#i feel like.......... bl fandom has never seen a couple like. actually be in the dating phase

[forcebookish]

feel like i'm being gaslighted by the ofs fandom like where are all these wild think pieces coming from we can't possibly be watching the same ONE EPISODE of the same drama

anyway,

[heretherebedork]

The strongberry CEO’s letter was really interesting to read. The stuff about the harassment is gross and unacceptable and if they believe it’s only one person I hope they can take some sort of legal action against that person (though it may be more difficult if they’re outside Korea). But separate from that, I thought his commentary on fanservice and popularity was very interesting. It reads as though he believes at this point in the industry fanservice is basically a requirement now. I feel like if a queer production house feels that way, then other production companies must feel the same way.

It is interesting to me bc before Strongberry started making their more sweet love stories, Matchbox (who seems to be their partner) made a series of short films that were typically much more gritty and dealt with queer themes you don’t see depicted often in BL in Korea (host bars/sex work, dating apps/hookup culture, beauty standards, etc), and I sincerely doubt when those films were made that they felt as though the actors needed to do fanservice. Though I guess I can only assume as I have no idea what the promotion (if any) was like.

Further, I liked him talking about how yes of course some straight actors take BL roles for popularity but then when they and the show gain that popularity that then opens doors for more opportunities and funding for queer projects, which can then helps make gay love more normalized. I appreciated this a lot because I see a lot of people downplaying popular media as a form of activism, but it absolutely can be. Will and Grace is often credited for helping to increase gay acceptance in the US in the 90s/00s, for instance!

He even mentions how the popularity has likely driven the government to provide funds for productions (I assume he is referencing the Love in the Big City adaptations and I’m very interested to see how that show and movie are marketed).

I also appreciate how he talked about how it would be basically impossible to make BL in Korea if companies tried to insist on only hiring gay actors. I think it would be good for some people to remember that.

I don’t really have a specific point or question I don’t think, I just had a lot of thoughts about that letter and what was said apart from the harassment. Though I do sincerely hope the actor and his girlfriend are doing alright and I hope they can curb the harassment soon, it’s so shameful to know that is happening to them.

I mean, admittedly, this is why I mostly stay out of that except to express my inherent discomfort with the way people view actors and fanservice.

Yes, he said fantastic things and explained many things but he should never had had to do that.

I should never have seen a two page post trying to 'explain' why Ohm and Nanon aren't doing another BL together that absolutely assumed they're really dating and went from there.

I shouldn't be worried about naming other couples because even here people will come and no really me about them dating because of the way they do fanservice.

I actually worry more about gay actors in a way because putting their sexuality on display like this can be actually dangerous for them (see the attack on Holland' so...

What I'm saying is that I am glad he said that and I am glad people agree but I also wish he didn't have to and that there are sides to this fandom the scare me.

[nieves-de-sugui]

My personal experience with BL history for @waitmyturtles​

After reading through the posts of your Old GMMTv Challenge, I decided to add my own perspective, as a watcher, of how BL has evolved as a genre as time went by. I hope this “history from the perspective of the viewer” might shed some light in some of the questions you might have or bring up interesting things for your viewing and understanding of the shows. I will try to not repeat what has already been said through your posts by all the wonderful people in this fandom and keep it as concise as possible (turns out it’s still super long).

I’m gonna use ABL’s chronology of the shows as a timeline guide for easy understanding:

Context: How I made my way to Thailand

I’ve always been into BL (yaoi, gay shows, whatever you wanna call it), but I became commited to it around 2008. The options for queer content back then were very limited, as I’m sure we all remember. But for the sake of adding context this were my go to:

Youtube playlists of cuts of “the gay storyline” from western shows (Brothers and Sisters, Hit The Floor, Shameless, Skins and soap operas (Salatut Elamat, Days of Our Lives), etc), 

Queer as Folk, 

bad japanese live action adaptations of yaoi mangas (Takumi kun) or just sad/melancholic movies about lost men, 

sad chinese movies (usually with fucked up plots), 

indie queer movies (Were The World Mine, Judas Kiss, Shelter, Yes or No, Love of Siam etc). 

But I was starving for more. I wanted shows. 

In the search for more content, through Love of Siam enters My Bromance (very sad ending, also pseudo incest?, still part of what I thought were just indie movies with yaoi influences) and then appears Lovesick (S1 and S2), with very questionable subs, but finally a show with a gay couple as protagonists. 

Lovesick was for me the first show that finally put a queer story as a main thing to focus on, finally breaking free of the eternal side story filled with drama and hurt that was never comforted. After that only Make it Right was around. It was more of the same thing but this time the cast was a lot more reduced and everyone is gay. Also, it showed some of the sexual aspects of the genre (which now feels wrong for so many reasons, but alas). 

One day, SOTUS is on youtube with subs, plus it’s the official channels (yay! finally we can be legal!). 

First shock, there’s an actual plot centered around these two people, who are their own characters besides being gay, and they actually kiss (I remember it was so impactful to me (in a never seen before way) that I did fanart of it). Thai shows became my guilty pleasure, they were bad but they were telling the stories I wanted to see and no one else was doing it. Only Thai shows cared to show cute love stories that ended well, without the big drama we were used to in the west. My thoughts were “It’s bad but I’ll take it, I’m staying here”

Living through the different booms

When Together With Me came out it brought proper making out session and high heat to the genre. Sround here is when I started watching everything that I could find because I had finally found my jam. So I watched all that now I could not watch again (because, man! they’re bad) like 2moons, Puppy Honey S2, What The Duck, My Dream,... And then, with Love By Chance we got the first signs of consent and communication with AePete. It finally felt like we could get stories with healthy relationships. 

Also, Our Skyy came in! Great moment! Treats for everyone! And honestly, it was such a fun project to watch. Iconic side-couples from straight shows getting their moment of spotlight on the same level as the main couples from BL shows. To me, Our Skyy comfirmed the importance of the main 3 (OG, TN, KS) and cemented the path GMM was taking with their BL shows. It started to be part of the norm and not just some shows here and there. It was no longer waiting for someone to make a BL once in a while, but an assurance a small but constant flow of BLs. 

Also Taiwan started the HIStory franchise.

BIG BOOM#1 - TharnType! Also, Ossan’s Love. 

TharnType comes in. The 1st episode ends and everybody hates it for the lack of consent, but everybody loves it for the high heat and the chemistry (also for those of us who had liked Mew in WTD it was nice to see him in this show, that seemed to have less drama around it). Plus, the hype of knowing more about Tharn from LBC, who was such a nice older gay character when he was palyed by Earth (Pirapat).

I think to me, TT was a mix of a lot of the usual flaws with the very new (only achieved before by MaxTul) high heat chemistry  (which despite the controversy is an important part of the BL genre, you can’t take the sex out of BL) and an interesting idea for a plot. 

Also I watched Great Men Academy for Captain (Noh in Lovesick), and he slays. Plus the BL in the show is good (even tho technically not bl, but queer enough)

Simultaneously Japan gets Ossan’s Love, it’s first mainstream BL boom, with very well known actors and gets talked about by the regular drama watchers. Everyone was watching Ossan’s Love in Japan, it brought the genre to the mainstream for the first time. (And prepared the grounds for Cherry Magic, imo)

Other shows that left an impact at the time were He’s Coming To Me and Dark Blue Kiss. HCTM was the great Ohm comeback (who I though we would never see again), paired with Singto doing a BL again. Besides the chemistry, the change in themes was very interesting, it was the first thai bl that showed thai culture for me. For its part, DBK had an interesting opening and Aof personal queer touch to the storyline (which made it wonderful) Especially for MorkSun. It was the first taste of what we know Aof for, but it was also the first time BL had such mature and nuanced themes to it.

little BOOM#1 - Until We Meet Again and Theory of Love

UWMA and TOL, to me were surprises. I thought that like KirstSingto and TayNew, OffGun would never do another BL with new characters. That BL was still just an undervaluated stepping stone that people didn’t treat as a proper genre (as everybody had been doing up to that point, do it once and never be seen near the genre again). 

However, UWMA confirmed that BL was here to stay. It was growing, it was exploring mixing with other genres and famous thai actors were in it. It was also moving away from the usual university storyline. And TOL was the comback of the year. I remember everyone losing their shit (me included), it was the lengendary OG afterall. Up until then they had done cameos and Puppy Honey season 1 and 2 but that was it. TOL also did something interesting with its theme, and the romcom references. AND! it was the first proper kiss in a gmmtv BL. From dead fish PickRome to full on make out with KhaiThird.

BIG BOOM#2 - 2gether and Why R U?

The BL expansion thanks to the pandemic was very very noticeable. Everybody was seeing 2gether and WRU. First time anything BL trended on Tumblr. Everyone was descovering thailand. 

Also 2gether was again a first, it felt like the story made more sense. It was more believable, with tolerable tropes and a cute main pair (this was the first thai show I dared to recommend to someone who was not into BL), plus the music. The ending of the show ruined it for me, however Still2gether Fixed everything that was wrong from the 1st season and showed quickly how the show could’ve been. WRU’s plot was directly affected by the pandemic and bettered what TharnType had started with the high heat chemistry. The whole success of the show is due to SaintZee having amazing chemistry and going with it. 

My engineer was the surprise of the year, it had nothing going for it promising but it managed to be good (I think thanks to some parts of the story and the cast mainly). 

little BOOMS#2 - Cherry Magic and ITSAY and others

The riples of the pandemic 2gether boom were felt in Japan. Nothing breaks throught the japanese content barrier. Japan only consumes MADE IN JAPAN, and yet 2gether made it there. And showed the Japanese show runners that there’s an interest there. Cherry Magic aired a few months after and it was big success, like OL had been. Korea starts with Where Your Eyes Linger here too.

The thing about I Told Sunset About You was that nobody knew what we were getting. I had heard about My ambulance, I even saw some of the clips, but it seemed to be side couple queerbaiting and honestly I wasn’t expecting much. But they had promised a BilkinPP series. I think it’s no wonder it blew our minds, nobody was expecting that! 

Then the big comeback of MaxTul with Manner of Death, broke our minds just as OF had with TOL and bringing again the mature themes to the genre (they are called the daddies of BL for a reason). No one thought they’d come back.

Around here I started watching the GMMtv end of the year announcements. All the build up we had had from the growing of the BL genre and p’Aof culminated on the annoucement of A Tale of Thousand Stars. Because of how it breaks the rules of thai bl (no engineers, no university, no highschool, no city, no 2000′s yaoi tropes just regular shoujo tropes) and tells a compeling story that tasted so new the hype didn’t die even when it came one year later than it should have. 

And Lovely Writer, was the first to present the criticizing of the industry as well as expanding on the mature themes outside of university and the lack of need for fanservice off screen between the actors. They acted like normal people :D

Light on Me appared around here too, and showed us that korea can do better than it had. And Taiwan gave us We Best Love.

BIG BOOM#3 -  Bad Buddy and Kinnporsche

BB was the biggest annoucement GMMtv has ever made. The thing about it was the combo AofOhmNanon. Always grazing BL and forever ghost shipped with Chimon, Nanon decided to do his first (and probably only) BL with none other than Ohm (with who he had great chemistry since they became friends in Blacklist) and under the guidance of Aof. Here I want to add that Aof considers BB to be his first Y series, the ones before were dramas, so I assume by that that the thai public makes a difference between the more mature tone series and the more highschool/university BLs (??). Such a year that was! Accompanied by the epicness that was the annoucement of Not Me (confirmed to be the last OG show... but then they went and annouced another). 

And last but not least, Kinnporsche breaks the internet, everyone knows about thailand now. It entered the realm of darker themes and violence. Accompanied by other shows exploring other themes like: You’re My Sky (sports), Something In My Room (ghosts), etc...

Which is the flow we have now, some of the known old stuff some of the new expanding stuff, waiting for the next boom. My, what a journey!

I hope this was an interesting read and that I managed to show how these shows were perceived when they came out, even though now they might not be as groundbreaking. If anybody else wants to add how they perceived these shows when they came out, feel free to add to this!

[thebroccolination]

FOUR THEMED THAI BL SERIES RECOMMENDATIONS

by me (key)

INTRO

I've done top-ten lists before, but I think a better approach than a numbered list is to order them by why I'm recommending them. Some of my favorites are well-known, but a few gems definitely went overlooked in international fandom for various reasons (accessibility, aired during an over-saturated season, etc.), so I wanted to give them a li'l well-deserved boost. Anyway, here are four of my top fifteen selected at random:

¶ IF YOU LIKE A SOLID PLOT

Triage (2022)

Synopsis: Third-year emergency medicine resident Tin has to cope with a deluge of different patients every day. Up until the eighteenth, that is. Tin's life is transformed when university student Tol's car is overturned and he's rushed to the emergency room in serious condition. That night doesn't end when Tin fails to save Tol's life, though. When Tin next wakes, he finds himself in a time loop, a loop he won't be able to leave until he's altered Tol's fate.

Review: This was TaeTee's comeback series after years apart, and it was a massive hit domestically. Due to geoblocking and paywalls (AISPLAY is a notoriously challenge for international viewers), it didn't really take off as a fandom among overseas fans. But oh, is this worth it. Whatever way you choose to watch, I highly, highly recommend this one. The time-loop premise is genuinely fascinating, and so is the actual story structure.

And there are cats!!!

Plot-wise, I'd say Triage has the best writing of any BL series I've seen. More than once, I was texting a friend who'd already seen it, "This is like a show-show!" And what I mean by that is that a lot of BL series still seem to lean on genre-specific tropes to please audiences. They don't really bother themselves with things like character arcs or basic storytelling elements. And those series have value too! Sometimes mindless entertainment is all we want. But if you're in the mood for a series with a plot, some mystery, one of my favorite female characters, one of my favorite side couples, and some brilliant character arcs, definitely give Triage a watch.

Tin is brilliant and analytical but a very broken lightbulb when it comes to most social situations.

Important Note: If you've seen Cutie Pie and/or Love in the Air, you need to see Triage just to witness the incredible duality of Tonnam's acting skills. Sing easily is one of my top five favorite BL characters. He's the grumpy parent friend who will call you stupid for working when you're sick and then bring you soup and an electric blanket. I love him so much, so please love him also and help me write more SingGap fics please there are only like three of us out here and we need more please we're very hungry.

¶ IF YOU LIKE CHARACTER-DRIVEN STORIES

Between Us (2022)

Synopsis: Team is a talented swimmer who just entered university. However, when it comes to swim competitions, he's never able to perform to the best of his abilities. When swim team upperclassman Win comes to know that the problem doesn't lie in Team's abilities or dedication, but rather his trauma and the sleeping difficulties it causes, he offers up his own room for Team to stay in. With the comfort of company, Team's performance starts to improve and feelings start to grow between the two young men. But Team isn't the only one with issues from his past preventing him from moving forward. Win struggles with how to handle receiving love and how to give special treatment to those closest to him. Occurring parallel to the events of "Until We Meet Again," this story focuses on how Win and Team come to know and inspire growth in each other.

We're in The House of WinTeam, you knew it'd be here.

Review: Between Us was first announced in May 2020 (on Win's birthday no less!). WinTeam got me into Thai BL through two gif sets here on Tumblr that I randomly stumbled across in February 2020. I marathoned what was available of Until We Meet Again, and it became and continued to be my favorite BL series until Between Us started airing last month.

Between Us is essentially a series about character studies. Like its parallel series Until We Meet Again, most of the conflicts in Between Us are internal and stem from various sources of trauma (survivor's guilt, parental neglect, parental abuse, etc.). These internal conflicts prevent characters from reaching for love and personal attachments because they don't feel like they deserve them.

This is basically Self-Sabotage: The Series.

The Production's Pandemic Problem: Depictions of trauma, friendship, and queer experiences in Until We Meet Again and Between Us are all handled and framed with profound respect and understanding, and I think a lot of that comes from its director and screenwriter. Both LazySheep and New Siwaj have shared their personal experiences with depression, and throughout the pandemic, they supported each other through their respective struggles. New was running a small agency/studio and supporting actors and staff while legally unable to film any series, and Sheep faced additional ongoing medical conditions along with a demanding full-time job that prevented her from working on Hemp Rope's script adaptation.

At what I presume was a particularly low point for Sheep last August, New made a public announcement that he'd be giving her an unlimited amount of time to heal and rest. He explained that he didn't want to weigh her down more with a deadline, so he made it clear to fans and general public alike that she had his full support and could recover at whatever pace she needed.

Meanwhile, BounPrem had gotten an incredible boost of popularity from their roles in Until We Meet Again…right as covid cases ramped up around the world. For the next two years, they were limited in what roles they could accept because their priority has always been their roles as WinTeam in Between Us. No one had any idea when cases would subside or rise and alter production schedules, and because of that, the only roles BounPrem felt they could accept without affecting Between Us were bit roles in other series. They never complained about the wait, they never abandoned Between Us even though they easily could have moved on, and they never treated their smaller roles with anything but good-natured dedication. In October of 2021, Boun surprised Prem with a cake at an event and, after Prem clapped along with the crowd looking for the recipient, Boun explained with a smile that it was Team's birthday, and Prem laughed with utter delight. No one loves WinTeam or Between Us more than BounPrem.

Studio Wabi Sabi announced Between Us in May 2020 to the delight of fans and actors alike, but the pandemic made the production they envisioned all but impossible. For example, they needed the university as a filming location, but it had been shut down. The Thai government also threw out sporadic restrictions on series production: at one point only twelve people could be present on a film set at a time. Wabi Sabi actually did have production of one series (7 Project) canceled for six months, so they'd already experienced what might happen if they started work on Between Us during the early stages of the pandemic. As fans' complaints increased, with some pointing to the release of new series produced by larger, better-resourced studios like GMMTV, New responded honestly. He tweeted more than once that he could have produced Between Us at any time during the pandemic if all he wanted was the fans' money. He could have filmed a cheap, extremely limited series and thrown it up online to get it done and out of the way.

It's because he was devoted to Sheep's story, his actors' careers, and his own craft that New waited until he could begin filming with reasonable confidence that the government wouldn't cavalierly shut it down. It's because he waited that we have the beautifully filmed, beautifully written, beautifully acted series we have now.

The series itself is up to episode six now, and it's above and beyond what I could have imagined. Sheep clearly had the time and space to create the best possible adaptation from her unfinished novel, BounPrem have had years to build on their mutual trust and professional relationship, and New had the patience to wait until conditions were best.

This has mostly been about the production side, but that will always be a big part of why I recommend this series to people, even once it's finished and I can review it as a whole. The passion and patience is clear in every scene, and because of that I can't recommend this series more wholeheartedly.

¶ IF YOU WERE A THEATRE KID

Something in My Room (2022)

Synopsis: Phat just moved into a new rental house with his mother. There, he meets Phob, an amnesiac ghost, and has to help Phob solve the mystery of his death within forty-nine days of Phob's death. Will they succeed?

Review: I could have titled this category many things: if you like women, if you like multifaceted characters, if you like stories that explore death with unique culturally specific aspects, if you like couples who support and learn from each other, if you like beautiful use of music, if you like LOVE, then Something in My Room.

But there's just something very theatrical to SIMR. (Literally, at one point.) It feels experimental in some ways it's filmed, it lets actors take their time with some moments in ways that feel rewarding, and I just…it feels a little niche to me in that way.

There are four complex female characters in this series. FOUR. And not minor characters, either. Major, significant characters. The actor who plays their landlady is incredible and having the time of her life being enthusiastically spooky, and I ship her with Phat's mother and no one can stop me. Phat's friend Dream also has a fantastically complicated backstory that influences the story directly. Not to mention Phob's mother and just??? Four!!! In a BL?! Seriously, if you're like me and you side-eye every BL series that has nineteen guys and one vaguely woman-shaped lamppost hidden in the background, Something in My Room is the breath of fresh air you've been searching for.

Unfortunately, this series flopped domestically and internationally, but I'm not going to pretend I know why. Personally, I blame the geoblocking and the badly cut free edit they released that confused and lost viewers early on, but it's also possible that this is just a series that didn't resonate with people as strongly as it did with me, and I'll have to live with that. SOMEHOW.

However! Look at my boys. Look at my ghost boy Phob and his alive boyfriend Phat. They just got dead-engaged. :'(

This is a series that was clearly made with a lot of heart and a lot of emotion. It also has a veiled political message in one character's backstory that I'm still blown away by because they hid it so cleverly to get it past censorship. PhobPhat are easily in my top ten favorite couples, and Supanut and Plan have fantastic chemistry.

If it's not for you, that's totally fine. All I hope is that more people give the uncut version a try. Supanut (Phob) gave my favorite acting moment in any series in the last episode, and it haunts me (ha) to this day.

(Also, if you're worried about the ending being sad, I think it's as happy as it could have ended, and I'm a baby when it comes to sad endings. Your mileage may vary, of course, but I was really happy with how it ended.)

¶ IF YOU LIKE SLOW-BURN ROMANCE

SOTUS (2016) + SOTUS S (2017) + Our Skyy (2018)

Synopsis: The "Gear" is one of the engineering mechanical devices in the cogwheel system (as in a clock). Having one signifies that one is a student of the Faculty of Engineering. However, to get one, all engineering freshmen must first undergo the SOTUS (acronym for Seniority, Order, Tradition, Unity, and Spirit) system. Arthit, one of the third-year seniors, often abuses his power over the freshmen by making them do things against the rules. Freshmen students are practically powerless to complain or resist any orders given by their seniors. Arthit was seemingly unstoppable until Kongpob stood up against the abuses by the former. Continual encounters between the two developed from animosity to something much more affectionate.

Review: Whenever I see people recommend SOTUS, it's usually because it's a "classic" and one of the major cornerstones of the industry. I think it's also important to describe it as a slow-burn so people know what they're signing up for. Personally, SOTUS and its sequel have yet to be kicked from my top five (I count them together). The character-building is fantastic, there's a legitimate character arc for Arthit that spans three iterations with the same mental block that takes on different forms in each one, and Kongphob also matures and becomes more and more multifaceted. If you're not a character person, if you're more about the surrounding plot, SOTUS probably won't do it for you.

The first series is fifteen episodes, and by the time Kongphob actually talks about his feelings for Arthit, it feels earned and authentic. SOTUS remains one of the best-written series, I think, with some of the strongest pacing. When I heard that SOTUS saved GMMTV from bankruptcy, I had no trouble believing it. They gambled on giving a BL series a substantial budget in 2015 (airing in 2016), and it absolutely paid off.

Also, just on a wildly destiny-like note, Bittersweet based her novel on a viral photo of Singto acting as head hazer, Krist became a hazer because he was Singto's junior, and then they ended up playing the opposite roles. Just fun to think about, especially with loud extrovert Krist playing the older, shyer character and quiet introvert Singto playing the younger, brasher character.

I play the instrumental "Distant Signals" at least once a week (it's on Spotify under Harry Angstrom and Jonathan Buchanan). It's one of the best examples of music done right in a series, I'd say, and I'm a big fan of when a piece of media uses music well. There are songs in SOTUS S that just pierce my heart if I hear them in passing.

And SPEAKING of SOTUS S, it's like Between Us in that the conflict is almost purely internal. I'm really, really into character-driven stories, and as a queer person who felt pressured back into the closet at my first office job after being extremely open in university? A series set in an office about a queer character who feels pressured back into the closet after being extremely open in university hit a few personal buttons. I think it's still the only series that's fully represented that experience for me. The side stories at the end of every episode showing how open and confident Arthit was when he was in the safe bubble of university compared to how anxious he is in the working world absolutely ruins my heart.

And then there's KongArt themselves. I love them as characters. Episode one of SOTUS feels like a fever dream compared to the rest of the series (and it might have been a pilot to sell sponsors, tbh), because Arthit becomes one of the softest and shyest characters in all of Thai BL.

arthit: i love you kongphob: say it again arthit: no i love you

What I appreciate most about SOTUS is that it's one of the few series that's been given multiple iterations. SOTUS established the relationship between KongArt, SOTUS S explored that relationship at its low point, and Our Skyy tested that relationship by pressing down on its weak point. I think, aside from the actors' popularity, the depth that KongArt's relationship was given is one of the reasons why fans still love the pairing years and years after the source material ended. Arthit's insecurity fuels every conflict, but in ways that I feel are realistic. Every time his anxiety and self-worth issues become a conflict, it's for a different reason, and it's realistic to me that our fears can be partially dissuaded but not completely erased.

In conclusion: these boys all need therapy. I'm casting a vote for Therapy: The Series.

[chaos0pikachu]

Top has gotten the shortest end of the stick of all the characters. (Imo) He seems like a plot tool for Mew’s development, not a real person. I thought they would delve deeper into the insomnia but they have not. They brushed over him doing coke so quick as well. That’s literally the only interesting nuggets we have about him. We don’t know about his family life either. It’s hard to feel sympathy or connect with his character at this point when motivations are still so unclear. So Jojo shouldn’t be surprised that he’s so ‘hated’.

I wish he was hated because he's under-developed but I think him and Boston (who also has a lack of nuance issue in the narrative) are hated b/c they had non-monogamous sex. Which the crew (not just Jojo, I'ma call them JNBD for Jojo, Ninew, Best and Den lol) must've realized too b/c they specifically cut a scene where Top was gonna have sex w a rando and cry about it.

Know, that's unfair, I think both factors can be true at the same time. I think some people are struggling to connect with Top b/c like you said, he feels more like a plot device for Mew's character than his own individual character with their own motivations. AND I think it's because he had sex with other people who were not Mew. Because Forcebook is a branded couple and I saw those stans on twitter wildin out.

I think one factor is valid - him being under developed makes it hard to the audience to connect with him as a char - and the is not - who fucking cares if Top, the fictional char slept with someone not Mew they are not Force and Book jfc.

I think it says a lot about the state of the type of hate Top is getting that JNBD are seeing that the scene they cut was a sex scene specifically. Only now that it's gotten to the point of being outright undeniable are people even a bit more sympathetic to Boston. But like, I saw people calling Boston a predator and a rapist like, 3 episodes ago lol and rooting for Mew to share the revenge porn of Boston with his father.

Obviously this is not the entire~~~ fandom but suffice to say fandom hasn't been actually all that understanding of slutty (or really, non-monogamous behavior, y'all know being poly isn't like, an ao3 trope right? boston isn't "self-harming" himself by sleeping around he just...enjoys sleeping around? but the show has been kinda regressive in terms of poly/open relationships anyway they tease at threesomes but never follow through. At this point it feels like a meta joke, lol look at ray saying him and sand should have a threesome don't worry firstkhao fans we're just teasing they're true love fr!)

I think a big factor is fans have to strong a para-social relationship with Force and Book along with First and Khao (like holy shit y'all calm down about these two). So Top sleeping with Boston was seen as a "threat" to the endgame of their ship which should be TopMew but is actually ForceBook (don't even try with me SandRay had like 100 fics before the show even aired, and so did Top and Mew).

I spoke to a friend about this, they don't watch BL themselves but they said it sounded like part of the appeal specifically with branded couples is viewers know going in their ship "wins" they are endgame, there's a low-risk factor involved so it's easy to buy in. And I think they're right tbh I don't follow branded couples because, well frankly I don't care much, so I wasn't expecting this level of fandom bias nor the existence of the branded couples interring actively with the narrative itself. It was a very new experience for me and I think I'll just pass on gmmtv shows in the future.

I don't mind knowing where a story is going, I've watched plenty of romcoms, I'm not in this shit for plot twists, but if the journey really pushes the couple shouldn't be together and I know they'll end up together anyway well then I'm annoying lol

I think it's a shame that Top is gonna end up with Mew. I don't think they fit well together, the narrative hasn't shown me that they work or even could work long term. They have all the chemistry - to me - of white sauce casserole Carol brought to my cookout and only added some pepper for flavor. But narratively, what does Top even want? Why does he want to be with Mew? Because he opened up ONCE to Mew? We never even saw his perspective of their dating life just him giving up drugs in exchange for sex which chepie that was NOT romantic to me.

I'd love a fic that explored Top more as an individual char, why him and Mew don't actually work b/c Top's trying to contort himself into someone else because he's clinging to the sense of security Mew gave him. But what else is there to their relationship? Really? Maybe Top is actually aromantic or maybe he just enjoys being un-committed but feels pressured by society to do so, to "settle down".

There's potential there to explore that I hope fandom does but either way don't bring casserole to my cookout ever again gmmtv

[pondphuwin]

i saw a comment from somebody on facebook who said that gemini norawit said on his instagram that my love mix-up is going to be the last series he's going to do a ship with fourth nattawat because he wants to focus on doing a straight ship with, who we're all assuming is, prim chanikarn, since they're starring in the dark dice together. but the whole issue with this is that i can't find anywhere on his instagram that he said this so i can't say how credible the factoid actually is.

buuut~ looking back on it, how gemini portrays his characters when shipped with fourth, i feel like... fourth carries the weight of the majority of their on screen chemistry. gemini mostly looks really awkward showing romantic feelings for fourth's characters. even when doing fan service, he seems to be a bit more on the awkward side and pulls away or dodges fourth's advances. he could totally just be playing into this shy persona but i still feel like gemini doesn't feel entirely comfortable in his ship or maybe portraying queer characters - now that's not to say he isn't queer in some form or at least an ally, he is what he is and that's nobody's business but his own.

i guess i just hope that gemini doesn't feel awkward portraying a character in a queer relationship and that's just his style of acting. time will tell when this new series comes out and we see how he acts paired with a girl in comparison.

hi anon! hmm this is interesting.

first of all, i’ve never seen gem say that mlmu is his last project ever with fourth so if you ever find the source of that info pls lmk!! i do remember him saying in an interview that he would like to do a series with a straight ship because he had already acted with a boy, so now he wants to act with a girl (what an incredibly bisexual statement LOL) but i didn’t take that as him saying he didn’t want to do bl anymore.

it has honestly never crossed my mind that geminifourth might divorce soon. to me, their gmmtv’s latest It Boys yaknow. it makes sense to me that they would lead other series separately so gmmtv can take advantage of their massive fandom and individual popularity but i still expect them to work together in the future. also. gemfourth are besties, they have a lot of fun working and playing together, and they flirt all the time whether they’re promoting a series or not hahaha. like yes their dynamic is definitely We Are Best Friends I Love You My Bro but that's typical of gmmtv pairs, and they're still having fun being an established pairing.

i believe we're in an era where actors in branded couples can do separate projects and then come back and do bl. i know with past divorced gmmtv couples like BW or ON, that's not the case, but those are specific circumstances. i mean...we're getting a kristsingto bl in the next year, honestly anything is possible.

personally, i’ve never felt that gemini was uncomfortable acting as queer characters or being in romantic scenes with fourth. in general, fourth is more experienced and more comfortable as an actor than gemini is. we know that fourth was probably gemini's first kiss ever and that gemini was really shy during msp because he has never been in a relationship before, i think some of his "discomfort" can be explained by that. i also just think gem has only ever played awkward/inexperienced characters, like his awkwardness or nervousness makes sense to me as heart or as tinn.

there are actors out there who have been ashamed of or uncomfortable working in bl, and obviously there's a lot of nuance within that topic, but to me, gemini doesn't align at all with those attitudes. i agree that at times, gem can be shy doing fanservice, but like you said, he's playing into that shy personality to match fourth's boldness and to be fair, fourth is VERY affectionate and likes to tease and surprise gemini. there are lots of times where we can see gem being affectionate with fourth (and with other male actors), and it seems like he really enjoys and values working with fourth and being in bl series.

at the end of the day, gemini is still so young and it's very early in his career. we haven't seen him acting at all outside of his bl roles and he overall doesn't have much experience as an actor yet—i think he's very much still finding his feet, so it's not really fair to make generalizations about his acting style. i personally think gem is a lovely actor, his portrayals of tinn and heart mean a lot to me, and his chemistry with fourth is great. i would be interested in hearing back about your thoughts during/post-mlmu and when gem's future projects are released ^__^

[gilly-bean]

8 shows to get to know me

Thanks @kyr-kun-chan for the tag it took me some time trying to really think these through but this was a lot of fun!

1. A tale of thousand stars

Atots has to be on this list because it was the first BL that I really really loved and the first thing that got me commenting and not just lurking on this hellsite. There was something really moving about this show, how tender and careful the love was, how fulfilling Tian's journey to self-discovery was- I'd never seen anything quite like it before. This is also why Earth and Mix will forever be one of my favorite pairings ever and I will watch them on anything.

2. I told sunset about you

I told sunset about you was like a transforming experience to me. It's hard to capture it now but watching it the first time I felt like I was a teenager again, I felt those same butterflies, the same anxiety, the same shitty feelings you feel when it's difficult cos you're in love but you don't really understand it and it makes everything awful and beautiful. Itsay made me write and actually post my writing on ao3 for the first time ever that's how much it meant to me.

3. Bad Buddy

I love Bad Buddy, I was obsessed with Bad Buddy, I did nothing else but think about what was going to happen on Bad Buddy for 12 weeks when it was airing, I wrote like a 35k long fantasy au fic about Bad Buddy cos I was so obsessed with it. But what makes Bad Buddy so important to me is the friends I made along the way while watching it- the clown server was my first proper fandom experience and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

4. Last of Us 

The one thing you should know about me is the fact that nothing gets me going like stories about familial love. If I'm not watching the gays falling in love in a million different ways, I'm watching a show about family. Which is why Last of Us has to be here. Not only is it genuinely a brilliant show, it has all the things I love in it- horror, queer love, a parent destroying the world for their child- yeah I'm all in. And the games were fucking awesome.

5. Succession

Succession is on this list to demonstrate how much I love shows about families. If the Last Of Us is about the lenghts you would go to protect those you love, I think Succession is the opposite- it's about how far you can go in destroying the people you love, how much damage you can do precisely because you love. The characters are all genuinely terrible people and yet they make me feel things cos it's family and family fucks you up. Also it's incredibly funny. Mostly it's incredibly funny. The only thing funnier than the show is Jeremy Strong saying that it's not a comedy.

6. Shameless US

Shameless has to be here because of how much Mickey and Ian meant to me. I think they were the first proper canon queer couple on a show that I actual liked. Season 4 and 5 remain legendary. Mickey still owns the best coming out scene in tv history. And Shameless fundamentally was about family and the relationships between all the siblings were so dear to me. It all felt so familiar and comforting despite no because of the chaos.

7. SKAM 

SKAM has to be here since I truly do not know another series that occupied my brain quite like this one. Not only were the stories so good, the format where clips and texts and photos could drop at any minute made me insane. I was Isak staying up all night. I was him waiting for that text or celebrating that picture that let me know everything was alright. That feeling can't be recreated but I'm so grateful I got to be there for it. Once in a lifetime.

8. Moomins

This is really hard. There's so many shows I love so much but it's really difficult to think what would say the most about me, what has had the most meaning. I ended up choosing the Moomins because that was my favorite series when growing up and it still kinda is. Those silly little characters embody to me what it's like being Finnish and the wave of nostalgia I get from it has everything to do with the sense of place it has. Moomins are home to me.

That was legit so fun. I'm tagging wifeys @elnotwoods and @liyazaki just because I really need to know what those shows are for you even though we've talked about it a lot. No pressure but you know 🥹🙏

[sweetporcelain13]

Love in the air

This post is about the series "love in the air". I have just finished watching the show yesterday and I think I am going to stay in the fandom for a while. Given that these guys keep having fanmeet and contents for upcoming year. Share me some schedule details na khab 😂

First and foremost let me finish off saying that I just loved loved loved the cinematography of this show. The beginning scene with street circuit was when I knew I'm going to finish this show! The sound used in the scene, suspense and shots taken sat just perfect. I could feel I'm reading a really good novel, the plus point was it was in actual visuals. The team behind should be given all the credits. Because you would see the consistency of this beautiful cinematography in all episodes. I saw few women were behind the camera and stuff (need to dig deep tho), I am going to say I look upto them for this talent. 😊

Now, let's talk about the storyline. I had actually seen an interview snip where Boss speaks of getting consent from neoul for having realistic NC scenes and they did more than their wage 😂 And so I ended up watching the show. Man the chemistry was top notch. I never knew m/m scenes could look authentic. (I have seen 2gether series and it was good but Lita is another level, iykwim)

The Payu character reminds me of the phrase "crazy, stupid, love", however Rain is the stupid one 🤣 I'm just going to appreciate the fact that these two guys knew how to execute a fictional character without being judgy. Rain character is something I have only seen in females portraying those attributes but at the same time Rain doesn't give me feminine vibes at all (except his makeup). Payu is your regular tsundere type of character but very sweet. Both when star cross, something beautiful comes out.

There is a story line okay, it's not like they are trying to show boys love only exist in being physical. I have not read the novel but I am sure the writers could have dug deeper into the characters. Because right now it's only show don't tell techniques used which already makes the series lovable, but the "tell" part is also something I would have not minded.

I'm sure most of the fans would have fallen for Payu, cuz the man's smexy. 😭 But but but... Wait till you are introduced to Pai. This character I could literally smell through my screen. Charming, hot, chocolate boy, say what you wanna...he definitely stole all hearts. See. Payu is the cliche character for whom you are meant to fall. Pai is someone you would not bat an eye beyond the playboy boundaries but he's someone more than that and you would know it in the first scene itself when he hooks up with Sky. In neoul 's words - Sky you are sexxy 😭

If you enjoy the first half of the series, I'm sure you would be hooked to second half more. I'm not going to take away the credits from Payu and Rain, they were bestsellers but Pai and Sky slipped into my heart. Their story goes deep and has something for the audience to look forward to. I have not given any spoilers cuz I want you all to watch the show. I know what you guys do on the internet (😉) , this drama is nothing.

The special episode would be worth watching if you watch the series 😜

For those of you interested, "love in the air" is a Thai BL drama. Don't watch on YouTube, there are asian websites. YouTube censors the NC scenes and it's not worth watching these couples without smex 😂

Lita screenplay

More thoughts 💬

Pai x Sky >> Payu x Rain

[thatgirl4815]

First Kisses

Since I keep talking about kisses, I might as well point out how the show has given us three distinctly different first kisses for each of the couples. Each kiss seems to epitomize their greater plot line and emphasize how each of these couples represent something tonally and thematically different and yet, very similar at the same time.

We’ve gotten a range of kisses from Kinn and Porsche, but the fact that this first one is so delicate and tender and emotional is a huge indicator of the course of their relationship. I mean think about it: Kinn and Porsche have just had one of the most open talks Kinn has probably ever had in his life. Kinn let his facade temporarily fall away to confess all of his inner turmoil over his job--all to someone he hardly even knows. I remember a lot of the fandom discussing whether or not this kiss happened too fast, but in hindsight, I think it’s even more clear that this kiss says more about Kinn than about the two of them as a couple. Kinn latches on and he latches on tight; he falls and he falls fast. Why wouldn’t he kiss Porsche when emotional connection and stability is the one thing he craves so desperately? It terrifies him, but he would also be lost without it. 

Music: Daniel Kaede’s Japanese Dawn is a beautiful, appropriately-delicate mood-setter for their openness. And I don’t need to get into Jeff’s OST because the words themselves just confirm how much Kinn needs Porsche in this moment. (Side note, but does anyone else feel emotionally attacked by the opening notes of Why Don’t You Stay? Because I do.)

Theme: I’ve already laid it out pretty distinctly, but if I was to narrow down the theme in this scene and in KP’s entire relationship, it’s that everybody needs somebody they can trust. It’s fundamental, but it’s even more necessary for people like Kinn, who have been trained that complete trust leads to a lack of caution, which leads to betrayal, which leads to everything falling apart. But being together, even for just a moment, in a world that always seems to be trying to take you down...that’s the most powerful thing. 

I will just confess this right off the bat: I’m not a big fan of KimChay’s relationship, mostly because it doesn’t carry as much depth and weight as the other two. But that got me thinking...that’s probably the point. It’s meant to balance out the intensity of KP and VP with its innocence. But that also got me thinking about the fact that Chay is the only one bringing real innocence to this relationship. Even though Kim is not directly involved in the mafia life, his entire plot line ultimately revolves around it. Chay brings a light to that darkness the same way Porsche brings a lightness to Kinn. And I think that this kiss and everything before it honestly surprises Kim. He wanted to use Chay even if that meant manipulating his emotions, but he never thought he would actually develop some feelings in return. 

Music: Barcode’s OST captures the innocence of his affection for Kim, and it also plays into themes I’ve seen in a lot of other BLs about young love, growing together, etc. Again, the innocence is clear.

Theme: In some ways, the theme of Kim and Chay’s relationship isn’t all that different from Kinn and Porsche’s. Kim puts on a cold, reserved exterior, probably as a result of his own deep-seated issues. It’s interesting and definitely intentional for Kim/Kinn and Porsche/Chay to mirror each other so much. Kim and Chay is the much subtler, teenage version of what Kinn and Porsche have, and I see their first kiss as reflecting themes of young love. Trust plays a role in their relationship, but again, not to the same extent as KP.

I’m honestly conflicted on whether or not to call this VP’s “first kiss,” because though it technically is, I’d argue that it’s different than the others for a few reasons. The other two kisses were consensual and desired by the recipient. Porsche is drunk, yes, but he’s with-it enough to know who he’s speaking to, return the kiss, and remember it later. Chay basically instigates the romance in the first place by talking with Kim. Also, the atmosphere of both KP and KC’s kisses is romantic. We could’ve guessed we were going to get a kiss between them based on the general setting and set-up. But with VP, Vegas is planting this kiss on Pete, and Pete doesn’t return it. He simply lays there, caught off guard, unable to resist or respond. This, of course, says more about Vegas than about the two of them together (like how KP’s first kiss says more about Kinn).

Again, it might be controversial, but I’d argue that this--

--is the real first kiss between Vegas and Pete because they both respond to it. If we decide to count this as VP’s real first kiss, then I’ll say that it’s the first one we see that’s almost strictly passionate. It’s rushed, it’s desperate, it’s frantic, it’s all-consuming. It’s clearly more lustful than either of the other kisses.

Music: Max’s Anson’s Stable Delusion kicks into gear soon after this kiss, and while I am not a fan of the choice to use it here, I do think it at least coincides with the fact that this is far from the tenderness we see with KP and KC...at first, anyway. Later into the scene, the kisses become much more delicate, but here it’s charged with desire pretty exclusively.

Theme: All in all, I think the fact that it starts passionate and physical and gets tender later on thematically suggests that Pete and Vegas’s relationship is very passionate and toxic and potentially threatening, while the undercurrent is tender and sweet and loving. It’s the difference between the undercurrent and overcurrent. 

--

Anyway, I probably talked myself in circles a few times here, but overall, I think we’re meant to see how these relationships overlap in terms of emotion, but how they differ in terms of tone. 

[liyazaki]

you know it's kind of crazy what kind of power vegaspete and biblebuild have - I literally never wanted to watch kinnporsche, I was kind of annoyed with it because people were just talking about the show everywhere months before the show even started and I was just not interested.

then episode 9 came and I came across some posts and I thought it was so funny that people were shipping a side couple with basically 0 interactions but wait - they're not just shipping them, they're literally going crazy over them - why? how? this is so funny, what's the reason? and then BOOM they just have me in their chokehold since then

and i can't imagine moving on

they're just so... them

did u always know you'd love them so much? because for me it's like I was struck by a lightning

we’re twinning HARD, Nonnie: the show wasn't on my radar during its first- and, I think luckily for us, failed- iteration. as chatter picked up leading to the trailer, I figured "eh- I'll probably watch it. I do love me some mafiosos." the trailer hit, the Pool Scene™ melted the collective BL fandom's brain (mine too) & I was sold.

even then, I came into KP ready for a good time, not a particularly deep (ha) or brain rotty (double HA) time. the first episode was fun- the second, even better & the upward trajectory never stopped.

I can’t count the amount of times I found myself at a genuine loss. what do you MEAN one show can deliver actually-hilarious comedy, pitch-perfect fluff, scorching smut high on feels (that never happened just for smut’s sake), plus an overarching mystery & moral quandaries that gave me all sorts of fun brain candy to feast on?

I’ve watched an obscene amount of media in my life & that’s- that’s just not a THING. I mean- it is now. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop & yet it never did. what a time, what a fandom, what. a. SHOW. I never saw KP skyrocketing to my #3 BL of all time (my top 10 rarely changes), but here we are.

and VegasPete- oh my dear gay gods in heaven, Vegas fucking Pete. I never judge anyone based on their blorbos or OTPs, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out the fandom's obsession with them, long before they had their first onscreen convo.

and I read the books- all of them, in all their horrible glory. so it's not like I wasn't familiar with the material, or didn't have an idea of where we were going- I just figured good ol' Side Couple Sickness was making its usual rounds again.

what I greatly underestimated- clearly a misjudgment, given the quality of the rest of the show- was the sheer amount of thought & care BOC poured into every aspect of this story, VP included. with the VP storyline in particular, BOC managed to take a pile of steaming SA-filled garbage and somehow turn into an unforgettable gut-punch of a diamond.

I can't remember seeing such a raw, nuanced, heart-wrenching, intoxicatingly-toxic relationship play out on screen before. if I did, Bible & Build's stunning, full-pussy-in performances wiped them out of my mind. getting struck by lightning is the perfect analogy- I never saw it coming & I usually do- again, I've been around/seen a lot.

it's going to be a very, very long time before I stop hyper-fixating on this show & VP in particular & you know what? I'm glad. beyond glad- I'm so well-fed & oh so grateful.

[forcebookish]

they can say whatever they want about Top but at the end of the day he never had feelings for anyone besides Mew. the other couples cannot relate. and after he realized how much he fucked up with Boston (aka being manipulated) he immediately told him to back off and never once did anything again. I'm sure they'll try to say that's a "low bar" but compared to their fave characters he is actually looking very good right now.

EX👏AC👏TLY👏 ANON👏👏👏

top never even liked boston lol he fucked him ONCE and the dickhole couldn't handle not going another round. he literally couldn't take no for an answer.

and the amount of times i've seen someone say that something top does is the "bare minimum" when he has always done his best to take care of mew and introduce him to new experiences... and he's always doing more than anyone in the other couples. but again, they get a free pass... just because they're their faves😒 like at least i gave the other couples a chance lol (and again i must remind the masses, i am a fan of firstkhao... not so into their fandom lately😒 i don't have to like the characters they play just because i like them. in fact, that's a testament to their acting but whatever, BL fandom wouldn't get that)

top is still the least insane, most normal one out of the lot of them. he's not doing the "bare minimum," everyone else is being extra as shit.

TOP LOVES MEW TOP'S ALWAYS LIKED MEW TOP HAS NEVER LIKED ANYONE OTHER THAN MEW

thank you for your contribution to the top tanin love bot cause💗

[absolutebl]

I've been a huge BL fan (series, fanfics, etc) for about a year but I'm still very new to this BL world and today I saw a post on soc media from some Trans activists with a caption "straight girls who fetishize gay guys are just as creepy as straight guys who fetishize lesbians". And then there were lots of comments like 'fujoshis, this is for you' or 'every yaoi fan girl ever' or 'every fandom ever' (I do know the meaning of yaoi and fujoshi). What do you think about that statement? Is it really that bad that we girls/women fangirl over fictional and sometimes real life gay couples? During my entire life I never realized that I'd be so much into BL (that's probably because I never really came across a lot of gay series/movies/stories/fanfics before when I was younger, only recently) and now ever since I became a huge fan I have seen that there are literally thousands of women who love it too. So is it really fetishizing?

Thank you

And btw I love your blog so much, one of my absolute favourite 💜💜

Aw hi hon!

I actually kinda tackle this, tangentially, in this post:

Will BL Get More Honestly Queer?

It's a pro normalization stance with pro straight allies feels.

So is straight women loving BL really fetishization?

From a kink perspective, no it's not fetishization. As a kinkster I have to say I don't like that term being coopted and used as a slur, either. That's just non-kinksters using kink as the lowest order punching bag for them to abuse (puns intended).

Technically for kinksters, 

a fetish is a sexual act or element that is REQUIRED by the person who has said fetish to get off.

Oxford says:

a form of sexual desire in which gratification is linked to an abnormal degree to a particular object, item of clothing, part of the body, etc.

Oh but there's that word we all love "abnormal." 

Sigh.

Still, by either definition, my answer to "So is it really fetishizing?" is... no it's not. Because that's not what fetish means.

But this is how I feel about it as a queer kinkster and others are entitled to their own opinions. (So long as they don't present said opinion as fact, I suppose.)

Like everything else on Twitter, (and that smacks of a Twit-izm, so you didn't say twitter but I'm assuming) reduction has oversimplified the statement out of all inherent meaningful discourse or quality of thought.

Frankly i find outrage culture completely exhausting. I can't barely work up the enthusiasm to brush my damn teeth, getting upset up over pop culture that gives people pleasure, especially pleasing women who have precious little joy in their lives, just seems sad to me.

On the flip side:

It is interesting to consider, as a straight woman (or a lesbian, or a person not really attracted to men, or as a person not attracted to sex/relationships), why you are drawn to BL? Why you find this kind of narrative attractive, sexy, warming, comforting and NOT the straight ones? I do think self reflection can be quite interesting. Especially around desire.

But then again, as a queer kinkster, the nature of my own desires has resulted in a certain amount of self reflection my whole damn life.

Okay now... weird comparison but here we go. 

Wouldn’t publicly admitting to liking BL be a little like a straight woman experiencing a kind of coming out? I mean if admitting to loving BL gets you bullied, criticized, and abused? Like hello, welcome to the party. Guess who has a lifetime of knowledge about admitting to liking and/or being sexually turned on by a thing and then shamed for it, the queers and the kinksters! 

Finally, I think the original 1:1 has an issue with conflation. (Having just played about with conflation myself, my bad.) 

Still, the men/lesbian = women/BL cases cannot be compared because the power held by (and invested in) male sexuality, gaze, and straight sexual desire and its ability to objectify women (and companion impact on social power in society) is materially different from female and feminine desires and its social power.

As a result the original statement is, by default, pitting feminist issues against queer activism. I don't like anything that puts a fissure between queer and feminist, because I believe queer/trans rights are feminist issues. (I've talked about this before but I can't find that post and I'm tired...) 

Anydinglebury, read that linked post above, it's a lot more coherent than I am currently being.

Suffice it to say that what motivates me is cohesion and support, sharing affection and delight, as well as education and understanding - not being divisive or encouraging outrage or shock or us/them mentalities.

But that's what drove me to Tumblr instead of other platforms. Sure this is the original hellhole, but that hellhole is well lubed (sorry not sorry) and it's also a greyspace that seems to capable of containing multitudes (still not sorry) in a way other hellscapes can't (or won’t).

Besides, the people that do not like me or disagree with me here, well they just block my dumb arse. So much easier that way.

(source) 

[disaster-j]

I came across an article from Celebestopnews on 21 March about Off allegedly confirming his relationship with Gun. On another platform (otakuart) another article appeared a day later talking about the same video and also confirming that they are dating. Now I don't speak Thai, so I have no idea what is said in the video that was attached to the first article, and I have at least sometimes the ability to be a bit critical of sources, so I don't think there is any truth in the articles - especially as I suspect the internet would have gone crazy if that were the case. But I would still be interested: Do you know more?

Thanks for having such a great blog!

Ugh yeah I have unbiased info.

Preface this by saying Off has leaned into the whole "offgun dating" rumours by making jokes about it for years now. It's basically a given that nothing they say about this stuff outside of an actual, official press conference should be taken seriously as confirmation of anythings whatsoever.

So here's what happened. Back in early 2020 (I think) OffGun were asked for the millionth time by an interviewer if they were dating/had ever wanted to date. They replied by explaining that their relationship is such that they already do many things that people who are dating would do for each other but that despite their closeness they've never actually said they wanted to date or should date. They left the possibility that it could happen someday open. Having seen that interview a couple times I can say that their response seemed to be a way for them to explain that they get that they have an unconventional relationship but it was not one where they were romantically linked. Although they weren't averse to the idea of someday ending up together, that was just not what they wanted from each other at the time. Now, people might say this is them doing fanservice or just saying it to fuel shipping delusions but to me they seemed pretty serious and genuine, like that really is just how they saw their relationship. They could date but they didn't feel any need to.

Flash forward to 21st March when OffGun were chatting with fans on video call and a fan brought up what they'd said then, asking if they were now ready to say they were dating. Off replied to this by saying something along the lines of "yes call a press conference I'll say it now" and then proceeding to give Gun a very exaggerated sniff kiss. Watching the clip it was very clear to me they were both just messing around because Off's tone was pretty playful and sarcastic, not serious at all, and they both laughed after.

As people who have both kept their dating lives extremely private over the span of their careers, even before the ship, it should be obvious that were they actually dating they would not joke around like this. They'd likely never actually announce it and if they did it would be a very clear announcement with official notices by their company backing it up because their status in the industry sadly would warrant that. I'm not quite sure why the joke was blown so out of proportion by the fandom, maybe it was a mix of a couple of things? OffGun have gotten closer than ever in the past year while becoming more and more private with a lot of their interactions. They use far more personal and affectionate pronouns for each other, they hang out all the time without posting about it or making it public. All this makes the fans think their relationship has changed into something even deeper than it was before. All of this happening as their possible last BL show with them as the mains airing is enough to stir the pot of rumours.

I won't say that it's impossible that they could be dating or could date in the future, simply because it isn't. But I will say that counting the joke as an announcement of their relationship is quite an odd thing to do. Especially for a fandom that has so far been quite respectful of the artists' boundaries. It feels invasive and unnecessary for fans to demand a label or more transparency from OffGun when their dating lives should never be any of our business. We should be able to just appreciate their wholesome relationship without needing to make it all about whether it's "real" or not. A label does not define whether or not two people genuinely love and care for each other.

Hope that helps clear things up!

P.S.- I would generally add links to the clips I mention but I'm currently waiting for a meeting and don't wanna risk opening videos rn xD but they can be found with subs on yt or twitter if you do a quick search

[puppy-phum]

bad buddy for the ask game 🥺👉👈

thank you for allowing me to go feral, love you ♥

favorite male character:

pran, obviously. idk if there has ever been a bl character i've related to more. he feels like home to me and i am so grateful i got to meet him ♥

favorite female character:

we get very few options for this but honestly, i have to say pha. i love her to bits. she's so cute and energetic and her just going uh um gIrLs 😳😍 during the show is so relatable. also, huge respect for her dealing with both pat and pran, truly the god's strongest soldier

least favorite character:

patpran's parents lol. otherwise i love everyone a lot. even wai ok. he is dear to me despite this fandom hating on him a lot for understandable reasons.

prettiest character:

please do not make me choose bc they are all so pretty??? can you see pha above?? and then ink?? and aaahhh both pat and pran are Beautiful too 😭😭 and their friends??? but is this my chance to say that i am absolutely obsessed with jimmy's face and put wai here bc i will do it (i am very normal when it comes to vice versa starting next month)

funniest character:

ok so bad buddy is obviously a romantic comedy. they are all simply funny. but i think the one who makes me laugh the most is pran despite also making me cry the hardest. i just love the faces he makes?? and his and pat's banter is always so good.

favorite episode:

i have two. the first one is ep 5 bc i will never be over pat's self-discovery journey during it and then the kiss at the end. all of that changed me as a person. the second one is ep 11 which always tears my heart apart. it's so beautiful and lovely but the underlying melancholy in that ep is just killing me. it's perfectly my vibe tho bc i love tragedies, and if bad buddy had ended like they fooled us into believing it did, i could've still lived with it. am happy it didn't bc patpran deserve to be happy but i could've lived.

favorite romantic ship:

patpran of course. i adore them. i have never felt as strongly about a main couple before. bad buddy really is one for the history books. tho i also gotta mention that waikorn drove me wild while i was waiting for new episodes to drop. they really made them all "will they, won't they??" and am still not quite sure they didn't actually end up together in the end haha

favorite family ship:

idk if there really are any others in bad buddy than pat and pha. but i don't really need more?? they were perfect. i loved their banter and they truly felt like siblings, they had that deranged energy to them. but they were also very supportive and caring of each other, and pha's coming out scene still has a place in my heart ♥

favorite friendship:

bc i see pran as a permanently lonely person, i adored it that he had wai by his side. his and wai's friendship felt free and uncomplicated. they were also very comfy with each other and had casual skinship which i did not expect from pran when i saw so much of myself in him. i also adored pat with korn bc wow the chaos really was on another level. also the shared braincell between those two was barely functional but they did take advantage of every second of when it was ♥

worst ship:

gosh i dunno if there is anything bad in bad buddy? all the ships are lovely ;; or maybe i just haven't seen anything truly cursed haha (and please do not expose me to anything if you know something, i like this happy bubble am living in XD)

thank you once more! i had fun :')

leave a tv show or a movie in my ask box and i'll tell you things!

[shijiujun]

i feel kinda bad for shl cos all the fans of hyx and spl are blaming shl since their dramas are being delayed :(

LMAO I really don’t get that altho i can see that the timing might be a little back to back, and i’m not a SHL-only stan by any measure but:

For HYX especially,

Firstly it was already having problems since the end of last year with censorship and review. This is mostly due to the reason that 2ha is a pretty big fandom and is the cult fave in the danmei industry - what this means is that there are three types of fans basically right, (1) Normal fans who love the novel + show (2) Those who fanatically love the novel in some extreme ways haha (3) Those who hate it and/or are HYX-onlys - so you get it all in a bag. 

The first type of fans is definitely the easier ones to deal with, but unfortunately in big fandoms you get a lot of (2) and (3). It’s not something that’s exclusive only to 2ha/HYX but because it’s a cult fave, and a controversial one at that, problems definitely arise.

(2) are the ones who head down to the filming scenes, take photos and footage despite crew telling ppl not to do it, not to sneak around filming sites and definitely not to leak photos or footage. They do it anyway. Yeah sure of course it’s a couple of photos every few weeks or a tiny video every few weeks but word gets out. They’re inevitably hurting the show and the fandom with their actions, because shit trends on Weibo really fast, and the censorship committee (not just for the film industry or shows) is always lurking on the site to catch any sign of you know, hate speech for the country etc. and more. Not related, but the point is that social media is watched very closely. It’s not a myth or an exaggeration, you really just got to be careful, and HYX is a show that, despite not having been broadcasted, has consistently trended on Weibo over the last few months. Not always because of leaks, but yeah, HYX is in everyone’s faces. Fans themselves put a fucking huge spotlight on the show BEFORE we even have any content at all, and of course this isn’t enough to like create huge trouble for the show but then we have-

(3), which I believe creates the most trouble - the thing is 2ha and meatbun who wrote the book, has a long line of haters and antis, way before HYX came into the picture. I shall not go into details of how I’ve seen some big accounts on Tumblr here spit vitriol at the book without even reading it just based on the content/trigger warnings and playing the morality card (and I think most ppl who’ve followed me for a while know just what I think about that). Like this was way before any footage or leaks or even HYX being a thing came about - as a cult fave it has its share of haters, and this share is a huge. There are those who get off on their moral high grounds XD and I think especially these ones are the most troublesome, all they have to do is report that HYX is immoral, bad for culture etc. etc. hahaha and yeah the censorship team is always ready to step in on reports, especially on BL stuff.

And of course the larger part is the change in censorship processes - honestly even way before SHL came out in end Feb, HYX was no closer to getting passed by the review committee than it is now. Maybe yes, SHL scenes may be now used as reference for comparison but seriously? People are deluding themselves if they thought pre-SHL HYX was going through the review process smoothly and only hit roadblocks after. I mean, we’ve all seen the leaks, some of them are truly like god-tier scenes that may be hard to explain away. It’s not like they can repackage the script especially because they have to submit everything to the review committee.

I mentioned this in a post yesterday but how SHL passed reviews is due to the fact that they didn’t have to submit a full script. They only had to submit a partial script, and that makes a world of difference. Basically a team, under these requirements, can repackage the script to include the more het looking parts even I feel, and of course some heavy misdirection by the team, it could work. Now that you have to put an entire script up for scrutiny.. I mean, it’s hard. This is just a game of probability.

And the last reason I think is still Tencent. Honestly, I’ve never seen a huge ass MNC like this handle a show this terribly.

1. No control over leaks - This is honestly the dumbest shit to do

2. Terrible crisis management response time - When fans leak footage, it’s standard and practical business sense to control it IMMEDIATELY. They shouldn’t just leave it up to the crew to put up notices and as the company that owns the rights to the show, it’s up to them to possibly threaten legal action as well. Basically a sterner stance would have helped a lot, but Tencent is a motherfucker of a company who only cares about free marketing and publicity without any considerations over impact to the show itself 

3. Terrible at communicating with fans - Seriously, I’ve never seen a company or team that’s been this bad at confirming delays etc. and providing updates about a show. I understand that it’s mostly due to them not wanting to affect the review process or create more chaos within the fandom but lmao Tencent allowed the hype to build so much and then goes absolutely silent at crazy rumours. I mean we had to find out about a delay from Cai Bao, their cat mascot, like??? In a really veiled and poetic message that didn’t outright say the word ‘delay’ like damn these ppl have a lot of time

As for SPL,

Lol we don’t know anything about this show. We don’t know if they took out or left in the Yifu part that would supposedly make it less gay or whatever, we don’t know anything about how gay it should have been or could have, so this one might be a tad more ridiculous. I mean none of us have seen any good leaks, and we haven’t seen any of the script, we got ZERO idea about this. Maybe they really went hard on the bromance, how would any of us know hahaha so all the more it’s like people have zero basis to go on, to say that it’s because of SHL. Seriously, everyone’s shooting in the dark.

Technically if laws didn’t change last Feb, I think SPL/WIK should have been passed in the same way as SHL did, but it’s just inopportune time for them.

===

- So tl:dr HYX already had tons of problems, that I doubt were going to go away just because SHL didn’t air, honestly. For SPL, it’s really hard to tell what failed the review, because none of us know what’s going on in the script.

No one cared about SHL, even I only realized the show was airing on the day itself and then made a rec post after I watched the first 4 eps. And if it truly was anything to do with SHL, I’m telling you that the first thing the censorship committee will do is basically shut SHL down, get Youku to take it off sites etc. until it’s reviewed again etc. etc. That hasn’t happened yet, at least not before HYX and SPL were stalled.

===

ALSO!! Don’t have to feel sorry for SHl fans hahaha I’m telling ya a lot of us definitely weren’t OG SHL or TYK fans, seriously! All the bigger accounts I see on Twitter are a combination of CQL/SHL or MXTX/SHL, SPL/SHL and I am personally 2HA/HYX/SHL. The fight is all out on Twitter HAHAHAHA but it’s not that bad, we’ve all got practice. Seriously WHO ACTUALLY is an SHL only stan I’ve honestly not seen much?! HAHAHA the point is we’re all yelling on behalf of SHL as a cross fandom fan, easier for us to do so as well. We’re talking about 2ha/HYX/SPL/Priest dedicated accounts that delved deep into SHL championing for no-nonsense in the space hahaha

[life-rewritten]

Lovely Writer Ep 1; An Introduction to Ambition, Masks and Secret Goals

We did it, guys! After trying hard to get back into this writing groove thing, I think I have found it, the show that will make me want to write. And we all say What??  Oh, my word was the first episode of Lovely writer so great. From the first moment the show starts, you can tell there's meta, it's calling out the BL industry; sarcastically, with comedy, shallowness, and yet there's this air of secrecy and depth to it. It's funny because the industry's problems made fun of are essentially going to be our big villain of the show, the thing that's going to try and rip our couple apart. So to see the first episode already lay a foundation for us to start realising the disconnect with what's being done on the surface vs what's being truly displayed secretly shows us already this show is playing with the ideas of masks and the lengths it would take to actually survive in this world/industry portrayed in the show. The thing as well is we are watching this show through the lens of Gene; he's also someone who's become very disconnected with how he feels about the problematic elements of this industry vs how people want him to think about it; they want him to thrive off it, to use it for his ambition, to use it to make himself known. So already, we are also introduced to the theme of ambition and the theme of secrets. The characters are acting in a way to get something done for them, and yet they're hiding their truths to please something; the industry, a person of power, or just something they want. And that's fascinating already to start with. That's already going to be fun to unpack and write about.

I just really love how deep this show is already becoming;  hidden with comedy and romance, we see depth, we see realism and calling out issues that we face in the real world concerning the BL genre, and still, we see yet, a love story brewing as well, it's a perfect combination. Or is it? And not to be so fully surprised, I did say that Tee is a great director, he made TharnType mean something to me, and that's because he hides his themes and his actual message behind layers and layers of subtext, he focuses on flaws of characters, but he makes them feel real, yet he also tackles real conversations about things that happen in real life and hides it behind a passionate romance and comedy. That's why this is so great for me. In already episode 1, Tee has shown up and done everything I knew he could do with Lovely Writer, and I am so freaking excited. The words are pouring out of me. Once the show started, I wanted to write, analyse and talk about this show.  I wanted to bring to the surface the meta, the subtext, the foreshadowings and the character depth. I am truly ready for this show, and I hope you all are too. So episode 1, how were we introduced to the themes of the show so far; well, let's find out.

An Introduction to Ambition, Masks and Secrets

So the show starts off as a typical romantic comedy Bl; at first, you are like, it's funny they keep mentioning these little truths about the genre and the industry. It makes sense; we're seeing the story through the eye of a frustrated writer in the industry who has to do a lot to be part of it, so it is funny but also surreal to see the issues being brought up about the industry. Because of this, you know this show is meta. It's taking its self not seriously, but it's actually serious below the surface. So immediately, my sensors start to ping, could there be more depth to this story, are there hints showing us what to look out for, is there more to what Tee wants to say with this show. And actually, the first thing is the introduction to Aey. They mention him at first during the casting call discussion; the way they introduce him is interesting to me because I know he's an obstacle to our story. He's a love rival, and he's sneaky.

Aey is an interesting villain if you wanna call him that. He's obviously going to be a barrier, and you know, his smile on his face seems like a mask, not particularly for evil, just something he has to use to get his way. Just like Nubsib, he's faking an image, and we see his real face in the bathroom, this episode. Especially when he looks through some comments and tweets, which I don't know what it's about because there were no subs, but I'm guessing either mentioned his sexuality or how cute how he and Nubsib will be together or something else that pokes at his insecurity. Right now, he's ambitious,  his thoughts are on succeeding, and so he acts docile, nice and friendly to get what he wants; however, we can see that the reason why he's right now trying to get Nubsib's attention isn't because of love; it's because of the job, of wanting to keep appearances, of knowing this would make him more successful, this will make them famous and please their growing shipping fandom.

That's the exciting thing; the question is, does he really like Nubsib or is he just faking it. Is there more to his connection with Nubsib? Also, just the fact that he's not a one-note character but he already seems to have layers is so exciting for me; this show is already doing what I hope it would do for me, it's being meta, secretive, smart, structured and still having comedy and romance on the surface. These characters all seem to have layers, truths hidden and interesting reasons for why they do what they do. That's fascinating to me. So because of that one scene where we see Aey almost break his mask and then go back to putting it on to please people and write on his social media, I'm already seeing the theme of ambition in this series. I see it in Gene, Nubsib (for Gene mostly), Aey, even Hin, who's a bit interesting with his own want to write and need to be noticed. Interesting.

The lengths our characters have to go through to achieve their ambitions might make them take on masks that they aren't particularly comfortable with, and also isn't an accurate display of their own values and truths but never the less they have to do this to achieve their ambition.

Gene: The Mask Of A Writer

We can see Gene isn't really a fan of BL writing and the tropes associated with it. In fact, he deplores it, he finds it hard to write about, and he doesn't think there's any substance to them. His focus is that what they portray is shallow, unimportant and toxic, just like how he sees the industry promoting them. It's why he's fine being an introvert; he feels safer in the confines of his home doing what he loves to do; writing, but he's decided, letting people in is not worth it. Mostly people from his industry who seem callous at times, greedy at best, and just corruptive. He disagrees with that and tends to want to distance himself from that. But what can he do? He wants to write, he wants to survive by doing what he loves to do, he wants to thrive in his job; however, he has to make sacrifices to get to that goal where he can comfortably write what he wants.

He's not really comfortable there, he wants to write something else (something with more depth, something with more understanding, something that makes him feel like him), but he can't, so he takes on a mask to keep on doing whatever he can for his ambition.  Writing is all Gene seems to have, from constantly being tired, irritated, and too focused on it to even take care of the state of his house, of himself, and of his relationships. Nothing is more important than writing. That's his ambition, what makes him happy, what makes him safe, what makes him comfortable. And that's very relatable; as an introverted writer my self, Gene finds an escape from the real world when he puts his mind at work, and he creates however slowly, the love and excitement he has for writing are being shadowed by the lack of belonging he feels for the genre he has to write about. The moral conflicts, the uncomfortable topics and just overall the shallow results of his stories. They don't mean anything to him, just a way for ends meet. And that must be incredibly frustrating and tiring. Yet Gene has to do it to get his ambitions done.

That's why it's funny/important that Nubsib is invading his space. Nubsib's presence is showing up and unravelling Gene's masks, his truths, his reality. Nubsib is pushing Gene out of his act and making him question his ambition and truth. But also, in a way, Nubsib is providing depth for Gene for this genre as he starts to be truly inspired by his unknown attraction and connection to Nubsib.

 The more the love becomes authentic, the more Gene starts to understand maybe why BLs might be written and why it might be loved by many fans because of that meaning of love that is portrayed when done correctly. So perhaps, Nubsib is making Gene realise more about the other side of things; maybe he offers a different perspective, especially since he's going to be one of those tropey BL characters.

Nubsib: The Mask Of A Lover

Nubsib is very much ambitious, he takes levels to make sure he gets to Gene, but also he hides his true self and wears a mask of two faces. Even his manager knows his real personality and says it; he's faking an image. He hides who he really is to Gene to come of nicer and sweeter, but also he does all of this to get his goal of making Gene trust him. Making Gene first think he's a good boy.  Now, of course, immediately, I notice his two-faced behaviour. I see red flags; this isn't a healthy way to pursue a lover; it's full of lies, secrets and not truly knowing the real person's character. So are we going to unveil more about his intentions, why he's so invested in Gene and what he gains from doing all this, this way? Why is he so ready to ensure this time, Gene doesn't escape or that he doesn't lose his chance to finally be with Gene.

Acting doesn't seem to be his agenda; Gene is, you know, which is why you can feel already from the bat that he knows Gene before. He's pretending they haven't met before/, or he's seen something in him that's made him want to be near him; that's fascinating and interesting, that's the lengths he's taking; to wear a mask to get what he wants. It's interesting because, in a way, his lying, manipulation and secrecy is the opposite of what his presence is going to be for Gene in the show. Remember, he's meant to add authenticity to Gene's life, and love, and vulnerability, and so it's worrying because it's almost like Gene is falling in someone who he doesn't even honestly know. But this is just episode 1; as much as yes Nubsib is manipulative and secretive, I think there are things we'll get to see about him that's still authentic, at least for now; one of the things that stay true is his feelings for Gene, that's what's driving him, and Gene who has been so devoid of that connection maybe that's why Nubsib has to find a way to break down his walls in that way. We can see it's not easy for people to see Gene's vulnerable side. Nubsib makes him vulnerable, and maybe Nubsib knows this about Gene if they have met before; maybe he knows this is the only he can maybe try to make Gene notice him since Gene is so quick to run back home and throw himself into his world of writing. But is it okay? No, it's still manipulative and deceitful, but I think it's going to have consequences. And I can't wait to see how that unfolds. You also see some parts of when his masks fall, and that's concerning Aey, which is funny because  I think they're the same type of people. This is why I'm intrigued by this show; they both will do whatever it is to get what they want.

Aey: The Mask Of An Actor

And then we have Aey; he's even more fascinating; he's pretending to like Nubsib for his own agenda. Even Nubsib can feel it. They've known each other for a while. They can read through each other's masks. That's why they have an interesting plot arc coming. The show does start by making note that he rarely would get a role this big because of his queer identity. Apparently, that's an issue/ problem with the industry (both in fiction and in reality, sadly). They think LGBTQ actors don't attract money if they're too 'queer',  so Aey is determined to get success, notice and fame. He's already found ways to get to this point by overhearing Nubsib when he finds out about the audition. Nubsib is already known and supported by people. Aey may be different. Maybe he's had to struggle to be noticed.

In a way, he's doing all he can to ensure this works for him, but in order to do so,  he also wears a mask and hides who he really is to everyone. In fact, the reason why he's chosen for the role is because even though he is queer, he doesn't seem like it. This is what was said in the show. The only person who seems to see him truly is Mhok, and that's an exciting development being hinted at. There's someone again who is connected to unravelling his mask and knowing his genuine authenticity. I think this is a big theme surrounding romance in this show.  So Aey is going to be an interesting obstacle, just like Sib, everything that comes out from his mouth are lies to get what he wants, maybe even his smiles and fake niceties aren't truly his character; he seems devious (not in a negative way), he seems cunning, like he knows how to be one step ahead. This is probably what he's made himself become to be chosen, noticed and taken seriously. To get what he wants. This makes him a fascinating antagonist; I don't think he's a villain, just someone who has a fascinating character arc in the show. I can't wait to explore it.

Hin: The Mask Of A Follower

And then there's Hin. As much as he's chirpy and nice and friendly to Gene, he seems quite, I won't say jealous, but he does show he wants the chance and opportunities Gene has with writing. He asks the manager by text as the audition happens,  to read his book and let him know if it's possible for publishing. It seems he tends to be overlooked; he's curious, wide-eyed, always looking positive, but what if this is also just a mask? What if we're gonna see more to this arc too. It'd be interesting to see if he'll feel annoyed at Gene complaining about having the opportunity he has to write BLs, when others may not be chosen the same way. But that's just a theory about Hin. If all the other characters are just as ambitious in getting what they want, what's to say, Hin wouldn't be later. What role would he play during the show's ending, perhaps just a supportive friend, a guide to help Gene deal with whatever comes, but it is interesting to know he also wants to write. My first thoughts always point to negative with that because it suggests rivalry. And I think rivalry is also an interesting theme, an occurrence that happens in the industry. So maybe there's more to him, or perhaps not.

So yeh ambition and masks and the lengths the characters would go to fulfil what's important to them in this show have been built up already. Most of our characters all share similarities of having to become or do something that doesn't pertain to the truth of who they really are. They see no choice in the matter; they have to do this to survive or to be happy. This industry is a competition, it's harsh, and you need adaptability, tough skin and methods to survive and get what you want. Especially since Lovely Writer is about the Acting industry as well. These characters all have to be actors somehow, Gene has to pretend he cares about BL, so he sells and makes it big, Nubsib has to pretend he doesn't know Gene, so he can win Gene's heart, Aey has to pretend he cares about Nubsib, so he becomes famous and supported by his fandom, and maybe even Hin has to pretend he's okay with following after Gene, so he can find opportunities to learn more about the industry and also find ways to publish his book. An interesting theme that occurs in real life. Obviously, as Gene and Sib fall for each other, those ambitions come out to the surface, become obstacles in the making, and they have to choose to sacrifice some of it for their love and happiness. One way or another, there's a consequence to not being who you are; somehow, the truth always comes out.  Okay, let's do this show. Let's get to know these characters. I certainly can't wait.