#is this some kind of a romcom trope bc i think it is

[melrosing]

why do you ship Braime ? What attracts you to them ?

like a hundred reasons i like them!!! but shortlist off the top of my head:

I like that they're both fully realised characters who can be enjoyed individually as well as together. i always get bored quickly w a ship if one of them feels kind of under developed and it's only one half of the ship that i really care about, it's not fun

I like that there are themes within their relationship that go beyond the romance itself, or rather the romance also encompasses those themes, e.g. knighthood & honour, beauty, legacy, the romance of the forest, etc

they have everything like if you want to enjoy them as a more light-hearted romance you can bc they're both daft as hell in their own ways and there are plenty of things that are weirdly sweet about their relationship, but also they have plenty of heavier themes if you want to indulge in angst

so many fucking crowd pleasing scenes that u can't really go wrong with. bearpit? banger. white sword tower? banger. bathtub confessions? banger. red ronnet? banger!!! like in many ways they're wildly unconventional but in others it's like, they just have some classic romance tropes going on like i've always thought of the bearpit chapter as the westerosi equivalent of a romcom airport dash lol i just love it

grrm writing them as his own BATB!!! this was so so real of him and i will never shut up about it

literally just everything like the matching swords the weirwood dreams their genderbend grandparents there's just a lot going on here

also generally i love their particular ship dynamic, it's a commonality across a few others i've liked in the past and i think jb just happen to be the strongest case study of that particular dynamic. so like. ofc i like them

idk i just think they're neat they just don't get old for me. still staring into space sometimes like wao..... jb

[whoa-axel-chill]

Chat hear me out; Dead Poets Society Shitty Romcom AU

I'm a genius, okay so either they're all roommates or they're just a really close group of friends and either Todd's the new roommate or there's a coffee shop meet-cute of some kind that introduces him to the group. I haven't thought this all the way through yet, but here are the roles:

Neil: One main love interest. Aspiring actor (like all shitty romcoms, this takes place in NYC), and like a quirky caffeine addict yk? The one who either doesn't realize his feelings or denies them to everyone else constantly.

Todd: The other main love interest (ofc bc duh). Writes for a small newspaper, will eventually confess his love for Neil in an article publicly. Everyone but Neil can see how much he admires Neil and stuff.

Charlie: The "what the fuck are you doing he is clearly head over heels for you go make a move"-womanizerish-acts-silly-but-is-really-insightful-actually best friend. Jazz musician, basically broke because musicians are paid jackshit.

Knox: Oh god. I don't really like Knox, so forgive me. He's like...yk...the one who's girl-crazy but the second a girl leaves him (which happens quite often) he goes through this whole "aghhh women amirite??" phase. He's the one that's completely miserable to be around because he's either like that or writing really bad love songs over girls who could not be less interested.

Meeks and Pitts: The already established couple whose dates have just become trying to push Neil and Todd together. Meeks is an actual rocket scientist and makes enough money that (in the roommate situation) he usually covers Charlie's rent when Charlie can't. Pitts is some sort of bug scientist and specializes in caterpillars. They own a few strange pets, including a bearded dragon named Penny.

Cameron: He's the trope of like..the normal one. He thinks all of this is stupid and is just so, SO tired of everyone's bullshit antics. He probably has some vague 9-5 business job OR works at a coffee shop where the poets hang out just to annoy him.

Keating: He owns a bookstore where they all hang out. They have a version of the club where they meet each week after hours to read poetry and the usual. He gives good advice and makes them hot chocolate. :)

Nolan: uhhhh I didn't really think about this one guys...😬 Maybe the big bad rich business man who's threatening to close Keating's bookstore (he will not succeed).

Chris: The current girl Knox is trying to woo throughout the movie. In this universe, Knox is not a TOTAL creep, so it's okay when they eventually end up together. They get their own little subplot.

Ginny: Neil's friend, maybe cousin. She wouldn't live with them, but she'd practically live there, yk? She doesn't end up with anybody (she could end up with Charlie if you want, i just personally dont ship it) and is just there to watch everything go down.

It would be your typical 90s romcom except gay and stuff. This is so weird but it randomly came to me and I had to get it down. Might post about this l8r idk..

[ladytauria]

Thinking about o!Jason and o!Kon courting beta!Tim and also noseblind Tim... Tim being oblivious both because he's noseblind and because hes silly.... I just love them

heheheh this is so cute

noseblind tim is working with a lot of disadvantages in an omegaverse society but it’s something he’s learned overtime to compensate for—he’s really good with body language and vocal tone. maybe even especially the latter, because i imagine with growls & purrs & other such noises there are probably some other vocal shifts/quirks in an omegaverse society that some people might miss bc they’re so used to it? anyway. tim’s learned to work around it.

however, even with his workarounds he is—like you said—silly & doesn’t even entertain the idea that two of his closest friends could be courting him bc ??? why would they do that? they’re amazing & he’s just tim.

kon and jason… i’m picturing them as romantic rivals initially before they bond over tim’s obliviousness <3 but they also realize they have more in common than just that. which leads to developing feelings. and it’s kind of hesitant at first because they worry the other is only using them but they’re both fairly open emotionally so they get through that quickly enough

tim is happy for them! but he’s also a little jealous… he finds himself fantasizing about the two of them in a nest together, both when he’s jerking off but he also finds him fantasizing about it in a more innocent context. it leads to him alternating between being aggressively friendly/pretending nothing is wrong & avoiding them lmao.

could maybe have that romcom trope of them thinking that he’s figured them out and is trying to let them down gently? OR like—these are two of the people who know him best in the world, so maybe they chalk it up to tim weirdness lmao.

anyway but now that they’re together they put their heads together to try and court tim. but they still keep failing shsjdj

hmmm i think eventually they’re just going to have to flat out tell him dhdjdjj

or maybe just when they’re close to giving up / finally assuming that he’s just not interested, someone else gives tim a clue? or tim finally gets one?

and then they get a happily ever after <3

[the-kr8tor]

Katy can I like vent for a second??

Please??

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Ok so- why is romance mostly from what I see, about one person learning to not be afraid of falling in love?? Because that's cute and all but so overused. Why can't both parties be afraid of falling in love and figure it out together??

In romance anime it's usually the girls who struggle with being vulnerable. In American tv/movies it's usually the men.

I was watching Bridgeton and both seasons are centered around the men being guarded and undeserving of love while the female leads have these selfless ambitions who have little to no character development. This is just what I've observed ok?? I'm totally open to critism.

I think mainstream female writers follow this trend a lot. Which is why I like your writing. Either the men/women have the patience of a saint and take all of this toxic/immature behavior from the lead or they don't communicate when things go wrong.

To me, relationships are not a form of making life better but being an amazing part of it you know what I mean?? It's usually like- my life hasn't started or it just did because now I have a romantic interest. I think that's why the friends to lover trope is my favorite. The relationship has this foundation of trust and friendship.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk and sorry it was so long 💜

Also me kinda ranting under the cut

It's like that bc it's tried and tested, and the producers/ higher ups know that this kind of story sells already so why change it y'know. Yes, it sucks but that's the gist of Hollywood these days 😞 oh and also writing a good female lead is a toss of a coin for them, like some are really good, they have flaws but at the same time likeable and they have different goals instead of just "omg hot boy/girl" but from the recent stuff I've seen it's the opposite like it's either they're mary sues or just plain which is really sad especially if you see potential in the characters if they were actually written decently

But there are ofc some really good romance stories out there! And I've heard of the romcom boom with better written characters, so they're probably finally listening to ppl

I get what u mean about relationships that should start out with friendship first, like knowing them better before making kissy faces with each other y'know lol

I try very hard to make my leads likeable but at the same time having flaws, goals, and their own morals that makes them interesting. I'm glad u like how i write them bc the majority of the time i plot stuff out is centered around the characters and their relationships with the other characters

And i agree friends to lovers trope is the best

[oh-wow-a-drawer]

I love your art!!

Opinions on angelbutter?

Thank you for the kind words!!! ✨💖3💖✨

As for the question, I think I should point some of the things out:

- First of all, the Frostpegg duo has incredible chemistry both on and off set and every scene including both of them just. looks GOOD bc they work together so well and their interactions are something else;

- Secondly, Hot Fuzz is a gay gay romcom. And it works! It's not annoying enough for me to hate the ship, which, to be honest, is rare;

- I am DOWN BAD for the "ah he's so tough and serious but he has a soft spot for the only special person in he life/ ah he's so dumb such a small little scrunkly but so cheerful and so cute" trope *coughs intensely, sliding my sketches under the bed simultaneously*

- simon pegg is a slut and there is no choice for me but to reach out to him with my filthy slutty hands and ship him with the lads;

So,

HF is a comedy, aimed, in general, to make fun of things, but Angelbutter stands out. I suppose Simon&co just went like "what if nick wins a stuffed toy for danny at the fare? oh yeah, let's make them watch movies and fall asleep together! etc etc" - purely random clichés just for fun, but they, in fact, worked! Worked because they fit the story and the characters - Nick doesn't get along with Danny just because they are in a romcom, but because he is naive, easygoing - an unexpected characteristics for Angel as he's used to boring, serious big city policemen(police officers, har har har), because he shows Nick that his job doesn't have to be his whole life, because Danny stands up for him, after all. Relationship is all about sharing the experience and the knowledge.

Someone has pointed out the parallels between Nick's relationship with his actual ex and his relationship with Danny - how different they are, and how much better does Angelbutter work because of how different Danny is.

I think what also works in Angelbutters favor is that they aren't actually canon, so their love line isn't stretched and doesn't look far-fetched or unrealistic - it's extremely lighthearted, as it should be, and it makes me believe in it, because they act like actual people would.

All in all- I love Angelbutter!! They are extremely sweet and boyfriends material, totally on my priority list X3

P.S. i don't draw them mostly bc danny's face is complicated, but these things take time and i'll figure it out >:)

[asbestos-11]

Hi, I'm the same anon...... Since you liked my other message, I've come back with more Aromantic Ratio/ Aventio hcs or scenarios :

1. He sometimes reads/watches romantic media. At first, it was to understand what made romantic relationships so appealing but then quickly spiraled into critiquing the hell out of it. The misunderstanding and airport confession tropes are his least favorite to witness. Aventurine joins in eventually, laughing at how flabbergasted Ratio gets at characters' actions.

2. I actually like to think he gives good relationship advice because of the fact that he prioritizes truth. And he thinks misunderstandings are even worse to see irl. So when people are brave enough to ask him (mostly as a last resort at first), he gives his honest opinion. He's always right. This jumpstarts his students into thinking he's some kind of love expert and ask him constantly for advice. This lasts for a month before Ratio decides to put an end to it. (Throughout this whole situation, he was mostly confused about why they asked him. Shouldn't they themselves know how to navigate romantic relationships?)

(Aventurine thought it was hilarious)

3. Ratio didn't know what to get Aventurine for their anniversary. Flowers seem nice, if a bit impersonal. Jewelry seems too romantic, and it's not like Aventurine can't buy his own if he wants. Everything else seems either too little or too much.

(Ratio knows Aventurine will think nothing of what gifts society thinks are "romantic", but he would rather not deal with people making assumptions.)

He settles on making dinner for the both of them. It shouldn't feel as significant as it does. Regardless, they're both relaxed enough to have a good time.

(Aventurine tries to discreetly cancel reservation plans he had already made, but that amused look in Ratio's eyes tell him he failed.)

4. Speaking of gifts, I'd like to think that atleast once Aventurine buys him jewelry. Like matching earrings. He tells Ratio that it doesn't really mean anything, but they both know it very much does. Ratio wears it every day.

(If Aventurine notices and realizes that it feels like coming home, that's no one's business but his own.)

+1: Aventurine buys a ring.

ANON OH MY GOD THE 1ST ONE IS TOO REAL!!! hahaha i can totally see ratio watching romcoms or those christmas romance flicks and being so disappointed in the formulaicness of it all. i think he's so close to writing out an essay on the topic. also i can 100% see aventurine teasing him while watching the movie but like also secretly having his heart go doki doki over his goofy doctor.

ratio love expert by just stating the obvious of communication, consent and drop kick their ass if they start shit. he's about as real as it gets.

the last two are just so ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; uwaaaaaaaaaah god i will explode. the mental image is too much huhuhu /pos

(also anon do we think they'd get platonically wedded or would they just be content in their own little situationship, because frankly both are very cute to me)

seeing this in my inbox made me so happy. glad to see ur enjoying urself bcs i am too :D

[gutsfics]

What kind of movies do you think Avalon acts in (genres, tropes, etc.)?

ooooh this is such a good question!!!!!

Avalon will take a role in anything so long as it sounds interesting or fun to make, no matter the genre, but he tends to gravitate more towards comedies and dramas, especially romcoms and dramadies. also maybe its the Dad in him, but he loves acting in children's media.

in more broader terms he just really likes being in films that are uplifting, whether its because theyre fun and lighthearted, or because theyre about the good shining through darkness. he likes being in movies that have hope in them, you know?

also cowboy stuff. ik thats vague but hes So cowboy.

his favorite types of characters to play are "has seen The Horrors but still tries to be positive no matter what" and "gruff tough man adopts child and becomes soft" and also drag queens

his least favorite/most hated genre is inspiration porn. he cannot stand being in it, and he can't stand even watching it. he usually turns down roles like those as he feels fetishized by it. the closest thing he's ever done to something like it was a story written and directed by someone who has a similar disability to his own, based off of their own personal experience. and by "closest" i mean it wasn't at all. also it was more of a surf movie than anything.

also while he loves being in comedies, he absolutely hates being in movies that make a point of making fun of his weight or ethnicity or disablity or sexuality. specifically the kinds of movies that are like "BEHOLD. A FAT MAN. LAUGH NOW." like come on give it some fucking substance. he can take a joke those just aren't jokes

RCD!Avalon kinda hates being in action movies, but that's because he's burnt out on them. specifically, he's burnt out from doing them basically nonstop while in contract with Montmartre. he liked them at first (his biggest issues with them not coming from the filming but his experiences w Montmartre himself) but they quickly got repetitive, and then after they got repetitive they got uninteresting and-more importatly- downright stressful to make, what with having to act in greenscreen rooms with the most barebones ass sets and only being given his lines (and only his lines, so he was missing half the context) maybe an hour and a half before fliming. he'd show up to set hungover a lot. but like he'd still be professional on set, but when he wasn't in a scene he'd be kinda quiet and tired and keep to himself :( very unlike him but tbh not many people he spent time around knew that bc they didn't know him before, or they didnt know him very well before

sorry i didn't mean to go on a rant about the stuff he doesn't like there lol

[jakesimfromstatefarm]

the way they make the new grads do the night shifts is evil loll. i say this as if i don’t sleep at like 4-5am everyday anyway loll. like if i had a night shift, it might not actually be so bad now that i think about it since i’m awake at those hours anyway alsjks. but i really need to fix my sleep schedule but its just so peaceful at night😭 maybe that’s my plan for the summer, to fix my sleep schedule :D

anyway, do you stan ateez? their new song lemon drop is so good😭 i hated their last 2 comebacks so i fell out of love with their music for a bit lol but now i’m back!

btw, do you collect kpop albums/ merch/ pcs? i used to collect back when i was a teenager and i regret it so much. like i don’t even stan the group i use to collect anymore and their merch is so hard to sell :’)

also, i just read your heesung ‘fine line’ fic and it was SO GOOD. like it gave me kdrama vibes and ughhh i just love the characters’s dynamics and how they found comfort in each other’s presence in a place where one usually doesn’t find it. as always, your writings always manage to encapsulate the feelings of falling in love in a way that is so raw and real to where i feel like I’m the one falling in love too like akajw. i swear your pacing and dialogue is always spot on. like if i were to read a heesung fic where he falls in love with y/n while she works her graveyard shift at a convenience store from another writer, i don’t think i would like it much. like anything you write, i will gobble up😌 btw, i also reread ‘how to fake date your best friend’ for the nth time and ughh it’s embarrassing how much i love this fic. like friends to lovers and the pining will always hit😚

also, i’m curious, what is your favorite fic you have ever written? and what is your favorite trope to read/ write about?? much love, your lemon anon <3

-🍋

HIII LEMONNIE <333

omg i totally agree i think night time is pretty peaceful..like rn it's 3AM where i am and im up bc i have work tmrw night so i have to stay up anyways and will prob sleep at 6am ish but it's just so nice & quiet rn and i can get so much done lolll

funny story actually but ateez was my first ever kpop concert !!! i never hardcore stanned them like that, i was just a casual listener but enough to wanna see them live and to this day im only a casual listener still really but omg yes i have heard AND I AGREE ITS SOOO GOOD omg and it's so perfect for u bc lemon hehe

omg i used to be a hugeeee collector of bts stuff back when i was hardcore in bts and i still kinda collect enha stuff? like i recently bought four desire:unleash albums LOL but i really only do albums/photocards honestly. for bts i went sooooo hardcore like i own all 7 of those dolls that look like them which now looking back at it...why did i do that...god knows how much money i'd have if i didn't spend it all back then LOL

and omg...STOP UR SO KIND :')))) THANK YOU SO MUCH :(((( ahhh that's so funny bc what inspired me to write fine line was literally a kdrama LOL so im glad it gave u kdrama vibessss & just thank u so so so so much

and omgggg how to fake date your best friend...my second fic EVER UGH makes me sooo nostalgic..ur honestly such a real one for being here since then and rereading it multiple times <3333

AHHH my favoriteeee is so hard. i think i really really really enjoyed writing the matchmatic 3000 (also friends to lovers and pining if you havent read that yet heheh shameless plug) bc it's just so romcom coded and was just super fun to write!! and of course i loved writing no doubt & the series & all the drabbles i still write for that couple..i just love the idea of expanding them and their relationship and seeing it grow :') i think my favorite trope to write about is definitely friends to lovers and pining fics for sureeee like i love it when they're a little pathetic and loser-y y'know?? LOL and funny enough, my favorite genre to read is definitely angst LOL COMPLETE OPPOSITEEEE but god i love me some GOOD GOOD ANGSTTT.

what about uuuu what's ur favorite trope to read abt???

omg what a YAP SESH hehehe i hope you're doing well <333 & taking care of yourself !!!

[c0ffinrehearsal]

Hello! I just stated reading ‘You Wouldn’t Like Me’ and I’m enjoying it, but it doesn’t have quite the same style as your other fics and it’s kind of off-putting. Like, your other fic has more metaphors and stuff and this one feels flat by comparison. It’s still really good! Just not what I expected from you.

i’ve been trying to think of how to respond to this for like a week and tbh i’m still coming up short but here are some thoughts anyway.

first of all - what a weird thing to say to someone. like - this is a completely unnecessary observation to share with me, and i can’t think of anyone writing fic who would see a message like this and not feel at least a little weird and sad about it.

that being said - ywlm is very different from my other work. like, you’re right - the writing style is different. i started writing ywlm bc i love silly little early 2000s romcoms and wanted to write one, as a little break from crush, which is a little more heavy.

idk what it really comes down to is that the writers you like are not always going to write fic that you like. even your most favorite writer will sometimes put out a one shot that has a kink you don’t like, or a trope you find annoying - and when that happens, you don’t need to announce it to them. no matter what the reason is. you can just quietly skip it and try the next piece of their work.

i do this for free, because it’s fun. and for the community, and friends, and art, and the other incredible fic that i get to read. i don’t need or want your lukewarm observations about my work. it’s okay if you don’t like this fic - it doesn’t hurt my feelings, but like - maybe just keep it to yourself next time xx

[quidfree]

Your katsuki, shouto and todobaku pet peeves respectively (If you like reading them too)? And my sincere thanks for providing such precious gems called your fics 💖

honestly i don't read much bnha fic or even that much fic in general bc i'm usually too busy writing it. and when i do read fic it's for weird very niche/dead fandoms or pairings i feel like lol.

but my pet peeves are always just any measure of OOC, with differing levels of tolerance for certain choices. let me see what's some questionable stuff i've come across uhhh

katsuki:

aggro sexy dom daddy vibe... especially when it involves any kind of pet names. no this guy would not be calling anyone 'baby girl'. he is not a tiktok mafia au trend.

on the other end of the spectrum, complete soft baby blushy tsundere. he told midoriya to jump off a roof bc he had no future in middle school okay he is... not that.

either way too dramatically brooding/'emo' or completely lacking self awareness. bonjour nuance

also just get his friendships right please. you should be able to make him part of a solid friend group without it feeling like a completely different person. like i think he'd be a very good friend down the line but that doesn't mean i can see him being #goofy besties with everyone.

shouto:

well similar to above either making him too cutesy soft and fragile (todoroki shouto? certified bad motherfucker todoroki shouto? backtalks cops and throws people out of arenas via icebergs? nah) or making him just like. extremely bland stoic. he has a personality y'all.

trying too hard to make him like.. #relatable or sassy is also always a bit too obvious. like if it sounds like a joke someone on tiktok would made realistically shouto would not be making it yk. 'it's the trauma for meeee' i don't think so....

gotta strike the right balance for the family drama. it's bad for him but he's also really emotionally resilient.

todobaku:

when they're not funny/don't banter. have you met these mfs their every interaction is comedy gold.

like just OOC in general!!!!!! relationship content tends to warp either or both characters to fit a trope instead of bending a trope to fit the characters, which is just a waste. if it's not fundamentally a relationship of equals instead of one strong/one needy chara i'm not interested and that's that.

them having very... 'basic' relationship dynamics where they're netflix romcom vibes and have like normal dating progression. first of all adapt romance to the people involved, but also i just do not believe that like. todoroki would be out there texting anyone 'baby ily sm <3333' yk what i mean.

either party being angst central dramatics for the other person to sentimentally ~fix~ as if they don't share the vast bulk of their trauma / have similarly stoic ways of dealing with angst. i'm all for h/c but not melodrama. especially don't enjoy when people add random shit to canon to justify drama like sexual abuse. just not for me

this isn't even about todobaku specifically but i've never seen a good ABO fic in my life. and i do say 'see' because i admittedly tend to not get past the descriptions.

ok that's all i can think of off the top of my head. but please feel free to tell me about the worst ones you've encountered i love to hear people's horror stories.

[randomjreader]

OKOK WAIT HEAR ME OUT HEAR ME OUT

Note: If you're the kind of person who hates when people aggressively theorises what is going to happen in a show/movie bcs it ruins the anticipation and excitement or smtg, don't read the rest of this bcs I'm going to be deep analysing "how to date Billy Walsh"

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The upcoming movie "How to date Billy Walsh" is a romcom right? And what's a big romcom trope? LOVE TRIANGLES

SO WHAT IF, based off the changes in the actors' insta pfps, charithra's character is into bash's character, but bash's character is into tanner's character, but tanner's character is into charithra's character? OR, bash's character is into charithra's character, but charithra's character is into tanner's character, but tanner's character is into bash's character??

Update: decided to go onto Google and found this, so since charithra is Amelia and bash is Archie, I'm assuming tanner is going to be Billy?

If I'm really thinking deeply into this theory, here's what I think the storyline would be like: Billy could be the popular love interest that Amelia is into, and Archie could be like, the friend or just some not as popular character who likes Amelia. But then, PLOT TWIST, Billy actually likes guys and is into Archie.

Ok realistically, the story is probably going to be more like, Billy and Archie "fighting" for Amelia, which I won't be complaining about at all bcs 2 cute guys fighting over the beautiful charithra chandran? Hell yes, we love to see a poc being the centre of attention and the main character. BUT, it would be really cool to see a love triangle where it's an ACTUAL triangle, rather than 2 people being interested in one person, bcs I don't think I've ever seen a film or show with a love triangle that's actually like, a triangle, if you know what I mean? The whole person A likes person B, B likes C, C likes A kind of thing.

If you've made it this far, well, thanks for reading this giant pile of word vomit. Is it weird that I'm already forming theories about a movie that was announced literally less than 24h ago, and has close to no info whatsoever? Probably, but it's 3am right now and my brain won't stop thinking about it so I needed to get it out so I can go to sleep lol

And I mean, it kind of makes sense right? I could totally be reading way too much into it and the pfp switch was completely random, but it would be a really smart, foreshadowing type of marketing plan. Idk, what do y'all think?

[sixohsixoheightfourtwo]

HELP i forgot i had in my drafts the dreadful stream of consciousness that's behind the cut - slightly out of date supplementary material for this meme days WEEKS ago tagged by @brofisting and @phneltwrites. re. the question 'what are you watching'. MDL list expounded on after the jump

Boys Over Flowers - the Korean version from 2009 - I started watching this ages ago on netflix and have been stalled about halfway through for MONTHS. It's good for learning about wild problematic old shojo tropes - some of which resurface in bl drama obv, it IS interesting to make the comparison. And I wanted to see another version of this story other than F4 Thailand (which i really liked). Unfortunately BOF 2009 eps are long and big chunks of them are....... . bad....... or just very slow ... SAVE me from the interminable episode(s) where they all go on holiday to the maldives . and the one where they race horses. (it's not just that it's 'old' bc Coffee Prince is pristine perfection and that was made in 2007!)

Fish Upon The Sky - so THIS i have now actually finished. I know this series is fairly divisive - I know a lot of people REALLY did not enjoy it - in particular seems like didn't like the characters. personally i - mostly - Really enjoyed this*... people will say 'pi is annoying!' and to this i say YES and that's why i love him. I Love the totally deranged turned-up-to-eleven romcom plotting i love that he somehow managed to kiss the WRONG BOY in the club.... I love that he's SO determined to pursue the boy he (THINKS HE!) likes - I love the moment when you THINK he's finally going to be honest w himself only to DOUBLE DOWN! on his mission. I love the pseudo-date with mork where he gets drunk and checks his TEETH. he's a classic stubborn misguided romcom lead and i Enjoy that phuwin makes this characterisation quite extreme, there's a kind of reservoir of anguish behind it all that sharpens up the whole series. and pond is clearly Not the most experienced actor but also genuinely great at looking totally whipped.

crash landing on you - I am something like five or six or seven eps into this and going slowly bc I'm watching with someone else. what can i say. it is Thee het kdrama of recent years! it's fantastic

Devil Judge - I began this AGES ago but again I am stalled a few eps in. I started it bc people kept mentioning it in the same breath as Beyond Evil and it was obviously u know . Homoerotic. Tick!! Unfortunately for me it suffers by comparison to BE, it currently just seems ... sillier ...... The homoerotic stuff is much more textual which should be a plus but I am simply not enjoying the Flavour as much.

Enchante - i am Giving ForceBook A Chance bc 1. they're going to be in Only Friends, 2. I Dooo like the look of their next series, the office one. I am 7 eps in and it still feels very VERY slight - I kind of don't really GET it. is there really much to get. But FB doooo have nice chemistry. Fond and easy! For some reason I keep thinking of old hollywood when I try to pin them down mentally. like. Fred and Ginger in this scene. this is forcebook in enchante. TO ME

my school president - I am behind on this (boo). it IS very sweet, I think I am not QUITE as into it as some people on bl tumblr (blblr??) - I can definitely get put off things if they get too nice and too sweet and the first few eps kind of .. felt like that might happen. but ep 6 was an absolute banger, v strong episode, v well structured. Also I often struggle with side pairings but I think the side pair here are really well done.

the warp effect - WACKY WHOLESOME FUN. what if thirteen going on thirty was eighteen going on twenty-eight and also was a boy and also was kind of like netflix's sex education. jojo killing it. Silvy killing it! Fluke Pusit killing it! I have no particular attachment to New as an actor and i guess i ... am less interested in him actually solving the mystery than I am in Every other character & storyline in this series. inc. the most whimsical depiction of puppy play u will probably ever see. And casual nbd trans inclusion of a kind Thailand can do really well.

never let me go - it took me the first couple of eps to fully warm up to this and I think ep 1 is possibly better on a second viewing - the ambiguity to palm and nueng's interactions is maybe better served by knowing the end-of-ep reveal that palm has already been assigned to look after nueng. and I Really enjoy the fleshing-out of the class division between them, the breakfast scene, palm's dad saying that PALM has to enforce the division between them. (If I think about Cutie Pie and Kinnporsche, which both dealt with Rich People - they just didn't focus much on the class stuff. Or handwaved it. And porsche was fully merlin'ing every job anyway. Anyway I appreciate what NLMG is doing w this) the awful situation at school - nueng getting bullied BECAUSE he's rich - feels very plausible. the business side of things feels sketched in enough for me to believe it. The romance side of things - I LIKE that it has built up so carefully. it has not been... crazy stuff from the start it's been all significant staring and not knowing how to behave around each other. Fear and nervousness and ambiguity and not Saying anything. it's like a helenish fanfiction. The wholllleeeee show feels so fraught so foreboding - everyone so trapped - heart in my MOUTH whenever I watch it. Ofc I fear for them!! But also I have a level of trust that whatever happens will be well done. OH yeah also perth and chimon REALLY good in their support roles. perth especially doing an incredible performance of 'boy who's about to throw up out of jealousy'

MIDNIGHT MOTEL. offjan supremacy ... pragmatic approach to sex work... neolouis!!! .... For plot function reasons I can see why the thing they make has to be an app but they appear to be using iphones & I do think that apple would not approve an app to go on the appstore that was for buying sex from sex workers. THAT aside. it's fiction whatever. . I feel like it would have made a really neat little movie if it was a bit more sharply written and was condensed down a bit. it's fun it's fine I enjoy it

[bossthebicon]

This was inspired by you talking to the Cherry Magic anon about top/bottom dynamics and you saying khaithird were verse kings. I totally agree. And it got me thinking.

Something I’ve been thinking about is how a lot of OffGun’s shows have somehow managed to mostly avoid a lot of homophobic bl tropes. To my memory none of their ships for example have used the dreaded “wife” terminology. PickRome we’re pretty tame overall, and I guess Pick was the more dominant one, it didn’t hedge into homophobic territory basing positions on gender stereotypes, like some shows do. I know tol gets criticized a lot for Khai’s behavior being toxic, but again I can’t think of any terribly egregious bl tropes that would stop me from recommending it to a friend (I don’t recommend a lot of bl because of some of the stuff that’s said and perpetuated in the shows). And Not Me also did not have any of that, quite the contrary. Yeah sure maybe by bl standards it’s clear Off’s characters are the dominant ones, but it’s all been handled in their shows pretty well. Idk just something to think about. I guess they’ve been lucky in a way because pickrome was kind of smaller roles, and in season 2 even if they became much bigger parts it was never a bl show so it didn’t do a lot of tropes were used to. And since they were big before technically before doing a bl show, I feel like they had enough clout to have more of a say in their projects. I know they wanted to do not me for instance even before tol. So I think (and I could be wrong!) they’ve had some say in the projects they take.

And honestly with how politically aware the two of them seem, and as supporters of the queer community, I could totally see them consciously picking projects that didn’t have any homophobia. More so Gun in the early days. He was doing queer projects before he was a bl actor. I think he’s very aware and has been.

you're absolutely right about offgun wanting to do not me before theory of love, they've been signed onto it since 2018, a year before tol! personally though I'm so grateful tol came before not me bc it was the perfect order for me, if it was the other way around it would've lessened the impact of theory of love which I never want bc that show is a gem! I also definitely agree that every show where offgun have played a ship have mostly strayed away from most toxic bl tropes. in puppy honey, we do have some classic early bl tropes with one of them being closeted, but even as not the biggest fan of pickrome it's very clear that pick's behavior is bc he's super repressed & closeted so I actually think that's a story worth telling. as for theory of love, as I said yesterday it is not a classic university bl at all, and it includes a bunch of romcom tropes bc that's literally its concept but it does stay away from homophobic tropes altogether. it does have a few forced kisses moments that are definitely not my faves but overall tol is just fucking amazing. and then not me, which of course doesn't contain any of it bc it is SUPERIOR!!! and also THANK GOODNESS offgun have never had to call each other husband & wife, I would have lost a bit of my soul lmao :') but I definitely think that offgun have chosen their roles very wisely & the fact that they're so politically aware is DEFINITELY a factor. couldn't agree more with you anon!

xxx

[jinkicake]

Sigh, back at it again😔 okay so hear me out; my fav thing is to like subvert popular fandom tropes bc everyone is wrong and I’m right. Like no Venti isn’t your uwu little blushy bottom boy he’s a god who can and will fuck you in his church on the altar and nobody will stop him🥰 so the chaotic switch Venti has grabbed me by the neck and will it let go and I’m just imagining everyone else, back to my (toxic) ex boyfriend Xiao propaganda I imagine like in your head your like “ lmao this man has not had ass in like 4 centuries imma Rock his world” and like 20 mins in you have to tap out and ask for a water beak and he’s like 🙄 is that all? Like you gotta train like your training for a marathon to fuck Xiao like even when he’s not all rough and animalistic, he’s just attacking all your weak spots at once, truly feel like he could have you suck his dick while he does like paperwork (in a modern Au) and he wouldn’t flinch like he has the best poker face ever so you gotta throw him off his rhythm 👀 itto I actually hc as bad at sex and it’s funny asf bc someone made like a tweet about it that and I’m like??? Your absolutely right!! He cums so quick but bc oni blood he can do it as many times until your satisfied and he tries rly hard to please you so it’s fun to tease him and his dick is huge so by default he’s already better than most, only time I will allow him to destroy someone’s insides is when he’s in heat and can’t think straight, gorou my beloved; he’s a whole war general like he’s killed people and seen his friends die same as kazuha there’s no way this man don’t know about sex.. HES A DOG! Like he in my eyes is a switch leaning bottom bc hehe funny god man have sensitive ears but if you tease him too much he will have to put you in your place, starts talking all sharp and serious likes he giving orders to his recruits and it’s a lil scary, and next to him kazuha , idk what I want from him exactly bc I do like mr steal yo girl I can make you cum without even using more than 2 fingers but also would like to tie him op🤔 he to me feels like a bag of tricks like he’s always a surprise, like he seems like a calm quiet poetry boy but he’s literally so unhinged like in the last summer event w everyone he body slams a delusional man to get him to come to his senses and every one is like😰 and done even get me started in his mirage,,,,, yeah that is not a good boy for even when we meet him in the quest he such a little shit!! “ you fight well” and telling the dude who stole the dead vision that he was gunna break his fingers???? Even paimon was like?? Ayo why we going so fucking fast??😭 he just be saying shit to throw people off!! Like him and Beido always got this “ flirting but not really but we have a secret that we can’t tell you but we gon talk about you infront of you” vibe going on like the way they speak?? Yeah I would not be surprised if you ended up in some back room on the ship at night w both of them bc they always scheming 😒 albedo my beloved melanin challenged man💕 he’s just like his twin so I feel like whole he wants to act all soft and romantic he will get scary if you test him or if he gets stressed enough, def the type to hit sore spots when you argue that’s like okay see I wanted to fuck you bc your hot when mad but imma punch you now🔪 definitely does everything w passion and romancing in mind. Would not be surprised in the slightest if he read books on flirting like noelle did in her hangout thing💀 mf is in that lab watching romcoms!! When I frost got into the game I was like he is never beating the weirdo allegations bc I always see him and trying to do some kind of experiment on someone like??? You can literally ask me like lmao I’m down you don’t gotta be sneaky unless it’s crazy

no, i agree that everything you say is right, nothing can prove that wrong!!!!!

but yes.... people always soften venti and it's like,,,,, come on.... come on!!! are we talking about the same venti? it's all a front he puts on to fool and distract everyone! i know he is crazy!!!! (.... i like crazy and reckless venti, hes the fucking free archon like?!)

AND I NEED YOU TO SPEAK LOUDER ON XIAO BECAUSE EXACTLY, EXACTLY. He's sometimes written as someone who doesn't know shit about pleasing a bitch and it's like LOOK AT HIM... LOOK AT HIM!!! Xiao knows exactly what to do and he can go for DAYS while doing it.... my heart is racing just thinking about it!!! I love toxic ex bf xiao!

itto is a himbo (that is my one cliche trope idc idc) so yes he cums in two seconds but can go for hours on end... I agree i agree!!! speaking of gorou,,, i love a good itto gorou ship,,, there i said it!

also yes kazuha would be insane bc it's always the quiet ones that surpise you the most!! the mention of beidou and kazuha just reminded me of how i literally ship anyone w everyone like itto sara the whole enemies to lovers is fun and theyre hot together- i could ship xiao w a fucking rock if i thought they were fun together omg

albedo.... i could do a thinkpiece on him truly- i just love the quiet psychos!!!! not that he's really a psycho but he could be! like his unleashed power that's supposed to destroy ****** ,,, wow..... just wow! but about his experiments.... i wouldnt hate them HAH YEAH I would read some good yandere albedo performing experiments on the reader..... it sounds fUN

[aroaessidhe]

Hello beaujester fans I made a little list of f/f book recs for no reason other than i love beaujes and i love sapphic books

(the last two are bonus vexleth + some of my general fave f/f books by authors of colour)

more info and transcript below the cut;

these are a range of genres & are based on various tropes & things that might appeal to beaujes/ cr fans!

pls don't treat them like beaujes fanfic or anything, they're all great books on their own!!!

check goodreads reviews for trigger warnings if you might need them :)

oh also! if you have a library card, download the libby app! you can borrow ebooks for free!

transcript:

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco 

cool fantasy world split into day & night, with asian characters & author

bodyguard + princess who’s lived in a tower her whole life

they met in a bookstore & one loves silly romance novels

(& there’s a m/f pair too)

a duology, complete

The Mermaid, The Witch & The Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

this is actually f/nb (one MC is genderfluid)

a rich sheltered girl travelling to meet a husband she’s never met gets taken by pirates, and one of them helps her escape

fairytale-like, pirates, mermaids, & magic!

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

a girl who accidentally sent her family to a kind of Latinx fairyland must travel to get them back

best friends to lovers!

a bi love triangle

(start of a trilogy based around 3 bruja sisters)

We Set The Dark On Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

two girls (forced to be) married to

the same man in a Latinx dystopian fantasy world fall in love with each other

& become involved in the revolution

friends to rivals to friends to lovers!

a duology, complete

The Falling In Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

grumpy + sunshine girl ya contemporary romance

girl who doesn’t believe in romance or happy endings meets a girl who

loves romcoms & they plan to date

just for the summer

their dynamic reminds me a lot of bj tbh

The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

sapphic retelling of Twelfth Night

shipwreck hunting & family mysteries

honestly i’m partly putting this here just bc there’s a chapter called ‘sapphire of the sea’

Under The Lights by Dahlia Adler

lesbian korean-american actress in a new teen tv show falls for her bi coworker

(dual pov w a straight guy who’s kinda a dick but they end up friends in the end)

The Weight of The Stars by K. Ancrum

two girls bonding over their love of space

scrappy teens in a small town

found family

rivals to friends to lovers

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

dystopian future ruled by an AI by keeping children of world leaders as ‘hostages’ in isolated schools

slow burn best friends to lovers And oh my god they were roommates....

(there’s a love triangle w a boy but she ends up with the girl)

Crier’s War by Nina Varela

fantasy world where automae rule over humans

human rebel / sheltered automae princess

lots of yearning, enemies to lovers

a duology, complete

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

adult sci-fi with an ambassador from a small station travelling to the empire

interesting alien cultures, court intrigue, politics (if u like that side of CR)

slow burn allies to friends to lovers

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

new adult contemporary novel where two women get drunk married in vegas

smart girl + creative girl

queer found family

coming of age & dealing with family expectations

[i have not read this one yet!]

BONUS: VEXLETH

Ash & Huntress by Malinda Lo

two seperate books set in a chinese inpisred fantasy world

a cinderella retelling where she ends up with the huntress instead of the mysterious fae man

and two women on a quest to save the world from a fairy queen freezing it

Of Fire And Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

a princess goes to another kingdom to marry a prince, but falls for his horseriding sister instead

one has fire magic, the other loves animals (their hair colours are swapped from vexleth too 😂)

magic, fantasy world, dragons

a duology, complete (with a prequel too)

Breaking Legacies by Zoe Reed

a huntress gets tasked with finding runaway princess but falls for her instead

dragons, wolves, magic & found family

[I have not read this one yet]

These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy

awkward redhaired lesbian who can turn into a giant flaming monster bird

& a swordfighting dark haired palace guard

sister relationships & politics

MC has a pet bear that she rides...

[have not read this one, I don’t think it’s out quite yet]

BONUS: some fave f/f books by authors of colour because half of the above are by white authors

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (ya persin fairytale fantasy)

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (adult sci-fi)

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan (YA asian high fantasy trilogy)

Each of us a Desert by Mark Oshiro (YA latinx fantasy)

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aaminah Mae Safi (YA contemporary romance) You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson (YA contemporary romance)

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (YA contemporary romance)

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee (YA contemporary/superhero/dystopia)

In The Vanisher’s Palace by Aliette de Bodard (adult beauty & the beast retelling w a dragon)

[yoon-kooks]

oo i also love a good fluffy cutesy romance, especially clichés🤭💞idk what’s about them and why most of the people hate on them but i love it so much,,the dreamland billionaire series is also good, i really liked ‘the fine print’ but loved the second book 'terms and conditions' even more it’s also sunshine x grumpy, since you liked ‘the love hypotheses’ !! the third book also just dropped but i still have to get around reading it, i want to save it for as long as i can bc as far as i know it’s the last book in this series, also i don’t have time for reading rn😔

yeah i think the criticism ppl have with romcoms is that "anyone can write it" because "the plots are just a bunch of overused tropes" or whatever🙄 (and bc that's not the type of story THEY want to read).

i obviously cant speak for all romcom writers, but my intention is to write something fun, cute, and comforting bc that's just the kind of story that im drawn to. if thats not other ppls cup of tea, then they can just read whatever they want without looking down on ppl in a totally different genre.

ANYWAY, ill also look into the dreamland billionaire series! i do love me some grumpy x sunshine🤤