#bl stepbrothers trope

[absolutebl]

Hi ABL! I was wondering if you have recs for bl couples where a younger seme/top aggressively pursues an older, initially-unwilling uke/bottom?

I realized this trope was my absolute JAM when I fell hard and fast for Wei Zhiyuan x Wei Qian, Sun Boxiang x Lu Zhigang, and Yongjie x Xingsi. Bonus points for age gap, stepbrothers trope or the older uke being endlessly indulgent?

I mainly watch China and Taiwan bls, so I’ll love anything from there. I’ll take recs from other countries too, they might become my first foray into non-mandarin bls

I know this is a somewhat specific request so thank you sm if you manage to come up with anything! I really appreciate all the work you put into this blog ☺️💜

Oooo MY FAVORITE!!!

Hyung Romances! (wrap-up post)

I call these hyung romances because that's like noona romances but gay.

Specifically you said:

younger seme aggressively pursues an older initially-unwilling uke

I am utter TRASH for this! YES PLEASE!

Minato’s Laundromat

Japan 2022 GaGa 

AKA Minato Coin Laundry AKA Wash My Heart! AKA Minato Shouji Koin Randorii AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry

Younger seme older uke, very clearly yaoi derived dynamic, 10 year age gap. I love this show so much. This is by far the best long running example that really dwells on this trope, Shin is very much the aggressor also very much still a high school kid. Minato is very much NOT. 

Old Fashion Cupcake 

Japan 2022 Viki & GaGa 

Also from Japan, another 10 year gap, and a flipping genius version. This time both parties are older, so there’s less of a stigma around the age gap, but there is stigma about the one being the other’s boss. 

This show had me from the moment they broke the egg yolk with the chopsticks in the opening credits for episode one. It’s about a younger man with a long cherished crush on his boss (ten years older and going through a mid life crisis) who decides to save and seduce said man with pancakes. It’s wholesome, comforting, sexy, and a very necessary narrative about still having hope, interests, and openness to affection at any age. It’s coming of age/queerness packaged in a subtle critique of expectations around masculinity and love and loneliness... and it’s beautiful. Full review. 

Lovely Writer

Thailand 2021 YouTube 

Sib is quite a bit younger than Gene and defines aggressive pursuer. Gene is out of university and established in his career, Sib is still in college.

Thailand criticizes itself and the BL industry while simultaneously giving us classic seme/uke with great chemistry in a one-two punch of “we love it, but are we supposed to? and must we think this hard, yet enjoy it SO MUCH?” This show won’t appeal or make sense to those who don’t already have at least some Thai BL watching experience. What Lovely Writer does, at heart, is reexamine Thai BL has done to queerness, but in a very gentle way that has more to do with Thai BL growing up than any actual queer authenticity. It’s not parody or pastiche, but it is self reflective and trying to correct for some chronic mistakes. Whether it is ultimately successful in this matter is going to depend on the watcher’s relationship to BL and queer identity. But that’s what makes this show beautiful, interesting, and thought provoking. And I, for one, applaud the effort even if I didn’t personally connect to the characters.

Oxygen

Thailand 2020 YouTube 

Thailand’s first real stab at this dynamic as a main couple and it so worked for me. There are many who find this BL too slow and wooden, but I loved it. 

I think of this as a paragon of Thailand’s softer BL style, since Oxygen uses every BL trope in the playbook for one of the gentlest lowest angst BLs ever made. This one showcases how far Thailand is moving BL from its yaoi roots, and is a prime example of the sweet “new BL” model for which Thailand is the main advocate (Korea is liking it a lot these days too, tho). My first watch along. 

SOTUS

Thailand 2016 YouTube 

Guess who started this trope in Thailand? Yeah, sometimes I forget too. But they are not just classic sunshine/tsunder but classic younger/older. Just not by much.

This is the BL that launched a hundred BLs. No literally, it was SOTUS’s international success that pretty much built the Thai BL industry into the juggernaut it is today. People have baggage around SOTUS, I have nostalgia. Trigger warning on bully hazing. Review here. 

En of Love: Tossera 

Thailand 2020 YouTube 

Younger boy wants to court older boy and does and… that’s it. No really that’s the WHOLE STORY. There is actually no angst, drama, or, indeed plot. But are they the softest bois ever to BL as a main couple? Yes they are.

*pulp warning*

Private Lessons

Korea 2020 GaGa 

A BL short from Strongberry that I love, it's age gap and teacher/student (catnip por moi). The chemistry is slightly off though, but stil I do love this one for the dynamic. Certainly worth watching especially if this is your trope since it's like 8 minutes long and very stylish.

MingKit MarkKit

2 Moons (VERY side dish) YouTube 2 Moons 2 YouTube (major side dish) Gen Y (leads) Gen Y 2 (sides again in LTR) 

Thailand’s premier version of this dynamic I just lumped them all into one category. Only in 2 Moons 2 are they played by different actors, otherwise it is all KimCop, and who can complain about that? If you want to watch specifically for this dynamic than go for Gen Y. Trash watch here. 

SIDE DISH CORNER

Not Me (DanYok)

DanYok is an age gap, but it isn’t really the point or the plot of their romantic arc

Don’t Say No (LeonPob) 

Leon and Pob qualify. That’s all I have to say about that. 

HIStory 3: the BL that shall not be named (BoXiang & ZhiGang)

Also appear in HIStory 4: Close to You

The side characters in H3:MODC (and cameos in H4) BoXiang & ZhiGang have a huge age gap, 12 years, and it is a big deal for their relationship. When they start out BoXiang is a desperate himbo high school kid and ZhiGang is a small business owner. BoXiang’s friends tease him more for his lust over such a much older man than for being gay. 

Bonus on this one, there is some very high (and it's Taiwan so) very well done heat. That said, the main couple will, in fact, wreck your psyche for life. Proceed with caution.

THE THAI PULPS

You’re My Sky (SanAei)

Side could (and only good part of this show) SanAei are a classic uni age gap pairing. San is a bit of a spoiled rich kid jock who identifies the older nerd character as HIS and is just like, MINE. That’s MY elder gay. 

Brothers (KhunKaow) 

This is not a good show, but side couple Khun & Kaow are great in it. Khun is in university and Kaow has a small baking business.

Top Secret Together and Love By Chance both have sub plots of high school boys pursuing college ones, but the one didn’t go anywhere and the other went very very bad, so yeah… no. Although I would personally LOVE to see this done well. 

BONUS POINTS ROUND

Stepbrothers trope

HIStory 4: Close to You (sides)

YongJie is quite a bit younger than XingSi, not sure on the specifics but he’s in middle school when XingSi is in high school and still in college when XingSi has his own business.

Addicted has the stepbrothers trope but not the age gap.

Older uke being endlessly indulgent

Future

Thailand 2023 YouTube 

Based on a y-novel by Faddest (En of Love) about an engineering student and a dentist (shocker). This is just a soft sweet cotton candy fluff piece about a younger boy who pursues an older boy and then manufactures silly gay drama. Nothing wrong with that. But I don’t think this style of BL really appeals to a very large market share. Will I rewatch it? Sure. Will anyone else? Nope.

If you want your endlessly indulgent older gay, this is the you crack, they made if for you.

*pulp warning*

Manner of Death

Thailand 2021 WeTV

It’s not really relevant to the story, but Tan is younger. Not only that, he’s Bun’s friends younger brother. Bun is very indulgent, but in a grown up way.

I like MoD a lot but I’m conflicted over it being actual BL. It’s a great gay romantic suspense, although the mystery element is its weakness. MaxTul, the Kings of chemistry, are, of course, perfect and perfectly cast, but their romance thread is more a distraction than an addition. Still, I could watch them make-out the phonebook. Watch along here. 

Seven Days

Japan 2015 grey 

AKA Seven Days: Monday-Thursday AND Seven Days: Friday-Sunday Japan

Seryou kinda counts as the pursuer, but the dynamic is very very weak in this one. Still the way he asks to use Yuzuru’s first name (so CHEEKY) and the way he says “senpai” in SUCH a cute way makes me so happy. And Yuzuru is NOTHING is not indulgent, it kinda defines his character. I mean he just LETS him call him by his FIRST name... right away.

Never doubt my ability to recommend this show. One of the best live action yaois ever made, with perfectly structured angst, fantastic characters and acting, and no problematic tropes (rare in Japanese BL). The leads have excellent chemistry although it’s low heat there’s still some really cute mutual kisses. 

Just Taiwan

HIStory 2: Crossing the Line

2018 Viki 

Seme uke is VERY weak with this one but the younger character is certainly the pursuer. It’s SO GOOD. 

Lin Pei Yu directs this is a sports romance (volleyball) with a good boy/bad boy pairing, and mu favorite of the HIStory franchise. There is no clear seme/uke. Ostensibly it's high school set but Taiwan doesn't care about age appropriate actors. It's a very soft sweet romance with some ridiculously easily overcome conflict. There's great kisses but it's medium heat. The side dishes are the stepbrother trope but they’re very tame, and there’s no other triggers. It's not just my favorite of the franchise, it’s one of my favorite BLs with a perfect happy ending.

Kiseki: Dear to Me

2023 Gaga

The mains are a major age gap, but I always forget because they def don't look it. Also, Taiwan, so very weak seme/uke. Still there is age gap, he's in high school and our gangster is out of college and in the workplace.

The plot is totally ridiculous and slightly unhinged, but that’s normal for Taiwan. It involves all the tropes under a very casual framework of gay mafia gangs + food = love. Absolutely every character is queer. There’s a gum-ball machine of cameos, elder gay rep, great chemistry from all pairs, and a KILLER side couple. As a result Kiseki is a poster child for Taiwanese BL, and I happen to love Taiwanese BL. Bonus? They also managed to END IT WELL, which we cannot expect from Taiwan.

(Triggers for knife play, child abuse, lingering trauma.)

Unknown

2024 YouTube

Unknown is a wonderful BL with a pitch perfect portrayal of long term pining, age gap, and the stepbrothers trope. The acting and chemistry are ON POINT (especially from the leads) which made the resulting characters very believable. When it dwells in intimate family drama, it's stunning. It's slightly less successful when it leaves the home and goes gritty. Still, those are mere quibbles. This is an excellent show, one of Taiwan' s best.

As you see above I mostly had to take you to Japan and Thailand for this one. Considering your preferences try Japan first, it's closer in DNA to Taiwanese stuff, but it won't go as high heat. If you want the heat, you'll need to try the Thai stuff (or the ones from Taiwan you haven't seen). I would start with Lovely Writer.

Okay I think I have given you enough and, unless I miss my guess, I may have tempted you to try some Japanese BL.

Comes to the weirder (and weird hair) side. We have pancakes.

Yeah I think you should watch Old Fashion Cupcake.

EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH OLD FASHION CUPCAKE!!!

(source)

This post dated May 2024, not responsible for hyungs that sling after that date.

#bl with age gap #bl stepbrothers trope #bl younger guy pursues older guy #japanese bl #Minato’s Laundromat #old fashion cupcake #lovely writer #oxygen the series #That Bl #sotus #en of love #private lessons #strongberry #koeran bl #Manner of Death #future the series #seven days #HIStory 2: Crossing the Line #unknown the series

[heretherebedork]

Trying to protect someone when you're both hurt is so fraught because you're both aching and there's something hurting and you want to care and to love but how can you when you don't see a future or any chance at all for anything... (They talk about hating each other constantly even as they take care of each other but it's such a fine line to walk when they're both screaming inside.)

The way he chooses to wear his shoes despite having his own because he obviously takes comfort from them? The way he chooses those crappy shoes over his crappy shoes and wears them because he feels protected? Ugh, my heart for them and their falling out and falling apart. Showing love by stealing shoes and leaving your own for him. (Bonus where I think of @respectthepetty because their shoes are black and white and Yoondae is obviously lighter than SooHyuk but chooses to wear his dark shoes as comfort.)

The way he took out what his father said on the brother that was trying so hard to protect and love him without ever realizing how much he would hurt him and then taking it personally when his brother was hurt by it and lashed out because they're both victims here but sometimes it's easier to hurt a fellow victim because they don't fight back. Just two abused men lashing out against each other because they don't have the power and can't lash out against the people who are hurting them in the first place.

The agony of this, of saying something in a moment of hurt that echoes and echoes and fills both of you with pain that you don't know how to take back.

They loved each other so much. And when they lashed out, they broke something inside each other that was maybe already broken but was at least being held together and now it's been shattered for years and how do you fix that, can you fix that?

And the preview show that they're going to switch roles, that now he has to realize that his brother needed just as much care and tenderness as he did and was suffering just as much, just differently and that he lashed out at him and left him just as alone and now they're both alone and aching and damaged.

#gray shelter #korean bl #upcoming bl #yoonbae x soohyuk #korean bl drama #korean bl series #kbl #bl drama #bl series #asianlgbtqdramas #asian lgbtq dramas #korea going for the stepbrother's trope? #oooo

[bl-bam-beyond-reflectionsofabl]

ADDICTED (2016, CHINA)

Episode 4

An Irate Student (That Came Out Of Nowhere) with an ax to grind bring the stepbrothers closers...

After Gu Hai (JOHNNY HUANG) drugs Bai Luo Yin's (TIMMY XU) water, not knowing Bai Luo Yin took expired cold medicine. Bai Luo Yin passes out. Gu Hai quickly rushes him to the infirmary.

Gu Hai basically admits at this point (once Luo Yin regains consciousness) that he's hot for Luo Yin but smart as he a dense Bai Luo Yin doesn't get it.

Later in the classroom the students receive their school rankings/grades.

Out of no where an irate student enters the classroom and begins hurling insults at Luo Yin about being abandoned by his mother who is "A Lady Of The Night"

Gu Hai offended for Bai Luo Yin or just pissed off someone is coming for his man. He punches the irate student and continues the assault until teachers end the brouhaha.

This action seem to make Luo Yin closer to the irritating Gu Hai.

#BL-BAM-BEYOND REMINISCES #CHINESE BL SERIES #BANNED IN CHINA #STEPBROTHERS TROPE #GU HAI DEFENDS HIS STEPMOTHER OR MORE LIKE HIS UNKNOWN STEPBROTHER #BAI LUO YIN SEES GU HAI IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT #My GIFS #MYGIFSET #MY-GIF-EDIT #BL-BAM-BEYOND FAMILY OF BLOGS #BACK TO MY BL BEGINNING...SORT OF

[waitmyturtles]

Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: My Bromance and Yaoi Influences Edition

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. Today, I cover My Bromance, a 2014 stepbrothers movie rooted in yaoi tropes and structures.]

Okie-dokie, my yaoi smokies! Earlier this week, I reviewed likely the most seminal film to have influenced the Thai television BL genre, 2007's Love of Siam. I took on one more pre-BL movie to round out the early Old GMMTV Challenge list in My Bromance (2014), and I did so for a few reasons.

First, a little time period context: before the launch of proto-Thai television BL in Love Sick (2014) -- an ensemble drama that did not center, but rather included, a queer romance in Phun x Noh -- Thai cinema was where queer relationships were mostly explored. In discussion with @bengiyo, Thai, pan-Asian, and international queer cinema was also where the majority of stereotypes about the presumed endings of queer relationships were mostly held, as I discussed at length in my Love of Siam review.

My Bromance aired in February 2014, and Love Sick aired in July 2014. I don't *think* the two properties spoke to each other by way of art or influence -- in part, simply because My Bromance is rooted in some STRONG Thai yaoi tropes that almost pre-determined the ending of the film (spoiler alert, I'll get into this later). (And I want to note and appreciate the differences in the term "yaoi" as interpreted in Japan vs. Thailand.) Love Sick, while utterly and fabulously chaotic, ended in happiness, with Phun and Noh confirming their relationship.

The second reason why I added My Bromance to this list is because history tells us that Thailand's past and present fascination with Japanese yaoi manga and anime, in part, primed wider Thai audiences for television dramas featuring queer love and relationships. As we know now, Thai filmmakers have made Thai television BL a genre of its own, complete with tropes and built-in assumptions about how the dramas are structured and how the stories are told. The most overt Thai yaoi-influenced drama on the OGMMTVC list is TharnType, and I wanted to add at least one pre-BL yaoi piece to get a sense for how yaoi would then play out on television (and I know there are PLENTY more very early television BLs that were touched by yaoi, but TharnType is the most influential one on the future of the BL genre).

The third reason for this addition is that the two leads of My Bromance -- Fluke Teerapat and Fluke Natouch -- both have long and notable careers in Thai television BL, with Fluke Natouch also having starred in a number of other pre-BL queer Thai films. Fluke Natouch, for me, reached legend-ish status by just existing in Until We Meet Again, which became a fast favorite of mine when I watched it for the OGMMTVC. But separately, I was particularly curious about seeing Fluke Teerapat in a pre-television Thai BL piece. As many of us know, likely his most famous role is that of Wad in SOTUS, GMMTV's first BL from 2016, in which Wad may or may not have been presumed to be paired with the older character, Prem. More importantly, since then, Fluke Teerapat has had a long career in Thai BL screenwriting, penning (with his partner, Tanachot Prapasri) two of the most notable non-GMMTV BLs of the past few years, My Ride and La Pluie. Both of these shows have reached a touch of cult status, and if they were both penned by a guy who's been around the BL way for a second, then -- I wondered if Fluke Teerapat's early acting career could give me insight in any lessons he learned about, maybe, what NOT to do in Thai BLs today.

Welp, I think My Bromance helps with those lessons, lol. @lurkingshan hipped me to the central trope that structures My Bromance -- the yaoi stepbrother trope in which, yes, oh yes, stepbrothers, ya know.

Maybe the first and most overall general assessment I can give of My Bromance is that it could perhaps get a little insane in its storyline by way of how it needed to be centralized around the taboo yaoi stepbrother trope in the first place. I've talked with @so-much-yet-to-learn and @absolutebl in the past about how in some shows rooted in yaoi, or at least a taboo trope or two -- how oftentimes, that show may include two or three or more taboo influences, since the show already decided to go to a different place than a socially acceptable moral or ethical center-norm.

I think I was watching that in My Bromance. Besides the stepbrothers realizing that they were attracted to each other, probably the most remarkable infrastructural inclusion of this movie was the utter cluelessness by Golf, the stepbrother played by Fluke Teerapat, that trying to continue a relationship in the face of everything against them might have been an effort not worth pursuing. That love of this sort might lead to more pain than pleasure.

Golf was a character set up as essentially abandoned by his father and stepmother for the sake of work, as both parents left Golf alone to travel for work constantly -- which left Golf alone in a house with Bank (Fluke Natouch) for lengthy periods of time that allowed them to find out their love for each other. Now, if you and your lover are alone for an inordinate amount of time, then yes -- you are going to think that in that environment, in that particular moment, your love can flourish. But when reality hit, and Golf and Bank were found out, and attempts were made to split them up, man, did Golf ever put the pressure on Bank to just... suck it up.

It was a tough framework to watch. Golf, through Fluke Teerapat's acting, was the living version of denial personified. He would NOT accept, immaturely, that Bank and himself could NOT be together. EVEN WHILE Golf and Bank were ultimately separated, physically and emotionally, Golf expected Bank's love to remain true. (I mean, imagine, this Bank is played by an 18-year-old Fluke Natouch. Bank was taking hit after hit!) And this is even after Golf returns from a years-long overseas stint.... with a girlfriend. Golf still scolds Bank for giving up on their love...

...to the point that they get into a physical altercation with deeply impactful results involving a car accident, surgeries, organ transplants, everything. Apologies for spoiling the ending, but it was so wild for me that I just need to process it for a second and consider its impact on television BLs.

I mentioned before that Bank was taking hit after hit. Before the car accident, his own mother seemed to begin to accept his sexual orientation (!!!) -- even trying to set Bank up with a new boyfriend. Thundering right back to another yaoi framework, Bank replies that while he might be gay, he doesn't need to love another man (what was this movie DOING to poor Bank?!). Then, later on, Bank even reluctantly agrees to try seeing a new guy himself at school. Bank himself wasn't necessarily an innocent blushing maiden -- at one point, he called Golf a coward for not being 100% committed to their love, which I think was an accurate call-out for what Golf was expecting Bank to accept by way of Golf's outward performance as a straight man. The poor kid was just trying to figure himself the hell out in the face of confusion and repeated abandonment.

Then the car accident happens, and Bank is gravely injured, to which Golf responds with a kidney (at least Golf showed up in one way!). And Golf disappears after that.

We learn, after Bank leaves the hospital, that Golf has died. (Here's where we get into the we've-come-to-expect-horrible-endings-for-queer-characters paradigm that I discussed in my Love of Siam review.) Man, Bank was taking a lot. He was under the impression at one point that Golf was going to get engaged. And then he learns that Golf, instead, was gone!

It was a lot -- a lot for a movie that clearly was not going to treat its queer characters well, inconsistently at best, and a lot for a movie that kept piling on the yaoi-ness of the genre it was playing in. These guys stood no chance of happiness, especially with Golf insisting that Bank still love him, despite everything Golf himself was doing in trying to live a straight life with a girlfriend/fiancée before he departs the film.

Now, with the benefit of watching this 2014 film with 2023 hindsight, I knew that Golf would "come back" in a My Bromance television series from 2020. But in 2014, at the end of the first movie -- I am sure audiences were just like, what.... was all that for. Bank had been through the ringer, for a relationship that was going to be difficult to maintain anyway, in a society that isn't easy on gay men in the first place in mid-2010s Thailand. (And the WONDERFUL @twig-tea filled me in on the context of the long wait to get to 2020's My Bromance sequel in the first place -- only for fans to be disappointed again in the quality of that series.)

When I think about this film in the context of 2019's TharnType, and even to a smaller extent, 2018's Love By Chance (both MAME pieces that feature yaoi overtones), it just seems that a common framework of early Thai yaoi BLs was that many of the dudes just didn't deserve empathy in their creation and longevity. That being queer AUTOMATICALLY meant that one was subject to pain. It's interesting for me to ponder this as this expectation was flirted with on television screens, as opposed to the movies. Again, while I discussed this previously in the context of how cinematically-driven queer and/or BL art plays out -- in regards to art that's structured specifically around yaoi frameworks, it seems like a rule that the dudes are supposed to take hit after hit, without the responsibility of the content checking in on the characters and offering them alternate trajectories of emotional discovery.

We didn't see that in TharnType -- TharnType featured a deeply complicated resolution that involved the intentional hurting of feelings over lengthy periods of time, and a redemption for an INCREDIBLY problematic character in Lhong. And TharnType was made not that long ago -- just four years ago from now.

I talked at length in my Love of Siam review about how brilliantly today's BL filmmakers have taken other expectations of Asian media, such as the concept of open-ended endings, to fascinating and artistically challenging results (to me, resulting in beautiful pieces). But when a piece is structured around yaoi rules and tropes, then it seems like many characters don't stand a chance at happiness. I know that's not a hard and fast rule, but it does create an expectation that something might happen.

I haven't seen My Ride and La Pluie yet, but at least with my dear drama clown friends, I followed the La Pluie journey through meta, and it looks about as opposite from My Bromance as anything -- a tight story about an emotional journey that featured a little magical realism and a lot of emotional development. I want to think that Fluke Teerapat saw the early work that he himself was getting involved in, and said to himself -- man, I know how I can make this MUCH, MUCH better, especially to represent queer happiness and queer love. I think he was beginning to address these conflicts in 2020's YYY, which features a wildly fabulous character in Porpla DEMANDING that the men of their life perform exactly to their yaoi standards. By the time Fluke Teerapat gets to My Ride and La Pluie -- it makes me think he had learned ENOUGH about what could go bad to make excellent standalone art.

Because of my respective fascination and appreciation for both Flukes, I'm glad I watched My Bromance, and separately, it does very much deserve a spot on the OGMMTVC syllabus to just show us what was out there on the eve of Love Sick's premiere. We hear so often that yaoi was an important influence to early Thai canon novel BLs and the television genre, so this sets up folks nicely to understand why shows later on like TharnType existed and were so popular. The expectation had been born and bred, and with TharnType's heat included, it drove the masses crazy. For my totally personal tastes, My Bromance wasn't my speed. But I do think and hope that it set up the two EXCELLENT Flukes for developing their standards around good, even GREAT, BLs in their writing and acting futures.

[Allllllllllright! My previously unscheduled detour into early Thai queer cinema is done for the moment, and I am back to the chronology of a few weeks ago, when I left off with Manner of Death watched and unreviewed. That review will drop early next week. My LOVING homage to my first P'Aof Noppharnach BL in my rewatch review of A Tale of Thousand Stars will drop after that. And then, my surprised take on Lovely Writer -- surprised because I did not expect, at all, to fall so much in love with it!

I'm getting through Nadao Bangkok's Last Twilight in Phuket and I Promised You The Moon at the moment, and soon on the horizon, I've got Not Me and 55:15 Never Too Late on deck -- 55:15 on the list because of its integrated BL storyline and commentary. And then a moment that *I* know I've been waiting for -- my long-awaited Bad Buddy and Our Skyy 2 rewatch. Oh, my heart. Can't wait.

The latest list is below -- I welcome your thoughts! (Tumblr's new web editor is jacking with this list below and not letting me strikethrough those shows that I've watched. For the most updated list, check this link right here.)

1) The Love of Siam (2007) (movie) (review here) 2) My Bromance (2014) (movie) 3) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 4) Gay OK Bangkok Season 1 (2016) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 5) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 6) SOTUS (2016-2017) (review here) 7) Gay OK Bangkok Season 2 (2017) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 8) Make It Right 2 (2017) (review here) 9) Together With Me (2017) (review here) 10) SOTUS S/Our Skyy x SOTUS (2017-2018) (review here) 11) Love By Chance (2018) (review here) 12) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) (no review) 13) He’s Coming To Me (2019) (review here) 14) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) and Our Skyy x Kiss Me Again (2018) (review here) 15) TharnType (2019-2020) (review here) 16) Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey (OffGun BL cuts) (2016 and 2017) (no review) 17) Theory of Love (2019) (review here) 18) 3 Will Be Free (2019) (a non-BL and an important harbinger of things to come in 2019 and beyond re: Jojo Tichakorn pushing queer content in non-BLs) (review here) 19) Dew the Movie (2019) (review here) 20) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) (review here) 21) 2gether (2020) and Still 2gether (2020) (review here) 22) I Told Sunset About You (2020) (review here) 23) YYY (2020, out of chronological order) (review here) 24) Manner of Death (2020-2021) (not a true BL, but a MaxTul queer/gay romance set within a genre-based show that likely influenced Not Me and KinnPorsche) (review coming) 25) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 26) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake Of Rewatching Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (review coming) 27) Lovely Writer (2021) (review coming) 28) Last Twilight in Phuket (2021) (the mini-special before IPYTM) 29) I Promised You the Moon (2021) 30) Not Me (2021-2022) 31) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 32) 55:15 Never Too Late (2021-2022) (not a BL, but a GMMTV drama that features a macro BL storyline about shipper culture and the BL industry) 33) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) and Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (2023) OGMMTVC Rewatch 34) Secret Crush On You (2022) [watching for Cheewin’s trajectory of studying queer joy from Make It Right (high school), to SCOY (college), to Bed Friend (working adults)] 35) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here) 36) KinnPorsche (2022) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake of Re-Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist 37) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 38) GAP (2022-2023) (Thailand’s first GL) 39) My School President (2022-2023) and Our Skyy 2 x My School President (2023) 40) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here) 41) Bed Friend (2023) (tag here) (Cheewin’s latest show, depicting a queer joy journey among working adults) 42) Be My Favorite (2023) (tag here) (I’m including this for BMF’s sophisticated commentary on Krist’s career past as a BL icon) 43) Only Friends (2023)]

#my bromance #my bromance meta #fluke teerapat #tanachot prapasri #fluke natouch #my ride #la pluie #turtles catches up with the essential bls #turtles catches up with thai bls #turtles catches up with old gmmtv #the old gmmtv challenge #ogmmtvc #yaoi bl #yaoi tropes #yaoi influences on thai bl

[olderthannetfic]

What are those early 2000's anime fic tropes you speak of with such contempt, I'm curious ? Similar to old school BL ?

--

Well, among other things, the uke not only always has a sexual trauma backstory, but it's usually the same Badtouched By My Evil Stepfather/Uncle one with all the same beats. The manlier one is always the seme, and he often thought he was straight before. The uke is one billion percent gay 5eva. The manlier one is a clueless dumbass while the uke is sensitive.

P.L. Nunn is like this. All those original m/m from the 00s that you can get as ebooks now like Shadow of the Templar or Playing the Fool are like this. (Okay, in Shadow, it's the stepbrother, but still.)

It's always the same damn thing, and it's so boring.

It's like being stuck in a timeloop reading the same 1x2 badfic over and over again.

[halliescomut]

Faux Incest in BLs

So the title is quite clickbait-y, but I couldn't resist. I just wanted to kind of talk about it because I started rewatching Cherry Blossom After Winter again, and this is a major part of that story. Faux Incest is actually a surprisingly common trope in BLs and I see a lot of criticism in relation to it. For me specifically, I think it comes down to the portrayal and context.

I will say I specifically despise the accusation of incest, when the story makes it clear there's no blood relation happening. But in fairness I also dislike when the twist is they weren't actually blood related, but thought they were when they started their romantic relationship.

Now I haven't seen every BL (sadly) and I can really only speak about ones I have, but if you have encountered this trope outside of these shows, then please tell me, so I can add to my thesis. I know that faux incest is a common trope everywhere kind of. It's very 'shocking' and 'forbidden' to do step sibling or adopted sibling romance storylines, and you see them in straight media all the time too. Classic #1 example: Clueless. But back to BLs. Specifically the ones that come to mind are Cherry Blossoms After Winter (which is what started this), KinnPorsche, HIStory 4: Close to You, and TharnType.

I'm going to start with portrayal and when I hit a bit of an ick wall with Xing Se and Yong Jie. In HIStory 4: CTY, you have Xing Se and Yong Je, who are step brothers who were raised together as brothers, and there's a sizable age difference for the characters. I would have to speedrun the series to give you exact numbers, but I think it's somewhere around 8-9 years. They seem to have been a family since Yong Jie was fairly young, I think probably 7-9. Yong Je's feelings for his older stepbrother seem to begin when he's around 12 or 13 I think, and are related to Xing Se being a pretty kind and attentive older sibling. We don't get a lot of information on their relationship once Xing Se moves out of his parents home, but it seems implied that he's not a frequent visitor, but also doesn't avoid seeing his family. There's indication that while Xing Se is 'out' in general, he is not out to his family, and the stress of frequent interaction is what keeps his visits brief and more sporadic. Yong Jie becomes fairly obsessed with Xing Se, and there's all kinds of reasons you can read into why. The obvious are that Xing Se is very confident and personable, while Yong Jie seems to struggle with interpersonal communication. (I find Yong Jie to be pretty strongly autistic-coded, which I hate because it is very negative representation). Xing Se being out, even if not to their parents and that implied freedom is another basis for adoration. In addition to social confidence, Xing Se is someone presented as having excelled academically, which Yong Jie, while not unintelligent, seems to struggle with. In general it's all of the basic idolization of older sibling ideas, but with the addition of Yong Jie recognizing a sexual attraction as well, and that developing into something pretty obsessive. My ick wall is hit of course with the inciting incident of their relationship, which is Yong Jie purposefully getting Xing Se drunk and raping him, as well as recording it. Without that plot point, I don't know that there ever becomes a relationship, but to be honest, them having lived apart for several years, specifically formative years for Yong Jie, I don't know that I would have been particularly disturbed by Yong Jie as a 20 year old man confessing his feelings to Xing Se. And that's based off the fact that at best, Xing Se was recognizing and living with Yong Jie as a sibling for maybe a quarter of his life? Like, would it certainly be an adjustment for Xing Se? 100%, but it's possible, but not likely. As the story stands in how it's told, I feel like Xing Se accepts a romantic relationship with Yong Jie kinda because "well I already fucked him, so...*shrug*". Like they could have a good and interesting relationship and dynamic, but I think Xing Se's feelings of responsibility to his family and his reluctance to 'rock the boat' any more than it's already been rocked kind of take away a lot of the agency in his decision. VERY long story short, for these two--It's a no for me, but it's more because of the sexual assault and coercion than anything else.

KinnPorsche is gonna have the shortest paragraph...because these two dudes weren't biologically related in any way, and didn't meet each other until they were adults. They weren't overcoming familial feelings. People just seem to like to throw the incest label at them because. Even with the adoption of Nampheung into the Theerapanyakul family, we don't know if that's legal or emotional, because the reality is we can trust Korn as far as Chay could throw him. And since Nampheung completely removed herself from the family as an adult, there's really only the familial connection in Korn's head, which is more related to his desire to control the pawns in his little chess game than actual human affection. Bottomline: KinnPorsche barely counts in the category and while they, like many others struggle with the concept of consent, I don't have an overall issue with their romantic relationship.

The couple I'm referencing from TharnType is Tum and Tar, and they are honestly barely a secondary couple, and you could almost categorize their characters as tertiary in the story. We do know that they become a couple in the MAME-verse, it's just not fully depicted in the TharnType series. Since we have yet to see their full romance, some things may change, but based on the information we do have, this is a less problematic situation to me than Xing Se and Yong Jie, specifically because of their ages and living situation. They have about a two year age difference, and their parents get married when Tum is 18 and Tar is 16, and that's when they start living together as a family. That time together is pretty brief as Tar goes to study abroad and Tum goes to university, so the reality is they spend very little time living as siblings. Both develop feelings for the other, which they hide, which is another aspect that makes the situation a little less ick on my part. They're both old enough to know their own minds, and it's mutual, which I like a bit better than one character confessing and the other going 'yeah alright, why not?'. So, as the story stands now, barring any egregious consent issues, I'd have no issue with Tum and Tar.

Now we're gonna talk about Cherry Blossoms After Winter. You'd think I'd have a bit of an issue with Hae Bom and Tae Seong. While they are definitely not blood related, as Hae Bom was adopted by Tae Seong's mother when he was about 7, and he and Tae Seong are the same age. They've lived together for 9 or so years like siblings, except it doesn't seem like they developed any sort of familial affection for each other. When they're introduced, you learn that even though they were in the same grade, they never shared classes. They never hung out really. Like they were essentially roommates who shared a house, and occasionally saw each other in the kitchen. That's the vibe you get from their relationship. I'd say the closest thing we have to sibling behavior is Tae Yeong beating up Hae Bom's bully, which does give very 'only I can terrorize my sibling' vibes, except Tae Yeong doesn't terrorize Hae Bom, he just ignores him. Now there is some resistance on Hae Bom's part over the transition from their previous relationship (however you would categorize it) to a romantic one. But that's not based on it being taboo because they're 'related' but based around the fear that Tae Yeong's mother would not approve (it's inferred that the issue is the gayness, not the perceived familial relationship), and the possibility of Hae Bom losing another maternal figure. In all honesty, if you change the set-up to them being neighbors, Hae Bom with only his father, and Tae Yeong with his mother, and Hae Bom becoming a frequent presence in Tae Yeong's house because his mother also becomes a maternal figure to Hae Bom...could practically have the same story without the faux incest.

As a final point, the 'taboo' state of incest at large is based around the fact that we know it causes negative reproductive repercussions. So, in the context of romantic relationships that can't result in naturally conceived offspring does it really matter if there's a familial relationship? Additionally, with faux incest when there's no blood relation, whether conceiving offspring is possible or not, is that equally as taboo? For me, to be entirely honest, the issues come around with the consideration of possibilities for abuse and assault. Do I technically care if two step siblings decide they have the hots for each other as adults and act on it? No. But the presence of assault, grooming behaviors, coercion, or abuse of power would certainly change my opinion, as it really should regardless of any other information.

Well, I guess I just wrote 1500 words about perceived incest. If you have thoughts let me know.

#Cherry Blossom After Winter #HIStory 4: Close to You #TharnType the series #KinnPorsche the series #Tae Yeong x Hae Bom #kinnporsche #tum x tar #xing se X yong jie #BL drama #i dunno y'all

[jeweled-blue-eyes]

So Daughter of the Duke - Love Project! is the first and only dating Sim Siyeon has ever played right? Surprised she never questioned why on earth were Yvonne's and og!Penelope's biological/adopted brothers love interests for them. Like that right away should have been a sign or red flag that one or both of their brothers had romantic feelings towards them. Not sure on why she was surprised that Derrick was in love or rather lusting over og!Penelope when she knew that Derrick was a LOVE INTEREST and she's trapped in a DATING SIM no least.

Also find it odd that Siyeon wanted og!Penelope to get a happy ending with Penelope's tormentors. The girl literally said that reynold and Derrick were like her half-brothers in Korea and mentioned that her and og!Penelope were similar due to some of those reasons. But when you put it into context it sounds really wrong.

I highly doubt og!Penelope would be happy with any of the male leads recycled to her.(I said recycled since the author gave penny the same male leads as Yvonne)

Not only does her surprise at the stepbrother trope imply she didn't play any Dating Sims before Love Project! it also implies Cha Siyeon never read (m)any light novels, shoujo mangas/manhwas or bl. Perhaps she was focusing on her studies to get away from her family and saw attempting to bond over books and kdramas useless since the rich kids at her private school bullied her anyway.

Tbh I was also surprised that Derrick was basically in love (or is it lust?) with her since day one but this is because I'm used to seeing brother LI's act usually like unapologic siscons and not bullies.

Siyeon didn't go after those men to make Penny happy. She was self inserting herself into the character, wanted to relieve her trauma and change the course of her story. Her obsession with the game was how she coped with her childhood trauma once she left her home. She wanted to see what could have been between herself and her family irl.

You know how people model their relationships after their parents/what they grew up seeing? Or a more harmless example: if a certain character trait in your family is valued and respected you come to value it too and seek it out in the people you surround yourself with. It's extremely odd for Cha Siyeon to romance her stepbrothers who resemble her actual half brothers irl but if you put it in context it makes sense from a psychological standpoint.

To have someone who treats you shitty suddenly love and adore you feels better than to have someone treat you consistently with respect. This type of height feels like a drug. It's definitely not healthy but is it understandable? Is it realistic? Very.

Penelope wouldn't be very happy about any of this. Ending up with her abusers, her murderers, her brothers...Derrick is the worst. I cannot see Derrick x Penelope end up in a way that doesn't include manipulation, coercion, financial and emotional dependence and so on. I may be a Penelope x Derrick shipper but I'm not deluding myself into believing he wouldn't damage her. Their relationship would just change from extremely abusive to mildly abusive that would trick the player into believing it's healthy and they managed to "fix him" by giving him what he wants when all this abuse happened because he was bitter that he couldn't get what he wanted. I also can't see Penelope ever falling in love with him or Reynold. She wanted a family. Platonic affection. Pushing a sexual relationship with her stepbrother on her won't do her any good. Her perception of family was always messed with. It's sad if she can never get away from them.

#notanon #answered asks #death is the only ending for a villainess

[iguessitsjustme]

BL ~ Drama Asks

Still home sick and bored so why not. Thanks to @pose4photoml for tagging me

1.     If you had to watch one drama forever what would it be?

I’m taking this to mean that I can only watch this one drama and nothing else and it might surprise people but my answer isn’t a BL. It’s Vincenzo. I love that show. But since this is a BL asks game, I’ll also choose a BL for this...I’m gonna say Old Fashion Cupcake. It’s short but it hit all of my sweet spots (no pun intended) and I can’t see myself ever growing tired of it.

2.     If you could change the ending of a drama which one would it be?

Just one drama? How about two? My Gear and Your Gown and Enchante. MGAYG could have been so good, it just needed to be tightened up a bit and not throw in that random drama at the end. And Enchante was so very good until that ending.

3.     Name your favorite drama and tell who your favorite character was.

My favorite drama? Probably A Tale of A Thousand Stars and my favorite character was definitely Tian.

4.     Name a drama you dropped within the first few episodes ~ we all have at            least one!

I literally just dropped Check Out after 2 episodes. I’m not saying I’ll never finish it but I hated Nine so much I just couldn’t and then I kept hearing that it doesn’t really get better.

5.     Name a popular drama you've never watched and why?

I Told Sunset About You. I KNOW it’s good okay. I know it is. It just feels too real and I simply don’t want something that real. At least not right now. I will probably watch it eventually, just not any time soon.

6.     Name a drama you regret watching.

So I binged Hong Kong’s version of Ossan’s Love and then I immediately binged Japan’s version and I would not recommend anyone do this ever. It did weird things to my brain. It’s the same exact show but one is slightly more exaggerated (HK) and one is ever so slightly more serious (Japan). It’s a fine show just...don’t do what I did.

7.     Name a drama you thought you’d never watch but did and did you end up            liking it?

Cherry Blossoms After Winter. I’m normally not a fan of the stepbrothers trope and was going to not watch this, but I heard that it was actually cute and decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did. It is just genuinely one of the most wholesome and soft shows I’ve ever seen.

Also Secret Crush On You. I was very concerned about the stalker angle after reading the MDL summary but it started airing when I didn’t have a lot else to watch so I gave it a try and it ended up becoming one of my favorite shows ever.

8.     Name a pairing you want to see?

MacauChay. Also HinTum from Lovely Writer. I was happy to get bi representation with Tiffy but then I ended up hating her because she just decided that Tum was gay for reasons I can’t even fathom.

9.     Name a pairing you didn’t think had chemistry?

YuThanu. What even were they? They seemed like they were both from different alien species trying to convince the other one they were human and definitely wanted this relationship, yes, they definitely wanted it. I have more chemistry with the 30 pairs of socks I found on the ground by the dumpster than these two had with each other.

10.  Name a pairing you have seen in another drama that you like?

I’m guessing this means a pairing that’s in multiple shows that I like? I don’t actually have an answer for this. If it’s about the actors, then I’m not really a big fan of pairing actors together and basically making them a set. If it’s about characters, then I’d honestly rather only see the pairing in one show because otherwise that means there’s a second season and I do not trust second seasons.

I’m not going to tag anyone today, but if you want to do this, please go ahead. Just tag me in it so I can see your answers.

#bl tag game #i don't even know what shows i answered so i'm not gonna tag them because i cannot even bring myself to reread what i wrote

[negrowhat]

Let me think....

1- Between us: it pains me to say it but I had so many expectations (many fulfilled for most of the episodes) that I found the last 2-3 eps underwhelming. Forever thankful for BounPrem dedication.

2- History 5: I mean, it's a glow up if compared to H4 (why they decided to add cameos of the creepy duo it's beyond me) but still flat af.

3- Don't say no: it took me almost a year to watch the last episodes. Skipped many Fiat whining scenes. He irritates me like no one, more than Type. I had to finish the series but it was painful.

4- Didn't watch Gap when aired. Still unsure if I want to after seeing several gifsets. I should base my pov only after... Yep, I have high expectations for flf series, more that the male ones. I hate disappointments.

Oh many things to talk about!

I've heard a lot of things similar to how you feel about Between Us. A lot of people felt like it didn't give all it was supposed to. Some people felt WinTeam's inability to confess was dragged out too long. I personally thought there were way too many couples. Also so many of us were waiting so long for it and expectations were sky high from the UWMA fandom. I think it was BounPrem's best series so far but it definitely could've been better. There's always room for improvement y'know?

I didn't even attempt to watch H5. The overall reviews for the series said it was the worst installment to the series and when I saw that the stepbrothers made a cameo I was like...of all the couples? And it's not like they couldn't get a different pair to make a cameo because the HIStory series casts are all pretty tight. I think what it is, is that we're not getting the follow-up stories we want from the HIStory Universe.

Don't Say No is another series I never attempted with. I didn't like LeoFiat in TT2 and had no desire to learn about their ship. Most of my mutuals have told me it's not worth the watch. I have heard a lot a mixed reviews about the series but nearly everyone has called Fiat whiny lol. I thought they was getting a s2? Or was it the other couple because it seems JaFirst have completely moved on from MAME.

I really enjoyed GAP the Series. It was my first GL, but it had it's issues. The plot was kind of all over the place. The 2 side couples were axed so it was only focused on the main couple...which I was mad about ngl. They threw in the old last-minute-change-of-heart trope with Sam's granny. But there were also amazing things about the series. The intimate scenes were shown beautifully and even featured Sam and Mon seeking advice about how to go about their first time. Sam's friend group was pretty great to Mon. Sam's character development was nice to see and they do talk a lot about same-sex marriage. Like I would totally recommend the series but I also think some aspects of it will piss you off.

Does anyone else have any Random BL Confessions/Opinions/Thoughts they want to share?

#gap the series #don't say no #history 5 #between us #between us the series

[felikatze]

isekai is a perfect vehicle for protagonists with fun genders. i love protags with quantum genders so much

recently i read an LN of the isekai'd as the villainess variety, where the protag decided crossdressing was the ticket to survival and it's just. Yes she is a woman. But also she is a man and he is terrified of anyone finding out he is "actually" a woman because he fears this will result in violence against him. And also she's perfectly fine being a woman, but also he likes being a man.

They are a man and a woman at the same time and only decide on one gender once you observe them, like a photon. Behaving like a wave until observed as a particle. Schrödinger's gender.

Or a different one i read of the isekai'd as the runt of the royal family variety, where a woman is reincarnated as a boy, and he's chill with it. Never any "oh no i'm a guy now this sucks." No jokes at expense of gender whatsoever. Just the past self is a woman with she/her pronouns, the current self is a guy with he/him pronouns. How chill about gender is that. "Like yeah man whatever. That was me then this is me now." He is cis technically but also he's trans. Do you understand.

#feli speaks #the first one has some uhhhhhh typical shojo tropes but also i enjoyed just having a gnc protag so much #that was so good. it was technically straight but also gay as hell. do you see. #funniest shit ever was the love interest trying to not admit he's in love with a guy by saying he has a fiance #except the guy he's in love with is his fiance in drag #and he DOES find this out in the end but refuses to reconcile this because he is also in love with his fiance and admitting he likes her #now also means he likes the guy and he's totally straight yeah yup uhuh yeah #abt the protag. 'i GOTTA dress up as another gender. all the time. new me.' is not cis people behavior #like they could've just faked being a different woman but no. guy time #(points at cecil) egg #i am. torn abt some aspects of it (namely the subplot abt one character literally writing BL novels abt the protag and love interest) #but on the other hand seeing gay love treated so casually was. experience. like everyone here is cheering the love interest on #go get your man who you are already technically engaged to #i'm ignoring the secondary love interest being her stepbrother. i'm ignoring that #that did get played off as 'my feelings are wrong and i am going to bottle them up and then die' which #i am. mildly interested in seeing where that goes actually

[absolutebl]

Please help me find that one bl I watched but can't remember the name of it, I want to find and rewatch it do bad! So that's what I remember about the movie:

I watched this movie on YouTube and it was not Thai or Korean. There are two guys who are not brothers, the one with the parents adopted the other one. Gave him many things, like money and house. So they're basically step brothers. The adopted one is in love with the main boy, after some struggles that I don't actually remember, the main boy falls in love with him too. But his father doesn't allow them to be together. With this being the reason, adopted one faked his own death and the main boy was in pain for a couple of years (I think it was like two years? But I'm not sure tho) After some time, the main boy coincidentally sees his lover working at a cafe. And they have a happy ending.

I've been looking for it for a really long timeeee 😭😭😭

This sounds right up my alley so I should know of it. It's stepbrother trope which is one of my all time favorites. (After comment consults I think this must be Irresistible Love - see notes at end)

My guess is something early from China, pre 2018? It could also be from the Philippines or one of the other BL producing countries that I don't track carefully. I think... not Japan, that doesn't seem like the right tropes or narrative bent for them.

It's possible, if you saw it on YT it was a fan rip with an alter end (like it really ends sadly but the fan decided to not include that?)

But you said specifically not Korea so Diary of Heong Yeong Dang (Drama Festival 2014) is out, and that was my first guess.

My second best guess is Thai, My Bromance the movie (2014) or (more likely) My Bromance the series (2016)? But you said: NOT Thai.

So my final pull is...

Find You In The Crowd (China 2017) but this is a microfilm and it's sad. At last check it was on Gaga.

You're not thinking of The Promise (Vietnam 2022) are you? No, that doesn't have the parental stuff and it's very recent.

That's the best I can do. Sorry, the spreadsheet and my brain failed you.

Here is some homework:

There is a 3 Part series from Ellene Noire II of YT round-up videos highlighting VERY obscure queer, LGBTQ+ and BL content (they named title and country in the cards), perhaps it's one of those? It has clips so that might trigger your brain better.

I've had these videos saved to process into my spreadsheet for ages but haven't gotten around to it since they really are some of the MOST obscure and I know it just throws off my numbers with "can't be found" columns.

If you figure it out, will you PLEASE let me know the name and country? It really does sound like my kind of BL. And if possible I'd love to try tracking it down.

Meanwhile here's my stepbrother trope round up post.

Notes

movie on YouTube

not Thai or Korean

2 guys who are not brothers

parents of one adopted the other one (stepbrother trope)

parents give adoptee many things, like money and house

adopted one is in love with the main boy

main boy falls eventually falls in love back

father doesn't allow them to be together

adopted one fakes his own death and the main boy was in pain for a couple of years

after some time, the main boy coincidentally sees his lover working at a cafe

Okay after consult with comments (with the exception of the bold bits I think this really has to be Irresistible Love).

Irresistible Love China 2026 - 2 Parts! 2 Endings!

Irresistible Love: Secrets of the Valet

YouTube

Irresistible Love 2 AKA Uncontrolled Love

YouTube

I not-so-secretly love this BL: Kidnapping, whipping boy, obsession, mutilation, very hard fought happy ending (in one version). Absolutely classic Chinese BL pre-censorship. It's a wild melodramatic ride.

This 2nd movie installment has 2 endings, one unhappy and censored and one basically happy. This series is quite violent, lots of tiggers, whipping boy chassis.

#asked and not really answered #help this fan everyone #stepbrothers trope #find that BL #a mystery for us to solve #chinese bl #maybe something else

[heretherebedork]

More more tropes for you! (Smash or pass)

Golden Retriever x Black Cat

Dominant not just in bed

Gangbang

Idol x Fan

One night stand

Stepbros

Reunion after nth years

Separated because of Family issues

Daddy/Mommy Issues

Tentacles

Second chances

Villain redemption

Dumbass x Dumbass

Let's do it!

Golden Retriever x Black Cat

Definitely smash, yes, yay, please! I gotta love the golden retriever, though. If I'm way more attached to the cat, this pairing can be in trouble.

Dominant not just in bed

Smash, I'll take it, let's go. As long as it's all consensual, it's all beautiful.

Gangbang

Meh? I'm not interested in sex in my shows that doesn't have something to do with deeper emotions and I have no urge to just... have characters have sex? That's not what I'm interested in. No judgement on heat levels, but I'm not here for it without it mattering.

Idol x Fan

Smash, please! I love the idea and I want it so badly to be more common. This was the best part of the Close Friends saga.

One night stand

Only if it turns into a relationship? Once again, I'm here for the romantic happily ever after.

Stepbros

Frankly? Smash. I like it. I enjoy this, the taboo is fine with me, it's all fiction. But best if they met a bit older or become stepbrothers in high school.

Reunion after nth years

Smash... mostly? Depends on the reason for the separation and the type of reunion. This one is very much a question mark, tbh. Depends show to show.

Separated because of Family issues

Pass forever. Send to straight to super hell.

Daddy/Mommy Issues

Can be good as long as it's treated right... which is mostly isn't at all.

Tentacles

I mean... okay? No strong opinion?

Second chances

Honestly? I kind of tend to love second chances as long as they're earned. They have to feel like there's a reason they got a second chance and not just because the show needed a happy ending.

Villain redemption

Gotta be done well. I can like it but it needs time to shape so... not always the best choice for a BL unless it's the main plot line and the show actually understands that the character is a villain.

Dumbass x Dumbass

Smash, my beloved, I love this so much.

#asked and answered #bl ask #bl trope #yes i am talking about all of these in BL terms

[moaserendipity]

We are almost 6 months in 2021 now and I have been enjoying a lot of BL drama’s I just haven’t been writing any reviews. So let me name a couple of my favorite BL drama’s so far.

1. Tale of a Thousand Stars

This is definitely my favorite so far this year. I fell in love with the story, the male leads, the kids and even the friends. I read the novel and I love that they didn’t change that much! Also the chemistry between Earth and Mix was seriously amazing. They had me wrapped around their fingers for sure and usually the story gets a bit boring in the middle but this time there was not one full moment. I laughed, cried and screamed watching these episodes and even though the ending was good and well rounded, I seriously just wanted more!

Also can we talk about Mix for just absolutely second?! Because where have GMMTV been hiding him because W.O.W this man is stunningly handsome and when he smiles it’s like I am melting every single time.

Anyway ahum I am giving this drama a 10/10

2. fighting mr. 2nd

The sequel I needed badly! Did it disappoint god no! These two have such amazing chemistry that I got pulled in every time they got close. And that one scene where Gao Shi De was drunk and poured his heart out broke me. That was seriously intense and the way Zhou Shi Yu gave him a second chance was the best thing ever!

Not to forget about the side couple, which I need to know more about because well they are interesting🥰

The storyline wasn’t complicated or that original BUT it didn’t matter because the acting was amazing and it made me long for more!

So if I have to give this a rating it would get an 9.8/10

3. Lovely writer

Now I seriously was excited about this one from the moment I saw the trailer!! And I loved every single moment of it. I loved how it sometimes mocked the BL industry and Kao & Up are an amazing duo. I have to say that I was so happy to see Kao playing this character after UWMA because this suits him so much better.

Again the chemistry between them was awesome and I don’t know how many times I felt super single, when I am not, while watching them together. Like how is that possible but I want what they have lol.

I don’t think there was anything that bothered me much with this drama except for Aey, I mean damn he was annoying but I feel like they could’ve done more with him but well🤷‍♀️

Also the last episode made me feel attacked especially near the end, you’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it, won’t give spoilers😎

I will give this a 9.5/10

4. Manner of Death

Ah the thriller in this small list. This was a rollercoaster that made you sit on the edge of your chair every single episode. Now I feel like I don’t really need to talk about Max & Tul because who doesn’t know them. They are the BL kings!

I read the novel which usually is t a good thing before you watch a drama but I loved that they did not change THAT much. Max & Tul were definitely the best pick for this drama, also can I just say that their acting has improved so much and I just loved it.

Also how fresh was this drama! Like finally no uni storyline but an adult one! It’s exactly what I wanted!

I will give this a 8.7/10

5. To My Star

This is definitely my favorite Korean drama so far. This was amazing. I loved the storyline and it was nice that they did not really rushed it even though the episodes were again way too short. I loved the chemistry between the male leads.

The way you saw them fall for each other and the way one of them tried to ignore those feelings. I am happy it ended well because I was seriously rooting for them. I loved that they were close behind the scenes as well.

The only reason this one is not higher on the list is because of the shortness.

So I’ll give this a 8/10

6. Tonhon Chonlatee

This on started in 2020 but ended in 2021 so that’s why it’s on here!! This was the light drama we needed seeing as at the same time we got Tharntype. But yeah I laughed so hard every episode & not that but sometimes I even yelled at Tonhon for being a straight up idiot.

The way to Tonhon admitting he loves Chonlatee was a long one and I felt sorry for the second male lead because he was being used to make him realise he liked chonlatee but that made certain things a lot funnier! I loved the chemistry again between the male leads and I definitely wanted more after it ended!! Also give it up to my favorite side couple Ai & Ni, they really should get their own drama!!

I’ll give this a 7.9/10

7. Gen y

Gen Y was something every confusing but also something likeable?🤔 I mean I loved the storyline between Kit & Mark. It was nice to see how Kit finally opened up to Mark and started to love him back, I did feel frustrated at Kit because he did not speak his mind but felt happy when he finally did. Also those scenes between them!! 👍

Then we get to Wayu, Thanu & Phai, this was one confusing storyline, like wtf was that between Thanu and Phai? Where are this premonitions coming from and what does it mean? Like this drama isn’t paranormal right🤔 also I know a lot of fans want Wayu together with Phi but I don’t not after what he did and also the chemistry between Wayu and Thanu is really good! I am curious to see what will happen to them.

Then we get to the last couple, which frustrated the hell out of me! Pok and Tong.... what was happening between them and why did they end up hating each other to having sex with each other🤔 and what is this that they refuse to kiss each other nonsense, so yeah I liked the drama but I was either happy or frustrated😂

This will be a 7/10 for me

8. You make me dance

You make me dance was cute but also a bit heavier then usual. Especially for the dancer because his mom literally left him alone to fend for himself which made him take out loans with loan sharks and the only good thing that came out of it was he fell in love with his loan shark.

I loved them, they were cute, clingy but again way too short because this one was definitely rushed, which was sad. Also when they shoot this in the middle of the winter maybe next time the production staff could at least turn on some heaters? Like I felt cold while watching them!

Anyway a 6.9/10

9. HIstory4; Close to you

Ah yes this one... I will start to say that this one made me uncomfortable at times, also certain tropes were being used that not everyone will appreciate. I for myself liked this drama but also not. If you have watched it, you know that one of the couples are stepbrothers. Now tbh if they hadn’t grown up together it might’ve been easier to watch but seeing as they grew up together it was hard to look passed it especially since they continuously reminded us about it. Also sex without proper consent, I do have to say here that even though he was drunk Xing Si did recognize Yong Jjie so I don’t think it’s right but that’s the only excuse I can find for it🤔 other then that I thought they were cute.

Then the second couple I loved them, the way they fell for each other could’ve been better but yeah I loved them. lichen and Muren completed each other the only scene that got me uncomfortable as when Lichen was dreaming about Muren. But other then that I loved their chemistry!!

Also the cameo of one really amazing couple made up for a lot. I won’t spoil anything but yeah that was satisfying

But because this one made me feel uncomfortable a lot of times I will give it a 6.7/10

10. Second Chance

Second chance, well was short but likeable. I loved the chemistry between the male leads and they made me feel like they were already in a relationship so when that thing happened and one of them suddenly took his distance I was surprised because well, yeah I just didn’t expect him to be like that. But yeah this drama was a short one sadly enough so that’s why it’s not high on the list because I wanted more.

I’ll give this a 6.5/10 and not because it was bad but because it was way too short and sometimes I did not get was was going on.

#1000 stars #tale of thousand stars #lovely writer #tonhon chonlatee #to my star #fighting mr.2nd #manner of death #gen y #you make me dance #history 4: close to you #second chance #BL drama’s #my top 10 so far #yes I am aware there is no Tharntype on this list #why because it sucked

[misterbitches]

I ship muren and li cheng bc i only saw it through gifs then i watched this episode cos i was like im only starting this show if they kiss im waiting and they did and it was nice and i got so anxious that i was about to fucking vomit. I really like them together. The top/bottom shit is dumb and i hope if they must mention it they all build a bridge and get over it so they can switch cos who gives a shit. I didnt realize how large they all are like most “tall” men on tv are lying. But bc that kid is so thin and tall and the other one (idk the stepbrother) is huge too. Li cheng is shorter than them both but more ~manly~ but still short so why doesnt he take a DICK UP HIS BUTT XD since that’s all that fucking matters and there’s only 2 genders and 2 eays to have sex lmao so nothing else otherwise ur screwed

Hd a terrible past couple of weeks personally and because i keep seeing my peopl eget murdered and things ripped from us ^_____^ anyway here’s Some libertatrian communist dumb bitch discoars so i’ll tag it:

keep in mind these are my opinions’”” when i engage in discourse. I am not the end all be all and I don’t need you to agree. There’s some shit I am non-negotiable on but thsi is just exchanging of information. Any authoratative tone I take on comes from my beliefs, my life, my experiences, and what I choose to cultivate as a person and an artist. I dont have control over your feelings, you do. If it hurts you then either tell me the issue and be PRECISE about it, understand that context matters which is why i type so much in engagement, and do not fucking lie or misconstrue my words. Do not call me western ever in your life either. I am a black-american. I have adhd and bc i am a black woman if ur automatically thinking im brolic i am accepting money in my paypal for ur wellbeing to get me to shut the fuck up.Thanks.

The stepbrothers storyline is stupid and lazy writing. I really want to counter people that say it’s written well and that it’s interesting because it isn’t. Even if it was illicit and fucked we can write a story out about this. Let’s rethink what they could have done shall we:

- become stepbrothers at about 16 and their parents mismanage the relationship and they fail in trying to get an integrated family together (this is what happened in the #iconic transit girls and that was fuckin’ weird but hey dude guess what we watched it and it was weird but not unethical and we know one is like 19 and the other is 21 and a girl so it’s like wow you avoided so much and handled their stepsister story very…….um lightly given the end lmao but it was there and people had AGENCY)

-OR you realize that freak is obsessed with him and then he realizes it and is like “bitch i swear to god” and in typical shtity trope BL fashion they can find a way from obsession, to loss and independence when you lose your obsession, to “love” if they choose

- have the fucked up shit but make it clear what the issues are and you literally cannot write your way out of it so do not try

But why can’t fucked up things be shown? Also this is realistic.

0. Well according to you but no one said that they can’t. So that’s on your interpretation of critique (that is, again, not bullying or harassment.) They can, i just gave plenty of scenarios in which it is affective and not just annoying to witness, trope-y, and frankly ridiculous and offensive. Sorry! They don’t do it well. You can come up with alternatives too. See #2 btw.

1. No it isn’t doing a good job of reflecting life because life has consequences. The exaggeration in drama doesn’t mean the arc shouldn’t be there. Almost always things that aren’t heavy with the message or meant to be sobering in a deep way are COMPELLING. The realism is the basis for art because we are human. This is not the way real humans act.

Someone said Tharn Type was mature and I had to laugh because no, no one acts that way and is “in love” if they act that way that means they fucking hate each other and they’re immature and frankly it’s just not that interesting for many of us to watch because the dramatization of the “realism” is fucking bonkers. That was such poor writing it is unbelievable and someone has the audacityt o say it’s how real adults act. Fucking murder me if I’m with someone for 7 years and we break up over a miscommunication and for some reason I am not as horny as my always horny boyfriend. The fuck? What kind of lives do you lead? Either you are not an adult or you are an adult who needs therapy.

I also hear the “realistic” argument but then people try and temper it with “but also it’s fiction.” What do you think fiction is? Why do you think filmmaking exists? Number one, it’s propaganda in the sense that you want others to buy into your presentation and see what you see. That means that the creators are telling people and influencing them WITH ART BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT IT IS about their feelings around a situation. That’s why it is imperative to be responsible as a filmmaker and artist and underline the deepness of creepiness if that’s what they want. If they want to relay that rape sometimes ok and psychos are crazy so they get boy (??!?!?!? BITCH?) then they achieved it with no innovative information. We know people get raped bc we are human beings and many of us live with that fear. You know, being the target demo and all. And bc BL loves that trope it’s rape fantasy peddled to young people and women. Just like shitty wattpad fics or NYT best sellers. Hooray, what now? Or are you trying to purport that this isn’t glorified fanfiction? Which it literally is

2. This is the issue with these shows. No one is saying that fucked up shit cannot be shown. There’s a film about a woman who is raped and she falls in love with her rapist (because he was masked but i think we find out later that she knows. Binoche is in it.) I have no desire for that film—i think it’s by a man and i extra dont care—but I hear it’s sort of powerful for many. I heard it was a good film. But the act itself is always eschewed and the conflict comes from how fucking ridiculous it is especially finding out that she knows. The power imbalance adn the possibility. They may not have handled it in a way I would have cared for but it was there.

There’s simply no imagination because these people do not care that much and aren’t great writers and filmmakers because they simply do not have to be. Sorry.

The industry doesn’t rely on the best they rely on efficiency (this is everywhere.) You can tell by the camera angles, the editing, the camera itself (idk if it is multicam but the flatness is typical soap flatness without the glowboxes to soften their faces.) Simple constant lighting. Now the surroundings are mostly beautiful. But even to some of the costumes. And those edits are abysmal, some of that camera work.

So with all that said even with the couple I extremely enjoy I see its (H4) faults. Add into that a lazily thrown together “shocking” love and if they are trying to get us to feel a type of way about its sexiness they fail. This is why movies like 50sog, 365 days, etc aren’t enjoyable to people because it’s fucking strange situations that they dont want to entangle or make enjoyable to viewers across the board. They know what people will take. It’s just that bitch what are we here for if even the sexiness isn’t there for ur stupid story.

At least with that teenager and 30 yr old man in MODC (which i do not love but i like them in theory if it wasnt totally repulsive to me and also if it was developed in a way that was good TO ME) they had their, er, “sex appeal” i talk about this as well the main couple in MODC to me, visually, was a miss. Not bc whatshisface was small and stuff but bc he was so sickly and they needed that to propel the story but it was just not appealing given how the story progressed. A missed opportunity in tying the two together besides making him look waif-y and sickly only to have the “did ur mom die in a car crash? No, cancer” type of move in not another teen movie. But the opposite. And not funny. Wayne tho????? GORL. Eggs. Cracked.

fandoms have a very warped sense of harrassment and discourse.

Most fandoms have harassers who are “protecting” the cast and crew who don’t need their protection (or maybe the crew does since they probably dont get paid well but why the fuck would anyone care about that lol) but very few have the people who have concerns or massive critique about the show are not going to be “bullying.”

If people are saying “if you like xyz, u suck” then sure it may suck for you to see but who fucking cares. Either talk to the person or don’t be friends with them. That is not bullying or harrassment. Things that are shitty get criticized. Fuck, things that aren’t shitty don’t. Get away from this idea of cancel culture and people misunderstanding the story. We have the ability to.

Think beyond your noses of personal preference. You don’t have to convince people of what you believe. Discussing it is good but critique is not bullying, harrassment, or hate. Neither is fucking roasting shit because even this shit I like (manner of death lets say) deserves it. Art is meant to be critiqued and if you dont fucking like the bullshit people make then say it. They know stupid stories like this are scandalous and they don’t give a shit in how to present them.

And guess what? You won’t like everybody. Many people can’t stand me i’m sure. Oh well. I mean frankly I don’t like that and I feel very unsettled when I don’t feel understood. That’s ok! I have to temper it. Sometimes calm myself down. I won’t get anything and everything I want. And you won’t like every opinion and sometimes it’s like “man am i a dummy?” But the part of growing up is fucking maanging that and beng honest about “bashing and harrassment” and “bullying” and growing up. Yuo can like what you want the “let people like what they want thing” is so fucking juvenile and THAT is not the real world. Which is probably why so many people feel that way, they dont want to live in the real world. Unfortunately, you do.

Think beyond our noses of personal preference and what we feel emotionally in conjunction with others. You don’t have to convince people of what you believe. And you can say things that you believe to be true but it doesn’t make them so or maybe it isn’t received that way to people. And many times we learn new things in the discussions “oh shit i didn’t see it that way” right? Discussing it is good but critique is not bullying, harrassment, or hate. Neither is fucking roasting shit because even this shit I like (manner of death lets say) deserves it. Art is meant to be critiqued and if you dont fucking like the bullshit people make then say it. They know stupid stories like this are scandalous and they don’t give a shit in how to present them. Usually the “opposition” in these situations aren’t the popular beliefs that permeate through society. Trust me lmao

Antiblackness

Antiblackness is a thing. It permeates everywhere. It permeates in this genre and it permeates in fandom. Get it the fuck together. Also do not conflate cultural relativism with being repsectful. They are not barbarians, they are smart human beings either making work or deciding to. We all have diff cultures but we have fucking sense in what is respectful and not. And if we don’t we fucking learn. You cannot excuse things and say “oh culture” when you have 0 idea of that culture or actual people who are radical etc and are fighting against it. Additionally the word westerner is an ignorant term when referring to people in the US or UK who are black. Because we are not. We extend sympathy to other groups and empathy since we know so there is no inherent power imbalance between a black viewer and their subject. Don’t suggest that because it’s wrong and ahistorical and contextless.

FIRST the fallacy of representation as freedom makes people fucking complacent, individualistic, and doesn’t let them think critically. Consumption and discourse around consumption is not helping material conditions of the marginalized communities in your home, the black ones who are ignored, those intersectionalized in these communities. Groups talk about art and what it means for them outside of just what we see and because we also don’t have access to a bunch of Thai reviews or what movements or going on we are less likely to know if we don’t FUCKING SEARCH for it. Because art is constant...which leads me to....

Representation is difficult. It matters and it doesn’t.

Tthese shows are not meant to overturn the LGBTQ+ community.

There are queer filmmakers and artists in these countries. Deep illustrious film careers or even TV that is moving and deliberate. We can even see it with the dude from “your name engraved” in their short series he was in beforehand. BL is no wa pejorative because it is simply not “qu**r” storytelling whatever that means. But know it has always existed everywhere and there are also out artists or radical artists in all these countries who do no respect mediums that are cash-grabs and poorly made.

ex: As much as “Like in the Movies” sort of isnt for me and is a bit hamfisted you can tell how much love goes into that. Love of the characters, acting, and message. Yes it’s cringey to see some of the lines (like very tbh subtlety wasnt exactly their strong suit) and yea naming them after lenin and marx is just 0ihgoaudgijposkagjihou BUT GUESS WHAT? THEY FUCKING DID IT. THEY TRIED. And class was a large component as well bc u cant fuckin ignore it. The show is aware of the machinations in its world as a show but also in the philippines and for a fuckin reason. And duatarte? Loooooooool so like yea not so sure bl makes him love his ppl but the show isnt trying to do that

It’s not a transgressive genre and it has no reason to be. No ethical anything under the way we live it’s just trying your fucking best to be. That’s it. They serve societal ills and capital’s purposes. Which is fine but it is not revolutionary.

These countries in SEA or even SA do not have as big budget for even mainstream dramas—though things are changing and that’s bc REVENUE like revenue from kpop is fucking huge for SK and again so much about that is bc of what happened in their history from japanese imperialism to WWII to the US—so for “queer” stuff it is sort of now important to make that an export and it sure is one. Not only globally or to the west but a lot of these places make their money within asia (duh!) outside of their countries. OBVIOUSLY. so BL is a way to output and gain money. The thing is, it doesnt seem to be put back into the industry at all. For people in all these countries to make works that aren’t for mainstream or wont reach as many people there’s a difference between trying and just shoving shit in your face and going here it’s gay you like it right? But dont antagonize the inherent patriarchal nature of BL.

Another thing: did you guys know thailand was never colonized? You should look it up. There’s little hints of things in ITSAY to represent french influence still. Isnt that fascinating? Find out why. It’s certainly interesting that the representation, though damaging and dubious many times and also incorrect like any media, is huge in asia and this isnt a commodity here (the US) exactly. A lot of that has to do with colonial ideas of gender of which I am sure. But listen………lmao

Sometimes people dont give a shit. And it very much shows. Here is the thing once again. GOOD TRANSGRESSIVE WORK exists.

Een within the capitalist Bs paradigm or you can see people trying (I can sort of applaud parts of lovely writer) also queer media has always existed everywhere the reason you don’t know about it is because it gets takena nd commodified into a mainstream product. We hvae little incentive, particularly if we are not fans of cinema or art in gen, to search fror others when the output is right here. Being dictated by others and the state and who will give you money. No longer an effort of a cast and crew who want to convey things. But google [any country] independent cinema, radical cinema, queer radical cinema, or even retrospectives on the cinema and rethinking what is queer and radical in film. What if we took that, diluted it, got rid of the creators who put themselves through all the work, ignroe al the nuances and do……………….two actors who are conventionally attractive with no chemistry making out.

It’s the same here lets say daniel kaluuya winning the oscar for the film about the BPP. I heard it was okay and not too offensive but it still isnt’ enough. It still isn’t like hwood isn’t trash, nnati black, misogynistic towards BW and women, and all that other shit. It was pushy but it can’t be enough where we are. Black KKKlansmen i think won an oscar, by circumstance i fuckin hate these award shows they mean nothing, and i like the film a lot but he has his misogynoir still resting in his films even if it is poignant. And it was a film that honestly wasn’t really made for black people. And should all art be a response to direct trauma or trying to make ourselves palatable when we’re just human?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and it’s importance (capitalism) but also sorta individual responsibility

Considering a lot of these actors are rich and then just dip that’s another problem. Mainstream isn’t what sustains marginalized art ever. It doesn’t change in the vast ways we think it does. What changes is the people of these groups pushing, fighting, forcing and then capitalism trying to make it work under capitalism. It will not. It cannot.

This is why artists and labels often don’t mix or you see people like Sonic Youth doing whatever they want and pissing off their label but making them give them money. Same with Nirvana. Vince Staples. The thing is they can fight and make good shit but what capitalism helps people….not care? They don’t respect the audience? We’re getting those returns on poor executed product placement, lighting, editing, framing, fucking acting. And you surewon’t see mixed black asians in these shows. WHY R U is the oNLY one i have seen it in and he just disappears (but that was pretty cool.) so who the fuck is this representing? And before you start: asian countries are not homogenous the way we believe them to be. There are marginalized communities outside of even mixed people that are harmed. So you can skrrt cause on that one: you’re wrong buddy. But it gives us the IDEA of a paradise which is what they NEED.With representation and visibility comes consequence and responsibility as artists. What it allows them to do is coast and not think complexly because why should they; it’s mostly the fantasies of some older woman who probably has money and much less interaction with the world. It’s bonkers. And what that allows even further is for them to say YOU ARE THE THING THAT YOU CONSUME and the THING THAT YOU CONSUME IS YOURS. It is not, it is not your identity, form a close bond but figure it the fuck out. Especially for adults who are hellbent on twisting their minds into pretzels and can’t acknowledge what’s just laziness in art and not giving a fucking shit. Truly.

There’s damage that has been done from Parasite as he was supported by CJE&M and the bullshit obsession america had and eveyrone’s poor interpretation of it if they are rich. BJH is a socialist and he is a filmmaker. He has made films that are outstanding and cost a lot of money. But now a fear for indie filmmakers is just not being able to raise that much or have that much attention. Getting funding that helps them instead of expecting the Next Big Thing that is a fad because capitalism is trash. Yes this funneling of money is absolutely harmful to us artists. Even buying in is strategic. Additionally, that film is probs one of the most radical films to have that wide release and accolade (unlike “Sorry to Bother You” which i have a lot of thoughts about. One being that asian exports are acceptable but black ones are not. This is an overall art critique and global media critique. Blackness is removed, not respected.) However, filmmaking isn’t green, it can’t be socialist, and it’s a lot of work. They used tons and tons and TONS of water to do a huge beautiful feat but we still know there is a cost. We have to figure that out because it shouldn’t be. It doesn’t go back into the crew’s pockets the way it should and the work becomes that of the director’s and actors solely. It’s fucking hard. We have to do our part but it doesn’t mean we are doing it perfectly. We just have to try to do better. So does BJH cos he needs to not be a misogynist but anyways i digress.

additionally and this is something some users fail to understand: people in the media sphere generally have fucking money. I went to film school that was international with super fucking rich kids. Taiwanese kids, kids from south asia, china, thailand. They had money. No not upper middle class money, not “rich” money, not some paltry 1m that’s chump change. Fucking money. Fucking RICH-RICH. MILLIONAIRES. BILLIONAIRES. WHICH IS DISGUSTING MIGHT I ADD. The domestic people didn’t have the money for school (in the UK) and i am in a massive amount of debt like every other black student that went there. You do not understand how much money is needed to survive so people who turn to these crew positions even casting etc need this fucking money usually. OKAY. A lot of the people that do well in these dumb shows or even on a larger scale HAVE MONEY. The reason these industries are small and struggling is because of lack of people and lack of resources to independent shit because oh gee it takes money to make things.

Why should I try? Well you don’t have to really if you have money or a name. Yet...

We can tell when like those Tik Tok shows or DCOMs dont give a shit (anymore.) You know how frustrated we get when content for young people is garbage? Well, see, BL is literally that under that system. Occasionally we will get something good now but there is virtually no need in any sector in the world at this point to truly figure out how to make it better and what to do to enhance artistic literacy, outreach, teaching people new things, getting people from these communities there and having true realistic says. Art and culture is IMPERATIVE TO WORLD LIBERATION but not when it is so stiffly trying to bend to capital’s idea of progressiveness. No. Neoliberalism. No.

That’s why in a way ITSAY is a huge feat; it takes from films etc and they clearly had money (the actors rae rich too which….lmaooooo j’aime pas) but it was a respected fucking script, acting was important, blocking, framing. There’s very little to critique as a visual medium for that because I understand what they are trying to do, their market is going to be mostly young girls, but they RESPECT THE FUCKING AUDIENCE. And guess what guys? You can make money from it!!!! WOAH! Since that may be the only goal which is disgusting and repulsive.

HOWEVER AND THIS IS WHAT IS SAD: itsay is an ex of a great show however knowing the actors backgrounds and the pseudo trouble it stirred when they weren’t supporting people protesting against the coup in the summer it really put a damper on my enjoyment. And this is how we can see that:

a) it’s honestly just a show and a good one but b) now what?

These kids (actors, who are like idk 19? 20?) are rich and not saying anything while countless actors, who were filming, did. Even tul who has $$$$ and the thing is the protesting against the coup legitimately attacks the rich. As it should. The protests going on were cries for help, against a dictatorship and fucking coup, asking people to get fucking help for covid, having kids be able to live. There’s a mini on VICE about this and it probably doesnt go too in depth but there’s a kid in there who talks about his friends getting into drugs and how he just wants to make music, have fun, skateboard. And it’s harrowing to see. This is a direct example of what these things do and don’t do. Yea we know a good show is here, we know growing up and slice of life, we know this is a bit of escapism and idealism but the idealism is reflected in the way these actors also choose to live their lives. So what progress? To who? For who? How is this helping me? What purpose does it serve? I say ITSAY serves its purpose as a piece and a glimpse into possibility of growing up but i do not say it antagonizes a broader issue that needs to be relevant in some sense but simply is not. It’s very singleminded and, well, it’s sort of like “besides my sexuality, what do i have to worry about?” But for real humans like....a lot. I do not respect their decision at all.

Why can’t we do our jobs and make something decent and respect our audience? No time, gotta make that sweet sweet sweet cash baybee. Look how progressive we are! Don’t look at history and material conditions. Thanks in advance, management.

History 4 does not have that respect. Many of these shows do not. Sometimes we hit good, sometimes we don’t. But in the end we cannot settle. And I won’t. If I am critiquing something I will not be shy and if I am meant to enjoy something as escapism then these shows NEED to highlight that and it’s rare sometimes (the best twins is a good reminder like that show is bad but man do i Brain Empty when i turn it on and i like that and there’s not much in it that makes me want to kill myself from annoyance but there are transphobic jokes i dont love however the whole show is a comedy about this dude’s crazy homophobic sister and she is constantly positioned as wrong and they talk about the aforementioned trans women as the actor was in drag. Interesting that they can manage that, huh?)

Oh btw.....taiwan has a very complicated history but ignore all the bad stuff it’s good now you can kinda sorta get married and stuff. KMT? You know how i learned that? I care about human beings and read about it lmao. I am not Taiwanese and look at that. So now I have historical and DIALECTICAL~**~*~****~*~*~ context so i can judge it as an artist, a black woman from america, and from the knowledge i have to pick up on their history to see if this fits into a broader picture besides the micro-one of sexuality on an individualized level. And this is kinda where it comes full circle: these shows are not you, you are not them, they do not exist in a vacuum because nothing does. The failure to critique now means continuing on as it has and it will still do so. History and time are not linear in the sense we think it is. Someitmes things are better, sometimes things feel more austere. We are not living under liberation though and these shows are not going to do so. So they are not US nor are they for a nebulous “us” of which the groups are all fractured and have diff opinions anyway (my opinion as a black american is going to vary from an asian woman’s say and that could really clash and i do not feel solidarity with all those in every community i am for several reasons.)

Final thots that have taken up my time and the only thing i actually wanted to write but got distracted:

Anyway my dissertation is that I ilke Muren and LiCheng a lot a lot and i like how cute they are and how truly dumb li cheng is. This is an example of mostly good writing, decent actors, nice chemistry, and sort of a calmness to them. And I super enjoy how Muren is pretty forward with LC in the sense that being together is like very important to truly be together. When he was like “no i didnt forget!” Or when LC asked him something in the office I forget it was 6 am and again i almost threw up and muren nodded and then LC leaned on him. Very cute. I want more of them tho i may have to skip that othre couple (the cameo the ones from MODC) but omfg the younger one HIS HAIR GREW SO MUCH HE LOOKS SO MATURE AND CUTE OMFGIJ0HUG9SAOGIJPKOAGJSIOHUAGIJP hahhaha the one good thing i will say about THEM.idk how old the actor is i figure he was young idk it makes me happy to see him he’s very cute. I hope he’s in something i can watch and not gag at. Is he hot? Who knows but he is a cutie!!

Anyway muren and lc have a good thing going it’s nice to watch ho\pe they dont fuck it up but im truly a sucker for some true finds 2 luvas i think some user on her\e was like i’m not a fan of friends ot lovers bc it doesn’t seem like they’re actually friends and maybe they were referring to this show idk. But it made me think and it was a very good observation. So i think they are friends and also luvrs <3

#history 4 #history 4: close to you #i told sunset about you #a thot #tharntype #lovely writer #bl fandom #idk #lol #long

[gunsatthaphan]

Hi Doreen! Can you explain me what the f*** happen to writer of history. I am very disappointed how they choose to deal with stepbrother. With all the good show that progress a lot in way to tell a story like mod, items, it say or cherry magic etchings.. i feel like we are going back tim when gay story was only with mistreatment, abuse. I'm upset about history bc it was the only show who escaped this and propose sth interesting like trapped. Sorry for the long post , ne

This brothers storyline is for sure the worst thing history has done, but to pretend they haven’t done problematic or controversial things before...I’m starting to question what their motives are honestly. Like why do they always have a good storyline followed up by a toxic relationship or a student teacher relationship. I seriously have a love/hate relationship with this franchise 😩

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hello anons!!! <3

god if only I knew what went wrong LOL... but yeah as anon 2 said, the stepbrothers trope is really old news for the history series; previous seasons have done it too, along with other stuff - but this is so much worse. If you look at CTL f.ex., the side story was - still weird - but a lot more lowkey and somewhat bearable. Same with season 1. And while I have no idea why they ultimately chose to change course, maybe it’s because of the changes in the bl industry? 

i don’t know but maybe with shows like MOD, itsay and others setting a new tone, they feel the need for more action and shock value to compete with them? On the other hand, I’ve always perceived taiwanese bls as completely independent; they’re less apologetic about their content and a lot more raw, casual and uncensored. Especially history, who have always done their own thing. Same with WBL. 

So I think a comparison with previous history seasons makes more sense than with itsay f.ex. And yes they have done some other weird shit in the past as well but yeah the step brothers thing has definitely gotten worse lol. Like in CTL I think they were more careful because they didn’t know how it was gonna be perceived. So after that went well, they’re now taking it one step further...

Idk I think in the end I think it’s just the universal theme of forbidden love that attracts so many people and I guess they decided to test the limits of that. So at the end of the day it’s for the sake of shock value. Because I refuse to believe that they genuinely think this is a good and purposeful story to tell lmao. It seems more like they’re just provoking. 

sorry if this was all over the place and idk if it makes sense LOL but I’m also trying to find an explanation for this mess dfjskh.

xxx

#history4 #discussions #anon #ask #doreen answers

[oreocheesecakeshake]

So I finally got around to watching history 4:close to you ...the stepbrothers -man that's some toxic shit ... manipulation ,r*pe ,drugging

Ah ,geez .I am appalled

Step brothers being in love is not a trope I am fond of me but this..... Consent is important,guys

Yes ,there have been occasions in media where there has been the portrayal of a black bellied ml and an innocent ml or vice versa -it's an interesting trope -if done well .even when tricks and emotional manipulation - as in throwing tantrums over trivial things -that's okay -that's doable .but they shouldn't harm one another (mentally, emotional or physically ) and that was abuse. There's no other term for it .no matter how sad of a sob story fu Yong jie had ,it doesn't change that he abused ye xing si .

On the other hand,mu ren and li Cheng were plenty cute ,the actors had good chemistry .was there story anything new ? No ,it was all the tried and tested old tropes of bl .the writing even felt lazy at times but it was watchable - having cliches is not a problem -i have read lots of fanfiction,web novels with the same themes,tropes ,I don't tire of it .but romanticising r*pe is not okay .

#bl novels #r*pe mention #emotional manipulation #drugging mention #history 4: close to you #bl series