#Drama: Crazy Handsome Rich

[save-the-data]

Crazy Handsome Rich | S01E06

Thai Drama - 2023, 6 episode

Episodes | Gaga | Viki | YouTube | iQIYI | WeTV | Tencent | Catalogue

[itsallaboutbl]

Lee Long Shi as Thad Crazy Handsome Rich, ep. 2

+ bonus

[heretherebedork]

Ah, Gaga does keep on giving. Though this one looked... weird. I remember the teaser and I have a feeling this one is gonna try to be a pulp comedy which is... not always good. @absolutebl More is always on tap, apparently.

[hirmienworld]

2023, BL's recap, so far.

THE DROPPED ONE

Crazy Handsome Rich - I didn't go beyond the first few minutes. The dubbing is truly terrible, without it MAYBE I would have been able to go a little further but I know very well that I would never have finished it. I would have just read how it ends or peeked at the ending.

Dinosaur Love - The story would have been nice. The usual drama that you watch without commitment but brings smiles and some emotions. Unfortunately, however, the skill of the actors leaves something to be desired and there is no chemistry anywhere, even if you try hard to look for it. First two episodes and then put in the drawer.

House of Stars - I don't know why I didn't like it. I can think of so many flaws and yet there is always that I don't know what that could have pushed me to continue it, but I couldn't. Its timing and dynamics bothered me, with each episode I struggled to remember who was who and what the plot was (was there a plot anyway?) until I finally gave up. It's not for me.

Low Frequency - Very boring. There were many dramas on air, was this one worth adding to the list? I realized very quickly that the answer was no, so I dropped it. Surely there are those who like it, I don't feel like criticizing it but I have higher standards.

Tie the Not - As written above. With the addition that the acting immediately annoyed me.

[infogramika]

Trailer: Crazy Handsome Rich

[ystrike1]

Remember Me - By Bd (8/10)

She's cool and pretty. She's a small business owner. She stepped in to save a child's life once, but a freak accident killed him anyway. Our protagonist is a "shiny" normal person that stands out wherever she goes, and there's definitely a mystery about her past.

Eun-ha was 20 years old when she got involved in a gun fight. She was on a trip in a remote and unfriendly area at the time.

A nice, handsome older man offered her directions.

He says he knows her, but that just isn't possible. They're in a different country, and he is a stranger.

He has a son, and when Eun-ha sees him she does think she recognizes him. That's crazy though, so she brushes it off.

His father dies in front of them.

San-Ho comes from a very dangerous and odd family. Eun-ha tries to protect him, but judging by the way the child behaves its a wealthy family...or a criminal one.

Likely criminal, because of the way his father was executed in the street.

Eun-ha and her uncle care for him for a month. They make precious memories. The boy sees her as his hero. She gets attached and they have fun.

San-Ho doesn't seem used to fun.

His life was dark before her.

Now Eun-ha is 37. She still has pictures of him, but she tries not to think about him. He is a painful memory now.

Eun-ha owns a small business. A cleaning company. She cleans rich people houses. Mansions. Empty homes with no furniture that need to be upkept.

One of her clients is Shin Noel. A man who reminds her of San-Ho. He seems to recognize her too. He also has a gorgeous girlfriend/lover...that he doesn't treat well. I'm sure there will be drama when he starts chasing an "old hag".

Eun-ha is in denial.

She saw the boy die.

A truck drove into them.

Probably on purpose.

Shin Noel probably changed his name to survive. Maybe he thought SHE was the one who died that day. Who knows? His family situation is suuuppperr messy.

I don't know how much he knows.

Also...I know what you're thinking.

Eun-ha does not look 37. Im ok with it though. It's better than an inappropriate age gap. A man in his mid twenties can freely date anyone. If he was 18 and she was 30 the gap would be more uncomfortable.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Korea drops my favorite cameo ever & gives KISSES

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized sorta by favs in each category.

Sept 2023 Wk 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Fri grey) ep 4 of 12 - Well that’s one way to find out if he’s gay, see how he reacts to reading a het sex scene out loud. Yai is flirting so hard it’s like he knows everything. 

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 4 of 12 - Oh no! I love them. Also cohabitation trope! Also ALL the other ones: hair dry, meet in childhood... GMMTV going no frills with this one.

Hidden Agenda (Sun YT) ep 9 of 12 - Zo’s drama over Pat helping Joke flirt seems awfully manufactured. I’m losing faith in this show. Could GMMTV PLEASE hand JoongDunk a decent script? 

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 5 of 10 - Sand & Ray are the only interesting couple, and I’m pretty much only watching for them. They gonna go south fast, tho, and they're already ruined by persistent singing. Ooo. When Sand said Top "stole his ex" did he mean Boston? How gay. 

Naughty Babe (Sat YT) ep 2 of 8 - The pronoun conversation had a bonkers translation but I enjoyed the actuality of it. The reasons for Yi's trickery are very convoluted soap opera. But I suppose that is the amnesia trope for you. 

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 10 of 12 - Boys. We discussed this already. No sex in onsens! I found this one dull, until the end when LLS showed up. Happy to just have him in everything. Thank you Thailand. Looks like it is a classic ep 11 DOOM next week. Who cares? 

Venus in the Sky (Tues iQIYI) 1-2 of 10 eps - The usual Thai pulp claptrap this time a reunion romances in and around a convenience store between a boy who recently quit his job and his former bestie who is now a doctor. Mostly not great acting, plot, or production but the sound is okay and no bad effects or singing (so far), so that’s something. The gay brothers have a fun relationship. It’s vampy and campy but fun. I like it but not sure anyone else would.

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 10 - The date was cute but I still don’t like the lead or the premise (we moved into Cyrano de Bergerac territory). It’s moving slowly but it seems like we might be over the crush/stalker part of the narrative, so that’s a relief. 

Crazy Handsome Rich (Sun Gaga) ep 2 of 10 - I just can’t. The sound is too weird. With punch down humor and other issues incoming I may DNF this. You’ve been warned. This ep we got to see LLS with his shirt off. Did anything else happen? 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thur Viki) ep 8fin - No wonder he is everyone’s favorite hyung, boy can read the room like no one else. I love that we got to see exactly how clingy and demanding Choi Jun was always going to be. Only Lee Jun is easy-going enough to put up with him. Also I’ve never watched a KBL with more innuendo. For Korea this was… raunchy. I gotta say had Laws of Attraction not come along, Simon might have been my favorite character of 2023.

Final thoughts on Jun and Jun:

A delightful office romance about an ex-idol who joins cubical life only to find his new boss is his first love. Others boys are sniffing around too. Operative word being "sniffing" as much of this romance involves smell. With a snappy script, enjoyable sides, a pretty as peaches cast, and descent chemistry this show made up for in style what it lacked in substance. I like fluff. I loved this. I smiled every moment I was watching. With tons of rewatch potential (especially the last few eps), my only caution is this is for fans of the BL genre only, I don’t think it’ll work for anyone else. A solid 9/10 from me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I like that Korea is trying high heat, but Taiwan and Thailand are leaps and bounds better at it.

Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 9-10fin -

Omg they so cute as flirty bf. Eeeeeeee! CAMEO!!!!! My fav guest couple ever! So exciting!!!! I love that they intersected with MY Strongberry couple (Private Lessons). I’m not used to this but Holy innuendo Korea, what with Jun & Jun and now this show? It’s a bit much for my gay little heart. The final episode was entirely unnecessary, but it was fun to see them being all domestic and stuff. Maru with his dumb lettuce leaves was hilarious. I feel like I need to rewatch this one to really understand it properly, so I will likely do that soon.

Summary of Love Class 2:

3 couples form within a semester of university: 1. a hyung romance reunion of exes, one of whom has a dangerous past, 2. a friends to lovers romance, and 3. a mature student and TA one night stand + complexities (many aspects of which had me laughing). I enjoyed the characters and dialogue of this show immensely. It was a little bit more breezy and friendly than I was expecting after the first installment, Love Class. I’m not entirely sure Korea can handle multiple couples like this because it definitely felt disjointed, especially the 3rd more mature couple (also my favorite) who probably should’ve had their own series. But it was definitely fun and something different from Korea. 8/10 RECOMMENDED

Also, Korea tried to give us higher heat... that was... interesting. I mean, you tried hon...?

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) ep 4 of 13(?) - Everyone is a sad sack this ep. Ooooo. Teach/student my favorite. We never get this one. It’s messy. I’m not sure if there is a plot. I’m not sure they’re sure if there is a plot. But I am still enjoying it.

Why R U? (Korea Wed iQIYI) eps 5-6 of 8 - Why is the Fighter character always so frustrating regardless of name or country? Ji Oh stalking his crush via IG is so relatable. He’s very first crush awkward, unsure, and sweet. They also gave a nice kiss - I love the backpack drop (kiss version of a mic drop?) I still hold that if you haven’t seen the original this might not make much sense. But I am enjoying it. 

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 4 of 8 - Oh goody, another JBL where we have to pay attention solely to what they do and not what they say. 

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - Big fat sigh. 

It's Airing But...

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) ep 3 of 24 eps - I couldn't get hold of it and I'm not mad. I'm putting it on hold until distribution gets sorted, or icky get their shizz in order (like that'll happen).

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting

9/15 You Are Mine (Taiwan Gaga) Secretary has to deal with grumpy boss.

9/15 Bump Up Business AKA Bump Up Project (Korea movie) suspected cinema release? I don't know much about what's going on. Last status update. Love story between a trainee who is about to debut and a celebrity from the same agency. Kpop boy group OnlyOneOf has signed up to star in this idol-based BL (based on a webtoon). They’ve been auditioning for this since Libido IMHO. You can watch me chronicle their BL MV series in this post. It’s from Idol Romance who will do sad but can do good kisses (Wish You, Nobleman Ryu, Once Again, Kissable Lips, Poongduck 304, Tasty Florida, Tinted With You).

Still To Come In September

9/26 I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other.

9/27 Absolute Zero (Thai iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally bring us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance. We don’t always get HEAs from them, so I'm on my guard.

9/27 Bon Appetit (Korea iQIYI) - from 2022, 8 eps from GoGo Studio, romance between an office worker who lives off junk food and the man next door who cooks well.

9/? Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam YouTube?)

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I love him. And I love his version of this character better than Jimmy's.

I also love it when a show gets meta. (Both Why R U? Korea) Why they didn't just go for YRU? the world may never know.)

(Last week) 

[gabelesimp]

Okay, All I can Imagine is this.

Gods in the Mortal world!! (Greek Pantheon edition)

Zeus: a Stressed Father, who works at a Gay strip club (Well- Idk why-)

Poseidon: a Marine Biologist, and his colleagues say "He should be a model", He's rich.

Hades: a Billionaire, can literally afford anything and everything. He's a model too, his favorite brands are Louis Vuitton, and Channel. Often visits his brother Poseidon, and both Men and Women are crazy for him.

Hermes: a Bartender at the Gay strip club-

Ares: McDonald's cashier (Idk- HAHA-)

Aphrodite: The new Face of Zendaya, and International Runway Model.

Apollo: Actor in Drama love stories, he's titled as "The Most Handsome Actor"

Adamas: (6ft under)

[richincolor]

9 QTPoC books for your 2023 Pride Month TBR

Happy Pride Month! Every year, I do a little round-up of YA books starring LGBTQ and BIPOC characters that have come out so far this year. This year was particularly exciting -- there were so many books that I loved or have at the very top of my TBR! So, without further ado, here's 9 of them for your TBR!

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa El Diablo is in the details in this Latinx pirate fantasy starring a transmasculine nonbinary teen with a mission of revenge, redemption, and revolution.

On Mar León-de la Rosa's 16th birthday, el Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn't enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar's father and the entire crew of their ship. When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up your soul to save your father by the Harvest Moon or never see him again. The task is impossible--Mar refuses to make a bargain and there's no way their magic is any match for el Diablo. Then, Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate -- and the captain's son; and Dami, a genderfluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear. For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption -- or it could mean certain death.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer.

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons. In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend... but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors—but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems.Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?

Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa Aristotle and Dante meets The Hate U Give meets The Sun Is Also A Star: A stunning YA contemporary love story about a Mexican-American teen who falls in love with an undocumented Mexican boy.

Finding home. Falling in love. Fighting to belong. The Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, is all Ander Martínez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce. The mixture of Spanish and English filling the streets. And, especially their job at their family's taquería. It's the place that has inspired Ander as a muralist, and, as they get ready to leave for art school, it's all of these things that give them hesitancy. That give them the thought, are they ready to leave it all behind?

To keep Ander from becoming complacent during their gap year, their family "fires" them so they can transition from restaurant life to focusing on their murals and prepare for college. That is, until they meet Santiago López Alvarado, the hot new waiter. Falling for each other becomes as natural as breathing. Through Santi's eyes, Ander starts to understand who they are and want to be as an artist, and Ander becomes Santi's first steps toward making Santos Vista and the United States feel like home. Until ICE agents come for Santi, and Ander realizes how fragile that sense of home is. How love can only hold on so long when the whole world is against them. And when, eventually, the world starts to win.

She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran A house with a terrifying appetite haunts a broken family in this atmospheric horror, perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic.

When Jade Nguyen arrives in Vietnam for a visit with her estranged father, she has one goal: survive five weeks pretending to be a happy family in the French colonial house Ba is restoring. She’s always lied to fit in, so if she’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough, she can get out with the college money he promised. But the house has other plans. Night after night, Jade wakes up paralyzed. The walls exude a thrumming sound, while bugs leave their legs and feelers in places they don’t belong. She finds curious traces of her ancestors in the gardens they once tended. And at night Jade can’t ignore the ghost of the beautiful bride who leaves her cryptic warnings: Don’t eat.

Neither Ba nor her sweet sister Lily believe that there is anything strange happening. With help from a delinquent girl, Jade will prove this house—the home her family has always wanted—will not rest until it destroys them. Maybe, this time, she can keep her family together. As she roots out the house’s rot, she must also face the truth of who she is and who she must become to save them all.

Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore, Elliott McLemore Keep your enemy closer.

Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother. Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana. Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect. Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy. Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person. Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade. And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.

Cowritten by married writing team Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore, this is a lush and powerful YA novel about owning your power and becoming who you really are - no matter the cost.

You Don't Have a Shot by Racquel Marie A queer YA romance about rival soccer players from author Racquel Marie, perfect for fans of She Drives Me Crazy .

Valentina “Vale” Castillo-Green’s life revolves around soccer. Her friends, her future, and her father’s intense expectations are all wrapped up in the beautiful game. But after she incites a fight during playoffs with her long-time rival, Leticia Ortiz, everything she’s been working toward seems to disappear.

Embarrassed and desperate to be anywhere but home, Vale escapes to her beloved childhood soccer camp for a summer of relaxation and redemption…only to find out that she and the endlessly aggravating Leticia will be co-captaining a team that could play in front of college scouts. But the competition might be stiffer than expected, so unless they can get their rookie team’s act together, this second chance―and any hope of playing college soccer―will slip through Vale’s fingers. When the growing pressure, friendship friction, and her overbearing father push Vale to turn to Leticia for help, what starts off as a shaky alliance of necessity begins to blossom into something more through a shared love of soccer. . . and maybe each other.

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar A pun-filled YA contemporary romance, The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar finds a teenage girl competing in a televised baking competition, with contestants including her ex-girlfriend and a potential new crush - perfect for fans of The Great British Bake Off and She Drives Me Crazy!

“Welcome to the first ever Junior Irish Baking Show!”

Shireen Malik is still reeling from the breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Chris, when she receives news that she’s been accepted as a contestant on a new televised baking competition show. This is Shireen’s dream come true! Because winning will not only mean prize money, but it will also bring some much-needed attention to You Drive Me Glazy, her parents’ beloved donut shop.

Things get complicated, though, because Chris is also a contestant on the show. Then there’s the very outgoing Niamh, a fellow contestant who is becoming fast friends with Shireen. Things are heating up between them, and not just in the kitchen. As the competition intensifies, Shireen will have to ignore all these factors and more― including potential sabotage―if she wants a sweet victory!

My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron In this gothic YA remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, a teen boy tries to discover the reason behind his best friend's disappearance—and the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic stranger—in misty Victorian London.

London, 1885. Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk, has returned to London for the first time since his life— and that of his dearest friend, Henry Jekyll—was derailed by a scandal that led to his and Henry's expuslion from the London Medical School. Whispers about the true nature of Gabriel and Henry's relationship have followed the boys for two years, and now Gabriel has a chance to start again. But Gabriel doesn't want to move on, not without Henry. His friend has become distant and cold since the disastrous events of the prior spring, and now his letters have stopped altogether. Desperate to discover what's become of him, Gabriel takes to watching the Jekyll house.

In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a a strangely familiar young man with white hair and a magnetic charisma. He claims to be friends with Henry, and Gabriel can't help but begin to grow jealous at their apparent closeness, especially as Henry continues to act like Gabriel means nothing to him. But the secret behind Henry's apathy is only the first part of a deeper mystery that has begun to coalesce. Monsters of all kinds prowl within the London fog—and not all of them are out for blood...

As You Walk On By by Julian Winters The Breakfast Club meets Can't Hardly Wait with an unforgettable ensemble cast in another swoony YA contemporary from award-winning author Julian Winters!

Seventeen-year-old Theo Wright has it all figured out. His plan (well, more like his dad's plan) is a foolproof strategy that involves exceling at his magnet school, getting scouted by college recruiters, and going to Duke on athletic scholarship. But for now, all Theo wants is a perfect prom night. After his best friend Jay dares Theo to prompose to his crush at Chloe Campbell's party, Theo's ready to throw caution to the wind and take his chances.

But when the promposal goes epically wrong, Theo seeks refuge in an empty bedroom while the party rages on downstairs. Having an existential crisis about who he really is with and without his so-called best friend wasn't on tonight's agenda. Though, as the night goes on, Theo finds he's not as alone as he thinks when, one by one, new classmates join him to avoid who they're supposed be outside the bedroom door. Among them, a familiar acquaintance, a quiet outsider, an old friend, and a new flame . . .

[acourtofthought]

I love how SJM looked right at Lucien and said, get ready boy, you're going to be happy but I'm going to make you suffer for it first 😂

"But does he honestly expect me to spend the rest of my life in that manor, overseeing servants"

“Mrs. Laurent, draw up some tea and bring it to the drawing room.”

Her chin lifted slightly. “We’ll send the servants away tomorrow.”

and wearing pretty clothes?”

Eight years of poverty hadn’t stripped from her the desire to look lovely.

“and hurried down the hall before I could explain that no one cared if she showed up to dinner covered in flour and that she should just sit.

She does not dream beyond her garden and pretty clothes.

Lucien watched the ever-young forest. “Isn’t that what all human women wish for? A handsome faerie lord to wed and shower them with riches for the rest of their lives?”

He almost had it right..........until he got:

“I don’t want a mate. I don’t want a male.” She wanted a human man.

I love Elain and Lucien as a pairing because both have / had these pre-conceived notions about the others race that created this drama in their setup (it's all so very Pride and Prejudice!). Not to mention they both started their journey accepting of their stations in life rather than pushing for more (he as Tamlin’s second and she as a lady of a household).

Lucien was under the impression that humans had no interests “Don’t you have any … interests?” “No.” Not entirely true, but I wasn’t about to explain the painting to him. So typically human" and that they matched the picture that Feyre painted in her head about life with Tamlin, their only concern, finding a Fae suitor who would provide for them. Maintaining that belief only to be given a human turned Fae mate and to find out that he was wrong about it all, that she wanted no part of a "handsome faerie lord to wed". 😂 Elain might have fit certain criteria of his stereotype but they weren't the things that mattered considering he ate his words on the rest of it.

Elain was fixed on the notion that the Fae were cruel and were out to hurt them, “We are raised this way. We hear stories of your kind crossing the wall to hurt us. Our own neighbor, Clare Beddor, was taken, her family murdered …”

And while Lucien never hurt her and is actually the least "fae-like" or violent of the fae we've met so far, her initial impression of him was this crazy bond snapping into place, creating this animalistic draw between them. And feeling that pull whenever they're together and hearing any snarls from him would probably be intimidating when she was taught to fear the Fae her whole life.

SJMs endgames couples mostly revolve around the females growth but what I love about Elucien are there are major things they've both already had to change in their thinking since being made mates. They're both having these individual journeys and working their way towards changes in their thought process which I think she'll go over once we get to their book and we'll see a continuation of that in their own POVs.

It seems she wasn't kidding when she mentioned the tension, growth, and healing (together) that they'd have.

[itsallaboutbl]

tortuting myself watching this dubbed show just cause of him. i've got problems, i know.

+ 😅 bonus

[heretherebedork]

Crazy Handsome Rich being badly dubbed was not a punishment I foresaw but... wow.

I did enjoy the warning beforehand about this being surreal but, like, I didn't need the concept of them talking to be surreal as well.

[unreliablesnake]

My new swag (Joel Miller x reader)

Summary: Joel's ex makes you snap, and it's revealed that you come from a rich family.

Note: This brainrot comes from me reading this amazing chapter of Summer Submission by @elvinaa. I just wanted the reader snap and reveal that she comes from a ridiculously rich family (like Nick in Crazy Rich Asians), making Allison and Sarah shut up at once. Thank you so much for giving me permission to write this!! / The title comes from this song because I've been listening to this on repeat while writing. /Not proofread or edited. I'll die on that hill one day.

Warnings: age gap, no outbreak, rich Joel.

It would have been a blatant lie if you said you weren't nervous. Joel was there by your side, promising a wonderful evening for the two of you, but you knew his ex-wife and daughter would also be there, which foreshadowed the upcoming drama. Why would they start and behave now of all times?

And just as expected, drama slowly unfolded. First Allison and Sarah made their snarky little comments, trying to anger you and Joel simultaneously. Then Charles started talking shit, giving you a glimpse into the series of lies those evil witches were spreading about you.

Then there were the looks of familiarity from people who had already known you and your family. But you knew they would keep their mouths shut about this. No one needed to know the truth, especially not Sarah or Allison. Oh, they would be a hundred times worse if they knew. A part of you wanted them to find out, the thought of the look on their faces being quite entertaining, but this wasn’t the right time or place for that.

Being in the company of Stella and Neal felt like a breath of fresh air. They were always so nice to you, making you feel safe and sane in the shitstorm you got yourself into by choosing Joel. You didn’t even know where you would be if they hadn’t taken you under their wings.

Sometimes you wondered if it was a good idea–staying with Joel, that is. Maybe you should just go home and leave this madness behind. Not because Sarah and Allison wanted you to leave, not because you were afraid of what they would do, but because that was the only way you could keep your remaining sanity and dignity.

“You okay?” Neal asked you on the dancefloor, knocking you out of your darkening thoughts.

Letting out a sigh, you thought about what to say. He could see right through you, there was no reason to lie. “Why am I here?” you asked him, being sure he would know what you meant by this short question.

Neal groaned, a sound that was accompanied by a disapproving look as he guided you. “Just breathe in, then breathe out. Calm down. They can’t hurt you with their stupid lies. I mean, they could, but I’m sure you can protect yourself. You don’t need anyone’s help, not even Joel’s.”

Maybe he was right; you shouldn’t let those vicious women get to you. So you put on a smile and gave Neal the sweetest look you could possibly manage. He couldn’t help but laugh as he complimented your sudden good mood, making you laugh as well. It felt nice. It felt warm. You were beginning to feel like yourself again.

“When was the last time you were at an event like this?” he suddenly asked when a slower song was playing and he held you closer than before.

You had to think about this for a moment. “A few years ago. I can’t even remember what the gala was for, but I sure as hell remember my adorable peach-colored dress and the way guys kept staring at me,” you replied dreamily, earning a smug smile from the man in front of you. “Oh, please, I went there with my dad. He chased away everyone.”

The two of you laughed at the thought, then he tilted his head to the side as he watched you. You cocked an eyebrow, having no idea what was going through his handsome head. Whatever it was, it drew a mischievous smile on his face.

“I remember what you wore at that Christmas party last year,” he suddenly said with a wide grin.

Of course, he was there. You attended the grandiose Christmas event your father’s company hosted for prominent people, feeling free and good because you onew no photos of you would get out from the event. Your father always made sure of that, no magazine was brave enough to take a risk. This way you knew Sarah wouldn’t find out, and so you had one less thing to worry about.

Your father introduced you to Neal himself, for some reason finding this young man worthy of meeting you. The two of you had fun, but at the end of the event you didn’t give him your number, and told him he shouldn’t risk stalking you on social media. He took the hint and let you be.

Before you could say anything, you noticed Joel on the side of the dancefloor, his eyes fixed on you. You watched him approach with a smile, honestly happy to see him. “Joel, did your conversation go well?” you asked sweetly.

Your innocent question kicked off a conversation between Joel and Neal that made you tense up. You didn’t like where this was going, and in all honesty, you found it ridiculous. Joel was jealous, it was clear as day, while Neal was having the time of his life messing with him.

When you made it to your table before the auction, Allison sprung into action, aiming at provoking you two until you broke. But you were done with their bullshit, and Joel didn’t seem to care much either. He put a hand on your thigh when Charles asked if you enjoyed the event, and his fingers tightened around your flesh when Allison made a few more unwanted comments.

You glanced over at Neal for a moment, thinking about how dancing with him was so far the best part of the night. Maybe it was the fact there was no drama with him around. Maybe it was the fact he knew the real you. Maybe both.

“Do you like it?” Joel asked with a gentle nudge.

Since you were zoning out, you had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. “Like what?”

“That painting,” he whispered, flashing a charming smile at you.

It was beautiful, you didn’t even deny it. But then he raised the white card that until now lay on the table and said, “Twenty thousand.”

You shot him a shocked look, demanding to know why he suddenly decided to bid for it, and when he said he wanted to buy it for you, you had a mental breakdown. He was going too far with this. You knew you had to stop him. But as you tried to come up with the plan to convince him to give up, you heard Neal’s voice from the other side of the table.

And that’s when these two–Joel and Neal–began their own stupid little bidding war. You tried to convince Joel once again, but he didn’t stop so you picked up a white card from the table and said, “Two hundred and fifty thousand!”

This shut them up. In fact, it shut everyone up.

You noticed the knowing smile that crept on Neal’s lips, but your attention was averted by Allison, who scoffed and said, “It’s easy to be generous with Joel’s money.”

It was rich coming from her, but you managed not to laugh at her statement. Sarah began to complain about you spending her father’s money, Allison joined the choir soon after, but you were more focused on Joel who was watching you with a serious expression on his face.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I snapped and bought the painting myself to stop you two morons,” you said, pointing at Joel first, then moving your fingers to point at Neal.

He laughed, seemingly having a little too much fun, but Joel was dead serious as his eyes burned a hole in you. “This is for charity,” he repeated his previous words. “And I’m still paying for it at the end of the day, so I should thank you for making a generous offer in my name.”

“Charity, my ass. It was all about winning. At least I had a good reason to buy this painting with my own money and support this cause due to my family history,” you said, having to bite on your lower lip before your tears would begin to fall because of the memories.

Joel’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t try to ask you about the my own money part of your speech despite having a frown on his face when you said it. Good. You wanted to forget this and enjoy the rest of the evening in peace.

But Allison had a different idea. She took a sip of her drink, then she said, “And how are you planning to pay for it? You said you were buying it with your own money after all.”

“Yeah, you don’t have that much money. Hell, you couldn’t even pay for your own dress,” Sarah said with a mean smile.

Oh, you poor thing, if you only knew. If Joel hadn’t shown up in the shop, you would have paid for everything yourself. But as she and her mother kept giving you those vicious looks, acting like rabid dogs ready to attack, you felt something snap in you.

“You know what? I’m not gonna stay here and listen to the two of you. You’re terrible, pathetic people, and you,” you said, pointing at Allison, “don’t even have money. Assuming I just spent Joel’s money was truly rich coming from you, the very woman who has been blackmailing him for more of his money that you don’t even deserve.”

Stella’s lips curled into a proud smile, while Neal silently clapped to cheer you on. You glanced down at Joel for a moment who had a very, very confused look on his face.

“I’ll go pay for the painting then I’m heading home,” you stated, talking mostly to Joel. “Have a good night, everyone.”

“What the hell?” you heard Sarah’s voice from behind you.

It was soon followed by Neal who said, “You know, her family has more money and power than you can even think of.”

He shouldn’t have said that, but it was water under the bridge now, you weren’t planning on going back and telling everyone to keep quiet about this little detail. So you walked outside, heading straight to one of the organizers to check where you could pay for the damn painting that you bought. You asked them to put a note on it, one that was intended for Stella who deserved this beauty for helping you so much throughout the past few weeks.

As you walked towards the front door, you heard a familiar voice behind your back. “Hey! Would you stop?”

“Why?” you asked before telling him how terrible you felt the whole night.

It had been a nightmare so far, and you told him that you weren’t expecting things to get any better. Then one thing followed another and he ended up saying something that deeply hurt you.

“I’m not the one making a scene. I don’t start fights, I finish them,” you informed him angrily, doing your best to keep your voice down. “Talk to your ex and daughter, get them to behave. Oh, and tell Allison that if she does or says anything that hurts my reputation back home, she better do it knowing my family has an army of bloodthirsty lawyers who would be more than happy to tear her apart in court for defamation.”

Joel opened his mouth, seemingly about to say something to this, but then he remained silent. Out of morbid curiosity you stayed there, waiting to hear what he had to say. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke up and said, “Is it true? What Neal said about your family.” You nodded as you folded your hands behind your back. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Because we’re not like you, we don’t want the world to know we’re rich, you were dying to say. It was true, your family was ridiculously private, and you went against everything you had been taught all your life tonight by letting them find out the truth like they did.

“That’s my family’s money,” you said in the end. “I bought the painting with the money I inherited from my grandfather. I don’t want my family’s money, not yet. I want to live a perfectly normal life while I’m studying. I’m already getting a lot of shit for not studying in England, I don’t need them to have more to say about my life.”

You could see the wheels turning in his head, but you weren’t about to wait and find out what he had to say.

“I’ll go home now,” you said before turning around and going outside to get a taxi.

This was for the best. You both needed time to calm down, and you could only hope he would come after you soon. If he didn’t… Well, at least you would know what kind of man he was. He only wanted you when he couldn’t have you. Now here you were, ready to be with him, but he didn’t seem as invested in this relationship as you were.

[save-the-data]

Crazy Handsome Rich | S01E02

Thai Drama - 2023, 10 episode

Link: Gaga | Viki | YouTube | iQIYI

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: May 2023 ~  

💫 🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride Month!!! 🏳️‍🌈 💫

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post!

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff!  -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 House of Stars - May 1st (Thailand) 

🌟 Love Mate - May 4th (South Korea)

🌟 ViAn The Series (TikTok series) - May 6th (Vietnam) 

🌟 My Partner (movie) - May 7th (Philippines/Hawaii) 

🌟 Star Struck - May 18th (South Korea) 

🌟 Stay - May 19th (Philippines) 

🌟 Ey Mi Amor - May 22nd (Vietnam) 

🌟 Tie the Not - May 24th (Philippines)

🌟 Sparks Camp (reality show) - May 24th (Philippines) 

🌟 Why You - May 25th (Cambodia) 

🌟 Be My Favorite - May 26th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 The Luminous Solution - May 27th (Thailand) 

🌟 Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa - May 27th (Japan) 

Monthly likes/dislikes

👎🏻 Our Skyy2 - it’s a shame because except for The Eclipse and NLMG none of the episodes have been good. The ABAAB episodes have been surprisingly entertaining and they were better than the show itself but overall it’s obvious that this whole production was rushed and most of them did not put the required thought + effort into creating these stories; especially the MSP episodes had me shaking my head for so many reasons. Maybe the concept of 16 episodes for 8 couples in the span of 3 months was putting too much on their plates but it’s frustrating because it had a promising start. Hopefully this season marks the end of this project altogether. 

New series & movie announcements

🎥 Every You, Every Me - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 City Of Angels (novel adaption) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Our Story (3rd sequel of My Day) - Date TBA (Philippines)  

🎥 Stay by My Side - Date TBA (Taiwan) 

🎥 Pray in Love - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 You Are Mine - Date TBA (Taiwan) 

🎥 Lovely Addict - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 Chiang Mai Adventures - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 Casanova Begins - Coming August 20th (Thailand)

🎥 Anti Reset - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Love in Translation - Coming August 5th (Thailand) 

🎥 Crazy Handsome Rich (starring LongFrank) - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 7 Days Before Valentine - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 7 Times 4 Days - Date TBA (Thailand) 

Other news from the BL world

❗️ GMMTV actors Phuwin T., Prom T. and Foei P. came under fire this month for problematic behavior - Phuwin was criticized for ableist slurs he said in a live 3 years ago, Prom made sexist and pedophile comments in a recent interview and Foei published an anti-LGBT post on Instagram. Moreover, Mark P., Mond T. and White N. were also criticized for defending Prom and his opinions. Phuwin, Prom and Mark have issued public apologies. 

❗️ Actors Yoon DoJin and DoWon were announced as the leads in the upcoming Korean BL Love Tractor. 

❗️ The 2016 Chinese LGBT drama Addicted Heroin will get a Thai adaption. Further info such as cast have not been announced. 

❗️ The upcoming Thai BLs Hidden Agenda (GMMTV), Naughty Babe (Domundi) and The Sign (IdolfactoryTH) have started filming. 

❗️ The upcoming GMMTV BL Cooking Crush is officially in production. A release date is still unknown. 

❗️ After the public defamation scandal around Build Jakapan and his ex girlfriend, latter came forward on social media and admitted that her accusations against Build were fake - he was therefore proven innocent.

❗️ A second season for the Korean LGBT dating reality show His Man was announced. The show is said to air in June. Further details are unknown. 

❗️ The following BL actors/productions won at this year’s KAZZ awards:

GeminiFourth: Hottest Artists Award 

My School President: Most Trending on Social Media 

To Sir With Love: Best Drama of the Year 

Tay Tawan: Man of the Year

Nanon Korapat: Popular Male Teenage Award 

Nunew Chawarin: Popular Male Artist Award 

Zee Pruk: Best Actor of the Year 

Upcoming series & movies for June

👉🏻 Let’s Eat Together - June 2nd (Japan)

👉🏻 Ever After - June 3rd (Philippines) 

👉🏻 Tin Tem Jai (Special Episodes) - June 3rd + June 4th (Thailand) 

👉🏻 Twins - June 6th (Thailand) 

👉🏻 Love Tractor  - June 7th (South Korea) 

👉🏻 Stupid Genius - June 9th (Vietnam) 

👉🏻 Tokyo In April - June 15th (Japan)

👉🏻 Dinosaur Love - June 25th (Thailand) 

👉🏻 His Man Season 2 (dating show) - June TBA (South Korea) 

👉🏻 The Star Season 2 - June TBA (Myanmar) 

[kalena-henden]

These are all the shows I’ve watched in 2023 so far...

finished:

Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow - Fantastic finish to the story! Top 3 Kdrama.

Unlock My Boss - Chae Jong Hyeop shines as an aspiring actor who winds up taking the roll of a lifetime as the new CEO of a tech company when the soul of the previous CEO gets stuck inside his phone. Wild concept but fun found family, corporate intrigue, and a sweet little romance that brews between the young new CEO and his assistant.

The Forbidden Marriage - Top 5 Kdrama. If you want romance, comedy, angst, and alot of love, this is your show. I had so much fun and was rewatching while it was airing.

King2Hearts - An unlikely romance sparks between a South Korean prince and a top North Korean (female) soldier leads to potential reconciliation between their two countries that is threatened by a crazy arms dealer whose cover is a magician. This a James Bond inspired, enemies to lovers, family dynasty, international war games drama. The unhinged villain has his own lair and minions but the only one who can match his off kilter mind games is the wily prince, who is equal parts smart, asshole, and lovable. The North Korean soldier is one of the only one’s who can go toe-to-toe with the prince to eventually bring out the best in him as they fall in love that is literally ride or die. There’s also a secondary romance with the princess and a royal guard. I loved parts of this and liked the rest.

Poong the Joseon Psychiatrist (S1 & S2) - I’m a big Kim Min Jae fan. He shines as a medical doctor who experiences trauma that drives him to suicide. He is saved by a passing noble woman and a short while later he saves her from suicide due to her own trauma. Both of them end up working at a rural clinic with another exiled doctor to treat the locals physical needs but also begin a new practice to treat people’s mental health needs as they try to recover from their own traumas. I loved S1 but S2 brought on some annoying new antagonistic love interests. It is a happy ending though.

Lighter & Princess - A poor computer programing genius clashes with an ambitious rich girl in his college classes but sparks fly when they vie for control of the school’s entrepreneurial programming club leading to unlikely but hard won romance. This was excellent. 

Love to Hate You - A brash entertainment lawyer gets entangled with a romance actor who keeps his distance from women due to a trauma. A bit over the top, lots of role reversals but also fun. I liked it but didn’t love it. 

A Very Secret Service (Au Service De La France) - This a dry, witty French comedy about espionage and spies in the 1960s. Quirky and enjoyable with good character development. 

Taxi Driver (S1 & S2) - Lee Je Hoon leads this team of vigilantes who try to root out the evils of society for individuals in crisis that they were never able to do for themselves. The cases are mostly based on real life events. Violent, emotional, satisfying. I love this found family. 

Crash Course in Romance - A beloved, handsome math academy professor falls for the single mother of one of his students leading to an uproar amongst the parents. There’s a cute love triangle with the daughter and her classmates (I’m Team Geonhu) and a unsatisfying serial killer plotline. 

Gaus Electronics - This is an over the top, quirky, office comedy. It’s so crazy, especially at the beginning, that it’s almost too much but it’s smart and fun with an unlikely enemies to lovers romance that is quite sweet.

The Heavenly Idol - A high priest from another realm in the middle of a battle with the devil unexpectedly switches places with a failed idol grasping for his last chance at success. Kim Min Kyu is a great fish out of water but the story is a bit all over the place. I like his sweet healing romance with the band’s new manager though.

The King: Eternal Monarch - Parallel worlds, time travel, doppelgängers. Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan. There were some great concepts and good execution but it lacked the follow through to make it truly satisfying. 

Dr. Romantic (S1, S2, & S3) - Top 10 Kdrama. A small town hospital where a visionary maverick doctor, Master Kim, mentors 30-something year old doctors with his unorthodox methods while they fall in love with each other. It has a huge found Doldam Family with the hospital workers of all ages and their complex relationships with each other. I love this show!

Our Blooming Youth - Park Hyung Shik leads this Joeson-era mystery romance. It’s okay but it’s too slow and doesn’t develop the characters enough. It should have been 16 episodes, not 20. 

Call It Love - Introverted adults in their 30s try to overcome childhood trauma inflicted by their parents as they unwittingly fall in love while working together. This one is slower, complex and compelling. It’s one of my favorite dramas of 2023.

Please Don’t Date Him - I watched this solely for Lee Junyoung as a young firefigher who falls in love with a woman who works with A.I. in home appliances and stumbles upon a government spy program. It’s a light comedy if you’re looking for fluff. 

Find Me in Your Memory - An actress who’s lost her memory and an anchorman who can never forget fall in love. I mainly watched this because of the actors cameo as these character in Sh**ting Stars. It was okay.

Healer - I know this is a fan fave but I liked it, didn’t love it. 

Bora! Deborah (True to Love) - So much potential but a bit of a let down. I like both Yoo In Na and Yoon Hyun Min.

When the Weather is Fine - I was here for the small town romance with the local bookstore owner and the fun found family of their all ages book club. However, the last third of the story wallowed in the revealed family trauma too much and lost sight of everything else. 

Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 - When this was on point, it was compelling, funny and so much darn fun! There was bromance, romance, adventure, healing, friendship, and battles both personal and national. It had some slow times but overall Lee Dong Wook was clearing having the time of his life and Kim Bum stole the show as Lee Rang came into his own. 

Thirty But Seventeen - 10/10. Top 5 Kdrama. A teenage violinist gets into an accident and wakes up from her coma 13 year later to find the world vastly different. This was so much darn fun, great found family, cute romance, angst, and healing. Even when it was sad, I was so happy watching it. Shin Hye Sun, Yang Se Jong, and Ahn Hyo Seop are fantastic!

Something in the Rain -  I wanted so much to like noona romance with Son Ye Jin and Jung Hae In but man did it drag. Her mother is especially heinous. I completed it which was difficult.

See You in My 19th Life - I weirdly dislike-watched this in one weekend cause I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It was okay. There were some interesting things about it with the relationships and past lives stuff but not for me.

King the Land - Lee Junho acted his heart out in this fluffy romcom and Im Yoona was a worthy partner in crime. I came to have a good time and they gave it to me. 

Heartbeat - Ok Taecyeon did a good job of carrying this unsteady vampire show that had some good moments but didn’t deliver on its premise. 

Legend of the Blue Sea - I really do like Lee Min Ho. He has a casual charisma that is undeniable. Jun Ji Hyun was an excellent literal fish out of water. While I liked the intertwining of the past and present lives, the story never quite hit the mark for me. Liked it, didn’t love it.

Never Have I Ever (S4) - This show never let me down. A satisfying finale season!

Meteor Garden (2018) - I needed more Dylan Wang after Love Between Fairy and Devil. This was an unexpected crazy fun ride. It was so outrageous at times. It inspired me to one day watch all the adaptations of Boys Over Flowers, as I’ve already seen 3 now. 

Hidden Love - A slow burn, age gap romance between a college girl and her older brother’s longtime friend. I really liked this but I wasn’t in love with it like everyone seems to be.

Nadiya’s Time to Eat - A fave Great British Bake Off winner’s cooking show. Inspiring.

Nadiya Bakes - And her baking show too.

Shadow and Bone (S2) - I think it improved on some things from the first season but they really crammed the second two books into one and some of Six of Crows too. Still a bit too fast-paced but I enjoyed it.

The Night Agent - An FBI agent gets an emergency call that starts a race to find a government mole and protect the informant. I binged this almost straight through. A good watch.

Queen Charlotte - This Bridgerton spinoff sheds light on royal power dynamics, mental illness, and social and racial divides.

LuLaRich - This is a compelling documentary on the rise and fall of Lularoe’s multi-level-marketing scheme. A must watch.

Sweet Magnolias (S3) - This is a comfort drama. I’m just here checking in to see how the little town is doing.

Star Trek: Picard (S3) - Showrunner Terry Matalas brings some of his 12 Monkeys (the tv series) magic to the final reuniting of the Next Generation cast while setting up a compelling potential Legacy spinoff.

My Lovely Liar - I enjoyed the romance between Hwang Minhyun and Kim So Hyun but the show itself is okay.

Destined With You - Magic, Curses, Past Lives, Symbolism, Spells, Fated Love. I thought it was going to be the next great fantasy romance but it chucked the fantasy halfway through and left a million unanswered questions at the end. At least we got a decent romance, even if the story lost its way. A big disappointment for me but I would recommend to see Rowoon acting his heart out in a cute romance.

The Uncanny Counter 2 - I was back to see the demon hunters fight for their humanity and loved ones again.

Celebrity - A solid takedown of influencer culture with mystery, intrigue, and a tiny bit of romance.

It’s Okay Not To Be Okay - I’ve been hearing about how good this drama is forever and it lived up to expectations. Great characters and development. I was surprised at how funny it was and enjoyed the romance too. Highly recommend.

True Beauty - This has been on my list for a long time and I needed more Cha Eun Woo while waiting for new episodes of A Good Day To Be A Dog. A great high school romcom with angst about a girl bullied for her acne getting a second chance at a new school who turns into a ‘goddess’ when she learns to do her own makeup. Love the romance, bromance and friendships! I love the second male lead as a character but never got second lead syndrome because I loved the main romance. I enjoyed the whole way through. 

Beckham - A docuseries about soccer (football to the rest of the world) star David Beckham that made you feel like you had front row seat to his past triumphs and struggles through the reflective lens of the present.