#wa a lot

[coffeebrownn]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

My Lawyer is going to Get Your Ass.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[leadandblood]

Okay but is nobody gonna talk about "my father drank gin" and "put a bullet through my head before i drink gin" like is nobody going absolutely insane over that-

Well i am and im gonna talk about it.

The tragedy of children picking up drinking because they saw it in their parents and so it's much easier to fall into it. And their brain justifying being drunk on something else, as a defence mechanism, against feeling just as bad as their parent. They're drinking something else, so they can't be exactly like them right? But in reality it's often just as bad and sometimes even worse.

This is also genius because all you get is two innocent lines and that's all it takes for you to realise Crozier's past with alcoholism.

"my father drank gin" could just be a thing you say during a toast. "aah, my father loved gin, it's nice remembering things about him" but no. Here it's said so bitterly and hatefully, you know for a fact he drank a lot and Crozier HATED that about him. We can also assume he's dead from something alcohol induced.

And then the other line "put a bullet through my head before i drink gin" - despite what the words actually say - is also something you could say as a joke, when your friend offers you gin, you know. "you want me to drink WHAT??" Sort of thing. But here you kind of feel like... He means it. It's said with so much resentment and stubborness, he might as well mean it literally. "Kill me before i become my father." Because Crozier hated him so much he wants to become nothing like him. Even when it's through impressive mental gymnastics.

It's just agony to think about-

[bulletsgirl]

"If It Bleeds," d.w.m.

[kumapillow]

Episode 8 Obligatory Hakutou Post 🤍🍑

[kayascodelorio]

kayascodelorio's 3.5k celebration 💌 for @kadygrants

[gentil-minou]

Thinking about how having a golden core means all your senses are at 150% so when Wei Wuxian gives his away he discovers his vision is really bad and everything beyond a meter from him is just a blurry mess.

And he barely has time to adjust, squinting trying to find the inn he was supposed to meet Jiang Cheng at and finding his proprioception is somehow awful now too and he keeps bumping into things and then he runs into Wen Chao completely by accident

And he's thrown into the burial mounds where it's dark and the resentment sits like fog, so even perfect vision wouldn't have helped him. Along with creating demonic cultivation, he also learns how to get around without perfect vision enough so that when he does come back it's impossible for anyone to tell his vision is so bad now

He struggles to get used to not being able to see everything they way he's used to. He can't help but miss looking at every star in the nightsky and watching birds and animals roaming and just sitting at Lotus Pier counting boats and watching the lotus flowers bloom like he used to.

He's still good at shooting arrows at a stationary target but he'll never be able to catch a moving target again. No more shooting kites with the younger disciples ever again.

Thankfully his cultivation gives him almost a sixth sense so he's fine on the battlefield, but it's off it during all the strategy meetings and later on the banquets where everyone blurs the same that really makes it hard. He used to be able to make friends with everyone and now he can barely tell them apart from far away.

He grows to appreciate the Lan white mourning robes because even if he can't make out anyone's face he can still see Lan Zhan, even if he can't find a good reason to stand close to him and he misses all the little facial expression he makes.

When he's resurrected Mo Xuanyu’s core is strong enough for his eyesight to be good again and Wei Wuxian takes in the world the way he never thought he'd be able to again.

He learns to keep an eye out for people who are squinting and look lost, and he makes sure to help them whenever he can.

Sometimes he finds himself staring into the distance, just to marvel that he can.

[cathalbravecog]

letting the days go by

(got a feeling someone defo already drew this so i chose a different pose ref to the mv lol.)

[ferahntics]

Ogerpon deserves the universe and more 👹🍃

[benveydraws]

i can't love you in this skin

[cherrycreamfairy]

another screenshot redraw

for context this happens before North Wind's redemption arc (yes he's getting a redemption arc) where he ambushes his brothers while they were on a nice walk along the beach side during their brother bonding time (basically season one is where it focuses on the miser brothers deepening their friendship)

[haru-chi]

Do you ever stop to think about how triggering and traumatic killing Rishe was for Arnold back then ??

Arnold said back at the church scene :

"I see it in your eyes sometimes. they're the eyes of someone standing on a battlefield. "if it means that I can stay true to my convictions, then I don't care if I die here" you have the eyes of someone with that sort of resolve. Even then, you haven't given up on surviving. you will fight until the very last. The moments when I had to kill such a person...were the most terrifying moments of the war"

guess who had those same eyes before she actually died ...

NOT JUST THAT TOO !!!

when Arnold killed her, it was right through the heart ... guess who was killed this same way by Arnold's hands too ...

How lovely can this be, right ?

I've been thinking about this too much for a long time while suppressing my cry and pain ... and I never saw someone mention it so I need people to feel this pain .. DON'T MAKE ME SUFFER ALONE !!!!

and was this the reason he whispered something to Rishe before she died ?? I have other things and idea about this bit but can't put them into words well enough so maybe later

[apparently-artless]

(>﹏<)

[kumapillow]

Thank you for soothing us with your cute little self Hakutou 🤍🍑🥰😭

[ryanthel0ser]

Hey *puts hand on shoulder*

There is no "most faithful" version of TMNT, and that's okay

[absolutebl]

Best Angsty BLs with Family Drama & Bad Home Lives, or Past Trauma

That still end happily. Requested by the incomparable @winterswhumpblr (Warning these all have tiggers in them mostly suicide, rape, and/or child abuse.)

Until We Meet Again

Thai 2019 YouTube

UWMA is, without question, a work of narrative genius with a powerful and cohesive romantic backbone driven by family drauma and betrayal and stellar performances. It is (to date) the only Thai BL that I’ve rated a 10/10 predominantly on the basis of story structure. That said it is also very well cast (and it’s a BIG cast), with solid production values, and enduring pair branding. Discussion here.

Spin off, Between Us, also satisfies this criteria.

Blueming

Korea 2022 iQIYI

Hwang Da Seul directing this angsty BL that's a tiny bit dark and a tiny bit bittersweet, almost too honest to a university experience and first love. But if you want your mind ever-so-slightly messed with and your intimacy hellishly sweet, this BL will do it for you in a coldly distant manner, while bitch slapping you with self worth issues. I wasn’t into it at first, but the leads are solid and by ep 5 it got really good, becoming a narrative about self discovery meets understanding and accepting others people’s flaws without hurting them. Ultimately we witnessed two characters maturing because of each other and their mutual affection, without that affection becoming the conflict point. Instead, tension was built around other aspects of identity, popularity, and childhood trauma.

Tokyo in April is AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa

Japan 2023 Viki

Two young men with a shared tragic past reunite and fall in love all over again, but the past will not stop hunting them. Based on a manga, this office set reunion romance is GREAT… damn it. It’s Japan in full on soft focus which means it gets emo, abusive, and chewy. These two characters are giving parts of their souls away in a desperate attempt to shape themselves to the expectations they have of each other.

The Eighth Sense

Korea 2023 Viki

This feels more atmospheric gay coming of age romance than strictly BL. It’s got a bit of an age gap, country boy/city boy, stellar acting, complex characters, and leads with great chemistry and tension. It’s a bit chewy and sticky and less perfect than most KBLs (do I detect a touch of Taiwan?) This one deployed BL tropes (messy eater, shoulder sleep, protective seme, there’s even some hyung-slinging) but front loaded them with painful backstory and tons angst drives the 2nd half. This isn’t in the KBL bubble, there’s sharp edges and lots of triggers. For a BL the darkness of the content left me feeling unsettled (which is the only reason it didn't get a perfect score) but it does have a glorious ending and that counts for a lot.

Bad Buddy

Thai 2022 YouTube

This was GMMTV’s flagship BL and it started 2022 on a BANG (okay no actual banging but you know what I mean), starring heavy hitters Ohm & Nanon in a pitch perfect university Romeo & Romeo masterpiece that will give you domesticity meets pain whiplash throughout and jet lag at the end. Some of the friendship and family dynamics are overworked, but it has great production values, killer acting, and some conscious effort to correct for half a decade of Thai BL’s anti-queer mistakes. The whole set up is build on family drama so, yeah.

Bed Friend

Thai 2023 YouTube

Office frienamies transition a flaming hot one night stand into a f-buddy relationship that is built on a puppy/cat dynamic (and kinks into it at one point). Our puppy is loyal, smitten, and protective with endlessly longing eyes, while our cat is snarky, prickly, and deeply damaged. NetJames give lovely high-heat with excellent chemistry and tuned-in performances of surprising depth, could have been spectacular but was the story is overworked, especially at the end. Still if high heat is your thing, this one will not let you down.

Lovely Writer

Thai 2021 YouTube

What Lovely Writer does, at heart, is reexamine Thai BL has done to queerness, but in a very gentle way that has more to do with Thai BL growing up than any actual queer authenticity. It’s not parody or pastiche, but it is self reflective and trying to correct for some chronic mistakes. Whether it is ultimately successful in this matter is going to depend on the watcher’s relationship to BL and queer identity. But that’s what makes this show beautiful, interesting, and thought provoking. And I, for one, applaud the effort even if I didn’t personally connect to the characters. There is both family trauma and dram and childhood stuff.

Happy Merry Ending

Korea 2023 Viki

Stars Lee Dong Won (KNK) as an ex-idol turned wedding singer with an abusive ex and a panic disorder + the sunshine pianist who falls in love with him. Timid tsundere & sweetheart gay is an interesting match. They’re gentle together, almost kindly, and there is a calm ache to their pairing. However, it lost its way as a BL, being more about the main character’s struggle than the romance. It had a strong finish but ultimately the premise & characters meant this was never going to be one of my favorites. But if you like angst, well...

Given

Japan 2021 grey

Boy joins band, falls in love with other boy. The singing is terrible, fast forward through that but with the possible exception of the hair styles, this BL could have been made in 2015 and no one would be surprised. As such, it wasn’t ground breaking, but it didn’t disappoint either. Very much a tortured past for our singer. (More here.)

The Eclipse

Thai 2022 YouTube

GMMTV does gay Blacklist with a good boy/bad boy pairing. This is a good show but the cast is excellent and the leads are absolutely flawless, which elevates it beyond just good. We got a nuanced and multifaceted burgeoning relationship: philosophical (and socio-political) conflict contrasted to moments of empathy; flirtation contrasted to moments of genuine affection, plus plenty of angst. This narrative is less about love than it is about courage and tenderness. However, near the end the pacing was off and the plot frustrating. Still, this is an enjoyable watch, with a finale that features verbal consent and a fun blooper reel.

Love Class 2

Korea 2023 Viki

3 couples form within a semester of university: 1. a hyung romance reunion of exes, one of whom has a dangerous past, 2. a friends to lovers romance, and 3. a one night stand between a mature student and a TA (many aspects of which had me laughing). I enjoyed the characters and dialogue of this show immensely. It was a little bit more breezy and friendly than I was expecting after the first installment, Love Class (to which this bears little resemblance and no connection). I’m not entirely sure Korea can handle multiple couples like this because it definitely felt disjointed, especially with the 3rd more mature couple (also my favorite) who probably should’ve had their own series. But I enjoyed something different from Korea.

About Youth

Taiwan 2022 Gaga

A truly lovely little coming of age high school BL with a classic YA low drama but high angst and an earnest depth. I didn’t even mind the singing, and that’s saying a lot. A weak seme/uke dynamic but tons of BL tropes (both rare in a high school setting but common for Taiwan) makes this one feel both sweet and colored by an almost real world authenticity and grit. More here.

Restart After Come Back Home AKA Risutato wa tadaima no ato de

Japan 2020 Gaga?

Atmospheric study in rural Japan meets complex family dynamics built on a romance framework of city boy meets country boy, grumpy/sunshine. It’s beautiful and icy sweet. Slow moving in places but ultimately worth the patience, low heat, low angst, and stunning.

DNA Says Love You

Taiwan 2022 Gaga

DNA deserves extra marks for an upbeat approach to a queer story arc that other shows have systemically mishandled with sadness (in the guise of realism). There is a twist, which I found predictable, but knowing what would happen didn't spoil this show. The leads are luminous and engaging, and it’s full of queer found family representation and an unexpected amount of domesticity, plus it’s Taiwan, so the kisses are great. The first few eps are rough going but have patiences, it's worth it as the last ones really are special and life/love affirming - and the end is big-grin charming.

My Tooth Your Love

Taiwan 2023 Viki

Earnest dentist hottie with sad eyes who worries too much is smitten by an adorable sunshine neurotic bar owner with serious anxiety issues. They fall madly in love while courting each other with food, plushies, and naps. Then, shocker, talk about their feelings and try to actually sort out their problems so they can have an adult relationship. Bonus crumbs = 18 year old poor little rich kid in mad crush with a much older man. I really enjoyed this show, it had a unique premise, killer dialogue, there was a solid lead pair with charming chemistry, soft flirtation, delightful smiling kisses, and stinkingly cute domesticity.

Where Your Eyes Linger

Korea 2020 Viki

Ostensibly high school set about a poor kid whose been raised in a mafia kid’s family specifically to protect him (whipping boy trope, attack dog variant). Themes of codependency and survival with pretty classic Korean style romance ending.

TharnType

Thai 2019 Viki

This Thai BL has everything: university setting, great acting and complex characters, interesting friendship groups, enemies to lovers, angsty coming out, high production values, AMAZING chemistry, and multiple BL side couples with all the issues. But when I said everything I meant it because there's also: damaging queer rep, strong seme/uke and husband/wife language, classic tropes and lots of them, child abuse, bullying, mental illness, rough play, dub-con, non-con, and statutory rape (by the seme/gay character).

and its spin off: Don't Say No also qualifies for this post.

In fact most Mame stuff will involved trauma & drama, specifically.

Love By Chance 2

Love in the Air (Part 2)

Wedding Plan

Some others but I'm getting tired:

I Told Sunset About You et al

You Are Mine

Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Your Soul

Ghost Host Ghost House

But frankly there are a ton more depending on how you look at it. I mean, what about Why R U? FIghter's dad is the issues with him coming out, but it's not really in the plot until late so ?

Lakorn BL drama llama soaps & similar

Moonlight Chicken - review here

Laws of Attraction

To Sir, With Love - review here

Sirs not appearing on this list

Our Dining Table is driven by childhood trauma but not angsty, similar to Oxygen. Not Me is angsty and dramatic and family stuff, but that's not really the driver of the plot. Life Love On the Line is all angst but he brought it on himself.

(source)

Updated Nov 19, 2023, no intention of adding to this so if you want more, look at the comments. Someone is bound to get annoyed their favorite isn't on the list.