#trash watching mame

[absolutebl]

Wedding Plan Trash Watch!

You ready to snuffle-kiss the burn? 

Before I start...

Find out about Mame and the Mameverse here.

Find my other trash watches of her and others here. 

We all know what we are getting in for, 7 episodes of BLduggery. To crane your neck as you drive by the car wreck or not... that is the question. Me? I'm wallowing in the guts. 

Episode 1 - In which I craft an ode to Dumpster Fires Everywhere 

I am sorry, but they opened with Battle Hymn of the Republic for PrapaiSky’s wedding? I busted out laughing. 

Also, you KNOW I can’t just let that go. 

Ready?

LET’S SING! (Bet you’d never thought I’d type those words). 

Battle Hymn of BL Tumblr

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the burning of the trash This is barely even BL it’s just Mame writing slash  She hath set ablaze such garbage in pursuit of all our cash But the trash watch must go on! 

 (Buh buh ba buh) 

Glory, glory hallelujah!  Mame hit us with a sewer.  Spoiling all our fun, Oh the shit storm has begun, But the trash watch must go on! 

I have seen the dumpster-fires of a hundred BL tropes She will sacrifice her ukes ’til they’ve lost all of their hopes We will watch in righteous anger while the refuse burns and smokes But the trash watch must go on! 

 (Buh buh ba buh) 

Glory, glory hallelujah!  Life’s rough for a BL reviewer.  When OG BL fans run afoul of Mame stans  But the trash watch must go on! 

 Buh buh buh buh! 

Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here for the next 7 weeks. Yes some of my rhyming conventions are awkward af but I never claimed to be a filker. Now where was I?

Oh YES, 

STILL AT THE VERY BEGINNING. 

Where have I seen this seme before? Oh! Top Secret Together. 

Micky D sponsorship? Nice. I’m impressed. 

Too many sound effects, abort! Is that the sound tech from Lovely Writer I sniff? Someone please fire his ass. Yes, it must be him. Only a straight dude misuses buttons like that. 

I feel Nuea’s pain I too hate the gym. 

This better not be in one of those situations where after instalove our seme arranges for the wedding planner boy he likes to plan his own wedding so that he can marry him at the end. 

Lots of pronouns going astray in that sentence, but you get my meaning. 

Drag baby around. Locker room. Kabeldon 

Honestly? And this is not usually a criticism I lob at Mame ( I know is there anything I have lobbed at her?) but the leads seem a bit stiff and uninspired. 

It is just me? 

Episode 2 - What’s this? Oh is that boredom? 

What are these boys in these office BLs doing behind their desks on those computers? They never actually seem to be working at all. They’re like brochure stock art ads for boys on computers. 

I had to skip most of the humiliating stuff with the food in the car and whatever was going on because… aargh. 

They keep ordering food in this episode of nobody’s eating it. And it looks really good and I’m hungry and this is very upsetting to me. 

Lom is just totally jerking Nuea around. Just tell him what your relationship is with the bride. 

There’s no need to be so fucking coy about it. 

I love the flaming yelling fit from Nuea tho.  

It was also a good kiss. 

But that’s what we expect from a Mame. 

Mame giveth and mame taketh away. 

Somewhat dull episode frankly. Even with the kiss.

Sigh. What have I become?

Episode 3 - WHAT IS THIS? There is nothing about this episode that pleased me even a tiny bit. Except Noel’s hair. But that wasn’t part of the script. 

Buckle up, I got A LOT to say. 

It’s a pleasure to welcome you back to your normal and expected ABL meets Mame interface where... ABL LOSES THEIR TINY MIND. 

Right on schedule it feels like. 

Ready?

Oh who am I kidding, you sadists life for this shizz. And you can’t tell me you don’t. 

Lom is so frustrating. 

I wanna punch him too. Sing it, sister! 

Random water sports. (And not of the kind one might expect from Mame. Stop it. You know she would go there. She’d think it was edgy.) 

Peeps! 

We need a name for when a BL reviews itself. 

It keeps happening. 

Should you tell him everything? 

Yes. 

1000 times yes. 

I’m basically screaming it at the screen. 

TELL HIM!!!! 

You tricked him into a date without telling him a single thing about what’s actually going on. Are you insane? 

What the hell. 

You keep kissing him but he is planning your wedding. How fucked up are you? You monster 

A Mame show calling out its own exploitive sexism is so fucking awkward. 

Mame. Sweetheart. Snookums. Sugarbeans. Shaken-baccon. You don’t have enough fucking talent to go meta. Leave it to the better BLs to follow trends. Your shizz is old fashioned and that’s why people like it. Don’t try to be classy, it makes this whole shit show just look even more shabby. 

Poor baby. 

Now he’s doubting himself completely. 

What are these assholes doing to you? 

Come with me. 

I’m going to transport you to this other terrible BL trash watch happening right now, where there is a LOVELY adorable boy named Max and I think you would be perfect together. 

So it’s basically just Narnia-level closet cases we are dealing with here? 

THAT’S IT?

THAT’S THE EXCUSE FOR THIS LEVEL OF MANIPULATION?

WHAT IS GOING ON? 

Nuea is such a cutie.

I want to punch Lom all over again.   

Noel looks v pretty as a blond. 

The proposal sequence was unnecessary. But at least I don’t wanna punch anyone. 

THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE for lying. For manipulation. For not understanding how you’re betraying another person’s faith in himself. 

Especially not if you’re in the position of power: social, cultural, employer. 

Why doesn’t Mame EVER understand this? 

You can’t have a character that is sincere and earnest in love and yet entirely lacking in all forms of integrity. 

This is driving me crazy. 

No one is in the show is as crazy as this show is making me.

I started this episode wanting to punch Lom, and I’m ending this episode wanting to punch Lom.

That’s a mame plot for ya. 

No character development at all, on any side of the screen. 

And someone, mostly me, is always left with a mad desire to punch something. 

Frankly, I kinda want to punch the screen.

Episode 4 - I Am Going to Start Drinking

I like consent especially when “no” is activated. But this being Mame she shoe horns it in and then the seme ignores it. 

It’s so awkward. She’s actually incapable of making any non-problematic tropes sexy. It’s like there is only one lane for her shows and that lane is...

the WORST 

My “Punch Lom in the face 2023” campaign continues.

I don’t see how he can ever become a sympathetic character. He just trundles along lying by omission (when speaking up would make everything better). I hate him. 

I’m glad we get to see Nuea suffering, now show Lom what he has done and make him lose the boy. 

No? No.

Instead Lom gets rewarded with sex for being a sleazy lying gutless jerk? Well terds to both you fine gentlemen. 

I mean, very gay of you, Nuea sweetie. 

“Because just SOOOO hot” being the #1 excuse in my personal “I slept with WHAT?” experience. (Heh, to be fair I’m often the WHAT? in that equation. I live to be someone’s bad mistake... just not Lom-level-bad. 

Where was I? 

Oh yeah, Gaga has the sex scene. FYI. Came outta nowhere, that sex scene did. Very disjointed... not that kind of joint. Not that kind either.

It’s not a particularly impressive sex scene, which is disappointing. Because WHY ELSE WOULD WE BE WATCHING?

I mean, if you’re going to have your characters (and by extension us) forfeit all integrity and taste in order to watch your stupid show, the least you could do is give us decent chemistry. 

I’m not saying this is worse than LITA but at least LITA was hot.

It wasn’t anything else. But it was hot.

This this is 

not hot. 

In conclusion: if Nuea’s baby bro doesnt’t punch Lom in the face next week I will have to start drinking on Weds...

oh wait!

BMF ends this Friday! I can switch to drinking mid week!

YES

(I have a new rule: only one BL a week is allowed to drive me to drink in any give rotation.) 

Imma preemptively point out that I am aware that bearding and lavender marriages are still quite common all over the world. I would whole heartedly support a good depiction of it. (Even one where it stays fix in the beard position.) This is NOT a good depiction. 

I shall draw your attention to 2017′s rarely discussed (not really BL) We Are Gamily out of... you guessed it... Taiwan. You can argue with me about this only AFTER you have watched that. 

Okay, back to the trash watch. 

Episode 5 - I Neglected to Drink and that was a Mistake

Ate a lot of crap traveling home today (feel gross) + tumblr new desktop UX has me pissed + Mame & alcohol? I’m not sure I’d survive. So no alcohol. 

Here we go. 

Poor Nuea feels so guilty. 

Please save me from ever feeling that way after sex. *shudder* 

Before you ask, to the best of my knowledge, I have never slept with a married person. I’ve slept with married people... married to each other mind you... but I hope that makes it clear everyone was consensual. (I recommend it, by the way. Being a unicorn is lots of fun.) 

Where was i? 

We were dealing with punching Lom not my misspent youth. 

(looks at calendar. wait, that was last month.) 

PUNCH LOM 2023! 

Queen! 

I love her.

It wasn’t a physical punch but a verbal one is almost as good. (And can be more damaging in the long run.) 

Could we please still have an actual punch?

Pretty please?

Mame punches her characters all the time. And no character ever deserved a punching more than Lom. 

I do wish there was a nice boy back home to scoop Nuea up. 

That line of boys wanting him, could we see it, not be told it? 

I do like the random sinshine hyung side couple. 

Omg. COLD MICKY D?! 

That might just be the most objectionable moment in this whole show. 

And that’s a tall order. 

Pun intended.

(straight, HA! pun not intended but still very much THERE) 

Was I pleased we got multiple characters who are just outright gay? Yes. 

But representation has not been one of Mame’s issues. 

I mean Tharn was one of the first openly gay seme leads in a Thai BL, and she also had rep for lube and condoms in that show. That’s not the issue with TharnType. Or Mame. 

Her issues tend to revolve around story structure and audience manipulation. 

Was I pleased that Nuea knew what was going on? Yes, I’m glad he’s not totally clueless. 

I still want Lom to be punched in the face and I’m still mad at this show. 

Episode 6 - Too hot to drink, still a Mistake

I finally figured out my real problem with Lom. It’s not that he was closeted and manipulative without good reason (although he is). It’s not that he lied and strung Nuea along for a lot longer than was necessary (because he did). It is that he basically does everything for himself and his own ends. Even when he’s confessing his love it comes off as flat because it isn’t about Nuea and what Nuea wants or needs, it’s about Lom wants.

Hanging a lampshade on it doesn’t make it right. 

It was good bridge kiss. And car kiss. And sex kisses. 

There is something corrupted grunge romantic asking the person you love most in the world to hide that love and climb back into the closet with you for the sake of your nasty arse family (is that a queer taboo, hum). I’m not saying lavender marriages are necessarily wrong, I’m just saying it’s an interesting plot twist in a BL. 

I think we HAVE to hold this up and examine it in stark contrast to the final ep of Bad Buddy. It’s interesting how the closet retreat didn’t bother me at all in BB, and I thought it was quite a clever and elegant ending twist. Whereas here it’s just annoying. It’s not making me as angry as it probably should. But it is annoying as a narrative conceit and denouement.

Can I ask a question.

 It’s not a serious question, of course. 

What is up with all of the shows this year having dates on lakes featuring that thing where you ride a funny little floaty-boat while being dragged behind a fast boat. I’m sure it has a name, but I could not care less. New sponsor? 

The sex scene was fine. But I have to say, I wish they had leaned into the fact that Lom is a virgin and Nuea has more experience. It would’ve been a really interesting dynamic to see honestly represented on screen.

In conclusion, Nuea is a saint and next week everything comes to a head that didn’t already get head this episode.

Episode 7 - Finally I’m drinking! 

I am having a tiki beverage this evening to round out this show. Coconut rum and mango popping Boba are involved. Don’t judge. I have the alcohol palate of a 7 year old. 

I’m ready! Let’s shave this beard!

And, well, that was a pink saturated drama of the mothers in law. Enjoyable lakorn style scenery chewing. The ladies seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Lom pretending to be sad and pitiful. Also funny. 

Using his evil against his mom is acceptable. Suddenly his manipulative lying ways are working in the right direction. 

Honestly? 

This was a fine ending, I’m not mad at it. 

They managed to keep Lom in character until the end, he remained deceitful.  I would never trust him, but clearly Nuea is willing to ride that dragon. 

I guess 7/10? 

If you can tolerate Mame and liars (kinda the same thing) you’ll be fine with this show. 

But, frankly? Lom as a character would sit better amongst the drama bananas of Only Friends.

In summation: 

A lackluster Mame offering with less of her usual stellar chemistry, but all of her usual manipulation. An innocent wedding planner falls haplessly and hopelessly in love with a groom who relentlessly pursues him, even though he’s about to marry someone else. 

(source) 

[chaos0pikachu]

love sea is a Thailand tourism ad that said "do you love beautiful beaches, beautiful people, and gay sex? then come on down!" and bet, I'm sold, lemme open kayak right now

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

My memory is terrible so I wanted to do a breakdown of my stuff every once in a while. Might be monthly, might be whenever I feel like it. And also. Spoilers and opinions below, read at your own risk.

QL - Currently Watching

🇯🇵I Hear the Sunspot [1/12] - I'm so grateful that I get a new jbl just as I'm mourning the end of the last one. I didn't read this manga but I've watched the film, and I really liked it even if it felt unfinished. Hopefully with 12 episodes it means we get the full story. This was a very good first episode, I feel like we established the main relationships dynamics and got a good insight into the main characters core. Taichi is my new child.

🇹🇭 Knock Knock, Boys! [6/12] - I continue to enjoy this group. Jane turned out to be a great addition instead of what I feared, but Peak really needs to step up so I can keep rooting for him and Thanwa, cause I'm also not a huge fan of the ex coming back as an obstacle for the couple. Latte and Almond are really great together and I'm curious how Almond will deal with his feelings for Latte, when he actually realizes he's having them.

🇹🇭Love Sea [4/12] - Before anything else, I love the ocean and I love when shows get out of the city. Also I like Mut. Now. I'm not a Mame hater. I'm a 'trauma is the only way to write deep characters' hater. I'm also a 'trauma gives you an excuse to be an asshole' hater. But most of all, I'm very much a 'love will fix you' hater. So just don't give me 3 out of 3 and it's fine. Also this last episode, all the talk about money and contracts made me feel some kind of way, although it doesn't seem to bother Mut so... And as much I like having Aya on my screen, Mook is really testing that line between cute and incredibly annoying. I'm not sure how long I'm staying with this one.

🇹🇭My Love Mix-Up! [4/12] - So... this is not good. The technical aspects of this are actually bad. Considering the number of sponsors is actually kinda incredible that it's so badly put together. The sound, the lighting, the editing, overall just... not good. Now, the rest. Look I don't want to ruin anybody's fun, so I'll keep watching this one quietly, unless something outrageous happens. But for the record, and this is all I'm gonna say, they are ruining the best parts of these characters and this story, and even if I ignore that (which I can't because it's an adaptation), it's pandering and it's a lazy attempt at recapturing the magic of msp, with a worse script and recycled material. Also I cannot believe they didn't put Atom in a trashing bag.

🇹🇭 My Stand-In [1/12] - For a number of reasons I'm waiting to binge this one. I do love watching the gifs on my dash though, pretty is pretty.

🇯🇵Ossan no Pants ga Nandatte Ii Janai ka! [9/11] - It's so good. I love them all. This last episode I was close to tears in several parts but the street proposal ended me. It's definitely one of those shows that I'm grateful that I get to watch even if I can't always find the words to talk about it. These characters have my whole heart. [everyone should be watching this and the wonderful @isaksbestpillow has made that possible with her subs. Here is the post with the latest episode. ]

🇹🇭SunsetxVibes [3/12] - It's ridiculous, it's fun, it's cute. Sun is such a simp. Man basically proposed before they were even dating. And yeah the way it started was not amazing, with the lying, but these two actually communicate about their expectations and what they're feeling which is better than a lot of shows right now. And I adore the sides.

🇹🇭The Rebound [2/12] - Everyone is gay and naked. And they play a sport of some kind.

🇹🇭The Trainee [1/12] - OffGun are back! I really liked the set up for this. It's only the first episode but I really like how they are walking the line between the comedy and the seriousness of the workplace. I love a good friend group so I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationships between all the interns grow. Poon is once again playing the silly brainless child of the pack but I don't care, I adore that kid for some reason. And next week we already got Gun crying so what's not to like?

🇹🇭 Wandee Goodday [10/12] - I already talked about my feelings regarding the last episode. I'm here for Oyei/Cher and Plakao. I love Inn and Great, they deliver with the chemistry but the DeeYak storyline is just a mess for me right now. I am also not looking forward to the inevitable redemption of the terrible parental figure.

🇹🇭 We Are [13/16] - The friendships are still great and mainly why I'm watching. I have a really good time watching those scenes. Only 3 episodes left and ChainPun continue to be the tinniest of crumbs. I don't expect much from this couple at this point and I'm a bit disappointed. FangTan are so cute and such good communicators. They are my favourites. QToey are cute. Now, Phum and Peem. Look PondPhuwin are really good at looking at each other like they're the only person in the universe. However. There's only so many times I can enjoy them staring at each other in slow mo. Once per episode oughta be enough I think. Hopefully now that they're actual boyfriends it gets a little less annoying.

QL - Finished

🇯🇵25 Ji, Akasaka de - What an incredible journey. I have to say it has been a while since a show surprised me this much, for the positive. For most of it I wasn't sure where it was gonna go or how it would end or who would be doing the running. The way they played with the show within a show was so well done. I loved the change in pov, which I always love in jbls, but it not only gave us the opportunity to see how Hayama's crush started but also we were allowed to see behind the mask that Hayama had been keeping up. Speaking of. I love him, one of my favourite characters of the year. And Komagine Kiita did an incredible job. I can't wait to watch him again when Tengu returns. If I had to say, the one thing I wish I had was more of Shirasaki's backstory. I wanted to understand better why his self-esteem got that bad. But that ending was great and honestly, I earned it.

🇵🇭Marahuyo Project - Well that was excellent. This show is beautiful. I want to hug them all and walk next to them. I really don't have the words for it right now so just go watch it. Because these characters are incredible and the visuals are stunning. All episodes here.

🇹🇭 Only Boo! - This is getting tiresome. Here it goes. Why? It was so great. They were the cutest shit and I had a smile on my face the entire episode. Even with the singing. It was wholesome and the mains delightful. And then... Heartbreak, time skip, no consequences, unearned happy ending. I mean Moo is a great character still, and Kang is the best boy, but I'm tired.

Rose Watches OJBL

Mood Indigo (2019) - I liked this one slightly better than the first. I think the visuals are stronger and there are some incredible shots throughout. The sex scenes are some of the best shot that I've ever seen. I love Kijima so even though I'm not always on board with prequels, it was great that we got more insight into him. Obviously we know this relationship was doomed from the start, and Kido has a lot to do with how we find Kijima in the beginning of The Novelist, but I can't help but feel for Kido. He is a mess that is struggling between the expectations that are on him (put there by others but also himself) and the affection and desire he feels for Kijima. And even without watching The Novelist there is always an air that this will not end well. For lack of a better phrase, it just wasn't meant to be. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this series.

Dangerous Drugs of Sex (2020) - One of my first thoughts when I was watching this was 'we are using the word unhinged too freely'. Cause Ryoji has little competition on that score. This is not an easy watch. I really liked the way it was shot even if at times that meant my view was too narrow so I couldn't look anywhere else but the 'uglier' parts. In completely different ways they were both stuck in an uncomfortable (yeah that's not really the best word but I can't think of another) place and I could feel that throughout. I'm not sure about the ending but they look happy, so what do I know?

Other - Watched

There's a lot airing so I didn't watch much outside ql. I finished Under the Skin and rewatched a couple of things. My watchlist got longer and I have a bunch of shows that I'll hopefully tackle during my summer holiday in July. Speaking of...

There is a lot coming next month, so here is a post with all the shows that have been announced for July that I updated to include Meet You at the Blossom that was recently announced. New jbl starts tomorrow!!!!

As usual my ask box is open for questions or requests. Have a wonderful week💜

[todorroki]

i can't believe it's over wtf (Love Sea final ep thoughts)

its joever yall... it's not even hitting me that it's over because we still have the special ep to go but omg.... it's the end.

hats off to fortpeat. i love them so much i'm so sad that love sea is done (at least, the main story is). i had my gripes with parts of this story but in the end i was mainly here to see these two do what they love.

i believe mut mostly knew how tongrak would react to his confession. his dialogue to mook last episode proved deep down, he already knew the answer. the first few minutes of this episode showed his hesitation and reluctance, but his courage pushed through in the end. i think fort did amazing here. his pain from experiencing a rough rejection was so clearly on display. (and peat does that eye shifting thing with tongrak to show the beginning of panic.)

it's terrible yall. it was hard to watch. i do not like couple fights.

peat's hair here is good tho. omg i was focusing so hard on visuals because i didn't want the pain

big shoutout to vie in this ep. while she didn't spell out what rak should do, she basically held rak's hand through the whole ordeal.

mahasamut's last meeting with meena and kwan omg.. when he started crying realizing tongrak's meaning by the number 8.. how much more can my heart shatter lmao

and big ouch at palm's dialogue here. he meant it in a light way, but mahasamut really DID come back without his heart.

yo tongrak was so heartbroken he started dressing like his face twin from the other mame series.

AND ok like when tongrak chased after the trash car, at first i was feeling the pain and then i remembered how twitter clowned that running shot yesterday and i started LAUGHING oh my god!!!!! like i'm so sorry BUT I DON'T CLAIM THE FAULT FOR THIS everyone was saying he was running after the ice cream truck in the episode poster and i saw it in that moment!!!!!!!

back to regular business, this hits painfully hard actually.

tongrak's main fear being their "end" if they start a real relationship despite not even knowing if it'll come true. it's a very real fear people have (not just for romantic relationships), the mindset that "if it can end badly or if i can't succeed, why try anyways"

i love rak and vie's friendship in this show. dare i say it's way more fleshed out than the GL side plot they have going on. on that note, what even happened with the girls mame... how come they're just together. what HAPPENED.

but vie is The driving factor to pushing tongrak to follow mahasamut. she's so important to tongrak and i love it!

now, idk what was the call here for filming this part at night. it was kinda dark, but mut's pain was clear as day anyways. tongrak, in his own way, wanted to return mut's feelings, but because he couldn't SAY IT, mahasamut ends up misunderstanding his motives.

i really did tear up at rak's recorded confession though. my god i was kinda worried how that would come out, but peat's recording was well done. their confession on the beach was so cathartic to watch. LIKE FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!

and everything after was sooo sweet. fortpeat has the fluff DOWN as always.

but also omg the last scene with rak buying the house. absolutely love how at first he was excited, but then seeing mut's serious expression and realizing he should've said something omg.. the way he shrunk himself. and fort's face here oouughghg HELLO PEOPLE!!! GIVE HIM HIS SERIOUS ROLES ALREADY. I THINK THIS ENTIRE EP IS PROOF ENOUGH.

please i'm so serious he looked so hot in this scene.

BUT I CANNOT BELIEVE IT'S OVER LIKE IT'S /SRS NOT /J FOR REAL FR OVER WHAT

MY MUTRAK!!!!!!!!!! i know we have the special ep still but NOOO

i need fortpeat on screen... oh my god. please......... im at a loss. they love acting and i love watching them act.

[applepie-enthusiast]

Imagine Chobits AU ft. Sanegiyuu

You cowards

Let Sanemi fall in love fuck with a machine (I'M KIDDING)

It's okay if you don't know Chobits, I'll explain it. It's basically a broke human boy (Sanemi in this case) falling in love with a special type of personal computer (persocom) in human form (Giyuu in this case)

To make it fit the characters, I'll change some of the details.

In this AU, Sanemi, who was the breadwinner of his family, chose to work himself exhausted just to provide sustenance and support to his family since their father is good for nothing (in-jail). They live in a province that's still not quite developed in terms of modern technology.

So when an opportunity came to him to be a scholar for a university, his family urged him to go to the city. In spite of initial protests, Sanemi finally agreed but promised that he would find a part-time job and still send money.

He found an almost run-down apartment run down by the kind yet silent old man mamed Urokodaki. The rent is very low compared to others, so Sanemi went ahead and grabbed the place.

He met his energetic next-door neighbor who later became his friend, Rengoku, and his tiny, hand-sized persocom who sits by his shoulder almost every time. Akaza. Rengoku seems to be knowledgeable of persocoms and noted that it's uncommon for anyone to not have one since the city is filled with them, mostly human-sized persocoms who are all over the city. They are either working in shops and restaurants, store clerks, or even personal maids. Some even treat them as family. Sanemi stated he's short in cash and that he's not interested in one.

Anyway, one time on the way home, as Sanemi wonders about how he'll manage his remaining money after looking for a job, when he passed by a trash can near a pole, and his peripheral vision caught sight of an unconscious man wrapped in bandages.

At first, Sanemi walked by it, thinking it's just his fatigue acting up. Then it clicked on him as he was hit by a wide range of emotions of concern, pity, and fear when he initially concluded it's a murder victim tossed to a trash can.

But upon further inspection, he realized it's a human-sized male persocom with a long, long, messy mop of dark hair, its ears indicating it's a persocom is mostly covered by the said hair. After thinking for a bit, Sanemi for curious and was like, fuck it and carried the persocom, surprised that it weighs so heavy. He remembered Rengoku stating that persocoms tend to be heavier when the power isn't on. But might be it.

As Sanemi walked back to his apartment, he recalled Rengoku saying all persocoms have switches to turn them working.

Sanemi tried looking for the damn switch; the persocom's eyes, nose, cheeks, face, ears, and others, but he couldn't find it. After contemplating for a bit, he just has that one more spot he hasn't checked yet.

He blushed at the thought of it and was against the idea of touching it even if it's not actually human. However, he has to try either way.

Moving quickly, he craddled the persocom, held it close to his chest, closed his eyes, and reached for where he thought the switch was.

Upon pushing the button, the persocom visibly moved closer before it quickly moved away from him as bandages unwrapped from its body, and it raised its head up, its blue eyes opening as if rebooting. All the while, Sanemi moved farther with his back against the door, watching both in confusion and awe.

As the persocom finally seemed to finish loading, it closed its eyes and turned to look at Sanemi, who was surprised and didn't know what to do.

Sanemi noted its long, black hair that almost reached its legs, its pretty blue eyes, and quite a neutral expression. The persocom then started to move closer to him, even slowly going on all fours as if to meet him eye-to-eye, its curious expression plastered to its face as Sanemi noted how beautiful this persocom is.

Sanemi's breath hitched at their close distance, almost at a breathing one, and the persocom adorably tilted its head to a side and, in a tiny tone, muttered almost too innocently,

"Yuu?"

Sanemi froze. "What?"

"Yuu!" The persocom added and kept repeating it. Sanemi was confused at first until he saw a silver bracelet on its right hand, with the name, "Giyuu" embedded on it.

"Giyuu? Is that your name?" Sanemi asked, and the persocom, for the first time, gave him a tiny, tiny smile. He didn't know if it was agreeing or not.

Sanemi blushed, fuck, this weirdo is so cute, he knew he wasn't into computers, and not in this way, too. But by how adorable this one is, he wants to rethink his choices.

I'll add more later. For reference, this is how their first meeting is from the original:

I hope I'm not gonna get flagged for this y'all:

[heretherebedork]

Am I ready for another MAME show?

Will it be a Tharntype/LITA show or will it be a Love By Chance/Don't Say No show? Will I regret side couples or the main couples? What is this experience going to be?

Just a note: if I dislike a show and am writing criticism that goes under my 'no tags here' tag as well as negativity and criticism tags. So, fairly warned is fairly prepared, right?

Minato and MAME. Wednesdays gonna be wild. @absolutebl Are you gonna do a trash watch? I look forward to... whatever this will be. How many dumpster fires shall we experience at her hands?

[hermioneismyrealname]

Ah HELL NO! Love Sea ep 4.

Below are my thoughts. Before, I was ready to defend this show. My mistake. Should have known better from mame. Great acting but what are they working with?

3 episodes were spent on elaborating Mahasamut's responsibilities, duties and his character. 3 episodes were used to showcase the love for the ocean and what efforts he's made to protect and preserve the ocean. 3 EPISODES! 3 USED TO EXPAND ON MAHASAMUT'S CHARACAND SIGNIFICANCE ALL FOR IT TO BE REDUCE TO A HOUSEKEPT PET! I don't even think that love sick pup brought his clothes with him. Did he even tell anyone he was leaving?

Hah!

Only now? 21:15 do they even think of STDs?AAAAAAAAHHHHH! FUCK THIS!

Oh my God, the apartment's view.

I think Tongrak is going to break his heart.

Vie enters. Hm. And girlie still had glitter on her eyelids after having cucumber on them.

I'm starting to not like this. Complete backtrack? Where's that softness? Did Tongrak's character completely regress? Why? WHY?

Yeahp. Don't like it.

I don't like the GL couple either. Vie pissed me off in ep 3 and no, I'm not over it.

Why are underpants on a clothes hanger?

The last suspense at the rando character in the shopping mall was... bland. There was no indication to this build up.

Ep 5 looks like hopefully something.

That cut scene of Tongrak waking up like... oh yeah, he has feelings but he's gonna be an ass about it. WE KNOW THIS! GIVE US AN INDICATION THAT IT WILL GIVE UP CHARACTER GROWTH NOT STAGNATION AND COMPLACENCY!

*le sigh* da mihi patentiem. I was swearing at the in Thai the entire episode. Gonna switch to a Japanese series to give my brain a break.

It's a trash watch now. Can't believe this is a trash watch for me now.

I know certain people ( @absolutebl and @respectthepetty ) will agree with me that this is absolutely pointless now. You were right, I was wrong, lalalalala. Scooch over you two. I brought the popcorn for the rest of stupid dumpster.

Anyway, here's this week's bingo

Compare montage

Mahasamut goes to the city.

[theflagscene]

Growing up is realizing how toxic TharnType was.. like really

🤭🤭🤭 Ngl, when I got this message a couple days ago I legit giggled. I was not expecting it, and it took me a second to figure out where it came from until I remembered my answer for day eleven of the 15 Day BL Challenge. Then the Booping happened and the next day I was at the hospital with my dad all day because he was going in for heart surgery—it went well btw—so I just got around to replying to this today. I apologize for that my dear anon 💕

I felt kind of lucky because I came into TharnType when the second season was about to air, so I had heard of some spoilers about the first season, plus I had seen Love By Chance multiple times so I was familiar with Type and some of the other side characters—Techo, Tum, Tar, Kengkla, Technic, etc.

I legit gave Mame a pass when watching LBC, not everyone’s first novel is great and the screenplay did what it could, ya know? But as time went on, as a queer person I started to get the sense that she was one of those rare hetero writers that actually do kind of fetishize gay men, which I really didn’t want to think was still happening in—at the time—2019.

But after I watched both TharnType seasons, and LBC and DSN, all of which have interconnected storylines and characters, I couldn’t help but not think that. Which is why by 2021, I sort of stopped giving her the benefit of the doubt as a writer even though I desperately wanted her to do better, so much better. And to be fair, Wedding Plan and Love Sea were both okay, I think those have been her least offensive scripts to date.

But getting back to TharnType lore, I remember actually writing up a ‘problematic trope’ list in my notes app whilst watching the series and oh boy, it’s a doozy! Let’s break it down, for anyone who (somehow) has not sat through the trash fire that was the highest heat BLs of 2019/2020 and the various storylines that tie back to TharnType that span four different series.

Heavy trigger warning for under the cut: SA/r*pe/DV/ped*phila/blackmail/ab*se/stalking/in*est/predatory behaviour/emotional manipulation and ironically enough, homophobia.

Right off the bat, the first thing in the very first episode was the comparison of gay men to pedophiles. Type was 100% allowed his trauma from what happened to him, but if Mame had done even an ounce of investigation into actual statistics, she’d know that pedophiles typically don’t identify as any type of sexuality outside of being attracted to underage people, that is their sexual preference. So no, a man assaulting a boy does not make him gay, it makes him a pedophile, full stop.

Violent homophobia: Not just outright blatant hate speech but Type is violent towards gay people, and specifically Tharn when he finds out that he’s roommates with a gay man. Also Type’s father literally chases him and Tharn with a machete when he finds out that Type is dating a man, so yeah.

Sexual assault and rape: Tharn assaults Type in the shower as a way to ‘get back at him’ for being homophobic, playing into the classic predatory gay stereotype. Techno is drugged, stalked, blackmailed and date raped by Kengkla (LBC). Tar is gang raped and was ‘so broken’ that he literally ran away to France (LBC/TT). Fiat forces a kiss onto Type against his will (DSN)

Domestic abuse: Type hits Tharn many times throughout their relationship, he constantly slaps, punches and kicks him and yet always is allowed to get away with it because of his traumatic past and jealousy issues. Uh, no, no no. You do not get to abuse your partner or anyone in your life because of your trauma, get thee into therapy!

Stalking: Kengkla is obsessed with Techno, he stalks him and often pays his best friend Technic—Techno’s little brother—to snap pictures of the older man when he’s sleeping or changing to give to Kengkla, as well many other things. It should also be stated that they are high school students whilst Techno is a university student, so they are putting Techno at risk with the law because Kengkla is underage. (LBC)

Lhong stalks Tharn for years, even going so far as to run off any potential suitors and hire bikers to rape Tharn��s—extremely underage—boyfriend Tar. (TT)

Fiat stalks Type and dismisses that he has a boyfriend, not caring about it because he’s convinced that he’s in love with Type after being treated by him for a sports injury (TT2)

Incest: Tum, Tar’s older half brother is in love with him and has been for many years. He hates Tharn for breaking Tar’s heart so badly that he ran away to a different country, not knowing about Tar’s rape. Tharn is the only one he tells and to Tharn’s credit, doesn’t tell anyone out of respect to Tar. Eventually it comes out and Tar tells Tum what happens and also tells him that his trauma from the event has left him sex repulsed and broken, unable to love or trust anyone… besides Tum that is! Of course, because Tar loved his big bro all along as well.

Emotional manipulation: Ummm *gestures wildly to every character* take your pick!

Blackmail: Kengkla and Technic—again I cannot stress this enough, Techno is Technic’s brother!—drug Techno during a party, strip him and then put him in bed naked with Kengkla. When he wakes up the next morning with a teenager in his bed and no memory of what happened, he rightfully panics. Kengkla then tells him that they had sex—up until this point Techno had no interest in men—and Kengkla promises that he won’t tell anyone what happened if Techno will sleep with him one more time, Kengkla wants to lose his virginity to him since they didn’t actually have sex, Techno was passed out due to GHB that had been slipped into his drink. As of TharnType2 it is heavily implied that Techno and Kengkla are still together, and that Techno has no idea about the truth behind how he ended up with an underage boyfriend his first year of university.

Dishonourable mentions: Kidnapping, slut shaming, toxic jealousy, racism, classism, misogyny, mishandling of mental health issues, a grown man being perversely obsessed with a teenage girl and extremely harmful LGBTQ+ stereotypes.

Seriously, nothing about TharnType was good or romantic. It was toxic waste and even as a trash/hate watch, I could not enjoy it. I don’t use this term lightly, but the whole series just gives me the ick. And remember those were just all the interconnected storylines that directly involved Tharn and Type, none of those touch on AePete, TinCan or PhugunCirrus. All of which have their own issues, many many issues, but it really does seem like TharnType are the atomic bomb of BL couple fuckery.

Whew! 😅

[hughungrybear]

With Perfect 10 Liners insane schedule (they could have done 2 eps per week if they really want to push through all those eps 😭😭😭), please note that while I don't have any strong feelings against Jittirain, the director, production crew, or the actors in this series, I also get bored easily 😅😅😅

I mean, if I want to watch more than 15 eps, then I would have joined my mum watching her convoluted Pinoy and Chinese telenovelas in her iPad 😂😂😂

So, don't be surprised if I suddenly drop this midway unless the plot is so incredible (or cheesy, I do like my cheese) that it will keep me invested.

If ever I find myself with nothing good to say (like the BahMhee plotline in The Trainee), I will avoid posting OR change the tags to 'trash watch' (like I do for MAME series).

Well, let's all play nice, shall we? 😁

[dramalets]

Well Love Sea looks like hot trash that I’ll probably eat up like ice-cream. 🙈

I am not a Mame fan. I can give you a hundred reasons why I will never be. But when her trash is correct it’s correct and I can’t help but to watch.

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 233

Episode: Yes! Precure 5 Go Go! 35 - “Bunbee’s Shocking Proposal!” Date watched: 12 March 2023 Original air date: 12 October 2008 Screenshots Precure Metamorphose Gallery | Sky Rose Translate Gallery Project info and master list of posts

And when I’m leader, there will be changes. That day, all female officers will be required to wear TINY MINISKIRTS!

wait...

As fall kicks into gear, the girls are spending a bit less time together, and Nozomi laments this. At the same time, Bunbee is really starting to consider if he has a future at Eternal,a nd happens to catch wind of Precure’s predicament. An idea forms in his head. What kind of idea? Well, you can probably tell from the title and the above screenshot, but let’s just dive in.

The Plot

Nozomi feels lonely at Natts House with nobody but the fairies around. Coco, Nuts, Syrup, and Kurumi remind her that everyone is working towards their own dreams (including her), and they're grateful to her for helping find the Palmins.

Over at Eternal HQ, Mucardia sucks up to Anacondy, upstaging Bunbee and making him feel left out by the radically different treatment. Bunbee notices his last report in the trash, unread, and is speechless.

A little later, he takes a stroll and sits on a bench, failing to notice that Nozomi is sitting on the other side. They each murmur to themselves about their situations and play off each other for a moment before Bunbee recognizes Nozomi and hides.

Bunbee goes around to spy on the other girls and realizes the team is under stress, both from their individual goals and from the separation.

Everyone who's off doing their own things admits they haven't been to Natts House in a while and they decide to visit.

Rin and Urara meet up on a bridge as Rin catches a Palmin

Komachi and Urara are at a bookstore buying books

Kurumi is food shopping with Syrup to replenish Natts House, because everyone eats them out of house and home, definitely not because she enjoys the company.

Bunbee appears at Natts House and teases Nozomi about her quandary, then everyone else shows up and accuses him of being up to no good. (a reasonable and ultimately correct assumption.) He protests but says he has an important announcement, after these messages. Cue CM. Yay fourth wall breaks.

After the commercial, Bunbee declares himself Precure's new leader. Everyone is confused and they naturally don't trust him. When they refuse to hand over the Rose Pact he turns his book into a Hoshiina.

The book Hoshiina shoots pages at them. Rose kicks it aside and everyone else attacks Bunbee directly, so he retaliates with his machine gun spray. Dream throws hands but he is able to ward her off. He's stronger than normal, and they notice. He crucifies them in book pages (seriously) and tries to lecture them on how he'll lead them to the Cure Rose Garden.

Dream objects that they don't need a leader (I know what you’re thinking, more on that later), they don't need someone telling them what to do, they'll go to the Cure Rose Garden because they want to, not because someone told them to. They break free of their imprisonment. Bunbee tries to bring up their worries but they brush him off.

Nuts helps Rose perform Milky Rose Metal Blizzard on the Hoshiina, destroying it. Bunbee is upset and tries to shoot the team but Coco jumps in and helps the Cures perform Rainbow Rose Explosion. Bunbee teleports out of the way at the last minute, but tells the Cures to look him up if they change their minds.

Afterwards, everyone hangs out at Natts House. Urara admits she's having trouble getting auditions and Komachi encourages her by saying she'd like to see her perform. This turns into everyone talking about their accomplishments and offering to help each other out. Nuts tells Rin that the bracelet she designed for the store is already sold out.

Kurumi brings in a huge plate of cream puffs, mame daifuku, and pancakes for the group. She acts a little indignant when everyone digs in but then smiles.

Nozomi looks at the atmosphere and brings it full circle by confirming with Coco that it's "Harmonious" (wakiaiai), a word she was struggling to understand at the start of the episode.

The episode closes on Syrup protesting about everyone eating all the pancakes, while Coco looks warmly at Nozomi.

The Analysis

What I Liked 

It’s corny but the throughline of all the girls working on their dreams is really, really nice. And the remarks that they miss each other pay off well when they sit down together at the end and bounce off each other so well. They come alive when they’re together.

Nozomi in particular is at her best this episode. You can see her commitment to learning, and this is the girl who was getting terrible grades at the start of last season. She wants to learn, and she wants to pass on that passion for learning. We saw her practice her teaching skills in an earlier episode, but this is the first time I think we’ve really seen the other side of it. She’s studying grammar and vocabulary, and gets to a word she doesn’t know, and tries to figure out how to apply it. It’s small but it’s big because of who Nozomi is.

Also on the subject of Nozomi, I like her speech during the climax. Bunbee is going on and on about how he’s their leader and he knows what’s best and they should listen to him, and she’s just like “We don’t NEED a leader because we decided TOGETHER to do this” (never mind the fact that she was voted leader in the last season)

somewhere between 6 months and 2 years ago...

Make of it what you will

Bunbee is hilarious in this episode, for the right and wrong reasons. His character has pretty much been a joke since Scorp died, and it’s really driven home here. It’s a half step forward on his redemption arc, but  I truly can’t tell if he actually buys what he’s selling. I have an easier time believing he saw an opportunity to take the Rose Pact back to Eternal and redeem himself there, as he brags about working his way up the ranks. Either way the idea that he can suddenly become Precure’s leader is so absurd it’s great, and he seems completely oblivious to the reason anyone would be suspicious of him as he tries to mansplain his way into authority. Also, dang dude you couldn’t get a promotion at your company so you tried to take charge of a group of teenagers? Not exactly moving up in the world.

What I Didn’t Like

Everyone talking about how they haven't been to Natts House in a while is ironic after what we saw two episodes ago, where they were all there except Urara and were so sad she was busy.

I know Karen is very studious but the way she stresses over her career path, you’d think she’s graduating medical school tomorrow when she’s at least three years away from even enrolling in university. Yet here she is with a book on pharmaceutical law.

typical middle school reading

If she started college immediately she’d still be 7-8 years away from earning her doctorate at minimum. I don’t claim to know much about Japan’s medical system, but I feel confident enough to say the girl is putting the cart well before the horse. I am not trying to say education and the pursuit of knowledge as a passion isn’t important, but she’s stressing way too much over this at the age of 15.

Miscellaneous

Mucardia starts to tell Anacondy about his plans for his next move, but we don't hear them. This is a teaser for the upcoming two-parter.

Bunbee is looking for job listings in a book called "WORKS". Very on the nose. The font and style of the cover is very childish. Karen’s book about pharmaceuticals is similar. They’ve drawn realistic book covers before so I have to assume this is either an artist who isn’t as stringent about that, or it’s an intentional effort to play to the show’s audience of young children (with books way out of their reading range, go figure)

Bunbee breaks the fourth wall by announcing the commercial break.

THIS IS NOT EDITED.

The preview for this episode implied that the bit where Nozomi and Bunbee talk to each other would last longer. That’s what I get for trusting the preview.

The transformations are a bit sped up compared to usual I think.

Milk does not appear in her fairy form in this episode.

Both Milky Rose Metal Blizzard and Rainbow Rose Explosion are used in this episode, a first. It’s also the first time Metal Blizzard has been used since its debut in episode 31.

Conclusion

It’s a really solid episode with a fun and kind of stupid gimmick as Bunbee tries his hand at leadership but does so in all the wrong ways. He’s trying to follow the tactics of Sun Tzu: “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity” but he misreads the chaos and doesn’t really act any differently from normal. The cures are all the better for it, and we get to see them rebuke his idea and come together as a team, while also seeing how they’re progressing on their individual dreams. We’re nearing the last quarter of the series now so it is time to start tying up those loose ends.

Next time, the first half of a two-part episode that isn’t the mid-season or finale as Mucardia makes his move and traps the team in a sinister game show. Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 0 kettei!

P.S. Yes, I heard about the Go Go sequel for adults. I’m as amazed as you all probably are.

[absolutebl]

alright dek dek

should I trash watch Be My Favorite? 

[sailorbryant]

My Top 10 BL's of 2022

Cause why not.

10. Secret Crush on You

The cringe was real, but so was how much I didn't care and just enjoyed the shit out of this thing.

9. Minato Shouji Coin Laundry

It was a battle in my head between this one and Old Fashioned Cupcake, but I'm gonna go with Minato. They were both great shows, but damn the sexual tension between Minato and Shin was just *chef's kiss* and the ending was so freaking satisfying. Add in the cinematography, which I truly believe was off the charts, and you've got a great show that I've re-watched probably three times already.

8. Love in the Air

Was it Mame trash? Sure. Did I still adore it? Yes. I'm easy like that. Give me barely any plot and hand waving sexual assault, but throw in a daddy kink and a man bun, and I fold like a stack of cards apparently.

7. Rak Diao (One Love)

I'm gonna get a lot of flack for this, but here we are. A lot of people didn't watch or didn't like this show and that's fair. But I respectfully disagree. The laugh track blended in for me very quickly. I don't know if it was just the nostalgia factor or the just the surrealness of having a very 'sitcom' BL I do not know, but genuinely enjoyed this, and so sad it didn't get the ratings it deserved.

5. The Eclipse.

Just call me a sucker for a good ol' enemies to lovers, pro-lgbt, anti-authoritarian high school BL. Would probably be higher if the last couple of eps weren't so weird, but deserves to still be here for First crying alone.

6. My Tooth Your Love

Great show. Only complaints are the lack of focus on the side couples, but just genuinely adored the progress of the main's arc. Gonna be a feel good re-watch for a long time.

Therapy Recommendations?? In my BL?? It's more likely than you think!

4. Not Me

I don't know how I couldn't love this show honestly. Enemies to lovers, identity porn w/ twins, rag tag revolutionaries attempting to overthrow the government, Sing as a villain. Just, fuck, it was like it was written with me in mind. I'm glad OffGun are coming back, but damn this would've been a hell of a high note to go out on.

Be gay, do crimes, and steal my heart I guess.

3. Semantic Error

Are y'all starting to realize I have an enemies to lovers thing? Cause damn. Anyway.

People a lot more talented than me have written way longer and better pieces on how great this show was, but yeah, it rocked. I've rewatched it multiple times, and read the manhua (yuck). Only complaint is the same with any Korean show, not long enough, but even what little we got feels like a delicious four course meal.

2. KinnPorsche VegasPete

Don't take this as a slight on KinnPorsche, because I adore them, but VegasPete honestly ensnared me body and soul. It may be a symptom of the fact that VP got less screen time than KP, but damn. It's just an obsession I'll probably not going to be getting over any time soon, and I really don't want to.

The not joking around enemies to lovers plot, the daddy issues, the straight up not fucking joking around BDSM. I mean, come on???

WHERE IS SEASON 2 BOC??? WHERE IS IT???

1. Bad Buddy

What's that? Bad Buddy came out in 2021 and barely had any episodes in 2022? Sorry, I've suddenly gone deaf.

But seriously, none of that matters. What matters is that the last episode came out in 2022 and absolutely rocked my world. I took the day off WORK for that episode. I made @bluebladerose block off her calendar at work so as soon as the episode ended I could call her and scream about it uninterrupted (and she, at this point, had not watched the show or any other BL for that matter). I could barely even tell her what had happened, and just proceeded to CRY like a child about it from pure damn joy.

It was joy in the face of pain, it was choosing happiness and love in the face of everything. It was letting all of us little queer kids know that it is possible to keep your family AND the one you love. It said that love was friendship, and happiness, and made you stronger and better and was worth fighting for no matter that it's hard.

It was cathartic and beautiful and everything I ever wanted. I'll never get over it. As far as I'm concerned, the moment Pat opened that door to see Pran on the other side was a cultural reset and nothing else will ever compare.

Honorable Mentions:

Old Fashioned Cupcake. Fantastic. Only one kiss, but it's a doozy

Love Stage!! Probably should be on the TOP 10, but it's been so long since I watched it, and couldn't bring myself to fight for it over any of the other shows.

Cutie Pie. The very definition of PWP in TV form, but who cares when Zee looks like that. Damn.

Unlucky-Kun must Kiss. Cute. Feel good. Did not live up to the High heat promise from the earlier episodes, but still good rewatch value.

Roommates of Poongduck 304. Cute. Loved it being about adults. Loved it.

Triage. Unf. So good.

Between Us & My School President Will be on the Top 10 list for 2023

Dishonorable Mentions that should be burnt in a fire:

The Miracle of Teddy Bear. The only good thing to come from this show was @bluebladerose's increasing horror as I spent four hours I spent explaining the plot to her and also this screenshot which was my background for a week.

(Yes, okay, there were some good parts and I did enjoy the dynamic with the mom as someone who is currently dealing with an aging mother, but also jfc I'm a good person and did not deserve that ending.)

See you all in 2023!

[respectthepetty]

I am currently hooked on Past-senger. I don't know how possibly may have a happy ending but I am enjoying its lightness and humor. Did you notice Bamee house is the house of Tonhon in TonhonChonlatee?

I have tried Love syndrome III because I like its protagonists but it's terrible. How can the acting be that bad? I know from other series they are not that bad.

How the Koreans manage to give us such a steady string of wonderful stories such as Unintentional love story and The eighth sense? They always leave me with a nice aftertaste I don't get anywhere else.

Anon, Taiwanese BLs are my favorite, but I appreciate Thai QLs because so many are produced compared to the ZERO I've gotten from Taiwan in 2023. ZERO! The last BL Taiwan offered was HIStory 5: Love in the Future, which shared the time travel theme with Past-Senger, and as much as I love Taiwanese BLs and the HIStory franchise, I think Past-Senger did a better job with it.

Quantity does not equal quality, so Thailand having over fifty QLs a year doesn't necessarily equate to great stories or production value, but, much like Vietnamese and Filipino QLs, there is always a solid foundation with some heart at its core. Also, Thai series are easily available, for free. I haven't nor will I watch Love Syndrome III because I will hate it, and not in a fun hate-watch way, but some who watched it liked it because that's the beauty of variety; we have more to pick from based on what we like and there is something for everyone.

Past-Senger, with its Tonhon Chonlatee house, has its issues, and there are plenty including spotty sound, a clumsy final quarter, and odd pacing, but as you mentioned, it does humor well, and it takes the time-traveling aspect seriously compared to HIStory 5. When Kiew lands in the future, he is constantly reminded that he is out of place and not meant to be there, while HIStory 5 spent the first episode on that idea, then quickly moved along.

Korea tends to go back to the past (Tinted With You and Once Again) or for reincarnation (First Love Again and The Director Who Buys Me Dinner), but there is always in underlying melancholy to these since the narrative makes it clear these are "right person, wrong time" stories. Korea loves a time skip like Japan loves to make its guys run. But the issue most people as well as I have with Korean BLs is they are too short to properly develop the plot, the characters, and the resolution. For me, something is always rushed or lacking.

Yet Our Dating Sim has done the best "left him because I love him" plot out of all the QLs I've watched, and I think Star Struck might do well with it also. Both also demonstrate the Korean staple of "right person, wrong time" with time jumps that I just complained about, yet they are done well here.

As much as I stay rooting for Taiwan, I appreciate a range of queer media because every show is doing something different; therefore, each show has the possibility of doing it better.

Gameboys and Hello, Stranger, both Filipino offerings, gave us love stories about the pandemic DURING the pandemic, but unlike my Taiwanese See You After Quarantine?, I feel like some dismissed them simply because they were Filipino even though Gameboys was one of the biggest BLs of 2020 with its mask-off scene.

I have trash taste. I didn't like Bad Buddy overall and I have intentionally never watched a MAME series, so you don't have to trust one word I wrote here, but all of this is really to tell you that as great as Korean dramas are, I encourage you to continue dabbling in other countries' offerings every now and then. I'm a HIStory 4: Close to Me whore first, and a human second, but I loved being surprised by how Bed Friends handled healing from trauma through a sexual relationship, how Moonlight Chicken presented generational and economic differences through a queer lens, and how Kabe Koji and My Beautiful Man showed how distorted views of self-worth can drastically harm the people who love us.

Gems are everywhere. We just have to be willing to shuffle through some dirt to find them. Consider Love Syndrome III your dirt, but perhaps a Mame series will be your gem.

[growing-fire]

I remember reading somewhere (probably @absolutebl's trash watch for love in the air?) that Mame has like a rotating cast of six character she uses in her novels and it really became apparent to me in episodes 11 and 12 of LITA... Sky in love suddendly started to mimic Pete's expressions???? Like the shy-gaze-from-under-his-bangs classic, or the way he carries himself now that he allows himself to be more vulnerable.

Also Prapai is basically parallel/contrary universe Ae... It went from poor>rich and demi who was never interested in anyone (until Pete) > a playboy (until Sky), but phisically it's obvious they fit a certain type (at least it's obvious to me that Perth and Fort share certain physical traits...), and in the relationship they are both very dedicated to break the other's walls and they come in swinging when the bad guys come back to hurt their precious (Trump and Gun).

[heretherebedork]

I already fear this. Will this be handled well or will it be handled like it's written by MAME? The ultimate question.

I want to love him but I can feel the 'he says no but means yes' just rolling off the screen and uuuugh. I don't want it. Why must it always be so?

Sigh, I'm so right. Damn. Not surprised.

A one minute preview of a show coming soon and I can just feel the MAME 'sassy because of trauma and it's gonna turn out that the guy who loves him might be pushy and rude and do all kinds of awful things but it's for LURVE' vibes. They're everywhere.

Is one of the characters trying to get away from a kiss really that sexy?

@absolutebl I look forward to the MAME trash watch we get with this.