#la pluie theory

[syrena-del-mar]

Balancing Self-Absorption and Love in La Pluie

This week there's not much left for me theorize as the pieces of the puzzle that La Pluie has set up since the very first episode are finally coming together. There's something so good about a show that takes you exactly where you expect it, but still delivers in a way that is beyond expectation. La Pluie has hit every romance trope but has able to subvert it in ways that are unexpected.

I think it's been long established that Tai spends his time with his nose in Nora Roberts novels for far too long. So often the characters in her book get swept up by the idea of love and falling in love. As a reader you forget about the family and friends of the characters (sometimes even the romantic partner), because the characters, themselves, forget about them as they're so focused on their dizzying romance and are focused in on their own emotions. So it's not surprising that Tai only focuses on his own romantic problems and his own feelings, to the detriment of his family and even Patts.

[Disclaimer: I had been working on this before I read @slayerkitty's important post delineating that he likely acts how he does due to his trauma with how his parents divorced. I do think this is a point of view that is important to keep in mind.]

Wow, never have I felt so vindicated than with this episode of La Pluie. It really hit the last nail in the coffin for me about the way Tai and Tien's sibling relationship works. Last week, when talking about the differences between the four and when it came to Tien I couldn't help but say, "He'll go back to being the doting and hard-headed brother of Tai, not even seeking an apology for leaving him behind, for not checking up on him, because he'll never expect that out of his brother. He's Tai's emotional caretaker, not the other way around." And when I first delved into the birth order theory of the Saeng brothers, I posed the question of who would be the first to notice that Tien is fragile and hurting. I got my answer now. It's definitely not Tai and it'll never be Tai if he never learns to look outside of his own emotional needs and wants.

The thing about Tai is that he's nice, but he's not necessarily kind. Self-absorbed and self-centered both have a very negative connotation, typically because they're terms that tend to be connected with characters that are portrayed as vapid, so when I utilize these terms to describe Tai I don't intend for any of that extremely negative undertone. The reality is that Tai is self-absorbed and self-centered, in the plainest sense of those words. He's so preoccupied with his own emotions and his affairs that he forgets about those that he cares about. And if he does remember them, more often than not, he'll lash out or throw a jab at them. Tai makes choices that he believes will protect him, not necessarily the most rational ones and it's aggravating. @sunshinechay put it succinctly, Tai's making the most ugly choices and La Pluie is letting him be unlikeable without making him out to be the villain.

La Pluie has repeatedly been showing us that this is Tai's major character flaw. We saw this with how he treats his mother, blaming her for the divorce without knowing how hard both parents tried to make the marriage work. We saw this with Patts, from ignoring him for two years to expecting Patts to read his mind with no verbal confirmation of Tai's feelings. We heard from Bow how he closed himself off and didn't interact with co-workers. Hell, today's conversation with her, she tries to help Tai see it from Patts point of view, but he cuts her off because he doesn't want to be hurt by love again. And Tien... Tien who reaches out to him first, who looks out for Tai, who goes to Tai in search of a safe space but won't every fully get it.

I whole-heartedly believe it's intentional that they showed Tien and Tai getting together only after a whole week has passed by. Tien and Tai are close siblings, but a lot of it is has been depicted to show that Tien is the one that does most of the legwork with Tai, even with Nuea and Jan. Tien is the liaison between the four brothers, communicating and delivering messages between them when they're not all under the same roof. [I would dare say Tien is the liaison for the whole family and it continues to be proven by the fact that he's the one that invites Uncle Nu into the family hug.] Out of the four, Tien and Tai are likely the closest, but that's because Tien is the one that goes looking for Tai, he's the one that invites him out, he's the one that looks out for Tai's emotional wellbeing. Tai was clueless as to why Tien was so out of it, because Tai likely closed himself off for that whole week caring only for his own emotional, likely never asking if he had made it back home safely. He might have not even registered that Tien was even there. Tien truly was alone in the remnants of that fallout.

Tien had divulged to Tai before that he was developing romantic feelings, but it's not like Tai ever shared any interest in finding out who Tien liked, because it wasn't knowledge that affected him personally. He never bothered to inquire and it's not surprising that he never clocked it, because even when he was with Lomfon and Tien, his attention was never given to Tien. He takes Tien at face value, not exactly bothering to dive deeper. And it's apparent in how Tai deals with Tien's confession of love and how he little he really asks him about how he's coping, but turns the conversation to his relationship. There's a noticeable difference in how Tien inquires after hearing the news and how Tai does.

Yes, Tai apologized. Tien doesn't expect an apology, because that's his big brother that he cares for, so he doesn't necessarily want an apology. Even so, it's important that he feels like he needed to apologize, but all the same, it's still disappointing that he doesn't necessarily recognize why he's apologizing. It's frustratingly slow growth that we're getting from him and it's a side-effect of being so self-involved. Now I don't think this takes away from the brotherhood or the love that they have for one another, because they obviously do love each other. But I think that Tai's self-absorption and Tien's self-sacrifice will always cause their relationship to be unbalanced. But an apology and recognition is still growth and Tai has to be the one to choose to continue to grow.

Any relationship takes work, whether it be romantic, friendship or familial. It's a choice everyday to put in the energy and the work that it takes to make a relationship work. No amount of paranormal idea of fate and destiny is going to allow for a relationship to fully work and thrive. Tai has had people that love him walk the tightrope, fully cognizant of his emotional state, so it's not surprised that he's become coddled and has an expectation of people to know his feelings. Yes, actions speak louder than words, especially in a world where you may lose your hearing the moment rainfalls, but when you're making actions that are contradictory to your words, those original actions are drowned out.

It's likely a trauma response, as @slayerkitty said, and it helps provide context as to why Tai ticks the way he does. It provides reasoning behind his actions, but it doesn't mitigate the fact that he was hurting people, particularly Patts and his family. Now it's Tai's turn to make the choice of working hard for the love that he wants, to saying and putting the effort of making his love known. He's started with his family, he's worked it out with Lomfon, now he needs to put that same energy in salvaging his relationship with Patts.

(tagging @lurkingshan for their weekly round up)

[waitmyturtles]

SOME GOOD SHOWS THAT I LIKED IN 2023! (AND SOME THAT I DIDN'T)

I watched A LOT of stuff that did not originally air in 2023 by dint of my Old GMMTV Challenge. This list is inclusive of this recognition!

THE BEST SHOW I WATCHED THIS YEAR: HE'S COMING TO ME

I have no other words: this is my favorite Thai BL of all time. Perfect length, perfect plot, perfect celebration of Thai culture, perfect acting, the greatest coming out scene of all time, the BEST of the best BL moms. Perfection.

THE OTHER BEST SHOW I WATCHED THIS YEAR: BAD BUDDY

I don't even want to think about how many words I've written on Bad Buddy this year, but they're well deserved for this REMARKABLE show. I've got a thing for shows by Aof Noppharnach that feature Ohm Pawat, what can I say!

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SHOW(S) I WATCHED THIS YEAR: LOVE SICK AND SOTUS

The influence of Love Sick and SOTUS can be seen in SO MANY Thai BLs, even through today. Without having watched these two shows to start my OGMMTVC project, I wouldn't have the context for what later shows like Bad Buddy and Theory of Love were commenting on by way of their content and structures. Love Sick in particular was a HELL of a lift -- but I am damn glad I watched it, and I certainly feel nostalgia for it today.

Honorable mentions of influential pieces that had impacts on Thai BLs: Love of Siam and Dew the Movie

MY OTHER FAVORITE OLD SHOWS I WATCHED: UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN AND THEORY OF LOVE

BANGERS!!!

If New Siwaj ever tops Until We Meet Again, I'll fly to Bangkok and give him a gold medal. That long-ass show, 17 EPISODES, I WANTED MORE! OhmFluke's chemistry was great, the story delved SO deeply into historical homophobia and how culture and acceptance changes over time -- scrumptious. Theory of Love, man, the way this show ate up implicit compassion bias and gave it right back to us. I loved it. KHAI FOREVER!

THE BEST SHOW I WATCHED THAT ACTUALLY AIRED IN 2023: MOONLIGHT CHICKEN

Not only was Moonlight Chicken my first real live fandom experience on Tumblr, it was a hell of an amazing show, incorporating so much of what I love particularly about Thai BLs, and how many Thai BLs do not shy away from celebrating Asian cultural touchpoints. From exploring Jim's internalized homophobia by way of his rural upbringing, to juxtaposing Pattaya's spiritual symbols with growing development that upends older strains of local culture, Moonlight Chicken offered a lovely commentary on what it means to be queer in an ever-changing Thailand.

THE OTHER BEST SHOW I WATCHED THAT ACTUALLY AIRED IN 2023: WHAT DID YOU EAT YESTERDAY?/KINOU NANI TABETA? SEASON 2

BRILLIANTLY ACTED by literally the best actors in the Asian BL game: we are blessed that Nishijima Hidetoshi and Uchino Seiyou have given so much to this franchise. It's hard to write about this show because it's so perfect -- it needs no extraneous words. Plot, pacing, acting, character development, gratuitous food shots. It has it all.

THE OTHER OTHER BEST SHOW I WATCHED THAT ACTUALLY AIRED IN 2023: I CANNOT REACH YOU

Just like Bad Buddy looked at Thai BL tropes in the eye and said, "over my Nong Nao," I Cannot Reach You asked Japanese BLs about the efficacy of almost every trope we've gotten used to, and questioned them with efficiency. The biggest shocker for me? REAL COMMUNICATION, encouraged by the CIPHER, Hosaka, that allowed the two lead protagonists to confirm their love and understand each other. It was straightforward and FUCKING GOOD.

A SHOW THAT AIRED IN 2023 THAT I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ABOUT YET, THAT I NEED TO REWATCH IN CHRONOLOGY, THAT ALSO DID SOME TROPE/GENRE ASS-KICKING THAT I'M STILL THINKING ABOUT: LA PLUIE

La Pluie was FEARLESS. The show had a LOT to say about romance and soulmates not being as much of a realistic thing as content-makers... and, frankly, majority society would like us to think. La Pluie made its characters WORK for love and understanding, and had us viewers face our implicit biases about how romantic content should and could work. I watched this show out of order of the OGMMTVC watchlist to see it it was one of the best of the year, and it certainly is. I'm planning a deep rewatch for early 2024 to pen my words on it.

A SHOW THAT ALMOST TOPPED MY 2023 LIST BUT GOT DOCKED BECAUSE I ENDED UP LIKING THE NOVEL A LOT BETTER: I FEEL YOU LINGER IN THE AIR

@neuroticbookworm and @lurkingshan know that I flipped THA FUCK out over this show -- FABULOUSLY acted by Nonkul Chanon and Bright Rapheephong, FABULOUS cinematography, great story up until the end of the series. My fangirling led me to read the original novel by Violet Rain, and -- I found out that Jom was a lot more damn sassy than we got in the show! Tee Bundit's penchant for sadness won. This is not to dock the show, but the novel had more than enough material to carry the series through without repeating themes in the end. So it fell on my 2023 list, womp womp. BUT I STILL LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SHOW, DON'T GET ME WRONG.

TWO SHOWS THAT I'M SUPER GLAD I CAUGHT UP WITH WHILE THEY WERE AIRING: THE EIGHTH SENSE AND BE MY FAVORITE

Be My Favorite looked at Krist Perawat's checkered past as a BL idol and said: we are going to examine this and make an honest BL out of inspiration from it. It wasn't a perfect show, the time travel shit didn't end up adding up in the end, BUT -- excellent acting from two GMMTV VETS made up for those tangles, and I loved the contextual philosophical references throughout the series. The Eighth Sense looked at the tug-of-war that Korean BLs have with K-dramas and their tropes and said, actually? We will have these dudes full-frontal kiss, and placed that energy against commentaries on mental health, both topics that Korea hasn't quite embraced as quickly as other countries.

HONORABLE MENTIONS OF OTHER AWESOME SHOWS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE AIRED IN 2023

Make It Right, Our Dating Sim, Dark Blue Kiss, Gay OK Bangkok, Dirty Laundry, 10 Years Ticket, I Told Sunset About You, I Promised You the Moon, 3 Will Be Free, Lovely Writer (underrated?!), Our Skyy 2 x Bad Buddy x A Tale of Thousand Stars (UNDERRATED!), and Manner of Death.

And the shows that are airing that I know will stay with me well into 2024: Last Twilight and Cherry Magic Thailand.

I had fun!

WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE: THE "NO" SHOWS: THE PROMISE AND STEP BY STEP

I'm not even hyperlinking my thoughts on these shows, nor gifting them with gifs. Insert Bugs Bunny NOOOOOO gif here! We got Man Trisanu, though.

THE SHOW I WAS THE MOST OBVIOUSLY DISAPPOINTED BY: ONLY FRIENDS

Despite my passionate disappointment for this show and how it ended: in the context of the OGMMTVC, Only Friends is still an incredibly important inclusion to the list. Some amazing Tumblr bloggers offered commentary that the bias against sex that OF contained within the show was actually importantly and culturally contextual to the still-conservative state of acceptance that Thailand is currently in (here and here for more reading).

Only Friends reminded us that despite any kind of marketing that we here on Tumblr, as a majority non-Thai audience, may receive about a Thai show -- that we are still not fully plugged into the non-verbal expectations of what a show like OF could promise to do, and to be okay when it doesn't reach those heights. In light of the seemingly pro-sex marketing blasts that previewed the series before its airing, OF ultimately seemed to want to take casual sex, chew it up, and spit it out. There might be reasons why that happened that we just don't know about as outsiders to Thailand. But as an Asian-American viewer that was hoping for neutral -- and maybe even supportive -- commentary on single folks having casual sex without judgement, OF did not deliver for me.

I'm ending the year reading Dr. Thomas Baudinette's book, Boys Love Media in Thailand, the first book-length ethnographic study on the impact of BL on queerness, media, and more in Thailand and across Asia. Baudinette comes from the world of Japanese queer media studies -- as someone who came to Thai BLs this year from Japanese BLs, I appreciate his trajectory. It's clearly a necessity for me to read this book in the context of the OGMMTVC, to understand how Thai BLs have changed over time, and to understand the incredibly larger impact of heterosexual/heteronormative media and themes on Thai media as a whole, as larger and larger swaths of Thai, Asian, and international societies welcome and watch BLs with open arms.

All of this feeds into my ever-growing body of knowledge about the impact of Thai BLs, both in Thailand and across Asia, as Baudinette writes about, and how these shows have and are developed/developing over time. It's been an AMAZING YEAR of watching old and new dramas for me, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the genre grows even more in 2024.

I also made AMAZING FRIENDS on Tumblr -- y'all know who you are! What a year of growth and discovery for me: this has been a fabulous experience, and I'm looking forward to even more growth in the new year!

[bengiyo]

Wonderful day in Thailand. but now for the important questions.

Of all the ql thai couples, what couple would be the biggest headache for Namnuea? And why?

Rose💜

See, this is an interesting question. I've been thinking about it for days, and now I just want a follow up show about Wiwa Square tackling all of the new gay weddings. I'd love this as an episodic show where the challenges the classic BL couple is dealing with reflects something going on with Nuea's or his people's lives. Any Thai fans following me, feel free to propose this to your people and make this happen. Just make sure I get to watch it.

The Wedding Plan Wiwa Square Spinoff Show Guests

With that in mind, I'd like to see an episode for the following pairs:

Sarawat and Tine

I just know that Tine is going to be the one they expect to be dramatic as hell, but it's going to be Sarawat freaking out about everything being perfect in a fantastic meltodown. We could have Lom talk to Sarawat and share how the closet affected both of them.

Teh and Oh-aew

Teh wanted to come out at the end of IPYTM, and wanna see the glam these two could pull off. I just know they're going to have an epic fight. This would be a good episode for Lom and Nuea to have a big fight.

Patts and Saengtai

Honestly, I want this episode because I feel like we didn't learn a lot about Patts beyond his relationships with Nara, his grandmother, and Tai. It would be a great chance to delve deeper into his character and see these two trying to communicate properly now that Tai is not holding back. These two also kissed really good, so this would be a good episode for Nuea and Lom to have a steamy moment.

Mork and Tawan

Let's be real: weddings are expensive. Mork's poverty was a huge part of his story in My Ride, and I think it would be really cool to see Wiwa Square work on a small budget for Cheep and Dej, Mork's gay uncles. It would also be an opportunity to talk about wealth and aging while queer.

See-eiw and Cake

The benefit of these two being friends to lovers is that their families saw how close they were the whole time. Despite the unfortunate PSA at the end of My Only 12%, this would be a great episode to focus on families around weddings. We'd get to see Cake's mom stepping in to fill the mom role for See-eiw, and this could be an opportunity for Lom's mom to reenter the fold.

Yang and Phumjai

We need a good episode for hijinks. The Love in Translation cast would be perfect for this. Yang is also Chinese, so we could focus on some cross-cultural traditions.

Charn and Tinn

I'm sorry, I just want Nawin to meet Neua. It also means Silvy could cameo. This would be an excellent episode for the side characters to take center again because they decide to keep Nuea away from Charn or something.

Phun and Noh

I just want White and Captain to get back together every few years and reprise these characters for little check ins. This episode would be a good time to talk about long-term relationships and their challenges with guys who are just a few years older than Neua and Lom.

Khai and Third

Speaking of White showing up in BL! I'd like to see Third struggling with his perfect wedding plans. This would be a great time to reflect on how weddings have been presented in media, and they could spin that either way by either leaning into the tropes or actively subverting them. That would be in line with the ToL goals.

Pluem and Kevin

These two had fantastic chemistry in Ghost Host, Ghost House. This could be a good episode to reflect on how weddings feel when some of our loved ones didn't get to live to see the day. I think this could be a really touching reflection on grief softened by how comfortable these two always manage to look with each other.

Pharm and Dean

I honestly don't think these two would have a lot of problems within themselves for the wedding itself. For this episode, we could really focus on wedding logistics. We could have something go really wrong with a caterer at the last minute and have Pharm step in to save his own wedding while Dean uses his connections to fix other things blowing up around them. This could be a good episode about Nuea and Lom having problems maintaining a good work-life balance.

Cairo and Gavreel

We need to do an international episode, and I'd like to see a crossover with The IdeaFirst Company in some way. Gav and Cai have been separated multiple times. I like the idea of them finally getting to marry at a destination wedding.

Shin Ki Tae and Lee Wan

I just wanna see these two again. This would be another international episode, and we could get back into some of the unresolved abandonment issues Shin Ki Tae is happening, and we could have a cross-cultural dialogue about making things right.

Im Han Tae and Han Ba Ram

Another international episode. They could use this episode to talk about the ongoing challenges of being a public figure and a star if these two are successful.

This was a lot of fun to think about! I really want this show now.

[neuroticbookworm]

Thai QL Favorites Tag Game

Tagged by @telomeke, thanks friend! ^^

Credit: this game was created by @thatgirl4815 as Thai BL Favorites Tag Game.

Favorite Thai QL: Bad Buddy, my beloved. I've watched very few QLs, and Bad Buddy is the one that I often go back to when I need a pick-me-up. It may not be perfect (Wai, my beloathed) but the show never fails to make me feel deeply whenever I revisit it.

Favorite Pairing: I share @lurkingshan's opinions on branded pairs, so I'm gonna answer with a pair that I think is well-matched in terms of on-screen talent, and therefore, my favorite: FirstKhao. GMMTV took two bad bitches and said "We're gonna pit them against each other and they're gonna love it" and boy, so do we.

Most underrated actor: I saw Sing Harit almost drown Gun Atthaphan in Not Me and I've been in love ever since. I have no reasonable metrics to know if he's actually underrated, other than the fact that he doesn't show up on my dash as much as I would like. I want to see more of him, and I can't wait to get to The Warp Effect, where he wears.. *checks notes* a puppy mask? Ummmmmmmm

Favorite Character: Time to get controversial, baby!

(tagging my ToL gang @waitmyturtles, @lurkingshan, @manogirl. Keep the getaway car running, frens. We might need to make a quick exit)

*clears throat* Khai from Theory of Love.

Wait.

WAIT.

WAIT. HERE ME OUT.

I absolutely love the fact that Khai is so well-written that half the audience can't stand to watch him and the ones who make it through either viciously hate him or absolutely love him. I love that he was unabashedly awful in the first half, and I love that his redemption arc was gradual. Was he still a dipshit in some moments in the second half? Yes. Was it realistic and in-character? Also yes. I love a character who can fully acknowledge his mistakes and wholeheartedly apologize and strive to do better in the future. So, to sum up, *hugs him close to my chest like a stuffie* KHAI, MY UTTERLY BELOVED!

Favorite Side Character: Hoon from I Told Sunset About You. The fact that called Teh a crybaby when he was having a complete breakdown in Hoon's arms cemented his place in my heart.

Favorite scene in a QL: The AlanWen conversation scene at the outdoor diner in Moonlight Chicken, episode 5. Yes, I'm a masochist, thank you for asking. I'm also a staunch Alan apologist, and will defend my poor little meow meow to the ends of the Earth. (ha, me clever)

Favorite line in a QL: "Why is your wall so high?" -- Wen to Uncle Jim, Moonlight Chicken, episode 6.

Most Anticipated QL (& why): Only Friends -- doy.

Healthiest relationship in a QL: My Sunshine babies, Mork and Tawan from My Ride. They were so good to each other and they got to know each other as friends before moving into a romantic relationship, and the transition felt as natural as possible. The drama was minimal and there were no stupid misunderstandings for the sake of moving the plot along.

Most toxic relationship in a QL: VegasPete in KinnPorsche. I also co-sign @lurkingshan's pick, ToyBoss from My Ride. If anyone messes with my bookshelves the way Toy does at Boss' apartment, they will get thrown off the balcony.

Guilty pleasure series: I don't have one, fam. I'm very new to the QL town and the ones I feel guilty for watching were not pleasurable in any way.

Most underrated series: La Pluie, the love of my life. I've gushed all over my blog about this show, week after week. I don't think I can say anything more that hasn't already been said, so I'm just gonna link the La Pluie meta round up, and invite you to ponder truly how amazing a show must be to inspire these many incredible metas.

I am a full three weeks late to this game, so I'm pretty sure everyone has already done it. So if you made it this far, and still haven't participated, consider yourself tagged, my friend! Toodles!

[crispywizardtale]

La Pluie

Lomfon's theory

I'm making this post because I believe Lomfon's theory could be correct.

In episode 5 Lomfon talked about his theory and his view of soulmates.

His theory goes like this:

"I believe that people who have hearing loss are just ill, technically. It's linked to the climate when it's raining. So, theoretically, it's most likely that the fact that two people hear eachother when it rains or, soulmates, like everyone calls it, is a phenomenon of matching wavelengths of the two people."

So what if soulmates do not exist and everyone just accepted it as a simple answer over the random loss of hearing when it rains.

Another thing that could prove this theory is what happens to Lomfon in episode 8

Lomfon heard both Pat and Sengtai having a conversation during heavy rain, and I doubt the theory that 3 of them being soulmates, and I believe he also heard Sengthian as well.

What if he was correct? What if he randomly connected to Patts and Sengtai's wavelength? It would also explain why Sengtais parents got a divorce. If the soulmate thing isn't real, maybe they weren't made for each other like they believed they are.

[heretherebedork]

But he's talking to him in the rain. What is happening that ends with this? It's still raining in this moment and they're talking. What is going on?

I can't even begin to make a prediction or a guess because none of it makes sense unless we start making some strange theories... so I'll try that.

Theory 1: Tien doesn't realize he's experiencing hearing loss when he starts talking and can actually hear all of them in the rain. This feels unlikely to me but is possible depending on what the show is doing with the soulmates deconstruction that it's been playing with on and on. But also somehow feels out of place. I just don't know.

Thoery 2: Lomfon can hear normally but also hear Tai and Patts in addition. This would also, of course, flip the entire concept on its head and turn everything inside out. But in a lesser way, for me, than Tien joining them all in the rain. Lomfon seems to the exception to a lot of things. But this also brings up a lot of world building questions I'm not sure I want to ask.

Theory 3: Tien and Lomfon are yelling in the rain but aren't really talking to each other. This is the most painful theory I've got. That, yes, they're both shouting and looking at each other but they're not hearing each other. This set up to look like they can understand each other but they can't at all.

Also, what about the keychain?!

(I am now certain that the keychain came from Tien. The entire story of this show and their deconstruction/reconstruction of soulmates appears to be focused on how thinking about destiny or fate in your love will hurt that love so Lomfon thinking of the person who gave him the keychain as his first love and smacking Tien's hand away from it actually fully points towards the idea that the keychain came from Tien and that if Lomfon didn't have his own ideas so firmly wrapped up in his beliefs that he would have realized who it was from... but that's just a theory. A BL deconstructing soulmates theory)

[sunshinechay]

So I really adorabled this last episode. Patts and Tai finally cleared the air, Lomfon and Tien finally confessed to each other. That last moment with Tien was hilarious in an odd way. I love the idea of a second season focusing on Tien and Lomfon and Tien’s potentional soul mate. Either give me a TienxLomfonxNewsoulmate throuple and give me platonic soulmate besties I’m begging you.

The fact that Tien has never experienced the hearing loss before makes me wonder if Tai rejecting his soulmate connection has anything to do with this. Especially since Tien was there and at the moment, the only one not effected by the hearing loss but that’s just a wild theory of mine that it more than likely, wildly wrong haha.

I’m really happy that Tai was finally able to say what he needed to say and truly let Patts know how he felt and how much he loved him. He laid out the message of the show really well. Love is a choice and it’s hard work. It’s won’t just work because of destiny or soulmates, it will work because they put in the effort to make it work.

Pee proves once again just how amazing of an actor he is, despite being in about 5 minutes of the episode total. His scenes are definitely my favourite and I definitely want to see him and Title work together again (either on the second season or another show, I’m not picky haha).

Overall, 9/10. I had a few issues with it, but I really liked it. I also really liked the experience with the fandom every week. You guys made an already brilliant show, even more enjoyable to watch.

[gothicbarbie]

BL’s I’m watching right now...

I'll order from fav to least as well...

1. Minato's Laundry 2 - Okay, I haven't watched ep 1 yet but I loved season 1 so I am stoked about this returning!

2. His Man 2 - Amazing series. It's a reality show that's highly dramatic and addicting. Not as good as season 1 so far imo, but there is potential for more pairings this time I think???? Totally rooting for the roommates pairings right now, but expecting to be disappointed in the end lol.

3. Tokyo in April is... - So far, really impressed. I love the japanese BL style in general, especially ones that are high heat. I also love a friends with benefits type of storyline, so this is fun so far!

4. Be My Favorite - I skip a lot of this one, and I find the plot a bit confusing with the time travel aspect but I am really enjoying the main duo's chemistry and storyline so far.

5. 21 Day's Theory - Okay, this is an older BL I only just started, and I've only seen 1 episode so far but it found it pretty entertaining.

6. Step by Step - Not as into this one as everyone else. I actually am far more interested in the side pairings storyline and sadly, they haven't been given a whole lot. The main duo has good chemistry and their kiss scenes were great, so that's something, but overall i find the plot a little bland and i am not a big fan of office romances tbh.

7. Be Mine Superstar - Only just started, but it was a bit boring and cheesey... will be skimming a LOT of this series lol. But I love jafirst, and the side pairing seemed interesting too.

8. La Pluie - Not sure why I am still watching because I dont really like this one. Def. not on the same level for me as it is for other people. I like the side pairing okay but mostly just skim this one.

9. Win Jamie's Heart - another older bl. Pinoy. Only JUST started and only saw 1 ep so its hard to tell right now. But seems okay.

10. House of Stars- Mess of a series. Lots of drama. Confused me from the start so I started skipping around. At this point I'm only watching to finish it off cuz its almost over lol.

11. Luminous Solution - Hot hot mess, quit the first time, trying to get back into it and having a difficult time. Will prob. end up dropping it again, but for now i am skimming through.

[itsallaboutbl]

okay but listen to me... i am sure "the person" Phat is talking about is indeed Tai.

I'm like 99% sure that in the 1st ep when it started raining and Phat said "so cute (...) i'm talking about that person" he was talking about Tai cause he saw him at the bus stop with the cat. I AM SURE OF IT

and also cause he went to find him again at the coffee shop in this ep... and the way he looks and smiles at Tai.

but then my only question is... who was he kissing? 🤔 i need an explanation... seems like we're getting one next week but i'll be thinking about it all week 😂

.

what are y'all thoughts on this? do you agree with me? do you have another theory? TALK TO MEEEE 😊

[lurkingshan]

Hellooo, do you have any recs for well written bls that also deliver on the romance front? My favorites that are both great shows and great love stories are Eighth sense, Old fashioned cupcake and I told the sunset about you ( the 2nd season is great but I dont f with cheating)...

Hello! I am interpreting your ask to mean you want bls that 1) are focused on a Big Love Story as their main purpose and 2) have strong writing that nails the romance, in particular. With that in mind, here's what I would recommend in addition to the ones you already listed, sorted into a few categories.

Dramatic and Swoony

La Pluie

Two soulmates (or are they?) meet, try to figure out their relationship, and decide whether they care what destiny has to say about it. Also features an equally swoony side couple romance. This show is Big Romance all around and very much in conversation with the genre.

I Feel You Linger in the Air

It doesn't get much more epic and swoony than this show about a modern gay man who gets sent back in time and falls in love with a young heir. This one has an asterisk next to the strong writing criteria because things get pretty wobbly in the final arc, but the romance stays strong throughout and it features some of the best bl romance scenes of all time.

Bad Buddy

It's gay Romeo and Juliet, but nobody dies (though importantly, someone does get shot). This one is tumblr famous for a reason!

Romantic Comedy

Cooking Crush

The sweetest romcom Off and Gun have ever made, with a simple love story between a med student and a chef. This show has some flaws--they let a drunk monkey take over the editing booth on a few episodes in the middle--but it's well written and the romance is great.

Cherry Magic Thailand

A remake of the Japanese original, this one shocked most of us by improving on an an already solid show. It's a fantastic romance, alternately funny and poignant and sweet as hell.

Semantic Error

The perfect bl romcom doesn't exis--

Light On Me

A high school love triangle where everyone is likable and the right boy gets the guy.

I Cannot Reach You

High school friends to lovers and done exactly right. This show is so goddamn charming and funny while still managing to get to the underlying angst of this trope. Perfection.

My School President

This one is all first love and high school shenanigans and a ton of original songs that will get stuck in your head.

Comforting and Cozy

Sing My Crush

Here's one for your constant rewatch list. A story of two best friends who love each other instantly but take awhile to make it explicitly romantic, as one of them is hurt and hiding and the other is oblivious yet somehow still devoted. You will love them.

Takara’s Treasure

This is a gentle love story between two lonely people who are exactly the right fit for each other but struggle with their own insecurities.

Our Dating Sim

A second chance romance for two high school friends who meet again as adults after a bad separation. Short and sweet with just the right touch of angst to burrow into your heart.

Angst Baby

At 25:00 in Akasaka

Two actors who first met in college are cast in a bl together, and the lines between their professional and private lives start to blur. This is a really beautiful and evocative show.

Wedding Plan

A gay man who is preparing to marry his lesbian best friend to protect themselves from their families falls in love with his wedding planner. It's a classic romance trope but this show does it so well, with an added layer of queer angst that really deepens the story.

My Beautiful Man

A high school story that centers on a psychologically complex relationship dynamic that will not become fully clear to you until the end (by design, the writing for this show is remarkable). It's not a traditional romance but it is a deeply moving one, and if you like it there's a sequel season and movie that are both also great.

Theory of Love

The messy angst-ridden friends to lovers drama we deserve. Don't skip the special episode, it's one of the rare cases where the special is actually crucial to the story and not just bonus fluff.

My Tooth Your Love

This one is romcom shaped but also deals a lot with trauma, so on balance it's more of an angsty romance. Warning for dentistry (which I recently learned is an issue for a lot of folks on here).

Gameboys 1 and 2

A pandemic-era romance that starts long distance before our boys can come together in real life. Definitely watch both seasons!

Jack O’ Frost

The only bl that has ever used the amnesia trope well. A romance gone wrong that gets an unexpected second chance after an accident forces a reset of their relationship. I found the themes of generosity and forgiveness in this one really moving.

Seven Days

This one is what it says on the tin--spend a week with two teenage boys as they try out dating each other. I really love the structure of this one, and the romance is well done.

[respectthepetty]

Have you ever seen characters change their color code during the series or maybe during different seasons? I mean I have seen and read how colors get mixed when the pairs with different colors fall in love or how the colors get brighter or darker based on character mood or development; but has a character(s) ever not been a singular consistent shade?

Oooohhhh, Anon, I am excited about this question because it is one of the major reasons I love color coding.

TLWR: Yes, some characters have not been a singular consistent shade because colors never lie.

Color coding means we get to see a character's true colors because characters don't really change their color. They hide it, and all examples show that. A few examples exist of characters developing a color as they become more aware of themselves rather than them intentionally hiding it like Aoki's evolving orange as he fell in love in My Love Mix-Up,

Or Diao's blue emerging and overshadowing his yellow as his family's past was revealed in Naughty Babe.

Which is similar to Tai's color in La Pluie combining yellow and blue as he figured out his soulmate business.

but those processes still support the idea that the true color was buried somewhere in them, much like these characters:

Hide and Seek

Vegas (KinnPorsche) and Boston (Only Friends) put on a Green Guy Mask since they wanted to appear as chill guys,

when they were hiding the fact that they were actually Red Rascals.

And vice versa when Jae Young (Semantic Error) posed as a Red Rascal to get under Sang Woo's skin

when he was really a Green Guy.

The entire cast of Pit Babe were or are Reds

and are changing or faking being Blues (I trust NO ONE, especially Charlie, Way, and Jeff!), and even though characters changed from the teaser trailer

the teaser trailer did an excellent job of establishing that deceit.

I think we are getting a similar color narrative in Playboyy where no one's true color is revealed, except Yellow Yal Zouey's

since everyone is hiding something and everyone is a suspect.

And it's also why I already don't trust Mek's character in the upcoming Red Peafowl since all the mafia members are color coded,

yet he wore a neutral color to the meeting even though he is the leader of the Black Turtles.

I'll have to wait until the second part of Shadow airs next week to finalize my theory, but it seems to be showing what can be trusted

and what cannot.

Siwon (Blueming) hid his blue behind a blank white due to being bullied when he was younger

but the blue kept showing up no matter how much he tried to hide it.

Daisy (Secret Crush on You) tried to hide their color

But their friends came in with the solid advice.

Because a person cannot change hide their true color.

It'll always show up.

Eventually.

Because colors never lie. Characters do.

[syrena-del-mar]

La Pluie meets Nora Roberts

This week we open up with a shot of Saengtai (who is slowly learning to believe that maybe having a "soulmate" isn't all that bad) reading Nora Roberts.

Now as a former teen Nora Roberts aficionado, I immediately clocked that Tai was reading the first two books of her MacKade Brother quadrology. For those that are unfamiliar with Nora Roberts and this series, it revolves around four brothers, with each brother having their own, separate novel. So it's a little on the nose that Saengtai would be reading this series out of the numerous ones that Nora Roberts has published, especially the books that are based on the oldest and second oldest of the four brothers.

All four novels of the MacKade brothers takes place in Antietam, which if you have any knowledge on the American Civil War, you will likely recognize for being home one of the bloodiest battles of the war. While each brother and their lovers attempt to forge a connection, there is a supernatural element with the restless souls that still haunt Antietam.

The one that Tai was reading was one Robert's bundles, which included only the first two novels, centering around the first two brothers, Rafe and Jared.

I'm going to give a brief synopsis of both books below, before doing a bare minimum dive of the significance I think La Pluie was attempting to draw.

The Return of Rafe MacKade

Here, the main protagonist is Rafe MacKade, who had left his hometown years prior after making a name for himself as the handsome, hot-headed, rebellious, good-for-nothing second-oldest MacKade brother. He's the black-sheep out of the four brothers, yet the incident which drove him away from Antietam, 10 years prior to his return, was one where he was attempting to protect a woman from her abusive boyfriend so he turned to punching the crap out of the man; but y'know how rumors develop in small towns. He returns to his hometown after 10 years as a successful businessman, something that townsfolk couldn't believe which shut them up about all the gossip they used to spread about him. He buys the local haunted house to turn it into a B&B, which in doing so leads him to meet his heroine, Regan, an antique dealer that is helping him decorate the B&B.

At first glance, Rafe and Regan seem to be complete opposites, with Rafe being a 'rough-around-the edges' type of guy and Regan, an elegant and classy dame. Rafe, while being the typical loud-mouth 'alpha-male' guy that is stereotypical in 20th century novellas, you come to find out is just a guy that is unable to fully articulate his own emotions and understand his developing feelings for Regan. Regan, on the other hand, for all her elegance, is a bit arrogant and unapologetically opinionated and definitely not looking to get into a steady relationship, much less with Rafe. They're both two incredibly stubborn individuals that are always butting heads, which leads to both miscommunication and a lack of communication, but they slowly start to learn that they actually need each other, even if they try to deny it.

The Pride of Jared MacKade

The second book revolves around Jared MacKade, who currently works as an attorney who, unlike his hot-headed brother Rafe, is much more level-headed and collected, yet just as prone to being purposefully ignorant to his romantic emotions. Jared is the oldest of the four brothers and had previously been married but ended up divorced, which lead to his distaste and shrewdness when it came to love. His story with his lead, Savannah, first starts when he meets her to let her know that her father had left her some inheritance. Savannah, having been disowned by her father as a teen and kicked to the curb due to her pregnancy, understandably pissed and initially wants nothing to with Jared.

Both Jared and Savannah are stubborn as mules, but their instant connection was undeniable. Jared was a traditionalist in love, which created some conflict due to Savannah's past and what she had to do as a teen mom to survive. The connection between them was palpable, within their second meeting they were already all over each other, making out. Yet, for all their connection, they're both initially a bit skeptical of doing more than toying around. Both Jared and Savannah had to overcome their own obstacles, Jared and his prejudice and Savannah and her hidden insecurities (that arose when she started to work alongside Regan), but despite their rocky road with love, they find a way to make it work.

La Pluie in connection to Rafe and Jared

There are some very obvious parallels that I believe La Pluie is attempting to draw with having Saengtai reading the MacKade tetralogy, but I also think there are some running themes that may be hinting at the future development for our Saeng brothers and their love interests, Phat and Lomfon.

First, the obvious parallel of the four MacKade brothers with the four Saeng brothers.

Second, the first novel, I'd like to argue, seems to hint at the future for Lomfon and Saengtien. From what we've seen so far, much like Rafe MacKade, Saengtien is perceived by almost everyone in his life to be brash, hot-headed, and rather incompetent. We've seen this from how Tien's own mother treats him and even from how Lomfon treated him in the first couple of episodes. Similar to Rafe's brashness, Tien's own brashness tends to spill out either in protection of his family, particularly Tai, or in the midst of his own confusion regarding what he wants. And just like Rafe, Tien is only starting to learn to comprehend the feelings that he's developing when he's with Lomfon. Tien has taken it upon himself to be the backbone for Tai and his family, that in turn he has sacrificed a part of himself. Instead he turns to his brashness as a mechanism to appease everyone, a shield and a distraction of the pain that he is also incurring while caring for everyone.

Lomfon on the other hand, while he seems to have a good grasp of his own self, seeing how he works independently but never seems to be ostracized, rather (seemingly) he chooses who he surrounds himself with, he also hides himself. Lomfon, similar to Regan is opinionated, especially when it comes to the idea that the one you hear during the rain is your soulmate. I'm sure in a society that has attempted to find reasoning to the deafness, that sentiment is likely taboo to express, yet he's willing to against the norm to create his own happiness, much like Regan did in opening her antique shop.

If Rafe's story is anything to go by, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lomfon strongly denying his developing feelings regarding Tien, as he's still primarily focused on Tai. Lomfon's seems to be developing some kind of feelings towards Tien, if the small head caresses and playing with Tien's hair is anything to go by. His feelings towards Tien seem to be slowly developing, even if he doesn't fully realize it. Meanwhile, I think it'll take Tien something big or in the heat of passion to get him to confess to Lomfon his growing feelings, especially once he realizes that Lomfon wants to get in between Tai and Phat. Tien, the ever-sacrificial loving brother that he is, will always put Tai and his happiness over his own, even if that means that he has to argue and destroy his budding friendship with Lomfon.

Tien let's himself be still, let's go of his prickly exterior, only when he's around Lomfon. He needs Lomfon, to provide the quiet energy that allows Tien to just exist for himself and nobody else. Now it's time for Lomfon to figure out how and why he needs Tien as well.

Frenemies-to-lovers is sometimes an even longer slow-burn than enemies-to-lovers, but it's okay, we can play the long game. I have hope that they'll get there.

Thirdly, the parallel of Jared and Saengtai, really comes to their demeanors and their anxiety that develops from impressions of failed love, yet they are still classic romantics at heart. Saengtai, similar to Jared in the beginning of his book, has been burned by the illusions of love. Yet, both, once they meet their soulmates, instantly feel some level of attraction to them. Their attraction is palpable to both of them, but attempting to overcome their own fears and prejudices, even when everything seems to be outwardly alright, can rock the boat.

It's going to be interesting here to see if Phat has some hidden insecurities that arise when he realizes that he has some potential competition. That just maybe Saengtai could be swayed by the man who shares the same interests and that solely being his soulmate may not be enough, even if, for all intents and purposes, he may be the right person for Tai.

Phat and Saengtai obviously feel a spark and found an immediate connection, but it'll be interesting to see if their relationship will end up in shambles, like Tai's parents, or will their bond only serve to be strengthened beyond the idea of just being soulmates.

[waitmyturtles]

SUNDAY SHOW ROUND-UP!

Goddamn -- there are so many shows! The holiday season and many life obligations are preventing me from writing meta about most of these shows except for the big priorities (my Old GMMTV Challenge project and Last Twilight). So here's a quick round-up of what I'm thinking, feeling, etc., about the dramas I have going on.

1) CHERRY MAGIC THAILAND IS DELIGHTFUL AND FULFILLING TO MY SOUL AND LIFE

I've mentioned before! I'm a HUUUUUGE Cherry Magic Japan girlie. I am a major defender of the movie, AMA. When I joined Tumblr last year, besides Old Fashion Cupcake, Cherry Magic was....I think it was the first gigantic rabbithole I fell in. I love, unabashedly, everything about this franchise, and I think TayNew are carrying it splendidly so far. (Also, the original mangaka of the whole Cherry Magic franchise, Toyota Yuu, is 100% on board with the adaptation and is regularly tweeting about it, and just! COULD THAT BE MORE CUTE AND REASSURING FOR US CM GIRLIES, NO I DON'T THINK SO, BIG HAPPY SIGHS.)

So the original manga exists in the Cherry Magic Thailand universe, huh? I'm gonna admit my unreasonable optimism to say that I am not-so-secretly hoping for a Machida Keita/Akaso Eiji/Kurosawa/Adachi cameo -- but the manga existing in this universe jags that up a bit.

BUT! Toyokawa still exists in the universe... so does that mean that Kurosawa/Adachi do, too? I'M NOT GOING THERE, BUT I AM.

ANYWAY! I noted last month that I really appreciated seeing a lot of Japan in the Cherry Magic trailer -- "Karan-san," Karan speaking Japanese, "san juu," the fact that Toyokawa is still the company that all these guys are working for. But I also love the very overt Thai visuals -- the Buddha in Achi's apartment foreground, the offering to the monk (which replaces the onigiri guy in Cherry Magic Japan, lmao) -- I'm just, covering my mouth in happiness at noting that these details are very well-placed, and very intentional.

That's it, I enjoyed every last second of this first episode in total joy of seeing this Thai remix. With X Nuttapong behind this show -- yes, oh yes, I loved seeing literally the phrase "theory of love" in the subtitles, and good on him for going there a bit.

2) An Old GMMTV Challenge update! So, I interrupted the OGMMTVC to catch up with La Pluie, because I know LP will be on a lot of best-of-2023 lists later this month.

By episode 4 or so, I knew La Pluie had to, HAD TO, go on the OGMMTVC syllabus, so on it went. And I'm going to pause on writing about it out of chronology. I'm watching Secret Crush on You (2022) now, I'll do my watchlist thing, and I'll rewatch LP.

La Pluie was a motherfucking important show.

The subversion of the romance genre in Thai BL. I mean. Give me a mallet to crack the gigantic egg on that on. @lurkingshan's La Pluie meta round-up post has been a walking stick for me as I've stumbled to get my thoughts together around this show, and honestly, I'm not ready to write about it yet. I need to finish 2022's shows on the watchlist and get through some important 2023 rewatches to fully write about La Pluie in its context, and to understand how such an important show came about this year by way of the straightforward honesty it took in dismantling and rebuilding some very key expectations that we may have carried about romance in Thai BL before its airing.

If you haven't watched La Pluie yet, do it before this year is over. DO IT. IT'S INCREDIBLE AND SO MUCH.

3) Playboyy, episode 4: I have a lot of thoughts, and no time to write about this show, but episode 4 was really different than the first three. It was CAMPY AF, way melodramatic (wtf Zooey/Soong), but it also had many more nuggets of a plot than I had expected to see by way of Nont finally revealing himself to WAY more people than I had expected. I'm sticking with it with the expectation that Cheewin will know how to get himself out of this mess, BUT, one huge criticism -- the intimacy is getting harder to watch, because it's being lazily acted and filmed (..... you had y'alls' shorts on, Prom/Nont, ahem), and it's just a lot, and can we just, like, get more to the story, I'm gonna put that in the show's request box.

Clown theory: I think Prom knows more than he's letting on and is using Nont in some bad ways to get back at those other dudes for leaving Playboyy. But I'm trying to not get invested-invested because a) still sooooo many names to remember, GOD, and b) soooo many shows airing, my brain can't take it.

4) The Sign: I'm putting this guy on pause. I heard yesterday's episode was 90 minutes, and I can't commit to a weekend show that needs that kind of time commitment. I'm following y'all in the gifs. This is no knock on BillyBabe. I REALLY LIKE THEM TOGETHER. GO SAINT, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU. But I'll watch this when there's a lull in the midseasons.

5) What Did You Eat Yesterday?: WDYEY and Last Twilight are the best shows airing right now. When a show is so good, it doesn't need meta? That's WDYEY. Nishijima’s quiet “hai” to start the conversation with Kenji’s mom? Some of the best acting in all of BL.

The amazing @isaksbestpillow threw down some clutch background about this past Friday's episode that's WELL worth reading, about chosen family and what Kenji's family was offering to Shiro. Gorgeous, screaming, crying, etc.

That's all I got, happy Sunday, y'all! The OGMMTVC will come back with SCOY when I wrap it up, hopefully soon!

[bengiyo]

BL 2023 Review

I wasn’t sure how I wanted to write about BL for this year. I was originally going to do a The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly framework for it, but that feels meaner than I actually am about it. Instead, I think I’ll just write out some sections and unpack some things I felt along the way.

I Watched Too Much Again

Last year I engaged with about 92 productions around the world. This year it was 99 (I tracked stuff I completed here). Sure I dropped 18 of them this year, but goddamn. The problem with watching as much as I did this year is that I worked full time this year and also maintained a separate hobby. I also continued my twice-weekly watch sessions with my friend Emily, so there are an additional 100-ish watch sessions in here of rewatching, plus a few other rewatches (Theory of Love and My Ride most notably).

One of my struggles at this point is I’m far too familiar with the genre, and find myself feeling impatient and irritable with shows that aren’t to my taste the way I used to. Throughout the late summer and fall I found myself increasingly grumpier about the genre, and it didn’t get better until I had a holiday and basically slept a day to get some energy back. I also found myself growing apart from fans I’ve known and followed a long time. It’s been a difficult year for me as a long-time fan because my tastes, habits, and friendships in the genre have changed even if the amount I watch hasn’t really.

I Wrote a Lot This Year

I recently converted my watch tag away from my gaming internet persona to just my shortname, so all near-1000 of my Stray Thoughts posts can be found under #ben watches now. I’ve also been going back and adding #ben writes to some of the standalone pieces that I really liked. In reviewing them, the pieces I’m happiest about are my ode to Framboise from Kabe Koji Nekoyashiki-kun Desires to Be Recognized, my post begging everyone to watch La Pluie, my post about what it means to actually like queer men, my SBS ep 10 post that ended up being wrong, my post about the Lavender Scare and Be My Favorite, my Tokyo in April is… post about the breaking of the BL line,

However, the two posts I am most proud of is my half-joking response about why I think tagging each other back and forth across Tumblr in our writing is so important. and The Knowing: Being Queer in BL because I had so much great conversations with folks as a result of both of these posts.

Looking back at my own blog, this is probably the most active I’ve been in my entire time on this website, so thank you to everyone who interacted with me this year, because it really is people talking to me that gets me most inspired to write things down. Big shout out to @lurkingshan who will bug me repeatedly until I blog something that I said in passing.

We Started a Podcast!

After hanging out with @shortpplfedup since Bad Buddy, she got inspired and really wanted to bring something different to the BL podcasting sphere. I had time, and liked talking with her enough, so we started @the-conversation-pod. Now we’re a full year into it and planning out future stuff. It’s been so much fun being able to get things off my soul and break poor NiNi in our recording sessions.

From this year, I think my favorite episodes we did were The Moonlight Chicken Episode, the Eighth Sense episode, the ITSAY Anniversary Episodes,  The Wedding Plan episode, , and The Holiday Clip Show. Huge shout out to @ginnymoonbeam for anchoring the transcription process, and @lurkingshan for editing.

The VIIB Awards will begin airing soontm so look forward to that.

Favorite New Term: Business Gay Performance

Let’s be clear, Bump Up Business is not good. It is an obvious BL cash grab from OnlyOneOf that seeks to comment on the fake nature of BL while doing everything it can to trick the audience into believing that the BL pair is real.

Before we got deeper into this year, I was a big fan of a certain pairing, and then their fans took it too far and it affected the way I engaged with their performances and their work. I like that we have a new term for “fanservice” that communicates that you understand that this is for work. (thanks to NiNi for this comparison) I can look at the latest behind the scenes video from Last Twilight and say that I think Sea really understands the work they’re doing, and he and Jimmy have a very relaxed and mature version of BGP without feeling like I’m feeding into shipping.

Do I think they’re dating? No. Do I like the way they fake it? Absolutely!

I can look at one of @respectthepetty posts about Yin and War having personalized, color-coded mics, and we can talk about the next level BGP between the two and both communicate that we know that this is a performance.

It actually makes the extra PR work fun for me again, because now I can just shout “BGP! BGP! BGP!” and it not feel like I’m giving myself brainrot.

Thai BL Needs to Finish Stronger Next Year

Let’s get into some of the show stuff. This year was defined for me by Thai BL starting strong with good premises and then squandering them by not focusing on the details that mattered or leaning into baseless melodrama. Time for some reads. Some of these shows were generally good, but they failed at these things:

609 Bedtime Story: The world building crumpled in the back half and both endings are flat.

A Boss and a Babe: Cher is a pro gamer who worked for a gaming company and there was no plot point about this at all, or collaboration between the two groups.

Bake Me Please: Why was a show about cake so lacking in flavor?

Be Mine SuperStar: You had a real opportunity to explore a fan and idol romance and had Punn show so little growth. I hope the footage of First’s range is helpful now that Ja is out of BL.

Be My Favorite: You redid that whole amusement park date and muddled so much of what the hell happened on that day.

Between Us: You had years to make this interesting. Why are there five pairs and why is the end of this a JC Penny catalog photoshoot?

Dangerous Romance: What the fuck happened to the Sailom we had in episode 1 and 2 before that gun incident?

Hidden Agenda: Tee, what the hell was this? Twelve weeks of this?

I Feel You Linger in the Air: You may be the most beautiful show, with some of the most impressive performances of the year, but you absolutely botched this ending. Finish the goddamn season next time.

Love in Translation: I love you, but that whole kidnapping plot was so stupid at the end.

Low Frequency: I like your OST. That's about it.

My Dear Gangster Oppa: No examination about how gaming friendships become close quickly because of the combination of anonymity and teamwork (shout out to @twig-tea for this excellent summation).

My School President: Saving your gay commentary for the final episode felt like a conservative choice. I want more from you next time.

Naughty Babe: You retconned your own characters to tell a worse story. Unforgiveable.

Never Let Me Go: You didn’t know if you wanted to be a high school BL or a mafia story. It was difficult to watch.

Only Friends: I cannot believe you did Boston like that at the end. Either give Force’s character a clear personality next time, or keep him enigmatic; half measures make him and Book look worse. Sand was absolutely embarrassing. Boeing was a waste. Ending on all of them paired like that felt so unearned.

Step By Step: You forgot to ground Jeng’s external dreams at the end, so the final two episodes are just frustrating.

I’m glad I got that off my chest. We can go into the next year now.

Korea Put in the Work This Year

I really like the efforts from the various Korean studios this year. I really hope we get a Strongberry joint next year, but I want to acknowledge that we had 18 Korean BL dramas I watched this year, and at least three of them I think are must watches: Our Dating Sim, Sing My Crush, and The Eighth Sense. Beyond that, I think Love Tractor, Unintentional Love Story, and A Breeze of Love are easy recommendations.

It’s really impressive how the complaint for me this year with Korean BL is not about them using their time poorly. It’s more about normal drama concerns, where I think characterization is a little weak, or a theme doesn’t land squarely. This rapid iteration from the Korean studios is really impressive to watch, and I’m excited to see what some of the recognized players do next year.

Taiwan and The Philippines Have Been Quiet for Me

I wasn’t really able to connect with much from the Philippines this year except for The Day I Loved You. I never wrote about The Day I Loved You, but this beautiful and heart wrenching show is one of my favorites from this year. I wasn’t too keen on the Oxin Films offerings of this year, and I’m still chasing down the ones from The IdeaFirst Company.

As for Taiwan, this new BL project from the end of the year just isn’t hitting. Kiseki: Dear to Me also ended up really hurting me with the way they used Wayne Song and Huang Chun Chih. I love that angry little man with the white hair, but I’m still salty about Wayne and the general mess of that show.

Japan was Busy This Year

I watched 16 new shows, a few older ones, and a few movies this year from Japan. We haven’t gotten this much from them ever. I continue to love the Drama Shower project from MBS, and my beloved What Did You Eat Yesterday? returned this year. We had pretty stellar outings with Our Dining Table, If It’s With You, and I Cannot Reach You.

I think a third of the Japanese BL I’ve tracked on MDL actually released this year. That’s huge.

Still, I am going to side eye Minato’s Laundromat 2. You were the show that let me down the most this entire year. More than Only Friends, more than Step By Step, and even more than Kiseki. You absolutely blew it. You were telling a great story about a man with an acute case of internalized homophobia coming out of his shell and learning to love his younger partner and you blew it for stupid amnesia nonsense. I will never forgive you for this.

Where Were All the Uncles This Year?

Really, without Jim from Moonlight Chicken, and without the men from What Did You Eat Yesterday? we had an alarming dearth of older gay characters passing on knowledge and wisdom to the youngsters this year. What the hell happened?

Rare Dynamics Won: Second Chance Romance and Friends to Lovers!

We had so much second chance romance this year. It’s really my favorite version of gay romance because gays don’t always have ideal settings when they’re young. We had Our Dating Sim, Individual Circumstances, Jun & Jun, The End of the World With You, Tokyo in April is…, Be My Favorite, Love Class Season 2, and A Breeze of Love. I am satisfied.

Friends to Lovers is actually so rare in romance and we have so many to choose from this year! The best examples are I Cannot Reach You and Sing My Crush, but we also have one of the pairs in Love Class Season 2.

Gay Thoughts

I had a couple of ongoing thoughts this year about queerness in BL.

First, I want to return to my post about Sing My Crush and La Pluie, and how I assert that Men Need to Be Angry Sometimes. More than giving men grace to be righteously angry or upset about things, along with letting them express it in ugly ways, I really want to get into how we engage with these shows. I will stop engaging with moralistic reads on characters in 2024. I will no longer engage with asks, reblogs, or meta gripping the fandom where we're judging the moral fiber of the character.

The question that really only matters for me at this point is: Is this act from the character justified from their characterization, the narrative, or genre conventions; and is it interesting? Whether or not the character is good or bad reeks of the lame arguments about good and bad representation, and I am not watching BL like I’m being graded in Sunday school.

The second thing I really want to acknowledge at the end of the year is that the gay sex is finally getting better again. I watched The Novelist this year, and we have taken so long to get back to the space that show took us on the portrayal of male-male intimacy. We are in the genre about people with dicks. It should feel like it. There should be a masculine component there that feels specific to queer intimacy.

I will acknowledge 2 Cutie 2 Pie, A Boss and a Babe, Be Mine SuperStar, Bed Friend, Candy Color Paradox, For Him, I Cannot Reach You, Kiseki: Dear to Me, La Pluie, Love Class 2, Love in Translation, Love Mate, Middleman’s Love, Naughty Babe, Only Friends, The End of the World With You, Tokyo in April is…, and Wedding Plan for your contributions.

Final Thoughts

I like how broad the genre felt this year, and I enjoyed how much speculative fiction is entering into the conversation. I don’t know how I feel about there being five vampire stories in the works next year, but overall I’m glad that we’re getting more experimental concepts. I’m burnt out on the college engineering BL, and would like to see more shows about working adults.

Despite how grumpy I was for at least three months, I think this has genuinely been one of the best years we’ve ever had in the genre. I made a lot of new friends in BL this year, and I’m excited to see what comes next. Thank you all for spending some of your time with me this year and I’ll see you in the next one.

[bl-bracket]

Best Siblings Bracket

Round One

Pat & Pa (Bad Buddy) vs Tops & Thunder (Ingredients: The Series)

Prapai & Plerng & Phan (Love in the Air) vs Akira & Hitomi (Life: Senjou no Bokuro)

Akk & Im & Egg (Enchante) vs Koichi & Younger Siblings (Eternal Yesterday)

Siwon & Siyeong (Blueming) vs Day & Night (Love Syndrome III)

Thian & Yang (To Sir With Love) vs Diao & Dao (Rak Diao)

Kuafah & Daonuea (Star in My Mind/Sky in Your Heart) vs Yoo & Vee (Love Mechanics)

Cher & Thoop (A Boss and a Babe) vs Aek & Tho (Don't Say No)

Jiang Yanli & Wei Wuxian & Jiang Cheng (The Untamed) vs Livy & Mikey (Rainbow Prince)

Tankhun & Kinn & Kim (Kinnporsche: The Series) vs Vlad & Judit (Like in the Movies)

Intouch & Ahn (Until We Meet Again) vs Tian & Longtae (A Tale of a Thousand Stars)

Dean & Del & Don (Until We Meet Again) vs Leo & Neo (3 Will Be Free)

Lan Xichen & Lan Zhan (The Untamed) vs Noey & Nidnhoi (I Will Knock You)

Pi & Duean & Wan (Fish Upon the Sky) vs Chien Teng & Yu He (DNA Says Love You)

Korn & Krit & Kard (Until We Meet Again) vs Cairo & London (Gameboys)

Tai & Tien (La Pluie) vs Tan & That (Manner of Death)

Vegas & Macau (Kinnporsche: The Series) vs Mork & Meen (Fish Upon the Sky)

Black & White (Not Me: The Series) vs Shintaro & Sakurako (Minato Shouji Coin Laundry)

Payu & Saifah (Love in the Air) vs Jim & Jam (Moonlight Chicken)

Tonhom & Long Pao & Seeiw (My Only 12%) vs Ritsu & Shuji (Jack o' Frost)

Haoting & Yongxing (HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count) vs Seefoom & Seenam (Ghost Host Ghost House)

Hoon & Teh (I Told Sunset About You) vs Man & Q's Mom (21 Days Theory)

Leo & Leon (Don't Say No) vs Mob & Ayato (A Man Who Defies the World of BL)

Kim & Khett (The Shipper) vs Gu Xiang & Chengling (Word of Honor)

Wan & Win & Wiew (Between Us) vs Tine & Type (2gether: The Series)

Porsche & Porchay (Kinnporsche: The Series) vs Vee & Pan (You're My Sky)

Tang Yi & Zhuo Hongye (HIStory 3: Trapped) vs Kurosawa & Older Sister (Cherry Magic)

Nie Mingjue & Nie Huaisang (The Untamed) vs Bai Qing & Bai Lang (My Tooth Your Love)

Tharn & Thorn & Tanya (Tharntype: The Series) vs Pluem & Prim (Ghost Host Ghost House)

Wen Qing & Wen Ning (The Untamed) vs Tsubasa & Younger Brother (Kabe-Koji-Nekoyashiki-Kun Desires to be Recognized)

Sun & Rain (Dark Blue Kiss) vs Zeshou & Xueching (Plus & Minus)

Jeng & Jaab (Step by Step) vs Gu Xiang & Wen Kexing (Word of Honor)

Minoru & Tane (Our Dining Table) & Sarawat & Phukong (2gether: The Series)

[wen-kexing-apologist]

✨2023: A Summary✨

Post your most popular and/or favourite edit/gifset/analysis for each month (it’s okay to skip months!)

tagged by @dribs-and-drabbles, thank you! this was a fun review and I was interested to see how many times my favorite post and the most popular post coincided (or didn't)

January

I wasn’t writing meta

February

Most popular: Heart’s Confrontation- the scene breakdown that started it all!

Favorite(s): Heart’s Confrontation, Moonlight Chicken Sign Language Index- I really had a lot of fun figuring out the similarities and differences in American Sign Language and Modern Thai Sign Language!

March

Most popular: Best Criers in Moonlight Chicken- it's funny, short, and sweet

Favorite(s): Moonlight Chicken is for the Queers, Isn’t it Difficult to be Born Poor?- I loved writing these so much!

April

Most popular: A plea for Akk to have unrestrained summer fun

Favorite(s): Bed Friend and Reflections Part 3; Songkran, Water, and KingUea- Not to sound egotistical or anything, but I was really proud of myself for the conclusions I came up with in both of these pieces

May

Most popular: Silence- I think this was one of the only things I wrote in May

Favorite(s): Silence- THE ACTING IS JUST SO GOOD OKAY?

June

Most popular: By/For/About Queers Part 1 and Part 2- these only have the most notes because this was originally a post from @absolutebl that I added thoughts to, so most of those notes are from them

Favorite(s): Phupa and internalized homophobia Part 1 and Part 2- it was really fun getting to unpack my past assumptions about Phupa and work through those until I came out the other side with a new blorbo.

July

Most popular:  Lack of Touch in BMF

Favorite(s): Rain, BL Boys, and Reciprocity; Trans Allegory in Cupid’s Last Wish; Body Language in La Pluie, Episode 12- I especially liked Rain and Reciprocity because I think it has really shaped how I watch shows since then because I want to see if my theory holds.

August

Most popular: Only Friends, Boston, and Queer Culture

Favorite(s): Only Friends, Boston, and Queer Culture, Pause for Reflection, Part 1: Respectable Promiscuity and Only Friends- listen, I was going to write boring, academic, cited work about sex/porn as a joke, okay? I didn't expect people to actually engage with them as excitedly as they did!

September

Most popular: A Must Read- I give all credit for the success of this post to the Teen Vogue author who wrote the article and to @waitmyturtles who sent this link to me

Favorite(s): Pause for Reflection, Part 2: Only Friends, Racism, and the Commodification of Queer Asians; Poor Boy; Who is Mew Anyway?- Honestly, I had a wonderful time writing all the essays for Only Friends

October

Most popular: Best Scene in Only Friends and Why it was Sand and Nick Kissing

Favorite(s): Let’s Talk About Sex!, Why I Like BL, Physicality of Characters- the sex essay for my 69th essay was fun, and hilariously appropriate because I had recently answered the physicality question and could use it as an example

November

Most popular: Physical Touch and Hands in Last Twilight- It made me feel so warm and fuzzy that people would notice I wasn't posting about this show and want to hear from me <3

Favorite(s): IS BROTHER ANURAK THE ONE ARMED MAN?- I will never reach a higher high than when my obsession with hands finally paid off and I figured this shit out a month in advance of Part 2, I'm a motherfucking genius

December 

Most popular: Hands Touching Hands- I love throwing in complete key smash type of analysis from time to time as a treat cause I keep forcing people to read literal long-form essays all the fucking time (sorry, not sorry)

Favorite(s): Top 5 Favorite Food Moments, Best of QL 2023: Favorite Lines, Best of QL pre-2023: Favorite Lines- I love when I can cause people emotional pain, and all of these not only stabbed me in the heart but took a couple of people down with me as far as I can tell from the tags.

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It's wild to have done this, because I haven't really been keeping an eye on my stats until now. I've made almost 400 original posts this year, and increased my notes by 25,000 annually looking at 2023 compared to 2022. I have been a lonely little tumblr goblin since 2012. I came on here to read other people's smart thoughts about things I was watching and to reblog gifs, and I never really thought building community here was possible, but here I am 11 months after making my first BL analysis post with a bunch of friends I didn't know a year ago, and about 20 more lenses through which I watch my silly little gay shows.

tagging: @bengiyo, @ranchthoughts, and @rocketturtle4