#taiwan excellence

[m34nplan]

[22-07-2023] Taiwan Excellence / by tvthunderseries 2, 3

[impact-newswire]

The Taiwan Excellence Awards were established by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in 1992.

[tallpiscesgirl]

Pioneering Your Lifestyle: Malaysian Enterprises Explore the Allure of Taiwan Excellence

A captivating product launch event featuring 5outstanding Taiwanese companies recognized by Taiwan Excellence concluded today during the ongoing Taiwan Expo 2023. These companies presented their range of innovative lifestyle solutions, including smart home appliances and electric bicycles. Over 70 Malaysian businesses and members of the media had the opportunity to witness firsthand how these…

[thistransient]

社子島 + 北投田地

[rusiajetcar]

Excellent watercraft Antalya Jetcar Prices Turkey Rusia Jetcar Manufacturers +491726354444 Why Jetcar is the Future of Water Sports

Jetcar is the future of water sports, and it's not hard to see why. With its innovative technology and cutting-edge design, Jetcar has the potential to revolutionize the way we experience and enjoy water sports. Whether you're a thrill-seeker looking for an adrenaline rush or a water enthusiast seeking a new adventure, Jetcar offers an unparalleled experience that will leave you breathless.

One of the key features that sets Jetcar apart is its enhanced speed and maneuverability. Utilizing a state-of-the-art propulsion system and a sleek design, Jetcar glides effortlessly through the water, allowing for thrilling speeds and agile maneuvers. Whether you're racing against the waves or exploring serene waterways, Jetcar's speed and maneuverability will take your water sports experience to the next level.

But it's not just about the thrill and excitement. Jetcar is also committed to environmental sustainability, making it a responsible choice for water sports enthusiasts. With its electric propulsion system, Jetcar reduces carbon emissions and noise pollution, minimizing its impact on the environment. Additionally, Jetcar's innovative hull design minimizes wake, reducing erosion and disturbance to marine ecosystems. So you can enjoy your water sports adventures knowing that you're making a positive impact on the environment.

Enhanced Speed and Maneuverability

Jetcar's cutting-edge design and propulsion system enable it to achieve unparalleled speed and maneuverability on water. The combination of advanced technology and innovative engineering has revolutionized the world of water sports, providing enthusiasts with an exhilarating and thrilling experience like never before.

One of the key factors that contribute to Jetcar's remarkable performance is its streamlined design. The sleek and aerodynamic shape of the watercraft reduces drag, allowing it to glide effortlessly through the water. This design feature, coupled with the powerful propulsion system, ensures that Jetcar can reach incredible speeds, surpassing traditional water sports vehicles.

The propulsion system of Jetcar is a testament to its cutting-edge technology. Powered by a high-performance engine, Jetcar delivers an impressive amount of horsepower, propelling it forward with incredible force. This enables riders to experience the thrill of high-speed water sports, reaching top speeds that were previously unimaginable.

In addition to its speed, Jetcar also offers exceptional maneuverability on water. The precise steering and responsive controls allow riders to navigate through tight turns and corners with ease. Whether you're racing against friends or performing daring tricks and stunts, Jetcar's agility ensures that you can push the boundaries of what is possible in water sports.

With Jetcar's enhanced speed and maneuverability, water sports enthusiasts can take their passion to new heights. Whether you're a professional athlete seeking to break records or a recreational rider looking for an adrenaline rush, Jetcar offers an unmatched experience that will leave you exhilarated and craving for more.

Environmental Sustainability

When it comes to water sports, environmental sustainability is a crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked. Jetcar understands this responsibility and has taken significant steps to minimize its environmental impact. With its eco-friendly features and commitment to sustainability, Jetcar is leading the way towards a greener future for water sports.

One of the key factors contributing to Jetcar's environmental sustainability is its electric propulsion system. By utilizing electric power instead of traditional fuel engines, Jetcar reduces carbon emissions and noise pollution. This not only helps in preserving the natural beauty of our water bodies but also provides a quieter and more peaceful experience for water enthusiasts.

Furthermore, Jetcar's innovative hull design incorporates Zero Wake Technology. This cutting-edge feature minimizes the wake created by the Jetcar, reducing erosion and disturbance to marine ecosystems. By leaving behind a smaller wake, Jetcar ensures that the delicate balance of underwater habitats remains undisturbed, allowing marine life to thrive.

In addition to its eco-friendly technology, Jetcar also emphasizes user-friendliness and accessibility. It is designed to be intuitive and easy to operate, making it accessible to water sports enthusiasts of all skill levels. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a beginner, Jetcar's user-friendly controls and stability ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience on the water.

Jetcar also caters to individuals with different physical abilities through its adaptive seating and control options. By providing customizable features, Jetcar ensures that everyone, regardless of their physical limitations, can partake in and enjoy the thrill of water sports. This inclusivity and commitment to accessibility set Jetcar apart from its competitors.

In conclusion, Jetcar's eco-friendly features and commitment to minimizing environmental impact make it the future of water sports. With its electric propulsion system, Zero Wake Technology, and user-friendly design, Jetcar offers a thrilling and sustainable experience for water enthusiasts. By choosing Jetcar, you not only get to enjoy the excitement of water sports but also contribute to the preservation of our precious marine ecosystems.

Electric Propulsion

Electric Propulsion

Jetcar's innovative electric propulsion system sets it apart from traditional water sports vehicles. By harnessing the power of electricity, Jetcar offers a sustainable and eco-friendly option for water enthusiasts. Let's explore how this electric propulsion technology works and the benefits it brings to the world of water sports.

One of the key advantages of Jetcar's electric propulsion is its ability to reduce carbon emissions and noise pollution. Unlike conventional watercraft that rely on fossil fuels, Jetcar operates on clean and renewable electric power. This means that every time you hit the water with Jetcar, you're contributing to a cleaner and greener environment.

But how does electric propulsion work? Jetcar's electric motor is powered by a rechargeable battery pack. This battery pack provides the necessary energy to propel the vehicle through the water. By eliminating the need for fuel combustion, Jetcar significantly reduces carbon emissions, helping to combat climate change and preserve our natural resources.

In addition to reducing carbon emissions, Jetcar's electric propulsion system also minimizes noise pollution. Traditional water sports vehicles can be quite loud, disturbing the tranquility of the water and potentially affecting marine life. With Jetcar, the electric motor operates silently, allowing you to enjoy the serenity of the water without causing any disturbance.

Furthermore, Jetcar's electric propulsion system offers excellent performance and efficiency. The instant torque provided by the electric motor ensures quick acceleration and impressive maneuverability. You'll experience a smooth and exhilarating ride, all while knowing that you're making a positive impact on the environment.

In conclusion, Jetcar's electric propulsion technology is a game-changer in the world of water sports. By utilizing electric power, Jetcar reduces carbon emissions and noise pollution, making it a sustainable choice for water enthusiasts. With Jetcar, you can enjoy thrilling water adventures while knowing that you're contributing to a cleaner and greener future.

Zero Wake Technology

Zero Wake Technology is one of the key features that sets Jetcar apart from traditional water sports vehicles. With its innovative hull design, Jetcar minimizes wake, resulting in reduced erosion and disturbance to marine ecosystems. This technology not only enhances the overall experience for water sports enthusiasts but also contributes to the preservation of our precious marine environment.

Jetcar's hull design is specifically engineered to create a minimal wake, ensuring a smoother and more eco-friendly ride. The unique shape of the hull allows the water to flow smoothly around the vehicle, minimizing the disturbance caused by waves and reducing the erosive impact on coastal areas.

By reducing wake, Jetcar helps to protect marine ecosystems and preserve the delicate balance of underwater habitats. This is particularly important in areas with sensitive marine life, such as coral reefs and seagrass beds, where excessive wake can cause damage and disruption.

Furthermore, the reduced wake generated by Jetcar also benefits other water users, such as boaters, kayakers, and swimmers. With less disturbance on the water surface, these activities can be enjoyed without the disruption caused by large waves and turbulent waters.

Jetcar's commitment to minimizing wake and its impact on marine ecosystems demonstrates its dedication to environmental sustainability. By choosing Jetcar, water sports enthusiasts can enjoy their favorite activities while knowing they are making a responsible choice that helps protect the natural beauty of our oceans and lakes.

Accessible and User-Friendly

Jetcar is revolutionizing the world of water sports with its innovative technology that combines enhanced speed and maneuverability with environmental sustainability. One of the key features that sets Jetcar apart is its accessibility and user-friendly design, making it a perfect choice for water sports enthusiasts of all skill levels.

Jetcar's intuitive controls allow beginners to easily learn and enjoy water sports. The easy learning curve ensures that even those who are new to the world of water sports can quickly adapt and have a thrilling experience. With Jetcar, anyone can feel the thrill of speeding across the water and maneuvering with ease.

In addition to its intuitive controls, Jetcar also offers adaptive seating and control options. This means that individuals with different physical abilities can also enjoy the thrill of water sports. Jetcar is designed to cater to the needs of everyone, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Furthermore, Jetcar's user-friendly design makes it easy to navigate and operate. The controls are conveniently placed and designed for maximum comfort and ease of use. Whether you are a seasoned water sports enthusiast or a beginner, Jetcar's user-friendly design ensures that you can focus on the excitement and joy of the sport without any hassle.

Jetcar's commitment to accessibility and user-friendliness extends beyond just the controls and design. The company also provides comprehensive training and support to ensure that users can make the most of their Jetcar experience. With Jetcar, water sports enthusiasts can dive into a world of fun and adventure, knowing that they have the support they need every step of the way.

In conclusion, Jetcar's intuitive controls and user-friendly design make it accessible to water sports enthusiasts of all skill levels. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced athlete, Jetcar offers an exhilarating and user-friendly experience that will leave you craving for more.

Easy Learning Curve

When it comes to water sports, Jetcar is the ultimate game-changer for beginners. With its intuitive handling and remarkable stability, Jetcar offers an incredibly easy learning curve that allows newcomers to quickly grasp the art of water sports and start enjoying the thrill of the open water.

Jetcar's design is tailored to provide a user-friendly experience. The controls are straightforward and responsive, ensuring that beginners can navigate the water with ease. Whether you're looking to try your hand at jet skiing or wakeboarding, Jetcar's intuitive handling makes it a breeze to get started.

Moreover, Jetcar's stability is unrivaled. Its advanced technology and state-of-the-art engineering ensure that riders feel secure and supported, even when they're just starting out. This stability not only boosts confidence but also reduces the risk of accidents, allowing beginners to focus on perfecting their skills and enjoying the water sports experience.

Picture yourself effortlessly gliding across the water, feeling the wind in your hair and the adrenaline coursing through your veins. With Jetcar's easy learning curve, this dream can become a reality for anyone, regardless of their previous water sports experience.

So, if you've always wanted to dive into the exciting world of water sports but were hesitant due to the steep learning curve, look no further than Jetcar. Its intuitive handling and stability will empower you to conquer the water and embark on unforgettable adventures.

Adaptive Seating and Controls

When it comes to water sports, Jetcar goes above and beyond to ensure that everyone can participate, regardless of their physical abilities. Jetcar's innovative design includes adaptable seating and control options, making it accessible to individuals with different needs.

Jetcar's adaptive seating system allows for customizable configurations, ensuring that each user can find their most comfortable position. Whether you prefer a higher or lower seat, or need additional support, Jetcar has you covered. The seats are designed with ergonomic principles in mind, providing optimal comfort and stability during your water adventures.

In addition to the adaptable seating, Jetcar also offers a range of control options to cater to individuals with different physical abilities. From traditional hand controls to joystick steering, Jetcar allows users to choose the control method that works best for them. This ensures that everyone can navigate the water with ease and confidence.

Jetcar's commitment to inclusivity extends beyond just the design of their watercraft. They also provide comprehensive training and support to ensure that individuals of all skill levels can enjoy the thrill of water sports. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a beginner, Jetcar is here to help you make the most of your experience.

So, whether you have limited mobility or are looking for a more comfortable and customizable water sports experience, Jetcar's adaptive seating and control options make it the perfect choice. With Jetcar, everyone can enjoy the excitement of water sports, breaking barriers and creating unforgettable memories.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast can Jetcar go?Jetcar is designed for speed, reaching exhilarating speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Its cutting-edge propulsion system allows for quick acceleration and unmatched maneuverability on water.

Is Jetcar environmentally friendly?Yes, Jetcar prioritizes environmental sustainability. It is equipped with an electric propulsion system, which significantly reduces carbon emissions and noise pollution compared to traditional water sports vehicles. By choosing Jetcar, you can enjoy your favorite water activities while minimizing your impact on the environment.

Does Jetcar create wake disturbance?No, Jetcar incorporates Zero Wake Technology into its hull design. This innovative feature minimizes wake, reducing erosion and disturbance to marine ecosystems. With Jetcar, you can enjoy thrilling water sports without compromising the delicate balance of our oceans.

Is Jetcar suitable for beginners?Absolutely! Jetcar is designed to be user-friendly and has an easy learning curve. Its intuitive handling and stability make it ideal for beginners who want to experience the excitement of water sports. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or just starting out, Jetcar is a great choice.

Can Jetcar accommodate individuals with physical limitations?Yes, Jetcar offers adaptive seating and control options to cater to individuals with different physical abilities. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy water sports, and Jetcar ensures inclusivity by providing customizable features to meet diverse needs.

[absolutebl]

Best & Worst BLs of 2023

My Top 15 BLs of 2023 are (in order)

1 Our Dating Sim

Korea Viki

Nerds in love, deadlines, gaming, teasing, pining tiny idiots, casual affection, linguistic oops, ADORABLE. If you haven't watched this, it's a must. A perfect short form KBL, an office set reunion romance featuring geeks that really suits 8 eps with no fluff and no chaff. Just comforting and yummy.

I adored every aspect from the casting to the pristinely simple premise to the quietly smooth execution. Sure it’s low stakes, but that makes it high domesticity and extremely warm and gentle. This is a fuzzy blanket of a story - a cozy BL. It lives in my rewatch pile and you know what’s best about it? Every single episode is in that pile. There’s no skipping with this one, it might be good natured and calmly sweet but it’s tight and the pacing is excellent.

Also recieves my 2023 award for best giggle.

2 I Cannot Reach You

AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai

Japan Netflix

This classic friends-to-lovers BL is everything Japan does best. Angsty. Emo. Aching. Driven by real thirst. Yamato is deeply in love with his childhood bestie, Kakeru, and has been for ages, unable to hide his ungainly damaging high school need. He wants Kakeru in every way possible and it oozes off of the screen.

Kakeru is silly and a little simple, but not frenetic or overly camp about it. He is earnest, and genuinely wants to keep Yamato in his life which means giving a romance (and gayness) a fair chance. We watch him realize his affection and what form it can take in a truly authentic way.

This show was impossibly kind to both of its lead characters and I felt almost honored that I got to watch something so lovely and rare play out on my screen.

Also wins the best thirst award.

These were the 2 BLs that got 10/10 from me in 2023. The rest of these got 9/10 from me.

3 My School President

Thailand YouTube

GMMTV gave us a classic high school set Thai BL with tropes like messy boys singing their feelings that made this one Love Sick for the modern age with all the gentle sweetness and pining ache, but none of the dated damaging tropes or issues. Who let my BL be this wholesome and funny? My favourite GMMTV BL offering to date. And yes, I've watched them ALL.

Received the Namgoong award for best wingman 2023.

4 I Feel You Linger in the Air

Thailand grey

IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework. Steeped in history and family drama this is an elegant and classy BL. The main couple (both as a pair and individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. It's a marker of how great it was that it's so high on my list despite the ending which was very much not what I wanted.

Additional accolade, sexiest moment of 2023 - (the oil scene).

You could try to fight me, but you'll have no grip.

5 Kiseki: Dear to Me

Taiwan Gaga & Viki

The plot is totally ridiculous and slightly unhinged. There’s a gum-ball machine of cameos, elder gay rep, great chemistry from all pairs (everyone is queer), and a KILLER side couple. It involves all the tropes under a very offhand framework of gay mafia gangs + food = love. As a result Kiseki is a poster child for Taiwanese BL, and I happen to love Taiwanese BL. Bonus? They also managed to END IT WELL, which we cannot expect from Taiwan.

Best side couple 2023!

(thank goodness Taiwan made this list!)

6 Jun and Jun

Korea Viki

A delightful office romance about an ex-idol who joins cubical life only to find his new boss is his first love. With a snappy (sometimes even raunchy) script, enjoyable sides, a pretty as peaches cast, and descent chemistry this show made up for in style what it lacked in substance. I like fluff. I loved this. I smiled every moment I was watching.

Best flirting 2023.

AKA "the tongue knows" award

7 The Eighth Sense

Korea Viki

This one is a bit chewy and sticky and less perfect than most KBLs. It’s got a bit of an age gap, country boy/city boy, stellar acting, complex characters, and leads with great chemistry and tension. This isn’t in the KBL bubble, there’s sharp edges and lots of triggers. For a BL the darkness of the content left me feeling unsettled (which is the only reason it didn't get a perfect score) but it has a glorious ending and that counts for a lot.

2023's most likely to appeal to non-BL watchers.

8 Unintentional Love Story

Korea iQIYI

The lead, Gongchan (maknae of B1A4) is a fucking GIFT, who carried this show. He was luminous with extraordinarily expressive eyes, which he used to carry a killer plot and challenging role. Forced into a totally understandable betrayal, falling in love despite himself, put into a corner he can't get out of, the AGONY, the eyes EMOTING at us in PAIN. Driven by external conflict, social tension and pressure this story seems simple but it's actually refined and quite complex. I loved this show.

Best story structure 2023.

9 My Personal Weatherman

AKA Taikan Yoho

Japan Gaga

This is classic yaoi of the kind that really only works from Japan. Basically: boys who fell in love in college end up living together but both are so repressed they actually don't realize they're in love. It's high heat is well done, but it leaned into the "why don't they just talk for fuck's sake?" which is exacerbated by the fact that they're already fucking. Sure is sexy tho.

Best use of props 2023 for the shower of sheets.

10 Our Dining Table

AKA Bokura no Shokutaku

Japan Gaga

Lonely salaryman and talented cook gets accidentally adopted by a college kid and his little brother. It’s a quiet & cozy little parable of found family alleviating loneliness. It's lovely & sweet with the romance beats used to build a family relationship, not just couple intimacy. Special.

First prize for domesticity.

11 Laws of Attraction

Thailand iQIYI

This is a great gay suspense thriller with several solid couples, fun plot, killer characters, queer rep, and a happy ending. It’s tons of fun and I had an absolute blast watching it.

Charn wins my favorite character of 2023.

12 La Pluie

Thailand Viki

This BL takes to task the fated mates trope and what it means to have love chained intimately to predestination. It’s about how faith in destiny before choice diminishes the authenticity of emotion, relationships, and connection. This is a high concept to examine through the lens of a BL. With good chemistry and decent acting all around, plus some excellent high heat and representation of consent and a few other rare tropes, this one has to (like it’s sibling show My Ride) earn high marks.

Most interesting concept 2023.

13 The New Employee

Korea Viki

So good, SO QUEER, so soft, a near pitch perfect office BL with conflict derived from that setting. Also found family and a lesbian bestie. This is what I wanted from this new crop of office set KBLs ALL ALONG. Rainbow rice cakes forever!

Best overall queer rep from Korea.

14 Step By Step

Thailand Gaga & YouTube & Viki

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This was an office romance between stern boss and sweet subordinate that felt more authentic to an office environment than previous Thai BLs of this ilk which added tension to the narrative and character development.

Chot wins best queer character 2023.

15 Love Tractor

Korea iQIYI

Most of this country-set BL had me feral for the beautiful broken city boy and his hot young farmer. Hyung romance, puppy/cat pairing, open frankness meets jaded reserve, language play, water hose frolicking, only one bed = all my favorite silly tropes.

Biggest "he so pretty" gasp of the year award.

10 Worst BLs of 2023 (that I watched)

My Blessing

My Universe: Casanova Begins

Boyband the series

Cafe In Love

Chains of Heart

Hit Bite Love

Only Friends

Senior Love Me

The Luminous Solution

The Promise

Yes, you read that right. I know I'm against the flow but I really did not like Only Friends. Everyone's taste is different.

However I DNFed faster and more BL's this year than ever before, so that means my 10 worst probably aren't quite reflective...

10 Probably Actually Worst BLs (I dropped 'em)

My Story

The Day I Loved You

Beyond the Star

Crazy Handsome Rich

Dinosaur Love

House of Stars

Mr Cinderella 2

Love Bill

Stormy Honeymoon

The Star Always Follow You

Codicils in General

I only carefully track/watch Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. Other countries are not fully represented.

My Numbers

So my spreadsheet chronicled 138 BLs that finish airing in 2023.

101 = watched & reviewed

2 = still in the docket (WDYEY2 & Love Syndrome III)

15 = CNF (could not find)

20 = DNF (which also accounts for how few very low scores I handed out in 2023 as opposed to previous years, I just stopped watching). Speaking of which...

Ratings spread

(# of stars. #of BLs given that rating)

0 (see the DNFs instead)

2 - IT'S DEPRESSING they killed the gay, save yourself

7 - I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM WATCHING AND NEITHER DOES IT

7 - FATALLY FLAWED but still basically BL, however… do we want to support this kind of behavior?

9 - WATCH IF YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO but don’t expect much, it’s a total hot mess

17 - WORTH WATCHING BUT FLAWED probably around the ending or in narrative structure/cohesion or censorship

14 - RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS i.e. isn’t quite BL, convoluted, not strictly HEA, too short/long, or chemistry issues

30 - RECOMMENDED some concerns around tropes (like dub con) or story structure but still satisfies as BL

13 - ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED probably a few pacing issues or one flaw

2 - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED faithful to tropes, happy ending, good chemistry, few flaws, high rewatch potential

(source)

[theheightofdishonor]

GL Recs Masterlist

I've watched a couple hundred gls now and so I thought i'd put it to good use and help other people find some. There's not enough gl rec lists anyway

First things first, I'll like to direct you to https://mydramalist.com/list/1xrpwdW3 which is a gl rec list on mdl with more than 200+ titles + links. It's an EXCELLENT resource, kept up to date and even tracks upcoming titles.

Now for stuff that I've watched and thought are decent. I'll link all of these to their mdl page and the links to watch the show can usually be found in the comments. If you're new to gl, be warned that a lot of these are pretty short, ranging from 1-30 minutes.

1 in 10,000 (2018) Korea. This is a soulmates piece told in 3 parts following two girls through different parts of their lives. I think this got more confusing as it went on but I really liked Act I and I think it's worth watching. It's beautiful and angsty and a bit artsy. I'm pretty sure it has a happy ending but don't quote me on that.

Afraid of (2019) Korea. A short film about a girl struggling with her sexuality. Yeah, I know, there's a THOUSAND of these but I do like this one. It's beautifully shot and there's a lot of heart.

Am I the only one with butterflies? (2018) Korea. A girl blogs about falling in love with the manager at her new job. I like part ii better than part one but it's just cute and the pining is very similar to het kdramas.

Anonymous high school girl (2022) Korea. A low stakes love triangle. Good chemistry, low budget, awful kisses.

The Beauty of the Law (2023) China- If you're not familar with chinese gls, I think it's certainly something to get used to. This is like in the top 1% of the category. It's an ad for Adolph Shampoo and i'm going to let you know that they're going to appear often on this list because they make excellent gls. It's a historical about a female unlicensed lawyer trying to help a woman escape her abusive marriage. Makes great points about gender imbalances and women's historical lack of legal rights in China. (f you like this one, Sheng Wei, one of the actresses stars in 50%+ of all chinese gls, check her out)

Beguine (2018) Thailand - It's if the school dancing scene in My School President was a 30 minute sequence with two girls. No plot but adorable.

Cat in the eastern palace (2020) China - Watch this just to have the surreal experience of seeing like 3 whole cdrama arcs which normally take 20ish eps executed in a 7 minute timeframe. Also because it stars laoji who's in the other 50% of chinese gls. As for plot, it's about a cat spirit and a girl pretending to be the crown prince.

Clasper (2021) Thailand - And they were roommates! I liked the production, the dialogue and the acting was pretty decent.

Couple of Mirrors*** (2021) China- Wait to watch this because it will ruin you for everything else. This is like typical thai bl length, like 12 45~min episodes. It's a historical mystery about a wealthy woman who finds out about her husband's affair with her bff and the photographer she enlists to help her. If you watch one thing out of China, watch this.

Dear My Girlfriend (2021) Korea - A group project ft love triangle. It´s pretty classic. A girl starts dating someone who likes her only to realize she might instead be in love with her best friend. The editing is cute. It's a touch angsty as love triangles are and pretty well done.

Dear Uranus (2021) Taiwan. Another school love triangle. Does feature an adorkable female character, you know a bit awkward, a bit cutesy, if you hate this archetype, ignore this one. Personally I think the chemistry for the lead couple was lacking (genuinely shocking considering taiwan tends to be great at this) but both the love interests are hot and I am not immune to hot women

The Demonic lord and the virtuous cultivator (2021) China - Avoid this if you don't like toxic yuri. I personally love it so this is 10/10 for me. Orphan gets taken in by a benevolent benefactor who turns out to be her parents' killer and eventually....you know what go watch it.

Encore Martha (2021) Taiwan. One of the few gls about older women. A tomboy reunites with her first love. This one's only available on gagaoolala so you'll either need a subscription or sometimes they promote it for free. If you can find it though, it's worth a watch.

Family Plan (2016) Korea. This is a bit of an odd one to describe. The first half is two high school girls who are dating. And then the second half is their relationship as adults where they marry guys and use it to have a kid that they raise as theirs. I liked how this examined how two gay people would go about their relationship in in a world where they can't freely be with each other.

Favorite Girl (2022) Thailand. Very standard plot about a girl suffering from a breakup and her roommate but something about it stuck out to me.

Five steps to accept farewell (2016) Korea. Warning for unhappy ending. This is all pure angst, a 9 minute snapshot into a breakup. I like how it's done and the messiness of the situation.

Fragrance of the first flower (2021) Taiwan. A beautifully shot, beautifully acted, slightly too short show about two ex-lovers reuniting ft. all the angst about living in a homophobic society. It stayed in my head for weeks after I first watched it.

Girls Blood** (2014) Japan. A movie about 4 "girls" in an underground fight club. warnings for rape, trauma, domestic assault. One of the main characters is a trans man. There are sex scenes. It's very queer and I highly recommend.

Girls Love** (2016) China. Pre-censorship China had some very wonderful queer work and one of them was this movie It's about a girl who falls in love with her hot butch roommate ft all the tropes AND we get to see them function in a relationship instead of the movie ending when they get together. Warning for both characters being forcibly outed at the end. (nothing bad really happens to them after though). Also do NOT watch the sequel. If you go to mdl, everyone else will also tell you not to watch the sequel and I foolishly did not listen to those people because I liked these girls so much and I suffered for my mistake.

The Girls on Rela (2016) China. It's an anthology of short, I wouldn't say stories, more like moments, sponsored by a lesbian dating app. Each one's really short but the acting and scripts are all pretty good.

The Girls on Rela Season 2** (2016) China. This is sponsored by the same company but it's a totally different format. It's one long show about two girls cohabiting. Pretty well executed if a bit slow.

Graduation, Present + Propose (2021) Korea. A short about a high school girl giving a graduation present to her crush. What it does it does well. It's pretty.

The Handmaiden (2016) Korea. Historical set movie about a conman and thief girl who plot to steal a heiress’s fortune. I make it sound boring but that's only because it's a pretty popular movie and everything to be said about it has already been said.

Happy to have you here (2021) Thailand. Two friends have a sleepover and figure out their feelings. This is definitely in the top 20% for this trope, even though they rushed just a tad into the kiss.

Hello, spring is coming (2019) Korea. I'll let you read the synopsis for this one. What you need to know is that it's pretty, well acted, has good chemistry and is as brightly colored as a lollipop. It's a bit disorienting, parts of it doesn't make a lot of sense but it's a fun time.

I broke up because of you (2023) Korea- A bartender and their client catches feelings for each other. The dynamic is nice, the kiss less so but it can be forgiven.

I’m her weapon (2022) China- It's kinky, it's angsty, it's 3 minutes long and still fits in a separation arc. I would pay money for an extended version.

Kanojo no Kuchidzuke Kansensuru Libido (2022) Japan - two girls fall in love in a hospital. I like the tone of this one.

The L Bang** (2015) China- Another Rela production. It's a 4 episode comedy about a bunch of lesbians + (1) gay man who live in the same apartment complex. It's got queer friendship, queer acceptance and queer love. It's just wonderful. It feels like 2000s American sitcoms but queer and Chinese.

Led Astray by Love (2022) China- Fairly long for a cgl. A girl gets transported to a manhwa and falls in love with the ruler. Sunshine/grumpy. This baby is 52 minutes long and covers like the same amount of plot as word of honor does in 30 something episodes.

Legend of Yunze (2021) China - A human and a half demon vanquish demons from a village. It has a second season and a special that I haven't watched yet.

The Lost World** [Xia Ye Zhi Dao Feng De Tian] (2023) China - After watching as much cgl as I have, I was shocked to see Laoji in a modern piece. This is a college setting running-into-a-childhood-friend trope. The pacing and chemistry are both pretty good. It's one of my favorites from her.

Love in the Tinder Age** (2019) Korea- A black comedy about a bullied lesbian's failed suicide attempt ft psychics, ghosts and a teacher/student relationship. It's not really a gl because the main character doesn't get a romance BUT it's really fun so you should watch it anyway.

Love of Secret** (2022) Thailand- More of a slice of life than a love story but it's cute and fluffy and the main character very much is in a relationship. The actual plot is about a med student who's hiding both her relationship with her best friend and her dreams to be an idol. I found it positively charming.

Lover’s Concerto** (2002) Korea- Calling this a gl is a stretch. It's more just queer? The girls were most likely in love but they don't end up together and the movie itself doesn't really have a happy ending. I did find it beautiful though.

Mayfly angel (2024) Korea- Classic discovers-feelings-for-bestie-after-a-breakup plot. Warning that this is angsty and they don't end up together. But I found it realistic and I liked that they felt like two real people. Take that how you will.

Miss shen and the woman warlord (2023) China- a woman cross-dresses as another young woman's fiance and they fall in love. Despite how i describe it, there's a decent amount of plot and some political commentary.

More or less than 75 celsius (2019) Korea- A tea master and her supervisor fall in love. It's sparse and short but cute.

My Dear (2021) Thailand. A drunk girl confesses to her friend and luckily for her, it's mutual. It's 5 minutes long but it uses its time well and the acting is nice. It feels a bit like gmmtv's confessions. If you like it, the production company ShakeShoulder makes TONS of gl shorts and i'd recommend checking them out.

No distance left to run  (2022) Hong Kong. a 15 minute short film about how fame causes issues in a pop star's relationship. Unhappy ending. The song's a bop though and it's well done.

Nü er hong** (2023) China. I forgot to mention but this one, the legend of yunze and the lost world are all produced by the same studio. They do a lot of fairly long chinese gls. The story is about these two beings from an alien world who crash land on earth and are hunted. One is a healer and the other is a killer, they're in love, the killer goes insane so her lover kills her. Unbeknownst to them, they're immortal so the killer wakes up with no memories 200 years later. The pacing is better than some of their earlier stuff but it's not quite perfect here yet. It is one of my favorites from the studio though and it ends happily.

Our relationship ended before it began (2022) Korea. A barista falls in love with her manager at a coffee shop ft gender roles, miscommunication and the classic "cool one picks on the nice one to show affection" trope.

Pyramid Game** (2024) Korea. This is more gl adjacent like Devil Judge and Beyond Evil. There is a secondary gl couple that's more explicitly canon though. If you've watched other kdramas about school bullying, this is pretty similar except it's an all-girls school and everyone is so gay. It's got so much heart and is one of my favorite shows of the year.

Really, Lily? (2019) Korea. A 6 minute short about two girls who visit a cafe and beats up two men who were making homophobic remarks about them. It's surprisingly comedic and the coloring is bright to match. Features a pretty decent kiss. Watching it, I wished it was longer but what's there is still good.

Secret of us (2024) Thailand. The only longform thai gl that i've liked enough to finish. It's about an idol who comes back to win over her doctor ex. It falters from ep 6 onwards but until then, the show is really good at showing the emotional thought processes of the characters and the way they construct the story is compelling, even though I don't even like second chance romances.

Shackles (2023) China. Another one from the Chinese shampoo ad. The pairing itself is not my favorite but it's so cool that this is basically a warning against nuclear pollution AND features chinese mythology that's used in the brand's marketing. Like a 3 in 1. It's so interesting.

She Makes My heart flutter (2022) Korea. Baby lesbian finds out her aunt runs a lesbian bar and starts working there. It's so goddamn cute but it has this weird relationship with homophobia where everyone in the show is apparently 100% ok with queerness but a lot of the aunt's actions is so driven by her being a queer person in an unaccepting society. A bit like how Moonlight Chicken deals with Jin and Li Ming's different attitudes towards being queer except they don't dwell on why the aunt is the way she is or what she's been through. Anyways, it's worth a watch.

Sleep with me (2022) Philippines. A 6 episode series about two girls who are disabled in different ways fall in love. One of them can only sleep during the day and the other is in a wheelchair and the show does a pretty decent job at showing how these disabilities affect their lives and their relationship

Soshite, Yuriko wa Hitori ni Natta** (2020) Japan. If you follow me, you may have seen me talk about this show earlier this year because I found it and promptly fell in love. It's not quite gl but Mizuki's actions are all driven by the fact that she's in love with Yuriko. It's queerer than you would expect, less queer than you might want. It's a supernatural-adjacent school horror about a girl who's new school has a weird thing where every year, a girl named Yuriko becomes "Yuriko sama" and rules the school while everyone else in that year with the same name mysteriously dies. Yuriko's best friend Mizuki plots to make the sweet innocent Yuriko the newest Yuriko-sama to save her life. It's weird, there's plot holes everywhere by the end, it definitely vilifies it's gays and the ending is weak but it's such a compelling watch.

Stand-in love (2023) Philippines. 2 best friends have a ‘stand in’ relationship where the straight one helps the lesbian one learn how to court someone but they end up falling in love with each other. Like 20 min long and I love it.

Ti Shen** [The substitute] (2017) Taiwan. The mdl synopsis can describe the plot better than I can but it's a romance between an idol and a normal girl that's split into two parts. The first half is about them meeting in high school, the second is when they reunite later on a movie set where one of them is the other's stunt double. I think the first part could've been a bit longer but it's a great movie.

Transit Girls (2015) Japan. Stepsisters. Happy ending though and it's fairly long. I liked this mostly because I like Japan's moody stuff. I also liked how they handled the male love interest.

Truth or Dare (2022) Korea. A 10 minute short about two girls who like each other playing truth or dare. It does a great job at building tension and revealing things without saying it.

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna** (2022) Japan. A woman who loves to cook comes to an arrangement with her neighbor who loves to eat. Japan does food-centered dramas better than everyone else and this is no exception. The romance itself is slow and you watch how their dynamic changes through this and the season two that came out this year.

The Twelve flower gods: Camelia (2020) China. A xianxia romance about a girl falling in love with a flower but it's a minute twenty so I promise you're not watching for the plot. You're watching to witness the ridiculous amount of innuendos that they manage to fit in under two minutes.

Twin souls of destiny (2023) China. Xianxia romance between two elves, one who is made from the memories of the other's past life. I want someone else to watch this so we can discuss whether or not this is selfcest. The color combination is interesting because I very rarely see lovers in red and purple. The time travel is confusing but it's a good time and laoji is in it.

Until Rainbow Dawn** (2018) Japan. Movie about two deaf girls falling in love ft homophobic parents. The director is a deaf lesbian herself so the movie does a wonderful job in how it depicts deafness and their relationship. It's really well done

When the light pours (2022) Korea. A girl's boyfriend wants her to sing him a song so she enrolls in guitar lessons and ends up falling in love with her teacher. The girls don't get together and I really wish they had! So if you watch this, don't watch the ending and pretend that they did end up together.

[dykealloy]

Rec list please ✍️🏻

(with tropes and just a smidge of reason why the media is recommended <- both very optional of course)

oh boy. okay. Confession time, I've watched a ridiculous number of shows out of east Asia so this is a good opportunity to share some faves from recent memory. If there's going to be one running through-line with these recs it's that I love character-driven narratives which explore interesting interpersonal relationships (socio-cultural commentary is a plus).

In no ranked order, here's my top ten:

Hamster running the emotional gamut wheel (well-written stories about grief, closure and family)

Move to Heaven (2021) Korea, 10 episodes, Netflix Summary: Han Geu-ru is an autistic 20-year-old who works for his father’s business “Move To Heaven”, a company that specializes in crime scene cleanup, where they collect and arrange items left by the deceased and deliver them to the bereaved family. When Geu-ru's father dies, his guardianship passes to his uncle, ex-convict and underground MMA fighter Cho Sang-gu. Per the father's will, Sang-gu must care for and work with Geu-ru for three months to gain full guardianship and claim the inheritance. Eying money, Sang-gu agrees to the conditions and moves in.

This show knows exactly what it is and executes with excellent writing and characterisation. While it does have an overarching narrative, Move to Heaven is structured so that you're exploring a different person's story each episode, so it has a lot of flexibility to explore themes of grief and closure through different lives and relationships, and when I tell you this show can hit emotional beats... (<- may or may not have cried through most episodes on my first watch-through. Emotional terrorism). These stories are really beautifully portrayed and though there are effective comedic beats, there's this clear authenticity in not needing to undercut or distance oneself from the vulnerability of the subject matter.

Geu-ru and his uncle (Sang-gu) add a lot of needed levity, with Geu-ru's need for consistent, structured, methodical routines constantly clashing with Sang-gu's chaotic and combative approach to life. Sang-gu's character arc (though predictable) is just so satisfying. It's kinda hilarious seeing Geu-ru (and his father by extension) inadvertently poke more and more holes in Sang-gu's initial plan of "take the money and run" the deeper he incorporates himself into the space and purpose that his brother once took up, and it's very heartwarming to see these polar opposites slowly develop a respect and appreciation for one another.

Tropes: reluctant to responsible parental figure, tear-jerker

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (2023) Taiwan, 12 episodes, GTV and iQIYI Summary: Pu Yi-yong was a typical 17-year-old student with a passion for drawing and a hereditary talent for calligraphy. After he wakes up from a bus accident that claimed his father's life and left him in a coma for two years, a 19-year-old Yi-yong must now find his place in the world again. This becomes more complicated when spirits begin approaching him and asking for his help.

This show actually has a lot of similarities to Move to Heaven e.g. exploring different side-stories each episode, focus on victims forgotten by society (the lonely, the homeless, the outcasts and the minorities), themes of grief and closure, polar opposite characters learning to work together, breaking me emotionally at some point. But Oh No! Here Comes Trouble differs in tone (distinct directing style), quirky humour (Taiwanese comedic style is just different and I love it in this show) and presentation (urban fantasy/mystery).

Yi-yong might be one of my all time favourite characters in media. From the outset he presents as this classic, one-dimensional, grumpy delinquent teen (e.g. resting-bitch-face syndrome, scrappy mullet, academically behind, no social grace and a tendency to accidentally hit people in the face with softballs). As fun as that is, the more you watch, the more this show challenges these assumptions. Yi-yong's mum (also an A+ character, god I love her) is a hairdresser, and often uses Yi-yong as her stylistic guinea pig. Yi-yong's not super intelligent, but he's compassionate (albeit at times reluctantly so). He really listens when people talk to him, whether they're trying to comfort him, give him advice, or asking him for assistance (though he often questions and expresses frustrations about his own ability to help other people). There's a humble gentleness to him.

Yi-yong was already struggling to juggle his dreams of becoming a comic artist with the practicalities of his life before he fell into a coma, then he woke up two years later, having completely missed the perceived "pivotal juncture" associated with the transition from youth to adulthood. Time moved on, and so have his peers, leaving an almost 20-year-old Yi-yong lost at sea with no paddle, no map and grieving the loss of his father. And now he has supernatural beings approaching him and insisting that he is the key to settling their unfinished business. To Yi-yong (and to popular east-asian social standards), Yi-yong is a loser. He's academically unintelligent, has no clear aspirations or discipline or future prospects, his family is far from wealthy, he's got zero social status, smarts or rank. Yi-yong is just as much of a forgotten outcast to society as these spirits are.

He does eventually get assistance in the form of Chen Chuying - a junior police officer (helping substantially with the mystery investigation side of things) and Cao Guangyan - former one-sided rival schoolmate and current med student who coincidentally moves next door (initially maintains the outsider perspective of Yi-yong as a hooligan until they get to know each other a little better, by which point Guangyan is already helping Yi-yong get back on his feet) who form a very well-rounded, loveable cast.

I wish I could talk more about this show, I am very fond of it. Please do watch it and if anyone wants to discuss it my dms are open.

Tropes: ragtag trio of idiots, urban fantasy, mystery, tear-jerker, reluctant hero

Get your pussy up get your money up (life is giving lemons and survival is the name of the game)

Honourable mentions here: Yeon Sang-ho popped off with Train to Busan in 2016 and South Korea has been throwing bangers into one of my favourite genre pools ever since. If you're interested in more zombie series I would strongly recommend checking out All of Us are Dead (2022), Happiness (2021), Sweet Home (2020) and Kingdom (2019).

A Shop for Killers (2024) Korea, 8 episodes, Netflix Summary: Jeong Ji-An tragically loses her parents as a young girl. Her reserved and mysterious estranged uncle, Jeong Jinman, acts as her sole guardian and care-taker, raising her with tough love and a survivalist mindset until she leaves for university. One day, Jung Ji-An hears that her uncle has suddenly passed away, and returns home, where she learns the truth behind her uncle's business and by extension, her past.

Ji-An is locked inside a building with no communication with the outside world, nowhere to go, and with assassins after her head (not ideal). Unbeknownst to Ji-An though, her late uncle Jinman prepared a thorough defense system for this very event, setting her up with home-terf advantage and a very dangerous fortress against this army.

Ji-An and Jinman's story is told mainly through flashbacks as Ji-An attempts to survive the raid on their home. Their dynamic is definitely a repeat of the stoic, initially cold father-figure type "I am neither your mum or your dad, and I can never be" to the orphan child that we've been seeing more recently of late. I'm not mad about it. It's a good formula. I won't go into the type of person Jinman is, or the nature of his work/business. Going in blind and slowly figuring this out with Ji-An was a big plus in terms of the viewing experience for me.

Tropes: reluctant parental figure, home alone antics

D.P. (2021) Korea, 12 episodes, Netflix Summary: Ahn Junho is enlisted to serve in the South Korean Army as part of his national service obligations. He eventually goes to the Army's Military Police. While getting used to life in the MP, Junho's street smarts lands him in the D.P. (Deserter Pursuit) unit. Junho is assigned with Corporeal Han Hoyeol to capture deserters, revealing the painful reality endured by each enlistee during their compulsory duty.

imo D.P.'s is at its most enjoyable when Junho and Hoyeol are working as detectives with limited time and resources. Hoyeol's presence especially adds needed levity. He's like the show's own eccentric little court jester (at least until season 2, where he becomes the show's own tortured little court jester). You don't know how much you're missing Hanyeol until he shows up and you're finally given some space to breathe.

This show's gotten a lot of praise for its realistic social commentary around the vicious cycle of bullying, hazing practices, corruption and abuse within the South Korean military. It's well written and fast-paced, and it definitely doesn't pull its punches. I probably wouldn't recommend this show were it not for the quality of its writing, its ability to balance the depressing subject matter with pockets of dark comedy and everyone's favourite dynamic duo Junho and Han Hoyeol. All the content warnings for this one.

Tropes: ptsd, abuse, brotherhood, idk man straight up not having a good time

Weak Hero Class (2022) Korea, 8 episodes, Viki Summary: Straight-A student and loner Yoon Sieun utilizes his wits and tools to defend himself from a boys school full of shit-heads. He slowly warms up to Ahn Sooho, the school's strongest fighter, and Oh Beomseuk, the new transfer Student.

Sieun is here to answer the age-old philosophical question: "Aren't you tired of being nice? Don't you just want to go apeshit?" Even though Sieun is physically lacking, he's very capable of baring his teeth and using his smarts to fight like hell. It's so cathartic to finally see a short, weak, bullied protagonist willing to go violently feral upon provocation.

This show's tone can get pretty dark and surprisingly violent. The true core behind why a lot of people love this show is Sieun and Sooho's friendship. Sieun starts off as a grumpy, glaring, withdrawn hermit with no interest in anything that isn't studying (honestly idk how Sieun keeps finding himself in these situations like. All the kid ever wanted was to hit the books). I won't spoil too much, but watching as Sooho slowly peels away that protective shell Sieun encases around himself is a thing of beauty. I strongly recommend you give the first episode a go (free on youtube).

Tropes: angst, bromance, badass bookworm, adults are useless, abusive parents

Detectives smashing you over the head repeatedly with gay subtext (not explicitly gay but if you have a brain and any semblance of a gaydar that thing is going to be going off like a geiger counter next to the elephant foot)

The Devil judge (2021) Korea, 16 episodes, Netflix and Viki Summary: Set in a dystopian version of present-day South Korea, the world is bereft of law and order and the court justice process has become like a reality tv show. Head Trial Judge Kang Yohan mercilessly punishes the guilty and corrupt, earning him the "Devil Judge" monicker. As bitter rivalry takes shape between Yohan and the highly ambitious Jung Sun-ah, who has risen from poverty to become a corporate social responsibility foundation director. Into this turbulent world enter two childhood friends on a mission for true justice and determined to discover the secret Yohan is hiding: rookie judge Kim Gaon and detective Yoon Su-hyun.

The Devil Judge tackles the concept of the anti-hero (battling evil with evil) and questions why these figures are idolized by the public. It also challenges the naive faith in the rule of law and whether or not the established systems should be upheld or not. The screenwriter has however made it very clear that he focused way more on the relationship between the characters than conveying his own message and boy oh boy is that reflected in whatever Yohan and Gaon have got going on (serious come-hither eyes, gratuitous physical touch, themes of power, justice and corruption, Yohan pressing Gaon up against the nearest hard surface on at least four separate occasions, etc.).

Kang Yohan, the titular anti-hero/main protagonist operates within a failed state and a corrupted judiciary. To a certain extent he knows the self-destructive path he walks is doomed to fail, but to right the system and take revenge, he's on the lookout for a someone that can out him as the Devil and become the messiah that Yohan himself cannot be. It does come off as very "anime" at times (theatrical presentation, tragic backstories, bad writing when it comes to women, naive characters and overly dramatic tone) but hey, if you have very few qualms with that, chances are you're going to have a blast.

Also the OST for this show absolutely fucks. It has no right being this good. Jung Se Rin really popped off. I have Enemy of Truth as a staple in a lot of my playlists.

Tropes: idealist vs jerkass pragmatist, anti-hero/vigilante, whump

The Worst of Evil (2023) Korea, 12 episodes Summary: Set in the 1990s, a former DJ starts selling a new powerful drug. Since the police know little about its origin, rural police officer Park Junmo is assigned to go undercover and infiltrate the criminal empire responsible for the drug trade between Korea, Japan, and China. Junmo later discovers that his wife, Yoo Euijung, also a detective, has volunteered to participate in this dangerous mission and seems to have a past with the underground drug king (and Junmo's boss), Jung Gicheul. The deeper Junmo entrenches himself as Gicheul's subordinate, the more unrecognisable he becomes to those closest to him.

Junmo could have let Gicheul die or slip away like several times in a row, indicates he has zero idea why he does this, then says the line verbatim "I look up to him and I like him and my body follows my heart". What am I supposed to take away from this. This show has everything. Early 90s homoerotic cigarette lighting, sodomy, incredible cinematography, betrayal, close-ups of Junmo's bloody face squished up against Gicheul's thigh. There's some scenes where Junmo is looking at both his wife and Gicheul framed in the same shot like the goddamn camera is daring you to question who he is more jealous of. My biggest complaint is that there was quite literally no need for a wife-stealing plot - the most compelling, messiest gay situationship was right there for the taking.

In episode 9 post-gang war hallway-slaughter, a blood-soaked Junmo hops up onto a table on all fours with a knife between his teeth, locks eyes with Gicheul then proceeds to slash a man's achilles tendon and if you listen closely enough you'll hear me in the background screaming YOU HAVE BECOME HIS DOG. 10/10 watch this show.

Tropes: mafia, undercover, bodyguard, make him worse, devotion and loyalty gone bad gone nuclear, maybe if they fucked nasty about it we wouldnt be in this mess

Beyond evil (2021) would also go here and has similar vibes to the above two, but I personally don't have much to say about it. Unhinged slutty old man, gay stuff going on over there, etc, etc. Citrinekay sums it up nicely here. Guardian (2018) would probably also go here. Definitely check these out if you enjoy/like the sound of these shows.

Lighthearted fun romance (I am not escaping the lesbian fujoshi accusations)

Cherry Magic (2020) Japan, 12 episodes Summary: Adachi is a salaryman with low confidence and a tendency for self-deprecation, resulting in him often acting awkward around others, not being sure how to assert himself in the workplace, and constantly comparing himself to the company's golden boy - Kurosawa. Things become further complicated when Adachi finds out after his thirtieth birthday that he has suddenly gained the magical power to hear people's thoughts if he touches them. Adachi struggles with his newfound touch telepathy when he accidentally discovers Kurosawa is in love with him.

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard!? (Yes that is the full title, Japan you are killing me) is very sweet and wholesome and the humour hits and I believe in Kurosawa Yuichi supremacy. I know self-deprecating characters can be a downer for some people but Adachi comes off as very relatable and seeing him slowly gain more confidence in himself and his abilities is heartwarming. Great serotonin-booster. If you find this show's premise interesting there's a high likelihood you will enjoy it.

I didn't care so much for the second couple but if you're like me it's easy to skip through these scenes (you won't be missing anything).

Tropes: office romance, telepathy, pining

Semantic Error (2022) Korea, 8 episodes, Viki and Netflix (region-dependent) Summary: Cho Sangwoo is the epitome of an inflexible and strict rule-abiding person. When talented graphic design major Jaeyoung discovers Sangwoo is the cause for his delayed university graduation, he sets out to take revenge (by becoming Sangwoo's biggest, brightest daily annoyance). Jaeyoung finds himself in hot water when he inadvertently develops a crush, and junior computer science major Sangwoo is about to encounter some serious errors in his usual programming.

This is a classic polar opposites attract story, with Jaeyoung the loud, extroverted, brash foil to Sangwoo's reserved, withdrawn, morally black-and-white, logic-first persona. As much fun as it is to see Sangwoo's ordered world thrown into chaos, it's equally enjoyable to witness Jaeyoung jump from being obsessively committed to annoying Sangwoo, to being whipped for him (and the subsequent difficulties this causes for Jaeyoung - a popular, attractive, talented, bi artist used to getting his way - in trying to pursue a highly irritated and emotionally closed-off Sangwoo, who is being challenged with a side of himself he hasn't had to grapple with up until now). Also Jaeyoung has an incredibly hot lesbian best friend which was great. for me specifically.

An entertaining, cohesive story with great actors who have fantastic chemistry. What more can you ask for?

Tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, university, pulling pigtails

Old Fashion Cupcake (2022) Japan, 5 episodes Summary: At the critical juncture of a mid-life crisis, Nozue, a 39-year-old office worker, is stuck in the dull, mundane grind of wake, work, sleep. But due to his age, he's convinced he's well past the point he can take risks by trying something new. As such, he continues to decline promotions at his job and romantic advances from potential partners. He confides one day in his 29-year-old subordinate, Togawa, making an off-hand comment about a desire to be like a young girl - capable of feeling excitement and joy in life again. In an attempt to inspire him to move forward, Togawa suggests an "anti-aging experiment" and the two of them go on a journey together to help Nozue feel young again.

First things first - a large portion of Togawa's proposed "ant-aging technique" involves frequenting dessert cafes and restaurants that are catered towards a younger female demographic and fuck me the food in this show always looks so goddamn good.

The boss/employee thing might turn people away from giving this a shot but what I really love about this show is that despite being Nozue's subordinate (and younger than him - which is a bigger deal in Japan), Togawa is extremely blunt and unafraid to tell Nozue exactly what he thinks (so long as Togawa believes it will ultimately benefit Nozue in the long run), and it's very clear that he does this because he has a strong sense of respect for Nozue (and because spoilers - Togawa is so down bad for his boss like okay boy DAMN. Go get your esoteric old man). This show is also great at conveying emotion and inner conflict without dialogue (I've enjoyed coming back for a re-watch and picking up on little nuisances in Togawa and Nozue's behaviour that I missed the first time around).

Overall this is a very cute, very wholesome coming of age/queerness story that reminds you that it's never too late to pursue what interests you, try something new, and enjoy life while you're at it.

Tropes: fingers in his mouth friday, pining, age gap, office romance, food as a love language

That's it! If you want more recs from a genre hit up my inbox, I had a fun time pulling this together and have many more in the chamber where that came from.

[m34nplan]

[22-07-2023] Taiwan Excellence / by akame_kihae

[ornii]

“The Fun Way…”

Yelena Belova X Male Reader

Yelena thinks you’re seeing another Woman, but it’s much more complicated than that.

Taiwan, you crept inside an apartment complex and to a door. You slowly gripped the handle and drew your SG-09 Handgun. Opening the door you crept in the dimly lit small room, searching quickly you noticed the dim lights, and TV was off. You felt it and sensed warmth. It was turned off recently. You gave it one last look before sensing someone was in the room, calmly you lowered your handgun and pressed the device in your ear.

“Yelena, Room 301.” You said, “seems they left.. we recon in 5.” It was a lie, Yelena knew that and made her way upstairs as you waited the attack. You heard the shuffle of feet and quickly turned around, before you could even lift your gun the Windows legs clamped around your neck and pinned you to the door and slammed it shut. dropping your gun you gripped her hips and swung her into the wall as she fell. Being a Super soldier you excelled in Hand to Hand combat, which you slowly began to dominate her in, ducking her punches and kicks and trying to restrain her with little success, due landed a good jab to your nose, making you judo throw her right into the kitchen and into the table.

“Okay! Are you done now?” You asked her approaching, she quickly took a kitchen knife.

“Of course not.” You duck the first few swings until she catches the blade right in your shoulder. This time you don’t hold back and slam her into the kitchen sink pretty hard. She relates with another leg choke, a triangle. You fell back and landed back first on the table, your vision slowly faded into a mist of red caught the window, and something in her just, changed. You looked over to Yelena who casually sprays the woman. Who snaps out of her trance, and quickly lets you go.

“I’m sorry I—“

“He’ll be fine.” Yelena said, and let the girl go, you sit up as you yank the knife from your shoulder. “Where were you?” You asked her, and began to look for a rag.

“I was, here. Walking.” She shrugged, you slowly turned to face her. “Walking? While I was fighting for my life?” You huffed, Yelena sat down at the broken dinner table.

“Well, if I do remember correctly before we got here to said “They’re just a bunch of woman, how bad can they be.” Is what you said, so I thought you could handle it.” She obviously was thickening the sarcasm. You reluctantly found a washcloth and pressed it against your wound. “Fair enough.” You muttered. You felt the sudden ting of your phone, and checked it. A smile crept along your face that Yelena noticed immediately.

“Something amusing?” She asked, you put the phone away and stood up with a smile. “Nah, just have a meeting with someone, hopefully it goes well.” You leaned in placing a warm kiss on her cheek, Yelena was pretty confident in her relationship with you, why wouldn’t she? She’s never had any reason to lack any, until now.

“So, any other windows here or…?” You slowly trailed off, Yelena shook her head.

“Um, no.. none else.” You said.

“Awesome, New Yorks hours away, you should sleep on the flight there.” You walked to the door, and Yelena watched you go, something in her gnawing her to ask you, but she doesn’t. You had your own trip planned, not back to New York but to a small town called WestView, New Jersey.

You pulled up to the home in your rented car and exited the vehicle, taking a deep breath you approached the front door and knocked. You waited for what felt like forever, until a familiar face opened the door; Wanda.

“You’re here early, she said.” You awkwardly laughed as you looked around. “Yeah when I saw your message I uh.. rushed here.”

“All the way from Taiwan?”

“Heh… Yeah.” You admit, Wanda shook her head and side stepped, letting you in. You walked into the house that felt like it was out of an early 90’s sitcom. “Sit.” She said, you find a somewhat comfortable spot on her couch and so does Wanda, more leisurely of course. “You really must be in trouble if you came to New Jersey for the Scarlet Witch.” She jokes, but you were and you admitted it.

“It’s.. yeah.. I am, Wanda I.. I don’t know how to say this without this being awkward but Yelena and I are in a bit of a bind.” You explain, she raised an eyebrow to the statement and she leaned forward a bit.

“What kind of.. Bind?” She said, and you reluctantly answered.

“We.. want to have a child.” You explain, “Well.. I doubt you need my help in that, you both are adults—“ she starts but you cut her off.

“No not with.. that part, you see.. when Yelena became a Widow, they took her to the red room and..” you make a scissor cutting motion with your fingers. Wanda gets what you meant.” They took her ovaries..” she muttered, you nodded.

“And I see the look on her face when we walk past baby clothes and moms holding their kids it.. it hurts her, and I want to do this for her.” You explained, you always asked Yelena what she thought about kids, always called them annoying or something along the caliber of that. But the sad longing look in her eyes said more than her words. “I don’t know if it would take both of our blood or some magic ritual but I want her to be able to have a kid, to be a normal person, to feel like her life isn’t just murder and espionage and death..” you ranted on to Wanda who listened intently, seeing the pain and frustration in your voice and eyes.

Wanda’s brow furrowed and, she asked you a question that you for whatever reason never asked yourself. “Have you considered adoption?”

“… Shit.” was the only thing you could mutter, Wanda tilts her head. “Were you going to ask me to make a magic baby for you before even considering adopting?” Wanda asked in disbelief. “Did you?” You casually responded, which shut her up.

“Fair enough.” She said, but if you want this to work you have to tell her, I can heal her body and that should work but it’s not a full proof plan.” Wanda explained, but a chance was more than enough for you, you hugged Wanda, happy. Little did you know Yelena was watching, not interfering but still watching.

Returning to your New York apartment you immediately felt unease. You calmly drew your pistol and called out. “Yelena? I know you’re here…” you aimed your gun and took a step, moved into the kitchen. Yelena was waiting, both of you aiming weapons at each other.

“Hey.” You said.

“Hey yourself.” Yelena huffed and kept her hands firmly on the pistol. “You obviously seem upset about something, so do you want to talk about it?” You asked, unsure how this is going to end.

“Oh now you want to talk, I thought you did your talking in Jersey.” Her rebuttal was cold and full of Malice, and you slowly realized she knew. You lowered your firearm. “That.. it’s not what you think—“

“Do you think I’m an idiot? You’re shaking up with some Slakovian witch under my nose?!” Yelena has her finger on the trigger, this was obviously a misunderstanding and you drop the gun. “Oh, that’s what you think… it’s, a lot more complicated than that.. can I explain? Please?” You asked, and slowly reached for the chair, Yelena watched your slow movements as you sat down, she angrily did as well but still had the gun under the table ready to fire.

“I went to Wanda to ask her for help, with.. Us. I know you want a life more than almost dying every time, maybe a.. family. So I asked Wanda if it would be possible for us to.. have a family. I know I should have asked you before telling you. I was just excited when Wanda wanted to talk. I’m sorry.” You have your best to make Yelena understand, you expected anger and frustration but all that was on her face was sadness. She blinked a few times before she had glossy eyes.

“You.. you mean that?”

“Of course I do.” You replied, Yelena sighed, “I’d be a terrible mother..” she frowned, “I don’t know how to take care of a baby.”

“We can.. learn together, you’d be a great mother, you’re loving but brutally honest too. Especially to me, but I know deep down you’d love and care for them.” You stood up, approaching Yelena’s side as you knelt down and placed your hand on her leg, her beautiful eyes looking at yours.

“YA lyublyu tebya, Yelena” (I love you, Yelena) and I don’t want you to feel like the things you aren’t are obtainable because of someone else, I’ll do whatever I can to live a life with you.”

Yelena’s face held such pain only for a moment, and she pushed them down and smiled. “Okay, you’re forgiven..” she smirked.

“Good. So, will you do it?” You asked. She nodded, “I will.. can we go to an orphanage in Russia?” She asked, which slightly confused you.

“Oh, umm yeah…” you said, which confused Yelena. “You.. did want to adopt, right?” She said unsure. “Well I.. asked Wanda if she could give you back your.. you know.” You awkwardly explained.

“Ovaries.” She said, trying not to laugh.

“I mean.. Yeah.” You couldn’t look her in the eye, Yelena cups your face, tilting it up to meet hers.

“You want to make babies the fun way, hmm?~” She actually giggled. You saw the joy, love in her eyes. You always had charisma and suave, but Yelena made you feel that teenage love you missed out on. You held her wrists and smiled, happy, content, in love…

With all that she’s been though, Yelena Deserves a happy ending.

[tallpiscesgirl]

Taiwan Expo in Malaysia 2023: Reach New Heights Together

Kicking up excitement on August 24th and dancing through until the 26th at the vibrant Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre KLCC, it’s time to celebrate the ‘Taiwan Expo 2023 in Malaysia‘! This dynamic event, masterminded by the Bureau of Foreign Trade and TAITRA, is the ultimate global stage where Taiwanese products shine. Picture this: 170 incredible Taiwanese companies have gathered under one…

[yamayuandadu]

The real life inspirations behind new characters in Touhou 19 (Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost) While I haven’t been posting much about Touhou as of late, I felt obliged to put together the customary post about the inspirations behind the new characters. The new game genuinely renewed my interest. In contrast with similar write-ups pertaining to previous games the research is not entirely mine - some of the sections are a result of cooperation between me and @just9art. Without further ado, let’s delve into the secrets of the new cast. Find out if Biten is the first “Wukong impersonator” ever, when a tanuki is actually a badger, and why Hisami both is and isn’t an oni. Naturally, the post is full of spoilers. Also, fair warning, it's long.

1. Biten Son - sarugami + Sun Wukong

Sarugami means “monkey kami”, the monkey in mention being the Japanese macaque.To my best knowledge, the term is actually not used commonly in English - the results on jstor and De Gruyter are in the low single digits, Brill outright has nothing to offer. Translations are much more common.

Sarugami are particularly strongly associated with Mount Hiei. You might have heard of it because of its association with Matarajin, though in this case he’s not exactly relevant. Instead, it is believed the monkeys act as messengers of Sanno (the “mountain king”), Sekizan Myojin and Juzenji. Sanno himself could take the form of a monkey according to medieval texts, while Juzenji can be accompanied by a deity depicted as a man with a monkey’s head, Daigyoji, known from the Hie mandala. Sarutahiko is also associated with monkeys based on the similarity between his name and the word saru. Bernard Faure notes that despite the clearly positive portrayal of monkeys as semi-divine beings in service of these deities, their perception in folklore and mythology can nonetheless be considered ambivalent, because they could be viewed as aggressive. There are even examples of sarugami being portrayed as monstrous antagonists to be defeated by a hero. The best known tale of this variety is known simply as Sarugami taiji. It is preserved in the Konjaku monogatari. Here the sarugami is a fearsome monster who terrorizes a village and demands the offering of one young woman each year.

In contrast with the sarugami, I do not think Sun Wukong, one of the protagonists of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, needs much of an introduction. We reached the point where even in the west he is recognizable enough to warrant toys based on him (there’s a Lego Wukong on my desk right now). Biten's design has many callbacks to traditional portrayals of Wukong, including the staff (which in the novel is a pillar stolen from the undersea palace of a dragon emperor) and a very distinctive diadem (in the novel making it possible to pressure the unruly Wukong into obeying the monk he is meant to protect). As a curiosity it’s worth noting that “fake Wukong” is not a brand new idea - in the novel itself, one of the enemies of the heroes, Six-Eared Macaque, actually impersonates him for a time. Wukong is effectively himself a “divine monkey”, seeing as despite his origin as a literary character he actually came to be worshiped as a deity in mainland China, Taiwan and various areas with a large Chinese diaspora. The topic of Wukong worship itself came to be an inspiration for literature, starting with the excellent The Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal by Pu Songling, a writer active during the reign of the Qing dynasty, in the early eighteenth century.

2. Enoko Mitsugashira - “immortal yamainu” + Cerberus

Enoko gets the least coverage here, because there really isn’t much to say. Yamainu, “mountain dog”, isn’t really a supernatural creature, it’s an old term for either the extinct Japanese wolf, a type of feral dog, or a hybrid between these. It can also be used as a synonym of okuri-inu, a youkai wolf believed to accompany travelers at night.

There’s actually a distinctly Journey to the West-esque component to Enoko’s backstory, but I have no clue if this is intentional. In the aforementioned novel, many of the antagonists, who are generally demonic animals, are motivated by the desire to devour the flesh of the protagonist, the Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang, because it is said to grant immortality. Granted, given the obscurity of the figure Zanmu is based on - more on that later - perhaps this is an allusion to something else we have yet to uncover. Cerberus, being probably one of the most famous mythical monsters in the world, does not really need to be discussed here. The illustration is included mostly because I like Edmund Dulac and any opportunity is suitable for sharing his illustrations. I do not think it needs to be pointed out that Enoko's bear trap weapons are meant to evoke Cerberus' extra heads.

3. Chiyari Tenkajin - tenkaijin (+ mujina) + chupacabra

While my favorite animal youkai not yet featured in Touhou is easily the kawauso (otter), I was very pleased to learn we sort of got a mujina since I wanted to cover this topic since forever, but never got much of a chance. Technically Chiyari is actually meant to be a tenkaijin, which is not a mujina but a slightly different youkai (a will-o-wisp or St. Elmo’s fire-like creature, specifically) who in the single tale dealing with it takes the form of a mujina after dying, but as there is not much to say about it beyond that you will get a crash course in mujina folklore instead.

Today the word mujina is pretty firmly a synonym of anaguma - in other words, the Japanese badger. The animal does not substantially differ from other badgers, so I do not think much needs to be said about its ecology. However, historically the term could be used to refer to the tanuki regionally, or interchangeably to both animals, so in some cases if insufficient detail is provided it is hard to tell which one is meant. This ambiguity extends to the folklore surrounding them, and generally if you know what to expect from tanuki tales, which I’m sure most people reading this do, you will instantly recognize many of the plot elements typical for mujina ones. In other words, it is yet another yokai which typically takes the role of a shapeshifting trickster. Some supernatural phenomena could be basically interchangeably attributed to mujina, tanuki, kitsune or kawauso. Mujina are commonly described taking the form of Buddhist monks, which is one of the many similarities between them and tanuki.

The most famous depiction of a shapeshifting mujina comes from Toriyama Sekien’s Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki (The Illustrated One Hundred Demons from the Present and the Past). The accompanying text compares the creature to the supernatural versions of kitsune and tanuki, and states that the artist relied on a tale according to which a mujina was able to successfully impersonate a Buddhist monk until accidentally revealing its tail. 

What makes the mujina special is that it is actually the oldest recorded example of a youkai of this sort. A mujina tale already appears in the early Japanese chronicle Nihon Shoki, dated to 627. It reports an incident of a mujina transforming into a human and singing somewhere in the Michinoku Province. I feel like this alone is a good example of why you should be wary of people who seek to present Nihon Shoki or Kojiki as historical truth. Western audiences as far as I know were first introduced to mujina by Lafcadio Hearn. To my best knowledge, the fabulous shapeshifting badgers however failed to gain the popcultural recognition enjoyed by tanuki and kitsune. They did appear in Shigeru Mizuki's stories every now and then, and I found a mascot character based on them, but overall there isn't all that much beyond that.

Naturally, there isn't much mujina in Chiyari's design, and she instead most likely owes her distinctly spiky appearance to the other inspiration behind her character, the chupacabra. Mujina are not really portrayed as bloodthirsty, but the poorly documented tenkajin apparently is, which is presumably why ZUN decided to connect Chiyari with the chupacabra, the best known modern blood-drinking creature, who first appeared in tall tales from 1995 and subsequently took popculture by storm after spreading from Puerto Rico to mainland USA and Mexico. I am not a chupacabra aficionado so I have little to offer here, sadly.

4. Hisami Yomotsu - yomotsu-shikome

Judging from what I’ve seen on social media and on pixiv, Hisami is shaping up to be one of the most popular new characters (she’s my fave too). In sharp contrast with that, her basis is pretty obscure. So obscure that there isn’t even any historical art to showcase, as far as I can tell (note that this blog claims night parade scrolls might have something to offer, though - I was unable to verify this claim for now, sadly). As we learn from her bio, she is supposed to be a yomotsu-shikome. They’re called the “hags of Yomi” of Yomi in Donald L. Philippi’s Kojiki translation. The term shikome can be literally translated as “ugly woman”. Nothing about them really implies femme fatale leanings we are evidently seeing in Touhou but I’m not going to complain about that. Yomotsu-shikome appear only in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, and in both of these early chronicles they are portrayed as servants of Izanami after she died and came to reside in Yomi, the land of the dead. Nihon Shoki states there are only eight of them. The distinct grape vine motif present on Hisami’s clothes seems like an obvious reference to Izanagi’s escape from Yomi following his meeting with Izanami, portrayed in the myth recorded in both of these sources. When the yomotsu-shikome started to pursue him, he threw a vine he used to hold his hair at them. The plant instantly bore fruit, which the entities started to eat. They later resumed the chase, but were once again held back, this time by a bamboo shot. According to the Nihon Shoki, they eventually give up after he creates a river from his piss (sic) to keep them away.

Yomotsu-shikome are sometimes compared to oni by modern researchers. Noriko T. Reider in her monograph about oni argues that alongside hashihime and yamanba (pictured above) they can be effectively grouped with them. Another researcher, Michael D. Foster, is more cautious, and states that despite clear similarities it’s best to avoid conflating oni-like female demons with female oni proper, especially since the latter have a distinct iconography and a distinct set of traits. Norinaga Motoori, the founder of kokugaku or “national learning”, a nationalist intellectual movement in Edo and Meiji period Japan, claimed that oni were based on yomotsu-shikome, which is a pretty dubious claim. It is ultimately not certain when the term oni started to be used, but it is safe to say it has continental origin. And, of course, oni permeate Japanese culture in a way yomotsu-shikome do not.

5. Zanmu Nippaku - Zanmu

This was the toughest mystery to solve, and I am fully indebted to 9 here, since they figured it out, I am merely depending on what they directed me to. Research is still ongoing, and it feels like we just started to untangle this mystery, so you can safely expect further updates. Zanmu appears to be based on the Buddhist monk… well, Zanmu. You can learn a bit about him here or on Japanese wikipedia; it seems there are quite literally 0 sources pertaining to him in English, and even in Japanese there is actually very little. Their names are not written the same, ZUN swapped the sign for “dream” from the original name for one which can be read as “nothingness”. If the unsourced quote on wikipedia is genuine, the reason might be tied to the personal views of the irl Zanmu. What little we’ve been able to gather about him is that he was active in the Sengoku period, and apparently was regarded as unorthodox and eccentric. This lines up with Zanmu’s omake bio pretty well. Seems the real Zanmu was also unusually long lived, and was able to recall events from distant past in great detail, though obviously the figure of 139 years attributed to him in a few places online has to be an exaggeration.

Yet more puzzling is the reference to Zanmu’s familiarity with Ikkyo you might spot in the linked article. Whether the famous Ikkyo who you may know from the tale of Jigoku Dayu is meant is difficult to determine. The chronology does not really add up; on the other hand the logic behind associating one eccentric semi-legendary monk with another in later legends isn’t particularly convoluted. As 9 pointed out to me, if ZUN was aware of this link, and the same Ikkyo really was meant, it is not impossible the connection between Zanmu and Hisami is meant to in some way mirror that between Ikkyo and Jigoku Dayu. As you can easily notice, it’s pretty clear the historical Zanmu was male. It does not seem his Touhou counterpart is, obviously.  I would say we should wait for more info until declaring that we have a second Miko situation on our hands, with a male historical figure directly reimagined as a female character without any indication we are dealing with a relative rather than the real deal. There’s still relatively little info to go by so I would remain cautious (though naturally this is not meant to discourage you from having headcanons).

Neither me nor 9 were able to find any connection between the historical Zanmu and oni… so far, at least. Therefore, what motivated ZUN to make Zanmu an oni remains to be discovered. As a final curiosity, on a semi-related note it might be worth pointing out that while not as common as their male peers, female oni are not a modern invention, and already appear in setsuwa from the 13th century. A particularly common motif are tales describing a woman turning into oni due to jealousy or anger. Further reading:

Jason Colavito, The Secret Prehistory of El Chupacabra (2011)

Bernard Faure, Gods of Medieval Japan vol. 1-3 (2015-2022)

Michael Daniel Foster, The Book of Yokai. Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore (2015)

John Knight, Waiting for Wolves in Japan. An Anthropological Study of People-wildlife Relations (2003)

Noriko T. Reider, Japanese Demon Lore (2010)

[mariacallous]

With Ukraine’s counteroffensive stalled and the U.S. Congress deadlocked over crucial military aid, some analysts have begun raising the specter of a turning point in the war that could lead to a Ukrainian defeat. While the situation on the ground is still far from dire, it could rapidly deteriorate in the absence of a significant infusion of U.S. military support for Ukraine.

The consequences of a Ukrainian defeat need to be fully understood. The likely geopolitical consequences are easy to anticipate. The defeat of a Western-backed country would embolden Russia and other revisionist states to change other borders by force. A Russian victory would frighten Russia’s European neighbors, possibly leading to a collapse of European collective security as some countries choose appeasement and others massively rearm. China, too, would conclude that Taiwan cannot rely on sustained U.S. support. Indeed, the ripple effects of U.S. indecision have already begun: In a move that recalls Russia’s illegal annexation of several regions of Ukraine, Venezuela this month claimed more than half of neighboring Guyana as its own. While there are no signs of an impending invasion, it would be naïve to think that other countries aren’t watching closely to see whether Russia’s land grab succeeds.

Many analysts have already described these far-reaching security risks. But they pale in comparison to the dire consequences for Ukraine and its inhabitants if Russia wins. It is important for both supporters and opponents of Ukraine aid to know what these consequences would be.

To understand Ukraine’s likely fate if Russia turns the tide, the best place to start is what the Russians actually say. On Dec. 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin made clear that in his view there is no future for the Ukrainian state. On Dec. 5, he spelled out his intention to “reeducate” the Ukrainian people, curing them of “Russophobia” and “historical falsifications.” On Nov. 12, former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev made Russia’s appetites clear: “Odessa, Nikolaev, Kyiv, and practically everything else is not Ukraine at all.” It is “obvious,” he posted on Telegram, that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is a “usurper,” that the Ukrainian language is only a “mongrel dialect” of Russian, and that Ukraine is “NOT a country, but artificially collected territories.” Other regime propagandists assert that the Ukrainian state is a disease that must be treated and Ukrainians a society that must be “de-wormed.”

More explicitly, Russia’s highly censored state television has, over the past two years, consistently promoted the rape of Ukrainians, the drowning of children, the leveling of cities, the eradication of the Ukrainian elite, and the physical extermination of millions of Ukrainians. For an excellent snapshot of these and other statements, Russian Media Monitor has compiled a must-watch collection of short clips from Russian television, complete with English subtitles. This coordinated campaign is not bluster but a harbinger of what awaits the Ukrainian people. In these remarks, we can see the contours of the atrocities awaiting Ukrainians under a total or nearly total Russian occupation.

We can also project the effect of a Russian victory from the atrocities that are already widespread in the Russian-occupied territories. According to official Ukrainian sources, nearly 2 million Ukrainians have already been removed from their homes and communities in the occupied areas and resettled in Russia, either temporarily or permanently. Other estimates range from 1.6 million to 4.7 million. Russian children’s commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova said that more than 700,000 Ukrainian children have been taken from Ukraine to Russia since February 2022; nearly 20,000 of these are known to Ukrainian authorities by name. Transferring children from their home country and denying them access to their language and culture is not only an internationally recognized war crime. Such forced assimilation is also defined by the U.N. Convention on Genocide as a genocidal act. It is why the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for Lvova-Belova’s arrest.

Russia is not only ridding its occupied regions of Ukrainians but also replacing them with Russian settlers—a tragic continuity with Soviet and Russian imperial practices of systemic deportation, colonization, and Russification. In the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, where the Russian advance killed tens of thousands of civilians and destroyed 50 percent of the city’s housing stock, a handful of new apartment buildings were recently constructed. Some of that housing is being offered for sale, with Russians carpetbaggers snatching up real estate at bargain prices.

Ukraine’s partly occupied south offers a clear picture of the techniques used by the occupying forces to establish authority. A Human Rights Watch report from July 2022 documents a pattern of torture, disappearances, and arbitrary detention in the region. Citizens endured torture during interrogation, including beatings, electroshocks, and sensory deprivation. Several prisoners died from the torture, and large numbers have simply disappeared. Among the victims were local officials, teachers, representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, NGO activists, and members of Ukraine’s territorial defense. There also is a massive amount of information collected by human rights monitors and journalists about the operation of filtration and detention camps.

Political indoctrination and the militarization of youth are already key characteristics of life under Russian occupation. Political banners and posters promoting Russian patriotism are omnipresent in the occupied regions. New children’s textbooks expunge Ukrainian history and preach hatred for Ukraine’s leadership. The Ukrainian language is being removed from much of the education system and relegated to its colonial status as a quaint dialect representing nothing but a gradually disappearing regional culture soon to be subsumed in the Russified mainstream.

Already, millions of Ukrainians have had their lives destroyed in one way or another by Russia’s monstrous occupation. Were Russia to complete its conquest, it would be a multiple of that number. After almost a decade of war against Russia, Ukrainians are united and highly mobilized in the defense of their country’s borders, democracy, culture, and language, to which many Ukrainian Russian-speakers have switched out of disgust with Moscow’s invasion. Millions of Ukrainians have been enraged and radicalized by Russia’s war crimes and destruction of their towns and homes. Millions of Ukrainians have volunteered to assist the war effort, millions have contributed funds to support the military, and even more have turned to social media to vent and publicly register their rage at Putin and the Russian state.

That would not only make any conquest brutal and bloody. Should Ukraine lose, almost all of Ukrainian society would need to be punished, repressed, silenced, or reeducated if the occupation is to quell resistance and absorb the country into Russia. For this reason, a Russian takeover would be accompanied by mass arrests, long-term detentions, mass deportations into the Russian heartland, filtration camps on a vast scale, and political terror. If a serious insurgency emerges, the level of repression will only widen and deepen.

A major effort will also be required to rid the country of seditious materials, which is to say all films, novels, poetry, essays, art, scholarly works, and music that may contain positive references to Ukraine’s period of independence. Libraries and schools will be purged of all such subversive content—in essence, the majority of all writing and cultural output that Ukraine has produced during the last three decades. Writers and scholars will face the choice of repudiating their identity and past work or becoming nonpersons in the new order. Many will face arrest or worse, simply because they transport Ukrainian culture and stand in the way of Russification. Again, this is not speculation but widespread practice in other territories that Russia has occupied.

Russian territorial advances would be accompanied by a second wave of Ukrainian refugees far more massive than that of early 2022, when some 7 million Ukrainians crossed the border into the European Union. For the remaining Ukrainians, the future would be one of totalitarian controls on culture, education, and speech, accompanied by a mass terror on a scale not seen in Europe since the 20th-century era of totalitarian rule.

There you have in distilled form what a Russian victory would mean. Members of the U.S. Congress are free to vote against assistance to Ukraine if they think—wrongly—that the war’s outcome does not affect the U.S. national interest. But they should not be allowed to oppose assistance to Ukraine without being fully aware of the tyranny they will be helping to empower—and their responsibility for the massive and entirely predictable crimes that will ensue.

[hero-israel]

People said "if you support Ukrainians defending themselves but not Palestinians you're just racist!" but there's actually a compelling argument for why Hamas is more like Russia than Ukraine. Not for any moral reason mind you (though they are bad). But I see Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Hamas' pogrom (and China's impending invasion of Taiwan) as the same thing:

The last gasp of a once relevant regime trying to cause maximum harm and chaos before everyone stops thinking about them. If Russia couldn't assert its control over the Black Sea and prevent Nato/the Eu from expanding right up to its backyard it would no longer be a credible world power. If China doesn't hurry up and invade Taiwan shifting demographics and Xi Jinping's age might doom any future attempt. If Hamas didn't do something big and flashy, and provoke an overwhelming response so they could play the victim, more and more Arab states would normalize with Israel and the question of Gaza would be hashed out with trade deals instead of bombs, meaning Hamas' reason for holding onto power would become weaker.

That is an excellent analysis! Russia is a politically and demographically senescent petrostate, Hamas still trying to cloak itself in revolutionary language that has only brought failure for a century. Each of them are re-attempting old strategies from the mid-1900s and neither of them have the manpower to actually make it work.

Plus I never saw Ukrainians shoot thousands of missiles into Russia, hijack Russian airplanes, kidnap and murder Russian children, castrate Russian Olympic athletes, send suicide bombers into Russian old age homes on major holidays to wipe out 3 generations of families, send axe murderers into Russian churches to kill old men praying, etc. See, there's actually not a single damned thing in common except BANG BANG KABOOM, which admittedly can be very confusing for children

[usafphantom2]

The AD-5N ‘Skyraider’ and Its Little-Known Nuclear Role in the Cold War

David Cenciotti

AD-5N

In late 1958, during heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait, Skyraider pilots were prepped for nuclear strike missions. They spent tense hours at night, seated in their aircraft and ready for catapult launch with nuke bombs, before the mission was ultimately called off…

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider, also known as the “Spad,” was a legendary single-engine aircraft, as well as the last propeller U.S. Navy attack aircraft to disappear from the decks of the Navy’s aircraft carriers.

In late 1958, during heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait, Skyraider pilots were prepped for nuclear strike missions. They spent tense hours at night, seated in their aircraft and ready for catapult launch with nuke bombs, before the mission was ultimately called off…Nuclear attack Skyraider

Renowned for its rugged design and long endurance, the Skyraider had an exceptional payload capacity: even when it carried its full internal fuel of 2,280 pounds, a 2,200-lb torpedo, two 2,000-lb bombs, 12,5 inch rockets, two 20 mm guns and 240 pounds of ammunition, the Skyraider was still under its maximum gross weight of 25,000 pounds.

Conceived during World War II, the Skyraider saw extensive service during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, excelling in close air support, search and rescue, and interdiction roles. However, its ability to carry a diverse array of munitions, including conventional bombs, rockets, and even torpedoes, made it a versatile platform.

AD-5N

Douglas AD-5N Skyraider of VA(AW)-33 Det.42 circa in 1958 (Image credit: U.S. Navy)

Among its variants, the AD-5N was a specialized version of the Skyraider, featuring a widened fuselage to accommodate a crew of four and advanced avionics for precision operations in challenging conditions.

Nuclear attack Skyraider

At the end of the 1950s, pilots of VA(AW)-33 flew AD-5N aircraft off the USS Essex, primarily training for nuclear strike missions. They specialized in low-level, long-range operations, using tech like the Bureau of Ordnance Atomic Rocket (BOAR) rocket and the Low Altitude Bombing System (LABS) bombing system.

Flying just 50 feet above water or skimming treetops on land, missions were top-secret, with each pilot assigned a unique target. Crews of three or four included electronics techs, practicing whenever budget allowed, both in the U.S. and Europe. Real missions were essentially one-way, though their rocket-powered weapon offered a slight survival edge.

The pilot’s side panel on the AD-5N aircraft. The LABS timer light can be seen on top of the panel on the right side and the NAV/LABS cross pointer instrument is also on the right side, about half way down. (Image via Stephen Miller)

Stephen Miller is a retired electrical engineer, lifelong aviator who spent some time as a Naval Aviator. After flight training, he was assigned to VA(AW)33 in Atlantic City, NJ, flying AD-5N. Here’s what he wrote to us about his time flying the low level long range nuclear weapon delivery mission with the Skyraider.

I joined the Navy right after graduating from Miami of Ohio with a BS in business and was just a few hours short of a commercial certificate at that time. After flight training, I was assigned to VA(AW)33 flying AD-5N in 1956.

In 1957-1958 various detachments consisting of four aircraft were assigned to their respective carriers and were involved in the attendant cruises from time to time. Ours was the USS ESSEX, CVA9. This was strictly during the cold war, between the Korean war and Vietnam.

Our primary mission was low level long range nuclear weapon delivery. This consisted of 50 ft over water and about 150 ft over land (treetop level). All navigation was done using pilotage/dead reckoning and was practised both here and in Europe. There were no radars at that time that could detect a low flying aircraft, due to ground clutter. Our long range cruise airspeed was 160 kts and we’d wait for the engine to sputter before switching back from an empty drop tank to the main. We typically used one or two crewmen to help with the navigation, the same guys (ET’s, Electronic Technicians) who maintained the equipment.

We also had a ground mapping radar, the APS-31, a pod-mounted wing unit.

In mid 1957 we attended a special weapons school in Norfolk VA which covered the operation of the weapon, the Bureau of Ordnance Atomic Rocket (BOAR) and the Low Altitude Bombing System (LABS). They had a working BOAR in the classroom, minus the warhead and we learned how to connect and use the test box to check it out. I was scheduled to make a test run to a simulated target with a live BOAR which had the 1000 lbs of HE (high explosive) used to detonate the nuclear core, but without the core installed. This was ultimately cancelled, but the exercise proceeded without employing the BOAR.

The delivery sequence worked as follows: The LABS contained a timer, accelerometer and a precise gyro heading reference. Just before reaching the IP (initial position for starting the final run toward the release point), the aircraft had to be at max speed (about 240 kts), full or “military” power, limited to five minutes, on heading and maintaining a stable treetop altitude, with the weapon armed.

Upon passing the IP a button on the stick was pressed and the timer would start for the 2-3 minute run. Simultaneously, the vertical nav indicator normally used for VOR/TACAN/ILS LOCALIZER was switched to provide the precise heading reference. At the same time a short panel light and headset tone were activated as well.

When the timer ran out, another short light/tone indicated the aircraft had reached the point to start the launch maneuver. The pilot would then pull and hold the trigger while pulling the nose up in a precise manner using the accelerometer. The horizontal nav indicator normally used for the ILS GLIDESLOPE would switch to this function and initially drop down; it was up to the pilot to raise the nose smoothly to bring the indicator to the center (horizontal) position. This would insure the right amount of “g’s” to produce the desired weapon trajectory upon release, which was automatic when the release attitude was reached.

The BOAR was blown away from the aircraft by the equivalent of four shotgun shells and had a pigtail attached to the airframe which would stretch out and then pull out of the back of the weapon, starting the rocket motor. This weapon had a top speed in the 400kt range and covered a distance of about 7.5 miles.

At this point the AD-5N was entering the initial entry into a loop but was too slow to make it over the top, requiring a wing over to end the maneuver, pickup speed and reverse direction. This was a modified version of a maneuver called a “half Cuban 8”, in this case known as the “idiot loop”.

For propeller driven aircraft the completion of the loop was only possible by a more capable airplane like the single seat AD6, for example. Use of a rocket powered weapon would allow the aircraft to escape the blast zone but the enormous shock wave would have unpredictable results. Some nuclear weapons were unpowered bombs, such that no escape from the blast was possible if delivered in this manner by a propeller driven aircraft. No one was expected back from these missions. Fortunately it never became necessary.

On a Mediterranean cruise during the 1957-58 period we did have a night drill to get a live BOAR ready for launch, but that’s as far as it went, at least for our squadron. At one point we were each assigned top secret targets following background checks for this purpose. These targets were planned and the charts supplied by some unknown source, at least to us, and the zig-zag routes highlighted as well. My best guess is this came from the Pentagon. They were kept in a locked safe with individual combinations. We were required to study our respective routes in our spare time and no one knew what anyone else’s target was. These were strictly visual day missions, though we would probably launch at night in time to reach the beach by daylight. We did have the advantage of radar assist, at least to pick out prominent features like lakes/rivers etc, as well as crewmen to help look for check points. The biggest problem we faced was the fact that the charts over enemy territory were known to contain errors. This only added to the difficulty of attempting to navigate using pilotage/dead reckoning at treetop level in the first place!

In late 1958 during the Quemoy/Matsu island crisis, we were in that area and a friend of mine was there as well with a Pacific fleet squadron flying AD6’s. He sat for two hours on a dark night in his aircraft, hooked up to the catapult, ready to launch with a nuke until they finally called it off. I doubt that this is widely known. That nuclear bomb was a Mark 7 unpowered device. It was a standard nuclear bomb of that time, the yield determined by the size of the nuclear core. A typical mid range core was 18-22 kilotons, about the same as the one dropped on Nagasaki.

Other Navy/Air Force squadrons flying various types of aircraft (primarily jets) had other delivery methods as well. This was our particular experience.

LTJG Miller (via Stephen Miller)

After his tour as a naval aviator Stephen spent a few years in aviation doing charter and flight instructor work flying all the usual single/multi engine aircraft, a stint with Mohawk Airlines flying Convair 240/440 aircraft and ultimately had his own business as an FBO.

I eventually left the aviation industry to pursue a degree in electrical engineering, though I continued flying part time, graduating from Umass Dartmouth in 1967. My career as an engineer subsequently encompassed working for a variety of employers in both design and management, commercial and military and for both large and small firms. My duties often included serving as company pilot as well. One such firm was an autopilot manufacturer which introduced me to that particular industry as well.

In later life I spent some time with the CAP, but now at age 90 I haven’t been current for about 20 years. Hopefully, the information I’ve submitted will be of some historical value to those interested in the Cold War period of the 1950s.

@The Aviationist.com

[lurkingshan]

oh i saw you recommending dramas to another anon so i was wondering if you didn't mind dropping some recs for me as well! i was really hoping for some really angsty ones if you know any (the country doesn't matter!)

Greetings, fellow angst monster! I am happy to rec angsty dramas for you; I went through my highest rated to find some that I think are particularly excellent. Since you didn't give me any other parameters, this is a pretty varied list. Their only real commonality is they all scream ANGST of some kind. Hope some of them work for you!

180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us (Thailand, Gaga)

Beyond Evil (S Korea, Viki)

Eternal Yesterday (Japan, Gaga)

Goblin (S Korea, Viki)

Flower of Evil (S Korea, Netflix)

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Thailand, Gaga)

Just Between Lovers (S Korea, Netflix or Viki)

It's Okay, That's Love (S Korea, Viki)

I Told Sunset About You/I Promised You the Moon (Thailand, Viki)

My Mister (S Korea, Netflix or Viki)

Someday or One Day (Taiwan, gray)

The Eighth Sense (S Korea, Viki)

The Miracle of Teddy Bear (Thailand, YouTube)

The Red Sleeve (S Korea, Viki)

Tokyo in April Is... (Japan, Gaga)