#my stubborn ep 10

[little-one-eyed-monsters]

I just wanna say, that those who say that My Stubborn is the horniest Thai BL series they've ever watched CLEARLY haven't seen or heard of Venus in the Sky.

Because nothing. NOTHING. In this forsaken earth is hornier than what the hell that show was.

Spoilers? It's been out since forever. But fine, spoilers ahead.

That SornJun ep 4 nc scene was Sesame Street compared to whatever the heck they asked Venus and Sky to do in ep 10. There was moaning. There was thrusting. They were both buck naked.

You think Phayu and Rain were horny after that race? Try watching Janus getting railed while wearing a cat costume in front of the breakfast table. And he was meowing the whole time.

Kinn and Porsche having wild lovemaking in the privacy of their own rooms? Venus and Sky did it next to the open door and windows of their house for the whole neighborhood to see. Those poor joggers just trying to get a quick exercise, only to see sweaty butts on the big-ass front windows of their local suburbia.

Top Form had honey? These people had massage oil. Yeah, maybe the honey as a concept is wilder, but at least it was artistic. Here Janus just started moaning randomly the moment his boyfriend Bom brought out the oil.

King and Uea committing semi-public sex in a bathroom stall? Venus caught his brother Janus having sex with Bom and 👏Bom 👏 did 👏 not 👏 pull 👏 out 👏 while the brothers were talking.

And yes, Sorn and that koi pond. At least he had the decency to do it in (what he thought) was a private place. Sky touched himself next to his then-best friend who was passed out drunk on the bed next to him.

So yeah, SornJun's only claim to fame at the moment is how messy their whole situationship is. Wanna see an actual mess? Try working for a Doctor Sky in a Bangkok hospital and catching him and his boyfriend Venus getting sweaty in the public doctors' quarters.

[hughungrybear]

There's definitely something about Sorn and the male toilets that somehow makes him horny 😅

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Too Much, I'm Getting Tipsy on BL

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

May 2025 Week 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Knock Out (Fri WeTV ) ep 2 of 12 - It's so much fun! Yay! Sports BL of my heart! FINALLY.

My Stubborn (Sun iQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - Sorn’s characterization = horrified to be in love + horny on the main. Sure thing hon, we happy with that.

Top Form (Thurs WeTV) ep 10 of 11 - Okay yaoi (no expectation of modern BL beats) what's gonna happen next? This 4 act structure? We gonna get a secret ex? Family drama? Where my 合? (OMG I swear I typed that before the phone call!) Ah BL, nothing if not predictable.

Eye Contact (Weds WeTV) ep 2 of 12 - It’s v stupid. Dub-con drunk fling + that many condoms?! That is indeed how he’d walk. Look, here's the thing:

The HS B plot is profoundly silly and unnecessary.

The acting is awful.

It feels like some scenes are too long and others too short.

Then there’s also scenes that are completely missing.

I like it a lot. Which makes me feel stupid. But there it is, just leave me to my sad pathetic little life.

The Next Prince (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 14 - Newnu did pretty good on his languages. Cute. SHOES ON BED SHOES ON BED SHOES ON BED. Also true authentic original whipping boy! How exciting to see!

Pit Babe 2 (Fri iQIYI) ep 4 of 13 - AlanJeff made up, thank you BL gods. I like how animal Willy is. Also, it's so nice to see Nut doing the lord's work and kissing boys again. 

My Sweetheart Jom (Fri YT) ep 2 of 12 - I like fierce Saint. I like their chemistry. It's quite enjoyable. Pass me a tiny sandwich to eat with my pinky up because I think this show calls for that for some reason.

Boys in Love (Sun iQIYI ) ep 5 of 12 - Bah, they are stupid cute. I know it's trying to be Lovesick but I get more Make it Right vibes from the characters. This is the parents interfere ep. Also teachers remain current favs. Would like more of them, please?

The BangkokBoy (Sat Gaga) ep 5 of 12 - Stop him from suicide, get his digits, have him help you out with a fist fight saving your sister from human trafficking. As you do. BDE first date, I guess. Honestly, I get where this show is going in the gritty realism department but it's greedy and clumsy in that area and not working great for me so far. However, the tension around that dinner table was aces.

Sweet Tooth Good Dentist (Fri iQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - Omg Jay knew Sant would be a great bf, and he really is. I love how verse these two are.

The Ex-Morning (Thurs YT) ep 1 of 10 - I’m liking it more than I expected to. I actually like a reunion romance, and this is a different setting and an interesting premise. It’s something we’ve not seen at all before in BL. So I’m intrigued. Krist does seem to play exactly the same character in every BL tho.

I Promise I Will Come Back (Mon WeTV) ep 1 of 10 - It's pretty, but a bit slow. The subs are truly terrible. I’m grateful I know enough Thai to understand what is actually being said. But if you don’t, I'm not sure if this one will make sense. It’s one of those classic travel pulps that we get from Thailand, except the acting is above expectations. And the talent pool is different. I don’t know where I’m landing on this one.

Loy Kaew First Love (Fri YT) ep 2 of 6 - Well this certainly is action heavy. A lot of stuff happened. I’m a little confused by all the different characters but OK I guess? 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Sweetheart Service (Korea Fri YT) ep 3 of 12 - I unabashedly love this little charmer of a show. Sugar daddy kitty shopping + language negotiation = fantastic.

Fight for You (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 10 of 12 - They are separated so at least some movement and action is happening. But also they are both sadsack tiny idiots. BUT they got an incredibly sweet reunion sequence. I have to say, Taiwan is really showing us how to execute chemistry, it is their crown and they wear it beautifully.

On a totally different note, I like that the brothers (cousins?) in this show all do actually look like they could be blood related to each other for a change.

Moon and Dust (China YT) ep 1 of 6 - Yet another instance of can China get away with it? And even if they do, are they gonna end up happily? Probably not. But this is just cheesy enough for me to watch it without getting too involved and therefore I think I’m gonna be OK no matter what happens in the end.

So, premise?

Creepy younger brother obsessed with older (blood related? maybe even that) brother. Baby boy is ALSO fiercely aggressively unhinged and likely a morality chain just waiting to snap. So... lucky me? It's like Tumblr and BL had a baby. Gay dumpser fires all round!

It's airing but......

Sashes and Hearts (Pinoy YT) 13 eps - Philippines is doing Drop Dead Gorgeous only all gay boys queening their asses off. Doesn't interest me, not sure if it's BL. Finished its run, my opinion remains unchanged, thus I will not be watching. DNF.

Season of Love in Shimane AKA Ai no Kisetsu: The Season of Love (Thai) - Sequel to Kiseki Chapter 2 which I intensely disliked. I won't watch this.

Mission to the Moon (YT) 2 of 12 - I can't keep track too short, too many, too YT. I am watching and will report at end.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming Next Month

Wait for it...

But seriously, Thailand is airing 15 BLs right now. 15! Can we really handle any more?

2025 Line Up

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

GMMTV 2025 Line Up - My Totally Biased and Wildly Flawed Feels

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

No time, too much just getting regular shots this week. SO MUCH BL.

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

[negrowhat]

I want Sorn to understand that Jun doesn't owe him a motherfucking thing. Least of all his time. If Jun doesn't believe Sorn it's because Sorn has been stringing him along for months. If Jun doesn't want to listen it's because he's been listening to bullshit for months. Sorn can get frustrated all he wants but he's the one who caused that damage. And Jun doesn't have to do anything. He doesn't have to receive anything. He can let this shit go if he wants to.

I'm so proud of Jun for standing 10 toes down even with Sorn crying in his face and desperately trying to keep him from leaving. He's not satisfied with the way Sorn is trying to get him back and that's so valid.

[mariinqueerland]

I’m stuck at my aunt’s birthday lunch and I don’t know when I’ll be able to watch My Stubborn and I can’t stand this real life shit is really getting in the way of my BL watching😔

[visualtaehyun]

TNP EP.2 language annotations & novel extras ✨️

Minimal screenshots and no fancy themed line breaks this week since I'm posting from mobile and gotta make the most of the 10-picture limit :T

Disclaimer: not a native Thai speaker, still learning 🙏

All pronouns are presented in an "I/you" format. Words and expressions that I've previously explained in my TNP EP.1 annotations won't be explained again so please refer to that post if need be 🙂‍↕️

CharanKhanin

default: ผม/คุณ /pom, khun/ in both directions

Ran, whenever he slips into ราชาศัพท์ /raa-chaa-sap/ to Nin's annoyance: กระหม่อม/ฝ่าบาท /gra-maawm, faa-baat/ + royal male ending particle พ่ะย่ะค่ะ /pha-ya-kha/

He does this a lot in the show when he barely deviates from their default in the novels' early chapters! In fact, Ran even once snaps at Nin, going lower actually by calling him เธอ /ter/, when Nin almost gets run over by a motorbike in Ch.7 and then tries to brush off Ran's serious concerns about someone being after him:

"คุณดูหนังมากไป" /khun duu nang maak bpai/ = "You watch too many movies."

เด็กนี่... ไม่ได้เข้าใจอะไรเลย /dek nee... mai dai khao-jai a-rai loei/ = This kid... didn't understand anything at all.

"เธอต่างหากที่อ่อนต่อโลกเกินไป" /ter dtaang haak thee aawn dtaaw lohk geern bpai/ = "You're the one who's too naive about the world."

พี่น้อง /phi-nong/ (=siblings; close friends of different ages) or...?

Ran refers to Nin as his น้อง /nong/ here which means 'younger sibling' but can be used for anyone who's younger. So Nin accordingly refers to Charan as พี่รัณ /P'Ran/ to play along.

Nin, when he's playing into Vethit's assumption that he's Ran's boyfriend: เค้า/อั่งอั๊ง /khao, ang-ang/ + polite male ending particle ครับ /khrap/ (used between lovers, this does make it sound more sweet and convincing)

-> เค้า /khao/ = a cutesy 1st pers. pronoun often used between lovers

-> อั่งอั๊ง /ang-ang/ = a similarly cutesy pet name that Nin made up by reduplicating the first syllable in 'uncle':

Ran of course retaliates by calling Nin ดื้อ /deuu/ (=stubborn, obstinate, unruly, doesn't listen) to which Vethit so helpfully suggests changing it to a matching ดื่อดื๊อ /deuu-deuu/. Ran plays along for exactly one sentence lol when Nin asks him to try calling him by the new pet name, Ran overly sweetly goes:

ครับ ดื่อดื๊อ /khrap. deuu-deuu/ = Fine. Tue-Tue.

Nin, while bored on the train: ดื่อดื๊อ/อั่งอั๊ง /deuu-deuu, ang-ang/

อั่งอั๊งว่าดื่อดื๊อแสดงละครเก่งไหม /ang-ang waa deuu-deuu sa-daaeng la-khaawn geng mai/ = Do you think I'm good at acting?

Ran & Vethit

rude pronouns กู/มึง /guu, meung/ in both directions

casual impolite address (ไอ้รัณ /ai'Ran/) and rude ending particles sometimes (like ว่ะ /wa/)

Since Vethit is an amalgamation of two different novel characters, I kinda have to mention both of them: Ran and Itt/Wetid use ฉัน/นาย /chan, naai/ (friendly, informal) in both directions but a lot of friendship dynamics in the novels use ฉัน /chan/ and/or นาย /naai/ actually.

Nin & Vethit

Nin: ผม/พี่ /pom, phi/ + polite male ending particle ครับ /khrap/

Vethit, before Ran tells him the truth: พี่/[omitted] /phi, #/

Vethit, after Ran tells him the truth lol: กระหม่อม/ฝ่าบาท /gra-maawm, faa-baat/ + royal male ending particle พ่ะย่ะค่ะ /pha-ya-kha/

Nin refers to him as พี่เวทิศ /P'Vethit/ when he's talking about his acting chops with Ran on the train

Ava & Ramil

Ava: หญิง/ท่านพี่รามิล /ying, than phi Ramil/ + royal female ending particle เพคะ /pheh-kha/

Ramil: พี่/น้องหญิง /phi, nong ying/

-> หญิง /ying/ as a 1st pers. pronoun is likely derived from her title (ท่านหญิง /than ying/). I've heard it used that way on The Loyal Pin, for example. But I've been utterly unsuccessful at finding any references or sources for the use of หญิง /ying/ as a pronoun in ราชาศัพท์ /raa-chaa-sap/ 🥲 In the novels, Ava simply calls herself น้อง /nong/ when speaking to Ramil and Nin.

-> เพคะ /pheh-kha/ = particle used when speaking to royalty, basically the royal equivalent to the common คะ/ค่ะ /kha/ and the female equivalent to พ่ะย่ะค่ะ /pha-ya-kha/. Ava is the youngest among the three heirs so she has to address Ramil and other royal family members respectfully.

-> ท่าน /than/ is a respectful 2nd pers. pronoun you can hear many of the royals use (for example in the meeting scene). Here it works like a prefix to make the common พี่ /phi/ more respectful.

-> น้องหญิง /nong ying/ is also a departure from the novels where Ramil mostly just calls Ava เธอ /ter/. น้องหญิง /nong ying/ is more appropriate though since it acknowledges her title.

RamilPaytai

Ramil: เรา/เธอ /rao, ter/

Paytai: กระหม่อม/ฝ่าบาท /gra-maawm, faa-baat/ + royal male ending particle พ่ะย่ะค่ะ /pha-ya-kha/

Did anyone order their toxic yaoi with a side of power imbalance?

-> เรา /rao/ = 1st pers. pronoun but in the context of royals using it, it's not the same as used between age mates or when speaking to someone younger where it's pretty neutral. In this context, it is used by someone of authority or status when talking to someone inferior. Many of the royals can be heard using it this way, chiefly the King of course.

-> เธอ /ter/ = informal 2nd pers. pronoun, also mostly used between age mates or for someone younger. I should mention perhaps that it kinda has the reputation of being used between lovers.

Tharin & Thipokbowon

Tharin: ลูก/เสด็จพ่�� /luuk, sa-deht por/ + royal male ending particle พ่ะย่ะค่ะ /pha-ya-kha/

the King: พ่อ/แก /por, gae/

-> ลูก /luuk/ = son/daughter, child; used as a 1st pers. pronoun. Ava can also be heard using it in the trailer when talking to her dad.

-> While Tharin calls his father เสด็จพ่อ /sa-deht por/, Rachata can be heard referring to the King as เสด็จลุง /sa-deht loong/. Chana can also be heard referring to the King this way in the EP.3 preview. It indicates that both their own fathers were younger than the King since ลุง /loong/ = older uncle.

-> แก /gae/ = familiar 2nd pers. pronoun. Fun fact: in the novels, none of the characters go more impolite than แก /gae/, it's only ever the bad guys that use กู/มึง /guu, meung/ lol

MISC. NOTES:

The handcuffs are a show original so I hope they make a comeback later down the line 😜

The hotel they stay at is so much smaller in the novels! It's a typical double-bed hotel room near the airport so they actually sleep side by side. The forced proximity of sharing a room and bed all throughout their journey to Emmaly is another factor in how attached they are once they reach Emmaly. Keep this line in mind actually:

ถึงตอนนั้น คุณจะยังอยู่กับผมใช่ไหม /theung dtaawn nan, khun ja yang yuu gap pom, chai mai?/ = When that time comes, you'll still stay/be with me, right?

In the novels, Ran also persistently tries to get a grieving Nin to eat since the boy refuses basically all food until they talk more and get a bit closer. I'd say the flashback they inserted of Thatdanai and Nin talking Thai food could have been a flashback of the two of them talking about Thatdanai's cooking since one heartbreaking thing Nin says as he's denying food offered by Ran, yet again, is:

"I want to eat my father's cooking."

Food given, especially sweets, holds a lot of meaning in the novels. The caramel candy Thatdanai gave Nin in the show is such a major symbol in the novels (if I find time, I might type up the entire scene I'm referring to since it's so vital to Nin's state of mind in the face of losing his father and his old life) that Nin softens and opens up more to Ran when he gets Nin ice cream:

"In case eating something sweet might make you...feel better."

The taxi driver is played by comedian Beer Saranyu from Buffalo Gags. Nunew has previously been on his YouTube comedy format Buff Talk (no subs):

The pet names อั่งอั๊ง /ang-ang/ and ดื่อดื๊อ /deuu-deuu/ are straight from the novels and I am very glad that the subs went with romanizations instead of the versions from the English translation of the novels: Uncie and Brattie 🥴

The quick switch from Unc-Unc & Tue-Tue fake dating shenanigans to Vethit immediately being told the truth is because 1) the script massively condensed the journey to Emmaly and their layover in Thailand, 2) Vethit had to be in the know sooner since he's both Itt and Wetid (Itt didn't find out the truth until later and Wetid didn't even get introduced before Emmaly) and mostly seems to function as a helper in the show, and 3) we still needed the set-up for future uses of Unc-Unc & Tue-Tue!

To quote novel!Khanin:

But honestly, even without sleep... that god-given face still looked unnaturally good. The heavens were clearly biased.

To quote P'Zee:

อย่าใช้หน้าตาเป็นอาวุธ = Don't use your face/looks as a weapon!

หนูอย่าใช้หน้าตาและน้ำเสียงหนูเป็นอาวุธ = Nhu, don't use your face and tone of voice as weapons!

⇒ emblems, territories and royal houses of Emmaly

⇒ royal family of Emmaly + other character bios

⇒ relationship chart

⇒ characters and cast of TNP

⇒ all my TNP posts

[plsyellatme]

“Can I kiss you, na? Naa?”

“Fine, but only lips.”

these two don’t know how to do things halfway

My Stubborn, Ep 10 (2025)

[ginnymoonbeam]

I have not read the apology discourse on My Stubborn ep 10 nor do I wish to, but now that I've watched the episode I for one am delighted that Sorn retained his inability to access let alone articulate his actual human emotions. The BSOD when Jun asked how long he'd liked him? Exquisite. Come back in 7-10 days Jun, the system needs to reboot.

(In all seriousness though, it was clear that what was hurting Jun was believing that Sorn did not genuinely like him and want to be with him, and in his pathetic flailing messy way Sorn did manage to clear that up, through a persistent pattern of actions.)

[zoobus]

idk if you've talked about this before but why didn't you like 'the promised neverland'?

warning, I watched this years ago, so the details are probably off.

The first episode sets expectations and stakes sky high via the gruesome death of a very cute, very small child. This is great! Child death is on the table and the setting is an orphanage! It's a story that builds off adolescent anxieties, the burgeoning notion that adults often lie to you, that adults don't always have your best interests in mind, and you - as a child - often have no respite. When you are a child, you realize you are at their mercy. And in this story, those some adults you rely on for survival are the same ones trying to kill you and your friends. They've already killed one.

So all of that is high-tier. Should be hard to ruin that kind of momentum, right? But they do. Promised Neverland takes all the thrilling goodwill of the first ep and crushes it into a fine, boring, dust. The stakes are dropped, the dangerous vibe ebbs, and worst of all, that threat of child death we see in episode one? Does not return! There comes a point in mid-season where you realize that was just a one-time thing. They're not killing anymore children. They're all gonna make it. Where did my blessed show from the edgelord god go??

The main character is the mary sue of all sues, cheerful, earnest, an alleged genius (at no point did I buy that) who faces the dark reveal with a kind of inflexible stubbornness that could have, should have bit her in the ass. She tells us "I won't let anybody else die no matter what." In a show that starts with the violent death of a kindergartner. But instead of taking the honorable route of edge, one that might punish or at least set back such an uncompromising mindset, she just...succeeds. Like I said, you're not even halfway through the season before it's obvious that no one else is going to die, and with that off the table, so is the suspense.

Sure, there could be tension should from the kids playing cat and mouse with worldly adults three times their age. How could a child parry the ones who actually know what's going on?

The answer is they couldn't. Or they shouldn't be able to. The kids kept winning in spite of themselves. The few times they let the kids lose, I was like, I mean yeah? It's pretty reasonable for an adult to out do a little kid for this kind of thing? Even if you're a shonen prodigy , you're still 10. I was never on edge, because the wins felt unearned and the losses were like, no shit you lost to an adult. They're an adult.

On a certain level, I blame that Mother's Basement guy for setting me up to think there could be more. Specifically he talked about Promised Neverland's tag scene with Krone and how he didn't want to spoil it but just know it was one of the most unsettling heart clenching cat and mouse chases he's seen in a long time. If only I'd seen his Kakegurui review...if only I'd known the extent of his bad taste...

Anyway, I sat through it all for the tag scene and it was. An adult woman winning at tag. Yeah they do the anime thing where she's a super sonic ninja moving through the trees snatching up kids but like... She's an adult. They're small children. Some are literal toddlers. If this was meant to reflect how little kids perceive adults, I don't feel it was executed well - even our genius boys (and MC) are baffled by her insane cosmic unreality abilities to. Run faster than a fifth grader.

And what's sad is Krone actually had her moment in the spotlight, a brief spark in a sea of grey. Her flashback was a hundred, a thousand times more thrilling, more unnerving, more suspenseful than every single episode of the Promised Neverland since the first combined.

And then she dies. Spoilers.

Oh and don't get me started on the smiley protective MC making the scawy "don't fuck with my family" face towards the end, as if she'd done anything to prove she could back that threat up, god that part still pisses me off. You didn't earn that psycho anime girl face. How dare you. How dare you.

tldr there is one good episode of the Promised Neverland that is likely coloring your memories of the rest. Happens to the best of us.

[danwhobrowses]

Since Critical Role's big endgame battle has begun (as of ep. 113) and looks to give us a fair handful of Lv. 20 combat across the board with VM and later the Nein - and also since the Omen Archive are yet to do a level up overview for Bell's Hells to Lv. 15 like I expected them to do after ep. 112 - I find myself optimistically and curiously wondering how Bells Hells would shape up should they reach Lv. 20.

Admittedly, I do remain worried about how underleveled they are; I know it's intended since the Hells are the 'underdogs not meant to be in this position' group but still, for comparison Essek debuted at Lv. 15 in C2 and Vox Machina ended their campaign at Lv. 18 when the stakes were slightly lower than what we have with Ludinus, the Vanguard, the Imperium, and Predathos. Still, with nothing we can do but pray they make it out alive - and I hope they do - I've decided to indulge that rare bout of optimism and deep dive into what would their Lv. 20 state look like? While also considering what they may add during this final arc should they level up in between like they did the last time they were on Ruidus.

We're gonna go through each character one by one for this, so I'll start with my favourite (aka the one I wanna talk/ramble the most about).

Ashton is perhaps the easiest endgame build to tell class-wise, it's likely Tal will have them go the full 20 since Grog has already done the Fighter dip and there's not many other multiclasses that can be of a greater benefit to them; the intrigue however with Ashton focuses on the ASI they get at levels 16 and 19, the first one particularly if there's still a level up mid-battle. The obvious route for the first ASI is to get back the CON they lost in the shard incident - which I still find an unfair penalty since they gained nothing from surviving the bold and deemed impossible action, 'your reward is you get to live' doesn't stick with me given that the 10 rolls (well, 9 plus the resurrection ring) are proof of survival anyway - and absorbing Dusk Hunger sadly didn't give back, adding to their DEX instead - which, also kinda stubborn of Matt, adding 1 AC isn't exactly worthy of absorbing a legendary item especially compared to what Orym got with Ishta, they were better off trying to dual wield it if Matt's not gonna give stats that'll suit Ashton's wheelhouse, STR and CON, and let the tank be a tank - so it will likely fall into Tal's hands to get Ashton's stats to where they want them to be. Either way, Ashton's STR and CON are going up if they hit Lv. 20 as pure Barbarian, Primal Champion adds 4 to both and increases their max to 24, so without ASI Ashton will have 22 STR and 20 CON by Lv. 20 anyway, with ASI however Ashton can go 24/22 in either direction - and we can't rule out more absorption in the future, since Legendary loot may be yielded from this endgame battle plus Otohan's Backpack, Zathuda's storage cloak and maybe any other armour from the two could be Legendary items just gathering dust among the group, but if Ashton were to take any of them they'd have to wait a day since the Harness only grants 1 permanent and 1 temporary buff per person, and each person who uses it on the same day risks it breaking by 20%. However, we also can't rule out Ashton taking a feat instead of ASI, it's a slim chance but there are some feats that can be of use for Ashton in general or specifically vs Ludinus; Mage Slayer, Strike of the Giants (Hill or Stone Strike, of the two I'd go for Hill because of it causing the prone condition, which will help Ashton and allies, like Orym with that 1d6 extra Force Damage, stack critical damage), and Great Weapon Master could be powerful if they don't focus on ASI. The Tough feat is always good for being tanky too, but such a feat would likely only be used at the Lv. 19 ASI/Feat domain to get the most out of it. The only other places Ashton can get major potential buffs - outside of any new enchanted items that aren't armour - are from Dunamancy and their Titan powers, but neither have provided a clear opening for improvement as of yet. Ashton hit their final Dunamancy path at Lv. 14, where they got Mark of the Messy End (which compared to Essek getting access to stuff like Reality Break doesn't seem to balance out but I guess Wizards are glass cannons so Dunamancy does more with them), but there is a quiet, lingering mystery over how Potions of Possibility and Luxon Beacons will behave if Ashton and their Dunamancy brain interacts with them, given how they have many potions on hand, in general and gifted to them by the Kryn Dynasty before they met with the Nein, and Ludinus using Luxon Beacons as power sources, there is potential for Ashton's Dunamancy to increase that way - or simply through Matt adding an extra Dunamancy path in place of an ASI/Feat, a Dunamancy-based feat, or swapping Primal Champion with something else. The Titan Form could also improve by level, and I kinda hope it does, it's powerful but given the time limit and Exhaustion it's still below the level of Grog's Titanstone Knuckles in terms of utility, if more power or less limitations are imposed the higher their level it could scale Ashton up further in a similar manner to having a Vestige or, in Orym's case, a Relic of the Red Solstice.

Speaking of Orym, you'd assume that he'll also go for the clean 20, but this is Liam O'Brien we're talking about - he gave Vax a Druid level for his love of Keyleth, so you can't put it past him to add a level in Bard for Dorian. Like Ashton, Orym has 2 ASI waiting for him at levels 16 and 19, due to maxing his DEX - and absorbing Ishta overclocking it (a DEX increase that actually makes sense as a Finesse blade Fighter, adding +1 to AC and attack rolls and a higher DC for enemies to save against superiority die attacks) - Orym has already dipped into feats a lot but could always find room for more. Great Weapon Master, Shield Master, Mage Slayer, and Tough again at level 19 are viable options for Orym and his build, but there's also a unique option of, instead of taking a level in Bard, Magic Initiate: Bard in lieu of Dorian; taking the feat lets him gain the 4th attack Lv. 20 Fighter yields while adding some handy Bard magic such as Friends, Thunderwave, Command, Bane or Cure Wounds - all of which are Level 1 Bard spells. While adding a level in Bard would be a nice gesture, the Magic Initiate feat would probably work better for Orym's build if he wanted to reference his connection to Dorian this way, since he doesn't need 4 extra 1st level spells and he already has a lot of proficiencies and bonuses to cover his rolls anyway, plus he still carries the sending stone if he doesn't want to do either. If he went for ASI, Orym could try to rival Ayden's passive perception by buffing his WIS, but I doubt anybody would hold it against him to be less perceptive than a god. Regardless of ASI and feats, a pure 20 in Fighter does up Orym's lethality immensely, getting a potential 12 attacks with two Action Surges - the second gained in Lv. 17 - in one round (16 attacks if hastened and 17 if hastened and a Time Rage Mark of the Messy End - which I believe allows you to attack with Bonus Actions - is used on an enemy), which would make him an extra efficient killer and protector for combat, which suits his character as well. While multiclassing is an uncommon trait to reference a partner, in Orym's case it's probably moreso cute but unnecessary flavouring.

Adding an element of their partner into their build is something Imogen has done already with decent effect, however. Imogen is another pure 20 likelihood; she has 2 ASI, a Metamagic choice, her final Origin Feature - Warping Implosion: essentially you teleport and anyone within 30 feet will be caught in a gravity fissure - and Sorcerous Restoration - 4 sorcery points restored per short rest - waiting for her at the full 20. As alluded, she already has Laudna influences in the Shadow Touched feat and a vial of her blood in her equipment so she needn't use a feat or a multiclass in further reference to her, which means it comes down to what options she chooses for her ASI/Feats and future skills. With her CHA maxed out already, the two ASI would need to go elsewhere or to feats; War Caster could be used to help her concentration spells, such as the reskinned Hunger of Hadar, Telekinesis, and Investiture of Lightning, unused spells such as her mother's Reverse Gravity, Hold Person, or Globe of Invulnerability, or future 8th-9th level spells such as Dominate Monster, Gate, and Mass Polymorph (turn them all into horses!). Otherwise using one of those ASI to add 1 to INT and WIS will add to saving throws of those stats (+1 for INT and +2 for WIS), she can also remove all her stat negatives by adding an ASI to her STR in place of a feat. Imogen also has options with choosing a final Metamagic from Sorcerer; she has Quickened, Distant, and Twinned Spell already, so the next one needs to also be helpful in combat; the potential of Extended and Transmuted Spell are decent, but Heightened Spell may be the best fit for her - spending 3 Sorcery points to impose disadvantage on a spell save can be very useful when using Imogen's spells such as Psychic Lance, especially against powerful magic users like Ludinus. Going a little extra meta with things, Imogen at Lv. 20 is only going to exist in one-shots or guest appearances - which means short rests aren't likely to faze her as much, also recovering 4 out of a total of 20 Sorcery Points per short rest isn't a lot when you get all of them back after a Long Rest. If Imogen were to pull a swerve and multiclass she could simply sacrifice an ASI for an 18/2 split or just take a 19/1 dip without it doing any negative effect to her current build. Of the multiclassing options, I find that the Tempest Cleric could gel pretty well with her build; connecting her lightning magic and her storm analogies (and her attempt to reach out to the Stormlord) from a narrative perspective, while combat-wise she'd get to use Wrath of the Storm to damage anyone that attacks her (as many times as her WIS, so 1-3 depending on her ASI usage) and, if she goes for the 18/2 split, she can use the class' Channel Divinity to max out a spell's lightning damage - which if used on a 9th Level Lightning Bolt is 76 damage without enhancements! - she also gets some minor healing to add to her repertoire, and with a group without a pure Cleric you can't really have a shortage of players who can heal even if it's a little bit. I can't see any other dip doing her as much benefit, so the full 20 is more likely, even if the maxed out Lightning Bolt would work wonders.

You know who also knows Lightning Bolt? Well, a fair amount of players and NPCs but also Dorian! Let's talk our Boy in Blue - no I did not say 'Blue in Boy' in my head when typing, shush! - he's our last PC likely to be a pure 20 of the group, also because the rest have already multiclassed, but like Imogen there is also the opening for a little bit of multiclassing. The ASI in levels 16 and 19 are probably best put into maxing his CHA stat that's currently at 16, DEX could also go up to 20 for additional Gambolcleft damage but the sword is pretty powerful as it is - it depends if Robbie wants Dorian to focus on Spell or Melee output for stats, but casting is probably the better way to go. Not many feats would help Dorian outside of maybe Tough and War Caster, perhaps Slasher but they do seem like minor additions he can go without, so ASI is likely the best route to take for him. Unlike with Orym where a dip in Bard wouldn't do much good mechanically, Dorian could easily take a dip in Fighter and have it be a solid investment; the Bard's Lv. 20 ability Superior Inspiration only helps if you've used up all of your Inspiration, and as said with Imogen that probably won't come up in a one-shot scenario where Lv. 20 Dorian would likely appear, but by Lv. 19 he will already have added spells from any magic class via his final dip into Magical Secrets - and honestly I have no clue what one he could take because like, all of the spells! Wish is probably the go-to one but Dorian doesn't want anything from the gods so maybe not? - and he'll already have a 9th level spell slot from earlier levels. A 1-level dip in Fighter can give Dorian Second Wind for some self-healing and another Fighting Style to choose from: either Superior Technique - like Orym has - or Duelist would suit best, and if Robbie sacrifices an ASI he can go up to a 2nd level for Action Surge, which is handy should he focus on melee. There aren't many other 1-level dips that would suit Dorian narratively, there was probably Warlock potential in EXU: Prime when the crown was in play but since, again, the group lacks a pure healer, Dorian is probably better off investing his stats and skills towards Bard spells - which in turn bolsters DPS as well as healing.

From one Bard/DPS healer to another, Braius debuted with some pretty high stats to begin with, with only WIS being a negative modifier. As a 12/3 multiclass he can go a few different directions - much like his character arc and selection of deity - but it leaves him at a crossroads - also like his character arc. The 12 levels in Oath of the Ancients Paladin means he's locked out of getting Bard's Magical Secrets, if he maxes out his remaining levels in Bard he gets 2 ASI, a College of Tragedy feature (make crits be at rolls 18, 19 and 20 after an ally is hit with a crit plus a '+10 on a roll but a -10 penalty on the next' skill), Countercharm, and his Bardic Inspiration dice will go up to 1d8, but all of those are kinda covered by Dorian's higher level Bard class and Ashton's Mark of the Messy End while in Luck Rage to a higher or better extent. The 3 levels in Bard however has locked Braius out of Paladin's Aura improvements and the big Elder Champion buff, which is a big loss, if maxed out in Paladin they'll get Cleansing Touch - end a spell on yourself or anyone you can touch as many times as your CHA, one ASI, a 5th level spell slot (handy for Banishing Smite, Circle of Power, Destructive Wave, and Summon Celestial), and Undying Sentinel - which is just a once-a-long-rest Relentless Rage with no CON save. Build-wise, it would be best for Braius to go one of three different paths; either go for a 15/5 split - so no 5th level spell but he gets 1 ASI, Undying Sentinel, and Font of Inspiration for the 1d8 inspiration - a 14/6 split - where we swap Undying Sentinel for the college feature, or go the unique path and add a third class - while the 5th level spell slot has powerful spells Braius' combat is much more melee-based so it is a less likely option. A 14/3/3 triple split sacrifices his ASI/feats but 3 levels in Fighter gives him another Fighting Style, Action Surge, Second Wind, and a Fighter subclass to add to his combat prowess. One unlikely Fighter subclass that could suit Braius is the Rune Knight; with 3 levels Braius will have access to 2 runes, which can be tied to his character's artistry, to add to his gear - the Fire and Cloud Runes being the most useful to him from what I see - they would also get Giant's Might as a skill for an extra 1d6 of damage once per turn. Fighter isn't the only class Braius can benefit from though; he would only need to dip 2 levels in Cleric or Druid to gain their subclass-based abilities; a Shepherd Druid would give the group a slight benefit with the Hawk Spirit skill, using a reaction to attack with advantage and having advantage on perception checks, but similar to Imogen he'd probably benefit a bit more from dipping into Cleric - particularly Grave, War, Ambition, and Peace Domain Clerics, who each have abilities that can further empower him. A dip in Barbarian would be handy for Danger Sense - not so much Rage because you can't use spells - maybe opting for the Zealot path subclass, which also suits narratively, for an extra 1d6 damage, or a dip in the Monster Hunter Ranger to aid in picking out weaknesses. A 12/4/4 split could also work, forgoing Cleansing Touch to grant Braius 2 ASI or feats if Sam wanted them; with that they can balance their WIS to 10 and then max out their CHA and another +1 elsewhere, or just do a feat like Fey Touched - since he was touched plenty by a Fey Hag all across her manor - to max the CHA and gain a spell like Hunter's Mark to aid in combat.

Speaking of Hunters, Chetney may not have been designed to survive the campaign but with Travis rolling the fatal 0 when playing as Grog that old man is still, somehow, kicking. If Travis doesn't pull a Bertrand and allows him to continue defying the odds and live to Lv. 20, Chetney would be in a similar position to Braius - having gone the Tealeaf route and locked himself out of the full 20 in Blood Hunter by having a dip in Rogue - in being in a crossroads of classes. If he invests his remaining levels in Blood Hunter to 19, he still gets a lot from the class; 2 Order Features (advantages on bloodlust saving throws and on any branded creature, then unlimited hybrid transformations on the next feature), 2 ASI, and an extra Blood Maledict. Chetney's 1-level dip in Rogue however means he could also invest into any Rogue subclass for a 17/3 split (or a 16/4 split if he sacrifices a Blood Maledict for 2 ASI over one) instead; Assassin would help his damage output especially since he likes going Invisible, but the Revived subclass would be funny implying that he died but miraculously came back and no longer needed to risk dying in his sleep because he doesn't need to sleep anymore. Chet could also triple class like we suggested with Braius; 3-5 levels in Artificer - since he's a toymaker his toys can be infused beyond the enchanted distractions, going for the Armorer subclass can also be handy for the Thunder Gauntlets ability too, 2 levels in Fighter - for Action Surge, 2-4 levels in Monk - which has decent potential if his chisel is made a dedicated weapon plus the possible boons from Kensei, Mercy, or Open Hand paths, or even 3 levels in Ranger - where Hunter, Gloom Stalker, and Monster Slayer subclasses each have skills that could help Chet in combat, can all be seen as options, but it can also run the risk of being overcomplicated. Despite a Feat sidestepping Chet losing control in his Hybrid Form, logic says that Chet would likely stick with the 19/1 route since the feat only imposes a disadvantage against losing control and he can still do collateral damage, character-wise he'd likely want to keep his Lycanthropy on lock as much as he can. Plus, going to 19 Blood Hunter levels yields unlimited transformations and the second ASI hits at Lv. 19; with the two ASI - which he cannot get from triple classing - he can max out his STR and buff up his CON, DEX, and/or CHA for any additional bonuses, he has no negative stats so any are fair game. I don't see any feats that'd be too helpful, but outside of AC or DC boosts from increasing CON or DEX, upping CHA could also help with persuasion and being persuasive and tricksy.

Persuasive and Tricksy are some of many words you can use to define Fearne, who is also a Rogue multiclass. Her current 10/5 with Wildfire Druid as the majority allows her some wiggle room for her to go a few different directions. The 5 levels in Rogue have locked her out of a second ASI in Druid, the timeless body (not really a big deal for a fey), additional Wild Shape perks, and the 9th Level Spell Slot though, but if she invests only into Druid levels for the full 15 she does still gain one ASI and her Wildfire Feature 'Blazing Revival' - where once per long rest Mister can sacrifice himself (I don't think it's a permadeath sacrifice just like an 'off the board until resummoned' sacrifice) to revive her to half HP if she's downed - alongside a 6th, 7th and 8th level spell slot. If she goes for an even spread of 10 levels each with Rogue's Arcane Trickster however, she gains 2 ASI, 2 more proficiencies, Evasion, Magical Ambush, and a few more lower level spells. Both have valid directions - and as much as Fearne is a 'collector' I think a third class probably won't suit her and will perplex Ashley further - for her character even with mixing the level splits; a 12/8 split will grant her 2 ASI and a 6th level spell slot, while a 14/6 split grants one ASI, a 6th and 7th level spell slot, the Blazing Revival, and 2 proficiencies. Since Fearne doesn't do many sneak attacks and uses her Rogue abilities more for pickpocketing, it would probably be sensible to lean more towards Druid; a 15/5 split if she wants that 8th level spell slot for Sunburst, Incendiary Cloud, or Feeblemind, but a 14/6 split if she can do without - Plane Shift could narratively be on her radar so she can travel to the Feywild as she pleases, but Fire Storm is still a mighty 7th level spell that can be additionally buffed by her titan form which as mentioned with Ashton could also potentially scale up with levels - would give her more stuff to work with, plus extra Druid Levels buffs up Mister's health so he could be looking at 75-80 total HP (5+(Druid Level x 5)) depending on whether Fearne goes level 14 or 15. Since Fearne took War Caster already from her last level and her WIS is already maxed out, ASI to CON could be looked into to add health, AC, and DC, while also improving her chances at holding concentration for her saving throws, alternatively she can up her DEX to improve her pickpocketing so she can finally claim one of those eggs, since she's tragically 0-2 on that. Feat-wise, there is still the Elemental Adept: Fire feat to bypass enemy resistances to Fire too, lots of enemies will have Fire Resistance after all, so if she doesn't want to use ASI there is still that to use it on. So level-wise there is some wiggle room but class-wise she is better off picking one to focus on.

Our final member of the Hells Laudna has already picked her focused class; on a 12/3 Sorlock with her patron bound to a soul anchor - get fucked Delilah - she has implied to go pure Sorcerer from herein. Marisha has previously stated that she saw no gain in any more Warlock levels even when Delilah was still active and while a 6th level in Warlock would grant her an ASI at Lv.4 and unlocks Grave Touched - change damage to Necrotic plus 1 extra damage die when in Form of Dread, which is pretty solid - it does indeed suit narratively for Laudna to avoid more Warlock levels. The 3 levels she has gained from Warlock though have (war)locked her out of her final Sorcery feature of Umbral Form - which would've made her resistant to everything but Force and Radiant Damage, so like Braius' Primal Champion it's quite the loss - but she still looks to get Shadow Walk which aids her mobility, providing that there's darkness or shadows in the vicinity, as well as one ASI and another Metamagic option by continuing the Sorcerer's path, not to mention a dangerous 9th level spell slot. Unlike Imogen, Laudna opted for Empowered Spell in her current Metamagics alongside Quickened and Twinned, doing Heightened or Transmuted probably wouldn't suit Laudna like it does her partner though. Instead, Careful Spell could be a good choice for Laudna since her CHA is maxed out, so she could pick 5 creatures to auto-succeed a saving throw to a spell she sends, but since she doesn't have many AoE spells Extended Spell may be the better fit to keep up concentration on spells like Animate Objects, Mirror Image, or any future powerful concentration spells she'll have access to like Eyebite, Globe of Invulnerability, Reverse Gravity, or Blade of Disaster - which Delilah used pretty effectively in Aeor - ongoing. Even so, the one ASI remains; the Amulet of Health puts her CON to a fixed 19 so if she added one CON it'd be 16 without attunement, which is still pretty good but worthless if she just keeps using the amulet, she could put +1 in her woeful STR so it's a -2 rather than -3, or opt for feats such as War Caster - for those powerful concentration spells - or another Eldritch Invocation with Eldritch Adept, such as Armor of Shadows or Eldritch Spear, which may be more fitting for her fun scary nature.

And that's all of them, for a TL/DR I expect Ashton, Orym, Dorian and Imogen to do the pure 20 for their classes, while Chetney will go 19/1, Braius and Fearne go 14/6, and Laudna goes 17/3. But if it were me, the only ones I'd adjust from those would be Dorian (19/1, adding Fighter), Imogen (18/2, adding Tempest Cleric), and Braius (14/3/3, adding Rune Knight Fighter) just from a meta/fun perspective. Either way I'll just be happy to see them make Level 20, so fingers and every other digit I have stay crossed for whichever route they choose.

[hughungrybear]

I think everyone who is watching this show agrees that Sorn needed to stub his toe a thousand times more 😅

But I did not expect Champ to panic with just a bit of blood. I almost thought he is calling an ambulance. The medics could have used a laugh 🙃

But Tai rushing and checking on Champ is giving me life.

So does his death stare on Sorn that clearly says,

"WHO CARES??? DIE, YOU IDIOT!" 😂😂😂😂

[little-one-eyed-monsters]

Some serious and unserious thoughts about The Ex-Morning ep. 1 (with pics bcoz y not):

Also I'm putting all of my thoughts together so I don't flood my followers' dashes. I'm so sorry beautiful friends I know you didn't sign up for this, please bear with the KristSingto brainrot.

1. Showrunners I can't take the Tawan name seriously:

Every time Phi says it all that's running through my head is this guy 😅:

And what do you mean there's an "Off" who bought a place in that giant-ass condo?! This guy?!:

Is this a PEBACA agenda?! 🤣🤣🤣

2. GMMTV that guitar better be set dressing and nothing else, okay? Promise me nobody will pick that guitar up and play it at any point in this show. LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND DO A BLOOD COMPACT WITH ME GMM-- THAT GUITAR STAYS WHERE IT IS FOR 10 EPISODES. Have mercy on my poor eyes and ears.

3. Between ThamePo, Top Form, and now the Ex-Morning, 2025 BL is determined to explore the queer experience in a heteronormative entertainment industry. These meta concept shows have been done years past in various iterations, but so far 2025 is giving us the best execution of it. What a truly wonderful year for BL.

4. Couldn't stop cackling at how Aou (Tae) just gave a whole ass math problem in the middle of this weather segment: "If my aunt lives in Lopburi on the 30th floor, and she was holding a kilo of tangerines that weighed 5 pounds each, how long would it take her to go down 50 staircases at 10 miles an hour before the rain falls?"

(What do you mean that's not what he said?! That's what I heard! Get your facts straight 🤣)

5. Phi dressed up as that good luck doll from BossNoeul's The Boy Next World. No wonder Phi forecasted continuous rain-- it always rains in MeMindY's shows 🤣🤣🤣

Mame should've just put Krist by that window. I would've forgiven her directing a lot more.

6. Krist and Singto having multiple sweet and proper kisses in episode 1 is as shocking as that handjob opener in My Stubborn (I said what I said). Guys, hear me out: this pair is the chastest couple in the original pillar roster, and that includes BrightWin who gave us a show that I could watch with my grandparents. I could've watched SOTUS with my baby niece (and yes SOTUS S and Our Skyy was better in the kiss department but this Episode 1 alone is a 100 times better)

7. The whole style of directing and cutting scenes felt so familiar I just had to google the Director. And surprise, it was P'Lit!

He directed Love Mechanics AND Love in Translation. He makes weird scripts great and struggling actors decent. This show is in good hands.

Bonus: GMM why assault me emotionally like this? What did I ever do to you?

What a truly out-of-body experience as a BL fan to watch a KristSingto comeback with a Gulf-promoted ad and a recommendation for Bad Buddy. GMMTV, sincerely, fuck you 😅 (but also thank you)

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Wild Times (But Not For Sorn)

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

June 2025 Week 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

Knock Out (Fri WeTV ) ep 6 of 12 - I continue to very much enjoy this show, all of the couples have great chemistry, the plot is entertaining, It’s a solid sports romance and I adore a sports romance. Nothing not to love.

My Stubborn (Sun iQIYI) ep 6 of 10 - No no no. Sorn is supposed to suffer. This is not acceptable. Do not just give in like that! Oh thank goodness, yay! Confrontation, make him suffer, Junbaby! You go sweetie! Good. Good, suffering. More suffering is needed! Tai make him suffer too!

Reset (Mon iQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - Did Thada just buy his man a plastic bowl so he could eat his ramen as they walk down a street? Interesting choice. Also “workcation” = v modern word… so Thada must also be on a Reset? I do love that Thada is putting all of his cards on the table so quickly, definitely one who feels like time might run out and he has to get it right this time around. Thada is treating a relationship with Armin exactly the same way that Armin is treating his acting career. As I think you could probably tell, I am enjoying this very much. What a good show.

Memoir of Rati (Fri Netflix or YT) ep 1 of 12 - I was resistant to picking this one up, despite my love of both pairs. The title, intro music, and setting make me nervous that we won’t get a happy ending. That said, I am particularly interested in this time of Thailand‘s history and the complicated diplomacy that went on. And holy heck can GreatInn serve up some stellar chemistry.

My Sweetheart Jom (Fri YT) ep 6 of 12 - I continue to enjoy this more as it gets more plot heavy and convoluted. To be clear, that’s not normally what I like in my BL and certainly not what I expect from Thailand, or that Thailand does well. But there’s something about the way this show is paced that I'm enjoying more now than at the start. And we should be in the soggy middle. So, I guess... well done little show?

Pit Babe 2 (Fri iQIYI) ep 8 of 13 - Kenta Kim kiss! Yay!!! Chris’s epic eye rolls make me happy. However, this plot is Very Silly Indeed and I am very entertained. What a vroom vroom full of nonsense this is.

I Promise I Will Come Back (Mon WeTV) ep 5 of 10 - Oh what a lovely first kiss… touch… and so forth. I love this! It’s actually kind of special. How unexpected. (Ep 5A if you just wanna watch the moment.) I’ve said it before, there’s nothing wrong with the acting in this show. It’s the general story and script that’s troubling me. But my goodness all 3 leads are great.

The Next Prince (Sat iQIYI) ep 8 of 14 - It has been a bumper of a week and I’m grumpy, and unfortunately this particular show is bearing the brunt of it. I’m sorry, but the main couple are just so one note and it’s becoming quite trying. Something has to actually evolve with their characters, ya know? Now the sides …. very nicely done, give us more of them. 

The Bangkok Boy (Sat Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - It was a decent episode. But I’m really not sure about this show as a BL. It’s making me increasingly nervous.

Boys in Love (Sun iQIYI ) ep 7 of 12 - Just as I suspected, lots of nothing happening. Sports day. Whatever. (Always been Blue Team myself… just FYI.) 

SunTiny (Tues iQIYI) ep 1-2 of 10 - Look here, there’s a lot to like about this show. I like the idea of messing with standard misconceptions of top/bottom, and I LOVE it when the fandom hets and their dumb ideas of sex get the vapors. Blow their tiny minds, boys. Please. 

However, I am a little crushed that it takes a bodyswap for us to have a femme top. I hate bodyswap narratives. It’s one of my least favorite tropes. And I’m not sure this particular pair has the acting chops to carry this off. No skin off of MaxNat - good chemistry and decent actors, but to act like another person in your own body genuinely requires a level of physicality and verbal execution, a new way of holding the jaw and face to make believable. It’s not something that’s easy to do. Max is doing a slightly better job at it. He is certainly better at facial nuance and tone shift, but his physicality remains the same.

I love that this show is absolutely gonna mess with the worst of the fandom. That makes me really damn happy. Although it is dangerous territory for this pair to enter into and not a subject matter I expect Thailand to handle with delicacy. I do love all of the jockeying with linguistics and verbal pronouns and such. That is fun.

As of now though, I remain torn. It's gonns have to prove itself.

Eye Contact (Weds WeTV) ep 6 end? - I don’t like anything that happened at the back end of this show. And I’m not going to forgive it. I don’t like where the characters went. I don’t like where the relationships went. I don’t like what was done with the story arc. I don’t like the choices that were made by anyone. I am, to put it simply, cheesed off. The GL couple is the only good thing about this and they got practically no screen time. I’m tempted to say that this was originally slated to be a 12 episode and it stopped halfway through.

Summary

A promising start for a craptastic but delightfully edgy pulp derailed abruptly in the second act by miserable disconnected story arcs full of dysfunctional relationships, poor life choices, and every trigger in the book with no payout or attempt to resolve or address the resulting trauma. Including mine. I am seriously displeased. 3/10 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Ball Boy Tactics (Korea Thurs iQIYI) ep 3 of 8 - They. Are. So. Cute. I love them so much. No notes, absolutely my favorite thing airing right now.

Sweetheart Service (Korea Fri YT) ep 7 of 12 - How delightful that the sides got some love. That was charming. They went on a date. They are so damn adorable. Meanwhile our leads are the bestest boys. 

Moon and Dust (China YT) ep 5 of 6 - Yay biting! Oh this show is so ffed up and I love that. It’s so good. It’s so warped. It’s so good because it’s so warped. I am scared (for me and the show) but so pleased.

He is my rabid dog child and I LOVE HIM. Let him fuck bite his brother if he wants.

Revenged Love (China Mon Gaga) ep 1-4 of 24? - A remake of 2015's Falling in Love with a Rival. From China ON GAGA? What alt-reality IS THIS? No idea on the length, MDL says 24 but at 45 a pop, I'm wondering if that's correct, because that would make this the first full length CBL we have had since... well, Advance Bravely. But also, see the next section, this could be shut down at any moment.

And now, some thoughts:

It is so like its source, absolutely unhinged CBL. Snake fighting. So much smoking. Money throwing. Gifting boys. Gang rp. UNHINGED. What the actual?

At least this time the seme is established queer out the gate closet? Our baby boy is a bit of a loser. And the meat cute was way more modern BL. Of course seme is also truly evil, he’s openly queer and this is CBL so he must be corrupt in all ways. (I don’t make the rules the CCP does.) 

Of course I LOVE the doctor. (Also the psycho baby brother from Moon & Dust, did you clock?) I don’t think I’ve ever loved a character this much this quickly since Film was last on my screen. He is glorious.  

Anyway, I have no faith in this ending in a satisfying manner, or indeed ending at all, but boy am I enjoying this WILD ride.

Depth of Field AKA Hishakai Shindo (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 1-2 of 6 - The actor playing Hayakawa was in one of the Kiss shorts! Neat. Well we know he can certainly kiss a boy. Meanwhile, this is warped, a little creepy, and sort of messed up. And exactly what I expected from this IP. I like it, as I usually do with stuff from Japan. I’m making no guarantees on where this is going tho. Remember, never try to predict Japanese BL. Safer on the psyche.

The Sparkle In Your Eye (Singapore Sun Gaga & Viki) eps 9-10 of 12 - characters aren’t talking to each other or telling the truth. It's very sappy and heart wrenching and tiring. 

Important word on the CBL we are enjoying right now.

WRITERS ARRESTED! China’s Danmei Crackdown (also stuff on SmartBoom breakup, and the unprecedented popularity of GL pair LingOrm's Photo Shoot)

This has happened before. I said a little while ago that the CBL industry & online behavior keeps giving me 2016 vibes and that time period seems to be repeating itself. (Maybe all these do-over time travel BLs lateIy have been trying to tell us something?) I know this new spate of uncensored CBLs are only being distributed internationally but I still don't see how we can expect this to end well, especially Revenged Love. We are in Heroin Addicted territory and the dejavu is strong with this one. I am going to keep watching on the "get it while you can" theory, but I now wish I'd been bootlegging Moon & Dust. Revenged too. I may set aside some time to do so for... reasons... I recommend you do the same.

That's not what he said. So petty Tencent CCP WeTV.

It's airing but......

I Became the Lead in a BL Drama 2 AKA Zoku BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita (Japan Gaga) 6 eps - While I am intrigued by the manager side couple, I can't be arsed to add this to the weekly rotation. I may binge once it's done.

The Ex-Morning (Thailand YT) 10 eps - dropped half way through ep 3. I was just angry at it, at GMMTV, at the script, at the characters. That's not healthy for any of us. If rumors are to be believed, I'm feeling great about this life choice.

Season of Love in Shimane AKA Ai no Kisetsu: The Season of Love (Thai) 8 eps - Sequel to Kiseki Chapter 2 which I intensely disliked. I won't watch this.

Mission to the Moon (YT) 12 eps- Watching but I can't keep track. Too short, too many, too YT. I will report at end.

Loy Kaew First Love (Fri YT) 6 eps - Dropped at ep 4. Ended this week, trigger warning on that ending. Not recommended.

Next Week Looks Like This:

2025 Line Up

6/27 The Promise of The Soul (Taiwan Gaga) 12 eps - Have I mentioned recently how much I hate bodyswap?

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

GMMTV 2025 Line Up - My Totally Biased and Wildly Flawed Feels

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

This is from a KBL short called Wrong Number, has the actor playing the older brother bartender in Sweetheart Service. So far v cute. But one can't trust Sukfilm to end well.

I am pretty sure this is not an accurate translation. But I kinda LOVED it. (Sweetheart Service)

It's all about the doctor character. He is giving me LIFE. (Other people too, presumably, being a doctor and all.)

Revenged Love.

Yeah yeah. I like to see it. I'll take my cute femme top anyway I can. (SunTiny)

No but seriously, that kiss (I Promise I Will Come Back).

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs @waitmyturtles

[negrowhat]

I just LOVE that Sorn looks like a hot mess and Jun looks as cute as ever. It just goes to show that Jun can recover from their breakup but Sorn can't.

[mariinqueerland]

I… Look, I hate using the word narcissist because it has been over used and people have totally distorted the meaning thinking they have a degree in psychology that allows them to diagnose others but… Like…

Sorn is one, right?

The “No one helped me.”, “You are so stubborn.” “Where are you going. I’m not done speaking!”, the aforementioned telling opposite things to different people, this attitude of ‘why are you so difficult, you are the problem, just take my word and let me screw you again’… Physically forcing Jun to stay?? I can’t be the only one thinking these are the biggest narcissist red flags, right?

[rinmession]

Now that the mania of having just seen ep 13 has worn off for me (I may have gotten a little excited), I'm more conflicted about the play segment's implications for Sakiko and Hatsune. Oblivionis's judgement of Doloris and her exclusion from knighthood carry harsh implications for Hatsune's place in Mujica, and it's really interesting squaring the circle of that judgement landing at the same time as Sakiko's acceptance of her true self and appeasement of her obsession. A lot of rambling below:

I can't read the play segment in 13 without getting the sense that Sakiko, as author, is shaming Hatsune. How else can we read Oblivionis knighting everyone but Doloris, walking past her and saying that she's no knight of hers due to her insincerity in seeking oblivion, her deeper desire to "See" her god overtaking any desire to forget? It's uncannily close to the vitriol Hatsune spits at herself in her own play, accusing herself of yearning for Sakiko and her pity--and what is Doloris doing if not seeking the pity of the goddess over and over, drawn back to Oblivionis every time she forgets? It's as though Sakiko is answering that she won't have that, that she sees through Hatsune to her impure desires. Doloris must plead to forget even her sorrow, even Oblivionis to be with her (Watch this space.), but even when she goes so far-- she does not acknowledge her as her knight. That's really twisting the knife! If the text itself isn't enough, then Sakiko scowling at Hatsune like she does in Imprisoned XII gives visual weight to this denouncement. It sits curiously beside episode 12, wherein Sakiko definitely offered Hatsune the blessing of forgetfulness without condemnation. Not only did she bear confession to her sins, but she less falls and more dives off the cliff into appeasing Hatsune's obsession-- reaffirming that she'd given her her life and intends to keep it even knowing the truth of her identity, declaring to her grandfather that she's going to live with her, and marching right back up to the attic Hatsune was so giddy to Imprison her in. It makes it harder for me to see this so definitively as Sakiko decrying her as a 'Judas' outside her circle of apostleknights, no matter my drooling. Furthermore, despite what the play implies Hatsune hardly seems chastened, whether in the brief bits we see her before the performance ('it feels like we're doing something bad pleading emoji' DOWN GIRL. DOWN) nor in her singing-- look how happy she is in Musica Caelestis. This isn't the face of a woman shamed, but one exactly where she wants to be in the haze of Ave Mujica's dream.

So what's going on here? My current theory is that the depiction in the play is partly a retelling of her path to Mujica like the rest, and partly a warning for the future. Sakiko has accepted Hatsune, but sees her impure motives and bids Hatsune to forget them in their very fulfillment. Most simply, it's a retelling of 9-12. As AmoMortTim reflect their woes that lead them back to Ave Mujica in 10, Doloris being revealed for her true desires may be reflective of Hatsune's literal unmasking-- her true reason for being in Mujica beneath the lie of Uika, despite already pledging herself to the band / seeking knighthood. Oblivionis's frustration with Doloris echoes her screaming off the ferry about being sick of the 'entanglements' and Hatsune's stubborn clinging to her sins. Here's where it stretches a little further, though it's the same line of 'forgetting' Sakiko speaks of in 12. If Doloris wants to be with Oblivionis, she must truly forget. Doloris swears not only to forget her sorrow, but to forget Oblivionis herself. In forgetting 'Oblivionis', Hatsune must forget the obsession that had brought her to Mujica in the first place-- for that twisted love is inextricably tied to her sorrow, both its fuel and byproduct. Hatsune calls herself unforgivable and hesitates to return with Sakiko in part because of it---and so she must forget it too, if she truly wishes to stay by her side. And in this, it's not just a retelling, but a warning. Sakiko knows Hatsune wants her obsessively and that it's her true motivation to be in Mujica, but that same obsession makes it impossible to forget. If you keep that desperate need in your heart Hatsune, you'll always be weighed down by your sins again some day-- and I won't keep wiping that clean for you forever. So she must start fresh-- stay by her side, but forget the reason why. So cuts the gordian knot, right?

This is where they're at now in their happy reverie. Hatsune is trying to leave everything behind just to stand at Sakiko's side, acting like everything's normal. That is forgetting her sorrow. Though she tells Sakiko she loves her, she leaves her with that and goes no further. I may very well be stretching, but I think this is forgetting 'you'. Her love is not, for now, overwhelming. They're living a new life together, unencumbered by their pasts. This is why Hatsune is so happy despite the premise of her shaming, because she wants this too-- for now, at least, she wants to leave it all behind, and she can happily be by Sakiko's side in the dream. That said, there's a couple things that leave me troubled for the future, especially now that there'll be a season 3:

1. Oblivionis still does not knight Doloris after she pledges to forget everything 5 real this time.

2. Doloris is explicitly said to have forgotten many times, yet has come back to paradise each time due to her desire.

The absence of a knighthood still makes me think Sakiko is chastening Hatsune. Maybe she doesn't quite trust her. It's no coincidence Oblivionis looks at Doloris with such cold eyes. Hatsune is set apart from the rest of Ave Mujica, and Doloris in the play only forgets so that she can be by Oblivionis's side-- her intentions remain impure, even if she's leaving them behind to achieve them. Sakiko's acceptance has terms, and perhaps Hatsune must prove herself. She hasn't yet.

...But is Hatsune truly capable of that? To the second point, Doloris's story seems to me quite ominous for the implications of their future. No matter how many times she forgets, it never sticks, and she comes crawling back to paradise. Though Oblivionis has intervened this time and threatened her exclusion, will this time truly be different? Hatsune's feelings for Sakiko, even forgotten, are the reason she's here. She dreams now, but some day it will end, and those feelings will be waiting for her. The solution of forgetting Sakiko to be with Sakiko is fascinatingly paradoxical. Sakiko living with Hatsune, sleeping behind the same bars of her attic, in the same breath of telling Hatsune to forget her, forget even her sorrow-- feels sort of like telling an alcoholic they can drink as long as they're not addicted, while putting a fully stocked bar in their house. Though they're free of the past, Sakiko is Right There. She Is The Past. She's accessible, and right where she's always wanted her. How can she forget her when she's right there by her side, closer than she's ever been? How can she lose sight of her when she has a tighter grip on her than ever before in her life?

For the moment, I think this is Sakiko's way of setting boundaries and starting fresh. And for what it's worth-- Hatsune is accepting it, smiling radiantly in the dream where she has forgotten Sakiko yet stands by her side. Good luck girls.