byemambo

[byemambo]

Return the land! To the hands of the people! No to capitalists! No to investors! Return the land! To the hands of the people!

Shine (2025) | 1.01

[byemambo]

Imagine me waking up in a cold sweat (that didn't happen but the vibes were there) because I realized I wrote "one" instead of "on."

This is a friendly note to self: STOP STAYING UP UNTIL 3AM MAKING GIFS IF YOU GONNA MAKE TYPOS.

And girl, she's still going to do it anyway.

[byemambo]

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” - Neil Armstrong

Shine (2025) | 1.01

[byemambo]

Show me your hand, Pokpong.

AUN NAPAT AS MEKHIN

REVAMP THE UNDEAD STORY (2025) | Trailer

[byemambo]

Thank you Mr. Punn for setting my master free.

MARK JIRUNTANIN AS METHAS

REVAMP THE UNDEAD STORY (2025) | Trailer

[byemambo]

Historical context for Shine the series

(credit/source)

In 1969, Thailand was under a military government led by Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, who was Prime Minister from 1963–1973. He is the successor of another dictator (Marshal Sarit). His regime was authoritarian, with no democratic elections, heavy censorship, royalist, conservative, and suppression of dissent.

His government has a strong alignment with the US, especially in the context of the Cold War+ the Vietnam War. Thailand allowed the US army to use Thai bases, making it a key anti-communist ally in Southeast Asia.

The political background at that time in my opinion, it's quite intense as the country was ruled by Military for decades (Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram 1938-1957, Sarit Thanarat 1959-1963, Thanom 1963-1973) and there's come a worldwide trend and a new waive in country - the scholars, university students and other left wing who're not happy about it. This's led to the big protest in Thai history led by university students called 14 October 1973 Uprising and 6 October 1976 Massacre to exile Marshal Thanom.

Thailand's art and music scenes were at a cultural crossroads — blending tradition with increasing Western influence due to political alliances and the Thai oversea students (like Dr. Trin) who came back home with the western education background.

Nowadays, we still pay homage to the historic events of the 14 October 1973 Uprising and the 6 October 1976 Massacre — especially at Thammasat University, where both took place. (Mile is an alumnus of the university.)* Thammasat served as the cradle of democracy during the 1973 uprising and became the site of brutal repression in 1976 — two defining moments in Thailand’s modern political history.

(*Kyuu separate note: you are an alum of an institution even if you don't graduate. Only Mile graduated but both he and Apo attended where they first met. Apo later transfered to another university where he graduated from.)

The founder of Thammasat University, Dr. Pridi Banomyong, was a professor, activist, politician, and senior statesman. He was one of the key leaders of the 1932 Siamese Revolution, which transformed Thailand from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy. A recipient of a government scholarship, he studied in France, earning a master’s degree from the University of Caen and later a doctorate in law from the University of Paris in 1927.

Another imp historic figure is Dr. Puey Ungphakorn (1916–1999), a highly respected economist and technocrat who played a significant role in supporting democracy and the student movement in modern Thai history. He earned his PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics and served as Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University (1964 - 1972), later becoming its Rector (1975-1976). Dr. Puey firmly opposed the use of violence against student protesters leading up to the 6 October 1976 Massacre. Following the tragic event, he resigned, was falsely accused of communist sympathies, and spent the rest of his life in exile in the UK. In 2015, UNESCO recognized him for his unwavering ethical leadership and moral integrity.

((I think these two, esp. Dr. Puay might be an inspiration of Dr. Trin character))

If you enjoyed this and have a twitter account, please let the original author know!

[byemambo]

Tagged by @nonglukest lovely! (I hope you'll have a great rest of your week <3)

Do a search for your name + Squishmallow

She's a part of the Squishville collection so let's just say she takes up her personality from mwah HAHAHA! I do love that she is pink hehe

Tagging (no pressure ofc): @jupitersdirection @tharatorns @negrowhat

[byemambo]

Tag Game: Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

I've been tagged by @negrowhat lovely (her post is here), and I'll be tackling this game differently than the ones I've played recently. I checked out @nabi-unveiled's post, @dramalove247's post, and @miss0atae's post for inspiration!

I haven't sat down and wrote a mambo.speaks post in forever, my last one related to any QL series was my Perfect 10 Liners Faifa post! I was writing them semi frequently last year when 4MINUTES was airing, as well as Monster Next Door. Since then, I've been pretty busy and there have been so many series airing that it's hard for me to keep up. But that's a first world problem, I'm ready to dive in for this tag game, which doesn't have any set rules or prompts, but a post dedicated to the theme of "hope."

In my personal life, I've been told by others that I bring them hope, whether as a friend, a worker, a community member, etc. I associate hope with the significance of honoring each and every person's presence in this world, no matter the quantity [of time], quality [of the relationship], or dynamics each person has to offer to one another. Each person needs to realize that all we do is plant seeds for the rest of our lives, and only so many people get the privilege to enjoy the fruits of their own labor. I feel this way when I first started actively posting on my blog since last year, whether that's from making gifsets, edits, think pieces, analyses, and much more. I'll always be so grateful for all the mutuals and friends I've made along the way, and for those who've been following me recently, I truly appreciate your presence as well! It doesn't go unnoticed, and I'm glad to be someone that y'all can resonate with.

Alright, onward to the meat of the post: I'll be sharing characters and series that have resonated with me (I'm aware of the lack of GL, Whale Store xoxo is on my watch list, pinky promise!), and possible likely miscellaneous details that I felt are important to shed light on!

Individual Characters

Peem - We Are

As a former art student (I began my artist journey from when I was super young and took private lessons until I entered high school and joined the visual arts major, which led me to receiving my bachelor's degree in illustration), Peem easily became one of my favorite characters from We Are. Being able to have such a diverse friend group coming from all sorts of majors and home lives, it informs and expands your perspective of the world around you. I'm someone who's against those who tend to stick to individuals or groups that lack diversity on all fronts, especially if the lack of divisive thinking does not leave room for constructive conversations and dialogue. The combination of art majors alongside engineer majors made me laugh because of how much it reminded me of how I grew up amongst family members and friends, where I completely ditched this notion that I had to prove my worth and honor against those who choose to spit all over it.

I adored how charismatic yet lighthearted Peem could be, especially when it came to demanding respect and not settling for less. In so many series, many of the main characters' story arc is completely rooted in finding their romantic partner, and keeping their focus on the romantic aspect of the story. However, what I enjoyed so much about We Are was that we never ditched the friendship aspect of the story, which is what hold everything together in my personal life. I wouldn't be the person I am and the person I'm heading to become if it weren't for my closest friends, those who honor me as a person and will bend backwards if that means doing anything to help break my fall. In a world full of hyperindividuality and solitude, I hope that everyone finds their tribe, or allows their tribe to find them!

Diew - Monster Next Door

I was reading my past analyses of MND to see if any of my talking points have changed since then, and quite honestly, I was in such a different headspace when I was first watching this series up until now. I still resonate with Diew as a character, and felt like parts of his story aligned with my own life experience. Growing up with the passing of your parent, challenges with being raised by a single parent, navigating life through your own neurodivergency, having difficulty socializing, dealing with overstimulation and hypersensitive tendencies, etc., I'm so happy to have a series such as MND in our catalog, esp for those who are pursuing relationships (platonic or romantic) with neurodivergent people. I still remember how people shared their thoughts within their reblogs and how much characters such as Diew were relatable to them: representation matters after all!

It felt comforting knowing that despite your difficulties with living in a world that did not keep us in mind, that there are people who truly love and adore us, that do not treat us as objects who are meant to be fixed: to keep us from being made fun of, from being scrutinized, from being antagonized, from being in harm's way by simply being who we are. That despite days, weeks, or months where the stimulates don't seem to be getting quieter or less overwhelming every single day, despite dealing with individuals that project their emotions and insecurities onto us, twisting our words to confirm their own biases towards themselves, despite overcoming our obstacles that lie between our ability to love ourselves not only more, but love the essence that makes us who we are and where we're heading. That nothing about us is faulty, difficult, stupid, inferior, lazy and other heinous words that are used to describe us every waking moment (literally was called lazy at my job even today but that's besides the point): that no matter what people decide to say to us or about us, we decide what makes us worthy, what makes us whole, what makes us authentic, what makes us unapologetic, what makes us effortlessly beautiful.

Shaopeng - See Your Love

I think all of us were a sobbing mess by the time this series wrapped up, and they treated it so beautifully. Shaopeng became a source of inspiration for me as a person, through his determination, passion, charisma, kindness, and so much more that many people dealing with disabilities are constantly overlooked for. Rather than regarding people for their illnesses, disabilities, and other conditions and/or circumstances that bring forth challenge in a person's life, compassion and empathy become key players in tapping into someone else's experience filled with remark and resilience without being inconsiderate or downright offensive.

Just because people have their challenges, does not make them incapable or inferior to able bodied/able minded individuals. Characters such as Shaopeng bring forth such confidence and hope: that there is a reality out there, similar to Diew's experience, where your needs will be accounted for, that you will be accommodated and considered by the people who matter most, that your experience is just as valuable and worthy as any other person. That your "weaknesses" are your strengths, and it is up to us whether or not we take ownership of our gifts and curses.

Faifa - Perfect 10 Liners

As someone who has dealt with major depression and general anxiety for most of my life (although these symptoms are now in remission yippie), Faifa easily became one of my comfort characters when P10L was airing. Someone who used to be extremely selfless and at service to others because it disguised itself as though I meant something to someone, even if those people eventually took advantage of that kindness rooted in determination of my self worth. Although I don't associate myself with this term nowadays because it no longer serves my current self, I used to be the "black sheep" of my family, immediate and extended. The one whose needs and interests were undervalued and disregarded, only creating this cesspool of crippling self esteem and anxious attachment.

Walking around with a mask that is considerate forward, enthusiasm forward, it's easy to deem such individuals as "fine." When in reality, majority of us are just really good at playing pretend. But once we're seen right through by someone who not only wishes to learn, but desires to understand and challenge such value systems and beliefs, dismantling the old and welcoming the renewed, we can all heal from such individuals. Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.

Go Young - Love in the Big City

For those who want a heart wrenching queer series, LITBC is where it's at. Go Young remains one of my favorite characters who wore his heart on his sleeve, someone determined to find love, to find solace, to find peace with his life that had nothing but ups and downs. His story is so compelling to me as a person who jokes about how I'm "entitled to crash out" because of how life treated me early on in my life, and yet I choose peace, I choose accountability, I choose friendship, I choose wisdom, I choose love.

Although I'm not as drastic as Go Young and his decisions to handle his personal business, his strength despite all the loose ends, despite all the burnt bridges, despite all the haphazards that seem to come and go in his life, he keeps choosing life, and there's something incredibly powerful in that stance as someone who also actively chooses life nowadays, which was not always the case in the past. Along with all the lessons, experiences, and hardships Go Young faced, he not only faced head on, but overcame them with gusto. That itself, is empowerment.

Honorable Mention: Sense of Belonging While Queer

Okie I think that's the end of my yap. This was so much fun and I hope I sounded coherent towards the end LMAO. I'll tag a few people (no pressure ofc): @lazzarella @jupitersdirection @nonglukest @almayver

Check out the other posts I've tagged for inspiration! I love you guys long time, good night I'm gonna play Date Everything now hehehehehe <3

[byemambo]

Tag Game: Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

tagged by @yannig and @hughungrybear

So I think the theme is to list series that gave me hope? Or that feel hopeful to me? It seems pretty open for interpretation but the key word is hope, right?

IDK how to even do this but I'm more than willing to try and hopefully some more people will tag me in this so I can try again lol. Can I do it in clusters?

Second Chance Romances. They usually feel so hopeful to me. Sometimes people in love have to find their way back to each other. Even if the journey to be together again is hard, if they truly have hope and believe they'll reconnect then it'll happen and sometimes those people have to fall in love all over again.

Late Bloomers. The ones who find love later in life. It's not a race and it's okay. People can fall in love at any stage in life. I love watching it happen and it always, feels hopeful.

He Saved Me. A series feels especially hopeful when a person gets pulled out of darkness by a bright and blinding love.

Warm-Toned Ships. The series where the overall tone of the ship is warm and soft and sweet.

BONUS: Old Ships Reviving. 2025 has done some great things in BL for me this year. We got to see KristSingto make their comeback after almost a decade AND Woo Hyun and Kang Min from TMS Reunited for a fanmeet this year, THREE years after TMS concluded. This personally gives me hope because I feel some ships may make a comeback!

I'll tag @kimkenta @babyangelsky @nonglukest @byemambo @thisautistic and @obsessedferalgremlin and whoever else wants to play!

[byemambo]

Tag Game: Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

@soypim made my week with a delightful tag game all about hope. No rules really. Just make a list. What shows give you hope?

That's easy.

Revenged Love -> Like only a few hours until the next episode. Right?

Jokes aside (that was not really a joke), this is a tag game I desperately needed. While I try to keep a positive outlook in general, I was a bit in my feels this past week.

(Gif by Me)

Based on the reblog tags for my Revenged Love posts, those feels definitely seeped out. Sorry for making so many of you cry! I am keeping my fingers crossed it was the good kind of crying at least.

Hope is a word that has been weaponized in my past, and it's one of many I'm working to reclaim. So if I shake off all the voices in my head (from the people in my life) that tell me that I find joy in the wrong things, put my efforts in the wrong places, and think the wrong way, then what's left to foster hope? A whole lot. Beauty, peace, contentment, patience, kindness, acceptance...there are so many wonderful things to embrace in life.

(Gif by Me)

Fair warning: I've rewritten this list SO many times in the past couple of days. I've tried to sprinkle as much positive pixie dust on it as I can. But...I'm still in my feels, hope often intertwines with pain for me, and that's likely to show. Thanks to my mutuals who reassured me that was okay and to post it anyways. 🫶

Hope From Acceptance: See Your Love

I am not deaf, but I have always been moderately hearing impaired. Both my family and my school decided it was best for me to hide it if I could. The sad thing is...they were probably right at the time. I developed workarounds and learned to mask it as much as possible. After all, it was better for people to think I was an arrogant jerk or a space cadet rather than admit I couldn't understand their mumbling. It wasn't until my 30s that I came to accept that my hearing was just a part of me and openly discuss it. So this show? So many aspects of it just felt healing. It gives me hope that maybe the world is moving towards a place where differences are just differences.

Hope From Comfort: My Personal Weatherman

No surprise here. This show has been my companion during every sad spell I've had since it aired. This show gives me all the feels and sexy thrills I love. It also reminds me to question my own feelings and reactions. Am I being an unreliable narrator? Probably. I really think we all are. What would be the other person's perspective? Let me consider that. But in addition to the fun sexiness and reflection it brings, this show comforts me. It shows understanding developing in baby steps. Segasaki and Yoh are two very internal and flawed people, and they are CRAP communicators. But we see them make small and steady progress towards each other. They're trying, and that gives me hope to keep trying too.

Hope From Community: The Heart Killers/When It Rains, It Pours

Either of these shows could've been chosen for their message on having the courage to make the needed changes in your life. But they're on this list because I started my blog writing about them. I've watched BL since 2017 and lurked (certain accounts) on Tumblr for years, but it was only six months ago that I decided to lean in and engage...to speak. And I was blown away by how my words were not only allowed but welcomed at this table. The community engagement during these shows gave me hope that there was a seat available for me. There was a place where I could share some of the thoughts rattling in my brain. I just hadn't been at the right table.

Hope From Contentment: Perfect Propose

I grew up in a family where telling someone "no" was considered selfish and disrespectful. If it was within your abilities to do, you did it. Period. Selflessness and service to others. First and always. This led to a lot of workaholic tendencies. I tried to be the best and all things to all people for a long time. It's always been important for me to find spots of personal joy, but I still burned out. You can only go without sleep for so long before you crash. For me, this show is about discovering what truly matters. Your life really can be yours. Saying "I don't want to" is a perfectly ok reason to make a decision. There's hope in enjoying the small pleasures of life and people by your side.

Hope From Kindness, Peace, and Beauty: Trapped in Osaka

(TW: Suicide mention)

This may seem like an odd choice to some, and it will not be everyone's cup of tea. It's very much mine. This small show incorporates so many things that bring me hope.

Hao Yu is kind, and that matters. It may not change the entire world. But it matters. I place a lot of hope in people being kind.

Chen Xi is struggling - just like Xiaoshuai in Revenged Love or Myungha in Love for Love's Sake. Different causes, same outcome. They all consider suicide. My grandfather ended his own life. My brother struggles with suicidal ideation. When I was a teacher, I had four of my students end their life within the span of a few years. I lost count of the attempts. Any of these stories that show people coming to some level of peace after that level of pain brings me hope. Hope that other people can reach that place too.

And the reason I chose this show instead of any of those others? This fit...

Hope springs from beauty. Let's appreciate beauty when we find it.

Hope From Representation: Two Husbands, One Wife

A fully realized and official throuple. You don't have to have the answers. But to reach for happiness, you must move forward rather than stay paralyzed in the what ifs. This show gives me good feels.

(Gif by Me)

And it gives me hope for the future. I love that we're seeing a wider variety of shows now. If you had described my current watch list to me eight years ago? I would have laughed in your face and said "dream on". I'm living that dream. That's a pretty amazing thing.

Hope has no limits, so if you want to play, consider yourself tagged. Please tag me so I can enjoy your choices. 🫶

A huge thank you to everyone that tagged me! Seriously, you all are the best! @my-rose-tinted-glasses @dramalove247 @watchthisqqq @thisonelikesaliens

Tagging some folks to play or just to share the joy and the love (thanks Rose for that quote): @babyangelsky @obsessedferalgremlin @hughungrybear @iguessitsjustme @ginnymoonbeam @usertoxicyaoi @bentnotbroken1fanfiction @delesaria-blog @dribs-and-drabbles @befuddledcinnamonroll @troubled-mind @pointlesscandies @poetry-protest-pornography @abstractelysium @slayerkitty

[byemambo]

Tag Game: Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

@soypim made this hopeful post to bring some joy to the world and then was sweet enough to tag us 🥰 So now we are making our own little list of queer shows that give us hope because hope and queerness are two things the world needs a lot more of!

Rules? There are none. Make your own if you want. Consider yourself tagged if you want to play. And if you do, please tag @soypim and us so we can enjoy your posts.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

We loved @soypim's post and choices. Definitely adding some of these to our watch list.

Apparently this is mostly going to be a BL post. It's because it was only relatively recently that we stumbled onto Asian QL through the BLs (we have the The Untamed bromance to thank for that) and we have been busy trying to watch everything ever made and they rudely keep making more that we just have to watch now! It's not our fault that She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat just got bumped by ABO Desire. What choice did we have???

Keeping our list short was the hardest part of writing this post and we failed.😅 But we did eliminate a lot of series, so it could have been much worse! For example, Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo would 100% make our list for all the same reasons already mentioned, so we will skip that one and just say "SAME!"

The Ex-Morning

Finished this one just in time for this post! It deserves the first mention because it gave us epic feelings of hope. Like many series we've watched, there are lots of reasons this story inspires hope, but the final episode is what made our queer hearts overflow. Spoiler time, you've been warned. The wedding and registering their marriage in the finale episode gave us HUGE feelings. With Thailand only recently legalizing queer marriage, witnessing the characters love and happiness as they signed documents makes us wanna cry happy tears. We are overjoyed to see this moment represented in a Thai BL and it feels like we are celebrating with our queer family half way around the world. Being in our 40s, we have witnessed a lot of historical queer moments. And as discouraging as a step backward can feel, seeing how far we have come overwhelms us with hope for the future.

Heesu In Class 2

👆 To have a Korean drama call out het privilege, in clear language... our jaws dropped! Then to have the het friend admit she is pretending it's the same, but she knows it isn't. AND then to have it called out AGAIN! We lost it. We know a lot of people hated this series, but even while it delivered some bitter that was hard for us to swallow initially, the choice to tell this story outside the BL bubble and the uncomfortable moments it gave us are ultimately what made us love it. This series gave us so much hope that we actually said exactly that in this post. But outside the hope we feel around what this series means for representation and signs of change, Heesu's journey is ultimately a hopeful one. In the end, he leaves the dark room and is able to speak his truth, out loud, in the light, to the people he cares about.... and he is no longer walking alone. 😭

Until We Meet Again

It's bit ironic that this hopeful story literally starts off with two lovers that lose all hope. But while this series pulled no punches while ripping us apart over and over again, the story it tells was a hopeful one. As parents, one of the things that really got to us was the loss of the children, the permanent impact on the family, and most importantly, the change of heart we see in the fathers that were the cause of all this suffering. Our hope and belief is that stories like this cause people to pause and reflect, gaining compassion for themselves or for others.

See Your Love

Like other stories, there are lots of reasons this one could make this list. But the reason we chose it is because of that damn wardrobe scene at the end. The whole it's okay to still struggle, healing can take time and isn't always a straight path, I am here for you and we will walk this path together... it's so perfect. This hopeful and beautiful ending will always be a favorite.

Kpop Demon Hunters

Forgot for a second that this is not technically a queer story. But our queer hearts disagree. It's about a character hiding herself in a closet, afraid people will not accept her if she lives her truth, wishing to be loved for who she is. And the new honmoon is rainbow. Enough said. But the reason this series is here is because of the hope we get knowing that so many people are hearing the messages in this story. Messages like ignore the demons that pray on our insecurities. That we need to love ourselves and others for who they are. That it's okay to live our truth and that the right people will see and love us. That we are not alone. And the fact that these messages are reaching so many young people and building a foundation for them to face life... it gives us so much hope for them and the future they will build.

My Stubborn

Hear us out.... if Sorn can learn to listen and communicate, that gives us hope that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! Okay, also this hope isn't all about the series, but about the community and connection around the series. We will be honest, we didn't expect much from this series. We weren't initially sure we would be motivated to blog much about it before we received THE ASK. Turns out that the series was so much fun for a lot of reasons, and made more so because of the community, discussion, and brilliance this series brought to Tumblr. We have never enjoyed collectively cheering someone's comeuppance the way we enjoyed connecting with our Tumblr fam during Sorn's "Fuck Around and Find Out" period. Watching this series highlights the joy we find among this tribe of oddbits and misfits, and we are so grateful for all the folks we have met here-and there is so much hope for these two odd ducks to have found our tribe here.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

A few that didn't make the cut but we still want to mention: Unknown, Century of Love and When It Rains, It Pours.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

We definitely got carried away with this post, but it was a lot of fun and gave us lots of fuzzy feels. 💗 Thank you @soypim for inspiring us all to focus on some hope. No pressure tags for @my-rose-tinted-glasses & @hughungrybear. @nabi-unveiled & @watchthisqqq, we know you were tagged already, so just tagging to share :)

[byemambo]

Tag Game: Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

I was tagged by @hughungrybear (as always thank you for tagging me ♡)

There is no rule for this game and it's more complicated this way. I guess it’s all about what you want to convey with the word “hope”. I admit this is a word that I really like. It helped me when things were difficult and it still helps me (so far) when I fear of going back to the very lowest point of my life.

I looked up the definition of “hope” and the one I found was: “a positive feeling about the future, or something that you want to happen”.

So, I guess, I’m going to write about shows that gave me this positive feeling or series that shows things I wish would happen.

1. Moonlight Chicken:

I know most people connect with the story of Li Ming and Heart and I agree that it is a beautiful story. It is heart-warming and healing. However, the story that really gave me hope was Jim and Wen's story. On one side, there is the complexity of Wen and his ex-boyfriend's relationship. When a love story stops, everyone wish they could have a proper ending, but in life, it's not that easy and I think they've done a pretty good at showing how complex it can be. On the other side, we have Jim, who can't heal from his past relationship and, on top of that, he has to deal with the cost of living and economy problems. Jim and Wen started as a one-night stand that slowly evolved in something more while healing and finding closure. I admire how Wen was persistent, yet he was always tactful. I think this series shows a hopeful part of how you can overcome the difficulties in your life, while healing and moving on.

2. Be My Favorite

This is one of my comforting shows. There is something hopeful about the fact that you can have a difficult life and yet you’ll be able to change it to something better. Of course, we can’t exactly go back in time, but I see the fantasy element as just a metaphor of Kaiwn finally deciding what he wants for himself and not let the circumstances make choices for him. I like the idea that we are in charge of our own life and we can change it, if we really want it (not saying that it’s easy, but it’s a comforting idea). I think the other hopeful part that really struck with me was all the arc around Piseang learning about his sexual orientation/identity. The way he did it, the people he met who helped him and the final acceptance are things that makes me hopeful that other people who would face the same questions as Piseang, can find the right support around them to understand who they are and what they want. These characters had flaws, but they learned from their mistakes and grew. I also liked how the series emphasizes the importance of communication. It may seem too simple, but most of the problems we face could be solved if we knew how to communicate better and also listen. This is something I wish happened (and so it’s a little hope of mine).

3. Love for Love's Sake

I wrote a full paragraph about how I connect with Myung Ha because of depression, but then I deleted everything. I'm still not ready to talk about it here. It's too raw and too personal. I connected with his desire to find an goal in his life and to be helped/saved (in a way). There are so many more things to say about the portrayal of Myung Ha and how I think it was pretty good. I think this show is very hopeful, in the way that it shows how “love” is a powerful driving force in our life. I'm not only talking about romantic love, even if that's what it is shown in the series, I'm talking about all types of “love”. I guess the idea of healing is very hopeful to me because it seems like it's a constant in all the shows that I wrote about. Love for Love's Sake makes no exception.

4. Marahuyo Project

This is a series about the challenges you can face when you're part of the queer community (used here as an umbrella term) and the bliss of accepting who you are. This is a story of acceptance, resilience, courage and love. Those are all things that I would consider hopeful. I really connected with the character King. All his struggles and all his victories are something that are relatable. I think there is again the idea that your life can be difficult (here, it's living a very conservative place) and you can bring the change that would give more acceptance (in the series it is to create the first LGBTQIA+ org in their campus). Perhaps, I'm a bit naive or too simplistic. I know the challenges can be sometimes impossible for so many reasons. I just wanted to say that when you know you're not alone, it gives you some kind of comfort and maybe hope. That's how I view this series. It gave me hope for a change.

5. See Your Love

How not to love this story and these characters? This is such a beautiful story. We have Shao Peng, a deaf character, who is resilient, persistent and kind. He doesn't let his disability defines himself, but as everybody he also has sometimes doubts and fears of how people can perceive him. I think the show highlights the vulnerability we can have, but also the strength to overcome it. It also insists on the fact that you can also have the right to be “weak”, you don't always have to be seen or perceive as “strong”. Being vulnerable isn't bad. In fact, you have to show some vulnerability to be able to connect to others. In the case of Shao Peng, he really wanted to be seen for whom he is and not his disability. However, sometimes it made him feel like his vulnerability was something wrong. Thankfully, he discovers he also had the right to be vulnerable. Zi Xiang, his partner, is also a character with multiple layers: his life may seem easier, but he also has his vulnerabilities and own strength. Together, they learn how to accept it and they are very compatible. Their romance is a tender portrayal of how we can learn from each other, the importance of communication and the help we can give to one another.

6. We Are

I think the hopeful part in this series is the portrayal of friendship especially among people who are queer. You may think it's weird, but when I was the age of the characters I thought it would be impossible to find anyone who was also queer around me. I didn't live in a small city, but I felt really lonely because this is a part of me I could talk with some of my friends, but they couldn't relate because they weren't part of the community. I wasn't openly out, so I didn't dare to join any club, organization or event that would have made me meet other queer people. So, watching a series where a group of friends is all queer is something joyful and hopeful. I could see how great it is. The series isn't groundbreaking, but the simplicity of everything made it relatable. It feels like something that could happen to anyone and that's a good part of the series. The friendship was genuine and important.

7. Not Me

You're probably wondering why I'm putting this show here. This is because of the political aspect of the series. I think when it comes to LGBTQIA+ you can't exclude the struggle and the activism that made possible, in some part of the world, to get social acceptance. Of course, there is still a long way to run. Not Me's political aspect may not resolves entirely around the social acceptance of LGBTQIA+, but it was shown through different ways and it was shown through the lens of activism. LGBTQIA+ history is a history of activism and resistance. I feel like the series tried to portray how social change can happen and how we need to keep pushing for a more just and compassionate society. You may think this is not very hopeful when I say it this way, but in the series, the character's actions and activism help things to change and that, in my opinion, is something hopeful. You can imagine that something similar could have the same impact in real life (and it had in some part of the world). This is also something I'm still learning about.

Obviously, there are many more shows, but I just quoted a few of them.

I'm tagging @mikuni14 , @pinkkop , @pickletrip , @slonekaru and @benkaben (Again no pressure. I don't know if you have already done and I almost sure that some of you already made your own. Sorry in advance if I missed it, don't hesitate to tag me in yours so I can read it properly). Of course, everyone can do it too. ♡

[byemambo]

the way william throws his head back every time est bridal carries him 🤏🏼

[byemambo]

we don't have to speak, we know through our eyes - love echo

ระหว่างทาง (Good Time) MV & เสียงหัวใจ (Love Echo) MV

[byemambo]

I heard the Floating Lantern Festival tonight is going to be grand. I take it you'll be in the ring fighting to win some money? I don't know.

Aou Thanaboon as MEK and Boom Tharatorn as DECH MEMOIR OF RATI | EP. 6

[byemambo]

เสียงหัวใจ (Love Echo) - William & Est

Hearing the sound of each other's heart, isn't that the sweetest thing? Let you know my heart's yours, you're my everything.

[byemambo]

A festival is a perfect opportunity to go with a lover. But I want to go with you.

MEMOIR OF RATI | EPISODE 6