#japanese ql corner

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

It's a quieter week as a few shows have just wrapped and the next wave hasn't started yet, but there is still Japanese ql airing, including what is shaping up to be an all time fav. Both of these current airing shows are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Love is Better the Second Time Around

This show is so good, and so mature in exactly the way I hoped. And I don't mean mature as in explicit--there is sex in this show but it's not some wild heat level. It's mature in that it's a story about characters who know themselves, know what they want, and draw boundaries. Both Iwanaga and Miyata are going down as favorite characters for me; I especially love that Miyata is a more knowing and self aware spin on a really well known bl archetype (think Rain from LITA but if he actually knew exactly why he was reacting the way he was to Payu and was mad about it instead of just overwhelmed and confused). This week we got a lot deeper into his teenage hurt over Iwanaga and now have a firm understanding of why he's alternately giving into and resisting this attraction. I am looking forward to Iwanga figuring out how to repair the damage he caused and earn his trust back.

My Strawberry Film

This was easily my favorite episode so far of this meandering little show. Every week I am left wondering what exactly this drama is trying to say and be; it certainly doesn't feel like a bl. We have spent the vast majority of our time on doomed het romance while Ryo quietly pines for his oblivious friend in the background. But this week we finally got to know Minami outside of Hikaru's narrow gaze, and I like her a lot. Her scene with Ryo where they discussed their romantic woes and established each other as a safe zone was very sweet, and showed how perceptive she is about all these dynamics happening around her. I was discussing with @bengiyo whether the show is going for an aromantic read with her, and I'm not sure. I see the makings of it, but the presentation of her feelings on romance feels a bit muddled. I loved her calling Hikaru out on being self-centered and having absolutely no patience for his petty jealousy. Hikaru thinks he likes her, but he doesn't actually know her (or his own best friend). I liked the final scene between Ryo and Hikaru as well, and the terrible angst of Ryo's confession that he immediately took back. The way the lights and audio from oncoming traffic played over his face in that scene was a really fantastic way to communicate both a moment of clarity and a moment of fear in the aftermath. I'm curious to see where this show takes the ending; a romantic conclusion for the two boys would not feel genuine to me at this point, but I could see them leaving us on a note of burgeoning curiosity and hope.

Bonus: No Touching At All

I recently watched this 2014 jbl on @twig-tea's recommendation, and I really loved it (I have already watched it twice and will definitely be doing so again). This is a classic office romance between a young gay man, Shima, and his "straight" boss, Toga. It's a simple story but well executed, and the film has a strong sense of place that I really loved. Shima and Toga have a fairly instantaneous attraction, and Toga is the kind of laidback character who simply never gave much thought to his sexuality and doesn't care about the fact that Shima is a man; he likes who he likes. Shima, however, is carrying a lot of internalized homophobia and trauma from closeted men messing him around in the past, and has a hard time believing in Toga's sincerity. I really love the way this conflict plays out in the story, and I especially love the way Toga talks to Shima. He's a no bullshit kind of guy and he tries his best to reassure Shima, but he's not a pushover, either. Ultimately Shima has to work through his own insecurities and make the choice to be brave to make the relationship work. The ending of this one is amazing and left me feeling very confident in this couple, and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's the grey for this one, unfortunately, but if you have trouble finding it in HQ let me know and I'll point you (don't watch it on YT, the version on there is potato quality).

#japanese ql corner #love is better the second time around #koi wo suru nara nidome ga joto #my strawberry film #no touching at all #japanese bl

[absolutebl]

Which Japanese BLs should Thailand actually remake?

I should say up front I am NOT a purest. I actually like seeing different country's takes on IP. It says a lot about the culture in question and how they perceive themselves and queerness. I don't have "babies" so Thailand can fuck around with whoever they want to IMHO.

However, I do think Ossan's Love is a poor choice. And much as I love the original I think My Love Mix Up is a fine choice and Gem4 will do a great job.

But still, let's play a game.

The JBLs that GMMTV should adapt

You ready to be offended?

Seven Days - oh yes, I said it. ME! This BL is actually perfect (I WILL FIGHT YOU), but I think it would be fun to see what GMMTV could do with such an elegant piece of clean storytelling. It's right in their wheelhouse. I want an 8 ep run: One ep for each day plus one for them as a couple.

Minato's Laundromat - give us the age gap we deserve, Thailand.

Mr. Unlucky Can Only Kiss - I think Thailand could do a much better job with this one, frankly.

Eternal Yesterday - and give it a happy ending, damn it

Candy and Kiss - I'd love to see Thailand adapt this underappreciated little manga.

Takumi-kun - YES, I said it... bite me.

Wait For Me at Udagawachou - this is a long pull (and QL not BL) so I think only the 180 Degree people could handle it, but I'd love to see Thailand try.

Hand if off to Taiwan instead

My Personal Weatherman

My Beautiful Man

Tokyo in April

Silhouette of Your Voice

Same Difference - fucking please adapt Docchi Mo Docchi Taiwan, I will love you FOREVER. This is a GREAT IP that was criminally mishandled by Japan.

Hand if off to Korea Instead

Given

Kabe Koji

I Want to See Only You

Senpai, This Can’t be Love!

Jack o'Frost

Fujimi Orchestra

Ones I Think No One Else Can Handle

Our Dining Table

Takara & Amagi

Old Fashion Cupcake

Life: Love on the Line

His

What Did You Eat Yesterday?

The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese

I'm gonna remind you all the Thailand has already adapted Love Stage!! and they did a better job than Japan, IMHO.

(source)

#just farting around #GMMTV made me do it #Japanese BL that Thailand SHOULD adapt #BL adaptations #sharing BL IP #Minato's Laundromat #Mr. Unlucky Can Only Kiss #Takumi-kun #Wait For Me at Udagawachou #Eternal Yesterday

[pandasmagorica]

First watch: Stay By My Side

Okay, it's been a couple weeks but I just had to get another re-watch of Bad Buddy in before that series potentially disappears from YouTube after the Viki deal.

So, we'll see what's memorable about it.

First, the Taiwanese series Stay By My Side feels very much like a ghost-story rewrite of the Japanese QL series Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss.

Unlucky guy/haunted guy meets lucky guy/guy who keeps the ghosts at bay and contrives to be closer to him. Lucky guy/guy who keeps the ghosts at bay thinks unlucky guy/haunted guy is attracted to him. Misunderstandings and comedy ensue.

I liked Mr. Unlucky better and I think the acting is better.

Both are fun.

I would be more likely to re-watch Mr. Unlucky than Stay By My Side, but never say never.

I was glad to have seen both of them.

You might want to space out your watching if you plan to see both series as the overarching plot dynamics are a bit too close together.

Both are set in college, if that makes a difference in your interest.

There are a few non-consensual kisses, although not all for romance, and some seme behavior in Stay By My Side, if that's an issue.

Stay By My Side has the falling on someone trope, although no accidental kiss.

Spoilers follow

Ultimately, unlucky guy/haunted guy falls for lucky guy/guy who keeps the ghosts at bay, lucky guy/guy who keeps the ghosts at bay finds out about the original ruse, ultimately they end up happily together.

I'll drop the Mr. Unlucky references now and focus on my recent watch of Stay By My Side.

Haunted guy Gu Bu Xia wasn't always haunted. His grandfather, who raised him, ran a Buddhist temple and dealt with ghosts all the time. Bu Xia was afraid to take over the duties at his grandfather's passing, so Bu Xia's tomboy sister Gu Bu Tao took over the job. But she accidentally burned the corner of a poster that was supposed to protect her brother from ghosts and he started hearing them. That is, until he discovered that if he touched roommate Jiang Chi the ghost voices were silenced.

So Bu Xia winds up trying to spend as much time as possible with Jiang Chi and Jiang Chi mistakes it for romantic interest. There are plenty of misunderstandings as well as some seme behavior by Jiang Chi - which he later repents of when he realizes he's made a mistake regarding Bu Xia's intentions - and backs off just in time for Bu Xia to realize he's fallen for Jiang Chi. Eventually both the truth and Bu Xia come out.

Some of the script decisions strike me as weak. Bu Xia's sister outs him to Jiang Chi as a ghost-hearer. There is some iffy inconsistency in the ghost hearing. Bu Xia questions, in Taiwan no less, whether two men can fall in love. Bu Xia expects Bu Tao will wind up with a boyfriend; I'm so disappointed that she doesn't come out as lesbian on the spot - it's not established in the series that she is but she is such a total tomboy that I'd be surprised if she wasn't.

However, the ultimate ending is so delicious I won't spoil it for you. Be sure to stick around for the post-scene.

Recommendation: Fun enough. I wouldn't be unhappy if I had missed it but I was glad enough that I watched.

#yaoi #taiwan bl #taiwan ql #stay by my side #stay by my side series #ghost story #paranormal #comedy #paranormal comedy #ghost comedy #pandasmagorica

[happysandwichparty-blog]

Japan - Day 0 & 1 (Travel & Arrival)

Good Morning, it’s 3:20am in Japan and I can’t sleep. So here is how our first day went!

We spent a lot of time traveling, that was the point, getting there. However overall it was a very smooth and enjoyable experience.

We started off the day with a Southwest flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles. We flew through security with TSA Pre-Check, which I highly recommend, and boarded our plane quickly an hour later.

Then my one panic moment of the day happened - our plane had engine trouble and couldn’t leave the airport. We had a 4 hour layover at LAX, but engine trouble on our flight there, who knew how long that could take and how long we’d sit at the gate. After panicking in my seat for a bit, we finally got the go head after about a 30 minute delay, we were took off at 8:00am, 50 minutes after our scheduled time. Whew.

We arrived at LAX, quickly retrieved out bags and made the long walk (it’s really not that long, but suitcases are heavy!) from Terminal 1 to the International Terminal. ANA’s check in was right inside the door and the process took about 5 minutes. This was a day of everything going insanely quick, an airport miracle. To continue the trend, we spent only another 5 minutes in the security line, again with priority. Not taking off shoes and removing laptops is amazing.

The inside of the LAX international terminal is beautiful! I didn’t take any pictures, but i’d like to on the way back, it had a very modern feel to it!

We made our way to the Star Alliance lounge, which is on the 6th floor! At this point I was just excited to snack in the lounge, I hadn’t eaten yet!

The lounge was nice and decently quiet, this is the view from one of the more secluded corners.

Because of our arrival time at the lounge we did get to experience the breakfast and lunch snacks. Unfortunately I didn’t try as many of the breakfast items as I was trying to avoid certain foods prior to sitting on an 11 hour flight. But there was a nice selection to choose from.

Some of the lunch food below:

They had a wide variety of salads, all which looked amazing, as well as a noodle bar. Everything was tasty and just enough of a snack before boarding. We made sure the not eat too much in the lounge as ANA has their first meal service about 40 minutes into the flight.

At 11:50am we made our way down to the gate, which was just outside the elevators to the Star Alliance lounge (YAY!).

Again, we boarded very quickly, almost as soon as we walked up to the gate they started First and Business Class boarding.

I was very excited to be in Business Class for this flight, 11+ hours in economy is no fun. This was definitely an experience and made the long haul more enjoyable.

ANA’s Business Class s staggered, and although we were in the two middle seats, I had to lean forward to look at hubby. Much to his annoyance I continually popped my head around the partition many times throughout the flight, causing him to pause his movie and ask me “What?”.

As mentioned, the first meal service took place rather quickly, they started prepping as soon at we hit 10,000 feet.

The meal in Business is a course meal, and being a 5 star airline ANA is known for the service and quality of the food - it was outstanding. Having a good meal on an airplane completely changes the vibe.

The rest was your typical long haul flight - attempting to sleep, the seats lie flat so that’s a plus, and watching a bunch of movies (3 to be exact). Also don’t forget peeking over at the husband.

Oh he’s playing Zelda.

Despite the feast that wast the first meal, I was very much looking forward to the second, which was served about 3 hours before the flight landed.

For the first meal I chose the western option, for the second the Japanese. Many of us tend to follow the rule from Airplane! - don’t eat the fish. However, do eat the fish on ANA. It was all VERY good!

After fidgeting for the next 2 hours after the meal we finally made our final decent into Narita. The only major bumps on the flight were during the last 20 minutes, no big deal!

We are finally here!

And then we waited at customs for an hour.

But we got our bags quickly after finishing customs. Picked up our WiFi hotspot from PuPuRu at the QL Liner store, bought our Suica passes (highly recommend) from the JR ticket booth, and were on our way on the Keisei Sky Access line toward Asakusa!

I always hear mixed remarks about whether the subway system in Tokyo is difficult or not. It doesn’t seem much different than others, just busy, and not very fun while hauling luggage. But we made it to our destination, after a few train changes, Asakusa station, right by the Skytree!

A short walk later we arrived at our Air BnB, which is right by Sensoji Temple. Literally.

The view from the balcony is amazing!

The original plan was to go to Lawson and get some snacks. But, I laid down on the bed for 5 minutes and that was that, I decided sleep was better! And now here we are 3:20 am and I can’t sleep, go figure.

#japan #travel #travelblog #happysandwichpartyjapan #tokyo #ana #businessclass #asakusa

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

We back! I was away for a couple weeks and amazing new Japanese bl was waiting for me on my return. Both of these currently airing shows are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching.

At 25:00 in Akasaka

Two episodes into this show and I really like the rhythm of it. I find Shirasaki’s struggle to find confidence in his skills as an actor compelling, and I love Hayama’s quiet kindness. I told @bengiyo Hayama reminds me a bit of my beloved Issei but without the manic energy. Fundamentally, he is genuine and he cares for Shirasaki and any ulterior motives he has for this arrangement feel rooted in that. I love how quickly we’re getting into them bonding and building a relationship together; it's only the second episode and we’ve already arrived at cute date montages and first names. I love this one, and I hope Shirasaki finds his confidence and triumphs over that asshole costar who keeps negging him. 

Living With Him

I love them, your honor. And I like the simplicity of this show. Two nice boys, childhood friends, become roommates. They like each other. They decide to spend more time together and see what they’re comfortable with as their relationship develops. That’s it, that’s the plot. And it’s so compelling in how straightforward it is, bolstered by the honesty of the characters. I loved Natsukawa working up the courage to just ask if Kazuhito likes him, and Kazuhito being honest that he does, but doesn’t want him to feel pressured. Natsukawa might not feel confident that he’s ready for romance, but he has no issue spending time with and being close to Kazuhito. The way he clutched at him with that hug at the end made that super clear. I like the way the show is working in flashbacks to their childhood, too, giving us contextual information for that bond via important memories, and the way Natsukawa's family has been brought into the story. His mom is in fact beautiful and perceptive and his sisters are adorable. This show is darling. 

Coming Soon: Zettai BL 3

This is already out in Japan, but the distribution is exclusive to Lemino and not currently available to international audiences. I will be on the look out and reporting in as soon as it's available to watch properly. In the meantime, you can join me in watching the new opening credits song on a loop.

#at 25:00 in akasaka #25 ji akasaka de #living with him #kare no iru seikatsu #zettai bl ni naru sekai vs zettai bl ni naritakunai otoko #japanese bl #japanese ql corner #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. All but one of these are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching! Yes, even the ones I'm not loving! We need to encourage these Japanese studios to keep giving us access to their content. Changing up the order this week so as not to lead on a bum note (we can end on one, instead:)).

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yara ka

When we left off with Kazuyo’s confession last week, I said this: “Kazuyo is such a sweetheart that I really hope she'll stick around rooting for this pair once she inevitably gets let down gently.” And we got all that and more this week, because this show is my perfect angel that has never done anything wrong in its life. I love that Kazuyo is not only at peace with Sakae’s feelings for Soga, but very enthusiastically supportive of his pursuit. I love this friendship, and I love that we’re spending real time on Kazuyo’s feelings in the aftermath of this rejection. And we continue to see bits of the past relationships that have been weighing on Sakae and Soga. This show really cares about its characters and it shows. Sakae’s confession at the end of this episode was another great moment of grace and kindness and I’m looking forward to Soga’s response once he has a chance to process alongside some healthy jealousy as Sakae’s ex returns.

Perfect Propose

The first two episodes of this new jbl dropped today, and I loved it. Overworked young salaryman, Hiro, is falling apart. His childhood friend, Kai, finds him lying exhausted on the street and invites himself to move in to take care of him. Kai explicitly declared 1) that he is gay and 2) that he considers himself Hiro’s fiancé within the first five minutes, and helped Hiro get off so he could sleep properly in the first episode. This drama really said eat real food, have a nice orgasm, and get a good night’s sleep and you will be happy, and it seems to be building to some themes about the harm caused by the culture of overworking. I support this message!

Ossan's Love Returns

...where to even begin. This "honeymoon" episode was bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S. I went from crying to laughing hysterically to gasping to staring in mute horror at my screen to laughing to crying again. This show is so good at keeping these characters grounded in authentic emotion even as their behavior spins far out of the realm of how real people behave. It's a minor miracle that I can be gaping at Maki in disbelief and then bursting into tears two seconds later because of one perfectly executed line. I don't even want to talk about what specifically happened in this episode, I just want you to go watch it.

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

WE ARE SO FUCKING BACK, BABY!!! I got my hot little hands on the first four episodes of this excellent second season and let me tell you, the joy I felt to see Yuki and Kasuga again! I love that we came back to find out the gals have been eating like queens and blowing the budget. Plus, there's a new baby lesbian in the building! This season is really delving into Yuki's exploration of her sexuality, and the show is handling it with the expected gentle grace. I am enjoying the journey and putting on my patient pants to settle in for a long wait before these two actually officially get together.

Chaser Game W

This was a rougher week for this show, in that the pacing felt very jerky as the story suddenly executed a rapid turn in the romance that did not really work. The backstory reveal was weak (very poorly motivated noble idiocy), Itsuki's casual decision to start caring for Fuyu's child at the expense of her own life and Fuyu's decision to let her was under-explored, the messages about the importance of these women's work was decidedly mixed, and the sudden love confessions straight to sex didn't get proper build up. Add Fuyu continuing to be a violent drunk who treats Itsuki like shit, and it's hard to root for this pair--I am not really invested in the romance. This show is clearly going somewhere with its commentary on gender roles as it relates to Fuyu's behavior, and I hope wherever it is will feel worth it.

Sahara Sensei to Toki-kun

This show ended this week, and I pretty much hated it, but I will always love Toki despite the mess this show made of his story. We have one more show coming from Drama Shower for the season, and I sincerely hope we can end on a good note with this project.

#japanese ql corner #sukiyanen kedo do yaro ka #perfect propose #ossan's love returns #tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #sahara sensei to toki kun #chaser game w #japanese bl #japanese gl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. Most of these shows are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

Another great batch of episodes this week, as Kasuga and Nomoto settled into dating life, all the gals got together for various food related events, and Nagumo began seeking treatment for her eating disorder. This show is just always so compassionate with its characters, and manages to find interesting conflicts without going for high drama. I am very much enjoying seeing Kasuga and Nomoto figure out how their relationship should look now that they're dating and also how to communicate and respect each other as they make decisions. Kasuga's tendency to let Nomoto steamroll her feels harmless when it's about picking fruit or vegetables, but it won't be when it comes to making decisions about where they live and how to set up their home, so it's great they're addressing it early. It's also awesome to see them expand their circle of friends and deepen their bonds with Yako and Nagumo--I was high key jealous of the curry and s'mores parties. And Nagumo just has my whole heart. When she expressed profound relief at learning there is a name for her illness and ways to treat it, my mind immediately jumped to Rachel Bloom. Looking forward to her healing. I can't believe there is only one more batch of episodes coming, love and gratitude to @furritsubs!

Chaser Game W

I’ll keep this brief. This show was a mess, and not even in a fun way because unfortunately it was also extremely misogynistic. @twig-tea covered the major issues well in her post. Wild that this show aired simultaneously with TsukuTabe, what a dichotomy.

My Strawberry Film

This one is really not grabbing me. It feels kind of slow and muted and uncertain about what it's doing. I am not finding the mystery or the love rhombus compelling, and this week's focus on Hikaru's infatuation with Minami had me yawning and picking up my phone a lot. But it's early, I am hopeful it will pick up some steam.

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

This was a cute episode about Sakae and Soga getting past their initial awkwardness, learning how to communicate with each other, and moving into a more intimate phase of their relationship, and I think I would have loved it if we'd gotten it two weeks ago. This should have been the episode that followed their initial confessions, but instead the show did a two week diversion into love triangle nonsense, and unfortunately, I think it really threw off the pacing and the connection to these characters for me. It just feels too late in the show for this relationship to still feel so new. We haven't had time to settle in with them as a couple, or for them to develop a strong foundation to make us root for them to overcome the coming obstacles in the final arc. Still, this episode had some delightful scenes--Soga finally paying a visit to the sauna was my personal fav, and I also enjoyed the metaphor of Sakae literally catching Soga's love (and knowing @bengiyo would lose it over another important SPORTS moment in bl). This is a show I really want to love, but something just isn't connecting.

Perfect Propose

I love this final episode and I love this show. Hiro quit his job, Kai resolved things with the shop owner and his son, and they finally got on the same page about their relationship and made out about it. 10/10 no notes for this finale. It was lovely to see Hiro finish his project and make a decision to quit the daily grind--I loved, too, that he is still in touch with his former colleagues--and we saw the change in him so quickly. He looked happier, lighter, brighter. His skin was cleared and his crops were watered! And Kai got to have his moment of catharsis too, sharing his fear that he is a burden on others and having Hiro affirm for him that he wants him in his life and he's a help, not a burden. And I loved that we got all that plus a great kiss, a bed scene (with a very cute leg cramp diversion) and a small peek at their new domestic life together. This show makes me happy and it will definitely be one I return to for rewatches.

Ossan's Love Returns

I'm of two minds on this finale. On the one hand, I really loved it as a single episode of the show, was happy with where all the resolutions landed, and was left with a very warm feeling toward the show overall. The cherry blossom scene especially really got me right in the feels; I've loved the progression of Maki and Haruta's relationship this season and I love the way they talk to each other. They have earned themselves a spot on my list of favorite drama couples who I actually believe are going to stay together. I also loved everything about the big chaotic group scene and all these characters coming together to pour love on Haruta; it felt earned after a season of him knocking himself out for all his loved ones. The end joke with Chief moving in next door, and getting a final Maki/Kurosawa battle, was *chef's kiss*. And Takegawa's perfect life partner being a cat? 10/10 no notes. I will be clutching my aroace Takegawa read tightly to my bosom.

On the other hand, the episode reinforced for me that the way we got to a lot of these resolutions didn't feel quite right. In particular, I don't think the way Kurosawa's health scare played out across the back half of the season worked, and I'm not too pleased about spending three episodes in a downbeat, tragic mode for the sake of a simple pun joke. I think the whole plot would have landed a lot better for me if the audience was let in on Kurosawa's mistake at the start and the tone of his overwrought goodbyes was farcical all the way through. Not only would that have maintained the comedic tone of the show, but we could have used that story time to better seed some of the themes of this episode with Haruta's crisis of confidence and yearning for family. I'm pretty much agnostic on Kiku and Izumi; they never sold me on that pairing but I wasn't mad about their ending.

Overall, I am very glad I jumped into this show and enjoyed the watch experience a lot, despite my quibbles with some of the overarching writing choices. The cast is amazing and all the characters make me smile. If they make another season, I'll be watching!

Bonus: Josi teki Saikatsu

I finally watched this drama this week--I held out for awhile hoping to find it in better quality, but no dice, it's 480p in the grey--and despite the potato lens I loved it so much. This is the story of Miki, a transfemme lesbian, just trying to live her life in the way she wants, and all the barriers she comes up against in that pursuit. Our story begins when her childhood friend, Goto, comes looking for his old pal in a moment of desperation and is stunned to see how she's changed. The show is only four short episodes, but they manage to paint a full picture of Miki's life at home, at work, with friends and lovers, and with her estranged family, and show us how she became who she is. Miki is whip smart and perceptive and generous, but also wary of trusting anyone after she's been let down by so many loved ones. I love her so much, and you will too. This story was written by a trans woman and it shows! Brave the 480p and check it out.

#japanese ql corner #tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #chaser game w #my strawberry film #sukiyanen kedo do yaro ka #perfect propose #ossan's love returns #josi teki saikatsu #life as a girl #japanese bl #japanese gl #jdrama

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. Most of these shows are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Chaser Game W

We've reached the stage with this one where I'm just gonna say we should keep watching for the ratings and enjoy the pretty gifs.

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

I got to watch episodes 5-8 of the new season this week, and I promptly lost my mind over how good this show is. It somehow got even better between seasons; the creators have some things to say about the experiences of women under heterosexual patriarchy. I already wrote about Kasuga's family trauma storyline and how much it meant to me, but these episodes also gave us Nomoto's ongoing queer awakening and journey to define her sexuality, the introduction of a new queer bestie in Yako, a better understanding of Nagumo and the careful and steady deepening of her relationship with the gals, a new confidant for Kasgua in Fujita, and Nomoto and Kasuga inching ever closer to defining what they are to each other. The world of the show and the support network around our leads continues to expand, and I am loving every moment. This drama is excellent and I cannot implore you enough to go to @furritsubs and catch up.

My Strawberry Film

Kicking off the last Drama Shower show of the season! This is a high school story featuring a classic trio—the Pining Gay, the Chaos Bisexual, and the Budding Lesbian. Obviously, I love them. I like the mood of this one—it's quite a tonal shift from the last show in this series—and the color grading is blue, blue, blue. And there's a mystery afoot as they try to track down the beautiful girl captured on film. Looking forward to more!

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

I continue to love this show, though I am not entirely sure how I feel about the turn things took with Mizuki this week. I did not really want this to go the full blown love triangle route; I am more interested in a version of this story where Sakae and Soga try to figure out these adult complications from the foundation of being in a relationship, not with the constant interference of a third party. So few dramas are willing to get the couple together early and let them face things together rather than constantly playing the will they, won't they game, and I was hoping Sukidoya was going to be one of them. That said, I like that Mizuki is sticking around in the story because he's an interesting character, and I like the conflict with Soga's job (we have a preponderance of Japanese shows about unreasonable work conditions airing atm) and the temporary nature of his time in Osaka. That he's worried about eventually leaving tells you all you need to know about how much he likes and respects Sakae. If he felt casual about him he would not be worried about complications that far down the timeline. Let's see where they take this love triangle thing next week; I'm hoping it will be brief.

Perfect Propose

Great episode this week, and I love the way they continue to deepen the backstory for these two. Hiro being the first person to need Kai rather than pity him makes so much sense for their dynamic and why Kai would be so attached to him. And of course, when Kai returns the situation is the same; Hiro definitely still needs him. I love that they took a source of shame for Hiro and turned it into a reason why he and Kai are so compatible. Kai wants to take care of him—and he's not the only one! Loved seeing Hiro's coworkers express concern for his well-being and recognize how this job is grinding him down and breaking his spirit. It was so validating to hear from another high performer that the job is miserable and he should quit. It has nothing to do with failure; as Kaneko said, it's about seeking the life he truly wants. He sees Hiro's talent and knows he will not be able to flourish in this hellish work environment, and I thought it was so kind and compassionate of him to try to help Hiro see that. Also shoutout to Hiyori for sitting her ass back down and missing the last train when she realized prime gossip was about to arrive to her table, she's just like me fr.

Ossan's Love Returns

We are clearly in the drama spiral for the season now, and this show seems to be coming for my beloved Kurosawa. Thanks, I hate it! But the show found its humor again this week even as the sad plotlines for the side characters continued, and I was very happy to see it back in top form. I loved this story with Maki and Haruta caring for Goro for the week, and how it affirmed for them that they are actually not interested in having children. I told @bengiyo and @twig-tea when we saw last week's preview that Maki seemed like the type who wouldn't like children, and I was glad to see that affirmed by the show, and crucially, that he didn't change his mind via the power of Goro's cuteness. Not all people want to be parents, and it's so nice and refreshing to see a loving couple decide they just want to focus on each other, and that you can like kids and spend time with them without needing to have one of your own. I loved, too, that we got some focus on Chizu's struggles as a single mom, and her family rallied around her and made it clear she has support. Takegawa's sudden not-at-all-selfishly-motivated interest in polyamory was hilarious, as was Chief's journey to figure out what was causing his stress—until it wasn't, of course. I was glad Chuoko was with him when he got the news. And I am really hoping that rooftop kiss was Kiku's goodbye, and we will be seeing him move on from Izumi soon.

Bonus: Kimi no Koto Dake Mite Itai 

Shoutout to @my-rose-tinted-glasses for giffing this show and reminding me I still hadn't seen it! It was not accessible to me back when it came out and it fell off my radar for awhile. I watched today and thought it was just delightful. A short, sweet, warm hug of a friends to lovers high school bl with two very lovable leads. I highly recommend checking it out.

#japanese ql corner #chaser game w #tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #my strawberry film #sukiyanen kedo do yaro ka #perfect propose #ossan's love returns #kimi no koto dake mite itai #i want to see only you #japanese bl #japanese gl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

A short one this week as we're still in a dip, with one show I love and one show I really do not love airing. Both of these are on Gaga!

Love is Better the Second Time Around

No, I have not gotten over this line and I don't intend to anytime soon. This drama just gets better and better every week. I loved how much attention the show gave to Miyata's burgeoning desire for Iwanaga; he has been denying himself since his teen years and now that he's gotten a taste, of course he wants more. Which is making it hard for him to hold his grudge and keep Iwanaga at a distance. He likes him and what he does to him, and it, well, pisses him off. I love that he's getting closer but still trying to keep him at an emotional distance, and that Iwanaga understands exactly what he's doing and calls him on it when he goes too far. I also really loved Iwanaga telling him honestly that he just doesn't express things as intensely as Miyata, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel them. That's such a real tension point in relationships. Their chemistry is unreal and the performers are doing an amazing job with the sex scenes (including the solo one); their connection feels palpable. I also continue to love the animosity with Shiraishi, those scenes are always so funny. And I actually don't mind another ex coming back around to remind Miyata why he's mad; I still want to see Iwanaga try harder to earn this.

My Strawberry Film

Okay, ya know what, I have had enough. I have been so patient with this show. I have given it so many chances to tell me what the hell it's on about and what it's trying to accomplish. But it seems the answer to that is just wasting two months of my time going 'round and 'round in circles to arrive back at the start. Last week felt like we were finally getting somewhere, but this week we're back to spinning our wheels. This is not a bl, and it's not a particularly interesting story about anything. It's just four confused teenagers hurting each other's feelings in turn, and the whole story hinges on a mystery about this film that I honestly couldn't care less about. It's boring and repetitive and unfocused. I will finish this because I've come this far, but I'm bummed for Drama Shower to be (possibly) ending on this mess.

#japanese ql corner #love is better the second time around #koi wo suru nara nidome ga joto #my strawberry film #japanese bl

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. All but one of these are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Chaser Game W

Fuyu got a personality transplant this week and I have officially given up on this show being what I hoped it was. Enjoy the mess and the humiliation kink and don't look for consistent writing, logical plot, or deeper themes and you will find some things to enjoy. Like these two beautiful ladies making out a bunch!

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yara ka

I love this show so much, y'all. This week we got the return of Sakae's selfish chaos ex, Mizuki, and because this is a show by and for adults, this resulted in our leads engaging in some proper communication, clarifying their feelings for each other, and sharing their first kiss by the end of the episode. I loved seeing more of Sakae and Mizuki's dynamic, and I just know if Soga wasn't in the picture Mizuki would already be in with Sakae again. Sakae is a soft touch and Mizuki clearly knows how to play him. But thankfully, Soga has already wormed his way into Sakae's loyal heart, so he was not tempted to waver. And for Soga, who is experiencing a queer awakening via his relationship with Sakae, Mizuki's presence was a much needed jolt to sort out his own feelings and decide he wants to try a relationship despite his concerns about not staying in Osaka long-term. I also loved the way their friends rallied around them to push Sakae and Soga to figure their shit out, and the sauna scenes will never get old.

Perfect Propose

It's official, I have adopted Kai as my child and will be forming a protection squad. This show is striking a good tonal balance of being fairly downbeat and serious, between Kai's past and Hiro's current work/life balance issues, but also uplifting in how their relationship builds. I like that they talk to each other so honestly about what they're feeling for each other, and Kai's quiet confidence that Hiro returns his feelings and just needs to come to terms with it is both hilarious and correct. My favorite thing that happened in this episode was Kai confidently noting all the ways Hiro’s body was responding to him and asking him to “be conscious of it.” Kai wants Hiro to be conscious of Kai’s feelings but also of his own responses, and he’s asking him not to look away from it and pretend he doesn’t know there’s something between them. I love the confidence of that.

And I sympathize with Hiro, as well, because it's not just that he's never considered being with a man before--he also just doesn't feel he has anything to offer to a partner right now given his brutal work situation. His guilt and shame for missing the festival after inviting Kai to go together was real, and you can see that he just can’t fathom having anything to give with the situation he’s in at work right now. The trick will be trusting that Kai can accept those limitations until he’s able to find a better balance, and then actually taking steps to pay attention to what he needs and wants, both in this relationship and in his career. Hiro has not been taking care of himself and it's catching up to him.

Ossan's Love Returns

A downbeat week for this show, and an episode that did not entirely work for me. I liked some of the themes they were exploring in this one, but it was all missing the humor that I've come to rely on and I don't feel that all the story threads pulled together as tightly as they normally do. In particular, my head is inquisitively tilted at the show's decision to make Maki and Haruta's wedding episode feel like such a misery slog, to focus primarily on the tension and strife leading up to the event rather than the joy it should inspire, and then to stay in the melancholy after a small moment of catharsis for our couple (and some season 1 flashbacks) by focusing on the sadness their marriage inspired in their various lonely suitors rather than their own wedded bliss. Seeing a wedding in jbl is a practically unheard of occurrence; a bit more queer joy was in order IMO and its absence was notable. I also thought the swing from Kurosawa beginning to accept a new role in Haruta’s life to suddenly going back to being lovelorn felt abrupt and poorly constructed. It's not that I think these ideas are unfounded given the show's focus on older male characters who feel past their prime for romance, but the execution was not quite right. And of course I am not too keen on the death flagging we got at the end for Kurosawa; I really hope the show will not take this story in a tragic direction for him.

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

I have still only seen the first four episodes of this; sadly, the next batch is not yet available to me. But soon! In the meantime, let's revisit Nomoto sobbing over a lesbian film. She's just like me fr.

Next week we'll be continuing all of these plus adding My Strawberry Film, the final Drama Shower (go here for an explanation on what that is from @bengiyo) show for the season! I continue to be delighted by this embarrassment of jql riches.

#chaser game w #sukiyanen kedo do yaro ka #perfect propose #ossan's love returns #tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #japanese bl #japanese gl #japanese ql corner #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

I am currently watching four different Japanese qls every week (is this real life?? I’m not used to this kind of bountiful access to Japanese media) and I don’t want them to get lost in the shuffle amongst the bigger Discourse shows, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. These are all on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Chaser Game W

Finally a high quality gl, we have been waiting so long. And this one is making some really interesting choices, namely in making one of its leads deeply unlikeable. It's clear that Harumoto broke her heart in a deeply foolish way (I smell noble idiocy), but Fuyu's revenge for her hurt feelings is way over the line of what anyone could consider fair. Not only did she pursue this job just to personally harass her ex, she is a terrible boss who is abusing her employees to work out her personal grudges, and she's awful to her husband, as well. This show is smart enough that I trust they have a point with this (likely one that will involve commentary on misogyny and traditional gender roles) so I am hanging in to see what it is.

Sahara Sensei to Toki-kun

This one is the latest in the Drama Shower line up, and it is really not working for me on the whole, but Toki is a great character and I wish I could port him to another show. This week's episode spent a baffling amount of time filling in a backstory for Sahara that we already understood, and didn't even connect it thematically to the ongoing plot in any meaningful way. In fact, given the backstory we saw, it made even less sense that Sahara would be encouraged to pursue a relationship with Toki. This show just feels very confused about both the social conventions of its universe and what it's ultimately trying to say. Looking forward to it wrapping next week and seeing what Drama Shower has on tap next.

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yara ka

I LOVE THIS SHOW. Sakae is such a kind soul, and Soga is a dear. I love that this show is exploring the reality of what it looks like for an "opposites attract" pair to actually try to find common ground. Sakae falling for Soga at first sight, only to realize they have nothing in common and he will have to work hard to build a bond with him, is such a delight. And I like that it feels reciprocal and Soga is also making a sincere effort. And this show is doing nice things with the side characters, too. Tatsuta is a great Get A Grip Friend for Sakae, and Kazuyo is such a sweetheart that I really hope she'll stick around rooting for this pair once she inevitably gets let down gently. Also loved getting a glimpse of the exes this week and hope to see more filled in there.

Ossan's Love Returns

I am saving this one for last on Fridays going forward, because it's such a great note to end my week on. I already posted last week about why I'm so in love with it, and this week continued the love fest. This show is SO FUCKING FUNNY while also having some really awesome messages about relationships and love at any age. I love the way Maki and Haruta are given the same cute couple moments we'd see for younger bl pairs, and the casual affection between them really stands out among more reserved depictions of Japanese couples. Highlights this week also included father-in-law bonding, Takegawa trying out a Bachelor-esque reality show in his quest for a diaper partner, Chief continuing to be an absolute delight in every scene, and several new twists in the mystery of the neighbors (loved that Haruta was having all the same reactions to that backstory that I was). ONSEN EPISODE NEXT WEEK, BABY!

#chaser game w #sahara sensei to toki kun #sukiyanen kedo do yaro ka #ossan's love returns #japanese bl #japanese gl #japanese ql corner #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. Most of these shows are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

Besties, I screamed!!! We were blessed with episodes 9-12 of this fantastic second season this week, and we finally reached the moment we've been building toward for so long. I AM SO PROUD OF KASUGA AND NOMOTO. Amazing job using your words, ladies. And I loved the way they tied Kasuga's family plot in here, with her need to move giving her the motivation to finally tell Nomoto what she wants. Nomoto was ready for it, too, and already planning to confess on her own (still not over that adorable screamsqueal she let out after inviting Kasuga for Valentines dinner). I can't wait for them to buy a big house, invite Nagumo and Yako to live with them, and start their very own lesbian commune where every meal is amazing.

Chaser Game W

I did some investigating this week because the way these characters are written was just not making sense to me. And as it happens, not only is this show about women written by a male screenwriter, it was adapted from a het manga! Itsuki's character was originally a heterosexual man. Let me tell ya, this made a lot click into place for me. Trust a male writer to take a het romance about power dynamics, gender swap one of the characters to make it a gl, and fail to adjust the characterizations and plot for the completely different power dynamics and communication styles that would entail. It doesn’t explain all the issues with the writing, but it sure does explain a lot about the puzzling lack of feelings processing and communication between these two women. Despite that messiness, I will finish watching this one to support the ratings so we get more gls soon.

My Strawberry Film

What we got here is a love chain of pain. Chika loves Ryo, but Ryo loves Hikaru, and Hikaru is fixated on Minami. Everyone is pining and there is no way for everyone to get what they want. A classic high school angst set up, though admittedly not my favorite kind of story. I will continue to hope that Chika experiences an awakening and we end up with both a bl and a gl pair in this show. I did not expect them to find Minami that easily (or that she would be their peer), so I'm curious to see where they take the plot for this one.

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

Last week I said I was wary of them bringing Mizuki back into the mix to interfere in the relationship, and as expected I was irritated with the way the show used him in this week's episode. I like where that final conversation between Sakae and Soga ended up, but I didn't care for the way Mizuki was used to interfere. It felt like a retread of the last couple weeks, didn't accomplish anything new for those relationships, and just made Sakae seem kind of weak willed and immature. Sakae was not feeling confident about Soga's feelings because he had not communicated clearly, but every time Soga tried to talk to him, Sakae just stood there and let Mizuki get in the way. I would have liked to see him draw a firmer boundary with Mizuki and talk to Soga like an adult, but instead he was wavering through most of the episode and not giving Soga the chance to explain things. It was an annoying dynamic and I hope it's actually over. But of course, Mizuki hasn't left yet and the episode didn't allow us more than a brief happy moment before flashing forward to a breakup, so we're clearly in for more seesaw shenanigans before this ends.

Perfect Propose

I love this show, y'all. I already posted a little love note to this episode, which I thought was so smart and authentic in the way it depicted Hiro's ongoing struggles with work, his burnout, and his fear about moving on (also shoutout to this post from @befuddledcinnamonroll for a great overview on why the storytelling choices are so effective). And for an episode where Hiro and Kai shared only a couple scenes, it got a surprising amount of relationship development done, as Hiro became more aware of his growing feelings for Kai and Kai made his intentions and his boundaries clear. I love that he put the ball firmly in Hiro's court to decide what he wants and ask for it, and I am so looking forward to seeing Hiro run next week. If only I could get another six episodes, everything here would be perfect.

Ossan's Love Returns

I'll be honest, this show has been kinda wobbly for me in the back half. It feels like they put too many balls in the air and are not quite sure how to land them all. For one, I am just not nearly as invested in this Izumi/Kiku loveline as the show clearly wants me to be--I've been shipping Kiku x Moving On the whole time and was hopeful we may be finally getting there, but it just keeps coming back around. Takegawa's story seems to have gotten lost somewhere along the way, and I was so confused by some of the storytelling choices re: Kurosawa's plot this week that I had to convene @twig-tea and @my-rose-tinted-glasses, and our collective brain power still couldn't quite piece together the show's intent. I loved the first stretch of the episode with the whole squad assembling to puzzle through what they know about Chief's health woes and support him, but then they lost me with that goodbye video sequence immediately followed by a one month later psyche! moment. If they are not killing Kurosawa off (which I don't think they are) the very overwrought final scenes with him, Haruta, and Maki hit pretty weird. Having now seen the end scene that undercuts it all, it could be that it was meant to feel like comedic melodrama, but in the absence of any solid reassurance to the audience that the health threat was not real, that did not really land. All that said, I still love all of these characters and it's been a real delight to see Haruta and Maki settle into their married life, so I'm still very happy to be watching and looking forward to how they wrap up.

#japanese ql corner #tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #chaser game w #my strawberry film #sukiyanen kedo do yaro ka #perfect propose #ossan's love returns #japanese bl #japanese ql #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

PSA that I will be traveling for a bit so don't expect a round up for the next couple weeks, but some new shows will be starting when I get back, yay! Before that, though, we still have a couple things going, though I can't say it was a great week in this particular corner of bl. Both of these current airing shows are on Gaga.

Love is Better the Second Time Around

I did not much care for this week's episode, and it was disappointing to see this show's streak of excellence broken. The ideas behind what they brought into the story in this episode could have fit if they'd used them differently, but the execution was just terrible. You can't suddenly dump a new antagonist, new backstory, and new conflict in the penultimate episode of a short series and expect that to land, especially when you make all of it so complicated. Did we really need a sexually harassing cousin, an illicit photo, a disownment, a previously unheard of sister, and a rich family trying to force Iwanaga home to run their business, all at once? This was far too much Plot Stuff, most of which added little to the story and all of which there is no time to meaningfully address. And the worst part is it derailed us from the relationship repair narrative we've been on for the last month. Disappointing from a show that was so solid until this week.

My Strawberry Film

I can't believe I spent four hours of my one precious life on this slog of a drama. We ended the show as I feared we would, with everyone getting rejected, no satisfying conclusion to any aspect of the story, and a half-assed attempt at actual queer romance rep via a tortured backstory of Minami's mom and her high school friend who rejected her confession and now regrets it. I really, deeply resent that this show only allowed the dead character to have her romantic feelings finally requited, and in the end Ryo didn't even get to experience any relief or catharsis for his own, still continuing to suppress his feelings to the end. This show stayed mostly preoccupied with the het love lines to the end, and they got the vast majority of the screen time. I don't know what the writer thinks they are saying with this story, but all it says to me is that being queer is miserable and lonely for every generation and there will never be any relief. What a fucking bummer of a message and an awful note to end the Drama Shower series on.

Bonus: Silhouette of Your Voice

Sweet relief. Thanks to @my-rose-tinted-glasses I was reminded that I hadn't watched this film yet, and it's now on Viki so I finally got the chance! Adapted from the manga I Hear the Sunspot, this is the story of Kohei, a college student with a hearing disability who hires a classmate, Taichi, to take notes for him in class in exchange for bringing him daily bentos. It's such a cute story, and the two form a real friendship and then a romantic bond as they get to know each other. Kohei is reserved but kind, and he is misunderstood by most of the other students, and Taichi is bold and brash and hyper defensive of his new friend. It's not perfect--the ending was kind of weird, which @twig-tea tells me is because they did the beginning of the manga with fidelity and then just randomly jumped to the end--but it's a very pleasant way to spend 70 minutes. Recommended!

#japanese ql corner #love is better the second time around #koi wo suru nara nidome ga joto #my strawberry film #silhouette of your voice #japanese bl #shan shouts into the void

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. All of these are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Love is Better the Second Time Around

This is officially my favorite bl currently airing. I loved this second episode a lot. I appreciate that while the first episode gave us a really solid grounding in who Iwanaga is, the second let us get to know Miyata in all his contradictory glory. That entire sequence from his failed proposal to him demanding Iwanaga take responsibility was glorious. He is still nursing a wound from their high school days and hearing Iwanaga sincerely apologize for his immaturity in making the bet back then seems to have given him some of his power back. I love that he's making Iwanaga work for it, and judging by that smile at the end of the episode, Iwanaga loves it, too.

My Strawberry Film

Yet another week focused on the het love rhombus, this time with a double date. I was spiritually with Ryo sitting on a rock by himself, headphones on and gazing at the sea in mild despair. The plot continues to move at a glacial pace, and I am not nearly as interested in Minami or her secrets as the show wants me to be. She is just not a compelling character. I did appreciate the show making it clear that Hikaru's crush on her is based more on a fantasy of who she is than the reality. And I felt for Chika a lot in this episode and was glad she aired things out with Ryo; she needed his rejection to move on. I wonder if, as @bengiyo suggested, this show will play better as a binge, because it's kind of torturous as a weekly viewing experience.

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yara ka

A nice ending for a show that didn't quite come together for me. I liked both of these characters a lot, but the writing for their romance was kind of all over the place and we spent a lot of time on frustrating plot diversions instead of building a stronger relationship foundation that would leave us feeling confident about their future (apparently a lot of that extra plot stuff was added to stretch the simple manga story to 10 episodes, and it sure felt like it). I didn't at all buy Mizuki suddenly reappearing and trying to help them get back together. The way the show used his character was perhaps the most frustrating part of all; he felt more like a plot device than a person. But I'm glad Soga and Sakae decided to try again at the end, even if I wish we would have spent the back half of the show seeing them actually work through these complications instead of just talking about them constantly only to end right where they started. Not one that I will be rewatching or that will stick with me, I think.

Bonus: Call Boy (2018)

I have been meaning to watch this film for ages, and finally got around to it this week. Before I am accused of false advertising, let me clarify that this is not a bl or a romance at all; rather it is a story about a disaffected youth who gets offered a job as a sex worker in a high end club and finds purpose and satisfaction in bringing others pleasure. Our lead Ryo is (mostly) het, but he does have one extremely memorable sexual encounter with a male colleague (played by my beloved Izuka Kenta!), and this is in general a film exploring sexual kink and stigma, so it earned its spot on ql corner.

This movie is surprisingly great, and its themes are very sex and sex work positive in a way some other recent shows have claimed (and failed) to be. The narrative is all about Ryo coming to understand the purpose of sex work, finding his own pleasure in fulfilling his client's needs, and working through his childhood trauma in the process. It's very well done and I highly recommend it for anyone who can handle exceedingly NC-17 content. It's on Viki for rent (and also in the grey).

#japanese ql corner #love is better the second time around #koi wo suru nara nidome ga joto #my strawberry film #sukiyanen kedo do yaro ka #call boy 2018 #japanese bl

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. All but one of these are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

This beautiful show ended last week and I have been deep in my feelings about it. I already wrote a little love letter to the show, and I wanted to share a few others people wrote this week so you can see why it means so much to us. A tiny meta round up:

Final stray thoughts by @bengiyo

Goodbye and thanks for all the love by @littleragondin

Tsukutabe is truly something by @fangirlyness

TsukuTabe S2 is Perfection by @twig-tea

Love is Better the Second Time Around

Oh I like this one very much. These six episode dramas with simple and well-executed narratives seem to be a particular sweet spot for Japan, and it looks like this one is next in line to continue that trend. A very mature feeling story about two high school sweethearts who meet again as adults and reconnect. Iwanaga is a new fav. I love his confidence, I am concerned about Miyata's apparent self-denial and closeted status, I love the natural magnetism between them, I am intrigued by the complication of both of them having a past and other lovers, and I am very excited to see where this story goes.

My Strawberry Film

This show seems to be a continuation of Drama Shower shows that are not actually bl. Because right now, this feels like Ryo's coming of age story where he survives his first experience of falling for his het friend, not a romance between him and Hikaru. Hikaru clearly loves him, but very much not like that, and we are mostly watching Chika be sad watching Ryo be sad watching Hikaru pursue a girl. The way this is set up doesn’t make me root for Ryo and Hikaru to get together, but rather for Ryo and Chika to become besties and for Ryo to move on from this het boy who won’t ever like him like that.

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yara ka

Sigh. Remember when his show started and we were excited to have a romance between mature adults? Well, the mature adults have left the building, and all we get instead is these two flailing around spending all their time stressing about the future and failing to enjoy the present, communicating very poorly, and giving up at the first sign of a problem without an easy solution. At this point I don't even want them to get back together, because I have seen no evidence they are good for each other. Sakae seems nervous all the time in this relationship, Soga is so preoccupied with trying to please Sakae that he's not thinking about what he really wants, and neither of them are treating the other like a true partner or trying to work through things together. I'm sure they will get back together in the finale, but they’ve already lost me.

#japanese ql corner #tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #love is better the second time around #my strawberry film #sukiyanen kedo do yaro ka #japanese bl #japanese gl