I'm on ch40 of my stand in novel.

Everybody was talking about how angsty it is and how evil Ming is, but he is just an average mean person. He is no where near a round tip to love's characters evilness.

I expected more of a Chinese bl novel. I wanted more angst and evil Ming but its just OK.

I mean compare to Thai bl show yes he is mean but for me he is not that evil.

I hope show can bring more angst.

The editing for my stand-in has to be one of the best and most clever use of scene transitions, framing and b-roll to support the narrative as it moves forward.

Absolutely love the instant noodles parallel of their relationship status. Ming and therefore the show’s obsession with not just Joe’s back but also Tong’s is such a wonderful obfuscation of who is truly in Ming’s heart.

The juxtaposition of Joe holding the engraved cat couples mugs while Ming drunk out of his mind calls him Tong while hugging him from behind.

The shot of Joe dropping them and the mugs breaking but Ming is still holding him.

Who’s the real Ming? The one that bought those cups even though he thought they were stupid because it would make Joe happy. Or the one that calls him a stand-in.

What are Ming’s true intentions? The ones with which he left the Christmas Dinner (to be with Joe). Or the ones spurred by his heartbreak (when he learns about Tong and May’s engagement)

And most importantly, who was Ming reminded of when he saw the new Joe from the back?

The visuals and narration of this show is very rich and vivid but stays solidly away from becoming corny. It pushes the narrative forward and additionally heightens it to an almost thriller like state.

Ming is a pathetic looser.

Joe is a lost cause if he stays with Ming after this episode.

I'm glad that this show is not a fluffy meet and cute! I live angst!

BLACK SAILS 1.07 "VII."

I feel like we all just collectively glossed over this bit, but Cher and Oyei referring to Yak as their son even in private is so fucking funny. Like these screenshots out of context you’d think, ‘oh is the cute boxing gym owner/trainer couple buying powdered milk formula for their young child?’

The child in question who is going to waste away without his soy milk:

Crimson Sky is already finished. With the Regents united, I could never send an army to Osaka. It would have meant certain death. So I sent a woman to do what an army never could. SHŌGUN | 1.10 A Dream of a Dream

Blackthorne x Mariko

SHŌGUN (2024)

i think rice with things on it & also some sort of sauce is like basically the best food genre tbh

SHŌGUN Chapter Five: Broken to the Fist Chapter Ten: A Dream of a Dream

When Will says "it's beautiful" and Hannibal dumbly nods like "yes YOU ARE"

Listen I get the Charles/Edwin of it all but imagine a world where Edwin stays with the Cat King and people roll up looking for the Cat King and find a posh British teenager sitting on that chair calmly stroking a cat in his lap and it's like, okay. Sure. They can buy the Cat King being British. Kinda weird he's being British in a small town in the United States, but like, whatever, weirder things have happened. And so they start their negotiations or whatever they're there for and they're fully addressing Edwin who has a smug little smirk the whole time until he interrupts them to say, actually, he's not the Cat King. And then the previously ignored cat leaps off his lap and transforms right in front of them into the real Cat King.

Are you seeing the vision? Are you seeing it?

Sort of bums me out that so many people didn't seem to Get the Cat King so here are my thoughts:

So let's start with Edwin's crime. He uses something the cat desires (a sardine) to lure the cat to him and then uses an enchanted string to trap the cat with magic. He demands the answer to a question in exchange for its release. Edwin knows it is dangerous to use magic on a cat, that it violates Rules but he does it anyway.

Binding a creature and agreeing to set them free under a certain condition is very Classic Fairytale. its also a favourite trope of Neil Gaiman's (he did not write this show but his influence is there). In both the Sandman and his novel Stardust (and the film adaptation) trapping a creature with magic and demanding a task/favour in exchange for their freedom is an extremely important plot point. Edwin binding a cat and demanding an answer in exchange is exactly in line with this Fairytale trope

And so is the Cat Kings response. The Cat King is a trickster. What he does to Edwin is exactly what Edwin did to one of his subjects. He entices Edwin, he binds him with magic and when Edwin demands to be free he turns his own words against him "why all the fuss for one little spell?" Edwin did something wrong. He imposed his will/magic on another creature and the Cat King is punishing him for it in a way that is poetic. Its fairytale. its trickster. its classic.

I've also seen people complain that the task Edwin was given 'count all the cats' is 'impossible'...except its fucking not. Edwin does it. He does it so well he actually BEATS the Cat King ("you didn't count yourself" Are.You.Kidding.Me. Classic!Fairytale!Vibes!)

The Cat Kings choice to bind Edwin to Port Townsend is good on so many levels. From a storytelling perspective it forces characters who can travel anywhere in the world to stay in one place, and increases the stakes for these characters who are supposed to be on the run. From a genre perspective...its an excellent use of fairytale tropes using both Rules of magic, a protagonist who is unkind to a seemingly weak creature who is punished by a more powerful law, a binding, a task to complete, etc

Which just leaves the character perspective which it ALSO does really fucking well and introduces the final aspect to the Cat Kings character. He's seductive. He is responsible for Edwin, 100 years old ghost boy, finally unpacking his internalized homophpbia. he is the catalyst (cat pun not intended)

He pushes Edwin, challenges him, at times literally forces the truth out of Edwin, but he really never does violate his consent. Significantly Edwin is attracted to him, like its an important part of his character that he is. He may not like the Cat King but he is attracted to him!

The Cat King is such a great example of a trickster, a morally grey character who imposes a sense of justice on Edwin after he crosses a line, but also has his own selfish interests and meddles. Hes so important to the plot of the show, to Edwin's character arc, to the genre.

And he's just fun. Unapologetically queer, powerful, complicated. Silly little outfits. Petty cat behavior. Deep heart.

Some of you just didn't get it. And I'm sorry for you. because the Cat King is Excellent actually.

I ship Edwin and The Cat King more than Edwin and Charles. And I'm not going to apologize for that.

LOOK AT THEM

Boys Be Brave is fun cause it's about a guy who has zero chill (none) and a guy who has all the chill in the world, as good as 24/7 high on weed floating in the air. and it's a love story

Mads: "It is a giant journey obviously for both of them. In reality that is a giant journey he's gone through (Will) but in Hannibal's world as well, even though the step is much smaller for him, it's a gigantic leap. Right?"

Hugh: "Because he's potentially envisioning– caring on a few..."

Mads: "A future."

Hugh: "Yeah."

Mads: "But it's interesting because Hannibal had never ever thought about the future. He's a man who lives in the present. And for once he saw a future."

– Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy, talking about 'The Wrath of the Lamb' finale scene

To recap:

Hugh's favorite line is, "Is your social worker in that horse?"

Mads favorite line is, "Nothing here is vegetarian"