#there you go shan

[buglaur]

if virgil was in a horror movie he'd probably be first to die

[motianz]

I think it's crazy He tian is canonicaly this intense with his attraction to Mo

And he's always surrounded by people who you know would be happy to hook up with him, but he's never shown any interest in them, so it's not even that he likes to fuck around, it really is just Mo,

He's just super fucking horny towards Mo guan shan and that's it.

[lurkingshan]

Bury your gays, eh? That’s what they went with for the pride month release of a long anticipated follow up MV mini bl. Not to mention including an almost kiss in the teaser that they then cut completely.

Quite a set of choices!

[ex0rin]

Danny Ramirez | 📸 Thirst Traps

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

What actually broke me about chapter 104 of the manga is that when Mina was about to die, she didn't say she was captain of the Third Division of the Defense Corps.

No, she apologized for not being capable of doing it alone (exterminating all kaijus) and for being a sorry excuse of a vice-commander to Kafka.

It's so telling that everyone wanted to reach Mina because she was their goal (be like her, work with her, open a path for her, surpass her), but all that time Mina was waiting for the boy that wanted to be by her side, no further or behind. Right beside her. The cold persona was a deflection because she was so scared, so traumatized. She was the freaking face of the Defense Corps, the hero all admired, she had to be perfect, undefeatable, she couldn't allow anyone to die on her battlefield.

Doesn't it remind you of Kikoru trying to be the perfect kaiju killing machine? Of Reno trying to be the most powerful ever to protect Kafka?

Mina's last words were almost "I don't want to die alone, Kafka".

There's a point where the prodigies of the Defense Corps stop being people and start being weapons themselves. When all that matters are numbers of drivesuit strength or the impact of their fight or whatever. There's a point where you're leading the rookies to sacrifice themselves to the cause and be in the spotlight, even if for a brief moment.

But Kafka is the changing factor.

He tells them to fall back. He protects them and uses himself as a shield for them. Kafka can be the first person in their lives that is not trying to steal the fame from them, just trying to support them, to save them, to stand by their side.

Kafka makes them realize the value of their own lives. He doesn't make them feel bad for needing help, he makes it seem natural. Even like they are doing him a favor for waiting for him, for allowing him to help. In truth, Kafka would have aspired to be anyone's hero and see everyone as incredibly cool. Human connection, friendship, camaraderie, call it whatever you want but you're gonna root for the loser guy and want him by your side.

Mina has a lot of issues she hides in order to not trouble anyone else, but before Kafka joined the Defense Corps, no one saw her as who she truly is. Just Mina. Not Captain Ashiro, not a prodigy, those are parts of her that Kafka adores, but yet she's Mina. Just Mina.

The girl with unrealistic expectations. The girl that cried because her calico cat died on a kaiju attack. The girl that would make fun of Kafka, but would feel reassured by his words. Deep inside, she's still Kafka's vice-commander, she's waiting for him to lead them, to support her, to run with her, to tell her that they can win, they can do it, everything will be okay.

He'll always keep going to play that role for her.

[ohrightgaypeople]

tianshan in one pannel

that's it. that's their relationship in a nutshell

little-shit fiancés

[pomme-fraise]

Tianshan boyfriends being cute~

Simply love the non-verbal communication between those 2 ❤️

Also could we ask for the next Christmas special in July? 😭🙏 Sure it doesn't make sense, but look at them husbands~ I don't want to wait another 6 months

[impossibly-cold-collector]

ok but like the fact that Mo is full on into getting down and dirty with He Tian 👀

Hear me out.

They are full out making out here

llike He Tian is just casually stripping Mo all while peppering him with kisses and making out. He has his HAND UP MO'S SHIRT, while asking for the gift (CONDOMS) that he gave MO earlier. When he finally manages to pull the box out, MO has hin flat on the bed - MO PUSHED HE TIAN DOWN!!!!

THEN! When He Tian actually opens the box, Mo is speechless cause he sees that it's not condoms but actually WEDDING RINGS!?????

Baby Mo is so overwhelmed and happy to be with this man who he was just about to get down and dirty with after seeing for so long, only to be shown so much love with a freaking proposal. that he just breaks down from how loved he is.

Ughhh. Tianshan are just sooo god tier. 🥺🥺😭😭😭

[starryalpacasstuff]

She Loves To Cook and She Loves to Eat: I can't summarize my love for it sufficiently

A while ago, I asked @lurkingshan for Japanese QL recs, and Tsukutabe was her first rec. And while I'm finally watching this significantly later than I expected to, I'm so glad I did. I watched both seasons as a whole, which turned out to be a good idea because while season one was good, season two was excellent.

I think, going into this show I expected it to be a simple, domestic show that was pretty much all fluff. And while it was all those things, it was so much more too. It's got a lot of hidden depth to it, particularly in terms of how mature and real it is.

Tsukutabe is many things, but at its core, it is a show about people being kind. It's about people receiving kindness and being kind to others in turn. From inviting someone to a home cooked meal to volunteering to cover overtime work, the characters in this show exemplify how much change you can bring by simply being kind. It's something that fills you with warm, fuzzy feelings as you watch.

It's also a show about healing. We get to see people who have very different relationships with food heal and develop them as the show progresses. One thing I loved about this show was that it consistently treated everyone's problems as equal, never downplaying any of them. Nagumo and Kasuga's problems and relationships with food are fundamentally opposing, but are also equal in that they are two sides of the same coin, and are treated as such. I nearly wept tears of joy at the balcony scene with Kasuga and Nagumo, which was absolutely beautifully handled.

The show delving into the pressures of family and society in regards to marriage hit extremely close to home in the best way possible. I really appreciated the realistic and relatable portrayal of people's views on marriage, in particular how the show delved into the relationships queer people have with marriage. The depiction of the common belief that queer relationships are less likely to last was also extremely familiar. My mother, who is more liberal than most Indians, once told me that an Indian lesbian she talked to said the problem with being gay in India is that, due to gay marriage not being legal, there is very little commitment in gay relationships. While I'm still slightly unsure of whether this was true, the point stands that this is a fairly prevalent belief amongst Asians who don't grab pitchforks and torches upon hearing the word gay. I really, really enjoyed how realistic this show is in this regard, because it made me feel so seen.

Kasuga and Nomoto's relationship was adorable. Watching them figure out their deeper feelings for one another, stumble into a confession and then figure out how to be in a relationship was delightful. I was extremely pleased that there was little to no miscommunication, and that both of them acted like mature adults with decent communication skills (what a surprise!). And finally, they had an excellent dynamic that felt very real.

Another thing I absolutely adored was how much focus this show gave to the food, to the point where it was practically the third lead. I mean, I'm sure that it's to be expected from a show called she loves to cook and she loves to eat, but I still found myself genuinely surprised by the amount of attention that was given to the food in the show. Whenever food was cooked and eaten, we were presented with generous shots of both, which, as a lover of both cooking and eating, I greatly appreciated.

This show is amazing in many areas; the food, Kasuga and Namoto's slowly blossoming relationship, and the fantastic explorations of relationships with food. But, what really stole the show for me was the supporting cast. Each character that they introduced was someone who was at a different place in their life, with a different perspective that they brought with them. And, most importantly, as I mentioned before, they were so kind. The interactions between most of the characters were incredibly wholesome, and the story did an amazing job of showing us as much about the supporting characters as it could in the limited screen time they had.

Not only was Sayama a consistent, reliable support and voice of reason to Namoto, she had her own issues that she regularly discussed with Namoto, because that's what friends do. Too often in QL do friends of the main characters seem to only exist to listen to their problems, provide (typically questionable) advice and further the plot. I loved how the story subtly showed us how marriage pressure affect Sayama as well, who seems to be searching for a boyfriend only because that is what society expects of her, which is likely the reason she cannot find anyone. Kasuga's coworker had a wonderful mini arc of her own, and despite nearly all of it occurring offscreen, what little we got was absolutely brilliant. The scene wherein she and Kasuga talked about having to care for elders has to be one of my favourites in the entire show. In this, she was probably one of the first elders to ever encourage Kasuga to act with her own wellbeing in mind. Similarly, Kasuga was likely one of the first people to tell her to do what makes her happy. The fact that they are, in way, speaking in place of each other's loved ones only makes this moment even more of a tearjerker. The final scene wherein we see her looking for a job was delightful; it was the perfect conclusion to her story. Yako perfectly embodied the older, experienced queer and I loved her so much. It's clear that she's not had an easy time being a lesbian and asexual, but she overcame the challenges and came out smiling. Although I do wish that the show had explored her asexuality more, and perhaps even expanded on her story, I also understand that time constraints wouldn't have allowed for it; and besides, there's a certain poignancy to the conclusion she got. Honestly though, I'd absolutely love to see a spinoff based on Yako's story, exploring the hurdles she's overcome and maybe even seeing her find love (season 3 anyone?). As for Nagumo, I don't think I even need to say anything. She had a wonderful arc that was extremely well written, and by the end of the story she had blossomed into a better version of herself. I also loved her friendship with Kasuga, how the two of them grew closer over time and helped each other with their respective problems. The wide range of characters helped emphasize the show's message of how everyone is different, and how it is these differences that make our world a better place. Even Nomoto's coworker is an example of this, as someone who seems to have little to no interest in romance, who doesn't hesitate to take up the overtime work so that the two girls can enjoy Valentine's Day. (I'm headcanoning him as aroace and you can pry this from my cold, dead hands).

Found family is a trope I adore, and this show has to be one of the most beautiful executions of this trope I've ever seen. Watching Namoto and Kasuga build a little family for themselves—one that accepts everyone as they are—was a very healing experience.

Another thing I really liked about this show is how realistically conflict was handled. On the most part, the show did not antagonize characters. The man who told Kasuga to drink beer is treated as simply an annoying person one stumbled across (a common occurrence), the cooks at the restaurant make an effort by offering different sizes of rice portions after serving Kasuga a smaller portion due to her gender and both Nomoto and Kasuga acknowledge that it was not the real estate agent's fault for mistaking them to be friends. Nomoto's mother is slightly overbearing and conservative, but she clearly cares for Nomoto, something that hit very close to hom. I appreciated that the show portrayed this so well. Most people are not evil and out to get you, they're just people living their own lives based upon the beliefs they've built up over the course of their life, and most of the time it is not worth our time to get worked up over it.

Meanwhile, Kasuga's father is perhaps the only actual antagonist of the story. I really liked how this plotline was handled because of how real it felt. The show plays out exactly according to the actual thought process someone would have in a situation like this, in particular an asian; that our parents are products of their time and that while we wouldn't condemn them for their actions, the same does not make us responsible for dealing with them either. Side note while I'm on this, I was also very happy that the show did not compare Nomoto and Kasuga's different methods of dealing with family, because not only were they in different situations, the show also seems to emphasize that neither choice is wrong, and that it is up to each individual to choose their own path. Going back to what I said about being glad that the show did not compare Kasuga and Nagumo's situation, this seems to develop into a theme for the show. The show is filled with different people with different lives and different perspectives, and never once does it try to compare any of them, which I find to be a beautiful message.

If there's any criticism I have of this show at all, it's only that it's probably not the best pick for a binge. The slow plot, laid-back feel and fact that each problem that arises is resolved in the same episode makes it an excellent candidate for a show you watch a few episodes of every day. Unfortunately, I placed myself in an 8 hour flight with the downloaded episodes being my only source of entertainment, so I did end up binging most of it. It's definitely not bad as a binge, I certainly enjoyed watching it, I simply feel like watching it slowly is a far better choice. All in all, this is a wonderful show. It's cozy and comforting, and it's very realistic and mature in a way that's quite refreshing. Watching it made me feel warm inside and I'm so glad I finally watched it.

[narcissusneverknewme]

they wouldn't let me write the live action Disney adaptions because I would have had the best Ping you have ever seen. He and Shang would have had chemistry that took your breath away. They would be Yearning. the audience would be Yearning. it would be electric and terrifying and by marika would Mulan/Ping be hot. Shang is obsessed, the audience is obsessed. there would be hardly be a person in the attendance that doesn't Get where Shang is coming from. who wouldn't rend their clothes and scream to the heavens over Mulan/Ping. she takes no prisoners.

and yes, Shang kisses him in the snow as he cradles Ping's injured, dying body.

and yes, from the opening scene to the rolling credits he's going slowly mad.

and the first time you see Mulan she's dressed in the most feminine, floaty, light-colored dressy robes, with bone white makeup and painted lips and you fall in love with her. and there's something underneath, too. and it's so intriguing.

and then she shows up as Ping, and it takes a while to get used to, and it's kind of funny and awkward. but then it looks better and better to you. and soon you find you can hardly bear it when the camera turns away from him for even a second. and Ping isn't awkward to be around at all, he's stunning and brave and resilient and determined to be kind and you're desperately in love with him and you decide he looks incredible in the warriors' robes, actually. and his smile makes you want to kiss him. it makes Shang want to scream. and to kiss him.

and then comes the last leg. and she's got the gender-neutral robes, the "neutral" stage makeup. the loose updo. and you've never been as attracted to anyone in your life as Shang is to her. and you get it. you really, really get it. and wow the way the cuff of her sleeves and the silhouette of her robes make your heart clench. and the way her posture, her gait, make a new kind of sense. you can feel this is It. this is The Costume. you're obsessed and Shang is obsessed.

And then in the end, she's wearing pretty soft-colored robes and it makes you think for a moment that she looks like she did at the beginning. but then actually something makes her strength visible too. is it the cut of the costume? her posture? the framing of the shots? Yes it is. and you know, when Shang shows up, You know he can see it too. and he doesn't want to stop looking any more than you do. and he isn't going to even when you do.

every kid that ever watched my Mulan would recall it as Formative, like y'alls Danny Phantom but on the sickest steroids ever invented. She'd be irresistible. and so very gender.

[buglaur]

🔖 pictures from the family photo album

[motianz]

He grows

But he does not change

[lurkingshan]

Hii, hope you're doing well!! I've been meaning to check out more c-dramas. I've never really watched any, but I keep seeing them on my dash and want to start giving some a shot since I watch every other type of drama (BL or otherwise lol). I saw you post often about c-dramas, so I wanted to ask if you had any other recs besides Tender Light (which I'm planning on watching when it's done)? I'm more curious about c-dramas in general rather than any specific genre, since I'm so new to them

Hello, thank you for the ask! I'm glad my obsessive Tender Light posting has got you curious about cdramas. Some of my all time favorite dramas are from Mainland China, and I would be happy to share some recs! Since you are looking for a general sense, I am just going to give you a sampling of some of my personal favs.

Tender Light

Obviously I will be taking this opportunity to talk up this drama some more, which will be ending its run this weekend. This is, hands down, my favorite drama of the year and easily going on my top 10 dramas of all time list. It's one of the most gorgeous and precise and unflinching pieces of media I have ever seen. This is definitely one for people who love smart mystery writing, dark themes (I mean this for real, if you have a lot of triggers ask for CWs), and explorations of the human condition. It will be staying with me for a long time.

Go Ahead

Another of my all time favs (and with cast crossover from Tender Light), this is a family drama that digs deep on the meaning of family, finding your people, and resilience through intergenerational trauma. I love it so so much (I am actually rewatching it right now).

Lighter & Princess

A fantastic romance and owner of a coveted spot on the ride or die drama couples list. In this story you get to watch these two fall in love twice, first in college and then as adults, and both times it's epic.

Reset

How about a time loop thriller? This is one of the best I have ever seen, and its relatively short run keeps it tight and tense all the way through. There's a romance in this one, too, but kissing is definitely secondary to finding their way out of this death trap.

The Rebel Princess

Let's dip our toe into historicals! Granted, I still have plenty of gaps in my historical cdrama watch list (there are just so many and they're so long, I am doing my best people!) but this remains my all time favorite to date. It's epic, it's shockingly well written and paced for its length, the characters are excellent and compelling all around, and it has one of my all time favorite male leads and drama couples (another from the ride or die list!). Don't let the episode number intimidate you, it will fly by much faster than you think.

The Untamed

You watch bl so I am assuming you already know about Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, but just in case I will also include this drama as a much watch. It's likely the best live action danmei we will ever get.

Love Between Fairy and Devil

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if a show put all your favorite fanfic tropes in a blender, cast beautiful people to act them out, and put them in lavish costumes? Well, here is your answer.

Love and Redemption

This one's for us angst with a happy ending girlies. An epic love story with lots of pining and struggle and strife, and it's so worth it.

Falling Into You

Back to the modern era, this is a classic sports drama with a noona romance. Very unassuming but full of charm and very well executed.

Fake It Till You Make It

An unusually mature take on adult romance from a cdrama, this one is about two career focused permasingle love skeptics who meet, realize they actually like each other, and try to figure out what the hell to do with that. I love it a lot.

That should be enough to get you started! There are many many more recs to be had, so once you give some of these a try and figure out what you like, feel free to hit me up for more!

[qpjianghu]

Li Lianhua + saying "You were my brother, Shan Gudao, I loved you" without saying "I love you" (4/?)

Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023)

[19daysmemes]

Huh?! 🤨

[yarpell]

come to think of it, I've never advertised my ffxiv/swtor nsft twitter here (though I don't know if it makes any sense now considering what is happening on that app). But if anyone wants to peek, I'm @/midnightyarps there