criticallyobs

[criticallyobs]

The 8th episode was kind of fascinating. There is a Reason. Sorn is not just dumb — I’m so happy!

We find out that Sorn’s ex-girlfriend framed him, making it look like he harassed her, when she was actually the one who seduced him in a public space while he was reluctant about it. And it makes me think:

All those times Sorn seduced Jun in public — by the koi pond, in the car, in public bathrooms, even in the middle of his own house — did he actually subconsciously want to get caught, as a way to test Jun’s affections?

If you’re someone who can’t trust another person’s feelings for you anymore, the only way to know for sure is to put them to a test. (The blowjob in episode 7 — which was very rough on Sorn’s part and only implied to be something Jun fully consented to — now looks like a huge display of trust. It would have made Jun look abysmally bad had they gotten caught, and Sorn would’ve had to rely entirely on Jun to assure whoever saw them that he was okay with it).

It’s obviously all going to go downhill for him from this point on. Jun has been acting exceptionally reasonable and kind to him, considering what he’s been given, but he won’t be able to just pretend he didn’t hear Sorn say, "The person I fall in love with cannot be Jun," especially after Jun just confessed that he liked him.

It all started with Sorn and his fear of trusting the person he loves. Instead of being vulnerable, he tried to manipulate Jun — to trick him into staying close, to make him emotionally, and physically dependent on him. He fucks his brains out to express that he wants closeness.

But it’s not really working the way Sorn wants it to, because Jun is stubborn, or strong-minded. He’s friendly and loved by so many people. He has a lot of support. His world does not end with Sorn. I think that has helped him stay empathetic and avoid going to extremes, even when Sorn really pushed his buttons.

I think Jun would’ve stayed with Sorn if he understood what was happening to him and why he was like that. He likes him enough to do that. But he doesn’t have all the information. What he has is: "we’re just fuck buddies," "thanks for liking me," and "that person can’t be Jun."

So far, Jun has been on the receiving end — barely able to keep up with Sorn’s contradictory behavior. The only times Jun initiated anything, Sorn’s response was so intense that it led to pivotal moments in their relationship.

For this relationship to work, Jun needs to be the rock that Sorn clings to. And honestly, that’s already been happening — even though Sorn has been doing everything he can to make it look like he’s the one wielding the power.

It started with Sorn, but it might have to end with Jun.

[criticallyobs]

Sorn's problem

I've been thinking about Sorn and what I'd probably find if I cracked his skull open (lovingly) and stirred through his brain, and I have an interrrrpretation.

I feel like there must be something that's holding Sorn back from being fully himself and going for what (who) he wants. One reason is that it wouldn't be entirely satisfying for me to discover that he's doing all this simply because he's just that emotionally stilted — but there are other little things as well, like the below shot of the camera lingering on the back of his head as he's watching Jun leave the car.

You usually see things like this when the story is telling you that the character is hiding something. Might be confirmation bias though, and I'm not sure how much effort they're putting into narrating through camera shots, but anyway.

When we first see Sorn, we watch him through Jun's eyes, and Jun sees him as this unhinged, hypersexual creature — wild and unrestrained, getting off in the middle of the day, in a public space, lacking any shame or inhibitions. Free and unfeeling. I'm however convinced that Sorn's actions in that first scene are directly related to Jun.

What if he thinks he's not allowed to be with Jun? If that is true, then what he was doing in that scene was forcing himself to perform an exaggerated version heterosexuality — but then he notices Jun, and his efforts go out the window.

I think Sorn has always been aware of his attraction to Jun. He does all those deliciously devious things to Jun without batting an eye because "well, he's heterosexual, it doesn't mean anything, he won't feel anything for me anyway, I can bullshit my way out of this." He thought he's just going to suffer with his one-sided thing, and Jun will never know.

And then Sorn disappears because of The Reason (feelings of worthlessness, or family drama, something else, or everything at once). He severs the connection completely because he needs to, trying to get over Jun. And it's completely fine, because Jun doesn't feel anything for him anyway. He has a girlfriend, he's alright. So Sorn tries to forget him, but it doesn't happen — because he's hooked, and no matter how many partners he has, they just cannot fill the Jun-shaped hole in his heart. They can never satisfy him enough. He never lets them really see who he really is; he never allows them into his personal space.

But at least he's at peace, because Jun is straight— so there wasn't even a potential possibility for a relationship, right? Well, no wonder his reaction to finding out Jun is openly gay is so mixed when they meet each other again. His obsession is back. He cannot stand the idea that Jun is going to have more — and it is not going to be with him — so the bullshit is back on, and he goes off the rails.

Sorn creates this situation where he thinks he's in control, where he's going to get a taste of as much as he can, for as long as it's possible, without stepping over the line. And in his mind it's fine, because Jun doesn't like him, so he's the only one who's going to get hurt — and he's probably used to suffering already.

And he's in denial of Jun's growing feelings for him, justifying Jun's unusual animosity by attributing it to his own jerkish behavior, arguing that it's normal for Jun to have such a reaction to everything that he does. And his friends always calling him a jerk and blaming every little thing on him without really paying attention to his feelings are not helping in any way — they're just solidifying his delusion and maybe reinforcing his bad guy self-concept.

Similar to his whole "no-attachment sex apprenticeship" thing, the printer prank was done to get Jun's attention, teach him a lesson, and keep him in control. He thought Jun wouldn't suffer because it wasn't that serious to him — but Jun cried. He underestimates Jun's emotional depth and plays into the condescending mentor persona, convinced that he's the only one who can be really affected. In other words, he has his head stuck in his own butt.

So I think soon everything will slip out of his control and it will blow up in his face. Jun will get hurt, Sorn will have to face the devastating consequences of his actions, and I will cry. :)

[criticallyobs]

So we were swallowed WHOLE by life, an apology for Z being slack coming your way soon...but *hands you a bedazzled thing* have this as an offering for now...

Welcome to the latest episode of our Podcast, Potential Obsessions where we React & Critically Discuss the Trailer for the My Golden Blood.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! We know it's a little late but we had fun, recording it and we thought you might enjoy listening to it.

If you haven't already started watching My Golden Blood, maybe this is your sign to check it out. ("Joss is very hot in episode 1" said podcaster Z after watching)

NOTE: In this episode I express my surprise that it seemed like it was only going to be posted on YouTube but haha it isn't on YouTube in my region. Instead it seems you can check it out on IQIYI and GagaOOLala.

Thanks for keeping us company - Z and M xoxo

Previous episodes:

Potential Obsessions Playlist

[criticallyobs]

Happy New Year...

As we close out 2024, we want to take a moment to wish all our listeners a safe and happy New Year. Here’s to hoping that 2025 will be kind to everyone and filled with opportunities to grow, laugh, and connect.

We also want to extend our deepest thanks to all of you for sticking with our Critical Obsessions through thick and thin. We know our posts and episodes have been a bit sporadic these past few months, and we truly appreciate your patience and support.

We’re excited to share that we’ll be back in the new year with fresh content, new ideas, and plenty of the podcasts you’ve come to enjoy.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us. See you in 2025!

Stay safe and take care,

M and Z

[criticallyobs]

aou_tnbknr and besevboom via tiktok 🔫

[criticallyobs]

Sorry, it is a bit late, no excuse except I was buying books...

TaDa! Here is our Reaction Podcast to Episode 6 of Dangerous Romance.

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Dare You To Death... now I know this might shock some of you coming from me...(Z) But I am really looking forward to this one...

[criticallyobs]

Poll time... this one has me like...

Wu was one that really had me going hmmmm interesting. Also what I have seen of High School Frenemy has been good. They really do have great chemistry and they we very cute in their post-trailer stage interview.

[criticallyobs]

Making excuses, day after day... does a walk in shame...

Hey everyone,

I owe you all an apology for going MIA for a bit!

I got totally swept up in GMMTV’s Riding the Wave livestream and, well... I may have lost track of time. Then, the next week was my birthday and I totally forgot to post. Oops!

But hey, I’m back now and I wanna know: Did anyone else watch the GMMTV livestream?

What did you think of their upcoming show lineup?

M and I were really surprised by how many of the shows looked interesting.

How about a poll...

[criticallyobs]

So here is the thing...

Haha, back to Episode 5 of Dangerous Romance this was where we really started to get excited about the series.

The last episode I posted for our Dangerous Romance podcast series, was the episode reaction, but in today's Episode we started really building theories and noticing things...

Were we reading too much into it or were we being brilliantly insightful, you decide... hehe (full confession I can't remember what we said so it could be anything).

[criticallyobs]

Making excuses, day after day... does a walk in shame...

Hey everyone,

I owe you all an apology for going MIA for a bit!

I got totally swept up in GMMTV’s Riding the Wave livestream and, well... I may have lost track of time. Then, the next week was my birthday and I totally forgot to post. Oops!

But hey, I’m back now and I wanna know: Did anyone else watch the GMMTV livestream?

What did you think of their upcoming show lineup?

M and I were really surprised by how many of the shows looked interesting.

How about a poll...

[criticallyobs]

Bored? Thinking what can I do to help me get through the week... Watch episode 5 of Dangerous Romance and then come and listen to us ramble about it on our podcast... trust me...

For anyone who missed it the first time around, we're reposting our discussion of Episode 5 of Dangerous Romance! Join us as we dive deep into the evolving relationship between Kang and Sailom, the plot developments, and all the moments that had us hooked.

In this podcast, we explore the dynamics of the characters, what makes the show stand out in the BL genre, and where we think the story is headed next. If you've been following along with Dangerous Romance or are just jumping in, this episode will give you plenty to think about.

As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts—what did you think of Episode 5? What were your favorite moments? Let us know in the comments!

[criticallyobs]

[criticallyobs]

An Ode to Episode 4... we fell hard... especially M.

In case you missed it or want to revisit one of our favorite episodes, we’re reposting Episode 3 of our Dangerous Romance podcast!

In this podcast we focus on Episode 4 of the show and this is the episode where we truly fell in love with the Dangerous Romance—and with Kang and Sailom. It's where everything started to click for us, and it’s no wonder we called it An Ode to Episode 4... okay to be fair we really both fell hard here.

If you’re a fan of Kang and Sailom (or still catching up), this is the episode to relisten to. We had such a blast discussing it and we’re excited to hear your thoughts, too!

[criticallyobs]

In case you missed it the first time, or you just want to relive the magic again... Bwahahahaha! Episode 3 of Dangerous Romance is back!

Whether you're a brand-new listener or one of our OG fans who's been with us since Episode 1, WELCOME BACK! We're so excited to re-share this one with you as we continue to revisit Dangerous Romance together.

If you haven’t checked out the show yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Go watch it, we'll totally wait for you to catch up.

In the meantime, I am having a serious internal struggle. I am soooo tempted to rewatch the show again (it’s THAT good), but I'm way too scared to re-listen to our old episodes. (haha-they were so fun to record though...)

We were SO new back then, and still figuring things out in this recording—some real baby podcaster vibes going on.

But hey, if you’re in the mood for some throwback podcast goodness, we’re here for it! Listen to our thoughts from the past, then tell us what you think of this episode now. Got any new theories, feels, or fangirl (or fanguy?) moments? Let us know!

Catch us every Tuesday as we revisit Dangerous Romance.

Hugs,

Z *pokes M* I miss our Dangerous Romance era...

[criticallyobs]

CHAPPELL ROAN - PINK PONY CLUB

Live on Saturday Night Live November 2, 2024

[criticallyobs]

We're Baccccckkkkk! With Vice Versa Ep 10. and all of our ‘Pink Revelations’...

Welcome to our Podcast Safehouse Crushes where we React & Critically Discuss JimmySea's show Vice Versa.

Just so you know, there may be spoilers for Vice Versa, so please watch the show episode first then join us on the podcast. You can watch episode 10 here!

Be sure to join us on Twitter or Tumblr @criticallyobs.

Thanks for keeping us company - Z and M xoxo

We have a Ko-fi now, YAY!

While we’re having a blast sharing our obsessions with you, it takes a lot of time and effort. If our podcast has ever made you laugh out loud, cry, or look at a scene in a new light, please consider buying us a Ko-Fi to fuel our future episodes.

Previous Podcasts:

Vice Versa Playlist

Last Twilight Playlist

Potential Obsessions Playlist