#this episode was part of my queer awakening

[andysapril]

2k23 Pride Celebration:

Scenes → South of Nowhere, 1x05

[le-agent-egg]

do NOT play love like you in front of me i will cry

[apdreadful]

Anyone saying that Tommy is just convenient, he’s just a stepping stone, or Buck is confused and projecting his feelings for Eddie onto Tommy. Denial is not a river in Africa.

Buck didn’t just roll out of bed one morning and decide “I am declaring myself to be bisexual! And starting today, I’m looking for a guy”

Buck has ALWAYS been bisexual. So the whole time we have known Evan Buckley, he has been attracted to men.

However, it’s very likely had never really sat with and processed what to do about that attraction prior to meeting Tommy. Never acted on it prior to Tommy. Never made it as obvious to anyone before Tommy.

In retrospect, the signs were definitely there, before Tommy.

The catalyst for the change? Is Tommy.

He made the conscious decision to go see Tommy when he had no damn reason to. He wasn’t thinking of leaving the 118, he just wanted a reason to see him again. I don’t think Buck actively processing “I want to date this man” he just wanted “something” and Tommy was part of that something. But he had no damn idea how to get his brain wrapped around what exactly he was planning to do with those feelings “Huh, this is more…what do I do now?” Hence the basketball game.

And I don’t know if it was before Tommy came over or if seeing Tommy standing there in his apartment made those pieces finally click into place for Buck.

(Personally I’m leaning toward that “Well not at the same time” response to teaching him Muay Thai. Because there was no mistaking THAT look that Tommy gave him)

Because if you have ever been into someone and are even the tiniest bit queer, you saw that dance for exactly what it was.

The subtle signs, the shifting in atmosphere, the carefully chosen words, way their bodies started mirroring each other as they moved closer.

Tommy having more experience with this dance, started getting the inkling this may be going SOMEWHERE...So he took that chance and dropped the “Well probably not at the same time”with THAT look. That look was a whole sentence.

Now Buck’s awakening bisexuality, understood that look. And those butterflies starting flying and he stepped right up and said “I have been trying to get your attention”

He decided THIS man. Right here. Is the one that I want enough- choose to just lay it all out for.

Now for any baby bi THAT is a big damn leap. Because you think you know..But you don’t have the experience to know if you’re reading the signs right.

Brass Tacks my lovelies is..

Buck wanted Tommy..he wasn’t entirely sure for what. But he knew it was Tommy specifically.

And if you think he’s projecting his feelings about Eddie onto Tommy. Go back and look at that first episode Eddie shows up at the 118 in.

Buck wanted to be in that firefighter calendar, and he saw Eddie as competition to getting that which he wanted. Eddie was his competition. Did he recognize that he was competition because he also looked hot af?

Yep.

So when Tommy catches Bucks interest, once again Buck finds himself in competition against Eddie for the thing he wants, which this time is Tommy’s attention. And because Eddie is his best friend, and he knows Eddie is awesome. In Bucks head, Eddie is worthy competition for Tommy’s attention. It doesn’t matter that Eddie isn’t interested in Tommy the same way Buck is.

If it were Eddie that Buck really wanted, why tf hadn’t he asked Eddie to teach him Muay Thai? They’ve been friends for years. Why had Buck not been interested in the basketball game prior to Tommy’s appearance??

Buck is bi. And it was the hot dish casserole that is Tommy Kinard that made all those little “huh” moments click into “well that’s makes sense” place.

So stop playing at being flat earthers.

[virtualflowerbatathlete]

okay @helpallthenamesaretakenblog

Here goes nothing. Happy pride month to my bisexual followers!

Bi!Percy

Percy used to honestly think he was gay for the longest time.

He never really saw bisexual representation on TV, except for an episode of Sex in the City that Gabe watched one time, where a bisexual man named Sean was a character. But the show was incredibly biphobic, with the women claiming that bisexuality "didn't exist," and that Sean was gay. Percy knew he was attracted to other boys in his class, so he just figured he was gay.

He never came out or even dated when he was young; he moved schools so frequently he didn't have time to date or sit down and properly figure out his sexuality beyond the fact that he felt attraction to boys.

It wasn't until Camp-Half Blood, (right around the time he met Annabeth) that he started re-examining his sexuality. Part of the reason it took Percy so long to realize he had a crush on Annabeth is because he thought it was't possible; he was gay!

When Annabeth kissed him, he finally fully realized that he was, in fact, attracted to both men and women. Learning about Apollo's bisexuality confirmed it for Percy.

He only came out to Sally and Annabeth; he didn't feel a particular need to come out to a lot of people, preferring to keep his sexuality private.

After TOA, when he saw how Nico coming out inspired a lot of young queer campers, he decided to start being more open about his bisexuality. He had first-hand experience with homophobia from Gabe, and decided that he was comfortable sharing his sexuality with Camp if it meant that more young campers would feel safe.

Bi!Annabeth

Annabeth took a lot longer to realize she was bisexual.

She'd had a small crush on Luke, then was infatuated with Percy since she was twelve. Percy was her best friend, and she didn't spend a ton of time around other girls, so she never properly got the chance to explore her sexuality, especially because she had been on the run since she was seven years old. It's hard to do proper self-reflection when you're constantly running from monsters.

Piper was her bisexual awakening, though she didn't realize it at the time. Piper comforted her a lot when Percy was missing, ad they had a classic "pre-sapphic-oh-my-god-this-female-friendship-is-super-intense" type of relationship.

Annabeth (as shown in Mark of Athena) found herself constantly admiring how pretty Piper was. Weird, right?

One time, Piper and Annabeth were keeping watch over the Argo II as it sailed, and Piper had leaned her head on Annabeth's shoulder. Annabeth was blushing the entire time, though she couldn't figure out why.

A few things led to the catalyst of her realizing she was bisexual. First, Percy coming out to her after Blood of Olympus. She did a lot of internet surfing about bisexuality. (Purely for research reasons!)

The main catalyst was when Piper broke up with Jason and started dating Shel. One of her best friends coming out as sapphic caused her to re-examine her own sexuality, and she concluded that she was bisexual as well. She told Percy, who was thrilled.

She started being more open about it at around the same time as Percy did. They now both play Smash or Pass on all the actors every time they watch a show together.

I love bi!Percabeth so much.

[madlori]

Ship dysphoria

Ok so a bit of time has gone by, and the 9-1-1 fandom is settling into a bit of an...existential crisis?

Because 90% of this fandom is built on Buddie. Buddie has always been the strongest driving force. We love our other blorbos, but it's Buddie that usually drives us feral.

Except...Buck/Tommy. OMG. It is WORKING for a lot of fans. (and JFC we cannot settle on a ship name. Tevan? Kinley? I'm gonna stick with Buck/Tommy)

A LOT of fans are having a "I'm a devoted Buddie shipper, why do I like this so much??" moment and it can almost feel like a betrayal, or that you're deserting the ship (the ship that, remember, Oliver told us to stay aboard).

And I think I can probably speak for everybody when I say that the last thing we want or need is a ship war in this fandom, something we haven't ever really had but which has torn other fandoms apart.

So I'm gonna put on my veteran-of-many-fandoms hat for a second and tell you a thing:

It's okay to ship Buck and Tommy. It's ok to do that and still ship Buddie. It's also okay to leave Buddie behind if it's not working for you anymore. It's okay to just tolerate Buck and Tommy and not really care about it, and stay focused on Buddie. You are allowed to ship however it works for you, and you are not limited to one and only one ship. If you decide you don't think Buddie will happen and you're going to cut your losses, that's okay, too. It is not a reflection on your character or something. You don't swear an oath of fealty to a ship.

We don't know how long Tommy will stick around, but Buck will still be bisexual. He may date another man. He may date a woman again. You can ship those things too.

But why is this ship hitting me so hard? I never thought I'd like Buck with another man! I'm so confused!

I get that. There are some reasons why that might be.

There is something very appealing about a ship that's canon. Some of you might never have had a canon queer ship, but the pull is strong. There's no guessing, no interpreting, no subtext-examining. It's there, it's real, you don't have to wonder if you're just overinterpreting things. Yes. Buck and Tommy kissed and are going on a date. Even if that's all it ever is, you'll never be accused of "seeing things that aren't there." Don't discount that.

Tommy, even in just 1.5 episodes, is a LOT more integrated into the firefam than any of Buck's previous girlfriends. Tim talked about not wanting him to be "siloed off" away from the main cast and that was exactly the problem with his prior girlfriends. Tommy is friends with Eddie. He knows Christopher and has hung out with him. He spent most of that loft conversation reassuring Buck that his place in Eddie's life was secure. He feels more like part of the gang than any other ones. That makes it easier to see him in Buck's life.

The mere fact of Buck's queer awakening is so monumental for so many of us that the character who helped him get there is going to naturally earn our affection immediately, and it's going to make you want that relationship to succeed, even if it's ulitmately not endgame for Buck. You want to see Buck have a good experience the first time out with a man. Of course you do.

And we just want to see Buck make out with a hot beefy firefighter. That is so valid of us.

Anyway. There is no need for a crisis. You can love Buddie with your whole heart and still be excited about this pairing, and want to see how it goes, and read fic about it. I may be writing a lil something myself.

You're good, fam.

[lurkingshan]

I loved this episode, and I am so glad this show stayed true to its themes (the only reason I was worried at all is because this is a GMMTV show, so I can never be 100% sure they won't prioritize ships over story). I have been saying for weeks that the way they were writing the Ba Mhee/Tae/Judy plot line did not make sense if they were trying to put Ba Mhee and Judy in a romance at the end, and that Ba Mhee's confusion about her feelings for Judy was instead meant to highlight the themes of the show and give Ba Mhee the chance to grow and develop a more mature outlook on romantic relationships. And today's episode did exactly that.

I found the initial Ba Mhee/Tae breakup conversation unsatisfying, and I am gratified to learn that was intentional on the show's part. I was honestly agnostic on whether these two should get back together (my aro ass would have loved Ba Mhee deciding to be single for awhile), but the thing that felt most missing for me was any real reflection from Ba Mhee on her own part in their relationship troubles. And that's exactly what we got today, as Ba Mhee got a taste of the type of overbearing attention she used to give Tae and realized it made her uncomfortable, and that while she is attracted to Judy, she doesn't actually want a relationship with her. She thought what she wanted from Tae was romantic gestures and constant attention, but through trying things out with Judy she realized that all she really needed was honest communication and quality time with him.

Crucially, Ba Mhee still reasserted in this episode that she thinks she may be bisexual; it was so important that they didn't erase that queer awakening for her. But her heart is with Tae right now--as the show has been demonstrating all along--so of course she wants to try again with her new understanding of her actual needs and where she may have misstepped in the past. I don't know that they'll stay together long-term after this, and I could easily see a future where Ba Mhee decides to be independent for awhile or date others, including women, but it felt honest that she is not done with this relationship yet. And for Tae's part, I was so glad he decided to try reaching out again and that he got to tell Ba Mhee he never forgot their anniversary and he does care. He didn't deserve to be cheated on, but his capacity to see his own shortcomings, forgive Ba Mhee, and try to communicate better was sincere. This has never been a narrative about a bad relationship that Ba Mhee was escaping from, but rather about a good relationship that was experiencing growing pains as they grew up together and developed different priorities. It was very well done.

Meanwhile, Ryan and Jane continue the very slow development of their relationship in parallel, solidifying the contrast in how these two intern/mentor relationship plots were constructed. Unlike Judy, who dove in with no apparent qualms with her intern (I would still like to understand what she was thinking, show! Perhaps she could talk to her high school buddy Jane about it), Jane continues to take his time. He and Ryan have acknowledged their feelings for each other, but they're still not acting on them beyond some additional flirting. Even though love is clearly making them a bit dumb (the printer, Jane, really??), they have not actually started dating or advanced beyond a hug in their physical affection, because Ryan is still Jane's intern. The preview confirms that the internship will be wrapping up soon, and I expect that Jane is waiting to see what will happen with Ryan's role in the company and what that means for their relationship. I am enjoying all their small moments while we wait.

[sillypenguinwitch]

isaac's books in heartstopper s2

episode 1:

Tillie Walden: I Love This Part

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: Ace of Spades

episode 2:

Nina LaCour: We Are Okay

Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest

episode 3:

Ocean Vuong: Night Sky with Exit Wounds (the one he is carrying under his arm, I'm assuming that's his and not for the display?)

has read: Ritch C. Savin-Williams: Bi: Bisexual, Pansexual, Fluid, and Nonbinary Youth

Emily Henry: Book Lovers

episode 4:

Victor Hugo: Les Misérables

Antoine De Saint-Exupéry: The Little Prince

Kate Chopin: The Awakening

Nina LaCour: We Are Okay (again)

episode 5:

Albert Camus: The Outsider

episode 6:

Martin Handford: Where's Wally? The Great Picture Hunt

Meredith Russo: Birthday

Jules Verne: Around the World in Eighty Days

Sara Pennypacker: Pax Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, Sophie Mas: How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are ? ? ? Damian Dibben: The Color Storm Alice Oseman: Loveless Susan Stokes-Chapman: Pandora Katy Hessel: The Story of Art Without Men ? Evelyn Waugh: Rossetti Arthur Conan Doyle: The Hound of the Baskervilles A.O. Scott: Better Living Through Criticism ?: Then We Came to an End (?) Ruth Millington: Muse Dr. Jaqui Lewis: Fierce Love Charlotte Van Den Broek: Bold Ventures - Thirteen Tales of Architectural Tragedy ?

Richard Siken: Crush

episode 7:

Garrard Conley: Boy Erased

George Matthew Johnson: All Boys Aren't Blue

Samra Habib: We Have Always Been Here

episode 8:

Akemi Dawn Bowman: Summer Bird Blue

Angela Chen: Ace

bonus:

Truham school library pride display (seen in ep. 3 and 8):

top to bottom, left to right: Angela Chen: Ace Andrew Holleran: The Kingdom of Sand Mary Jean Chan and Andrew McMillan: 100 Queer Poems Scott Stuart: My Shadow Is Pink Lotte Jeffs: My Magic Family Tucker Shaw: When You Call My Name Ritch C. Savin-Williams: Bi - Pansexual, Fluid, Nonbinary and Fluid Youth Alok Vaid-Menon: Beyond the Gender Binary George M. Johnson: All Boys Aren’t Blue Mason Deaver: I Wish You All the Best Alex Gino: George Melissa

on top of shelves (left to right): Kevin Van Whye: Nate Plus One Xixi Tian: This Place is Still Beautiful Becky Albertalli: Leah on the Offbeat Mya-Rose Craig: Birdgirl Bernardine Evaristo: Girl, Woman, Other Connie Glynn: Princess Ever After Saundra Mitchell: The Prom

Charlie's choice at Shakespeare and Co (ep. 6): Allan Hollinghurst: The Swimming Pool Library

That's it for now.

Sorry about the ones i couldn't identify and sorry if i missed any! Might try and do some of the ones in Isaac's room later but that'll take a minute

[lemotmo]

Queer arc question 🎉

Q. Don't you think there's lots of ways they could take the Eddie storyline? I mean yeah queer is possible but the show could also double down and run in the opposite direction.

A. Sure the show can go a different direction, but there's no other satisfactory way to go for Eddie other than making him queer. I just think they've painted themselves into a corner where he is concerned. His very established dating pattern is meeting a woman who is culturally and physically acceptable asking her out and then immediately jumping into commitment and introducing her to Christopher or asking her to move in. He forces instant commitment instead of just dating. And then he spirals because he feels like he's got an instant family. He's on record saying he hates being 'forced' to date because he feels like he has to perform (yes he was talking about blind dates but they made a point of showing Hen's reaction). He's on record saying he's a nester and doesn't like just dating around. But every time he 'nests' with a woman he's seeing he spirals and breaks up with her (Anna) or sabotages the relationship (Marisol). This is his dating pattern. And every time he spirals we see Buck occupying the same space/role that his girlfriend's would (minus the sexual part, for now) and Eddie is relaxed and happy when it involves Buck. He had a ready made family with him, Christopher and Buck by episode 4 of season two. The show also made a point of having Bobby tell Eddie that he doesn't have any trouble committing when he actually wants to. So the show was reinforcing this pattern, that they have very noticeably and constantly made Buck the exception to

This past season the show did a kind of retcon and appeared to be saying that Eddie's relationship issues are because he's not over Shannon. So they brought in her doppelganger and had Eddie start seeing her. But instead of doubling down on the not over Shannon thing the show had Eddie specifically tell Buck that it wasn't anything physical and he didn't want to sleep with her. And when Kim found out about Shannon she transformed herself into Shannon and it turned out all Eddie wanted from her was to talk. He wanted to ask her why they didn't work. Wanted to ask her why he feels broken all the time and can't figure out how to fix it? So any chance the show had to kind of drift away from the picture they were painting they didn't and instead had Eddie kind of double down on the fact that it's because he can't figure out why he doesn't feel 'right'. Now I ask you, anon, if all of this doesn't sound like a character who is about to experience a sexuality awakening then what the hell else could it possibly be? Because I've got nothing. I cannot think of a single other storyline all of this could be building towards. And no one else has offered a plausible storyline alternative either. They have written themselves into an obvious corner and I think they did it on purpose.

Thank you Nonny! Much appreciated as always!

All right, I so much agree with Ali here. I've discussed this topic before with some mutuals who have been around since season 1 or 2 and a queer Eddie storyline is the only thing that would make sense now.

We also have some inside information that they have tried to go down the queer Eddie road before, but that it was blocked by FOX at the time. Now, I know that this information isn't 'official' as it was said by the anonymous insider over on Twitter. But they have been right about so many other things on the show that I choose to believe them. Whether or not you choose to believe them, is up to you. Remember, this is just my opinion on things.

So yeah, all of the evidence from the show itself, combined with information from other sources, interviews, podcasts and articles? To me this can only go one way. The way of the queer storyline.

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[respectthepetty]

Pride Petty Watch (SOTUS) 2/5

Since so many people voted for the two blacklisted shows I was supposed to watch during Pride, it unlocked the wild card of me rewatching my sworn enemy SOTUS. I don't remember anything about the show, and the only thing I truly took away from it was hating Krist for the last eight years, so I'm settling in and revisiting the past to figure out why I forgot about every single plot point of this show including that Jan was in it and that Kongpob x M were the perfect ghost ship.

I left off praying that Arthit gets meaner before he gets nicer, which I consider as getting better before he gets worse, but since I'm getting Dangerous Romance flashbacks flash forwards, I doubt Arthit can commit to bullying Kong much longer before he turns full simp.

How am I not supposed to root for Kong x M when M looks so devastated every time Kong leaves his side to go talk to May. I know M likes May, but the way these scenes are set up, it's hard not to think that M likes Kong and he is in pain when everyone else gets his friend's time since he has known Kong SINCE JUNIOR HIGH!

Thrilled that Wad is always ready to lay hands first and ask questions later. Also excited that he is motivated by pettiness just like me, so the only reason he is playing in the tea product placement game is just to spite the seniors. Petty work makes the dream work. Amen.

The pink milk in this series needs to be studied because on one end of the spectrum, we in BL Land know the pink milk is a staple of a Thai BL (which is slowly coming back in Last Twilight, Only Friends, Addicted Heroin and I Saw You in My Dream), but on the other end, the show itself treats the pink milk like those dumb hot takes from people asking if drinking fruity cocktails makes a man a fruit, or if sucking on popsicles makes a man want to suck a dick, or if eating food in general makes a man queer. It just feels as if this show treats Arthit that way every time he orders it, like "GOTCHA, QUEER!"

If I were that food vendor, and Kong started popping out with these little nuggets while Arthit just kept threatening him, their business would be all up in the group chat because I'd be messaging all my friends that these two gay guys were practically foreplaying right in front of my salad pork skewers.

So of course Arthit would show up to the game just to stand there and glare at a man drenched in sweat from playing a hard game of basketball like the internalized-homophobic asshat he is.

God, some things never change.

WE GOT COCA-COLA MONEY?!

I gasped not because of the note on this conversation but because of the comment coming from AN OPENLY GAY MAN on the hazers squad. I am not Thai, so the only way I can relate to the hazers is through Greek life (fraternities and sororities), and even a long long time ago, I knew openly gay men in frats, and they pulled ALL the girls since girls felt safer around them than the straights, but the look Prem and Arthit are giving Tuta when he says this is what I'm laser-focused on because they show toleration rather than acceptance. I'm taking those looks personally.

Arthit continues to say Kong's face is annoying, but he never says it's ugly. Sir, I see your gay awakening on the horizon.

AND M WITH THE FUCKING LOOKS AGAIN! He is looking at Kong on stage then looking at May looking at Kong on the stage, and I know where this is going, but my god does it feel like M is sad because he believes Kong is straight and wouldn't reciprocate the feelings he has for his best friend SINCE JUNIOR HIGH!

I have made it clear that I do not like Krist (I believe his acting is flimsy but I can't even act like I like people, so who am I to judge), but I don't think the people behind the filming of this show liked him either because these opening title cards between the parts of the episodes are doing him dirty.

Excuse me, little stage presenter, I need to know what the fuck was going on with this performance that they had a western theme with modern guns. Was it Big Sean's "I Don't Fuck With You"?

And why is Jan looking like Taylor Swift in "Teardrops On My Guitar"? This show was in 2016, but the styling and hair are in 2003.

Now the judges are coming for Kong, and Lord knows he is going to answer in the most uncontroversial way because Kong refuses to pick a side against hazing and the boy he likes being punished by.

*eye roll* I did not think I'd make it here this quickly, but I'm on Arthit's side because Kong IS annoying. Jan's character looks full-on Stockholm Syndrome into the camera when Kong is answering, yet homeboy is just over there giving the most ridiculous reason of "our hazers have their reasons for hazing us" and now I see the direct line to GMMTV forgiving parents for abuse (Double Savage!).

Kong can play basketball really well. He remembers everyone's name. The whole class wanted him to be president. He is great in school. Now he is the Freshy Moon. Marsha, Marsha, Marsha. I hate this kid.

M, my most beloved, now I see why you're quiet a lot.

I appreciate M for also stating that Kong is just great at everything without trying, but it also feels that he is hyping up his boy because he has been IN LOVE WITH HIS SINCE JUNIOR HIGH!

In a room full of people, only Kong notices that M is unhappy, and now I see the direct they-are-married-but-not-a-couple line to Peaceful Property. New understands these roles well.

THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERS! Can you run 54 laps, Arthit? Can you squat 200 times, Prem? These freshmen won everything, yet Arthit is still being a dickwad, and he just got his ass off of school probation. Bold move, sir! I want the juniors to suffer. Except for Bright. My boy has never done anything wrong, and if he did, he didn't.

I saw an umbrella in The Ex-Morning pilot trailer, and if that show doesn't give me a scene of these two arguing in the rain over the dumbest shit, then what is the point?

All those people watching Arthit, and none of his boys could run with him? If the purpose of hazing is unity, obviously the juniors didn't get that memo when they were being hazed as freshmen, so why continue the traditions that they don't even abide by?! Arthit is better than me because I would have crawled my ass back to my dorm before accepting their help SINCE THEY DIDN'T EVEN RUN LAPS! And now this little freshman wants to be up in his face. What's the point of the umbrella now?! He is a boy in a BL who has been in the rain for hours. HE IS ALREADY GOING TO DIE NO THANKS TO YOU UNHELPFUL DOUCHE NOZZLES!

I was just on Arthit's side, but then the show decided to tell me that entire seniors-hazing-the-juniors thing was a setup, and mixed with most of the images on Arthit's door being black-and-white, and one of those images being Charles Manson's Rolling Stone cover, I'm back to hating him again. So in case anyone is still following along, I now hate both of the leads. Can I get M and Bright back?

Kong says several times that Arthit can punish him, then he irons Arthit's clothes. If this show would just lean into the kink of it all, I would embrace everything about it. If Kong could just be a masochist dom, I would be delighted. JAPAN, COME HERE RIGHT NOW! Fuck remaking Love in the Air! Remake this kinky shit instead!

This is what a sado sub looks likes and Japan would know exactly what to do with him. Now I'm mad that I'm watching the babygirl-fication of a perfectly good jerk.

Well hello there you two! You wanna make out before going to the hospital? Maybe keep it all a secret from everybody else? I'm so pissed that I can't remember this plot now because I don't think they will be a thing BUT THEY WOULD BE PERFECT!

And I'm still rooting for my boy M to get his best friend since unlike Arthit, M can at least acknowledge that his friend is pretty to his face. No internalized homophobia here but probably because M isn't even a homo. I've sailed ships with less.

😬🥴🙃 Thank you subtitler for keeping the word. It's important. So are the looks that I'm taking personally. And BRIGHT IS THE ONE TO SAY IT! So I like M now and only M. Everyone can eat dirt and choke.

Arthit's nickname means warmth? I'm starting to remember why I forgot this show. Like Celine Dion, "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"

And I hate it.

[they-them-that]

Light trigger warning: gender roles, misogyny, transphobia

I love Ouran Highschool Host Club and with the Shoujo classic that it is, I adopted the general consensus that the show was "ahead of its time" with how it portrayed gender. Haruhi will always be a non-binary icon but upon rewatching it, especially after my own trans awakening, I remembered something that never sat right with me and that was how Tamaki treated Haruhi. My two cisgender friends didn't seem to pick up on the same problems even though they also consider Haruhi to be non-binary which made me think I was just projecting onto the anime. But another friend of mine later told me how it was much more "heterosexual" than she remembered that helped validate the feeling I had.

Although Haruhi doesn't like to make a fuss about gender, the anime does and it constantly reminds us that no matter what Haruhi feels, she is still a "girl". Tamaki is the worst offender of this mentality where even his entire perspective on Haruhi changes as soon as he finds out she's afab. A huge part of Tamaki's character is that he dotes on Haruhi "like a father" where his actions are actually founded on the authoritative, patriarchal belief that he needs to "protect" her because she is a woman. Not just protect her from actual harm either but from things like kissing someone and wearing a swimsuit...

Although in certain ways, we're supposed to laugh at Tamaki's overbearing nature, he's never actually taught to respect Haruhi's autonomy. In what felt like every episode, Tamaki fixates on Haruhi's assigned sex much to her annoyance. Yet rather than learning to look at Haruhi as a person regardless of gender, we're expected to see his obsession with upholding gender roles as a sign of affection. This felt clearest in episode 8, "The Sun, the Sea, and the Host Club!" where Haruhi confronts two men for harassing her female peers. She gets shoved into the water where Tamaki saves her but the conflict arises when he scolds Haruhi for standing up to men at all. The message emphasizes to us that "Haruhi is a girl" and it's something that she has to accept for her own well being while Tamaki's anger is meant to be perceived as chivalrous rather than patriarchal and heteronormative. The reality is, even if Haruhi was in danger, that isn't actually her fault but the fault of the men who felt entitled to women's bodies (something Tamaki is guilty of, even if not to the same level of aggression).

I still cherish OHSHC but it hasn't fully stood the test of time as I've been led to believe. That's not to rob gender queer people the comfort they feel from the show but that for myself, it's a bit hard to look past the cishet energy that the anime exudes. Although I see Haruhi as non-binary, the show doesn't seem to agree and goes great lengths to invalidate Haruhi's gender indifference. It's tragically common in anime and manga where trans-coded afab characters are reminded that they're still women and it's usually "proven" to them through patriarchal scenarios that put CIS men in a role of dominance. A lot of the time, these women are only gender nonconforming out of happenstance or circumstance rather than by choice, which even includes Haruhi Fujioka (she only cut her hair because there was gum in it). That's not to conflate gender expression with identity but it does feel like we're only being met half way, especially when the anime still romanticizes the gender dichotomy with Haruhi and Tamaki's relationship. I would've loved to see Tamaki be able to toss the notion of gender the same way Haruhi is able to and have that be the groundwork in which their mutual feelings blossom. Instead, it just felt like we got a man who stubbornly wants someone who grew up without gender labels to visualize herself the way he does, as a "woman".

[bengiyo]

My Love Mix Up TH Ep 2 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we began the Thai version of My Love Mix Up. Atom has a crush on his high school classmate Mudmee, admiring her nature. He borrows an eraser from her and realizes she likes the guy who sits in front of him Kongthap (based on a belief in writing your crush’s name on your eraser). Kongthap mistakes the eraser as belonging to Atom and think Atom likes him. Atom doesn’t want to embarrass Mudmee so says the eraser is his. Atom ends up jealous and competitive with Kongthap, but comes to see that he’s a decent dude. Kongthap doesn’t return Atom’s feelings, but wants some time to think about them because he doesn’t know what it means to like someone.

I am admittedly curious about the Thai version of Cinderella.

It’s always funny that a pair will be so lovey-dovey that get assigned roles for it in school plays.

Wow, an ad immediately.

Atom is a klutz in every iteration, but you can’t fall in love if you ain’t clumsy.

People recognizing each other’s kindness, and growing closer as a result, is one of my favorite romantic dynamics.

The Thai kids are always sliding across floors. What is up with this?

Okay, I’m giving Fourth a point for going for the Japanese comedic bit of tripping while standing when someone says something harsh or surprising to you. Kinda wish they hadn’t done a camera trick with it and just let Fourth carry the moment.

Welcome back, The Heart Knows.

Whoa, part 3 is under 4 minutes. I would be so pissed if we went to commercial break that quick on live TV.

I really love the costumes these kids put together for their play.

Oof, secondhand embarrassment.

I hope Fourth actually can’t wink, but this is still funny.

Of course, there’s a musical number. This is a Thai BL after all.

He is mopping the carpet.

Two songs? Get to streaming, girlies.

Aw, and here I was hoping they’d put Atom in the same getup as Mudmee.

They do like making Fourth and Gemini dance together, and they got a third song out of it.

The audience ate that fall up!

That’s right. Kick those boys out!

The Atom-Mudmee friendship remains strong in this version.

It’s really tough for this show, I think. Being on the exact same timing as the first adaptation leaves a lot of room that they have to fill with extra stuff, or they let moments go on a long time. As such, it gives the show a slower velocity that I don’t think helps the humor and makes the show a little sleepy. That being said, they are playing with the tropes in fun ways. They extended the brow wipe, and in Thai BL fashion got an ad out of shower scene with toothpaste instead. I do think I’m struggling with the “toxic masculinity” scene, because GMMTV has shown of late that they’re not that keen on dealing with queerness outside of the bubble. I don’t get why they would not have the class support Atom on the front end, and then introduce those boys, if they’re not going to deal with a queer awakening (which is part of the source material). It’s also a bit tough because Aoki doesn’t recognize how serious his own feelings are until the end of episode 2 when he gets saved by Hashimoto, but here he’s been mooning at Kongthap for the whole episode. Maybe it's the branded pair thing and I'm presuming more than has already developed, but it feels off.

[ecargmura]

Senpai Is An Otokonoko Episode 1 Review - A Queer-Coded Romcom

What is an ‘otokonoko’? According to some sites, it’s a Japanese term for men who express themselves femininely. Are they trans? Are they a crossdresser? That’s something to figure out for yourself. Because of the ambiguity regarding Makoto’s gender, I’m going to use they/them pronouns when talking about them.

Regardless, Senpai Is An Otokonoko seems to be a romcom story that talks about sexuality, gender and conformity as Makoto Hanaoka is a boy who dresses up as a girl, but only does it at school. Saki Aoi is a girl who fell for Makoto, originally believing them to be a girl, but when they tell her the truth, Saki gets excited knowing that she can like both the boy and the girl versions of them. Congrats on the sudden bisexual awakening? Anyways, Saki is still insistent on pursuing Makoto, so she does whatever she can to make sure she becomes their first love. The only obstacle in her way is their childhood friend, Ryuji Taiga, who is protective of them, but also has a crush on them.

Is this BL? Yuri? I’d say that it is more of a queer-coded story. Makoto clearly likes dressing femininely; Saki is bisexual; Ryuji is gay. Nobody here is straight, not even Makoto. However, I do like it shows the positives and negatives of these kinds of stories. There are people who are accepting of Makoto’s crossdressing like Saki and Ryuji, but there are those who still find it hard to take in like some of Makoto’s classmates and even one of their teachers. However, I do like that the story is not written to make Makoto a joke, but to make them a serious character with internal issues of their own. I’d love to know what caused him to start crossdressing in the first place as its only hinted that he always liked cute things since he was little, but couldn’t lavish in them due to his household being super strict. Why is it that the school allows him to dress like this and why does he have a special locker in the storage room? I’d love to know these types of details.

The visuals are pretty! I seriously love both of Makoto designs! The girl design is beautiful! I love the hair color of their wig! I also like Makoto’s boy design. They may look like a regular boy, but they have a cute and pretty face that helps them stand out from the rest. Ryuji also looks nice with the parted hair and the hoop earrings. Saki also looks so cute with her short bobbed hair! They’re all rather simple designs, but they’re eye-catching!

The characters are fun because they’re in a friendly love triangle. Makoto is a nice person who’s filled with mysteries regarding their actions. I still like that they’re brave to keep crossdressing at school, even if everyone won’t be accepting of it. Saki is so chaotic, but I do like her earnest heart. She’s so bold, which is what Makoto probably needs in his life. Ryuji is also a nice guy but a little overprotective. I do like that he does whatever he can to protect Makoto from weirdos who look at him oddly, but he gets shy whenever the topic of him liking Makoto pops up.

The voice acting is really nice! I’ve never heard Shuichiro Umeda’s performance before, but he has a very cute voice that is perfect for a role like this. Akira Sekine voices another chaotic girl in Saki after voicing the chaos that was Sora Harewataru from Hirogaru Sky Precure. Yuma Uchida plays Ryuji Taiga, making this character the second gay boy he’s voicing this season after Hisashi from Twilight Out of Focus; he’s on a roll with these LGBT characters.

I guess my only gripe is that the art style shifts a lot from the usual to the comical ones that it’s sort of hard to get used to the sudden back and forth. I think it happens way too often that I’m mentioning this. Not that it’s bad but sometimes, it does get a little annoying.

I think people who still struggle with their identity might find some solace in this cute queer-coded story. I wasn’t sure what I was for a long time until I realize that I am most likely pansexual. Yes, this is the first time I reveal my sexuality on this blog, but it’s just a secret that I won’t ever tell anyone in real life because it’s my identity and life; I’m the only one who gets to decide how to live it, after all. For me, gender doesn’t matter; I love people however they are. I honestly can’t wait to see what sort of story this will turn out to be. What are your thoughts on this episode?

[whineandcheese24]

so I saw a post where someone was saying how Benedict Bridgerton's queer awakening was better than Buck's because Benedict actually wants to explore his sexuality and not just jump right into a relationship, and that the 911 writers need to give more explanation in s8 for why Buck is so focused on a serious relationship with Tommy. As someone who loves both Benedict and Buck this was an insane take for me to read for 3 reasons: 1. different people will have different experiences with queer awakenings, 2. as people, Benedict and Buck want different things from their love life at the moment, and 3. as characters, Benedict and Buck are at different points in their stories. So let's get into it

some background if you haven't seen Bridgerton, in the beginning of season 3, Benedict started a friends-with-benefits situation with a woman named Tilley. At the time Benedict believed he was straight, until later in the season when Tilley introduced him to a man named Paul with whom she had a similar fwb situation, and the two of them asked Benedict if he wanted to have a threesome (albeit, in more formal words). Benedict eventually agreed and the 3 of them have a casual sex relationship, but then Tilley tells Benedict that she wants more from their relationship than just casual sex. Benedict kindly tells her that as he's just discovered this new facet of himself he's not ready to settle down just yet, and the two part ways.

so back to my reasons

Sexuality is not monolithic. Buck and Benedict may both be queer men, but they aren't going to have the same relationship with their sexualities. They aren't even necessarily the same sexuality. Though Oliver, Tim, and the rest of the 911 cast and crew have referred to Buck as bi, Buck himself has yet to use that label. And though the fandom has labeled Benedict as bi, he will, by virtue of living in the 1810s, likely never use a label, and the actor Luke Thompson has described Benedict as both pansexual, but also having a sense of "label-lessness"

Buck and Benedict, as people, want different things. When we met Buck, he was nearing the end of his hoe-era. By episode 2, he's already considering having a serious relationship with Abby, and after Abby, we only ever see him wanting a serious relationship. Based on his reaction to his temporary self-imposed abstinence in season 6, he's most likely still having sex and hookups even when he's not in a serious relationship, but it's not something he wants long-term. He's ready to settle down and find his person. Benedict, on the other hand, is not there yet. Even before Tilley, Benedict has always been a casual guy when it comes to relationships. The most serious relationship we see him have is with Madame Delacroix in season 1, and even that only really lasted a couple episodes. Benedict wasn't looking for something serious when he met Tilley or Paul, so him wanting to explore this new side of himself with multiple people is in keeping with his already-established desires for his sex and love life.

Buck and Benedict, as characters, are at different points in their stories. Buck is 7 seasons into his show. He has already been through 4 serious relationships, one of which got to the point of 'i love yous' and moving in together. He is at a point where the audience wants to see him succeed in his love life, and the constant going in and out of relationships gets tedious for the viewers. As much as Buck is ready to find The One, the audience also wants him to finally be happy and in love. Plus, having him in a happy, steady relationship opens up doors for him to have other arcs relating to his job, or other people in his life, while having someone who's not exactly a part of his job or inner circle of friends that he can talk things through with. It also gives him the opportunity to face the different obstacles that come with a long-term relationship. But Benedict is not at that point yet. Bridgerton is a show where each season focuses on a different sibling's romance, so of course he's not going to want to settle down until it's his season. And while this is entirely speculation, I'm guessing his arc this season was setting up his romance for season 4 where he decides that he's finally done sleeping around. He's done what he needs to and gotten it out of his system and now he's ready to fall in love.

Buck and Benedict are 2 completely different characters so of course their personal relationships with their sexualities and their queer experiences are going to be different. And saying that one is better than the other, because he doesn't want to immediately settle down is borderline biphopia/homophobia

[carolinahope]

I'm not ready for 7x06. My expectations are both really high and really low. They really leaned into the Pastel & Puke promo. But experience taught me that about 90% of their promos are a misdirection. So I'm cautious and mistrustful.

It's not like I'll quit watching if Eddie doesn't propose to Buck at the end of the episode. The friends-to-fiancés trope is distinctly Buddie-shaped but I have fan fiction for that. I want an actual story for them on-screen. We deserve it, they deserve it and Oliver and Ryan will most definitely deliver.

And the FF button is there for any scenes with characters I grew weary of. I had plenty of practice. Yes, I'm talking about the other guy and the nun in this instance.

And Eddie deserves his own queer awakening and to have it handled with the same care they handle his relationship with Chris or his breakdown. He needs a break in his romantic woes, to stop searching for some perceived perfection. He needs to sit down and think really hard on what he wants, what he needs, what he has and what is missing.

Besides, Buck needs to get off of his hamster wheel first, anyway. To stop letting things just happen to him. To stop letting people treat him poorly just because they are a potential romantic partner. And see it for the point in the con column it is.

So I will take another poker date as long as this time it actually leads where it was pointing us.

But expectations, they sure can wreak havoc on poor unsuspecting fans.

ETA: Apparently they cut some parts that were already showed in promo? Like the karaoke? I'm lowering my expectations below sea level now.

[sevensoulmates]

https://www.tvinsider.com/1130358/911-buck-eddie-romance-season-7/

Is this good news or bad for buddie?

Anon, it's the final countdown BENENEEEEEHH BENENENEHHH BENENEEENNEHEH

Insert obligatory "I don't ever take Tim/showrunner's/actors press opinions as fact EVER" here.

Once again, at the top of my lungs: THE ACTORS AND THE WRITERS ARE NEVER (REPEAT) NEVERRRR GOING TO REVEAL THAT BUCK AND EDDIE WILL BE TOGETHER DEFINITELY IN A PRESS INTERVIEW. IN FACT THEY WILL ACTIVELY LIE ABOUT IT.

The fact that Tim and Oliver were even speaking like it's a possibility is a fucking win.

The part about Eddie and women screams that Eddie's gonna go through an internalized homophobia deconstruction arc at some point. Refer to my last ask about Eddie and his possible queer arc.

Also, take into consideration everything ELSE Oliver and Tim have said in the last like 5 interviews about this episode. There is something more than "friendship jealousy" happening in this episode. And no, it's not about Buck wanting Tommy, though obviously, that is all they can ascribe it to in the press (because none of the future episodes are out yet, duh.). If it's not friendship jealousy, and Buck is SURPRISED that Tommy is into him, then no. It was also NOT about Tommy. Mayhaps it was about the man that Buck literally could not shut up about the entire fucking episode.

I think that the true underlying thing Buck is not comprehending is that no, this is not friendship jealousy, this is not Tommy jealousy, this is Buck is in love with Eddie jealousy/awakening, and it's "bothering" Buck because it's shaking his entire view of their relationship for the last SIX YEARS.

This episode, in my opinion, was a speed run of Buck's relationship with Eddie. Culminating in a kiss with Tommy. This says to me, point blank period, that eventually Buck will be at this point with Eddie. Nothing's convincing me otherwise, not even Timothy and his bald head.

[justin-chapmanswers]

hi justin! im an older fan here, been watching since i wasssss..... 8? 9? old enough to see s2e8 come out, thats for sure! i fell behind with ii3 though, stopped keeping up past episode 4 due to... well, i dont remember, haha... anyways, i met a newer fan IRL today and they convinced me to get caught up! so i did. In one day. since its been a while, i forgot that doing that would be an emotional roller-coaster and it Was.

As im sending this im Fresh out of the experience so that being said this is gonna be so incomprehensible

balloon and nickel especially. i remember coming home from school excited to see "kick the bucket part 2" drop and i was DEVASTATED. i really loved suitcase, and the alliance, and balloon and dearly wished that they could all get along as a kid! seeing balloon and nickels relationship develop in ii3, especially now that im older and can understand things clearly, was refreshing and interesting to watch! but that suitcase appearance.... i dont even know what to say. It was executed so well, it was the perfect punch in the gut. Im excited to see where these two go from this point, especially with what bot told them. SPEAKING of which!

Bot. Bot bot bot. ohhhhh my gosh bot. im. AUGH. Ok sooo... paintbrush kinda was my nonbinary awakening! so seeing bots identity develop, seeing their relationship with test tube develop, with a queer-coded narrative unfolding, it had me screaming into my hands a lot!!! i literally screamed and pointed at their little drawing when i saw their pronouns! it was sad to see them go, but man, you guys manage to put me back together with just two words from test tube. "It's... you." oh, to say so much by saying so little! i hope to see more from the two of them in side content like the comics, and hopefully fan too!

tl;dr how does it feel knowing you made the most emotionally destructive episode an episode with a cartoony spring as a cereal mascot as the main antagonist. good job and thank you by the way

Thank you for the super super super sweet message!!!! So glad that you've been able to connect with PB and Bot, they mean a lot to me, as well! Good news is, I don't think we're done with any of the contestants 100% quite yet, more adventures to come! :D

And some of my favorite kinds of episodes are the ones that mesh hyper-silly and hyper-dramatic. Always so excited to see them come together in cases like these! Keep ooooon springin'!