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absolutebl · 6 months

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This Week in BL - Gangsters Win

Organized, in each category, by ones I'm enjoying most at the top. Delayed October reviews included this week! (Still traveling but now in home territory and familiar hotels.)

Nov 2023 Wk 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thurs iQIYI) 2 of 8 - GIVING ME LIFE. How dare they be this… this... Just. How dare!

Twins the series (Fri GaGa) ep 1 of 10 - I have been waiting for another truly sports centered BL since HIStory 2: CTL. This is nowhere near as good, but I don’t care. It’s great pulp and Sprite is a fab central character. I've realized that I love the pulps most when they’re ridiculously soapy (identical twins identity trope for sport’s fuck’s sake) but ERNEST about it (not campy). This one is taking itself seriously and it's so cute that it's trying so hard. Good little pulp. Dee mar.

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 12fin - was it me or did this show kinda flag on you too?

Poor, struggling Sailom is forced to tutor his bully, Kang, and they fall for each other despite circumstances. I loved it for the first 4 eps, liked it for the middle 4, and then kinda lost interest. I think it's because the focus shifted from Sailom to Kang, and I just find a disenfranchised character more interesting than the poor little rich kid archetype. Ultimately the script waffled and failed these actors - the leads and sides were solid, and support cast on point. 8/10 pretty standard 2023 GMMTV fair

Absolute Zero (Thai Weds iQIYI) ep 6 of 12 - It’s sort of a paradox of emotions not just time. It remains sad and I remain wary.

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) The Camp Fire ep 11 of 24 - Launched with an argument over rude pronouns and mistaken identity. Highlights the joy of camping. Ugh. I don't think this one is for me despite the pair.

Venus in the Sky (Tues iQIYI) ep 10fin - NO SINGING. I can't believe they brought in rando SIDEs just to sing! WHHHHYYYYY? Sigh.

An indifferent pulp with indifferent acting and poor chemistry (despite high heat) based on the reunion romance trope that was just... so... slow... It wasn’t entirely a waste of time but I can’t in good faith recommend it. unless you have a very high tolerance for Thai pulps and ultra tsundere characters. 5/10 ONLY WATCH IF YOU'VE NOTHING BETTER TO DO

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Kiseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) ep 12 of 13 - I don’t mean to be rude because you know I love the main couple in the show, but they are simply being out acted by the sides. They are so damn good. Ai Di and his dumb oversized sweaters and flappy flappy sleeves is EVERYTHING.

Bump Up Business (Korea Gaga) 5-6 of 8 - More language negotiation, so of course I like it. I also like that they openly let Eden admit to a crush on a boy. I like this whole thing way more than I should. Save me from myself?

You Are Mine (Taiwan Fri Viki) eps 9 of 10 - I don’t understand why baby boy is trying to escape so badly. (Except for plot reasons.) Running of the gays! Look at you Taiwan stealing Japan’s favorite trope. This show is fun but it’s a bag of tropes held together with some very thin fraying mesh plot.

If It’s With You AKA Even If I Fall In Love With You AKA Kimi to nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo’ (Japan Gaga) ep 5fin - The leads are so painfully cute portraying a softly simple story of teen first love. This was a nice little piece with an early yaoi feel that come off as brief, as if it were meant to be a short story that had been extended into a series. Sweet but ultimately rather forgettable. 7/10

Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 6-7 of ? - yeah I forgot to watch again, I may be dnfing this by accident.

It's Airing But...

I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan Tues Netflix-Japan & ????) - in classic JBL fashion, I Cannot Reach You could not be reached. It looks good though so I mgiht put some effort into finding it grey.

Look at Japan dropping all the tropes in on scene: rooftop, kabedon, hand hold.

SHADOW (Thai Gaga) 1-7 of 14 - this is a horror BL with ghosts & paranormal elements in a boarding school setting. I'm not wild about Thai horror (or horror at all). It features Singto (who did paranormal BL He's Coming to Me) opposite Fluke N (who's done a couple horror's before). Also Fiat. Dan suffers from sleep paralysis, and in his dreams he sees a shadow that suffocates him. It gets worse when he transfers schools. I'm holding off on this one and if told it's good I'll binge watch.

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - I find this series more fun to binge, so I'm waiting until it completes its run.

One Room Angel (Japan Gaga) - adaptation of Harada’s manga of the same name (which I did not like) about a convenience store clerk who's stabbed, nearly dies, and returns home to find an angel waiting for him. With only 5 eps and a good chance this won’t end happy, I'm gonna wait and let you tell me how it goes.

Can I Buy Your Love From A Vending Machine? AKA Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka? (Japan cinema release in-country only) - This one is a movie from Japan so in customary fashion who tf knows when (or if) it will get international distribution. Salaryman Ayumu Koiwai just can't tear his eyes away from the strong, muscular man as he checks on the stocks of the vending machine in his office. I did some hunting but only found the manga, so I'm marking it cnf and moving on with life. This will be its last appearance on the weekly update.

I Finished It!

Love in Translation (iQIYI) ep 8 - solid ending, man these two are a great pairing.

A sweet little pulp about a Thai boy with a crush on a Chinese influencer who ends up in a business relationship with her ex-bf. This show had truly great chemistry between the leads, cute found family with good rep, and an exciting (if silly) ending that almost, but didn't quite, make up for how incredibly annoying the main character was in the first half. Gotta say the make-out scene in the convenience store is one of the greatest in Thai BL, tho. 6/10 DEF WORTH WATCHING BUT FLAWED

I Feel You Linger in the Air (grey) ep 8 of 12 - so that was A THING. I did a seriously extensive deep dive analysis, historical & linguistic extras, and review here.

I truly loved this time travel romance. IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). Steeped in history and family drama it edges into lakorn (but no as much as To Sir With Love and with way less scenery chewing). This is an elegant and classy BL… from Thailand which normally doesn't even try for classy. The main couple (both as a pair and individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. Pity about the ending. Oh it wasn’t that sad but it wasn’t good either. This show should easily have earned a 10 from me except that it fumbled the… erm… balls. Argh. Whatever. 9/10

Only Friends (YT) ep 11-12 - What can I say, this wasn't my thing, it was never gonna be, and I didn't like it. Basically Thailand did the L-Word but with branded BL pairs and the only agenda seemed to be slut shaming and making sure those pairs stayed healthy and sponsor ready. Consequently, the pairs were all executing well and to the best of their ability (of course) but all other characters got shafted, both in the good and the worst possible ways. Unrated but if falls somewhere between 5 (hot mess) and 3 (what am I doing with my life?)

Next Week Looks Like This

11/10 Middleman’s Love (Thai Fri Mandee's YT & iQIYI 1 of 8? - TutorYim (brand pair origin = Cutie Pie) with side couple KingUea (Bed Friends) from Domundi trailer here. This used to be a JimmyTommy vehicle before the pair split (also prev title Middle Love). Adapted from a Y-novel. Jade works as a graphic designer and has always been stuck in the middle - average. His heart is hardened after a life spent being overlooked because he is not as charming or good looking as the rest of his family or friends. When his office gets a hot new intern, Mai, Jade assumes Mai couldn’t possibly be intersted in him. Mai, of course, has other ideas. Warning this is a Cheewin comedy so tonally it could be very OFF, but the cast is solid, and I have liked his stuff on occasion.

11/10 Last Twilight (Thai Fri YouTube) - JimmySea are bakc and maybe it's good this time? I dont' know, GMMTV isn't doing great right now. Burdened with heavy debt, Mork, a mechanic, is forced to take a high paying job as a caretaker for Day, a rich heir who suffers from partial blindness after an accident. Day recruits Mork as he realizes the latter does not see him as a disabled person, but rather as co-equals. As they spend time together, the two begin developing feelings for the other. However with Day just having 180 days until he becomes permanently blind, how will the two weather the trials ahead?Upcoming November BL

11/11 Beyond The Star (Weds iQIYI) qp 1 of 8 - Looks like House of Stars meets Boyband. I am not excited.

Upcoming in November

11/16 PLAYBOYY (Thurs ????) ?? eps - trailer here, high heat and it's helmed by Cheewin (shudder) with screenplay by Den (Only Friends) under Copy A Bangkok. It's gonna be a shizz show people. It's predicting Thai style "dark" (War of Y) one of my least favorites. Apparently there is a "plot" but when has Cheewin ever bothered with plot? A university kid who was involved with escorts, sex-trade, porn, online hook-ups, drugs, prostitution, blackmail, revenge, and so forth goes missing. His twin (sigh) and two friends look for him.

11/17 Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 1 of 14 - high heat teaser here, based on alittlebixth's omegaverse novel #พิษเบ๊บ’ set in the world of car racing (author says show will not be omegaverse). Charlie (fresh face), a young hot nerd, approaches his driver idol (Pavel "my love" 2 Moons 2) to borrow a racing car and win one for the team. Production house is new to BL but behind the Club Friday stuff. Show stars many known actors: Nut (Oxygen), Pop (Ram in La Cuisine), Pon (Phai in Gen Y, we LOVE him), Benz (twins in En of Love: This Is Love Story).

11/19 Bake Me Please (Sun Gaga) ep 1 of 6 - trailer here, stars Ohm (of OhmFluke) opposite Guide (bestie from IFYLITA) and possibly also Poom (well known, but not for BL). This looks like an actually gay version of Antique Bakery (play it again, BL). Still, I'm intrigued, it looks HELLA pretty.

11/22 7 Days Before Valentine (Weds ????) ep 1 of 10 - trailer here, horror-esk. Adapted from y-novel of the same name, directed by Tu (180 Degree) stars Jet (Why You… Y Me?). When you want your old love again, but fate sends you a reaper instead. All he can do for you is kill people. I'll likely give this a pass and wait to binge later. I'm planning to try SHADOW and I can only handle one Thai horror at a time.

11/25 The Sign (Sat ????) ep 1 of 10 - trailer here, horror-esk, but with a suspense and adult characters. Special investigators who loved each other in previous lives reunite with their new bodies, stars Billy Patchanon (BillySeng) & Babe Tanatat (new). Includes other SCOY favorites as a special investigation team. I may give this a try because I like the non-horror bits.

11/26 The Whisperer (Sun ????) 1 of 10 - trailer here. Thai horror BL that ALSO involves cheating (what joy is mine). He has dimples (My Ride) but I don't think even that gives me the will. Maybe a binge for me.

11/26 Cooking Crush (Sun YT) 1 of 12 - OffGun are back, trailer here. Adapted from the novel “Love Course! เสื้อกาวน์รุกเสื้อกุ๊กรับ” by iJune4S this is about Prem who runs a not-so-popular restaurant with 2 friends. About to go on a cooking competition with a huge reward, Prem gets involved with Ten, a stressed-out med student who wants Prem to teach him to cook.

11/30 For Him (Thurs ????) ep 1 of 10 - high heat trailer, I suspect iQIYI will scoop this one up. From the people who brought us Unforgotten Night (please no) based on a y-novel, man nursing a heartbreak has a one-night stand, but the other boy didn't want it to end. It looks terribly trashy so I'm in! Maybe I'll do a trash watch?

VIP Only (Taiwan) - may be delayed/canceled

Wuju Bakery AKA Space Bakery (Korea) - this one may be DOA

A Breeze of Love (Korea) - I know less than nothing about this.

Nov 2023 line up with screen caps here. Not kept updated.

Original 2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Yang's little smile! Argh. (Love in Translation)

This is our mean and grumpy gagster character talking about playing in game support roles. It's fucking adorable. Such a nasty criminal. (My Dear Gangster Oppa)

(Last week)

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afabstract · 7 months

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Love In Translation - Daou, Offroad Charm in This Simple Romance

Read this review of the 2023 Thai romance "Love In Translation" starring Offroad Kantapon Jindataweephol and Daou Pittaya Saechua.

This Thai series exists in its own little world, where finding a business partner is like walking into a shop and buying pastry and falling in love is more difficult than running a mini-mart. Most of the show is powered by the infectious smile of the lead actor, Offroad Kantapon Jindataweephol, which transforms him into a human-sized cat, dog, or whichever cuddly animal you prefer. Directed by…

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#2023 thai bl #Daou Pittaya Saechua #Entertainment #Jam Charuttha Imraporn #lgbtq #Love In Translation 2023 series review #Love In Translation review #Love In Translation thai series review #Offroad Kantapon Jindataweephol #Rak Mai Ru Phasa #Reviews #romance

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misterradio · 1 year

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#original nonsense #image described #youtube #roly polys #made me smile. didnt even watch it i just love this thumbnail image and title combo #iwas trying to find this persons playthrough of the old chuteng translation but didnt find it. wait nvm i just did yay #edit: oh i did not realize this would blow up. well now i have to watch this video hehe. please also watch it so support him ::-)#i watched it and it was very funny ::-) made me smile. its very silly so dont expect too serious of a review.#i better see that view count go up okay.

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extraordinarilyextreme · 4 months

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low君's Recap of MLCB

第七名：《莲花楼》！ In seventh place, Mysterious Lotus Casebook! 李莲花长命百岁。 May Li Lianhua live a long life [to be a hundred years old].

《莲花楼》剧里剧外高度一致。它只播了十八天，和李莲花的寿命一样短。它也和李莲花一样好，到现在还让莲络人们久久难忘！播完了反而引发长尾效应：爱奇艺热度破万、豆瓣58万人打出8.5的高分、主角配角纷纷破圈、产出各种莲学热梗。 Mysterious Lotus Casebook was consistent both within and outside the drama. It broadcasted for only 18 days, a length as short as Li Lianhua’s lifespan. It is also as good as Li Lianhua, even now still not leaving lianluoren’s memory for a long time! In fact, its impact has continued to last even after the end of its broadcast: its iQiyi heat broke ten thousand; on Douban, it received a high score of 8.5 from 580,000 ratings; main and supporting roles gained fame [beyond fan circles] one after another; and it created all sorts of popular “lian-style” punchlines. 一字诗：绝！ To summarize in a one-word poem: excellent!

作为一部悬疑武侠探案剧，《莲花楼》有很多优点，但最让人印象深刻的还是人物！ As a mystery/wuxia/crime-solving drama, Mysterious Lotus Casebook has a lot of merits, but what has left the deepest impression upon viewers must still be its characters! 就在江湖之上我们看到了太对惊喜。 Within the jianghu alone, we have seen too many pleasant surprises.

角丽樵疯得彻底也爱得痴狂。 Jiao Liqiao went insane to the point of completion, and also loved to the point of infatuated obsession.

乔婉娩不再等待归人，拿起了她的剑。 Qiao Wanmian no longer waited for someone to return, and instead picked up and drew her own sword.

笛飞声认定了对手就一辈子不会放手。 Di Feisheng recognized one person as his well-matched adversary and thus, in this lifetime, would not let him go.

方多病初出茅庐却热血赤诚。 Fang Duobing was naive and inexperienced, yet also ardently righteous and utterly sincere [wholly devoted].

而从天下第一的李相夷到放下一切的李莲花，他来时一叶扁舟、去时江上漂流，经历了一场对整个江湖的盛大告别后挑了个自己喜欢的结局。 And from the Li Xiangyi who was number one beneath the heavens to the Li Lianhua who had set everything down, his arrival was on a small boat, and his departure was carried away by the currents of the river. After experiencing a splendorous farewell to the entirety of the jianghu, he chose an ending that he himself liked.

这部剧后劲如此之大在于看完之后有所感。 That the drama’s after-effects were so great has to do with how it made viewers feel after they finished watching. 它在匆忙人世里写放下、写告别、写顿悟、写没有如果不必回头、写从前那样很好现在这样也很好。 Within the hurried bustle of the human world, it told a story of setting things down; of bidding goodbye; of sudden enlightenment in a moment’s time; of no what-if’s and no need to look back; of “How it was in the past, was good; how it is now, is also good.” 原来一念心清静真的能莲花处处开。 So it turns out that with a single thought, the heart attains peace; and lotus flowers truly can bloom all around.

from low君's 《2023年度十大高分国剧》 Top Ten Highest-Rated Mainland Dramas of 2023

Any mistakes are my own.

#mysterious lotus casebook #my translation #love that he referenced all the different songs in his review #莲花楼

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perhaps-in-anotherdream · 9 months

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[CN] Victor’s Carbon Pen and Glass Bead Event (Day 5)

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for content yet to be released on the global server! ⌚

✦ thursday || friday || saturday || sunday || monday || tuesday || wednesday

【High School Affiliated to Loveland University Second Year (Section 1) Semester Schedule - Monday】

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

[CHINESE]:

“My desire to cross the Yellow River is stopped by frozen water. An attempt to go up Mount Taihang is frustrated by snow. In my leisure time, I go fishing on shore in greenish water. Suddenly I’m dreaming while riding a boat sailing near the sun… The road is tough! It’s very tough! It branches out into many other paths. Where am I now…”

As Victor pulls on the rope, he silently recites these verses in his heart.

He should have no problems in the upcoming Chinese class dictation test.

–

[Tidbits]: The poem Victor rehearses here is a very famous piece by a Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai, who was exiled from the imperial court. The poem expresses his disappointment, frustration, as well as hopefulness.

–

[CHEMISTRY]:

The chemistry teacher has always been the most well-liked among everyone because she never goes beyond the scheduled time for classes. However, Victor knows that it’s only because she is too busy as the curriculum coordinator.

—

[ENGLISH]:

As the lecturer imparts grammar lessons systematically, Victor subconsciously thinks that this usually quirky and enthusiastic young man is, in fact, an outstanding teacher.

However, when there are only ten minutes left until the end of the class and the other party complacently launches a new English trivia activity, Victor withdraws his opinion.

—

[PHYSICS]:

“After reviewing everyone’s test scores, I must say you guys are indeed the lowest-performing batch I’ve ever taught.”

Knitting his brows into a frown, Victor looks at the exam paper in his hand with a score of 92, contemplating how he needs to work harder to achieve a higher score next time.

—

[MATH]:

“Who wants to come to the blackboard and solve this function?”

The classroom lapses into silence, everyone avoiding eye contact with the teacher. Victor has never been the one to deliberately draw the spotlight to himself, so he begins contemplating his solution while remaining seated.

Looking at the answer on his paper, Victor casually shifts his gaze ahead and twirls his pen. Even if Old Gao catches him, it won’t be a big deal.

“Someone come to board and solve this problem? Did you guys not understand what I said?”

“Sigh, such indifference. Zheng Xi, come up here and explain this on my behalf.”

—

[MATH]:

“Surely, one of our friends will come up to the board and solve this problem, right?”

The classroom sinks into silence, the eyes of everyone darting around. Victor, who always naturally keeps his eyes straight ahead, now lowers his head ever so slightly—— of course, he has lowered his head just a little bit.

He’s also unsure about this problem.

“Vic, the teacher can feel your enthusiasm from here.”

“Step forward and demonstrate your skills.”

—

[BIOLOGY]:

The gentle tone, calm and steady, without any ups and downs, evenly erodes the determination of each student.

Therefore, it’s often the case that teachers who are overly gentle can be quite frightening.

—

[BIOLOGY]:

As Victor holds the chalk and marks how the distribution of plants is influenced by geographical locations, he sneaks in a quiet yawn, away from everyone’s view with his back to the class. Only God knows how long he’s been holding it in.

But it’s also good, at least answering a question can liven things up a bit. He can work on today’s biology homework during the second half of the class.

—

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✧ next stop: Tuesday

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#hhhh the amount of relatibility lmao the bully teachers AKSJDJWAEDHJ #THE WAY HE MOMENTARILY SWITCHED TO “COOL” KID OF THE CLASS HAHAHA *looks like couldn’t be more indifferent and then aces every exam😩*#I LOVE HIM SO FREAKIN' MUCH HHHHHHHH #p.s. these CN games really should keep someone in the team to review their usage of english aksjdgjf >.<#mlqc victor #mlqc li zeyan #mlqc #mr love victor #mr love queen's choice #李泽言 #恋与制作人 #love and producer #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc translations

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chrispychanniem · 1 month

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My Honest Opinion:

I was really anticipating this series and may I say that it didn't disappoint even in the slightest. The plot is rather cliched but the execution is really good. I watched this series when I caught cold and it felt like a fever dream.

Phumjai and Chen hands down have an amazing chemistry and totally are off the charts. Daou and Offroad sure gave it their all and I am waiting to see more series of them.

Despite the first couple getting most of the spotlight, I must admit that it was the second couple which shined bright like a star despite not being the focus. I loved the fact that Tag didn't let Phojai string him along just because he loves him. All in all, this series is definitely worth watching.

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sinterblackwell · 4 months

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sigh…..when you discover a new favorite author whose writing is so clearly of a niche variety judging from the average reviews coming from other readers….😓

#❣️#the pain of seeing other people not enjoying jin shisi chai’s writing as much as i have is borderline excruciating 🥲#like this author knows how to write & solve a good mystery and she will solve it good #i was so worried getting into ‘lip and sword’ + ‘in the dark’ because of these mixed reviews and then i ended up loving them??#just came out of finishing vol.1 of ‘in the dark’ and now here i am….literally sitting in the dark of my bedroom….#….wondering how i could’ve clearly enjoyed the story more than others #some readers said there had to be a fault with the translation bc of how disjointed the story read and how inconsistent and im just thinkin #you guys know this is a psychological mystery right…….? it is meant to feel disjointed sometimes #but even then i sincerely think the writing was very well done #like yeah the pacing was incredibly slow so you really have to be in the right mood for it and take your time #but that doesn’t mean it’s bad #in the dark #booklr

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icewindandboringhorror · 6 months

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While I don't know much about it, I would probably bet there are tons of issues with the cruise industry that would make me not actually appreciate it broadly speaking - HOWEVER, I do really love a lot of the interior design of some cruise ships.. How it's almost like a miniature city crammed into one area. Multiple sections with all different aesthetic designs, a variety of shops, restaurants, activity centers, community seating areas, communal use spaces (like gyms, laundry, pools, cafeteria/buffet (which I always love anywhere)), etc. etc. but then also everyone has a little nice clean comfortable looking space of their own to retreat back to if they'd like to be alone. Maybe it's something akin to the idea of 'walkable cities', where everything you could ever want to do is kind of right there just a short walk away? I also especially love how so much stuff is stacked on top of other stuff, a layered cluster of spaces, bright open atriums, and when they're set up with little walkways down the center between a bunch of rooms so it's almost like a mini city street with apartments lining it, etc.. They often seem like they'd be SUCH a cool place to live permanently, IF only something identical was just built on solid land instead lol

#currently watching a channel on youtube where some person is reviews/tours cruise ships or something #and I'm just like wow the whole traveling part would be miserable hell and I would hate trying to get off of the stupid ship everyday #and see seomthing and make it back in time or etc. but OOOOO THE BEDROOMS! love the TINY minifrige!! eeee .. lol #perhaps just an extension of of my obsession with communal spaces. also love hospitals. nursing homes. hotels. AIRPORTS!!!#thats just how humans are meant to live for me. my ideal situation is that sot of thing like big beautiful bright communal places #but i also hate socializing i just like the idea of like. the entire communal world is in front of me but i also have my own little space t #retreat back to. youre not forced to participate. but the world is right outside your window if you WANT to go. ALSO people watching is fun #Plus i think part of what i hate most about Going Places and Doing Things is the commitment of it and traveling #especially in america where its like to get ANYWHERE it's a 3 hour drive or 15 min drive #or 20 min drive or 1 hr bus ride or blah blah. the idea of having plenty of fun little things to do that are all solidified #in ONE single complex that is also where your room is would actually encourage me to do things more because if #my health issues start flaring up or i get overwhelmed or etc. i can literally just... retreat back to my room that is a reasonably short #walk away. instead of like ''UGH now not only do i feel too bad to finish my excursion but ALSO i have a 40 min car ride ahead of me''#etc. Not saying that even in that situation I would become Super Extravert Thing Doer like i still LOOVE a quiet lifestyle mostly alone do #ing the same 5 repetitive tasks over & over again working on specific hobbies. but just that i WOULD go out SLIGHTLY more and do Activities #if the activities were already brought to ME. like a cruise ship layout where you have your little room private space but when you feel #like it on your own terms you could venture out and go to a little cafe or a swimming pool or etc. WITHOUT even having to leave #or get in a car and travel. just walk form your room to The thing. amazing.. ground breaking.. BUT especially the layers are important. I #dont mean just 'have the same features but in a way that theyre on land' I mean LITERALLY translate the EXACT layout of the cruise ship but #on ground instead. Like I want a full community cafeteria on the middle floor of my apartment complex. there should be a pool & waterslide #on the roof. A community games room on the 4th floor. a library right under my bedroom. etc. etc. Though maybe ideally I would say #add a little extra space like most people couldn't live their entire lives in a cruise ship room layout. But maybe just have the rooms expa #nded to the average size of like a 3 bedroom apartment. and then still stack them on top of each other.. More spacious decks so people can #have some plants (but also a community garden somewhere too). ANYWAY... Idk I just always love the aesthetics. I would love to tour a cruis #ship but like NOT go on a cruise EVER lol.. but just.. SEE the space. I love interiors so much. Also makes me think of worldbuilding like.#I think cruise ships could also be good inspiration for underground stacked cities in layers. things like that. OR just actually the fant #asy world version of a cruise ship lol. Though Nanyevimi's oceans are all so treacherous that non-inland water travel is avoided as much as #possible (even if it's more tedious to travel on the land) and would rarely be done for leisure. still.. river cruises could exist.. >:3c #In Nanyevimi the oceans are akin to how Outer Space is on earth (seen as a mysterious unexplored dangerous area etc).. a cruise ship of #rich elves setting out on a Groundbreaking First Ever Ocean Cruise & it just goes Wrong like a sci-fi 'trapped in space' type thriller LOL

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whilereadingandwalking · 10 months

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In The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah, translated from French by Geoffrey Strachan, young Raj knows little about World War II or how it’s changing the world past his island home on Mauritius. What he does know is what he’s experienced himself: his father’s domestic abuse clashing with his mother’s love, the grief that follows a tragic storm, and the difficulty of their move to a new place divorced from where he grew up. His father begins work at a local prison, and Raj makes a friend: a young, sickly Jewish boy named David, who is under lock and key. Appanah has written a historical fiction novel about a Jewish community and event that few knew about: in 1939, 3,500 Jews were fleeing Europe and tried to find refuge in British Palestine on their way to final destinations in Latin America. Not only did the British not allow them entry, but it ultimately deported 1,580 refugees to the colony of Mauritius, imprisoning them there at Beau Bassin. Few Mauritians even knew this happened for a long time, but hundreds of Jewish refugees are buried on Mauritius soil. In this novel, Appanah not only pulls a little-known piece of history into a spotlight, but also tells a compelling story of coming-of-age, grief, and childhood innocence. It was a sad story but a quick read, vivid and brimming with the hurt, hopeful feelings of a young kid.

Content warnings for violence, domestic abuse, grief, suicidal ideation. For more books in translation from Eastern Africa, see my piece for Book Riot!

#books in translation #translated literature #african literature #bookish love #bookworm #my book reviews

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sunnidewdrops · 1 year

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when looking for content on any media if no ones got me i know tumblr got me

#i swear half of the reviews on any given story is FROM you guys #you are everywhere and i respect you for that #no im so serious though #thank you to the 2 and a half people who post content on I Can Do It #and various other translated novels #even the popular ones #orv #tsctir #sctir #regressor instruction manual #i love u guys #ur like the biggest reason i got tumblr in the first place #the third wheel strikes back #ttwsb #is that a tag #so many gems agsdgsdf thank u guys fr

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geolato · 7 months

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Thanks for tagging me @yearningsea and @polar-bears-making-pancakes!!

Here's the thing. I post about books because I like reading and I like talking about the books I'm reading and I do read more than your average person my age but I haven't... read a lot of books... in total (trying to do it more now, which is part of why I post about it). Yes I am trying to prepare you guys. This is a very mixed bag.

That being said, here's some books I've read that I really liked!

Yes there are two children's books in there. They are both 10/10 FIGHT ME.

Tagging @the-gayest-tree-you-ever-did-see @jamiegeode @gendernutralghost @newtness532 @sugaroto @frog-in-a-jumper

#if they've already tagged you on this im sorry. on the other hand double tags!!!#this is a mixed bag. like phm is a perfect book imo. the one id genuinely recommend without hesitation #to nearly everyone #carry on i think sets to do something and does it amazingly. also we love gay wizards.#but also like. the ut book is here. and like. im one of those people that this book just hits a niche. i love looking into translations #and i love undertale so win win #the anthropocene reviewed i also think is amazing. it reminds me the word is beautiful #g reads #g talks #tag games

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everythingblreview · 8 months

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A jump back to the past: Re-visiting Dramatical Murder (Review)

This took way too long to write but anyways —

10 years ago (yes, I’m old) I started playing BL games (Yes, I was already legal of age) with my first being Togainu no chi and dmmd shortly after, so as a small “anniversary” I thought I re-visit both games and see how they stood the course of time.

To have no influence on any translation, I played it completely in Japanese and it did affect my opinion.

Just a warning, I’m going to be harsh here, so if you can’t stand me judging your favourite game better not read it, of course not all is going to be negative.

Story

If you ask me what the story of this game is, I would just shrug. “Clown antagonist doing clown things but in most routes it doesn’t even matter”? The story is not really exciting most of the time MC is busy running through the LI routes as far as possible. The game wastes no time getting right to the problem of the route, leaving no time for you to really get to know the characters and develop a bond to them, which leads to you not caring about whatever happens with them. There are more than enough plot-holes, which you have no choice but to accept. Romance is forced and doesn’t feel proper developed, like they had run out of time and decided to end it, leading to my next point: the individual routes are way too short, playing them feels like you’re just checking off things that needed to be included in the story rather than playing a coherent route.

There is no sense of time in this game (especially in the routes), the characters are busy sleeping more than anything, the days feel like they’re only last 2h, you don’t see them do normal things (like eating, showering) often. Also, I hate how they made this cool concept of Rhyme and then just never used it for something more? What was even the point then???

Characters

Aoba

I have conflicted feeling for Aoba, I felt bad for him in some routes. He didn’t do anything wrong, but he was the one who had to apologize for his partner doing shit? But most of the time I didn’t really like him, for once his Tsundere-ness was getting on my nerves, the LI shows him his feeling and this man goes “agdhdhs” and starts blushing, telling his partner he is baka/childish whatever. Him going from “Man don’t kiss each other” to “I love to kiss man” made no sense, I don’t even get why he is running after 80% of the Love interest in the game, half of them treated him like shit and the other half was served to his feet and he just accepted it with no development at all.

Another part I really dislike is how unbelievable stupid he can be, the story would move so much faster if he actually used his brain for once and not spend 70% of the day sleeping. Despite being old enough he acts like a child, especially with Noiz, I don’t know if this was supposed to be “cute” but it sure enough wasn’t for me.

He is just the very stereotypical BL Tsundere MC who is not especially smart but for some reason is super strong (even if he was too much of an idiot to actually use his powers).

Mink

I played Mink’s route first because it the one I remembered almost nothing from. And first I would like to say that I do like routes/ending that go away from the traditional “get to know fall in love” elements in bl routes. And I did like that, but what I didn’t like is the stupid force rape in the middle which is another case of “more forced H-scenes to get them to a certain number”. Yeah, yeah I get it he tried to pull out the other Aoba but it felt just unnecessary.

Despite that I though the ending part of the route was rather interesting showing in a way that Mink cared his teammates and Aoba enough to not get him involved in his revenge part. Sadly, the whole route cuts off before any further explanation from Mink or the full reunion with Aoba is shown, which lets most player being angry at Mink than anything else. And there is no happy end H-scene which kinda sucks because all you get is rape and sex forced by drugs. It's fine if they wanted to write a different kind of story but either pull through with the no romance plot or continue it, don’t just let you player stuck in the middle.

I’m going to jump to Re: connect too because I feel like you can’t talk about Mink’s route without mentioning it.

Aside from the fact that it makes no sense for Aoba to follow a person who hurt him (but we just pretend Aoba is just that kind of a good person, and hey what makes sense in this game anyways) In my personally opinion (before anyone gets the pitchforks ready) I thought they work best as a couple and this is the route, in which Aoba experiences the most grow.

Let me explain, rather than forever living his boring life on the island he actually goes out to see the world and lives in a completely new country, takes on responsibilities and gets to know and (respect) another culture. Not only that but he also drops his Tsundere act, starts to be more demanding of his desires, and gains more confidence. He doesn’t give up even if he is rejected and shows his feelings more open without becoming a blushy mess, and I really appreciated that. In addition, we get so see a complete new (or rather the actual) side of Mink who is a very calm and soft person and normally wouldn’t lay a hand on anyone.

And before I go on a ramble on how much I love their Drama CD I stop here.

Clear

Clear was always my favourite character back in the old days, but his route was never my favourite and now after replaying I know why. The reason is his route sucks, let me explain there is a severe lack of romantic development, from the start on we see Aoba being really rude to Clear, even using violence on him, even though Clear was just trying to be nice, it’s obvious he doesn’t understand certain things, but no-brain Aoba doesn’t seem to get it.

Going from that to him suddenly being in love in like 3 days just doesn’t make any sense, did just a little singing and Clear talking about the meaning of life the trick? or maybe it was his face? Who knows.

And now I will get all the pitchforks turned at me again, but I have to say it: Clear being attracted to Aoba, yes even in the “like” way, felt forced because of the whole “him being his Master thing”. It felt like Clear only like him and was attracted to him because of his voice and not to Aoba as an individual person.

What also really annoyed me was that nothing basically happened, the days were over before they even started. They arrived in platinum jail, went to sleep, woke up, conflict, day over back to bed, repeat. The dying sex scenes was ridiculous too, another case of “I have no idea where to put the sex-scene so let’s make it drama and let them have sex while Clear is basically dying.

I have one positive thing to say, I liked how clear dropped speaking polite when he was talking to Toue and the alphas, it really showed how he disrespected them.

Noiz

From all routes I feel like Noiz got the “best” romance development. (or rather the only with any at all). Even though the plot is rushed as always and immediately tries to show you what’s Noiz life problems are, it didn’t feel out of nowhere and thrown together like the other route, even though the whole thing takes place in like what 3 days?

Personally, it annoyed me how Aoba tried to act as if he is so much older and wiser than Noiz, despite being more immature. How did he even “fix” Noiz? It didn’t look like his problems were only mental related but I guess Aoba’s power is so great it can fix everything, sugoi sugoi ugh.

What I liked about the route is how Noiz slowly (as slow as it gets in 3 days) grew to like and be worried about Aoba, at least if felt like a little romance development compared to the rest that had none. If ask what my favourite part of the route is, I would say when they had the Rhyme rematch at the end of his route and Noiz lost on purpose because he didn’t want Aoba to get hurt, that was really sweet of him and showed how much he cared— before they went and ruined Noiz by making him and asshole who suddenly wanted to show dominance in Re: connect, but that a story for another day.

KoujakuClownjaku

God I can’t stand this man, what a rude asshole, womanizer big ewww and yikes. I don’t get why he needed to be so fucking rude to every one of them, if not Aoba he treats everyone like shit expect his women, talking in a very rude way even though no one did anything to him or Aoba.

This man even got me to feel bad for Aoba, poor Aoba was constantly ditched and Clownjaku didn’t even bother to explain, I don’t care how much he didn’t want Aoba to be involved, he already was, so why did he had to ignore him and treating him like a child who can’t protect himself. They barely set a foot in platinum jail and he already was running, poor Aoba he deserves better, and HE WAS THE ONE WHO HAD TO APOLOGISE FOR KOUJAKU RUNNING OFF I'M—Don’t even get me started how stupid his plot with his “evil tattoo” is, not excuse enough to almost rape Aoba, he doesn’t get enough hate for that in my opinion. “Tattoo” my ass it was obvious he knew what he was doing. -_-

Their romance development was non-exiting and it basically went to hey we’re friend lets be boyfriend, worst writing, fuck him, he deserves all the hate.

Ren

Plotwise the best route. While in other route the whole “Toue wants to control people” felt more like a clown-show than serious threat, here it actually felt like they really were in some kind of danger. Well, I expect at least something from a true route. The pacing was pretty alright (maybe because we didn’t spend most of the time taking care of the problems of the LI) Aoba’s past reveal was kinda just thrown at you. But overall, from the plot I would say this was the best written as far as it goes because this whole game is full of plot holes that just don’t make any sense or are not explained and you just have to accept it as it is.

Romance-wise though, oh boy the whole Ren is a part of myself thing (and later in his twin brother’s body) was just weird to me, as well as playing the H-scenes. I don’t get why Aoba suddenly had all the hots for Ren but ok I guess? Still better than Koujaku HAHAHAH

Artwork

I always wanted to say it, I hate the character designs in this game, especially with Aoba himself, from all colours to choose from they gave him the worst blue for his hair, the worst hair style (a mullet really?) and the worst clothes and decided THE CLOTHES NEED TO BE THE SAME UGLY BLUE ugggghhh. Every time he was on screen, I just wanted to stab my eyes out, the shoes THE SOES the ugly yellow socks WHYY (╯°□°)╯( ┻━┻

Everyone else doesn’t look better, Noiz looks like you let a 14-year-old choose his own clothes, Koujaku looks like he clicked the random button in a thrift store and clear looks like he wore random clothes, he found in his grandpa’s closet (which is fair I guess).

The rest of the game looks to flashy for my liking and the colouring is very simple, which I didn’t like but it’s all up to taste.

Music

I don’t really like the music because I don’t like electro music, but I do like the opening song, which is so bad that it makes it good again. The OST was alright, I guess? Nothing to special, my only complain would be the track used for the H-scenes, sounded just weird.

Conclusion

This game is not good. I don’t understand where the hype comes from, it feels rushed, lacks story and romance development and the characters aren’t especially good. The common route felt more like I was playing a 12+ game than a 18+ BL game, everything feel very goofy and the whole “plot” felt more like they tried make up something so there would be some kind of story.

Yes, this is my way to say this game aged badly, I can only imagine new player, who never played a bl game before would maybe enjoy it (that was me 10 years ago), but if you play it after experiencing actually good games you will be disappointed. Going back to this after so long just showed me how much it’s lacking. A big disappointed and by far the worst written nitrochiral game.

Extra:

From what I remember from the fan-patch the translation was actually pretty well except the obvious part of TL-team hating Mink and making him extra rude—he wasn’t. Koujaku was the rudest character, dropping the most insults. There were parts that weren’t correct but from what I read in Japanese it sounded like what I remembered.

#bl game #boys love game #bl game review #visual novel #boys love #dramatical murder #dmmd #nitrochiral #sorry I was busy with life and could not really play or write anything but I'll try to make more translation soon

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