#Tharntype is a close second

[hirakiyois]

to this day, i don't think any character has quite demisexualed like leo from don't say no

#don't say no #leofiat #tharntype cinematic universe go stupid go crazy rahhhh #like he set impossible standards not only for boyfriend rep but for demi rep #close second is gao shi de if im being honest #and obviously also sam from gap #a pretty neat club #thai bl

[absolutebl]

Hi! apologies if you've answered this before, but can you recommend some bls that deal with homophobia, be it internalised or external? or more generally, bls that are not set in the bl bubble where gayness is 100% accepted?

Thank you very much <3

Ooo, sure thing!

BL's Not Set in The Bubble

BLs that deal with homophobia (internal or external) and rough coming out sequences

Began Beginning from Myanmar is all about this. It's not a BL I would necessarily recommend but it is interesting for many reasons. Both leads are dealing with massive internalize homophobia, among other issues.

Similarly: Like in the Movies and Tie the Not from the Philippines.

And Goodbye Mother and Nation's Brother from Vietnam.

From Thailand

To Sir, With Love - witnessing his family's massive homophobia that results in major tragedy as a child is what drives our main character's whole personality and self hatred. Massive trigger warning.

Until We Meet Again - the pair in the past, of course, it's the driving trauma of the relationship reincarnated. Massive trigger warning.

I Feel You Linger In the Air - fear of being caught is a through line in this drama.

More modern set stuff:

City of Stars deals with having to leave the closet as a super star. So does Close Friend Season 2 a little. The OhmFluke pair also deals with coming out to parents. Love Stage!! (Thailands version) contains one couple that chooses to remain closeted for the good of a career and another that risks it.

Moonlight Chicken - mostly about self hatred and difficulty in being out, to the point where his young nephew challenges him on it and provides a foil.

Also, ya know, TharnType and Why R U. Both have self hated and challenging coming outs because of trauma and daddy issues.

Dark Blue Kiss - Kao is terrified of being outed and it's used to blackmail him.

Similarly although he is out of Ae, Pete is being abused and blackmailed because he is gay in Love By Chance. Also Ae doesn't manage to come out... yet.

I Told Sunset About You - of course.

My Gear and Your Gown final episodes contain homophobic (or are they?) parents.

Second Chance heavily implies that there is something going on with Paper's inability to accept Fah.

Similarly Gene accepting Sib in Lovely Writer.

I'm pretty sure there's a ton of homophobia at the back end of My Tee, but honestly it's been years sicne I watched that mess.

Charming little pulp 21 Day Theory deals with quite a bti of this, but our main character has a lovely gay uncle to guide the way.

"Punch the homophobe" my favorite trope of all time, happens in Oxygen. But otherwise they neatly circumvent the patriarchs objection by defacto adopting a child to inherit.

TonhonChonlatee is all about one characters inability to acept his own queerness as encouraged by his homophobic family and various other evil characters.

My Only 12% actively tackles and calls out cultural homophobia and damaging misrepresentations.

"Why does everyone think that both of them are strange? If it's not wrong, why does everyone hurt?"

The show he's talking about is Thailand's first proto-BL, love of Siam and it is about an inability to come out.

From Japan

Life: Love on the Line - it's parental disgust and personal self hatred and paranoia that breaks them up (they get back together but he as to get over it)

Similarly His - is a kind of reunion romance after self-homophobia drove one half of the pair to marry someone else.

Actually the original series with the same characters, His the series, also deals with self acceptance around gayness, and it's subtle (Japan) but it's pretty clear one of them was kicked out of/ or left his previous school because he got outed. (Light on Me references a similar situation, but it's ultra subtle.)

If It's With You also kinda falls into this category. Not sure these can be called "dealing with" it tho, more side stepping and alluding to it.

Tokyo in April is - yeah it's kinda the whole thing from one half of this pair

What Did You Eat Yesterday also has a coming out to the parents thread throughout, and a coming out at work thing, but it's not really the point of the show.

From Korea

Most Korean BL are gonna be out. The specialize in the bubble. Although a case could be made for Love For Love's Sake and Love Class. And, see comment, Jazz for Two.

One noted exception is Just Friends which is a short piece about coming out to mom while on leave from the military. This is one of Korea's earliest BL pieces and not strictly BL, but it's fascinating in that neither theme (military nor coming out) would reall be reused again.

From Taiwan

My Tooth Your Love - has a kinda different take and we aren't sure, as viewers whether it's because he's gay or because he's not doing what the Patriarch wishes. But trigger warning for [physical abuse.

DNA Says Love You deals with this and other forms of queerphobia during the later half. Slow start but I do love this show.

Faded is a propaganda piece (pro marriage equality) which is all about coming out to a parent.

In H4CTY Xing Si (of the side couple) is having a hard time coming out but that's complied by the fact that he's fucking his stepbrother, it's a mess, bit I enjoy them - v problematic couple tho.

Papa & Daddy actually has a coming out sequence (GASP!) where the parents don't take it well as does Love is Science? (sides) - but the later is mostly because disaster bi is also baby daddy.

Red Balloon, of course, and it's sibling movie Your Name Engraved Herein are kinda all about self loathing and suffering because of gayness and lack of acceptance.

Unknown is certainly tackling some of this.

In which I talk about some of my favorite coming out sequences:

He's Coming to Me has my favorite series of coming out sequences to both friends and mother.

A few more that I really don't like (Promise) and probably Together With Me should be here, but I willfully can't remember them.

(source)

#bls with angst around coming out #bls that deal with homophobia #bls that are not set in the bl bubble where gayness is 100% accepted #mostly thai bl #thai bl #japanese bl #taiwanese bl #historical bl

[hometothecanyonmoon]

rating and reviewing BLs i have watched so far (unupdated as of april ‘23)

hi this is just a post that i wanted to include in my page but it was getting too long lmao. this is just like a list of all that i’ve watched so far, in order. i won’t be including their plots here, but there might be spoilers. these are just my opinions in case someone new wants to bond over shows and wants to know what i thought 🤌🏽

we best love (both seasons) - 10/10. first BL that i watched, lowkey changed my life. absolutely obsessed with it, comfort series that i keep rewatching. absolutely amazing acting by everyone involved.

history3: trapped - 8.5/10. tang yi. no words. beautiful acting and cinematography, the plot was handled pretty well and i was pretty much broken by the last episode. jack and zhao lian are my children. i’m still obsessed with the OST, i listen to it multiple times a week. just goes to show how much a good soundtrack can still keep a show in your mind even if you watched it months ago.

bad buddy - 1073392729/10. HOE MY GOD. where do i start. all i’ll say is i’ll never be the same, this series is IT for me. THE show for me. nothing will ever come close. one day i’m gonna meet p’aof and cry on my knees. i will never be able to put into words just how much this series means to me, or just how important it is to me, or just how influential this has been for my life. i’ll never be able to get over it.

2gether the series - 6/10. didn’t watch the second season because s1 was so disappointing even if i finished most of it in one night. brightwin are cute and all but they were giving brothers i’m sorry 💀 their chemistry just sizzled out halfway. and they both need acting lessons i’m sorry

love in the air - 9/10. fort thitipong simp forever. first show that i watched while it was ongoing. came for payurain, stayed for prapaisky. although it’s lowkey rapey (which is to be expected from mame) i loved how well they handled the characters

tharntype - 6/10. started because i had heard so much about it, but abandoned it halfway. aside from the dubious consent (again, mame, people can’t consent when they’re asleep), the internalised homophobia got too toxic

star in my mind - 7.5/10. joongdunk are adorable, but they could’ve done a little more with the plot. the Feels™️ were lacking a little bit. cute show overall though. and i’m one of the five people who will die on the hill that seanmaitee are canon and deserved an official kiss

semantic error - 8.5/10. first KBL that i watched, finished it in one day. very beautifully done, all the colour symbolism etc was interesting as hell. pretty cute, although i do wish we could’ve gotten more fluff

love mechanics - 8/10. saw a short on yt and was convinced about the angst. boyyyy was i wrong, it was so much more angsty than i thought. highkey toxic and unhealthy too, but i’ll let it go. forever simping over p’bar. the parents angle was annoying but eh. i will say though, i had to take a lot more breaks while watching than usual, it became too much at points. we did get a little fluff at least though so

my tooth your love - 9/10. yes i hate the title. very very nicely done, the perfect representation of how trauma affects you even when you’re older and just how much it holds you back. convos about mental health, therapy, not letting your lover treat you like shit, AAAAA 🤌🏽🤌🏽 finished this in one day too. they didn’t magically have a moment where they forgave each other and kissed after confessing. they both worked to prove they were in this for the long run, and xun’an didn’t hesitate to hold bai lang accountable for being a jerk. really breaking all the BL barriers sjdhsjh 😭😭 the only part that annoyed me was his dad beating him up like hello?? he’s 30?? 💀💀 fucking vile. but bai qing is an icon and i love her and i would die for her. simp for alex speaking in english randomly. him and rj deserved more scenes and they need to be canon now!!!!!

roommates of poongduck 304 - 7.5/10. i had heard SO much about this so i had high expectations but i was kind of let down, i mean we really only got them together in ep 7. the chemistry, acting and side characters were great but tbh i feel like i’d have loved this a lottttt more if it had been a little spaced out, more episodes, had better conflict resolution and just better overall detailing. still a cute watch though

currently watching:

never let me go - this series is going to break me, i already know. phenomenal acting, symbolism and cinematography. every wednesday you can find me crying because it is just so excellent, the brainrot is real. can’t wait for more episodes

my school president - OBSESSED with them for real. they’re the toned down version of bad buddy, which i have proven in a post. can’t wait for them to be their high school’s power couple. very very wholesome

those are all for now! i’ll keep updating this post as i watch more. my to-watch list is already overflowing but i’d love your recommendations too!! and i’m always willing to scream about any given show so feel free to join me. :) x

#we best love #history3: trapped #bad buddy #2gether the series #love in the air #tharntype #star in my mind #semantic error #love mechanics #my tooth your love #never let me go #my school president #phewwwwww #roommates of poongduck 304

[waitmyturtles]

TRIGGER WARNING! CONTINUED UNPOPULAR OPINIONS OF STEP BY STEP, EPISODE 10

Stop reading if you like it! Stop reading if you liked that episode! Stop it! SHOO! DON’T COME AT ME if you’re upset after reading this!

Okay.

In the words and paraphrases of my dear friend, @bengiyo: 

Dick is not magical.

Dick cannot fix a drama.

(Ben also says: dick is abundant and low in value, lol, which doesn’t quite apply to this review, but I gotta share it out anyway, GOD BLESS YA, BEN, ILYSM.)

I’ve had my eye ever more trained on Step By Step, critically, since watching TharnType. I understand Tee Bundit criticized the BL industry with Lovely Writer, which I have yet to watch. But: regarding TharnType to Step By Step, I had accountability issues with Tee’s filmmaking and direction in TharnType anyway, besides the problematic content. (TharnType DID NOT DESERVE an hour-and-a-half finale.)

Y’all know I have been on my tip for a second about Tee’s filmmaking and direction for Step By Step -- my biggest issues being pacing and editing. These episodes did not have to be so damn long. They didn’t. I am still barely seeing a connection with the side stories and the main story of Pat and Jeng. Episode 8 was the tip of the iceberg for me. 

Then episode 9 comes, and I feel -- and I know my dear mutual @lurkingshan was more critical of this -- that episode 9 HELPED get Pat in his words. I really appreciated that we spent some time with Pat verbalizing what was going on with him, his confusion at Jeng’s attraction to him. 

But episode 9 ended with QUITE the emotional breakdown on Pat’s end with his parents. And then he’s laying in bed, surrounded by birthday snacks from Jeng. “It makes sense to me” -- Jeng’s attraction makes sense to JENG, but I didn’t get, at the end of episode 9, whether it made sense to PAT.

So we start Step By Step, episode 10, with Chot... scolding Pat. And telling Pat to run to Jeng. Okay.

At that moment in time: Pat may like Jeng. Pat IS upset that Jeng is likely leaving. 

But is this a Pat that’s going to run to Jeng? Is that a mindset that I find convincing AT THAT VERY MOMENT?

CONSIDERING ALL OF THE CONFUSION WE WERE BEARING WITNESS TO IN THE LAST EPISODE, AND.... THE LAST NINE EPISODES???

And then... they boing? In the kitchen?

And then the car?

And they’re.... still working together?

And.... where are they in their relationship at this point? Because they’re in a RELATIONSHIP-RELATIONSHIP now?

And they’re.....fantasizing about getting married?

Tee Bundit. You and I are gonna have words. You need a fucking editor. You also need to listen to your team if your team was telling you to be more balanced in your filmmaking.

Dick is not magical. I love me some D. But not to make up for your RUSHED, UNVARNISHED, CHOPPY-ASS FILMMAKING. 

I’m mad. There was so much potential here.

I just said to Ben in a DM: I did not find this to be a celebration of queer sex. I found this to be using queer sex as a method of cheating on bad filmmaking to rush a story. To rush a story that Tee KNEW he had to close a loop on -- Pat and Jeng’s intimacy -- because he KNEW the storyline had unwound for TOO DAMN LONG on Pat’s emotional processing, WITH NO CLEAR END. Dick is not magical. You can’t solve bad filmmaking with queer sex. That’s not where we’re at with BLs anymore.

This episode did Pat’s emotional processing dirty. To JUMP to the confession and the boing. AND: TO BE WORKING TOGETHER WHILE IN THE RELATIONSHIP. THEIR WORKING RELATIONSHIP was part of the reason why Pat couldn’t imagine them together in the first place! And we get NO processing on Pat’s end ABOUT THAT, in the end?

Dick is not magical.

Whew. Thank goodness for my OGMMTVC project. Without it, I wouldn’t be seeing that Tee Bundit repeated issues of bad filmmaking that I’m seeing in the earlier dramas. Tee -- you can’t use queer sex like that. Yes, Man and Ben are beautiful. I knew Man would act THE HELL out of intimacy, convincingly, and he did. I love them together.

But I find Pat totally unbelievable at this point. To gain such comfort in dating a superior in such a short amount of time on screen. Only to have a breakdown when co-workers are looking critically on it. To resigning.

Wow. Learn to pace, Tee. Please, for the sake of what could have been a totally fabulous and deeply interesting storyline.

This episode had so much potential.

I might have more later, but just. 

#step by step #step by step meta #tee bundit #man trisanu #ben bunyapol #jeng x pat #pat x jeng #jengpat #i'm unfortunately NOT looking forward to lovely writer at the moment because of all of this #i'm resilient though and i know i'll calm down #but he used queer sex to save his own ass here #FUCK THAT NOISE

[nattawinlove-andmygaytea]

Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat And Tul Pakorn Thanasrivanitchai On Love, Travel, Upcoming Projects And More

Together, the Thai stars are rewriting the rules of being a leading man in film and television all while venturing into new territories, pursuing passion projects and living their lives unapologetically.

Forget everything you think you know about being a leading man. Thai actors, Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat and Tul Pakorn “Tyler” Thanasrivanitchai, are redefining what it means to be a household name after starring in Thai boys’ love (BL) dramas.

Unlike the uninhibited and daring characters he sometimes plays on screen, Mew comes across as a reserved, soft-spoken yet confident gentleman in person. On set, he’s polite, charming and eager for feedback despite possessing a wellspring of experience in the entertainment industry. “Are my poses okay? Do I need to do anything differently?” he earnestly asks Kenneth Goh, our editor-in-chief who was art directing the shoot in Bangkok, Thailand.

Mew’s rise to fame was gradual. The 32-year-old earned his stripes as a model before getting his first big break as an actor when he was cast as Pree in the Thai BL drama What The Duck: The Series (2018). The show was an instant hit in Thailand, and was brought back for a second season. But it wasn’t until his role in TharnType: The Series, where he played Tharn, a gay man who falls in love with his homophobic roommate (played by Gulf Kanawut Traipipattanapong) in university, that his star rose dramatically.

Mew is also a gifted musician. His debut album 365 ranked number three on the worldwide iTunes album chart, and was number one in 18 countries. He also became the first Thai artiste to debut an album that reached the 13th spot on iTunes’ Global Digital Artist Ranking list. He has since struck out on his own with Mew Suppasit Studio, through which he releases new music.

His success as an actor and recording artist hasn’t gone unnoticed. He caught the eye of luxury fashion brands such as Maison Valentino, Tod’s and BOSS, resulting in coveted partnerships and front row seats at Milan fashion week.

In contrast, Tul exhibits golden retriever energy. Charming and enthusiastic in the flesh, he is the polar opposite of Mew on set. Tul is playful and adventurous, taking initiative on how to better bring the concept of the shoot to life. “It might be better if I stood behind Mew for this shot so we’re both facing the camera,” he thoughtfully suggests. His energy is infectious and he’s not afraid to do whatever it takes to get the best photo. On set, they are drawn to each other, playfully tugging at each other’s clothes, while warm embraces and encouraging shoulder rubs signal a close bond. After lunch, the laughs grew louder, the boyish repartee naughtier and the hugs tighter. Clearly, Mew and Tul have a special affinity with each other.

Like his contemporary, Tul’s first foray into the entertainment industry was through modelling. “I was a drum major during the Chula–Thammasat Traditional Football match back in 2011, and I was scouted by a modelling agency,” he recalls. “I was later spotted modelling during a fashion show by a casting director and was asked to go on an audition. I started acting in my third year in university, accepting one production a year.”

The casting director’s eye for talent proved to be on the money—the 31-year-old shot to fame, thanks to the success of Together With Me (2018), where he played Knock, a sexually-confused university student who ends up falling in love with his gay childhood best friend. With his newfound popularity, opportunities within the fashion industry opened up for Tul as well.

Another similarity between the two men is their dedication to academic excellence. Mew has a master’s degree in Engineering from Chulalongkorn University, while Tul just graduated from Columbia University with an MSc in Real Estate Development and worked as an acquisition intern at Cycamore Capital in New York City.

Mew and Tul are testament to the modern idea that there’s no one way to reach the pinnacle of success, and that there’s always room for personal and professional enrichment and time for passion projects. We sat both of them down for an intimate tête-à-tête on style, travel, upcoming projects, their goals for the new year and more.

ON FASHION

Tul: How would you describe your style?

Mew: It depends. I love to mix and match. I have different types of tops that I’d mix with different bottoms, shoes and accessories.

T: Your wardrobe is huge (laughs)!

M: What about you?

T: In Thailand, anything lightweight. I’m very sensitive to the heat. I’m still experimenting with my style, but I love Korean fashion. I think the cutting is more flattering for us Asians and it’s more sophisticated. I like something minimal with details that is easy to mix and match with what you already have. For Thai fashion, I like Greyhound.

M: Handbags! You have so many bags!

T: Shoulder bags and crossbody bags. Well, the thing is, I don’t feel like dressing up much while in Thailand. So I play with bags instead.

M: I bought him a new bag last year and I only saw him use it once. You know the problem isn’t about how often he uses it. The problem is, he was whining a lot when he wanted it. But when I bought it for him, he rarely used it.

T: I used it many times! Around five times.

M: In the entire year!

T: When I want him to buy me something, I’ll send him a picture saying, ‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’

ON FOOD AND TRAVEL

M: Any restaurant recommendations?

T: I think Japanese restaurants are great. I like yakiniku and shabu shabu, but I really recommend grilled prawns.

M: Any good ones in Ayutthaya? Once I ate them on a raft and threw up. I guess I had seasickness. River prawns are very fatty and the raft was floating, so I felt terrible.

T: I would recommend Ginzado. It’s a Japanese yakiniku restaurant.

M: What’s your favourite food?

T: Asian food. I enjoy Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean food.

M: You know what our new discovery is? Peruvian food! It’s very good.

T: Yes, Peruvian food! So good!

M: We ate it in Canada.

T: Peruvian food is like a mix of Latin and Japanese food.

M: The restaurant we ate at in Miami was very good too.

T: Yes. They have this dish that’s a lot like our Yum (spicy salad). I think Thai people will like it. If you don’t enjoy Mexican cuisine, you might like Peruvian.

M: Do you always plan your trips or just go with the flow?

T: I always plan.

M: Overplan, more like it! He’s the one in charge of trips, and the itinerary is always just nice—not too packed.

T: I told you I can be obsessive-compulsive. When we travel, I want the best things at the best price. It needs to be cost-efficient. When you need to be somewhere at a certain point in time—such as seeing the sunrise at a particular spot—I will do everything to make sure we get to see the sunrise. I plan everything in advance and I don’t want anyone in the group to have to pay for something unnecessarily expensive. If, at some time, business class tickets are excessively costly and premium economy is more value for money, then we should do premium economy. I’ll be attentive to everyone’s rewards and mileage to ensure they don’t need to pay extra when they can redeem miles.

M: He will have all the information on hand like, if we’re going somewhere and need to use a particular airline, we should apply for this and that in advance, so we have benefits like better seats or baggage allowance.

ON WHAT’S NEXT

T: What are your plans for this year?

M: Last year, I worked on many projects, series and movies, so you’ll see a lot of my work both on television and in cinema. I’ll be back working on music soon as well. In addition, I have a fan meet around my birthday in February, so I’m looking forward to meeting my supporters there. Among the projects that I’ve completed is Mon Rak Luk Thung, a remake of a classic Thai musical rom-com. This is my first time singing many luk thung [folk] songs.

T: I’m thinking of seriously moving away from entertainment, and focussing on my family business. I’m currently working as a project manager for our new project in Bangna. It’s a community mall with a fresh food market. In the future, I would love to work in property management. I enjoy exploring residential and housing projects. I want to do something that offers customers high-quality products and a good quality of life. This is also the reason why I pursued my postgraduate study.

M: What are your goals for 2024?

T: I want to have a sexier body. I want to have time for the gym no matter what I have going on at work. Another goal of mine is to make more use of what I’ve learned in the US in my life. I want to be working on more tangible projects.

M: I have never had a chance to use any of the things I learned during my postgraduate studies (laughs). The research I did… I’ve used none of it.

ON THEMSELVES

W: How would you describe yourself?

T: I’m a worrywart. I think too much about every little thing despite my image as a very sociable extrovert. But when I’m on my own, I’m quite obsessive-compulsive; I will tidy my rooms and fold my clothes.

M: Everyone thinks he’s easy-going and very laid-back, but in reality, he’s a worrywart. He really, really thinks about everything. He keeps worrying about others.

T: It depends. I thought I could handle social media better as I got older but sometimes, I feel like I’m not as good at it as I could be. That said, after years in showbiz, I’m better at letting go and not letting it affect me as much.

M: I’m the opposite of Tul. He’s a worrywart despite his easy-going image. I look like I’m overthinking but in reality, I’m much more laid-back.

T: Exactly (laughs)!

ON LOVE

T: What’s your favourite love quote?

M: I don’t know… I’ve never thought of it.

T: Just Google ‘love quote’ and pick one you like.

M: For real? Okay, let’s see… Top 10 Love Quotes…

T: My love quote is ‘Bitch, I say what I say.’

M: What should I choose…what about this one? It’s quite short. ‘When there is love, there is life.’

#Congratulation boys 👏🏻 #Groundbreaking!!!❤ #tul pakorn #mew suppasit #Yes they did it! At the same time they said nothing... #Did I post the entire interview here just cause I needed it? Yeah. #mewtul #Go tyler make mew buy you everything you want...😽 #And people saying that this intervirw doesn't have a point!?!?!?! #This is mew fulfilling his promise from last year 💋 #What are they promoting with this? People ask... Love! #haters gonna hate #‘When there is love there is life.’ #thai actors

[firstkanaphans]

Thai BL Favorites List

This list was created by @thatgirl4815. Thanks for the tag! I had a lot of fun doing this ✨

Favorite BL: Not Me

Favorite Pairing: AkkAyan (The Eclipse)

Most Underrated Actor: (All the women at GMMTV 😅) But if we're talking BL actors specifically, I'll have to go with Boy Nattapon (Ghost Host, Ghost House). He absolutely killed it in that show and if he worked for a bigger production company, he would be everywhere.

Favorite Charater: Akk Pipitphattana (The Eclipse)

Favorite Side Charater: Yok (Not Me)

[Living up to my username with a First Kanaphan sweep in the favorite character category 😂]

Favorite Scene: Whatever this is from I Told Sunset About You. (The imaginary kiss from The Eclipse is a close second)

Favorite Line: "Is your dream as beautiful today as it was then?" -Yok, "Not Me."

Most Anticipated BL & Why: I know y'all probably expect me to say Only Friends, but it's actually Last Twilight. I'm a whore for anything P'Aof does. What can I say?

Healthiest Relationship in a BL: TinnGun (My School President)—and it's not even close.

Most Toxic Relationship: Probably TharnType—or one of the side couples in TharnType. The fact that it's not VegasPete is a testament to how horribly MAME treats her characters. The difference is that VegasPete don't pretend to be healthy. And a toxic relationship that pretends to be healthy is far more dangerous than a toxic one that knows it's toxic 🤷‍♀️

Guilty Pleasure Series: Love in the Air (MAME, my most beloathed)

Tagging the last few people in my notifs, but feel free to ignore! And anyone else who wants to do this, consider yourself tagged 💛 @ayashalewis @khaotunq @oneheartonesoul @justafriend-ql @25shadesoffebruary

#tag game #favorite thai bl list

[heretherebedork]

Hi Francis!

Do you know if there are any Thai BLs that have gotten second seasons? Not including things like OurSkyy

I’ve been seeing an influx of people saying they think The Sign is going to have an open ending with the hopes of a second season which I wouldn’t hate if I thought there was any actual likelihood of it happening but I can’t think of any Thai BLs that got second seasons.

I know there’s Dark Blue Kiss and Honey Puppy but those didn’t seem like true second seasons if that makes sense. Big Dragon was going for a second season and that clearly doesn’t seem to be happening

Thank you!!

I mean, let's see... there's Gen Y which got a season 2 and was supposed to have three parts but, thankfully, did not. There's also Close Friend which was a collection of smaller pairings that got a full second season with two of the pairings that was supposed to have a third season but also does not appear to be getting that...

Now, let us keep in mind that I don't want second seasons. I don't like them. I don't think most of these shows are formatted for one and when they are that the formatting is unneeded and takes away from the show.

I mean, 2gether also had their sort of special/mini second season and that was fine, I guess?

Call It What You Want also got a second season that did actually tie up a lot of things but also just wasn't great, tbh, It was fine, though, and just as good as the first season which was also fine.

There are a few other smaller shows that have gotten season 2s but no one watched them and they're rarely much of a season 2. Country Boy and Good Loser both did.

I mean, technically, Love by Chance got a second season but it was more of a side character, side season that ruined the first pairing so I supposed it only kind of counts.

There's also Tharntype 2! Which is not good but gave us LeoFiat who then got their own show that was also not great but not as bad as Tharntype 2, frankly.

Love Sick and Make It Right both got second seasons that added a lot to the first season and gave us lots of good character moments and genuine happy endings.

I know @absolutebl has done posts about second seasons before and they might have a better breakdown than I do since I, you know, did this off MDL while also watching Last Twilight.

SOTUS also got a second season of them in the workplace that was definitely interesting and good.

But I hope everyone is wrong and we don't get that because that is my nightmare.

#second seasons #please don't #asked and answered #thai bl

[telomeke]

Thai QL Favorites Tag Game

Tagged by my Internet buddy and fellow QL fan @pandasmagorica! Thanks 🥰

Credit also: this game was created by @thatgirl4815 as Thai BL Favorites Tag Game.

So let's get into it:

Favorite Thai QL: Bad Buddy, still. After all this time it continues to hold up, I think because it packed so much intelligence into its short run of 12 episodes. I also have a soft spot for Moonlight Chicken, although it is arguably more queer cinema in episodic form and not classically a QL/BL.

Favorite Pairing: Umm, gonna leave aside the ships and talk about professional pairings for QL series. Ohm and Nanon as PatPran still top my list; they tore my heart to shreds in Bad Buddy and healed it too. But I don't need to see them as any other pair in another series also for that reason. MaxTul seem to bring it in any series they're in, so they get a mention too.

Most underrated actor: Have to agree with @pandasmagorica about Fluke Gawin Caskey. They need to use him more – he's doing a truly credible job in Be My Favorite plus wow he can sing really well. And I think Krist Perawat in the same series is also surprising all of us; he's certainly matured since his stumbly, mumbly turn in SOTUS.

Favorite Character: Eep. This is like trying to choose among your children. I love so many! Pat and Pran for different reasons (I'm very much like one, more than the other, but I love them both). But I also like Li Ming in Moonlight Chicken, maybe because of his confident self-knowledge, and all the hope he represents for the next generation.

Favorite Side Character: Arm from KinnPorsche for the wrong reasons; devastating combination of nerdy and also hot when shirtless. Also maybe Daddy Chan from the same show. And (odd/unpopular choice) maybe Dissaya from Bad Buddy; I'm just fascinated by her character and backstory, and wish we got told more of it. Also Manaow from Until We Meet Again and Yihwa in Together With Me for being the effervescent supportive besties I wish I had growing up.

Favorite scene in a QL: The opening scene in Ep.5 of Bad Buddy because it tells us so much, in so many layers, and upon the re-watch you can sense that something's starting to turn (though the closing scene on the rooftop is a very close second, for obvious reasons).

Favorite line in a QL: Pat and Pran at the end of BBS Ep.5 going "Do you want us to be friends?" followed by the softest, most gut-wrenching "No..."

Most Anticipated QL (& why): Only Friends – looking forward to something steamy for a change. Been too long since KinnPorsche.

Healthiest relationship in a QL: HeartLiMing in Moonlight Chicken. And PatPran in BBS, but only post-Ep.12 timeskip. They're so respectful to each other – but also a bit boring, so I'm not sure I'd want to watch them in another show because a drama with no drama wouldn't be a drama, now then would it?

Most toxic relationship in a QL: VegasPete in KinnPorsche? I'm still divided about their dynamic. Or TharnType in TharnType perhaps. That was just badly written.

Guilty pleasure series: KinnPorsche. Nuff said.

Most underrated series: He's Coming to Me really needs more love. Production values not the strongest but themes, acting, storyline are all top-notch (with some minor points only that I might want to quibble about). One of the earliest to deal with cultural themes in Thai QL and it was fascinating.

Tagging @airenyah, @dribs-and-drabbles, @waitmyturtles, @bengiyo, @twig-tea, @colourme-feral, @miscellar, @ranchthoughts, @chickenstrangers, @dudeyuri, @inventedfangirling, @dimplesandfierceeyes, @wen-kexing-apologist, @starryalpacasstuff, @kattahj, @lurkingshan, @neuroticbookworm...

...@theheightofdishonor, @dimpledpran, @silvercrystal1, @mineonmain, @sharingfandoms and anybody else I might have missed, feel free to play (or not!).

#thai ql tag game #apologies if any of you have blacklisted anything that's on here #i guess i'd better tag the number one offender: #kinnporsche #also #bad buddy #patpran #moonlight chicken #tharntype #until we meet again #together with me #heartliming #maxtul #bad buddy dissaya #until we meet again manaow #together with me yihwa #vegaspete #fluke gawin #krist perawat

[aliceisathome]

I was tagged by @waitmyturtles so here's my Thai QL Favorites Tag Game answers! Brief because arghh, not able to spend lots of time on anything bloody fun at the moment.

Favorite Thai BL: I love so many but it just has to be Until We Meet Again. For all its flaws (Pharm's blushing maiden, New's pedestrian direction etc) it's a masterpiece of storytelling and a perfect cast. And it still makes me ugly cry when I rewatch it. Bad Buddy comes a close second though

Current Obsession: I'm too swamped to have a current obsession. I'm so behind I haven't even watched The Eight Sense yet. I had to pause Be My Favourite after ep 2. I can't start anything new so currently only rewatch favourite bits of already consumed media. Sob.

Favorite Pairing: I'm wavering between PatPran and DeanPharm. And AePete...

Most Underrated Actor: There are a couple of actors that I'd just like to see in more things because whenever they appear they elevate the whole drama. Tonnam Piamchon is a proper scene stealer and I'd love to see him lead something out. I'm surprised there hasn't been a proper lead for First (not that one) Piyankul as well.

Favorite Character: Pat. He may be an eejit but once he realises how he feels he's all in, forever. I love that man.

Favorite Side Character: Can I have Toh's entire friendship group from Secret Crush On You? I love all of them.

Favorite Scene in a BL: I won't pick one and you can't make me. Some I love because they're fabulous, some because they are so bad they're good, others make my heart clench. A few of my many highlights include; In and Korn so happy on the beach in UWMA, the rooftop kiss in BB, Daisy and In's noodle flirtation in SCOY, White and Sean at Pride in Not Me, the airport scene in ATOTS, and as a gloriously over-the-top bit of pulpy goodness, Kim descending the stairs in his best Alexis Carrington imitation to confront Cherry in Unforgotten Night. Then there's this one:

Favorite Line in a BL: "In this world, you can be afraid of anything. I will always be beside you, but you cannot be afraid of me" Win to Team in UWMA

Most Anticipated BL (& Why): เขมจิราต้องรอด Cherry Magic with TayNew OF COURSE. I think we all know why. Middleman's Love because TutorYim - aww. And Only Friends because Jojo's got free rein and a fabulous cast.

Healthiest relationship in a BL: PatPran, Li Ming and Heart, despite their youth. and ultimately DeanPharm.

Most Toxic Relationship in a BL: Lots of people are going to have TharnType in this spot. I suspect these people have forgotten Dr Bright and Farm from Together With Me, or Techno and Kengkla from LBC and LBC2. Tharn and Type are pure as the driven snow in comparison.

Guilty Pleasure Series: Love Mechanics - look I just love my spiky boy Mark and my hopeless boy Vee and their messy, messy relationship.

I won't tag anyone - do it if you fancy!

#thai bl #Thai QL Favorites Tag Game #UWMA #Until We Meet Again #Bad Buddy #Love Mechanics #Unforgotten Night #SCOY #Secret Crush on You #Love By Chance #Together With Me #Tharntype

[celestial-sapphicss]

Thai BL Favorites List Tag Game

thank you for tagging me mel @justafriend-ql & @dragonsareawesome123 & @solana-ceae !!! i always love a chance to talk about thai (mostly gmmtv) bl skksksksksks

favourite bl:

surprise surprise 0 points for guessing its *drumroll* bad buddy!!!!!! of course it is i don't even have to talk about it more

favourite pairing:

TinnGun - they took me by surprise i love them so much its unreal!!!!!

most underrated actor:

listen! book kasidet is so freaking underrated! like after seeing him play gun in abaab, im a lifelong fan! and also SEA!!!! vice versa & 55:15 my beloved 💘

favourite character:

i will forever and always be biased to pran like no character will ever even come close to an extent that it's unfair to include him in this listing i feel because no one even stands a chance lmao

favourite side character:

tiwson!!!! and literally every mark pakin character skskskks

favourite scene:

it's like suddenly every show ever vanished from my mind but like every time tan acted a little cheekily with dr. bun, it was a good scene lmao ALSO this scene below y'all it was a moment (I'm so sad tul decided to leave full time acting 😓)

favourite line:

lives were changed when pran told off his mom and said:

most anticipated bl and why:

yeah no I don't think any explanation is required for this one

healthiest relationship in a bl:

WinTops from Ingredients the Series! nobody did it better than them!

most toxic relationship in a bl:

there are a LOT. i didn't like how any of the pairings in LITA came about. or the second season mess that is IPYTM. and there are some obvious ones like TharnType.

guilty pleasure series:

my guilty pleasure shows are those which i can play easily without having to open my laptop or mobile aka YouTube/Netflix so (Still) 2gether lmao

bonus! most underrated series:

there are a lot, but i feel like we don't talk about the campy masterpiece that was YYY! like I don't remember a single plot point of the show but it altered my brain chemistry forever. also lay talay my beloved

this was the most difficult list i have made in forever thank you for tagging me mel i had so much fun 😭

tagging: @dribs-and-drabbles @grapejuicegay @i-got-the-feels @casualavocados @mantrisanu @morkofday @jyuubin @bellepark and everyone whose gifs i used here (no pressure 💘)

#tag game #thai bl

[absolutebl]

Hii. Can you tell that I'm always camping on your Tumblr 🤣🤣 I'm so sorry but you are becoming like my ultimate informant about anything bl related!!! Anyway

Any bls where the main leads are already an established couple??? I've watched so many bls and I do like them but I want to watch something different than the same thing like 2 guys falling in love.

BLs That Feature an Established Couple

Yes there are quite a few (I am assuming you don't want reunion romances, like Our Dating Sim, or you would have said). There aren't a lot of GOOD ones though. Unless otherwise stated, I wouldn't recommend any of these. So I have put RECOMMENDED next to the few I actually think you might enjoy.

In the mainstay BLs out of Thailand etc... this is usually handed off to a side couple (or a pair established in a previous series):

Yes, but it's the side couple

Top Secret Together (cafe advice gays = pair is an IRL couple)

My Secret Love (ParkLee)

Ai Long Nhai (dads are played by IRL couple)

Love Stage!!! (Thai version) RECOMMENDED

My Ride (uncles) RECOMMENDED

TonhonChonlatee (AiNhai, connected to the characters of Ai Long Nhai, different actors)

2 Moons 3 (3 side couples previously established in 2 Moons 2, different actors)

The En of Love universe will established a couple in one sequence, like GunBar in Tossera, and then show them together in all subsequent ones like Love Mechanics and Future the series, often played by different actors. - SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

DNA Says Love You - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My Lascivious Boss - RECOMMENDED

There are a few where they are an established couple (and everyone else knows) they just idiots. I'm thinking about couples like PaperFah in Second Chance, under appreciated little gem of a Thai pulp you might want to try (especially if you are a KP fan).

They Together, They Just Idiots

Second Chance - RECOMMENDED

Cupid's Last Wish

My Only 12%

Cutie Pie - RECOMMENDED

Puppy Honey 2 (couple established as sides in Puppy Honey)

Friend Forever

I Am Your King

Ingredients - RECOMMENDED

My Secret Love (TimMai crumbs)

Theory of Love

Kimi no Koto Dake Mite Itai

Peach of Time

Where Your Eyes Linger - RECOMMENDED

Because of You (sides)

Plus and Minus - RECOMMENDED

Cupcakes & Him

BLs That FEATURE Established Couples

Takara & Amagi (sort of, it opens on a confession) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

What Did You Eat Yesterday? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (this is probably what you are looking for)

Eternal Yesterday

Jack o'Frost

Takumi-Kun 2-6 (or however many their are, same actors from 2 on)

My Beautiful Man 2 (couple established in My Beautiful Man) - RECOMMENDED

Happy Ending Romance (but the LTR is toxic and doesn't last)

To My Star 2 (couple established in To My Star)

Faded (short) - RECOMMENDED

HIStory Obsessed

Papa & Daddy 1 & 2

Goodbye Mother

Monster in Law

That's My Candy

Close Friend 2 (couples established in Close Friend, same actors)

Dark Blue Kiss (couple established as BL side in Kiss series, same actors) - RECOMMENDED

Don't Say No (couple established in TharnType 2, same actors)

TharnType 2 (couple established in TharnType, same actors, plus new side couple in established relationship)

SOTUS S (couple established in SOTUS) - RECOMMENDED

Together With Me The Next Chapter (couple established in Together With Me)

Reminders (couples sort of established in Love By Chance and Love Sick, same actors)

All the Our Skyys (of course)

Gen Y 2 (main and side couple established in Gen Y, same actors)

This post dated early 2023, not responsible for updating with BLs that finished their runs AFTER this date. Reunion Romances & Friends w Benefits tropes not included.

(source)

#asked and answered #thai BL #Love Stage!!! #My Ride the series #The En of Love #taiwanese bl #DNA Says Love You #vietnamese bl #My Lascivious Boss #Plus and Minus #korean bl #Where Your Eyes Linger #Ingredients the series #Cutie Pie the series #Second Chance the series #SOTUS S #Japanese bl #What Did You Eat Yesterday? #takara x amagi #My Beautiful Man #Dark Blue Kiss

[waitmyturtles]

HERE WE GO: Thai QL Favorites Tag Game! Thanks to @telomeke, @lurkingshan, and @kattahj for the tags!

Favorite Thai QL: Bad Buddy, with a close second going to Until We Meet Again. My valuation here is -- what show do I think about the MOST on a daily basis? In every other show I watch, I’m thinking of Bad Buddy, and how BBS did x, y, and z differently. Still to me one of the most brilliant overall dramas I’ve ever watched, so mind-blowingly layered, and to me, BBS serves as a love letter and an honoring to the traumas that Asian children face as their parents grow, painfully, out of their own traumas.

Favorite Pairing: I’m going to assume pairings refers to the fictional ships, so: PatPran, obviously, with DeanPharm, BunTan, TeeFuse, and FrameBook in close running! Honorable mention to ThunMed, but Med is a ghost, sooooo, yeah, is object permanence a requirement in ships?! 

Most underrated actor: I’m adding to @telomeke and @pandasmagorica‘s pitch for Gawin Caskey. I know I have yet to see him in Not Me, but he was fabulous in Dark Blue Kiss.... and he is TEARING IT UP in Be My Favorite. There is not one hiccup with this man’s acting. He and Krist are CARRYING BMF to fabulous results. Honorable mention to my fave, Nammon Krittanai, who held down in SOTUS S and ATOTS, and he’s gonna be in The Rebound with Frank Thanatsaran, so we’ll see how that goes!

Favorite Character: Haaaaaa. OMG. I have so many. Honestly... for this very moment, I’d have to say Pharm from UWMA. I know his blushing maiden approach turned off a lot of folks, but Pharm just gave us EVERYTHING by way of demonstrating ALL of his emotions at his entire situation in holding Intouch’s spirit within him and negotiating his future with Dean. Pharm may have been a blushing maiden, but he also held his own, stood up for himself with the temporary break, and found his true love on his own, independently, in the end. I absolutely loved Pharm’s trajectory. 

Favorite Side Character: Oh no, also too many to list! I love that @telomeke mentioned Yihwa from Together With Me, but for me, I think tied for my tops in this category, would be Thun’s mom in He’s Coming To Me, and Pete’s dad in Dark Blue Kiss. The very, very best BL parents.

Favorite scene in a QL: Thun’s coming out scene on the rooftop in He’s Coming To Me/episode 5. I float when I think of Ohm Pawat’s acting in that moment.

Favorite line in a QL: This is a good one. For pure sessyness, I like what Ae says to Pete in the thin-walled dorm room in Love By Chance, and what Sarawat says to Tine at the end of Still 2gether. 

But I think I like what Dean says to Pharm in... I think it’s episode 6 in UWMA. “Who taught you to say something like this?” Gives me the shivers.

Most Anticipated QL (& why): Only Friends, of course, with 23.5 and Dangerous Romance in close seconds. (If this were NOT a Thai list, I would say the second season of What Did You Eat Yesterday?, because I’m planning to LOSE MY MIND OVER THAT, lol.)

Healthiest relationship in a QL: Are we talking romantic relationships?! Because Thun and Thun’s mom in HCTM, and Pete and Pete’s dad in DBK definitely count, ha. As far as couplings go? I might actually argue for Uea and King in Bed Friend! They went through SO MUCH to get to where they were at the end of that show. SO MUCH. And King just LED in such a positive and healthy way, listening to every one of Uea’s needs and responding to them. They are a fabulous couple. I’ll give them their flowers for ending in such a healthy and open place! 

Most toxic relationship in a QL: TharnType, and that’s all I’ll say about that.

Guilty pleasure series: Ooooooh. I don’t think I can answer this, because I don’t think I’ve watched enough Thai QLs out of the context of the Old GMMTV Challenge to have watched a series PURELY for pulpy goodness. I think I need more familiarity with the genre by way of quantity to fully answer this!

Most underrated series: I agree with @telomeke. HE’S COMING TO ME. A show that was WAY before its time, and did not get its flowers, publicly, by GMMTV or the 2019 fandoms. The writing and acting on this show was SPECTACULAR. I will beat this drum forever: anyone who calls themselves a QL fan MUST watch this show for the standards it set in acting, in writing, and in message delivery. Utterly stunning.

Gonna tag some of the usual suspects of the OGMMTVC in here, as well as new friends I’ve made through Be My Favorite! @absolutebl, @solitaryandwandering, @nieves-de-sugui, @clairificusrex, @manogirl, @telomeke, @so-much-yet-to-learn, @twig-tea, @crowie, @chickenstrangers, @grapejuicegay, @dribs-and-drabbles, @miscellar, @aliceisathome, @rocketturtle4, and anyone else, feel free to jump in!

#tag game! #thai ql favorites tag game #bad buddy #until we meet again #he's coming to me #dark blue kiss #make it right #manner of death #be my favorite #bed friend #gawin caskey #nammon krittanai

[theheightofdishonor]

2023 year in review: part one

It's close enough to the end of the year that i'm writing my year in review. I decided to do a part for shows that actually aired in 2023. (i may or may not do a second part of this for all the shows i've watched this year but even from an initial glance its a LOT, we'll see. )

From what I have noted, I watched 81 shows this year that finished airing in 2023.

Broken down by country, its

Thailand: 35

Korea: 18

China: 10

Japan: 10

Philippines: 4

Taiwan: 4

48 of these were BL and 16 were GL.

Even this is actually so many that I don't quite know how to even break it down so I guess i'll just go by country?

Thailand

Thailand just has such a large output of content that naturally, the quality also tends to vary wildly meaning this produced both some of my absolute favorites and some of my most beloved.

On the beloved side, Bed Friend, IFYLITA, Moonlight chicken,My school president, and surprisingly Midnight Museum. And on a slightly lower tier, Be My Favorite, Dirty Laundry, Enigma, Shadow, Only Friends, and Warp Effect.

Bed Friend reminded me almost of Tharntype? But like good. I think the execution was great and NetJames definitely has some of the best chemistry in a year chock full of good chemistry. They're great in Middleman's Love too.

I Feel You Linger In the Air is Tee Bundit at his absolute best. He's great at blending genres together. He incorporated horror brilliantly into simr and I love how he leaned into the historical and time travel aspects of this historical time travel romance. There was some really cool things with the directing and the acting from Nonkul and Bright was great too. Me finding out Nonkul was doing a bl was probably how everyone else reacted back when news broke that Nanon was doing BBS. He's one of my favorite actors.

Moonlight Chicken ofc is near perfect. I loved seeing older queer people in a romance with Jim and Wen and the contrast to Li Ming and Heart was great. Not to mention the family and social dynamics and the way the show addresses Beam and Jim's relationship. The only complaint I have is that the lack of physical intimacy between Jim and Wen in the middle portions of the show and near the end felt weird considering the content of the show but even then, it's a pretty minor complaint and everything else about the show is great.

My School President is definitely the one I was most engaged in fandom for. And the only one I was waking up early every morning to watch. (and i'd watch each episode like 2-3 times too). The social media/shipping stuff at the end was fumbled a little bit but I loved the parents in this show and the friend group and tinngun. I still can't believe Fourth and Gemini were like 17-18 when they filmed this. They're both excellent actors. Oh MSP also had the best Our Skyy episodes btw. I'll die on this hill.

Midnight Museum I'll discuss later on too but it was fun. I liked how intentional they were with the cameos where it purposefully gave the actors roles that were completely different from anything they've done before, especially with Tu, Bright, and Nanon. The worldbuilding was also fascinating. I know someone here was making a timeline for it and they mentioned it was a damn pain to figure out but like kinda in a fun way? The decision to make KathaDome a bromance is odd and I hate it and I hate the implications for gmmtv but other than that it was good.

Be My favorite was way better than I ever expected from Jittirain. I do have to say that my experience was marred by the fact that I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, just from my experience with her shows but it didn't which was a pleasant surprise. I liked how they handled Aye's character and Kawi's growth.

I didn't think I'd like Enigma because I don't like Win but it was good. The supernatural/horror genre mix won me over. Also Prim is in this and i'm very weak for her. Win was nowhere on her level but he was more tolerable than I expected. I'm annoyed that she's not going to be in season 2 though because she's the main character?? GMMTV needs to understand that the draw of this show is Prim and not Win.

Only Friends. What a divisive show. I went into this wanting mess and drama and with the aim of not having any other expectations and for the most part, I succeeded. This show brought out the best from everyone in the cast, like genuinely these were some of the best performances that any of these actors have done. Absolutely stellar. Storywise, it was pretty good and very unique in terms of thai bl and gmmtv until that last bit with Boston and Nick which felt malicious and just mean compared to the neutral lens that the show had been portraying the other characters with. Watching it was pretty fun though and again, most of the story was really good so I guess i'm allowing it some grace.

Shadow isn't a bl but it is queer and I appreciated most of what it was doing with the historical horror suspense elements. I think towards the end it definitely was way shakier and I don't understand why they made some of the decisions they made but I really liked the first 3/4 of the show. Fluke and Singto are obviously good too, even though they're both way too old at this point to still be playing high schoolers.

The Warp Effect had the distinct vibe of a PSA and Gigie and Fah should've dated but otherwise, it was a fun watch, I think. I liked Alex's character arc, I liked everyone's character arcs honestly. On my notes, I wrote that the ending was a bit flat so points off for that but it was good.

A lot of these are from GMMTV which when it was good, was incredible and when it was bad, I usually was decent at avoiding them completely

The worst offender from Thailand that I didn't avoid is Tee Bundit with the double hit of Step by Step and Show Me Love. I think people far more eloquent than me have written a lot about sbs so I won't say much but like I almost refrained from watching IFYLITA because of how hurt I was by sbs. And Show Me Love was just like offensively mediocre which hit worse at the time because I had just watched Something In My Room and IFYLITA beforehand and made the mistake of having expectations from Tee. In my defense, Tee's usually good at writing engaging characters and casting for good chemistry so I had no reason to believe he'd fail here.

Hmm what else. Oh actually, brief mention of Nanon's filmography this year since I checked out all of it and he tends to be so good even in mediocre shows that I can't help but be intrigued.

Hmm what else. Oh actually, brief mention of Nanon's filmography this year since I checked out all of it and he tends to be so good even in mediocre shows that I can't help but be intrigued. Dirty Laundry by JoJo was excellent. It was a little hard to get into because i'm not a fan of the genre but i loved it. Also Film and Nanon are a fun pair and I think they get better with every showing. UMG actually was mediocre despite the great cast and I want better from Nanon so I dropped it. Namtam and Milk's characters should lowkey have gotten together though. In Midnight Museum, Nanon's a side character (which i honestly forgot was something gmmtv let him do) but he fucking KILLED it. He played three roles here and all of them were new for him and you could tell the guy was having a blast. I can't say it's some of the best acting I've seen from him but that's only because when Nanon is good, he's always this good. Oh and also, Nanon and View in MM is the best chemistry he's ever had with a girl. Our Skyy, there's not a lot I'm willing to say publicly about all that but Nanon even at half-effort is still better than half of GMMTV's stable. The Jungle was a terrible mess but Nanon was so excellent in it that i'm still writing essays about Nannam and Nanfah months later. Nanon and Mild as a pair were also excellent and the only ones that made it out of this show unscathed. The rest as I said, is a mess but one that could've been somewhat redeemed by making Mix a vampire. (this might not make sense but like watch Mix's performance alright he's trying sooo hard to be shady and mysterious and they never let it go anywhere) My precious was a fairly run of the mill movie with excellent acting. As a plot I think it's a little thin for a show but i'm interested to see how they'll stretch it out. Hopefully the longer runtime means the friend group can be fleshed out a little bit more.

Korea

Well that ended up not being all that brief but moving on, I thought Korea would have more on a showing because I remembered watching a lot of kdramas but turns out most of the kdramas I watched were from previous years so, only 18. A very dramatic drop from Thailand's 35.

The best of these included The Eighth Sense, Our Dating Sim, and Welcome to the Lesbian Bar with Sing My Crush being ever so slightly underneath. I would rec Lesbian Bar to literally everyone, but especially those who enjoyed MLC. It's got that same queer family focus with the central relationship being this baby lesbian and her lesbian aunt. Out of the not queer stuff, My Perfect Stranger was an excellent time travel romance, The Glory Season 2 was better than all the other season twos that came out this year, and

If Korea produced anything too egregious this year (outside of Taxi Driver and Uncanny Counter's season 2s) I missed it. But out of the ones I watched, the most disappointing was A Shoulder To Cry On, followed rather distantly by Bump Up Business, both for very different reasons. I will say though that whatever is wrong with Tae Hyun in A Shoulder To Cry On is very appealing to me in the same way that Tae Joo from Where Your Eyes Linger was except like a weaker version.

China

I once thought i'd never touch a cdrama again but here I am, having watched 3 whole traditional length cdramas this year. The other 7 are almost all from the Legend of Yunze's catalog because I love their content. The best by leaps and bounds was Nu Er Hong by Legend of Yunze. I think it's my favorite out of everything they've made. The studio's really started to figure out their pacing and also this one was fairly dark and dark gl- dark anything really- is right up my alley. A flower for 3 lives and Seven Gods of Joy by the same studio had great concepts but shakier execution. Stepping outside of them, A league of noblemen was probably my favorite traditional cdrama but Mysterious Lotus Casebook was fun fandom-wise since people on tumblr were watching it.

I think the only show i'd classify as bad is probably My everlasting bride which I watched on a whim. Under a miscroscope started good and then ended boring so overall averages into mediocre. This wouldn't be a crime anywhere else but I expect good pacing from my cdramas.

Japan

I liked pretty much everything I watched from Japan this year so imma go with my worst off which was Jack O' Frost. This is more on me than on the show itself because the concept just squicked me out a lot more than I expected it to. Badly enough that i've blocked the tag.

On the best of, I don't even know if I can choose. Hmm, Bokura no micro na shuumatsu, Kimi ni wa todokanai, Kinou nani tabeta s2, both the My Beauitful Man installments, and Taikan Yoho. Ahhh, and Tokyo in April is... Welp well turns out I couldn't actually choose. This was pretty much everything I watched.

I didn't think I'd like Bokura no as much as I ended up liking it. And I don't know if I would've liked it as much if any other country had produced this show. But it was achy and wistful and I fell in love;.

Kimi ni wa todokanai though was hands down my favorite from Japan and I don't even like friends to lovers. It also helped that they, mostly Yamato reminded me a bit of Kageyama and Hinata. Like I know it's just common character archetypes but also, it's kagehina core, yeah? The bed scene where Yamato yeets Kakeru onto the bed was both hilarious and just well done. I liked the way Yamato wrestled with his desire.

I watched Kinou Nani Tabeta s2 just a couple days ago since I was waiting to binge it and i'm glad I wasn't watching this weekly because it would make everything else I watch weekly dull in comparison. Honestly would watch 100 seasons of this. It's perfect.

My Beautiful Man S2 and My Beautiful Man: Eternal were both solid. I think mbm s1 had tighter pacing but week to week, I enjoyed s2 more. For some reason I didn't write notes for either but I do remember liking both so.

Taikan Yoho. If not for the kghn vibes from kimi ni wa, this would be my favorite. Like their dynamic and just the layers of it and how it presents itself in the language of the show is just so tailored to my taste. I think I wanted just a little bit more from them, but what I got was excellent.

Philippines

I only watched four and somehow, it's perfectly split into 2 gls and 2 bls. I really do like pinoy stuff and the way they write relationships but I don't watch a lot of it because I don't know a lot of people who track it and also because most of it is on yt and i don't like the yt interface. But out of what I watched, the best was The Day I Loved You and Stand-In Love.

The Day I Loved You did a good job in handling the love triangle and Eli's illness. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending but it was still good.

Stand-In Love is about 2 best friends who are in a 'stand-in' relationship with each other where the straight one is helping the lesbian one learn how to court a girl but then they end up falling in love. It's like 20 minutes long, it's fucking adorable, very well done for the amount of time it had.

The other two things I watched was Tie the Not and Lei and Mar. Tie the Not is basically just pinoy Wedding Plan and I find that I don't care for the concept. Lei and Mar is a cute friends to lovers that for some reason ends in a car crash. Like it started out really cute and then bam, car crash out of absolutely nowhere. Just, why?

Taiwan

Kiseki: Dear to Me was fun and I liked the cameos. It was a funny experience for me though because I consumed a lot of this show via gifsets but I never actually read the synopsis and whatever the hell I thought this was about was decidedly not it.

Fall For You - it's tragic, it is but I laughed

Stay By My Side reminded me a bit of Hikaru No Go but I can't tell you why. It's more cute domestic fluff than plot but I watched it twice so clearly I didn't mind too much at the time. Plus, it has ghosts and i'm a sucker for supernatural stuff.

You are mine was a mess and I think I watched up til the penultimate episode. What is it with office bls this year?

#the real reason this is divided the way it is is because or else id only be talking about simr and girls love #idk how to tag because i certainly am not tagging all damn 81 things #thai ql #dramas #year in review #ill tag some of the shows i suppose just cuz idk what to tag #my school president #i feel you linger in the air #welcome to the lesbian bar #shadow the series #only friends the series #a shoulder to cry on #stay by my side #the day i loved you #be my favorite #nanon korapat

[starryalpacasstuff]

Thai QL Favorites Tag Game

Tagged by @telomeke, thankss <3

Credits: this game was created by @thatgirl4815 as Thai BL Favorites Tag Game.

Arghhh I just know this is going to be so hard, I'm gonna be an indecisive mess throughout.

Favorite Thai QL: Starting off strong with an impossible question to answer! I'll always have a spot for Bad Buddy in my heart, being the creative genius it is, and bonus points for being my first actual BL. But I have to also mention My School President, for the sheer joy, amazement and wonder that series sparked in me. I cried. My only 12% is forever going to remain in my heart, it hit close to home but I liked the pain. Probably the sweetest, most wholesome show ever. And, can't quite wrap this up without my newest favorite: Not Me!! Truly an amazing series that had pretty much all I could ask for.

Favorite Pairing: Dang it. I feaking love Gemini Fourth, they're genuinely such an amazing pair with amazing chemistry. But also, OffGun in NoT Me genuinely knocked the wind out of me. (Special mention to SantaEarth for being frickin adorable)

Most underrated actor: Joining @dribs-and-drabbles in the pitch for Harit, most well known for his role as Todd in Not Me. I REALLY want to see him as a lead, because I knew he'd be evil from the start and yet I was still so sad when the reveal came.

Favorite Character: God this is so hard to chooseee. Probably Tinn from MSP because my god the guy is so cute, and the greenest of flags to ever green flag. Also Black, from Not Me because I am here for the spiky on the outside but a little bit soft deep deep inside thing. And I can't forget about bestie Sam from GAP the series. Everything about her was just>>>

Favorite Side Character: Tiw from MSP for being the best wingman ever, and Ink for being the best just ever.

Favorite scene in a QL: Theres many, but two main ones come to mind here. The bar scene in episode 12 of Bad Buddy, when the gang is hanging out, drinking, and witnessing the stupidity of their younger selves through the eyes of an older generation. Second is the pride celebration scene in Not Me. I tell you, that scene made me sob.

Favorite line in a QL: I literally have a google docs filled with impressive lines from QLs!!!! I think I'd have to go with "All we can do is try. Even if its scary, we have to try it to find out" from the eighth sense, ep 10. "I will choose to remember only the good ones so there will only be the beauty of tomorrow" from uwma ep 10 comes a close second though.

Most Anticipated QL (& why): 23.5 I NEED high school lesbians. Also, GMMTV's first gl!!! I'm praving they don't f it up.

Healthiest relationship in a QL: Probably PatPran or TinnGun

Most toxic relationship in a QL: Agreeing with @telomeke on Tharntype here. Goddam they were messy. And toxic.

Guilty pleasure series: Uhhh Love in The Air.

Most underrated series: My Only 12% definitely, no doubt about it. This little series is so amazing and it needs so much more love. The story is simple but engaging. The characters have amazing dynamics and chemistry. It has a lot of little messages and meanings and lessons hidden in it.

Tagging:

@chordassinationtechnique @dimplesandfierceeyes @coffeelovesdramasalatte @snidgetwrites @ahxu-laowen @transpat @theyellowhue

And anyone I haven't tagged who wants to join as well, consider yourself tagged if you see this :)

[plaidcladjuno]

bl recs / watch list 👨‍❤️‍👨

it’s become too much work to keep my initial bl rec list updated (too many shows, too little time to review them all), so i’ve put together this new one which, as you can see, is much more to the point. feel free to use the ask box if you want me to go into more detail about any of the shows listed below!

currently watching

🇹🇭 be my favorite (2023)

🇹🇭 la pluie (2023)

🇹🇭 step by step (2023)

🇯🇵 zenra meshi / naked dining (2023)

to watch

🇹🇭 180 degrees longitude passes through us (2022)

🇹🇭 3 will be free (2019) [on hold]

🇹🇭 609 bedtime story (2022)

🇯🇵 eien no kinou / eternal yesterday (2022)

🇵🇭 gaya sa pelikula (2020)

🇹🇭 i feel you linger in the air (2023)

🇯🇵 life: love on the line (2020)

🇹🇭 moments of love (2023)

🇹🇭 war of y (2022) [on hold]

🇹🇭 the whisperer (?)

🇹🇭 wish you luck (2023)

🇹🇼 your name engraved herein (2020)

watched & enjoyed — recommended 👌🏻

🇯🇵 ameiro paradox (2022)

🇹🇭 bad buddy (2021)

🇹🇼 be loved in house: i do (2021)

🇹🇭 between us (2022)

🇹🇭 big dragon (2022)

🇰🇷 blueming (2022)

🇯🇵 bokura no shokutaku / our dining table (2023)

🇹🇭 a boss and a babe (2023)

🇯🇵 cherry magic (2020)

🇰🇷 choco milk shake (2022)  

🇹🇭 dark blue kiss (2019)

🇹🇭 the eclipse (2022)

🇵🇭 gameboys (2020)

🇹🇭 ghost host, ghost house (2022)

🇹🇭 he’s coming to me (2019)

🇯🇵 his: i didn’t think i would fall in love (2019)

🇯🇵 his (2020)

🇹🇼 history2: right or wrong (2018)

🇹🇼 history3: trapped (2019)

🇹🇭 i told sunset about you (2020)

🇹🇭 ingredients (2020)

🇯🇵 kabe-koji-nekoyashiki-kun desires to be recognized (2022)

🇯🇵 kei x yaku: abunai aibou (2022)

🇯🇵 kieta hatsukoi (2021)

🇹🇭 kinnporsche (2022)

🇯🇵 kinou nani tabeta? / what did you eat yesterday? (2019)

🇰🇷 light on me (2021)

🇰🇷 long time no see (2017)

🇹🇭 love in the air (2022)  

🇹🇭 manner of death (2020)

🇯🇵 minato shouji coin laundry (2022) 

🇹🇭 moonlight chicken (2023)

🇯🇵 mr. unlucky has no choice but to kiss! (2022)

🇹🇭 my ride (2022) [morktawan only]

🇹🇭 my school president (2022)

🇹🇭 my secret love (2022)

🇹🇼 my tooth your love (2022)

🇹🇭 never let me go (2022)

🇰🇷 the new employee (2022)  

🇹🇭 not me (2021)

🇯🇵 old fashion cupcake (2022)

🇰🇷 our dating sim (2023)

🇯🇵 restart after come back home (2020)

🇰🇷 roommates of poongduck 304 (2022)

🇹🇭 secret crush on you (2022)

🇰🇷 semantic error (2022)

🇯🇵 takara-kun to amagi-kun (2022)

🇹🇭 a tale of thousand stars (2021)

🇹🇭 theory of love (2019)

🇰🇷 to my star (2021)

🇹🇭 triage (2022)

🇹🇭 until we meet again (2019) 

🇯🇵 utsukushii kare (2021)

🇹🇼 we best love: no. 1 for you (2021) & we best love: fighting mr. 2nd (2021)

🇰🇷 where your eyes linger (2020)

🇰🇷 you make me dance (2021)

🇹🇭 you’re my sky (2022) 

🇯🇵 zettai bl ni naru sekai vs zettai bl ni naritakunai otoko (2021) & zettai bl... 2 (2022)

not flawless, but still watched & enjoyed

🇹🇭 2moons2 (2019)

🇹🇼 about youth (2022)

🇹🇭 bite me (2021)

🇵🇭 boys’ lockdown (2020)

🇹🇭 chains of heart (2023)

🇹🇭 close friend (2021)

🇹🇭 close friend 2 (2022)

🇹🇭 cutie pie (2022) + cutie pie 2 you (2023)

🇹🇭 destiny seeker (2023)

🇹🇭 enchanté (2022)

🇹🇭 gen y (2020) [mingkit only]

🇰🇷 love class (2022)

🇹🇭 love mechanics (2022)

🇹🇭 my engineer (2020)

🇵🇭 my story (2023)

🇹🇭 nitiman (2021)

🇰🇷 nobleman ryu’s wedding (2021)

🇹🇭 our skyy (2018)

🇹🇭 our skyy 2 (2023)

🇹🇭 second chance (2021)

🇹🇭 senior secret love: puppy honey (2016) & senior secret love: puppy honey 2 (2017)

🇹🇭 sotus (2016) & sotus s (2017)

🇹🇭 star and sky: star in my mind & sky in your heart (2022)

🇹🇭 tharntype (2019) & tharntype 2 (2020)

🇰🇷 unintentional love story (2023)

🇹🇭 why r u? (2020)

🇹🇭 y-destiny (2021)

not bad but forgettable

🇰🇷 my sweet dear (2021)

🇰🇷 ocean likes me (2022)

🇰🇷 oh! my assistant (2022)

🇹🇭 oxygen (2020)

🇯🇵 senpai, this can’t be love! (2022)

🇰🇷 a shoulder to cry on (2023)

🇵🇭 stuck on you (2021)

🇰🇷 the tasty florida (2021)

🇰🇷 tinted with you (2021)

🇰🇷 wish you (2020)

meh — would not rewatch

🇹🇭 2gether (2020) & still 2gether (2020)

🇹🇭 ai long nhai (2022)

🇰🇷 behind cut (2021)

🇹🇭 golden blood (2021)

watched / tried to watch but didn’t vibe with

🇹🇭 bed friend (2023) [dropped]

🇹🇭 check out (2022) [dropped]

🇹🇭 coffee melody (2022) [dropped]

🇰🇷 color rush (2020)

🇹🇭 don’t say no (2021) [dropped]

🇹🇭 en of love: tossara (2020)

🇹🇭 fish upon the sky (2021) [dropped]

🇹🇭 la cuisine (2022)

🇹🇭 lovely writer (2021) [dropped]

🇰🇷 mr. heart (2020)

🇹🇭 paint with love (2021) [dropped]

🇹🇭 together with me (2017) & together with me: the next chapter (2018)

🇹🇭 vice versa (2022) [dropped]

#bl drama #bl recs #mine #i'm sure i've forgotten a few titles but there are already so many 🙈🙈🙈

[thatgirl4815]

Does anybody else think that they’re leaning into the domesticity of KinnPorsche’s relationship just a little bit too much? I love them and they’re adorable together in any capacity, but we’ve seen cute domestic KP pretty consistently since Ep8. I know shit is about to hit the fan, but I wanted Ep12 to have a longer stretch of tension between them. 

Thing is, Kinn and Porsche's main issue is learning to trust and rely on each other. That's something that cannot be built fast or easily, especially when you have trauma and baggage surrounding your trust issues.

If they keep adding more and more conflicts in which it shows that Kinn and Porsche can't trust or rely on each other, it'll feel very, very rushed when they get together at the end, (because of course they do).

We only have 2 more episodes left, they need to establish that this couple is a steady fortress not something made of sand that'll easily crumble at the first thing that becomes difficult between them. I think they're doing a great job portraying that they won't break that easily even if it means we don't get angst from them.

Their relationship is going to be tested on how strong it is these next 2 episodes with the whole family drama and we all know Kinn and Porsche are endgame, but it needs to feel like its earned.

Even when Porsche got angry with Kinn this episode 12, it still showed trust/growth because he confronted him and told him off, and let Kinn know what he felt unlike in episode 5 after the whole drugging incident where he just retreated and dealt with things alone. That's progress being made in their relationship.

You can't just throw two people who have been shown consistently to not trust each other or break up or retreat alone after every minor or difficult conflict/situation they experience together and then say "And they lived happily ever after" simply because the season/show is ending.

“They need to establish that this couple is a steady fortress not something made of sand that'll easily crumble at the first thing that becomes difficult between them.”

I’d like to amend my original critique a bit. I do completely agree with you that for Kinn and Porsche’s ending together to feel satisfying and earned, they need to have established a well-formed, long-standing relationship that has already withstood its fair share of tests. You put it really nicely in your last paragraph--not to once again throw shade at TharnType, but it felt like TT did exactly what you’re describing here: the two leads had anything but a stable relationship, and yet I’m supposed to believe that they were together for seven years by S2? I’m really glad that KP is avoiding that route by building a strong foundation. 

Don’t get me wrong--I love the cute, fluffy stuff. I like how close they’ve gotten. I was eating that shit up back in Ep8. I guess I just feel like they could’ve trimmed it up to make way for other conflicts--not necessarily related to trust, but to the mafia itself.

The show set up this sort of moral questionability aspect when Porsche first became a bodyguard, but it’s been kind of left to the wayside since the early days. I know this is because we’ve seen that Kinn doesn’t enjoy the kind of things he has to do for his job, but I still want to see those choices coming back up again. Perhaps they’ve opted to stay away from the mafia stuff so much because a) Porsche is no longer Kinn’s bodyguard and b) VegasPete have been given a lot of the heavy content right now (especially where morality is concerned), so they want to provide some balance. 

All in all, I’m just really interested to know how KP’s relationship reacts to more disruptions by the mafia lifestyle itself. The mafia is what makes this show different from other BLs, so I’d like to see them lean into that a bit more. But when if there’s a second season, I could definitely see them exploring other mafia-related issues in more detail.

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #maybe this isn't so much a critique of KP's relationship as it is about me wanting more mafia stuff from the show #And this sounds like I'm really hating on what they're doing but I'm really not! #I think they're handling the content in this show beautifully #I just feel like there's something I want more of but it's hard to put my finger on #it could just be me #vegaspete #kinn x porsche #kinn porsche #kinn anakinn #porsche pachara #ask #kinnporsche ask