love the series [to be clear i actually really liked the boss character in that show and thought he was pretty severely underserved and underutilized; and to me the choice of earthmix as a very well-established branded pairing for this series sidelines the boss character even more at least on the promotion side of things] but i do like the choices they are making for his character to establish him as his own entity. my favorite was the speech at the company event, which highlighted his values as a boss and also hinted to Heng's own values and the kind of person he is aspiring to be

i thought his confession was really sweet too - i mean what can top the iconic hearts of the og version but there was a groundedness to this version i found really compelling. i would love for them to do some more with grief and him grappling with queerness later in life but i won't hold my breath on that sdkfjsndkfd

regardless! i also thought it was interesting to place the confession after the hospital scene rather than before, gives the feeling they're going to efforts to make the boss seem more sympathetic in his motivations which makes me very eye emoji

really funny the way heng is like visibly pleading for mo to stay with him when the boss is around and mo just nopes out of the whole situation, and this happens multiple times LOL - says a lot about mo's character as well, and i'm really looking forward to seeing his dynamic with the boss evolve

i also think it's really funny the sheer difference between heng in mo's flashback scene versus real life present day heng KSJDNSKJDS i'm not sure how intentional this is but i do like to think the difference in portrayal is to highlight how differently mo sees/remembers heng versus how heng sees himself and the world [this latter part is something i had a stronger sense of in the og series but i do think it still comes across here, with thai comedy's trademark sound effects pulling double duty]

i'm actually so excited for the rest sjkdfnskdfns i can't wait to see how this develops! and with TWELVE EPISODES for an earthmix series i am SEATED!

[mephistopheleswasrobbed]

On the similarities and differences between Ossan's Love (2018) and Ossan's Love Thailand

(disclaimer: I have watched all of the Haruta + Maki version of OL [Ossan's Love, Ossan's Love: LOVE or DEAD, Ossan's Love Returns] except for the specials which I haven't gotten around to, and I've watched the airport AU season Ossan's Love: In the Sky. I haven't watched the original one shot episode and the Hong Kong version.)

(disclaimer #2: This is just for fun. I'm not intending to make any statements over which version is superior or anything like that in this post. If you noticed something I missed please let me know so I can add it! I only rewatched ep 1 of the Japanese version for this post.)

For the sake of my lazieness I will use Tv for Thai version and Jv for Japanese Version.

Okay I don't really know how to structure this so I'll just go scene by scene of the Tv (with Jv scenes that happen later/not at all in the Tv in italics):

Intro Office (Dream):

The first scenes of both versions are quite similar down to the way they are shot as a one-take and the order the characters are introduced. The music was also clearly chosen/written as an homage to the Jv which also has character cards for all of the main characters introduced (name, age, position) that the Tv left out. The Jv is not a dream though, so while Haruta appears quite cool walking down the hallway, his abysmal sales record is already shown here.

Intro Mother:

The Tv introduces Heng's mother a little earlier, this scene does not exist in the Jv although her complaints about H's inability to take care of himself at his age also appear in her introduction scene in the Jv. (small difference: Heng is 30, Haruta 33)

Intro Office (Reality):

This scene still maps onto the first of the Jv but there are some new things added. The Boss doesn't scold Haruta in the Jv and the office proposal/Irene as a character are inventions by the Tv.

Intro Restaurant Siblings:

Another new scene, no Irene in the Jv -> no need to mope over her engagement. Instead of this scene the Jv has a mixer scene that was apparently entirely cut from the Tv (though did appear in the pilot trailer) and we see the Boss celebrating his 30th anniversary with his wife at the same restaurant. Of note for the Jv are: (1) Maro(New Year) sabotages Haruta by telling him the women are flight attendants when they aren't, then joins in making fun of him. (2) This is the first meeting of Haruta and Maki in the Jv

The Morning After:

H is woken up by his mother in both versions though Haruta at least made it inside the house. The monk is obviously an addition from the Tv. For the Jv this is the first introduction of the mother so we get a little more complaints from her, otherwise it plays out pretty similarly.

Train Ride:

The Jv takes place in a bus instead and theres a false accusation of sexual harrassment leveled at Haruta that the Tv chose to leave out. The 'Boss giving H another chance to prove himself' conversation already happened in the intro office scene in the Jv. The screen discovery happens pretty much the same way, but the Boss getting off at the wrong stop was a new addition from the Tv.

"You saw":

This scene happens a little later in the Jv, after Haruta saw the pictures on his pc so it's mostly in reference to those pics. Also this scene happens in the toilet in the Jv.

Intro Momo:

Instead of the "You saw" scene we get some office action (of note: Maro blames Haruta for his mistake) before Maki is introduced to the whole team in the Jv. The Tv only has the main three present for this introduction. The meet cute bumping into each other is an addition from the Tv. Both Hs are excited to be working with a familiar face though the familiarity is different. Haruta and Maki only having met at the mixer the night before while Heng and Momo worked together during their probation period eight years previously. The Jv has Maki move from a different department (different office but still Tokyo) while Momo in the Tv transferrs from a different city (Chiang Mai). Both M's are shown to be successful at their job, Boss says this about Maki in this scene in the Jv, while we learn it for Momo in a flash back later.

(

Picture discovery:

This is when Haruta discovers his pictures in the Jv. It's only Haruta who sees them in this version. (There is a play on his name here: Haruta -> haru (spring in Japanese) -> folder named "Spring", he was told to get the data for the spring quater. I don't know any Thai so I can't say if there was a similar thing in the Tv though the subtitles didn't hint at anything)

"You saw":

This is when the previously discussed "You saw" scene happens in the Jv.

)

Out with Momo:

Instead of handing out snacks to staff/clients of the Tv, they are distributing flyers in the Jv. Both versions have H give M useful tips though. Namwan is quite different from her Japanese counterpart. In the Jv the building manager is a middle-aged lady who tries to set Haruta up on a blind date with a big woman only for Haruta to correct her that he wants a woman with big boobs, not one that's generally big. Heng's belief that Namwan has a crush on him is potentially inspired by a later line from the Jv where he drunkenly claims to Maki that Chizu(Chicha) is in love with him. Namwan trying to get Momos number is an addition from the Tv. Taweep the cleaning lady is an addition from the Tv/ the Jv building manager (+ some passerbys on the street) was split into Namwan and her. In both versions this is where H is shown to be quite kind and generally getting along with people. Momo's allusions to the past are, of course, exclusive to the Tv.

Called Away:

In the Jv Haruta gets called to a clients house where Maro has made a mess by being rude. Meanwhile Maki keeps distributing the flyers. In the Tv they both head to the office because New Year is too busy to make his own presentation.

Office After Hours:

In the Jv Haruta heads to the office alone after cleaning up Maro's mess. He discovers Boss leaving him long comments in his reviews which he doesn't do for others. In the Tv both Heng and Momo are in the office together and this is where they both discover the pictures on Boss's notebook. Then Boss arrives, and sends away Momo in the Tv. Both Bosses take of their jackets though the Jv Boss also closes the blinds and takes some pills. H runs away and Boss follows shouting his name in both versions, both end with H in the elevator and Boss texting him his real intentions. (Tv: to give him the file, Jv: to make him aware of the cleaning tag on his suit) Momo in the elevator and everything that comes with it is an invention of the Tv.

Mother left:

The Jv mother only leaves a single note to explain her absence (she plans to open a store with a guy Haruta doesn't know about) instead of Heng searching for her in the Tv, the Jv shows a small montage of Haruta being unable to do anything in the house (he doesn't even know where the toilet paper is).

Back at the Reastaurant:

This is the first introduction to the restaurant and the siblings in the Jv. In the Jv we learn that Chizu quit her job after she was told to apologize for hitting a client that harrassed her (neither Haruta nor her brother Teppei take this particularily seriously). This was cut from the Tv. Heng stealing tissues is a new addition in the Tv. In both, the brother brings up marriage but only in the Tv mentions a childhood marriage promise, in the Jv Haruta suggests Chizu marry him. Chizu in the Jv shuts him down because she wants to marry a butler who will do all of the house work. Chicha in the Tv because she's not been single since grade 2. Instead Heng is the one who says he doesn't want to marry her because he wants a perfect housewife. In the Jv Haruta tries to order some food but Teppei already closed the kitchen. In the Tv Thua-ngok presents them with his latest meal creation. The creative food combinations of the brother do also appear in the Jv but not yet in the first episode.

Inviting Momo:

In the Tv Momo waits in front of Heng's house to help him with the presentation, in the Jv Haruta just runs into Maki on the street who had been distributing the rest of the flyers until then. Momo asks Heng about affordable accomodation while Maki just mentions that he hasn't found anything so far (Maki living in a weekly rental for now, Momo with his aunt). In the Tv Momo brought some home-cooked food for Heng which leads to Heng finding out he can cook while Maki in the Jv just carries some fresh groceries with him which leads to the same discovery. Both H's offer M to move in, though Maki in the Jv doesn't take it as a joke, Haruta also explains more (like his mother moving out). Maki says he'll think about it and then we see him move in a few days later while the Tv doesn't show any details after Heng's proposal.

Office Bragging + "New Mom" Montage:

The framing device for the montage as Heng telling it to his coworkers is unique to the Tv. In the Jv it just happens after Maki moves in. The montage itself contains some scolding on Maki's part while Momo just smiles happily at Heng's antics (though he's also not quite as disgustingly messy as Haruta). Haruta also doesn't call Maki his "new mom" in the Jv. The bragging to coworkers and all that comes with it like Heng's impromptu marriage proposal are inventions of the Tv. In the Jv only Haruta and Maki sit at a table together eating their homemade lunch while Haruta tries to convince Maki to go halfsies on a VR set (to watch porn). In the Jv Haruta catches the Boss watching them through the blinds in his office while in the Tv everyone is busy with each other while the Boss stands off to the side and spills his coffee all over his hand in jealousy.

Boss is Married

In both versions H finds out about Boss being married from Maika/Meow although in the Jv there is only one cutaway to Boss and his wife out on a date she witnessed while in the Tv we cut twice to Boss and his daughter visiting the late wife's grave. The Boss's wife being dead and him having a daughter instead are not inventions by the Tv though, the same thing was the case in the airport AU season of the Jv. Both Hs take this information to mean that they must have been mistaken about Boss's feelings.

(

Boss's Confession:

In the Jv Boss confesses here already, he does so after telling Haruta to meet him at a park.

Telling Chizu:

Then there follows a scene where Haruta tells Chizu about it. She teases him, tells him he should be happy anyone loves him at all and that she's rooting for his boss. The Tv counterpart to this scene will probably happen in EP2 judging by the preview.

Chizu + Maki First Meeting:

Chizu dumps off a drunk Haruta at his Home. She introduces herself to Maki (this is where the aforementioned line from Haruta about her being in love with him happens) and tells him that Haruta is confused because of an unexpected confession then leaves. Maki drags drunk Haruta to the sofa who tells him to get something from his bag. It's a multiple page manual he made for Maki with handwritten/-drawn notes about customers etc. Maki is touched by this.

)

Poster Mistake:

In the Jv Haruta makes the mistake himself (wrong map), again Maro is quite mean about it. In the Tv New Year makes the mistake (wrong QR code) Heng just didn't check it properly. Takegawa/Ten is mad at H in both versions. In the Jv Boss comes in to make an encouraging speech and divide tasks, while in the Tv only Ten, New Year, Meow and Heng are present for this discussion and decide the course of action themselves. New Year offering to resign is an invention by the Tv although possibly insired by an offhand remark in the Maki intro scene where Maika tells Haruta to be nice to Maro lest he quit to which Maro agrees.

Poster Correction:

In the Tv Momo helps Heng put the correct sticker over the posters, in the Jv Boss helps him (he sent everyone else off on other tasks). Haruta is awkward alone with Boss and tells him he can finish the rest by himself, Boss leaves. In the Tv this reminds Momo of the past which leads to:

Probation Period Flashback:

Since Jv Haruta and Maki don't have history the entire flashback is a new invention by the Tv. It serves to remind the audience of Heng's kindness and intuitive understanding of other people and to show why/when Momo first developed feelings for Heng. We also learn that Momo has an accent/dialect that slips out sometimes which people made fun of him for, and gets tipsy easily.

Mascot trouble:

In the Tv another problem emerges on site of the company event when the mascot actor can't be contacted, again this was kind of New Years mistake which gets blamed on Heng because he delegated too difficult tasks to the newbie, again New Year offers to resign. Boss makes an inspiring speech, Heng offers to wear the costume himself. None of this happens in the Jv as Haruta was supposed to wear the costume from the beginning. Boss still gives a bit of a speech though because his coworkers are bitching about Haruta.

Boss's Rescue:

The mascot dancing and then trying to warn Boss through the medium of mime are inventions by the Tv. The rescue itself happens pretty much the same way in both versions though.

In the Hospital:

Both versions have Boss and M overhearing the nurses talking about "him being so young" and coming to the wrong conclusion although in the Jv there's also a doctor who assures Boss he "did all he could". In the Jv Maki finds Heng first and is the only one present for the cognitive function test reveal (Tv: IQ like middle schooler, Jv: brain like 85yo). Both Ms shove their Hs for worrying them, though Maki is a little bit more emotional about it. At that point in the Tv Boss sends Momo away, saying he wants to talk to Heng alone and Momo leaves. In the Jv Boss comes in and is clearly very emotionally affected so Haruta asks Maki to give them a moment alone and Maki leaves. Both Bosses proceed to fall to their knees in front of H and hug him. In the Jv all of this happens in a private room so Haruta is worried about someone walking in on them like this while in the Tv it happens in a common ward in full view of everyone anyway. Both Hs pet Boss to calm him though Jv on the head and Tv on the back, both contemplative.

Momo Remembers Jealousy:

In the Tv we see Momo at home drinking a beer which turns into a flashback of their probation passing celebration at Chicha's restaurant. We learn here that Momo was best in class and got recruited to Chiang Mai, which he accepted because he thought there was something between Heng and Chicha and he wanted distance. Then we cut back to present Momo being annoyed at the memory. All of this is Tv original material however we do get in the Jv: (1) Maki going through the notes Boss left Haruta in his reviews while Haruta is in the shower and being annoyed (2) Boss at home asking his wife to divorce him and her being completely shocked and then thinking there is another woman.

Boss's Confession:

In the Tv Boss drives Heng home and then confesses to him outside his house, spurred on by almost losing Heng that day. In the Jv this confession already happened earlier as mentioned before. Aside from the circumstances the confessions are pretty similar including Boss stating that he wanted to take this to the grave originally (mind changed because Jv: Haruta found pictures Tv: Heng almost died), H protesting about Boss being married and Boss asking H to give him some time to sort things out on his end and thanking H while H is stunned speechless. Differences: Jv: Boss planned this so he brought a big bouquet of roses, he bows 90° in front of Haruta and runs away afterwards Tv: no roses because spontaneous, Boss tells Heng his wife died 10 years ago (to which Heng reacts with the stupidest little awkward asshole shrug in what has become the funniest moment of the episode to me since I was made aware of it by a twitter user), Boss clutches Heng's hands in his, Boss runs away by car instead of foot. H's reactions after Boss has left are basically opposite. Jv's Haruta does his usual over the top reaction silently screaming in the middle of the park while Tv's Heng is more stunned into stillness, looking like he almost faints and clinging to his inhaler like it's the only thing keeping him upright.

Momo's Shower Confession:

In the Tv Momo catches Heng coming in looking pale. Momo is even more annoyed and keeps drinking his beer. He comes into the bathroom while Heng is still in the shower but stays to brush his teeth anyway. He saw a bit of the end of Boss's confession, asks Heng about Boss. Heng eventually tells him Boss confessed, Momo plays it cool, learns that Heng is single and his issue with Boss's confession is that Boss is a guy. Momo remembers their moment 8 years prior, gets mad and decides to throw caution to the wind. All of this is Tv original. In the Jv Haruta only asks Maki to bring him a towel. Then both Ms burst into the shower, confess their feelings and kiss H. Differences: Jv: Maki starts with he likes Haruta, then tells him he knows Haruta likes big boobs but what about a big cock before kissing him. Haruta pushes him away pretty quickly, the shower runs the whole time. We end on them looking at each other. Tv: Momo starts by asking why men can't date each other, Heng thinks he likes Boss, Momo corrects he likes Heng, tells Heng he wont lose him to anyone this time and kisses him. Heng doesn't push Momo away but is equally stunned. The shower turned off when Momo first came in, Heng turns it back on as he's getting kissed (and kind of blows bubbles against Momo's lips). We end on the kiss.

General thoughts:

both versions have voice over internal monologue from H, but Jv does it a little more especially towards the beginning

if Heng exists in day to day at an 11 Haruta does at a 35, Heng falls a little more toward cute in his childishness compared to Haruta falling more towards annoying/infuriating

Boss appears somewhat more creepy in the Jv before his confession compared to the Tv

Jv's Maki is a lot less smitten with Haruta than Tv's Momo

Jv's Maro was kind of an asshole at the beginning while Tv's New Year seems relatively sweet so far

both versions are over the top physical comedy but the Jv is a way more extreme example while the Tv adjusted it down a bit to suit the more typical Thai style of comedy, in the Jv we get intercut imagery like a waterbottle spilling while Haruta finds the photos on Boss's computer, in the Tv we get a whole smorgasbord of sound effects. Both are edited with many quick cuts, again the Jv dialed up to 100.

Tv is a lot more bright and colourful than the more muted colours of the Jv

most actors appear slightly younger than their Jv counterparts (because gmmtv obviously has their own actors and they are mostly not that old) most noteworthy: Boss (55 in the Jv, no number for the Tv but Shahkrit is 46 currently) and Takegawa/Ten (44 in Jv, Thor is currently 28)

Momo gets more screentime/character exploration from the beginning compared to Maki. In the Jv the distribution leaned more heavily towards Haruta and Boss (the only constant characters/actors through all iterations of the Jv) with Maki feeling more like the third in this regard. The Tv increased Momo's presence and exploration, pushing the Boss into position of the third lead in this regard.

Biggest story changes so far: - Boss's wife is dead (like In the Sky) - Boss has a daughter (like In the Sky) - Momo and Heng knew each other previously, Momo has preexisting feelings for Heng

[waitmyturtles]

GMMTV 2024 Part 2, let's go

I've had my MULTIPLE cawfees and I'm watching the GMMTV Part 2 trailers. @my-rose-tinted-glasses, this one's for you!

TL;DR what I'm excited for: Ossan's Love with trepidation; Revamp: The Undead, I'm first in line; The Ex-Morning with open arms; Us, once we have a better sense of the screenplay; Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist, drop it like it's hot, Mark; Thame-Po, boys look gewd

****

1) Ossan's Love: THE KEY WORDS BEING "INSPIRED BY"

If I take away the inclination to do any sort of comparisons to the Japanese version whatsoever ("INSPIRED BY"), I'm thrilled that EarthMix get to do romcom. Earth at this level of baka is utterly unbelievable to me, you are too smokin' hot, boy, but try to bring it, because if you do, and it's a success, then I'll be fucking really impressed.

2) Leap Day: Looks scary. Gun!

3) The Heart Killers: ...

Man. Man! First in muscle shirts and an earring, kisses pushed up against walls, etc. Where have we seen this before. Lemme guess, they all get together in the end. I would like to force myself to be excited about this somehow, Jojo on 10 Things, but. I haven't been there with JoongDunk yet, either, so actually, they seemed kinda refreshing against the FK vibes, ha. Anyway, this reignited my OF burnout, which I'm honestly trying to ignore as I get close to re-watching The Eclipse for my Old GMMTV Challenge project. @my-rose-tinted-glasses, my trust issues switch is flipped to "on."

(Get Jojo away from ships, please. He had Tay kissing Joss and Mild in the same year AFTER Dark Blue Kiss. He fucking doesn't need to use ships.)

4) Friendshit Forever: no subs, seems intense, the gals are smokin', NEW AND BOUN?! Hate to say it, but even without knowing what this is exactly about, I'm intrigued? My Boun! New and Boun!

5) Perfect 10 Liners: They're letting New Siwaj do 30 episodes, folks. I have no predictions on this one, y'all will have to tell me if it's good. Perth is back with New Siwaj directing after 2018's Love By Chance. If they give Chimon a little comedy, I'll be happy. I asked for Junior again, but maybe I wasn't expecting him to go to school, but I will admit I like JuniorMark together, and if they get to helm 10 episodes as the center stars, then good for them! Maybe that'll be the bit of this series that I watch.

6) Us: I believe in this screenplay more than how 23.5 is working out. I think Fon Kanittha needs more stuff on her plate to play around with to make a great show. This trailer was great. I'm watching My Precious the Series now (after having watched the movie this past weekend, which I was disappointed by -- the series is MUCH better, and going better than 23.5), and I'm seeing that Fon does stuff very well, background community building that gives us macro- and micro-level understandings of her characters. If those levels are Sing Harit, I'm here for it, that was an unexpected appearance, but if he's recalling the strength he brought to Todd in Not Me, then I'm a happy camper.

7) Hide and Sis: I love Piploy. Wednesday Club was a total holiday trash watch for me last year, but I loved her a lot. Looks like they're promoting this as a multi-generational show with known older actors, the approach of which I like. Everyone hates each other and maybe tries to kill each other; Keeping Up With the Thai Kardashians, maybe? Surprise, Gawin's a cop. Chimon as murderer, I'll support that.

8) Thame-Po: This looks cute. I'll consider a pre-order! Separately, I happen to adore cute Lego from LYKN, so good on those dudes for getting a show, and I like that William is pushing his boundaries outside of music.

9) Break-Up Service: I am happy that Off has gotten this kind of sneaky love romcom (?) role.

10) Revamp: The Undead: I'm here for it. I'm so happy for BounPrem. I'm happy to see some strong support dudes in Kay and Mark in this project. I haven't watched My Only 12%, so I don't know from Santa, but I know a lot of friends love him. I am totally seated. GMMTV is really the BL Machine, huh, absorbing this project.

11) Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist: Do not get me wrong, I am very excited about this; I am just wondering if Baby Ohm needs a little workshopping to get more diversity in his expressions. But I am very excited, Mark looks SO DOWN and ready to lead. View! Jimmy! I'm good with this.

12) The Dark Dice: High School Squid Game, I can't

13) The Ex-Morning: I gotta admit. This kind of moment is one of the reasons why I'm so happy doing the OGMMTVC. The big-ass smile I had on my face seeing KristSingto again, even though I really wasn't the biggest fan of SOTUS -- I've done a whole accountability turn on Krist after seeing him in Be My Favorite, and I appreciate that this show will go meta on the KristSingto background. It fucking sucks that Shadow sucked, because Singto is such a good actor, just seems like his scripts are here and there lately, but anyway. Aof Noppharnach writing this? Last Twilight ended cringe, but I'm still an Aof girlie, so I am 100% excited for this.

14) Scarlet Heart Thailand: That wasn't really a trailer, but considering the reputation the base story has in Asia and globally, I like, business-wise, what this means for GMMTV, a historical that will have appeal to multiple generations. I understand the original novel for this, Bu Bu Jing Xin, isn't translated into English, and that's a bummer, because it seems like this Thai version, which has already been dramatized in China and Korea, is based squarely on the novel. Fuck Win. These were the kinds of shows I loved as a kid when I watched Asian shows with my folks, so I have to admit that I'm intrigued, but I would have liked to see a meatier trailer.

That's it!

[le-trash-prince]

I wish more people would watch the original original Ossan's Love, the 2016 TV film that the series was based on! It's still my favorite version (I haven't finished the HK remake because I forgot DFKGDFG so I can't rank it) because it has all of the humor and heart that the franchise is beloved for without some of the frankly soul-crushingly awkward plotlines that the drama inserted that I had to delete from my brain afterwards. (I love the 2018 series but only because certain parts don't exist for me thanks)

I also hope ppl understand just how much Ossan's Love changed the JP live action BL scene and why it gets the number of remakes and adaptations that it has. There was no precedent for it to be as wildly successful as it was. JP BL was niche even among manga readers, and live action BL's just... weren't taken seriously, you were happy to get what you had, cardboard kisses be damned, and you were lucky if it was translated.

But Ossan's Love pushed their marketing way beyond the typical audience. I still remember how shook I was the first time I saw a subway train with an Ossan's Love wrap on it. I could not fathom a BL ad of that size existing outside of Ikebukuro.

I know some people don't care for the humor of the series and feel like it's even making fun of gay ppl "lol his boss is a creep", but there's a lot of warmth and love at its heart. The 2016 version features my favorite rejection scene out of anything ever because of how respectful and genuine Haruta is towards his boss' feelings. The humor was a Trojan horse that allowed Ossan's Love to explode and lay the foundation for shows like Cherry Magic and Old Fashion Cupcake to exist, and the number of JP live action BLs produced since Ossan's Love outnumbers the number made in the previous fifty years. It's a cash cow and they can milk it to death for all I care if it means we get a larger variety of JP BL productions.

If the series isn't to your taste that's fine, but please pay respects.

Anyways I know the original is hard to find so I'm just gonna SHOVE IT HERE IT'S LESS THAN 50 MINS OKAY IT'S OLD AT THIS POINT BUT IT'S STILL CUTE

Also I'm curious to know what other ppl's rankings are for the diff versions for those who have watched more than one! For me it's:

Ossan's Love (2016)

Ossan's Love in the Sky

Ossan's Love (2018)

Ossan's Love: Love or Death

[thebroccolination]

✴︎intro post✴︎

Greetings! I’m Key (she/they), and Kiranokira on AO3. I’m an adult, and I often post and reblog content for adults.

I’m a fic writer who dabbles in editing and making long, unhinged meta posts on my hyperfixations. It’s a good time for people who like that kind of thing. Welcome!

Currently, I’m merrily entrenched in the Land of Queer Thai Series and have been since 2020. I’m also soul-deep in the Hellverse of Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss.

As you’ll quickly find out, my favorite actors are Boun and Krist, and my current reasons for living are KristSingto’s sanctioned RPF series The Ex-Morning and Boun’s “I kinda just want to have an excuse to chew on Prem in a socially acceptable venue” vampire series Revamp.

My Pretty Firm Top 15 Thai QL Series as of January 6, 2025 Are:

1. Be My Favorite (2023) 🔮 2. The SOTUS Trifecta (2016-2018) ⚙️ 3. Until We Meet Again (2019) 🧶 4. Triage (2022) 🚑 5. Dark Blue Kiss (2019) 🐻‍❄️ 6. Between Us (2022) 🥦 7. Something in My Room (2022) 🎭 8. Cherry Magic (2023) 🍒 9. Not Me (2021) 🏍️ 10. The Loyal Pin (2024) 📍 11. Manner of Death (2020) 🔫 12. Cutie Pie (2022) 💍 13. He's Coming to Me (2018)  👻 14. The Eclipse (2022) 🌗 15. Feel You Linger in the Air (2023) ⏳

I also never really leave any fandom I’ve loved, so an incomplete list of things you may see reblogged here is as follows:

Word of Honor (Millennial power couple of exhaustion/rage)

Guardian (AKA the novel whose sloppy protagonist the author definitely forgets on purpose when updating her friends about her children)

Yuri on Ice (if we never get anything else I’ll still be profoundly grateful for what we did get)

Boku no Hero Academia (the only time I’ve been equally obsessed with two ships featuring the same character)

Merlin (idiots /affectionate)

Voltron (klance /ominous)

Ossan's Love (makiharu /simpery)

ON ASKS/FIC REQUESTS: Feel free to send me asks or fic requests! I always have a very, very long list of WIPs, but if my brain chemicals react to something strongly enough, I’ve been known to drop everything and write the new shiny thing. (Chances are higher if it’s a one-shot so the happy chemicals aren’t snuffed out by the guilt chemicals.)

Thank you for dropping by, and may you have at least one reason to smile today.

[adachikiyoshi]

watched ossans love th ep1 and it seems promising and fun! very hesitant to go into this after learning CHOKO'S -arguably the most important non-love triangle character- storyline was axed but it seems like theyre mixing and matching a lot of stuff so i'll let it slide. for now. the characters are way too polished for ossans love, especially the ossan who is younger and now apparently a saint (because not only is he loyal to his dead wife for 10 years but he is also a single girldad!) but i don't mean that necessarily in a bad way, because that lays the foundation for a more interesting romantic arc with heng; original kurosawa was too much, too off putting, still married, too weird and pushy at times- but if he's actually a good guy through and through it makes heng's rejection more intriguing and the dilemma more balanced. then again episode 1 was very clear on who we should focus. and damn these guys have chemistry. mo is also the cutie here even though theyre supposed to be the same age. again, very sanitized haruta and maki as characters but their backstory was a bit ossans love 2016esque (with the whole 'established longtime friends') which i found an interesting choice and again, great starting point to start developing. though if they also exclude mo's history with ten (maki and takegawa) it's a bit more spice lost and i really don't get why. ossans love is chaotic because everyone and everything between them is a little weird. i get the removal of things considered a bit too "problematic", agree with many actually. but you remove choko and kurosawa's chaos, choko's and maro's age gap relationship and possibly the past relationship of maki and takegawa; where will the dramatic comedy come from? but i also have to say the characters having less edge is making them more likeable from the get-go (god knows how long it took me to like haruta and kurosawa in the og LOL) and the show more digestible. which is perfect actually, im happy it's a show that moved with its time and doesn't overly rely on 2018's outdated humour. choko axe still unforgivable though, the daughter needs to go through the most interesting self discovery arc to balance out choko's absence.

[faeralcatmeems]

SUMMONING THE OSSAN'S LOVE / HARUMAKI FANDOM FOR ASSISTANCE (comments requested!)

so i'm making a harumaki / ossan's love returns sticker sheet (i've wanted to make ossan's love stuff since 2018 but oop i am perpetually distracted)

but i need help for what to put on the first sheet!!! cuz i have many sketches but no idea where to select!!

so can you comment and tell me what is the fandom's favorite harumaki moments? (i've watched all of the episodes, so don't you worry about spoilers.)

for example, one of my favorite moments was when harumaki was on their honeymoon and they did a classic pottery making class. <3

last but not least, here's a very rough sample of moments that i am debating on including + the art style i will be using!

[bengiyo]

This is a broad one, so take it whatever direction you wish: what are five shows, actors, or creative teams that have exceeded your expectations or pleasantly surprised you?

WOW. I struggle with broad asks because there's so much I like and think about.

Nadao Bangkok

I loved Nadao Bangkok so much. I had basically only engaged with really stylish Thai movies and media before BL. It's the kind of stuff you see at film festivals. I was not really used to the quick and efficient production processes and talent pools of the TV show production of BLs. I adapted, but it was such a relief to watch things like Project S, I Told Sunset About You, I Promised You the Moon, and Great Men Academy. I also just adore the talent they cultivated and how so many Nadao alums are still doing things in entertainment. They really did something special there.

Koisenu Futari (2022)

We talk so much about about representation and wanting to see more kinds of stories. I really loved the way this story explored the spectrum of asexuality alongside loneliness and the search for companionship. I love that it's a story about people who all care about each other, but they are all out of alignment for various reasons. I love that so many of the relationships don't resolve in a way that pairs people in an expected way. The sister left her cheating husband, Sakuko and Takashi don't live together, and Kazu was actually able to just be her friend. It's an unexpected delight.

For the Boys (2021)

I will never stop pimping this show out. Many of the folks are new to BL and queer TV in general, so they don't even remember Noah's Arc. I've been wanting more shows about black queer friend groups, and this show delivered. Every week I check on Slay TV to see what else they're up to. This show features a femme/GNC character finding their way through presenting publicly and dating, a fat black gay man struggling with body image and race identity issues, and a promiscuous black gay man struggling with his place in the world. It's a nuanced look at queer friendship, and I really wish more people would watch it.

Ossan's Love: In the Sky (2019)

I already apologized to this show once, but I'll bring it up again. This AU season could have been a real flop, but in some ways it's my favorite. I love doing an AU as a way to soft reboot your characters and dig deeper into their interiority before returning to them years later. I like Haruta so much more because of this season. I also really love the bonds between men in this series and the ways they push each other. It's really excellent, and this is a special franchise we have been lucky enough to return to multiple times.

Sherri and Teri Polo on The Fosters (2013-2018)

In an era where almost every TV lesbian died, these two delivered some of the best onscreen chemistry I've ever seen. They felt like a married couple for the entirety of a dramatic and often-messy Freeform (formerly ABC Family) TV show. We talk about Business Gay Performance (BGP) around here a lot, and these two are masters of their craft. At no point did you ever think these two actresses were secretly dating or cheating on their partners, but they were open about how much they loved each other and how important the friendship they built on this show was to them. I have immense admiration for the work they did and continue to do in the queer space. We are really lucky that these two took on the role of playing loving moms to all them kids, who got to also got to have a romantic and sexual relationship with each other onscreen.

Thank you for the ask! Since it wasn't explicitly BL, I decided to have some fun.