#but on-screen there's nuance and depth and life

[pleasetakethis]

As a Severus Snape fan (I was a Snape fan when we only had 3 books released, btw, and the movies were a distant dream), the OFMD Izzy discourse is so, so, so tired and annoying and repetitive.

Characters, like humans, can be multi-faceted. They can grow (even if you don't see it happen on-screen. I never saw Snape grow--his growth happened off-screen, though we were given hints from Dumblebore's unwavering faith in him, the HPB textbook, and finally full-on evidence from the memories). They can change.

Izzy commanded with fear, much like Blackbeard did prior to meeting Stede. He was resistant to change (as are most adult humans who have been conditioned to believe that Their Way Is The Only Way). We're seeing him hit rock bottom and relearn a new way of life. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be emotionally vulnerable? To let a crew see that? To accept that the old way was not, in fact, The Only Way and that other ways might be better?

And we get to see that happen on-screen and experience it with him. Amazing.

#not tagging this #some discourse popped up on my dash and it stirred up old tired anger at the hp fandom and how snape-haters treated snape-enjoyers #since when are characters not allowed to have nuance? #and depth? #come on #izzy had to deal with the absolute WORST consequences of his actions (and i'm side-eyeing snape here bc that happened to him too) #and now he's relearning a new way of life that is so much healthier for everyone involved?? #just #yessss #it's so good #even better! we get to see it happen on-screen #no waiting and wondering until the last ep #media literacy #is apparently a lost art form or something #i know some of yall have watched the good place and should know better #i'm okay if no one ever sees this but damn #sometimes i'm shocked at how terrible fandom can be to characters and other fans #if you are truly shitting on izzy (or ed) and throwing around the word 'abuser' then please block me

[herlondonboy]

metaphor, clarisse la rue

summary: nudes is a metaphor for love, but surely there are other way to express your feelings?

warnings: ITS NOT SEXUAL!!! it's 100% pg-13. DIOR IS 17, that's weird. nudes is a metaphor for love but reader doesn't get it. just says nudes a bunch. again, NOT SEXUAL.

wc: 1.1k

a/n: please tell me if this makes sense...

you share nudes when you trust someone deeply. it’s considered a high form of showing your love. allowing someone so far away to see you at your most vulnerable. it was what you did when you were in love, right?

did you understand it?

do you understand why, in a world painted with vulnerability, the exchange of nudes becomes a delicate dance of trust? each pixel, a brushstroke revealing the canvas of intimacy between two souls. as you bare your essence through the lens, it's not just skin on display; it's a testament to the trust woven into the fabric of your connection.

the subtle play of light and shadow mirrors the nuanced layers of your emotions, creating a mosaic of intimacy that transcends the physical. each shared image is a whispered promise, an unspoken pact that echoes the trust built brick by brick in the architecture of your relationship.

the digital realm transforms into a sanctuary where openness thrives, and the exchange of nudes becomes a metaphorical bridge connecting hearts. in the vulnerability of exposure, trust finds its strongest anchor, fostering a bond that withstands the test of time.

as you navigate the terrain of shared moments, the pixels become vessels of sincerity, encapsulating the essence of trust in a world where transparency is often obscured. nudes, in this verse, transcend mere visuals, becoming the language of trust that binds two souls in a symphony of shared vulnerability.

in the quiet corridors of your mind, scepticism echoes louder than the gentle whispers of trust. the metaphorical dance of nudes as a symbol of profound love seems like a concept too fantastical to grasp. as you navigate the digital landscape, you can't help but question the validity of such an intimate metaphor.

the canvas of your doubts is painted with shades of scepticism, and you find yourself hesitating at the threshold of vulnerability. the notion that sharing nudes could encapsulate the depth of love feels like a poetic exaggeration, a narrative spun by the romantic minds that may have overlooked the intricacies of real-life connections.

in the glow of your screen, you ponder the fragility of trust and whether pixels can truly translate into a language of profound emotions. the scepticism is a shield, a defence mechanism honed through years of navigating a world where trust is often elusive and fragile.

as you scroll through messages and shared images, you can't shake the nagging belief that love, true and unfiltered, transcends the digital realm. it's a sentiment anchored in tangible actions, shared experiences, and the messy, imperfect reality of human connection. nudes, you argue within yourself, can't possibly encapsulate the complexity of emotions that define genuine love.

so, no. you don’t understand it.

yet, even in your disbelief, a subtle curiosity lingers. perhaps there's a kernel of truth in the metaphor, a flicker of understanding waiting to be unearthed. as you continue to grapple with these thoughts, you find yourself at the crossroads of scepticism and the potential for a deeper understanding of the intricate dance between trust and love.

in the quiet moments of introspection, you wonder if embracing vulnerability in the digital realm could indeed be a bridge to a more profound connection.

then came along clarisse la rue.

she emerges as an unexpected muse, but your scepticism remains steadfast. the fiery connection you share with clarisse doesn't completely dissolve the doubts that linger around the metaphor of expressing love through shared nudes.

in the soft glow of your screen, your affection for clarisse grows, but you continue to believe that love transcends the digital realm. the metaphor, in your eyes, simplifies a complex spectrum of emotions into a narrow perspective. you yearn to express your love for clarisse through diverse channels, beyond the confines of shared images.

for you, love is a multi-dimensional tapestry, woven with actions, shared experiences, and genuine moments of connection. clarisse becomes the recipient of your affection, and you express your love through handwritten letters, spontaneous gestures, and the timeless art of conversation. the pixels on a screen, while a part of your journey, don't encapsulate the entirety of your feelings.

despite the depth of your emotions for clarisse, you remain unconvinced that exposing the vulnerable aspects of yourself through shared nudes is the pinnacle of trust and intimacy. your belief in the richness of diverse expressions of love becomes a testament to the complexity inherent in human connections.

you can show your vulnerability through your words.

inside the area cabin, you and clarisse found yourselves wrapped in the embrace of each other's presence. the soft rustle of leaves overhead provided a natural symphony as you both sat together, the moon casting its gentle glow upon your shared solitude.

as you stared into the distance, clarisse's voice broke the tranquil silence. "what are you thinking about?" she asked, curiosity lacing her words. the night air held a subtle chill, but the warmth of your connection created an invisible cocoon around both of you.

a thoughtful smile played on your lips, contemplating how to articulate the intricate thoughts dancing through your mind. you ended up just settling on a short, “nothin’.”

clarisse nodded, her eyes, filled with a depth of emotion, met yours. in that moment, her voice softened, carrying a weight of sincerity, "i love you infinitely."

the simplicity of those words held a profound impact, resonating with the unspoken understanding that had grown between you. a rush of warmth surged within you as you locked eyes with clarisse. in the quiet embrace of the night, you knew words were unnecessary— your hearts spoke a language more profound than any conversation could convey. than any picture could convey.

with a reciprocal smile, you reached for her hand, intertwining your fingers in a silent acknowledgement of the love that bound you together. the night seemed to stand still as the world around you faded into insignificance, leaving only the intimacy of the present moment.

"i love you too," you finally uttered, the words carrying a sense of completeness. with those three simple words, the unspoken thoughts and emotions found a voice, echoing through the stillness of the night. “i’ll love you for forever and a day.”

as the night continued its slow journey, you both lingered in each other's presence, finding solace in the depth of your connection. the world outside melted away, leaving only the shared heartbeat and the whispered promises of love exchanged beneath the celestial canopy. in the quietude of the night, you revelled in the beauty of a love that needed no explanation— it simply existed, profound and infinite.

in your own way.

#clarisse la rue x y/n #clarisse my beloved #clarisse x reader #clarisse la rue x reader #clarisse x you #clarisse pjo #clarisse la rue #elijah writes #does this make sense #please reblog

[glorious-sunset]

LBFAD is the most inspiring series I have ever watched and here is why…

Although Love Between Fairy and Devil (LBFAD) only caught my eye on Netflix in December 2023, I’m so glad it did and that I didn’t miss out on this stunning and thought-provoking masterpiece. It is the most inspiring series I have ever watched for many reasons. Aesthetically, I found the beautiful 4K production quality as enjoyable as high-budget productions such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. I frequently felt the need to pause and admire the well-designed sets, and exquisitely detailed costumes of even minor characters. The acting is superb across the board, and the leads act and respond very naturally to each other. The long hair of male characters is especially well-done, falling naturally with subtle highlights and looks real. All these details breathe life into this fantasy world and make it very realistic.

Every line of each song from the phenomenal OST is brimming with hidden meanings related to the series, adding lots of additional context! The artwork created for the opening and ending themes is also full of meaning (minor spoilers ahead). Take, for example, the last picture where the OTP are sitting on a boat in the Oblivion River, the junction between their two tribes, the male lead has removed his crown and hence his responsibilities at least for the moment, and they are watching the sunrise together for the rest of eternity after the close of the series (sigh!)

Every single character of note in the series goes through profound character growth, the only exception being the abstract ultimate villain Taisui. Even the secondary villains and dictator of Shuiyuntian have grown and changed their perceptions by the end. It made me believe that anyone is capable of opening their minds and bettering themselves. Both lead and side characters are repeatedly faced with overwhelmingly bleak choices and heartbreaking challenges, especially in the last ten episodes. Yet every time, they show courage, sacrifice and selfless love that is amazing and very inspiring.

It is rare to find this kind of poignance in any production. I used to find Game of Thrones inspiring due to Daenerys freeing the world of slavery…until Season 8 happened. LBFAD tops Game of Thrones in this regard by freeing two distinct realms from conflict. The actions of the OTP break through a hundred millenia of mutual hatred and relentless conflict between their people with no end in sight, to create a new dawn of lasting peace. LBFAD reminds me of Lord of the Rings in terms of its cinematographic beauty and themes of never losing hope and prevailing over overwhelming odds. However, the stronger focus of LBFAD on the lead couple’s development and on creating multidimensional villains and side characters made it, for me, more engaging to watch.

The world-building and depth of characters has many layers in LBFAD, to the extent that much of the context was clear to me only in retrospect on rewatching the series and on deep reflection. The fast pace of the series also means that a lot of action occurs off-screen in between scenes. There are no filler scenes, there is no room for them. Every scene adds new plot twists and depth to characters, making the series highly addictive.

I am not a native mandarin speaker, and came to realise how beautiful the language is only on encountering LBFAD and its OST. It inspired me to learn mandarin, which makes rewatching the series highly enjoyable as I am able to pick up new nuances. I’m embarrassed to be so late to watch LBFAD after its release in 2022, but have thoroughly enjoyed the posts on Tumblr from fellow fans, including episode analyses, enthralling artwork and links to fanfiction. It has encouraged me to post on Tumblr myself. I have started to post my reflections on each episode while rewatching them, translations and overviews. I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful community!

Links to some of my other LBFAD articles:

Character Names in LBFAD - Meaning and Significance

Location Names in LBFAD - Meaning and Significance

Here is a link to my episode 1 review (contains spoilers). All of my LBFAD articles and episode reviews can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

#lbfad #love between fairy and devil #canglan jue #clj #dongfang qingcang #dfqc #xiao lanhua #xlh #cdrama #cang lan jue #lbfad meta #lbfd #cdramasource #asiandramasource #asiandramanet #dylan wang #wang hedi #yu shuxin #esther yu #lbfad reflections

[mozzaralice]

【 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆— 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 】

Under love's heavy burden, do I sink.

Originally posted on Quotev!

—NOBARA stood on the busy hallway, bathed in the warm glow of her phone screen. The soft radiance caressed her face, casting a gentle hue on her features. Her eyes, entranced by the digital world, fluttered with a subtle grace.In the ambient hallway noise, her nimble hands danced across the phone's surface, navigating the virtual landscape with practiced ease. The faint clicking of her fingertips echoed in harmony with the rhythmic footsteps that marked her progress.

Her eyes fluttered with a soft, rhythmic cadence, reflecting both concentration and intrigue. The subtle furrow of her brows spoke to the depth of her absorption in the digital world, where her gaze remained fixed,her fingers moved gracefully, tapping on the screen with a nuanced precision.Beside her, two men shared her space. One, resolute in navigating the physical world, focused on the path ahead. The other, leaning down, his attention captured by the luminous glow of Nobara's phone screen.

both individuals were ensnared in the act of discreetly perusing their tutor's Facebook account. 

Intrigued by the enigmatic aura surrounding their tutor, who had been rather discreet about his personal life while diligently assisting them with assignments, they decided to employ their investigative prowess. Leveraging their adept stalking skills, they embarked on a thorough exploration of their tutor's Facebook account. To their astonishment, the digital journey unveiled a treasure trove of images capturing moments from his high school days, meticulously chronicled in every nook and cranny of his profile.

"Bingo!" Nobara exclaimed with a soft yet mischievous grin as she delved into her tutor's entire social media account. To her surprise, she discovered a background cover featuring a picture of him alongside a girl.

She raised an eyebrow in curiousity. 

“Itadori?” she called him softly as he tilted his head, his gaze no longer fixated on her phone as he hummed softly. 

Nobara blinked softly, revealing to Yuuji their tutor's former background picture captured during his third year in high school. 

“Who's that?” he Inquired, holding onto his friend's phone to get a closer look. 

“Dunno.”

The photo featured their tutor alongside a girl who looked to be of foreign descent, evident in her distinct features that set her apart from the typical Japanese visage. Remarkably, it seemed they both attended the same high school—the very one Yuuji and Nobara were currently enrolled in. How intriguing! Particularly fascinating was the fact that their tutor had been once a student at their school. 

In the image, the girl leaned gracefully against their tutor's shoulder, her smile radiating purity. Strands of her beautiful locks cascaded down her chest, accentuating her allure, while she supported their tutor's sunglasses with effortless style. 

They looked like as if they're a couple of some sort. 

“Is that supposed to be Gojo-sensei's girlfriend?”

Nobara just shrugged, “Maybe?”

... 

“He doesn't have a girlfriend.”

In the tranquil atmosphere, a serene voice resonated as the two figures pivoted to direct their attention to Megumi. Their gazes mirrored a blend of astonishment and skepticism, reluctant to embrace the  veracity of his words.

“You sure, fushiguro?” Yuuji inquired, tilting his head as he gazed at Megumi with a look of suspicion. 

Megumi had his brows knit together. 

“if I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be telling you both.”

Nobara just sighed, slipping her phone through her pocket. She glanced over at Yuuji and Megumi, her two friends. Time seemed to pass slowly, and they couldn't shake the feeling that their tutor might be waiting for them. 

Yuuji replied, scratching his neck, "Don't know.. What if he actually has a girlfriend and is just hiding it?”

“I literally live with him.” he replied, as Yuuji just shrugged, still holding onto the hope that their tutor has a girlfriend. 

To avert any additional remarks from Yuuji and Megumi, Nobara promptly stepped into the conversational void, she suggested, 

“Why don't we simply approach him and ask?”

▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁★时间跳跃★▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

—“DO I have a girlfriend?” he inquired to himself, deep in contemplation, the tutor mused within, a single finger gracefully grazing his chin as his gaze ascended towards the ceiling. The internal query lingered, questioning the very existence of a romantic counterpart. A habitual flirt, he engaged with random muses during bouts of boredom, a ritual that persisted through the tapestry of his high school and college days. Yet, despite the years spent in this flirtatious dance, the elusive 'one' remained a spectral figure, the perfect match escaping his grasp. 

And indeed, he doesn't​​​​​​ have a girlfriend. 

“Hmm..”

"Nope!”

The once radiant smiles of excitement and curiosity that adorned Nobara and Yuuji's faces faltered as Megumi simply sat in contemplative silence, his gaze devoid of any discernible emotion. It was as if he possessed a prescient understanding of the response Gojo was about to proffer.After all, Gojo himself struggled to muster even a token effort in the realm of romantic pursuits. The irony loomed large – how could these individuals entertain the notion that,Gojo, could have a girlfriend when his own pursuit of romance was marked by a notable lack of commitment? 

Not to mention, Megumi isn't even going to be surprised when Gojo is called as the biggest flirt during his teenage years. 

“What?!” Yuuji shouted, choking on his spit as Nobara's mouth was agape. 

“Told you two.” Megumi muttered under his breath as Gojo raised an eyebrow. 

Impossible. 

Nobara staunchly rejected the notion that their tutor struggled in the realm of romance. If that were true, then who, in the world, was the girl casually leaning against his shoulder, adorned with his glasses?

Could that perhaps be his ex? 

Well, for one, their tutor confirmed that he doesn't have  a girlfriend, so it would make sense if he did when he was still third year in high school. 

“What's going on?” Gojo scratched the back of his neck.

Nobara immediately took out her phone, as she immediately revealed to their tutor the photo of him alongside a girl,

“If you don't have a girlfriend, then who the hell is this?!”

Gojo blinked, his fingers delicately taking hold of Nobara's phone as he directed his gaze towards the image captured within its screen – a snapshot of him entwined with a girl. A subtle chuckle escaped him almost instinctively, emanating from the sheer amusement evoked by the scene immortalized in the photograph.

"Ah, she's a friend," he responded, a gentle smile playing on his lips as he returned Nobara's phone. "By the way, where did you get that photo?"

"Well—"

"They were stalking your Facebook account."

The duo instinctively shifted their gaze to the right, where Megumi sat with arms crossed, revealing that he had exposed the entirety of the stalking endeavor. Their surprise was palpable; how swiftly he had uncovered the clandestine exploration, a revelation made more astonishing by his initial abstention from partaking in the amusing pursuit of scrutinizing their tutor's social media account. 

... 

... 

...

“I..” Gojo's voice trailed off. 

“I see..” he muttered. 

He gave out a small chuckle, he didn't mind the whole stalking thing, he already knew many women stalk his account on a daily basis, so what's wrong having students stalk it too? 

He then shifted his attention to the trio. 

"Well, if all of you are so keen on learning about that girl, how about I tell you three more about her?”

“HELL YEAH!” both yuuji and nobara shouted. 

Gojo then shifted his attention to Megumi, “Megumi?”

“Yeah,yeah, go ahead.”

Gojo smiled, settling into his plush chair. Though his primary commitment was tutoring and assisting them, today seemed to deviate from the conventional routine—tutoring could surely wait for another day.

"Well..."

"That girl in the photo is not  just any other friend,"

he confirmed,

"She's the one who tolerated my redflags for a solid two years."

━━━━━━━━━━━

Hello everyone, welcome to ocean of yearning! As I have mentioned in the disclaimer, this story is based on MY experience with a friend. Some scenes aren't going to be part of experiences as I wanted to keep the plot going. Idk what to say anymore, but I literally love love LOVE my white haired boyfriend, I have a T-shirt of him PS. I'm already wearing it now ( a gojo T-shirt) and I'm not afraid to flex it to the world. 

#gojo x reader #jjk gojo #jujutsu gojo #gojo satoru #satoru x reader #gojo x you #gojo x y/n #satoru x you #highschool #prologue #ocean of yearning #jujutsu kaisen

[absolutebl]

This week in BL - Gay Boy Turf Wars Galore!

Also, ALL the guest couples: TutorYim & MacNat showed up in Korea. Korea also reused the Love Class pair. And Wayne Song & Huang Chun Chih (H3:MODC) popped up AGAIN. (To be fair, when does Wayne not show up in a Taiwanese BL?)

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized by favs in each category. No numbered lists anymore, tumblr be buggn'.

Aug 2023 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Sat iQIYI) 7 of 8 - Plot reveals galore + all the penultimate tension we could want. (How many different kinds of smiles does Film have in his arsenal?) OMG I LOVE the unhinged idiot bloody tattooed ex bf - intro music and all. He is my precious psycho-bunny-snookums. Also Tinn, baby-boy, communicating about your honest feelings in a BL? What madness is this? I sense doom incoming. Smart Chan, always tell him he’s better in bed than your ex. The sides getting caught! Noooooo. I mean we knew it would happen but still noooooooo! 

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Sat YT) ep 2 of 12 - I like the surreal slip-stream dream-sequence openings. Is it a cerebral examination of temporal paradox or just designed to creep us out? The pace has picked up a bit and I'm delighted that external threat, stressors, and conflict are driving this plot. Refreshing. I love historicals - every touch and action can have such lingering significance, it’s very elegant. Thai BLs can often feel clumsy but not this one. I’m really enjoying it. 

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 2 of 12 - Sailom is great. I love a smartass who’s actually really smart, reminds me of Bai Luo Yin in Addicted. (The real Addicted.) Never a bad thing. Kang is nasty bit of business, I look forward to his redemption arc. I love his grandma. (BL is giving good grandma right now.) Nicely executed narrative twist into sympathy too: rich kid sees how rough life really is. The complexity of character depth needed for this script makes me so happy it's Perth & Chimon, they both have such expressive nuanced faces.

I do keep wanting to rewatch LBC tho. 

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 3 of 10 - It remains a blast. Boston is king of red flags, cutting down Ray because he is the easiest punching bag? Going after his friend's bf just to prove he can? No thank you. I know Ray is lovely when he’s soft but danger zone, Sand. Be careful upon entering a minefield, every little step forward may cause an explosion. I don’t think being master of snark is gonna help you avoid getting blown up.

Sand is the one I feel the worst for - bi guy strays into cesspit of gay toxicity. He ain’t gonna make it out alive.  

Hidden Agenda (Sun GMMTV YouTube) ep 7 of 10 - The boyfriends date ep! Zo’s past explains a lot about his behavior. Flirty Zo is v dangerous to all our hearts. Nice kiss. Poor Joke. Meanwhile, the side couple gave good kiss too! However, why is Title playing the bad guy again? Did GMMTV bring him in just to be resident jerk face in all their BL? Makes me sad.

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 8 of 12 - This should be a 8 or 10 ep show, 12 is too many. I think I just don’t like the lead couple's character dynamic and personalities. (No shade on JaFirst.) Side couple went startlingly high heat allasudden. And while their sex scene was good, I wish Daddy and the Hot Doc were being given a lot more script, screen time, and character dev. Sigh. I guess I just wish they were the mains and the others were the sides.

Can't have everything, I suppose.  

Wedding Plan (Wed YT & iQIYI) ep 6 of 7 - Nuea is a saint and next week everything comes to a head (that didn’t already get head this episode). Trash watch here!

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 2 of 10 - The side couple is everything. They are so cute and my favorite trope. Plus hugs with neck kisses! I love big brother using his adorable boyfriend to try and help his annoying little brother’s business. It’s just perfect. Unfortunately, that annoying little brother, is too fucking annoying. I remain largely unable to watch the main story arc. 

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) 1 of 24 eps - Sampler pack BL, 12 pairs, each pair gets 2 eps, so this show will run all the way into 2024.

First installment is Casanova Begins. Dead boy wakes up in his enemy’s body, 2 years after his own death. Has to make things right with the boyfriend who thinks he was abandoned. Everyone has secrets. No one can be trusted. And the dead kid can never tell anyone who he really is. It’s … different? Unique take on the My Ghost Boyfriend trope.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thur Viki) ep 6 of 8 - Random moment of TutorYim. Hi cuties. Simon is my favorite, I love him and his flirty irreverent ways.

Who does he actually like?

Or is he just flirting with everyone?

Can he have a crush on anyone but himself?

He’s a house cat among the pigeons. Clearly wouldn't know what to do with the bird if he managed to catch it. Or would he?

The 4 boys dodging around each other and re-shuffling is so funny. I can’t tell you how delighted this show makes me. I do feel sorry for Lee Jun, he’s just the toy everyone wants to play with. I understand his frustration, do any of them really want him or is it all because the others are interested? Kiss! Yay! Good kiss! Even more yay! 

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 9 of 10 - Poor baby doesn’t think he’s good enough and is holding JC back. They are THE CUTEST BOYFRIENDS. It hurts. The sappy. 

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) eps 1-2 of 13(?) - From screenwriter Lin Pei Yu (We Best Love, H3: Trapped) formerly known as Miracle, features a student doctor forced to take care of a gangster. I love the premise and like the writer. This one could be sad. Never forget Taiwan will go there.

Shall we get tucked in?

Gay boy turf wars! Main couple is cute. Sunshine gangster (turns out to be a sweetie who cooks) meets broken brilliant tsundere student who wants to be a doctor. Side couple is the leader of the gang and his rabid Pet. Also, all praise the guest couple de jour (baddies). Nice to see you 2... again. All actors are clearly having a blast with this script.

Triggers for knife play, child abuse, lingering trauma. 

Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 5-6 of 10 - Aw guest couple from Love Class original, that is very sweet. The tutor and returning student, aka couple 3, are the best. So funny. But the whole thing remains engaging in a messy way.

Why R U? (Korea Wed iQIYI) eps 1-2 of 8 - Oh, it’s very odd. Certainly a lot more comprehensible if you've already watched the Thai version. As with that version, I still dislike the SaifahZon couple and love the FighterTutor couple. And once again I hate the weird IRL shipping sister. HATE HER. I’m not mad at the "Man who Fell into the World of BL" overtones but I wish they went at it more intentionally. (They’re not using NPC the way I would, are they? Cause that’s hella cruel.) MaxNat are fun. I love that Fighter went to his girlfriend's birthday party, didn’t even say hi to her, picked up her drunk bestie, and took him home.

This show is WILD. It’s very Korea tries to do a Thai BL. And, I gotta say, I kind of like the absurdity of the whole scheme. Do I think it will ultimately "work" as a stand alone piece? No. But as a very odd kind of parody? Sure.

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) ep 7 of 12 - Truth always comes out in hot springs. It's a rule of life. Coming clean is coming clean, I suppose. Still, moving very slowly for me and I need sake to get through this season. It's certainly suffering from sophomore slump.

Stay Still (Hong Kong Tues YouTube) ep 4 of 5 - Sad episode is sad. 

In case you missed it

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 3 of 8 - didn't air this week

Dinosaur Love (Sun iQIYI) ep 9 of 10 eps - Didn’t drop this week? MDL thinks it should have. Everyone is confused. But also… who cares? 

Low Frequency (Thai iQIYI) Finished it's run - NO SINGING as flirty boyfriends they very cute actually, but this final ep was V E R Y slow.

All in all this was not a great show. Classic pulp with an interesting twist on “ghost boyfriend investigates his own not-murder” but ultimately not very good in any arena. 6/10 Only if you have nothing better to do. 

Sing My Crush (Korea iQIYI) Finished it's rerun

This a cute coming of age drama around music and 2 kinds of self acceptance and actualization journeys. This was basically Korea’s version of About Youth, and was perhaps a bit too soft and ungrounded by comparison, like a marshmallow sculpture. Sweet but somewhat lacking in discernible flavor. Inoffensively unmemorable. 8/10 RECOMMENDED especially if you enjoy KBL's style

8/24 Man Suang (Thailand movie, domestic cinema release) - historical drama about Thai burlesque with KP’s MileApo. Do I know where to get it? Nope. Do I care? Nope.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming September

I have 4 on my radar:

9/2 Naughty Babe (Thailand Sat ????) - MaxNat back on our screens. We think iQIYI but aren't confident.

9/15 You Are Mine (Taiwan ????) - it's taking over from Stay By My Side so likely Gaga. Secretary has to deal with grumpy boss.

9/26 I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other.

9/27 Absolute Zero (Thai iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally bring us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance. We don’t always get HEAs from them, so I'm on my guard.

9/?? Venus in the Sky (Thai iQIYI) 10 eps - ????

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

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

No you aren't, Lom. You don't even know what that means. (Wedding Plan)

Minato comes out to the best person.

Trope spotlight! (Low Frequency)

I Fell You Linger in the Air

So true. (Only Friends)

I love them so much, as @heretherebedork would put it, Tiny Idiots!

(Last week) 

Gotta say I am hating this new UI so much I'm not bothering to tag with shows. We shall see what that does for ROI.

#this week in BL #bl news #BL reviews #korean bl #japanese bl #taiwanese bl #thai bl #Rakutan Viki #gagaoolala #GMMTV

[hd-junglebook]

Bodies

Prologue

Prev - Next

AN : I feel like this is a little out of range for most, I haven't stumbled upon a Jack Hughes apocalypse fic, so I made one. This is just some character buildup, so you understand Part 1 when it comes out.

Masterlist

You finished writing the end of the sentence on the board, the space filled with the assignments for your class. The students chatted behind you, discussing the book while you continued highlighting its key parts.

You love these moments, where literature transcends the pages of a book and becomes a living, breathing entity in the minds of your students.

The shrill sound of the bell cuts through the air, interrupting your thoughts. Glancing at your watch, confusion struck; the bell rang ten minutes early, catching you off guard as the school board hadn't informed you about the half-day.

"Okay guys, make sure you finish up your worksheets," you say, trying to mask your confusion with a reassuring smile. “I need all your papers done by Monday! Enjoy the rest of your weekend,” you announced.

You watch as the students quickly gather their belongings and rush out of the classroom, their chatter fading into the hallway. The unexpected early dismissal leaves you feeling slightly disoriented, but you try to shake it off.

As you straighten the stacks of papers on your desk, you can't help but feel a twinge of disappointment that the engaging class discussion was cut short.

You make a mental note to follow up on the unfinished discussion next week, perhaps dedicating some extra time to really dive into the nuances of the text.

In the meantime, you decide to take advantage of the unexpected free time to get ahead on your lesson planning and grading.

Your phone buzzed, pulling you away from your task. Hurriedly picking it up, you saw your best friend Lexi’s name flashing urgently on the screen.

With trembling fingers, you answer the call, dread pooling in the depths of your being as her panicked voice fills your ear, “Y/n, I need—” She choked out, “There was an accident at work, this man attacked me, he bit me, Y/n.”

The urgency in her voice sends a shiver down your spine as she recounted the details, the wail of the alarms around her blared through the phone’s speakers. “Where are they taking you Lex?”

“RWJ Hospital, please come, I need you.”

You hung up the phone in despair, struggling to comprehend what was happening. Quickly grabbing your bag, you headed into the hallway, ignoring the worried glances from other teachers as you pushed open the double set of doors leading to the parking lot. Children boarded their buses as the sky began to darken.

“Shit!” You cursed, fumbling with your car keys, hands shaking as you finally managed to unlock the door and slide into the driver's seat.

The engine roars to life as you pull out of the school parking lot, your tires screeching against the asphalt with little regard for the parents in the pickup line.

You try to focus on the road ahead, but your thoughts keep drifting back to Lexi's words: "he bit me."

The strange phrasing sends a chill through your body, and you can't shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong.

The streets were crowded with cars, turning what should have been a simple five-minute drive home into a 15-minute ordeal of waiting at traffic lights.

You think ahead and cut across the grass that leads onto the backroads, switching on the radio, hoping to distract yourself from the gnawing anxiety. However, instead of the usual upbeat pop songs, you're greeted by an urgent news bulletin:

"Breaking news: Reports of violent attacks are coming in from across Jersey. Eyewitnesses describe individuals exhibiting aggressive behavior and attacking others without provocation. Authorities are advising all residents to stay indoors and avoid public areas until further notice..."

Your heart pounds in your chest as you slam the mute button, could Lexi's attack be related to these other incidents?

The thought makes your stomach churn, and you press down on the accelerator, desperate to reach your house.

…

A helicopter flew overhead towards the city, its loud rotors adding to the worry already in your stomach.

The sight of your neighbors frantically packing their belongings and fleeing the area only serves to heighten your anxiety. You can't help but wonder what they know that you don't.

You wiped your hands across your face before pushing the door open, a sigh of relief leaving you as you noticed your roommates’ cars in the driveway.

You hurry towards your front door, fumbling with your keys as you try to unlock it. Your hands are shaking, making the simple task feel like an impossible challenge. Finally, you manage to turn the key and push the door open, stepping into the familiar comfort of your home.

“Jesus fuck.” You utter, looking around the messy living room for any sign of life. “Guys, are you here?”

there's no response.

Inside, the usual warm and inviting atmosphere is replaced by an eerie stillness. The only sound is the ticking of the clock on the wall, echoing through the empty rooms. A sinking feeling settles in the pit of your stomach as you realize that they might have already left without you.

As you're about to leave, you hear a loud banging on your front door. Your heart leaps into your throat, and you freeze in place. The banging continues, growing more insistent with each passing second. You slowly approach the door, your hand hovering over the handle.

You peek through the peephole, your heart pounding in your chest, only to be greeted by a familiar mop of blonde hair. Relief washes over you as you realize it's your roommate, Viper. You swing the door open, a smile breaking out on your face.

"Viper, thank God it's you! I thought-"

Before you can finish your sentence, Viper rushes past you, nearly knocking you off balance. "Move, move, move!" she shouts, her voice laced with urgency.

You stumble back, confused by the abrupt entrance. As you regain your footing, you notice Dest, your other roommate, standing in the doorway, an exasperated look on her face.

"Seriously, Viper?" Dest sighs, shaking her head. "You nearly slammed the door on my face!" Viper, already halfway across the living room, turns back with a shrug.

You look between your two roommates, trying to make sense of their sudden appearance. "Where were you guys? Have you seen the news?"

“We were in the city when all hell broke loose.” Viper commented, she began rummaging through the kitchen cabinets, her slender fingers deftly sorting through the cans and packages.

She huffs out a breath, blowing her golden locks away from her face as she reaches for a can on the top shelf. "I've seen enough horror flicks to know how this plays out," she retorts, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

She holds up a can of beans triumphantly, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "And I, for one, am not going to be the first to die because I was too busy being a snack for the undead."

Viper tosses the can into her backpack, along with a few other non-perishable items. She zips up the bag with a flourish, the sound echoing through the kitchen.

Slinging the backpack over her shoulder, she turns to face you, her lips curled into a smirk. "I'm ready to kick some zombie ass. Or run away screaming. Whichever comes first."

Dest rushes back into the living room, her arms laden with supplies.

As she dumps the contents of the bag onto the coffee table, revealing a collection of batteries, flashlights, pads, and a well-stocked first-aid kit, her fiery red locks cascade around her face like a protective curtain.

With a quick, practiced motion, she arranges the items with efficiency, her pale blue eyes searching your own.

"We should get out of here while we still can," she states nonchalantly.

You grab your own backpack, the fabric feeling oddly heavy in your trembling hands as you hastily stuff in the items Dest hands you. You take a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves.

"Yeah…Yeah, we should go," you say, your voice wavering slightly in the stillness of the room.

…

The three of you headed outside seeing smoke billow into the clouds. You unlocked the car door, still seeing the neighbors rushing to pack their cars to the brim. "Y/n, dear, wait!" Your neighbor calls, hobbling towards you with surprising speed. "Have you heard the news?”

Mrs. Beverly takes a moment to compose herself before speaking. "There's been reports on the news about some sort of virus spreading," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "They're saying it turns people into... into monsters. It's spreading fast, y/n."

You pause, turning to face her, a knot of dread forming in the pit of your stomach. "I've heard bits and pieces," you reply, your voice tight with apprehension. "But we need to get to the hospital. You should really get out of here Mrs. Beverly. "

Her eyes widened in alarm, her gnarled hands clutching at the hem of her sweater. "I’m old y/n, there’s nothing out there for me." she murmurs, her voice trembling with sympathy. "But you need to be careful out there.”

You nod, gratitude swelling within you for her concern. "Thank you, Mrs. Beverly," you say, forcing a reassuring smile. "I'll be careful, I promise. But right now, I need to go."

With a quick goodbye, you three continue on your way, the weight of Mrs. Beverly’s words hanging heavy in the air.

…

The traffic on the highway worsened by the minute, minutes turning into hours as you waited behind dozens of cars leading out of the city.

Frustration fills you but the traffic remains at a standstill, a seemingly insurmountable barrier between you and safety. “God, can we just walk at this point. I feel like I’m gonna melt if I stay in here,” Viper bellowed from the back of the car.

Clenching your hands against the wheel, you finally make the decision to abandon your car and join the throngs of people on foot. Viper and Dest followed suit grabbing their bags and slamming the doors shut.

The air is thick with the acrid smell of exhaust fumes and the distant wail of sirens. You weave through the maze of cars on the highway, feeling a light breeze gently pushing your jacket off your shoulders.

Walking through the maze of cars, each one filled with an antsy family trying to leave the city, you were so close to where you needed to be. Your eyes focused on the buildings just out of reach when you bumped into a lady standing outside her car.

Stumbling back in shock, you looked up to a grey-haired lady, immediately apologizing. "I’m so sorry; I wasn’t looking where I was going," you stated as you helped her regain her balance.

The lady steadied herself, placing a wrinkled hand on your arm. She looked up at you with kind, understanding eyes.

"No need to apologize, dear. It's quite alright," she said, her voice soft and reassuring. You nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over you.

"Edith," the lady supplied, extending her hand to Viper and Dest. "Pleasure to meet you all, despite the circumstances." Just then, a man exited the car, pushing his way to you both with a nasty scowl on his face.

"What's the holdup? Can't you watch where you're going?" he barked at his wife, blaming her for being in the way.

As you tried to diffuse the tension, the man's anger only seemed to escalate. His words were like daggers, cutting through the already thick atmosphere of frustration and impatience. "Hey, she said she was sorry," you interjected, your voice tinged with irritation. "There's no need to be so hostile."

The man's scowl deepened, his eyes flashing with barely contained rage. "Mind your own business, kid. This is between me and my wife."

You could feel your temper rising, fueled by the stress of the situation and the man's unwarranted aggression. "She's right. The traffic is bad enough without you making it worse," you shot back, your words laced with defiance.

The man took a step closer, his imposing figure casting a shadow over you. "You don't know the first thing about what's going on here. Just stay out of it."

Viper and Dest caught up to you then, their faces etched with concern. "Everything okay, Y/N?" Viper asked, eyeing the man cautiously. Relief washed over you at the interruption, grateful for the chance to break away from the confrontation.

“Yeah, I was just leaving. It was nice to meet you, Edith.”

The sound of helicopters overhead drew your attention. You glanced up to see a fleet of choppers zooming through the sky towards the city, their presence ominous against the backdrop of the skyline.

The roar of the helicopters grew louder, drowning out all other sounds. The steady thump-thump-thump of their rotor blades echoed through the air, sending vibrations rippling through the ground beneath your feet.

"What's going on?" you asked, a sense of unease settling in the pit of your stomach. You watched in awe as they flew in formation, their sleek silhouettes slicing through the air with precision.

Dest followed your gaze, his expression grim. "Looks like they're bombing the city," she said quietly. The city was under fire, and there was nothing you could do but watch from the sidelines.

In an instant, the air was filled with a deafening cacophony of noise as the choppers unleashed their payload as the orange hue of the flames spread across your face. The ground trembled beneath you as the bombs were dropped, sending shockwaves rippling through the earth.

A collective gasp rose from the crowd as the first explosion rocked the city skyline. A plume of smoke billowed into the air, dark and foreboding against the backdrop of the orange-hued sky.

As you, Viper, and Dest stand on the side of the highway, watching the helicopters in the distance, another one suddenly comes closer, its ominous silhouette looming overhead.

You look up just in time to see a bomb drop, landing mere yards away from where you stand. The world seems to slow as adrenaline courses through your veins, your heart pounding in your ears.

Viper's instinctive reaction kicks in as she grabs your arm, pulling you back from the danger with a forceful urgency.

“Come on. Now!”  she shouts pulling you away from the road and to the tree line. Dest is right behind you both when another bomb drops, and she falls to the ground.

You yank on Viper's arm, your voice piercing through the chaos as you shout, "Wait!" Both of you scan the highway frantically, searching for Dest's frail form.

Just as panic threatens to consume you, you catch sight of her, staggering dangerously close to the edge of the road.

You and Viper rush to her side, throwing an arm over each of her shoulders for support. The screams around you blend with the deafening explosions, creating a cacophony of fear and desperation that threatens to overwhelm your senses. With Dest between you, you hobble away from the highway.

“We have to keep going.”

...

#fluff #angst #masterlist #new writers on tumblr #new fic #the 100 fanfiction #x reader #jack hughes x reader #jack hughes imagine #jack hughes smut #jack hughes #jack hughes fic #jack hughes fanfiction #jh86 #lh43 #new jersey devils #timo meier #luke hughes #nj devils #njd #jack hughes x sister!reader #jack hughes x oc #jack hughes x y/n #jack hughes x you #masterpost #jack hughes insta edit #jack hughes blurb

[galaxythreads]

I've seen so many posts talking about all the bad things about s2 of Loki, so things that ARE good about season 2 so far:

The mystery of episode 1 was, once you got into it, really compelling and sucked you into it

the pacing is much better in s2 than it was in s1

We're at the midway point and thus far Sylvie has barely had 5 minutes of screen time. She's not taking over the story. She's barely in the story. And though I do want to see her story come to a satisfying conclusion, it's been nice to not have her overpower the narrative

What wasn't working with Mobius and Loki in s1 IS working in s2. In s1 I couldn't believe they were friends if you forced me to, in S2 it is clear that they actually care about each other

The TVA is a lot more gray than it was in s1. In season 1 they tried really hard to make it Secretly We're the Victims, but in s2 they're adding a lot more nuance to what's going on

The cinematography has been amazing

The soundtrack of s2 is really good as well

Loki has been much more in character of OG loki than he was in s1. He doesn't fidget as much, he's not dismissive of things, he seems a lot more assure of himself in s2 than he did in s1. Like he's not constantly trying to prove something to Mobius. And this is because he and Mobius are actually friends in s2, so Loki feels secure in his presence and it's easy to show

Mobius has respect for Loki's abilties in s2. He lets Loki use magic and actually frequently encourages him to. Mobius doesn't see him as a stupid little "pussy cat" he actually sees Loki as a threat and lets him be a threat

Loki's use of magic feels a lot more like it's something he's been doing his entire life and less like a OH YEAH! HE HAS MAGIC QUICK USE THAT TO SHOW OFF FOR A MOMENT!! :DD like no. Loki braces for fights with magic. It's just really nice to see.

Loki hunting down Brad (?) in the opening of s2 and completely owning him. I have nothing else to say. That scene was THE scene to me.

Mobius and Loki are actually trying to take care of each other

Mobius has a lot more depth in this season because of how dark the TVA is

Ravonna's speech about how the TVA was held together by the skin of her teeth and how the moment she left it all fell apart. It was a really powerful moment that showcased how much depth there is the Ravonna.

Ravonna and Victor's sorta romance. I didn't love it, but it actually worked really well in the context of epi 3, and I love that they subverted your expectations by having it be Miss Minutes who was actually the insane lover

I didn't love most of episode 3, but I did think it was an interesting direction to take the series, adding in Victor. He's more sympathetic than HWR was so we feel more for him.

Loki vs Brad.

Episode 2

Have I mentioned that I love episode 2?

No push toward a sylki agenda. No push toward Lokius. Loki's relationships with everyone is purely platonic and it's clearly written as platonic and it's nice that Loki is just getting support from his friends, not being shoved into a romance box. While they've talked about Sylki, there has been exactly 0 moves to make it canon again. They're kind of ignoring it happened, which is probably for the best.

#I go onto my dashboard and all I see is complaints about the season #and it makes me sad because I do think there's a lot of good that's happening too #I am enjoying s2 a lot more than I did s1 #loki season 2 #loki season 2 spoilers #loki series #loki

[my-deer-friend]

Jeanne du Barry: A review

I watched it, so you don’t have to!

There was a preview screening of Jeanne du Barry that coincided with a presentation on 18th century fashion and hygiene, so I figured that would make for a pleasant Sunday. The lecture by Marta Veil was splendid.

The movie was… not.

I wasn't expecting greatness, really, but I also wasn't expecting it to fail in quite so many ways. Shall we count them?

First, it falls flat as a piece of cinema. The ponderous shots just scream second-year-film-student-auteur. The narration, usually a gimmick, is critical because the directorial vision seems to have been “tell, don’t show”. It’s all glamour with no heart, a faux-profound fashion parade that fails to let its consequential story beats resonate on any emotional or narrative level. Despite being told about the constant danger than Jeanne is in, we never feel it. Despite witnessing her tragedies, we don't empathise.

The lead actor-director gives du Barry none of the wit, charm or depth you would expect of the subject of a biography, and most characters are either outrageous caricatures (the evil, Alice in Wonderlandian step-daughters, complete with heart-shaped perms) or have the nuance and magnetism of an untoasted slice of white bread (the Dauphin, a key side character, shows not a single discernible character trait besides “aloof”).

Second, it fails as a biography. Maïwenn, the woman responsible for this mess, has apparently been trying to bring this story to life for over a decade - and then manages to give us nothing more than the blow-for-blow you can get from the du Barry Wikipedia article - dryness and all.

(It’s also exceedingly clear that Maïwenn got more than a little 'inspired’ by Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, and ironically - given their historical rivalry and the way Coppola's Antoinette was lifted wholesale from her film - the Dauphine outshines du Barry completely here.)

Despite being a biography, the movie devotes very little attention to Jeanne’s coming of age - and almost no time (literally, a 30-second narration) to the 12+ years of her life after Louis’ death, which include such dramatic things as her being betrayed by her servants, tried and executed in the wake of the French Revolution. Very little of her internal world is explored - so we don’t really understand what drives her, and even when she expresses her goals it comes across as insincere.

The bulk of the movie focuses on Jeanne’s time as Louis XV’s lover. That’s understandable, I guess - people want the sexy, sparkly intrigues, not the convent drudgery - but the movie doesn’t do any work to embrace the politics and scandal surrounding her on more than the meanest surface level. I mean - "this is Versailles!" (A line that’s cribbed verbatim from Coppola.) Where are the machinations, the manoeuvres? The only meaningful drama we get is domestic. Louis’ daughters don’t like his mistress. They’re mean to her. And… that’s it.

Most egregiously, the movie makes the unrecoverable error of losing grasp of its own point of view. We ostensibly follow Jeanne for most of the movie, in what is made out to be a limited first-person perspective. But when she’s banished from Versailles, we get to witness the unfolding events without her. After all, the death of Louis XV is surely more interesting than some woman bundled off to a convent (wait— who is this movie about…?) and so we stay with him - and miss the opportunity to follow Jeanne and empathise with her isolation, fear and grief.

If the goal of the movie was to humanise and rehabilitate du Barry, then maybe she shouldn’t have been made so vapid, boring and lacking in agency that her own biography lost interest in her.

Third, it fails as a historical piece. Not entirely - some of the men’s fashions are sumptuous and on point, Marie Antoinette is chef’s-kiss, and Versailles looks splendid on screen - but that makes the rest worse, somehow.

Again, we get Coppola plagiarism, in the form of Louis’ morning dressing routine (with the same comical play on the endless steps and bored attendants), as well as in many of du Barry’s fish-out-of-water moments.

But the movie forgets its own rules and context. For example, we’re told that “no one except the Dauphin is allowed to turn their back on the king” - a rule that’s respected until about midway in the movie, at which point, its plot purpose exhaused, it's forgotten entirely. Jeanne is also surprisingly enlightened about racial equality, showcased in painful scenes with Zamor, her black… servant? slave? Although it’s not really clarified on screen, the former is heavily implied, which would be gross revisionism.

Even Louis is treated with a strange sort of familiarity, left to mill around with his guests in the hall of mirrors or stroll the gardens with his hair undone.

As for the clothing… I can’t bear to deep-dive into the entirety of the mess, but here are a few examples of just how lazy the styling is.

Now, when he’s done up in his finery, Louis XV actually looks grand - and even (what a rarity) has very decent period men’s make-up. But then it’s clowns all the way down. Take this shot.

Just behind him is his daughter, sporting a top-of-the-pops 1980s crimped blowout, and beside her is the Dauphin of France - though you could be mistaken for thinking he’s some fella getting to pose for a romance novel cover in the world's most ill-fitting suit. (I don’t recall this man tying his hair up one single time for the duration of the movie.)

Some of the critique is a little nitpicky, yes - for example, du Barry wears this outfit to be formally presented to the king:

The big hair and ostrich feathers are a decade too early (stop trying to be Marie Antoinette: The Unauthorised Prequel already), the makeup is mid 2000s, and the necklace... the less said about it, the better. But at least an attempt was made!

But this?

And this???

0.5 out of 5 stars. It would have been zero on account of all the plagiarism, but a half-star is given for the cameo of Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun.

#jeanne du barry #jeanne du barry movie #18th century history #18th century fashion #but only just barely

[the-romcommunist]

a list of my comfort shows:

fleabag - phoebe waller bridge, i want to be you when i grow up. The writing, the acting, the comedic beats, need I say more. I could analyse this show for forever and still wouldn't get bored. The juxtaposition of fleabag and her deflection through comedy with her grief is so poignant, it always makes me feel all the Feelings™️

normal people - genuinely the most perfect book to tv show adaptation i have ever seen. usually, the book or the show is better but in this case, the book and the show add to their respective counterparts, its crazy. also, the acting by daisy edgar jones and paul mescall is so well done. I have watched normal people so many times that i literally watch the show on shuffle. my thought process: "hmm today feels like an episode 8 type of day"

leverage - everyone go watch that show rn, its so fucking good, every single season slaps. are you aware of how rare that is?? and the fact that this show aired on television while actively criticising every major organisation is insane. i genuinely believe that if i hadn't already been radicalised, just from looking at the world around me, this show would have pushed me over the edge. i love my criminal found family. the depth and nuance to all their relationships but also how campy and fun the show is makes for such a fun watching experience. i have such a good time every time i watch because, let’s be real, who doesn’t love a good heist.

teen wolf - but especially season 3. the downside of making season three such Good television is that it ruins the rest of the series. nothing else after or before season three of teen wolf can live up to the standard set by season three. also, dylan o'brien in season three? man really brought out the big guns, and I love that for him

skam - literally any version, i have watched each remake so many times. this show drives me nuts, when i fall into a skam phase, i fall deep. it happens like once every two years, and for like 2 months straight, i don't watch anything but skam. i don't know why i like skam so much, it just makes me feel so comforted.

veronica mars - does kristen bell age? I mean, she looks the same in veronica mars and the good place. anyways, veronica mars. it is everything riverdale wished it could be. it's one of the only shows i've seen that, while catering to a teenage and young adult audience, doesn't talk down to their audience. and i love that while there's the overarching narrative, it's also a procedural so every episode is different. means that you can just pick and episode and watch it. it also means that some episodes let the teenage characters actually be teenagers (ahem, unlike every other teen drama show)

anne with an e - anne with an e just makes me want to enjoy my life. especially the mundane, quiet, small moments that i otherwise don't think about. anne shirley cuthbert is such a vivid character, i almost always watch a couple episodes of awae when i'm sick. probably because i first watched it when i was sick. the show, while not all happy go lucky, makes me feel like i’m getting the media equivalent of a warm hug.

arrow - but only season 1, 2 and 3. sometimes i just want to watch something that really doesn't require you to pay attention. maybe i’ve just finished exams and my mental bandwidth is like, -1, in which case i only have the energy for something like arrow. there’s nothing more to it than what’s being told to you on screen and sometimes that’s all you need (or all you can handle)

shameless - i don't know why this dysfunctional family brings me such comfort but it does. i just love watching the family dynamic. clearly. looking over this list, i am realising that found family is exactly what i look for in everything i watch. watching the effects that every character has on each other is so interesting but the shows also just so funny? i mean come on, there’s no other show that does recaps as well as shameless does. also, the best enemies to lovers arc ever executed on screen? ian gallagher and mickey milkovich, hands down. for a show that’s so coarse, they gave these two such a heart warming arc.

the OA - i am so jealous of britt marling's mind. she's a genius. the tone of the OA is so different to anything else i have watched, it’s so refreshing. the only show that i feel maybe has a similar tone is mr robot, but while mr robot has you constantly on edge and wary of everything that’s happening on screen, the OA is calming. the chinese box narrative structure is done so organically and so kindly (?? it’s the only word i can think of that fits) you can’t help but feel for the characters, no matter how much of an asshole the character is. in fact, this show might have actually changed my mind on a whole lot of things regarding how we treat others. again, the found family aspect is present, front and centre. then there's the romance between OA and Homer. it is so pure. I can't even articulate my feelings about this show, it's so mind bendingly good

#fleabag #normal people #leverage #teen wolf #skam #veronica mars #anne with an e #awae #the OA #arrow #shameless #comfort shows #if anyone comes across this #feel free to add your own comfort shows

[failbaby]

Stewy has like 10 minutes of screen time total but Arian Moayed is so talented and puts so much love and life into his craft that he's managed to cultivate a genuinely interesting, multifaceted character who fans LOVE out of basically nothing. Same goes for Hiam Abbass' performance as Marcia. Meanwhile Nicholas Braun has had just about endless opportunities to give cousin Greg, a member of the main cast, a single microgram of emotional depth or nuance and hasn't been able to pull it off. Just goes to show that no matter the size of the role, some have the gift and others don't! 🤷🏻‍♀️

#oc #greg would actually be a very interesting character if he was played by an actor with a dust speck of talent

[stewblog]

Monkey Man

Dev Patel was already one of the most promising and interesting talents within his generation of actors. But with Monkey Man, Patel shows he’s got the chops to be just as interesting and talented behind the camera as well. 

Monkey Man is being marketed as “John Wick But In India.” And while it’s clear that Patel has taken at least some action lessons to heart from the Wick films (a character in the movie even specifically name drops the character), this inaugural directing effort from the Slumdog Millionaire star is something much more jagged and raw, both in terms of action and vibe. 

Patel plays “Kid,” a name he’s never actually called as he only ever offers “Bobby” as an identifier. The name is swiped at a moment’s notice from the container of kitchen cleaner he’s using, but it’s meaningless. He has no identity. He has no life. He has only a heart of rage and vengeance burning inside of him. His sole mission is to kill the policeman who killed his mother and destroyed his village, and he’ll go to any lengths to accomplish this. 

What ensues is, at its core, a fairly standard and by-the-numbers revenge flick. Desperation leads to anger, anger leads to failure, then training, then a final and thrilling showdown. Every beat is familiar, bordering on rote. What fuels Patel’s film, though, is less its common tropes and more the ways he fills in the gaps between these all-too-familiar elements. Monkey Man is a movie with a lot on its mind and Patel wants very much to say meaningful things about the state of India’s politics, religion, poverty and corruption. I am (as it is likely quite obvious) not even passively knowledgeable on India’s political state, nor the state of its Hindu leaders. Some of the specifics and nuance may be lost to a Westerner like me, but the heat of Patel’s anger at these institutions remains palpable. 

Does that anger translate to depth? Obviously Patel is using this film as an outlet for his frustrations, but it’s difficult for someone in my position to gauge just how much he actually has to say beyond “The State Of Things Is Bad.” Not that the audience is owed more than that, but it often feels like the message comes at the expense of making the contained elements feel more fleshed out. Bobby is little more than a cipher. He goes for most of the film never having a meaningful interaction with anyone that he wasn’t using as a means to an end in his quest for violence. There are flashes to his youth, fleeting memories of his mother and the heroic tales of the Hindu god Hanuman that color his childhood. I suspect this is part of Patel’s grand statement, that a heart hollowed out by anger is only capable of vengeance, but it does make the character less interesting on the whole.

Despite this, and the film’s somewhat sluggish start, Monkey Man is still a remarkably confident first outing. Patel paints the screen with a palette of deep hues and a visceral attention to the details of a life lived amid the slums. It’s a film that feels visceral in its depiction of a world that is inherently violent, even (and especially) when led by those professing peace. Anchoring it all is Patel’s tightly wound performance. Whatever shortcomings there are in Bobby’s characterization on the page, it is at least partially ameliorated by the fire found in Patel’s eyes from beginning to end. 

If nothing else, Monkey Man is a terrific calling card for future projects, an undeniable statement of arrival and intent. Whatever shortcomings are threaded through this first film, it’s evident that Patel has the drive, chops and vision to be something greater. I can’t wait to see what his next work will be. 

#dev patel #monkey man

[loquaciousquark]

I finished my Durge run! Got that Tactician achievement too, hoorah. Lots of thoughts about the Dark Urge/Astarion romance under the cut.

My final thoughts now that I've finished it - it's fine. Honestly? It's fine. I think there are some interesting parallels drawn specifically for his backstory with Cazador compared to the Dark Urge trying to resist the urges, but I didn't come out of the romance feeling like it was the end-all be-all One True Romance version for the character. I think there are some interesting dialogue lines ("is today a 'wed you with a delicate veil of blood staining your white curls' kind of day?" made me laugh every time), and it's definitely fun to see some major hurt/comfort vibes play out on screen in the attack-the-romance scene, for sure. That said, I didn't feel like there wasn't anything in that romance I couldn't get for myself with a dominate spell and 4k words of fic with a Tav I like much more.

And like, there's nothing at all wrong with the Dark Urge background! I think it's really interesting to have that internal struggle kind of flavoring the run, and of course it makes sense to have strong Bhaalspawn ties in this particular canon. I think the stuff that's added with Isobel and Scleritas and Orin is very interesting and it definitely added depth to to the Sarevok interactions, and even the conversations with Withers had a lot more nuance! I can definitely see why some people call it Tav+, because it is a customizable character with a lot of extra dialogue options that a regular Tav doesn't get.

That said, the particular type of character that Dark Urge is is one that's not as compelling to me, and setting that up against Astarion's arc felt correspondingly less compelling than the Tav arc I made on my first rogue run. I've played amnesiac characters with a twist before (KOTOR) and in that game I found myself similarly uninvested in the character to the point that I went full Dark Side with her very early in the narrative. To date, she's the only evil main character I've ever intentionally played! There's just something about that blank slate background that doesn't appeal - I find that my characters are generally very strongly shaped by their histories and backstories, even if the details of those backstories develop over the course of the game. They make choices because of who they are and what they've experienced and who they've lost and loved, and I find it hard to create a character with a consistent internal moral needle when there's no backstory to guide it.

And I guess that's part of why the Resist path for the Durge just makes me internally go ???? Because realistically, if I've spent my entire formative life being excitedly murderous, ritually necrophiliac, gleefully cannibalistic, and generally not very nice, why does the amnesia change that? Why would that character want to become something else? How do I internally justify a character making that sort of MASSIVE ethical and moral shift just because of a brainworm and a knock on the noggin? I get that it's fun as a player to try to play a good character with these unexplained evil urges, and I totally get why it's narratively satisfying to see good arise from the ashes of corruption, but I just can't find a way to make the character want to be good in the first place! I had this problem with Revan and I've had it again with the Durge, and that foundational schism was just something I could never really overcome enough to buy into the immersive fiction of the character.

Plus, as far as the Astarion romance goes, I think the Durge arc generally pushes into that similar need to resist the uncontrollable commands given to you by an outsider. It's very much the same space. The thing is, Astarion tells you he knows how important it is to resist those compulsions in the night attack scene, but--we KNOW he couldn't! We know he tried for two hundred years and never once could defy Cazador, and it broke him so badly he gave up resisting at all. And there's some interesting parallels there maybe, that he wants so badly for you to succeed that he's willing to ignore two hundred years of his own personal history, but it puts a pretty despairing tinge to the whole first half of the romance arc. And honestly, that makes me very sad for him.

I think it's just again a less riveting pairing. The Durge/Astarion romance is about both of them overcoming external compulsion through inner will and good choices and white-knuckled defiance, except the timescales of those compulsions are vastly different. And maybe there's a little bit of needing to depend on each other's support to do that, but it's not really so for Durge; you can do the entire Bhaalspawn questline without having Astarion in your party once and you only lose out on a few lines of dialogue. He definitely cares about you, sure, and he can talk to you about how worried he is for you, and that's nice--but there aren't a lot of times where his emotional support is directly critical for you to overcome your urges. On the other hand, I think it's arguable that your friendship (and relationship) with Astarion are directly responsible for his success against Cazador with that last persuasion/insight check combo. If you could have his emotional support be more directly impactful in terms of your ability to resist the urges or Bhaal in Orin's temple, I think I'd be more on board.

In addition, I find two characters going through the exact same narrative arc at the same time not as interesting. Like, if Astarion already had beaten Cazador before the Durge stuff happened and he could directly talk about what was successful for him and help you along the way, I think that might honestly have interested me a bit more. The mirrored arcs we have instead are a little less fascinating than complementary ones. And honestly, there's something about Durge trying to relate to Astarion's centuries of struggle with their own, like, two days of fighting that compulsion, that feels just a little pfeh to me.

And maybe that's why I liked my original Tav so much? As I developed the romance with Astarion, I could shape elements from her backstory (and the way she changed and grew from those events) to make a character that I felt resonated complementarily with Astarion's arc and emotional needs. I could create a character whose defining trait was hope and had always been hope her whole life, because I feel like that's a useful trait to have against an LI who explicitly lost all hope in any rescue. A character who has stubbornly clung to hope throughout a miserable broken life and a miserable broken family paired against a character with a similar background who's lost that hope and has to relearn it--I like that! I like that the characters can teach each other things and can learn from each other. I like that they can make each other better by sharing aspects of themselves that the other person doesn't have.

Having a hopeful Durge doesn't feel the same, because first, that hope is incredibly recent and only comes out over the course of the game because right before the game started, they were still full murderbaby. It's not as longstandingly stubborn despite setback after setback over many many years the way I can have Tav be. And second, again, I can't figure out why an otherwise perfectly content murderous bastard would ever want to hope for anything else after taking a fall off a skyship. I guess that's my biggest problem, that I can't get into the fiction of the character at its baseline well enough to build anything of substance on top of it.

So now, having gone through both the Tav/Astarion romance and the Dark Urge/Astarion romance, I can definitively say I prefer the Tav version. I think the extra stuff you get in the Durge run is fun, and I think the Durge material itself is great and wonderfully tied to the lore outside of the romance, but in terms of the Astarion romance itself, it's just not as captivating. Too similar in the wrong ways and too disjointed in the ways that matter most, and I'd rather have a Tav I can build to fit what I want, someone I can shape to draw out the elements of his character I'm most interested in exploring.

I will say that at one point my Durge sorcerer did roll a 44 on a persuasion check at one point, which was extremely exciting. But I think I'll be going back to my "canon" rogue Tav on my next game to figure out that exact story now that I know her much better, and that'll almost certainly be the one I stick with for future fics.

#dark urge #meta #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 spoilers #durge #astarion #i have no idea what to tag this #tavaea #quark plays bg3

[patrocles]

#bc god forbid he’s actually complex #how else will the normies know who to root for... so true bestie. TGC was fighting for his life to bring in some nuance and almost succeeded by playing Aegon as a pathetic loser instead of the worst human being on the show. Anyway thank god we had the white hart to tell us who should rule by divine providence otherwise I might be getting confused by all the nuance they brought to both sides.

i actually have a lot of feelings about the writing of this series and how i think the overwhelming problem was being told “This is the Nuance” but the written and visual text on screen not supporting that at all.

a lot of it has to do with viserys and a Lot has to do with aegon. bc we’re being told that aegon has all this depth and complexity and like TGC told the writers, the second you make him a rapist that nuance doesnt matter any more. there was certainly a ghost of an attempt but you could see that they were too afraid to make the whole dynamic between rhaenyra and aegon actually super complicated so fuck it joffrey 2.0

#asoiaf #not to hotd blog but #anon #asoiaf ask

[stheresya]

that broey deschanel video-essay titled "Priscilla and the Plight of Women('s biopics)" is so insightful and voices a lot of my issues with how some female characters are given "depth" nowadays. the video is about how biopics of notorious women in history tend to be so concerned with denouncing the cages of patriarchy that they end up not leaving room for anything else, and so the woman gets stripped of everything that makes up her life and personality, all her moments of agency, and all that's left is her pain and suffering. she is defined by suffering, she exists to be a sacrificial lamb. there is no story unless she is suffering. deschanel criticizes how real life women are portrayed on screen, but i think that criticism applies in a broader scale. there are many examples of female characters in literature who are written to be complex and nuanced figures, but once they get a live-action adaptation all they do is suffer, brutal misogynistic violence is added for shock value while all the layers that make up who they are, every trait that made them distinct characters, get erased and they become solely defined by trauma. there's no room for their creativity, there is no room for genuine ambition, there is no room for defiance or transgression, there is no room for typical human flaws, and even if she does something morally dubious she must be pushed into it by the most terrible circumstances of her life, because "realistic" womanhood must be solely defined by passive suffering.

the video puts it very well when it states that in trying to denounce the cages in which women are placed in, they end up restricting women to these cages to the point where they don't exist outside of them. the moment they stop suffering is the moment the movie ends.

#mine.txt #gender stuff

[absolutebl]

10 Favorite Complex Characters in BL

This post sparked by @solitaryandwandering ‘s question here. 

Essentially they wanted to know some of my favorite fully realized (deep) characters rather than one dimensional archetypes. This is a challenge in BL. Especially for fans like me who are often attracted to characters with the least screen time, because we can make them whatever we want with our imaginations.

But this is about portrayal of complex, thoughtful, well rounded characters. The least artificial, tropey, and archetypal. I started this blog to track the later, not the former. Because the former is all too often in the gritty, sad, dark, heavily queer narratives. But I will take up the challenge and confine myself to picking leads only.

1. Nosue

Actually the first character who came to mind when asked this question. I have talked about Old Fashion Cupcake at length and I ADORE Togawa, but Nosue is a much more complicated character. He is outgoing, popular, and a blatant flirt, but closed off and lonely. He knows he is in trouble, and he knows he did it to himself, but can’t figure out how to get out of his life state or malaise. He is profoundly self aware and instinctively empathic, while being entirely unable to understand how anyone actually feels about him. He can see his own flaws but not anyone else’s. He has capacity to love but doesn't trust himself to do so, and cannot recognize affection when it surrounds him. This character could only be at this point in his life journey, no younger character or actor could ever have carried off this role with all its contrasts and nuance. He is the opposite of one dimensional. He’s almost 4th dimensional, where he occupies time and space on this plane of existence is an integral part of his identity.

2. Ae

Crazy to put a Mame character on this list but I defy you to dislike Ae from Love By Chance. He was probubly my first great love in the arena of complex characters in BL. He comes off as deceptively simple at first, and then we keep learning things about him - his demi nature contrasted to his tough defensive personality. His instant and unprecedented affection and need to care for the lost hurt extremely shy rich gay boy is both very weird and totally understandable. We know his character: sarcastic, brash, grumpy, and street smart but also loyal and casually affectionate. Pete permits Ae to showcase his best and softest nature, without any risk of hurt or damage. (Although Ae can, of course, damage Pete with his ignorance.) Watching Ae figure out himself, and what his strange sudden need to look after Pete is all about (love rather than friendship) is such a joyful ride. For all his rough exterior we know Ae will make it through his own confusion into solid affection, there is no other way his character would allow them to be. Ae is very solid in himself as a person, even if he has some shock realizing that personhood is queer. The fact that Perth acted this complex of a part when his was 16 is mind boggling. What Mame did to Ae’s character in LBC2 is unforgivable.

3. JiWoo

To My Star 1 & 2. I didn’t like the 2nd installment, but that doesn’t mean I didn't understand it or his character’s behavior, because it was set up so well in the first. (I just didn’t enjoy the pacing or structure of season 2.) 

Korea doesn’t normally specialize in complex characters for their BL. In fact, they tend to go for the most archetypal, which is fine with me. I mean Semantic Error is top of my list and those 2 couldn’t be more basic archetypes. Okay, so why does Korea do this? Well partly because Korea doesn't have enough screen time to build backstory, and also because of their “queer bubble” perspective we never get depth of character from home life, parents, or coming out sequences.

JiWoo is the opposite. We learn (eventually) all about him but that isn’t even particularly necessary. JiWoo has walls, tall thick well-established walls, but it is very clear those walls are from being hurt by the world. Slowly we learn bits of why, but what makes JiWoo deep and complicated, is that despite his walls we can still see him falling in love. And who does he pick? The most inappropriate person for someone scared of being hurt: a capricious, outgoing, sunshine, famous actor. And a man. It’s like JiWoo’s own heart wants to give hem more reasons to build more walls. Every time JiWoo allows himself the luxury of that despite-himself-charmed sudden bright smile, our hearts break for him. Because it cost him, and will cost him, so much to be happy. Because of what he has allowed the world to do to him, and his own natural reactions to it. JiWoo doesn’t want to be loved because he is terrified of loving someone back, because he knows how much of himself he is willing to give up when he does that. And who, in all honestly, hasn’t been there?

4. Yuzuru

Seven Days. I know, I KNOW. Look, I realize his is a character type that Japan explores often. But that doesn’t make him any less interesting or complex. Yuzuru is beautiful but also very bold, brash, blunt, uncompromising, and stubborn, and he won’t change himself for any reason. This blatant mercurial individualism in a culture that finds such behavior confusing at best and worth crushing at worst, enables Yuzuru’s classic tsundere behavior beautifully. Yuzuru shows us how deep characterization can be activated to bolster one of the genre’s most enduring archetypes, and that’s really fun to watch. Yuzuru is not just “tsundere with good reason,” (which is all we can usually hope for) he’s tsundere with INTENT. His love for Sereyo springs from his conflict with society, because for the first time someone likes him not despite his uncompromising personality, but because of it.

5. Amber

DNA Says Love You. The ultimate complicated character who could have been profoundly miss-handled with one tiny misstep. But this performance got handed off to an actor who made the character incandescent instead. Amber is extremely scared and keeps his identity and past intentionally hidden from us and the other characters, which easily could have felt manipulative or frustrating for audiences. Instead, we feel that this is for very good reason, so much so that the twist isn’t a twist anymore. Instead of hiding and lying without fault, instead of being a wet blanket without reason, Amber hurts to lie but does it because he wants one taste of what could have been. He doesn't expect anything more. He expects to be shunned. And he is gentle and kind and sweet about it, because that is who he is as a person, even as he struggles to protect himself and his new friends from the truth. It was deft handling of questionable content, and we don’t get adroitness from Taiwan often. Because of the way Amber is portrayed the character seems more deep and complex. This is one of those where the actor brought much more to the role than the role provided, and it’s rather remarkable to watch.

6. Thun

He’s Coming to Me. Imagine growing up as a kid who can see ghosts, but being mature enough from the start not to tell anyone about it. Then imagine falling in love with the ghost of your mother’s ex-boyfriend. Oh the drama of it all! Ohm is in peak form for this role, and his performance is outstanding. Thun is a very lovable character, brash and open, but treasuring this intense secret, while being devoted to uncovering other people’s truths. Thun is able to stand up to authority in a way that is beaten out of most men of his age and social status. His relationship to his mother, to his friends, and to his lover is varied and nuanced, and that gives him, the cheerful himbo character, so much more nuance too, because he is so clearly defined by all the tendrils and threads that anchor him to reality, vital when one lives partly stuck in the afterlife. 

7. Shun

His the movie. Another character type that Japan loves, the introvert, and another execution where it is given reason and intent. Shun always had it in him to withdraw in order to protect himself from the world, but after Nagisa left him, he withdrew from the world entirely. His is about the world trying to reclaim him. The tiny country retirement village who adopted him while he wasn’t looking. Add to that Nagisa, and his daughter, coming back. What we watch is Shun’s quiet struggle to accept all three, despite the hurt that opening himself back up to relationships (family, fatherhood, lover) carries with it. He is a wonderfully complex character.

8. Pete

The Kiss series and Dark Blue Kiss. Tay’s portrayal of Pete is consistent even across a conflicted timeline and some weird narrative choices. By the time DBK rolls around we know exactly who Pete is. In any other hands this kind of drawn-out tsundere seme would have been very one dimensional. But Pete is complicated for your standard himbo bisexual character. He’s conflicted about his responsibilities as a son but proud to have the support of such a kind father, frustrated about not being open but not intersted in being famous. His love is devoted, but he is a capricious person. He isn’t very academically smart but he has a high emotional IQ, he reads people well. He is quick to anger but also quick to forgive. He is fiercely loyal even to his ex-boyfriend, but also willfully obtuse. For a character who, in Thailand’s hands, should have been one note, Pete is as consuming and as sweeping as the intro music to DBK, and just like that music a bit overdramatic. But I love this drama queen clown.

9. Mork

My Ride’s Mork is kinda like the Ae of the next generation. He’s more lively and cheerful, less of a grump, but he does represent for the lower class. Struggling with money, work, family, and romance, he falls deeply in love with a doctor even though he thinks he hasn’t anything to offer. Mork’s struggles around bisexual identity play second fiddle to the fact that Tawan is already in love with someone else and socially so far above him that Mork consigns himself to friendship. He knows how to love though, and he does it deeply and from the sidelines, as a support network and as a friend to Tawan. And he would have willingly stayed there, had Tawan had a happy relationship. It’s really great to see pining executed from start to finish, as in: Mork isn’t a “pining since childhood” trope. We see him meet and like Tawan as a friend, fall in love with him, and then have to take a back seat and wait for his love to be returned. Mork has a developed depth of character because of this, and we are never angry with him for this behavior. We know exactly why he does it, and we too are willing to wait. A Thai pulp that not only requires patience (they all do) but teaches it? That’s some great characterization.

Also, SINGLE DIMPLE. (Look, these characters may be deep, but I’m not.)

10. Noh

Love Sick. Another very young actor handed an extremely complicated role and pulling it off with aplomb. Noh is awkward and popular, sweet and tough, kind and loving, and really profoundly unwilling to hurt. Watching him slowly fall in love with Phun, and Phun’s casual rich-kid entitled hot/cold affection, is heart wrenching. Watching Noh tackle Yuri’s demanding attentions while not wanting to cause her pain, even though he is deeply in love with someone else, hurts us, and both of them. Love Sick is a great coming of age narrative. It handles all the ramifications of queerness that a kid of that age might deal with but with in a dexterous and deeply private way. Plus Noh’s LINES. The words Captain gets to say are some of the greatest ever scripted in BL.

“It is a terrible thing not knowing where the line is between us.”

Could there be any better way of putting the conflict over moving from friends to lovers? From heterosexual to something more? The fear of not knowing if you should move towards romance when friendship is put at risk. COME ON. Noh is a remarkable character.

Honorable mention:

Hasimoto

My Love Mix Up. Trust Japan to take the character that any other country would have turned into evil femme fetale and make her the heroine of this narrative. She’s a spectacular character, she handles her own crush and other people’s with humor and aplomb. She is fiercely defensive of her friends, tiny but mighty. One she decides to love someone, she does it with every fiber of her being, even though she can get very shy. We don’t know a ton about her, because she is a support role, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying all the layers that are revealed about her during the course of this narrative. One of my favorite things about this show was watching her and Aoki’s friendship grow and evolve, more so even than Aoki and Ida’s romance.

White & Black

Gun’s execution of the twins in Not Me. I doubted he could do it. He did it. Each one was complicated and different and so was their relationship. All the cheering, it was IMPRESSIVE. 

Some others I considered but did not make the list for various reasons: 

Tutor in Why R U? 

Dean in Until We Meet Again 

Pick in Puppy Honey 

Vald in Like in the Movies 

SiWon in Blueming

(source)

#Thai BL #Korean BL #Taiwanese BL #best characterization in BL #deep character #complex bl characters #KBL #Kdrama #Blueming #Like in the Movies #Puppy Honey #Until We Meet Again #Why R U? #not me the series #Gun Atthaphan #My Love Mix Up #Love Sick #lovesick noh #my ride the series #my ride mork #Dark Blue Kiss #Tay Tawan #Shun #His the movie #Ohm Pawat #He’s Coming to Me #DNA Says Love You #Seven Days #Seven Days Yuzuru #To My Star

[ladylionheartinthelibrary]

I find myself super anxious about season 3 of Bridgerton actually because I am very unsure of how they’re going to handle the Whistledown reveal. In the TV show, Whistledown, and thus Penelope, is crueler and more consequential than in the books. Admittedly, that is interesting because it presents more conversations about press, autonomy, and agency for the characters, and it also sets up some nuanced character dynamics that could be interesting to explore. It’s interesting to consider how Colin feels about Penelope exposing Marina! It’s interesting to consider why Eloise would feel betrayed by her best friend’s secrets, especially considering how Whistledown has affected her family! It’s interesting to consider why Penelope became Lady Whistledown and the power it afforded her while also examining some of the callous and thoughtless choices she’s made! These are interesting topics and I could write a whole elective essay on them.

However, Bridgerton, for all its wonders, is not really a show built for nuance and there is not enough time in the show to address all of these things while also executing a romance plot and that stresses me out because it means things are going to get simplified and brushed over and I’m scared all of the interesting things to examine are just going to get boiled down to a bunch of scenes where the narrative has Penelope groveling for forgiveness for Whistledown. I am not a Penelope apologist and she should face consequences/make apologies and amends for her choices BUT this is also her love story!! And her love story shouldn’t have to be overshadowed by plot drama the writers threw in because they wanted extra spice. In the books, Colin is mad about Whistledown because he’s scared for Penelope and jealous but the show has given him actual reasons to be unforgivably mad. It’s cool that they tried to add stuff but that means they have to deal with that plot baggage this season. It will break my heart if Penelope just gets villainized because the show doesn’t have the space to explore the extra depth it tried to give her character.

And this matters to me so much because I want to see the potential of the Polin story play out with its original themes. I want to see a love story where the girl who wouldn’t get chosen finally gets chosen, I want to see that hurt little girl vindicated. I want to see a plus-sized character be a unquestionable romantic lead for the first time in my life!!!!!!!! I want it to be about how people are more than we think they are, Colin included.

It’s just that from a representation standpoint, we need to see plus-sized characters in romance. We need emotionally complex plus-sized characters and plot lines for those characters, but ALSO we need Hallmark, cinematic romances for plus-sized characters and that gooey, swoony romance is what Bridgerton is built for. The show is about toe-curling, butterfly-raising love stories and Polin deserves to have that, so I am going to cry if that love story gets overshadowed by arguments about whether Penelope is a good person or not. I am going to cry if the narrative tries to make me conflicted about supporting the first romantic lead to ever make me feel represented on screen.

Does anyone else have thoughts here? Seriously I’m begging to hear what other people think. Also sorry it’s 3am so I’m barely coherent

#this matters so much to me and I can’t explain without sounding nuts #penelope featherington #colin bridgerton #polin #lady whistledown #bridgerton