#my school president super special episode

[aprilblossomgirl]

My School President: Super Special Episode (2023)

I don’t like Win at all yet I can feed him food. You guys are overthinking it.

[jjsanguine]

Usually product placement has truly ridiculous justifications that you have to learn to ignore but children are actually just like this

[mysterygrl20]

no im gonna cry. what is this super special episode of my school president. the theme song alone made me tear up

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High Junior Year Ep 6

Post Shrimp Jump Conspiracy Board Special

Hey y’all! Welcome back to Seacaster Manor where the shrimp party is still raging and the Bad Kids are balancing being cooler than ever with some serious sleuthing. We get a lot of new information this episode so I wanted to try out a new format for this week. I often talk in a metaphorical way about putting items up on a Conspiracy Board but I want to actually try that now that we’re a little over a quarter of the way in and have multiple overarching things happening. This is going to be a lot less linear than usual but bear with me. Gotta shake things up a little so I don’t get burnt out! There’s still fourteen more episodes to go! 

The Rat Grinders

The Bad Kids’ de facto rival party got a lot of screen time in this episode, which makes sense: Adaine declared the party their nemeses over Goldenhoard or anyone else they’ve fought, which is saying a lot. Before this point, we knew the following facts about them:

1) They got their name because the only enemies they’re recorded as killing are low level ones (including rats) that they grind in the woods behind the school, showing a willingness to follow the letter but not spirit of the rules but also an impressive amount of dedication. 

2) Their leader seems to be rogue, Kipperlily Copperkettle who is type A as hell and has a LOT of free time to kill having found the rogue professor (or at least having the rogue professor find her). She’s running for class president on a platform based around “fairness” which is a theme that’s come up more than once this season. 

3) Also on the team are emo Bard Reuben (who seems to be related to the new Artificing teacher and who shares an agent with Fig) and nonplussed Barbarian Mary Ann (who is buffing herself magically somehow).

4) Kipperlily specifically asked about where Kristen was able to create a new god. Now how, where. An odd question. 

This episode, we learned a lot more, so let's throw them on the board and make some connections!

5) The Rat Grinders have a new cleric named Buddy Dawn (something Kristen’s brother mentioned two episodes ago). He’s from Highcourt and moved with his grandparents. He’s got super Mormon+Southern “Bless Your Heart” energy and Kristen doesn’t like how familiar it feels. His vibes are clocked as well meaning but kinda judgey. 

6) Buddy Dawn was *specifically requested* by the party. Of course, requesting a cleric isn’t weird–why wouldn’t you want one? And Helioism seems a pretty common religion in the region so odds are good that if you get a cleric is would be a Helioic one. But, paired with KP’s question about Kristen, it makes you wonder if the plan is to recruit a Kristen expy and try to get lightning to strike twice.  

7) At the beer pong table, we meet the RG’s archer who is an elf named Ivy Embra. She’s got some flirty, catty energy (which we see when she interacts with Fabian and Mazey respectively).

8) We also meet the party wizard, Oisin Hakinvar, who is a Conjuration specialist with a focus in summoning. He’s a blue dragonborn which means that he has a great great great (etc) blue dragon ancestor he can ping when he needs barrels of diamonds, no problem. He has so many in fact that when Adaine lies badly that she’s also swimming in diamonds, he kindly offers to let her borrow some of his “extras”. But she turns them down, calls him great, and then panics and runs away to commiserate with Fabian who is also panicking about a flirty moment with Ivy. Oisin, for his part, seems driven to distraction and can’t make a single other shot all night. Cute! But–

9) As much as I want to wholeheartedly love Oisin (and honestly do and will until I am given direct evidence to change my mind) I have to point out that KVX, known evil bank, did change its logo from red (Goldenhoard’s color) to blue (Oisin’s Ancestor’s color) and there is a shot in the trailer of the party fighting a blue dragon. Connected? Maybe.

10) From investigating some yearbooks, the party also learns that the Rat Grinders have existed since Freshman Year but, at the time, they were called the High Five Heroes. They all look a lot more smiley and a lot less intense–Rebuen’s not even emo. It was the lineup from above, minus Buddy and plus a frost Genasi cleric named Lucy Frostblade. They learn that she supposedly died in their Sophomore year but specifically during a period near the end of the year where grades are locked and it wouldn’t affect their party comp which is…convenient. 

11) Fig tries to investigate this by disguising herself as Lucy and seeing how Ivy and Oisin react. Only Ivy sees her but she doesn’t seem shocked at all to see her allegedly dead party member She just raises an eyebrow and ditches the game to talk to her. Fig bails (and rolls only a 12 to stealth away) so we don’t get any extra info but just the fact that Ivy reacted that way is pretty juicy info as is.  

12) The other Rat Grinders don’t seem to be at the party but the members are skeptical about that. On the other hand, when Ivy leaves, it’s because Oisin pulls her aside and says, “Kipperlilly’s calling”. So it’s possible there was a Team A and a Team B for whatever the Rat Grinders were doing that night?

13) And speaking of what they're doing, we do have a theory. When Fabian checks some damage in the basement where Max and some other kids were smoking "gorgenfern" he sees that something called a cloud rider engine was smashed up pretty bad and in a suspicious way–gorgenfern doesn’t make you rowdy. Fabian checks the security tapes he obviously has and sees that some ice mephits came in and riled people up to the point of crashing into the engine. Adaine conjured some earlier in the party and as far as her arcana check can tell, they’re here, but there’s suspicion that Oisin–a conjuration wizard–could have done it. It’s certainly within his skillset. A cloud rider engine allows a vehicle to fly on clouds and it’s not clear if it was simply smashed or if something was stolen from it. 

14) Max isn’t a Rat Grinder but he did ask them all if they wanted to smoke with him and Ivy offered Fabian snuff so Riz is suspicious that the RG’s are trying to get them kicked out of school for drug use now that they have a non-Aguefort principal who presumably cares about silly rules like that at the murder school. 

That’s basically what we know about the Rat Grinders! So, to sum it up, I’d say the conspiracy board bullet points are:

Supposedly dead cleric Lucy Frostblade: What actually happened to her and why isn’t Ivy surprised to see “her”?

New cleric Buddy Dawn: Why was he specifically requested? 

The High Five Heroes: What caused them to turn into the Rat Grinders? And, as they seem like they were more gung ho their first year, why did they never pivot to fighting things other than low level monsters?

Do they actually have beef with the Bad Kids specifically or are their vibes just terrible? Were they trying to sabotage them by offering drugs? Did they break the engine on purpose and, if so, why?

Oisin: Is he chill or is he working an angle? That question technically goes to Ivy as well but I’m almost certain she’s fully working an angle, lol. I’m getting straight up Aelwyn vibes from her.

Class President: What is KP’s angle re: running for class president? This seems like something she’d want to do either way with her personality but her policy of fairness dovetails too neatly with Grix’s appearance and Cassandra’s inability to say the phrase, “It’s not fair,” last episode.

How did KP find the rogue professor and is that relevant?

And finally, why did KP want to know about where Kristen created her Freshman year god? Well, that question may be partially answered in our next section. 

God Stuff

There is a lot going on this season with celestial shenanigans between Cassandra and Galicaea and even Yes! So let’s mark out what we know.

1) Cassandra was possessed by some kind of rage entity via crystal shards that were expelled from her body. Her status is kind of up in the air right now as the party was shunted away to safety by Connor Counterspell (RIP) and all Kristen has left of Cass are some glowing, purple shards. 

2) Earlier in the fight, while lucid, Cassandra said, “I thought you were dead” about some unseen entity. Later, Kristen heard from a creepy voice that said, “She is at my side once more”. It then threatened her and slid out the rotting corpse of Yes! as a sick joke. Likely that these are the same person or at least connected. 

3) Gorgug identified that the rage stars are similar to what’s going on with Ragh’s mom, Lydia so it was put on the docket to get in touch with her about that–especially because Kalina specifically told them to track down Ragh with her last lucid words. 

4) Tracker’s Galicaea rebrand is going really well. Her social media is really popping and the endless night probably didn’t hurt. 

5) Kristen on the other hand, hasn’t been doing so hot. Due to a bunch of negligence based in lack of time management and personal uncertainty, she hasn’t been evangelizing much which means only she and Craig stand between Cass and her permanent destruction. 

6) Kristen can’t contact Cass telepathically and says she can’t use her magic which is Not Great if you're as danger prone as the Bad Kids. 

Alright, that’s all the old business so let’s move to the new business. 

7) When Kristen talked to her parents, we learned that Helio doesn’t have a chosen one since she left but we learn that it’s more serious than that. Helio also can’t choose a new chosen one. He only gets one. With Kristen gone, the whole religion is without a chosen one.

8) At a certain point, Tracker finally gets a hold of Kristen and says some harsh but true things about Kristen but, more relevant to the conspiracy board, she talks about her girlfriend Nara and Adaine, as a fellow high elf, clocks her as coming from a family of moon goddess clerics in Falinel. That raises the question: is this run of the mill teenage rebellion a la the theme song, or is she some kind of plant? We’ll hopefully get some more info from Aelwyn since Adaine texted her about it.

9) The real juicy stuff happens when we talk to Ragh’s mom. The fiend in Lydia's gem is called Bakur. Her having him in there doesn't make her rage--she's raging to keep him trapped but that's it. Her personality is the same. 

10) Bakur was a pit fiend and the right hand guy of a dead god whose name we don't know (hmm, another dead and nameless god). Bakur can't even say the god's name. It's like, weird god rules and Lydia explains in a weird vague way: gods not being able to use loopholes and saying names being powerful and rules changing for non-mortals when gods die.

11) The one very concrete info we get is that a god can only come back in a place where they were born or created. The reason Bakur’s plan failed is that he tried to bring back the nameless god in the Red Waste and not where they were created. 

12) Rana (Lydia’s party cleric) is away and Cormyr (the party sorcerer) is dead but Lydia offers to put the party in touch with Rana and Cormyr’s family because they have more stuff related to this and they were the ones who knew more about this than her. 

Following? Good. So let’s distill this down to bullets again:

Holy Helio. The corn god doesn’t have a chosen one anymore because Kristen up and left. What does that mean in a concrete sense? What can a chosen one do that a normal cleric can’t? Is Helio gonna ask Kristen to do anything this season now that we know that this is a special position that only one person can fill? Is it until she dies (or at least dies for real)? Would a fanatical Helioic person try and kill Kristen to open up that slot?

KP specifically asking WHERE Cassandra was created seems clearly tied to the info Lydia gave about only being able to resurrect a god where it was created. But what does that mean exactly? Is she trying to resurrect the same god as Bakur? Did she just assume that wherever Kristen made her god is probably where most gods are made and, thus, her best bet? What’s her angle? Is this an evil plan for just a “this will get me a good grade” plan?

Where in the world is Cassandra right now? She is MIA right now which means Kristen’s powers are too. Though I wonder if she can draw on those shards to cast spells.

We obviously can’t be sure but it seems like the voice Kristen heard and the person that Cass thought was dead is likely that unnamed god. What’s his deal? I’m sure we’ll have more info for this bullet soon. 

Is Tracker’s new girlfriend Nara, much like Ecaf, a turncoat? 

With Helio, Cass, and Galicaea all being in the mix, is there any kind of family angle being played. It doesn’t come up a ton but they are very much related. 

MISC

This is a section for a few points that don’t yet fit under the main two headings of the season but still need to go up on the board. 

Why would Aguefort program a robot that acts like Grix? Is he supposed to be like or is he hacked? If he is hacked, who would be able to do that? The new artificing teacher? The old one?

We learn that Aguefort has made a lot of contradicting proclamations and all of them are canon, so you’re able to pick and choose what you want to cite (I feel like I’m in law school again). Lots of room for loopholes which could be useful later. 

Adaine, while very drunk, had an oracle vision of Kristen at a birthday party, giving a victory speech to a bunch of teens on election night as a crescent moon hangs in the sky. The Crescent moon potentially gives them a time frame if they look into it (and it specifically being mentioned makes me think of Galicaea even though not every moon thing has to be connected to her). And we know Gorgug’s birthday is near the Frosty Folk festival so maybe that’s why the hats.

Speaking of, we know there’s a connection between Riz’s mom defending someone for money crimes re: that Festival and Gorgug’s parents hosting it so that’s something to remember. 

This isn’t something for the pin board per se but this season introduces a stress token system for downtime! I’m sure I’ll talk about it more when we use it for the first time next ep but, for now, gotta say he’s really ramping up the pressure on our kids! And, to that point, let’s do a quick check in with everyone and see what they’re up against!

Character Board

Adaine

-Adaine is still facing major money troubles. After last episode, not only is her job terminated, but she actually owes 2.5 gold for her uniform. 

-It looks like she might be developing a bit of a crush on the cute dragonborn (yay) but he’s a Rat Grinder (nooooo). I will say though, cross party romance could be a lot of fun and also my favorite NPC in this show is Aelwyn whose top 2 traits are famously Criminal and Loves Adaine so I am honestly fine with this either way lol. 

-Speaking of Aelwyn, I’ll put the sister stuff together: When Adaine calls her to ask for dirt on Nara she says, “Working, will call in five.” And when Adaine questions the fact that it's 5am on a Saturday, Adaine just gets a winky face emoji back. Suspicious! 

Fabian

-Fabian has to juggle the new 150% course load (bard/fighter) as well as his new party house reputation.

-He has a lack of adult supervision which also means a lack of adult care and it seems to be affecting him more than he’s willing to let on. 

-But honestly his biggest obstacle is probably himself right now, lol. He made himself a new nemesis in Gertie Bladshield and I am not confident he can handle this honey trap mission with Ivy without the tables being turned on him. 

Riz

-Riz is also facing money troubles, but for him that’s kind of business as usual unfortunately.

-He has a TON of extracurriculars to keep track of but he so far seems to be handling it pretty well and is picking up some interesting allies (that double as votes for Kristen’s campaign–campaign manager is also an extracurricular he’s taken up): the aforementioned Gertie Bladeshield (Apiary Club), Sprak LeFevre (Aviation Club), and Molman Holden (Soil Club). Always good to have new allies and Aviation Club seems like it could be really useful later! I can see him making some luck checks to successfully say, “I know a guy” in a tight spot based on how many clubs he’s joined. 

-He also has the Reliable Talent ability now which means he’s incapable of rolling lower than a 21 on things he’s proficient in which includes Investigation. We’re about to be getting some INSANE lore dumps. 

Gorgug

-Gorgug has his insane 400% courseload happening and I didn’t notice this until it was pointed out to me but Zac actually leveled Gorgug DOWN in Barbarian to take an extra level of Artificer! That’s commitment. But I can’t imagine Porter, who already has a problem with him, is gonna like that. 

Fig

-Fig would hate it if I didn’t start this list by saying that she hella misses Ayda and that’s her biggest problem. 

-But she also has her album to worry about and we actually get the bombshell during a conversation with Mazey that she’s not even sure that she still wants to be a bard.

-On top of that, she’s taking Barb and Warlock classes along with the Bard classes she’s finally going to. 

-She has her gnarly Gilear curse happening that’s seemingly connected to whoever the boss who owns the pride armor is. 

-She has beef with Rebuen and is living her double life as Wanda Childa to try and learn whatever she can about him/the Rat Grinders. 

-Both she and Wanda are wanted by the Solace FBI.  

-On a positive note, she really endeared herself to Mazey by sweetly sticking up for her when Ivy was being catty. If Fig wasn’t so devoted to Ayda I could have read their interaction at the end of the ep as flirty. Regardless, nice moment and great ally. 

Kristen

-Welp, her god is, if not dead, MIA which is arguably the biggest deal of anything on any of these lists, especially since it’s tied to her magic AND her grade. 

-Next of course is the potato to her meat on her plate: her campaign. But that’s actually going really well, especially after this party. Her biggest issue is whether or not she can get Fetty Wap to homecoming and, lbr, in a pinch Fig can just disguise herself as him. When has that ever not worked?

-She also has this unnamed god (or whoever it is) taunting her and threatening her specifically which isn’t ideal. 

-But I honestly think she was more fucked up by the conversation which Tracker where her ex basically outlined everything she needs to get together in her life and then posted a pre-written pic with her new girlfriend. That’s gotta sting. 

And that’s it! I wanted to focus on the specific nuggets of info we got this episode and start to connect them with what we knew so far. Different format, I know, but I’m feeling experimental this season and I might switch it up a few more times as Junior Year goes on. I love covering Fantasy High but, like I said at the top, I have to keep it fresh so I don’t burn out. See you next time when Brennan makes the stress we’re all feeling an actual game mechanic! Fun!

[chickenstrangers]

#5QLS tag

tagged by @waitmyturtles 🥰

When you get this, list 5 songs from the Asian QL shows that you actually listen to. 🎶They do not have to be custom-made for the series. 🎶Non-western tracks only. Let's support Asian music and languages! 🎶Feel free to tag anyone who may be interested in participating. 🎶Add #5qls tag to your post for others to find the new favourites!

1. Tilly Birds - เพื่อนเล่นไม่เล่นเพื่อน (Just Being Friendly) - My School President, Cutie Pie, Cupid's Last Wish

This is the song that started me on Thai music and I'm so happy for it. It's still probably my favorite song on this list. I love the original version, the MSP cover, NuNew's singing, but I especially love evil!Tilly Birds in Cupid's Last Wish when its the prelude to them getting lost.

2. NuNew and/or Zee - ใจรัก (LOVE) - Cutie Pie

Zee and NuNew both have amazing covers of this song (Zee's version) and with Just Being Friendly, this was I think the second song on my playlist. The actual scene in the show is one of the most excruciating scenes that I could barely sit through from second-hand embarrassment, and then Kuea sings it the next episode which is honestly kind of rubbing salt in the wound. But the song itself I love.

3. Dark Blue Kiss Opening Theme

I couldn't find a normal version of it without linking an episode, but this is genuinely my favorite opening sequence to a show, and it is one of the only ones that I will watch every time, even if I accidentally come upon it when trying to find a specific scene. Okay, I may be more obsessed with the video than the song itself, but the song definitely sets the tone. This opening is a roller coaster, starts dramatic, gets super cheesy, makes me laugh, but every time Kao comes on screen and a single tear rolls down his cheek I am instantly on the verge of tears.

4. Mix and Earth - ไม่ไกลหัวใจ (Closer) - Cupid's Last Wish

Though DBK has the best intro video, this is probably my favorite opening song to a show. Gets you in the mood for a fun lighthearted road trip to reverse a body swap. Honorary mention to their ATOTS Our Sky 2 song which I could not stop listening to and watching when it came out. I think the lyrics really capture the theme of the special. Yes I am putting 2 songs on this list spot.

5. ฟัง – SIN feat.โอม Cocktail - My School President

There's a lot of songs from MSP that could be on the list, but other than Just Being Friendly (which I am counting as a general BL song given how often it shows up) this is probably my most listened to song on the soundtrack.

6. Phai Phongsathon - คนบ้านเดียวกัน - Laws of Attraction

I was really trying to stick to 5ish main songs but then I remembered @recentadultburnout post about this song which appeared last episode and I have been listening to it a lot since then!

I have mostly kept to songs I haven't seen other people mention in their posts, so here's a quick list of my favorite songs that have already been discussed but that I second (not comprehensive):

Gunsmile - Pass (from Love Sick)

Wetter - Who (from The Eighth Sense)

Tilly Birds - I'm Not Boring, You're Just Bored (from Only Friends)

Anonymouz - 夜行性 (from Jack O' Frost)

Ayumu Imazu - Sunshower (from Eternal Yesterday)

CITI - Today (from You Make Me Dance)

And lastly, two of my favorite songs that barely fit because I don't think they were in any shows, but they were covered at the MSP concert, so I am counting them:

sorry for adding a million songs but hey why not talk about more music this is my post. tagging (if you want, no pressure, feel free to ignore) @recentadultburnout @distant-screaming (I love both your recs; I listened to MILLI for a week straight after a soundwin post haha) @ranchthoughts @dudeyuri @shannankle @miscellar @kattahj and anyone else who wants to share!

[bevioletskies]

my school president + every song ever | super special episode ↳ เขินให้หน่อย (you're blushing?) by gemini norawit & fourth nattawat

“Is it clear to you now how I feel?”

[supportingjatpcast]

Where to find the JATP cast (as of December 12, 2022):

(this post is like, super mega long, so to spare you, I'll put it under a read more. have a good one!)

Madison Reyes- Julie Molina (@themadisonreyes on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

The Bad Seed Returns

All Kinds of Love (available on all music streaming platforms)

Allie Mitchell Must Win (in preproduction)

Charlie Gillespie- Luke Patterson (@charles_gillespie on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

The Class

Love You Anyway

Chevel Shepard: Good Boy (music video)

The Rest of Us

Madison Park: better w/o you (music video)

Conséquences (six episodes)

I Am the Night (pilot episode)

Speed Kills

Charmed 2018 (Pilot and Episode 2)

Naomi Sequeira: Pastries (music video)

2nd Generation (episodes 1-6)

The Next Step (season 5, episode 17)

Degrassi: Next Class (season 4, episodes 8 and 10)

The Outlaw League

Totally Killer (postproduction)

The Get Back Girl (postproduction)

Suze (postproduction)

Deltopia (postproduction)

Owen Patrick Joyner- Alex Mercer (@owenjoyner on Instagram and Twitter)

Julie and the Phantoms

Acapulco (season 2, episode 3)

Knight Squad

Henry Danger (season 5, episode 9)

Slime Cup (season 3, episodes 1-6)

The Thundermans (season 4, episode 15)

The Veil

It’s On

100 Things to Do Before High School

Nickelodeon’s Ho Ho Holiday Special

Something Here (postproduction)

Jeremy Shada- Reggie Peters (@jeremyshada on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

Interrupting Chicken (season 1, episode 3)

Dragons: The Nine Realms

Multiversus

Adventure Time: Distant Lands

Cookie Run Kingdom (English version)

Scars

Denton’s Death Date

Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion

Voltron: Legendary Defender

Adventure Time

Mr. Student Body President

Spiderman 2018 (season 2, episode 1)

Cheerleader Nightmare

Blooms Adventure Time TD

When Jeff Tried to Save the World

DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles

Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series

Gloria Talks Funny

Cartoon Network Live

Surfs Up 2: WaveMania

Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations

Lego Dimensions

Badly Drawn Animals

Adventure Time: All’s Well That Rats Swell

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M

Adventure Time: Game Wizard

Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom

Adventure Time: Card Wars

Aliens in the House

Adventure Time: Ski Safari

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don’t Know!

See Dad Run (season 2, episode 8)

Incredible Crew (season 1, episodes 1-18)

Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d You Steal Our Garbage?!!

Paranorman

Adventure Time: The Wand

F.3.A.R.

That’s What I Am

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (season 1, episode 18; season 2, episodes 6, 18, 19; season 3 episodes 1, 3)

Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey

Parenthood (season 1, episodes 4-5)

Healing Hands

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Chowder (season 2, episode 24)

FusionFall

Cold Case (season 5, episode 1)

The Loop (season 2, episode 4)

Lost (season 2, episode 12; season 3, episode 21)

Ghost Whisperer (season 2, episodes 21-22)

Shark (season 1, episode 16)

Southern Comfort

Nip/Tuck (season 4, episode 13)

Bambi 2: The Great Prince of the Forest

No Rules

ER (season 11, episode 6)

The Incredibles: When Danger Calls

Team America: World Police

Miracle Run

Good Girls Don’t… (season 1, episode 4)

My Neighbors the Yamadas

Vintage (available on all music streaming platforms)

Ballerina (available on all music streaming platforms)

Mad Love (available on all music streaming platforms)

Midnight Promises (available on all music streaming platforms)

Jadah Marie- Flynn Taylor (@thejadahmarie on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

Family Reunion (season 4, episodes 4-5)

Home Invasion (season 1, episodes 1-6)

Sarah Jeffery and Jadah Marie: Audrey’s Christmas Rewind

Descendants 3

Descendants 3: Good to Be Bad (music video)

Ready Player One

Mann and Wife

Blue Bloods (season 7, episode 8)

No Safe Place (preproduction)

Sacha Carlson- Nick (@sacha_carlson on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

9-1-1 l: Lone Star (season 3, episode 14)

American Housewife (season 3, episodes 6-7)

A Christmas Story Live!

In This Moment (preproduction)

Savannah Lee May- Carrie Wilson (@savannahleemay on Instagram)

Julie and the Phantoms

A Cowgirl’s Song

The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders

Knight Squad

Cousins for Life (season 1, episode 12)

Bizaardvark (season 2, episode 20)

School of Rock (season 3, episode 6)

Keep Moving (postproduction)

Booboo Stewart- Willie (@booboostewart.art on Instagram)

(look, i adore booboo. i do. but this man has 112 acting credits on IMDB, and there is no way that i am typing all of them out and including exactly what episodes of shows he’s in. love you all, but i do actually have a life outside of stanning the jatp cast, so im just linking his imdb page here. happy searching babes!)

Carlos Ponce- Ray Molina (@poncecarlos1 on Instagram)

(Carlos has 49 acting credits, and many are in Spanish, a language that i do not speak. check out his IMDb page here.)

Sonny Bustamante- Carlos Molina

Julie and the Phantom

7th & Union

Law & Order True Crime (season 1, episodes 3-5)

New Shoes

Heaven’s Flume

Cheyenne Jackson- Caleb Covington (@MrCheyenneJackson on Instagram)

(Cheyenne has 65 acting credits. im not typing all that out, because i doubt that you want to read all of that. Check him out here!)

[shortpplfedup]

My School President Episode 7: Rules are made to be broken

I know I'm saying this every week at this point, but this show owes so much structurally to Bad Buddy and emotionally to Love Sick, as well as just overall to the first season of Glee, that it gives me the feeling of being warmly embraced by an old friend. This week Yo (I KNOW!) is the driving force as the Hot Wave rule gets stretched to the limit, discarded and reinstated in a way that actually doesn't make me want to pull my hair out.

Verse: Dreams come true

I'm in heaven With my boyfriend My laughing boyfriend There's no beginning And there is no end Feels like I'm dreaming But I'm not sleeping

Mariah Carey | Fantasy (1995)

Man Tinn is living his best life right now, walking on sunshine. Gun might not technically be Tinn's boyfriend yet, but Tinn sure as shit is Gun's boyfriend. Now that it's clear that they like each other, Tinn is unleashed and he is flirting with both barrels, in the corniest fashion he can muster. He wants to shout to the whole world that he likes Gun and Gun likes him, but the Hot Wave rule is severely cramping his style.

Chorus: Friends to lovers

Oh, I can't be elusive with you honey 'Cause it's blatant that I'm feeling you And it's too hard for me to leave abruptly 'Cause you're the only thing I wanna do

Mariah Carey | Honey (1997)

Gunn for his part is trying his best to play things cool. Tinn's full court press is absolutely doing its job of making him feel special, loved and supported, but also...slightly panicked? Gun spends the episode adjusting to this new super-enthusiastic, forthright, ultra-open version of Tinn and trying to decide how he feels about it. The 'Just Being Friendly' runner is still very much present in this episode, which I found interesting because I'd thought the matter settled at the end of episode 6. But somewhere during that aquarium 'date', probably around the time Tinn shoved three of Gun's fingers into his mouth and bit them (listen, I can't even...), Gun decided he wanted this just as much.

Bridge: Softly softly

Sweet destiny Carried me through desperation To the one that was waiting for me

Mariah Carey | Vision of Love (1990)

Yo's insecurities taking centre stage was unexpected but instructive. It's not lost on me that he chose Tinn as his avatar, because despite Tinn's inherent weird nerd-ness, from the outside he must seem really cool. It's also not lost on Gun that his careless critique about Yo's skills sent his friend on a spiral that ended with a slap to the face. Gun does feel guilty for his part in the ensuing mess, and goes out of his way to help Yo try to make right what he did wrong. In the end, despite the club eventually voting down the rule, or at least voting to exempt Yo from the rule, the Hot Wave rule remains intact due to some adorable plot mechanics that I will totally allow.

Outro: Lay all your love on me

My every wish and every dream Somehow became reality When you brought the sunlight Completed my whole life I'm overwhelmed with gratitude 'Cause baby I'm so thankful I found you

Mariah Carey ft. Joe and 98° | Thank God I Found You (1999)

But even discussing the rule within the club stirred up a lot, as our sweet baby Por engages the hamster running his brain long enough to notice that Gun's sparkle is even sparklier than usual lately. I wrote about the positive reinforcement loop that Gun and Tinn have created propelling Gun upward, and others are starting to see it as well. Por vocalising that to Gun, and Gun seeing Yo work harder to prove himself to Yak as a worthy suitor for his sister clicks the final piece into place for him, and this time he crosses the friend zone line in a full and final acceptance of Tinn's feelings.

Ad Libs

New opening and closing credits and themes this week! The new opener is fine, but I miss 'You Got Ma Back'. At least we still have it for the interstitials.

Chinzhilla's little hero walk into the cafeteria made me tear up a little. I think about how proud my little slackers must feel and I--

I loved Tinn using ja with Gun, very flirty.

Gun's rapid fire little blinks every time Tinn gives him the flustered kilig feelings are ADORABLE.

Fun little meta moment with Tiw playing literally every character in Romeo and Juliet except the leads 🤣

Win and Sound's constant bickering would usually thoroughly irritate me but something about them is making me crazy in the good way.

I spotted you checking your hair before the date Gun.

The fashion on this show is gonna make me resurrect my gensemble/gay apparel posts.

I love Chinzhilla but I also love seeing Gun having one-on-one moments with the other boys in the band, it really just brings forward that these guys really are friends.

Win and Pat voting to keep the rule out of saltiness cracked me up so bad.

I did note that Sound didn't vote the first time around.

I never expected to see Yak in the show's main timeline, so that was fun, and it makes sense that his objection to Yo dating his sister would be the thing that made them reestablish the rule.

The dance number was just perfect. Exactly the kind of thing that would get you a high school girlfriend.

Seems like one of the scenes from last week's preview got cut?

Next week: the first performance round of Hot Wave!

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Currently watching - December

Because I love a good little list 😊

Regularly updated during the month, latest update 30.12.2022, colored = finished

This may contain spoilers!

I am sorry if you can't open the links on mobile!

The director who buys me dinner (6/10 on iQiyi)

I read the webseries and I loved it! So no pressure Korea 😅 But I did enjoy the first two episodes. It is funny and I had some really good laughts! It has an interesting story, if they keep up with the original. I am really looking forward to the next episodes.

Never Let Me Go (3/12 on Youtube)

The tension between the two mains is definitely there and noticeable. I already love the little shimmers of jealousy and the fact that it was love at first sight. I really enjoy their story and the plot around them. Nice show to watch.

Ameiro Paradox (2/8 on Viki and Gaga)

An enemies to lovers story with journalists and cute smiles? Count me in.

A man who defies the world of BL (2/4 on Gaga)

A man who tries to avoid the world of BL, in which he lives, by reading Yaoi mangas to get to know all the tropes he has to avoid in order to not get involved with the world as a main character. It is hilarious and makes fun of not just the viewers, but of the industrie itself. Really good so far.

The New Employee (2/8 on Viki)

I just finished reading the manhwa and I loved it. Now I am curious how it is realized. The first episode was good, just as I expected and Moon Ji Yong is quite an excellent cast for the role of Seung Hyun.

War of Y (10/20 on Gaga)

I finally watched the next chapter...And yeah, I think I can't watch the stories week for week. I need to wait until one chapter is closed and binge the five episodes. This is one of the few bls I watch with a lot of tension in my body and no smile on my lips...I need to calm a bit before I can dive into the next drama...

Between Us (8/12 on Youtube)

I like it, but I am not super hyped about it. I liek their connection and that both are not perfect, but perfect for each other in their own way.

Love Bill (8/10 on Youtube)

A vietnamese drama about a young man falling in love with a screenwriter. Well, of course there are some other things happening in between, but this is the heart of the story. Our boy Nguyễn Bá Vinh is doing a great job! I really enjoy this drama so far.

Till the World ends (9/10 on Youtube)

It is something else. Kind of brutal and gory and a little bit explicit. Not your usual bl. I like it, no wonder 😅 The end of the world is coming and Art and Golf try to survive the last days on this chaotic planet, to get to the safety of the last bunker which lets people in, chased by some lunatics with a special taste in meat...and with ep 8 we finally got the long-awaited kiss and damn they delivered!

My School President (4/10 on Youtube)

Set in highschool we meet Tinn (the school president) and Gun (head of the music club). Tinn has a huge crush on Gun and Gun sees in Tinn the enemy who is standing between the success of his music club and the win of the Hot Wave Music Contest. The plot is predictable, but sometimes you just need a good old high school bl without the deep drama. I enjoyed this series so much. And the music is so good!!!

HIStory 5: Love in the future (1/20 on Viki)

Hm. This was kind of meh. I hope it is to early to judge and it will get better! Right now the story is a little bit...confusing. I hope for a little bit explaination or at least some help from the magical figure.

To Sir, with love (2/17 on Youtube)

Okay, it is finished by now and I looked up for spoilers. I didn’t have the emotional strength to watch it til now. But I will give it a try soon, because the first two episodes were really good!

Remember Me (12/14 on Gaga)

Okay what happend? I am emotional invested in this story! Why did it become so good within two episodes? I love the domesticity and the wholesomeness of the third episode so much! It touched me and moved me and now I am looking forward to the next episode! And the next episode was good too. I love Em and Name! Don’t hurt them, especially Name! JUST STOP HURTING NAME!!! This hurts so bad!

2 Moons: The Ambassador (10/12 on Youtube)

It is just bad.

I will knock you (1/12 on Youtube)

So Thi steps on the Lotus of Noey which is symbolic for his heart and now Noey wants his heart back so he can give it to the girl he has a crush on and Thi can't find it and gives him in exchange a charm for fortune, but in reality it is for love and soulmates...And Noey happens to be the leader of a gang which members wear khaki-shorts or way too colorful dresses for a street gang...the cringe radar is very strong with this one, but it is hilarious!

Something in my room (3/10 on Youtube)

I saw people talking about this one and how good it is. Well, it is quite okay. I guess it will get a little bit deeper with more episodes, but I haven’t had the time to watch more.

Finished in December

Series

Choco Milk Shake (11/11 on Youtube) - perfect recommandation score

Well, I love this one with my whole heart. On the one side it is light and comforting and the acting is on point and on the other hand it deals with grief and what happiness can be. The biggest message would be to love with your whole heart and live life to the fullest. Carpe Diem if you will call it that. You don't know how much time you might have left in the end, so cherish every second with what brings you joy and makes you happy. Choko and Milk made me really happy. The story was unusual and it is not explained why they could come back again just as they wish, but to be true, I don't care. I want them all to be happy! 10 out of 10 choco milk shakes

Happy Ending Outside The Fence (Happy Ending Romance) (on Gaga) - highest recommandation

This one was so good. The pasting was nice. The story itself is very complex. In the end Junghyun was the right person for Jungwoo when he needed to hide, to suffer and to feel the pain. But Jungwoo doesn't want to be this fragile, this hurt forever. He wants to go outside and live and that is when he meets Taeyoung. A literal ray of sunshine and he is exactly what Jungwoo needs to see the beauty in life again and to finally believe in himself again and lets face it, to say fuck you to all the haters and just don't give a fuck about what other people will think. The story and the complex relationships moved me deeply. It is a very mature story and so are the relationships built. Nothing is easy, but stagnation is no help in the end. 9,5 out of 10 manuscripts

Eien No Kino (8/8 on Gaga) - highly recommended

The aesthetics of this one is so beautiful. The story itself about a young love that is so strong that the one who dies can't leave this world because and comes back as a living corpse is both, unique and tragically beautiful. It broke my heart, especially the talk between Mitsuru and his father. The ending didn't wreck me the way I feared it would, because it was overall a great ending for their situation. 9 out of 10 loves at first sight

His - Koisuru Tsumori Nante Nakatta (5/5 on Viki) - highly recommended

Oh this was beautiful. The amount of thought that was put into this piece of media is amazing. I liked the dialogues and the dealing with coming out and the difficulties for lgbtq+ people in Japan and first loves and so much more in five fucking episodes. I wish there were more! Really good! 9 out of 10 surfboards

My Tooth Your Love (on Viki) - recommended without a doubt

I guess this could be called a nightmare for people with a fear for dentists. It is a slow burn, but when the fire was lit it was burning with a cozy and constant heat. I like Bai Langs and Jin Xun Ans story. And I must admit the last few minutes killed my cold heart with all the fluff and domesticity. As for Alex and RJ I wish we could have had a real reveal of their emotions. But it was a cozy last episode. 8,5 out of 10 plushies

Oh! My Assistant (8/8 on Viki) - totally recommended

This was funny and fluffy and cringy and lovely and I am in love with it! I don't know what it is exactly, but it brings me so much joy and a really good laugh! Even the fall-on-you-by-accident is just funny and predictable. The bi-awakening of the main is so simple and rational and I love this series for it. 8,5 out of 10 sexy drawings

Nitiman (10/10 on Youtube) - yeah sure, why not recommending

I read a review which said nothing happend in this series...and they were correct. The conflicts most of the times results in misscommunication or not communicating at all. What it is about? Well, college boy A likes college boy B and hits on him. They become friends and college boy B falls for college boy A. Some jealousy and some weird get-togethers of their friends to make a plan to get those two together. And college boy A and college boy B become secret boyfriends before going official. And you know what? I like it! It is just the right show to watch on a cold sunday afternoon to warm your heart. 8 out of 10 dumb reasons to get jealous

Ai Long Nhai (12/12 on Youtube) - recommended only if you want to laugh and love a slow death

Ai likes Nhai. Nhai likes Ai. They test a possible relationship. It works, they have a relationship and nothing more happens, okay yes, after knowing each other for like ten minutes, Ai asks Nhai in the last five minutes if he wants to marry him...Why? Just why? And I know, I said nothing happens in Nitiman, too, BUT! Nitiman has a decend acting, kind of likable characters and charisma, but this mess? I dont know...The story is flat and bland, the acting is not good in my opinion and I can't see the chemistry between the main couple for most of the times. The subtitles were one thing that made this whole experience funny. 4 out of 10 yellow ducks

Short films

Summerdaze Christmas together - recommended

This was a cute one. And a special chistmas episode? It is in my nature to love it. But it is really very cute and cozy. 8 out of 10 cozyness

Summerdaze (youtube) - recommended

It is so short! nd there is no dialogue. And yet the short film managed to tell a story. I am amazed. It is more of a trailer for a bigger project and we got a christmas special this year, which is so cute. Just have a look. 8 out of 10 good story telling

Movies

Sematic Error: The Movie (on Viki) - highest possible grade of recommandation

Well I rewatched the series a few days ago and now just watched this three hour long movie. There were only a few new scence, but I don't care. Every minute spent watching it was worth my time! I just love Semantic Error 💗 10 out of 10 gorgeous red outfits

rec (on Gaga) - recommended for the different type of view

Well, don't judge a book by its cover. I have to admit, that I needed to start this one for a second try. At first I was deterred by the way it was shot. The shaky cam and the amateur like filming was difficult to get used to. But I got used to it. I started to dislike Song Young Jun. He was a little bit too loud and too annoying. And I really thought, that they would break up, because his partner was annoyed by him. But they loved each other, dearly. And this movie can break your heart. It is deep and political and sad and yes, the nudity was part of this whole scheme of two people being vulnerable with each other, but not honest. It hurts. This movie hurts. 7,5 out of 10 beach scenes

What I’m looking forward to in December:

Oh! My Assistant (Dec 1)

My School President (Dec 2)

The Third Solar Term (Dec 5)

Lockdown (Dec 7)

Midnight Tod (Dec 12)

Never Let Me Go (Dec 13)

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner (Dec 15)

Ameiro Paradox (Dec 16)

The New Employee (Dec 21)

HIStory5: Love in the Future (Dec 28)

Sin (Dec 28)

[erisluna35ocblog]

Timeline for my OC's ML AU:

When it comes to timelines, I prefer to play it lose. No specific dates outside the occassional holidays and character birthdays. Just vague mentions of how it happened in a certain month or season at best. For my fic BTaL, it goes for a 13 episode structure per season, like an anime. Each episode is around 30K words, give or take 5K. I estimated the story to be about a year long. Here's the draft of how the timeline is planned with some explanations for episodes that break the order:

Origins:

Early September, tail end of summer. It's the first day of school. Kept as a separate fic in both ff.net and Ao3 as this is meant to be like a special. An outlier from the seasons.

S1 Episode Slumber:

A flashback episode that happens across October. Shizuke and Blair spent a month arguing. They were super stubborn. Mentioned All Soul's Day/Day of the Dead in one segment of the epilogue. Meant to establish that Shizublair had already been through a fair amount as partners during the 1st half of S1.

S1 proper:

January to May. Holidays that will be covered: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Japan's Golden Week, which Shizuke's birthday (May 4) falls right in the middle of. Plenty of mentions from Shizubug how he and Blaircat have been partners for four going on five and so on months cause the dork counts the days he's together with his partner. There's also Keagan's aunt getting married to their homeroom teacher which was explicitly said was gonna happen around Spring, and a Spring Beauty Pageant and maybe April Fools gets a referrence.

S2 1st half:

Covers June for Summer Vacation. They end their school year off screen between S1 finale and S2. There's a minor timeskip of about a week or two filled in within the first episode's montage on how the team adjusted to the changes post S1 finale brought - its a slow month of just these guys adjusting to S1 finale dropping a bomb on their lives. The twins' birthday (June 13) acts as a mid season finale.

N2CatS:

Set in late June, a week after the twins' birthday. It's the future side's defining event for N2CatS - set up as the reason behind their status quo shift in this fic that's changed a lot from where I currently left BTaL off. The story is meant to be a week long but each day is packed. I'm planning to slow or speed up pacing depending on the day. Its meant to be a mini series special, and can be read as a stand alone unlike the rest of the series. The only holiday mentioned here is the completely made up Helios City Founding Day.

S2 2nd half:

Set from July to August. I'm seriously considering splitting S2 into two separate stories in ff.net while Ao3 gets a disclaimer to read N2CatS first before reading this half of the season. This half is building up to enrollment as both heroes are confronted with whether they should stay in Xyril Tech or not. The start of senior high is a metaphor for a huge turning point - them deciding to stay or not can change everything. The subplot here will also shift focus to Fiona as her arc sets up S2's finale.

S3 Episode White Knight:

Another flashback episode. Most of it is set on Keagan's Birthday (August 21), over a week before S3's debut episode starts. This episode ends with an epilogue from Keagan's perspective that goes on until a couple of weeks after Heroes Anniversary, wrapping around S3's 1st episode like canon MLB's Multiplication wrapped around Destruction and a special. This explains the shift in Keagan for S3, which happened because of the end of Fiona's arc last season, hence the weird placement. It covers the last week before the 1st day of school properly starts and all the stuff Keagan arranged leading up to it, like how everyone on the heroes team are now on the same class and why Keagan is the class president instead of Shizuke. Much like the S1 finale, S2 finale brought another huge shift in the status quo.

S3 Proper:

Starts in early September. Going full circle from Origins, it's supposed to be the first day of school but that's delayed in favor of their current heroes' anniversary. Establishes that a year has passed since the heroes came to be. The season goes from September to early December. The Day of the Dead will be covered and it'll act as the start of the countdown to the finale. It was snowing in the finale, so it was definitely winter...

Side Notes:

This fic series doesn't have a Christmas Special. I just couldn't come up with anything fun for that besides this one skit I might just draw or write as a drabble someday.

Fiona, Natalia and Damien's birthdays are skipped. Nothing major happened so let's just say they celebrated in peace. Sorry for the other half of the cast.

I keep holidays to a bare minimum or use mostly made up holidays to justify events to avoid the same timeline trap canon mlb has.

Their own take on the Paris Special (Reverse AU Crossover) is considered. I'm not sure, I like it enough as its own thing and leaving it as scattered concepts. But if it were to ever happen in the series proper, I'd place it somewhere in early S3. Its mainly to better parallel the Ladybugs and Fiona. Prime!Fiona got to temporarily be Ladybug for S2 finale 2-parter, it feels more effective if this special happened after that as the Ladybug from the other world is Reverse!Fiona. This special feels more like Shizuke's N2CatS.

I've also considered a future sequel series but ugh at this point I'd just be happy if I could finish S1 and N2CatS at all.

[lost-my-sanity1]

I know my school president super special episode was literally just an elongated detergent advertisement but the emotion it bought back-

[aprilblossomgirl]

random sound win moment [11/?] a brief compilation of sound hitting and caring for win after all that "Then I’ll hit on you until your heart beats fast. Okay? Bring it on. I’m not afraid of you. You’ll see. (my school president, episode 9)"

[feuqueerfire]

July - November 2023 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

A little monthly (spoilery!) wrap-up of all the shows, movies, and shorts I’ve watched or am watching in July, August, September, October, November 2023, general thoughts, and ranking of them all.

Recommendation of the month(s): Stay With Me or Our Dating Sim

Ranking

Enigma = Stay With Me = Our Dating Sim

Love Tractor 

Be My Favorite

Sing My Crush

Skimmed: Addicted Heroin

Average Rating: 5.9/10

MDL Updates - Added to Watchlist:

A section because I’m curious about how many shows I decide to add to my Watch List a month and also the ratio of watching them:adding them.

Love Tractor

La Pluie - tentatively adding this. Apparently it's really great until ep 7 and then there are some good scenes between eps 8 - 10 but it's mostly just frustration

Enigma

Stay With Me

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble - wanted something thriller that had a bromance/BL but romance wasn’t at the forefront and was recced this

Merry Queer - I probably removed it a couple months ago cuz it seemed like I’d never watch it but I saw a few tiktoks again that reminded me that I do want to

Sing My Crush - just found out about its existence (apparently it came out all together on Aug 2) and saw ppl say this was another good kBL this year, hopefully it’ll be good

Laws of Attraction

Love Class Season 2

Only Friends

Midnight Runners 

A Breeze of Love

To Watch List At Start Of Month: 49

To Watch List At End Of Month: 49 (idk how... should be like 53 or smth)

Removed from To Watch List:

Removing these on June 30 because now that I’m getting into kpop as well, my interest in watching dramas isn’t as high and I know I’m probably not gonna get to these. 

Unintentional Love Story (2023) - probably wouldn't end up watching it

Gameboys (2020) - I keep putting off watching it, so I likely won't

Kingdom (2019) - I was on the fence about adding it in the first place and now I don't think I'll watch it

September

D.P. (2021) - don’t think I’ll watch it

La Pluie - lol already removing it

July

I got into zerobaseone and it took over all my free time, so I barely watched any shows this month.

I randomly skim-watched Addicted Heroin eps 10 - 15 on July 15 and yeah, it's deranged lol but I do kinda get why it took over people's minds, esp when there wasn't as much live-action BL. Also, foot kiss ep 13 at 14 minutes in and the guy asking "what if it hurts?" "well then I can bottom, idc" but him lying down again despite the offer anyway are uhh very good. There's a Chinese bromance remake, right? Maybe I'll watch that if it gets good reception.

July 29: Watched the My School President: Super Special Episode. It was cute, Gun and Tinn are cute as expected, even if nothing revolutionary.

July 30: Rewatched Malec scenes because I suddenly wanted to and missed them.

I didn't watch much this month, so I'll combine August with this as well.

August

A bunch of shows I wanted to watch are ending, like Enigmal, Stay With ME, and Be My Favourite, and there's some shows that I've been wanting to watch like Love Tractor and Boys Planet. Since my internship and summer semester is ending soon + ZB1 YITS promotions are over, hopefully I can watch some of these.

Completely Watched

Love Tractor 

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Jun 7, 2023 - Jun 21, 2023

Watch Via: iQiyi (paid, so :>)

Watch Dates: Aug 4 - 5, 2023

Rating: 6/10

Overall Impression: Ah, the dynamic is so delicious. Older, colder, richer, more jaded Seoul city man and younger, cheery, puppy-like new adult. Also, ummm I liked how much Yul scolded Yechan, ah + that one time Yechan apologized by kneeling. Yechan is cute, esp his antics after the sexy dream he had about Yul, but I do think he's a bit too childish sometimes, so that's meh. Overall enjoyable but I didn't super connect with the story or the characters and likely won't be thinking about them again.

Enigma

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Aug 4 - 5, 2023

Watch Via: GMMTV Youtube

Watch Dates: Aug 7 - 8, 2023

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall Impression: I wish the wrap-up/ending was done better/explained a bit more like what was that Ajin possession thing? No Ajin past? Why did we redeem mother so easily? Who was the blurry girl in ep 1 (maybe Yiwha?)? I wish the horror aspect continued on cuz I think it was strongest in the first episode but not much after that. It's had me hetshipping and lesbian shipping (Fa/Namsine were literally soooo) and that's a good mark. Good after credits scene to pique interest for a larger story, hope we get a good follow up next year.

tags: enigma

Live Blogging: Enigma Live Blogging

Stay With Me

Country: China

Release Dates: Jul 7, 2023 - Aug 12, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (paid, so :>)

Watch Dates: Aug 11 - 14, 2023

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall Impression:  Well, this is really as close as BL you can get without saying out loud that they are dating but there are innuendos galore and it's pretty clear (there was lube on their bed, like...). The family aspect was the best, I love that we got to see Su Yu's situation so much and his blended family and the way they were always there together. You can understand why Wu Bi prefers the warmth of their home over the coldness of his, though we got to see progress on that end too. Duoduo sooo cute, little munchkin. The ending is... an ending, that's for sure. Hope we get a season 2 next year but who knows.

tags: stay with me

Live Blogging: Stay With Me Live Blogging

No more BL this month, it’s Boys Planet time! Well, an exam first, then boys planet!

Boys Planet (Aug 19 - 30): I’m not logging/tracking this on MDL bc it’s a survival show, not a drama but whew, I don’t know how people manage to watch survival shows, especially live. Also not rating it because idk how I even would.

Many weeks of not watching a new drama, though I started and stopped watching a few 10-20 minutes in

October

GMMTV 2024 Part 1 Showcase (October 17 - 18)

This makes me want to actually watch something, even if it’s a short kBL or kGL

Completely Watched

Our Dating Sim

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Mar 9, 2023 - Mar 30, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (free)

Watch Dates: Oct 19 - 20, 2023

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall Impression: The pacing of this was so good, they managed to give everything needed and timed it well within 2 hours. Well written, well acted, well planned, well shot, nice. I liked and understood the main characters and even the side characters had distinct personalities despite not being fully fledged. I loved how Gi Tae and Wan were so playful with each other, whether it be with the teasing they did and playing hard to get but also the easy affection they often had whether it be kisses, pecks, tickles, hugs, hand holding, just regular romantic touching - a good balance between being strangely chaste and very raunchy. Was cute and I’m glad this is the show that I watched after not watching anything for a while but I won't think about them again, probably. 

tags: our dating sim

Live Blogging: Our Dating Sim Live Blogging

Sing My Crush

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Aug 2, 2023

Watch Via: iQiyi (paid, so :>)

Watch Dates: Nov 18, 2023

Rating: 4.5/10

Overall Impression: It was... fine I guess, the plagiarism subplot had me invested because it was so frustrating (as it was meant to be) but I really didn’t care about the main couple. Their relationship and interactions did nothing for me. Also I’m shallow so either they needed to have more chemistry or needed to be more attractive to my tastes for me to enjoy watching it rip. I literally skimmed so much of Ep 4 - 7, especially skipped over the main couple interactions and watched to see the plagiarism issue get resolved.

Be My Favorite

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: May 26, 2023 - Aug 11, 2023

Watch Via: Youtube (free)

Watch Dates: Nov 23 - 30, 2023

Rating: 5.5/10

Overall Impression: It is such a tragedy that despite looking forward to this show for so long and enjoying some aspects and moments, ultimately, it fell flat for me. I feel like a lot of this show was objectively done well like the character arcs and acting and stuff but I'm not attached to any of it. The romance didn't make me feel giddy even though I really wish it had like it's strange that I didn't care at all about all those cute moments Kawi and Pisaeng had or the established relationship montages when usually they're some of my favourite aspects of a BL. agh whatever ig at least the show didn't treat Pear terribly.

tags: be my favorite

Live Blogging: Be My Favorite Live Blogging

[mysterygrl20]

tinngun msp special but it's a big ad for laundry detergent

[mikuni14]

FRIGAY - now this is what I’m talking about!

Ohoho! There were so many series, that I have to make a list of what I watched. Just as I was about to go to bed at midnight, after a long day of work and an evening BL marathon, I discovered there was a new series, My School President. I was barely awake by then, but I decided to watch it and if it's boring / stupid - pause and continue on Saturday. I WATCHED THE WHOLE EP, SUDDENLY STOPPED FEELING TIRED, IT WAS LIKE AN ENERGY SHOT. What a way to end a day! 💯💯

My School President Very nice characters, MLs are both likeable, sweet and handsome, actors are good and natural, despite being very young. All the old, overused tropes are here, but they don’t “ruin” the show, quite the opposite! (I don’t even mind the singing, it was actually well done for a change, especially the folk song.) The series is genuinely funny, the general vibe also reminded me of Gokusen, which is nice :) I LOVE it, when what the characters feel is shown in little gestures, touches, glances, sometimes in a "random" sentence. Tinn is the KING of the above. Like when he combines his last name with Gun's name and when he takes the incense from his hand not missing the opportunity to gently stroke his fingers 🥰 I also like that Gun is equally affected, luckily it's not that only one side is very interested, Gun is also interested, although he may not be identifying his feelings correctly yet (their first scene together, when they look at each other is just 10/10, how Gun is suddenly shy, and Tinn not-so subtely checks him out 🥺). The actor playing Tinn reminds me a lot of Lee Dong Wook which only makes me like this show even more lol

Eternal Yesterday This show. THIS SHOW. THEM. Japan can make a series that is sad, but so... good-sad, if you know what I mean. I can’t explain that. It's such a special feeling, that touches your soul in a certain way... The kind that only the best ART can evoke. I love them so much.

My Tooth, Your Love What a sudden change of mood on this show! What can be better than both MLs so obvioulsy in love, seducing each other? With food?? Fantastic episode, it's great that they start their relationship and have a first kiss at the dentist's office, where it all began. It's nice that Bai Ling still has his issues and it's nice that Xun An doesn't dismiss them, he just says that he will just be there for him. Xun An deserves to be happy and cherished, period.

Oh My Assistant! A cute little series, also very funny. Another stoic seme that is secretly all smiles and smitten with the a clueless, adorable, a bit crazy uke (MSP, however, handles it better imo). What I like, is that one of the characters clearly identifies as gay and the only thing stopping him from pursuing his crush is the belief that he’s straight. Super funny scene of waking up your love interest XDD

I Will Knock You What happened? The series got rid of everything that I liked it at the beginning, in the first episode (even the clothes). I feel so SORRY for Thi, it's not a Semantic Error territory anymore with “annoyer” and “annoyed”, I feel like Thi is simply bullied and not only by Noey but by his friends and family as well. Also Thi's friends completely ignore his words and are kind of bunch of dicks?? Boooo (but they danced at the end again, I'll never stop loving it)

[beneaththetangles]

The theme this week for Reader’s Corner is adventure, headlined by two new Demon Slayer works, anticipating the upcoming season (and theatrical screening of its first episode next month). But that shonen giant is also joined by an OP uncle, a spy family, and disillusioned adventurers. Dancing high schoolers and a new GL release round out this week’s review.

Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World (Vol. 2) • The Art of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba • Assorted Entanglements (Vol. 1) • Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba—One-Winged Butterfly • Mission: Yozakura Family (Vol. 3) • Uncle From Another World (Vol. 6) • Wandance (Vol. 4)

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Uncle From Another World, Manga Vol. 6

If you’re like me and suffering from Uncle From Another World withdrawal as we wait for Netflix to upload new episodes of the anime to their platform (perhaps in two weeks?), volume six of the manga couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s every bit as excellent as previous volumes, full of the deadpan humor and the appropriately sketchy (and sometimes discomforting) art that makes this series so great. These chapters, though, go further than previous ones in turning the tale more toward a full story, both by giving Uncle time and special moments with each of the three love interests (and—surprise, surprise—giving names to heretofore nameless characters!) and bringing the entire fantasy world cast together in one epic action moment. But the laughter is never lost, despite the increasing scenes of romance, and the gaming humor remains in place even amidst fantasy battles. This manga has been at a consistently high level in terms of humor, art, and storytelling from the beginning, but by complicating the storyline and keeping us just as entertained, mangaka Hotondoshindeiru demonstrates his growth as an artist. And I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining him on this hilarious and unexpected journey that he’s created. ~ @animepopheart​

Uncle From Another World is published by Yen Press.

READ: Uncle from Another World Reviews Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5

Mission: Yozakura Family, Manga Vol. 3

Does anyone remember that time when football player Marshawn Lynch responded to all the Super Bowl interview questions with “I’m just here so I won’t get fined”? When it comes to Mission: Yozakura Family, I’m just here to see more crazy and life-threatening shenanigans Taiyo will have to go through next. HA! While I think I enjoyed volume two a little more because it had so many funny shenanigans, this was another really good volume! Yes, we had some crazy times such as the president of the toy company PoPoPPo transferring to Taiyo’s school just so he can get closer to Mutsumi. But I felt the latter half of volume three was much darker than the previous volumes and is opening the door to a gradual shift in this series. Taiyo is still enduring crazy training like always; but as he interacts with an organization called the Hinagiku, introduced in this volume, I believe they are going to unknowingly lead him down a dark path of finding out heartbreaking (and upsetting) answers about his family and potentially Mutsumi’s family. I’m desperately hoping the humor of this story will continue to play a large part in this series because it is very much my favorite! Even if it doesn’t, though, I still feel there continues to be something fun and engaging about this series and always find myself wanting to read more. Taiyo’s everyday life in the Yozakura Family is never boring, and I’m definitely looking forward to the next volume’s release to see what happens next! ~ @lauraagrace​

Mission: Yozakura Family is published by VIZ Media.

READ: Mission: Yozakura Family Vol.1 Review

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba—One-Winged Butterfly, Manga

Side stories are, by nature, dependent on their source material, with boring releases often resulting from the flimsiness or generic quality of their parent stories. On the other hand, a strong series like Demon Slayer provides an opportunity to expand on the background of its rich characters and world through such releases, which is precisely what happens with most of the six stories in One-Winged Butterfly, a collection of shorts that are meant to be read after the Swordsmith Village arc (to be animated this spring). There’s a tenderness to these tales (even for the comedic one focusing on Zenitsu and Inosuke’s search for hot springs), each of which is tinged with the heartfelt emotion of the main story. We get those similar feels by spending time with the hashira, who are the focus of this written collection, learning more about their backgrounds and connections to one another, while being reminded (by the presence of characters like Kyojuro in flashback and alternate reality sequences) that not all of them will make it through the conclusion alive. The best story is the titular one featuring the Kocho sisters immediately after their parents’ deaths, showing how they bonded with and helped to transform Gyomei from a stone-cold slayer into the emotional rock he becomes. Theirs is a vivid story, punctuated by three lively and very different characters, and featuring both grief and triumph. That’s an apt description for these side stories (and franchise as a whole), which are a must-read for fans of the series and a nice introduction to it for light novel fans who have only the barest knowledge of Demon Slayer. ~ @animepopheart​

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba—One-Winged Butterfly is published by VIZ Media and releases on February 28th.

Assorted Entanglements, Manga Vol. 1

There’s a violent underpinning to Assorted Entanglements that, in addition to a heavy emphasis on sexual connection in relationships, makes this GL series difficult to embrace. It’s a shame, because office worker (and heavy drinker) Iori and the youthful and kind Minami are cute characters whose difficult pasts—the former’s derived from her own insecurities, and the latter’s in ways out of her control—could allow for a series that balances both humor and seriousness. Instead, Assorted Entanglements provides cute scenes interchanged with violence that’s sometimes meant to jar us and sometimes shown as a joke, but never is taken with the seriousness it deserves. Meanwhile, the deep connection developed between Iori and Minami is based largely on what feels like a superficial “chemistry,” savior complexes, and physical intimacy. Because there’s some heaviness in the series, it’s worrisome that a successful relationship is portrayed in a way that’s not realistic and that violence is sometimes used as a punchline. I can’t recommend this series even to regular readers of GL manga, but do look forward to seeing if future volumes make keep the characters’ lively personalities intact while addressing these concerns. ~ @animepopheart​

Assorted Entanglements is published by Yen Press.

The Art of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Art Book

Since I have devoured all kinds of bonus content on the Demon Slayer franchise, with the latest being The Art of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, I think it’s probably high time I start reading the manga. Ha! Truly, this new art book from VIZ Media was amazing! From art that has graced the covers of the manga series, to a new manga short, to plenty of commentary from the mangaka, seeing these full-page spreads was awe-inspiring. I’ve always felt that Gotouge has extremely unique character designs, and these pages really put this on full display. Having white backgrounds, against which all you see and focus on are the characters, gave me a much better appreciation for their art. While the art is probably the highlight of this (and I totally confess that I deeply enjoyed seeing the new art pieces!), I loved, loved, loved reading Gotouge’s thoughts on each of the covers and a variety of art pieces included in the Demon Slayer manga! They were so transparent with their struggles, and more often than not, I found myself wishing I could hug the mangaka and say thank you for not giving up on telling this story. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Demon Slayer, regardless of whether you’re like me and haven’t finished the manga series or you have binge-read it multiple times. It really showcases the art and allows getting to know the mangaka on a deeper level than just, “Hey, that’s the creator of Demon Slayer! That’s cool!” Very much an enjoyable read! ~ @lauraagrace​

The Art of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is published by VIZ Media.

Wandance, Manga Vol. 4

Through its fourth volume, Wandance remains a dynamic and involving read, but issues from earlier in the series that might have been simply been called into question at that point are now turning into problems. And they start with the titular character. Wanda is lovely, a beacon of light in fact, but she remains an enigma. Does she have any real role in the story other than as a muse for Koboku? Being mysterious and hard to pin down as one thing, but being a MacGuffin is another. And speaking of the main character, Koboku, his dancing is developing so rapidly—as he continues not only to shock everyone around him but competes and does well in event after event, dance-off after dance-off—that I can barely catch my breath. There are so few quiet moments in the series for either him or Wanda that I’m starting to question my earlier evaluation of this series as a character piece. However, the possibility that Wandance can be a work that’s deep and moving remains. It’s demonstrated in this volume by Iori, who gets a chance to grow as a teacher here. He develops through success and failure as he attends to club duties, teaches house dancing to Koboku, and prepares him for the interhigh event. It’s those panels, which are warm and wild (much the like the even higher-energy dance ones), which continue to keep me excited for Wandance with their power, beauty, and forcefulness. But I hope the issues I mentioned are tended to. The preview for volume five seems to indicate otherwise, with Wanda becoming more and more an object of affection (and jealousy) rather than a character with any type of complexity. I hope that prediction is mistaken. ~ @animepopheart​

Wandance is published by Kodansha.

READ: Wandance Reviews Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3

Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World, Light Novel Vol. 2

The natural order of things is that the second part of a multi-volume work should exceed the first as it throws off the necessity of introducing characters and bonding them together. But in the world of manga, graphic novels, and light novels, that follow-through often doesn’t occur. Therefore, it’s somewhat unexpected when a series like Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World proves the original rule, and it’s even more delightful when the second volume is several leaps higher than the first. Shinta Fuji, at least for this volume, tosses aside the discomfort between the “Survivors” party that he worked so hard to establish in the initial volume, continuing a more natural path forward for this group of heroes who in their hearts want to trust others and now, after their first adventure, have developed a strong faith in one another. Volume two allows the group to bond further as they become involved intimately in Nick’s life (despite having a rule to the contrary) when he attempts to throw off the pain of his past with his ex-girlfriend and her unscrupulous party once and for all. There’s magic here between the party members: the author does a wonderful job of creating warm moments for them that make sense in the context of the story while also developing them individually. A more minor thread that also receives resolution is additionally welcome, adding to the depth of the tale—as do other touches, like descriptions of the party’s village, all of which help to create a setting in a genre that depends on such world-building but doesn’t often properly receive it in light novels. The excellence and warmth of volume two bode well for future releases. For certain, this reviewer isn’t disillusioned by what at first glance might be “just another” entry into the fantasy genre. Not at all. ~ @animepopheart​

Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World is published by Yen Press.

Read: Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World Vol. 1 Review

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“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.