#y journey: stay like a local

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - just RELAX BL, you're stressing me out

Organized, in each category, by ones I'm enjoying most at the top. However, I've put quite a few on hold for travel reasons.

Oct 2023 Wk 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 10 of 12 - Boyfriends are cute boyfriends. Reconciliation with daddy and then major brother drama. How exciting. Gah but that closing scene, these two are such great actors! 

Naughty Babe (Sat YT) ep 8 fin - A perfectly serviceable final episode. I did love the red Chinese-style wedding to go with the “hia.” Also, just a little Thai 'poke poke poke' at China. 

Final thoughts?

This is a nice addendum to Cutie Pie, but it’s relatively incomprehensible even if you’ve watched that previous installment. I can’t imagine it will make any sense at all if you haven’t. Frankly, the most impressive thing about this show was the makeup team. MaxNat give excellent chemistry, all the high heat is well done, and the friendships are adorable, even if the story is nonsensical. It’s fine, I’m relieved it was only 8 eps. I enjoyed it for the pair but I will probably never rewatch. A weak 8/10

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) Lucky Love ep 9 of 24 -Heartbroken (drunk) gay boy meets (fights) sister’s new chef. I love the femme bestie. Adorbs. This one seems pretty good actually. I like all the shots of Bangkok’s actual traffic. POV is a bit of a sad sack tho. 

Absolute Zero (Thai Weds iQIYI) ep 4 of 12 - There is something clever about this narrative in the way that they are each each other’s first and second loves, but also age gap kinda creepy (Thailand maybe leave this one for Japan?)

Venus in the Sky (Tues iQIYI) 8 of 10 eps - So much whiny gay drama babies. However, it also manages to be painfully slow, through the simple act of having 90% of the show be boys sitting around staring at their phones. Then it suddenly got way higher heat than I expected. Honestly, this could’ve ended at 8 sps. I don’t see how extending the show is going to improve it in any way.

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 11 of 12 (not a BL but I'm watching it anyway) - I don’t have faith in any couple. One of my favorite things about this show is watching how many boys Mark can kiss. I know everyone is focusing on Neo, but seriously baby boy got game. Meanwhile Boston’s dick must be made of self-lubing steal pipe; I remain entirely uninterested is TopMew; Mew’s fam demonstrate why a gay boy should never take advice from straight women; and the slut-shaming agenda continues. NO SINGING. No character in this show is happy when Boeing turns up, but the rest of us trash-loving muckrakers are thrilled.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

If It’s With You AKA Even If I Fall In Love With You AKA Kimi to nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo’ (Japan Gaga) ep 3 of 5 - Oh it is so cute and so sweet and so aching. I really did not want the confession to happen, even though I knew it had to. There is an element of torture to this one that only Japan can execute with such precise softness.

You Are Mine (Taiwan Fri Viki) eps 7 of 10 - I remain charmed. But while the me of 2018 would have thought this one of the best BLs ever, the me of now is finding it a bit dated and nostalgic.

Bon Appetit (Korea Weds iQIYI) 7-8fin - Romance between an office worker and the man from his past next door who cooks well. It was a very sweet and cute tale of food as love in the All the Liquors family of KBL. I’m not wild about it, I did enjoy it, I was happy to have it show up on my dash, but ultimately it will simply become one of the KBL crowd. 8/10 

Kiseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) ep 10 of 13(?) - another one where they are separated for most of the show. Although the sides are giving win. 

Bump Up Business (Korea Gaga) 1-2 of 8 - from Idol Romance staring OnlyOneOf's Nine & Mill, this released as a movie in July in SK but is now being recut/reissued as a series. Love story between a trainee who is about to debut and a celebrity plagued by scandal. After that OmegaX Shoulder bullshizz business I am very wary of this show, but this pair is already better cast.

Out of the mouths of OnlyOneOf (!!!) babes...

As to the show? I don’t know. I mean I love the idea, am nervous about Korea (with that bubble) doing a meta critique of the BL industry, with K-pop idols, using an existing group. It just seems like there’s a lot of mines in this small field, and it could go horribly horribly wrong. I am enjoying it, but also anxious the whole time I’m watching it for culture/market reasons. That said, I did pretty much ask for this exact show. So I can't complain, now can I?  

Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam Sat YT) ep 5 of ? - I honestly don’t entirely understand what is going on. But it all seems to be the Psychotic Pretty Kitty’s fault. Oo caught in the act of drug-induced cheating - DRAMA. Dung should cut his losses and leave - cute doctor husband or not. Lovely kiss from the sides. I gotta say, this cast is hella pretty. I’m not mad that this team is kind of turning into GMMTV Vietnam.

It's Airing But...

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Fri grey) ep 8 of 12 - I will try to watch 8-12 and do a series review when I get back in November but... not sure I will be able to. Fingers crossed.

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 8fin - completed, my final thoughts in Nov.

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - I find this series more fun to binge, so I'm waiting until it completes its run.

I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan Tues Netflix-Japan & ????) - in classic JBL fashion, I Cannot Reach You could not be reached. 

Can I Buy Your Love From A Vending Machine? AKA Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka? (Japan cinema release in-country only) - This one is a movie from Japan so in customary fashion who tf knows when (or if) it will get international distribution. Salaryman Ayumu Koiwai just can't tear his eyes away from the strong, muscular man as he checks on the stocks of the vending machine in his office.

One Room Angel (Japan Gaga) - Yukinori, a convenience store clerk was accidentally stabbed by a thug and nearly died. He returns home to find an angel waiting for him. The drama is an adaptation based on Harada’s manga of the same name (which I did not like). With only five episodes and a good chance this won’t end happily, I am going to wait and let you tell me how it goes. Binge it when it is complete if it's safe.

In Case You Missed It

GMMTV posted their initial 2024 line up, here's my round up of the BLs. It includes 2 JBL adaptations, 2 KBL adaptations (that they aren't admitting to) and vampires. If you want to know how I did on the predictions that's here and the answer is: very badly indeed.

I am watching the Y Journey: Stay Like a Local series. But they are essentially tourist board long-form advertisements. I enjoy the promo aspect with regards to the food. And seeing some of my favorite pairs do interesting other things is kinda fun. But the whole thing feels disingenuous when gay marriage is still not legal and it’s essentially the Thai government (making these ads) who is stopping that from happening. I have a similar feeling to iQIYI as a content provider. It’s not queerbaiting in the original sense of the term, but it’s pretty gross to use gay for advertising with a nationalistic propaganda agenda, when being gay is still not legal in your country. Yes I struggle to reconcile myself with this on the regular, and it’s an ongoing hypocritical struggle for my tiny withered tired old heart.

All that said, this week's installment, He’s Not Happy, did make me want to rewatch Make a Wish. There’s no kissing in this series but JudoFluke kiss beautifully, so If you haven’t seen Make a Wish, it’s very good and I recommend tracking it down.

Next Week Looks Like This

Upcoming October BL

10/26 My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thai iQIYI) 8 eps - nerd retreats from the world into an online game and makes friends with a little group, they meat in real life, one of them is hot, they fall in love, hottie turns out to be a gangster. Trailer

10/31 SHADOW (Thai Gaga) - this is a horror BL featuring ghosts and other paranormal elements in a high school setting. I'm not wild about Thai horror (or horror at all). It features Singto (who did paranormal BL He's Coming to Me) opposite Fluke N (who's done a couple horror's before). Also Fiat. Dan suffers from sleep paralysis, and in his dreams he sees a shadow that suffocates him. It gets worse when he transfers schools.

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

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

We stan consent and talking about sex during sex. Thank you Venus in the Sky.

I guess Ray's getting his 3some? Only Friends

Dangerous Romance hitting up some old school tropes.

Naughty Babe giving us our beloved domesticity and tiny gay families. @heretherebedork you happy?

(Last week)

#this week in bl #Naughty Babe series review #thai bl #only friends #Venus in the Sky #Absolute 0 #OnlyOneOf #Kpop #Korean BL #Bump Up Business #i'm worried #Bon Appetit series review #Y Journey: Stay Like a Local #gmmtv 2024 #bl updates #bl reviews #currently airing bl #new bl #2023 bl #Taiwanese bl #japanese bl

[scarefox]

Speaking of a wild combination of actors

#... apparently it is about traveling? #Y Journey: Stay Like a Local #james supamongkon #net siraphop #netjames #isbanky #mos panuwat #mosbank #fluke natouch #judo tantachj #lee long shi #frank thanatsaran #nat natasitt #max kornthas #maxnat #dew nitikorn #yoon phusanu

[ueasking]

Y JOURNEY (STAY LIKE A LOCAL) - EP.2 Confession

#y journey: stay like a local #net siraphop #james supamongkon #netjames #*mine: gifs #*y journey

[respectthepetty]

Y Journey is a trip

Watching Y Journey: Stay Like a Local is such a trip (pun intended) because it's government-sponsored. [The Tourism Authority IS the Ministry of Tourism and Sports]

It reminds me of Step by Step on so many layers that I wonder if Director Tee and Dee Hup were actually approached with this idea because it is wild that the government is using BL couples to promote tourism in a country that is LGBT-friendly, yet denies its queer citizens several legal rights.

However, I think the creative team behind it, Half Toast lead by Oil Savit who has directed and written other queer shorts, took the time to check the required boxes (tourism, sustainability, food security, and environmental protections), while also presenting social commentary on this predicament.

We aren't going to get kisses from these couples since we are barely getting shoulder touches, yet four of them are established pairs known for higher heat, and all the actors have been involved in higher heat scenes.

It's almost like Half Toast wanted to present the acceptable-to-society version of these pairs (aka watered down) while still presenting couples who are very well known for their unacceptable-to-society behavior within their shows. Like a wink-wink, nod-nod to each other since their bosses probably have no idea.

Because these shorts aren't couples who just happen to be queer enjoying all the country has to offer. These are queer couples who aren't out to their parents, yet instinctively give their boyfriend food without thinking about what that looks like to their parents.

These are queer couples who are worried how their parents will respond to knowing the friend they brought home isn't just a friend.

So although we are getting this palatable version of queer couples, I'm going to give the production company kudos for not going full Hallmark with this task.

I love a Hallmark movie as much as the next basic bitch, but Hallmark tends to put every person regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual identity, etc. into the same story, so none of the characters actually feel Black, Hispanic, queer, etc. It just happens to be a Black person in the movie, yet they show none of the Black experience. Yet Half Toast seems to be presenting some of the queer experience in these shorts.

It's nothing revolutionary, but the company really took the government's check (and a big corporation's), cashed it before the government could take it back, and said "let's be kind to the gays."

While heavily encouraging people to "create a sustainable future together."

So up next, openly gay actor Fluke Natouch will introduce a man to something he has never tried before.

Don't forget this is government-sponsored, so the savory treat will be food.

Not him.

But hopefully the creative team will continue to sprinkle a little queer experience on top of this government-sponsored tourism ad.

Because they already cashed that check!

This is the gay agenda.

#y journey: stay like a local #episode 2 #it is government sponsored #and that's a trip #but it also has sprinkles of the queer experience #so I appreciate the creative team securing the bag #and being kind #this is the gay agenda

[heretherebedork]

Tying the bracelets on and playing at lovers because that's how you clean up the ocean... with the gay.

#y journey: stay like a local #mosbank #thai actors #bl drama #bl series #thai bl #thai drama #asianlgbtqdramas #asian lgbtq dramas #thaibl #thai bl series #thai bl drama #thai series #hands hands hands

[7698]

#james supamongkon #net siraphop #net x james #net james #netjames #thai actors #thai actor #thai singer #thai guy #thai beauty #y journey: stay like a local #y journey #bed friend the series #bed friend series #bed friend #love upon a time the series #love upon a time series #love upon a time #thai bl #bl thai #thai drama #thai series #thai boys love #boys love #bl drama #bl series #middleman's love #middleman’s love series #middleman’s love the series #catch me baby

[oolonghigh]

GREENERY IN Y JOURNEY: STAY LIKE A LOCAL (2023), EPISODE 5

#y journey: stay like a local #y journey #greenery

[colourme-feral]

Y Journey: Stay Like a Local locations IRL

Y Journey: Stay Like a Local (Ep 2: Confession)

IRL: Wat Pak Nam Khaem Nu, 4002 รย.4036 Takat Ngao, Tha Mai District, Chanthaburi 22120, Thailand

IRL: Chanthaboon Waterfront Community, Sukhaphiban Rd, Tambon Wat Mai, Mueang Chanthaburi District, Chanthaburi 22000, Thailand

IRL: Chao Mae Kuan Im Shrine, J477+27W, Tambon Wat Mai, Mueang Chanthaburi District, Chanthaburi 22000, Thailand

IRL: ร้านก๋วยจั๊บป้าไหม (ชุมชนเก่าริมน้ำจันทบูร), J477+2F6, Tambon Wat Mai, Mueang Chanthaburi District, Chanthaburi 22000, Thailand

IRL: Ao Krathing, F3F2+4VM, Thong Thind Chanthaburi 2001 Rd., Bang Kachai, Laem Sing District, Chanthaburi 22120, Thailand

#y journey #y journey: stay like a local #irl locations

[mysterygrl20]

you know, y journey, since this is one big tourism ad, you might want to put these locations with an english translation on the screen.

beautifully shot tho

we all know no one looks at the video description

#y journey: stay like a local #half toast official #ais play

[imminentinertia]

I can't believe I'm watching a travel ad campaign, but honestly it was worth it just to see Fluke Natouch with this hair:

#y journey: stay like a local

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

This sounds familiar...

#y journey: stay like a local

[save-the-data]

Y Journey: Stay Like a Local (He's Not Happy) | S01E03

Thai Drama - 2023, 6 episodes

Episodes | Gaga | Viki | YouTube| iQIYI | WeTV | Tencent | Catalogue

#Drama: Y Journey: Stay like a Local #TDrama #LGBTQ+ #Friendship #Miniseries #Anthology #Fluke Natouch #Judo Tantachj

[volfoss]

i think genuinely the proper nouns are the worst part of this whole massive project. its either like. the official english translations are inaccurate between material (i will NEVER not be a bit upset about lelie june's translations lol) or having to be the one to decide how to translate a certain thing INTO english. like i thankfully thought ahead to write the katakana down for each name i was unsure of but now i well. am going to have to pencil in a whole day to go and check what the kana actually mean and then make the decision of how to translate it. like obviously i could just take the kana at face value but sometimes it gets wonky. its a bit of a headache lol

#twist rambles #♟️ #sorry i have been on the grind all DAY with volfoss and its been like. definitely a thing of ok starting 2 learn katakana is going to help #me to do before i finish the guide but its so scary for me bc it does add a bit of like. heres actual knowledge and i have to figure out ho #to incorportate that into the doc. its the same thing as trying to figure out how to localize certain things or learning oh heres x or y #cultural thing and i need to take an entire paragraph to explain this to ppl who prob dont care lol but i stay silly ok <3 #the amt of time i have to like. copy paste the translation and check like 5 sources to make sure its accurate. its gonna become a LOT easie #when i learn hiragana and start on the scary kanji journey. but rn its so so terrifying for me bc like. the pressure of getting a #translation correct esp when the official eng translations are WONKY w spelling. so like... its kind of a thing where keeping the kana ther #is good but i also am like. hoping it wont be too annoying or intrusive in the guide. anyways its just 5 million translation burdens most o #the time lol. but i stay silly (and have to like talk it out a million times lol)

[ueasking]

Coming home this time made me realize something important. It's not just about waiting for the season to harvest love that's ripe. But after this, we still have to preserve love. Or maybe try transforming the relationship to have a new flavor. To make love stay with us as sustainably and as long as possible, just like today's processing.

Y JOURNEY (STAY LIKE A LOCAL) - EP.2 Confession

#y journey: stay like a local #net siraphop #james supamongkon #netjames #*mine: gifs #*y journey

[respectthepetty]

Okay, so Y Journey: Stay Like a Local is adorable.

The first episode was "Friend Zone" and dealt with Namo crushing on his friend, Tawan (Frank & Long Lee).

They meet up three years after university to visit all their favorite food joints.

Which all happen to be beautiful tourist spots.

So we get to go on this little Y-journey with them.

Because in normal BL fashion, the crush might not be one-sided.

It was less than seven minutes long, so we are basically getting six short films with great sponsorship from Thailand's Ministry of Tourism & Sports, and I'm thrilled about it!

Tomorrow's adventure is a man coming out to his family after bringing his boyfriend home and features Net and James.

Very nice to see the Thai government putting its money into this tourism promotion.

Now can we get marriage equality? <- I will be asking this question after each installation of this series.

#y journey: stay like a local #friend zone #episode 1 #long lee x frank #this was adorable #it's a tourism ad #it's government sponsored #now government sponsor marriage equality

[heretherebedork]

You know what, I appreciate that the Tourism Authority is supporting parents being supportive of their gay son, so when do we get the legal gay marriage to accompany this?

#y journey: stay like a local #bl drama #bl series #thai drama #thai bl #thai series #thaibl #thai bl series #thai bl drama #i mean the food looks great and it's all very pretty #and the message is about food sustainability #but like this is so sweet