#BL with D/s elements

[absolutebl]

Wading back into the BL world after several months away, and I would like to politely request recommendations. I'm looking for completed BL shows that are as good as Bad Buddy, have a D/s element, are supernatural, and/or are about politics like Not Me. Any or all of these combined would be lovely. I prefer Thai, but any country is fine.

You're the best!

Hi sweetie! Welcome back.

Recently completed BL, as good as Bad Buddy (I rated that a 9/10) with D/s elements, supernatural (PNR), and/or politics.

Okay so I sorted the spreadsheet of doom by year (we are in October 2024) and then ranking, and here is what I got:

Century of Love

Thai Gaga

fated mates, PNR, historical element, grumpy/sunshine, D/s hinted at but not fully executed

This is a very pretty drama about a young man who fell in love with a nice girl 100 years ago, and when she died in his arms, he was cursed to live until he could meet her reborn self. Only this time around, she’s reborn into the body of a man. Or is she? I love it when Thailand gets all up in its own historical business and reincarnation and shizz. I like this pair (it’s not DaouOffroad’s fault I didn’t enjoy their first series.) Daou’s wushu is snazzy and we got a unique meet cute. (Erm… Remeet cute? Meet cute 2.0?)

Ultimately, this is I Feel You Linger in the Air + First Love Again, rather than (as one might expect) Until We Meet Again or The Director Who Buys Me Dinner. The leads turned in great performances, although Daou outclassed everybody else on that screen. It’s a good story and a great BL and I can’t find any major faults with it beyond a certain level of camp that is sadly endemic to lakorns. Also I’m going to give it credit as the kind of BL that one could safely recommend to lovers of melodrama and historical romance, without having to qualify it as “good for a BL.”

It was, to put it succinctly, a VERY ENJOYABLE show.

Cherry Magic (Thai remake)

Thai grey

paranormal, office romance, no D/s

A soft charming warm hug of a show about crushes and mind reading and self worth that really worked for me. With no-fuss execution from a consummate team (at GMMTV) and an OG lead pair (proving why they remain eternal and deserve to grow up). Look, here’s the thing,

Cherry Magic is a great Thai BL in its own right - not comparing it to any other iteration. But even when I do compare (and I've seen all the Cherries and read the manga) it stands strong. I, personally, like the Thai BL slightly better than the Japanese live action yaoi, but I think that’s because I just really enjoy Thai BL's style and I LOVE TayNew.

Also all the kissing was both present and better in this version. As it should be from Thailand.

Cosmetic Playlover

Japan Gaga

obsession, office, tsundere/sunshine , claiming, ownership D/s but nothing more than that

I loved this little show. It was a classic office BL about the older workaholic who loves his job and the younger upstart who unexpectedly loves his boss. It’s a hyung romance where everybody is extremely earnest and sweet and pretty about everything. Except our seme, who is slightly unhinged and a little obsessed in all the ways one likes best from Japan. Plus the kisses were good! I can’t ask for anything more, utterly charming unexpected gem of a show. What a great time!

Love For Love's Sake

Korea iQIYI

isekai, paranormal, high school setting, very soft, sunshine/tsundere, it's Korean so no D/s (the only one that might satisfy from them recently is bully romance Jazz for Two)

trigger suicide

Isekai-based KBL is about a man who must win a game by convincing a reserved teen outcast to fall in love with him. Of course, that teen represents himself and his own unhappiness. Like many queer narratives, this show is actually about self worth, trust, and found family, and it is VERY on the nose. But I don’t expect subtlety from my BL and I enjoyed it's truly lovely redemption arc and earnest performances.

I personally found the narrative a touch disjointed with overworked filming angles and poorer than average captions, but the consistency of tone, script, and immersion is beyond the norm for BL. You will drown in this show and like it that way. The leads have fantastic chemistry and it's ultimately highly rewatchable and utterly charming, which counts for a lot.

The Sign

Thai YouTube

paranormal, soulmates, sunshine/tsundere, high heat, police procedural, every other trope, there's even some elements of D/s in there because it has...... well, everything in it

This show is literally everything (except straight) all at once. It's BL, queer, band of brothers, romcom, erotica, PNR, fated mates, police procedural, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and slasher. It’s the king of genre mash-up chaos. Sure, it's madness but there is genius in it.

Was it a crazy unhinged mess +1 roll for damage? Yes. Yes it was.

Did it manage to hold all those tangled threads together? No it did not.

Was it also a charming, sexy, engaging, non-stop piece of entertainment? Sure thing.

I think this show is basically my KinnPorsche, and frankly I’ve been chasing that dragon naga since KP aired. Is it perfect? No. But it was balls to the wall FUN. Emphasis on balls.

I rated it a 9/10 in 2024 but doesn't contain any of your other requested criteria

Sugar Dog Life

The Rebound

Unknown

Wandee Goodday

We Are

Sorry the D/s has been very light on the ground this year. I mean there has been some kinky stuff, but nothing even approaching BB in terms of quality. I mean Deep Night was about sex work and had a poly romance but was it...... good? Not really.

I rated it an 8/10 but at least it has kink

My Stand-in

Meet You At the Blossom

Jazz for Two

Deep Night

[angelicalbl]

So I have a bit of a bone to pick regarding the difference in the NC scenes between the original and Japanese version of LITA and the impact on character development.

Due to the shorter runtime of J-LITA obviously things had to be cut down. However I do not think that is an excuse for the direction of chemistry buildup between Phayu/Arashi and Rain/Rei. This really came to a breaking point for me in episode 4 and then the aftermath in episode 5.

LITA gets mocked sometime for being NC scenes with a sprinkling of plot to hold it together but the difference between the two NC scenes in the original has a point. EP4 LITA with PhayuRain is meant to be a soft bonding, a moment of trust building, and the characters finally becoming equals (while still maintaining that D/s element a bit). So then when the high heat NC in EP6 comes after a few more episodes of buildup it is earned and the audience sees how far Rain has come. Rain is in control, he is on top, he is now confident in his sexuality, body, and the power that he knows he holds over Phayu.

Now going back to J-LITA the NC scene in EP4 is softer which is fine but I have a complaint in general that Rei has way less urgency compared to Rain. Also after the scene Rei continues to be quite immature. And while this can be argued as part of the D/s dynamic there is no further growth in Rei regarding his confidence in his sexuality. There is no teasing Arashi or touching him or nicknames. I've noted there is very little touching between Arashi and Rei in general which feels colder to me.

We rarely get NC scenes with a power bottom being in control of the situation which to me is why the original EP6 LITA NC is iconic in BL. Personally I found that while Rain can be a bit of an annoying character at times Noeul managed to thread the needle by adding enough sass and cute moments with Boss to make it work. J-LITA Rei feel flat in comparison, and more annoying than cute most of the time.

The BossNoeul chemistry is difficult to match but again my biggest complaint is taking away the power that the 'bottom' of the relationship holds. I always want to see more power bottom and verse representation in BL in general, and to have lost some of it in the adaptation makes me sad. There is still some show to go so maybe they will turn it around but I don't think so.

[lutawolf]

My Personal Weatherman and the D/s element Ep 5

If you haven't read my other episodes, they can be found here.

Here I am, using my data at work to write this. I'm showing the love!

I love the shirt. "Good Times."

Oh, No!! Poor Yoh. His work isn't selling. He writes characters like Segasaki! Hahahah! Love it. Poor baby though. He really needs to do BL mangas. Even with his head in a dark tunnel, Yoh is still tuning in to support Segasaki.

Poor baby. I bet you do like those types of characters. As do we.

"It's as if I'm drowning in the sea, even though I'm dressed. Dark things seeping in, absorbing the blackness. This burdened body is now increasingly heavy. So heavy." And this is depression. Not someone feeling a little down. This is someone sliding into a dark place.

Segasaki comes into a dark home. He says hmmm. Starts turning on lights and looking for Yoh. He starts to fuss when he finds Yoh, but immediately stops when he notices the state his is in. Yes, he complains about the clothes, but it's more offhanded as his personality than getting onto Yoh. Any Dom or parent can tell you this is more of a delay reaction while the brain is processing. He gets Yoh up and to a place where he can care for him.

He tries to talk to him. He checks his head. Then he tries to push Yoh into drinking water.

What's with Doms pushing water? Hydration is a key element in health, especially in play. However, that isn't the case here. Instead, it's about showcasing non-intimate care and concern. It's saying, I know that right now is not sexy time and you need the priority. With lifestyle D/s it's key to know the line between sexual and non-sexual time. So it's essential to show care that is non-sexual. Hydration is the easiest way to do this.

Now, I can hear you guys. You're going, but it was sexual. He used his mouth to give him water. Yeah, we found it sexual, but notice that he didn't go any further. While even Yoh might have been startled enough for it to knock him into the here in now, it was not sexual on Segasaki's part. It was merely a tool in his arsenal. Once he has gotten Yoh in a better place. He then cooks the meal to care for him.

Assignment time. Go back to when Yoh fed Segasaki to now when Segasaki is feeding Yoh. Note the differences and I want you to reblog this with those differences because they are very much there. Even though they are doing the same thing, feeding each other. Caring for each other. You can see the difference between the Dom mentality and the sub mentality.

Okay, so see what I mean about Segasaki using the element of surprise as a tool. Mentioning something sexual, a bath, startles Yoh. It's keeping him in the present.

Do you guys see the huge difference in how a Dom cares for his sub vs how a sub cares for their Dom? Both due it. There is a time and place for one to put the other ahead of themselves, but it doesn't change the dynamic. Because it's about who holds the power of control that defines who is Dom and who is sub.

Yoh confesses what is going on with him. That he failed at manga. Segasaki laughs in relief. Not the best reaction, but I can understand it. I mean, finding your submissive in a state like this, and you don't know if it's something you can fix or if someone has died. You don't know what to do, and you are a creature who does. You are a creature that fixes. And you can't do anything until you know what it is and if you can even fix it. Segasaki is relieved because he thinks this is something he can fix. Yoh doesn't understand this though and Segasaki is a little dumb for not being more aware, but they are both really young. Segasaki is trying.

"You know, by the seaside, the wind direction changes between day and night. When the winds change direction or falls still, it's called nagi or wind shift. Right now, you are in that nagi state. In a little while, a different wind will blow again." aka this too shall pass. Moments in life are temporary, regardless of good or bad. It's all transient. But Luta! Yoh is depressed, you don't see things clearly when depressed. Right, and that is when a Dom becomes more important than you can imagine. That is when we have to be our most confident and reasonable. Subs are not normies, we are their life-line.

Ahhh, Segasaki is melting me here. "Today I get to take care of you. It feels nice."

Poor Yoh is so stupid. "It's like we're a real couple. It seems like you like me." That's because you are, and he does!!! I love how startled Segasaki is by Yoh taking initiative. OMG, my favorite thing about this show besides the characters is how well it showcases the difference between Dom and submissive. They have done an amazing job paralleling scenes, like taking initiative in sex, and showcasing exactly how the power dynamic is. Even though they are doing the exact same thing, you can clearly see that Segasaki always holds the power.

Another day of household chores. Another day of self reflection or self-abuse, as Yoh likes to do.

So basically, you want to bitch about having a perfect boyfriend. You know... I respect this. Go on then. Um, no, you want to talk about the difficulties of unemployment? Uh, sure. I love this bitch. Lay on the real. Together they make a lovely bunch of coconuts.

Aww, these two. I love them. Have you recovered? Yes, thanks to you. You are welcome to feel depressed again. Stupid boys, oh how I adore thee. So cute. Also, isn't Segasaki wearing Yoh's shirt? Hahaha, Yoh trying to figure out how to do a manga based on them without telling Segasaki. If that isn't brat behavior. You aren't suspicious looking at all, Yoh. Segasaki commands him to sit, and in a hurry at that. How many of you did a rewind? Hmmm. Especially with that face and the arm grab. You normies just don't know how well they are nailing this shit. Are we sure these actors don't live the lifestyle???

OMG, this whole scene is giving me chills, and they are multiplying. Normies are watching this and aren't seeing it the way I am, for sure. This is a Brat Tamer and brat doing a push-pull. They are both using their arsenal. Segasaki is using sex and Yoh is using emotions. He is pushing Segasaki in the direction he wants to get what he wants. Yeah, sure he wants Segasaki to understand him better and Segasaki needs to do better, but this is more about them both wanting to get what they want. At least that's how I'm reading it from my experience with brats, and I assure you, I have much experience with brats.

Yes! See! Segasaki read the room and did what I have done. Don't judge me, people. I have that authority. I'm a mother fucking Dom. Don't like it, don't be my submissive. That simple. You can negotiate your guidelines but the deeper D/s relationships, even the BT/b have this type of control.

I'm really looking forward to next week. Loved this episode! Today's review is dedicated to @esinegerp @dimondlite @mlcpopfan @bengiyo @notfreetoday @bouncy-bed-game

[theworldremixed]

Fic Masterpost

I figured it's about time I did this. I mean they're all on AO3, but I figured having a Tumblr masterpost might put things in perspective as regards how much I've actually written lmao. Here we go.

Disclaimer: I mean, my writing is pretty mediocre, but I honestly find that the fandom space had to be filled out somewhat, so I started writing fic.

EarthMix

This is the pairing I've begun writing fic for again, so I have the most fics for EM.

Now unlocked. I don't think Joong is looking around for fic anymore, and certainly not on Tumblr. There are tons of unlocked fic in the tag, too, so there 'ya go!

The Stars, Our Witness 'Verse

The universe that started it all, partly as a way to archive EM activity before I became a fan, and partly as a way to stave off my delulu.

The Stars, Our Witness

Rating: E/NC17 Chapters: 16 (finished) Summary: They’re scared to cross boundaries. What happens when the lines blur? Tags: slow burn, friends to lovers, FWB, "canon rewrite" (in the sense of IRL being "canon" Warnings: divorce era. 'Nuff said.

2. supernova

Rating: E/NC17 Chapters: One-shot Summary: the same versions of 🌏 and 🪐 as in TSOW, but basically D/s pwp. Tags: pre-negotiated D/s; still a whole lot of longing.

3. of longing and loudness

Rating: E/NC17 Chapters: One-shot Summary: Oneshot set in the The Stars, Our Witness (TSOW) 'verse, and a reactionary fic post-LOL 2024. Tags: engaged!EarthMix

4. Beneath the Sunrise (in progress)

Rating: M (for now, but knowing me, this might go up) Chapters: 2 (so far, out of a slated 10) Summary: EarthMix get outed. They deal with the consequences. Tags: married!EarthMix, social media elements, bullying

General EarthMix fic

Mostly one-shots written as a reaction to a post, among other things.

laissez-faire

Rating: M Chapters: one-shot Summary: featuring Earth's obsession with mix's grey sofa Tags: engaged!EarthMix; domesticity

long distance

Rating: E/NC17 Chapters: one-shot Summary: of short reunions and busy schedules (lol honestly this has zero plot. I just missed them when they were in Japan for Happy Weekend, so I wrote a fic) Tags: PWP, quickie.

so here's the situation

Rating: E/NC17 Chapters: one-shot Summary: ~situationship~EarthMix (written after the Vivi interview had been released, and after they went on a museum simulation Van Gogh date literally the day after) Tags: situationship; we're dating but aren't together

househusbandry

Rating: G Chapters: one-shot Summary: Dreame gets EarthMix as endorsers for their vacuum. Why are they everyone's Favorite Married(TM) Couple? Tags: domesticity Note: This was written on my Notes app in like, 10 minutes, so the link is to my Twitter post to that fic.

in pari delicto (in progress; converting to prose)

OK so let me just write an author's note here. This is an unfinished Twitter social media AU because I would be writing about a topic I knew very, very well: law school. Now, I'm inclined to transform the fic to prose and transfer it to AO3 because I have no patience for the whole edit-edit concepts of socmed AUs and I honestly respect anyone who's done it. That said, I will likely continue this once I finish Beneath the Sunrise, or simultaneously as I write it.

PhuTian

Ah, ATOTS. Why do I love you so? Of course I'd write ATOTS fic.

re/live

Rating: E/NC17 Chapters: one-shot Summary: In which Tian celebrates his fifth year with his new heart in the best way. Tags: tian's birthday as an excuse to write smut, sloppy blowjobs, insecurity issues

old wives and the tales they tell

Rating: E/NC17 Chapters: one-shot Summary: Mayhaps Phupha has a kink. He refuses to validate the good Doctor Nam's speculation. Tags: domesticity kink, villager!tian, headcanon epilogue to ATOTS Note: Written in response to @earthmixsclowderofcats's Thai BL Kink Meme! Please show it some love and answer the prompts too please PLEASE!!

bad behavior

Rating: E/NC17 Chapters: one-shot Summary: Tian watches as Phupha grabs something from the nightstand – a pen? – and uncaps it. He holds Tian’s chin with one hand, and Tian feels the wet drag of the pen against his cheeks. “Chief, what are you—” “There,” Phupha says, “Whiskers.”

betwixt bewitched entanglements (in progress. might possibly discontinue.)

Rating: E/NC17 Chapters: 19 (out of a planned 15 lmao, I swear this was supposed to end earlier. Summary: Magic meets royalty meets a society walled off from the rest of the world. Tags: Royalty AU, Magic AU, political intrigue, slow burn Notes: Look. I got carried away writing this, and to be honest, the concept's flown so far away from me and the worldbuilding had been so solid in my head and I even know how this fic will end, but honestly? It's not getting engagement. That's not the sole reason for writing fic - of course not - but I'm not quite sure if it's worth my time and effort writing this out.

JimWen

10/31: So I just wrote this today woohoo!

the ebb and the flow

Rating: E Chapters: one-shot Summary: The first time after their last time. (Wen learns how to swim. Jim learns how to trust. A one-shot on the wandering thoughts of Wen and Jim as they navigate being in a relationship: the fear of stagnation, for Wen; and the fear of betrayal, for Jim.) Tags: introspective; plotless; PWP; alternate ending

OngsaSun

The first half of 23.5 excited me so elfin much that I'd write little tiny Ongsa character-explorations in between episodes. Here are the two I'd actually published.

gravity

Rating: G Chapters: one-shot Summary: Ongsa muses on the meadows of her mind. Tags: anxious!Ongsa

nightfall/daybreak

Rating: G Chapters: one-shot Summary: Ongsa is no stranger to the dark—that is, until she gives in to the light. Tags: depressed!Ongsa TW: "dark" as a metaphor for depression

[pico-digital-studios]

Into, Across and Beyond! Locations: Universe Chart

In this post, I'll go through the codenames for all of the present universes in Sonic: Into, Across and Beyond!, and what character(s) they are assigned to:

Blur Gang's universes

MP-2021 (OMT universe) CR-2017 (Crossover Realm / EXE CU) NS(Nexus Sensor)-2021 (OMT!Mina's universe) JA-1991 (Mini Sonic's universe) NM-1973 (Mr. Needlemouse's universe) EX-2022 (Xenophanes' universe) DS-2022 / FNF-DS-3110 (D-Sides universe) BK-2009 (Black Knight universe) ND-2022 (ChaosIIUniverse) PR-2023 (Shatterverse) - PR-EGG-2023 (New Yolk City) - PR-GRO-2023 (Boscage Maze) - PR-SEA-2023 (No Place) - PR-GRIM-0000 (The Grim) - PR-FICE-2024 (Deepfreeze Domain) EV-2019 (Errorverse) MV-2023 (Mobiverse) MFF-2022 (Mobius' Freedom Fighters Universe) GI-2023 (Hog's Universe) MY-2023 (Wacky's universe)

Visited Into the Sonic-verse universes

BOOM-2014 (Boom universe) AO-1992 (AoSTH universe) X-2000 (Sonic X universe) MULTI-2023 (Superstars universe)

Quill Society's universes

SS-2001 (Lost Memory universe) STC-1993 (Sonic the Comic universe) AR-1992 (Archie Sonic multiverse) CD-1993 (CD Alt End universe) UG-1999 (Underground universe) LEGO-2016 (LEGO Sonic universe) SUNK-2014 (Sunky universe) FP-2015 (Freedom Planet universe) NM-1963 (Needlem0use universe) MOV-2019 (Movie universe) SA-2022 (Milly's universe) BL-2017 (Blitz universe) RAW-1994 (RAW's universe) DΩ-2018 (Discovery Omega universe) OVA-1996 (Sonic OVA universe) PDH-2011 (Pana's universe) ELE-2023 (Sonic x Elemental universe) VOC-2009 (Stella's universe) PIR-1994 (Somari universe)

Other Sonic universes

IDW-2017 (IDW universe) SAT-1993 (SatAM universe) RE-2014 (Lost Drive universe) XE-2018 (Extraterrestrial Encounter universe) HoM-2023 (Hues of Metal universe) SRB-1998 (The universe of Sonic Robo Blast 2 and its MANY mods) ZONE-0000 (No Zone) - ZONE-SM-1992 (Luna Zone) - ZONE-LAW-2000 (Ligitopolis) - ZONE-ANTI-1994 (Moebius) - ZONE-MER-1998 (Kingdom of Mercia) - ZONE-YL-2058 (25 Years Later universe) NEX-2023 (Sonic Legends universe / Nexus Dimension) - NEX-PM-2008 (Project Mettrix sub-universe) - NEX-UT-2006 (Sonic Utopia 2006 sub-universe) - NEX-ZERO-2012 (Sonic Zero Remastered sub-universe) - (more to be added) PRIME-1991 (the ORIGINAL Sonic universe) EDU-1996 (Sonic's Schoolhouse) EXE-2013 (original Sonic.exe universe) GMT-811 (Green Mountain)

Linked universes (via ties to Sonic)

FNF-NEW-2023 / Earth-111723 (Rewritten FNF universe) EJ-2017 (Spark the Electric Jester universe) RR-2024 (Rollin' Rascal universe) BB-2024 (Penny's Big Breakaway universe)

Max Chaos universes

MAX-2024-ADV (Max Chaos Adventure prime universe) MAX-2024-HRZ (Max Chaos Horizon prime universe) MAX-2024-PRα (PrimeAlpha Max Chaos universe) MAX-2024-PRβ (PrimeBeta/Errorverse Max Chaos) MAX-2025-HRZIF (Horizon IAB! IF... universe)

Disconnected universes

alans_pc (Animator vs. Animation universe) UT-2015 / DR-2018 (Undertale and Deltarune universes) FNF-2020 (Friday Night Funkin' universe) - FNF-BS-169 / Earth-169 (B-Sides universe) - FNF-NEGA-427 / Earth-427 (Minus universe) - FNF-NEO-21821 / Earth-21821 (Neo universe) - FNF-SOFT-10143 / Earth-10143 (Soft universe) - FNF-POINT-22512 / Earth-22512 (Arrow Funk universe) - FNF-ALT-409 / Earth-409 (Funkinverse base world) - FNF-WHOT-88 / Earth-88 (VS OURPLE GUY universe) - FNF-HOLO-16063 / Earth-16063 (HoloFunk universe) - FNF-TOON-2819 / Earth-2819 (Wednesday's Infidelity universe) - FNF-MOBI-623 / Earth-623 (Mobian BF's universe) - FNF-TG-1249 / Earth-1249 (Blueballs Incident universe) - FNF-DJX-221711 / Earth-221711 (DJX universe) - FNF-HF50-13166 / Earth-13166 (HoloFunk Pre-6.0 universe) - FNF-LOGIC-804 / Earth-804 (FNF Logic universe) - FNF-LYRIC-1215 / Earth-1215 (FNF WITH LYRICS universe) - FNF-CLAY-5619 / Earth-5619 (Clay BF's universe) - FNF-MIX2-72599 / Earth-72599 (Alt MIX universe) - FNF-MEGA-12488 / Earth-12488 (B-Bot's universe) - FNF-REW-15221 / Earth-15221 (Return Funkin' universe) - FNF-WII-1119 / Earth-1119 (Mii BF's universe / Wuhu Island) - FNF-CHILD-8814 / Earth-8814 (Childhood Memories universe) - FNF-BLU-923 / Earth-923 (BluBuni's universe) - FNF-SALT-21 / Earth-21 (??????????????) MSYN-2018 (DDLC universe) GC-2019 (Glitch Chaos universe) URB-2023 / Earth-12124 (the city universe where New Identity, New Life takes place)

JC-231 (the old Sonic.exe story universe that's frowned upon by EVERY Quill Society member. Yep, even LM!Sonic.)

SEGAVerse universes

TNL-2015 (Sonic 1: The Next Level universe / Gust Planet) AK-1986 (Alex Kidd universe) RIS-1995 (Ristar universe) NIGH-1996 (NiGHTS universe) SDA-2000 (Samba De Amigo universe) SC5-2002 (Space Channel 5 universe) COL-1990 (Columns universe) FAN-1986 (Fantasy Zone universe) AXE-1989 (Golden Axe universe) MONK-2001 (Super Monkey Ball universe) PUYO-1992 (Puyo Puyo universe) CHU-2001 (ChuChu Rocket! universe) JET-2000 (Jet Set Radio universe) EGG-2003 (Billy Hatcher universe) ECCO-1992 (Ecco universe) SHI-1992 (Shining Force universe) GUN-1993 (Gunstar Heroes universe) ROCK-1992 (Sparkster universe) RAGE-1991 (Streets of Rage universe) TOE-1991 (ToeJam & Earl universe) ARC-2000 (Skies of Arcadia universe) DRA-1995 (Panzer Dragoon universe) AGES-2012 (City of AGES) UNK-0013 (Dr. EggOmega's universe)

CapcomVerse universes

MEGA-1987 (Mega Man universe) VIEW-2003 (Viewtiful Joe universe) BRE-1993 (Breath of Fire universe) GNG-1985 (Ghosts 'n Goblins universe) OKA-2005 (Ōkami universe) SF-1987 (Street Fighter universe) HUNT-2004 (Monster Hunter universe)

[bitbybitwrites]

Weekend WIP - Ask Game

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more).

*******

Well now @daisyishedwig did send me an ask with a few of these questions. So since technically the game is to answer them all - I'll do that. Apologies if its more than what you wanted to know!

I've already tagged folks here when I first posted this. But if you see this and haven't been tagged want to join in - go ahead!

*****

1. WIP List: (what I qualify as a WIP for me is either I've started outlining extensively and/or actually writing the fic.)

If I Can Make Your Heart My Home (Klaine fic)

Sanctuary (Klaine fic)

Cuffed (Klaine fic) - not posted

Tinker Bells ( Klaine fic)- not posted

Untitled Klaine Advent 2022 fic - Day 5 - Oval (Klaine fic) - not posted

Shaken, Not Stirred - not posted (RWRB fic)

Untitled RWRB fic - not posted

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

By far, If I Can Make Your Heart My Home. It's also the longest fic I've written to date. I last posted Chapter 20. I have Chp 21 in the batter's box and am currently writing Chp 22.

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

Yikes. I'm going to guess, If I Can Make Your Heart My Home. Though Cuffed as the potential to be pretty long as well. And whenever I get around to the untitled RWRB fic, that's going to be a long one too.

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

If I Can Make Your Heart My Home. I've really kind of fallen in love with the AU. I have soooo many cameos of characters from the show - esp some that I hope were very unexpected for readers. I've really enjoyed working them into the story. I also am loving the music attached to the story. The original prompt/artwork had Blaine as a guitar playing street musician. After some brainstorming with @datshitrandom (who provided the prompt and art) we switched it instead to a cello playing Blaine and I've really enjoyed finding cello pieces do go along with the story. I've begun adding mood music too for some chapters, which I hope has enhanced the experience for readers. I'm also such a big tea drinker/baker/lover of afternoon tea - the whole tea/cooking element of the story makes me smile. I've snuck in some of my personal favorite recipes that Kurt and his fellow chefs have made and enjoyed looking for new ones to round out the fic.

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

Cuffed. Partially bc its a prequel to my first ever fic - Trick or Treat - and I really want to do it justice. That first story I agonized over writing and I love the little AU that folks only got a peek at. Partially bc its a D/s AU and I want to do the lifestyle justice and treat it with respect - yet at the same time its an AU so I do get to call the shots and make my own rules on how the world evolves. I feel its going to be a more character/emotion driven fic as opposed to a kink driven one. But then that does fall in line with the fic its based off of. One of my betas had called it "D/s lite" when she first read it 😂.

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

Maybe Cuffed. - bc of the reasons listed above. Maybe also my untitled RWRB fic. - actually both of the RWRB fics - bc its a totally new fandom for me to write for and I so want to do those characters justice.

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

I always run my fics past my two betas - its just a force of habit ever since I started writing - they are great sounding boards, especially when I'm stumped about something I want to include in a story.

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

Sanctuary had a bit of writers block for a bit - but then I was able to bang out an outline for all but the last two scenes. For me - honestly time is my enemy over writers block. I know what I want to write - its just getting the time to sit down and do it!

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

If I Can Make Your Heart My Home:

Hands down my favorite OC ( and she's also really my only OC to date) - is Lillian Anderson - or Nana as she likes everyone she is close with to call her.

Lillian is Blaine's paternal grandmother from England. She is a force of nature packed in the body of a tiny little woman. She is very openhearted and passionate. Loves her grandsons and is very protective of Blaine and Cooper. She the type of grandmother who will bake you your favorite cake when you are sick and still listen to your romantic problems with an open mind - no matter what age you are. She is also, can I say - a bit unexpected in some of what she does - there is a playfulness to her but its kind of tempered with the feeling you really don't want to cross her. When she means business, she means business.

Nana, I am happy to say is favorite of many readers of the fic. It makes me smile to see comments about how much they love her, wish she was their grandmother and want to be adopted by her! 😊

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

Oh god - this is like the worst question for me bc I am so on the fence on how sexy/good my smut is 😂. I'm just going to say -If I Can Make Your Heart My Home - bc I haven't written enough smut in the others WIP to qualify.

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Definietly If I Can Make Your Heart My Home. I do love angst and I think there's a whole lotta of it in this fic.

12. Which WIP has the best characterization (in your humble opinion)?

Like characters staying true to canon? Um. Not sure? Maybe Blaine in If I Can Make Your Heart My Home. He's a wonderful showman/performer - seemingly has it all together, but as readers are now finding out, he does have some of his own issues he's been pushing aside and not dealing with. Much like Blaine on the show, in my opinion. If you're talking about like a non canon type of characterization - I'm going to have to go with Lillian Anderson/Nana. She is a joy to write and create from scratch.

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

If I Can Make Your Heart My Home I take the readers to some of my favorite places in Central Park in this pic: - Alice In Wonderland Statue - Bethesda Terrace / Bethesda Fountain ( if there are any Doctor Who - like me - fans, they will recognize this location from the episode The Angels Take Manhattan) - Belvedere Castle - Bow Bridge (Glee fans will recognize this from where Finn and Rachel met for their date in Manhattan) If you ever come to NY to visit - definitely go and see them!

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

The untitled RWRB fic has been a lot of research so far.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

I don't know - I hope they all turn out well. And by that I hope I am pleased with how they turn out from a writing standpoint. I don't really measure how well a fic is by how many readers/ kudos or comments, but more on my personal standards of my work. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I'm hard on myself and what I crank out.

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

Like fall asleep and dream? Not that I am aware of. Me daydreaming about them - thats like for all of them. I usually work things out in my head first, jot notes down in a journal second if my laptop top isn't near. Or I'll just go to the laptop to write.

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

The untitled RWRB fic is going to be a monster once I finish the outline - because its my first real historical fic. Lots of research has already been done, but so much more needs to happen before I can start the writing.

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

If I Can Make Your Heart My Home All I can say is Trent and Tina crack me up to no end in the fic.

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

I kind of dabble on some things/backgrounds of other characters in If I Can Make Your Heart My Home - but I don't know if any of it would be considered a deep dive? I've dropped hints and such about things that have happened in the past for a number of characters. When I finish the main fic there may be an opportunity to revisit all these hints in a way that readers might enjoy. . . we'll see.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

Tinker Bells (Klaine fic) is a rework of a story I started years ago, based on the Sword and Sorceress series books edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Originally the two main characters were women, but now that I've cast Blaine and Kurt in them, I'm interested in taking the story in a diferent direction.

Untitled Klaine 2022 Advent fic - is a revisit to my superhero series: Under The Cover of Darkness. Blaine finally meets Kurt's parents during the holidays.

Shaken, Not Stirred (RWRB fic) is inspired by this artwork by @noodles-and-tea . It will be a Spy Au (which is going to be a challenge and research must be done bc I'm not one to really read that genre much.)

My untitled historical RWRB fic is inspired by this artwork by @stormtrooperjeff17004. Its going to be a monster of a story starting in 1800s in Mexico and ending somewhere in the Regency/Georgian period in England.

Whew! I think thats everything! Now I've got to get back to writing!

[gillianthecat]

13 Books I've Read Recently (plus 1 tv show)

I haven't watched any BL since my last post on My Stand In, but I have been reading! A lot of it's been rereading, actually. Here's a list. Hit me up if you want to talk about any of them :-)

You Should Be So Lucky

and several other m/m romances by Cat Sebastian. She's one of my favorite romance authors, with only a few misses for me. I'm loving her recent-ish switch from regency to 20th century historical. I read her newest, You Should Be So Lucky, about a baseball player and a reporter assigned to write a story about him. So good! That inspired me to go back and reread some of her older works.

The Ruin of A Rake

(reread) is a regency enemies to lovers between the titular jaded rake and an uptight social climber, a combination that is catnip to me. Her main characters are all multifaceted and emotionally complex, but she's also very good at creating complicated and real-feeling side characters, even if they're only seen briefly.

Hither, Page and The Missing Page

(rereads) "Cozy" mysteries in post WWII England, in a village and a country house respectively. Both trace the romance between a doctor with PTSD and a spy sent to investigate a murder in the village, so best read in order. For me the romance and the mystery plots are well balanced, though obviously that depends on what you want out of those genres.

I love James and Leo so much. Cat Sebastian generally writes people who are finding refuge in each other, in a way that many call cozy and gentle, but for me she shows the cruelties of the world that they are seeking refuge from in a way that is unvarnished and raw enough that her books never feel fluffy or saccharine to me. The gentleness always feels hard won.

The mystery was the perfect amount of mysterious for me. In my first reading I don't think I guessed it, but going back I could see every step that got there. I don't have the brainpower to get into it now but I liked the ways she treated the idea of "family" and community.

the A Charm of Magpie series

by KJ Charles (rereads). Charles is another one of my go to romance authors, though this was her first series and it shows. I'll just copy my Goodreads review:

Half a star off because this was obviously KJ's early work and the writing is a bit rough around the edges. Another 1.5 stars subtracted for the pretty egregious orientalism. She has become more thoughtful in the decade since writing this, but it's pretty 😬 in this series. I realize that she's invoking the pulp novels of the time, but it was racist then and it's racist now. There are better ways she could have done it.

Other than that, I was captivated by Stephen and Crane's relationship, and the rest of the characters. I also like the magic system! It is a pulpy, paranormal, plot heavy D/S romance, and the story of the relationship is spread out over the trilogy, so if those elements aren't your thing you're not going to enjoy it, but if they are, and you can ignore the orientalism, the trilogy is a thrilling ride. I don't want to get into spoilers, but I appreciate the overarching development of Stephen and Crane's relationship, and the exploration of their power dynamics, although it takes up less page time than the action-adventure parts of the plot. People who work for non-profits/in social services may have a strong reaction to the last novel in particular.

I highly recommend most of her later works. Laws of Attraction fans may be particularly interested in Think of England, the Slippery Creatures trilogy, and Any Old Diamonds.

A Spindle Splintered

by Alix E. Harrow. Nice enough riff on Sleeping Beauty. I didn't dislike it, but I'd honestly forgotten I'd read it until i looked at my Libby history, so it didn't make that big an impact. I pretty sure it's young adult, and while it wasn't immature, I'm just not the target audience. A very interesting use of fairy tales, and some intriguing moral complexity. Lots of pop culture references that actually fit the character and story, though those generally are something that annoys me. I have another of Harrow's novels on hold (Future Witches) which looks more intriguing to me.

Thief Liar Lady

by D. L. Soria. Another fairy tale retelling, this time of Cinderella. DNF, and normally i would list it, but I was really intrigued by the intro, and so frustrated that it was not what I thought it was going to be (spy for the independence movement infiltrates the monarchy by seducing the crown prince with magic). I almost want to rewrite it as what it should have been. Also an example of why 1st person is so tricky for me. It's incredible when done well, but the narrative has to have an interesting and distinct voice. (This one didn't. Harrow's book above did.)

Sunburn

by Chloe Michelle Howarth. So good. An intense queer coming of age novel about a girl in early 90s rural Ireland. This is an example of the first person narration being essential to the story being told. I would imagine fans of I Told Sunset About You and My Beautiful Man would like it. Though it's less of a romance than those, but has that physicality and intensity of obsession.

Sailor's Delight

by Rose Lerner. A regency? 19th century England at least mm romance between a Jewish navy agent (he lends money to and handles the finances for sailors) and his gentile sailor client. Lots of historical details, which is interesting/overwhelming depending on your mood. Incorporated a busybody family in a ay that I actually enjoyed, which is rare for me. Lerner is one of my go-to romance authors, and one of the few I trust for m/f romance, though admittedly I haven't read any of her m/f in a while. It was very good, but didn't sweep me away. That might say more about my mood at the time instead of the book.

If I Never Met You

by Mhairi McFarlane (reread). The sole m/f romance on this list. Fake dating romance between a 36 yo (gasp! Ancient and over the hill 🙄) lawyer who was dumped by her boyfriend for 18 years and the charming office playboy. McFarlane was one of the few contemporary m/f romance writers I remember enjoying. And I still think she's an engaging writer! Kept my attention the whole way. It's very heterosexual gender roles, in the way that the slight pushback the characters give to that framework only serves to emphasize how bound by it the premise of the book is. But her protagonists are compelling characters anyone. They are nominally romances, but generally I find her books to be more about women finding themselves after major life shifts, and as such the male love interests tend to be...not exactly two dimensional, just kinda out of focus, and the chemistry an afterthought. That's true of everything of hers I've read. I did like what we saw of this ML, Jamie.

The main problem with this book in particular is that she's a white author trying to write a black main character, and she is very clumsy about it. Her books are very white in general. Another had an "exotic" half Italian protagonist who was looked at strangely for bringing lasagna to school. Lasagna! White Brits are a strange people. Also fatphobia, as part and parcel of the heteronormative gender roles. *sigh* My favorite of hers I've read is Mad About You.

(Also I side note: I realized I think Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material might be riffing on this novel in particular? It's not at all the same story, but it contains many of the same elements, remixed—neglectful rockstar dad, free-spirited mom and her platonic? life partner, fake dating for respectability purposes, playboy x upright citizen, lawyers... Anyone else read both and see it? Hall is deliberately a magpie of the romance genre so it is possible.)

Between the Teeth

by Taylor Fitzpatrick (sort of a reread.) This is the last of a trilogy (also called Between the Teeth). Fitzpatrick writes hockey "R"PF except the hockey players are all made up. She writes on ao3, a chapter at a time, so it has the rhythms, intensity, and genre-crossing feel of fanfic even though it's technically not. I love her work, though I suspect it's not for everyone. She's created a whole interconnected universe of hockey players and teams, which adds to the RPF feel. Most of her stuff is on ao3, but she's taken three stories and slightly edited them for publication.

and the TV show...

Scandal (the first three episodes)

I suspect I would have loved this if I'd watched it back when it aired in 2013. I was obsessed with Grey's Anatomy for a while. Even now I'm obsessed with Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope. The genuine power emanating from her! But I'm just not currently able to maintain the suspension of disbelief necessary for the plot contrivances soap opera ridiculousness of it all.

I like her team of lawyers, and am intrigued by each of them individually. Also their office is really cool architecturally. (But how come anyone can wonder into it at anytime? Shouldn't they have keys or door codes or something?! My inability to ignore stuff like this is why I can't be watching soap operas right now.)

Probably back in 2013 I could have gotten into the forbidden romance! between Olivia and the Bill Clinton stand in, but in 2024 finding the sex appeal of the American president is too big an ask. Especially since Grant doesn't seem to have anything else going for him besides the "cachet" of his office, the whiny manchild. I get that the fantasy is that Olivia is so amazing that she has the "leader of the free world" (blech. and yes they literally call him that. multiple times) desperate for her. And obviously there is a lot of drama that can be mined from this secret romance. But she deserves so much better. Maybe he gets more interesting but so far I am bored and confused by him. He's not even interesting enough to hate.

I was surprised by all the emphasis on Olivia and her team being the "white hats" and that what they does helps people. I was assuming they would lean more into the inherent moral greyness/amorality of being fixers for the rich and powerful? Which would be more interesting to me than all this "trust your gut," "we represent people who are telling the truth" nonsense. Maybe the show will get more explicitly morally ambiguous as it goes on?

Also, Holy Slut-Shaming, Batman!!! Every single episode has managed to demean women who have sex, multiple times. It was genuinely shocking/impressive to me. I haven't watched network US American tv in a while, I guess. And nothing as "scandalous" as those dirty, dirty sluts, I guess. (Also, and this is both a minor spoiler for ep 3 and evidence of my inability to suspend disbelief, but isn't the whole reason a madam keeps a list of her rich and powerful clients is to be able to blackmail them into protecting her? How is that the unexpected brilliant solution lol.)

Anyways. Watch for Kerry Washington! And maybe for her team. Just make sure to turn off your brain first.

(Maybe I should have put these each in their own post but oh well.)

[slonekaru]

Hi! I’m not sure if you’ve been asked this before but, what are your top 5 BL’s that you watched this year?

Oh, good question! I've watched so many BL's this year :) How do I choose 5!?!?!?

In no particular order because I can't decide:

Love in the Air

I adore Love in the Air, I liked it right from seeing the trailers and it never let me down. Both couples are amazing for various reasons. The PrapaiSky story was well done and I'm a little in love with Peat. But I have to say I think Payu and Rain are one of my favourite couples from this year and have quickly solidified their place in the favourite couples ever category. I loved their relationship and the D/s elements, how it progressed, how they showed a functioning healthy D/s relationship.

Plus the chemistry between Boss and Noeul is outstanding. Top Tier. I could watch them kiss for hours. I WILL CRY IF THEY DON'T DO A NEW SERIES TOGETHER!!!!

Kinnporsche

What can I say about Kinnporsche. One of the best series I have seen, nevermind it being a BL! I came into KP just before it was released so didn't have all the waiting some people did! Phenomenal casting, I don't think there was a bad choice there. Production values are off the charts. Great how they managed to balance the Mafia story with the comedy elements. I am torn about wanting a second season. I mean I'd love to see more and yet live in fear of them not achieving the same level. Sometimes it's best to let it be! Also another entry with a favourite couple of VegasPete, complicated but fantastic relationship. BibleBuild are amazing together and another pairing I hope to see again.

Semantic Error

And we have a Korean entry. This is one of my suggestions to anyone just getting into BL. It made me laugh, the chemistry between Park Seoham and Park Jaechan is amazing. I actually had no idea who they were or that they were in K-pop bands before watching this.

I particularly liked Park Jaechan's portrayal of SangWoo. I read it as SangWood being Neurodivergent and I personally think it's brilliant, especially with the way Park Seoham's JaeYoung reacts to SangWoo. Sometimes frustrated but most of the time accepting and learning to adapt to his thought process.

Old Fashion Cupcake

For our Japanese entry, we have Old Fashion Cupcake. This one hit differently. I've been dying for some BL with older characters and they delivered. What more could you want than a 29-year-old chasing and wooing a 39-year-old who doesn't realise it and also discovers his queerness later in life! It's beautifully done and nice to see people still reaching for something and achieving it when they are full-grown adults! Because you know that's life.

Choco Milk Shake

They sucked us in with the kinky D/s promo photo's and I fell for it! But this has been such an amazing series. Originally slated for a 10-episode run they changed the airing of the last 3 episodes and have snuck in an extra episode! Episode 11 is due to air on the 20th Dec. Episode 10 is 100% the original ending but I think they realised how popular it was and maybe wanted to squeeze out another episode. Plus I know how people reacted to the Kissable Lips ending, maybe Strongberry doesn't want the same outcome!

The casting choices were outstanding. Lee JaeBin is completely believable as a puppy in human form and Kim SeongHyuk as a cat in human form is spot on. Seriously they nailed the mannerisms of a dog and cat.

Interesting how such a comedic show with a comedic premise also somehow manages to deal with loss, grief, and loneliness.

Some honorable mentions: The Miricle of Teddy Bear, Cutie Pie, Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Soul, Big Dragon, The Eclipse, Plus and Minus, Kei X Yaku, Secret Crush on You

And because they are not finished yet I'll reserve the right to include Between Us, and 609 Bedtime Story at a later date! :)

[absolutebl]

I'm not 100% certain, but I think in the past you've described the seme as the one who does the active pursuing, but isn't necessarily the more dominant one in the relationship, while the uke is the one being pursued, but isn't necessarily the more submissive one in the relationship. Assuming there's a power dynamic at all. Is that correct? And, if so, why do you define it as such? The other definitions I've seen on the internet define the seme as the dominant one in the relationship, while the uke is the submissive one.

Forgive me if that isn't what you stated, it's just what I remember, and have always been kind of curious about.

It's old and a bit dated, but this first one exactly answers your question:

Look I don't mean to be rude but these are narrative archetypes (defined by how they function as storytelling elements) not sexual positions (top/bottom) or IRL relationship power dynamics/rolls (D/s). Conflating them is a mistake because it conflated fictional elements (predictive components of story, like tropes, archetypes, and beats used to control a viewers expectations and manipulate their emotions) with real world semantics (how we talk about the reality or sex and relationships as we function in the everyday world), and they are not the same thing, nor are they intended to do the same thing as they move through the world. The one being fantasy and the other reality.

Bah, I'm not making sense. But I know what I mean...

[allwaswell16]

This is a fic rec of my favorite One Direction fan fics with praise kink in them as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

-Larry-

Missed Connection by @littlelouishiccups

(E, 39k, soulmates au, soul marks, strangers to friends to lovers, fwb, musician Harry, nurse Louis, dom /sub, angst with a happy ending, fluff, smut, oral sex, praise kink, sex toys)

Soulmate AU where your soulmate’s first words to you are tattooed on your skin.

Small Doses (Loving You It's Explosive) by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(E, 38k, boxing au, boxer Harry, personal trainer Harry, teacher Louis, dirty talk, praise kink, d/s, dom Louis, sub Harry, bondage, oral sex, teasing, lap dance, light angst, subspace, riding, rimming, smut)

Louis Tomlinson finds himself at Vitality Fitness to try and turn his life around after having left his cheating boyfriend of four years.

Here to Stay (here to Play) by @sadaveniren

(E, 28k, chapter 18, Kinktober, praise kink, lingerie, camboy, dom/sub, dom Louis, sub Harry, bondage, sex toys, smut)

“He’s such a pretty thing, isn’t he?” Louis watched the comments roll in, agreeing with him.

Time Out by Speechless / @smokingluckiesalltheway

(E, 27k, break up au, role play, getting back together, angst with a happy ending, fluff, jealousy, possessive behavior, d/s, kink, praise kink, smut, bl)

Harry and Louis are perfect for each other.

Oh Glory by @alivingfire

(E, 21k, Olympics au, sports, swimming, gymnastics, praise kink, bondage, swimmer Harry, gymnast Louis, smut)

Harry Styles is Team Great Britain's newest swimmer, and has spent his whole life training for this moment, a chance at the gold medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Save your loving arms for a rainy day by BriaMaria / @briannamarguerite

(E, 18k, famous/not famous au, famous Louis, not famous Harry, pop star Louis, lost voice, angst with a happy ending, body worship, praise kink, smut)

the one where Louis is a pop star who has lost his voice and Harry helps him find it.

This Play Between The Sheets by Harriet1dfan

(E, 15k, first date, bdsm, dom Harry, sub Louis, embarrassing situation, online dating, texting, pwp, fluff, lingerie, praise kink, daddy kink, body worship, oral sex, coming untouched, size difference, smut, bl)

the totally gratuitous BDSM fic where Louis' is a drama queen and gets far too excited to pay attention to who he's texting.

the flower that blooms in adversity by docklands / @hershelsue

(E, 13k, a/b/o, alpha Louis, unlabeled Harry, camping, virgin Harry, first time, light angst, humiliation kink, praise kink, kink, fluff, smut)

Harry is twenty-six and he hasn't presented yet.

Shackles (I Just Want to Praise You) by theweightofmywords / @rockstarlouis

(E, 8k, bdsm au, dom Harry, sub Louis, actor Louis, Hollywood, subspace, aftercare, nervous Harry, praise kink, rough sex, pet names, mirror sex, smut)

Louis is an extra for a low-budget gladiator movie.

Every Good Boy Deserves Cookies by @fournipplesau

(E, 8k, chef Harry, teacher Harry, shy Harry, teasing, premature ejaculation, praise kink, food play, smut)

Harry is a chef who teaches a class and Louis swears it's only Harry's bossiness that turns him on, not the recipe for cookies and Harry likes being praised.

My Pleasure (to make you mine) by zanni_scaramouche / @zanniscaramouche

(E, 6k, piercing au, praise kink, light dom/sub, fluff, porn, coming untouched, piercings, smut)

Harry decides to get his nipples pierced.

Here, Kitty by dimpled_halo / @comebackassholes

(E, 4k, roommate au, friends to lovers, uni, fluff, kink discovery, master/pet, d/s, kink exploration, master Louis, kitten Harry, praise kink, love confessions, smut)

When Harry and Louis become roommates, Louis discovers a side of Harry that he's more than willing to explore with him.

Good boy by 28sunflowers / @vintageumbroshirt

(E, 2k, tattoo au, tattoo artist Louis, customer Harry, pwp, masturbation, bathroom sex, oral sex, praise kink, pain kink, kink discovery, smut)

Harry is startled out of his thoughts by the needle going over one of his ribs.

Mommy by @jaerie

(E, 2k, sugar baby Louis, lactation kink, rough oral sex, choking, caretaking, praise kink, kink, smut)

Louis is Harry's baby. Harry takes good care of him.

-Tomagher-

There’s A World There For The Taking, gayumbrella​

(E, 9k, Louis/Liam Gallagher, yes a made up ship name, canon, praise kink, recording studio, alcohol, smut)

Louis and Liam Gallagher at the same studio.

-Tomlinshaw-

Little Lion Man by Writcraft / @writcraft

(E, 123k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw, Harry Potter au, age difference, coming of age, supernatural elements, Hogwarts, homophobia, romance, mental health issues, hurt/comfort, injury, injury recovery, light bdsm, grief/mourning, character death, kink exploration, ghosts, praise kink, smut)

As Louis tries to negotiate coming of age, sexuality, first times, homophobia in the wizarding world and his growing feelings for Nick, a new evil emerges which puts Louis and Nick in serious danger.

-Ziam-

Just As Fast, Twice As Dangerous by lightswoodmagic / @lightwoodsmagic

(E, 45k, Zayn/Liam, superhero au, uni, empath, telekinesis, pining, friends to lovers, fwb, misunderstandings, angst, hurt/comfort, dom/sub, dom Liam, sub Zayn, praise kink, bondage, daddy kink, smut)

Zayn's a normal student by day, and a superhero by night.

[lutawolf]

My Personal Weatherman and the D/s element Ep 4

If you haven't read the others, they can be found here.

Ahhh, nothing gets me going like a sub wearing what their Dom picked out. That subtle ownership. Why yes, I do pick out all my husband's clothes except the dreaded work clothes. I refuse to take the blame for those tacky things.

Right off, we can easily see that this is not an M/s situation. The fact that Segasaki is asking Yoh what he wants to do, tells us exactly what we need to know. Yoh is explaining what he is going to do. That is not something a slave would ever even think to do. We can easily tell that he is a subby sub though, cause when Segasaki brings out the Dom, Yoh eases back.

OMG, that chin grab! @bl-bam-beyond pretty please gif that chin grab.

That chin grab with the "No." Ugh, how all my lovely subs doing? Are you still here? Have you been able to finish the show? Or are you stuck here on rewind?

Yoh actually questions Segasaki as to why not. Anybody still thinking Yoh a slave? Cause not to be rude, I can't fix stupid. This boy, a brat. Fuck, this whole scene is really showcasing their dynamic. "But we made a promise." "Tell her that you can't go anymore. Do it. Do you even know why you are in this house." And once again, we're back at the misunderstanding stage.

A fangirl, I see. OMG, this is adorable. Yoh is like, sure. Let's look at the tie of my Dom, bestie.

Yoh calling with Segasaki standing over him. This episode is killing me in the best possible way. Don't revive me! (No! I have not taken my ADHD meds, don't judge me!) "I was ordered to stay home." Hahahaha! Then the ahhhh, after he tells her that he will make it up to her. Letting you know he was likely just punished by Segasaki. Yes, my mind went here.

Then the reward of the head pat, "you did good."

She showed up to check on him! Woot! Haha, she is about to find out who is boyfriend is. Hahaha. I'm dying. Meanwhile, his boyfriend is like, "guess it's time for a face off." Ya'll I'm not okay. I'm laughing so hard.

And Yoho stepped over a line and got put in his place. But he is too busy having a crisis to care! 🤣🤣🤣 Her face is my favorite.

That effortless lie. He wasn't feeling well. Uh huh. I love these two dumbass friends. I need sake too!!! I'm dying. Shit, I can't breathe through the laughter.

Now it's Yoh's turn to be jealous. Ahh, he got drunk and fell asleep on the floor. The places we find comfortable when we are drunk.

Nope, he doesn't want to go to the bed. I love the outer dialogue we are getting. I really enjoy that we get Yoh's side of things and from his perspective, but this rounds it out a bit for me.

And look at that beautiful smile when Segasaki finds out she's married. "Are you in your rebellious phase." Does this sound familiar to certain people whom I will not mention by name!?! Hmmm! Brats! Stop breaking my heart! Make him stop Segasaki, make him stop!

Fuck, I love these two so much. Everything he is describing is very much a Brat Tamer. Bossy but gentle. Controlling but caring. Charming and unreasonable. Brat Tamer.

The way his squishes Yoh's face! Ahhh, these two are gonna kill me!

"It would be nice if you stayed drunk forever." Because of the honesty. Segasaki likes Yoh's quirks, but he also wants the honesty and the connection.

I need the curry story now! But apparently, I must wait. Heavy sigh.

Hope you guys enjoyed this! Let me know in the tags if you did. 💜💜💜 See you next time.

[thebroccolination]

I havent read the novel from between us,but i was suprised seeing youre post about youre fav scene..like the open house one, and that its probably gonna be in the series. like...beeing lgbt isnt really a big deal in bl´s. like homophobie doesnt really exist (what i like, cause its refreshing and a nice change, from the sometimes harsh reality) and most characters in bl´s are queer. like there are more queer then straight characters. 80 % are queer, so its not really a big thing. litteraly kinda everyone is into the same gender (its also the case in between us) so im suprised that there is gonna be such a scene tbh..im genrell curios though, how similar they gonna make it to the novel and what changes and all that. i also read somewhere that win is gonna punch team,after he finds him kinda throwning, is that true?!?! also what is the pool scene so many people talk about? Im curious..

Hi Anon!

Okay so! The thing I love about New as a director is that he's queer himself and outspoken about the kind of stories he wants to tell. He wants to tell multifaceted queer stories (and he loves drama). I imagine that's what drew him to Sheep's writing, because Red Thread is very focused on queer struggle and literal rebirth. Hemp Rope is much lighter by comparison, but it still has some very explicitly queer-oriented scenes and conversations. So the homophobia scene I talked about, the one I'm excited to see, is one of several queer-focused topics in the novel. And Win is canonically bi! Like me! I'm a big, big fan of LazySheep.

As for how similar the series will be to the novel: we don't know, but Sheep tweeted recently to assure people that the series will be very much its own thing and there will be scenes in the series that won't be in the novel. Essentially, it's a true adaptation in that Sheep took elements from her novel and adapted them for the screen. I'm genuinely impressed that she adapted Red Thread into UWMA and Hemp Rope (INCOMPLETE NO LESS) into Between Us. I'm a big, big fan of LazySheep

[SPOILERS FOR THE NOVEL AND THE SERIES] The punch is in the novel. Everyone's mileage will vary on the scene, but I personally didn't mind it. I actually thought it was an interesting character choice since Win is so perpetually calm and composed. The way the novel set up the scene, Team is flippant and almost bratty about the fact that he nearly died, so I interpreted Win punching him as the only moment in Win's life that he actually lost control. Again, it worked for me in the novel. But when they filmed the scene for the pilot teaser last year, Boun decided his version of Win wouldn't do that, so he hugged Prem instead, and New and Sheep both liked the change, and it was received overwhelmingly positively by viewers, so they kept it in the main series as well (you can see the hug in the trailer).

[SPOILERS FOR THE NOVEL AND THE SERIES] The pool scene is the larger event happening around the punch. Team sneaks into the pool after hours when the club is on break because he can't sleep and he's nervous about the upcoming competition. He doesn't stretch first, he swims to exhaustion, his leg cramps up, and he starts to drown. Win is there late doing his vice presidential duties, sees the light on in the pool area, and sees Team at the bottom of the pool. So he saves him. It's probably in the next episode. \:D/

I hope that helps!

[blglplus]

My Top 10 BL’s of all time (and also 2022 because I’m new)

So I only discovered BL this year and what an incredible year of TV watching it has been. This year was difficult and I needed the escape. I first got obsessed with Heartstopper and then someone suggested I check out Thai BL and she was a goddamn genius. I had already been reading a lot of M/M romance novels and watching all the western queer shows I could like Heartstopper, Love, Simon, Young Royals etc. But the absolute joy and madness of BL knows no equal. 

So here is my personal top ten BL’s that I watched this year. Meaning many of these are from previous years it’s just that I only discovered them this year. So the title of this list could be very misleading

1. 2gether - this was the first one I watched and will always have a special place in y heart. It was like watching high production fanfiction and I’m INTO it. It loses some points for being homophobic/femmephobic towards Green of course. Also it had a LOT of “sing your feelings” but it was cute, funny and Bright was SO good. Not to mention insanely hot? I even watched Boys Over Flowers because he was in it and ENJOYED it. 

2. My Beautiful Man - this one hit me on a personal level and I just loved it. The complexity of the characters and their journeys. The actor who played Kiyoi was incredible! He deserved the award/awards he got. This one had depth in a way that I can’t quite articulate.

3. Seven Days - this was so freaking cute. I watched it because @absolutebl recced it and Phi was right - I have already re-watched bits of it multiple times. The chemistry was on point and again there was a complexity and depth to the characters that was explored really well. Love it. Also I love all the nods to the manga in the filming style, very cool. Phi was also right that you need to ignore the hair.

4. Cherry Magic - how is it possible for one show to be THIS adorable? This is the one I want to show all my friends and family. I was constantly giggling in that shy way you do when you’re texting someone you have a crush on. I loved it.

5. KinnPorsche - how much hotness can one show contain? And I’m not even into dudes very much! Was this show messy and at times illogical? Sure. Did I care? Not at all. I love every single inch of it. I loved the narrative behind it. It was a trip and it was amazing.

6. Semantic Error - this show is perfect. It’s cute, it’s funny, it’s beautifully shot, the leads have great chemistry. Perfect romcom. The uke is so hot!

7. Why R U - I honestly found this show hilarious. I love a neurotic meta thinker (Zon) and Tutor/Fighter had such good chemistry. It got messy towards the end sure. That scene where Zon was freaking out in Saifah’s bed and made a pillow fort was just so funny to me, I can’t explain it. I love them.

8. Love By Chance - the Ae/Pete only cut. Luckily I was warned by the internet about the rapiness of the side couples in this one so I skipped lots of them (though I still watched Pond’s story and Tin/Can). Ae and Pete are so freaking cute and Perth’s acting as Ae is incredible. I can’t believe he was only 16 at the time! When they look at each other I get all warm like drinking a hot chocolate. It’s so freaking cute. Also I love the read of Ae as demi.

9. We Best Love - No 1 for you. This was cute as was it’s sequel. Great chemistry, solid story, excellent.

10. The RamKing cut of My Engineer. If we were taking the whole show into account there are other shows I love more for sure, but I love this side couple SO MUCH. Even though I sort of enjoy the D/s elements of seme/uke I love it when there is less seme/uke or the lines are blurredand both characters take both roles and it feels more honestly queer. Also I’m a big fan of the silent, tough, loyal type that Ram is in this one. Plus the longing glances! And the flowers! Just so cute! I’ve already watched their cut at least 3 times through. I quickly started fast forwarding over the others when I was watching it.

Honourable Mentions:

Bad Buddy - this was great and solid plus I love that they are explicitly verse and some queer stuff is addressed. Not to mention side GL couple! We love! More of this please (though can we have some that aren’t femme please for the love of flannel?) It didn’t make the list because it just didn’t quite make me squee as hard as some of the ones above.

Love in the Air but only Payu/Rain. I feel like the dubcon with Payu/Rain is less dubious because of the non-verbal signals going on there. Consent doesn’t have to be just verbal - some people struggle with verbal. But maybe I’m just justifying this to myself haha, but hey, I won’t yuck your yum, don’t yuck mine. Plus Rain is hilarious, like honeslty hilarious. I mostly hated Prapai/Sky. The diary reading was especially terrible.

Secret Crush on You - yes it’s cringey. I love it anyway. I love the friends (especially Daisy of course - I wish Daisy’s story was more fleshed out!). I LOVE the chemistry and that there are seme/uke vibes but Toh, the uke, is hella into it! Love Jao/Sky. This show is happy and comforting and I can skip the extra painful bits!

I told the sunset about you - this one gave me too many feelings and it hurt. But it was beautiful and great also. The one I would show to my arty friends.

2moons2 but just the side couples. Especially Beam/Forth, so cute!

What I’m watching now:

I am participating in this strange antiquated tradition of watching TV shows AS THEY AIR with only one episode dropping per week! It’s madness! Absolute madness! I’m currently watching: Between Us (Win is so hot!), My School President (so cute!), Never Let Me Go (so exciting!), The New Employee, Ameiro Paradox and Gap: the series (I will watch all the GL dammit).

I’m also part way through:

The Eclipse

Be Loved in House (I do)

planning to start eternal yesterday because apparently I like pain?

[surprisebitch]

Which Genshin characters are your favorites? Not necessarily to play as, but like which ones you like the best, are more attractive, etc?

i will do a top 10

1. Arataki Itto - my oni husband. he is so fun to play and it's a bonus he is considered S+ tier by the community rn. he's so strong omg and i LOVVEE his personality 🥴 he is such a wholesome himbo. and like omg he is boyfriend material. and his story quest was a breath of fresh air. the best so far. it was comical but also full of heart and gay

2. Gorou - general gorou, my kindred spirit. supreme omega. power bottom. fkdkdj i love him omg and his character. cause like SAMEE. he is an extroverted leader yet also experiences doubts from time to time. he also believes he can still improve. his hangout is my most fave so far and it was so funny seeing how Yae teases him. also, his playstyle is very fun! i love how he has synergy with itto. i love his character design. also Ittorou best ship

3. Kazuha - the true anemo archon 😩 i didnt care he was clowned during his leaks and release. like i rolled out of love and it's amazing he is the #1 most used and recommended unit for abyss since his release. he is phenomenal. who needs crowd control when enemies get obliterated from ur insane swirl mutlipliers. gosh he's a king and I LOVE his personality and story quest. i hope Tomo gets revived or smth for him. Kazoo deserves a boyfriend

4. Kokomi - she is such a queen. so underrated but I truly believe as time goes, her value will increase. she is an incredible main driver for off-field dpses! in fact she is the best beidou driver rn. Kokomi made electrocharge a viable abyss comp. and besides playstyle, i love her story quest and character. she deserved better writing in the archon quest tbh

5. Yoimiya - she is so cheerful and fun. i super enjoyed her story quest, which was partly a BL too since she was a wingman for two gays djfjf i love her energy and her playstyle is very fun! sure she is no hutao but i've 36'd abyss with her and she is comfy to play too! i cant wait for Yunjin to buff her

6. Zhongli - Geo daddy. i love his personality and his design. he is so attractive. like when i rolled zhongli, i didnt care he wasnt meta or he was considered bad. I love his character djdjd and also im so glad he got buffed cause he is insane. best shielder in the game and i love he is perf with Ittorou team too!

7. Bennett - cheerful benny! for someone who is canonically unlucky, he is the pyro archon and is insane at healing, buffing and even for elemental reaction comps! he truly is incredible and i love using him with Ittorou. also i loove his optimistic personality. and it's amazing how he still has good luck or brings it to those around him even when he doesnt realise it

8. Razor - my wolfboy. benny's boyfriend. although powercrept, he was my main carry from the start until 2.0. my first triple crown. i love how he really cares for you and benny and people he call lupical. his playstyle was fun too! it's nice he has a stand. i sure hope he gets buffed cause he really needs help

9. Ganyu - overworked queen! rjdjjd she's my mood whenever uni term happens gosh i love her personality tbh and her story quest is one of my faves. also i wasnt a Ganyu main but Amos bow chose me so i rolled her. been my mvp since getting her. i love how easy her playstyle is lol and also she's pretty!

10. Scaramouche - i dont know if he will ever be playable omg. but i loove how sadistic he is but also playful like i really love morally grey characters. and after reading his lore in Husk of Opulent Dreams.. damn he can really be set up as a complex character if mhy learns not to do the same mistake with Raiden fjdjd but yeah im manifesting Scara to be playable and to still remain interesting. i love his character design too!

[symeraid-s]

My 2020 Awards (Music & Anime)

Music

Song of the Year: xaa-xaa – Horror This is the most played song on my playlist this year and it’s deserved. It’s just a really great song with one of the best intro’s of the year. Kazuki’s voice is perfection.

Honourable Mentions:

SID – Siren This one could technically be considered SOTY, but I thought that Horror deserves it a bit more. Still, Mao’s vocals give me chills

Taemin – Criminal It’s definitely one of his best songs and one of this year as a whole. And you know… it’s Taemin.

MY FIRST STORY – Underground Has a cool beat and great vocals. I also adore the lyrics.

QUEEN BEE – BL Probably has the best beat/Bass-line of this yea. Also showcases Avu-chan’s range.

Artist of the Year: xaa-xaa (Horror, Happy Wedding, Reito Ningen) I love this group. They constantly put out Bangers only and yet always end up under my radar. But this year, with the rest of the J-Rock scene being kinda dead, they really stood out. All of their songs landed on my playlist this year, so they really deserve it.

Honourable Mentions:

Kenshi Yonezu (KANDEN, Campanella, Canary) This guy is just one of the most interesting Japanese artists currently active. His Stray Sheep album is also really good.

Stray Kids (gods menu, Back Door) This year, Stray Kids really took me over. They had two very well directed Comebacks with amazing Music Videos.

TWICE (More & More, I Can’t Stop Me, Cry for Me) I didn’t really care for them in the past years, but they really delivered good music.

Super Junior (2YA2YAO, Burn the Floor, the Melody) TIMELESS was my favourite album of the year and the tracks we already got for the Renaissance sound really good. The Sub-Units (especially D&E) also had good comebacks.

Best Music Video of the Year: Stray Kids – gods menu This music video is a piece of art. There are no unclean cuts or weird jump-cuts, the Transitions are really fluid and the editing in general is just genius. Even if somebody doesn’t like Stray Kids, they can appreciate this video.

Honourable Mentions:

Stray Kids – Back Door Has the same great editing as gods menu, but there is one(!) unclean Cut. But it does have my favourite shot of the year.

Xaa-xaa – Horror It’s really well made and basically a Horror movie in cue with the music.

QUEEN BEE – BL Has a really creative production design and colour scheme and some really nice transitions.

BUMP OF CHICKEN – Acacia This is just a Music Video straight out of Nostalgia. And it’s animated by Studio BONES, so your argument is invalid.

Dance Performance of the Year: Taemin – Criminal First of all: It’s Taemin. This man can make everything look effortless, no matter how hard it actually is. And dancing with your hands tied is really f**king hard! Let’s just cut this short before I actually get into a five page long analysis about why this choreo is so amazing and just say: It’s one of the best K-Pop choreos of all time.

Honourable Mentions:

Super Junior – Burn the Floor Probably has one of the coolest concepts of this year, but isn’t perfectly executed. The combining of classical and modern elements is really interesting though.

Stray Kids – Back Door It’s energetic and has one of my personal favourite choreo elements of the year. 

BTS – Black Swan A cool choreo, but appears to be a bit overproduced. Still, that MMA performance blew me away. It’s also sad, that it got overshadowed by Jimin’s solo dance in the MV.

Dreamcatcher – Scream It’s one of the coolest Girl Group choreos and one of the few, that actually reserved a spot for a missing member, by replacing her with a masked dancer (take notes, EXO!)

Rookies of the Year: E’LAST (Swear, Tears of Chaos) They had one of the most interesting debuts this year, but got massively overlooked. The Comeback they had a few months later was definitely better executed and actually great, but was still overlooked. E’LAST really deserves more attention, please listen to them. If you don’t, them you could at least watch one of their dance covers of Black Swan, gods menu or Criminal.

Honourable Mention:

GHOST9 (Think of Dawn, W.ALL) They also had a really interesting debut concept, but their Comeback was a bit weaker.

Most Underrated Comeback of the Year: E’LAST – Tears of Chaos It’s a really amazing song with great styling, but was overlooked, because the group is from an unknown label and the stages were partly cut, since they couldn’t afford full promotions. Still, please check it out.

Honourable Mentions:

CIX – Jungle People somehow didn’t like this song and I can’t understand it. It definitely had one of the best breakdowns this year.

ONF – Sukhumvit Swimming This song needs more than one listening to like it, but it’s honestly one of the funniest/ most nonsense Comebacks of the year.

Super Junior D&E – No Love D&E is probably one of the best subunits and the song just slaps.

ONEUS – TO BE OR NOT TO BE It has an amazing build up, but the refrain is a bit weak. The Breakdown is the best of the year though.

Most Underwhelming Comeback of the Year: BTS – Dynamite Honestly, the Instrumental of Dynamite is really great, the execution of the rest is just… questionable. I still don’t understand, why this couldn’t be a Korean Comeback. About a year ago, they insisted that they were Korean artists and that they would not release and English song, but look were we are now. And I don’t even want to start on the Autotune. Jimin sounds like a chipmunk and I wasn’t able to pick out the difference between the rest of the vocalists. This could have been a Jungkook solo for all I know. With a better execution, this could have been a good song, but how it is, it’s just a stale earworm.

Honourable Mentions:

BTS – Black Swan It’s kinda the same problem. The Autotune is obnoxious and makes the song too forgettable. Without it, it could be great.

Super M – 100 It could have been better, but sounds a bit phoned in. There’s also a lot of questionable styling.

VAV – Made for Two Similar to Dynamite it also has a great instrumental with a weak execution, but it’s still a nice send off for Baron to the Military.

EVERGLOW – La Di Da The chorus and bridge are really good, especially the chorus, I love this chorus. But sadly the verses and rap fall flat. The rap-part is also slightly obnoxious.

Worst Comeback/Song of the Year: BLACKPINK – HOW YOU LIKE THAT I’m sorry, Blinks, but I really don’t like this song. The lyrics are all over the place, it rehashes the same formulas musical and video wise and the worst part is: It sounds like four songs stitched together. I kinda like the bridge, but the rest of the song is actively obnoxious.

Honourable Mentions:

BTS – Respect The entire 7 Album isn’t really good, but this song is just annoying. The way it starts really grates my nerves and, come on guys, this is basically a Cypher, when did you forget how to do this?

BLACKPINK feat. Selena Gomez– Ice Cream Whoever green-lit these lyrics deserves to be fired. Selena Gomez also sticks out like a sore thumb.

TREASURE – MMM Just… just… No! YG, go home, you’re drunk!

IZ*ONE – Secret Story of Swan The chorus is probably the most obnoxious one, I’ve heard all year. The Music Video is also a technicolour nighmare.

Anime

Anime of the Year: Jujutsu Kaisen This Anime has just really amazing Animation, some of the best animated fights of 2020 and, damn, the characters are engaging. Sukuna really seems like he could be one of the new greatest Manga/Anime antagonists. Park Seonghoo really proofed himself to be a really great director, so now it’s pretty clear, that Crunchyroll is to blame for the train wreck God of High-School turned out to be.

Honourable Mentions:

Attack on Titan the Final Season As a Manga-reader, I really appreciate that MAPPA is not censoring anything from the Marley arc. They really proved, that they can hold the torch from WIT.

Fugou Keiji: Balance Unlimited It’s just a really well made Mystery show, with interesting main characters, but not for the reasons Tumblr says.

ID:_Invaded A really interesting Sci-fi original Anime, with probably one of the coolest protagonists this year.

Moriarty the Patriot One of the most underrated Animes of the year, but Saito Souma really gives an amazing performance.

Opening of the Year: Fugou Keiji: Balance Unlimited (SixTONES – NAVIGATOR) It’s just a really cool song, with a very nice verse. The full version also has a really cool rap-part. It’s just a really well made OP and, even though the Animation isn’t the best, it really hits all the right notes. I also like how in sync with the Song the Animation is.

Honourable Mentions:

Moriarty the Patriot (Tasuku Hatanaka – DYING WISH) Just has a really nice intro and build-up, as well as good high-notes.

God of High-School (KSUKE feat. Tyler Carter – Contradiction) It certainly is the best animated OP of the year, but goes a bit too hard with the Techno for me.

Attack on Titan the Final Season (Shinsekai Kamettechan – Boku no Sensou) It fits the new tone of the season surprisingly well and yeah, it’s basically a banger.

Jujutsu Kaisen OP 1 (Eve – Kaikai Kitan) The song is pretty standard, but it looks really pretty and there is a panda running on a rooftop, so…

Ending of the Year: Jujutsu Kaisen ED 1 (ALI feat. AKLO – LOST IN PARADISE) This is one of the few Anime songs that actually gets me to stand up and dance. The Animation is pretty adorable and, damn, the final chorus hits way too hard in the full version, holy shit. I liked ALI fine for Wild Side (the Beastars OP), but this song really knocks that out of the park. This really is a band I’ll keep an eye out for.

Honourable Mentions:

Fugou Keiji: Balance Unlimited (OKAMOTO’s – Welcome My Friend) This was my ED of the year, before we got LOST IN PARADISE. It has a great intro and I really just adore the song.

ID:_Invaded (MIYAVI – Other Side) It’s really boring Animation-wise, but the Cologne Cathedral may be in it, so that’s a plus. On the other side, the song is really awesome and hits way too hard. I swear, this entire Anime is just a MIYAVI fan convertor.

Haikyuu!! To the Top!! 2 (SPYAIR – One Day) It’s a really nice song, certainly one of SPYAIRs best, there is only one problem: You just don’t hire SPYAIR for an Ending!

The Great Pretender (Freddy Mercury – The Great Pretender) I mean, it’s Freddy Mercury! How can you not like it? Also, the Animation is cute.

[jermainegamil-artblog]

A COVID-19 Influence: The Emergence of Art

When quarantine started, we, especially those who are employed, and even artists, have lost hope. The hope to recover, start anew, be stable, and return to a normal life again.

But little did we know, the pandemic had a big impact in the art perspective. It influenced artists to have a motivation in creating a unique kind of artwork, and even making a business out of it.

Artworks, Paintings, Illustrations 🎨

During this pandemic, digital artworks such as vector art, animation, pixel art, layout and logo making, and video editing was the center in social media trend. Some people made vector art as a hobby, or entertainment purposes, and some created a business in selling their artworks to gain commission since it’s very difficult to conform with the low employment rate brought by the pandemic.

Here are some examples of the exceptional artworks made by aspiring young artists of the Philippines:

Check out her other amazing artworks! Twitter: @ aesseki (https://twitter.com/aesseki?s=20) Facebook:  @ aesseki Youtube: aesseki 

Check out the other extraordinary illustrations from this visual artist! Twitter: @ kurb0i (https://twitter.com/kurb0i?s=20) 

Check out more of her surreal concept artworks! Twitter: @ Artilda_ (https://twitter.com/Artilda_?s=20)

* Note: all screenshots from the artists’ tweet are permitted to be included in this blog

Music 📀

Apart from that, the music industry has also emerged. Since people are mostly staying inside their homes, they are mostly stuck with listening to music to ease their mood and entertain themselves. Famous international singers released their own albums that topped the charts and somehow “saved” the year from getting any worse. Their music hyped and moved the emotions of every listeners, and some also discovered new music and artists as the music industry continues to improve and reach more people.

This year, here are some of the albums and songs that topped the international charts (Billboards, 2020):

BTS - Dynamite

Justin Bieber ft. Chance the Rapper - Holy

Ariana Grande - Positions

Literature 📖

In the sense of art, literature also contributed to the knowledge and awareness of people about the pandemic, COVID-19. There have been scientific studies, theoretical research, and literature reviews that discusses the wide aspect of the virus. In today’s situation, it is imperative that people have the sufficient knowledge about the pandemic in order to reduce the risks and would help in decreasing the multiplying cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines.

Other than that, exploring the world of science through literature, such as non-fictional books, novels, and short stories could aid one’s decisions when it comes to survival, given that it is really challenging to survive in this kind of time. The following works are just some of the great masterpieces in which people could draw strength from the experiences of others. It opens one’s eyes in the historical and scientific context of the empirical world.

📝Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A Literature Review [https://drive.google.com/file/d/10tMIPicdLlvvxIBURZ2146goRl4bqON6/view?usp=sharing]

📔 I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong

Ed Yong’s I Contain Multitudes explores the intricate relationship between microbes and the rest of the natural world, using elements of science and history to explain the wonders of the human body. Using humor and intellect, Yong encourages his readers to challenge their understanding of nature and how we exist in the world not as individuals, but rather as groups that are interconnected and interdependent.

📔 La Peste (The Plague) by Albert Camus (1947)

The Plague, considered a classic work of existentialism, is a testament to the power of human resilience in the face of death and suffering. Albert Camus uses the story of a plague in a coastal town in French Algeria to examine the complexity of the human condition

Performing Arts/Theatre Arts 🎭

But of course, an average person’s quarantine life would not be complete without the presence of performing arts that concluded the emergence of the entertainment industry. During the pandemic, there had been a lot of films that were produced (series, movies, etc.), and some of them is somehow related to the current pandemic.

In the Philippine context, Tagalog movies in the past few years that did not gain any recognition was given the chance to have its redemption arc. Filipinos were able to discover that some of the Tagalog movies were not just as ‘cliché’ as it is when the plots are just circling around with two women fighting for the label as the legal wife. Kidding aside, as many people are subscribed to Netflix, little did they know that there are such Tagalog movies that contains a deep storyline meaning—and that is what moved them.

Aside from that, most of the teenagers as well were hooked to Korean and Thai dramas and movies. They would mostly stay up late at night just to finish the episodes of their favorite K-drama!

Through Night & Day  Starring: Alessandra de Rossi and Paolo Contis

Crash Landing On You  Starring: Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin

2gether (BL series) Starring: Vachirawit Chiva-aree and Metawin Opas-iamkajorn

To conclude this, yes, the current pandemic has made this year a lot worse than we think for it affected the lives of many people and is still is. It has also brought depression, stress, and anxiety to most of the people, especially with the teenagers, they had difficulty to go on with life. Despite this, art saved us. The unexpected growth and emergence of art are what keeps a person going. From painting, drawing, creating music, writing, to producing films—it clearly depicted the importance and power of art.

Most of the ‘boomers’ would say, “wala namang pera d’yan”, “ang dali lang ng mga ganyan”, “wala kang makukuha d’yan”, “wala ka namang future d’yan!”, but they are also the ones who continues to support this kind of movement, they don’t just see the true essence of it.