#theory of love

[gunsupperlip]

This scene is so iconic and silly, I love it

Our drama queen Third <3

[allovelyhappily]

cr. off/gun ig story

[lurkingshan]

What are your favorite examples of deep unbridled yearning in a bl? I think my is I told the sunset about you the way they used the coconut smell to showcase one the leads feelings for the other was so unique and sensual. He starts out hating coconut and how it smells but slowly as he falls in love he becomes obsessed with it since it's the other MLs unique scent and he uses it on everything, so we get a scene of him inhaling a paper written by the MLs coconut pen and then another one just devouring a coconut like it's the best thing in earth. I don't think I have ever seen such a depiction of attraction/love/lust that's so different but also visceral and beautiful and it really stuck with me. It's very different but it's one of the rare romance things that I'll never forget akin to the hand flex from pride and prejudice.

So you want to talk about yearning.

*Lan Wangji has entered the chat*

There’s a lot of good yearning in the romance genre, and plenty of bls feature it. The example you gave from ITSAY is definitely one of the standouts in terms of how visceral it felt. I will never forget Teh shoving his whole face into that coconut, or all the super charged scenes where he and Oh-aew stare at and touch each other and keep testing boundaries until they break.

There are definitely other expressions of yearning that stick out for me for one reason or another, and not all in this same tone.

The Untamed

Let’s get this out of the way upfront, because no one can step to this man on yearning. He adopted a whole child and named him after his yearning for his lost love. What I love about the presentation of Lan Wangji's particular flavor of yearning is how steady and matter of fact it is. He is always yearning for Wei Wuxian and it's just a part of who he is, whether his love is alive or dead. And while I love that Teh is such a big mess of emotions, I also like this more understated flavor of yearning where nothing is ever said out loud but Lan Wangji's feelings are clear in how he chooses to live his life. He's the poster boy for "actions speak louder than words."

Eternal Yesterday

I'm not sure if you've seen this one, but it's one of the most poignant and devastating depictions of yearning I have ever seen. Mitsuru yearned for Koichi so hard that he kept his body alive for precious extra days and his memory alive forever. Brb gonna go cry.

Utsukushii Kare 2

This is probably one of the more unique expressions of the emotion (on brand for this series), since this sequel season has Kiyoi yearning for the man who is already his boyfriend to love him for real instead of idolizing and holding him from a distance. It's one of my favorite explorations of how lonely we can feel even while in a relationship.

I Cannot Reach You

This show wins for best visual effects to convey yearning, with a beautiful bokeh effect taking over the screen in moments when the characters were extra in their feelings over each other.

Unknown

Wei Yuan's yearning was more of the desperate and hopeless variety, especially in his teens years when he knew his feelings for his adoptive older brother were impossible. I liked that his feelings were expressed via caretaking; he didn't think he could have the relationship he really wanted with Wei Qian, so he made it his mission to take care of him and help shoulder his burdens instead.

I Feel You Linger in the Air

This story stands out in my memory for its dedication to anticipatory yearning. That is, knowing a separation is coming against your will and yearning desperately for the person who is still in front of you. Yai and Jom did not want to let each other go despite knowing they could not stay together, and that yearning was so strong it ultimately connected them through time.

Theory of Love

And on the comedic end of the spectrum, I absolutely cannot end this list without giving a shoutout to one of the funniest manifestations of yearning that has ever graced my screen. Every time his feelings for Khai got overwhelming, Third ran to the bathroom for a Sadness Shower, and if the water wasn't working he was happy to improvise (and now I am cackling).

[thisautistic]

unpopular opinion(?) incoming:

i think off is an incredible actor but i think he gets slept on because he's gun's screen partner and there's no one better than gun.

[namtanlovesfilm]

cooking crush (2023) | theory of love (2019)

[deliriousblue]

THEORY OF LOVE (2019) episode three

[dribs-and-drabbles]

The Thai 🤝🏽 Taiwanese Communal Wardrobe item #1

Theory of Love ep 5:

En of Love: This is Love Story ep 1:

HIStory 4: Close to You ep 1 & 14:

My Secret Love ep 10:

Check Out ep 10:

Mama Gogo ep 10:

Kiseki: Dear to Me ep 9:

(all credit to @chickenstrangers for this one)

+ bonus not in a series but...

and...

[unrealcosima]

Just Gun things

[respectthepetty]

I didn't even have to squint to see the Theory of Love AU moment in The Trainee.

In another universe, Khai and Third are still watching movies together and having complicated feelings about it.

Bonus: Baby Poon in Theory of Love

[crying-over-gay-dramas]

*I* don't want to love the toxic and occasionally problematic pairings BUT THE DEMONS INSIDE ME THE PARASITES-

[quotethatshow]

I've never seen asian BL so what is the best one to start with...

[allovelyhappily]

[lurkingshan]

Theory of Love: The Romcom Rewatch

It's happening, folks! @bengiyo sealed his fate with a comment on the most recent episode of @the-conversation-pod, in which he mentioned that the next time he watches Theory of Love, he wants to start with watching the film in parallel with the episode that references it. Since this show is an all time favorite for me and my bestie @neuroticbookworm, there was simply no way we were going to let this golden opportunity pass us by, and we're dragging a few friends in with us. As always, never underestimate my ability to turn a stray thought into a whole project.

So here's how it will work! Every Saturday for the next 13 weeks we will watch the featured film + its corresponding TOL episode and post our shared thoughts about the relevant themes and points of interest. Here is the full list of films in order:

Dear Dakanda

Love Actually

Friends with Benefits

Crazy Stupid Love

10 Things I Hate About You

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Flipped

The Proposal

The Last Moment

Begin Again

He’s Just Not That Into You

My Girl

Stand By Me

I wanted to share this on tumblr in case anyone else would like to join us, either by reading along and engaging with our weekly posts, or by watching and posting your own thoughts. We'll aim to post on Saturdays, but anyone should feel free to jump in and join us anytime throughout the week. We'll use the tag [#tol romcom rewatch] to make it easy to find everyone's posts. If you're having trouble tracking down any of the films, let us know and we will crowdsource the issue.

Hope to see some of you as we discuss!

[harborpointeblvd]

GMMTV BL series with the most sponsors in the opening credits.

Not commenting, just making an observation.

7 sponsors: SOTUS S, Still 2gether, Fish Upon the Sky, Bad Buddy

8 sponsors: Theory of Love, Cherry Magic

10 sponsors: Vice Versa

11 sponsors: My Love Mix-Up