hanhonymous

[hanhonymous]

Only 5??? 😭 OK

#vietnamese #korean #japanese #hindi #arabic

If you could instantly be granted fluency in 5 languages—not taking away your existing language proficiency in any way, solely a gain—what 5 would you choose?

[hanhonymous]

SEXY CONSENT!

the way Guwon was taking his breath before asking Sarang allow him to kiss her

[hanhonymous]

Strongberry's first episode of "Sweetheart Service" is delightfully lighthearted, setting up my most beloved of tropes: fake dating. Easygoing Yooha (Kim Hunseo) needs money and works multiple gigs via a Strawberry (Strongberry??) app that is similar to Taskrabbit. Whether it's unclogging a toilet or posing as a nude art model, no job is beneath him.

He takes the job of pretending to be a fake boyfriend to a woman to blow up her blind date with the deliciously bespectacled tech bro Minwoo (Lee Jaehyeop), who can't be bothered to make a good impression either. We learn later that of course he's the eldest grandson of a wealthy muck-a-muck and thus has the burden of marrying in order to carry on yadda-yadda patriarchal bloodline garbage.

Before Minwoo hits upon the idea of hiring his own fake boyfriend to hold off his family, however, he decides to drink away his sorrows at a local watering hole run by dishy bartender Taeha (Jung Myeongcheol). As one does when full of alcohol and faced with a guy in a waistcoat wiping down a bar with forearms exposed, Minwoo asks for advice: Is marriage or dating worth it?

What follows is a the exchange that I hope will be an ongoing theme, which is using cocktails as metaphor.

Taeha:

"Drinks like water or soda are simple. You just drink them as they are -- no need to mix -- clean and efficient. But cocktails are different. Different ingredients mix and blend. Sometimes they clash, creating a story in each sip.

"I think dating and marriage are similar. When people who don't seem to match collide, mix and blend, they create a unique flavor just for them.

"Sometimes it's too bitter, sometimes too sweet. But when you find the perfect combination, you can't forget the taste."

The drink he's mixing is a grapefruit cocktail known as Salty Dog -- which also happens to be the title of the episode.

What I really appreciate about this is that when it comes to BL as a genre, I think sometimes overly saccharine storytelling -- with TikTok-worthy fanedit moments -- tries to pass as romance. But the stories that acknowledge the imperfections in both people and still results in a relationship are the ones that resonate with me the most. As I've grown older, my literal palate has also changed; now I have a taste for bitter (Fernet!)

Sometimes I don't need a metaphor to be belabored. Make it simple, straightforward and tasty.

건배!!

[hanhonymous]

Binged all of Semantic Error and I love this tall, red loser so much.

[hanhonymous]

Is he a genius psychoanalyst... or wizard? Only explanation how he knows me so well. I'm addicted to solo trips!!!!

This paints such a beautiful picture

[hanhonymous]

Joker of all trades

[hanhonymous]

How can I get a job writing fake tabloids about high-profile folks in BL episodes? This is art ... as with everything for the show

Week 9 - My Stand-In News from YYDS Entertainment

Tong-Tinkarn and May-Manasanan, the young wife who is also a real estate business heiress, have been living separately in different houses for a while. Tong-Tinkarn who after marriage became the national outstanding husband. But this time it seems like they're really fighting, showing signs of love falling apart. This man has made a move after rumors surfaced that he posted the song "FLAW" by YEW on social media. Will it be like the lyrics that say 'If I had asked for anything, can I beg you to come back?'

Ming is becoming a series executive producer for the first time. Revealed that he will begin to reduce the work in front of camera and turn to investor instead. Because Thai actors get low wages and it's not enough for him to eat Omakase every meal. Hopefully he will be a driving force to improve the quality of life of the team behind the scene. He has a choice of leading cast in mind, but everyone have to go through the casting process. He will let the director make the final decision. He also makes an announcement to the marker that prepare for the open casting. It will be a very big production series named 'My Stand-in'. the IP is adapted from a famous novel in China. (this is soooo meta i'm howlinggggg)

Secretary position recruitment: The main duty of this position is to take care of the boss as requested. May have to do OT as appropriate. Animal lover; Perfect driver; Require good negotiation skill with police

Police were notified that a victim had been shot. It was found to be a celebrity with the initial J. It is believed that the thief miscommunicated and kidnapped the wrong person. The boyfriend of the victim, also a celebrity with the initials Khun Chai M., came to send the ransom. There was a shooting incident until it missed and hit the victim. At the scene there was another celebrity with the initial T. He is believed that there is involvement in the illegal loan case of the carpet shop owner who caused the incident.

Mike-Metheeyuth denies rumors of having a sweetheart. The man who was secretly photographed was just the new secretary. He still holds the position of number one single man who is wanted. Mike just acquired a big carpet factory. He wants to organize a promotion to buy a house from Akarayotha Group and get a free wool carpet.

Previously, famous actor with initials Khun Chai M. He was filmed by a fan saying he was very sick and admit in the hospital. With less than an hour ago, a paparazzi secretly took pictures and saw a rising star actor with the initial J. gó to take close care of him. Feeding rice and water to this man who couldn't eat on his own, as if his arm was injured. Everyone is watching to see if he is the real sweetheart.

Not MingJoe at the hospital making it into the tabloids. Mike is constantly saving his family's reputation like acquiring a carpet factory to cover the illegal loan debacle of Tong 😭 My favorite piece of information is probably Ming reducing his work as an actor because the wages is not enough to let him eat Omakase every day 🤣 But also the fact that it's "open casting", let the director have final choice in casting, the series name, I just know it's a reference to My Stand-In production process itself 🥹

[hanhonymous]

me @ France right now

[hanhonymous]

For those of you still saying you "despise" fanservice and the shipping culture it creates, Dr. Stephanie Choi said it best:

"If the idol’s job is to maintain a fantasy, it is the fan’s responsibility to avoid delusion."

My cousin always says 'if you're going to (inter)fan, (inter)fan like Tom'. So let me share a video where Tom Baudinette references that very same quote. A lot of the points they touch on are still very relevant and true (minus GMMtv going hard for 23.5 Degrees and always backing their artists🙄) It's sad to see that the issues raised in this panel are still issues...

I recommend watching the whole video to get a sense of why Thai GL was important in terms of representation and why (while more risky) it was finally deemed potentially successful... but they start talking about fanservice and 'fandom' at 25:06

[hanhonymous]

The Trainee’s workplace authenticity

One of my favorite things about workplace TV shows is when the characters actually do work. AND when the details of such work are not only relatively accurate, but also essential to how the characters relate to themselves, the world and each other. So far, "The Trainee" is giving that to me in the first two episodes.

Having interned/been an assistant at a TV production company and later moving to entertainment journalism and managing interns/junior writers there, I can appreciate both Ryan's and Jane's POVs. Here's what I liked so far:

Good Pick's pink tube slide and movie theater seats in the lobby - A lot of these entertainment-adjacent companies take a cue from Silicon Valley and have this frivolous, frat-boy design aesthetic -- bean bag chairs, foosball tables, etc. I worked in an office that had a ping-pong table. The idea is to make it fun enough that people want to stay in the office and work longer, which isn't really all that great. You stop seeing that fun stuff after a while and just want to get home. That said, I'd love to work in a company with a fire pole in it, but that would be too much of a liability.

Ryan's fluke hiring - Baimon totally hearing what he wants to hear from Ryan in that sham interview is hilarious but sadly not all that unusual. What sucks is that this is unfair to the manager who then must work with the unqualified person, and unfair to that person hired also, who isn't the best fit for the position. I've been the person saddled by the unfortunate hire and have had to make do … and sometimes you can figure it out, but often you're left doing extra work to make up for their deficits. If it's just an intern, no problem -- they'll be gone in a few months. I felt Jane's pain!

Ryan's uncertainty & silence - That said, Ryan clearly wants to do well but is out of his depth since this was not even what he was learning in school. I remember the first day as a journalist for a small company where I kind of was on my own, and nobody told me what to do. I was like, "WTF??" Part of you doesn't want to ask questions lest you expose your imposter identity, but you're also wondering just how long you can do nothing before someone notices.

The printer always breaks down -- always. You get pretty good at troubleshooting everything until resorting to calling a technician

Jane's prickly demeanor - The fact is that in any company, people who are competent can move up, but that doesn't automatically infuse them with good managerial skills. I think workshops, etc. are a must for anyone who gets promoted and suddenly have people reporting to them. Everyone can get frustrated when they're overwhelmed, so I do have some sympathy for Jane. He does have one skill that I think is essential to be a good manager: identifying and acknowledging the strengths of an employee. It really makes all the difference that he finally sees Ryan as an asset, not a hindrance.

Ryan's skills aren't that bad at all - As soon as Ryan tells his family that he's no help to anyone at work, he immediately shows five different ways how much he's relied on by his family. Yes, people who are competent, reliable and can anticipate needs (like how his sister needs to be reminded to charge the battery after using the camera) will be able to apply those skills to other situations and can go far. Ryan just needs to familiarize himself with the industry first in order to know how he can fill in the gaps. (I believe in being able to change careers and taking big pivots in life.)

The interns banding together - OMG I remember sometimes just being unsupervised while trying to get a project together, and there is a strange bond you have being the youngest and least experienced. And you do have the most stupid conversations.

Being one cog in a bigger machine - I really appreciate how they show all the different departments that have to come together to make one project work -- especially when last-minute changes need to be implemented or a persnickety client has opinions. You complain, you worry, you put in extra late hours and have to make 11th-hour fixes -- but it's so satisfying to see it all come together. Shit goes down, and you fix it.

Hiring extras - The hiring of extras at Good Pick was different from what I've experienced. I actually have been an extra, and what I'm used to is being part of a company or agency that has you in their database, and then you get picked or cast by that company and sent to your gig. But that's in Hollywood and for TV shows & movies. It's probably different for ad houses or in Thailand, but I did like how they showed that it is still a casting process. There are deliberate decisions made, and certain looks sought out. I thought it was hilarious that Ryan's first thought for hiring the salaryman was to get an uncle from the same restaurant as the auntie. If he had his way, everyone in that restaurant would be hired for some gig or another.

Ryan getting scammed by the extra - I was screaming at Ryan as soon as he offered to pay that scammer extra. Just … no, boy. You had to have known that was shady. BUT despite being duped, he was willing to think on his feet and try to solve a problem by being proactive, and that does happen. And so do mistakes. He just needs to calibrate his radar for what is OK. (I'm glad Jane saw that.) Ryan is lucky that it only cost him 1,000 baht for that lesson.

Extras must be on hand and wait - OK this is a scene in the preview for Episode 3, but I was so happy to see it: Extras in Hollywood actually cannot just spend 5 minutes or whatever to do their job, even if that's how much you see them onscreen. There's a ton of hurry up and wait on film sets, and so extras have to stay in Holding -- usually just a designated area with some chairs (sometimes you get tables) -- until you're needed. And production schedules never run on time, so it can be hours or even days. You're lucky if you're there long enough to get a meal, if the temperature is nice, if you're able to make friends with the others and if there's wifi. Sometimes you bring your own clothes for wardrobe based on what you're told, and sometimes the wardrobe department supplements your wardrobe with extra pieces to help complete a specific look. And yeah, you're not able to leave except for the bathroom, so Ryan definitely shouldn't have let that one extra wander off.

"Ryan After Work" - I like these post-credit sequences that give extra insights into the job. And while the first one was more instructional, explaining how the production house differed from an agency, the second was more about the cohort camaraderie (and hinting at Ryan's positive feelings toward Jane). I hope the romance aspect of the show doesn't overshadow the work specificity going forward!

[hanhonymous]

Shared + spotted in: Sunset x Vibes, Gen Y, Big Dragon The Movie Official Pilot Trailer and Love Senior Official Pilot Trailer

IRL: University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, 126/1 ซ. วิภาวดิรังสิต2 แยก 6 แขวง รัชดาภิเษก Din Daeng, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Shared location pointed out by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Credit: https://en.utcc.ac.th/

[hanhonymous]

I understand how Love Sea had to reset a bit with Rak throwing up protective walls again once he got Mut to Bangkok. Like, "Shia!! What did I just do??" Their whole dynamic needs to be tested, broken, redefined, etc... it has a ways to go.

That said my real disappointment in this episode was that Mame denied us the romcom staple of a shopping montage with Rak and Mut. The flirting, the teasing, Mut taking off and putting on clothes, Rak looking grumpy, proud and jealous...

[hanhonymous]

It was only going to be among 5 contenders for me so as long as age isn't an issue in this fantasy world, here's my process of elimination:

Yak is great (ha literally) but cannot express his feelings ... yeah he's better at it than Dee but it's still against code IMHO to ask your hookup to help you win over someone else. I don't need someone who's in denial

Joe and Kang are both lovely, and I couldn't figure out why I didn't want them until I thought about my personality. They're both a bit on the angsty, reticent side, which is like me. I need someone who's more optimistic than I am. Which brings me to ...

Mut checks off many of the boxes: competent and not too snobby to do anything, giving to the community, principled and active about the environment, will be my safe scuba buddy (and hiking or whatever other activity), loves seafood, can deal with elders, feels his feelings. Maybe it's a bit too early to tell in the series, but I did get the feeling he doesn't trust easily. Not a strike against him necessarily but I'm old enough not to want a project. So surprisingly I landed on ...

Tan!! I hate to say it but I'm more like a Fang than I'd like to admit, so to have someone who is great at expressing themselves, who is wholeheartedly giving and just happy to do anything is very appealing. I'm competent enough on my own, and he seems just ready to learn whatever to help. And EP 12 sealed it for me because he really is also there emotionally too, and THAT is difficult to find. (Also, I am an Aou fan).

Thx for the fun poll!!

I know that we enjoy thirsting after these characters, but...

Hmmmm Phum and Mut are the hottest, but I need someone competent who can cover me when my brain goes on vacation.

So I'd probably marry a Kang, F a Mut, and kill a Tan. Lol He's sweet, but if a guy were that obsessed with me, I'd get a restraining order.

[hanhonymous]

yyds_ent: Why? P’Joe Why? 🤨

this endless saga of yyds entertainment posting unserious meme videos of my stand in 😭 yyds really be saying 'ALL MEN DO IS LIE'

[hanhonymous]

Love Sea pillow talk shipwrecked me

WTF, Love Sea?! You're really going to make me swoon this early in the season? Then again, it's only 10 episodes, so this makes sense.

I'm actually kind of marveling at how this show has been pulling off such a natural emotional story progression alongside the obvious attraction between Mut & Rak. So many moments of vulnerability in this episode leading up to that ending:

Rak looking up a the stars and revealing why his name isn't that sweet

Mut suggesting they try the love thing

Rak hesitating but taking him up on it

All the grumpy resistant cuddling

Mut's horrifying turtle father story

Add all of that to some sizzling physical chemistry, and is it any wonder that neither person would want to let the other go? This is one of those situations where their emotional vulnerability absolutely fuels the physical, and vice versa. All those hickeys are signs of both lust and trust. (Yeah, I'm sticking to that...)

That brings us to that final scene in Mut's bed, which mimics the same pose of when they were by the sea and Mut had asked about doing the love experiment: Mut leaning over Rak, while Rak gazes up at him. Only this time, it's Rak who's urging Mut to take the leap.

Fantastic acting by both. You can see Fort making Mut unsure, hopeful but almost not wanting to dare, working up to the moment, giving Rak warnings about how devastating a refusal would be. (The idea of class and how Mut's dad had messed with his ability to ask for things suddenly rear their heads.) And then Peat as Rak, just calm, steady and clear-eyed the whole way.

While I usually hate the whole bait-and-switch answer: "No -- ha I got you cuz I really mean yes," I forgave it because the full answer was SO GOOD. Yes, "If you don't annoy me and do those things, it wouldn't be you," communicates an acceptance of who Mut is. BUT even more than that I feel that their antagonism and friction from the start was actually what enabled them to be so radically honest with each other so fast (A LOT of backstory exposition in EP 2 & 3). Neither put on pretense or a polite mask, so they were already showing many of their warts upfront.

This is the best example of pillow talk -- in all its incarnations –- I've seen in a while also. (Rak was previously resistant to post coital cuddling and pillow talk, so he had kept the true intimacy at a standstill till this episode.)

Wow, I guess this episode did a number on me. Or maybe I'm just fending off the Sunday scaries w/ this dissertation.

Good job, Love Sea

[hanhonymous]

Well! I love nothing more than when a show immediately validates my read of the themes and character dynamics. Thank you, Love Sea!

This show is excellent, and I am really impressed by how seriously it's taking the class and queer politics of this relationship. That shower scene really laid out the power dynamic here: Rak thinks of Mut as an object he can buy, use, and discard as he likes (though that is already starting to shift by the end of this episode). He can't stop throwing money at Mut and assuming that's all it will take to control him: witness him sending money to stake his claim when he got jealous, and asking if Mut is amazed to finally see money. He's a rich prick!

But he's a rich prick who is clearly hurting and needs to heal from something, and Mut can see that. And because he's a good person, he cares. I am dying for more context to understand those trauma flashbacks we saw in this episode, and I continue to be impressed with Mut as a competent professional. My favorite scene in this episode was their discussion over lunch at the dock, where they directly discussed their class disparity and the differences in their perspectives about work. When Mut started talking about how hard it is to stay afloat starting a small business and his neighborhood auntie jumped in to underline that poor people have to be exceptional to have a chance, I wanted to kiss this show on the mouth. Mut has been hustling hard to make a life for himself. Rak, by contrast, pursued a career he thought was fun and that gave him an outlet for his sexuality, as his financial privilege allowed him to do.

Speaking of which, another fantastic scene this episode was when Rak checked in with Mut about whether they could be out in his hometown. He framed it as protecting Mut's reputation, but he was also asking about his own safety as an out gay man on this island. It was a small moment, but those are the touches that make this story feel genuinely queer, and I'm glad to see MAME continuing to level up on this in each successive show.

And speaking of leveling up, can we get a round of applause for Fort and Peat, who have somehow already managed to surpass the heat level of their Love in the Air sex scenes. I hardly knew it was possible to do more, but they have proven me wrong and had my jaw dropping a few times in this episode. I really like that they became sexually involved before any real affection has developed between them and that the sex isn't necessarily the thing building their bond; it's the moments when they connect outside of sex that are engaging their emotions. But in the meantime, they clearly have off the charts chemistry and they are both happy to indulge. Power to them!

[hanhonymous]