#character: cupid

[ofcupidslove]

[maybe-boys-do-love]

Mix Sahaphap gets to perform (and has the performance chops to perform) in a style that I’ve never seen any other male actor get to embody. Mix gets to unironically play the #strongfemalecharacter. The Beatrice, the Elizabeth Bennett, the Jo March. Strong-willed, emotional, kind-hearted.

Not only do the plot points line up, but Mix, more than any BL actor I’ve seen, fully leans into the embodiment of this archetype. In his roles, he rolls his eyes, pouts, banters flirtatiously, softens his posture and expression at small details. He doesn’t over-exaggerate and imposition other characters but his face also doesn’t hold back his character’s thoughts and judgments. And when the moments arrive, he lets all the hurt and anguish pour out in shatters of tears and visible heartbreak—the star-counting scene, anyone????—in a way that harkens to the operatic emotionality of well-done melodramas, soap-operas, and their contemporary Thai equivalent of Lakorn. It’s only that these have never been men’s roles in those.

It’s no surprise that one of Mix’s roles—Cupid’s Last Wish—is explicitly a gender body-swap, and Tian in A Tale of Thousand Stars is (albeit explicitly denied within the show) heavily connected to gender body-swapping. What Mix specializes in as an actor, and does exceptionally well, has been defined as feminine. To depict a kind of queer expression in this style is novel because it’s not camp, it’s not okama, it’s not a soft or femboy, it’s not a BL twink (Mix has been mostly excluded from the schoolyards and quads of the BL universe except for a role as a senior crush in Fish Upon the Sky). It’s too sincere and too adult for any of that.

In Moonlight Chicken we get to see, without the pretense of gendered mysticism, this performance style’s seduction, warmth, wit, and explosiveness within the framework of a general gay form of expression. It says that this kind of femininity might just be a gay thing. Not all gay men exhibit it, obviously—queer men aren’t a monolith. Still, it gives us something to consider about how we observe performance of queerness on screen, especially in front of an audience that puts so much more emphasis on ships, heat, and pairing chemistry to assess how well they perform a BL role. Could we look for other features to judge performance of queerness instead of how well they kiss?

Seme and uke roles would be the major performance style categories loyal BL fans assess actors with, yet even within the archetype his character’s fill within BL narratives, Mix’s performances differ from the typical uke depiction in BL because he really doesn’t perform them as passive. Rather, Mix’s characters and his portrayal of them are dynamic and demanding. It certainly fits certain stereotypes of ukes (Gilbert!) and their gay stereotype equivalent of bottoms as pillow princesses and brats. Mix’s characters, though, have more drive, agency, and compassion than that, and he plays them with all of those currents running underneath.

We certainly have openly gay writer/director Aof Noppharnach to thank for writing this kind of queer character for Mix to play in Tian and Wen. But for Mix’s specific commitment to the performance starting off with his (debut!?) role in ATOTS, we first have Earth to thank for believing in Mix’s ability and recommending him to portray the role of Tian, and then Aof’s acceptance despite his differing initial expectations for the character. Mix, Earth, and Aof have all been open about how Mix in his personal life and nature holds a lot of similarities to both his role as Tian in ATOTS and Wen in Moonlight Chicken. Some people might knock points off his performances because he’s like them. But his relationship to the characters, rather than dampening my enthusiasm for Mix’s performances, helps me appreciate his willingness to give an authentic performance in a style that hasn’t been encouraged on screens previously. It’s made more impactful that he chose to risk vulnerability to bring something personal that had previously been excluded from screens because of its gender deviance (and in broader society explicitly condemned). This doesn’t make a claim on Mix’s actual identity, but simply shows his willingness to understand and perform the expressions of his queer characters with an effort at empathy that many other actors would feel challenged to bring.

Some actors are chameleons, but some actors have a gift of a type within which they can explore depths and range that no one else can best. For me, that’s what Mix does in his work when directors and casting understands his talent. There’s a BTS video of Mix actually fainting during a scene while in Earth/Phupa’s embrace on the mountain that immediately brought to mind the wildly famous final scene in the film Camille where Greta Garbo as Marguerite dies in her lover’s arms.

For Mix, it was a serious incident due to regrettably extreme conditions and requiring the on-set paramedics, but these levels of theatrics, for me, are emblematic of what Mix is capable of as a performer, as well. After all, he had to faint in Phupa’s arms multiple times on purpose. It’s the kinds of Old Hollywood and heightened sentimental romance realms Mix takes his performances to! Then he can turn around and make it look easy to take that same character into grounded quips or dedicated everyday tasks. It only takes writers, directors, and audiences willing to see that men can feel this way and act this way. Mix has paved the way.

[everafterwhat]

C.A. Cupid redesign!! As I’m sure a few of you know, I posted this on insta already but I wanted to post it here too! I drew a redraw of them a while ago (like two years ago lol) and have been wanting to update it for awhile now!

I tried to reference ancient Grecian/Roman fashion just the tiniest bit in her EAH design and referenced her bone Elemental side in her MH design! As usual I had a lot of fun with these designs!🤭💘

[shititsarobyn]

Playing around c:

Here’s a lil bit of the eah content I promised lmao

I kinda forgot that with translating source media you don’t actually need to change your style much if at all and it’s more just taking inspiration/ideas to rework stuff (((:

[aestheticpixelz]

📱💕Single Sims Storyline Ideas for Cupid's Corner

Hi friends! I've had so much fun creating romance-related stuff for the new pack, and I'm excited to finally share some of it with you.

Here are 25 cas and gameplay ideas that you can use to create unique single sims for the new Cupid’s Corner dating app in the Sims 4 Lovestruck!

Instead of giving you a basic backstory, I decided to pretend each sim was writing their bio on the dating app! You can find each sim's bio ⤑  here

If you make any of these singles sims in your game, please tag me or use the hashtag #aestheticpixelz! I’d love to see!💕

Also, no worries, new lookbooks are coming soon! I just needed a bit of a break from the norm😊

[sillysiluriforme]

please come pick up your boy he's doing wall push ups

[laurenillustrated]

Happy Valentine’s Day! 💗

Cupid from Don Quixote ballet

[aroaceleovaldez]

underappreciated Nico detail that I like - he seems to be an angry crier! very frequently he's angry when he cries and he cries when he's extremely angry. very AuDHD of him. emotional regulation sucks my guy and he's just going through it.

[xbomboi]

Hopper’s Five Stages of Grief

Stage One:

Denial.

Stage Two:

Anger.

Stage Three:

Bargaining.

Stage Four:

Depression.

Stage Five:

Acceptance.

—> see part one here <—

[atalienart]

He's been caught...

[bi-dykes]

The Holy Duo of posts about canon Ever After High sapphic characters

Canon in Apple and Darling’s case, implied in Raven and Cupid’s case <3

[chycreations]

You aren't afraid of throwing yourself in the path of danger, but you're terrified of letting anyone in.

[canisalbus]

This Piece is easily my favorite you've ever done, I think about it so often. The soft hazey feeling, the cozy feeling of the bed, the pure gaze of Vasco, AGH.

So I just had to make a Moodboard of it, I hope you enjoy.

.

[clarissasbakery]

i drew some monster high girls that aren’t as well known that i hope get a doll in g3!!!

[popfizzles]

Boba often gets through sleepless nights on full pots of coffee!

Every so often, they'll get their hands on something he doesn't understand, things he can't make work, and runs himself into the ground trying to figure it out. Weird objects from Porkrind's Emporium, old books from the Elder Kettle.. Even Ms. Chalice will hand them an old artifact now and again, knowing that Boba is into that sort of thing.

You don't suppose magic just comes easier to some toons than others?..

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

[From This Prompt List]

[mynqzo]

made a lil board of my main ocs! thought it would be cute