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syrena-del-mar · 1 year

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Alan honestly comes across as the textbook “nice guy.” (Which isn’t hard when you have First playing him, who is an actual nice guy). You know, the nice guy that acts nice until they don’t get their way and when they don’t, they take on a whole different persona that you wouldn’t expect because of how they presented themselves as the nice guy. Alan can be a “nice guy” and still raise red flags, especially how he postures himself when talking to Wen.

It’s important to also consider the timeline in which they are living in. This is taking place during mid Covid-19. The show alludes to all the financial struggles due to the economy and Wen himself states that he’s living paycheck-to-paycheck. It makes sense that Wen is stuck living with his ex. It happens all the time to couples, sometimes no matter how much you may want to leave, there are extrinsic (in this case, financial) factors that impede your ability.

And! In every interaction that Wen and Alan have together, Wen is more than crystal clear that there is nothing left in between them, even if they are still living together due to circumstances.

First, the interaction they had when they were sharing a bed together. The moment that Wen feels Alan is snuggling up to him, Wen wakes up and tells Alan to move off of him. There’s a certain coldness in the way that Wen tells him to move, as if its been something already discussed.

The next scene, Alan and Wen are having breakfast. Alan doesn’t even ask if Wen wants to go to the party of their mutual friend, he simply states, “You’re going.” He took away any choice from Wen and expected Wen to go along with the charade that they were still together. Wen put a stop to that and even states that pretending that they’re together makes him uncomfortable. ‘Pretending’ is the key word, signifying that they already discussed that their relationship has ended.

Then, when Wen arrives the next morning, Alan reprimands Wen for not notifying him that he wouldn’t make it home that night and for not picking up his phone. There’s no relationship there! Wen already stated as such. Alan is crossing a line that has already been drawn, there was no reason to attempt to scold Wen, when Alan is nothing to him. He’s not his lover and not his parents, so if Wen doesn’t want to let him know that he’s not coming home, he doesn’t have to and that pisses Alan off.

Wen also tells Alan that he’s moving out and that he found a condo to stay out. Wen is giving Alan a heads up so he can figure out his living situation, that wasn’t a comment for him throw it in his face whether he’s moving in with a boyfriend. Even if he was! It’s! Not! His! Business!

The final straw is when Alan seeks out Gong, asking for information on Uncle Jim, just because Wen posts him on his IG story. A) Wen has made it clear that they’re not in a relationship anymore B) who Wen spends his time with is none of his business C) going to a mutual friend to find out is overstepping a huge line when it’s clear Wen doesn’t want Alan in his life.

To top it off, whatever the final straw was for Wen, Alan plays it off as if Wen was being too much since he did it with good intentions. Gong even states that no matter if his actions were well-intentioned, he should have considered Wen’s opinion. I swear Alan’s posturing as if he knows what’s better for Wen kills me.

Then he actually goes and tracks down where Wen is with Uncle Jim and asks if they’ve slept together! The way that he pushes Wen down, as well, he didn’t stop to think until he saw that Wen fell. Talk about overstepping, he really ran through the line that was drawn by tracking them down and then resorting to violence.

It really doesn’t matter that they live together or that Alan has unresolved feelings. Wen has made it clear through his actions and verbally that there is nothing left for them. Wen even stated that what they were pretending for their mutual friend and even just pretending made him uncomfortable. I don’t know how much clearer Wen has to be.

Alan isn’t in limbo with his relationship, Wen made his intentions clear in ending the relationship. Alan just can’t believe or come to terms that Wen doesn’t want him. Living together, sharing common spaces, doesn’t equal a welcome into his personal life just because they used to be together and Alan can’t seem to accept that.

I get it, relationships make people do crazy things, jealousy can be a bitch, but that doesn’t give an excuse for literally stalking your ex and abusing the situation.

TLDR; Alan is a walking red flag “nice guy” that can’t accept that just because he loves Wen that doesn’t mean that Wen has to love him.

#Alan x Wen #Moonlight Chicken #Midnight Series: Moonlight Chicken #thai bl #earth x mix #earth mix #mlc: Alan #Wen #Uncle Jim #bl series #earth pirapat #mix sahaphap #moonlight chicken ep 4 #first kanaphan #uncle jim x wen #idk i think if the was a f/m rs people would be more willing to call him out for the abuse tactics that Alan is showing #this is probably me projecting on alan because been there #done that #and suddenly like Wen you're the bad guy and it's like no! there's a boundary! shithead just doesnt accept it #and like shit you wanna get out but do to circumstances #you just cant #and then all of sudden you're the bad guy because you're not willing to work things out #but there's nothing to work out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#lol i thought about this for a bit more and yeah projecting but ahhhhhh #also rip to all my typos can't be fucked to fix them #moonlight chicken meta #steph rants

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hoolalafoolalal · 1 year

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One lifetime is not enough for me to be with you.

When I saw you for the first time why did it feel that we have already lived countless lifetimes together.

The big eyes, the shine in them, only for me. I have known it before, as if my very breath.

I walked in not knowing that when the night becomes young, I will meet you.

Do you know how many miles have I walked just to glimpse at you?

And you stand there tugging my very heart not knowing that not in this life but many many before this, I have laid in your arms and given you my life and my heart.

#the longing in their eyes and heart

#this was the best opening scene that I could have asked for

#moonlight chicken #uncle jim #wen x jim #bigeyeswen #midnightseries #moonlightchickenseries #jim moonlight chicken #wen moonlight chicken

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shortpplfedup · 5 months

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2023 Year In Review: Quick Hits

It has been...a year. I struggled a lot this year, lots going on in my real life and ending on a mixed bag, but there was a lot that kept me lifted and plenty of it was in and around QL. I legit don't have the energy for a long and intense write up, so some quick hits.

1. The People

So many of y'all, you know who you are, but I want to call out the loyal pod listeners, the whole clown squad (no tags, Fight Club rules) and extra-specially @the-conversation-pod team @ginnymoonbeam @lurkingshan and especially @bengiyo. You don't even know friend, but there's days you legit kept me going.

2. The Shows

There's so much I genuinely enjoyed this year, across the spectrum, and you'll get to hear more on that when we publish this year's VIIB Awards and Year In Review eps around the last week in January, but my personal top 5 this year in no specific order:

Our Sky 2 x Bad Buddy x A Tale Of Thousand Stars

Step By Step

What Did You Eat Yesterday 2

My School President

Moonlight Chicken

3. The Characters

I've said before I process a lot of my emotions through media. Here are the characters that resonated most this year:

Uncle Jim (Moonlight Chicken)

Ichijou Souta (Naked Dining)

Kaido Amane (If It's With You)

Cher (A Boss and A Babe)

Kawi (Be My Favourite)

4. The Moments

Most people don't know but I live in Rewind City, on 0.25x Speed Street. Here are some of the moments I watched on a loop this year.

P'Jeng and Nong Pat's first time, Step By Step (neck smelling drives me insane)

Chinzhilla performing 'Just Being Friendly' on the Hot Wave stage, My School President

Mon topping Sam, GAP The Series

Jim sniff kissing the fuck outta Wen and rocking his entire world, Moonlight Chicken

The chocolate kiss, Utsukushii Kare 2

Every time Ritsu pleasured Masumi without taking his eyes off his face, The End Of The World With You

Phupha finally making it right and giving Tian the mosquito net moment he should have given him all those years ago, OS 2 x 1000 Stars

Cher takes off Gun's shirt and just looks at him, A Boss and A Babe

King, Uea and the goddamn birthday cake, Bed Friend

Sailom and Namnuea's wedding, Wedding Plan Special

Hantae carrying Baram to the bedroom, Sing My Crush

The Big Damn Kiss, I Feel You Linger In The Air

Yamato and Kakeru intertwining fingers as Kakeru tells Yamato to keep liking him, I Cannot Reach You

Mhok and Day getting a little closer than necessary on SkyTrain, Last Twilight

5. The Messages

This year more than ever, I found myself gravitating toward shows centred around ideas of compassion, acceptance, bittersweetness and 'a soft epilogue'. I'm well out of the first flush of youth, and while it can be heartwarming to watch the younguns experience it all for the first time, lived experience makes romance DIFFERENT. There's something about having tried and failed and finding it in you to try again that just hits. Something about knowing yourself and feeling something you thought might be dead in you come alive again. Last love for me, every time.

Happy Holidays folks. Onto the next one.

#year in review #best of bl 2023 #on art

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respectthepetty · 11 months

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Jeng speaking English should come with at least a 10 minute warning so I can collect myself.

goddammit!!!!

Y'all know that I mute and speed up my shows, so I didn't realize he was speaking English until the Thai subs kept coming up; then, I had to rewind and slow it down to hear it, so I could appreciate the cuteness. Jeng bringing out his multilingual side to confess AGAIN made him more adorable!

And because this isn't the first time the use of another language in a BL has caused me to stop in my tracks, let me give you something you didn't even ask for -

My Top Five Favorite Uses of Another Language in BLs!

offered in no particular order

My Only 12% - English

Cake was studying with his pals when he decided to call it a night. He went into his bedroom and apologized to his boyfriend Eiw for waking him up. Eiw told Cake he wasn't really sleeping well because Cake wasn't next to him, and that was all it took for Cake's heart-eyes to be activated. He kissed Eiw so tenderly only to then dedicate an ode to Eiw's entire body, mind, and soul all in English while kissing each part of Eiw's body as he praised it. What a king!

Never Let Me Go - Mandarin

I already thought that Palm liked Nueng's mean side a little too much before Wu and David wandered into Mam's bar, but this exchange solidified that Palm had a specific kink and Nueng was more than happy to offer Palm a helping hand a scolding insult. Nueng took great pleasure calling his boyfriend a fool in every language he knew including Mandarin, and I'm sure that is part of the reason Palm came around to Nueng extending his time abroad for schooling. The more education Nueng has, the more languages he can berate Palm in.

Unintentional Love Story - Spanish

The main couple were great, but I was showing up every week for Donghee and Hotae's friends-to-enemies-to-menaces plot because once they screamed at each other in the alley, the only reasonable next step was to sleep together, no? Maybe that's just me, but Hotae trying to prove to Donghee that he was serious about him by learning Spanish like one of the Hisstrange (Hispanic) men Donghee liked had me screaming, "SECOND SEASON WHEN?" which now I must patiently wait for to see how well Hotae's improves his language skills for his amor.

KinnPorsche - English

The VegasPete arc was a wild ride. They went from spying and torturing to crying and fucking in the span of two episodes, but what was the craziest moment of them all was when after sex and STILL CHAINED UP, Vegas turned to Pete and softly said, "Do you know how sexy you are?" Like . . . bitch, what?! Even crazier was Pete's apathetic response of "mmm" as if he had heard that line a thousand times after bringing countless men to their knees with his free therapy and snarky comebacks. Vegas served a lot of great English lines, but this one took the cake, and the tossed salad.

Moonlight Chicken - Modern Standard Thai Sign Language

Heart and Li Ming's story was already the sweetest thing since a nice mango sorbet on a hot day, but add in the fact that Wen, the bridge between Li Ming and his uncle Jim, was not only fully supportive of these two kids finding happiness within each other, but started to learn MSTSL so he could communicate with Heart was what pushed me over the edge. Heart's own parents couldn't be bothered to learn how to communicate with their son, but Li Ming's very-gay-uncle's boyfriend did. Wen knew he needed an ally to deal with these stubborn guys, and no better than the boyfriend of your-soon-to-be-nephew. Ghost Host, Ghost House gets an honorable mention for MSTSL as well.

Bonus

KinnPorsche - English

Ken and Big were two bad bitches and the Regina George and Maddy Perez of Kinn's bodyguard squad. Big had his reasons for disliking Porsche like being jealous that the man he loved was in love with this idiot, but Ken just hated Porsche for being an idiot who upset the guy he was in love with (Ken x Big is canon to me), so when Ken yelled, "Are you fucking dumb, bro?!" at Porsche with Perth's Australian accent, I was cackling. It made me instantly think Ken was the mole because only someone who was rocking with Vegas "but this wasn't the fucking plan" Theerapanyakul could drop bangers like this.

#step by step #my only 12 percent #moonlight chicken #never let me go #unintentional love story #kinnporsche #language use in BLs

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waitmyturtles · 1 year

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I THOUGHT THESE WOULD BE COMPLICATED SPOILERS FOR EP. 3 OF OS2 x BBS x ATOTS, BUT I LOVED IT

I loved this episode. I want to give this episode a HUGE HUG. Going against the stream, I know!

Did we get finger-lickin’ good? Not yet. But I don’t believe we’re done with the BBS guys, with the play, with Nong Nao, not yet. We see Tian’s gonna come to the city, and Phupha’s wearing a suit for episode 4. We have more to come.

Let me just set up my mindset for a second. I watched episode 5 of He’s Coming To Me last night. I have, on the mind, complicated mindsets. I have Aof’s magic and mystery on my mind. (He started those punk previews WAY EARLY, I realize.) I have Thun in my head figuring himself out, discovering himself, not having the words yet to describe and know what’s happening to him as he emotes on the rooftop.

I have Moonlight Chicken on the mind. I have Jim building a community around him of people that NEED community. Not just Wen, but Gaipa and Alan, and Saleng, too. I have on the mind that Li Ming needs familial support to feel strong and to find himself, and Jim has to get there -- through his internalized homophobia, in part -- to GIVE that as Li Ming’s uncle.

What I saw in this OS2 x BBS x ATOTS episode 3 is all four of these guys finding community with each other. To finally, FINALLY have other men in SIMILAR situations, in complicated relationships, in complicated communicative structures, finding themselves and each other, finding their partnerships, realizing their partnerships are TANGIBLE and ALIVE and GROWING, and beating like heartbeats, ones that need nurturing.

And these guys have been all about themselves for so long -- especially Tian and Phupha -- they’ve been self-focused for so long -- like Pran’s life as an only child, not knowing really how to relate to others, as he stated to Tian himself -- that coming TOGETHER to build relationships with PARTNERS can be COMPLICATED and EXHAUSTING.

I am not frustrated in the least by what we got from Pat and Pran, and I know we see them tomorrow. I see Pran dealing with something really complicated. We know he’s still going to Singapore. We see Pat giving Pran the deepest admission, and Pran admitting it, too. But they’re still SO. YOUNG. And Pran knows this. Pran knows he’s been insecure in his past. I think Pran is balancing and struggling a VERY REAL ADULT recognition that he could just fall INTO a relationship with Pat FOREVER, WITHOUT needing to WORK on himself as an independent adult.

THAT’S NOT PRAN. Not at all. He’s a feisty motherfucker who’s learned to survive on his own, to keep his secrets and his shit close to his chest.

I think Pran TAKES INSPIRATION from Tian’s journey, solo, to Pha Pun Dao. I think that’s, in part, moving Pran to consider how Pran HIMSELF will take a journey FOR HIMSELF to discover himself. And he sees how it’s paid off (or not?) for Tian.

I think Pran also GETS SO MUCH VALUE from the conversation with Phupha. To recognize that.... there must be a RECOGNIZED AND ACKNOWLEDGED BALANCE between partners to figure out the give-and-take in a relationship, because if that shit gets UNBALANCED, AS PAT AND PRAN see in Tian and Phupha, then things can go haywire.

If I may go here...if Tian/Phupha are Jim/Wen, and Pat/Pran are Heart/Li Ming... then the youngsters are seeing how the bigger adults are growing and interacting -- and maybe taking inspiration from that.

I didn’t know that I needed to see Pat roll with Phupha and Tian separately. I didn’t know that I needed to see Pran do the same. And I didn’t know that I needed to see Phupha and Tian do the same with Pat and Pran.

These guys found each other and found community. Within community -- because that’s. what. Aof. does. compassionately. for. his. characters. -- one can find oneself. One WILL NOT find oneself in a vacuum.

Au was still in this episode. Aof has given Jojo free reign to do whatnot at GMMTV. Aof supports Golf and directs First and Khao in their music videos. Aof himself is a community-builder, and he will DO THAT for his characters, too.

In the offline conversation with the friends @shortpplfedup, @lurkingshan, @wen-kexing-apologist, @ginnymoonbeam, and @bengiyo, a FANTASTIC point was made about these two couples BOTH being in a kind of glass closet (gorgeous point, Nini). Each couple is finding their way, either out, out-ish, with their families from these closets, or really -- especially for Pran and Phupha -- with themselves.

This episode was compassion 101. Fuck, man. Fuck. I thought it would be more clowning fun, but of course not. I thought this episode was BEAUTIFUL. I thought this episode was DELICATELY REPRESENTATIVE of the struggles of committed relationships, and what earthquakes and shocks can set relationships off-course.

We needed these deep conversations to move forward to have more fun. But we know that Pat and Pran still have huge hurdles to leap. Maybe they’ll learn from Phupha and Tian on how to manage those hurdles when these series close tomorrow.

#our skyy 2 x bad buddy #our skyy 2 x a tale of thousand stars #our skyy 2 x bad buddy x a tale of thousand stars #our skyy 2 x bbs x atots #bad buddy #bad buddy the series #a tale of thousand stars #atots #pat x pran #pran x pat #patpran #pranpat #tian x phupha #phupha x tian #backaof noppharnach

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technicallyverycowboy · 5 months

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Top 5 BL scenes/moments? 👀💕

OKAY as soon as i sat down to think about this my brain immediately went "we have never watched one single show in our life" so it took me a couple days to mull it over. in no particular order (behind a cut because i got wordy and needed to include illustrative screencaps)

moonlight chicken - uncle jim pulling out that ear bite move on wen

for my money i think moonlight chicken is gmmtv at its best, in no small part because it's about two grown adults and has a much tighter 8 episode run. (my only real qualm is believing that earth, whomst was 29, was meant to be almost 40. drop the skincare routine, loong jim, the people need to know.)

so much of the show is about longing -- for people and places and times that are gone -- and this scene cashes in so well on the seven previous episodes of growing tension and comfort between jim and wen. you can't always get what you want but, like, sometimes you do and it's fuckin' great.

2. bed friends - king fully laying on top of uea after banging

obviously the cat sex scene was a close, close second to this, because i very much do often think about king's rapturous expression when he tells uea that he really does look like a cat. chase your bliss, king.

but something about the intimacy of this moment burned itself into my brain. it's partially the implication that uea was getting fucked from behind (which pretty much never happens in bls) and partially the bone deep satisfaction they're both radiating. most fade to black sex scenes don't really convince me the characters did fuck in the pause, but this one 100% did.

3. playboyy - nont putting prom in his place

OKAY truly i could have put the vast majority of the six aired episodes of the show so far and it would have been true. soong and first in the pool throwing cash around. zouey and teena's painting thing. phob and nuth's wildly romantic in an "i'm in danger" way sex scenes.

but i came back to this one because it was the moment when i felt like the show clicked a piece solidly into place. nont isn't nant and he's done pretending that he is. prom does not get to act like he knows nont and he does not get to tell nont what to do. this little exchange did so much to get me really interested in both these characters. prom's face journey from annoyed to so hard he might pass out is fuckin' divine.

4. only friends - top and boston

only friends made many, many mistakes and i won't relitigate them here. still, when episode 3 came out, my expectations were solid and there was a lot of promise in what we'd seen so far.

everything about this sex scene is fucking perfect. the fucked up relationship between boston and top. nick listening. the three second shot of boston blowing top. force and neo put their whole pussies into this and delivered.

5. i told sunset about you - a tie between teh and oh-aew's first time really touching each other and oh-aew trying on the red bra after teh shoots him down

this entire sequence -- after they've sat downstairs inching closer together on the couch -- is one of the most erotic things i've ever seen in any media. and literally nothing happens but them sitting together while teh runs his hands all over oh-aew.

there's so little dialogue here; the incredible longing they're both feeling is 100% told through their expressions and the way they touch each other. the first time i watched it, i probably replayed this scene four or five times. nothing has ever captured what it's like to really, really want someone for the first time, when it's the most consuming feeling you've ever had.

a gifset of this scene is actually what made me decide to sit down and watch itsay in the first place. pp krit is great in all of the show, but this moment of a particularly queer expression of heartbreak is devastating every single time i watch it.

"if i was x, someone would love me," is such a common refrain when you're queer. watching oh-aew go through that imagining if he was a girl and teh could actually like him back in the daylight broke my fuckin' heart. (i also think it's a really lovely way to foreshadow oh-aew being told he's not manly enough for acting later on.)

#top 5 #ask meme #moonlight chicken #bed friends #only friends the series #playboyy #i told sunset about you

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syrena-del-mar · 1 year

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Let’s talk about Uncle Jim and the preview of episode 7.

I think we need to look at Uncle Jim as a product of circumstances.

It’s easy to call him a hypocrite if you are only looking at the fact that he’s, essentially, pointing fingers at his nephew, Li Ming, for being gay while he’s out there having sex with Wen and whatever their ‘situationship’ is a the moment. Now, I’m not saying it’s was okay, or anything of the sort, on how he will be dealing with finding out about Li Ming and Heart, but I think we do need to go beyond the surface level, “He’s a homophobe!” virtue-signaling that has been going around and look at the complexity that lead to that moment.

I'm going to break this down into three parts: (1) Uncle Jim's financial struggles, (2) Uncle Jim's struggles with his sexual identity, and (3) how they play into the confrontation.

1. Uncle Jim and the effect of poverty on his worldview

First, we need to look at what Uncle Jim’s relationship with Li Ming. The first clue into the relationship between Uncle Jim and Li Ming is in Episode 1 while Saleng and Li Ming meet up. Saleng let’s Li Ming know that it would be best if he came back to the diner straight after school so Uncle Jim wouldn’t nag him again, and Li Ming being the teenager that he is, blew off the advice stating to just let Uncle Jim nag. Tensions between the two are already somewhat heightened, which tends to naturally occur as kids grow into their teens and don’t see eye-to-eye with their parental figures. Add in the fact that Li Ming is growing up and starting to make decisions for his own future, and Uncle Jim doesn't agree with a lot of them, their relationship is going to be rocky.

Second, Uncle Jim knows his place in a classist society and has conformed to it. Time and time again, in the conversations with Wen, Uncle Jim has diminished his work as a chicken vendor. It's a labor-intensive job. Even with a diner that's packed and being on television, the amount of money is not enough to pay the bills. Chicken prices have been going higher and higher, which the audience is informed through Gaipa's mother, and he's barely able to stretch the income that the chicken shop is bring to cover the bills. They are poor, living essentially paycheck-to-paycheck and just hoping to be able to get by. It's his every-day life and he's been burned out by it. It's no comfy desk job, local restaurants are looked down on. There's no honor or 'reward' for his work aside from seeing people enjoy the food that he makes with his own hands.

He 'knows' his place in society and behaves according to it. During the whole initial fiasco of meeting Heart's parents, Uncle Jim apologizes on behalf of Li Ming. Heart's father is an officer, a Senior Sergeant, and wealthy ones at that. Uncle Jim is more than aware of the status difference and what that signifies in the terms to the power that they hold. So Uncle Jim would rather Li Ming take the blame and smooth things over, instead of risking upsetting Heart's parents.

Meanwhile, Li Ming is aware of the classism and resents it. He's aware of their financial status and the power that others hold over them, as seen with his indignant response when Uncle Jim suggests just thinking of the situation with Heart's parents as 'bad luck'. Li Ming is young, that's the reality. He hasn't been worn down like Uncle Jim and as a result he still (correctly) pushes against the idea that just because Heart's parents hold a high status, he should plead guilty. He knows he's innocent because he is innocent, and he's hurt that Uncle Jim would tell him to just take the blame. But the thing is, I don't think it's that Uncle Jim doesn't believe or trust him, more than anything Uncle Jim is worried that defying would somehow get Li Ming in more trouble, potentially jeopardizing his future.

Which comes to the third point, Uncle Jim wants Li Ming to do better for himself and have a brighter future than he does. He doesn't want Li Ming to know the struggle of barely being able to pay for bills or the pain of such a laborious job. That's not to say that the way Uncle Jim goes about it is correct, especially when pushing Li Ming to study is just making him miserable and Uncle Jim fails or refuses to see that. But I think he truly believes that Li Ming would find a better life by getting a college degree. To Uncle Jim, it's Li Ming's ticket out of the misery that being poor brings; he pushes it onto him because he truly wants what's best for him.

Uncle Jim, like many parents or parental figures, wants Li Ming to do better in life than he has. Uncle Jim has been worn down by life, he's essentially just floating, trying not to drown. He doesn't want that for Li Ming. Yet, Uncle Jim is so consumed by the stress of running the diner and the lack of funds that it brings in, he doesn't really see that there are other ways besides getting a college degree to be successful. (I think many children of immigrant parents/third-world countries can relate to the pressure parents apply in succeeding in their education to pull themselves out of poverty.) Which results in Uncle Jim not listening to the wants and needs of Li Ming. Uncle Jim has been tired down by the reality of poverty and he doesn't want to Li Ming to experience it, especially when he can provide Li Ming the opportunity to go to college and get an education, even if it costs him more in the long run.

He wants Li Ming to have every opportunity and success out there that's available, ones that he didn't have. To Uncle Jim, that means getting a degree. A degree can open doors that are otherwise locked. It's a ticket out. Uncle Jim's main motivation is Li Ming to find success, to find financial stability. It's the idea that once you're financially stable and out of poverty, only then can you strive to find happiness. Poverty, to Uncle Jim, is a brick wall that is in Li Ming's way. Getting a degree is an opportunity that wasn't awarded to Uncle Jim and it's highly likely that Uncle Jim blames that for his present struggles.

From Uncle Jim's point of view, Li Ming is almost a mirror copy of him and going down a path that led to a lot of Uncle Jim's own pain and suffering. Uncle Jim is reactive, even when he is trying to be proactive, because that's all he knows how to do to survive. It's not that he intends to harm Li Ming, but rather it's the consequence of his good intentions that he ends up hurting him. A double-edged sword.

He doesn't want his nephew to follow in his foot steps, he wants him to be better than him.

2. Uncle Jim and his journey with his sexuality

I don't think we can just state that Uncle Jim is a hypocrite and homophobic. Does he probably struggle with internalized homophobia? Probably. But I think the reaction, stems from much more than just simple internalized homophobia. Rather I suspect his reaction has much more to do with his personal relationships, both familial and with Beam, and how they have shaped his life in relation to his sexuality.

Here we're going to start off with Uncle Jim's relationship with his sister, Li Ming's mother. His sister told him explicitly that she doesn't believe that gay relationships to work. She compared them to straight relationships and essentially, in lack of better terms, told Uncle Jim that they were inferior. Wen even states, "Love has no gender. everyday, heterosexual couples split up. No one bothers to find out why they break up. gender has nothing to do with successful or unsuccessful relationships." Even though logically, Uncle Jim understands that, the reality was that his sister's words rang in his mind after he found out that Beam was with a woman, while also being with him.

He was burned after taking a chance. When you get one too many burns, fear starts to become standard response.

Uncle Jim's relationship with Beam has a lot to do with how he NOW views love and the place it has in his life. Uncle Jim opened up the chicken dinner in hope to help provide for Beam. I mean they were wearing rings, it was a very serious and committed relationship. Uncle Jim, in his 20s, took the risk of losing his family for this man, to prove his sister wrong. Where did that lead him? To unknowingly being the sidepiece in a straight relationship. And then Beam goes and dies before Uncle Jim could get any answers.

For about a decade, Uncle Jim was left to wallow in his pain from the wound that Beam left him. He had no clue whether Beam actually loved him. Not to mention that he, a male, was the sidepiece. This isn't just simple cheating, instead it's rather significant that Beam was cheating on his long-time girlfriend/fiancée with him. While Uncle Jim and Beam may have had a ring on each other's finger, it says something that he was the hidden lover. How could Uncle Jim not wonder if Beam was using him/hiding him due to being ashamed of being gay? Or question if he was every truly loved?

Uncle Jim was left stagnant after Beam died, there was no way to come to terms with being the side-piece to a straight relationship. There was no clarity or closure that he could have gotten to move on, because the only person that could offer to him, died. It's obvious that his relationship with Beam shifted on how he felt about love, Uncle Jim states that several times to Wen. The relationship (being the hidden side piece) likely changed how he felt about being gay and gay relationships, potentially subconsciously. It wouldn't be shocking if he attributes some of his struggles to him being gay.

Uncle Jim risked his family, attempting to prove his sister wrong, and instead it backfired. A lot of pain and suffering that Uncle Jim has experienced in life has been due to his relationship, and it wouldn't be a giant leap to think that he attributes the pain specifically to having risked everything for a man. And he'd been stuck in that mindset for so many years, relationships meant potential pain. He'd gone against the status quo and that's why he got burned.

He's still barely learning to love again, learning to let go of the past.

3. How both factor in Uncle Jim confronting Li Ming about his relationship with Heart.

I think it has been established that Uncle Jim has just been in a land of pain, where he was left just a shadow of his bright 20-something-year-old self, after running the chicken diner and having a horrific ending to what seemed like a promising relationship.

Uncle Jim is only starting to reemerge and learn what it's like to live again after meeting Wen. Sure, he probably did have moments in his day-to-day life where he could laugh and smile with others, but those were fleeting moments. He was and has been struggling in every single aspect of his life, in his love-life, his financial status, his class status, he sexuality. Uncle Jim, by not being part of the status-quo, has lived a difficult life.

That's the exact opposite of what he wants for Li Ming. He wants him to be happy, to be stable, to not suffer like he is suffering for the decisions that he made as a young-adult. He's scared and afraid for the future of his nephew, because Li Ming is not willing to conform. Li Ming is resentful and indignant with society, like many young teens are, and isn't ready to bend to the rule of those with higher status. That almost guarantees that he's going to face hardships and that scares Uncle Jim.

If that wasn't bad enough, Uncle Jim finds out that he both doesn't want to get a higher education after graduation and he's gay. Two more attributes that almost guarantee a lot of pain in society, even if there has been large strides in LGBTQ+ relations since Uncle Jim came out.

When Uncle Jim sees Li Ming it's like staring at his own reflection and that scares him. He doesn't want Li Ming to end up like him, struggling for money and not fully accepted by society. It's a fear that only a guardian can truly understand.

Uncle Jim has only known pain since finding out about Papang cheated. Even though he now loves his diner, I'm sure it was painful before because it was a reminder, one that he has given his blood, sweat and tears for. He's only now coming out of the haze, from a zombie-like state, so the way he communicates isn't eloquent, it's forceful and harsh. He doesn't know how to effectively convey his worries to Li Ming and he doesn't know how to listen, to learn that maybe there is more than one way to achieve happiness and stability.

He's not mad at the fact that Li Ming is gay, but rather he's mad that after everything he has done to avoid Li Ming growing up to be like him (poor, struggling, tormented), Li Ming is still going to end up where he is. His mirror.

It's not okay that he reacts in the way that he does, I'm sure it'll hurt Li Ming more than anything, but it's also not shocking to see that Uncle Jim is angry. Angry at the situation... a repeat of his own in his eyes. And I think that it's more complicated than just a cry of "Uncle Jim is homophobic."

TLDR; Uncle Jim's outburst against Li Ming for being with Heart isn't solely rooted in homophobia, though there may be an aspect of internalized homophobia. Rather, Uncle Jim is a product of his situation and he doesn't know how to effectively communicate with his nephew. He's struggling and he doesn't want that for Li Ming. That's not to say that it's okay that Uncle Jim confronts Li Ming for being gay, especially in that manner, but it's not surprising when he reacts in that way.

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