#star and sky: sky in your heart

[ql-of-all-time-bracket]

QL of All Time - Round 1: Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart (2022) vs Chaser Game W (2024)

[iguessitsjustme]

Good luck.

[braceletofteeth]

Just Joong's characters saying คิดถึง-คิดถึง (I missed you so much)

[bengiyo]

Ben's Big BL Blurb 3: Blue Canvas of Youthful Days Blew It, But I Still Recommend It

I finished Blue Canvas of Youthful Days today, and I don’t like where we left off with this show. Let’s get into that, and then check in on some of the other shows I’m watching.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days Didn’t Give the Audience Catharsis

I don’t begrudge the show going for a happy ending, given how so many other BLs from their home country end with sudden traumatic turns. However, I don’t feel like we got catharsis from the ending at all. I struggle to full articulate my frustration here, but I think I just really wanted an ending akin to Weekend (2011) or Gameboys 2 (2022).

I think these two were in a position where they were unable to be together now, and I think they should have ended on a separation. When Cairo and Gav had to separate at the end of Gameboys, it was the correct choice. They were still building their lives, and Gav wasn’t doing well on his on. Similarly, Blue Canvas established a scenario whereby Qi Lu did not have the power to stop his father from harming Qin Xiao. Likewise, Qin Xiao couldn’t keep the local gang from beating Qi Lu.

I would have preferred they have the boys confront that they were hiding things from each other, and how they both failed to protect each other from the horrors. I am disappointed that we didn’t get a poignant goodbye from them as they accept that they can’t be together right now. I wouldn’t have minded so much a blurb at the end of the show with the pitch for a season 2 that they didn’t get to film (though @thisonelikesaliens commentary makes even what they wrote dour). We didn’t confront the issue with the dad at all, and we didn’t deal with Qin Xiao losing all he’d worked for.

Genuinely, I would have been okay with them getting a tag at the end of the show with them seeing each other on the street again and sharing a meaningful look. However, we never saw them face the music of their double noble idiocy, and that sucks. It especially sucks because we had Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo this year, and so we saw the consequences of this. We could have had these two railing against the world and promising to see each other again. The tag at the end of the reuse of the fantasy sequence feels tacked on and unearned. That kinda sucks more.

Final Verdict: 8, Recommended With Reservations. I really liked most of this show, and I think they wrote some phenomenal characters until the finale here. Like @lurkingshan I ended up not pleased with this ending. I am disappointed in the lack of resolution about the withholding, and I think they needed to face the separation and goodbye. However, I really liked the cast, and I respect the team that worked so hard to get this to us.

On to the rest of the show, presented in no particular order…starting with the worst. I’ll put in parentheses what episode number I’m on as of this post.

Haunted Hearts is Boring (5/7)

Magic, mah friend! Your show is boring. I do not know why these boys won’t kiss, and at this point I feel like I don’t care anymore. They’re introducing yet another ghost next week and I just am so disinvested. I try so hard every time to support Oxin Films and Regal Entertainment, but they make it so fucking hard. Holy shit. There’s only so far the boys being cute can carry a thin concept like this.

City of Stars is Better Than I Expected (2/12)

I am catching up on this show. The acting isn’t great, but I’m really enjoying a lot of what’s happening here. I will report back when I finish.

See Your Love is Fun But Kinda Weird (7/13)

The visuals are great in this show, and the leads are filling in the aesthetic gap left behind by Jimmy and Tommy in a way that really works for me. There’s been way too many pratfalls in the last two episodes. We are at 1.5 pratfalls per episode at this point. The side couple is absolutely ridiculous. I’m having fun.

Caged Again is Becoming a Favorite (4/10)

Junior is the best protagonist of the year. I’m obsessed with this penguin boy. I love the way this show uses its supernatural elements to drive its storytelling forward, even if I think the plot got a little silly in episode 4. The friend group dynamics are so fun, and I haven’t enjoyed a group of Thai boys this much since Knock Knock, Boys! (no surprise, two of them are in this show, too).

Your Sky is a Weekly Delight (3/12)

The 2gether rewrite show is great, and I will be reading no commentary to the contrary. These boys are so great, and they are one of the best couples of the year. This show is doing fake dating in a way that’s just so excellent, because it’s real dating! The boys are genuinely trying to get know each other so they can pretend to be a better fake couple. This is so close to being excellent meta commentary about dating in the digital age, and how so much of dating for the current generation is about how others perceive the validity of your relationship. It’s actually so fun to watch a show where the characters are doing all the things you’re supposed to do when you’re trying to build something with someone, but one of them doesn’t fully understand what they’ve gotten into. This show is great, and I love it.

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan is so Slick (5/10)

If there’s one thing a Japanese drama is going to get right it’s trauma! This show delivered on Kai’s horrors in a way that was so visceral that I needed to pause and catch a breath. I remain obsessed with the casting of Nagatsuma Reo as Kai, because he’s taller than Suzuki Asahi sometimes. I really love that they didn’t give us the BL height difference trope, and I like that they didn’t style Kai in a way to make him look more feminine. There’s a egalitarian physical balance between Fuma and Kai that I find extremely refreshing, considering the massive class, wealth, and suffering gap between the two characters. It’s no surprise that we’ve had a dearth of gifs of their sex scene, considering it doesn’t play to the kind of asymmetric aesthetics that folks seem enjoy in their pairings.

As always, the Rei and Kai friendship remains one of the best parts of this story, and I like the way this version of Sky talks to this version of Rain about the queer stuff. He feels like he’s being careful with his friend, and not just ghosting him on important conversations about his friend’s sexual awakening (one of my major gripes with the original Thai adaptation).

Our Youth is Taking Over My Brain (4/11)

I have not moved on from the “Infect me” line, and I am still obsessed with the plausible deniability of the “no homo” that Hirukawa relies upon as he continues to pursue Minase. Now that Minase has reached his breaking point, I’m so looking forward to seeing where we go next. We’re due for a major separation, and I’m ready for a Japanese BL to not fuck up a second chance romance attempt this time. Perhaps adapting Korean work could the solution?

Spare Me Your Mercy is a Welcome Return to the Sammon Feeling I Enjoy (1/10)

I just really love when Sammon shows feel like the mystery matters more than the romance, and this feels like it’s in the correct space. I loved the initial setup, and the potential for there to be multiple murderers. I really hope that they start killing younger people in this show, because they said there were only 40 palliative care patients, and we downed three of them in the first episode. I’m so happy to see JJ again, and Tor looks great. I am looking forward to the weekly watch and theorizing with this show. Most importantly, I’m looking forward to the complex meditation on euthanasia, which this story feels like it’s taking seriously.

Love is Like a Poison Finally has Given Us a BL Battle Couple Again (11/12)

We haven’t had a BL battle couple in what feels like forever. I love that this show continues to reward us for believing in Haruto and Shiba. Haruto’s dad is the absolute worst, and I really want him to lose. I love Shiba, and I love that the show continues to give him some of the visual tropes of a legal drama (like the pan up near the end). I’m in love with this show, and it’s going to be one of my favorites of the year, I’m sure.

Fragrance You Inherit Hurts Me Because Everyone is Doing The Right Thing (4/8)

This show is actually so painful sometimes, because no one is doing anything wrong. Everyone is being as emotionally honest as they can be with everyone they speak to about all of the things that are going on. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Sakura choosing to let go of her lingering crush on Mone now that they’re both moms and their kids are dating. Besides, we presume that Mone is still married! The conversation with On-chan makes me think that Mone misunderstood the relationship Sakura had with him in college (My man is ace but not aro! We love to see it).

I just really love that everyone is trying to do right by everyone around them, and I think all of the things that remain unspoken in this show have been withheld for completely valid reasons. There are no villains in this story, and that makes it even harder to watch really kind people treat each other politely in every scene. I’m just feeling a quiet scream in me the entire time I watch a good son by a thoughtful gift for his loving mother with the help of his supportive and lovely girlfriend, as he prepares a surprise from the old friend who clearly still cares about her friend and the unrequited/unexpressed feelings between them. This show is incredible. Go watch it right now. Thank you again to @isaksbestpillow.

Conclusion

That’s more shows than I’ve been watching in a while. It’s nice to have some Thai shows back in my rotation that I’m actually enjoying. I really want the Chinese to now fuck up their endings, but it seems like 2024 will not be that year. I’ll try to check in with the end of Love is Like a Poison when the Netflix release schedule completes so folks can binge it then. In the mean time, let me know what you’re enjoying, and what else I should consider picking up.

[absolutebl]

hi abl! I'm a huge fan of korean and japanese bl dramas and have devoured a bunch of them, but then I decided I wanted to try a thai drama and started lovely writer on a friend's recommendation. I only made it halfway through the first episode! it felt so overacted and oh my god the SOUND EFFECTS. they were driving me CRAZY. I know that's a common problem with thai bl, but I don't want to give up yet. any recs of more "toned down" shows for me to try? happy endings only, please! my favorite k/jbl series are semantic error, cherry magic, and love mate, if that helps! thanks so much!!!

Oh for sure, happy to help. I thought I already answered this one somewhere. Lemme check spreadsheet of doom...

Looks like not, so here we go.

10 Great Thai BLs with no (or few) BAD Sound Effects

Additional criteria: toned down, HEA, comps = Semantic Error, Cherry Magic, Love Mate (so you don't need high heat, slow burn is okay, and a little aggressive seme is fine too, got it!)

NOTE: If the GMMTV show is no long on YouTube it is likely on Viki or iQIYI.

1 A Tale of Thousand Stars

2021 GMMTV

With great casting and cinematography this drama nods at BL tropes but manages to elevate them (and itself) with a strong mature story concept about a spoiled rich kid who gets a heart transplant and becomes a teacher it order to pay out survivor’s guilt. On the way he falls in love with a local park ranger and contends with his own classism and escapist tendencies. Everyone seemed to perfectly suit their roles and GMMTV made the most out of its stable. Combined with excellent production (and post production) values, 1000 Stars is without question GMMTV’s most mature, charming, and smart BL series. I think it should go down as one of the top BLs of all time. I feel safe recommending this one to friends and non BL watchers.

I chose this first for you because it has no sound effects and a mature concept, it's very very classy. But it is a SLOW burn.

2 Cherry Magic

2024 GMMTV grey (sadly, with any luck Viki will eventually pick this up, but...)

A soft charming warm hug of a show about crushes and mind reading and self worth that really worked for me. With no-fuss execution from a consummate team (at GMMTV) and an OG lead pair (proving why they remain eternal and deserve to grow up).

Look, here’s the thing, Cherry Magic is a great Thai BL in its own right - not comparing it to any other iteration. But even when I do compare (and I've seen all the Cherries and read the manga) it stands strong. I, personally, like the Thai BL slightly better than the Japanese live action yaoi, but I think that’s because I just really enjoy Thai BL's style and I LOVE TayNew. Also all the kissing was both present and better in this version. As it should be from Thailand.

Now, even if your heart is lost to the original live action yaoi, this is a good way to understand what Thailand can do, and why it is the undisputed king of BL. But you do need to understand that is is a different take, an adaptation, if you will.

3 Bad Buddy

2022 GMMTV

This was GMMTV’s flagship BL and it started 2022 on a BANG (okay no actual banging but you know what I mean), starring heavy hitters Ohm & Nanon in a pitch perfect university Romeo & Romeo masterpiece that will give you domesticity meets pain whiplash throughout and jet lag at the end. Some of the friendship and family dynamics are overworked, but it has great production values, killer acting, and some conscious effort to correct for half a decade of Thai BL’s anti-queer mistakes.

This is the enemies to lovers BL to end all BLs. I chose it for you because of your love for Semantic Error, this is in a similar vein.

4 My Ride

2022 Gaga

Thai BL grew up with this pulp (the first ever to make my end of year top 10). It’s a truly lovely and special little show featuring the extremely rare pairing of sunshine/sunshine (AKA a cinnamon roll couple) plus mature explorations of relationships using one of the softest, sweetest and most innocent friends to lovers vehicles. Kindly, overworked doctor meets broken-hearted motorcycle taxi driver in an “other side of the tracks” slow burn romance. The support cast is excellent, making for great friendship groups and family dynamics. With honest queer rep that adds to, but doesn’t impede, the story, and genuine conversation about the nature of class, wealth, and classism, not to mention communication, honesty, and respect for boundaries, you can’t go wrong with this show. In other news, I am a sucker for a single dimple.

This is one of my "under appreciated gems" and if you can forgive it some of it's low production roughness I think you'll like the grit that comes with the sweet.

5 Step By Step

2023 Gaga & Viki

This was Thailand’s answer to KBL The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This office romance between a stern boss and sweet subordinate felt more authentic to cubical work than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. That authenticity added tension to the narrative and its characters' development (how novel). I also really enjoyed the charming side characters and the brothers' relationship to each other (although I could have done without that brother's side BL).

I chose this one specifically because of your Love Mate call out, although different dynamic.

6 ThamePo

2025 GMMTV YouTube (for now, I think this will move to a pay-to-play platform soon tho)

The boyband idol romance I've been waiting for from Korea, only Thailand did it instead. Quintessentially Thai and very GMMTV with good production values, great chemistry, and a solid support cast. It also was a hung romance mostly driven by external conflict and a found family reunion trope so I didn’t mind (too much) when that romance thread felt secondary. I loved it (except, of course, the singing).

I chose this because the visuals are on point (and your KBL addiction can only be explained in part through shallowness - solidarity) but also it's one of the better more recent BLs to fulfill your criteria. You want to know what Thai Bl is best at right now? This, this is it.

7 Wandee Goodday

2024 GMMTV

A charming modern Thai BL about a doctor and a boxer who start as a one night stand and then fall in love. Great rep for everything from Muay Thai, to safe sex, to FUN sex, to ace, to bisexuality, to smiley kisses, to the first legal gay wedding in a Thai BL. It’s a delight and I enjoyed (almost) every single moment of it. Without question its best traits are active positive representations of green flag boys, communication, and grown-up relationships but the chemistry is on point too.

Highly recommended as one of 2024's best pick-me-ups. Turn off your brain this is just a fun show. In fact, I think it might be time for a rewatch.

8 The Heart Killers

2025 GMMTV (iQIYI & Viki)

Jojo directs this action romcom about assassin brothers meets tattoo artist ex-booster & very flirty mechanic conmen. I dithered over how to rate this. It felt like an 8 show wearing a 9’s britches. There were dropped threads, forgotten characters, and unfinished plot lines even with a particularly long run time. And, for me, it doesn’t have significant rewatch potential. But it was fun (when one applies no expectations or logic) and I enjoyed the wildly unhinged relationships and, weirdly, music.

I mean nobody claimed that we needed Taming of the Shrew only with gay Thai hitman, but we really needed it. And no one asked for Petruchio as the gayest brat ever to strut his perfect skin and copped-top across our screen, and yet we loved him for it. Sure it didn’t make sense, was utterly absurd, but it was terribly earnest and sexy about it. In the end this goes hand-in-hand with all these other absurd crime pieces we’ve been getting since KinnPorsche, and frankly I like this one the best of the lot.

I'm not sure how you'll like this, it's a wildy soapy ride, and a bit EXTRA but the chemistry THE CHEMISTRY. Still, no skin if you drop it for reasons other than sound effects.

9 Your Sky

2025 iQIYI

As pulps go this is right up there with my favorite if all time, My Ride, but for different less complex reasons. This is a relatively simple yet endearingly old school story of a fake relationship between a sunshine sweetie and an older reserved rich kid who slowly fall in love. It's soft gentle low stakes leans on everything I love best about Thai BL. It’s a warm fuzzy robe of a show that will not hurt you.

Because you're used to shorter form BL you may find this slow, but that's okay. Get yourself a tropical drink or a bowl of ice cream and just... relax, enjoy. It'll all be alright in the end.

10 We Are

2024 iQIYI

I loved show, but it's last on this list for... reasons.

It was slow to find its stride (I didn’t get into it until ep 6) but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. It’s a soft ensemble piece with multiple couples (you will be introduced to most of GMMTVs pairs) and very little plot, but I didn’t care because it’s not trying to be anything more substantial. Essentially this was a series of vignettes covering one year of uni for a queer friendship group finding love, new friends, and laughter. Did it blow my mind? No. But it left me smiling and made me belly laugh quite a bit.

This one may be too MUCH much Thai BL muchness for you. So deifnately see if any of the others work first, especially Your Sky. This is more in that vein than others.

If those last 2 do end up working for you then you might also try Oxygen (2020 YouTube). Oxygen uses every BL trope in the playbook for one of the gentlest lowest angst BLs ever made. It’s a hyung romance (younger boy courts older boy) but very very earnest about it. Am I biased? Sure. This is probably one of my biggest comfort watches. But no one else ever seems to love it as much as I do.

I Thought About it But...

Okay so I took high concept and genre off the table because you didn't mention anything like that but I tend to rate those kinds of shows highly and it's one of Thailand's strengths in the BL sphere these days. So these are BLs I would ordinarily recommend but they are not JUST BL.

Until We Meet Again (YouTube) - my #1 top favorite Thai BL (the only one to have a 10/10 from me). Occasionally my all time most favorite of them all. May be a big dark for you, but if you could take The 8th Sense than you might like this.

Century of Love (Gaga) - If you don't mind some time travel-esk genre in your BL you might enjoy this one.

He's Coming to Me (YouTube) - this one has a strong paranormal element, but it is great. Boy and ghost boy fall in love, must solve ghost’s murder.

I Feel You Linger in the Air (grey) - an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). But the ending is not entirely happy.

La Pluie (Viki ) - This BL takes to task the fated mates trope and what it means to have love chained intimately to predestination.

The Sign (YouTube) - This show is the opposite of toned down, it's literally everything (except straight) all at once. It's BL, queer, band of brothers, romcom, erotica, PNR, fated mates, police procedural, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and slasher. It’s the king of genre mash-up chaos. Sure, it's madness but there is genius in it. Was it a crazy unhinged mess +1 roll for damage? Yes. Yes it was. Did it manage to hold all those tangled threads together? No it did not. Was it also a charming, sexy, engaging, non-stop piece of entertainment? Sure thing. Is it perfect? No. But it was balls to the wall FUN. Emphasis on balls.

Other's that you might like but I'm not confident on because of your comps and "toned down" preferences.

Laws of Attraction (iQIYI)

Triggers for violence, beatings, death and torture depicted on screen. This is a great gay suspense thriller with several solid couples, fun plot, killer characters, queer rep, and a happy ending. It is, however, not at all toned down. Charn may be my favorite lead character in all BL. However, this show is not entirely BL, more on the fringe, like Manner of Death.

My School President (GMMTV)

You didn't name any high school BL and I can't remember but this may have a few sound effects and it gets and little frantic and angsty. GMMTV gave us a classic high school set Thai BL with tropes like messy boys singing their feelings. Who let my BL be this wholesome and funny? This show was fantastic, it’s only flaw was the singing (and that’s my baggage). One of my favourite GMMTV BL offerings of all time. And yes, I've watched them ALL. But you have to like high school angst.

Not Me (GMMTV)

How do you say antidisestablishmentarianism in Thai? + hot boys kissing who probably shouldn't be and convoluted soap opera identical twins plot... someone at GMMTV thought it made sense, we just here for the tattoos and the the Pride scene. GMMTV gave us a dark disestablishment narrative (in a time of civil unrest) with established queer award-winning director Anucha and starring the biggest guns of BL, OffGun and THIS WAS AN AMAZING THING to get to experience at the time - nerve racking but remarkable. But was it ACTUALLY BL? It certainly has a lot of BL elements, but in the end romance was not what this show was about, or even what it was genuinely trying to be as a performance piece. Still a remarkable moment in Thai cinema, certainly worth your time. Don’t worry, it all ends happily.

I gotta say I feel the same way about Lovely Writer. I think I dinged it a whole point because of those sound effects. (And I actually really loved that show.) The bad effects slow (but never stop) in the second half, but it is possibly one of the worst offenders. And there are A LOT of offenders.

Also here's me trying to explain why those sound effects.

(source)

[chrisbangs]

231003 ♡ Happy Birthday Bang Chan!

[wildsaltair]

stabbing and twisting a rusted metal pitchfork into my ribcage would be less painful than having to watch Maximus die

[ql-of-all-time-bracket]

QL of All Time - Round 1 (Loser Bracket): Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart (2022) vs Happy Merry Ending (2023)

[gwenniesqueals]

Weekly drama update

Starting off strong with the shows I am currently watching:

My Golden Blood: So glad Mark could restrain himself, they definitely missed the opportunity to have Nakan lick the knife.

Breakup Service: My first non-bl Thai show, so far it does not disappoint. The golden retriever energy while also hating himself for being so is amazing.

Sweet Tooth, Good Doctor: Oof I could have done without the "you reject me so I reject you" thing. The man is doing mental gymnastics on if he likes you or not, don't make it worse.

Business as Usual: OML WHEN WILL Y'ALL STOP WITH THE MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE

Heesu in Class 2: Listen, this has been the sweetest non-toxic Korean BL I've watched. I do not want it to end this weekend. I'd like four more episodes, if not more. If I can't get that, then PLEASE end on a good note.

4 week love: Ya know, I've been up to date with this show, and I've loved how short the episodes have been: until this week. WHY? WHY? I want longer episodes. I want more of Do Jun panicking.

Crushology 101: Ya know, when I saw Kim Hyun-jin I knew, I knew there was something hella fishy with that man. I love him, loved him in My Sweet Mobster, but something was off. Then the two working together to save her, more please.

My Stubborn: If y'all didn't see my reaction post: dear god what a start. I wonder if it will be like the Heart Killers with a high start, small drop and plateau with the spice. Even if it does its on another level of spicy content I cannot wait for my eyes to devour.

Boys in Love: I also did a reaction post to this, but I cannot wait to see if Kim turns into a mini Faifa. I need the green flag boyfriend again.

Shows I finished this week:

Our skyy: Wasn't a huge fan.

Blossom Campus: Cute, short, Kdrama bl

Your Sky for us: I want more. I understand the special just finished, it is still not enough. Also you cannot tell me that P'Thomas' house doesn't look the same in real life, if not a little less fancy. The choo choo also sent me

Star in My Mind: If The Heart Killers didn't make me love Joong, Star in my mind sure did.

The Heart Killers: Second rewatch and it was JUST AS GOOD as the first time. It will be in my comfort show arsenal from now on.

Our skyy 2: SO much better than the first, maybe because my comfort actors are in it? So cute to see the little shorts of my favorite characters.

Shows I plan to start this week or have slightly already started:

Top Form

FourEver You

Love Mechanics

Monster Next Door.

As a bonus: My reaction to the following

(Do Jun's inner thoughts) Liking him is one thing, dating is another. I'm going to initiate this kiss, but it doesn't mean anything. My Brother in BL please just accept it. You do like him, you are dating him, the man feeds and takes care of you while you are sick. GIVE IN.

[prplocks]

✧❁ wallpaper 〴 joong archen ˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

reblog if you save ➳

༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶

[bengiyo]

Ben's Big BL Blurb 4: I Hope I See Jay Sorathon Again

New year, new blurb. Time to reflect on a few shows finishing, talk about some new shows, and see where we're at in January.

Haunted Hearts Sucked

Final Verdict: 5.5, Not Recommended. Y'all don't need to watch this weird mess of a show. Despite joking about "devirginizing" its lead multiple times, it was so chaste in the end. It also did some weird world shenanigans I was not feeling. The leads are supposed to be in another Oxin Films project soon, so we'll see if they're better there.

Caged Again Flopped

Final Verdict: 6, Recommended Only For Jay Sorathon. This one really hurts me, because I genuinely loved the first half of this show. Jay Sorathon as Junior was one of the most refreshing experiences I've had in a while. This young actor is charming in a way that felt different, and I found myself enjoying every scene he was in because he could deliver what he was asked to do. However, the show generally failed to do much with most of its themes, and I think it was a real waste of Nokia and Jaonine as a pair. There were interesting themes about how Junior and Sun wanted different things out of their relationship that didn't get resolved, so all of their skinship felt disconnected from the big themes they were teasing out.

I am sad that I cannot really recommend this as a complete viewing experience, but I do not want that to detract from how much I enjoyed the entire cast's chemistry. I just cannot pretend that this show didn't peak at the gif used above before floundering completely.

An Apology to City of Stars

Final Verdict: 8, Recommended. I skipped this show originally because I was overloaded and unmoved by the first episode. However, this show was actually one of the most consistent narratives we've had about the consequences of fan culture, sponsorship, and commercialization of queer actors we've had this year. Unlike Only Boo!, this show inflicted real consequences on Feuang for coming out to the point that he essentially had to change careers (which happens to real actors all the time, going back as far or further than William Haines).

The leads also kept having sex after getting together! A novel experience! I loved that Krom had almost no swag, and Feuang fell for him entire on family photos and his mom gushing over him. He really won as a tech worker. Watch this if you're interested in seeing a show with clear ideas about the entertainment industry and are willing to deal with some weak acting.

Our Youth Left Me A Bit Wanting

Final Verdict 8: Recommended With Reservations. I wrote my write up for this already, and will say here that I like parts of this show a lot even though I wasn't fully satisfied by the viewing experience.

See Your Love Got All The Important Things Right

Final Verdict: 8, Recommended for the Mains. I will admit that I didn't much care for the side couple, but I loved Shaopeng and Sean's relationship. I loved that this wasn't a story about fixing someone's hearing so they could be in a romance. I also love that one of our final scenes in Shaopeng's dad telling Sean's dad to go fuck himself. The leads reminded me of Jimmy and Tommy from Why R U and I loved their work together.

Love in the Air Koi Was a Genuine Delight

Final Verdict: 9, Highly Recommended. I liked it a lot. I think new and old fans will be able to enjoy it. I have high hopes about cross-cultural adaptations as a result.

Love is Like a Poison Was Spectacular

Final Verdict: 9.5, Highly Recommended. I had so much fun with this show. I love that this show blended multiple genres together, and I loved that Shiba was always in a legal drama. By blending this together this way, the show supports the idea that the different ways we love and see the world are not incompatible in relationships. Shiba and Haruto are one of the best couples we had this past year, because they each made the other better, and they each add something to their relationship. Also, this show was actively horny the entire time. Run, do not walk, to support this show (if you can) on Netflix.

Fragrance You Inherit Was The One of the Kindest Shows I've Ever Seen

Final Verdict: 9.5, Highly Recommended. Thanks to the constant efforts of @isaksbestpillow we were able to enjoy this incredible show. @twig-tea already wrote a great review. I will be thinking about Sakura and Touki for years. I will just add that I really loved that Hoshii was just a goofy dude that loved the women in his home. He respected both of them, and was just so happy to be included in their shenanigans. I cannot overstate how much the episode where we met him properly kicked this show into overdrive for me. I loved that he was a good dad and husband and that it was clear his wife and daughter felt safe and happy around him. I loved that this show was about kind people doing their best.

Okay, on to the currently airing stuff.

Your Sky is Faltering, but I Still Like It (8/12)

Look, I am just not keen on the Oh redemption arc. I'm also feeling the show dragging its feet at this point. I also am not sure what the relationship between the various sides are contributing to this story. That being said, I continue to enjoy the chemistry between the leads, and I am looking forward to seeing their dating era. This show has been riding the line on the bubble, and I am curious to see where it lands.

Ossan's Love Thailand (1/12)

I've grown to love Ossan's Love over the last year, and so I was cautiously optimistic about this adaptation. I don't think the humor is as tight or zippy as I would expect, and I think the branded pair component is hurting some of the initial setup. I also feel like the shower scene shifted in a way that doesn't entirely work. In addition, making Kongdetch a widower slows down his dramatic development. I'll check in again next month.

Call Me By No Name Started Weird (1/8)

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

This show got off to a moody and somewhat intriguing start. I am looking forward to our little gamer's interactions with this possibly-fey creature for the coming weeks. It's difficult when the show starts coy.

When It Rains It Pours Has an Uphill Battle (1/7)

I am personally interested in the journey this show wants to go on as what will more than likely be a double cheating narrative. I like that the show started with boy guys in relationships they feel a bit frustrated with due to a lack of intimacy that is being actively ignored by their respective partners. I'm also intrigued because both partners seem like they're overall committed to our leads. This one started off in a mild note, so I'm curious how it holds audience attention. Still, both leads had sad masturbation scenes, one explicitly remembering when his partner used to fuck him, so it has my attention.

That's all for now! I'll check back in with one of these in a few weeks and we'll see where we're at.

[chinzhilla-edits]

joong archen ; icons

like/reblog | @spearbinsung

don't repost or claim as yours!

[secriden]

#i'm so grateful for this because of how it adds this heart wrenchingly beautiful tenderness to kluen (who is otherwise portrayed as being #cold and aloof) and allows him to show the soft tenderness he feels for dao

oh my god if you enjoy Kluen's soft tenderness towards Dao I can't wait to see how you'll feel about the extras!!!!

Sky in Your Heart is not everyone's cup of tea (in my case, I liked the setting and one of the characters, but not so much the other/them as a couple), but I recommend trying anyway, just to see if it works for you. If it doesn't, here's a list @airenyah made of the KluenDao moments scattered through the episodes, so you can find their scenes more easily.

After that, don't forget to watch the Star & Sky: Special Episode and their Our Skyy episode as well. All these extras are delightful, and I promise you're gonna love them 🥺

:o i'd heard that their Special Episode and their Our Skyy episodes were bad so i hesitating to watch them cuz i didn't want to ruin my KluenDao enjoyment... but now i really want to!

i... sort of see what you mean about SIYH not being everyone's cup of tea. i enjoyed watching Fah as Dao's doting/playful/protective older brother but as half of a main pair i can't help but find him kind of immature...although i'm cognisant of the fact that i've only just started the series and he'll probably grow in the process of the story. but its just weird to me because he's supposed to be a working adult who graduated a while ago, but he has bratty/entitled 2nd year uni student energy for some reason.

aaslkdfsldfj thank you for linking me to the list of timestamps!! that... will certainly speed up the process of me getting to the lovely KluenDao moments. *w*

but already in episode 1 i am basking in Kluen and Dao's dynamic!! its kind of overwhelming to see them so... settled into their relationship.

obsessed with the way Dao looks up with that teasing amused kitten smile on his lips. obsessed with Kluen being this bold in his affection in front of other people (and specifically Fah, because Kluen clearly feels he lived up to his words in ep 8).

oh my gosh i'm just realising how excited i am to see domestic established relationship KluenDao!?!? like!!!!! normally you don't get that cuz the show ends when they get together and you maybe get a small glimpse into it during the special episode but this!?!? a whole series worth of guest-star moments!?!? *O*

[airenyah]

Hi, I'm enjoying your JoongDunk era very much, keep up the good work 😃 I was wondering if you could maybe possibly share the JD timestamps in siyh? I don't want to watch the whole show, but I really want more JD on my screen. Danke schön 🥰

hiiii, glad to hear! it usually feels like there's not many JD enjoyers here on tumblr, so i'm glad that there are in fact some people out there who are enjoying the JD turn that my blog has taken over the last few months 😂😂

anyway, yes, sure thing!!​ here you are (joong's "my starlight" has come on spotify just now as i'm typing this lol):

bitteschööön <3

i hope you can read it! i'm probably gonna type it out at a later point, but right now i'm on mobile and i can't be bothered

edit: here's a transcript

joongdunk time stamps in "sky in your heart" and the "star & sky" special

sky in your heart:

Ep1:

Pt.1 → 10:55–13:33

Ep2:

Pt.4 → 1:50–3:09

Ep3:

Pt.1 → 6:15–7:39

Ep4:

Pt.3 → 2:22–3:41

Pt.3 -> 4:52–5:55 (thanks @braceletofteeth 🙏)

Pt.4 → 1:55–3:30

Ep5:

Pt.1 → 4:23–5:39

Pt.2 → 7:45–8:54

Ep6:

Pt.1 → 9:46–10:34

Pt.2 → 4:48–5:30

Ep7:

Pt.4 → 5:07–6:14

Ep8:

Pt.1 → 7:42–10:02

(Pt.3 → 4:43–6:26)

Pt.4 → (montage: 0:27–2:14) 2:14–4:02

star & sky special:

Pt.1:

4:08–8:03

Pt.2:

(0:18) 0:54–6:27 → Texas Chicken Ad

6:27–8:25

Pt.3:

0:15 – 4:00

4:37–7:18 (DaoKluen dialogue: 5:50–6:14)

8:51–11:22

Pt.4:

0:15–6:12

10:55–13:06

[ourjisoo2]

✿ H͟o͟t͟ 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙𝑠 ᯓ love j͟o͟o͟n͟g͟d͟u͟n͟k͟.

[𝓕ast 𝑳ove] 𝓔̲u̲ 𝓐͟c͟r͟e͟d͟i͟t͟o͟ que tem 𝓐lguém aí fora

ꨄ︎ Que me f̲a̲r̲á̲ 𝑒ntender

คนที่เป็นทุกสิ่งทุกอย่าง

𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑔, 𝐼𝑓 𝑢 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒, 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒

[foureverryou]

Pick Five Favs

Tag Game - Poll: 5 Fav Characters

Challenge: Make a poll with five six of your all time favorite characters, and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favorite.

I was tagged by @pharawee an @morkofday. Thanks so much! I have been debating how I want to do this since I was tagged the first time lol. Anyway here goes!

Fave characters which is different from actors I would just like to make that clear lol Also this was so difficult :( Latte came out of nowhere as a fav. Also honorable mentions to Kang in Only Boo, Taylay in Vice Versa, Sean in Not Me, Aoki in Kieta Hatsukoi and my all time fav idiot Minato in Minato Shouji Coin Laundry.

Tian

Mew

Bai Zong Yi

Puen

Latte

Fah

Tagging @mosbanks @mrsandypants @gunsatthaphan @wanderlust-in-my-soul and whoever else would like to because I thought this one was fun!!!!