#shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

We back! I was away for a couple weeks and amazing new Japanese bl was waiting for me on my return. Both of these currently airing shows are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching.

At 25:00 in Akasaka

Two episodes into this show and I really like the rhythm of it. I find Shirasaki’s struggle to find confidence in his skills as an actor compelling, and I love Hayama’s quiet kindness. I told @bengiyo Hayama reminds me a bit of my beloved Issei but without the manic energy. Fundamentally, he is genuine and he cares for Shirasaki and any ulterior motives he has for this arrangement feel rooted in that. I love how quickly we’re getting into them bonding and building a relationship together; it's only the second episode and we’ve already arrived at cute date montages and first names. I love this one, and I hope Shirasaki finds his confidence and triumphs over that asshole costar who keeps negging him. 

Living With Him

I love them, your honor. And I like the simplicity of this show. Two nice boys, childhood friends, become roommates. They like each other. They decide to spend more time together and see what they’re comfortable with as their relationship develops. That’s it, that’s the plot. And it’s so compelling in how straightforward it is, bolstered by the honesty of the characters. I loved Natsukawa working up the courage to just ask if Kazuhito likes him, and Kazuhito being honest that he does, but doesn’t want him to feel pressured. Natsukawa might not feel confident that he’s ready for romance, but he has no issue spending time with and being close to Kazuhito. The way he clutched at him with that hug at the end made that super clear. I like the way the show is working in flashbacks to their childhood, too, giving us contextual information for that bond via important memories, and the way Natsukawa's family has been brought into the story. His mom is in fact beautiful and perceptive and his sisters are adorable. This show is darling. 

Coming Soon: Zettai BL 3

This is already out in Japan, but the distribution is exclusive to Lemino and not currently available to international audiences. I will be on the look out and reporting in as soon as it's available to watch properly. In the meantime, you can join me in watching the new opening credits song on a loop.

#at 25:00 in akasaka #25 ji akasaka de #living with him #kare no iru seikatsu #zettai bl ni naru sekai vs zettai bl ni naritakunai otoko #japanese bl #japanese ql corner #shan shouts into the void

[jeysbvck]

I JUST FUCKIN MET CODY IM CRYING IM A MESS I CSNT BELIEVE IVE LOVED THIS MAN FOR 16 YEARS AND I JUST MET HIM

#shan shouts into the void #cody rhodes

[lurkingshan]

BAMBAM AND NIDA WE WON

#23.5 #23.5 the series #23.5 degrees #thai gl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

I like it when a title works on several levels as it does in My Stand In, where Joe is:

A stand in for actors who need him to handle their stunts

A stand in for Ming to use when he can’t have what he wants from Tong

A stand in for the other Joe whose body he has somehow taken over

This first episode was compelling and I am very much on Joe’s side even as I am side eyeing some of these decisions he’s making. I haven’t read the book so I have no idea where this is going but I still have a lot of questions about the body swap and Ming has truly rancid vibes so I expect it will be interesting.

#my stand in #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Phaya woke up from a coma, ripped out his IV, and immediately ran home to suck Tharn's dick. In character, tbh.

#the sign the series #the sign #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

I will never understand romance viewers who don’t want to see the actual romantic relationship. In a good romance, the relationship is the plot. You’d rather a drama throw out a bunch of external obstacles than let us see a couple figure out how to actually be together? Honestly can’t relate.

#king the land #currently #but many other dramas too #y’all are silly #kdrama #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Dear Boston, I still love you even if this fucking show doesn’t. You didn’t deserve what you got in this finale.

#i will get some coherent thoughts down at some point #but the way boston was made to grovel only to be rejected and alone in the end #while everyone else was easily forgiven for their mistakes #is gross and will never ever sit right with me #oh i am mad #only friends the series #only friends boston #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

I’m very into Iwanaga’s whole vibe. He’s an adult man who acts like one. He’s confident, experienced, bold, and honest. He met Miyata again and immediately asked him why tf he bailed on him, and made his interest in trying again known. He’s unbothered about his assistant’s crush because he’s been clear that it’s not happening. He brought Miyata home but waited for him to wake up and sober up before he tried talking to him again and made his move. He’s got an easy sensuality and he’s unashamed about who he is and what he likes. Fantastic character.

#love is better the second time around #koi wo surunara nidome ga joto #japanese bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Mew’s ultimate victory over Boston being not actual revenge, but instead moral superiority for not taking the revenge, is just *chefs kiss* 10/10 perfect characterization absolutely no notes

#only friends the series #ofts #only friends #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

I am absolutely obsessed with Nick’s farewell speech to Boston and the emotions it provoked in him.

We see Boston immediately react to this statement, because we know being with Nick also made Boston happy. He never smiled and genuinely had fun as much as when he was spending time with Nick.

And when Nick starts complimenting his talent, he looks at him with a mix of hope and suspicion. The question is clear on his face—are you just gassing me up because you want my forgiveness, or do you mean that? Because as we know, others don’t really see Boston this way.

Here Boston turns away because he knows this isn’t true (though I don’t think Nick is lying, he just tends to see the best in people). Boston’s friends don’t get him or the moral code he lives by (because make no mistake y’all, he clearly has one, it’s just different from theirs) and mostly keep him around so they can enjoy the chaos he brings and feel superior to him.

But then Nick pulls him back, tells him he doesn’t need to change and he loves him for who he is. Nick is probably the only person who’s ever told Boston he doesn’t need him to change. Everyone else, including his friends and family, are constantly telling him he’s a bad person. Boston so badly wants to believe this is true. Who else loves him for who he is? No one.

And when Nick ends by saying he won’t show up in front of him anymore, we see Boston’s expression drop into one of quiet devastation. He is still angry with Nick (for good reason) but he isn’t ready for this to be over.

And he is so shaken by this moment that he actually walks away from his hookup and heads out to the main floor to stare at Nick with perhaps the most vulnerable expression we have ever seen on his face. Our resident chaotic shit stirrer has caught feelings.

#only friends the series #bostonnick #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

I really appreciate that Only Friends is pointedly rebuking overly romantic reads of the relationship dynamics at every turn. That dialogue between Ray and Sand seemed purposeful:

Ray: Have you ever been hit on by a guy?

Sand: Of course, be serious.

It’s a quick exchange but it tells us clearly that this is not a show about discovering one’s sexuality, and we will not be spending time with the characters hand wringing over identity issues. These are fully self actualized queer characters who know who they are, and it’s emphatically not going to follow typical romance beats.

#only friends the series #only friends #ofts #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

I’m stuck on how hard Nick cried when Boston said he missed him. I mean, look at this!

Nick has been trying so hard to pretend it’s all good and he could let it go. He accepted that he made big mistakes and Boston doesn’t have to forgive him. He gave a sincere apology and walked away. He even hooked up with someone else to try to move on. But he just wanted Boston back, and when he realized Boston wanted the same his relief was overwhelming.

#only friends the series #bostonnick #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Unknown Episode 8

My god, Yuan is so smart and Qian doesn't stand a chance.

Big change this week, as Yuan started calling his brother by his name (insert grumbling about the subtitles obscuring this by always translating "ge" as "Qian"). Both in the scene when Yuan checked on Qian and wished him good night, and again at the river, he called him "Wei Qian." In both of these moments, Yuan is trying to encourage Qian to accept that relationships can change and that it's okay for him to see Yuan as someone other than his little brother. He's also still calling him "ge" when he's interacting with him more in a familial way, and flirting and caring for him while also establishing some new distance by not catering to him in every single interaction. Yuan still loves him, but he's not a kid worshipping an idol anymore. You could practically see Qian's head spinning as he tries to keep up and get a read on how Yuan feels.

I like the way the show used the Lili and San Pang reveal to shake Qian up. First of all, let me just say that the scene where he found out was absolute comedy gold from start to finish, and I lost it entirely when they showed Yuan in the background embodying popcorn.gif. Qian struggles a lot with change, and he's uncomfortable both with the idea of his siblings growing older and with them engaging in romantic relationships, something he himself has never done. And the show didn't mention it explicitly, but I can't imagine it's lost on him that San Pang was so against Yuan's feelings for Qian, but has no apparent qualms about dating Lili (and covering her with hickeys, what are you, 14, San Pang?), despite all of them being part of the same found family unit. There's a hypocrisy there that is so far unnamed, and it must contribute to his discontent with this situation, though I don't think he'd ever say that out loud. Some part of him must think it's unfair that they get to date happily while he's been tormented for years over what to do about Yuan's feelings for him.

And at this point, it's clear these feelings are mutual. Qian's physical awareness of Yuan was cropping up all over this episode; there was tension in every scene they shared. Their years apart seem to have only ratcheted up the yearning between them, and Qian is not as practiced at managing it. The anticipation was all over his face whenever he was with Yuan, and each time Yuan did not prioritize him in the way he expected, he was confused and disappointed. His words at the river felt more like he was trying to convince himself, not Yuan, that they should move on from any thoughts of a romantic relationship. I loved the way Yuan got up and sat down right across from him so he could look him in the eye and say he is more mature now, and he will always be his family no matter what, but wouldn't it be nice to have more together? His quiet confidence in that scene was excellent. I truly believe he is willing to accept whatever Qian wants, but he also knows Qian needs to be pushed to understand his own feelings. And next week he will be getting a big dramatic push.

#unknown the series #taiwanese bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Atom aggressively pursuing a hook up with Boston, reassuring Boston that he knew what he wanted when Boston actually tried to dissuade him several times, and then still turning on a dime and accusing him of wronging him by giving him exactly what he asked for is such sharp commentary about the way sexually promiscuous people are judged and unfairly maligned by the very people who want to use them.

This is further underlined by Sand saying to Ray “compared to Boston you’re a saint” literally while Ray is actively cheating on his boyfriend with him and lying about it. Under what moral code is lying and betraying someone’s trust “better” than having sex with a lot of people with no broken commitments or lying involved? On what grounds does Sand still think himself above Boston when he himself went out of his way to sew chaos and hurt people just to get revenge on Top? This whole group really gets off on fancying themselves superior to each other and the hypocrisy among them stays a constant theme.

#only friends the series #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

My favorite thing about The Glory is how openly the revenge game is being played. Dong Eun has been telling these people all along that she will make them pay for what they did to her, warning them over and over again that she’s serious and she has put the time in to get what she needs to ruin their lives, and even given them additional chances to atone and confess on their own before she puts things in motion. Every single person who stands to lose something was given fair warning and it’s their own hubris and defiance that they can get away with anything they please that ultimately brings them down.

#the glory #kdrama #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

A love letter to TsukuTabe

I loved the first season of this drama, but this second season (really more of a straightforward continuation of the first season narrative, which ended unfinished) is a remarkable glow up for an already strong show. These creators did not come to play, and they had a lot to say about the experiences of women living in patriarchal cultures.

This drama tackled so many experiences that afab people go through as they try to build a life for themselves under pressure to conform to societal norms. We have so many different lived experiences of women in this show, all of whom are queer by way of falling outside the lines of what is expected of them:

Nomoto, who experiences a queer awakening, wrestles with the specifics of her sexual identity, and bravely forges ahead despite feeling pressure from her family to marry a man and procreate

Kasuga, who breaks with her family's expectations that she be a caretaker and insists on living her own life, even if she knows the culture she lives in will sometimes make it hard

Yako, who owns her asexual and lesbian identities, proudly forges a life for herself, builds community for herself and others, and advocates for that community both publicly and privately

Nagumo, who struggles to connect with others because of her eating disorder and mental health struggles and lives a solitary existence as a result, but through building bonds with other women finds the strength to begin healing

Sayama, who pushes herself to date around because she feels pressure to live up to expectations to marry, before reconsidering whether that is a goal she actually has for her life and realizing she is happy being unmarried

Fujita, who struggles through years of an unhappy marriage in which she is subjugated to her husband's family before breaking free and pursuing a divorce so she can live happily on her own

It means a lot to me to see a show that cares so deeply about these women and their stories, that gives them so much space to explore and think and communicate their feelings. And they do it all so naturally, by allowing them to form bonds with one another and figure out who they are and what they want through their relationships with each other. This story is all about how we can grow through kindness and compassion from others, and how important it is to pay that support back in kind. It's such a beautiful and unique and desperately needed message in the current media landscape.

And there's more story yet to tell! I have no idea if they will get a third season, but I will be seated for as much of this story as the creators want to make. I would love to see them tackle Nomoto and Kasuga's life as a committed couple, their coming out to their families, and the ongoing lives of the community of queer women around them, which will only continue to broaden and deepen. Like What Did You Eat Yesterday? this show could go on and on forever, and I hope it does. I have so much gratitude for all the people involved in making this show, and to @furritsubs for translating the English subtitles so that international fans could also enjoy it. And if you're seeing this and haven't watched it yet, I am telling you, it is so worth your time.

#tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #tsukutabe #japanese gl #shan shouts into the void