Tumgik
#thai bl rants
acequinz · 2 years
Text
Okay but listen. THOUGHTS ON MAME AND HER WORKS IN GENERAL.
As much as I hate romanticising rape and shit and as such have never liked Mame as a person.
I have noticed a pattern in her content.
And that is all the victims get some real good tlc or basic TLC I don't fucking know I don't get a lot of it .. Except Tar(also type), my boy got extra trauma. To be exact her victims face a pattern of dealing with the trauma.
The pattern being
Person looks fine and even happy, then has their trauma triggered all over and is a mess, has one person with them who never leaves then despite the trauma and how it makes the victim lash out and cares for them and loves them through the entirety of it just unconditional love.
I know tharntype, tharn was the one to trigger the trauma and a cause. But after that shit , he did do his best to take care of Type and never gave up on him despite all the abuse.
Tar also recieved a lot of support from Type even after he moved to a whole different country to get over his things. I don't have much to speak on him cause I didn't watch lbc S2 completely.
Fiat always had Leo comforting him through the entire period the nudes were going around and everything else.
All of them also had the common scene that the "top" takes care of the "bottom".
It happened with Type, Tar, Pete, Rain and now Sky.
And while one could say this is her projecting her personal fetishes or preferences onto her characters.
It also makes me think that does she write the rape victims and all that stuff as a fetish or a way to deal with her trauma regarding it.
Cause I know I consume a lot of dark fiction to deal with certain traumas I have ... Is she doing the same thing?
Cause if she is that is just making me feel like an asshole for judging her the way I did ....
94 notes · View notes
happypotato48 · 28 days
Text
This Is A Gay Asian Rant About BL Comments Made By Some Queer Westerners I See Sometimes.
So you know of those gays (usually white) that made dumb tiktok dancing to list of countries that legalized same sex marriage and list of countries that discriminate against LGBTQIA+ poeple as a way to say something racist. yeah i kinda got the same vibes from some comments regard how asian BL is homophobic just cause they don't live up to queer western standard. look, i'm not saying that some BLs and their creators don't deserve criticism regard how they capitalized/exploited queerness for an easy cash grab.
But people need to understand that Asian countries despite recent progress are still very much culturally conservatives. so when people says that thai bl is homophobic and all the characters looks like bunch of straight guys, which is true for some olders thai BLs i'm not gonna denied that. but after all this time and newer BLs generally being very queer and most of creators being out queer themself and poeple still making these comments, i'm annoyed.
And don't get me start on the actors. you don't know them! why are you making assumption and calling them queerbaiter just cause they acts in bl. like maybe they're straight, maybe they're not but what they're definitely doing is making queer content for you know, queer people here. so when you made halfass comments about their sexuality what do you think that made other queer people who still in the closet feels. and when you add the nationality to that, "these thai bl pair are this and that, this korean actor is so ungrateful for his bl past", etc. when our societies are still very much still in progress regard LGBTQIA+ acceptance. it make us living here feels fucking awful like somehow we're lesser queer than people in the west just cause we don't have citibank at pride or some shit.
And the shittiest in my humbled opinion are comments regard censored chinese bls. people do know like, that the creators making these bls are risking their livelihoods for this. that these shows getting make at all are miracles. yes it sucked that they're censored but they're still very much queer shows making by queer people who want to express thier queerness despite the chinese government being the chinese government. when people dimissing these shows as not belonging in queer media, you're also dimissing their creators and audiences as not belonging in the community.
Look what i want to say is that we're trying our best over here, and maybe our best are not up to your liking. the ways we talk and express our queerness maybe still can be perceived as problematic by western queer standard. but these media are our house and you're the guests. for people aren't shitty we appreciated that you're here engaging and loving our media, this is your home too and you're welcome in it. i can speak for myself that i very much love being here on tumblr and interacting with people from all over the world who love BL. but for people who are being shitty sometimes about asian bl.
YOU'RE THE GUESTS, BEHAVE!
1K notes · View notes
gunsatthaphan · 7 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
#attaboy.
1K notes · View notes
readingplannet · 2 months
Text
I was reading the comments under Bible's announcement post for '4 minutes' and while I was so excited for this project finally seeing the light of day, I was also disappointed while reading the comments.
Why are we still having discussions about top/bottom in 2024? I know a lot of BLs have made you believe that top and bottom are entire personalities but that is simply not true. They are just sexual preferences and believe it or not sexual preferences do not define someone's personality.
That is why I feel the lead pair in "Pit Babe" is so path breaking. It is a very big example that your personality does'nt define your sexual life. Whose name comes first in a ship doesn't matter. It doesn't change anything. Also "Bad Buddy" in this matter, they refused to set themselves in boxes of wife(เมีย) and husband(ผัว). It was a series that very nicely explained the stereotypes gay couples face and the stereotypes that still exist in the BL industry.
Masculine, dominant ≠ Top and Feminine, submissive ≠ Bottom always (key word being always because there are people who fit into masculine top and feminine bottom too which is perfectly fine but diversity and representation of other people in the spectrum is equally important) and that is something that needs to be understood. I don't think I could have said it better than P'Apo myself. Also more power to him because he is one of the few BL actors who I have seen openly talking about this topic.
And believe me guys someone who played Vegas doesn't need to always play roles like that, moreover we don't even know what his role and character is going to be like. This is what acting is. Don't limit actors into boxes.
youtube
P.S This top/bottom discussion really needs to go. I haven't only seen this in comment section of BL actors but also in the comment section of gay couples. If they let you in this part of their life that's okay but if they are not comfortable sharing, just let it go. It hardly matters. We need to stop seeing everything with heteronormative lenses where there has to be a female/wife (เมีย) role and a male/husband (ผัว) role in every relationship.
168 notes · View notes
bl-inded · 4 months
Text
Okay but Mohk is such a green flag. It hurt me to watch this episode 😭. Like we've known for a few episodes now that mohk cares deeply for Day. He himself only put words to that feeling this episode.
Tumblr media
Call it whatever you want but he is starting to realise this is more. And it hurts because the thing he struggles with most is if he is wanted. The previous episodes even pointed out that he broke up with Porjai because he didn't want to burden her.
With all that in mind the way he treats August is of someone who genuinely believes in Day's happiness. He doesn't assume he knows better. He doesn't assume he's the one who has to "protect" Day. Don't get me wrong, he's protective. he's always there in case he does need him, but he tries to let him fight his own battles.
Tumblr media
There is a certain kind of jealousy that always gets glorified in media. And i get it's appeal. But this kind of jealousy - the kind where you want to be the helper (or the match maker as Mohk says). Where you have to be aware of yourself and your place- that speaks to me way more. It's the kind of jealousy where you aren't claiming ownership, but you're wishing you could be their safe space. And if you can't you will make them that safe space even if it's at the cost of your feelings.
Tumblr media
Here's the thing though. Mohk is Day's safe space. He's the first person Day looks for when he feels overwhelmed. His absence at the party clearly affected Day too. Mohk is his shoulder to cry on, his narrator, and his eyes. He's someone Day knows he can rely on without feeling like he's being 'taken care of'. And yet.
Tumblr media
Honestly. I get it. You do not get over your lifelong crush that easily. Realising your feelings for one person does not automatically get you guidebook on your own feelings. It's hard every time. (And upto this exact moment I was fully ready to defend August and his actions but the "I kissed him coz I pity him" thing really had me seething)
And Jimmy. Sir. The actor that you are. I felt his pain and confusion throughout the episode. The despair, the longing, the butterflies, the desire. Doc. UNFAIIIIRRRR
Tumblr media
Based on nothing but the way he was looking at Day in this scene I knew we were getting a kiss. He manages to pack sooooo much emotion in those eyes I was DYING IN ANTICIPATION OVER HERE. I knew Jimmy and Sea were going to ruin us with this series and I was right. Damn.
72 notes · View notes
juneviews · 2 months
Text
I think the greatest bane of my existence as a thai drama fan who doesn't just watch bl (especially not just the one watched by most inter fans) is watching a show or movie with THE MOST INSANE CAST doing THE MOST INSANE SHIT & not being able to freak out about how cool these random famous thai actors being there doing that is, like... y'all don't get how insane it is to see pae arak go queer for an unhinged villain role alongside the lead singer of the tpop band mints who plays a burmese sex worker bc you guys literally don't know who these people are. same thing for chin chinawut in the outing having sex scenes when he's a random pop singer (who happens to have made one of my fave tpop songs of all time but that's besides the point lol), like... I have niched too close to the sun. knowing every thai actor on this earth has damned me to an eternity of lonely freakouts lmao
43 notes · View notes
clairedaring · 6 days
Text
the mood for this scene.... is insane... literally THE most beautiful scene in a thai period lakorn i have ever witnessed. fearing for my life that i feel you linger in the air is deehuphouse's magnum opus because i don't see any of their future works living up to what ifylita brought to thai bl history
Tumblr media
42 notes · View notes
absolutebl · 10 months
Note
Hi.
I was watching TharnType for the first time. I started wondering why people have issues with gay for you and wifey and other things like that. From what I'm seeing it isn't intended in a harmful spirit. It's not received badly in the show in context. I'm not just specifically talking about TharnType but just these tropes in general. I was wondering if someone, the writer/screenwriter, director, any actor or someone else said that they'd intended it as demeaning or in a bad way... I don't know if I phrased that correctly. But I guess I'm wondering what people are basing this on. Even UWMA's Pharm's entire demeanor. Before I watched it I'd read that he is too feminine and damsel in distress-y. But watching the show made me realize that he is traumatized. I noticed similar patterns with other shows as well. Is it audience interpretations?
BL Is a Mess of Really Damaging Stuff & You Probably Shouldn't Just Accept it
Because, if you do just accept it without thought, you're also being damaged. If you're gay, you're being taught a type of gayness that doesn't exist and will fuck up your expectations. If you're straight you're misinterpreting what an entire group of people are like (that's prejudice, FYI). And if you're somewhere in between you're learning really bad behavior patterns for your coming out and self actualization journey.
And no, I don't think you're capable of distinguishing fiction from reality, because you've just asked a question that patently demonstrates a burgeoning parasocial tendency. (And yes, parasocial relationships can and do form with fictional characters. Why do you think I am so terrified by KinnPorsche fandom and shipper culture?)
Here have some education, first one is free:
Imaginary Friends & Real-World Consequences: Parasocial Relationships (YouTube video)
But also, if you don't want me to rant about this, and you just wanted to justify your questionable taste, you should stop reading right now. I get it, denial is great! Go sail that river.
Here I am talking about the good BL can do. That doesn't mean I'm blind to its flaws.
Tumblr media
Still reading?
Okay, well, now you asked for it.
And guess what, I'm not gonna sugar lube coat it.
Consider yourself Drunk Type lying in a bed and I'm Tharn's c*** shoving some dry BL reality into your a******.
Oh, don't like that image, do you?
Tough nuts.
Put yourself in my position. I don't wanna have to do this either.
Consider this a "BL narratives made me do it" post.
I'm not responsible for anything, I'm just an archetype.
I'll be your seme for today and you were all just "too cute" for me to resist and now you have to take some tumblr dub con...
But first:
Seme uke when it specifically conflates seme with "the man" and uke with "the girl" is old fashioned, anti-feminist, and anti-queer. Here's some of where I talk about it, but I talk about it a lot. Too much, some might say.
Pharm is a blushing maiden archetype character, I talk about it and what that means here:
It's sex negative. And a lot of it stems from internalized misogyny and ties to something called benevolent sexism. It's pretty rampant in BL.
Yes I think Pharm's behavior can be perceived as traumatized, but that trauma is brought about by In's past actions and the fact that In was punished (BY THE NARRATIVE) not just for being gay but for being a self-actualized pro-sex uke character.
There is a distinction being made between critical discourse over narrative versus how the characters behavior makes an audience feel (within the immersive experience of the drama). Some viewers care about this distinction, others do not.
I very much get why someone might like TharnType (I did) but actually also, you might want to think about why you like it despite the messages the narrative is sending... You might want to think about not just the characters in their little perfect romance world together, but consider if you were in the position of either of those characters how you would feel or behave.
Tumblr media
And NOW the Dub Con Portion of tonight's BL party
Okay I was trying to be my usual semiseme-welcoming snark self but ya know what, let's be VERY FUCKING CLEAR HERE because I am jet lagged and tetchy....
We (the collective of BL critics here on tumblr) aren't always talking about WHAT is depicted so much as HOW it's depicted, and whether that HOW allows the WHAT to skate by without encouraging the audience to reflect on the damage the WHAT does to their own perception of what is romantic. Or what is queer. Or what is morally acceptable for decent human interaction.
Like thinking, for example, that it's okay for Tharn to RAPE Type while he is drunk.
Why on earth is that okay? It's NOT OKAY. It's just NOT!!!!
Did Type ask for it?
Did he dress too sexy?
Was his skirt too short?
Was he too much of a jerk?
Did he want it anyway?
Did he not protest enough?
Did he protest too much?
You gonna make that call for him, are you? You read his mind (apparently the way Tharn can?)
But SERIOUSLY.
What if you were actually in Type's position? Roommates with someone you didn't like who molested you when you were drunk. At home. In your own bed. What if that roommate didn't look like Tharn? What if your roommate were the wrong gender or body type or age or familial relationship (!) for your preferences? How would you actually feel?
Because if you're okay with this, really okay for yourself, you have a strong kink and you need to seek out the appropriate community or you are signing up for a very abusive relationship and likely an early death.
Can't put yourself in Type's shoes/bed?
How about Tharn?
Are you the kind of human who would molest a drunk person just because you desired him? Her?
Because they're homophobic and you want to punish them with your queerness?
Because they were a jerk to you?
You always get back at people by raping them?
You an old white dude putting your hand down secretary's shirts because they're just "too cute to resist"?
Why should you have to resist taking what you want? Who cares that there is a whole other human involved?
Grabbing ladies by the pussy any chance you get and bragging about it, are ya? Or is it somehow different or less damaging because TT is dude on dude?
So, are you gonna justify taking what you want and violating another person because they're the same sex?
Now who's being "gay for you"? This is going all the way into DL closet case "it doesn't count if it's with a man" territory.
Because if you are any of the above 8, please block me right tf now. (And... do I have a world leader to recommend for YOU to get into a car with.)
GAH!
Fucking TharnType.
Tumblr media
Anygay...
I talk about dub con here:
My initial post about TharnType is here, but more recently here's us having a whole ThanType discourse unpacking Mame among other things as part of the BL movement both as a genre and as a fandom:
and here's an important article on rape culture in Thailand
Gay for you talked about here:
Wife language talked about here:
I'm gonna go watch some BL trash that, hopefully, doesn't have any rape in it. (You never know tho...)
Fuck me (consensually) I am so tired.
I'd drink but I did too much of that already this week.
Maybe I need to eat something.
Don't troll m,e just block me.
For heaven's sake please.
Tumblr media
(source)
139 notes · View notes
bellepark · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
174 notes · View notes
lurkingshan · 6 months
Text
I am actually incandescent with rage at adult Soon. I do not even have words to describe how fucked up this is. Soon really came back to the past, fully romanced a teenager including sleeping with him, then told teen Ongsa he’s going to leave and he’s not allowed to meet the teen Soon because he has an irrational belief that will somehow “fix” something we don’t even know needs fixing. And Soon didn’t even tell him clearly when he will be leaving, he’s planning to just disappear and leave teen Ongsa devastated.
Like @twig-tea said last week, this is just cruel and the worst part is the show doesn’t even seem to be aware of that. They are presenting this romance with no hint that it’s wrong on several levels, instead they seem to want us to be swooning and ignoring the utter selfishness and cruelty of what adult Soon is doing to teen Ongsa. I am aghast.
42 notes · View notes
Why it's funny to me that people give Way sooo much shit but think Charlie is the best thing that ever happened to Babe:
Okay so first of all, I am NOT a Way apologist. That boy is crazy and sick in the head and a very deep shade of red when it comes to red flags, but the thing is? Charlie isn't that much better?? Im not even talking about the 'Charlie faked his death and it hurt babe' part. I don't even really care about that. I'm talking about up to episode 8. Because at least up until the moment that Way snapped and tried to actually r*pe babe, the things he and charlie were doing weren't that different. 'Oh but Way used his powers on Babe and brainwashed him and controlled his whole life.' Exactly. Way used the privilege Babe gave him to get close to him whenever he wanted, to put his hand on his shoulder, and use his power on him to steer things in the direction he wanted. Each time Babe thought his best friend was being affectionate, he was actually being abused in the worst way possible. Babe trusted him with his love and the power to come close and touch his body whenever he wanted, and Way took advantage of it.
And you know who else did that? Charlie did. He did the exact same thing. Actually, I can even take the paragraph above and replace the words:
Charlie used the privilege Babe gave him (long term sexual contant never shared anyone else, cuddling in the bed and touching throughout the night, the kiss oh my god the kiss) to get close to him whenever he wanted, to put his hands on his body, and use his power on him (aborbe everything) to steer things in the direction he wanted (the grand plan, am I right? The one him and Jeff worked soooooo hard on). Each time Babe thought his sex buddy/lover was being affectionate, he was actually being abused in the worst way possible. Babe trusted him with the power to come close and touch his body whenever he wanted, and Charlie took advantage of it.
'But he did it to protect Babe'. That does not matter. Babe isn't a child. Charlie doesn't get to decide to protect him without asking his opinion. Babe is an adult. He can make his own choices. Moreover, his senses have been with him all his life. They shape his whole identity and who he is. Actually, given his fucked up childhood and how he was raised, given that his whole career and number 1 'identity' depend on them (because it wasn't just a number 1 spot, it was who he was. Pit babe always wins. Pit babe won't be pit babe if he loses.), Babe probably thought most of his worth comes from his senses. He said that once, that he's not sure he'd be worthy if he doesn't have his senses (and here the point isn't that he would be worthy, it's that HE thinka that)
And charlie just comes and? Decides to take them? Decides to take the whole identity of someone he 'loves' in order to 'protect' them without giving them a choice or even explanation?? That's fucked up. When I got to that point of the series, I legit thought this is a kind of r@pe, and worse than the sexual kind.
So the thing is, what he did was fucked up. It doesn't matter what his motivation was. I'm sure that Way too actually thought r@ping Babe and putting a baby inside him by force is the best way for both of them too. Which, obviously, bonkers, but my point is that your intentions don't cancel out the harm.
Everyone in this show treat Babe as some sort of object or kid that doesn't know what is good for him. No one gives him a choice while it's literally HIS life. They just come in and use him and his trust. They just manipulate him and lie to him, and no one considers how much that would HURT.
And you know what the real difference between Way and Charlie is? Obv. That charlie is 'selfless' and does everything for babe rather than the sake of his own desires/safety, but I assure you a writer can twist that. I can easily write the same situations and characters (up until chapter 8), and this time make charlie the red flag. In a case like this, the real difference is the way the narrative guides you and your emotions along, and the most important part in that is Babe himself. It's about who babe chooses to forgive. Who he decides to stay with despite the hurt. It's not about choosing between a saint and a red flag, but choosing between two people who have hurt you. And you choose the one who you love so much, you would keep hurting for.
And that's the beauty of it. Despite what this might come off as, I'm not a charlie hater. Not at all. I like him and babe together actually. I like Way too. And I love all of them because they are incredibly fucked up people trying to do what they think is right and I find the struggle interesting. My point is that, we are too fixated on finding a green flag and a red flag and choosing between them, when in situations like this, when all characters have been through hell, there will be no green flag. You can't rip a person apart and then bitch about them being red like blood can be any other color.
My point in making this wasn't to say charliebabe is abusive or toxic. It can be at points, but my point isn't that. What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't fall into the trick of the narrative. You shouldn't decide a person is good and saint like just because their intentions were good or because they're the one the protegonist choses. You shouldn't ignore the hurt they do. The show moved sooooo fast from what was the biggest betrayal to me and I don't see anyone talking about it, simply because Babe decided to forgive and forget and the narrative pretended everything was perfect with a mama joke and a hug
20 notes · View notes
acequinz · 2 years
Text
NGL I wasn't expecting to like The Eclipse that much even if it did have some good enemies to lovers vibes.
And only started it because First my beloved. And am gonna stay for Khaotung.
The chemistry is so fucking great.
You add the facts that the director is trans and goes by they/them pronouns, while the producer is P'Aof and my expectations are already fucking high.
Also with the way the show is moving, the fact that this will pretty much be political is only another positive factor. I don't really enjoy a lot of political shows because I tend to watch series and stuff for destressing.
But The Eclipse is really selling it so far.
I am sure this is only getting better but I also expect it to receive a lot more negative critism because there will always be that one bunch of people who will either get their hopes too high and be disappointed or be extra critical because this series is supposed to be directed by a trans person and that's gonna bring out the transphobia for sure.
Also dreading the people with superiority complex regarding "morality" when it comes to fiction, finding or starting this series because lord knows they are gonna be insufferable. And it does end up filling me with negative emotions for the series even if I think the series is good.
12 notes · View notes
forkaround · 6 months
Text
I don't care about their Rich People Problems - A Rant
So, I was doing my weekly audit and I realized why I didn't like 2023 BLs.
I love Perth but I can't stand Kanghan. His problem is his dad is too nice. HIS DAD IS TOO NICE. He has money, his dad doesn't expect things from him. Like seriously. That's his problem.
Also the Only Friends characters. Their problems are seriously HAVING money and time. Money can't buy happiness type story. *deep breaths*
And Tantai from Laws of Attraction. They want to paint him as abused, but we know for the most part his dad only ignored him. There wasn't that much physical harm. And he has all this money that he can do anything with. Hell his dad even offers to send him to the US. They have money. And still Tantai doesn't have a job. He only has to pick a place and his name will get him a decent job but no, he is doing god knows what.
And the shows point it out over and over again. Like make up your mind, you want me to like them or not?
I can't stand any of these characters especially when they are paired with a poor boy.
Sailom has to carry the emotional and rational burden of the relationship while Kang acts out. Kang won't suffer any consequences what so ever but Sailom will and yet...
And don't get me started on Tantai and Thee. He has an evil father. He knows what his father is capable off and yet, Thee is taking the brunt of the fall, the blame, the beating, everything.
Same with Sand. He keeps saving Ray at his own expense. Not just emotional but physical, financial and social. And Ray gets mad at him??? Like boy take a look in the mirror.
Even a little bit with Bai Zongyi and Zerui's relationship.
I can't... I just can't with these characters.
I'm like read the room. It's 2023. Rich people are enemy No. 1 all over the world. Especially rich assholes with no self awareness and you make them into the romantic leads. Like 10 years ago I could have suspended my disbelief. In 2023, I can't. I can believe the 'everyone is gay' universe. I can believe all BL shenanigans. I can even believe people would choose to kiss other people with vomit still on their lips. But I can't suspend my disbelief and say they aren't Elongated Muskrat baby edition.
It's simply because the writers didn't know how to come up with a life struggle for these characters and that's why you have 'having money is a problem' problem. Like grow up.
You want power dynamics? There are other ways.
You want poor little rich character? There are other ways.
BLs have done it before. BLs have had decently written poor little rich characters. But this isn't it.
I still remember what Mark's mom said last year in Love Mechanics: (To paraphrase) 'Money can buy happiness but it's not as expensive as we think.' That is such a powerful, honest, realistic and rational statement.
Forget vampire BLs I want Eat the Rich BLs.
47 notes · View notes
blue-grama · 7 months
Text
Jesus motherforking shirtballs
Or: I am asking every business journalist to take one (1) gender studies class before I tear my hair out.
Tumblr media
This interview came across my dash and it's a lot of fun, particularly Apo's "dad joke" actually being a hilariously cringey pickup line, but one aside by the writer made me wince.
Tumblr media
ASDKHGKJ. This is not the first time I've seen an article about BL or gay romance in general speculate that the reason female audiences enjoy gay male romance is because there are no other threatening, icky girls on screen. I find this exceedingly irritating and misogynistic and I'm gonna rant about it. Now, look. Maybe there are women-identifying people out there watching mlm romance because they are threatened by beautiful actresses. Maybe. I haven't met every woman in the world. But this reasoning is, in my opinion, some male-gaze bullshit and needs to be smacked down. A non-exhaustive list of reasons to like mlm romance that AREN'T based on some weird idea of female competitiveness and insecurity: 1. Queer people... exist? Look, the LGBTQ+ community alone isn't the reason KP had huge international success. Just numbers-wise, it was probably watched by more straight people than not. But ignoring that audience makes absolutely no sense, especially because sexuality is fluid and many viewers interested in LGBTQ+ media may be uncertain/exploring. Cultural anthropologist Thomas Baudinette has talked about how many "straight women" exploring BL turned out not to be so straight. It's a thing. (Here on Tumblr the LGBTQ+ audience is THE thing, but there's a lot of selection bias here, obviously.)
2. A good romance is a good romance
In my personal (and admittedly limited) experience, cishet men have a hard time grasping this, but give me a good, swoony romance and IDGAF about the genders involved. I've noticed this is very common among my female-identifying and nonbinary friends, regardless of their sexual attractions in real life. Good chemistry is good chemistry, a good story is a good story, and honestly it's kinda insulting to silo LGBTQ+ romance off as something you need a particular reason to watch, if you're someone who likes watching romance. 3. Female gaze
Look. Mile and Apo are blisteringly hot individuals. It's interesting this article mentions the action sequences and not the inherent appeal of, say, these two humans exploring each other's bodies in front of God and Deutsche Bank:
Tumblr media
Perhaps it's a family publication.
But to get a little more thinky about horniness: If you're a female-identifying person interested in men, it can be a tough slog out there. I'm coming from a western perspective, where romance is looked down upon in general. (Asian media seems more willing to look at the romance audience and go "hmm... $$$!" instead of "ugh, girl stuff.") And even when you get romance-driven stories, the male gaze is fucking ubiquitious. I remember having my mind blown some years ago by Outlander -- a show I did not make it through otherwise -- because the wedding episode in the first season has a sex scene in which the camera lingers on the male lead's face. That is some female gaze shit that you just do not see. I just spent a couple minutes checking in with the sex scenes in Bridgerton, probably the biggest romance-genre hit in the U.S. in some time, made explicitely for a female audience in mind, and even there, the camera spends FAR more time on the female leads' faces in sex scenes. Presumably the idea is that the female viewing audience will be inserting themselves into the scene and imagining her pleasure as their own, but ... show me a man's O-face, you cowards.
KP (and BL in general) does that.
Tumblr media
I mean, quite literally. But also figuratively - men are posited as objects of desire, and the viewer is the agent desiring them. Taking a straight female as our theoretical viewer: We're so, so socialized to see females as the objects of desire and men as the agents of desire that even media made with straight women in mind parks the camera on the female lead. BL turns that on its head. The female viewer isn't watching a stand-in for herself being desired. She's actively desiring. I hope it's clear that this is miles away from "other girls are threatening." It's about being the one with agency for once.
4. Removal of the burden of one gajillion years of patriarchical bullshit
This is like a trauma response or some shit, istg, but sometimes it's nice to watch a romance not weighed down by 300,000 years of hetero gender relations. How many times have we seen a female character who is just a male fantasy or who starts out great but gets ruined by bad writing and it's like... fuck. Someone has probably written about this a lot more eloquently and intelligently than me, but sometimes it's just like, geez. Leave women out of it. Let us rest. I'm joking a bit, and this entirely elides the fact that non-het relationships can be just as abusive and problematic as a het relationship out there in the real world, but in the realm of fantasy I do think there's an appeal to stripping away at least part of the gender discourse. Especially for a fully escapist show like KP -- personally, I love a good female character, but I did not have any problem with the dearth of them in that series. Don't make me worry, even subconsciously, about the mafia's maternity leave policy, okay?? Contrary to idea that the mlm aspects save some sort of self-insert space for me in that romance, I as a woman-identified person did not want to be anywhere NEAR that hot mess. I wanted a world that touched on exactly zero of my real-life concerns.
Tumblr media
Ok, maybe one real-world concern: How to find a small animal vet at an inconvenient hour.
Anyway, like I said at the start, I can't possibly explain everyone's motivations for watching KP or BL or anything, really. The world is a rich tapestry and sexuality is not a simple binary. But boiling it all down to, "women are insecure" ain't it and I would love to see that explanation permanently retired from casual use. EDIT: I forgot the link to the original article.
44 notes · View notes
my-usernames-posts · 10 months
Text
sotus and sotus s were kinda way ahead of their time and nobody is ready for this conversation
Yes it did receive appreciation for being a trendsetter of university setting in BLs but the criticisms on lack of intimacy is getting on my nerves.
First of all, the main focus seems to be on the senior-junior struggle with hazing and the characters' internal struggles. THE AIM WAS NOT FANSERVICE AT ALL.
With that being said, it is completely normal for them to NOT be all over each other on screen even in season 2. Portraying emotional intimacy is harder than physical & it's done beautifully. They are two boys trying to graduate and do well in their jobs, it's absurd for them to come home and be all energetic in bed.
The relationship is actually balanced in its own way. Arthit gets a lot of hate for not communicating enough. When it actually does not seem like the case. Because in s2 he tells Kong "We can normally talk about anything, right?" That actually shows they are close enough to have tough conversations without jeopardising their relationship. Arthit knows since s1 that Kong is a rich kid, only he never know who exactly his father was.
Moreover Arthit's introversion & mysteriousness is what seems to draw Kong to him. We see how possessive Kong is - he cannot stand anyone else knowing little details such as pink milk & Aioon. I bet he'd not like him if Arthit was an easily likeable popular extrovert. The fact that Arthit is visibly shy is enough for Kong. And the fact that Arthit does not say "I love you" or "You are my world" regularly is what makes his words more valuable. Because Kong knows that it means beyond the surface in a situation when he says it.
It's good that Arthit continues to be shy & silent even in s2. Because that shatters the most common misconception that people change. He himself says that he loves Kong regardless, and saying it everyday would only reduce its importance. (Also, he's shy & that's how he is. Kongpob can accept it so it's all good innit?) Despite taking a long time to deal with his inner struggles he always comes back. He doesn't go around announcing about his relationship, but he does not keep it a secret forever either.
And the fear of society is actually well portrayed. University & workplace is different. Your sexual orientation doesn't reflect on your academic reports, but it CAN reflect as workplace discrimination. We also see that Arthit slowly realises that nobody is gossiping like he imagined. That's how he learns how pointless his worries were.
There are other shattered stereotypes. Such as the owner's nephew being a hard worker unlike the general nepotism character. And Earth just taking her time to warm up instead of turning out to be the female villian.
With all this being said, the show has a balance of silly entertainment & realistic ish character growth, idk it's a hill I'm willing to die on kbye.
95 notes · View notes
bl-inded · 3 months
Text
So... I'm pissed? I feel like we're taking the wrong lessons here guys! Why is Mohk the one apologizing again??? He apologized like thrice in this episode and each one made me more upset than the last. He did not pity Day! Never has. Never will.
Honestly I'm kinda just mad about how they handled the whole three year break. Why is it that Mohk came back and they're back to being flirty from minute one??? What about the heart break? What about the absolute negligence for what Mohk wanted? What is happening??
I kept waiting hoping for an explanation. But nope. When he wanted to stay the first time for Day it wasn't okay, but it's the okay the second time? WHY?? It doesn't make sense. I don't get it.
And that ending??? What I'm saying IS THAT THEY COULD HAVE DONE ALL OF THIS IN EPISODE 11 WITH A SMALLER FIGHT AND 4/4 (aka happy) COULD HAVE BEEN ALL OF EP12?? Y'all pick up what I'm putting down??
Tumblr media
Sorry this isn't an analysis. I'm just mad
I caaaannnooottt put into words how fucking mad I am.
*immediately starts writing a fic*
24 notes · View notes