#which is a gay romance set in the 30s

[obstinaterixatrix]

an autograph costs extra <3 for Shimimori

[taylor-titmouse]

The Masson Circle Collection (18+)

OUT NOW!

Even killers can fall in love. Set against a backdrop of early 70s Europe, The Masson Circle is a collection of illustrated queer romance novellas between assassins, thieves, and the criminal mastermind at the middle of them all. Originally released between 2020 and 2021, these three stories have been remastered with revised text, 30 brand new illustrations, and an exclusive bonus story. This collection is roughly 69k words.

All three stories contain some violence, references to alcohol, and explicit sexual content and images. They are intended for adult audiences only. Comes in DRM-free PDF and EPUB formats, and includes an image gallery ZIP containing all book illustrations, plus all the sketchbook content included in the original releases.

Daffodils

Retired assassin Ezra Platt loves his wife, Tessa, more than anything else in the world. For the first time in six years, the two are both in town for their anniversary, which means it has to be made special. What do you get the woman who is your everything, especially when she's an assassin herself? Perhaps the answer lies in Ezra's memories of meeting her...

18.2k words. Features fem dom, face sitting, and pegging.

Carnations

The Duplessis is hosting its biannual masked bacchanal, and art forger and thief Leonard Lacroix has been hired to empty its safe. Infiltrating the classy gentlemen's club is easy, but when he runs into an old flame, getting out with all he wants is not. 

17.4k words. Features gay sex in a private office. Contains the use of a homophobic slur.

Laurels

French couturier Mathieu Masson is a man with one foot in the underworld, the one to call for anything from a killing to a Caravaggio. But when a new client demands what he can't give, he has only his bodyguard, Jean Martin, to lean on. 

16k words. Features a trans male lead and tender lovemaking. Contains some queerphobia, and references to child sex abuse in a character's past.

This collection also includes Narcissus, Dianthus, and Sweet Bay, each an extra short story connected to their corresponding book, from the perspective of the love interest. Narcissus explores Tessa's memory of her and Ezra's first night together. Dianthus recalls the time Lionel and Leonard fooled around in a professor's office in college. Sweet Bay takes place just before Laurels' epilogue, as Jean and Mathieu settle into their partnership and open up about themselves. Sweet Bay contains discussion of child sex abuse in a character's past.

Read it today!

[gunsatthaphan]

the asks are piling up already lol so here are some initial thoughts on the trailers from today (in order of release, BL/GLs are marked with a 🏳️‍🌈, favorites with a 🌟):

Ossan's Love Thailand 🏳️‍🌈🌟: HELP this looks so chaotic lmao. I forgot about the show for a second and thought we were in for another EarthMix office romance kjdhgd. But yeah I have a very soft spot for Earth in chaotic slapstick roles and Mix fits in there just perfect as well. I have not seen the original and was concerned as a lot of people said it's not very good but I had a very good time with this trailer and I'm excited!!! .

Leap Day 🌟: I've been curious about this project ever since that casting call for younger versions of Dew and Pond lol and the trailer did not disappoint! The story seems interesting and I know Gun will eat in this role lol. It's going on my watchlist. .

The Heart Killers 🏳️‍🌈: **edit: not gonna lie, initially I was very disappointed by this. I was excited for the Jojo show but this seemed very random to me. I couldn't follow the story and the trailer just seemed like FK and JD were given a few guns and thrown into a dark setting which just seems like a clash of NLMG and OF. If JD weren't there, I would think this is a SandRay spinoff lol. I now know about the Shakespeare adaption which does change the way I view it a little bit but I still have concerns because I still have no idea what's going on lmao. I was hoping for something simpler and calmer for FK's new project so I really hope the show will be better than the trailer. .

Friendshit Forever: Legit thought this was a GL for the first 30 seconds of the trailer lmao but turns out it's another Beauty Newbie type of toxic friendship lol. I love the vibe though!!! the cast is amazing, Pat never fails to deliver and my girl Mook is back as well!! 🥺 I'm very much into the energy and the chemistries are on point as well. Sign me up!! .

Perfect10 Liners 🏳️‍🌈: If I took my glasses off I would think this is We Are season 2 lmao like do we really need another gay ensemble. And there's SO many others as well??? There were like 30 people on that stage lmao. New really said who doesn't have a job this year? done. I don't know what else to say, it looks very generic. I didn't expect PerthChimon to be part of an ensemble for their second bl and I sure did not expect ForceBook to get their 5th gig lmao. Good for them though. I'm still gonna take a look. .

Us 🏳️‍🌈🌟: YES I LOVE THIS 😩😭 I was hoping we would get another GL and I loooove the energy of this. It's giving all the COA vibes and I'm SO glad it's not another highschool romcom. 23.5 is nice but I'm so happy this is taking it one step further. I'm here for it. Emi was born for sapphic roles you can't change my mind lmao and her chemistry with Bonnie is on point. Simple story, big emotions and a strong cast - This is right up my alley. It's going on my list for sure. .

Hide & Sis: The title still cracks me up lmao but YES this is everything lol. The PLL/PSIHY vibes are STRONG and I love it. Snap25 never fails to deliver us badass girl gangs and I'm here for it. The toxic family trope is generic for these types of shows but if it's done right it works. And I think this will. Sign me up! .

Heart That Skips a Beat 🏳️‍🌈🌟: god don't even touch me this looks so lovely 🥹 I'm always down for a good idol x mundane romance lol and EstWilliam are a good pair for sure. It was kind of obvious that they would get something together but I'm still very excited. I didn't expect the whole LYKN group to be in it but I feel like this plot fits them very well. Plus the trailer is absolutely beautiful. Thumbs up!! .

Break Up Service: This looks meh to me, I'm surprised to see Jorin lol I didn't know she was acting. The story seems fun but the trailer did not catch my attention. It's a maybe for now. .

Revamp 🏳️‍🌈: Honestly I did not expect them to give us another trailer for this lol I was set on a different project for BounPrem. But yes this looks very expensive lmao and I'm hyped we're getting another vampire show this year. I also approve of the other cast members, especially Kay since I haven't seen him in forever lol and also Santa!! I will be tuning in! .

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist 🏳️‍🌈🌟: *starts vibrating violently* YES I FEEL NORMAL ABOUT THIS kjshdf call me crazy but this is my highlight of this lineup lmao. I got deeply attached to MarkOhm over the last few months and this is all I could ever ask for lmao. Ohm is my little squish and my boy Mark finally got his main role 😩 I'm so proud. The plot is not the most sophisticated lol but I am SEATED. GIMME. .

Dark Dice: This did not intrigue me whatsoever. Pass. .

The Ex-Morning 🏳️‍🌈: Anyone who spent any time on the internet in the last few months knew this was bound to happen lmao. I feel torn about it, K. is not off the hook but KS were my very first bl on-screen couple and I'm feeling very nostalgic about this comeback lol. I'm fond of the trend to bring back OG couples and I'm not gonna lie, yes, it looks good. The story is interesting and the fact that they play exes,,,, art imitates life lol. I think this genre suits them and hey, maybe this will become the second Cherry Magic. Let's see how it goes. .

Scarlet Heart Thailand: The trailer gave us next to no information, I'm guessing that if you saw the original you might have a better idea of what's going on but other than pretty costumes, this didn't give me much ground to make a judgement on lol. Let's see.

conclusion: All in all this lineup seems a lot more colorful than part 1 which is very exciting!! It had the typical light-to-dark structure that the first part (and all the previous ones) had as well but it's still more diverse than I was expecting. There are some disappointments and concerns but compared to part 1, this has a lot more promising projects that I will be tuning in for - Even the lakorns. I spent a lot of time on Twitter leading up to the event, so almost everything I put on my bingo card became reality lol. I noticed some changes in the production of the trailers where it seems that they are more carefully made and edited and I found myself connecting emotionally with them a lot more than in part 1. Overall I'm very happy with this lineup and I will be putting all of these shows on my watchlist with the exception of 1 or 2, which is something I couldn't say about part 1. Thumbs up!! 🧡

Let me know your thoughts!

[ririsasy]

OTTplay reported that Salaar part 2 "will have the romantic track of Prabhas and Shruti Haasan, and the makers will also shoot a dream romantic song in the days to come." Do you think this is true? Is there any chance these two won't have some kind of romantic subplot?

Where do I begin to answer this question lol this is actually a second question I got regarding Aadhya and Deva romance. 🌚

Okay I will just answer it as best as I can, if the rumor that there will be a romantic song sequence between prabhas and shruti I can’t really say for sure if that’s true or not unless they confirmed it through the Salaar official account, but if you asked about what I personally think about it if🤔 there is a possibility for them to shoot such scene then the answer is yes.

Let’s be honest, even during the interview with Rajamouli, jakanna asked Prashanth why he didn’t have any romantic chemistry song between prabhas and shruti lol and Prashanth said that he initially had that in mind

But then Prashanth said that he was sucked into the drama so much, when he said drama he meant the relationship between Deva and Varadha. (You can watch the full interview or just watched from the minutes 30 to 45, they talked about many things regarding the change of the initial concept).

When we talked about the initial concept of Salaar we also have to take into account about ugramm plot, in that movie the focus wasn’t just about varadeva relationship, it was overshadowed by deva and aadhya romance as main plot driven.

While Salaar not only that Prashanth had changed the backhand story of ugramm into kingdom setting he also changed many things just because of prithvi alone, so if you asked me if Deva and Aadhya won’t have much of a romantic subplot this time, there’s also a possibility that they would scrap much of it in order to make room for more drama driven between Varadeva.

Prithviraj and Prashanth keep emphasizing that Salaar is pretty much about Varadeva only and beyond that, it’s just a support to the main storyline, even Aadhya x deva. When Prashanth said that Salaar nees to be told in 6 hours story it’s because he needs that much time in order to tell a flesh out story about deva and Varadha high and low relationship.

Not to mention that many of varadha scene was actually supposed to be Deva scene with Aadhya in original Ugramm, so yeah Varadha basically has steal the love interest plot and Prashanth did it with full picture in mind about how he would like his story go.

In a nutshell, yes there’s a possibility for romance plot between aadhya and deva in salaar 2, i am not naive of that but I also think based on the track record of the interview and even the storyline that we have seen so far in salaar part 1, even if there’s a romance (because people can’t handle gay hero just yet) between aadhya and deva then it will be just small portion of the story even in part 2 I think.

Also the only way for Prashanth to really convince me of Deva and Aadhya romance if he used the mumbai police plot which is… spoiler below

Deva had to get into a car accident and had a concussion to the point that he forgot everything including that he is gay and super in love with varadha, because no way this man would love another person in his life except Varadha. I just couldn’t see him batting eyelashes to anyone else if Varadha was in the room with him.

[madeup-community-episodes]

Theoretics of Bisexual Lighting

Background: The Dean rents out a gaudy hotel venue for a Greendale faculty only dance and NOTHING ELSE THIS WAS ALWAYS HIS PLAN (lying). Its all nicely decorated and he even got some LED lighting, specifically bisexual lighting, which is pointed out by Abed. A-Plot: Troy and Abed decide to go together as each others platonic dates, but the atmosphere gets Troy REALLY thinking about his and Abed's relationship. (More under the cut)

He looks back and sees that for the past 6+ years he has always been with him, save the rare moments they fought. Troy starts to think about spending the rest of his life with Abed, but the thing is he doesn't want to stress Abed out with anything romantic, he doesn't even know if this feeling IS romance, but he also doesn't think its platonic. Abed notices Troy is avoiding talking to him and asks if he wants to go, but Troy says nothings wrong. Throughout the night Troy gets more and more caught up in trying to categorizes his feelings of Abed into romantic or platonic or even familial. Later on in the night Troy confess he loves Abed and wants to kiss and all that with him but still doesn't know what he wants call it, and Abed's just kinda like 'I mean we could make something up, just for us', which helps Troy a LOT and yeah they kiss under the bisexual lighting and to the song 'Somewhere out there' by Linda Ronstadt :] B-Plot: Jeff and Duncan, the night before, decide to stay the night at the hotel to treat themselves, in separate rooms. HOWEVER, the hotel had a system glitch so Duncan's booked room was given to someone else. Jeff lets him stay in his room. That room happens to be a 'Honeymoon suite' because Jeff wanted to treat himself okay? So first off, they take a name in the middle of the day because the room situation kept them up until late in the night, but someone forgot to set an alarm and they end up missing one hour of the dance. THEN Jeff takes an inordinate amount of time in the shower, missing 30 more minutes of the dance. After THAT Duncan can't find the suit top he was going to wear, only realizing he forgot it at home, which loses them another hour. and after more comedic shenanigans ('dont you dare wear that tie, I am NOT matching with you' 'its the only one I brought Ian.' 'idc'), end up missing 4 hours of the dance, Jeff tries to go down without him- he really doesn't know why he didn't while he was looking for the jacket- but the lock on the door breaks and they're locked in and instead of yknow, calling the front desk, they argue about it. Duncan's like 'Why the hell didnt you just go without me?' and Jeffs like 'maybe I like being around you??' and Ians like 'bullshit, you started ignoring me after I didnt get you the test answers' Jeff is all like 'jesus christ, I know I sucked back then but MAYBE im a different person now and want to actually put in effort to be friends again' and Ians like 'Well-' but his ankle does that thing where it just twists while he's pacing around and he falls HARD into the lighting system of the room and, through the divine power of comedy tropes, turns on the Honeymoon Suite bisexual lighting and jazz music. Jeff goes over to him to check if he's okay and yknow after a heart to heart like that (pretend the dialogue was more emotional Im not good at writing emotional dialogue), emotions are racing and they are looking into eachothers eyes all deep and shit and and gay kiss and make out for the first time. First time SOBER, that is C-Plot: Annie meets one of the caterer girls and she tries so hard to get her number because hoooolllly shit she was so pretty omg. She embarrasses herself a lot and at some point just walks away to the bathroom to cry. Britta finds her and is like 'girl you dont have to bust your ass for anyone just go and ask the world wont explode i prommy' and so Annie works up the courage, goes over shaking and lands the girls number. :]

Extra: The dean rented the venue originally for a furcon but that fell thorough and it was a LOT of money to just waste.

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love - 3/5 stars

The Fate of Stars by SD Simper - DNF at pg 32

A Gathering Storm by Joanna Chambers - 4.75/5 stars

I kept getting the Madame Leota room from Haunted Mansion stuck in my head as I was reading this (not a bad thing!). This book has a surprisingly low rating on the Storygraph, and I'm not going to torture myself by looking at the reviews, but I'm assuming it's because of the power discrepancy between Ward and Nick. Clearly it didn't bother me as I really enjoyed the book!

Dionysus in Wisconsin by EH Lupton - 4.75/5 stars

At some point I might get tired of Mid-Century Modern romances, but not this day. This book was super fun, with an interesting world and lovely characters. And a Midwest setting! I've spent a lot of time in Madison, Wisconsin, where this book is set, so I got the added bonus of knowing most of the places pretty well. There was even a shoutout to an obscure piece of Madison history, the Lost City in the Arb. I have to get the second book in the series now!boy

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan - 3.25/5 stars

I gave this book an extra quarter of a star for being written in 2003, when it would have been genuinely pretty groundbreaking. Reading it in 2024, it's very twee and pretty cringey (the queer utopia town would have been a magical fantasy in 2003, not so much now in a lot of places). When Levithan credited Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat books in the acknowledgements, I though, ah. No wonder. Hated those as a teen.

All that said, there's some genuinely lovely writing in this book, and it has its place in the queer canon.

The Greywacke by Nick Davidson - 5/5 stars

Super interesting nonfiction about the discipline of geology and how the early geologic epochs were figured out. Also gave me an idea for a historical romance about gay Victorian geologists.

Home Grown Talent by Joanna Chambers & Sally Malcolm - 5/5 stars

I think I loved this one more than the first in the series. The social media scandal was perfect, in that it was exactly as absurd as every social media scandal is, and thus hilarious, but also chilling in how even something so stupid can ruin people's lives.

The First Bright Thing by JR Dawson - DNF at pg 1

Prince of the Sorrows by Kellen Graves - DNF at pg 30

Reuben's Hot & Cold by M Arbon - 3/5 stars

Slight Foxing Around the Edges by Melissa Polk - DNF at pg 132

Restored by Joanna Chambers - 5/5 stars

Balefire by Jordan L Hawk - 4.75/5 stars

A Rulebook for Restless Rogues by Jess Everlee - 4/5 stars

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley - 5/5 stars

See my brain vomit about this book here. If you've been around here for any amount of time you know all Natasha Pulley's books make me feral. Absolutely no exception here. I cannot believe her first UK publisher dropped her over this book. Idiots! It's wonderful just like everything she's ever written.

In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kaye - DNF at pg 181

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason - DNF at pg 21

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun - 5/5 stars (reread)

Just as good as the first time I read it!

Exhalation by Ted Chiang - 4.5/5 stars

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic - DNF at pg 84

Crisped + Sere by TJ Klune - 4.75/5 stars

It actually kind of makes me mad that this series isn't Klune's most famous work, because it's real good. At this point it seems kind of unlikely he's going to continue it, but man, I'd love another book.

These Silent Stars by Chani Lynn Feener - DNF at pg 68

Trailer Park Trickster by David R Slayton - 5/5 stars

See below.

Deadbeat Druid by David R Slayton - David R Slayton - 5/5 star

I LOVE this series. Love love love love. Absolute must read. If you're a fan of KD Edwards's The Tarot Sequence, this series is right up your alley. It seems like there will be more after this initial trilogy, and there's also a spinoff book coming soon which I'm super excited for. Read them!!

[twig-tea]

Under the Oak Tree: How Do I Talk About This Show?

The Vietnamese musical BL Under the Oak Tree ended today (after a delay from last week for political reasons that affected all Vietnamese shows).

The music in this show is great. Full disclosure I am coming at it from a place of liking Vietnamese OSTs and Musicals, so I was definitely primed to enjoy it. But they do a great job underscoring the big moments with appropriate music, including very fun villain songs. You can get a taste of the music style in this teaser:

The story is...a rollercoaster lol This show has a lot going on. We go from cute high school romance to gang threats to parental trauma to forced outings and life-ruining betrayals to a timeskip and a twist and an ending that could be read as either very dark or a happy ending, depending on your preference.

My biggest critique is that the romantic relationship is not actually the core of the story; it's actually the protagonist and his friend who betrays him that are the core of the plot, especially in the last few episodes. That relationship gets worked on, but the core romance is just kind of treated as an afterthought.

That being said, there is a lot I loved about this too. There's a Lord of the Rings fantasy sequence that is fantastic, and there's a really interesting exploration of revenge and how satisfying it is (or isn't) that I found fun to watch play out. I also really loved that these were gay characters from jump (neither Dang nor Khanh really wrestled with their attraction to the other), and these actors can kiss.

Also just to say Vuong Huy did a great job, but it was sooooo nice to see some of the familiar faces again, especially in episodes 8-10! I love Duc Duy, Duy Lam, Gia Huy, and KaiBie, who have all been in several Vietnamese BLs before (Duy Lam and Gia Huy have costarred before in shows like Beef, Cupcakes, and Him, Duc Duy has played opposite Ba Vinh in The Most Peaceful Place, and KaiBie has been around since Hey! First Love, just to name a few highlights from their CVs).

If this sounds intriguing to you, Under the Oak Tree is 10 episodes, 30-40 mins each, on YouTube.

Discussion of my thoughts on the ending after the cut!

Ok, so MAJOR spoilers ahead.

Under the Oak Tree takes place mostly in 2011, but then there's a 15 year timeskip in episode 8. We find out over the course of episodes 8-10 that in 2011, after Linh betrays Khanh by lying that she saw him steal money from the band, Khanh's mother dies from shock at hearing him confess to the crime (in order to prevent Dang from being punished for defending him even in the face of Linh's eyewitness evidence). Khanh leaves Dang and the small town of Da Lat for the big city, remaking himself and his life. He runs into Linh, who has since married Dang, and pretends to befriend her and let bygones be bygones so that he can infiltrate her company and set her up to be ruined. As the final piece de resistance for his betrayal, he kisses Dang, and Linh falls down the stairs in shock and ends up in a coma.

This is the part where I think opinions will differ. Linh ends up in a kind of limbo, in which she has to either agree to go to hell and be tortured, or sit and watch her own memories over and over, unable to change them. She spends a lot of time unwilling to admit that she did anything wrong, but sitting and watching herself over and over seems to get to her and she comes to terms with the fact that she's caused terrible pain.

Khanh goes to see her in her coma, and yells at her that this is too easy, she needs to live so that she can be tortured knowing what she's done. We then get a sequence from Linh's perspective in which Khanh visits her in limbo and they reconcile and go back in time together to fix the past.

This is the part that could be read as dark if you're me lol. On it's surface, the show essentially wrote fix-it fic for itself; Linh never betrays Khanh, so his mother doesn't die, he doesn't move away, and he never leaves Dang. We leave Dang and Khanh happy and together and on the road to becoming musicians to fulfill their dreams as a team, with Linh owning a coffee shop seeming pretty content. But at the end Linh asks whether this is all real, or all in her mind, and Khanh replies that maybe her memories of the other future are what are all in her mind. It's left a little ambiguous.

That being said, the show also was careful to say that we cannot actually go back and fix the past. So the read that this happy ending is all in Linh's head while she's in a coma is a dark but realistic one.

I also need to talk about Dang and Khanh. In the present/future, Dang and Khanh are arguably not actually in love anymore; they're both too resentful of everything that's come before. This is the part that feels unreconciled to me; while Khanh and Linh got to work through their issues, Dang and Khanh never get to have that conversation, because in the revised past, Dang doesn't share the memories of the future that Khanh and Linh have, so he doesn't know who he hand Khanh became in this other timeline. He says explicitly that he believes no matter what, they'll always love each other and never leave one another; but we know that's not quite true. The smile that Khanh gives him after that speech seems a little sad to me.

I would have loved a little more time for Khanh and Dang to reconcile; for Dang to more fully own his part in not supporting Khanh in the face of his friends ruining Khanh's life, and in marrying Linh even after her betrayal, instead of going to find Kanh or at the least staying true to himself. And I would have loved Khanh to own up to giving up on Dang when things were difficult (to be fair to him, things were extremely difficult--this is another instance of a poor character in love with a rich character whose life gets ruined because of that relationship, while the rich character's life stays essentially the same), and making his life about revenge at any cost to anyone, including Dang, rather than just living for his own future happiness. With all of that hanging over them, it's hard to believe in their forever, even if the new timeline is real and not a coma dream.

Anyway! I really did have a lot of fun watching the show and the wild swings of emotional turns; I also feel like I understated how much I really love these songs. This show won't be for everyone, it's hard to recommend as a blanket statement, but to save you scrolling back up: if this sounds intriguing to you, it's 10 episodes, 30-40 mins each, on YouTube!

[hamliet]

It's A Boys' Love Story, Your Honor: Be Gay, Do Crimes

This review is often satirical and sometimes facetious. Or is it?

Anyways I got dragged into watching HIGH&LOW, a Japanese action show full of pretty boys punching each other. Aside from me wondering how all of them don't have CTE and screaming CHEST COMPRESSIONS when one character codes and the nurse like... walks away (he's ok the power of friendship is stronger than any defibrillator), it turned out to be a surprisingly excellent, enjoyable, and even poignant watch.

The plot is vibes at best and the narrative ideas are less formed than, say, those of Kinnporsche. But, what it does have down pat is characters. Pretty much every character is compelling from their introductory scene (except for the Mighty Warriors who exist purely to suck). The characters may not necessarily be the most complex or psychologically challenging, but they come across as intriguing enough, flawed enough, to carry series on their own. Like, I would honestly watch a full series based on any one of them.

To be honest, this show does more to establish who a character is, what they want, and make them interesting within a character's first 30 seconds than some high-brow directors do with three hours of film. I would honestly recommend it to anyone trying to understand how to characterize.

Also, it's basically a yaoi but with fighting instead of f*cking. It's just dripping in homoeroticism that they infuse with just enough plausible deniability that insecure straight guys can watch it too!

Although, being straight in this 'verse is pretty much a misery sentence for everyone except Kizzy and Kaito. I haven't seen such flagrant use of bury/break up your straights since Togashi.

But:

It's not a yaoi! you say.

To which I shall respond with numerous examples of what the f*ck is this then? The power of (b)romance?

Doubt. (Heh ifkyk.)

Cobra + Murayama

The same episode we get a girl having a crush on Murayama he's shown as completely disinterested because he's too hung up on Cobra. This leads to him seeking Cobra out. And also to him having realizations about himself. He's then kind to the girl, but not romantically interested. The framing of this Cobra-Murayama realization about himself with the episodes opening with a girl pining and ending with his kindness to her is clearly to get the audience thinking about romance and the other interactions in light of that.

Murayama embarrassingly asks to join Cobra in front of all the other gangs.

Murayama calls him Cobra-chan and sides with Cobra when all the other leaders of SWORD refuse. All three others have left but Murayama still tells Cobra he has his vote, even though it's not going to do anything, just so Cobra knows Murayama's on his side.

In End of Sky Murayama literally going behind Cobra's back to get Hyuga to agree to join Cobra's alliance to protect him, at personal risk to Murayama, even though Cobra will never know what he did for him, when even those most loyal to Cobra have abandoned him, is literally a romance trope as old as time. And it's literally set to inspirational music.

Murayama calls him Cobra-chan and sides with Cobra when all the other leaders of SWORD refuse. All three others have left but Murayama still tells Cobra he has his vote, even though it's not going to do anything, just so Cobra knows Murayama's on his side.

At the end of the movies, Murayama gets a motorcycle and is implied to join Sannoh eventually with clever color symbolism as @eatprayworm points out.

As if we didn't get it, The Worst literally shows us Murayama calling Cobra-chan on his phone and tells us that he frequently drunk calls Cobra by having him say that he's not calling about bikes... this time. This phone call shows 0 narrative purpose besides reminding us that Murayama's endgame is with Cobra.

Chiharu + Yamato

Yamato saves his life and then is told he has to "take responsibility for" Chiharu, which is totally not a reference to the common idea of a guy taking responsibility for knocking a girl up--

except it is explicitly because even Yamato's mom directly asks if he knocked someone up when she hears that he has to "take responsibility" for someone.

When they finally reconcile after Chiharu confesses to drugs Tetsu tells them "you look good together."

Chiharu then takes a bullet for Yamato. I mean, not actually, because it was a blank, but no one, not even the person firing the gun, knew it was a blank.

Tetsu + Dan

Whenever Dan expresses interest in a girl Tetsu gets mad at him and when Tetsu cuts off his dreads to be more appealing to girls Dan gets mad at him. They're in love your honor.

They'll leave a gang for one another.

They exist only in proximity with each other.

Tatsuya/Kohaku/Tsukumo

These old men are so gay. They started the fall. And by old I mean they're supposed to be like 26 but they are clearly played by actors in their mid-40s and so I'll just pack off and head to the Villages then.

Smok(e)y + Hiroto

Ah yes when you're wandering around Nameless Street looking for your older brother and he's not there so you and your other brother decide to leave but then! then! a sickly man wasting away everywhere but his hair (which remains luscious) walks in front of you, barely glances at you, and you instantaneously walk away from your brother and your life to go follow the twink. Much straight.

Rocky + Koo

Here.

They also use "anata" for one another. Which means "you," but also is frequently translated as "dear" because it's what married couples often refer to each other as.

The manga also implies they live together.

Yasushi + Kiyoshi

Everyone in canon refers to them as "Yasukiyo." They exist in a state of symbiosis with weird hair and insanity.

If anyone implies Yasushi was involved with drugs Kiyoshi will fight to defend his honor.

"He sacrificed himself for me!" ?????? That's a love trope, Your Honor. Don't worry, though. They're gay, so Kiyoshi survives his sacrifice.

Odajima + Todoroki

Fellas is it gay to spot a man across a battlefield and be so in awe you run over to him right away?

Is it gay if you then ask said man "you're different from the others. Want to play with me?"

Tsukasa + Fujio

Tsukasa mopes around like Bella after Edward left after Fujio moves away for like a week.

Tsukasa takes a bus ride across the country for the chance to fight his BFF again in the rain (wet, what is symbolism) and then tells him "I'll be waiting for you." And also "I should move here because it's boring without you."

Tsukasa might be held as a hostage but he knows Fujio will come for him. In fact his relationship with Fujio is explicitly paralleled with Amagai and Suzaki's.

Amagai + Suzaki

The redemptive power of love, as beautifully written by @eatprayworm here.

I mean Suzaki literally can barely stand and limps over to protect Amagai when Amagai is experiencing the consequences of his actions and then saves Amagai from himself.

At the end of the day all he wants is to be boyfriends with Amagai.

Probably my favorite ship because it's everything I love, meaning one of them is too good for this world and one is a bastard.

Nakagoshi + Nakaoka

Nakagoshi sacrifices himself for Nakaoka even in a parallel to Yasushi and Kiyoshi (don't worry, they're gay, so they live too).

Tsuji + Shibaaan

Do I even need to comment here?

And I didn't even get into Sachio's sunset conversation with Fujio, in which you visibly see the twink fall and then they, not knowing who the other is, subsequently meet and recognized each other on the battlefield like Mr and Mrs Smith.

Themes Too!

High&Low isn't exactly an uber-deep thematic exploration of what it means to be gay and do crimes, but the themes it does do it does pretty well.

One of those is indeed the redemptive power of love, which involves being seen and known. Y'know, that mortifying ordeal. Because love itself leads to freedom. It's true for Chiharu, it's true for Noboru, it's true for Arata.

Rocky and Kizzy/Kaito's story is kind of one of the best examples of the redeeming power of (platonic) love leading to freedom, and it takes like... 3 minutes? of the story. And it's not left unexplored; it's just succinct. Kizzy and Kaito are trafficking women and Rocky comes to stop them, and when fighting, notices that Kizzy is actually a transwoman. He stops the fight and says that he doesn't fight women. That's enough for Kizzy and Kaito to follow Rocky, giving up their life of cruel crime and atoning--truly atoning--by spending the rest of their lives doing exactly the opposite of their crimes: fighting to free women from traffickers and protect them.

The significance of that moment is that by seeing Kizzy as she really was, Rocky pointed out to Kizzy that she was engaging in self-harm, keeping herself trapped (symbolically) and never able to live as she could. But for Kizzy, to be truly free to be herself means helping other women also be free. It's also, even if unintentional, a good twist on the transphobic trope and conservative talking point of a transwoman trying to harm women (cough, she who shall not be named).

Kizzy also never styles herself super feminine even after gender confirmation surgery (as implied by Rocky that she received), but she still is a woman, and her being herself leads to redemption and freedom for everyone around her. We stan Kizzy and her loyal boyfriend (husband?) Kaito in this house.

Another theme, and connected to the idea of self-discovery and freedom and love and all that, is how to handle the past, a question everyone is always asking because as long as we're alive, we're evolving. Obviously we see that with the Amamiya brothers and the Mugen backstory, and we also see that in the present with Murayama and Todoroki. But we also see this most sharply highlighted in the conflict between Cain and Smokey.

Cain is not subtly named after the first murderer in the Bible, who kills his brother. Cain, of course, kills Smokey in cold blood, with Smokey asking him "did you come here to kill me?" and Cain affirming that he did indeed because if he doesn't, he won't be able to completely erase his past.

But the thing is, you can't kill your past without killing yourself. You have to embrace it and let it live. And something as precious as a life won't be so easily destroyed. To live, you have to live with all of yourself, the past and the present and the hope of a future. It's a struggle, it's a fight--but with people beside you, it's worth it. Almost like the fights in the series are a metaphor for struggling through life or something.

And then we have gentrification. Let's just say the horrors of it are not exaggerated. Smokey's death--and life--offer poignant social commentary on what happens when people treat others like they don't deserve to live, like they are forgotten, like they don't exist. Because they do exist, because they love.

When Cain kills Smokey, Smokey tells him--in all sincerity, despite being abandoned by his parents, living in a homeless slum, and being terminally ill his entire life because the rich poisoned the people in the slum--that he lived "the best life." Why? Because the scenes flash back to him meeting his adopted sister Lala, caring for Eri, meeting his gang. He had a family, and he loved them, and they loved him. When he dies, he's buried in that same slum and Takeshi comments that "to Smokey, this [place] is heaven." And it is, because heaven is love.

(Also, the "rich poisoning people by being careless because these people don't matter" is hardly unrealistic. Bhopal would like a word with you, Dow Inc, you sh*theads.)

In Conclusion

Things you'll have to endure: multiple Mighty Warrior music videos.

Things you get to enjoy: Hyuga being a Barbie girl in a Barbie world who shows up to fights with all the Durama Ikka and planned choreography and bespoke songs.

Things you get to enjoy: multiple twinks needing rescue from being dragged into the drug trade to save their loved ones only to get whumped in true hurt/comfort fanfic fashion before sobbing in the arms of their friends who welcome them home.

Things you have to endure: Noboru trying to convince Cobra et al to join the Mojo Dojo Casa House Kuryu Group.

Things you get to enjoy: The power of friendship saving Noboru from himself, Rocky from dying alone, Smokey from having no meaning to his life, Amagai from himself, Murayama from himself, Todoroki from himself, Arata from himself, setting captives free, and rich bastards who trod all over the poor getting what they deserve.

Things you have to just not think too hard about: gangs seeing drugs as the biggest taboo which I'm pretty sure is not usually the case but hey, hoodlums have standards, and also the evil guys keeping their secrets in a folder literally stamped with the label TOP SECRET.

Things you have to endure: Smokey dying. I'm not over it. Someone fight me to bring him back. But also it's one of the most beautiful death scenes in fiction.

Things you get to enjoy: Generally no one, unless you're Smokey, straight (Takeru), or yakuza (no one cares).

Things you have to ignore: why no one ever studies at these high schools and why they all look like they're in their 30s-40s.

Things you get to enjoy: pretty great rep of a trans woman that directly counters some of the most harmful tropes.

Things you have to endure: Noboru being resurrected by the power of True Love's Handholding, because the nurse literally RAN AWAY from a coding patient to "get the doctor" but it's okay, his friends beg him to live and he does.

Things you get to enjoy: a series that founds its premise in action and violence that offers a surprisingly wholesome, kind message on relationships, humanity, redemption, and love... whether that love is platonic or romantic.

But, I mean, Final Mission literally ends with the gangs defeating the evil corporation with a rainbow-colored smoke that takes over the sky of the city. So it's gay.

[dwreader]

What movies would you recommend for good examples of period costumes?

Ok since I could talk for literally hours about this I’m going to stick to periods that are show adjacent or relevant otherwise I’ll be here all day.

18th century (Lestat’s time):

Barry Lyndon (1975) - takes place in the 1760s throughout Europe so a little before Lestat’s time but honestly fashion changed very slowly back then so it’s pretty much the vibe we’re gonna see in s3 I believe. I think this is essential to understanding the period’s masculinity as it features mostly men and is also not about romance. You also get to see class differences in men’s dress as the character starts off in a very different social position from where he ends up. I also think Sam in his Lestat get up from set leaks looks sooo much like Ryan O’Neal in this movie I think it will be a major inspiration.

Dangerous Liaisons (1988) - this is pretty much smack dab in the middle of Lestat’s human life (pre-revolutionary) and it’s one of the few romantic dramas that actually allows its leading men to look period accurate cause somehow Hollywood decided calves and stockings were too gay for their leading men who usually show up to dinner parties in riding gear which would NEVER happen. Anyways I also think the character of Valmont is probably another big Lestat influence.

I also think movies like Amadeus (1984) and The Favourite (2018) are helpful in establishing to viewers that men did look ridiculous back then with big ass wigs and face caked full of makeup and it was not considered gay or unmanly!!

Gilded Age / Edwardian and beyond (Louis’s time):

The Age of Innocence (1993) - takes place in the 1870s so again a bit before Louis but I think now it’s important to establish that fashion trends are moving a bit faster as you’ll see a few decades later the big ass bustle look is no longer on trend but this is just a beautiful film to look at if you want a good intro to film costuming.

The trio of Merchant-Ivory’s EM Forster adaptations: A Room with a View, Maurice and Howard’s End are nice examples of early 20th century wear and again you finally get to see more class differences in dress. Also great references for men’s wear.

Daughters of the Dust (1991) - this takes place in Georgia around 1902 so getting quite close to the start of the show and it has absolutely gorgeous design like it’s the women’s silhouette so spot on. Good reference for the costumes on black women in the show. Also I think this is one case where the flowy down do’s hair in a period film isn’t anachronistic cause of the specific story they’re telling otherwise I’m usually like why are you an adult woman walking around outside with your hair down.

Passing (2021) - takes place in 1920s New York and features really lovely b&w cinematography and costuming wise it’s a really beautiful representation of upper middle class black families of the time and also has very interesting contrasts with the white upper class. Amazing book too, I highly recommend both.

For periods beyond 1930 I actually recommend just watching films from that era cause they give a more accurate representation of what was fashionable then not filtered through today’s beauty standards. For example the thin penciled eyebrow is almost never seen in modern period films cause no actress wants to shave off their eyebrows 💀 and their hair is almost always too long cause they don’t wanna chop off their hair.

Here are some good fashion recs of 30s-40s:

Trouble in Paradise (1932), It Happened One Night (1934), The Awful Truth (1937), Imitation of Life (1934), Notorious (1946), Mildred Pierce (1945), Gilda (1946), Orphee (1949), and a bunch others you can ask me for recs based on more specific criteria and I’d be happy to provide!

Also a film that’s a bit past the show’s timeline is Paris Blues (1961) starring Sidney Poitier and Paul Newman that’s also about American expats in Paris and it’s very good, everyone watch it.

[jenyifer]

I’ve read 10 more books let’s get a rec list here for future use for people to look up on my page or alone.

Disclaimer:I think reviews and opinions show a lot about who you are and your life exp so. I am a woman lover who is 30 with ADHD. I am cisgendered she/her. I like listening to books on my drive in and out of work. I’ve read and watched a lot of scifi and fantasy and these books reflect that too.

In order of most loved:

1. Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈⏳ Historical Romance. this beautifully crafted novel moved me to tears. Set in a historical, mundane world, it captures the essence of the original while offering a fresh perspective.

2. Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh 👯‍♀️🏳️‍🌈👽🚀now MC Romance very very low I like to think she’s a little bit some where in the ace spectrum but 🥹🥹 Avicenna gives you enough gay vibes trust me. It is a real journey. MC is broken out of her brainwashing and tries to save the Earth and Universe. It’s high Sci-fi fun. I really loved it.

3. The Last Binding Trilogy by Freya Marske 🏳️‍🌈👯‍♀️🏳️‍🌈🪄⏳🔎 Alright each book is from a different intertwined couple’s POV. Each book is very much historical wizard mystery’s found family. Each book has steamy interesting spicy scenes. I find this series more impressive now because I still think about the couples and its universe was fun. Side note the last couple is the best.

4. The Tithenai Chronicles by Foz Meadows 🏳️‍🌈⏳🪄🔎 it’s more historical than super magical but both books have decent mysteries. It’s about an arranged royal marriage one comes from a conservative country suffering from trauma which we get to see but is treated respectfully and not harped on and the other is a warrior who is a little neurospicy. So Velasin is so dear to me I forgive a lot because he’s baby and I love him. They have non binary characters and disabled characters in the story being treated like people. There is some very spicy scenes in these two books. The new character in the second book so amazing they reminds me of Tennal from Oceans Echo in spirit anyway. I liked them. But his spicy scenes had me blushing for days. A con of this book is it’s very emotional so depression trauma warnings.

5. Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🦹🦜 I can’t believe I forgot to do a review of this one considering I really enjoyed it. So it’s YA dystopian Latin America folklore kind of like superhero and god goddess. Really heart warming found family coming of age. Also in the vein of hunger games etc. I loved the universe and the structure of the world. Each character was well developed throughout the book. Main character is someone you want to see succeed. I’m so excited for book 2. Lots of neurospicy peeps represented in my opinion.

6. Simon Snow Trilogy by Rainbow Rowell🏳️‍🌈🪄🧛🏻🐲 Also YA feel book one has a lot of Harry Potter jabs but it’s not a direct parody. I also think in book 2 3 they take jabs at diff genres which was fun. The series is very funny has perspective from all the characters. The universe is interesting. Romance is decent. Lovable characters. It isn’t good to think too hard about anything.

7. The Unbroken by CL Clark 👯‍♀️⏳👑🪄 this book would be higher up if I wasn’t iffy on the main couple individually I’d rank both leads pretty high on best characters. It’s a book about colonialism political magic rebellion found family. It’s action packed it’s interesting with a good mystery. A disabled main character and a more male presenting lesbian with is something new. Touraine is going to do what Touraine thinks in her heart while Luca serves with her brain and wallet.

8. So this is ever after by f. t. Lukens 🏳️‍🌈👯‍♀️🪄👑⏳ Does what it says on the tin is YA. Medieval setting with standard fantasy quest group. Very easy read.

9. Out of the Blue by Jason June 🏳️‍🌈🧜🏻‍♂️🎬🎓very YA vibes. Very romance. About a nonbinary mer person on their journey out of the ocean to help a human and a film obsessed gay chubby human on his journey to get over a relationship. I would have this book ranked higher except for the ending and School vibes do kind of make me cringe.

10. Temperature of You and Me by Brain Zepka 🏳️‍🌈🦹🔎 about a boy whose skin is fire and human who works at a dairy queen. Mystery is weak some holes in the plot.Romance very immature. School age kids.

Okay so audible had a sale anddd I got a couple titles on there (if I have to spend a fortune on gas and tolls I’ll spend a small one on the books that keep me sane) and I have 4 Libby audiobooks checked out. I still have a hard time with wlw books. Or too much thinking. It needs to hit a sweet spot for me since I’m usually driving in hard conditions so can’t use the super brain on the story. Anyways any suggestions or recs would be welcomed!!!

[girl4music]

I don't want to come off as weird, but as someone who doesn't like (but accepts that it's canon) Xena x Gabrielle (since I always saw it as sisterly thing (doesn't help that I thought Gab was like barely 18 and Xena in her 30s), I'm genuienly curious at what season they decided to go for Xena / Gab cuz I grew up with early seasons and there was just sisterly mentorship and constant switching male love interests and no gay teasing.. Imagine my flabbergasted state when I finally found some later seasons episodes and suddenly they're in Japan???, Xena has a daughter I think????, Gabrielle cut her hair???, I think they got crucified??? Xena died??? AGAIN, WHY ARE THEY IN JAPAN???? Gay teasing??? Gabrielle is no longer an innocent sunshine cinnamon but like... depressed and angy???? I was so confused what happened 😭😭💀 (I wish we got at least reunion special, this show (along with Charmed) was my everything as a kid)

It’s anyone’s guess when they suddenly became a thing since the nature of Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship is left down to interpretation. The creators/cast/crew leaned more towards a romantic interpretation which is why the later seasons are more blunt with the subtext between them and even some episodes (like ‘The Ring Trilogy’) are more maintext.

I think most of the shipper fandom unanimously agrees that they became something more than friendship in ‘The Quest’ when Gabrielle had admitted to being in love with Xena prompting Xena (who was possessing Autolycus’ body at the time) to lean in for a kiss. After that, they were in romantic/sexual territory as canon best friends that are in love if not a canon couple. And I think that’s where the creators themselves wanted to leave it at. Best friends and soulmates that are in love. It’s anyone’s guess whether they became actually officially committed.

There isn’t much evidence in the show to say that the nature of their relationship was sisterly or familial in a platonic way since the creators/cast/crew agreed with the shipper fandom and embraced the queerness of both characters but it’s just as valid an interpretation of their relationship too. What is understood is that they shared a ‘love’ connection that went beyond the romance due to the soulmates aspect and although I personally believe that they were physical lovers too and an official couple in the last two seasons of the show, I tend to talk about that more than anything.

As for the last two episodes that happened in Japan. Most fans prefer to think and believe that it didn’t happen. I am not one of them. I like ‘AFIN’. I don’t necessarily agree with the plot itself but I do like the beautiful aesthetics of it and I thought it was an appropriate endgame for both characters. That Xena chose to stay dead and sacrifice her happiness to be ultimately redeemed and Gabrielle took up the mantle of the Warrior Princess and continued Xena’s legacy. I don’t agree that Xena should have had to do that but I accepted that she chose to do that and respected her wishes like Gabrielle did as it wasn’t about ‘the greater good’. This was about respecting Xena’s bodily and mental autonomy. The way I look at it is that while it shouldn’t have been that way because it was unfair, Xena herself chose it to be that way because she didn’t forgive herself and believed it was justice that she had to stay dead to avenge the lives of all she damned. It’s not a nice message. But it is a realistic situation in their world - in Xena’s harsh Universe. I see it as her final test or challenge in seeking her ultimate redemption and I think - well, she had to die first in this lifetime anyway given all they set up with their next lifetimes as Arminestra and Shakti in India. So whether it be at that moment or years down the line when they were old and grey doesn’t really matter. Xena never believed she’d ever reach that point in life. She knew she’d die with a sword in her hand and that was her Way in this lifetime. The Way of the Warrior.

I am not saying I completely agree with the ending as it is. But I am saying I understand it and I understand Xena’s state of mind and therefore her final choices. If she didn’t get to have that agency in the narrative, I wouldn’t have accepted it at all. I respect her wishes and therefore I do not consider it to be bury your gays like most of the fandom do. I think there’s enough there in the narratives and themes to justify it as an a realistic conclusion to ‘Xena’ even if not a happy one.

As for Gabrielle being 18 and Xena being almost in her 30’s when they first met. … I mean I’ve written about this before with Waverly and Nicole in ‘Wynonna Earp’. The old/young dynamic and age differences isn’t really a problem so long as it’s written well and it’s made clear that the older one does not groom the younger one. That they wait to start anything romantic/sexual between them till the younger one is of age or if they already are of age - till the younger one chooses to start a romantic/sexual relationship.

The younger one has to be the driver of what’s going on. The older one has to stay distant and let them set the pace of the relationship between them if it is to evolve into romantic/sexual territory. It’s made clear particularly with Xena that she likes the young’uns most of all and it certainly does seem like she’s a bit of a groomer in her Evil Xena era but it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she is when she’s all about conquering. Gabrielle could have been another Anakin or M’Lila or Akemi. But given Xena waited until Gabrielle was of age and let Gabrielle set the pace of where their relationship went… it’s not as much of a problem as it’s made out to be. There’s been much worse handling of this old/young dynamic in other shows.

Xena is relatively okay as far as that whole thing goes to me because Xena always asks or waits for consent. I don’t know whether I can say this about her Evil Xena era but since it’s never shown on screen how she interacts with her young ‘companions’ I don’t think it’s something that we need to concern ourselves with. She was evil after all. I doubt that was just murder and there’s plenty a Conquerer fanfic to explore all that. The Good Xena however - the Xena we know and love - she’s a very respectful and kind lover if it bothers you about the age difference between Xena and Gabrielle in viewing them in a romantic/sexual relationship. If it really is an issue for you in viewing that way, stick to the more sister/familial viewing and interpretation.

As I said above several times. It is anyone’s guess when and where. It’s just most of the shipper fandom unanimously agrees that it happened in ‘The Quest’ and Gabrielle was a consenting adult by that point and had already lost her virginity. So it’s not a problem. If you really want to know how to handle this terribly, watch Buffy and Angel in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Old/young romantic/sexual dynamics in TV art/entertainment - be it whether they’re same-sex or not - are generally handled better today than back then because there is much more awareness and education on what constitutes as ‘consent’ and what does not. As I mentioned above: ‘Wynonna Earp’ and the same-sex romantic/sexual old/young dynamic between Waverly and Nicole (WayHaught) is handled extremely well as they make it clear that Waverly is who drives it. Who initiates all physical intimacy or sexual contact and Nicole is always shown to ask or wait for consent.

Sorry this response was so long.

There was a lot to answer.

[denimbex1986]

'2023 was awash with leading queer men (finally), from Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal in the psychological ghost story All of Us Strangers and Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer in toe-sucking drama Fellow Travelers...

One of the most anticipated new films, however, is The History of Sound. The queer romance drama, adapted from Ben Shattuck’s titular novel, had pulses racing when Mescal and God’s Own Country star Josh O’Connor were cast as the leads back in 2021. (We can understand why. We suffered the same fate.)

From cast members to the plot, here’s a recap of everything that we know so far about The History of Sound.

What’s the plot?

The History of Sound is based on the Pushcart Prize-winning novel by Ben Shattuck, a collection of 12 short stories that are set across three centuries and explores the generational patterns of love and loss. Each following story provides a revelation of the previous entrant.

The title story follows two young men in the shadows of WWI who are determined to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen. Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor) begin to log the events, whilst falling in love in the process.

The adaptation is being directed by Oliver Hermanus and produced by Tim Haslam, Andrew Kortschac, Lisa Ciuffetti and Andrea Roa. Hermanus is best known for his Queer Palm Award-winning romance Beauty (2011). He also serves as the director and executive producer of Sky Atlantic’s upcoming historical queer series Mary & George, which stars Oscar winner Julianne Moore and Red, White & Royal Blue’s Nicholas Galitzine...

Who is in the cast?

The only two cast members confirmed for The History of Sound are Mescal and O’Connor.

O’Connor memorably starred in the critically-acclaimed same-sex romantic drama God’s Own Country. The heartfelt love story develops when a Yorkshire farmer’s (O’Connor) life changes with the arrival of a Romanian migrant farm hand named Gheorghe (Alec Secăreanu). Despite initial tension, the two soon become engaged in a passionate meet in nature.

Mescal, who rose to fame in BBC’s Normal People, recently starred in Andrew Haigh’s psychological adaptation of Japanese ghost story All of Us Strangers opposite Andrew Scott. The film follows Adam (Scott), a screenwriter who is pulled back into his childhood home “where he discovers that his long-dead parents are both living and look the same age as the day they died over 30 years ago”. At the same time, Adam falls in love with his “mysterious” neighbour Harry.

In an interview with Variety at the time of the cast announcement, Hermanus opened up about the powerful love story and working with Mescal and O’Connor.

“I instantly fell in love with Ben Shattuck’s flawlessly beautiful short story and knew I had to be involved in its journey to the screen. Paul and Josh are two of the most promising actors of their generation who will share with us deeply soulful performances,” he said.

“This is an unexpected love story that needs to be told — it is a journey through the life of America, across the 20th century and the traditions of American folk music, all seen through the bond between two men immersed in the history of sound.”

Has filming started?

The film had been slated to begin filming in summer 2022, across the US, UK and Italy. However, Mescal revealed in a May 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the film was on pause due to conflicting schedules.

“But the learning for me is that I’m just dying to make films with people I like, and Josh is one of those people that I would work with in a heartbeat,” he shared.

On 11 January 2024, FilmUpdates posted that the film was due to begin filming in March, this year...'

[isalisewrites]

Babes no the ao3 wrapped [writers edition] thing you reblogged.

Questions 18 26 & 30

...

Oh my god, I'm dumb. I forgot I reblogged that. LMAOOOOO.

Okay. Hi. How are you. Lemme answer these. Good grief, Isa.

18: The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

That would be Draco! So, in Elysium's Sanctuary, I've written ahead a lot and one of those chapters is 15 or 16. It's from Draco's POV. I completed the chapter and set it aside, knowing there was something off about it, but I'll fix it when I edit it. I come back later, reread it, and go, OH, I know what's wrong with it. It doesn't sound like Draco for some reason. Very weird. So, now I have to really edit with Draco's voice in mind, haha. I need his posh whiny ass to show up more, but also if it shows up too much, he might die.

*sips*

26: What’s your most common category?

That would be M/M for sure, but I also love to write Gen within that. I can't not write some kind of gay romance anymore now, so even in my Gen stuff, I need shit to be gay. Heterosexuality was forced upon me for 3 decades. It's time for shit to be GAY~!

30: Biggest surprise while writing this year?

Ho boy, let's see. There are so many. I can't just list one. For Terrible, But Great, I had a lot of, "Oh, wow, I didn't realize this." moments about the characters during the writing process. Lots of things that have been posted weren't planned, but fit perfectly. Plus, lots of stuff I didn't know that hasn't been posted yet. Editing really brings so much out in my writing, but writing ahead also really helped, too.

Another surprise was writing a Dadmort story, Elysium's Sanctuary. This story came out of left field and hit me like Truck-kun in an Isekai anime. I actually have another idea of a Harry is Voldemort's biological son idea that I've written some, but haven't gotten to anything post worthy yet. Plus I have another Tomarry story in the works on the side and am already at 8k words for that.

But I think the best surprise of the year has been just how MUCH I've written. I've written about 250k for the whole year now, which was my goal at the beginning. While I didn't reach my 700 words per day, never miss a day goal, I did reach the total word count goal of the year.

And I still got two more months left.

Let's see if the biggest surprise of the year is to finish Arc Two of Terrible, But Great. Crossing my fingers for that, hehe.

[ammstify]

Welcome to part 2 of my completely self indulgent Persona AU I made for my friend and I’s silly, gay, adult men ocs because I’m obsessed with this franchise!

Why don't we begin, shall we?

(**NOTE: This is part 2 of my Persona OC AU long post! You can find part 1 on my profile, or in the links down below! Also, I will be referring to my best friend and I's characters by their first name initials, sorry!)

Also obligatory tag for my awesome mutual, @greetings-inferiors! (Btw, love what you've written so far for Persona Green, keep it up!!)

When we last left off, I discussed in full about my best friends special boy and oc, F, and his own Persona Achilles!

Today, we'll be discussing my character this time; My handsome man N! (Completely unrelated to N from Pokemon Black and White, love that depressed prince though <3)

N is a 25 (if 2002) year old, or 30-31 during Persona 3's time (2009-2010), or 39 during Persona 5's time (2016). Regardless of age though, he's a handsome Mexican lad, who despite being just a smidge shorter than his lover F, is a pretty tough and strong dude! He's a masc brunet with a love for Greaser and biker fashion, who loves reading cheap romance novels, working on cars and motorcycles, exercising in the morning, and listening to 80's rock. He is very calm, cool, suave, and a really chill guy despite his sometimes pessimistic attitude!

Though like F, he too struggles with his own trauma and demons. But, through F's love and support, as well as his high-on-life attitude, N overcomes it one day at a time, healing their scars together while living with their heads held high.

N's chosen Persona of course is the other Mythological hero of the Trojan war, and the major supporting character of Homer's Iliad, Patroclus! Or Pátroklos, depending on the version/language used!

Unlike Achilles, who takes a human-like form, Patroclus takes a more robotic shape, resembling that of a transformer of sorts. Its big yet sleek, with parts of it reminiscent of both a badass old style sports car, like a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans-am, and some of the sickly designed cars from Mad Max!

The torso is big and bulky, with a leather jacket-like shape forged from the black steel cover the silver-blue metal skin below, with thick spikes similar to the ones on Achilles armor. Only instead of silver, they're a gold-ish tinted bronze. Its arms are thick and bulky too, with transformed metallic parts lining it all the way down to the hands.

Within its forearms, a pair long of bronze spear-like blades lie within, which can be ejected out similar to stiletto blades, or the Mantis blades in Cyberpunk 2077! This represents the two spears Patroclus had taken while acting as Achilles, in order to fight off the oncoming Trojan's! From its stomach, up, and hanging over its shoulders lie thick pairs of silver pipes, two on each side, resembling exhausts that pump out thin wafts of silver smoke. When the Persona is engaged though, it puffs out big plumes of black exhaust, revving up as it prepares to attack!

Connecting down from these pipes, to the topmost area of its stomach, also known as the Sarpedeon's midriff, a large furnace like hatch lies there, with a large visible hole piercing through the grating, lined with that same bronze-gold. This represents the fatal wound Patroclus had received from the Hector, the Trojan prince, while disguising as Achilles!

And not only that, but the blue flame that floats within the furnace-like engine that fills the torso. Despite its appearance, the area around the flame is cold to the touch, and will instantly freeze you if touched. This represents not only Patroclus' life force, but also his still existing soul even after death, and being set free by his boy being burned upon a pyre! Not only that, but it represents the damage N has faced in his own life, with the metaphorical cover over his heart/soul damaged and scarred.

For Patroclus' legs, much like its arms, they are made up of transformed metal parts laid over bronze wire-like thigh muscles, and hefty metallic calves with two deep azure blue motors. The right motor has the name "BALIUS" printed in bold black, while the left has the name "XANTHUS" printed in bold white.

The names and motors themselves reference quite a few things actually! Firstly, the names reference the two immortal horses Balius and Xanthus, who, while not chosen to pull Patroclus' chariot, were very close to him and only allowed him to touch and care for them. During his death, it was even said in the Iliad that the two horses wept for him!

Alongside that, it also references Patroclus' own love for horses, and a slight connection to the symbolism of dice that is often associated with him. Whereas the motors themselves on the other hand connect to N's love for engineering and his connection to being a car mechanic, which happens to be a big part of his life!

Anyway, the two motors connect down to a large pair of wheels for the feet, which allow Patroclus to zip around fast! Upon its back, it probably has a place for N to grab onto and catch a ride on the Persona if needed. Lastly, for its head, it has a metal drill-like Greek olive wreath headpiece, its mask-like silver head similarly shaped to N's while partly protected by the exhaust pipes. Its eyes glow a deep blue, and its hair is shaped similar to N's, resembling a layered slickback undercut, with a pair of thin metal strips resembling twisted overhanging strands!

Similar to Achilles and F, I'm not entirely sure was Patroclus and N's Arcana would be persay? Maybe the Moon, or the Emperor? Heck, maybe even Death or the Hierophant! But I do know that much of Patroclus' skills would focus on Bufu/Ice magic, a few healing spells, and a signature physical move! Think kinda like Morgana, Yosuke, or Makoto's Persona kits!

Also, can you tell I've thought about this one a LOT in-depth?

Anyway, now we can FINALLY GET TO THE CHARACTER DETAILS FOR N!

For his SEES gear, it would be a bulky black leather jacket with a blue or white tanktop underneath, zipped up partway for protection, but also comfort! He likes to have his chest show a little :3c Ofc, he'd have the signature SEES special armband on his shoulder. N would also have a pair of off-black pants, with pair of solid leather gloves, his white Evoker holster wrapped around his right thigh, aviator goggles, and a pair of big bulky combat boots equipped with steel tips!

That's right, his weapon are boots! Unlike Chie though, whose style of fighting mimics the kung-fu and karate films she loves, N's is a combination of Kickboxing, Muay Tai, and Jeet kune do! He strikes with his fists before delivering a combination of 1-3 big, badass kicks to knock out his opponents! Think kinda like how Spike Spiegel fights in Cowboy Bebop!

Anyway, for his Phantom Thieves costume, its a lot similar to his SEES outfit and normal war, but with a twist. The main inspiration for it is none other than the outfit of the protagonist of th Mad Max film series, Max Rockatansky! More specifically, the outfit he wears within the 2015 video game. N dons a wholly leather outfit like Max, and surprisingly, Makoto! (btw can you tell she was an inspiration for this? Like a LOT?!)

Between a leather jacket, with a single leather pauldron, leather belts, leather harnesses, leather jeans, leather boots, leather gloves, how many times can I say leather? And of course his mask, which unlike F's, is an ornate metal mask like this one, but yknow with the bottom half cut for his face, giving a strangely elegant appearance to this overall tough and rough outfit!

And last but not least, N's codename.... Fury, named after the "Furies", also known as the Erinyes or Eumenides, the Greek goddesses of death and vengeance who punish the wicked and sinners!

Yes, I know N is a cisgender man, but I thought it'd be a really cool name and tie-in, given that Patroclus' death is avenged by Achilles!

"But, Ammy, wait-" I hear you say as you look down, "Why is there another part???"

Well my dear friends and readers, due to the big size of this one too (and because I'm a sneak), I'm doing a part 3 where I'm going to discuss the 2nd Evolution/Ultimate Personas of F and N, as well as some fun miscellaneous stuff! Maybe even answer some questions, so I hope you look out for it after enjoying this one!

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

[elatedandexasperated]

So RWRB was a movie with some discourse...

In all honesty, the discourse has bugged me more than any issues with the film itself. I get a film adaptation not living up to personal expectations set by a book is... a response that people have, but the fact some people have been trying to convince people it's not worth watching bothers me.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen all of the love for it too and I know the antis for the film are definitely in the minority. No one can control how anyone relates or who is allowed to enjoy a piece of media, but the sheer hatred I've seen from some of the people on here for the film hurts a bit to see. The arguments seem to be no deeper than "x character was removed" , "there's these plot holes" and "it's too formulaic" that last one of which I feel was kind of the point: it's a formulaic romcom so that queer people can have a fairy tale romance story like the straight ones that get shoved down our throats from a young age by companies like Disney. McQuiston, an NB writer, has gone on record stating that a huge reason why they write is to feature queer identities and make stories that people like them would have liked to read and feel represented by when they were younger.

If this was a straight Hallmark romcom (which tbf, it basically is in terms of story structure, and I low-key love it because of that) it wouldn't have made so much as a blip on most people's radars. But because it features queer characters the threshold for scrutiny seems to have been dropped to the floor (insert "Get Low" joke here). I can get having criticisms of the film, I have a few myself, but the attempt to convince people the film is bad and to disregard it as a whole because of them ignores the positive qualities, what the film means to people in the queer community, what its success can lead to in terms of representation for underrepresented people in the community (Ace, bi, NB, trans, etc.), and an understanding of intricacies that go into adaptation.

At the end of the day, this film was competently made (and in my opinion, well made) by a gay director with an inclusive team and a deep care for both the source material and an understanding of what the film would mean for millions of viewers. It featured experiences and themes that are common to many people in the community with several very poignant messages that actually have huge metatextual implications with the film (The "forced conformity of the closet" quote sticks out in particular to me: the number of op-eds speculating Nick and Taylor's sexualities and how they've been mum about them makes me think a lot of people missed that one; also looking at you, people that forced Kit Connor out of the closet 😒)

The film is a celebration of love featuring characters that people like me and others in the community can relate to. Is it formulaic? Yes. Did they remove some characters to try and create a tighter narrative focused on the main romantic pair? Yes. Is it overly cheesy and so unrealistically sweet that it will give me diabetes? Delightfully so.

So ending on a positive note, I just want to run down some things I've loved about it:

- An mlm story with an actual happy ending that features adult main leads! (Credit to youth stories, they're important, but as an adult it's hard to relate to teenage characters sometimes)

- The charisma both TZP and NG just radiate throughout the movie

- Sarah Shahi eating the absolute SHIT out of every scene she's in (Touch her and die)

- Same for Rachel Hilson

- Uma Thurman and Stephen Fry (enough said)

- The acting overall was fantastic

- The care and work put into intimate scenes and inclusion of an intimacy coordinator

- On a personal level, I loved seeing parallels between Alex and Henry's relationship and the relationship I have with my husband. For the first time in my 30 years I actually see a little of myself in an uplifting and happy piece of media and not portrayed as a dramatic tragedy, villain, or inconsequential background character.

Tl;Dr if you didn't like the movie, that's your opinion. I'm not here to try and convince you otherwise. But please stop trying to convince people it shouldn't be watched. Regardless of your opinion, this film means a lot to a lot of people, including the author of the original book! Just let us enjoy this imperfect, but tasty cheese with our w(h)ine ❤️

[castlebyersafterdark]

heartstopper did feel very young and sanitized and honestly that’s fine. if it’s own thing. good for young baby gays lol. I think that wasn’t helped by how little I think the two leads had in terms of chemistry. I didn’t get any romantic chem from them. It was all very sweet and bland. I don’t think that’s gonna be an issue for byler if we get it. The two leads already have oodles more sexual chemistry just looking at easy other in a bedroom than the heartstopper leads had full on kissing. in my opinion. that is lol. byler chemistry when allowed to fully unleash will maybe finally make more writers explore the spicy side of the pairing in fics without all the shame? I find that a fandom in fic dies if there aren’t enough spicy writers or writers just willing to include spicy stuff as natural lets of their fics. frankly the fandom needs more grown ass women back in it and less children, cause those grown women are the ones who carry fanfic on their backs!

Can't speak too much to Heartstopper, maybe it was the themes and style of the show, the parts I saw felt a little stiff to me but then again, it seemed more educational and like a 'messages and lessons' show than a romance? Which is a fine genre for a young audience if that's the intent, that's pretty good. It seemed about as the same as nickelodeon teen dramas I remember as a kid. (Although. Remember something like Drake and Josh? Yall knew Drake fucked. hahaha)

But yessss. Explict spicy fic is honestly the backbone of a fandom. It really is. You kind of can't ignore the fact that for a lot of people, reading fic about their favorite characters having sex is what they turn to fandom for. Historically, that's always been the case. ADULT WOMEN ARE THE BACKBONE! This is true. Honestly, and I don't know how they do it, but the best porn and the best gay sex in fic is written by that sweet spot of nerdy ladies in the 30s-40s range, sometimes even older for certain fandoms. I don't know!! They seem to get it right the most!! I'd love to pick someone's brain one day hahaha. Bless the fandom ancestors who wanted noting more than captain Kirk and Spock making passionate love on that damn space ship and how they set in motion this crazy little thing called fanfiction.