TO be honest. I don’t understand what it means when people say Merlin was Arthur’s bane. Mayhaps I misunderstand but. Arthur was a bit of an assassination magnet (not to mention all those magical creatures and bandits... so many bandits), and Merlin actively prevented Arthur's death for years, which would have occured without him anway in the very first episode. I can see why one might argue that Merlin was just delaying the inevitable, or that he didn't succeed in keeping Arthur safe until Arthur could enact the golden age, but certainly I don’t see how he could have been Arthur’s bane.
Also, it’s implied in the last episode that the golden age does occur, but under Guinevere. Which makes sense as she knew Merlin was the sorcerer and that she was pleased about it (and I recall it was confirmed in interviews), so I also don’t follow the twin train of thought that Merlin was his own bane or even Camelot’s. Camelot was already bane-d(?) under Uther. But partly because of Merlin's steady friendship, Arthur matured into a king who was kinder than his father. He also actively sought magic's aid on multiple occasions, so he knew magic had potential for good (like healing his queen) without Merlin needing to tell him about his magic.
I don't think it's fair to say Camelot's laws on magic remaining relatively static was because no one close to Arthur came out as having magic. There was still much risk in that, and for Merlin a lot at stake, not just his life. A law change was still possible (and almost seemed to be set up that way) without Arthur needing someone he was personally close to having to do the work to humanize it for him (in the sense that the episodes with the druids, the druid boy with Elyan, and the dolma seemed like they were pointing to a law change because Arthur sees the diversity of magic and those who have it).
At worst Merlin’s efforts didn’t change the status quo, but we do have things indicating that they did. And Merlin was not single-mindedly serving Arthur at the expense of everyone else. He saved Camelot as a whole multiple times. He was also very willing to stick out his neck for many others even during the height of his anxiety and agitation in season 5. (Also only being slightly silly when I say this, but he was also THE wingman for Arthur when he was getting with Gwen, so in a way Merlin’s help led to their courting being a success and thus contributed to her being in a great position to change the laws. so personally I give points to Merlin for that). Most of the decisions centering Arthur's safety seemed to stem from the fear that Albion would crumble before it began if Arthur were to die, so he tried his best to prevent that from happening in any way he knew. (Like, when Arthur is dying, Merlin asks "So I failed?" regarding the whole golden age thing, which I think is telling that the prophesy and his role in it was still VERY much at the forefront of Merlin's mind).
And this is a digression but I know people think Merlin should have done more for Camelot, or for folks with magic (like, as a revolutionary or something akin), which I understand but no one reached out to network with him really? It'd require resources, people (always confused why there weren't a whole bunch more folks offering Merlin material/intellectual/emotional support if they thought he should be the one to bring about the golden age. all he was told was that the forseen way it actually happens succesfully is through Arthur), time (I doubt it’d have been much of a ‘quicker’ way necessarily), and incredible planning + foresight if it's meant to be something that works out effectively + long-term. Okay I think I've digressed enough now. This is a whole seperate thought that I don't think I'm gonna do any justice here lol, and I'm already rambling, so I'll stop now :,)
But anyway, in terms of being his own or Arthur’s bane, we know Arthur will return, and we don’t know how Merlin spent his years. His magic can play with time and maybe he learns how to control that, or he could have entered a stasis like in various legends, etc etc etc. And I mean it is tragic on many levels, and it’s sad we didn’t see Arthur’s arc completed, and that Merlin sacrificed so much for a goal that didn't get much acknowledgment by the show at the end, but still. I don’t think Merlin was Arthur’s bane, or Camelot’s, or his own.
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~ Monthly BL Breakdown: April 2024 ~
🌷 Happy May!!! ☀️
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)
🌟 Love is Like a Cat - April 1st (South Korea / Thailand)
🌟 We Are - April 3rd (Thailand) ✅
🌟 Memory in the Letter - April 6th (Thailand)
🌟 Living With Him - April 11th (Japan)
🌟 Gray Shelter - April 11th (South Korea)
🌟 Beating Again - April 13th (Thailand)
🌟 Blue Boys - April 15th (South Korea)
🌟 At 25:00 in Alasaka - April 18th (Japan)
🌟 GMMTV2024 Part 2 (lineup event) - April 23rd (Thailand) ✅
🌟 Boys Be Brave - April 25th (South Korea)
🌟 CHANGE2561 2024 lineup event - April 25th (Thailand) ✅
🌟 My Stand-In - April 26th (Thailand) ✅
🌟 City Boy Log Vol. 3 - April 30th (South Korea)
New series & movie announcements
🎥 The Fridge - Date TBA (Thailand)
🎥 Flavor of Us (starring Benjamin B., Dome W. & others) - Date TBA (Thailand)
🎥 Children's Day - Date TBA (Taiwan)
🎥 Blue Time - Date TBA (China, possibly censored)
🎥 Bad Guy My Boss - Date TBA (Thailand)
🎥 Oriental Magician In The Ent. Circle - Date TBA (Taiwan)
🎥 Under the Oak Tree - Date TBA (Vietnam)
🎥 Invitation - Date TBA (Thailand)
🎥 The Love Matter - Date TBA (Thailand)
🎥 I Saw You in My Dream - Date TBA (Thailand)
🎥 I Wish You the Best - Date TBA (Thailand)
🎥 Impression of Youth - Date TBA (Taiwan)
🎥 Meet You at the Blossom - Date TBA (Taiwan)
Other news from the BL world
❗️ The production company Studio WabiSabi announced that their actors Boun N., Prem W., Santa P., Sammy C., Yacht P. and Stamp P. have terminated their contracts and will no longer be artists under the company on April 15th. Shortly after, GMMTV announced the 6 of them as newly signed artists, along with the disclosure that BounPrem's upcoming BL Vampire Project is now being produced under GMMTV, who now also own all broadcasting rights; WabiSabi will function as a co-producer. New S. stated on Twitter that the decisions had been long in the making, as well as the fact that WabiSabi no longer functions as a management agency for actors and is now a mere production company. He also denied the rumors that the company is shutting down. Shortly after the transfer of the Wabi Sabi actors, actor Fluke Jeeratch (formerly Pongsakorn) joined GMMTV as well.
❗️ The Filipino BL Gameboys is getting a third season. An air date has not been confirmed.
❗️ P Ekkapop and Pan Jirachot, the lead actors from Kiseki Chapter 2, have announced a new project together. Details are unknown.
❗️ Actor Barcode Tinnasit has announced his departure from his agency Be On Cloud.
❗️ After some confusion, the Korean production company Studio X+U announced that their upcoming series Fragile - which was initially advertized as a Korean SKAM remake - is in fact not connected to the Norwegian web series and is instead a standalone series, which focuses on the life of a group of teenagers. According to ZUM News, there was supposed to be a Korean SKAM remake based on the Norwegian original, which was however cancelled due to unknown reasons. Fragile was created as a substitution.
❗️ GMMTV held their 2024 part 2 event on April 23rd. The following BL projects were announced:
The Heart Killers (starring FirstKhao & JoongDunk)
Perfect10 Liners (starring ForceBook, PerthChimon, JuniorMark)
Heart That Skips a Beat (starring EstWilliam)
Revamp (starring BounPrem, formerly known as Vampire Project)
Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist (starring MarkOhm)
The Ex-Morning (starring KristSingto)
❗️ The production company CHANGE2561 held their 2024 lineup event on April 25th. The following BL projects were announced:
This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (starring SailubPon)
Goddess Bless You From Death (starring PavelPooh)
I’m The Most Beautiful Count (starring PingSupanut)
Pit Babe Season 2
Upcoming series & movies for May
👉🏻 You Made My Day (starring Tar A. and Bom T. from I Will Knock You) - May 3rd (Thailand)
👉🏻 Inverse Identity / Upside Down - Mary 3rd (China)
👉🏻 Wandee Goodday - May 4th (Thailand)
👉🏻 A Balloon's Landing - May 10th (Taiwan)
👉🏻 City of Stars: Special Episode - May 10th (Thailand, cinema release)
👉🏻 The Time of Fever (Unintentional Love Story spinoff) - May 15th (South Korea)
👉🏻 Blossom Campus - May 16th (South Korea)
👉🏻 OMG! Vampire - May 19th (Thailand)
👉🏻 Manji Reverse - May 24th (Japan)
👉🏻 My Biker 2 - May 28th (Thailand)
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How did Malon get her brand scar? 🥺 (Downfall IAU)
- hero-of-the-wolf
You are so good at poking my brain in just the right way to make me want to write things Wolf (...or Emmie? I just looked at your blog and realize you go by that skhjhsfjkhkld) and I couldn't resist again. writing a little fic was easier than just explaining it all XD
This is set like... further back-ish. Time is probably still alive though, and Twilight and Legend are younger. Aside from that... vague. lol.
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“I’m sure you know why you’re here, Malanya.”
A glare was all Dark got in return from the woman in front of his desk, her hair falling in her face. It was coated in nearly as much dirt and animal hair as the rest of her was, and there was a streak of blood across her cheek. She looked exhausted, and Dark was certain she still had a fair amount of adrenaline coursing through her based on the faint tremble in her limbs, but none of that really concerned him.
“Well? Aren’t you going to say anything in your defense?” he asked after several moments had dragged by.
“You’ve already decided I’m guilty, I don’t see the point,” Malanya finally said, voice short.
“Try me. I’m curious as to why we caught you breaking into a restricted area, and seemingly doing nothing but releasing animals that are government property,” he said, crossing his arms behind his head as he leaned back. “Alone, at that. Unless... those other footprints we found weren’t actually more of your own?”
Some of the color leeched from Malanya’s face, but her expression stayed remarkably level.
“And... it’s strange, too, but some workers seem to be missing after the events of tonight. Let’s see... Romani, I think was one of their names?”
More color gone.
Dark hummed, rather amused by the situation she’d landed herself in. He knew full-well what Malanya’s goal had been on this mission of hers— both goals, in fact. But he enjoyed making her squirm. It was nice to exercise some of the power he’d painstakingly built face-to-face sometimes.
Especially towards the wife of the man he had personal beef with.
Oh if only I could be there to see his face after this.
He'd been trying to catch her or her husband in incriminating circumstances for years now, and she'd practically dropped this in his lap. She'd been sloppy, Dark could only assume because her cousins had been involved, and now he was reaping the rewards.
And the perfect opportunity to show why I shouldn't be crossed.
“Do you have anything to say in your defense now?” he asked, and Malanya regained some of the fire in her eyes.
“I don’t know about missing workers, but I do know you weren’t using those animals for anything except cruelty,” she spat, eyes blazing. “I could hear them crying out every time I went past, and I refused to let them suffer any longer. Do what you want with me, but I don’t regret freeing them.”
“Dangerous words,” Dark said, smirking at her. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you want us to punish you.”
Malanya went silent again.
Dark let out a theatrical sigh, and glanced at the guards holding her, then back at her face.
“I think a lesson in obedience is necessary here,” he said in a soft voice. “Though... the punishment has the potential to be lightened, if you decide to tell us about any partners you may have had helping you.”
“There was no one else,” Malanya said smoothly. And Dark almost would have been inclined to believe her if there hadn’t been just enough evidence pointing to the contrary.
But he was willing to be gracious. If this was what she wanted, who was he to deny it to her?
“If you were the sole instigator, that would mean a much harsher punishment,” he said in a low voice. “I’m afraid an action like this is simply something we can’t ignore.”
Malon raised her chin, and looked him in the eye, her blues as fiery as her hair.
“I was the only one involved.”
Dark couldn’t help his chuckle, and he stood, walking around to her side where she couldn’t easily see him. “I see once again why Link married you. You know, your fire is something I’ve always admired, I’ll admit.”
He leaned close to her ear for his next words, and reveled in the way she flinched from his breath on her skin.
“We’ll see what he thinks of the mark this earned you.”
Her eyes went wide, and Dark smirked at the slight hitch in her breath.
“Yes. Normally you’d be imprisoned for a period of time, or sent to a work camp for a while for an action of this caliber, but I think a branding will serve as a much better warning. And reminder, in case the idea of doing this again ever happens to cross your mind. It sends a much stronger message to everyone, don't you think?”
“You don’t have the authorization to carry that out,” she breathed, and Dark grinned.
“No? Didn’t you know? I’ve been promoted again,” he said, watching in delight as her expression fell. “I’m now the head of the entire Department of Superhero Surveillance and Inspection."
He leaned in so close to her face that he was only inches away from Malon’s nose.
“Which means I control your entire life.”
“You won’t keep getting away with this,” she said in a voice so quiet he barely heard it. Her face was definitely pale now, with a glimmer of fear shining in the blue, and even the guards had exchanged glances when Dark had mentioned her punishment.
Which was exactly how he wanted it.
"Nothing's stopped me yet," he smiled in response, and poked her nose, just to see her flinch. "Dismissed. You know where to take her."
Malanya struggled as she was lifted to her feet by the guards, but it was halfhearted, as if she knew it was pointless. That or her exhaustion had finally caught up to her, but Dark didn't care much about which it was as she was dragged away.
He was too busy imaging the look on Link's face when he heard and saw what had happened to his beloved wife.
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