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syrena-del-mar · 11 months

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Balancing Self-Absorption and Love in La Pluie

This week there's not much left for me theorize as the pieces of the puzzle that La Pluie has set up since the very first episode are finally coming together. There's something so good about a show that takes you exactly where you expect it, but still delivers in a way that is beyond expectation. La Pluie has hit every romance trope but has able to subvert it in ways that are unexpected.

I think it's been long established that Tai spends his time with his nose in Nora Roberts novels for far too long. So often the characters in her book get swept up by the idea of love and falling in love. As a reader you forget about the family and friends of the characters (sometimes even the romantic partner), because the characters, themselves, forget about them as they're so focused on their dizzying romance and are focused in on their own emotions. So it's not surprising that Tai only focuses on his own romantic problems and his own feelings, to the detriment of his family and even Patts.

[Disclaimer: I had been working on this before I read @slayerkitty's important post delineating that he likely acts how he does due to his trauma with how his parents divorced. I do think this is a point of view that is important to keep in mind.]

Wow, never have I felt so vindicated than with this episode of La Pluie. It really hit the last nail in the coffin for me about the way Tai and Tien's sibling relationship works. Last week, when talking about the differences between the four and when it came to Tien I couldn't help but say, "He'll go back to being the doting and hard-headed brother of Tai, not even seeking an apology for leaving him behind, for not checking up on him, because he'll never expect that out of his brother. He's Tai's emotional caretaker, not the other way around." And when I first delved into the birth order theory of the Saeng brothers, I posed the question of who would be the first to notice that Tien is fragile and hurting. I got my answer now. It's definitely not Tai and it'll never be Tai if he never learns to look outside of his own emotional needs and wants.

The thing about Tai is that he's nice, but he's not necessarily kind. Self-absorbed and self-centered both have a very negative connotation, typically because they're terms that tend to be connected with characters that are portrayed as vapid, so when I utilize these terms to describe Tai I don't intend for any of that extremely negative undertone. The reality is that Tai is self-absorbed and self-centered, in the plainest sense of those words. He's so preoccupied with his own emotions and his affairs that he forgets about those that he cares about. And if he does remember them, more often than not, he'll lash out or throw a jab at them. Tai makes choices that he believes will protect him, not necessarily the most rational ones and it's aggravating. @sunshinechay put it succinctly, Tai's making the most ugly choices and La Pluie is letting him be unlikeable without making him out to be the villain.

La Pluie has repeatedly been showing us that this is Tai's major character flaw. We saw this with how he treats his mother, blaming her for the divorce without knowing how hard both parents tried to make the marriage work. We saw this with Patts, from ignoring him for two years to expecting Patts to read his mind with no verbal confirmation of Tai's feelings. We heard from Bow how he closed himself off and didn't interact with co-workers. Hell, today's conversation with her, she tries to help Tai see it from Patts point of view, but he cuts her off because he doesn't want to be hurt by love again. And Tien... Tien who reaches out to him first, who looks out for Tai, who goes to Tai in search of a safe space but won't every fully get it.

I whole-heartedly believe it's intentional that they showed Tien and Tai getting together only after a whole week has passed by. Tien and Tai are close siblings, but a lot of it is has been depicted to show that Tien is the one that does most of the legwork with Tai, even with Nuea and Jan. Tien is the liaison between the four brothers, communicating and delivering messages between them when they're not all under the same roof. [I would dare say Tien is the liaison for the whole family and it continues to be proven by the fact that he's the one that invites Uncle Nu into the family hug.] Out of the four, Tien and Tai are likely the closest, but that's because Tien is the one that goes looking for Tai, he's the one that invites him out, he's the one that looks out for Tai's emotional wellbeing. Tai was clueless as to why Tien was so out of it, because Tai likely closed himself off for that whole week caring only for his own emotional, likely never asking if he had made it back home safely. He might have not even registered that Tien was even there. Tien truly was alone in the remnants of that fallout.

Tien had divulged to Tai before that he was developing romantic feelings, but it's not like Tai ever shared any interest in finding out who Tien liked, because it wasn't knowledge that affected him personally. He never bothered to inquire and it's not surprising that he never clocked it, because even when he was with Lomfon and Tien, his attention was never given to Tien. He takes Tien at face value, not exactly bothering to dive deeper. And it's apparent in how Tai deals with Tien's confession of love and how he little he really asks him about how he's coping, but turns the conversation to his relationship. There's a noticeable difference in how Tien inquires after hearing the news and how Tai does.

Yes, Tai apologized. Tien doesn't expect an apology, because that's his big brother that he cares for, so he doesn't necessarily want an apology. Even so, it's important that he feels like he needed to apologize, but all the same, it's still disappointing that he doesn't necessarily recognize why he's apologizing. It's frustratingly slow growth that we're getting from him and it's a side-effect of being so self-involved. Now I don't think this takes away from the brotherhood or the love that they have for one another, because they obviously do love each other. But I think that Tai's self-absorption and Tien's self-sacrifice will always cause their relationship to be unbalanced. But an apology and recognition is still growth and Tai has to be the one to choose to continue to grow.

Any relationship takes work, whether it be romantic, friendship or familial. It's a choice everyday to put in the energy and the work that it takes to make a relationship work. No amount of paranormal idea of fate and destiny is going to allow for a relationship to fully work and thrive. Tai has had people that love him walk the tightrope, fully cognizant of his emotional state, so it's not surprised that he's become coddled and has an expectation of people to know his feelings. Yes, actions speak louder than words, especially in a world where you may lose your hearing the moment rainfalls, but when you're making actions that are contradictory to your words, those original actions are drowned out.

It's likely a trauma response, as @slayerkitty said, and it helps provide context as to why Tai ticks the way he does. It provides reasoning behind his actions, but it doesn't mitigate the fact that he was hurting people, particularly Patts and his family. Now it's Tai's turn to make the choice of working hard for the love that he wants, to saying and putting the effort of making his love known. He's started with his family, he's worked it out with Lomfon, now he needs to put that same energy in salvaging his relationship with Patts.

(tagging @lurkingshan for their weekly round up)

#la pluie thoughts #la pluie analysis #la pluie meta #la pluie the series #la pluie #saengtien #Saengtai #pattstai #tien x lomfon #tienlomfon #saengtien x lomfon #patts x saengtai #la pluie theory #steph rambles #steph overanalyzes #la pluie ep 11

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mirabella96 · 11 months

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How much less trauma would Tai have if his parents had directly communicated the problems in their marriage and that marriage and being solumates are not synonyms (or they are? are there like platonic solumates in this world? how does this solumate think even work, if we know it also can not work). I am going to blame his parents for all of his stupid behavior.

#la pluie #patts x saengtai #la pluie the series #la pluie ep 11

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thedooristhebluecushion · 10 months

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Finally starting last week’s La Pluie which I couldn’t watch bc I connect way too much with Patts & knew I couldn’t handle the wait but also every please pray for me.

#la pluie the series #la pluie #la pluie ep 11 #patt x saengtai #pattssaengtai #pattstai #patts x tai

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blapocalypse · 11 months

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'Tia, the most annoying character of '23. Gaslighting his boyfriend Phat as if he didn't lie to meet Lomfon and got caught kissing him. Then had the audacity to complain to his best friend that Phat hasn't contacted him when ‘he’ was the one who ended the relationship, kicked Phat out of his apt., shut the door in his face, without one iota of an explanation. To the very end he has not held himself accountable for his actions. #LaPluie 11

#la pluie #la pluie ep 11 #thai bl #thai drama #pattia

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gg-carboxylase · 11 months

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Oh wow, La Pluie certainly episode elevened too.

#la pluie #la pluie ep 11

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baseballmomlesbiandad · 10 months

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so what im seeing is that the soul mates of la pluie are actually the brothers that were lucky enough to be born to the same family and choose to be at each others side along the way

#im catching up #halfway thru ep 11 #brothers all the way down as they say #la pluie

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cryingatships · 11 months

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Going into La Pluie ep 11 looking forward to one, and only thing. Saengnuea's glasses

Let's see how this ep stabs a knife into my heart and twists it a full 360

#give us some more great glasses fashion king #his brothers need to ask him for fashion tips #they're good but nowhere as iconic as him #the ep 11 curse: Will it be there #or will bl deities have mercy on us after last week's pain #la pluie

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haechanglitch · 11 months

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this week and the fuckin 11th episode is cuuuuursed. La pluie was so boring and pointless (the parents conflict was handled like its the most shocking revelation ever when it was the most basic reason to split up) tai truly should gave acted his age about if but instead I was stuck watching them drag this out for what felt like years.

at least lomfon finally realized he's in love.

Bad week for BLs tho

#la pluie the series #step by step ep 11 #la pluie episode 11

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nemesis-21 · 11 months

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La Pluie Watchers: How we feeling after all of that, besties?

#and now we see what ep 11 holds 😬#la pluie #la pluie ep 10 #la pluie the series #thai drama #thai bl #bl drama

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liyazaki · 11 months

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it isn't destiny- it's freedom

for me, this story is saying that life will tell you all sorts of things.

it will tell you your first big love should be your soulmate forever love- & if they aren't, it clearly wasn't real or good or true. it will tell you that's there's something wrong with them or with you- or with the whole of love itself- if it didn't last.

deep down, we're all kids stumbling around in grown-up shoes, faking it till we make it. we hopefully try our best to handle other people with care, but we mess up. we prioritize the wrong things. we press our fingers into raw nerves- sometimes accidentally, others with conscious cruelty. hurting people hurt, & who doesn't hurt sometimes? it doesn't make it right, but it does make you human.

the act of loving someone- & being loved by them- will teach you innumerable things. sometimes, the things you discover about each other will bring you closer than ever. others, the very act of trying to love someone will show you why you can't be together- or at least why you shouldn't be.

& that last part is crucial because love? love is a choice.

sure- it brings all sorts of emotions that sweep you up & swallow you whole. it can show you who you are, forge you anew & leave you in ruins (sometimes all at once). it can teach you to see your weaknesses as strength- your scars as just part of the perfectly-imperfect tapestry that makes you who you are. real love is a bright, beautiful, burning mess.

but doing life day in, day out with someone else? that requires an enormous amount of intention. it also takes a certain sort of alchemy- of compatibility, temperaments, life goals & a thousand things only the people in love can determine for themselves.

Warun & Yad could've stayed married. they could've put their heads down, soldiered on for the kids & maintained the status quo. but in the process of loving each other, they discovered exactly why they shouldn't be together- that staying together would have meant compromising each other.

they loved each other (& their children) enough to let go of what was comfortable & known, because real love isn't a trap- it's freedom.

the terrifying truth about love is that it will always be a leap of faith. there's no way to know what the bottom looks like until or if you arrive there. if it doesn't last? that. is. okay. it will hurt- you will hurt, but the pain doesn't make the magic you made together any less real, any less valuable or worthy of treasuring.

this show is saying you'll miss out on so much by reducing love to 'meant to be's, to forever or nothing. love can change, but it's still love- & time spent loving someone is never, ever a waste.

#la pluie #la pluie the series #la pluie meta #la pluie ep 11 #thai bl #bl drama #time to go cry into a bowl of mac & cheese #mor gifs la pluie

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happypotato48 · 2 months

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List of Thai BL dramas i've watched with short opinions about them i guess :P

Thai BLs that i finished:

A Boss and a Babe. It's cute for what it is, i loved the gaming friendships and i'm a sucker for forcebook. 7/10 need more unhinged energy from book.

A Tale of Thousand Stars/Our Skyy 2 : Bad Buddy x A Tale Of Thousand stars. this show reminds me a lot of early to mid 2000s lakorns. it's a beautiful by the book love story, i appreciated that a bl got to take a spin on this kind of quiet thai story. 8/10 loved it but still too vanilla for my taste.

Bake Me Please. Guide Kantapon is the cutest man alive and CAKES! that it, that all i have for this show. 6/10 it's a show that exist.

Be My Favorite. damn fluke gawin is so pretty what was this show about again? :P i'm kidding, i actually really liked this show. i watched it when i had zero knowledge about bl industry, i was oblivious about krist's controversy and i find krist acting to be charming and think kawee is very relatable as a cringe fail human myself. 8.5/10 this show made me want to collected weird thingies.

Cherry Magic (Thailand). oh boy this show. it's was everything to me also the only show so far that i've written extensively on this site. here is my personal feeling about this show. 9.5/10 would kill for taynew.

Cooking Crush. what! the fuc$! look look, i just learned that both offgun are older than me. when i first saw the show i thought they were some rookie actors with how young they looks. watching cute bl is gonna be the death of me. anywho this show is supercute don't have a lot of thought about it though. 7.5/10 cutting half a point cause of no samsee x metha.

Cutie Pie/Naughty Babe. what a fuckin legend of a series. all the characters have zero braincells and somehow all the rich pretty boys are engaged to each other and by arranged marriages nonetheless. wtf is this fanfic version of thailand and where can i get hit by a truck and get isekai to it. 7.5/10 still haven't watch Cutie Pie 2 U, i hope it get dumber.

Enchanté. this show is so dummmb it should've go full camp reverse harem yaoi nonsense but it didn't and ended up being kinda boring. 6.5/10. meh, i'm still a sucker for forcebook.

Last Twilight. UGHHH!! i'm still so mad. this show was going to be THE SHOW for me then ep 11-12 happened i legit mentally check out halfway through ep 12 and i basically blocked the ending from my mind. this show came out at the right place and the right time for me, the first 9 episodes helped me through a very tough time in my life. the story of two people helping each other finding their way out of the dark was very compelling to me. ughh. 5.5/10 (9/10 for ep 1-9) P'Aof why are you like this!!

Laws Of Attraction. yassssssss this show slay(literally :P) the show is a breath of fresh air for me despite how very lakorn of it is. i'm glad that there is a bl that feel this soapy and campy cause like i do love my angsty and innocent school bls but the industry really need show like laws of attraction. jamfilm also were very great in their roles espically film, charn is the most babygirl corrupted cute evil lawyer of all time. 9/10 no note headempty only charn's evil smirks in my mind

La Pluie. now, this is a romance. this show is one of the most romanctic media that i personally have experience. i loved that the show took the cheesy premise of soulmates and work it so well to do both deconstruction and exploration of the trope. i think using rain, thing that isolated people as a narrative tool for love connection is absolutely brilliant. last but not least pat is just the perfect bl love interest, he's an very idealized character but he do feels like an actual person. i want to give a shout out to Pee Peerawich the way he said "มันหนาวอ่ะ" in ep 8 sent me, the raspy voice, the eye twich and combo those with a back cuddle, sir! you just commited a mass murders with that move. 9/10 plz i need season two with my baby boy tien.

Love in Translation. the unhingendness of that first meeting is probably my favorite bl meet cute. look if you don't get into a fistfight with the guy you destined to be with then what is the point of life. this show fake date is very well done it's doesn't feel forced like in a lot of other bls and it make the growing attraction feels very genuine and it pay off in one of the best sex scenes in all of bl, yang is such a freak and i loved him for it. 8/10 the last two episodes did got slightly off the rail for me but i still enjoyed the show.

Moonlight Chicken. one of the most beautiful shows i ever watched. when watching this show i can feels, smells and tastes everything it depicted. from the comfort khao man gai to jim's loneliness, from alan's heartbreak to liming and heart's midnight motorcycle ride. this show gave me all the feels and i still can't completely shake it off. 9.9/10 this show is a healing.

My School President. These boys!!!! i can't, i loved these boys so much, all the boys, YES ALL OF THEM! this show is on the opposite spectrum of Moonlight Chicken for me. while MC give me the good heartaches this show give me unbridled joy it's like heartstopper on cracks. i absolutely adored tinn and gun and the show relentless optimism about thier first love. love is awesome no matter the romantic, familial or platonic kind and i think this show hit the marks with all three. 10/10(i'm super bias but fuck it idc i even liked the singing) this show made me started watching thai bl and it always will have a place in my heart.

My Ride. this show is lacking in intimacy but making up by being all heart. could this show be better if they fleshed out and explore more of tawan and his cheating bf's relationship, maybe but i'm happy for what we got. 8/10 mork and tawan were very cutie patootie, i don't remember much about the het and the side couple were just st ok.

Step by Step. man trisanu is exactly the same height at me and i want everyone to know that is the only reason i started this show🤣 . i feels like this show have a lot to say about stuff but i kinda got lost staring at man trisanu while watching. one thing i really loved is the very fem *ตุ๊ด coworker who got to be a real character not just a jokey sidekick and having a loving relationship with a hottie. 7.5/10 can i get more man trisanu in bl plz.

Triage. asshole doctor stuck in a timeloop for him to find the meaning of life, yes plz give it to me. i loved stories about assholes who need to better themself for love and other junk. tinn and tol are both grumpy bitches and i just loved that the show use the timeloop to soften these nerds. at the end i just want to wrap them in blanket and let's them cuddle each other forever. 8.5/10 the last ep is bit convoluted but i forgave the show for that cute clocktower kiss.

You're My Sky. i started this show for my boy suar and he did not disappointed. the pining and the longing for an older boy who been there for you most you life, chef kiss. this show also very beautiful to look at. 8/10 i'm kinda meh about the side couples, i do think they all got the "good ending" for their stories.

Thai BLs that i didn't finish or gave up and skipped to the ending:

Bad Buddy. Oh boy, am i gonna get murder for this??? sorry but idk why i didn't wholeheartedly love and give this show my undivided attention. i watched this show very weird and out of order, i started with the last ep than just watch other episodes in bit and peice. i think i've seen 70% of this show. plz forgive me this is the first thai bl i tried to get into but can't. maybe i need to give this show another chance and watch it properly. or idk maybe cause the way i watched it, it's ruined for me forever. 6.5/10 i loved the rooftop kiss plz don't kill me.

Dangerous Romance. this show is trash and not the good kind, how this show depicted relationship between a rich asshole and a poor boy feels very gross to me. i fast forward a bunch and gave up after the not just dumb but very cruel breakup. 4/10 it's watchable if you ignore the plot and the chatacters.

Hidden Agenda. wow this is the most nothing show that ever nothing for me. it's a perfected white noise while playing chill video games. i stopped watching after ep 8 cause look like there going to be a dumb break up, i have no desire to revisit this show. 5/10 joongdunk were kinda cutes.

The Miracle of Teddy Bear. this show is too god damn long with too many side plots the one and a half hour per episode killed the momentum for me. i liked the show and do think i want to revisit and finish it one day. 6/10 for now.

Vice Versa. why are they giving jimmysea this show. this show is so boring for me, i gave up in episode 6. 4/10 gmmtv give my babies better shows!!

Thai BLs that i've watched all the sex scenes and have no intention of watching the actual show:

Kinnporsche: heheehehhehehe everyone were so hot, too bad i don't like rich mafia story. mile being a nepobaby also significantly killed the mood for me. 55555/dead bodyguards (idk how many there are but i don't care) the ost are bangers though.

Venus in the Sky and Love in the Air. cringe gay sex for the wins. 69/420.

ok, whoo that was a lot. gonna pin this cause i don't think anyone want to read all that in one sitting. i think i'm gonna make another post for non thai BLs in the near future. thanks for reading my unhinged opinions hope i'm not gonna get moider for it 55555555.

#thai bl #bl drama #bl meta #bl shows #dumb boy rambled #i think i got all of them #but idk maybe i'm missing one or two shows #i shouldn't written and posted this at 5 am after staying awake all night but fuck it

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waitmyturtles · 7 months

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BLUBBERING SPOILERS BELOW FOR I FEEL YOU LINGER IN THE AIR, EPISODE 12/FINALE:

YEAH. SO. YEAH. SO!

This can't be meta. I don't think I can conjure it. Just blather. I'll try to be sensible. First, a little housekeeping before we start the meeting:

We know there will be a special episode (the preview looks..... LIKE A GODDAMN HOLIDAY GIFT, GAAAAHHH).

Peeps are going back and forth on a second season, and while it seems that Nonkul Chanon blurted it out during the final episode fan meeting (lol you cute, Nonkul), Tee Bundit is rolling back a bit, *likely* due to funding. But seeing social media going absolutely INSANE over this ending, I can't imagine that Dee Hup will have any issue with finding the moolah for a second season -- especially after that after-credits scene, WITH HORSES, WITH MUSTACHES, WITH TATTOOS, WITH ARMOR, the whole thang. Tee let that shit hang all out like that. Warrior-era Thailand, let's m'fing go. That was a hell of a lead into a second season that may not happen, come awn.

Alright, with that out of the way:

I didn't think a show would top Moonlight Chicken for me this year, but IFYLITA is my top new drama of the year (with the HEAVY CAVEAT that I have not seen La Pluie yet -- that's for either after my Old GMMTV Challenge, or just making sure I watch it before year's end).

Part of the reason why I lost my gatdamn mind last week on episode 11 is that Tee Bundit did not interfere with any damn nonsense last week -- he let the episode's story unwind without any noise. He let the emotion roll.

The same light touch (or rather, a lack of interference) happened here, BUT: there was a LOT more happening firstly by way of closing some loops that were open, moving to new loops, and shedding more depth into Jom and Yai's final moments together

We got closure on Yai's dad, who was grumpily like, uhhh, I dunno what happened in my life, but yeah, daughter Eaung Peang, you go have a good life with Maey, crotchety crotch. I think that's the best we could get from politically involved dads of 1928 Chiang Mai. (EP AND MAEY SWINGING THEIR HANDS WHILE WALKING AWAY -- SAAAHHSHAY FROM ALL THAT, LADIES, SASHAY.) It looks like EP's herbal abortion left her safe -- thank goodness. We didn't see James or Ming this episode.

For loops that weren't closed, I'm not complaining, because we got an explanation for how Jom's beloved ones will repeat in his reincarnated futures and pasts, through the explanation of the northern Thai ceremony of having 32 blessings reinstated to you after illness or misfortune (THREE CHEERS for @blmpff for capturing screenshots of this explanation!). (AND THE WHITE THREAD, PEEPS, THE WHITE THREAD, I'm coming back to this in a second.) If we do get a season 2, then I will not be colored surprised if we see Ming and James in different roles. (And, yes. Your bitch here has relaxed on Pat's shooter, finally. My nose was trained on James being a colonialist interferer, but he did good last episode.)

But this episode belonged, of course, to Yai and Jom, their final moments together in 1928 Chiang Mai, saying the slow farewell as Jom slowly disappeared in front of Yai's eyes.

LORD. WHEWWWWWWWWWWWWW. The lacy fabric with which Yai used to cover the mirrors so that Jom wouldn't see himself fade away. The empathy of that. The scene where we heard their lovemaking over the flashbacks montage. WHEW. WHOA. (I did say, to my friend @shortpplfedup, something something Jom started really fading away after that intimate scene and something something had the ontology cough cough outta him, ANYWAY.)

The way that Yai pitched forward when Jom finally disappeared.

AND I MOTHERFUCKING SCREAMED WHEN JOM AND MUSTACHIOED YAI WERE ABOUT TO TOUCH INTO THE WATER AGAIN, AND THEN THE DIVER EMT WAS LIKE, BLOOP I'M HERE AND OH, JOM, YOU'RE ALIVE IN 2023. I yelped in the deli, shit. The way Jom was silently screaming in the water for Yai.

And, so. In the "present" day (present dimension, really), Jom survived that CRAAAAZY car accident (LIKE! WHAT?! He flew out of the car into the water, bros! The magic of fiction, anyway.)

He.......he holds space for Ohm?! Looking BACK on that scene, AFTER we get the explanation of the 32 blessings, we realize: despite Ohm's infidelity and his promise to a new woman, Ohm is still important in Jom's life -- he's still a beloved presence, as he did mean something, for a long time, to Jom. Of course, modern Jom did NOT let a moment to shade Ohm pass him by, oh no. But wasn't that interesting to note? That Jom's dimensions would allow Ohm to be in those dimensions -- that Ohm would be reincarnated through Jom's 32 blessings (at least in the past direction).

You know what I also loved about seeing Jom in his present-day apartment, with the present-day Jeed, Ohm, and Khaimuk (aka Fong Kaew). I LOVED WHAT THAT CASTING, THE SHIFTING OF THE CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATIONS, SAID ABOUT JOM'S PERSPECTIVE OF EQUITY IN 1928 AND 2023.

Jeed is NOT Khun Eaung Peang. Jeed is ALL SASS. But Jeed is YOUNGER than Jom. Jom, in 2023, is P'Jom, with the honorific. Present-day Jom can smack his little sister's head in jest. Jeed can be OUT and SAFE and have a crush on her girl friend, safely, and can ask for her brother's support, OPENLY.

Jom never stopped being Jom, whether it was 2023 pre-accident, 1928, or 2023 post-accident. Jom is comfortable in his own skin, and wants happiness AND EQUITY for the people he loves around him. I love that the casting and characterizations of the incarnations of the characters reflect Jom's state of mind that all people are equal and the same, no matter a fancy honorific or a royally appointed residence.

I screamed at @shortpplfedup when I saw Jom wearing the white thread in bed during the thunderstorm. I stopped, rewound, and saw he was wearing the white thread in the water scene with Warrior Yai. The white thread never left his wrist -- he still has his blessings intact.

And, and, and, back to the house of Palanthip in 2023. Who's the lady of the house? This lady knows Jom's the only one who can open that chest. The chest opens, the drawings are there, THE PICTURE OF THEIR PARTY, AND THE LETTER FROM YAI TO JOM, THE LETTER, THE TEARS, AKSLKDF, AND, AND, AND --

Oh my god, I was crying, y'all. Shit. Just our confident dude, striding in, asking Jom, sweetheart, why are you crying. And Jom jumping into Yai's arms.

I was shaking my head. I mean. I love that we learned that Yai actually HAD HIS OWN BLESSINGS CEREMONY because he was so lost after Jom's departure. WE LEARNED ABOUT THE REST OF YAI'S LIFE. We know, now, that the Yai of 1928 yearned for Jom for the rest of his life. So much so that, at the twilight of the life of 20th-century Yai, that he had the good mind to leave Jom a letter, to let Jom know that his life was a good life, because Jom had been in it. To let Jom know that Yai's love had never faded away.

AND THEN THAT YAI CAME BACK TO JOM.

Jom, dude, you're a good dude, for these good people to be coming back to you, in dimension after dimension. That monk was right.

I told you this was just blathering; I can try to put some sensible thoughts together in a few days, but the structure of this story, the empathy of this story, the way this story was leveraged by drama and romance and HOPE. I mean. This series was utterly fantastic.

I know there's the lifelong debate of whether or not BLs "count" as queer media, and in many, many instances, they do. But since I've had the disappointment of Only Friends and GMMTV on my mind lately, I had to note, mentally, particularly during the lovemaking scene, and during the closure of this episode, that Tee really fucking handed it to anyone who criticizes BL as a not-as-sophisticated drama genre.

And you know what? I also wanna say that Tee fucking handed it to GMMTV as well. I am so DAMN glad this series was airing when Only Friends was airing. While Only Friends sat on the opportunity to present progressive ideas on queer love and queer community, IFYLITA ROLLED right into it.

(I'll ask @lurkingshan to fact-check me on the following:) Because this series was a historical drama with a queer romance centering it, I think Tee Bundit could feel free from the chains of BL tropes and expectations to do something truly singular. I felt that what I was watching was cinematic, it was moving, it was strikingly emotional, particularly because I felt that this show was showing me something that transcended any viewer's expectations of what we should be watching, as opposed to, say, a BL set in an office like Tee's Step By Step. Where that show fumbled was in the show itself not knowing if it was a workplace drama or a BL-centric romance.

IFYLITA knew what it was: a historical drama, certainly centering romance, but also balancing conversations about equity and wealth disparities across eras. With that uncomplicated centering, I think Tee Bundit made an absolutely BRILLIANT show, and it fucking WORKED.

I will scream to anyone who'll hear me. If you haven't watched I Feel You Linger In The Air yet, do it, PLEASE PLEASE. Y'all know I am an Aof Noppharnach girlie for life, and I LIVE FOR MOONLIGHT CHICKEN, I DO, I DO, all of my Asian references in MLC and the food and everything, god I loved that show, but --

IFYLITA was a cinematic masterpiece. Full stop. All hail @neuroticbookworm and @lurkingshan for telling me to keep with it after my Step By Step-PTSD. This show was worth every last minute I spent watching and writing on it.

Season 2, Warrior Yai, let's get him a better mustache -- let's FUCKING GO, BABIES.

P.S. BRIGHT AND NONKUL FOR LIFE, FOR LIFE!!!!!!! THE ACTING!!!!!! MY GOD!!!!!

#i feel you linger in the air #ifylita #best show of the year #tee bundit #bright rapheephong #nonkul chanon #i feel you linger in the air meta #ifylita meta

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blapocalypse · 11 months

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There is still warmth in sadness with close friends/family.

#la pluie #la pluie ep 11 #thai bl #thai drama #pee peerawich #phat wetchutianan

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gg-carboxylase · 11 months

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Oh my God, La Pluie making me cry like nothing else this week. The message that love isn't enough for marriage, and that love can change into something else. Yeah. I'm just crying like a baby. This is such a great message because it isn't really addressed this explicitly often.

I was best friends with a couple exes (until their new partners nixed that), so it's totally possible to be happy for someone you used to love when they find love again. Compersion is the best feeling. I wish that everyone could feel it, but I know it's not a thing that everyone gets.

Gosh, this part of the episode was absolute gold.

#la pluie #la pluie ep 11 #compersion #being happy for your ex #love isn't enough

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absolutebl · 1 year

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This Week in BL - When good chemistry goes bad

May 2023 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 10 - yes it jumped to the top of the standings, the kiss was THAT good, best of the year so far. So soft and yet so sweet and yearning and with a proper chemistry - body, breath, everything. Also... there was plot happening this ep, but who cares about that? Some additional thoughts, now my brain has rebooted from that kiss. I do suspect Pat of still being a player: he is awful smooth, and he may want revenge for being jacked along for 2 years (I would). Ep 4 is early for a kiss like that, which means pacing-wise we may be in for a separation/break up around ep 8.

Step By Step (Thai Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 5 of 10 (MDL still says 12, but Gaga still says 10) - Pat, dear, your gay is squirting all over our screens. Meanwhile… That is the smallest presidential suite bed I’ve ever seen. Lucky for us of course. And lucky for Jeng. Me with the side dishes = UH OH.

Our Skyy 2 (My School President) eps 9-10 - Alt reality where Tinn is in charge of the music club and Gun is the school president with the crush. Basically, it’s an excuse for them to play each others’ parts (which just highlighted how well they were cast, originally). Ultimately, Gemini is a better piner, and Fourth is a better tsundere. Although the reversed “holding it over his head” was v funny & Fourth IS a decent seme. (I also realized what I like so much about Fourth, like Saint he’s one of those rare full body actors.) Sound was a great uke and I loved how they changed his makeup for the role (did you notice?). TiwPor were as adorably ridiculous as ever. I liked the minor baby pairing for Aun, too. Still my NO SIGNING holds (although there was lots of dancing to counterbalance). In the end, all this really did was make me wanna rewatch the original. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. FYI The MV was a parody of HCTM, BB, 1k*. 8/10

A Boss and a Babe (Fri YouTube) ep 12fin - It was a cute sappy ending for a cute-ish sappy-ish show. I cannot abide that the mom who condoned the rape of her daughter got forgiven. No. Stop it GMMTV. Review below.

The Promise (Thai Weds YT & WeTV) ep 9 of 10 - I'm in trouble when I'm rooting for everybody BUT the main couple. I guess Nan doesn’t have a NO SINGING policy. Also I guess Nan was waiting for Phu all along? This show. ALSO could we not have just ended it here?

Past-senger (Thai Weds Gaga) ep 11 of 12 eps - I don’t understand. What? Where did all these new characters come from? Do we care about the hets? Not even slightly. What is anyone doing? What’s going on? do I care abotu anyone anymore? No. Please make it stop.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - OMG so adorable, so repressed, so reserved, so soft, so awkward, so special. Heart melting. Also. Hungry. The WAY Minoru looks at Yutaka when he’s eating (now that he knows the history). The way we got to see the exact moment that Minoru realizes he is in love. Perfection.

Star Struck (Korea iQIYI & Gaga) ep 1-2 of 8 - Zuho (Kpop SF9 - noted good egg) opposite rookie actor Kim In Sung (the one with the crush). icky is being weird about it but it looks like Gaga also picked it up? Depends on your territory I suppose. Anygay: Friends since childhood, jock/nerd, puppy/cat and I sense bi-himbo confusion and pining introvert gay. There’s family strife plus class issues and it has some interesting things to say already about the nature of friendship, romance, and jealousy. I like it, weirdly reminds me of something that might have come out of China. Not early CBL, but some of the later stuff that was censored but hearkened to Addicted. This has the feel of what China could have made now (were things politically different). Because of this feel, I’m not confident in this being an HEA or even a true BL but it is interesting enough for me to bump it way up the ranks.

Happy Merry Ending (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 7-8fin - I get why SJ pushed JH away, but I kinda agree that SJ is too much work. Abused or not, I wouldn’t put in the damn effort - so I guess I’m glad SJ took a year off to figure his shizz out? Far be it from me to agree with a year break in a Kdrama, tho. I didn’t even mind that they were separated most of these 2 eps: it was nice to see a Seme told no, who actually backed off and did as he was told. Plus the running of the gays (how Japan of you SK). I’m assuming that this was the final episode and that Viki thinking that there are 2 more is bonkers? Because this felt like a finale. For me this one had a stronger finish than any other aspect of the show (odd when the couple spent the bulk of it apart). Oh! And someone give Shin Myung Sung (the surfer bestie) his own damn BL, m’kay? Review below.

Love Mate (Korea Thurs Viki) eps 5-6 of 8 - Longest elevator ride in the world. Honorifics discussion! My favorite! And, “there is only one bed but they slept together on the floor anyway” trope. A BL staple. Also the tie/lanyard grab. Another fav. Still pushy puppy stalker remains creepy manipulative obsessive warped hotness. Basically KBL version of trash and… I’m into it. We all got our kinks, I guess.

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) - Such a cat. I’m reminded of Milk. It’s cute. They cute. I like it.

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 6 of 12 - So is the nude dining meant to be some kind of weird allegory for repressed gayness?

It’s Airing But ...

My Story (Pinoy Sat YouTube) 10 eps - I bounced at ep 4. Someone will tell me if I should bother with the rest.

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

The Day I Loved You (Pinoy YouTube) eps 6-7 of 10 - Terminal illness for the sunshine. I bounced at ep 6. DNF.

Ended this week

Love Syndrome finished its run on WeTV (I stopped at ep 2) - anyone wanna weight in with thoughts on the ending and whether I should binge or not? I do love Lee Long Shi.

Happy Merry Ending - Stars Lee Dong Won (KNK) as an ex-idol turned wedding singer with an abusive ex and a panic disorder + the sunshine pianist who falls in love with him. Timid tsundere & sweetheart gay is an interesting match. They’re gentle together, almost kindly and there is a calm ache to their pairing. However, it lost its way as a BL, being more about the main character’s struggle than the romance. It had a strong finish but ultimately the premise & characters meant this was never going to be one of my favorites. 8/10

A Boss and a Babe - With an inconsistent narrative and self-sabotaging characters this was not the Thai BL office romance I was hoping for. I spent most if it feeling manipulated without good reason and sorry for ForceBook. They did their best with a shoddy script (AGAIN!) and none of its flaws were their fault. This show was all over the place and so am I about it. It’s better than Enchanté but that’s not really saying much. 7/10 I guess