#frequently shirtless actors

[ajohnsons]

NOAH LALONDE GIF PACK!!

in the source link below, you’ll find #147 gifs of noah lalonde in my life with the walter boys season 1. please reblog or like if you’re using them. please don’t claim them as your own. and please don’t use my gifs in hollywood rps (playing as real life actors) or in taboo plots.please note: this is an ongoing pack that i hope to update frequently or semi-frequently. triggers: kissing, food, shirtless gifs, injuries

#noah lalonde gif pack #gif pack #fcxdirectory #gifsociety #noah lalonde #supportcontentcreators #* #there he is!!! my favorite white boy!!

[the-girl-from-another-time]

The Gendered Gaze in the Superhero Genre

Whenever media objectification of women is brought up (eg. “sexualization of female bodies is because our culture is centered around the male gaze”), some people like to counter with “but what about all the male shirtless scenes in Marvel movies?” The point being made is really that women can’t complain about our bodies being sexualized in media because so are men’s! Another argument is “well, women have been sexualized in media for so long, so let’s sexualize the men, too! Equality!” Additionally, many filmmakers/actors/fans like to justify said male shirtless scenes with “Here’s some eye candy for the ladies!”

But here’s the thing. Sexualization of male bodies in film and comics doesn’t actually cater to the female gaze.

Hyper-sexualization of both women and men in comics increased drastically in the late 80s and defined the 90s, especially with the rise of artists like Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld.

You look at this and think “Hot women for straight men to look at and hot guys for straight women to look at. Sounds equal.” Except, female comic readership declined significantly in the 90s (mostly because of the increasing female objectification). Comics were being distributed to direct-market shops, which were largely male-dominated spaces. Even characters who were historically feminist and targeted at girls were being drawn by artists (Mike Deodato Jr.) who openly referred to their art as “porn Wonder Woman,” and were now being targeted at straight men. As far as the creators were concerned, their readers were predominantly male. Male comic creators were completely uninterested in catering to women. Their hyper-muscular male characters were targeted at men as power fantasies, and that’s really all there is to it.

These portrayals? Plenty of straight women appreciate it, sure, but this is still the male gaze. Male directors might convince themselves that it’s “a little something for the ladies,” but it’s not. It’s continuing a male-targeted trend of the genre.

I’ve watched the Superman movies (1970s to now) with several female friends, and my overwhelming observation has been that they are far more affected by Christopher Reeve’s sweetness and adorable awkwardness than they are by Henry Cavill’s muscles.

As a longtime member of internet fandom, I’ve also noticed a major trend in fanart drawn by women and queer people that actually minimizes the muscle definition of male superheroes, frequently accentuating their body fat and generally making them look very soft and squishy instead of bulging veins and eight-packs.

When women routinely prefer character depth to physical attractiveness; sweetness to big muscles; fuller bodies to tightly muscled ones; hand touches to shirtless scenes; it becomes clear that the “we’re doing this for the ladies 😉” argument has little ground to stand on. It’s not about equality. It’s not about pleasing women. It’s about male power and toxic masculinity.

So actually no, directors have no excuse for dehydrating Henry Cavill and Chris Hemsworth to the point of hospitalization so they can “look like a superhero” and give the ladies some eye candy.

#superheroes #male gaze #female gaze #dc #dcu #dc comics #marvel #mcu #x-men #superman #wolverine #jim lee #rob liefeld #mike deodato jr. #image comics #fandom #henry cavill #christopher reeve #comics #media analysis

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

Jim Carter Born: August 19, 1948, Harrogate, United Kingdom Physique: Husky Build Height: 6′ 2″ (1.88 m)

James Edward Carter OBE is an English actor, best known for his role as Mr Carson in the ITV historical drama series Downton Abbey, which earned him four nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He reprised the role in the feature films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) and starred as the main villain Rookery in The Little Vampire and its 2017 remake.

The handsome Mr. Carter is married to a bangable Imelda Staunton and together they have one child. Carter is a former chairman of Hampstead Cricket Club and a keen cyclist who has frequently ridden for charity causes. Lets just say, I like to be the bike he rides.

RECOMMENDATION: Swimming with Men (2018) - Shirtless Resnick: Rough Treatment (1993) - Shirtless Murder Most Horrid - S1.E6 - Mrs Hat and Mrs. Red (1991) - Shirtless, Rear Nudity

#Jim Carter #mydaddywiki #mydaddywiki actors #english actor #celebrities #actor

[mydaddywiki]

David Huddleston

Physique: Heavyset Height: 5'11" (1.80 m)

David William Huddleston (September 17, 1930 – August 2, 2016) was a portly, often bespectacled American actor. An Emmy Award nominee, Huddleston had a prolific television career, and appeared in many films, including Rio Lobo, Blazing Saddles, Crime Busters, Santa Claus: The Movie, and The Big Lebowski. Big-framed character actor (and sometime leading man) has worked in virtually every film and television genre there is, from Westerns to crime dramas to science fiction. He was twice married with one child.

The Vinton, VA native might be best known for his roles in Blazing Saddles, The Big Lebowski, The Producers, and of course Santa Claus: The Movie. But it's a lesser role in the movie Zero to Sixty is where I best remember him. He wasn't naked or even shirtless, nor was it about his performance. It was his clothing, a tight ass track suit that showed every bump and curve of his body. And what a body. I just wanted to cut a hole in it and fuck him with the track suit on.

On television, Huddleston first caught my attention guest starring on the TV series Our House with my gun down guy at the time. THE daddybear himself, Wilford Brimley. He had numerous guest roles on TV dramas, but Walker, Texas Ranger was where he dropped my jaw. He had added quite a few more pounds to that frame of his that would make a chubby chaser proud. Since then I'd always akin him to Charles Durning as both were hot chubby daddies that I lust after til this day.

Although Huddleston slowed his career later in life and he has lost alot of weight. But like 99.9% of the guys I like, I'd still would've done him. Huddleston died at the age of 85 from advanced heart and kidney disease in 2016. I'd like to also remember him as the 'King of Bulge' because of his many bulge shots his movie appearances to frequent TV guest work across multiple eras. And that's a lot of wank material. R.I.P. Mr. Huddleston.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Billy Two Hats (1974) Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) - 'Love Thy Neighbor, Take His Wife' (1976) Gorp (1980) Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) The Wonder Years (TV Series 1990–1992) Postal (2007)

#David Huddleston #mydaddywiki actors

[silveragelovechild]

I’ve just rewatched “The Mysterious Island” (1961), based on a novel by French author Jules Verne. It’s set in the 1860s and tells the story of several Union soldiers who escape a Confederate prison via a hot air balloon. A fierce storm transports them to a remote and “mysterious” island in the South Pacific. There they help rescue two women, passengers of a boat that sunk in the same storm.

Things get interesting when they encounter several giant animals on the island - crabs, chickens, and even bees. All of them were achieved via the amazing effects created by Ray Harryhausen and his team. They holdup surprising well for a movie released over 60 years ago. Today, in a similar movie, the effects would be done via CGI. But Harryhausen’s stop motion effect feel so much more fresh and visceral.

The music for the film was done by Bernard Herrmann, Harryhausen’s frequent collaborator. The music is appropriately adventurous and dramatic.

The only effect that doesn’t stand the rest of time is the volcanic eruption at the climax of the film. It’s clearly a model and the lava doesn’t have the “weight” of liquid rocks.

Outdoor scenes were filmed on the Catalan coast in Spain, with indoor filming occurring in England. The overall design is pretty good, especially Captain Nemo’s ship the Nautilus.

The cast is mostly English, with three exceptions. Nemo was played by Czech actor Herbert Lom (best know for playing Inspector Dreyfus in the Pink Panther films); Gary Merrill (who divorced Bette Davis only a year earlier); and Michael Callen, a young actor popular on Broadway and films in the 1960s.

Callen is a prime example of how the perception of men has changed over the years. Callen plays the heart throb and is shirtless in most of the movie. But by today’s standard he looks incredible skinny with no muscle tone.

I particularly like Michael Craig who played the castaways leader. I thought I’d seen him in some old TV westerns but nearly all of his credits are British.

The two women are played by Joan Greenwood as Lady Fairchild and Beth Rogan as her niece Elena. Greenwood has a very artificial sounding voice and I thought her dialogue may have been dubbed over by another actress (it wasn’t). About half way into the movie, Rogan switches from a long dress with petticoats into a very small and revealing leather tunic. It’s so short that her underpants are frequently revealed as she runs across the beach.

I saw “The Mysterious Island” via TUBI, a free streaming service. There were occasional commercial but not as intrusive as broadcast TV.

#Jules Verne #mysterious island #Captain nemo #Herbert lom #micharl callen #gary merrill #giant chicken #ray Harryhausen #stop motion effects #Bernard Herrmann

[glenngaylord]

Dam! - Film Review: Hundreds Of Beavers ★★★★

Tired of watching the world circling the drain? Would you like to smile for 108 minutes? Then trust me, drop everything and watch Hundreds Of Beavers now! This low-budget indie instant classic marks the feature directorial debut of Mike Cheslik who spent 4 years making it, including over 1500 effects shots in freezing temperatures in Wisconsin and Michigan. Remember that name.

But wait! There’s more! The story of Jean Kayak (co-writer and producer Ryland Brickson Cole Tews), a drunken Applejack salesman who goes on an epic journey across the frozen tundra to hunt and kill the aforementioned beavers in order to win over a strong-willed Furrier (Olivia Graves), is told in black and white with almost no dialogue. Although such influences as Looney Tunes, Buster Keaton, and the surreal films of Canadian legend Guy Madden shine through, this live action/animated hybrid remains in a class of its own.

Tews invites comparisons to the client era greats such as Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd and holds his own with his bumbling, idiotic, yet crafty hunter. Despite facing one obstacle after another, much in the style of an anvil dropping on the Coyote as he chases down the Roadrunner, he always bounces back and stays true to his mission. The beavers, along with assorted rabbits, wolves and raccoons, all appear as actors in mascot costumes. It looks like the world’s largest furry convention as we watch the animals build dams, evade traps, and ultimately concoct a hilariously unexplained science fiction project.

At first, I thought this could have easily been a ten minute short, but the grand scale of it all won me over as the filmmakers consistently raisied the stakes and the mayhem factor. Every time Jean gets his tongue stuck on an object, a hook plunged through his hand, or an sudden icicle formed when he exhales, I had a terrible case of the tee-hees. You’ll witness literally dozens of whiz-bang scene with every single shot having something interesting and unexpected happening somewhere in the frame.

As Jean kills various creatures, he frequently takes them to a Trading Post headed up by a Merchant (Doug Mancheski) who hilariously chews tobacco and fails to land it in a cup. This recurring motif, just like the rest in the film, finds a hilarious payoff by the end. His daughter, the previously mentioned Furrier, takes a liking to Jean even while slicing apart his dead animals. Their relationship becomes the beating heart of the film. You root for this pair as Jean trades his pelts for hunting tools which often lead to disastrous consequences. His stabs at building fires, fishing, and creating traps feel operatic with this film’s extended run time.

If you’re a fan of shirtless bearded hunks, you’ve also come to the right place. In the real world, Jean would have succumbed to frostbite, but here, his lovely exposed bod feels more feature than bug. Sure, it’s titillating, but it also enhances the comedy. By the time he’s completely naked with his private parts strategically blocked by assorted objects, you’ve entered Austin Powers territory.

I can’t say enough about the creative work on display. Cheslik expertly layers practical shots with all manner of animated work, perfectly supported by a wonderful score by Chris Ryan. Everything zips along breathlessly thanks to Cheslik’s sense of pacing as he acts as his own Editor. Quinn Hester’s cinematography at first seems quite classic and simple, but as the mayhem intensifies, my jaw dropped. You just can’t believe what you’re seeing here.

Sure, all told, we’re cheering on as one man tries to slaughter literally hundreds of woodland critters, but it’s hard to be too put out when his prey all have zippers! I might have suggested cutting out 10-15 minutes, but when you have a movie titled Hundreds Of Beavers, size matters! So take a break from the real world and let the brilliant Cheslik and Tews transport you to your happy place.

[into-crazy]

soft soothing love

Arthur Fleck x Reader drabble

Summary: You decide to rub some lotion on Arthur's hands after noticing how dry and cracked they look.

Warnings- Maybe a curse word, but it's pretty much all fluff, ages 18+

It's been a while since I've written for Arthur and I miss it!! Also I couldn't stop thinking about this scenario. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, I just had to write it out. I wanna take care of him okayy💗

Winters in Gotham were always quite jarring. The thick clouds take over the entire sky during the day, withholding all of the sweet warmth which the sun could provide. Nights are typically freezing, the temperatures dropping even lower than what you'd be prepared for. As much as you tried, no matter how many layers you wore, you're never prepared enough.

The cold weather doesn't suit you very well. It slows you down. Drains your energy. Rendering you from not even wanting to get up for work in the morning. Makes you want to stay home all day and lay up in warm fluffy blankets. To not have to go out and deal with this colder than usual city.

Fortunately, you and Arthur had each other. Providing one another with a reason to try and get through it. Together. His wholesome smile always giving you the much needed energy to rise out of bed every morning. The comforting notion that he'll be back home to cuddle with you in those blankets helping you get through the days. As for Arthur, well it was the exact same push. You were his motivation. His reason.

This night was about the same as every other fully cherished evening..

After a long shared shower, you make way into the bedroom. Where you find Arthur already seated at the end of the bed. Shirtless and with a freshly lit cigarette in hand, ready to watch The Murray Franklin show. His gaze quickly flickers up to you soon as you come in. You smile and hum softly at him, earning a sweet smile in return before he diverts his attention back to the TV screen. He's tired. But he wouldn't dare miss an episode of his absolute favorite show- starring his absolute favorite comedic host.

You move to sit down at the edge adjacent to him. A little far from him, but only to reach the small drawer directly next to the bed. Since that's where your lotion bottle is. It's routine for you to apply moisturizer directly after a shower.

Another complication that came along with winter time was how it treated your skin. For as long as you can remember, it's always been rough. The frigid air constantly stripping away the moisture, leaving you to apply lotion much more frequently than you'd wish to. Practically becoming a chore. It's especially harsher on your hands. Dry, cracked, and irritation; are just a few words you'd use to describe what's caused to your delicate hands. It also doesn't help that you're regularly washing them either. The action only adding on to the worsening dry state of your skin. So you always made sure to apply a good amount there when you lotion up.

"Murray on yet, Artie?" You ask aloud, squeezing the cream into your palm. Immediately rubbing it onto your arms and torso.

"Not quite. This other show's still playing but it looks just about done. It's coming on next." He replies then takes a drag from the cigarette. Making sure to blow the smoke out as far from you as possible.

Arthur's so excited to watch his idol, that he hadn't even bothered to properly dry off before slipping on his underwear and sweatpants. Mainly his hair, the rest of his body is fine. Fresh water droplets drip down from his lovely brown curls onto his shoulders. His back and shoulder bones are jutting out more noticeably from his slightly slouched, yet content posture. Your chest swelled with the vast amount of adoration you held just for him. He's so damn beautiful.

"Do you know who's going to be on tonight?" You grin knowingly to yourself. Because of course he does. Nevertheless, you asked anyway.

"Yeah uh, a comedian named Daniel Freeman, an actor that I don't know.. oh and Doctor Sally!" He states enthusiastically at the mention of the doctor.

You begin working the lotion onto your exposed legs. "Oh good, I love when she's on."

"I know," he exhales another cloud of smoke and turns to look at you, "me too." There's a playful gleam in his eyes as he stands up to come over to your side to stub out the cigarette butt in the ashtray set above the drawer. "I especially love it when we watch her together."

He turns and brings your head in with a gentle hand, and kisses your forehead. Tenderly stroking your scalp as he pulls away to look at you. The scent of fresh tobacco on his breath reminds you of home. Of how you are both home and safe with each other. Where it's peaceful and quiet. There are no other thoughts or worries on either of your minds. Oh how you wish to live in this moment forever.

"Mm, me too," you mutter back.

His hand ghosts down your arm to your own hand. Rubbing his thumb over your knuckles them, he hums softly while giving a gentle squeeze before letting go. All the while you followed their movements, appreciating every soft caress and delicate stroke of his loving fingers. You also notice just how dry his hands are. They look pretty bad. Not nearly quite as bad as yours when they are covered in dry patches and a bunch of tiny yet painful cuts. But his appear as though they're slowly approaching that state- there's dry patches here and there, and his knuckles have a few tears. The look and thought of his beautiful hands like that you simply could not bear. You care so much about Arthur and his well being.

So when he goes to sit back down in his previous spot, the protective instinct in you made you act. Grabbing the bottle of lotion and making your way over to him. You make sure to move calmly in order to avoid startling him since you know how your sweet Arthur is. Sure you're on a mission, but it's one entirely out of love and care. So you treat this matter as such.

At first, Arthur doesn't pay much mind to your movements. It was up until you went to gently kneel between his legs did he look at you with bewilderment.

"Y/n?" He asked you softly and you looked back at him with a kind smile.

You set the bottle between your knees then reached for his hands. He gave them to you without a thought. You both trust and are completely comfortable with giving yourselves to each other. It was already so natural with you two.

"Arthur," you begin to tenderly speak as you smooth your thumb over his wrists and knuckles. "Will you let me rub lotion on your hands?"

His brow raises slightly as he gives you a confused look. He wasn't expecting that question and it threw him off guard. His mouth opens and closes as he doesn't know how to respond. You instantly take notice and continue.

"It's just, your hands are looking a bit dry and I want to take care of them for you. Before they get worse, you know?"

His eyes move from yours to look at your hands which are still grazing his. A smile forms on his face as he brings his gaze back to yours. "Um, yeah- yes. Please do." He finds himself answering.

You nod, and wordlessly get to work. Squeezing the lotion onto the palm of your hand just as you've done many times before. Only this time, it felt nice to be able to share this form of intimacy with the one you love so deeply. You take Arthur's left hand and apply the cream. Massaging it onto his hands and wrists. Taking extra soft care while doing so. Once it's all applied, you do the exact same with his right hand. All the while, it's quiet between you two. As you are simply enjoying this blissful moment together.

After the lotion is fully applied, you gather both of his hands to briefly admire your care. Then you raise them towards your lips, and apply gentle kisses along his knuckles. You gaze up at him lovingly as you lace your hands with his. And Arthur returns the look, with that adoring smile you love so much.

#into-crazy #arthur fleck #arthur fleck imagine #arthur fleck x reader #arthur fleck x y/n #arthur fleck x you #joker 2019

[thickness-protection-program]

there was this dude I'd been lusting after for months that used to frequent the same dive bar as me and my friends and coworkers (food service life). i thought he wasn't into me, as the dudes i wanted the most never were, but one night we drank together, bonded about video games, then made out in one of the filthier men's bathrooms I've had the displeasure of being in. both of us were wasted and got catcalled by friends when we came out. all very fun, very messy. first red flag but y'know, i was having fun

on the ride to his place after, he revealed to me that he was an aspiring actor and my drunk brain was even further wooed, not seeing this as a second red flag (no offense to other aspiring actors but trust me it just was). we picked up a movie on Redbox on the way and he insisted, like insisted on Don Jon, which had just come out and he guaranteed was great. i wasn't interested in whatever movie since we both knew it was just pretense before getting to shenanigans so i missed yet another red flag 😆

we get to his apartment and his door is unlocked. that freaked me out a little, but in an amused way, assuming out loud that he'd forgotten to lock it. he assured me that he didn't forget anything, he just never locks his apartment! and we both laughed and i made a joke that he was definitely gonna lock it tonight... and i missed red flag number cuál? his place had a ton of nice shit in it, im talking nice ass TV, three gaming consoles, just a whole bunch of expensive shit that an unemployed actor living in northern VA should not be able to afford lol

we watched the movie (barely), got to the bed, and i got some good dicking. all was well and good, we went for hours. 5-star experience so far, no regrets on my mind. he falls asleep, cause he's home, and i get restless cause I'm at a new place and too broke for an Uber home, so I'm laying there doing mental logistics about how the fuck imma make my next shift in 4 hours, and i go to the bathroom for the first time

i had very very much sobered up by then and... the unmitigated fucking horror

bright orange ring of nasty inside the toilet bowl (how?). crusty, disgusting sink and sink drain (how??). i opened the shower curtain and the fucking FILTH like—all of a sudden i was COMPLETELY sober. i started taking in the entire bathroom. short hairs, grime, stains, stickiness—all the things you never want to encounter in a strangers bathroom after having unprotected sex 😭

so i quietly exit that nightmare and make my way over to the bed but suddenly start seeing things for what they really are. expensive shit, yes, but carelessly placed. living room curtains wide open w the lights on and the window wide open (the neighborhood was not THAT safe ok). clothes strewn everywhere. and when I do return to bed? the morning light is just coming in and yea, his shirtless back looks amazing against his black sheets but... the nerve of someone this dirty having black sheets

i just noticed hair. everywhere. not my hair! i was a bald, braided bitch at the time. not his hair!! he had a short crewcut at the time. long straight blond hair, medium length brown hair. and it's like—all over the sheets. like when you share your bed with your fuckin dog. the pillow was, naturally, the most cluttered with strangers' hair

and there i was, abruptly stone cold sober and stuck in a den of filth, sin, and my own poor decisions with no ride, no cash, and no way out til morning

at least i came four times?

GIRL! My ass woulda hopped out that place like

Yes I'm glad you got that good cum pump but bestie this is actually a scene in a horror movie I'm shaking 💀

#tell me your hoe stories

[singharit]

A Not-So-Quick and Dirty Rundown on Queer Thai TV

Have you ever thought to yourself, "wow, I love how queer-romance oriented fanfiction is. I wish there was something that level of ridiculous but profesionally made so I don't have to survive on the crumbs of Western shows."

Yes?

Boy, have I got an industry for you.

Over the past few years Thai TV, and Thai queer TV in particular, has somewhat exploded in popularity not unlike Korea’s Hallyu wave of yesteryear. It’s new on the scene, it’s got its own little quirks that set it apart from Korean or Japanese TV, and to many people it seems a bit more exotic. It's really not that dense of an industry to break into, but I am nothing if not pedantic about literally everything ever, hence this post.

Contents

An Industry Overview

Language & Cultural Notes

What To Watch

Links & Resources

◇   ◆   ◇ 

An Industry Overview.

Production companies in Thailand are not dissimilar to K-Pop record labels, or perhaps a comparison to '30s Hollywood might be more apt. Actors sign to a company as young adults -- the primary big hitter being GMMTV -- and that company produces dramas almost exclusively featuring actors from its on-call stable.

Now, a few years ago some higher ups at GMMTV realised that shows with queer characters were getting way, way, more views than their solely straight ones. Solution? Make more, except focus on solely on the queer characters this time. Thus an industry was born.

These shows are referred to internationally as either BL or GL, boys’ love and girls’ love, and within Thailand as Y-stories. I fucking hate the terms BL and GL so will not be using them, but that seems to be the “””official””” way to refer to both the industry and fandom.

They also tend to be a few things:

Very male heavy. Things have started changing lately, with more female characters in general being written, but you can still expect many women to be either the protagonist’s sister, mother, ex-girlfriend, or first love.

About light-skinned, Thai-Chinese origin, middle-class characters from Bangkok. This is also slowly changing with some shows set in e.g. Chiang Mai or Phuket, but those are the exception rather than the rule.

Character-driven and focused almost entirely on romance. Any other type of plot that happens is a side effect, not an intentional stop on the road to getting these guys to kiss.

Based around more than one couple, and not just in a side-plot kind of way. There’ll be at least two, more commonly three, pairs that share screentime with something like a 70/30 or 50/30/20 split.

Single season shows, where a season can be anywhere from eight to fourteen 40-minute episodes. Second seasons do exist but are rare.

Full of fanservice. Cutie Pie recently had thirteen minute make-out scene, and guys will frequently be shirtless for no reason other than to show off their pecs. You get used to it after a while.

Common tropes & things you’ll see a lot of:

Engineers! Why is Thailand so obsessed with engineering students? I have no idea! But you’ll see at least one in 90% of dramas, so you’d better get used to them.

What Westerners might consider to be strange ethics, e.g. booze blurred out and scenes with guns having big “don’t try this at home” warnings emblazoned on top, but sexual assault explicitly shown.

Painfully obvious product placement. It’s a necessary evil for these shows to get that sponsorship $$$.

A baffling insistence on refusing to hire sound engineers, which is made all the more egregious by the equal insistence on featuring live singing.

Coming-of-age stories.

Cringe. Cringe. Cringe. The secondhand embarrassment is soooo real sometimes.

Friend squads to die for.

Happy endings!

Now, one thing I can’t gloss over is gay-for-pay. It’s a thing. It’s no use pretending that it doesn’t exist, especially when it’s so prevelant. When these types of shows starting becoming popular, a few actors realised that by giving another guy one single, painful to watch, peck on the lips, they could build up a legion of fans ready to scream, “he can’t be homophobic, he was in a gay show!”, and that they could make bank while doing so. I’m not going to name names here, except I absolutely am. Krist Perawat, God Itthiphat, and Mean Phiravich are shitty people and should be ashamed. But bottom line, unless an actor is proven to actually be an ally or queer themselves, don’t trust them.

Related to the above: RPS and actor pair-ups. When casting actors, production companies tend to focus on casting a set couple with both marketability and potential long-term chemistry. The idea behind this is that pair two actors up for a significant amount of time and it’ll allow them to be more comfortable together, thus allowing better chemistry and more complex storylines. Gun Atthaphan & Off Jumpol, for example, in their first appearance together had a very chaste questioning-your-sexuality storyline, whereas their most recent work, after a partnership of six years, featured them as gang members explicitly shown to be sleeping together. These actors build up a rapport, develop a certain dynamic that suits them, and fans watch a new show for them rather than the plot. For some, like OffGun, this works great! They’ve been together a long time, are good friends as a result of that, and they’re now old enough to know to set boundaries with fans. For others, for a variety of reasons, this system crashes and burns. When I talk about the shows themselves a bit further down, this is why I’ll be noting the actors. Watch a few shows and you’ll notice that actors are important to understanding the dynamics you’ll be getting.

But! Despite how dire this industry can seem from what I’ve been talking about above, there are many queer actors and creatives supporting each other and using these shows as a vehicle to express themselves, producing content that wouldn’t otherwise be welcomed on TV. In the last two or three years alone, the environment has become much more open and welcoming, and it’s been a really beautiful thing watch the industry and all of the people involved flourish.

Kings Tul Pakorn & Max Nattapol

◇   ◆   ◇

Language & culture notes:

Thai romanisation is not standardised. At all. There’s multiple systems in use and depending on the system, and the translator, you could have three or four ways of romanising one name, e.g. Mes, Met, Med, or Mate. Another particular recurring point of confusion I see often is Kan vs Gun.

Thai full names are long and too unwieldy for everyday life. Every Thai person goes by a nickname instead of their given name, which can be basically any word in existence. Surnames are only used for formal occasions and official documents and such. Also, every family’s surname is unique, so you can immediately tell when people are related.

Name order is Nickname Forename Surname, while actors are referred to as Nickname Forename. E.g. for Max Nattapol, Max is the nickname while Nattapol is the forename. His surname, which I just had to google, is Diloknawarit.

The exception to this is actors who are mixed race and those who’ve spent time abroad, e.g. Jeff Satur and Perth Nakhun, whose legal names are Worakamon Satur and Stewart Nakhuntanagarn Screaigh, respectively.

It’s not uncommon for Thais to change their legal names, mainly either for auspicious reasons or to emphasise a new phase in their life. This is why you have people like Fiat Pattadon suddenly becoming Fiat Patchata

Thailand uses both the Gregorian and Buddhist calendars. They both use the same days and months but the Buddhist year reckoning is 543 years ahead, making this year, 2022, 2565.

Any shows set outside of Bangkok will usually have Thai subtitles since the Northern & Southern varieties of Thai are full dialects, not just accents. You can’t get rid of the subs so just ignore them.

Honorifics & vocab:

P’ - precedes the first name of your elder. E.g., P’Sean, P’Kit. Pronounced literally as the letter ‘p’. Sometimes used as a term of address on its own, in which case it tends to be romanised as phi. Gender neutral.

Nong - precedes the first name of your junior. E.g. Nong’Yo, Nong’Ram. Sometimes shortened to just ‘N’’. Also used as a term of address on its own. Not strictly required to be respectful, so comes across more as affectionate. Also gender neutral.

Ai’ - precedes the first name of a man. Quite rude, so using it implies either disrespect or, with a friend, real closeness in the same way that an English speaker might call a friend “bitch” or “dickhead”. The female equivalent is Ee’.

Hia - precedes the first name of an older close male friend or relative. Used within Thai-Chinese families, or towards a person of Thai-Chinese descent, meaning literally “older brother”. Implies much more closeness than phi. The female equivalent is Je.

(Can also mean “fuck” when said in a different tone, just to be confusing.)

Nu - diminutive literally meaning mouse, used mainly by parents and for very young children.

Khun - Mr/Mrs/Miss. A general use polite term, can be used either on its own, preceeding a first name, or preceeding a title. When preceeding a title tends to make words more formal. E.g. por = dad, khun por = father. Gender neutral.

Khun Nu - Mr mouse? Nope! Young master. E.g. Tankhun in Kinnporsche is a Khun Nu, and Kuea in Cutie Pie is Nu Kuea.

Faen - gender neutral term for significant other. Often times when you see the term boyfriend or girlfriend used it’s actually this instead, so worth remembering. Incredibly useful for conversations with a double meaning.

Krub and Ka - sentence enders, essentially a politeness marker. Can also be used on their own as an acknowledgement or an “excuse me?” kind of thing. Krub is male while Ka is female. Also romanised as khrap and kha.

Want a video about this from someone actually Thai? Perth Nakhun has gotchu.

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THE SHOWS

Most of these shows are available, legally, for free on YouTube with subtitles. For those that aren’t, or if any links have since died, message me. Fansub teams are scattered around a bit haphazardly so it's hard to know where to look sometimes but these (drama)s are very (cool) so you should definitely give them a go.

I’m focusing solely on TV here; films are a whole other area which I don’t have much experience in. For a list of like, literally every show and film ever, see here.

Key ✨ - Personal recommendations 🏳️‍🌈 - Openly queer cast and/or crew involved in the show Title, with a link to the listing on MyDramaList Synopsis, including notable cast members. Notes, aka gossip & triggers. Links

Summaries my own, because my own may suck but the official ones are even worse.

◇   ◆   ◇

The Classics.

Note: quality on these shows tends to be a lot lower than recent ones. These are the very start of the industry, and so show a time before they’d found their footing. They're messy, kinda cringey, and filled with teenagers, but on the other hand, there’s a certain charm to them because of that? They feel more genuine for their amateurish production, like they've been made for love rather than money, and there’s a real sweetness to a lot of the couples.

🏳️‍🌈 2 Moons

After Wayo enters the same university as his longtime crush Pha, he joins a competition to be crowned the campus moon (think prom king) in an effort to get Pha’s attention. As the former moon Pha is in charge of mentoring the new crop of hopefuls, but he seems to have a strange dislike for Wayo. Meanwhile, Wayo's best friend Ming attempts to win over a taciturn senior, Kit.

Note: this show had drama. Note the lack of actor's names. After Pha's actor, God Itthipat, revealed himself to be a homophobe that auditioned for the show solely to boost his modelling career, the author of the original novel took the opportunity to reveal she didn't like the cast and fired everyone. A reboot with a new cast — very imaginatively named 2 Moons 2 — was produced with plans to finish out the rest of the series, but that also crashed and burned via one of the producers coming onto and then being rejected by Wayo's new actor, Earth Teerapat. The producer fired Earth from any promotional stuff and the next season and then blacklisted him, the rest of the cast quit in protest, and season 3 has been languishing ever since. Last I heard the production company were refusing to admit any fault and going through a new round of auditions with little success. Actually a pretty sweet show on its own merits, so has quite a few fans despite all of this. General consensus is that 2 Moons 2 is the better series but it also moves a lot faster and I prefer the cast of S1. Watch either; you get more plot with S2 but it doesn't matter in terms of continuity.

(🏳️‍🌈 applies to the original 2 Moons only, with Kit’s actor aka Copter Panuwat being nonbinary.)

S1 Trailer ♦  S2 Trailer  ♦  Watch S1 and S2

🏳️‍🌈 Love By Chance

Pete (Saint Suppapong) is a shy student who keeps to himself to hide the fact that he’s gay after previous experiences with violent homophobia. A chance encounter with the hotheaded and outspoken Ae (Perth Tanapon) brings him out of his shell to the point where he takes a chance on not just friendship, but also love.

Note: another one with drama. The short version is that a) only one of the cast (Earth Katsamonnat) is out as queer, resulting in many of the gay-for-pay actors belittling and bullying him on set, and b) Perth’s manager at one point started talking shit publicly about Saint, implying that he gets acting roles via selling himself to producers. Seemingly owing to age and industry inexperience Perth basically ignored the entire thing was happening, and what started as a few snide comments blew up to result in what looked like a very real and very public breakup. Earth and Saint both reject any association with the show now.

Note v.2: TW for rape and pseudo-incest (step-brother romance), but both are side storylines that are easily skipped with no impact on the rest of the show. Skip any scenes with Kengkla, Tum, and Tar. Despite [gestures] everything, the AePete parts are incredibly sweet and worth watching.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

✨ Love Sick

Student council member Punn’s (White Nawat) father wants Punn to date his boss’ daughter, never mind that Punn already has a girlfriend. The only thing that could sway him from the idea is if Punn had a boyfriend instead. Punn’s target for the farce? Noh (Captain Chonlathorn), president of the school music club who is desperate to get more funding for their activities.

Note: This is the show. The one that paved the way. I watched this show in 2016 and still think about Punn and Noh today. Skip any scenes with the girls, since their storyline is waaaay lower quality and also something that was written just to fill the time.

Trailer ♦  Links  ♦  S1 Playlist

Make It Right

After his girlfriend cheats on him, Fuse (Peak Peemapol) gets drunk and sleeps with a friend, Tee (Boom Krittapak). At the same time, Frame (Ohm Pawat) and Book (Toey Sittiwat) also sleep together. The story revolves around these four and their attempts to rationalise that night with their previous straight identities.

TW: consent issues.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

Puppy Honey

When their school club for looking after stray animals is threatened with disbandment by the dean, best friends Porsche (Kang Korn) and Pick (Off Jumpol) try to recruit the dean's neice Emma (Cherreen Nachjaree) and her best friend Rome (Gun Atthaphan) to help change his mind. There's just one problem: Emma is terrified of dogs.

No trailer :( ♦  Watch Here

Sotus

Engineering student Arthit (Krist Perawat) is known for his hazing of incoming first-years, but he meets his match with the arrival of new student Kongpob (Singto Prachaya). The two don't want to like each other, but are drawn together nonetheless.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here (Sotus S is S2. Ignore that.)

✨Together With Me

Reunited for the first time in years at university, best friends Korn (Max Nattapol) and Knock (Tul Pakorn) drunkenly spend the night together. Afterwards they try to work out if they’d work as a couple, and if it’s even possible to go back to being just friends.

Note: this is actually a prequel to another drama, Bad Romance, but that isn't required watching for continuity.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

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The New Blood.

Now we're getting somewhere! These are the post-2019 releases, which, as the industry was starting to get established in its norms, marked a significant uptick in both quality and quantity.

🏳️‍🌈 2gether

With an admirer making unwanted advances toward him, cheerleader Tine (Win Metawin) decides that the perfect thing to do to get him to back off is be in a very public, fake, relationship with the campus hottie, Sarawat (Bright Vachirawit).

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

🏳️‍🌈✨ 3 Will Be Free

What do a male stripper (Joss Way-ar), a pickpocket conwoman (Mild Lapassalan), and a gang princeling (Tay Tawan) have in common? Being bisexual, accidentally murdering a man, and going on the run together, of course.

Note: Polyamory and also a major trans character!

TW: attempted rape.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

🏳️‍🌈✨ A Tale of Thousand Stars

Rich kid Tian (Mix Sahaphap) spends his time gambling and drinking the days away; he has a terminal heart condition so it's not like it's his life is worth anything, right? Wrong. After unexpectedly recieving a heart transplant from a young teacher killed in a car crash, he abandons his life in Bangkok to move to her rural (aka lacking in electricity and running water) village in an attempt to find some meaning in his life, and to keep a promise she made to a forest ranger, Phupha (Earth Pirapat).

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

🏳️‍🌈✨ Bad Buddy

A rivals to lovers comedy where two university students, Pat (Ohm Pawat) and Pran (Nanon Korapat), who’ve grown up next door to each other, and whose families are feuding a la Romeo and Juliet, decide that generational trauma has had its turn; they’re gonna fall in love instead.

Note: F/F side pair!

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

🏳️‍🌈 Dark Blue Kiss

Pete (Tay Tawan) and Kao (New Thitipoom) are a couple and generally happy together, but that happiness is threatened by Kao’s reluctance to come out to his mother, something that Pete can’t understand. Kao, on the other hand, is tired of Pete’s possessiveness and jealousy. The two of them try to work out whether they care about each other enough to work through their issues.

Meanwhile, coffee shop owner Sun (Podd Suphakorn) takes in and employs bad boy Mork (Fluke Gawin) in an attempt to reform him.

Note: This is actually the third part of a series, following Kiss and Kiss Me Again, but those aren’t required watching afaik. There’s an official cut of all the PeteKao scenes Kiss Me Again for people who don’t wanna slog through Straight Nonsense, but I haven’t seen it so can’t say anything for the coherency.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

🏳️‍🌈 The Eclipse

Suppalo is a prestigious all-boys high school known for being unyielding in its standards, which fall to its prefects, including Akk (First Kanaphan), to enforce and maintain. On the outside, everything looks fine. On the inside, students protest daily about restrictive uniform rules, the administration tacitly encourage the bullying and osctracism of nonconforming students, and a beloved teacher recently committed suicide. New transfer student Ayan (Khaotung Thanawat) couldn’t give a shit about Suppalo’s rules. What he cares about is finding the truth behind his uncle’s death, what drove him to that point, and what it is about the school that inspires such blind compliance in Akk.

Note: this show has an interesting backstory in that the director, Golf Tanwarin Sukkhapisit, originally worked in the film industry before becoming Thailand’s first openly trans MP. When they lost their seat due to the military cracking down on pro-democracy protests and ousting anyone from parliament they deemed too liberal, Golf returned to filmmaking with a focus on subversive and anti-establishment media, including this show!

Trailer ♦ Watch Here

Enchanté

Returning to Thailand after spending time in France, Theo (Book Kasidet) is quickly bored by his change in surroundings and lack of friends, so turns to writing in a library book to someone he refers to as “Enchanté”. At his friend Akk’s (Force Jiratchapong) suggestion, the two of them start searching for his penpal. The problem? Not one, but four guys step forward.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

🏳️‍🌈 ✨ He’s Coming To Me

Amnesiac ghost Met (Singto Prachaya) waits for the day that one of his relatives will visit his grave so he can leave Earth and reincarnate. He spends 20 years like this, until one day he encounters a boy, Thun (Ohm Pawat), who can not only see him, but who also says his death was not accidental. Leaving the graveyard together, the two of them try to unravel the mystery of who Met was and why he’s been forgotten.

Trailer ♦ Watch Here

🏳️‍🌈 ✨ I Told Sunset About You / Last Twilight in Phuket / I Promised You The Moon

After a childhood falling out, close friends Teh (Billkin Putthipong) and Oh-aew (PP Krit) ended up as bitter rivals. Now in their last year of high school and preparing for university entrance exams, the two of them are thrown together again by a Chinese language class. Oh-aew is failing miserably. Teh grew up speaking the language. What starts as tutoring in an attempt to repair their relationship quickly turns into something a lot more as they try to cope with the return of their friendship and feelings.

Note: whatever the Thai genre equivalent of arthouse lgbt cinema is, this series is it. It’s so real.

ITSAY Trailer ♦  Watch Here (VPN to the UK required)

🏳️‍🌈 ✨ KinnPorsche

After saving a man being attacked behind the bar where he works, Porsche (Apo Nattawin) finds out that that man, Kinn (Mile Phakphum), is the heir to one of Thailand’s biggest crime families. Faced with debt, a younger brother to put through university, and the family patriarch’s gratitude, Porsche takes a job as Kinn’s bodyguard. All he has to do to survive is swallow his morals, keep Kinn safe, and try to ignore how much he wants to sleep with him.

Trailer ♦ Watch Here (First 3 episodes available for free, full uncut 18+ ver. available only through subscription).

(Also has a bangin’ theme song in both English and Thai.)

✨ Manner of Death

Returning to the small town where he grew up after moving away for university, one of coroner Bun’s (Tul Pakorn) first cases when he arrives is the supposed suicide of a childhood friend. It doesn’t matter that she was drugged prior to her death, nor that there were signs of a fight in her home, the police want her case buried so that’s what he’s told to do. Bun refuses. After being backed into a corner by threats and violence from an unknown source, he's forced to team up with mysterious bar owner Tan (Max Nattapol) to find out the truth, who all the evidence seems to point to as her killer.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

✨ Not Me

Identical twins Black and White (both Gun Atthaphan) grew up to have completely different lives after their parents divorced. When Black is beaten within an inch of his life by an unknown assailant, the pampered White goes undercover in Black’s anarchist gang as his twin to try and find out who did it, and forges a connection with Black’s rival, Sean (Off Jumpol), in the process.

Trailer ♦  Watch here

TharnType

Type (Gulf Kanuwat) is generally known to be very friendly and outgoing, except for one thing: he's homophobic due to being molested by a gay man as a child. When he enters university and finds that his new roomate, Tharn (Mew Suppasit), is out and proud? He wages a campaign to get Tharn to move out, of course. Tharn stands his ground, and so starts their life of constant push and pull.

Note: This show had a less than stellar reputation from the get-go due to the storyline, and it didn't help matters when Mew was cast. During promotions of his previous show, What The Duck, Mew at one point came onto his costar, Art Pakpoom. By Art’s account Mew had trouble separating the show from their real lives, thought they were actually dating, and became incredibly controlling and possessive over him. This all came out via Art having a breakdown on I think an instagram live? Fans, typically, rallied behind Mew in this, saying that Art had led him on with their contractually obligated public affection and was the worse party of the two of them for the fact that he was airing their dirty laundy in public. It became a whole Thing for a week or two, Art’s mental state and career both took a nosedive, and now everyone ignores that it ever happened. There was a whole push of MewGulf as a fanservice couple afterwards to try and make us forget about Art, which for a lot of people seems to have worked :/ Apparently people watched this because the kissing is good? Idk I didn’t watch it.

Note v.2: This is a spin-off of Love By Chance, so same warnings apply wrt Tum & Tar.

(I guess it qualifies for 🏳️‍🌈 considering Mew, but god, at what cost?)

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

Theory of Love

Film student Third (Gun Atthaphan) decides it's time to get over his years-long unrequited love for his oblivious best friend, Khai (Off Jumpol). Taking cues from his favourite films, he confesses in one last ditch attempt that goes nowhere. And then, just as he starts to pull away, Khai starts his own chase.

Trailer ♦ Watch Here

🏳️‍🌈 Until We Meet Again

After a tragic end to their romance, lovers Korn (Kao Noppakao) and Intouch (Earth Katsamonnat) are reincarnated as Dean (Ohm Thitiwat) and Pharm (Fluke Natouch). Meeting for the first time again when Pharm enters university, Dean and Pharm are instantly drawn to each other. They grapple with the concept of fate and falling in love so quickly, while flashbacks show the course of Korn and In’s relationship.

Note: big suicide tw for this!

Trailer ♦ Watch on YT or on Viki

Why R U?

Aspiring writer Zon (Tommy Sittichok) finds out that his sister has been using him and his rival, Saifah (Jimmy Karn), as fodder for her own romance novel. He demands that she take it down and she agrees, but only, she says, if he can prove that a) he’s a better writer than she is, and b) there’s absolutely nothing between him and Saifah.

Simultaneously, rich boy Fighter (Zee Pruk) tries to win the heart of a poor student, Tutor (Saint Suppapong), while chafing under his father’s expectations of a girlfriend and a career in business.

Note: this show is really lopsided. It’s also a hot mess. Initial plans were for the SaifahZon story to take centre stage, however they were filming each episode as they went and Covid happened partway through production and put a halt to everything. Trying to salvage whatever they could, they took what they’d already shot, aka the FighterTutor storyline, and finished the show with that, resulting in a mess of timeskips and general weirdness. I find the dynamics interesting enough to still be in invested, but obviously ymmv.

Trailer ♦ Watch Here

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The Pulp.

Like I said, post-2019 we've been getting a lot of new releases per year.  This is a selective round-up of stuff from smaller studios, shows with prominent actors, good stuff that just didn't reach the right audience, and the low-quality fluff.

Cutie Pie

The sons of two prominent families, Lian (Zee Pruk) and Kuea (New Chawarin), have been engaged since they were young. When an argument splits them up, Kuea is determined to use it as an opportunity to be himself rather than the doll-like image of a fiancé that he had portrayed for Lian. Lian, on the other hand, decides to pull out all the stops to win Kuea back, making sure that this time there's no obligation attached to their love.

Trailer ♦ Watch on YT or on Viki

Cupid’s Last Wish

Win (Mix Sahaphap) and Korn (Earth Pirapat) are close friends until Win's father dies and bequeaths Korn shares in the family business. Convinced that Korn was only using him for his family money, Win cuts off all contact. When a car crash somehow results in Win swapping bodies with his sister, he’s told that to turn back he must travel to four different temples scattered across Thailand in seven days, and that he must do it alongside Korn.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

🏳️‍🌈 Diary of Tootsies

When a friendship group of three gays and a lesbian all get dumped on the same day, they vow to each other to find love before the year is out.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

🏳️‍🌈 Gen Y

Hearing that there's one particular senior at university who's hard to approach, playboy Mark (Kimmon Varodom) makes it a personal mission to find, win over, and date medical student Kit (Copter Panuwat).

Note: I would be tempted to call this a redemption series if it weren't such a mess. After everything that was the first 2 Moons cancellation, fan favourite actors for Ming (Kimmon) and Kit (Copter) stuck together. This is supposedly what their season 2 would've been, if it existed, right down to Wayo (Bas Suradej) also being present as Mark's best friend, called Wayu here. Everything is much the same, both the Mark/MingKit dynamic and Wayo/u mooning over Pha, whose face is consistenly not shown and who also at one point dies so that the writers can pair Wayu up with the winner of a fan poll instead. No, I am not making this up, and yes, it is exactly as funny as it sounds.

✨ Great Men Academy

Hopeless romantic Love (New Chanyapuk) makes a wish on a unicorn (I know… just go with it) to turn into a guy (James Teeradon) so she can attend the same all-boys school as her crush. Gender bender shenanigans and rom-com situations occur as she tries to fit in, and when her male form instead catches the eye of another senior, Tangmo (JJ Kritsanapoom).

Note: I... actually really enjoyed this. James Teeradon in particular is phenomenal, as always, but the whole cast are great.

Trailer

🏳️‍🌈 Lovely Writer

Gene (Up Poompat) is a successful BL writer, never mind that he’s desperate to break into another genre like fantasy. His work is so successful, in fact, that his most recent novel gets turned into a TV show. As producer of the show and present on set everyday, he forges a bond with his leading man Nubsib (Kao Noppakao), but their blossoming relationship is soon threatened by the industry environment, fan expectations, and the very show that brought them together.

Note: this has a lot of meta commentary on the industry as a whole. Even if it weren’t good, which it is, it would be worth watching for that alone.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

My Engineer

Bohn (Cooper Patpasit) is a self-acknowledged shitty person who forces an underclassman, Duen (Poy Kritsanapong), into bringing him a red rose everyday in an attempt to weird hazing thing. It starts as a joke, but Bohn stops laughing when their forced proximity actually brings them together.

Meanwhile, extrovert King (Lay Talay) attempts to win over serious introvert Ram (Perth Nakhun).

Note: BohnDuen might be the primary couple, but RamKing is the highlight of this drama. We're supposedly getting a S2 centred on RamKing... eventually.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here (...and the fanmade RamKing cut here.)

My Ride

Medical student Tawan (Fame Chawinroj) and motorcycle taxi driver Mork (Fluke Pongsakorn) meet by chance one day when Tawan hires Mork to drive him across town. This one ride turns into many, and their feelings turn into love, regardless of the class difference.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

My Secret Love

Kimhant (Earth Teerapat) is a conscientious student who cares a lot about maintaining both his own and the university’s reputation. Mek (Fluk Chatchawan), on the other hand, cares more about his youtube channel than his degree. When a prank of Mek’s goes awry, the two of them are forced to first work together, and later fake date, to save themselves from suspension.

Note: this show has absolutely no business being as good as it is??

Trailer ♦ Watch Here

Secret Crush on You

At the beginning of his university life, Toh (Seng Wichai) falls in love at first sight with third-year basketball player Nuea (Billy Patchanon). Drunk on his first love but lacking the confidence to confess, Toh turns full-on stalker. When fate throws them together regardless of Toh’s wish to keep his distance, will he take the chance he’s given?

Note: This show is all about taking the characters who are typically the butt of jokes in Thai dramas and showing that they deserve love too. We have openly weird, chubby, and trans characters all having their own storylines and it’s incredibly sweet. Also, Saint Suppapong has seemingly aquired a flock of baby gays to guide.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

✨ The Stranded

After a tsunami strands a group of teens on their island school, they divide into groups as they try and work out not only how to survive, but also how to leave.

Note: Fair warning, the first season ends on a cliffhanger and we’re unlikely to get another due to the death of the lead actor.

Trailer ♦ On Netflix

✨ Triage

Losing a patient is nothing new for A&E doctor Tin (Tae Darvid). What is new is pronouncing that patient, Tol (Tee Thanapon), dead from a car crash, and then, the following day, seeing him be wheeled into the emergency room again. And again. And again. The same day loops over and over, and as Tin tries to learn how to escape, he gets closer to both Tol and also to a hospital conspiracy that threatens to consume them both.

Note: the broadcasters were doing this weird thing where the episodes were only available legally on YT for a two-hour window after they aired in Thailand. Ordinarily I would say to support the legal upload, but I feel like at that point it’s almost a moral obligation to encourage piracy.

As a sidenote, this and Manner of Death are by the same author. They’re only tangentially related though (ie Bun shows up to do an autopsy) so you don’t need to watch both for continuity.

Trailer ♦ Short film ♦ Ahoy!

Vice Versa

Talay (Sea Tawinan) is ecstatic when he lands his dream job, except that when his friends take him to the beach to celebrate, he drowns. Waking up in an alternate universe and the body of a rich boy, Tess (Ohm Pawat), he's told to find someone else, essentially his soulmate, who has also crossed over so that they can go home together and Talay can get back to his life. Whoever it is (Jimmy Jitaraphol) in the body of Tess’ friend Tun (Nanon Korapat) may fit the bill, but he has zero intention of leaving this world that he likes more than their original.

Trailer

You're My Sky

Thorn (Suar Kritsanapong) and Tupfah (Tae Chayapat) are both basketball players, but while Thorn is determined to turn professional if possible, Tupfah has put his own ambitions on hold. As they spend time together, and Thorn tries to convince Tupfah to return to the sport they both love, they, of course, fall in love themselves.

Trailer ♦  Watch Here

YYY

When one of Nott's (Yoon Phusanu) inventions goes haywire and wreaks havoc in his apartment building, he's on the verge of being kicked out. Luckily, prospective tenant Punn (Lay Talay) arrives just in time. Preying on the landlady's sympathy, the two of them concoct a plan to fake date in exchange for Nott’s continued residence.

Note: big flashing lights tw for the first minute of episode 1. This entire show is like someone’s acid trip come to life.

Trailer

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Currently Airing

Between Us (Aka Hemp Rope among fans)

A spinoff of Until We Meet Again, focused on Pharm and Dean’s friends Win (Boun Noppanut) and Team (Prem Warut) as they start a friend-with-benefits relationship that morphs into love. Win helps Team with his insomnia, and Team helps with feeling wanted.

Trailer 1 | Trailer 2

Ghost Host, Ghost House

A recent returnee to Thailand form the US, Kevin (Tod Techit) is fascinated by ghosts and Thailand’s cultural prevalence of them. Disregarding the warnings of his extended family and the local handyman, Pleum (Boy Nattapon), who he may have just a tiny crush on, he happily goes ghost hunting and exploring abandoned buildings in search for them, not knowing that there are some much closer than he thinks.

Trailer

Love in the Air

When Rain’s (Noeul Nuttarat) car breaks down one day and a handsome stranger fixes it for him roadside, he doesn’t expect that stranger to be Phayu (Boss Chaikamon), notable faculty alumnus and the object of his crush’s affections. Being an idiot, Rain hatches a plan to make Phayu fall for him in an attempt to get one over on him, but soon enough he’s the one catching feelings.

Simultaneously, Rain’s best friend Sky (Peat Wasuthorn) has a one night stand with rich boy Prapai (Fort Thitipong). Having recently left an abusive relationship, Sky isn’t looking for anything serious, but that doesn’t deter Prapai who fell in love at first fuck and makes it his mission to both win Sky over, and show Sky that he’s someone to be treasured.

Trailer ♦ Watch for free cut & on subscription uncut. (Note: the uncut ver. isn’t legally available in Europe.)

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Upcoming excitement.

Gap

Mon (Becky Armstrong), a fresh graduate, starts working as an intern in a big company because she admires the chairwoman, Sam (Freen Sarocha). She soon learns that Sam is nothing like her media persona, but is drawn to her when their paths cross anyway.

Note: Girls!!! Holy shit!!!!! So this is actually the first major F/F production that I’m aware of, and it came into existences at the behest of Saint Suppapong. After Saint starred in Love By Chance and Why R U he realised how skewed the industry was in favour of men, and actually founded his own production company to try and combat that. (Secret Crush On You was another of his productions!) This show is hopefully the first in a looong line of upcoming F/F dramas.

A few little teasers.

Moonlight Chicken

Jim (Earth Pirapat) is the owner of a Hainanese chicken restaurant. He values a simple life of making good food and looking after his customers. One night when looking after a drunk customer, Wen (Mix Sahaphap), they end up sleeping together, which quickly turns into a relationship that threatens the tight-knit little community that Jim has built.

Trailer

Never Let Me Go

Following the death of his mobster father, Neung (Phuwin Tangsakyuen) is the one left to pick up the pieces and take over the family empire. Unused to trusting people, he initially shuns the new bodyguard, Palm (Pond Naravit), that his mother assigns to him, but tensions quickly get the better of them and they start to fall in love.

Trailer

Wish Me Luck

Rak (Fiat Patchata) is somehow holding his own while juggling two jobs, one at a supermarket, the other as an intern for a small advertising firm. The supermarket is the least demanding of the two, but the advertising firm has the bonus of his very hot boss, Chai/Shine (Na Naphat), who takes it upon himself to personally oversee Rak’s vocational training. But as the work piles up and Rak struggles to hold his head above the water, he has to decide which is more important to him, and whether he’s going to let his emotions get in the way.

Trailer

Wish You Luck (yes, these two are named very confusingly.)

After a devastating event leaves cities empty and countless people dead, Ken (Tonnam Piamchol) survives by living alone in the wilderness, where his bad luck can’t jinx anyone he cares about. Q (Title Teshin), a strange boy he comes across one day, is trying to make his way home to Chiang Mai. Thrown together by the road, the two try to survive and make what they can of the new world.

Note: Tonnam lead role!!! Tonnam has been in a lot of dramas lately, including Triage, Cutie Pie, and Love in the Air, in supporting & background parts. He somehow manages to be a great actor even when he has literally 2 lines in a scene to work with, so we’re all really excited to see him as a lead 🥰

Trailer

◇   ◆   ◇

Links

Networks: @/asiansapphics @/asianlgbtqdramas @/lakornet @/asianlgbtnetwork

General where to watch stuff legally:

GMMTV YT

GagaOOLala (subscription service)

Viki

iQiyi

WeTV (finnicky depending on your region)

Viu (need to vpn to Southeast Asia or Middle East)

◇   ◆   ◇

@yilinglaozus​ @dekaja​ @sp8sexual​ you all liked my previous post so now you have to deal with this one too <3

#not tagging this or actually mentioning any of the networks because frankly this is so long it's embarrassing #this is for my mutuals and followers only <3 #*banging pots and pans together* come get y'all gay tv ! #also yes i'm aware that some links are missing. one streaming service recently went offline and all of their dramas with it #it's been an Experience trying to find them again #but there's bound to be uploads on yt or dailymotion #also i realise that i have not painted many of these shows in a good light but you know that post that's like #'it's hard to recommend anime to ppl because there's so much Typical Anime Bullshit you become desensitised to #and you don't know other ppls tolerance for it.' #? #that's me w thai dramas #i love them with all my heart and i would not recommend them to anyone. god bless.

[ms-demeanor]

Hi, can I get some clarification? At one point does lusting for a person/feeling lust for someone become objectification?

Objectification is treating a person like an object, like a *thing* instead of a person.

(for the purposes of this post I am primarily going to be talking about sexual objectification though parents treating their children like objects is DEFINITELY a thing)

I would argue that objectification happens when you disregard a person’s autonomy (not that you overrule or deny he fact that they HAVE autonomy, but like it doesn’t even occur to you that your choices should be considered because they’re not real enough to you in that moment for it to matter).

Having a crush on your friend or thinking that the cashier at a store is sexy isn’t objectifying them. Resenting your friend for not returning your crush or taking a photo of a sexy cashier to share on social media is objectifying them. Arguably just thinking about someone while masturbating is, to an extent, objectifying them. But imagining the sexy cashier taking you out on a nice picnic date and showering you with presents and buying you a pony is objectifying them too.

I’ve got a hot take here: Objectification isn’t inherently bad.

There’s a person at my gym who has some fucking THIGHS. Every time they’re at the gym they’re on the stair machine for a minimum of thirty minutes. I’m pretty sure they can’t wear jeans because I can’t *imagine* the kinds of jeans that would fit over this person’s quads. Every time I’m at my gym and this person is working out their thighs it’s a little bonus perk for my gym visit. In fact it’s kind of an incentive: if I go to the gym maybe I’m gonna get to see THIGHS and that’ll be cool.

This person is an object to me. At a conscious level I know that they are a real person with their own thoughts and desires and agenda and whatever but that’s not what they are to me. What they are to me is Damn! Thighs!

And that’s not a problem.

However if I *follow* them around the gym to look at their thighs, or if I stare obviously and move so that I’m working out behind them, or if I follow them out so I know what their car looks like so I can make sure to go into the gym if I see them in the lot THAT is a problem. And if they introduce themselves to me and I don’t remember their name or their interests and all I ever want to talk about is how hot their thighs are then THAT is a BIG problem. And if they were my coworker and I ignored their achievements and didn’t listen to their requests because their needs were less important to me than hot thighs and anyway if you spend so much time looking good you’re probably an idiot who doesn’t really work but just gets a paycheck because the boss likes looking at you and your work doesn’t matter THEN that is a VERY VERY BIG problem.

You are allowed to lust after and objectify people so long as it doesn’t impact the actual real world and that actual real person.

Chris Evans is an object to me. He’s pretty. I like looking at him. He doesn’t have any idea that I exist so me seeing him as just a pretty dude and ignoring everything else about him doesn’t matter. And I cannot tell you how much I DO NOT want to personally humanize Chris Evans as a celebrity and form a parasocial relationship with him where I know about his dog and his siblings and look at pictures of his family at the holidays. I’m much more comfortable experiencing Chris Evans as an object than as a person, thanks, and I’m pretty sure that for most celebrities that’s how they want most of the world to interact with them. But if I were to meet him and objectify him by presenting him with sexual fanart of him or if I were to have an interview with him about his political website and only asked him questions about his workout routine THEN it would be a problem for me to objectify him and I would be doing so in a way that was directly harmful to him.

Also. In terms of nonsexual objectification:

I keep hearing random liberals say that Biden needs to nominate a woman of color as his running mate.

I hear it over and over but I’m not hearing names, just “Joe Biden needs to nominate a Latina” “Joe Biden won’t win if he doesn’t run with a Woman of Color on the ticket.”

Over and over. But no names. No policy. Almost as if people are seeing this possible running mate like some kind of talisman or token or object or fetish (in the original “magical object’ sense, not the sexual sense) instead of a theoretical politician with experience and ideas of her own.

Hm. Gross.

And yes it is COMPLETELY possible to objectify men and we as a society do it A LOT and I kind of have the objectification of men as commodities in the popular music industry as a special interest that I’ve done a lot of reading and research and writing about.

Objectification is a thing that people do. It is arguably a *necessary* thing that we do in our society, where we’re aware of so many hundreds or thousands of people that we can’t actually individually treat them like humans (and we can’t even meaningfully conceive of MILLIONS or BILLIONS of people).

So let’s look at George of the Jungle (because that’s what we’ve been talking about today)

The ladies looking wistfully at George as he plays with the horses: these characters are objectifying the character of George but it is likely harmless because he doesn’t even seem to notice that they’re ogling him.

Ursula’s roommate/friend staring at George naked: this character is objectifying George and it *could* be harmful to his character because it will change their interactions and the way she views him and the dynamic between him.

The advertising for the film focusing on a shirtless character slammed into a tree: Not objectifying George.

Tumblr focusing on gifs of George/Brendan Fraser without his shirt: Objectifying the character/actor, harmless (though if you approached the actor on the street and said “Oh my god, I am so hot for your ass in that one scene where you’re wearing the bowl” that would be harmful)

People focusing on Brendan Fraser’s weight gain and lamenting that he’s no longer sexy: Objectifying the actor, potentially harmful to the actor (because people frequently tag the actors in criticism like this) and definitely bodyshaming in a way that can be harmful to the people who encounter the criticisms.

Fans expecting actors to maintain a particular level of fitness outside of a film: objectifying the actor, harmful.

Studios expecting actors to perform complicated stunts without adequate preparation or safety precautions: Objectifying the actor, harmful.

Studios and audiences expecting actors to be dangerously dehydrated so that they appear extremely muscular or extremely fit when filming; Objectifying the actor, harmful.

A film executive expecting an actor to perform sexual acts for them or to tolerate sexual touching because they’ve cast the actor for a part: Objectifying the actor, harmful. 

So it’s interesting that while the actor Brendan Fraser was likely objectified in the process of making this film (especially considering that, yeah, there was probably some unhealthy dieting and some dehydration to look as lean and muscular as he did in some scenes) the film as a whole does not objectify the character of George.

Anyway.

Shit’s complicated and there’s not a clear dividing line but it’s okay to think of people as objects sometimes because that’s honestly a thing that we have to do to get through the day without keeling over from overextended empathy but it’s not cool to *treat* people like objects and media that treats people like objects frequently models behavior that people normalize even if they don’t intentionally emulate it so it’s worthwhile to have discussions about the objectification of characters in media.

There we go.

Easy, right?

[taetaespeaches]

“I thought you left.”

yoongi x reader (or oc) genre: angst; fluff; light smut word count: 1.8K

a/n: well, here is the start of the angst. It’s not like super angsty yet, but it’s introducing it. This includes multiple different points of time, but it takes place after  “Why would you have the condoms clear across the room from the bed?” Also, this is inspired by Taylor Swift’s “august” from her album, folklore. WE’RE GETTING INTO THE FOLKLORE FICS AGAIN!! Thanks for reading, lovelies, I hope you all enjoy :))

THE morning after your first time with Yoongi was easy and comfortable. You woke up facing him, his body curled adorably toward you, one of his arms resting underneath your neck, your hand positioned on his hip. You could tell from the sun shining through your window that it was late morning.

Gently, you traced your fingertip along his jaw, dragging it over his cheeks, and when he squeezed his eyes tighter together letting out a groan, you poked his cheek with a giggle.

“Morning, Min,” you whispered, his eyes slowly fluttering open at the sound of your voice. It took him a moment to focus on you but when he came into consciousness, a gummy grin overtook his face.

“Morning, Kid,” he spoke gently, his voice husky with slumber. “Sleep ok?”

You nodded, leaning toward him to catch his lips in a sweet kiss. He happily kissed you back, wrapping an arm around your waist and tugging you closer to him. Some light kissing and wandering hands led to another round, just as sweet and sensual as the previous night.

When you rolled on top of him, taking over as the main actor in the session, Yoongi’s hands gripped your hips tightly, small moans slipping out of his lips as he appreciated the move of your hips atop him. “Fuck, you’re unbelievable,” he breathed out, you giggling in response as you continued to grind down. He chuckled in disbelief before the laughing faded into another moan.

After you both finished, you rested on top of him, his hands drawing designs and writing out words on your lower back. He lounged around a while after, helping you cook a quaint breakfast for the both of you.

On his way out, he hugged you close and kissed your temple before telling you, “I’ll see you soon, Kid.”

You kissed him and mumbled against his lips, “I’ll be waiting.”

That was three weeks ago.

Since then, you’d seen each other three times, each time in his car in the parking lot behind the mall. There were two other dates that he had canceled out on, which hurt, especially considering you had been canceling plans or not making them at all with friends in hopes he’d call you to meet up, but it was all forgiven every time he’d reschedule.

During your dates, he’d put a movie on, and you’d watch a little, kiss a little more, cuddle a lot, and talk throughout. The second time, a particularly late date, Yoongi cut it short due to you both taking turns dozing off. Last night, the third parking lot date, ended in you inviting him back to your place.

The truth was, things felt different between you and Yoongi. As if you were holding onto something that might not be there. The first month of knowing Yoongi felt so promising. You both tried to prioritize each other, even if you only saw one another once every two weeks. But ever since that morning he left after your first time together, his texts and calls were less frequent and lacked consistency. You feared you were in that place in a relationship where you were deciding on whether to commit or to part ways. Was Yoongi pulling away?

With some convincing, saying he needed to get back to the dorm to pack for a quick work trip to Japan, Yoongi agreed to come to your place. Upon arrival, you split a bottle of wine and listened to music, talking about work, and a little about your families. You were sitting on the kitchen counter, Yoongi leaning on the counter next to you, supporting himself with his forearms as he occasionally traced patterns on your leg.

Finishing off his glass, and therefore the bottle, he leaned toward you, placing a kiss to the inside of your elbow. Standing up straighter and stepping closer to you, he continued kissing up your bicep, to your shoulder, and eventually your neck.

Slotting himself between the V of your legs, his hands found the sides of your face as he kissed you deeply. Maybe you shouldn’t have let him considering the shift in his behavior toward you since your first time being intimate, but you craved him. You yearned for the affection he gave you while twisted in bed sheets. And perhaps you were living for the hope of a life together, outside of parking lot dates once a week.

You didn’t even make it to the bed, using the condom you placed in your bag before you left to see Yoongi in his car. Yoongi bent you over the counter before you ended up on the floor, you on top as he leaned back against the refrigerator door. After having caught your breath, both of you in fits of giggles, you stumbled to the bedroom, leaving your clothing on the kitchen tiles, crashing on the mattress.

A hangover was already settling in as soon as you opened your eyes to the sun shining through your window. Feeling next to you to find the body of the man you were definitely falling for, you found an empty bed. Did he leave? Despite the dull pain in your head, you quickly crawled out of the blankets, wrapping yourself up in the bed sheets, and hurried through the apartment in search of Yoongi.

Your heart dropped into your stomach when you found the apartment empty, his clothing gone, yours neatly folded and sitting on the counter next to the coffee pot. Though there had been a noticeable change in Yoongi’s attention, you didn’t expect him to leave without a word. But then again, maybe you didn’t know him as well as you thought.

Scanning your surroundings, you noticed the coffee pot had a fresh brew inside of it, still on. You didn’t think anything of it, going to grab a mug, until you saw a sticky note from the desk in your bedroom stuck to the top of the coffee maker.

Meet me on the deck, sleepy head.

Forgetting about the hot dark liquid, you hurried to your back deck, relief flooding your body when you saw Yoongi sitting on one of your patio chairs, leaning forward as he scrolled through his phone. Before opening the door, you watched him for a moment, the sun beating down on his hoodie-adorned back, your mind reminding you of how smooth and toned his back was when he was shirtless, walking around your bedroom naked. How it felt to hold onto his back as he moved in and out of you. Suddenly, you found yourself wanting to trace your name onto it, reminding him of your presence if he ever forgot.

Sliding the door open, he looked up instantly, his chin shivering from the cool air, his eyes wide before they softened, a small smile greeting you. “Morning, Kid.”

“I thought you left,” you said, stepping outside, tugging the sheet closer to you in response to the chilly outdoors.

His eyebrows pulled together as he shook his head, placing the phone on the table. “I wouldn’t do that.” He observed you for a moment before gesturing with a nod of his head for you to come to him. You easily walked over to him, standing above him as he looked up at you, a hint of sadness in his eyes. His hand found the back of your legs, tugging on you until you willingly sat in his lap. The small trembles of his shivers vibrated against your body.

“Why are you out here if you’re so cold?” You asked, Yoongi chuckling lightly against your arm.

“Don’t worry about me,” he whispered. “I’m just thinking.”

Placing a kiss to your temple, you leaned into the touch, almost embarrassingly eager to feel his affection. His skin was cold against yours, but you didn’t mind.

“I’ll be gone for five days,” he told you.

“Will you text?” You asked, smiling at the feeling of Yoongi’s lips curving up as they were still resting on the side of your face.

“I’ll even call,” he assured you in a whisper before leaving a peck to your hairline. “Did you get coffee?” You shook your head and he sighed. “I make coffee and you don’t even drink it,” he complained through a pout, you looking up to admire the position of his adorable lips.

Leaning forward, you grabbed his mug off the table. “What are you talking about? I’m drinking it now,” you smirked as you took a sip, only to be met with a scoff before his mouth formed into a gummy smile.

You took another drink as Yoongi’s arm wrapped tighter around you, holding you firmly against him. “You make leaving on these trips hard, you know that?”

“I’m sorry,” you responded, Yoongi scoffing with a smile.

“No, don’t say sorry. It’s not a bad thing,” he told you thoughtfully. You watched as his mind wandered through his hectic thoughts, sure he had a lot on his mind by the way his face scrunched up a bit. “Did you really think I would just leave after last night?” He asked, his eyes straight ahead, the steam coming from the mug of coffee obstructing your view of his face just slightly.

“I didn’t know,” you admitted. Without a word, he simply nodded, taking the mug from your hands to take a drink of his own before placing it back into your palms.

“It’s cold, let’s get inside.”

Six days. Two texts.

The first day, Yoongi texted to tell you they were departing from the airport. You received the second text when they landed. A simple, “Made it safe.”

The remaining five days went by without a word, despite your good morning texts and “Missing you” texts. No calls. Just silence. If it all went according to schedule, he should be back at the dorm by now.

The disappointment overtook your emotions and you could no longer try to think of excuses for his distance. Memories drowned out all thoughts that weren’t of Yoongi. The sweet possibilities of your first meeting. Your nerves and excitement at your first date at the diner. The unplanned second date at the café and his need to see you. His first appearance at your apartment, and how he seemed to belong there. The thoughtfulness of your fourth date in the parking lot behind the mall. Finding yourselves tangled up in bedsheets on your fifth date, with so much ease and comfort. And then, the way things seemed to fade out, changing from colors only he made you see to a dull grey, all hope dissolving.

At the start, wanting was enough. Hope was enough. What once felt like you’d found the one, now felt like it was slipping away like that last bottle of wine you drank together. Looking back on the past two months, you realized, you weren’t losing him. He was never yours to lose.

#yoongi #yoongi x reader #yoongi angst #yoongi fluff #yoongi smut #yoongi drabble #yoongi drabbles #yoongi fic #yoongi fics #yoongi scenario #yoongi scenarios #yoongi imagine #yoongi imagines #suga #bts suga #bts #bts x reader #bts angst #bts fluff #bts smut #bts drabbles #bts fics #bts scenarios #bts imagines #seokjin #hoseok #namjoon #jimin #taehyung #jungkook

[dangermousie]

2020 End of Year Post - kdrama edition

You can find my 2020 cdrama post here: dangermousie.tumblr.com/post/638449659546845184/2020-end-of-year-post-cdrama-edition

This is only going to cover kdramas that aired in 2020; if it originally aired another year, it’s not on this list.

It’s been a pretty lackluster kdrama year. There are probably only 5 kdramas I truly loved and only three of them I was really obsessed over. Better luck in 2021!

DRAMAS WATCHED

(In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)

42 Born Again - so bad, so incoherent, so insane, I have no idea why the leads signed up for it (and unlike some of the other watchers, I think it was awful from the very start.) There is literally nothing about this drama that makes sense.

41 Love with Flaws - a bunch of people who should be tried under the Geneva Convention.

40 Sweet Munchies - Jung Il Woo proves his inability to pick a functional script.

39 Meow the Secret Boy - if you ever wanted to bang a cat, this drama is for you. Not being a furry, however...

38 Do Do Sol Sol La Sol - I lost braincells just typing out this title.

37 When I Was the Most Beautiful - the only way it’s not the dumbest, most pointless melo of 2020 is because Born Again considerately came out the same year.

36 Woman of 9.9 Billion - if you want to watch an artsy French movie about miserable people, but only badly made, boy do I have a drama for you.

35 Lies after Lies - screams after screams.

34 Backstreet Rookie - people were up in arms about various problematic plots. I am a survivor of many plots much more problematic but even I couldn’t survive how utterly boring and annoying this drama was and how utterly irritating the leads were. This has taken Ji Chang Wook off my top favorites into “should I even check his latest Lovestruck in the City? Probably not” territory almost single-handedly (Melt Me helped, to be fair.)

33 Men Are Men - boring is boring.

32 Dinner Mate - two beautiful boring people eat out a lot.

31 Was It Love - no it wasn’t.

30 Alice - Joo Won in the shower can make up for a multitude of sins but not plot nonsense of such magnitude. When you find yourself thinking it would be better if he hooked up with the alternate universe version of his mother because at least then something entertaining would happen, you know it’s bad.

29 More than Friends - started out OK, then made me hate basically everyone and kept going.

28 Start-Up - honestly, it’s probably more decent than its place here, but the toxic and batshit fandom for it (the worst this year) made me feel like breaking out in hives any time it’s even mentioned.

27 The Spies who Loved Me - how to take a good cast and waste it.

26 Private Lives - it was good but it never took off with its concept and spent more time on the incoherent plot than the OTP which was its one strength. It’s a decent drama but coming after Heartless City and My Beautiful Bride from the same writer, it’s a disappointment.

25 Record of Youth - as high as it is due to Park Bo Gum hard carrying this entire awful drama on his shoulders and doing it so well I finished it. Alas, while he is in one drama (and that drama is great), the rest of the characters and the entirety of the script are a pointless useless mess.

24 Do You Like Brahms - excellent first third, mediocre middle, and terrible last third. I don’t know what musical term applies to this? Diminuendo, I think.

23 I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice - nice and mellow but nothing much happens.

22 Forest - mainly for Park Hae Jin’s excellent and frequently naked bod.

21 The Ballot - I didn’t love it as much as everyone did but it was well-made.

20 Hyena - more romance and less weird law stuff would make it better.

19 365 Repeat the Year - surprisingly solid.

18 The Game Towards Zero - see 365.

17 When My Love Blooms - very old fashioned, very lovely.

16 Chocolate - also very old fashioned and very lovely but also with Yoon Kye Sang performing medical procedures bleeding and shirtless. MMM.

15 (tie) Secret Royal Inspector - a fun if run of the mill sageuk.

15 Find Me In Your Memory - best melo this year.

14 Mystic Pop Up Bar - surprisingly good even though I wasn’t planning to check it out.

13 Where Your Eyes Linger - came out of nowhere but was tender and hopeful and lovely.

12 Itaewon Class - Park Seo Joon hard carries a drama that is already excellent. Love it.

11 Psychopath Diary - Yoon Shi Yoon is such a treat in a hilarious, cynical, dark comedy.

10 Kairos - more like ouroboros.

9 Queen Love and War - in a year where sageuks are very rare, this was solid and surprisingly moving and shippy.

8 The King Eternal Monarch - people didn’t like it but I did. It’s no masterpiece and both the leads and the writers have better dramas, but it was a lovely romantic fairy tale for me.

7 Mr. Queen - sharp, hilarious, and some of my favorite actors.

6 Psycho But It’s OK - healing, sharp cinematography and even sharper chemistry.

5 Crash Landing on You - the last ep pissed me off so much this drama is dead to me but I loved it so much until then I can’t place it lower in good conscience.

4 Train - who knew I would go this hard for an OCN drama or that OCN would do romance so well? But this time-travel mystery romance is just incredible and I shipped the OTP and rooted for the characters and loved every last bit of it.

3 Run On - this is the drama Record of Youth wanted to be but failed. Smart and lived in, you feel like you are peeking at real people, but also even four episodes in, I am so invested in the main characters separately and together, and care for them so much, it’s a little frightening.

1 (tie) Tale of the Nine Tailed - my perfect fantasy romance. I liked it better than Goblin, yeah I said it.

1 Flower of Evil - all the tropes I love in one incredible package. I would rewatch episodes waiting for new ones trying to puzzle the story and to stay withdrawal but it works just as well on rewatch. Lee Jun Ki brings his trademark tortured intensity and for once, both his leading lady and his script back him up and are worthy of that. It’s perfect.

FAVORITE DRAMA

It’s a tie between Tale of the Nine Tailed and Flower of Evil but if I had to pick just one, FoE, because it had me seriously obsessed and guessing about the protagonist and gave me the narrative tropes I love so much and an OTP that statisfied all my hurt/comfort kinks and then some.

WORST DRAMA

Born Again - honestly, this is so bonkers it almost becomes good but alas...

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Do Hyun Soo/Baek Hee Sung, Flower of Evil - he is so messed up, so on edge, so traumatized. Yet capable of so much warmth and caring even as he himself doesn’t realize his humanity. FoE is basically a story of a man pushed and punished by the world for his entire life who, because of one woman, finds a safe place and peace and slowly comes to life without realizing it, and watching his desperation to keep this small bit of normalcy is so heartbreaking and exciting all at once. Plus, you start the drama thinking he’s a psychopathic serial killer and end it (if you are me) thinking he must be protected at all costs and if anyone even looks at him wrong they must suffer, and that’s quite a change!

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Nam Ji Ah, Tale of the Nine Tailed - she is so funny and tough and smart and loving and amazing that I will totally buy that a literal demi-god will do anything and everything for her and love her for literal eternity.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

Dad in Record of Youth - yes in a year with serial killers and supernatural demons, I picked a normal character from a mediocre drama. It’s his everyday awfulness to his family that hits so hard and I am sad he never got his comeuppance.

FAVORITE SHIP

Ji Ah x Yeon - a fearless reporter and an immortal demi-god who’s been hoping for his human beloved to reincarnate. A really rare set-up where the OTP is equally ride or die, so compatible and completely BAMF. I got why he waited for her for that long and then fell in love with her all over again. Perfection.

Runner up: Flower of Evil - he is so messed up he literally does not believe he is capable of love or empathy, but he falls in love with her anyway and so utterly she permeates his entire life. She is tough as nails and only believes what she sees and is the sole person who believes in him against the world. She loves him but he needs her. She needs him but he loves her. They are amazing.

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Seo Dan x Gu Seung Jun, Crash Landing on You, North Korean x Conman were so good I shipped them harder than the main OTP and the end of that storyline pissed me off so much I dumped the drama and didn’t finish it for months (and it’s still dead to me.)

NOTP

Record of Youth - it started out and they didn’t have much chemistry but the dialogues were interesting and I thought the chemistry would grow. It didn’t and deteriorated, their dialogues became boring and relationship had zero development (about as much as the supposed female lead.) I think we were supposed to feel bad they broke up and they were going for a bittersweet open ending, instead I found myself happy about the break up of two incompatible, chemistry-less people and hoping for the love of God they never get back together.

FAVORITE SCENE

Yeon and the bridge of knives, Tale of the Nine Tailed - Yeon choosing to undergo the creeptastic bridge of knives for a chance to save Ji Ah, who at that point he is not aware is the reincarnation of his Joseon love because, as he says, he doesn’t care if she is or isn’t, it just would be more horrible to have her die than to undergo the horrific torture he is undergoing, and then the sequence with his catching her, her weeping over him and the fact that she is the original Joseon girl revealed and all the bandaging and his watching her sleep and all that loveliness, is everything for yours truly.

Runner up: Hyun Soo having that break-down at the cliff at the end of ep 15 of Flower of Evil as Ji Won desperately tries to convince him she is alive and he finally stumbles to her.

Runner runner up (it’s my list, I will do what I want): Do Won preparing to blow his brains out to give a chance to Seo Kyung to live in Train.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Seon-Gyeom, Run On. Yeah, I know. Im Siwan is tiny, delicate featured and has a runner’s build, none of which are things that normally appeal to me. But his character is so odd, so honest, so unflinching in pursuing what he thinks is right, so incapable of self-pity despite plenty of reasons for it, and so ridiculously attractive when he smiles, I don’t even care.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Kim Bum, TotNT - I started out being annoyed by him and ended up looking forward to his scenes and being distraught by his ending.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

Honestly, none. I was fine with all the endings. I wouldn’t mind seeing post-end life of Tale of the Nine Tailed characters or the OTP settling into their literal new world in Train, but I am good.

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

Time jump that solves all the problems off screen or alternatively years pass and everyone is frozen - something that kdramas need to learn and need to learn badly. See Record of Youth, Brahms and Start Up.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Men who are ride or die for their OTP - this was a great year for this - the male leads of four of my five dramas were beyond anything on that scale (only exception is Run On because it’s still too early to tell there.) Yes PLEASE.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

This was a banner year for that what with Start Up, Do You Like Brahms, Record of Youth, and Private Lives all starting out well and nosediving off the cliff but winner is Crash Landing on You. I loved it so much for bulk of its run but the last episode pissed me off so much I deleted all my files and called it a day.

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

Flower of Evil - I had no expectations of this drama and wasn’t even planning on watching it despite liking both the lead actors because yet another “look at evil serial killer be evil” drama with no romance was not my thing. Luckily someone convinced me there might be some romance and I peeked curiously. Honestly, their promo campaign was the most misleading and dumbest thing ever.

Runner up Psycho but it’s OK - I have never liked Kim Soo Hyun in anything before and the drama premise seemed WTF but it was shockingly good and KSH totally blew me away.

Hardest Working Lead

Yoon Shi Yoon - he starred in two (!!!) dramas in 2020 playing three characters and not only were both these dramas awesome in a lackluster year, but if it wasn’t for the fact that I knew it was the same actor and the fact that the characters shared a face, I would have never believed that they were played by the same actor. So good!

2020 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

None. Covid Year gave me PLENTY of time

BEST NON-2020 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2020

My Beautiful Bride and Deserving of the Name - I was obsessed with both of them and honestly, they were much better than the bulk of 2020 kdramas I watched.

MOST ANTICIPATED IN 2021

The Moon That Rises in the Day, Hong Chun Gi, Joseon Exorcist, Island,  Frightening Cohabitation, Snowdrop.

#kdrama #flower of evil #tale of the nine tailed #ocn train #jtbc run on #jtbc chocolate #record of youth #crash landing on you #born again #love with flaws #sweet munchies #do do sol sol la la sol #meow the secret boy #when i was the most beautiful #woman of 9.9 billion #lies after lies #men are men #backstreet rookie #dinner mate #was it love #alice #more than friends #tvn start up #the spies who loved me #jtbc private lives #private lives #do you like brahms #i will go to you when the weather is nice #i'll go to you when the weather is nice #forest kdrama

[comicnerd557]

Stray Kids as Teachers!!

Bang Chan

Definitely the music teacher

Type of teacher that is super caring

Anyone can talk to him about anything

Offers life advice

Mostly good, sometimes joking

“Pay your taxes and don’t drink and drive.”

Finger guns

Tries to use young people slang

Fails even though he himself is super young

Keeps pictures of his dog on his desk at all times

“Mr.Bang, who’s that?” Points at picture of Barry

He then goes into Barry’s life story, slowly gaining an audience of other students

Every kid has a crush on him

It’s a rite of passage at this point

“Have you seen his ass?” “Duh, who hasn’t?”

Lee Know

The tired art teacher

Has sass battles with his students

Winner gets some candy

He almost always gets the candy

Plays movies once a week

Thinks everyone deserves to relax

Super chill with what students want to create

After all, art is personal

Not at all harsh with grading

Sneaks his cats into the school sometimes

Gets caught, claims they’re there to be models

Almost always has music playing

Students go to him when they need someone to vent to

Gives somewhat violent advice so.... Don’t take it

Everyone wonders when he’ll get with Mr.Han

There’s bets going

Even staff are in on it

Mr.Bang started the bets

Seo Changbin

Everyone’s favorite gym teacher

Specializes his class for students' needs

For example, the asthmatic doesn’t have to run laps, instead, they do some weight lifting

Stresses the importance of warmups and cool downs

Thursdays are pool days

Everyone worships Thursday, as shirtless Mr.Seo is quite the sight

Fridays are fun days

Students pick whatever they want to do that day

Even group nap time has been approved once or twice

He is the best spotter

Have you seen his arms?

Can be frequently found bothering Mr.Kim

Always wearing a tank top. Always

If students aren’t feeling well, he lets them take a nap in his office

Has a special cot with soft blankets and pillows he bought himself

Does not tolerate students making fun of their peers

Has the record for the most detentions given in one day

The class ganged up one on kid who wasn’t good at the sport, so they all got detention

The kid got a free soda of their choice

Hwang Hyunjin

Drama instructor

Specializes in helping students put emotion into their lines

Musicals are his favorite

He makes the Choreo himself

Kind of strict about it ngl

Still understanding somewhat

Just... Not as much as he could be

Basically a mom to his drama kids

Gets told all the tea

The Gretchen Weiners of the staff

He knows whats happening with literally every student

Has shown up hungover a few times, just lets the student directors take charge

Will fight for the theatre department to get more funding

Makes some of the costumes himself

Talented boi

Tries to modernize everything

“Listen, I know Hamilton takes place in the boring times, but Jefferson needs some shades.”

KING of improve

Actually an amazing actor

Blows everyone's minds

Like, yeah, he’s goofy and hot, and he LOVES spilling the tea, but holy shit can he do Shakespeare

Leaves the school at exactly 3:30 PM, unless there’s practice

Has stayed till 11:30 PM once

His students worship him, trust me

Han Jisung

The cheery Kindergarten teacher whos energy rivals the kids

His classroom is an explosion of color

Loves his kiddos

Is great at calming upset little ones

Works incredibly hard

Every other teacher thinks his classroom is a total mess

Blocks everywhere, paints on every table, and nap time mats still out

If you look closely, he does have a system

Only pink paint on this table

The mats are in a specific corner

The blocks are for the kids to make words whenever they understand how to spell something

Big fan of the reward system

Has had many kids call him Dad before

Parents love him so much

Their kids come home rambling about their teacher who taught them the alphabet and they can count to five now!

His kids are pretty much little geniuses

Gets sick so often since he works with little kids

Makes sure his sub is fun

Also make sure the sub isn’t as fun as him so the kids still like him best

Found in Mr.Lee’s art room… way too much

Lee Felix

The school’s therapist

His room is the definition of Happy Yet Zen

Light yellows, pinks, and blues fill the room

Basically a pillow fort

Has a scent diffuser and let’s the student pick the essential oil 

Walks around school with a happy smile always

We know he’s Stay’s sunshine, but he’s now the students

Has a wall of cheesy jokes for students who just need something to make them laugh

Let’s students show him their special interests with no complaints

Gets into almost all of them himself, just to bond with the kids

If the kids just need somewhere to calm down, his room is almost always open

Need a twenty minute nap? He’ll put on some calming sounds and supply the pillows and blankets

The type of teacher who gives gifts to his senior students when they graduate

Always ready to show students music he thinks will help them

The other teachers love him because he brings baked goods once a week

Doesn’t care if students swear in front of him

Kim Seungmin

Middle school English teacher

Students are lowkey scared of him

But they still enjoy him alot

He frequently roasts students and other teachers alike

“Mr.Bang said he’s the best producer? Next person to have his class, tell him to check his ego.”

His favorite time is independent reading time

Mainly cause the kids know to be quite

Heaven forbid someone interrupt his reading

Every time they finish a book, the movie is played

It’s a nice break for everyone

It’s also a break for him

It’s tiring being that sassy all the time

Pretty strict grader when it comes to essays

Only because he goes over what to do super thoroughly and even a baby could do it truly

You think he wants to grade a 7 page paper? No

4 Pages maximum

Definitely has favorites

Tries his best not to show it

Everyone knows

Loves the quiet kids in the back who love reading

Reminds him of himself at that age

Ya know, a whole 5 years ago

Mr.Seo shows up in his classroom all the time, just to mess with him

The kids love it

Yang Jeongin

 The other kindergarten teacher

The admins of the school put the quieter, more nervous kids into his room

Jeongin has a very gentle personality when it comes to kids

The shy ones tend to flock to him

His classroom closely resembles a herd of sheep

Just a bunch of baby sheep hiding behind protective mama sheep

Super calm, but someone messes with his kids?

He’ll fuck you up homie

While Mr.Han’s classroom is an explosion of bright colors, Mr.Yang’s is more pastels

Parents are amazed as their kids slowly open up

Seriously, sudden their super shy kiddo has like, five other super shy friends and won’t stop rambling about  their cool teacher

Prefers a quieter way of teaching, unlike Jisung

Gentle nursery rhymes, soft blankets, no dance parties

Even though him and Mr.Han are polar opposites, they’re best friends

He calms the excitable teacher, and Han brings out his energy

It’s always funny watching the two classes interact

It’s like watching a sheep and fucking golden retriever interact

When the two classes go to gym?

Mr.Seo is in for a treat

One side of the class is screaming like madmen while running around, their teacher joining them

The other is calmly waiting for instructions on the line

Not that Mr.Han’s class is badly behaved, just… energetic

Mr.Yang just chills in the back of the gym, working on some lesson plans while his kids get their limited energy out

Nap times are the best

He sometimes joins in, but shhh, don’t tell the other teachers

Only Chris knows, and has a million photos of Mr.Yang napping at his desk while his students sleep soundly

#Stray kids au #Stray Kids #Stray kids fluff #OT8 #SKZ #Stay

[1990jeevas]

Plesse tell me about queerness in the get down!!

okay okay queerness in the get down let's fuckn goooo

disclaimer: I havent watched this show in full for like 5 months at least, probably gonna get something wrong and/or forget some more important bits. also this wasnt proof read I just word vomited

tws: period typical homophobia, abuse mention, f slur use, bury your gays trope, overdose mention, mention of a creepy possible age gap (the age gap hasnt been confirmed so that's why its possible), cops

going from least to most prominent queer characters, let's start with mylene cruz!

so, from the beginning of this show she has an established romantic relationship with ezekiel (although the status of their actual relationship changes frequently throughout the show) and though this was a relationship she was hesitant to pursue, it is clear that she does have romantic feelings for him and if not for them both having growing careers in very different music genres (zeke specifically working in a genre that she repeatedly labels as bad because she thinks they're ruining records + that it isnt real music because they're using someone elses piece and rapping over it, that's not really important here tho lol) they probably wouldve had a much healthier, smooth sailing romance. that being said theres a few things that happen in the show that, while not explicitly clear, or even really good coding at that—to the point where you wont catch if you really arent looking for it (and trust me, I always look for coding, hers was just so little that it flew over my head until I saw someone else mention it)—are still cool to think about!

so, for starters, I wanna mention the toy box performance, which was performed by mylene and regina, who are best friends. that's all cool and shit, and you dont really think much about it...until you hear about the fact that the show runners purposely colored a lot of the scenes in that performance with the bi colors. like. the writers after the show ended basically said "oh yeah there was plans to make her coding more explicit, but our shit got cancelled soooo" and then dropped the fact that she was gonna be bi (or at least implies bi) in the series, which puts a new twist on a few things.

now, besides the bi coloring in the background of the toy box performance (which was mostly on scenes with her and regina, which involved a lot of uh,, lowkey lewd dancing. with each other. in very revealing outfits. wooooo), there's her music! I dont tend to read too much into this one bc, like I said before, her coding is fucking light and the writers themselves said they didnt really get to do much with it, but I think some stuff with her music is interesting. specifically how her, yolanda and regina's song set me free blew up because dizzee, resident (lowkey enby coded) bicon, got their song played in a queer club. also that the song was majorly important to dizzee and started playing literally right as he kissed a boy for the first time and realized "oh shit I like boys that's bonkers". also that the song can be taken in a gay way since literally the entire thing is about becoming your true self, fully and unapologetically, which is what both dizzee and mylene's entire character arcs are about. dizzee (and a lot of other queer people, apparently), heard this song about being set free and it resonated with them so much that they got that shit most of its popularity.

speaking of dizzee and mylene, they parallel each other a lot in the way that their arcs are about them realizing who they are, coming into themselves and no longer just letting people treat them like shit in a sense (dizzee starting to tell people essentially that they can call him weird all they want, they can make fun of how he acts, what he likes, how he dresses, etc. but he likes how he is and quite literally saying "it's okay to be an alien" as he has consistently compared himself to one throughout the show vs mylene learning that if she wants to be a disco singer she needs to put her foot down, not let anyone, not even the love of her life, not even her abusive father, stop her from achieving her dreams, etc. and continuing to pursue her career with or without their support). one more little parallel that I think is interesting is during I think s2 towards the end of the show is when dizzee and thor are shown together having fun with each other, painting all over the building and each other and are basically just being happy and in love together and then they have these clips of them being interspersed with clips of mylene at a party where she is starting to realize that if she wants to get anywhere she needs to be her own main priority and that she needs to put her career and her dream, which is what makes her the happiest, above all else if she wants to succeed. idk I just think how the show made these two into a weird parallel, accidental or not, is neat. maybe not an explicitly queer parallel, but I think at least how her music and whatnot helped dizzee, the main queer character in this show, blossom, is important.

moving on we got shaolin fantastic also known as "oh no your internalized homophobia is showing-"

so, heres a quick list of...interesting shao facts:

Consistently referred to as fag/faggot (shaolin fanfaggot is my personal favorite); he gets really defensive about this despite nobody actually thinking he's queer, it's just people being assholes to be assholes, and he is the only character consistently referred to using a slur, especially a homophobic one, especially for a "straight" character. dizzee, a canonically queer character, is called a fag less than shaolin is even though dizzee actively goes to gay clubs, has a not so secret dude he "hangs out with" and wont let anyone properly meet, paints his nails, wears less than straight clothes even by the 70s standards and is just all around the definition of fucking queer (and I mean like in the weird way, not the gay way). in fact theres only like once I can remember him being called a fag and it had nothing to do with him actually being gay it was literally just like thrown out there the same way you would call someone a bitch.

Has only shown sexual interest in women, yet refuses to have deeper relationships with women in general (possibly because of trauma but who knows) but takes his relationships with his "brothers", specifically zeke, very seriously

Tells zeke and zeke ONLY his real name when zeke was planning to stop being his friend bc shao more or less got boo boo, a like 14 year old black kid, arrested for selling hard drugs; he was clearly scared and trying to do anything to keep zeke around, literally chasing him down the street and hounding him until he got zeke to stop and argue with him

Kept threatening to beat up zeke in the end but couldn't actually bring himself to do so, instead saying that zeke is "fucking lucky" before walking away

Let's zeke get away with things that nobody else can, in general just has a weird soft spot for ezekiel that he shows with nobody else

when shao found dizzee with thor in a vaguely compromising situation (like they were just shirtless covered in paint sleeping next to each other but shao had also seen everything they painted on the walls ((which some of it was sus)), it was clear they had painted on each others bodies and dizzee had been routinely disappearing with this guy for weeks now yet not producing nearly as much art, at least, as far as we audience members know) he didnt judge him but instead, waited for him to get cleaned up and then told him something along the lines of "theres a reason why im so secretive blah blah blah [not everyone needs to know everything about me]", which, in context, kinda implies that he might be a lil. a lil homiesexual. jus a lil.

whenever even the possibility of zeke leaving him comes up he absolutely loses it. he has literally cost ezekiel life changing opportunities because he thought zeke would just up and leave him for them. this could be abandonment issues bc he's a severely traumatized character, and that probably does contribute to it, but it also is just not a reaction he has to any of their other friends just randomly dipping in and out of his life soooooo

generally speaking, this mfer has got either bisexual with a big hard on for zeke coding or homosexual with terrible internalized homophobia and still a hard on for zeke coding. either fucking way, that nigga gay. he gay as hell. gay as fuck man. there wasn't really much to analyze here tbh bc the coding is just so fucking obvious if you look for it or you are/have been a gay person who's dealt with at least a little bit of internalized homophobia.

also, just a sidenote, idk how fucking old shao, but I'm praying hes like at max 19 bc I'm pretty sure zeke is a minor in this show and shao definetly is not so the whole him being heavily implied to have a crush on ezekiel thing is kinda. oof. not oof if zeke is like 17 but any younger than that? OOF.

edit: apparently the characters are only supposed to be a year apart in age but i had no clue about that before writing this post and since shaos age was never actually stated in the show i naturally assumed he was an adult since his actor Looks Like An Adult. this is definetly on me to a certain extent, but i also never saw anything about this when trying to find our their ages so 🤷‍♀️ maybe i just didnt look deep enough, sorry!

now moving on to the main event...marcus dizzee kipling :]

so, first things first, let's talk enby coding bc him being bisexual was already confirmed!

um, to start off, I just wanna say I dont think this enby coding was intentional or even really coding, it's just moreso me being a dizzee kin on main and knowing as a transmasc enby he has very transmasc enby vibes. for example:

cool, gender neutral nickname that everyone calls him

paints nails various different colors

the whole wardrobe is just a transmasc enby heaven...fishnet shirts, jean overalls, jackets and cuffed pants galore, the big colorful pins, etc

gender neutral hairstyle (when I had my fro it was very sexy and made it easy to transition between hyper masc and vaguely fem, which is pog)

comparing himself to/representing himself consistently with an alien character (though this is meant to represent his sexuality, it could also double as a gender thing too, not neccesarily bc of the whole nonbinary alien trope but bc an enby who likes aliens might heavily identify or compare themselves to whatever their idea of an alien is, whether that just be a genderless entity or a motherfucker with fly style and no need to be perceived as anything other Wacky As Hell)

moving on from there, let's talk about how his queerness is presented to us and how, while it may be a really good piece of representation, especially coming from netflix, it still lacks in A Lot of places.

so, let's start with good things!

i personally really like the get down's queer rep with dizzee bc it's (for the most part) nonsexualized and very very soft, about dizzee figuring himself out and realizing there is a place where he fits in, and about two teenagers in the 70s falling in love over their shared passion for street art. it also features an interracial couple where both boys challenge stereotypes both about queer men and men of color, which is epic poggers and very sexy. this piece of rep specifically is very important to me bc I am a queer black person and even tho interracial relationships are mostly normalized now, I've still had people give me shit for primarily dating white people in a town that is...primarily white lol

mm anyways, I can also appreciate how in the get down, dizzee being represented by rumi the alien is not a thing specifically related to gender (as it often is) and instead is about his sexuality and just in general weirdness and how it has led to him being alienated amongst his peers, poc or otherwise. him seeing himself as an alien is not about just his queerness, which is important, it is about him being a queer black man who talks different, acts different, dresses different and is "soft"—he isnt a walking black male stereotype and he wouldnt have been seen as masculine back in the 70s by any stretch of the imagination. this can be relatable to a wide spectrum of queer poc, from queer black men currently who still have to deal with this shit or to people like myself who are afab neurodivergent mixed race enbies that have always been signaled out as weird and alienated for it. dizzee is god rep bc while he has a small part in this show, his parts are very impactful, hard hitting and show queer poc of all ages that they arent alone and that it's okay to "weird", you just need to embrace it because somebody will love you for you, as thor did for dizzee.

that being said theres um. some minor problemas here,,,

namely:

dizzee and thors first kiss

the lack of development this pairing got

the way dizzee was confirmed bisexual off screen, he never said the words himself, just showed interest in both genders

the way dizzee and thor were never even confirmed boyfriends or just fwb so most of the fandom just calls them boyfriends bc Why Not

dizzee was implied fucking DEAD??? AT THE END OF THE SERIES?????? AND THOR WAS IMPLIED ARRESTED?????????????

now, these might have been things that wouldve been fine had the show been given it's full run but it wasnt which is why we are now left with probelms.

so, from the top, let's go over these: dizzee and thor's first (and only "on screen") kiss was one that was shown in a montage of other queer people making over and doing other vaguely romantic/sexual things, one of those things being a whole ass naked titty being mouthed at, but the actual kiss...was just not shown? like they really did just say "yes they kissed <3 you know this from the context clues of it being in a montage with kissing, hickey giving and titty sucking <3 but no we will not show it <3" LIKE HELLO? I SAW A NAKED BOOBIE BUT NOT TWO MEN KISS??? HUH????????

also, dizzee and thor were both fucking high as hell during this bit like this isnt a terrible thing but it's also like sometimes you do shit when you're high that you wouldnt do sober and they just never kissed again on screen so like?? like idk that's not that bad but it does kinda irk me since they deadass got no other on screen intimacy after that unless you including painting on eacher other or sleeping next to each other on a shitty mattress but not touching at all during it bc they were both at opposite ends of the mattress like half way off it

so yeah, that was trash. then we got lack of development, which kinda goes with the "dizzee being a bisexual but he never says it in canon" thing cause like...okay dizzee was already sort of a side character from the get go like he wasnt the mc by any means, but he became way more of a background character as things continued until we basically only saw him for performances or when he was with thor, yet they got no fucking development as a pairing other than "dizzee realize he gay, he like thor, he and thor spend time together and ig probably do some gay stuff but we dont really know bc we only ever see them do graffiti together now" like?? tf am I supposed to do with that shit. answer. quickly. and then theres dizzee not being confirmed bisexual, which is just a running problem with shows literally doing everything to say a character is bi except for having the character just...say they're bi? which would be so easy? like a good way dizzee and thor couldve had some development is by thor teaching dizzee things about the queer community that he didnt even know existed, thor couldve helped him understand what being bi meant and helped him label himself and whatnot but instead we got an off screen confirmation that the writers had bisexual in mind when writing him. which is garbagé.

the whole thor and dizzee never having a confirmed relationship status is also a development problem cause like literally nobody knows if they were just friends who made out, maybe fucked, who knows, or if they were dating bc dizzee does give a love confession but a love confession doesn't mean there is a relationship, especially since thor didn't say he was in love either (as far as I remember, I could be wrong, plus whether or not that really happened or was apart of dizzee literally overdosing during a performance is unclear so 🤪)

and now for the biggest issue...bury your gays trope.

during the season 2 finale, dizzee and thor are chased by cops after they are found doing graffiti, one of the cops is able to catch thor while the other chases dizzee into a train tunnel and there is a train seen headed straight for him before the show cuts to black on a train horn. the show writers claim that if they had gotten another season, dizzee wouldve been alive but since they didnt and since that's essentially super fan trivia knowledge, most people dont fucking know that and instead had to watch a black queer teenager chose death over being fucking arrested by a white cop. on top of that, thor didnt see any of that shit because he was caught and the cop started hauling him off while dizzee was still being chased so thor literally has no clue where his friend/possible boyfriend fucking is or that he's likely dead in a goddamn tunnel all alone, unless you count the fucking pig that chased him in there who wouldve died too. this shows rep was so fucking good as far as most shows go on not having major fucking problems, on not being toxic and over sexualized, etc, etc. and then they just. killed a black queer teenager for no fucking reason. like it was literally the last episode ever, it would add nothing to the plot, it would just devastate fans and devastate it fucking did. I dont cry easy but seeing a character I identified with, who I had hyperfixated on, die because he'd rather that than be arrested is terrible. it fucking sucked.

so yeah. that's my all too extensive thoughts/analysis on the get down's queerness. theres definitely stuff I missed, or misinterpreted, or looked too much into, etc, etc., but this was a fun thing to spend time writing sooo yeah!! thanks for the ask anon, sorry this was just a big rambley info dump, but hopefully you get some enjoyment out of it since it took like 3 hours at least 😭😭 feel free to ask clarifying questions lol

#shit self #asks #the get down #mylene cruz #shaolin fantastic #dizzee kipling #long post #analysis #info dump #idk if anon has seen tgd or is just being nice so i tried givinh background to things #kinz #bangerz #discourse

[nzvalley]

Rewatching some Star Trek: Enterprise

It’s been a long time since I have done one of these posts. What I kind of expected to happen did happen: once I hit season 3 and saw the network meddling, Trip/T’Pol, and the radical shift in tone of the series, it was hard to keep going. But I’m hoping to power through this season, and get to the much improved fourth season.

Just to remind anyone who is here for the first time. I’m doing a rewatch/analysis around the Archer/T’Pol friendship/partnership/relationship, based on my favorite episodes. I will be focusing on them, because that’s the aspect of the show in which I’m more interested.

Catch up on my previous rewatch posts here!

There will also be spoilers, not just for this episode but for the whole show.

Twilight (3x08)

Even though this is easily the shippiest episode for Archer/T’Pol, this isn’t one I automatically turn on when I’m doing a rewatch.

In part, it’s just too sad to rewatch frequently. Partly because it gets total forgotten with no impact on canon. It’s also just an annoying reminder of when the show and these characters were in a much better place.

However, it’s a really great episode overall and for Archer/T’Pol. It reminds the audience of how devoted T’Pol is to Archer specifically, calling back to T’Pol’s speech to Archer before following him into the Expanse. It feels out of place to the rest of the season, like it could have been written before the network mandates.

Just next episode (“Similitude”) we get a T/T’P plot that is equally a standout episode, but which is fully in everybody’s memories and has lasting impacts on the season. This contrast illustrates the suddenly differing priorities of this season.

Up until now, it’s worth reminding, the backbone of the show was how the relationship between Archer and T’Pol (and Shran!) shaped the formation of the Federation. But even in the worst of times, there seems to be a contingent in the writers room who still felt as strongly about Archer/T’Pol as they did in the first two seasons.

The start hooks you in immediately, with Archer’s confusion mirroring our own. Archer stumbles (shirtless!) into Captain T’Pol’s bridge. Seeing T’Pol commanding in her own right is so cool.

After the frantic and engaging teaser, we get a massive time jump. A gray-haired Archer wakes and makes his way through a home he doesn’t remember. He finds a devoted… caretaker… whose effort he can’t fully appreciate yet.

The altered dynamic immediately apparent between Archer and T’Pol, and the obvious changes in her look and demeanor, set the tone for the rest of the episode. Jolene Blalock is amazing as usual. She can play any version of T’Pol. There are great performances throughout, especially by Jolene and Scott.

Pretty much everything in this episode, barring the initial crisis itself and T’Pol’s accident, aren’t canon. As far as I can tell, not even the main two remember the alternate timeline, except maybe on an unconscious level. It’s one of those stories that gets completely stricken from the record, which is why it’s hard to fully appreciate.

Archer saving T’Pol at his own expense reminds the audience of how much he cares. Although it gets erased T’Pol repays that sacrifice in turn, devoting her life to his care.

Phlox’s dedication to finding a cure for Archer, and his overall concern, is another aspect of this episode that’s awesome. For me, the trio of Arhcer/T’Pol/Phlox was always the most interesting.

This episode shows one nearly concrete future where the Xindi win, showing how fragile the mission remains. The slow reveal of how complete the Xindi victory was, and the fragility of their settlement, is nice. This storyline was ahead of its time. Just a few years later BSG told a similar story, though much better and in a much-expanded manner.

Jolene does a good job, but has to explain so much story in so little time. This story seems like it should have been given more time to breathe, like it should’ve played out over 3 or 4 episodes. At least one more!’

T’Pol and Soval always have great scenes.

T’Pol: I won’t leave them. Soval: Them? Or Him?

T’Pol reiterates her choice of Archer and the humans over her own species, much as she did when initially choosing to join the mission to the Expanse.

T’Pol reveals she knows Archer’s deepest secrets now, even the proposal that was rejected because Margaret Mullen didn’t want to become a Starfleet widow. Has T’Pol made herself into a kind of Starfleet widow?

“Our relationship has… evolved over the years.”

Future Phlox is looking sharp. T’Pol’s hope about the treatment shines through.

Captain Tucker! Malcolm’s goatee!

Given the seeming romantic bias of the writer, it’s not all that surprising Trip/T’Pol sours pretty quickly in this timeline. Not only did T’pol and Trip’s dalliance fall apart, but they have seemingly stayed apart for years. T’Pol and her concern continues to follow Archer.

I may have missed similar instances before, but T’Pol’s casual, intimate, comforting touch in private is so cute. And a great visual indicator of how much T’Pol has grown. Archer seems on the verge of broaching the topic of the intimacy when he starts, “If this works…”

T’Pol once again turns down a chance to leave Archer’s side, even after he has seemingly healed.

Phlox: I understand I may have a passenger on my voyage home T’Pol: I’m remaining at the settlement for the time being. He may need my help during his recovery. Phlox: Have you told the Captain how you feel about him? It’s obvious you’ve become quite attached.

The blitz of exposition from Phlox and T’Pol to Trip about changing the past… there’s just so much going on in this episode. This story needed at least one more episode… Or maybe this could have been the plot to an Enterprise movie. Which still could work, given that the narrative necessitates the actors be older for most of it.

General Shran!

The bridge is gone. There are so many intense and devastating moments here… and then it all gets totally erased! Ugh.

Archer remains self-sacrificing to the end, deciding to just blow himself up if that’ll destroy the parasites. Ultimately saving the timeline through the same impulse that set it astray in the first place. He tries to get Phlox and T’Pol to save themselves, but they remain as steadfastly loyal as they have ever been. I love these three so much!

All three die carrying through the mission to the end. Phlox, then T’Pol, then Archer. Archer and T’Pol fall together and are laying together when this timeline comes to and end. The closest the ship ever came to being canon… and poof it’s gone.

There’s a tag at the end that’s real, with T’Pol admonishing Archer that he should have left her in the hallway accident that initially debilitated him. This calls back to her similar claim after her experiences on the Selaya. Archer, who has been isolating himself and becoming more ruthless, reverts back to his old self when it comes to T’Pol.

T’Pol: You could have been seriously injured. I told you to leave me behind. Archer: Fortunately, I don’t take orders from you. T’Pol: I believe you wanted to see this? Archer: Rosemary’s Baby? T’Pol: You were obviously looking forward to it. And since you’re not going to be able to attend tonight… Archer: Thanks.

T’Pol is always there for her Captain, whatever the situation! But the second half of the scene kind of ruins the sentiment. For as good as the rest of the episode is, this end scene is muddled in terms of what tone the writer was going for. I don’t think the actors quite got it either. It seems like Archer repays T’Pol’s kindness by being a brat. And when he drops a ‘nurse’ line… do they remember on some level? Or was that just for the audience? Either way, it’s a weirdly comedic end to a heart-wrenching and emotional episode.

#Star Trek Enterprise #Enterprise #Twilight #Captain Archer #T'Pol #Jolene Blalock #scott bakula

[welcome-to-the-cafe]

Shang-Chi (2021) Review Pt. 2

This one will be about the less character-relevant stuff, such as casting, props, settings, and design.

Easiest first: props and costumes.

A bit cool, a bit silly, and bit too "Chinese-themed".

The old Ten-Ring troops had normal armor for the time and age. The new Ten Ring troops looked like the Snake-Eyes fodder ninjas but with tassled helmets. Like I appreciate what they were going for, but...it look dumb dude. And what they were doing with only one hook sword? The electrified thing was cool, but y'all didn't use the bladed hand guard, the combo hook move, the spiked pommel...wasted potential smh. And then the electric arc crossbows....again I appreciate the idea, but that was silly, especially after we showed the Ten Rings sniper with a normal ass gun. Or, just go full sino-futurism and give me the chainsaw spiked club, the electrified monk's spade, taser three section staff.

The villager's clothes were too...saturated, and monochromatic. It kinda reminded me of Mulan (2020) actually, the white people's ancient Chinese clothing. In contrast, in the he TianLongBaBu wuxia series I've been watching, people dress in...normal earth tones. Oh also, too many fucking sandals, where are my black loafers and thick white socks, with rope bindings? Like the kind modern Shaolin monks wear?? The villager's weapons too. Only Xialing's was kind of interesting, the rest are vanilla staffs and sword+shield. Boooo. Where's the dragonscale fangtianhuaji? The dragonscale guandao? Ok I'm done. Just disappointed.

Wenwu's costumes were pure drip in every scene. Zero complaints.

Shang-Chi's letterman's jacket was my favorite costume to be honest. He should not have changed in the village. The final costume seemed a bit too...modern, but not quite to the level of the Black Panther suit. It just seemed like Western superhero top with a vaguely Chinese pattern on it. Or it looked kindof...southeast asian? Wish it had no sleeves.

Katy should've kept her Macau drip. The "traditional" robe just didn't look right.

Xialing looked the best in her inverse Bruce Lee colors crop top and sweats. Like damn.

Ying Li's robes' green is too saturated in my opinion, unnaturally. Same with Michelle Yeoh's character. Now that I think about it, I hardly ever see bright green in traditional Chinese clothes...or modern Chinese fashion. Her pristine white/biege wushu outfit is also meh for me.

Death Dealer's dark blue + yellow colors are quite striking, but a bit odd and out of place with the rest of the Ten Rings' getup. Perhaps it was intentional, since he's the elite trainer? I wish it was more modern, a la Snake Eyes' suit. I would also like to complain about his opera face makeup though; why only the top half? Is that even a real opera face design? It's kind of a dumb half-ass reference I think. Like, Noh masks are used all the time for creepy effect, why not Beijing Opera?

Next, CGI animals.

Morris the Hundun/Dijiang was cute, but I half expected him to suddenly go nuts and devour Slattery, since the Hundun is one of the primordial evil beasts. But Disney needs their marketable mascot. I even saw a Lego piece for him before the movie was released!

The trip through the other world was a bit too safari-like. Like wow, the Ninetails is just chilling by the road, and a herd of Qilin conveniently pass by. The execution of these creatures were fine, though the Qilin eyes were too "dead".

I don't have problems with the Lions' design, but they were completely unnecessary, and lowered the stakes for the final battle for me. Those two lions could literally tear apart all five of Wenwu's trucks in less than a minute.

I stated already, the big evil monster, the little soulsuckers, and the dragon are completely unnecessary to me. Even when I saw just the wood carving of the soulsucking bats, I felt disappointed. Xialing and Shangchi spent way too long riding the big dragon and not doing kungfu :/

Onto settings.

I just recently visited Bay Area! The hilliness of SF was nicely showed off by the bus fight.

Macao seemed well-grounded and normal for a modern Chinese metropolis. Was portrayed better than Tokyo was in Snake Eyes in my opinion. The bamboo scaffolding scene reminded me heavily of Rush Hour 2's Hong Kong fight, and I could hear Jackie Chan assuring us "don't worry, Chinese bamboo, very strong!".

The Ten Rings compound was...eh. No defining features to locate it anywhere real so whatever. But the interior was weirdly homey?

The Ta Lo village is what I really want to complain about: why they gotta throw Chinese people back to the Xia dynasty like that? Straw huts? Really? And there was a total of like 7 buildings there, across a tiny area. That is not a village, it's a medium-sized temple complex. Kung Fu Panda 3's hidden panda village was loads more impressive, with interesting geography. This was on a flat plane next to a pond. Combined with the costuming, it's like hello, it's hokey Western orientalism again.

Casting.

Tony Leung. Perfect. Outstanding. Phenomenal. Sexy as hell. I have recovered fully from Lust, Caution. I see on Tiktok that westerners are thirsting after him, and I am very satisfied. The "Killmonger-Loki" Effect is now the "Wenwu-Killmonger-Loki" Effect. I only wish he were younger, because I hate the "daddy" kink. Mr. Leung, you are a hero to Asian-American men. Thank you.

Awkwafina. Yeah she is pretty good as the unabashed ABC friend. But lately, I feel she has been over-used as the main Chinese-American actress. On some social media, I have seen Black users complain of her 'blaccent' and vow to boycott Shang-Chi in protest. I'm inclined to defend her, as it is probably what she grew up with, and the boycott feels like another attempt to draw moral hierarchical divisions between minorities. Similar sentiment is "yall didn't come out for Black Panther, why should we come out for Shang-Chi?". I don't have any data as to whether 'we' did come out for Black Panther, but I generally disapprove of POC factionalism.

Simu Liu. I'm glad that Westerners are thirsting over him too. I'm glad he's very enthusiastic and affable, and well-liked in the Asian-American community. He's us! And he got a shirtless scene! But the catch is...he doesn't fit the current Chinese standard for "hot guy actor".

From the majority angle: that's toxic af. He's hot enough, why are we being so picky with dumb Asian beauty standards? Will we ever properly support ourselves? Like damn, this is the first Asian-American lead in a goddamn Marvel movie, and this is how you treat him?? By the Heavens.

From the other angle: his eyes are small, his jaw kind of round, head kind of wide. Not the most masculine, but definitely not feminine. He's a normal Chinese-American dude. Chinese dude, Harbin, Heilongjiang born. Compare that to Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Paul Rudd, Chris Pratt, Sebastian Stan, Chadwick Boseman, Anthony Mackie, etc. These are among the finest western specimens; why did the pick the Asian hero to be played by the 'normal-looking' dude? Was Jackson Wang not available? Or Ludi Lin? I personally have a suspicion that his appearance most fits the stereotypical look of an Asian man to Western audiences, and that's why he was cast.

He's received hate for this, from Reddit r/aznidentity, the sub that I frequent, which currently is cheering Shang-Chi's box-office success. That's toxic af, and must be heartbreaking for him. Unfortunately, it's part of the larger conflict of Western and Eastern media, representation, markets, and culture. And that's a big fish to wrangle in part 3.

#shang chi #simu liu #awkwafina #kevin watches #asian american #tony leung