#watched the final two eps and the film all today

[rocinawanda]

The Last Kingdom

Officially finished The Last Kingdom and watched Seven Kings Must Die.

This show is incredible truly, great storytelling and an ending I would wish for in regards to Bebbanburg.

I thought the film was good, although the pacing meant digesting information thrown at me was difficult so that wasn’t great. Overall, I’d love to think that Uhtred did join his family in Valhalla and as well as those shown, that young Ragnar, Aethelflaed, Beocca, Thyra and everyone he loved was there waiting for him.

[twig-tea]

GL odds and ends 29 December 2024

The end of the year kicked my ass, but I wanted to get one last one of these out for 2024! The last one before this was 10 November. If you're interested in GL older than that, check out my GL rec list through Feb 2024 and my #gl recs tag for the other odds and ends posts. New series marked with an asterisk*.

Currently airing (with thoughts up to 29 Dec):

The Fragrance You inherit 5/8 (Japanese, Friday/Saturday-ish, no official distribution but fansub on @isaksbestpillow's blog [thank you Siiri!] I have been really enjoying this show and have been writing when I have time (last post was for ep4). At its core this is a gentle show about kind people who love each other doing their best, which is always my favourite thing. Subs are on pause for the moment so you have time to catch up before the finale!

Pluto ep 11/12 (Thai, Saturdays 9:30 AM ET, YouTube) This plot continues to be absolutely wild. There's a lot of discourse around Oom this week, to which I'll just say: Setting a test to see if the people you love will hurt themselves in order to make you feel better is not loving or healthy behaviour, even if your motivations are understandable and sympathetic. Namtan is doing a great job making these twins feel like different people, and she and Film are still gorgeous together. And I have no idea what's up with the messy lesbian sides, but I'm on the side of all of them need a time out! I've been pretty dialed out of this show because it's not my thing, so I'm not that invested in any of the relationships going into the finale, but it's been a wild ride and it seems to be holding together for those who enjoy the high drama of this plot.

*Petrichor ep 5/10 (Thai, Saturdays, 10:00 AM ET, iQIYI) The procedural aspects of this show are unfortunately not well executed, but Engfa and Charlotte have fantastic chemistry. I'm also really loving seeing Na and Max again even though I am very worried about getting too attached to their characters. It's always hard for me when a show is about a police officer trying to do good work in a corrupt system because the only takeaway I can accept is that that is not possible lol but I'm enjoying seeing these two on my screen every week (except this week, because we sadly did not get a new episode today).

*Mate, 6/12 (Thai, Tuesdays, WeTV (uncut version)) This one is hard to describe. It seems to be trying to do for trauma in a GL what Love in the Air and Bed Friend did in BL--show a realistic depiction of trauma in one of their characters and have them fall in love, and be taken care of and healed that way. But that also makes it extremely hard to watch. The trauma flashbacks and trauma responses is rough. The main character is not very likeable but that's kinda the point, I'm not minding that part of it so much. There are a lot of things I like about this show, so I don't want to discourage views. Just go into this one informed, and make the decision that's right for you.

*INTP 1/? (Korean, Fridays (?), YouTube) This is the latest short series from RedQ, who produced some of my favourite GL short series including More than or equal to 75 degrees C, and To the Ex who Hated Me. No info on how long it will be or if it will be weekly, so that Fridays release schedule is a total guess. The setup of this one reminded me of Semantic Error if SangWoo realized he was attracted to JaeYoung at their first group assignment meeting.

Recently Completed:

Apple My Love 6.5 50-min eps (Thai, Oct 12-Nov 16, GagaOOLala and YouTube) I ended up feeling like this one bit off a bit more than it could chew, as much fun as I had with it, it was a wobbly landing. I was ok with the ending at the end but I spent a lot of time watching the finale uncertain about how I felt about all of it. There's a 30 min "episode 5.1" that is an important bridge between episodes 5 and 6 (and also includes a 10-min fingering scene, thank you show) that I think resulted from either poor pacing or realizing they needed to set up the episode better? It was odd but something to make sure not to skip. The show does a lot of what I love about Kongthup's latest BLs: it avoids the worst drama pitfalls and calls them out in the show itself when it uses them, and it is largely about being kind to its characters who are figuring themselves out. Warning for extremely hard to watch secondhand embarrassment in the first couple of episodes lol Kris is such a cringefail lesbian I love her. With the caveats above, if you don't mind secondhand embarrassment and want a comedy GL and are willing to be a little patient with the ending, give this one a try!

The Loyal Pin 16 65-min eps (Thai, Aug 4-Dec 1, YouTube) Anin was the bravest right through to the end. I really liked a lot of this show, but I found the pacing a bit uneven and the finale a little rough. It's hard, because I actually am happy with the way the show ended--it makes perfect sense and was where I was hoping they would get to the entire show. What I didn't like was how we got there. It seemed wild that Pin and Anin didn't at least talk about this possibility before we got there; and didn't feel like we ever resolved the disparity between the two leads, though the show was aware of it the whole time which I did like. And you may have seen the shouting about the prank in the finale, it was in really poor taste. In the end, this show was beautiful, gave a platform for promoting Thai culture (food, clothing, history), and had excellent intimacy. I really enjoyed the slow burn between Anin and Pin, and I loved that every character had and used the agency they had, but that the show was realistic about what was in and outside of their control. If you want a slow-burn and high-heat romance and are willing to be a little frustrated for the sake of the drama, and/or you really like a pigtail-pulling romantic dynamic, you should watch this show.

Red Whisper 8 10-min eps (Korea, Oct 2-Nov 11, YouTube) Honestly this show never got better after what I wrote about it a month ago about how its portrayal of bisexuality and nonmonogamy was upsetting. For the record one last time: Not all bisexuals are nonmonogamous, and entering a monogamous relationship under false pretenses and then acting like your partner is being unreasonable by not wanting an open relationship is shitty behaviour. This one is sadly not recommended.

The Nipple Talk 10 30-min eps (Taiwanese, Nov 8-22, GagaOOLala) I highly recommended the first half, and so I am so sad to say that I can't say the same for the second half of the show. I was really enjoying how much the show seemed to support a mix of monogamy and nonmonogamy, but the second half of the show leaned heavily into 'everyone wants a monogamous relationship when they meet the right person', which disappointed me. The show also tried to introduce some themes that felt very dated in terms of how they handled them (e.g. HIV) and I ended up just not really liking the Pony character as a person by the end. The lesbian relationship was super messy in a way that I did not find fun too. Mama was the best part of this show, and I hope we get more characters like them in future (better) shows!

*Soul Sisters 24 12-min eps (Chinese, iQIYI) This entire show dropped this week so I binged it in one go. The basic setup is a GL version of Meet You At the Blossom, except the gender fuckery lasts for most of the series and they don't actually ever get to kiss. I loved this little show; it is a frenetic, very silly and censored comedy, so calibrate your expectations accordingly. But it walks the line in a way that is palatable (or was for me, anyway). Without giving too much away, it is an open happy ending. The caveats for this one are that there is no wasted tape, so the pacing is rollercoaster fast, and the cuts are sometimes jarring. But it's a surprisingly beautiful show for the budget, and I really appreciated all of the ways they came up with to give these women shippy moments. Also, good lord this main character is so competent, which is a major weakness of mine. I had a great time!

*Whisper Me a Love Song 12 25-min eps (Japanese anime, Apr-27 Dec, HiDive) This started airing in April but there was a delay and the last episode didn't air until yesterday. High school lesbians in a band having embarrassing confused and misunderstood feelings all over the place (with good endings including a kiss for at least one of our couples). I appreciate that this anime is not playing with the 'are they friends who joke about wanting to touch each other's boobs or are they more' line, they outright say they want to be more than friends and then kiss. The music is good too! Recommended if you are feeling like a high school dramedy with good tunes that stays pretty light and is in the 'bubble'.

Recent One-offs, Side Couples, etc.:

My Hot Butch Roommate (actually a 2-parter) aired on bilibili 1, 2) and was subtitled by @douqi7s on YouTube (1, 2) These two are very cute, and this little short does a ton with the very tiny 5 minutes of total runtime it uses. Give the original bilibili uploads a stream so they get views, even if you watch the YT subbed version!

Fufuknows put out a new lesbian short titled The Choices of Two Lesbian Couples in Love on YouTube This was a great short (11 min) film featuring the story of two couples at different stages in their relationship, and the different choices they make about their futures. I really enjoy Fufuknows as queer short filmmakers, and I appreciate that they regularly include lesbian and wlw content in their bi-weekly (as in, every other week) fictional shorts that they produce and release. This one is recommended!

Aim's Lesbian plotline in the new Love Sick 2024 remake concluded (this was not a plotline in the 2014 version and it's one of the changes I really like and that I think works really well) Spoiler: she doesn't get a romance happy ending but her story ends with acceptance from her friends about who she is, which was lovely to watch

There was a brief of-the-week lesbian couple who wanted to marry in Spare Me Your Mercy Spoiler: their story is tragic, which is par for the course in a murder mystery

I am suspecting wlw sides in See Your Love I may end up eating these words but I was getting vibes, and so I'm putting this out in the universe now in hopes I'm right lol

There is a new Korean shorts production company on YouTube called Lovememory (Their first BL ep is out and the GL, First Love, has a trailer)

Mom Ped Sawan started airing but I don't have a source so I can't give any info or links unfortunately. If anyone knows of a subtitled source for this show, please let me know!

My Ex's Wedding came out in Thai theatres waiting for an international source for this too

Korean short film What's In my Bag was uploaded to Matchbox I haven't seen it yet but the trailer is on YouTube if anyone is curious! The film is available now for a small fee on Vimeo (runtime 12 mins).

Sastra film app YouTube channel has several short Cambodian GL series that come out weekly Honestly they are not to my taste but I don't like gatekeeping GL especially from smaller markets. I check in on these time to time and if there are any that I think are great I'll give them a shout-out

Ditto above with JPC media YouTube channel for Thai GL shorts if there are any that stand out to me I'll say so; that being said I haven't had time recently so if I've missed anything good let me know!

Starting soon:

Us the series, Thai, 18 January 2025, most likely YouTube (as this is a GMMTV show) Caveat that this date is a rumour, see comments

Fragrance of the First Flower s2, Taiwanese, 18 February 2025, GagaOOLala ok this isn't that soon but I'm just so excited we're getting this second season after all!

It is so, so nice that we have this much GL to keep track of, I can't complain! This covers a whole month of content and it was a month I was very distracted from my QL consumption so while I always welcome anyone pointing out stuff I missed, I would particularly appreciate it this round.

[fttlouie]

Significance of props in LFCT

I have been obsessed with lfct and its ruining my life. I need ep 7 and 8 now, today, NO YESTERDAY !! The best part is how well directed it is, rather, the direction in this show feels more intentional than other bls i have watched in a long time. The layers in the show, and the fact that the show trusts the audience to pick up on things is what makes me like it more. So I get frustrated when people complain it is too "unnecessarily confusing", isn't that the whole fun, to discover the story ourselves rather than have everything spelled out to us like we are just horny teenagers waiting for the two main characters to make out? (although that's exactly what I'm waiting for, but you get my point) Anyway, I'm sure there are valid criticisms, but I gotta defend this show because of my brainrot rn. :)

I wanted to compile a list of props that might have symbolism, can someone please help me organise and make sense of it. :)

1... Cigarettes: I found it odd that the show used a tracking short at the beginning and the first main character we see on our screen is Hyunwoo. The first conversation is also about cigarettes. The two students are punished by their teachers for smoking, and HW himself is hiding a pack behind a book. This immediately pointed to me that cigarettes must be a symbolism for something. Cigs or cigar, typically in many queer films or films with queer subtexts, have been a metaphor for homosexuality, due to the *ahem* phallic *ahem* shape, indicating to us that when two characters smoke together, they're probably fucking. Its definitely untrue in the context of show because we have seen that DH does not smoke but his dad does. So my next interpretation is that it represents abuse or trauma. Im going to interpret as whenever there is a presence of cigs = presence of abuse/trauma. We have not seen HW smoke but he holds the packet behind a book, aka hides his trauma from others, and put it in his left coat pocket, aka his heart. The two students are getting dragged by the teacher in the first shot, probably to get abused, hence the smoking talk. Whenever the dad beats up other kids besides JY and DH inside the taekwondo studio, he always says that it is because they were smoking. One of the friend and JY quit smoking because they were teaching children (they say that before DH comes to the funeral) because they do not want to transfer their trauma to kids, so quitting cigarettes represents stopping the cycle of abuse. They smoke together because despite us not seeing the two other friends being beaten by DH's dad, because they came from same, school, neighbourhood and time when corporal punishment was legal, they probably share the abuse. JY just came back from crying at his abuser's funeral so it feels fitting for him to smoke and reminisce his trauma. The dad is smoking indoors when DH confronts him for hitting JY. The dad and his friends are always smoking when they call DH and JY for their late night errands, the director could easily have them just be drunk, not smoke. But because they are all complicit in DH's abuse, they smoke along with the dad. I hope they bring up cigs in final two eps so we can see if its consistent. Its also fucked up that they used such a prominent queer symbolism with an abuse metaphor. Genius.

2... Vehicle: This one is also very consistent throughout the show. I am thinking the car represents their lives. JY uses the taekwondo van from his work. The key features of this vehicle is that it is bright, it is used to service others (picking up kids, dropping them off), it is rented, and it is big. Despite being apart from DH, JY is a positive person and his personality stands out brightly. If we look at JY's story so far, we can see that he is mostly a selfless person because he stood up for his friend who was getting hit, and for DH, and he probably has not changed much since that time as shown by the van. It is pretty sad to say but JY also probably does not have a life of his own, he is constantly influenced by people he loves and people around him. He works for his friend so he is using his friend's car (he returns the keys back to her in ep 6 before going to DH). It also means that the way he lives is similar to DH's dad (minus the abuse obv) as both JY and DH's dad drive a taekwondo van. Probably why DH does not want to ride in the van aka live a life that is so close to the image of his father. The taekwondo van had to go, and I'm glad it did. Side note but their first few kisses often happened on the back seat of DH dad's taekwondo van. Pretty symbolic that it was not on the front seat as both of their lives are being driven DH's absent father. JY also has never owned a car. The second car which he rented before going to see DH is heavily influenced by DH. Despite still being big and bright, it is a new and expensive car. It is white, just like DH's car. The fact that is rented also may imply that the life that JY and DH share may be temporary. I am scared. Hopefully he buys a cheap, bright car soon after everything is resolved and takes DH out. Make it more permanent JY, please. DH's car is expensive. Probably the only stand-out feature. His life right now is for show. He also has a lot of money. DH's car also has to go, start walking, get it towed away, crash it idc. DH and HW currently share a life together (despite the ambiguousness of their relationship) therefore they share a car multiple times, DH wants JY to drive his car aka, come to life. All DH desperately wants is to live his life with JY so this man keeps asking about whether JY can drive well, aka "whisk me away safely, thank you".

3... Food: Love. Thats what I think it represents. DH initiates the act of giving love first. He prepares food for JY. Always. And JY does not get a chance to return it, which is why he keeps saying that he wants to cook sometimes. He finally gets a chance to make food for DH and they eat together. JY also wants to eat with DH's dad, he says 'it would nice to eat together often' during ep 1. DH is uncomfortable because he does not have love for his dad. JY's parents pay for his meals but never eat with him in the show, they pay for his love aka they love him but never directly (idk what kind of twisted love it is). We never see them share the love between them last time because JY never gets around to making the lunchbox before the final test. We are also never shown the food they eat at the restaurant that JY chooses after they are reunited, their love is a shrodinger's cat at this point, we will never know if they shared a meal there together or not. We also see a conflict when HW wants to have a nice meal with DH after he books a restaurant. DH does not want to eat with him aka share his love with him. We never see them eat together despite going to a restaurant with their friends. We see a menu but never food. A twisted love once again when we connect money with food, representing what is going on with DH and his current friends.

4... Chapstick: No idea. Please let me knowww :(

Then there is the glaring ones like telephone, snow, taekwondo and alcohol. Is there any other, I want to talk about this show forever...

[snowbaamgyu]

In today’s TO DO (ep 142) When the members were doing the second game they had to do it without Beomgyu because they said he wasn’t in a good condition since he accidentally drank too much water when he was swimming. I feel like thats a great idea for a sickfic idk 😭

I searched “what happens if you drink too much water in the pool” and according to Google you get Symptoms such as digestive distress similar to a stomach bug, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and prolonged coughing

Thirsty Bear

I loved this idea since the moment I was watching the episode!! I was planning on writing it anyway, also I based this on that feeling you get when you are swimming and swallow water and get the need to cough or even gag (even tho I don't know how to swim LOL)

Anyway this is a bit rushed but I hope everyone likes it!

They were happily filming at an aquapark, everyone was excited to have a refreshing day even if it's for a schedule, it felt like a day off where all they had to do was play, the TXT boys really enjoy filming To Do.

It all goes down for Beomgyu after the second game, they had to be the last one to step up on that platform, everyone was pushing into the water whoever tried to reach for the first place, Beomgyu as a reflex kept on opening his mouth, a cough or two made their way, but it was normal, so they continued to enjoy a bit of free time after Yeonjun won.

As Beomgyu continues to play with Taehyun or Kai, he gradually grows more and more aware of a swelling pressure in his stomach. It starts out small, hardly noticeable amongst the fun and games of the water, but over time, the tension mounts until it takes its toll, demanding his attention. A low, rumbling gurgle interrupts his laughter, and he winces at the resulting twinge of pain. Despite this, he chooses to push through, until the gurgles and the aches in his gut turn excruciating, and he finds himself curled in by the edge of the pool, feeling a bit bloated after all the water he accidentally drank.

The staff was by his side in no time as Beomgyu's fingers clutch his stomach in an attempt to appease the pain, but the spasms don't ease, and a watery belch threatens to lurch up from the depths of his belly. He sucks in a raspy breath, his mouth set in a grimace.

"Cut the cameras! Beomgyu-ssi, is everything okay? What happened?" a lady from the staff asked, the rest of the members were just as surprised as everyone there, Taehyun helped Beomgyu getting out of the pool, still doubled over. He moans softly as another wave of nausea roils his gut, wringing the flesh taut around his abdomen. Beomgyu burps again, a thin string of saliva rolling down his lip as an uncomfortable pressure mounts in his abdomen once again, causing him to groan and double over, he gags suddenly, spitting up a mouthful of water in a desperate bid not to vomit.

A wave of dizziness washes over Beomgyu and he sways on his feet, eyes squeezing shut as a powerful, uncontrollable spasm wracks his gut. His throat constricts painfully, and in the blink of an eye, his stomach contents come shooting back up out of his mouth, splattering against the concrete surrounding the pool. When everyone noticed he was bringing up water they realized what happened, he drank too much from the pool and that caused him to feel that bad, making him unable to continue playing for the tickets.

He trembles against the aftershocks of his stomach's revolt and spits out another mouthful of frothy saliva. Beomgyu's cheeks are tinged pink with exertion or the sun, they really didn't know at that moment. The water he'd swallowed sloshes around wildly, sending pain through his abdomen. Each heave produces another flood of watery liquid, until finally, with a heaving gasp, Beomgyu's stomach is empty.

"It's alright Beomgyu-ssi, let's take him to somewhere more refreshing for him to rest" and then another staff member took him in a piggy ride way to one of those chairs where one can take a sunbath but whit some palm trees covering him, also giving him some plastic bags in case he needed to throw up more which happened some minutes after he laid down, his stomach rumbling and aching, Beomgyu tried to curl up but in that chair he could only double his legs a bit as a medical staff member was by his side taking care of him. The remaining boys were shocked, it happened so fast that they didn't know what to do. "Do you also want to take a break? We can continue the recording but I think Beomgyu-ssi will not be able to participate in the remaining games." They thought about it for a while until Soobin as the leader reacted first "It's fine, we'll continue without him until he feels better, we can't delay the recording."

And so, the next game began with just the four of them, Soobin begining the explanation, but they continued to have fun, that's what Beomgyu would've wanted, at the end of the day it was supposed to be fun.

[bengiyo]

Last Twilight Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last time, Mhok began working and was pleased with his salary. He may be rough around the edges, but he was doing his "easy" job. He had some initial friction with Day around moving his things and taking care of the fish, but things came to a head when Day tried to run from strangers seeing his condition. Mhok got triggered, thinking Day might hurt himself, and broke into his room. Mhok got fired, but Porjai came to talk to Day about Mhok putting himself through an exercise to understand Day's disability more and the two have reconciled for now.

I like the two of them straightening Day's room together and understanding the system to help him find things. It's a relief to see Day having fun with it.

The inflatable dino costumes are so silly. This is fun.

Now, Mhok, you know better than to swipe through someone else's pictures.

They saw Day making progress around the house and made him instantly clam back up by suggesting he go back to school.

Mhok's relationship with Porjai is used very well here. I love that she has moved on from Mhok and is happy, so I don't feel bad about her giving perspective and wondering about some jealousy plotline.

I like the pace of the relationship between Mhok and Day so far. Day is already asking Mhok for help on his own.

I will always love teachers who refuse to let students give up on themselves.

Mhok is a good listener and supporter. I like that he doesn't involve himself in the conversations between the family or the teacher, and that he aids Day's attempt to avoid notice.

Said the name of the show. Finish your drinks.

Thank you for keeping the lights on, Oishii.

I like how Mhok plays with the preconceptions that he doesn't know much to encourage Day to figure out some things. It's a very gentle approach that uses Day's own ego to move him forward.

WE HAVE FINALLY USED THE BANGKOK METRO SYSTEM IN A BL. 🎉 IPYTM came close, but we never went inside.

I love that Mhok tried to prank Day with the pink shirt. Later, in the dressing room, we know he's watching out for Day because he confirmed that he knew what was on the shirt he picked.

I like the way the physical tension between them around Day's exposed body is building.

And Day made Mhok get the pink shirt! I love this.

Mhok being sure to include Day in the conversation with the bookstore owner is a great touch. I like that he didn't let Day give up and insisted they find the book today.

Even if it's a bit artificial, I like Mhok slipping the book where Day would find it to help him have a sense of accomplishment since Day had been also sifting through books.

The last page is missing? How will we know the ending? Okay, Aof. I see you.

Increasing the price because he's Mhok's friend was so fun. It's the kind of detail that makes the world feel like it has a history. It was clearly a joke and let Day have fun.

Oh, we were having such a good day, and now Mhok feels like he has to defend Porjai and in a fight against Porjai's two-timing boyfriend. Now Day is lost.

Oh my goodness, did Mhok switch to the pink shirt to make himself more visible? I am going to melt.

Mhok is so ready for people to look down on him that he immediately owned his own history rather than let the mom hold it over him.

Oh shit that was great eye shine from Jimmy when Day started saying how much he appreciates Mhok.

Not sure what all is going on with Night and Day yet, but I like that he came to Mhok's defense after they left the room.

That was a really well done wind down for this episode.

More of Film next week!!

So, I'm really loving this show and so glad that a GMMTV show is back to sound episodic structure. Jimmy and Sea both feel much more attuned to their characters and their chemistry feels a lot easier than their last outing. This is a solid watch

[precuredaily]

Precure Daily's Sixth Anniversary

On April 10, 2018, I posted the first review in the project that became Precure Daily. It wasn't actually on tumblr at that time, but on Facebook. The plan was to watch an episode every day and just post some thoughts, but it evolved into reviews and screenshots and that necessitated a whole blog, and here we are. That was six years ago today!

Six years. It's hard to believe. I honestly, truly didn't think I'd still be doing this. Whether I petered out before the end, or managed to get it all done in the 2-3 years I anticipated, I figured I'd have stopped by now. But somehow I haven't given up yet! I'm still watching, still writing, and still getting new fans to share with, and that makes it all worth it.

The past year was slow, I will readily acknowledge it. I only got about 7 reviews out in that time, including the one that just went up earlier today, but one of those was the Go Go movie. That was a whole undertaking, it took me nine months to get out. Granted, for about 6 of those 9 months it was just sitting there unchanged. I'd open it occasionally to poke at it but then not end up getting much done. Maybe it still wasn't the best it could have been but I'm proud of it nonetheless. It was a good review for a good movie. Also, I got to review the very first All Stars, even if it was a short film. Having recently wached the most recent All Stars brings that experience full circle and it's real nice.

One small hiccup is that, at the time of writing, I haven't yet gotten out the traditional Honoka birthday post. I just haven't had time to sit down and gather artwork for it. Hopefully that'll come out in the next day or two!

Outside of the blog, let's look at the wider world of the Precure series over the last year

I said last year that I hadn't finished Delicious Party, and that's still true. When it was on air, I was watching it with a friend and she was really into it; we are going to resume watching together to finally push through it.

HIrogaru Sky's second half was good, it lacked a little bit of the driving power of the first half and the villain plot never properly came together in my opionion. I still love the characters, I think they're my favorite cast in a good while.

I did not watch Otona Precure. Although I've watched Go Go before, I want to finish this current watchthrough for the blog before I jump into it. Maybe I'll even review it as I go, that remains to be seen. I've heard mixed things about it and I'm not very big on the idea that the girls just go back to teenagers when they transform, but I'll reserve judgment.

Wonderful Precure did not appeal to me when information started coming out, and I fell off it for a few weeks when the first couple eps didn't impress me, but I decided to keep going and it's thoroughly enjoyable. I don't think it's going to crack my top 10 but it should be a solid middle of the road series.

I watched the Delicious Party Precure movie and Precure All Stars F with friends in fairly close proximity, and wow do those movies exist on opposite ends of the spectrum. DeliPa's film was one of the weakest Precure movies I've seen, while All Star F was phenomenal. I need to rewatch it.

I did say last year that the blog would look different when I finish Go Go. That is still true. I should be able to wrap that up in a few months, then comes the next phase of things. Deets when it happens.

And also just because I can, here's some recommendations for shows outside of Precure you should watch that came out in the last year-ish:

Oshi no Ko

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (featuring Wonderful Precure's Tanezaki Atsumi as a monotone elf)

SPY x FAMILY (featuring Wonderful Precure's Tanezaki Atsumi as a psychic toddler)

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger

The Last of Us

And I think that's it for this year's update! Here's to another year of watching and writing about Precure! Thanks as always to my loyal friends and fans for making this project a success: @sailorzombiestar, @vertixscribe, PaintedOutlaw, @hanasaki-tsubomi, yugimon135 (can't tag you for some reason), and my newest fan @nono-bunny.

Here's all my previous sappy anniversary posts if you want to go back and read them.

First Anniversary

Second Aniversary

Third Anniversary

Fourth Anniversary

Fifth Anniversary

[hils79]

Hils Watches Moonlight Chicken - Ep 5

I forgot this drama is only 8 episodes long so I'm over halfway through now. Wild. I'll be finished in a couple of days. Feels so quick after a 40 episode cdrama

So we're seeing what Alan and Wen were like before they broke up. I'm starting to have a theory about how this is going to end...

Also, it's weird seeing Mix kiss someone who isn't Earth. I've only seen the two of them together in dramas

Damn that fight scene was brutal but holy shit First and Mix are good actors. I was so focused on what was happening I forgot about the food that's in front of me

Thank god for Gong, who is apparently the only sensible person in this drama

Okay, here's my theory now that we're under the read more tag. I'm worried that the plot of this movie (two people who fall in love but don't end up together because of other factors) is what is going to happen to Jim and Wen. GMM typically doesn't make bittersweet BL dramas but this one is bit more mature than the others. I am bracing myself just in case this movie is foreshadowing.

That's about the highest level of praise you can get from a teenage boy

It's always Engineering or Architecture

Wen's just had a 'oh my kind of step-nephew is in love with a boy' moment. He looks so fond.

They don't live in a small town or anything. I don't think it's unreasonable for Jim to ask for someone who didn't show up at his restaurant and yell at him to deal with his loan application.

Yes, let's have a very thinly veiled conversation in which Wen is compared to a pen

It's just occurred to me that I've seen First play a high school student (The Eclipse), a college student (Not Me) and now a bank manager who I assume is meant to be in his late 20s or early 30s. All of these dramas were filmed in the last 2 years. That's some range!

Come on dude, don't be a total dick. You had better send off his loan application and not just toss it in the bin.

Okay, that's interesting given my comment above. Why DID Jim go to Alan's bank? Is he hoping to get turned down?

It's like he was reading my liveblog and is now answering all of my comments :D

Gong is my new favourite. He's so done with all Wen and Alan's nonsense

He is so right and he should say it

Well, let's see. We were having a nice romantic Christmas moment, then your ex-boyfriend who you still live with and share a bed with showed up. He yelled at you, then he yelled me, then he yelled you some more and shoved you over. Oh, yeah, and this dude is also in charge of whether I can borrow the money I need to save my business.

Okay, if this was closer to the end I'd be more worried that they were going to go with the bittersweet movie ending but given that there's another 3 episodes after this one maybe it'll be okay?

Alan really does like talking in metaphors. Wen was a pen, now Jim is chicken

I was saying today I am enjoying that for the most part characters in this actually use their words instead of just leaping to conclusions and making assumptions. Not always, but way more than most dramas. I'm glad Wen and Alan have finally had the mature conversation that they needed to have for both of them to move on

I still think Alan is going to end up with Gaipa but given that they haven't even met yet that may just be wishful thinking.

A good progressive boy

Bold of you to assume you can just move in with Jim

[clairedaring]

Okay! Not สาธุ related! But...

Wandee fucking Goodday, holy shit!

Yo, my best friend is fucking obsessed with this!!! I'm not a romance fan (which BL falls under), but that one time I had a sleepover with her, she could not function at all on that Saturday and just waited for the latest episode to drop. And then forced me to watch it with her! Aahhaha! Good times.

But her obsession didn't just stop there. She flew all the way to Bangkok last-last Friday just to watch the final episode with the cast in a theater and get this photoshoot thing with the main leads. She stayed there only for one night and came back to Malaysia the next day! It was insane! And to make it even more insane—it was during that IT outage too, so her flight was also grounded for hours!!!

That bitch's dedication to Wandee is whack, ahahhaha!

I do have a bit of fondness for people who like Wandee, even though I personally don't know what it's about beyond "doctor, gay love, a lot of purple lights in someone's bedroom." I remember the show being really casual and cheerful, which makes it a wonderful comfort show, I think!

----

Also, it's always fun to find a random Southeast Asian on Tumblr. I've got two Singaporean friends here now, so I wouldn't say no to a Vietnamese friend!

I'm Malaysian myself!

Oooh another southeast asian tumblr-ian \(￣︶￣*\))

I wish I could have attended that event too. Unfortunately, I'm currently in Australia for my master degree so I can't go events in Thailand. I totally would have if I were in Viet Nam though (I can totally understand how your friend feels though since I also attended a final EP screening in November last year for another Thai BL series that I was insane obsessed crazy about and it was such a fun experience).

Also not สาธุ-related and you might have already watched this but if you haven't yet, I totally recommend Bad Genius (2017) (available on Netflix Malaysia) which also stars James Teeradon (Win in สาธุ) where he also takes part in a money making heist scheme (the main character name is Lyn!!!!!). I think my appreciation for สาธุ is partially fuelled by the nostalgia I felt when watching สาธุ while being reminded of this film. It was the first Thai film I ever watched and also the reason I've been following James work until today, I'm so glad to see his growth as an actor.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Laws of Attraction ep 2

I've waited with bated breath all day for this and it was finally available at 20:00 on iqiyi (with a vpn via a google search). I've watched Be My Favourite, My Ride, and Wedding Plan today so this is going to be a whole different vibe 😂

I love my feral unhinged gremlin. I can't wait to see what he does this ep.

How does Tin have no bruises on his body?

(I just can't stop seeing evil!Nanon in Film/Charn...smh...oh god I love him so much though)

(I just love these two actors together. This is might just push me to watch To Sir with Love/Khun Chai sooner rather than later)

Curious. Why would there be something at Tin's home related to Tonthai?

Me thinks the bodyguard has a conscience and will turn on Tonthai/his father eventually.

At least the bruises actually look convincing on these two as opposed to any other bl.

I love the dramatic music.

A green phone case!...is Tin green, I wonder? A green screwdriver...green in the scene of the grandma leaving in the taxi...this needs looking into...

They don't really know how to end a climactic scene. That fight -, first with Nan (I love her spirit!), then Tin, then with Chan, and Tin again - it was all so great! And then...it just stopped and switched scenes and the music just went flat. Anti-climactic.

Also, I'm certain that it's not Charn's favourite shirt...it doesn't have enough frill or flounce to it.

So Tonthai is more brutal and heartless than he was made out to be last ep. Aaaaaand I wonder where he gets it from (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and all).

I wonder where the mother is 🤔

Oh! It's Tian's (atots) room, right?

Yep, Tonthai's a psychopath...or masking his true feelings because he's so disturbed from his upbringing and life...?

Ok, with this romantic music I can see how people are shipping him and the bodyguard.

It's a bit bright in this bar.

Yas! ORGAN!! And SILVY!

Oh, the subs look better this week, they got niece right, so maybe it is Charn and not Chan.

I forgot Charn has a sad, angsty past. I'm glad for the reminder, now I wonder when we'll find out more.

Oh, ohhhhhh, Tin/the family has a food stall. That's why they have so many plates, and that's what the furniture outside on the street is all about.

Right, so I think Charn is blue - which Tin is wearing in the police station - but Tin is green - Charn comes in wearing his blue but with green poking out of his left chest pocket over his heart (and not for the first time). Ahhhhh, I love colour-coding. (I think red is connected to the law and either the persona Charn has to put on as the ruthless lawyer or the person he was before he became jaded...time will tell.)

The mystery deepens. So I think I was right that the ring is to do with a parent - Charn's mother, it seems, and being blindfolded in the woods may be a flashback connected to it.

Yep. Still enjoying it. Still hooked.

[haeminlgc]

RANKING KING EP. 001: CONVENIENCE STORE DRINKS

Wow, okay. This was really happening.

Haemin had opted to film his very first episode at the agency since it was easier to borrow eqipment for the lighting and make it look a little bit more professional than if he was sitting on the floor in front of his couch filming. Although that could make him a little bit more personable and 'of the people'... perhaps a future episode when his channel became a bit more established. But for now he was content to use one of the spare rooms the company had since all he needed was a chair and a table. A quick check in the bathroom mirror later and he was ready to start.

"Hello and welcome to Ranking King!" He applauded lightly with a laugh. "This channel will be full of my--and maybe a guest or two--opinions so please don't take anything too seriously. This is all for fun after all! Each episode I'll rank things within a topic. If you have any suggestions of what I should rank next please comment down below and I'll choose the highest rated one!" Haemin grinned and pointed down as he mimicked typing on a keyboard.

"And todays topic is... ranking convenience store drinks! Yay~!"

With a loud rustle he pulled a plastic bag into frame and gave it a small pat. "They way I chose the drinks was by a conducting a scientific poll and-- just kidding! I just asked ten different people who work here at the company what their favourite convenience store drink was and then went and bought them." Haemin laughed and began to take them out one by one, pausing to show each one to the camera. "Some of them I've had before and know I like but there are a few that I've actually never tasted so I'm excited about that. Plus I'm getting rather thirsty so this is great!"

The next eight minutes showed Haemin taking a sip of each drink and rearranging the cans and boxes in a line until the final lineup is achieved from 'best' to 'worst'.

"And there you have it! Convenience store drinks ranked according to Yoo Haemin~! That's all for this time and I hope you enjoyed watching! Remember to comment if you have a suggestion for a video and I'll see you all next time! Bye bye, ta-ta, always yours, Minmin~!"

[atiny-for-life]

Full CIX Storyline Explained - Part 15

CIX's Full Storyline Explained - Masterlist

6th EP Album 'OK' Episode 2 : I’m OK

Episode 10. Puro e disposto a salire a le stelle

The name of this episode translates to "Pure and willing to climb to the stars" and is an excerpt from Dante's Purgatory, specifically Canto XXXIII. The verse is found at the end and signifies Dante has been cleansed of all sins and is ready to move on to the final part of his journey: Paradise.

We return to Jinyoung in the storage room with the bullies. He's still clutching onto the shirt of the boy he'd knocked down but now he once again sees him as who he truly is. The vision is over.

Jinyoung pushes against the bully one last time but notably doesn't strike him before he gets up and steps away. He ignores all the phones pointed at him as he turns to leave but pauses as he looks down at the broken watch on his wrist. Yonghee's watch. The one he'd found on the roof Yonghee had jumped from.

We cut to Seunghun crossing the street, face still an unmoving mask while headphones cover his ears.

We switch to Hyunsuk who is texting his father the following message: "Dad, wherever you are, be healthy. I am spending today happily." It's clear the words of the store owner have left a lingering impact on him. This is right after the events of Epilogue 4 where he left the rubix cube on the bench before walking away.

Once the message was sent, Hyunsuk looks up and notices a column on black smoke rising up from somewhere nearby.

It leads him to Byounggon standing by the burning motorcycle. They make eye contact for a moment before Hyunsuk grabs a hold of Byounggon's wrist and drags him away in a sprint.

The two run through a tunnel, and for the first time in a long time, we see Hyunsuk smile happily. From there, we cut to the dark school hallway where the two are heading toward their old movie club room.

Inside the club room, we get glimpses of some handwritten notes left around the place. There's a bullet point note that I can't quite make out because the handwriting is illegible to me in that thick marker but it seems to contain the words "Giving up" and "I love you so much", followed by another note that seems to translate to something along the lines of "God is us".

Byounggon and Hyunsuk sit down on the couch and Hyunsuk picks up the camcorder placed on the coffee table shortly before Jinyoung and Seunghun walk in together. It seems all four of them had the same idea tonight.

Additionally, it's also notable that all four are wearing the outfits we saw them in when they were visiting Yonghee in the hospital together which indicates this takes place before they visited the hospital together.

On top of that, it also means Yonghee is still alive at this point, albeit in a comatose state. The hallucinations Jinyoung and Hyunsuk had weren't of Yonghee's spirit after passing but a result of their guilt since they've been watching Yonghee suffer from afar without stepping in to help. Alternatively, it could also be Yonghee's suffering and desperate mind reaching out to his friends during his coma, pleading them to let go of their dark thoughts and find peace where he couldn't.

Seunghun takes out a letter Yonghee's mother had given him. It's a letter from Yonghee to them and it reads as follows:

It's been a long time since I came to this club room. It was hard to come back despite how much I've missed it. Still, I wanted to spend one of my last moments here. It's funny that the movie we made here is the only valuable memory for me. "Stella" must have been my life.Even if I disappear, I believe our time together will continue to twinkle like the stars.The way we looked at each other could make me breathe for a moment.I was happy, for that I'm thankful, and I am sorry.

As we hear the letter, we see glimpses of Yonghee's last visit to the club room, including him picking up the film clapper from the movie shoot which we saw him wipe clean in the Save Me Kill Me MV.

We can see him break down and cry as he writes the letter to the friends he misses so much. The friends who held him above water when he felt like drowning and who had now abandoned him. The friends he still wishes nothing but happiness for despite it all. So he makes his last words an apology because he still believes his death will hurt them.

Once they've read the whole letter, they put in the "Stella" tape Yonghee had finished editing and let it play over the beam projector as they sit together on the couch like they used to, though one person is noticeably absent.

This is where it ends.

After watching "Stella", they go to the hospital together where they watch Yonghee through the glass where he lies in his coma. Whether he wakes up from that coma later on is up for debate but I do believe the majority will see it as a tragic end where Yonghee dies and becomes a star himself.

[hospitalterrorizer]

diary335

8/20-21/24

tuesday - wednesday

watched ernst lubitsch's film 'the doll' today.

insanely cute movie... not a lot to say about it because it's a comedy, not to say that there's not a lot to say about comedy but it's a very lighthearted thing that's kind of funny about women, but it's more funny about people being funny about women, the joke seems to be that ossi is really incredibly sane, and everyone else, from her father who creates lifelike dolls for men, to priests, to normal men, they don't know how to see women as people, except some do, which leads to scenes where the humor is about how free she can be briefly, as she doesn't have to pretend to be a doll. the end of course is the man and her get married for real and love eachother actually, under no falsehood, total truth, it's funny how the male lead is such a doofus, genuinely fearful of women, seeming to be afraid because too many women are 'improper'. it doesn't seem to be a way of seeing the film has, lubitsch seems to be fond of women who are in some sense liberated though one can question how far that really goes (never are they far from men, even if they are perhaps... i don't know if free is the right word so much as doing a few more things than you'd imagine), and it's not like this is the point but it's interesting to think about that in context of the period, i do think this film does make an odd point of illustrating how strange men can be about women, in a way that does feel ahead. also, a way it's ahead is its humor... it's just actually really quite funny slapstick stuff and strange situations.

but really what i'm mostly feeling is insane and inspiring, are some of the shots, specifically there's a couple very intense shots of mouths where it's a series of shots all put together in one frame, of people babbling, and then another where it's a thin rectangle frame of two people talking closeup. very inventive editing stuff there! i want to see more like that. makes the stuff man ray did in the starfish more interesting honestly, to see something similar used at an earlier point for odd visual comedy, it does get at something about being around too many people. it is genuinely affecting when separated from the comedy context i think. i ought to get those bits, as well as the bits of ossi dancing from this movie, and see if i can use them for a video at some point.

otherwise today... i started work on a new song, and i got the tone down of one track a little better, imo. all looking up!! i'm excited about this new one, i think this will be the actual ep opener, feels right for that cuz it's a bit of a bait and switch almost, with how i want it to end... gotta do more tomorrow.

did not edit the writing today, and tomorrow's errand day so it's unlikely i'll get to it but i should at least think about it a bit more, that'll be good actually, just think about it, ruminate on what's there, if i can i guess. unless the heat gets to me in the car... bleh...

onto the final story in dennis cooper's book, the one i just finished, gold, is almost impossible to write about here! upsetting and sickening a bit and also really poignant in the ways only dennis can achieve, really horrifying stuff about acts we tend to imagine/assume are unknowable, and even in their being written, even in the internality given to these people doing them, they're still full of/pregnant with the impossibility of even beginning to know why, they just do, it's like the only way they can imagine going forward, impulses from masses of lonely planets, ugly radiowaves only broken equipment seems to pick up on. then there's this quality of, this is all that can happen, too, a strict math at the same time as the impossibility. it's the strictness of law, money, need, intercut against why it was even there in the first place... crop circles almost?

final bit today:

i was listening to this earlier, a truly perfect piece of music, always stops me in my tracks when i hear it, the acid bassline is so beautiful, how it evolves over the course of the song, just this bubbly thing inside your ears, it feels super physical, it's an architecture in space without weight or shadow.

i have to sleep now...

so,

byebye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bengiyo]

Our Skyy 2 x The Eclipse Ep 2 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Yesterday, we returned to The Eclipse and saw our student prefect boys and their boyfriends. We got to enjoy Akk and Ayan’s honeymoon camping trip before returning to the world and stumbling over some of their fundamental differences. Kan and Thua are being cute, but Thua would much prefer they engage in activities GMMTV is not brave enough to show. We all got to lament that Akk and Kan are still fantasizing about their boyfriends rather than engaging with them directly about what they want from each other. Wat is that film friend who definitely made a watch list for Akk that included Brokeback Mountain (and which I hope includes Big Eden (2000)). Namo is here, proving that Pawin was the primary scheduling conflict for Our Skyy 2.

On the political front, Golf continued to explore the ideas of the private and the public, and how these two impact each other. We also got to appreciate Golf’s deep love for Thai cinema itself. Finally, Golf continues to voice their frustration for what we might call keyboard warriors.

I’m having a great time, despite my need to voice my own issues with how we talk about these shows earlier.

I can’t listen to this intro anymore. I’m skipping it for the rest of Our Skyy 2.

I don’t want to get flagged, so I’m just gonna say I noticed how flexible Khaotun’s back is.

These two are so fun when they’re being sweet with each other. I hope Akk gets better at telling Ayan that’s what he likes best.

Love Wat and Namo teasing all of them. Ayan’s satisfied smirk at Kan and Thua spending the night together was priceless.

I love how meta Golf can be sometimes. “They’re talking about caring too much about others versus caring only about themselves…but it’s still the same story as before.” Also, Pawin is available. Please hire him.

Khaotun and First are so incredibly expressive, and you can feel how easily the emotions flow between them. You can see Akk and Ayan choosing each other even as they don’t know how to get past this fundamental disagreement they’re having.

“I think people hate or are afraid of something because they don’t really understand it.” “We’re so happy to be a part of your stupid dream.” GOLF IS COMING FOR NECKS!

Love seeing gay people on bicycles.

I’m enjoying the way these two kiss. It’s been satisfying. First and Khaotung follow through on the physicality between their characters after the lips stop touching so you know how they’re feeling.

I kinda like this brown outfit they put Thua in.

I feel like the others maybe know that Ayan has a surprise planned for Akk?

Akk, baby boy, it’s okay for you to tell your boyfriend that you want him around on your special day. So sad that it’ll be years before he stops putting everyone before himself.

Namo said You Can’t Text Message Breakup.

I’m sorry, but there should not be this much discussion at the urinal. Also, don’t touch your friend after using the urinal.

I love that Golf always cameos in their work.

There’s a kid from Niyomsil school here? I now need to investigate the history of Golf’s friendship with Au.

Okay, I cried a bit at Wat’s stunned reaction to winning an award.

I love film festivals so much!!

First is a great crier, but I still don’t like the birthday surprise trope.

Oh good. The friends knew about the surprise.

Sani smiling fondly at the boys also was an excellent choice.

I continue to love the text-level messaging in this show. You have to keep going even if you don’t know if there’s light at the end of the tunnel because you’ve done it before. You can do it again. You will do it again. That felt so honest from Kan.

I like how far along Kan and Thua have come, and I hope Thua gets the relationship he wants from Kan.

I have a lot of hopes for Akk and Ayan. They’re going to deal with long-distance romance and the continued difficulties of their perspectives, but the bond between them feels real.

They really gave us a shower scene and a domestic montage. We eatin’ good today.

Oh, I enjoyed that final “I love you” bed scene into a very suggestive removal of a shirt makeout and purposeful thigh grab. Very excited to see what First and Khaotung deliver in Only Friends.

Vice Versa next week with a secret baby trope. So…I guess that’s happening.

Final Verdict: 9, Recommended. I continued to enjoy what Golf was doing with this cast and characters. I loved how imperfect everyone felt here, but the desire to be more together lands clearly for me. Khaotung and First continue to be two of my favorite GMMTV actors, and I like how well they work together. I’m going to miss seeing Neo and Louis together, but I hope they keep up the good work this year. If you enjoyed The Eclipse, I think you’ll be satisfied by this special.

[eigwayne]

I watched almost all of The Lost Tomb 2 over the weekend, and then left off at the end of ep 35/beginning of 36 and switched to 2.5, to see if the transition is easier without the "4 episodes of trudging through the snow and making things even more confusing" bit. The plot transition is okay, but the Wu Xie actor transition is even harder than I remember from the last two times.

Hou Minghao's Wu Xie is playful but gentle in nature, very much a tianzhen wuxie Wu Xie (except for those horny looks he gives Pangzi and Xiaoge sometimes). His Wu Xie would probably weep and shout but pretty quickly forgive Sanshu for blowing him up. I'm not sure Hou Minghao's Wu Xie would even have the dramatic divorce arc with Pangzi in 2.5.

Bai Shu's Wu Xie is straight-up angry at being blown up and betrayed in a way that would seem OOC from Hou Minghao's. He's almost all jagged edges and fresh hurt. It doesn't make it wrong but it does give one whiplash, because we've just spent 35 or 40 eps with the cinnamon roll-est of Wu Xies, and now we've got the most sharp-edged Wu Xie yet to be filmed. He's pre-Shahai mode but it's seven years too early.

So yeah, the whiplash is the worst part. Bai Shu's not bad overall and personally, I was more annoyed that they went with jet-black hair on Wu Xie but brown tints on Xiaoge of all people than I was about the personality interpretations.

Of course, today I have no attention span so I started a bunch of different shows until I settled on Parallel World (2023). I can see why people love Ni Ni, right away, holy shit. Also my girl Meng Ziyi finally appeared in ep 4! For like a whole second!

[lgchyejoo]

₊˚✧    ››    CRYSTALLIS YOUTUBE SHOW  // hyejoo0joo ep 1

she feels a little awkward filming for her youtube show, because it was just recently that she started to feel better about being by herself without the other members when filming. it had been nerve wracking being at lee mujin service by herself, and she wondered how solo artists could stand doing this. but now that she has to make an entire show with just her alone, she wondered if she could do it and make it interesting for the viewers.

but she tells herself that the people watching would be people who already have an interest in hyejoo and crystallis, and that they wouldn't judge her for little mistakes here and there. plus, there was an entire editing team that would help her if anything happened.

she stands in front of a traditional palace, hands clasped in front of her as the cameras start rolling. "hi everyone! i'm youngwon from crystallis, but today i'm—" she waves her hand in the air with a flourish. "youngwon, joseon princess!"

hyejoo thought it was a fun concept to be a princess, a play on her name and the nickname that her fans called her. and she could use this time to showcase all the culture and art that korea has, which are two things that always interested her. and maybe the public will like her for being true to her korean roots even after being born in america, so it's like killing two birds with one stone.

"in this show you'll follow me on my princess duties, so for today we're going to get dressed! we're going to meet with a master hanbok maker to learn." hanbok is one of the more recognizable pillars of korean history and culture, so she thought she could start with something easy by talking about the clothing back in the day and how it's made.

she goes into the store with an expert, looking at all the racks of fabrics and clothing. "i think for today, i'll wear a purple one, since that's my crystallis color." one purple hanbok with butterflies catches her eye, and before long she's dressed with her hair in a braid behind her back.

"ta-dah!" she says, spinning around in a circle. "this is my final outfit! thank you for watching the first episode of Hyejoo0joo, and see you next time!"

[spogwam]

Final Year Project Research - 1

It’s great to be back, I’m dead excited to get on with the development of my film idea. I outlined the idea as developed so far to the class, and got some great film/series recommendations in Beautiful Boy, Euphoria (Season 2 Ep.2), Mommy and Christiane F. They look great and I will check them all out and discuss them here at some point, thank you for your suggestions. Thus far, I’m certain I would like my film to explore typically social realist themes through both theatrical and conventional techniques in contrast. I will be approaching this film as a writer and director, and so those particular roles, and how I approach them will be the focus of my research this semester.  

As I write this, I feel my work has matured significantly since I made my first film almost four years ago. Dropping Gear, for example, was at its core an excuse to have badass coke snorting sequences using lactose as prop gear. My intentions at the inception of that film project were similar to my intentions today, to raise awareness of drug problems in the Highlands from which I hail, but I became carried away by the power a director wields, indulging in it at every turn. The sinus infection I contracted from snorting all of that lactose was cosmic karma for my overzealous approach. I cannot link the full film here unfortunately as it will get me in bother with the polis (no joke). 

Today, my idea has mutated into a similar film narratively, with much darkly comedic writing in exploring a day in the life of two boys who take drugs regularly, one out of sheer nihilism, and one with a much more ambivalent reason. It is still set in a small town, but this time the town acts as a microcosm for Scotland as a whole, with these two boys’ monologues propelling us through the films thematic core, giving no easy answers, instead posing many politically charged questions. I am accustomed to the local dialect of the teuchter variety, and am having a lot of fun writing the dialogue so far, remembering growing up with my best pals and chatting shite about the streets. 

Although it is dialogue heavy, I plan on embracing silence as an emotional mechanism in key scenes of my film, and am looking to Scorsese and other pros for inspiration on this.  

I look to directors like Alan Clarke or (early) Nicolas Winding Refn for inspiration, the travelling sequences in the likes of Road (1987) or Pusher (1996) are fantastic at world building, showing poverty-stricken locations during dialogues scenes on the move to justify the presence and trade of illicit substances instead of telling it to us through any kind of exposition. It's dead clever stuff, and is a tool I’m keen to employ in my own film.  

Subtlety in writing is also something key to this project. I’ve done it before, gotten carried away and the message has become muddled. I am overcoming this possibility by writing these monologues from a unique perspective: boys who although speaking to themselves, cannot even trust themselves. This creates interesting subtext in the inherent dishonesty of their words. This is the approach I am taking to my work so far for my Final Year Project Research, and am feeling more creatively fulfilled than I have in yonks. I’ve been sparse in the past with my blog updates, but I plan to post as much as possible this semester, whether there’s been a creative breakthrough or not. I look forward to reading other people’s blogs and keeping up with their projects as they sound great. Watch this space!