#skinship and fanservice are not one and the same

[ladypeonies]

"Acting is a dangerous profession."

credit.

Some people will watch this extract and just brush if off perhaps as fanservice and miss the point completely. What I like about Chris and Xuan it’s how candid and honest they are about the whole process.

The host says it all, “acting is a dangerous profession,” and both actors agreed. She’s right. So many fans don’t get it, and they focus on the superficial. It’s not just a dangerous profession in Asia. In my opinion it’s more challenging there because most of entertainment industries in Asia rely a lot on Method acting and immersion. You have notice how they call themselves by their character names, on and off set and it has several purposes. I won’t dwell on them here because this post would be too long.

And you have method acting which I have several issues with. It’s basically psychology. I’m not going to write an essay on it here, it basically means one can convince themselves of anything and you can become anyone you want. It’s becoming someone else entirely for a time, by changing your habits based on your environment. You study a character and become them, by assuming their point of view, mannerism, state of mind etc. If they drink you start drinking, if they love someone you love them too etc. Some actors are strongly against method acting for a reason and stick to use their imagination which is way safer. In a live Xuan talked about how physically and mentally it impacted him.

You are still yourself but you can’t escape your character, their emotions bleeds into you. And you use it to play the best version of them by using your body. Of course, Xuan fell in love with his co-star and had all those “evil” thoughts. He learned to fall in love with him and make him the centre of his universe. The preparation for the role, to build a bond took longer than the whole filming.

So, any actor in their shoes will feel the same, if they say no well, they are either lying or just bad method actors, that’s it, no in between.

The trick is to use those emotions while filming and then to be able to let them go. And that’s the issue, because for many it takes time to do so and get rid of them. Notice how Xuan doesn’t say while they were filming NC scenes he had evil thoughts but he was sitting there, so before or even after. The thing is if you hold on to those emotions it can hurt your mental health. They can be addictive. Under those circumstances sometimes there is a co-pendency which appear between actors. I remember an actor explaining how he basically went through a heartbreak because he got attached to his co-star who was engaged to someone else and he was full of emotions for his on-screen partner. And those emotions weren’t there before they started filming. And they knew each other, they were friends before and he never felt that way about them. And his mind knew they weren’t a good match but he kept longing for them.

I talked here about the bubble actors found themselves in. And the best remedy to get rid of those feelings, thoughts are a healthy distance, and being back to oneself. I hear often, “they’re just acting, it’s their job…” etc. Actors aren’t robot. There is a process to play a role and they all have a process to get out of a particular challenging role. Obviously, all roles aren’t the same.

Another thing: Chris and Xuan are friends and were friends but under the circumstances, they don’t have the same friendship they had before filming, the one from a year or two years ago. Friendship 101 had specific boundaries, and now there are new ones in friendship 201. It’s not possible to know the taste of your friend’s mouth, their skin, and be in the same exact friendship. Actors are not robots there isn’t a reset button. Now there is a new set of boundaries. Perhaps before there wasn’t any skinship now because there are use to each other touch, there is more skinship. Before they wouldn’t talk about certain subjects, now they can. I believe they gain and also lost some things. The only possibility MAYBE to go back to friendship 101 would be a complete separation for weeks, distance. But it’s not happening because there are promotions and also, you get use to seeing each other all the time, I guess.

Now method acting and falling in love, it happens of course, but has to go through the test of time and distance.

One has a girlfriend/boyfriend and start method acting with a co-star? LOL. 9 out 10 people will break up with their significant other, the GF or BF will leave, it happens all the time.

PS1: I also took the opportunity to answer a couple of asks.

PS2 :Translation by Wava please be kind to your translators and grateful for the work they do, I personally hate translating it can be so taxing.

#unknown the series #unknown bl #chris chiu #kurt huang

[biaswreckme]

can someone just embrace me? | yeosang/everyone

I'm already overwhelmed To be myself barely Is anyone listening Can someone just еmbrace me? or Kang Yeosang is touch-starved.

Fandom: Ateez

Pairing: Yeosang/Everyone

Member: Yeosang, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, Jongho

Length: 830 words

Genre: hurt/comfort

Rating: Teen and Up/PG-13

Triggers/Warnings: touch-starvation, emotional pain, implied poly

You can read it on: AO3

Skinship does not come as easy to Yeosang as some of the other members. With time, he has slowly learned to differentiate between the three types of days he has in relation to physical affection. Some days, it is easier accepting the members’ touches, needing to feel the physical contact to soothe something deep inside of him. Other days… on harder days, it feels like there is something crawling under his skin, itching, making him clench his hands with the need to just scratch the feeling away. It becomes easier with time to pretend, especially in front of the cameras, and there are gifs and montages of him making noises and trying to get away from hugs and even kisses on the cheek from the members, but he always ends up accepting them. They all know fanservice is important, and if it means staying with his members for a long time to come, Yeosang can handle a little of it, even if the water falling from the showerhead later scalds his skin and turns it red.

Then there is the third type of day, the one he actually considers the most difficult of them all, mostly because it is something so recent and he is still trying to understand how and why: the yearning day. The day in which the members respect his boundaries and distance is, at the same time, the day in which he feels unsettled and hungers for something to appease his anxiety that hurts him deep in his very essence. He sees Wooyoung and San so entangled on the sofa he doesn’t know which leg belongs to whom. He sees Mingi and Yunho on the other sofa, napping together. He sees the calming presence of Seonghwa and Hongjoong, tamer in their touches in front of the others, yet still just as intertwined. Other days there are different configurations in the dorms, their love expansive and all encompassing. Some days even Jongho, the maknae who avoids skinship as much as Yeosang, finds himself captured in a cuddle pile.

Yeosang watches them and needs. Yeosang craves. Usually, periods of withdrawal into self-imposed isolation result in him crying while clutching a pillow between his arms at night, silent sobs that wreck his entire body and soul. He can usually disguise his swollen eyes the next morning by stating that he ate too much salt the previous night, but he knows that the members notice something is wrong and just don’t press him into talking. He’s grateful yet at the same time he wishes they would just ask him. Because while he knows what he needs, he doesn’t know how to ask for something he has spent so much time convincing them he doesn’t enjoy. He just observes and waits, his hands clenched into fists and pressing his fingernails in his palms, trying to find something inside him that will make him speak up for his needs. 

Until one night Jongho finds him like that, nails digging into the soft pillowcase so hard it is almost tearing, his entire body shaking silently. The maknae’s heart breaks at the sight, and for a moment he hesitates, not knowing what to do. He quickly shakes his head and gets closer, whispering a soft “Sangie”, and a loud sob escapes from Yeosang’s lips as a reaction. When Jongho asks him what he needs, Yeosang’s hands seem to have a mind of their own, pulling the maknae towards him slowly, unconsciously giving him time to back away if he wants to - but he doesn't. The elder just clings to him, letting himself be loud without realizing, pressing his body into Jongho’s, afraid to let go even for a second. He is so lost in his pain that he doesn’t notice the other members entering the room, worry stamped across their faces as they watch the scene. 

“Don’t let me go. Please don’t let me go.” Yeosang repeats, almost howling in agony. One by one the members approach his bed, getting onto it slowly so as not to scare him. They arrange themselves around the pair, surrounding them in comfort and love. There is someone at Yeosang’s back, holding onto him as tightly as he is holding onto Jongho. There is someone caressing his hair. There is someone holding his hands. Yeosang is too afraid to open his eyes, but he knows everyone is with him at this moment, and little by little he can feel the impending and seemingly endless darkness slowly receding.

After, they will talk and Yeosang will slowly come to better understand what he needs and how to ask for it, letting them know by initiating physical contact subtly - a touch here and there, a head on a shoulder, legs or arms pressed against another member’s. His members will slowly learn his signs too, when to initiate touch, when to avoid, when to hold him together so as not to let Yeosang fall apart. 

They will embrace him. 

They will listen.  

#ateez imagine #ateez fanfic #ateez fic #ateez imagines #yeosang #yeosang fanfic #yeosang imagine #hongjoong #seonghwa #yunho #san #mingi #wooyoung #jongho #ateez scenarios #ateez #ateez ot8 #ot8 #my works

[myobsessionsspace]

Fanservice, Queerbaiting or ‘Something Else’

There have been endless conversations, since the days of the 1st generation idol, when it comes to ‘fanservice.’ Conversations about what it is, what’s acceptable as fanservice, what acts are of the idols own volition or what is forced upon them by their company, managers and fans.

Looking up fanservice, it seems that EVERY K-Pop idol partakes in this, it can be as innocuous as giving a fan a wave on stage or lifting their shirt to show their fans their abs. BTS being no exception.

Sometimes ‘fanservice’ can skirt across what has been mentioned above, into territories that cause confusion and cause fans and others to loose boundaries in regards to how they perceive their relationship with their idol and also how they perceive their idol’s relationships with their members.

Due to k-pop not just being limited to South Korea sometimes there may be actions of idols that cause confusion due to different cultures understandings of what should be seen as entertaining and befitting of singers.

Acts of fanservice such as pepero/poki games or using a piece of paper between two members lips to pass along a line of participants, start to toe the line from ‘fanservice’ to ‘queerbaiting’ in the eyes of different cultures.

The entertainment behind these games is to be able to have to fans visualise their idols (who are mainly of same sex groups) near kiss their members and sometimes accidentally kiss them as they play these games.

Idol have also been know in game shows to be punished into wearing dresses, skirts, long wigs and high heels. These questionable ‘punishments’ also toes the line between ‘fanservice’ and ‘queerbaiting’ depending on the level of comfort the idols display when carrying out their ‘punishments.’

Some idols take such ‘punishments’ in their stride and even embrace it with stereotypical behaviours, which lend towards the ‘queerbaiting’ element, allowing their fans to ‘question’ their idols sexuality, just because they comfortably wear and dance in heels, add ‘flamboyance’ to them wearing dresses etc.

If it was examples like this alone, there may not be as much discourse as there is when it comes to idols and ‘fanservice’.

Yes, skinship is also something, though not fanservice in terms of the above definitions, due to cultural differences skinship also adds, at times, to the ‘fanservice’/‘queerbaiting’ conversation.

Unfortunately some idols go above and beyond simple skinship, to where no other term can reasonably be used BUT ‘queerbaiting’

Some of the idols pictured have sadly been quoted as deeming queerness to be a mental illness and do not support, nor are they part of the community.

In such simple terms such idols are indeed queerbaiting.

However…

Though pretty much all idols partake in fanservice…

Though some idols toe the line between fanservice and queerbaiting…

Even when a few idols outright queerbait with no allegiance in anyway to the community…

IT DOESN’T MEAN QUEER IDOLS DO NOT EXIST.

IT DOESN’T MEAN ALL MEMBER INTERACTIONS ARE FANSERVICE.

IT DOESN’T MEAN THERE ARE NO GENUINE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN IDOLS AND THEIR FANS OR BETWEEN IDOLS AND THEIR MEMBERS.

When the term fanservice is used in regards to any sort of words or actions of affection, support and love towards another group member it does become upsetting after a while. Fanservice these days has become a negative word, to be frank it is used more as an insult towards idols these days.

Why, if it’s between members that the naysayer doesn’t want to see interact with each other, must it then be fanservice?

When the term fanservice is used, in regards to two members that spend time with each other during downtimes at work, when not in the midst of work schedules, when going for meals, activities etc. Does it have to be labelled as fanservice?

When a member shows a more involved and unique bond with one member of their group in comparison to the others, why must it be fanservice? Why has the term and definition for fanservice now become used interchangeably with queerbaiting?

When members of a group are keenly aware of their interactions with another member and how they ‘might be seen as queer’ so pull back, when they avoid intimate moments but are spotted even when trying to be subtle is that then queerbaiting? Are they providing fanservice when off in a corner of the dance studio, with family and friends, at restaurants, backstage, in foreign countries?

Being intentional with the use of queer imagery in their music videos, albums, photoshoots etc but not explicitly coming out as queer in a homophobic industry and country is not queerbaiting.

It is always hard to know idols intentions and thoughts when they don’t share them verbally. It’s easy to draw our own conclusions as to if actions are genuine, fanservice or queerbaiting.

But sometimes, just sometimes, what they show us, says all that needs to be said and maybe, just maybe we can accept that it IS just that simple.

Not fanservice, not queerbaiting, but them being them. True to their fans, true to each other and true to themselves.

🖤🤍

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Hi BPP. I have a question running through my mind lately, and I think it’s a little bit stupid, a little bit legit. I read your thoughts and like your opinions. I think you’re one of the best people who could answer, if not the most appropriate one. Sorry if it sounds dumb, tho.

I’ve been into kpop for a while, now. I can’t say i know the way it works, i can’t say i’m a master of it. But i notice things. I notice the big big impact fanservice has in the industry, for example. It’s literally fundamental. There are a few few companies with sex-mixed groups. Put them apart, the majority are same sex groups. Because with opposite genders in the same group there could be problems, unease, relationships etc.

Then they push same sex fantasies with fanservice and amplified skinship (already present in Korea). And until this point, everything is normal. I mean, we know things work this way.

But here i already notice a controversy. Homophobia is present and rooted in Korea and in the industry, but still they push gay narratives/don’t do anything to debunk them. So they try to “feed” everyone, people who like gay scenarios/moments included.

Then i think about girl groups. Twice, black pink. There’s a lot of explicit touching, explicit affirmations (i like you, your body is stunning, let’s go on a date, you make me blush etc). There’s in bts too, the guys did some nasty things too on cameras, i know. But with girl groups, you can easily notice it’s made up for the cameras but it still happens, and unless i’m missing it, i never saw someone hating or heavily hating on members because of it. Because of some easily misunderstanable sentences/acts.

The same goes for boy groups. I’m thinking of ateez. On of the members (i’m not into them so i don’t know his name) loudly read a comment saying “marry (insert another member’s name)”. And he said “you want me to marry *? You know it’s illegal here”. Then i’m thinking of enyphen, again, i’m not into them, but i saw this clip of two members going live and reading comments about them being a couple/being romantically involved. Shipping.

I’m sorry this is gonna be a long one, but before making my point i need to say these things.

Then we have Somi. She explicitly said she has a lot of women flirting with her, and she said she wants to conquer women too. She said she likes Han SoHee and dmed her on insta, but she didn’t reply. She even kissed Hyuna in a video posted on the internet less than a month ago.

Then we have Bibi. She kisses girl fans during her concerts and pictures of it are shared everywhere. She’s still famous, all of these people i’m mentioning are famous, are known, are in the korean spotlight, more or less. And their careers are not fucked up. Sometimes it’s fanservice, some others it’s who they are. Somi really likes women too, imo, and Bibi as well.

I get that for women it might be easier. There’s a group (a big group) of people who prefers gay interactions between women than gay interactions between men. They find it pleasing, and it’s an homophobic, toxic masculinity and women fetishization related preference.

But still, most people are fine with it. Yeah someone probably criticized it, probably hated on them because of these behaviours, but at the end of the day everything is fine for them.

I’m thinking about J-Hope too, who has gay friends and publicly shares pictures with them. He even visited a gay club and, again, probably some people criticized him for it and i’m just not on that side of the internet and the fandom, but at the end of the day his career is not gonna end because of it. Most People are fine with that too. He wears nail polish, tae does too. Can you imagine Jm or Jk doing that publicly? The hate they’d get? Maybe i’m wrong and it wouldn’t be like that; but that’s how i feel.

Then i think about Holland. His coming out had a huge impact on his career, his life. The aggressions he was victim of; his music not being so followed and famous, probably also because of said coming out.

I think about every kpop artist who is closeted and can’t say it. I think about Jikook, about Jimin who had to “play” with colors, lyrics, temporary tattoos and playful interviews (such as the “I think he likes men-> I don’t like you” one) in order to silently whisper that he’s not straight. That there’s more he can’t show.

And then Jikook in general. They could never afford to do what ateez and enhypen did. Never, bpp. We know that. So why?

Why is there this difference, why is it so… difficult for me to get how this works. Why can they do it, but Jikook can’t? But bts can’t? Why is there a limit for some idols, and some others are almost completely free? What am I missing?

I hope my question is clear, bpp. I really do, because i feel like i made a mess here all over the place. I’m sorry about it, thank you for reading this, if you did.

I appreciate you🫶

***

Hi Anon,

Don’t apologize.

So if I’m reading this right, you’re asking why the reaction to jikook showing queer expression is so much more negative than you see it for anyone else / other duos and groups?

Or, maybe quoting you is better:

“And then Jikook in general. They could never afford to do what ateez and enhypen did. Never, bpp. We know that. So why?”

I’m not sure if what I’ll say will make sense, and this might seem silly, but I think one reason jikook/BTS appear to have fewer liberties on things like explicit/overt shows of love/attraction between them, even under the umbrella of ‘fan service’ and compared to other groups, is because BTS is the biggest group in the world. Just by virtue of the group’s prominence, BTS being very closely tied with several government appointments and massive brands in Korea (Samsung and Hyundai)… there’s a greater expectation of conformity for them compared to other groups. There’s just more at stake for them.

I mean, do you recall the lead up to the enlistment news? How people were picking them apart, people who didn’t think they should be exempt where digging into their old footage trying to find anything to turn public opinion against the group. It was kinda crazy. In that sort of environment and in any case, the prudent thing would be to wait till after military service to expect more freedom in expression for a boy group. And perhaps that’s what we’ll see with jikook and BTS in general come 2026.

But also, the thing is, jikook have still been quite loud… in some ways even louder than Somi’s declarations (but certainly not Holland’s and the cost to him and any openly gay artist is apparent to see). GCF in Tokyo is so loud, it couldn’t be louder if JK got a megaphone, climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower and screamed that he loves Jimin in the four cardinal directions. No matter what anybody says about GCF in Tokyo, that video itself is very clear and it says it all.

Then there’s the gesture of Jimin flying from Paris to Korea just to spend some time with Jungkook on his birthday, and then more recently, flying to NYC to be with JK during Seven debut. There’s the way their families treat them both. There’s that OT7 live where Jimin kept one half of his body literally glued to Jungkook’s on the couch, hooking his arms to keep their thighs together that not even air could pass between them. Then there’s fucking Rosebowl, pardon my French.

Like, even with all the scrutiny, jikook have still been able to say what they actually want about what they each mean to each other. Jimin is usually private and careful with how he speaks in general, he’s not the kind of person to talk the way Somi did about anything, really. So expecting a similar level and style of communication/queer expression, for jikook compared to these other people, really isn’t fair to Jimin or Jungkook to begin with, I think.

It’s totally okay if as a fan you’d like to see more open, simple and consistent expressions of queerness the way we have it in OnlyOneOf, Ateez, Bibi, etc. Those groups are made in some ways precisely to scratch that itch. It’s good the way they talk about queer attraction draws you in or resonates with you, but I’m not sure it’s fair to expect other people, in this case jikook and/or BTS, to express their relationship and queer feelings the same way.

If you’re approaching this solely from the point of concern for jikook, I totally get it. Korea is very homophobic. But within their immediate team, I hope and trust they are surrounded by more good people than bad, people who will aim to protect the queer members. There’s no use worrying about this for long, since they’ll just have to learn to take care of themselves.

I could’ve totally missed your question or what you’re actually asking, Anon. If so let me know. But the above is also what I think.

#Also Hobi didn’t go to a gay club but one rumoured to be frequented by some gay men #jikook #BTS #bts chapter 2 #kpop

[mrs-monaghan]

I’ve read a few asks on your blog and other blogs and some people have been trying to prove Jikook isn’t real because “Jk doesn’t allow Jm come too close, but he allows Tae”. First of all, this is ridiculous as hell for so many freaking reasons! As funny as i may sound, this is one of the reason why I personally started believing that Jikook are more than friends and i would just like to explain something cuz clearly, some pple still just don’t get it!

Jk and Jimin and not in a normal, everyday dating situation like you and I! It’s not that simple for them, and i feel like many pple forget this at times! When we look at them, we have certain expectations of them as a couple and when we do not see them, we start doubting forgetting that these boys actually have a lot to lose if they are not cautious! Cautious or not, sometimes our emotions get the better of us and we have seen that alot with Jikook but we cannot expect them to be careless all the freaking time! Yes I do agree that Jk gets flustered or nervous at certain times with Jimin comes too close that he sometimes stiffens up or almost looks uncomfortable and he straight up sometimes turns Jimin around! With Tae and the other members, he doesn’t have a problem with them being so close, (we already know that BTS members lack boundaries with eo) he only reacts that way with Jimin! Now, some pple have said why would he be ok with Tae being so close but doesn’t allow JM get that close? Shouldn’t he be very comfortable with his boyfriend? Some people have taken that to mean he is not comfortable with Jimin, or doesn’t like Jimin or is not comfortable with Jimin touching him and unfortunately many pple have eaten into this misinformed narrative! Since so many pple just don’t get it, let me explain why i think he acts this way! Look at it this way, when you have nothing to hide, you don’t overthink every action, every word said, you don’t easily panic or get flustered cuz there is NOTHING to hide! When other members come too close to Jk or touch him, he doesn’t have any reaction because with the other members (including Tae), there is NOTHING to hide. He doesn’t overthink when he does fanservice with Tae cuz there is nothing behind it. He doesn’t overthing when he kisses Joon on the forehead, or when he hugs hobi, or when he hugs Jin or touches him! He does all of those freely but when it comes to Jimin, he overthinks everything because with Jimin, there is SOMETHING to hide! He easily gets flustered or nervous when Jimin cranks up the flirt because he knows that those moments are not innocent and he worries about giving away too much, considering the fact that they are NOT out yet! He would not flinch when Jin touches him or when Hobi does or when Tae does, but he does when Jimin tries to touch him at times (and no, flinching doesn’t always mean not wanting it). Jk is an introvert and in as much as Jikook may want pple to know they are together, they just can’t and in certain moments, their fear of getting exposed is more than their need of wanting pple to know! They know that they may have alot to loose if they are outed! Also, the other members touches and skinship don’t mean anything to Jk! They could touch him all they want but that wouldn’t get a hair on his body to stand straight! The same cannot be said for Jimin! Jimin’s touches to Jk are not just touches! Those are touches than can literally send electric waves down his spine, those are touches that move things in him, those are touches that get him rock hard, so yes, he has to be more cautious of those touches that ACTUALLY do things to him!

SOMEONE WHO IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ANOTHER PERSON’S TOUCH DOESN’T SEEK THEM OUT! If Jk was ever uncomfortable with Jimin like some of y’all haters like to claim, he would never seek Jimin out or initiate skinship with him! We have seen him seek Jimin out so many times! We have seen him initiate skinship so many times! And just to see how relaxed and comfortable Jk can be with Jimin being so close or touching him, look for the moments when they are not very aware of the cameras or are not the main focus of the cameras! A few examples of moments they were not aware of the cameras:

Car Selfie! We see Jk all up in Jimin neck as they were trying to take a selfie (or so they said)! Jk is all up in there that he doesn’t even notice when the camera appears and Jimin has to shrug him off his shoulders to get him to notice the camera! When Jk does, you immediately see a change in his countenance and he literally starts to hyperventilate lol! Just seconds b4 that, he literally looked the most comfortable i had ever seen him just because he wasn’t aware of the cameras but that all changed once he knew the camera was there! Jhopes JITB: This was another instance where they were having a private moment and the camera again appeared out of nowhere! We see Jk and Jimin standing in a dark corner, so close to each other, heads close to each other, Jk’s hand ontop of Jimin’s and even though the clip was just seconds long, we could clearly see that they were comfortably standing there with each other but immediately the camera appeared, they quickly separated from each other and Jm was so flustered he couldn’t even turn around to look at the camera! Another instance was that one time Tae went to give Jimin a gift (can’t remember where that footage came from exactly) and Jk and Jimin were sitting together and Jm had his arms around Jk and they were without a camera! Immediately the camera appeared with Tae, we could all see the flustered and nervous look on Jk’s face! Poor bb, he gives it away everytime lol! We also have the hidden camera in the hotel rooms! They were not aware the staff had placed cameras in their hotel rooms and we see all the other members get into their hotel rooms except JM! We later see Jk and JM getting into Jk’s room and let’s not even talk about JM’s reaction when he saw the camera! So how can you honestly think or believe that Jk is uncomfortable with Jimin being too close when we have all of these? Doesn’t this only prove that Jk only acts like that because of the cameras? Why is it that everytime we catch them unawares or behind the scenes when they are not the main focus if the camera, Jk doesn’t look the same way he does when they are very aware of the cameras? Also, did you ever stop to ask yourselves why he only acts that way with Jimin? He can play around all day with Tae, Jin, Hobi, RM, Suga, he would touch them anyhow, they would touch him, Tae will flat out use Jk as his pillow or bed, and you wouldn’t get any reaction from him, simply because they are NOT the ones who move him! Jimin starts coming close and he starts hyperventilating because he knows what Jimin’s touches do to him! WHEN HE IS NOT IN CONTROL, HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO ACT! If he initiates the touches, he can contol how it goes (sometimes) but when he doesn’t initiates the touches with Jimin, he get cautious cus let’s face it, Jimin can sometimes go overboard and poor Jk just wouldn’t know how to handle it! Sometimes we see him almost lose control like the other anon stated! When he goes to Jimin and puts his arms around him and starts getting close like he wants to kiss him and then getting flustered and holding his beating heart! Why on earth would he have that reaction if Jimin didn’t move things in him? We have seen shy Jk stare Tae doen during their fanservice moments and didn’t have any reaction whatsoever but just standing close to Jimin gets his heart to race out of control and you still honestly think those two are just bros? We would see certain common couple behaviours between those two but we cannot honestly expect to see them act like a normal couple when they are NOT in a normal situation! Thats all i’m saying!

Oh anon, how i love every single word u just said.

This here is one of my favourite moments of JK absolutely loathing the camera for invading an intimate moment.

And the other moment u talked about was from BV Malta finale. JK absolutely hated the invasion. His face says it all

Just a btw, this was Jimin's shirt before him and JK secluded themselves. So do with this what u will ☕

Here is Jikook letting go suspiciously when they saw the camera

Tweet

We all know about this one

Jimin entwines their hands. JK pulls his hand away. And the first thing he does after letting go of Jimin's hand is look at the camera. That right there shows he only did that coz cameras were on.

Again. If Jikook is fanservice why do they do this? As a Jikook stan I demand by fanservice 😪

Bon Boyage season 3 Jimin putting sunscreen on JK and then going way deeper and intimate than he was supposed to. (We already discussed how Jimin does certain things to rile JK up 🤭)

And what does JK do? Looks at the damn camera!

First he looks at his man like "babe, tf?!" Then looks at the camera. This is sus behaviour. He literally wouldn't care if this was any other member.

Anon, honestly. Great fucking ask. I love it

#if jikook isn't real then neither am i #jikook is real #jikook #kookmin #minkook #bts #jimin and jungkook #park jimin #jeon jungkook #jimin #jungkook #bts ask #ask shaz #bon voyage Jikook #bangtan bomb jikook #jikook analysis

[halliescomut]

Thai BL: The Fanservice Problem...

Now here's the thing... I'm not here to offer solutions, though I do have proposed ideas that I may include at the end, but more just to breakdown my thoughts on fanservice in Thai BL.

First, we'll start with a general definition of fanservice:

I think that the connection to print media originally is important when we're looking at modern BLs series and movies, as they have a base in print media. In Thailand you have niyaai waai (“Y” novels), kaatuun waai (“Y” comics), as well as the Japanese Yaoi Manga and Korean BL Manwha that are very literally the basis for numerous series, in addition to original story BL series.

In terms of the fanservice we see in relation to Thai BLs...that goes a step further, moving out of the fictional world and into the real one. The fanservice we're now talking about is actors whose characters are couples often being paired for promotional events and they are expected to on some level act similarly to their onscreen characters. This includes individual character behavior, but also having the two actors behave in a way that could be (and is intended to be) read as romantic by fans. This includes a lot of different actions, but skinship (which I'll breakdown later), general chivalrous behavior (like serving your partner first), going on 'dates' specifically with the intention of presenting those experiences on social media. The important part about fanservice in this context is that it is always done with the intention of being seen by fans. It doesn't matter if it's a publicly streamed and hosted event, or just an Instagram post, if it's made public by the actor, or their company, it's intentional and it's likely fanservice.

What is the purpose of fanservice then?

Profit, essentially. For these companies, who both produce BL, but also often represent these actors as a talent management agency, there's a profit to be increased by presenting actors in this way. Having these 'couples' become popular to fans means continued view of future series, but also means that they can set contracts to have them promote various products. You will see the actors often promoting the same products that are used in product placement in their series. A brief list off the top of my head: the Lays chips, whatever that flavored water or juice they're always drinking in Wabi Sabi shows, Epson printers (I think it's Epson), various skin-care serums, L'Oreal hair color, the menthol inhalers, the list is likely endless. In the series, product placement gives them direct funds to actually make the shows, but by having the actors promote the same products, these companies are getting a percentage of that payment also because they are also working as representation for the actor.

To make easy numbers, while Gemini's contract might have been $1000 for this post promoting this brand of Ramen, because GMMTV set-up that partnership/contract, and they represent Gemini as talent, they'll get $200 for themselves, Gemini takes home $800 minus taxes. Again, these are made up numbers and I truly hope that no one is actually getting a 20% commission, but I trust none of these companies, so I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was higher.

But because this is genuinely how a good majority of production companies gather capital to be able to make shows, the more popular a ship is can directly equal out to how many ad partnerships they can create for them, as well as the price they can charge. In order to give an approximate view, I chose two actors from the same company, Domundi's Zeepruk and Tutor. Because of Zee's vastly higher popularity and the wide difference in follower counts I wanted to have a third actor for comparison, and so I chose PP Krit. It's not an exact match across the board, but I think gives a good view of scale. Here is the break down of their last 30 Instagram posts:

Now I'll start with some definitions of how I categorized things. Ads are things that have clearly been shot specifically to promote a product, and often have instructions in the captions on where to purchase, or specific benefits about the products. Sponsored posts are any posts where they tag a brand in the caption, but it doesn't have the detail of the Ad posts, or posts of them at a place or event where they were invited to attend by the brand for the purpose of being photographed there. Self-promotion is trailers, photos from their series, or fan events. And finally candid is any pictures that are just there for the fun, thirst traps, vacation pics, pics from behind the scenes of events, and while few of these are actual 'candid' pictures, they're not for the purpose of promoting a 'brand' in particular (outside of the fact they are all clearly intend to promote the 'brand' of the actor). The Couple+ 'whatever' is the same as listed above, but is for any posts that include the other half of their acting pair (meaning Yim, Nunew, and Billkin). The Couples Candid is only found once on a post from Tutor, and is clearly taken when they were filming their Tiktok BL short, but there's no tags for the short series, nor instructions on where to watch it, so I'm calling it a candid post. For PP Krit, there are two posts that I'm categorizing as 'Self-Sponsored' as one is for PP's own brand (Caremate) and the other is for a Car Repair shop owned by a family member. Later when I do math with this information those posts won't be included in the 'potential profit' as I can't guarantee he was paid, and if he was I doubt he charged his standard rate.

Looking at Tutor 7/30 of his latest Instagram posts are ads/sponsored and 5 of the posts are 'couple' posts, meaning they also feature Yim. For Zee 10/30 are sponsored and 5 of those are 'couple' posts also featuring Nunew. It's also relevant that the earliest post I counted of Zee is from April 8, 2023, for PP is April 6, 2023, and the earliest one from Tutor is from December 6, 2022. Given that we have about 30 posts from Zee in 2 months, I'm simply not going to scroll back to December to see what the comparison is time wise, but if the ratio remained the same 10/30 in 2 months, that would equal 30/90 over 6 months, with 15 being 'couple posts'. So you can see the difference made in terms of money brought in by more 'popular' actors. If we stick with our $ 1000 per post cost for individual posts, and double that for 'couple posts' ($ 1000/per actor) that's $ 45,000.00 total brought in and $ 9,000 kept by Domundi as commission. For Tutor, in the same 6 month span, he (and partially Yim) brought in $ 12,000, with Domundi keeping $ 2,400 as commission. That's a marked difference for Domundi. And completely ignoring the very high likelihood that Zee is probably bringing in 2 to 3 times what Tutor his because of his popularity and longer time in the industry. If we look at those same number with PP, he has 15/30 posts that are Ad/Sponsored, at $ 1000 per post that's $ 15,000 directly in PP's pocket essentially, since he has his own independent company that represents him. Which causes it's own complications, as he has many more sponsored and ad posts on his company account, many of which he also appears in with Billkin. (Sidenote: I actually find it fascinating that there's no sponsored/ad posts featuring Billkin on his personal account, in fact it's surprisingly rare for him to post Billkin on his account at all outside of stories, at least recently.) So all of this to say, you can see how having these actors promoted in pairs is more profitable for the company as far as ad promotion.

The additional benefit is we're looking at is fans being able to follow pairs through different stories. Like many fans of media, we will often find actors we enjoy, and then proceed to actively work to watch different projects they are in because we like them, find them to be incredibly talented, think they're handsome, etc. This general expectation is capitalized on by companies by having pairs act opposite each other in multiple stories. At this point for ZeeNunew and TutorYim, we've seen both in the Cutie Pie series, but both also have future work to look forward to. I've previously mentioned the BL Tiktok shorts with TutorYim, and they are going to be the leads in Middleman's Love, which is due to come out at the end of the year. ZeeNunew have a new film, After Sundown, as well as new series The Next Prince, and will be returning as Lian and Kuea in Naughty Babe as second leads. All of these future shows and series are produced by Domundi, meaning they will get a portion of profits from appearances, merchandise, etc. that goes along with those series, as well as the potential ads or product placement in the shows. There’s also a high likelihood that product placement in Naughty Babe will garner a higher price, as it’s a spin-off of an already popular show with already popular actors, where Middleman’s Love, as the first series showing Tutor and Yim as leads, would be ‘cheaper’.

Fanservice as perceived by Fans

Now this can be difficult to break down, because it all depends on the fan. Fanservice as a concept is widely understood by Thai fans. They actively recognize that it exists, and they enjoy it. Other East Asian countries also recognize that Thai BL employs fanservice, and while they accept and enjoy it, they generally do not want to see the practice taken up by BL actors in their own country. In fact, it’s generally rare for actors in BL series in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, etc., to have actors paired for multiple series, outside of appearing as the same characters over various series. The first to come to mind is the characters of Bo Xiang and Zhi Gang from HIStory 3 having in a small guest appearance in HIStory 4, played by the same actors, Wilson Liu and Zhang Han Yuan. Because they are rarely kept as an acting pair, fanservice outside of the actual scripted media is not expected and would have little benefit.

Moving away from East Asian, very particularly to Western, audiences where fanservice is something that many media consumers ONLY expect to see in the media itself, never outside of it. Speaking as a western fan myself, I was genuinely surprised at the amount of ‘bonus content’ that is the expected norm with Thai BL’s. The fan meets, sponsored events, concerts, the vlogs and excursions, the behind-the-scenes content, all of it is generally beyond what I am used to as an avid media fan. Director/or actor commentary, behind the scenes documentaries, while popular generally fell out of favor with the decrease in popularity of physical DVDs, as it was originally intended to be a selling point of purchasing DVDs instead of VHS. (But honestly, that’s a different post.)  And observing the behavior as someone with the perspective of a western fan, it is both the requisite behaviors of fanservice, as well as the difference in cultural norms, that causes confusion and blurs lines. The number one thing that is seen as surprising by western fans of East Asian media, is skinship, particularly skinship between two men.

The concept of skinship isn’t directly unfamiliar to western people but is generally something that occurs between direct family members (parent-child or siblings) or between romantic couples. In East Asian culture it’s moves beyond familial and romantic bonds to include all platonic bonds as well. You can expect to see skinship practiced between any two people who are close and feel affection for each other. So, in the context of fanservice and Thai BL acting pairs, not every occurrence of skinship (hugs, holding hands, sitting especially close, playing with hair, fingers, etc.) is fanservice, but it is a tool in the fanservice armory. Given that it is a cultural norm, and that many of these actors are at least well known to each other and friendly, it is likely an easy one to enact in the name of fanservice.

Watching these interactions through a western lens however, causes the viewer to more easily see the behavior in a romantic context. And there’s honestly a lot of factors that play into that, the biggest being ‘masculinity ideals’ where most western cultures don’t promote or encourage men to show affection outside of family (generally strictly parents or children) or romantic couples. Then you also have good ol’ homophobia, men don’t want to show too much affection towards other men for fear of being seen as gay. And this is a very broad sort of description, as the ‘norms’ for what is acceptable platonic contact will of course differ in immigrant families, or indigenous communities, or among black Americans, even just geographically. I’m just a white person speaking from their own experience and observation, though I do have the benefit of knowing, working with, and interacting with a remarkably wide variety of humans.

Why is Fanservice a ‘Problem’?

If it’s widely understood that fanservice is an extension of the acting, that it’s very often something required by contract, that it’s not an indicator of a romantic or sexual relationship, then it’s not a problem. But that’s not widely understood. And that lack of understanding or even the preference of fans to ignore that knowledge has created a problem in the Thai BL industry. We’ve watched over the last several months personal attacks on actors for ‘queerbaiting’ (which is a term intended ONLY for fictional characters), fan clubs being upset over actors going to appearances alone or without the other half of their acting pair, personal attacks on close friends of actors (very particularly female friends), and even the attacking of an employee and friend of an actor for ‘pushing the fanservice agenda’. What is intended to be cute and fun, is turning into something that is having real life negative effects, both on the actors themselves, but also people connected to these actors. It’s also spreading beyond Thai BL, with fans (mostly western fans) being upset at non-Thai actors for not engaging in fanservice.

Fanservice, by virtue of it being monetizable, also indirectly exploits the Queer community. This is something that’s recognized and often brought up by western fans, as culturally, we’ve reached a point where the expectation is that Queer media will cast Queer actors in roles. This is done specifically in an attempt to help Queer actors to get more roles in the entertainment industry in general (which is a worthy goal) but is also only considered in the context that while being an out Queer person in the West is easier/safer than in many other places around the world. Many Western nations have not only marriage equality, but anti-discrimination laws that give additional protection to Queer people. And even with these laws there are still hundreds of thousands of Queer people who don’t feel comfortable being openly out in all aspects of their lives. In many East Asian countries, legal protection against discrimination is not guaranteed, and even in those countries with anti-discrimination laws, there’s often caveats. And that’s completely setting aside societal discrimination, which would be a top concern for these actors. Taking Thailand specifically, homosexuality isn’t illegal, but there are no laws in place for marriage equality or even the recognition of same-sex relationships. While there are anti-discrimination laws in place, those rest on the ability of a Queer person to PROVE discrimination, which opens its own can of worms.

So, what I’m saying in regard to monetizing or exploiting the Queer community, is that it is understandably frustrating for actual Queer people in Thailand to see actors ‘performing’ queerness through fanservice, and being rewarded for it, while many regular citizens are living in situations where being out could be damaging to their livelihoods, cause loss of friendships or family relationships, and even put them in physical danger. Now, are some of these actors part of the Queer community? We know for certain that some are, we know for certain that some aren’t, but the vast majority we don’t have any concrete knowledge of their sexuality or Queer identity (and we are NOT entitled to it!).  But it would be understandable and reasonable, given the current political and societal landscape of many of these countries, that any actor would have to very seriously consider potential ramifications of being out. Like any Queer person anywhere, there’s a laundry list of considerations that have to be addressed. Top of the list is ‘Would I be physically safe if I came out?’ but you also have to consider possible negative effects on your career, the potential limitations if you want to move outside of BL to mainstream content. We also have VERY clear examples of societal discrimination and hatred towards openly Queer actors, both from ‘local’ fans as well as international fans. But we do very often see BL actors being openly supportive of their local Queer community, promoting proactive voting in elections, and even this past week making appearances at PRIDE events. This is in addition to potential work they are doing quietly to support the community, like donating to non-profits that work to assist or advocate for Queer people, both individually and as a whole.

So, What’s the Solution?

I have no idea. I stated in the very beginning that I’m not here to give solutions. (That’s above my pay-grade.) But I do have some ideas. Now, these are not going to be the easiest for many BL fans to hear, I’m sure. They bother me too, to be honest.

I think an excellent first step is to have companies be upfront about whether fanservice is part of actor’s contracts. We know for a fact that BOC does not contractually obligate fanservice, but any other production or management company that works in BL more than likely does, though the scale and level of expectation may vary. I don’t 100% know if this would actively work, at least initially, because the actors themselves are aware that fanservice can help to raise their popularity, which enables them to be contracted for ads, sponsored social media posts, and appearances, which is how most of these actors make the majority of their money, NOT through the pay they receive for their actual acting work. So, they may perform fanservice as it’s currently known even if it’s not contractually required, but I do at least prefer the actors being in control of the level of fanservice they take part in, if any.

A second step, or option, is to have companies not solely send actors to events in their ‘pairs,’ and not keep them in the same pair for multiple series. I think if a company took the step and intentionally mixed up their ‘pairings’, specifically those from lead roles, then we would see less direct attachment to the ‘pairs’ and more to the actors as individuals. This could help in the long term prevent the fallout we’ve recently seen from acting pairs “breaking up,” very specifically the hateful attacks we’ve seen directed at the separate parties. But I think it could also prevent the fans from ‘choosing sides’ as I’ve also been seeing frequently in online BL spaces. In other direct online discussions, I’ve likened it to having a friend couple break up, and all of the other friends in the group essentially have to pick a side. Sometimes, you knew one person before they were a couple, and you stick with them. On occasion, one of the people will have done something terrible, and even if you knew them first, you stick with the other person. But often these are people who became your friend already a couple, and neither really did anything wrong, they just grew apart…so is it right to throw one aside in favor of the other?? Or is it more reasonable and realistic to maintain friendships with both separately? In a similar fashion, when BL pairs go their separate ways, isn’t it more reasonable to continue to follow them separately, assuming you find them both to be equally talented, versus putting one aside?

As a supplement to my suggestion of not maintaining static pairings I made this lil picker wheel with the actors at GMMTV...

…to be honest I’m quite intrigued by the idea of First and Gun. Both are phenomenal actors. I can picture the vibe of a potential story, based mostly on my desire to see Gun as a homme-fatale. PICTURE IT: Gun is a sultry assassin, beautiful and deadly, First is the ever-weary federal agent on his tail…but he begins to find an interesting connection amongst Gun’s ‘victims’, they’re all users and abusers, arguably far more detrimental to society than Gun himself. As he tracks down Gun and learns more about him…he begins to fall for him. In the end…does he stay true to the commitments he made to his country, or does he breaks those promises in favor of following his heart??

Anyway...this was 3,500 words. Hopefully some of them made sense. PLEASE share your thoughts, if you have any on this subject. I'd be especially interested if you are outside of the US.

#Thai BL #Fanservice #BL Drama #ZeeNunew #TutorYim #BillkinPP #First Kanaphan #Gun Attaphan #I don't know what other tags to put #But I hope you appreciate this #It took me 6 hours #Love Y'all #Tong Thanayut #Domundi #GMMTV #WabiSabi #Be On Cloud #Me Mind Y #Dee Hup House

[wegonbealright-09]

https://www.tumblr.com/wegonbealright-09/731704995863494656/do-you-know-what-makes-me-really-angry-with-the?source=share

I just want to disagree with this anon in 1 small way. JK is very touchy with members like Hobi and Jin maybe even more than with Tae or Jimin (probably because of shipping though post 2021 JK started leaning into the fanservice). Meanwhile Jimin is also super touchy with all the members - like the skinship and comfort he and Hobi have is just on another level. And have we seen how Jin and Tae act on stage together sometimes? That is peak fanservice right there. Nobody tell me Bangtan don't do fanservice at all because that's a lie. But why is only Jimin being targeted by the brain dead losers of that ship?

It mostly stems from homophobia imo. Most of the people shipping tkk aren't actually all that ok with same sex relationships (a fun little experiment you can do is see how many people who ship tkk overwhelmingly come from countries where same sex couples aren't well accepted and are straight themselves) - they just don't want to see the person they're thirsting after with a woman so they'll pair him up with his band mate instead. But that 'safe' pairing gets destroyed when there's an actual queer person around and that is why Jimin is their target. Because he doesn't spend all his time posturing as some super straight d*uchbag or keeping his distance from his friends and is most probably bi, so his very existence acts like some threat to these people which is only exacerbated by the way (let's be honest) jkk act sometimes.

This story isn't unique to tkk. I'm telling you this exact storyline of the 'powers that be' keeping a secret couple apart and their girlfriends / wives being evil hired accomplices is a storyline that is copy and pasted over every crazy fandom including the 'clues' the secret couple send fans. Here it's tkk, somewhere else it's Larry, another it was the Supernatural actors, ditto for the actors from Glee, and pairings from BL dramas of course, and other KPop 'couples'. It is hilarious and sad that they repeat this same story over and over again with little variations. The variation here is that in other fandoms they channeled misogyny to target these people's real life partners and here they use homophobia to target their real life friend.

One last thing - another anon mentioned that it was these ships that was holding Jimin back from achieving his peak popularity and while it doesn't help, I'll again make the case that the root of people hating on Jimin is homophobia. The minute someone says he looks like a girl, or he's too flirty or seductive or that his voice is too high pitched - just know that's just code for I don't like queer people who don't project straight. Sometimes they'll just be more subtle - there's something about Jimin I just don't like. We all know what that something is b*tch.

And secretly I've always wondered if the reason JK was selected as the primary one they'd push inspite of Jimin being so popular is because he passes as straight (he probably is straight but I said passes because I don't want to assume). After all who is Hybe's decision makers except a bunch of old men who only care about money.

Anyway sorry that this ask became so long and rambley!

And boy did you rumble!

This whole ask picked my brain on something and I am going to make a post about it when I get my pc back I can't type long paragraph with a cellphone it's exhausting

And boy did you spill anon

[dearweirdme]

Responding to munlee298's comment, yes I do suspect there's more to Taekook for the same reasons as others here ...namely their subconcious physical closeness, that they seem to have more knowledge of each others daily lives and more significantly, the weird way bighit treats them and how t/kook sometimes respond to it (someone else called it smug and defiant or something like that).

I want to highlight the word suspect though because I could never say for certain until or if they confirm something. My belief is based on my own interpretation of the behaviors and body language I see and my own experience in relationships.

I'm not a keen shipper. Like I don't write or read fanfiction or consume fan art or watch videos or anything. Shipping as it applies to me is just having a feeling that there's something more there based on what I see and sometimes I will look up and see if there's any new discourse on the matter.

Having said that, there are a lot of manipulators in shipping fandoms and Taekook is no exception. A lot of moments are just as highly exagerrated or ascribed meaning that just isn't there. The video edits are almost 90% nonsense and there's a reason why a lot don't link the full, normal speed clips of these moments they slow down to a cheesy music background.

If you were to ship solely based on that and then watch those episodes or moments played out normally, you would likely feel you'd been roped into a con.

So I believe in the ship but just don't trust a lot ofnthe shippers because I believe a lot of ordinary moments are blown up.

Like I didn't understand the fuss about Jeongguk sitting on Taehyung's lap on stage and why I still see pics of it used as proof that t/kook is real or (more disgustingly) I see it sexualised.

To me, that was just normal skinship, perhaps a bit of light fanservice, because we've seen other members of Bangtan that close. We've seen Jeongguk sitting on Yoongi's lap, then Taehyung sitting on Jeongguk's lap in the same moment.

So that's a moment that has precedence in the group as just normal skinship. Where something like Jeongguk and Taehyung out maneuvering staff to get to each other or the pictures of them being attached at the hip and at times, distanced as a pair from the rest of the group or the complete breaching of personal boundaries on a consistent, unconscious level---those are things that appear significant to T/kook as a pair.

If their relationship with the other members weren't also extraordinarily close then I would be tempted to perhaps play off T/kooks closeness as just a very strong friendship and them bonding to a more extreme level due to a lack of closeness with the rest the group but we all know that's not the case.

We've seen examples of extremely close friendship between other members, we've seen even a paternal types of relationship with Seokjin and Jeongguk and Taehyung and Namjoon, we've seen a self described deeper level of friendship between Taehyung and Jimin so what is that leads to those pictures of T/kook often being a little apart from the others? For them feeling familiar and less concerned with personal boundaries than the others? That has staff separating them, or them looking defiantly at the idea of keeping them apart or has Bighit treating them differently?

These are the questions that I have that lead me to believe in T/kook.

Hi again anon!

Thanks for coming back, I had gotten more asks about how you felt about Tkk as a possible couple, but I didn’t want to push you for an answer.

I feel like many in fandom find it hard to deal with not having actual hard proofs. They try to find it by overanalyzing small moments, but in reality it is very possible that we will never get any hard proofs. Their relationship outside of BTS is not one that is meant for us. The things we pick up on are mostly things they share unknowingly. Because how do you hide or edit out a level of comfort that exceeds that of other members.. they can’t because it is not a tangible thing.

Thanks again for this answer, I feel we have learned a great deal from you.

#taekook #ship analysis

[ask-serendipity-sky]

If Jimin was enlisting with Tae, you wouldn't see any of this happening. Tkkrs should question themselves, why is it ok for Jimin to be touchy and friendly with one half of your ship but the minute he does the exact same thing with the other half he becomes Jimin the homewrecker or Jimin the fanservice king. All of them are guys and if you're a tkkr then both of them are supposedly gay and yet they get treated so differently. Tae can have any amount of skinship with Wooga squad and post it everywhere but that's ok somehow.

They're just so stupid they can't even see the double standards in their own behaviour. I really don't care about what they do though - I just need them to get off Jimin's ass.

Hi anon,

Well, logic has never crossed their roachy brains.

Anyone can see there is nothing between Tae and Jk. AND Jimin isn't impeding their love....

BECAUSE THEY DON'T LOVE EACH OTHER!

Thanks for sharing.

[bigtopveggie]

Ship Bias mwah

Send ‘Ship Bias’ and I will share up ships I have a bias for for my muse 💚

Midori x Chiaki

I mean, it's very clear, my ship bias is not subtle at all on this one ... it cannot be, because I love them too much. They are the reason I am so into Enstars. They both caught my eyes, and when I saw their relationship, I was done for.

Obviously, their rapport is very fanservice tease, but there is so much potential and so many things to unpack here. From Chiaki choosing, amongst everyone else, Midori as protégé, no matter how annoying he can be, no matter how cruel the things he says are, and never letting go.

How Chiaki has been called out to be constantly out there to have skinship with Midori even though he is physical with everyone in general. How Midori is the only one Chiaki does very no homo advances to, like wanting to give him CPR because he looks dead ( read : just looking down ) and such. It is just such a common cope out to when you are attracted to someone for real in gay men, it is impossible for me to not have my heart strings tugged at all those scenes sprinkled whenever Ryuseitai shows up in ! .

The coup de grâce is Midori being just ... such a tsundere. Getting the UP! buff when called out that he enjoys Chiaki's company, being told he looks so happy whenever he's with Chiaki just after he relentlessly complained about him.

It is impossible to not read them like they're two guys pining on one another or just an old married couple. Add to this the kouhai/senpai dysfunctional relationship and there is just so much spice to them as they both carry their baggage and crash into one another. They both complement each others' flaws and qualities, for the better and worst. And they are just so endlessly entertaining to me to see together. They take information in such a drastically different way, I always am happy to see them interact.

They are a relationship about moving on and growing together. I love that they have nothing to do with one another's past, that those are just two complete people who have a spark.

A loudmouth who takes the whole space and a meek, soft boy. I am a sucker for those bright characters who take center stage having this tranquil, side character who is their other half which we see less often but is just impactful every time he enters the scene ... that is Midori. Amidst their misunderstandings and the myriad of strong feelings they have for one another, there is just SO MUCH potential for so many heartwrenching and wholesome storylines ... I adore them, I think about them all the time ... !!!

Midori x Hinata

There's potential to have the two of them be so much more than friendly acquaintances ... they are friends, but I'd say so far in canon interactions, not as close as they could be, mostly due to Hinata keeping an emotional distance from everyone. Hinata is just always a step ahead to Midori, which is to me because he pushed himself to grow up quicker than he should have ... while still having the same immaturity, as you cannot rush growing up entirely.

Hinata always know what to say to distract Midori from dark thoughts without being over the top, their interactions are positive and mundane ... which is actually very rare for Midori : it actually fits much more the energy in which he sees himself being happy : just leading a peaceful life. My guess is that Hinata, just like Midori, is a depressed individual, and tell Midori what he wished someone would tell him. You see this repeat in the same way Tetora grows resentful of Midori : that Midori is a dark mirror to his inner cynicism. However, in Hinata's case, he only sees compassion and even, dare I say, trust. A lot of people see massive flaws in Midori that are caused by his mental disorder, however, Hinata sees pass this and can see how compassionate and thoughtful Midori is despite his struggles.

As for how Midori sees Hinata ... unfortunately, there has not been a lot, because of how caught up he is in his head, how Hinata is so good at masking and how Midori does not like being involved in troublesome business that is not his. This, however, I do believe can change as shown in how in !!, Midori is open about wanting more friends and actually trying to nurture relationships outside his immediate circle. For him to be the one poking at people first and not wait for people to come to him.

There is this peaceful ( dare I say cottagecore ) potential for he and Hinata to become so much closer. Because, despite what it may look like, I do think that Hinata is the one who needs Midori most, someone close to him that is not his brother or someone involved in the drama with his brother. Someone entirely on his side. And Midori is one who, if given the chance, would be eager to support someone like Hinata who's always been there for him - Midori may look like he is entitled, but he actually fully realize when others go out of their way to accommodate him and feel shame and guilt over it, something that stopped him from socializing for so long. He does see how Hinata is kind to him, but his self-loathing makes him too embarrassed to dare ask for more than Hinata already gave him by helping him out all the time.

And past their issues ... Hinata is cheerful and mischievious, all the high energy Midori do need to see some light in his life, but not overbearing. Midori is the calm and stability Hinata needs in the chaos that is his life ... and, honestly, with all the joking around Hinata does about Yuuta being his boyfriend, I sense some yearning to actually have a genuine boyfriend, a wish for romance, and him calling Midori really good-looking ? Yeah. Yeah.

Those two are such a nice chemistry just waiting to be used more *shake HappyEle* !

#.sentoukihiro ( chiaki ) #.himawari ( hinata )

[dojae-huh]

Sometimes I get the impression that Jungwoo has a severe crush on Jaehyun. You know, handsome man, radiant, deep thoughts, Idk. He can skinship with other members who tolerate and receive him better, but he always clings to Jae. Obviously Doyoung is very noble to interfere in this, he loves Jungwoo very much, but I would feel bad if Doyoung one day gave up/rejected Jae because of it.

I think it's better to stick to reality than to let imagination run wild. Doyoung giving up Jaehyun due to his tolerance of other members, lmao.

Jungwoo isn't gay, he isn't bi either. Or Taeil, Mark and others won't tolerate his skinship that easily.

127 has "official" ships established by themselves. DoWoo, YuMark, JohnIl, YuIl, TaeDo, etc. The ships exist as fanservice and as a way to bring attention to a member, involve a quiet one into action. For Woo it's JaeWoo (started with Jack and Rose). I think in part Woo likes the ship because he likes to annoy Jaehyun. Jaehyun is fun to annoy as he isn't keen on giving attention (which Woo demands) but at the same time he is a softie (so Woo can have an upper hand).

Woo's first target and first choice was Taeil, actually. Maybe he changed to Jae after his half-year hiatus and Doyoung returning to taking care of him and creating Sabujakz, or maybe due to the rise of SunMoon and YuIl.

How many TMI's have you heard about JaeWoo after they stopped being roommates? (officially, anyway) Doyoung constantly talks about eating with Woo. Mark constantly talks about wanting Woo in his life. Just recently Woo talked about going to the gym in a hotel with Taeil.

[sizzlingpatrolfox]

not you comparing potato quality pic we got of jk with mijoo with the number of taennie selcas one of which in tae's home too and another before he left for an official schedule. they're two completely different situations and I get you're acting like a woke "army" now but saying jikookers wouldn't be any different is a joke. you were here in 2019 and you were a jikooker and people were trying to understand what was going on. no one ever said the pics were edited or harassed that rapper guy when he went on IG and said that wasn't him, people accepted these truths. unlike what tkkers have been doing, "the pics are edited", no it's "the companies planned it for promotion and to hide tk". you're so blinded by your disappointment you're lashing out lmao

Everytime someone starts a sentence with "not you" I just know they're about to nitpick theee smallest of things and try to fight people on semantics exactly like you're doing here.

"The sky is light blue"

"Not you saying the sky is light blue when it's just blue"

I didn't mention harassment of third parties, did I? I only talked about shippers on the internet thinking it's not them because they think they know their faces and bodies and sexualities better than anyone else. Taekookers think Taehyung has a fat toned ass, for fucks sake. Jennie has small eyebrows when she's not wearing makeup.

So, no. Given the fact that I was especifically talking about people shielding their feelings behind "it doesn't look like him", these aren't completely different situations for me because in both cases the "it doesn't look like him" happened. In both cases people thought they couldn't be affectionate with girls for one reason or the other.

And I still think jikookers would act the same way because I saw it. For years they were even scared to talk about mijoo. "the guys should be allowed to date whoever they want!!! To have friends!!! To be affectionate with them!!!" Except Jungkook and Mijoo, that thing we don't talk about. If it's not the quality of the photo it's going to be "but he's so affectionate with everyone, he hugs everyone the same way, he's just a sweet guy, he matches clothes with all his friends", and all these statements are valid for both Jimin and Jungkook. Without an official statement, nobody would actually believe they're dating a woman even if there are photos like the ones of Taehyung and Jennie. They will find excuses.

Some jikookers think Taehyung, his actual friend is forcing fanservice or skinship on Jungkook lmao. A lot of others have been saying for more than a year that they're taking different cars to "confuse" people and make it seem like they're going to different homes when they're actually going to the same place, while the truth is that they are not living together and haven't been for more than a year. Isn't that proof enough that they would act as deranged? Shippers lie to themselves about what they're seeing all the time, and in turn they also lie to others.

I've been in other fandoms before and A LOT of jikookers are not that different from every other shipper that exists and has ever existed. Myself I am probably so similar to many others.

What exactly am I supposed to be so disappointed with? I mean, if you know so much please do enlighten me about my own feelings.

[hhappylliving]

I will forever ask people if they need BL recommendations when they rave about a mainstream BL. Because the term "BL" isn't widely known in the US(or just English media) since we literally don't have a BL market. English countries aren't the ones with like 4+ BL's on air at any given time. I'd say it's a bummer, but I feel like we would just absolutely ruin it. And fanservice absolutely wouldn't be the same. And the relationship dynamics in the form of skinship wouldn't be the same.

[kanmom51]

Okay, so I am gonna rant and I want you to add your two cents, if you don't mind. Correct me if I am wrong in any way.

Recently, I saw something on the flaming pile of shit that is Twitter and it made me think for a bit. It was about skinship in Kpop, in general. And how BTS aren't really that big in it. And because that is what fans use to determine how close members are that is why JK and JM are considered to not be close or that JK is uncomfortable with JM. Because they use skinship to determine how close the members are. Nothing else. And because other companies are big in showing off skinship/fanservice of their members, that KM aren't that special because they don't show a lot of skinship. Apparently, closeness is determined by skinship. And skinship does matter because the fans use it to determine who is closest. Sorry, hope that summary made sense. Now begins the rant.

I just really can't anymore. People blow my mind. If ALL you can see of KM is their apparent lack of skinship compared to other groups and the other ships in BTS, then why are you here? You say skinship matters, then why and how does it matter when all the boys do it? We say skinship doesn't matter for that EXACT reason. Yes, it may matter to the other companies because it sells, but I don't think BH as a company focuses on that skinship/fanservice to provide a lot of profit. It's a nice side thing to see when watching the boys accomplish their dreams. And these boys have a LOT more freedom when doing things at BH compared to these other groups. Their companies profit off of/depend on the skinship moments between their members. Do we need skinship to determine how close the boys all are and how KM have grown closer over time? HELL NO!

I didn't say it before, but the Twitter post went further to state that ARMYs think that another ship is closer because the amount of skinship moments. Great for them! But did they ever think to wonder how suspicious it is that JK is ever so cautious when interacting with JM? He does not EVER do that with the other members, in my opinion. He looks like he is controlling what he is doing and for what reason?! Furthermore, when we do take a skinship moment into consideration, we take context, tension, and consistency into consideration, as well. Not everything means something, but I can list one that stood out to me. Rosebowl. I have never seen JK suck another members ear into his mouth to do whatever he wanted to do to JM. I don't think we will ever see him do it with another member in that context with that tension. If that doesn't scream closeness, then I don't know what does. I wouldn't put another member's sweaty ear in my mouth, especially if I was a very clean person. Unless, I was extremely close to them and I needed to prove/do something.

So, yeah, we don't use skinship that much or consider it a big deal because other people use it to determine closeness.

However, what we do use is other moments that are not related in any way to skinship.

How about spending so much time together that staff rarely saw them apart when passing by? Oh, I guess that doesn't shout closeness to you. It depends on skinship, doesn't it?

How about taking time to fly from Paris to Korea to spend a birthday and give gifts to someone? Taking time to get a cake and making a video telling them they would get drinks later, just to show up? Only one other member showed up and the other members were doing other things. Oh, but I guess that doesn't count again. Darn it!

Oh! How about being together at 4 AM on another birthday? And how big of a deal it was to them to share it with us? When it literally was not needed information at the time? JK grinning at JM when he finally spilled the beans was very sweet. But, oh gosh darn it! That won't work either, will it?

Ah! What about how consistent JK is with dropping honorifics with JM and speaking informally with JM (I can't really remember, but I think it is a mix between informal and formal speech? Correct me if I am wrong.)? He did a lot of this before he did it with the others. Of course, since they are all close, he does it now. But I do remember him saying that he wasn't comfortable with doing that before somewhere? So, why did he feel and why does he feel comfortable enough to do it with JM? And why did and why does JM let him get away with it? But I guess that was another flop since skinship was not a part of it. Sigh.

How about the GCFs? Tokyo was basically a love letter if you were willing to listen. JM seems to be his main muse if you look at all of them. But, ah! I guess everyone goes on trips with one person they aren't that close with or uncomfortable with. So, that's another bust, huh!

How about having inside jokes that the other members aren't privy to? The volleyball RUN episode and that recent behind the scene where KM were signing a song some online gamer sung (I think it was PUBG, but I don't know. I do know the person was streaming during it though.). That shows that they have there own jokes and that should show some closeness, right? Still, it doesn't have skinship, so I guess that is another one down the drain.

Ooo! How about JK's tattoo? This one is kinda obvious if you are just looking at it from an unbiased point of view! That one does it right? Ah, but I am wrong again, aren't I?

I could go on and on about the things that KM have done and will do that aren't related at all to skinship. Skinship doesn't show closeness. Never will. So, why shouldn't we make these moments bigger in our community and not consider a lot of skinship moments or the apparent lack of them? Why should we take into consideration that others think that another duo is closer due to skinship and that skinship matters more than anything? Why do these moments never get taken into consideration?

Maybe they are blind or just plain willfully ignorant of BTS, KM, and the relationships in it (and to be frank. I really don't take other kpop groups into consideration. I feel as if BTS are another level in how they show themselves, how they interact, and how much freedom they have. No other group I have seen has that much freedom. Tell me if I am wrong please.) I am not and never will be. I will not let others try to stomp on my opinions and these moments because they feel as if it doesn't show closeness due to their apparent lack of skinship. Sure. See it that way. I don't.

Rant over.

Have a nice day everyone and I feel loads better with that off my chest! Additionally, I apologize if everything is all over the place. I am so tired that I am tasting colors and this made me frustrated.

Quite an angry frustrated rant anon. Lol.

Love your nickname for Twitter. Lmao.

What utter bullshit. Unbelievable bullshit.

I agree with almost everything you write.

Skinship not big in BTS? Are they f**king blind?

I think they are a bit muddled up between skinship and fanservice. Two totally different though intertwined subjects.

Here is where I don't agree with something you said anon, because Skinship is about showing affection. BTS practice skinship showing their affection to each other. With Jikook, being as close as they are (time spent together, them literally telling us in not so many words what they mean to each other) the sus part is how careful they are when it comes to skinship. I, like you, feel it's more about JK's fear to lose control of the situation. Skinship when there is friendship and affection is not the same when there is sexual tension in the mix (re BV4 and JK's need to cover up after just a little of footsies with JM). Not every touch causes a reaction. But when you are in love with someone, when you are attracted to someone, their touch can reek havoc.

That was skinship - an acceptable way to show affection within SK culture.

Fanservice is about selling a product to the fans.

Is skinship utilized by other companies to sell their products? Oh yes it is. Does BH utilize skinship to sell BTS? Not as such, in my opinion. It’s not that BH hasn’t used fanservice over the years (JM or JK lifting their shirts during songs, kissing games – in the past) but they never had the members touch each other or pretend to show affection towards each other to sell the band. When members do skinship, it’s them doing their own thing, them showing affection and closeness with each other.

BTS are the epitome of skinship. They take it even farther than other k-pop bands. What BTS are not big at is fanservice. Yes, they do it at times, but it’s not on the level we see in other K-pop bands. Just lately I have started to see a bit of other K-pop bands, the things they go through on stage or in gameshows, the things they do as fanservice. BTS are not there at all.

Yes, they do engage in fanservice, but it’s usually them at a heightened state of excitement doing their thing but knowing just how much the fans love it. Jikook interactions on stage, Taejin interactions, at times could be considered fanservice although it’s not fake interaction. It’s them enjoying themselves and each other in front of their fans.

As for your description what makes Jikook, you are 100% right anon. Take the skinship out of the equation all together. We don't need skinship to see just how close Jikook are.

#ask #anon #skinship #fanservice #skinship and fanservice are not one and the same #K-pop utilizing skinship as fanservice

[wegonbealright-09]

i tried hard not to post anything about my vmin thoughts because it seems like its everybody's heartbreaking topic. but still im here on one of my faves' tumblr pages.

i do believe that all bts members are friends - one way or another. but each friendship in this group is different - like in real life. some members can be these really close friends who constantly talk with each other on the phone, go out on weekends, have fun in every possible situation. some can understand each other well but don't hang out much only when it is needed. some can be just colleagues with 10 years of working together and litteraly survivng in this whole terrible world - they can also be called friends but not in a "best buddy" meaning, working next to each other for such a long time can also bring people closer. in other words, there are many types of friendship. what is more, people do change. so do their relationships. especially when you are popular/a star. you have no other option but to change yourself according to mass wishes.

next thing i want to say is that we are talking about idols. a lot of things they do in their lives are... fanservice. and fanservice is their job. and their job gives them money. fanservice is quite a sensitive topic. i mean, which of their actions can be called fanservice and which - not? we'll never know. but we still need to remember that some things can be pre-planned and scripted. especially such things as skinship, loving eyes, loud words as "i love you more than anyone else", etc.

vmin. how do i see them?

i believe that many years ago they became friends. they are the same age. they wanted to make friends. their characters and views on the nearest future did match. they wanted to have fun. they needed someone to be close to and to support them. they were bandmates after all and spent 24 hours a day together. voila!

but. they were yound maximalists on the one hand. on the other hand, they were public figures. don't you want to make the most of your friendship? i mean, to show it to the whole world? ofc you do. that's how this "soulmates thing" came about.

and company which sees everything is not consisted of idiots. two members are good friends. they call themselves soulmates. their fans like it. what does the company need to do? ofc, push it. push it day after day. and make money on it. and when smth makes the company good money it will never let it go.

however people do change. and jimin and th changed. and here goes my secret perspective of them. truth to be told, i don't consider them close friends now. just colleages with a great bonding history behind their backs. and for me they are not close for at least 3 years.

fame is not a good thing. fame do change people. and it changed th for the worse. why only th? you may say that im just heavily jimin-biased (and i am), but some things th did actually speak volumes for me. i don't mean that jimin is some kind of an angel and th is a devil, but i see that th changed more. and his changes do not look good. jimin is also an idol after all and he craves popularity too but ig his human principles value more (as well as his desire to develop, to work more). while th seeks praise but doesnt want to push himself too hard. i believe they tried to find smth in common/smth that can again bring them together but failed. now they just don't try anymore. and it is visible.

i believe a lot of things th said about vmin and his love for jimin at the very beginning were true. but most things he said about his friendship with jimin from 2019 (or even earlier) to 2023 is... fanservice. there is no going back for them. now they need to play the role. their company still wants money from "soulmates". but when soulmates are not needed on the scene, jimin and th are nowhere to be found together. it doesn't mean they hate each other. as i said, they are time-tested colleagues with a good basis in the form of strong friendship. but... just colleagues. with the most unnatural hugs in public.

.

Hi anon I want to take you out on a date like a real date I want to wine and dine you better than a psychic fr you literally put my thoughts into words, hit me tf up I need some heavily jimin biased people on my blog.

[dearweirdme]

“And the answer is quite simple, it’s automatic behavior, it’s not even something they think about.. it’s just an automatic response their body’s and facial expressions have. “

Again, that is what i am saying. They don’t have to overthink anything because there is nothing worth overthinking. And ofcourse it feels natural to them because guess what, all the bts members generally do not understand the concept of personal space when it comes to each other. Touching each other and being cozy with each other is something they all do all the time. Have you ever seen Jk react as strongly with any other member as he does with Jimin? With all the other members including Tae, u don’t see him overthink it. Granted you wouldn’t see Jk doing alot of skinship with the other other members cuz they just don’t do it alot but Tae likes to hold and touch the members. He likes to cuddle people when he sleeps. He is soft with the members and Jk indulges him. Jk lets him put his arms around him, and other things but that is not because they are a couple who are used to each other’s touches. They are used to each other’s touches yes, but not because they are a couple but because they happen to be members of the same band who have known each other for years and show their affections sometimes through touch.

Sometimes you literally see Jk actively avoid Jimin’s touches and some of you have taken that as proof of Jikook not being real but u know one thing u are not considering? If Jk hated being touched by Jimin or felt uncomfortable with Jimin touching him as some of y’all think, he just wouldn’t initiate touches with Jimin be it for fanservice or not. You just don’t start touching someone whose touches you hate. Jk also wouldn’t go slip his hands into Jimin’s shirt to caress his bare skin. Jk also wouldn’t use his bare foot to caress Jimin’s legs. Jk also would go cuddle a sleeping Jimin. Jk also would lick Jimin’s palms. These are things a human being doesn’t do when they don’t feel very comfortable doing skinship with another person. But Jk does all of these.

And me saying Jk doesn’t lean in is not me saying he is doing that to hide his relationship. It is more of a natural reaction. As i mentioned before, when you have nothing to hide, you are your most comfortable but it isn’t the case when you do have something to hide. You naturally feel more uneasy and uncomfortable doing certain things because u worry about giving away too much. Given Jk’s personality, it all makes sense why he is that way. Jimin on the other hand doesn’t really have that problem cuz like Jk said, he is shameless. Jimin is bold and doesn’t have a problem with pda. Jk on the other hand is shy and introverted and he easily gets flustered. Jimin sometimes gets flustered too, like that “FS” moment from PTD in LA in 2021 on stage where Jk goes up to Jimin and puts his face really close to Jimin’s like he was going to kiss him. You could literally see Jimin shaking in his boots and even lost his sense of direction after Jk did that. That doesn’t happen to Jimin often but sometimes he does get uneasy and flustered too. It is what u should expect with pple under their circumstances, not complete comfort and ease. That just isn’t realistic.

Hi again new essay leaving anon!

I think you are possibly quite new to BTS as a whole.. or maybe you are only a Jkkr and not really follow the band? Because again.. it is very clear that you have only been paying attention to Jkk footage and Jkk blogs. You don’t realize it, but your perception of everything as a whole is rather of. Your understanding of Jimin, Jk and Tae as persons is wrong. I suggest looking at BTS footage and if you dare.. look at Tkk footage, because you don’t seem to actually be awareness of how Tae and Jk are together (less than most people I’d say).

Let me also introduce you to Hopemin.. you’ll see Jimin flustered and flirtatious quite a bit.

#this sounds very condescending #sorry #but i have a thing about uninformed people trying to tell me what to believe #straws #also #please stop sending me these long asks #but also #whenever I get the chance to post some hopemin I will 😁