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respectthepetty · 7 months

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Because when a color demon is summoned by @negrowhat and @mggsttn's post, I show up!

Top 5 - Color-Coded Storytelling in BLs

Y'all already know what number one is, but let's pretend you don't. Instead follow me on this journey into BLs that gave the best color-coded storytelling. In order to be considered for this list:

The story had to integrate the colors into multiple aspects of the series: wardrobe, lighting, accessories, setting, etc.

The colors had to be meaningful to the plot.

The narrative did not explicitly state what the colors meant.

The color coding had to be consistent and featured in each episode.

The series has to be finished.

So let's begin!

Honorable Mention: Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

This isn't a BL (yet it's queer, so anyone who says it isn't can argue with the ghosts), but that damn red thread of fate had me and Yiyong messed up all season! The appearance of the color red in the series was less of an alarm, and more of a signal that every single moment was connected. All those single red threads that Yiyong and his unlikely crime-solving buddies weaved each episode came together at the last minute not only to solve the crime, but to stitch Yiyong together and bring him back from the edge of death because the true message of the show about fate and dying was how connection is what makes life worth living.

#5 - Moonlight Chicken

Director Aof and Cinematographer Rath never miss, but this particular story being told in this series through the symbolism and lighting depicting moon vs. sun, coldness vs. warmth, dislike vs. love, and so much more was phenomenal. Watch the scene of Li Meng holding a crying Heart in Heart's cold, blue, dark room then witness the two kissing in Li Meng's warm, orange-ish, bright living room or watch the hatred and blue melting off of Alan as he begins to find love again and you'll understand that the color coding in this show wasn't just a simple red versus blue dynamic. This was the work of PROFESSIONALS. This color coding was like tiramisu made by the best Italian chef; it had layers and was effing delicious!

#4 - My Beautiful Man

This show did several visual devices oh-so-well. We got Hira always being lower than Kiyoi. We got the duck. We got Hira capturing Kiyoi with his camera instead of being present with him. We got traditional colors but with that Japanese twist. And all of the elements worked together to give us an elite visual story. Hira was blue. Kiyoi was white. Hira was the loyal and reserved servant. Kiyoi was a god. Yet this was the point of contention between the two. Kiyoi wasn't a heavenly being. He was a human boy devoid of love. He wanted Hira to love him, not worship him. He wanted Hira to stand with him, not lower himself. He wanted Hira to live with him, not through him. So we saw Kiyoi struggle with his color when he didn't feel stable in their relationship, but once Hira made it clear that he loved Kiyoi, Kiyoi never shined brighter.

#3 - My Love Mix-Up

Nobody does colors like Japan. It color codes its ties. It leans into the religious aspect of the light versus dark color scheme. It invents new ways to color-code and is always evolving . . . like Aoki's orange color did in this series. Our disaster bisexual started the series with a muted color and as he discovered he liked a boy and not the girl he originally was crushing on, his color started to emerge. At first it was a soft yellow, but by the end, it was a vibrant orange. Ida was a solid blue, so watching Aoki's feeling deepen for him was electric each time the blue lighting lingered on his face until it overwhelmed him. Oh, and that color exchange is the best that has ever been done!

#2 - Semantic Error

This show tricked us. Jae Young played us the way he played Sang Woo, yet Jae Young's true colors were revealed as the boys spent more time with each other because isn't that the entire point of color coding? Seeing people's true colors without having to be told? Jae Young started off as red solely because quiet and introverted Blue Boy Sang Woo HATED red. That was it! That was the entire reason Jae Young became red. He just wanted to piss off Sang Woo. But as the boys worked together and Jae Young's personality shown through, Sang Woo realized Jae Young wasn't the devil he made him out to be and was actually a pretty chill Green Guy who he wanted to hug longer than two weeks.

#1 - Big Dragon

The only reason 82% of the crowd decided to watch this show was because of the visual above. Let that sink in. This one visual piqued y'alls interest enough to watch a show about a guy drugging someone to have sex with him and blackmail him with the tape of it so he could *looks at notes* get the girl? A girl?! And the guy who was drugged, almost sexually assaulted, and blackmailed was *checks notes again* HE WAS IN TO IT?!

Y'all hated this show. I loved it. Y'all think it was ridiculous. I love it. Y'all are rolling your eyes right now. I will always love it because it understood the assignment! I can't keep repeating the same points over and over, but here I go again:

Everything was color coded!

And it all supported the story. It never distracted from the story. It never became its own story. It was laced into the story. It did exactly what visual rhetoric is supposed to - show don't tell.

And it showed me when Yai opened his heart to Mangkorn.

And how Mangkorn's love transformed Yai.

It showed me that Yai's sister was his only source of light living in that isolated house.

It showed me the warmth Yai felt from Mangkorn's mom.

And it showed me that no matter how much he protested, Yai was deep in love.

And to think it all started here.

And ended up here.

That's the power of color coding and remarkable visuals.

It makes you see the beauty is in the details.

#color coded boys in love #the colors mean things #color coded storytelling #I'll have a different answer when something better comes along #until then big dragon is always the answer #moonlight chicken #my beautiful man #my love mix-up #semantic error #big dragon

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bengiyo · 8 months

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Hey there!

I've seen a bunch of peeps echoing your thoughts on the KH adaptation, like how it's kinda "Japanese" and might be hard to transfer. Can you talk about what exactly gives KH that "Japanese" vibe? I've checked out some JBLs, but my memory of KH is lowkey foggy. Or if you've talked about this before elsewhere, can you drop the link pls? (btw, loving your stray thoughts posts – they're a life saver keeping up with all the BLs. Thanks!)

I'm trying to find a useful way to describe this. Japanese live-action media still hearkens back to a stage tradition, and as such you need to widen your eye to appreciate what's going on.

Close-Ups

I think Westerners watching Asian media rely heavily on close-ups of actors doing things to read their emotions in a scene, and that's not always where the most important stuff is happening in a Japanese drama.

I'm struggling with the gif search, but this shot above is a good example of that stage tradition. Hashimoto was feeling embarrassed at this moment and wanted to leave, so she literally exists stage right. The Japanese also love depth of frame. We see Aida as the barrier she has to cross to leave in the foreground, and we can see that life is still going on in the background.

I think a lot of us in the West rely on close ups like this to read characters from any given moment, and you see this reflected in what gets giffed and what doesn't. Michieda Shunsuke has incredibly large and expressive facial features, and he exaggerates them constantly to play up the hyperreal aspects of Aoki, which is another staple of these kinds of Japanese stories.

You got a lot of this in Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss! as well.

I'm struggling right now because I don't feel like fighting Viki and God Himself to get screenshots of the wider shots in the show, but the wider shots allow for us to get information about multiple characters and the dynamics between them quickly.

Thematic Focus

Another thing that Japanese dramas have that sticks out for me is focus. Because filming in Japan is expensive, most of their comedies of any sort are in a half-hour time slot, a lot like US comedies. You have to use your time wisely, and so there's far less mission creep to create an in-show ad for juice or to insert or expand side characters to try out other pitches that didn't make the cut for the whole show.

The entire focus of Kieta Hatsukoi's TV Asahi adaptation focuses on the complications around the confused romances between Aoki, Hashimoto, Ida, and Aida. We spend time with Aoki's disaster bi revelation, his and Hashimoto's cowardice in romance, and Ida's demisexual discovery. We cover a lot of ground in 10 short episodes that Thailand media won't in 12 long episodes.

As a result, the pacing overall tends to be extremely consistent and you're rarely asking yourself why a narrative beat is happening. Because this show is about two characters having a queer awakening, we get interactions across age groups about what it means for these boys to be Known Queers in their community and see them deal with that.

Emotional Communication

One of the other things that feels distinctly Japanese is the ways characters will communicate their feelings to each other. Sometimes there's a stoic layer coming from male characters who won't express themselves because they think their actions are making it clear, and then another character will come through to challenge their presumptions about what has been done and what hasn't been said.

One of my favorite moments is in episode 9 when Aoki gets frustrated that Ida doesn't seem to be straining under hormonal urges the way he is, which lands well because the audience and Ida knows that Aoki is struggling with those urges.

Some of this could come down to translation issues and the things that are presumed in Thai that don't always make it specifically onto the screen, but oftentimes I find that Thai characters are having a big confrontation about the wrong issue that misses the core fight, and then that gets resolved as if it was the core disconnect.

Those are just some of my thoughts firing from the hip. The vibe felt off in the trailer we saw yesterday and it left me feeling deeply uninspired. I'm hoping that as they work on the script and preparations for the roles the Thai version will be solid, but adaptations don't always work.

#answered #gmmtv 2024 #japanese bl #thai bl #kieta hatsukoi #my love mix up

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nutcasewithaknife · 5 days

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One of the loveliest things about Kieta Hatsukoi (the japanese live action) for me was the way they were all just so so kind, considerate and wholesome to each other, and that was even the root of so much of the chaos of the story. Those kids really cared about each other! I was worried the Thai live action would lean into the comedy and messiness too much and under-play that kindness, but the first episode! Atom and Kongthap are so kind to each other! Actually loved Atom's chaotic one-sided war on Kongthap that lasted all of like. half a day before he couldn't be mean to him anymore. Of course the classic Ida/Kongthap insisting on not dismissing Aoki/Atom's feelings! Atom actually getting excited that Mudmee has a chance with the guy she likes! I love it I love them I'm thriving

#my love mix up #my love mix up thailand #kieta hatsukoi

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my-rose-tinted-glasses · 4 days

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My Love Mix-Up - Episode 1

Before anything else. To say I was skeptical would be an understatement. I am a massive fan of the japanese version. I have also read the manga. Both Aoki and Ida are on my top favourite ql characters list. And I have a weird a relationship with remakes of all kinds. I question the need for them a lot. I get too attached to the original work and have trouble separating that. This is not a ql exclusive thing btw and I know it's a me problem.

Just a couple of things that I've been thinking about.

Both @lurkingshan here and @bengiyo here have written already that the main roles seem to be playing against the actors strengths and I completely agree. I don't think Fourth excels at the physical comedy bits that are a big part of the character imo. I think Gemini might've done better here. Perhaps even better - @happypotato48 made a great observation here about how Aungpao would be such a good choice for this. I agree.

Gemini's not doing necessarily a bad job at playing Ida Kongthap although he's leaning too much into the confused look and I'm not a fan. That first reaction to the eraser read more aggressive than confused which I thought was weird but I guess he made up for that by looking confused the rest of the episode.

Also about the cat. I love cats. So I'm not at all bothered that Kongthap has a cat instead of a dog Mametaru, like it's about the sponsors I get it. But I wonder if they chose a white cat to match the one that can be seen lounging outside of school in Kieta Hatsukoi.

Cause if that is the case, it's great.

Moving on. The rhythm of this episode felt off to me though. Considering that they covered as much ground as the first episode of the JP version and still they added the sports, cat bits and the dinner date, it all felt a bit really rushed to me. Like they added stuff but at the same time it's like they skipped steps. atm can't really find a better way to explain it.

I like Matmi a lot. And I like her and Fourth together. I think that friendship could be well done here.

I'm not really sure about the dynamic between Atom and the bff, like I'm not hating it but also it seems forced somehow. I'm not sold on their particular chemistry yet.

There are a couple more things but it's the first episode and let's see if they improve on some of the editing choices.

Overall, this is better than the trailer advertised (which is not saying much because that trailer was a mess) and I'm gonna stick with it for now. I'm curious how much of the manga they will cover and after CM did some wonderful choices with adapting a japanese story with thai elements, I wonder how they will do this one. I wonder if the trip to the mountains will be the beach episode in this version.

#rose rambles #my love mix up th #thai bl

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waitmyturtles · 8 months

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Some very smart people yesterday (@isaksbestpillow and @nieves-de-sugui) wrote about yesterday's announcements of GMMTV adapting Japanese stories like Ossan's Love and Kieta Hatsukoi/My Love Mix-Up. I haven't seen Ossan's Love yet (and I WILL watch it, once I'm done with the OGMMTVC, because that's my due diligence/completionist side talking, ha).

Generally speaking, there's excitement and/or confused discontent about why Thailand is increasing its adaptations of well-known Japanese manga and dorama properties -- particularly about My Love Mix-Up.

Other very smart people, like Dr. Thomas Baudinette, a BL scholar, have written about what exactly fans *should* be comparing when these shows come out -- that the Thai live-action dramas are most often based on Thai literary adaptations of the original Japanese manga series that provided the material for the Japanese live-action doramas.

Au Kornprom, the director of the upcoming GMMTV Thai version of My Love Mix-Up, and Fourth Nattawat and Gemini Norawit, the lead actors of the Thai drama adaption, clarified these points as well.

I think all entities involved are aware of the confused discontent about what's happening here, and I want to unwind on it for one hot second -- because I myself am still relatively new to the Thai BL fandom, but my entrée to all of this was from Japanese BL doramas a few years ago.

Check the Kieta Hatsukoi tag on Tumblr, and we see all manner of different opinions about how the Thai adaptation will stand up to the Japanese live-action dorama original with Michieda Shunsuke and Meguro Ren. Same on Twitter. Michi and Meguro brought an incredibly distinct, controlled, comedic, and empathic perspective to Aoki's queer revelation, and Ida's inquisitive demi identity.

I deeply appreciate Dr. Baudinette, Au, Fourth, and Gem for clarifying where GMMTV is coming from with this adaptation -- that this adaptation stems from the Thai adaptation of the original KH manga.

But I wanna offer a thought, again as someone new to the Thai BL fandom. BLs across Asia make up only a TINY slice of the massive amount of dramas that Asia have to offer. For those of us that stay close to Asian queer content: many of us have seen a LOT of shows over many countries. And we can't help but to compare shows! That's comparative media literacy for you. If the stories are similar, if the stories stem from the same original source -- well, we can't help but compare.

I want to also say that Japan and Thailand are going to have different - maybe VASTLY different -- ways of managing elements of the KH story, such as Aoki/Atom's queer revelation, and Ida/Kongthap's demi identity. Japan and Thailand are different countries -- OF COURSE they are going to have different socio-national lenses on these identify factors.

What got me in my heart when I watched Kieta Hatsukoi last year was the EMPATHY, the skilled and pointed empathy in which Michi and Meguro played their Aoki and Ida. Japan and Thailand are just DIFFERENT when it comes to kissing, love, and sex. It won't be fair to compare their international lenses to each other as holding up to each other in art.

But what I don't want to do is invalidate the broader fandom's experience of how we saw Michi, Meguro, and the Japanese BL world from interpreting these incredible characteristics that made the Japanese version of Kieta Hatsukoi such a deep show to watch. Was it cute? Was it fluffy? I'd actually argue: NO. It was communicated in a uniquely Japanese way. (I can't find it, but there's a TikTok of a group of Americans dancing to what they think is a Japanese fluffy pop song -- when the lyrics are actually about suicide. Cultural competency is always important for all of us to keep in mind as we watch Asian shows from country to country.)

And I also want to point out, speaking for myself, as I continue to burrow my way into the Japanese, Korean, and Thai BL fandoms -- that, once upon a time, there were WAY FEWER Asian queer shows to watch. So if you were looking for queer shows from Asia? You were LIKELY watching shows from ALL the Asian countries producing BLs. Thus the massive fandom overlap from people who HAVE seen the Japanese Kieta Hatsukoi/My Love Mix-Up, TO the people who WILL see GMMTV's version.

I absolutely heed and RESPECT where Au and Dr. Baudinette are coming from in specifying from where the GMMTV adaptation will come from.

But in regards to comparative perspectives on what Japan has produced, and what Thailand WILL produce? I truly don't think we can avoid the comparisons. I don't. I do very much wish for a broader, smarter, more intellectual comparative media dialectic between Japan and Thailand. But sometimes, us fans just wanna squee and TALK about our beloved shows. I squeed at the Japanese version of Kieta Hatsukoi because that show communicated complicated factors of queer identity with comedy and empathy. That's a particularly Japanese tack on producing BL art.

Because the BL fandom has had only a set amount of shows year over year, of course, many fans who WILL watch GMMTV's version of My Love Mix-Up WILL have watched the Japanese dorama version. Because, because! As I said before, the amount of queer media from Asia has always been smaller than het material.

Au Kornprom is a HERO to me. He's given me Bad Buddy, he's given me Theory of Love, he's given me A Tale of Thousand Stars, Moonlight Chicken, Still 2gether, all shows I fucking LOVE and LIVE WITH, I'd SLEEP WITH THESE SHOWS like a Nong Nao doll if I could.

There is no one, expect for Aof Noppharnach, that I trust more with this adaptation.

But I did just want to say my piece about the validity of comparisons and comparative media literacy here. Because there's no avoiding comparing the two dramas -- there isn't. Because Kieta Hatsukoi was so, SO good, and we do very much indeed hope that the key elements of that story are honored.

If they're not? Then we will learn, through the GMMTV version, what Au and his Thai team honor in the story, and our perspectives will be broadened. I recognize that the GMMTV team may value different elements. But I also respect the feeling of nostalgia for KH, and what we loved about that show, and how Japan communicates the elements that that nation values, too. We just can't help but compare, and my biggest wishes are that:

1) Fans watch the Japanese version of Kieta Hatsukoi before the premiere of the GMMTV, to understand where us on the comparative sides will be coming from, and

2) That Au, Fourth, and Gem slay in their usual way, because no matter what, we will still love and appreciate them for being THEM.

My fingers are BIG crossed, and my hopes are BIG up. This is just a great opportunity for those of us who are curious to take a respectful moment to compare Japanese and Thai drama art together, and to have a lot of fun doing it.

(Tagging some people that I've either been reading or talking to about this: @bengiyo, @lurkingshan, @taikanyohou if you're interested!)

#kieta hatsukoi #kieta hatsukoi thailand #my love mix up #my love mix up thailand #gmmtv 2024 #au kornprom #fourth nattawat #gemini norawit #michieda shunsuke #meguro ren #lgbtq+

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maddiesbookshelves · 1 year

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Happy Pride Month everyone! As promised, here is our first queer manga rec of the month:

My Love Mix-Up!, by Hinekure Wataru & Aruko (illustrations)

Original title: Kieta Hatsukoi / 消えた初恋

Genres: Comedy, Romance, School Life, Slice of Life

Themes: Love, School, Love Triangle

Japanese volumes: 9 (Finished)

Aoki is in love with Hashimoto, his desk neighbor. But one day, when he borrows her ereaser, he discovers that her heart belongs to another: the handsome Ida, who sits right in front of him. He is so disappointed that he doesn't realize that the ereaser fell and that his alleged rival in love is picking it up... It's the start of an enormous misunderstanding that could very well turn into the most beautiful love story!

This... THIS is a love triangle just how we like them. Also, can we give the Dumbass Bisexual of the Year Award to Aoki, plz? He deserves it and that's a compliment. I love him whith my whole being, okay?

I absolutely adored this title, Hashimoto, who is kind of our only female character, isn't just a numbskull whose only purpose is helping further Aoki and Ida's love story, she's a true friend to Aoki, has her own love story and a pretty cool character evolution. I'm pretty sure that Ida is on the aroace spectrum given some of his dialogue, and even if it's not explicitly stated, it still feels good.

We're in a manga that really sticks to the codes of classic shōjo manga, the only difference is that the main love story is about two boys. There isn't a strong focus on homophobia either, we only have a few tense moments when they think about revealing their relationship, I thought it was really soft. Sometimes it feels good to read something where bigotry isn't one of the main themes

French version under the cut

Titre VF : Love Mix-Up

Genres : Comédie, Romance, School Life, Slice of Life

Thèmes : Amour, École, Triangle Amoureux

Volumes : VO - 9 (Terminé) / VF 4 (En cours)

Aoki est amoureux de Hashimoto, sa voisine de classe. Mais un jour, en lui empruntant sa gomme, il découvre avec horreur que l'élue de son cœur en aime un autre : le beau Ida, qui est assis juste devant lui. L'adolescent est tellement déçu qu'il ne réalise pas qu'il a fait tomber la gomme de sa camarade et que son supposé rival en amour est en train de la ramasser... C'est le début d'un énorme malentendu qui pourrait bien aboutir à la plus belle des histoires d'amour !

Ça... ÇA c'est le genre de triangle amoureux qu'on aime. Aussi, est-ce qu'on peut attribuer le titre de Dumbass Bisexual of the Year à Aoki svp ? Il le mérite amplement et c'est un compliment. Je l'aime d'amour, d'accord ?

J'ai vraiment adoré ce titre, Hashimoto qui est un peu notre seul personnage féminin, n'est pas juste une nunuche qui ne sert qu'à faire avancer l'intrigue amoureuse entre Aoki et Ida, elle est une véritable amie pour Aoki et a sa propre histoire d'amour et une évolution plutôt cool. Je soupçonne fortement Ida d'être sur le spectre aroace au vu de certains dialogues, et même si c'est pas dit de manière explicite, fait quand même du bien

On est vraiment dans un manga qui respecte les codes classiques du shōjo, la seule différence c'est que l'histoire d'amour principale est entre deux garçons. On a pas non plus un gros focus sur l'homophobie, juste quelques moments d'inquiétude à l'idée de révéler leur relation, j'ai trouvé ça très doux. Des fois ça fait du bien de lire des titres où l'intolérance n'est pas un des thèmes principaux

#my love mix up #love mix up #kieta hatsukoi #wataru hinekure #aruko #queer manga #lgbt+ manga #manga #manga recs #manga recommendation #books #booklr #book recs #book recommendations #happy pride month 🌈

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petrichoraline · 11 months

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hiiii <3 what are your all time favorite bls and why? i need to fill up my to-watch list asap

oh, this ask made me ecstatic to the point i considered one of my moots sent it cause they know giving recs makes me happy 😄

what I'd constitute as faves isn't necessarily what i would usually recommend, to moots i mostly suggest shows and movies that i find unique in some way and that have left a good impression on me like i will knock you, kimi no koto dake mite itai, word of honor, fukou kun, the untamed, docchi mo docchi, seven days, itsay, msp, vice versa etcetcetc. it's not necessarily about perfect writing or acting even, it's about the piece of media provoking either lots of thoughts, emotions or both, having at least one unique trait i associate with it and just being enjoyable despite (or because of) its flaws! so that's the type of media i usually enjoy sharing with others.

now, it's infinitely easier for me to give recs based on any other criteria but "my personal faves" is such a subjective category (that im not even sure exists) that i had to cheat a bit - i went off of what couples make me go feral, what emotions the show title evokes and if i've revisited certain scenes. i don't do full rewatches for the most part but i sometimes go back to watch the main couples (the exception being waantul in between us, i know their scenes a hundred times better than winteam's lol) and most of the shows listed here have been revisited at least once 😗

Love Is Science? - NOT a bl, the pair in question are the second couple; i personally went through every episode looking for their scenes and then went through the cut on yt (and rightfully so, quite a few scenes were missing in that); i'm recommending you smth this inconvenient because i love Mark and Ou Wen so much. their personalities (they have personality for daysss), the chemistry (the hanger scene), their love and support for each other make me giddy. they carry their part so well you don't need much else, just watching them interact is enough. going through gifs now i got reminded of just how amazing the development of their relationship is to me. they're a delight and a half, enjoy them flustering each other 💖

To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories - now, i'm aware you have to see s1 first but when it comes to who makes me go feral, it's definitely Seojoon and Jiwoo and this happened mostly because of season 2, i didn't care for them much originally. this season explored an aspect of relationships i don't think i've seen explored anywhere else in a way that makes me still get in my feels whenever anything bout the show comes across my dash. it's angsty but so worth it. my boys have intense personal issues and even more intense love for each other, their personalities, way of thinking and chemistry are fascinating to me. the cuteness mixed with the heavier plot, the pacing, the smart writing, it's so nice. side note, binging both seasons at once wouldn't be that big of a challenge timewise in case you don't want a breather in between 😊 (gif from s1 because you can't watch them separately anyways)

Kieta Hatsukoi - a sweet light romcom for the most part, very entertaining, all of the characters are soo loveable, one of my all time fave girls in bl is here and she's everything <3 in regards to manga accuracy, the main events are all there but the order is all switched around yet the story still makes perfect sense! it's funny, it's sweet, Aoki and Ida are such an interesting pair and it's lovely seeing them figure out how to navigate this unexpected relationship

We Best Love: No. 1 For You - it's such a must watch! the passion these two have for each other and the chemistryyy will make you overlook the sheer absurdity of some of the plot; i also loved the 2 season format where the second season feels well planned, it's almost like one whole season cut in half. the emotional journey that Shu Yi and Shi De go on is so (melo)dramatic but also very touching because Sam and Yu act those emotions OUT, it's a pleasure just watching them interact (also Shu Yi is one of the few brats i adore dearly and i think it's not only because of the writing but Yu's incredible portrayal of the character)

Bad Buddy - i wasn't able to appreciate it for its wit because it was basically my first thai bl, i had no idea what expectations it was defying. nevertheless, i fell in love with it because it stands so well on its own! it's very funny, heartbreaking at times (reading analyses and meta on here made me realise how heavy the premise actually is) and insanely romantic (it caters to my idea of romance so well, the pining and protectiveness and flirting and devotion and-); also Pat and Pran have some amazing communication and mutual understanding, their bond is truly endearing and makes my heart ache if i think about it a bit too long

KinnPorsche - when it comes down to it, i am a very basic person. this show is just a ride, you gotta watch it for the pure entertanment value. there's always smth happening, that's for sure 😄of course chemistry, ofc handsome men all over the place yadayada but it'd be just that if not for the insane plotlines and humour, if you just accept that anything goes, you can have a blast with this show (but also hurt beautiful men finding comfort and love in a world of pain and betrayal>>)

Where Your Eyes Linger - though I can't make myself rewatch the heavier scenes, i love this one, the premise, the execution, it's all to my taste, the longing between these two is palpable (side note: i was getting emotional while searching for a gif but a bunch of the results were porn gifs so i was taken out of my feels multiple times lmao)

Utsukushii Kare - I'm way more normal about them now than before but this show truly makes you feel so many things, it's so smart and fantastic. Hira and Kiyoi's journey is beautiful and it embodies what i love seeing from japan's productions. they're just two lovely guys who are perfect for each other and shouldn't be let anywhere near the dating pool ❤️

Semantic Error - man, i love me some enemies to lovers, especially when both leads are Fools™️ for each other. the humour and pacing, the colourful side characters, Jaeyoung's charisma, his determination contrasting Sangwoo's inner battle..and, I know I'm becoming repetitive, the chemistry! there's a reason my guys won awards js

The End of the World with You - this show drove me insane, it's more of a one-time watch imo but i'm saying this because I was very focused on the main couple and they were what kept me watching (plus the suspense of course); it's a heavy heavy premise with the most controversial couple on this list but somehow it felt very light and exciting for the most part. I think their unconventional surroundings account for it, you don't get the typical chaos an apocalyptic show would display, it kind of feels calm even and it allows you to focus on the interpersonal relationships between the characters rather than on the expected terrors. the show fascinated me with the amazing acting and the dynamic between Ritsu and Masumi, I have a special spot for them <33 (no photo cause the limit was reached lol)

because deciding on faves is hard i'll leave this list at 10 shows, consider these just 10 of the many shows that are important to me in some way 💓

hopefully i suggested mostly things you haven't seen yet (though I went quite basic) <3 i need to know what you think of the shows, okay? and in case they don't do it for you (or, even better, they do and you come to trust me lol) feel perfectly welcome to send me some info about what you (don't) enjoy in terms of genre, tropes, episode length, actors etc.etc. and i'll dive into my lists hahah, it's super fun for me 💗

#thank you sm for the ask and sorry for both taking long and not making too interesting of a list #i promise im better when i dont have to look into my own tastes and just have to match data lol #ps hopefully you saw my post last night i stand behind those recs as well 😂#petri replies

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kyr-kun-chan · 1 year

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10 Characters and 10 Fandoms

Alright! I got tagged by @wen-kexing-apologist

Rules: name 10 of your favourite characters from 10 different fandoms, then tag 10 people to do the same.

Charlie - Heartstopper

I like charlie because he's so strong and confident but also insecure. He knows he's gay and he's mostly comfortable with that. He's also mentally ill and doesnt want to bother people or be seen as someone who needs to be taken care of. He's insecure about a lot of things but he also stands up for himself when Harry tries to apologize for his behavior. Charlie knows he doesnt have to forgive Harry for everything he's done. I love him, he's trying his best together with Nick.

Ida - Kieta Hatsukoi / My Love Mix-Up!

Ida is demi! I will take every opportunity to shout that because that's seriously my headcanon for him. I love that Ida was so serious and respectful when Aoki confessed to him. Ida probably never considered dating a guy (or even a girl probably) but he knows it's a big deal and he doesn't want to just ignore ignore the fact that it's possible that he likes a guy. Like he's being so open minded about this because he doesn't know yet what his preference is so he's going to think about if he can like a guy back for the first time here. I just love how considerate Ida is towards Aoki.

Karl - Gaya Sa Pelikula / Like In The Movies

I love Karl because he's trying so hard. He doesn't want to disappoint his parents and he is really struggling with coming to terms with his sexuality. Karl feels so real, I love that moment where he kisses Vlad and finds out his Uncle saw that and freaks the fuck out. He wasn't ready for that. He was comfortable in their own little bubble and he's not ready to come out of that yet. And that's fair! That's valid! And little shoutout to Vlad; I love that Vlad respects that too while not wanting that for himself.

Longtae - A Tale Of A Thousand Stars

I love Longtae because he was the only one in that village that tried to ask Tian to really explain everything. When he heard the whole story he told Tian that it's not his fault. He was on Tian's side like no one else was. He made Tian feel a little less lonely and like he had a real friend there when everyone else started to hate him.

Woo Young Woo - Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Do I even need to explain why I love my favorite whale obsessed attorney? It doesn't matter that she's my only whale obsessed attorney. I love her and her weird and random whale talks. I love that she's very aware of her autism and that she knows how people view her and that she doesn't get social things sometimes. She's always so hard-working even in the romance department because once she thinks that she likes Junho she does everything she can to figure out if she really likes him in her own unique way and it's just really sweet to watch.

Mafuyu - Given

"I'm not lonely" is the first line in the anime and it's the line I think about most often when I think about this show. I love the anime and manga more than the live action so mostly talking about those. Mafuyu is such a sad puppy in the beginning. He says he doesn't know how to express himself which I find very relatable. He closed himself off from his old friends and takes Yuuki('s guitar) with him wherever he goes. However once he meets Uenoyama he starts to open up more. The manga recently ended and I have read it all. I liked how Mafuyu and Ugetsu formed this unexpected friendship. Mafuyu really grew even though he's still the same quiet kid. He's quiet but feels so much and he loves so much and he is s grieving boy who found someone new without properly getting over Yuuki. And of course he never will completely get over Yuuki. He will move on and live his life but Yuuki will always have a place in his heart and Uenoyama knows that.

Oh Aew - I Told Sunset About You & I Promised You The Moon

I love Oh Aew because he's so real for wanting to pursue something he loves while also having a back up plan for if it doesn't work out. I love that he's insecure about his future and in the end doesn't know exactly what he wants. Teh has always knows he wants to do acting and he's talented and he can do it but Oh Aew has never been that confident about it. Oh Aew thinks more rationally about his choices and his future. I love Oh in IPYTM too and how he loves himself enough to make the choices he makes. That's vague enough to say what I wanted to say without spoiling IPYTM lol

Shin Daon - Light On Me

I love him. I thought this would be a tough choice between Taekyung and Noh Shinwoo but it really isn't. Daon already has parents who don't care about him and who are never home. He's already a huge people pleaser and can't say no even to the point of hurting himself. But now he's starting to like a boy, Taekyung, and that's all fun until he gets outed by his friend. Now the whole school knows he's gay and he's not dealing with that very well. Then on top of that Noh Shinwoo tells him he likes Taekyung and that means he has competition. But how can he fight for Taekyung if he hasn't even accepted that he's gay yet? How can he talk to Taekyung without worrying what people are saying about him? So much happened in such a short amount of time and he had to deal with it all so he just didn't have the brain power to also have a romance that no one accepts. So that's why I love him. He went through a lot but he dealt with it and grew more comfortable with himself and and more honest and he's saying no to people when he really has something important.

Justin - The Day I Loved You

Justin is the most recent character from The Day I loved You which hasn't even finished yet. I do love him because he's Nikko's best friend and they've been together for a very long time. Justin loves Nikko but Nikko doesn't love him and Justin knows this and yet he tries. He wants Nikko to be happy even if it's not with him. But I'm sure that if Eli ever hurts Nikko Justin will make him regret it. Justin wants to protect Nikko and just spend time with him, he gets worried when Nikko fell at school. And Justin got hurt when he saw Eli and Nikko have fun together and later kissing each other but he didn't interrupt them.

Austen - Always Human

Austen is from the webtoon Always Human. It's a cute GL about a fantasy world where there are special mods that can help with anything. You can use it to study, to get rid of hay fevers or to change your body however you want with the ability to undo it. You could do something innocent like dye your hair a wild color or you could get cat ears or have blue skin color and no one thinks you're crazy. I love Austen because she has a condition which makes her unable to use those mods so she can't use the hay fever mod or change her skin color or get cat ears. This means she had to learn to accept that she will be different from other people. She also has to work way harder than other people because everyone else has an advantage in learning new things because of mods that can help with studying. She's a very stubborn girl and has always wanted to work towards almost impossible to achieve goals because she refuses to accept that some things may be too hard for her if she can't use mods. I love that she's so passionate about not giving up but I also love that when she does change her mind it's not because she's giving up, it's because she wants to change. Sometimes a change can feel like you're giving up but that's not always true. A few days ago I reread the end of this story and I relate to Austen way more now than when I first read it. I also took this opportunity to advertise Always Human because I love this comic so much.

So that was it! Like usual I don't know who to tag or if they've already done this feel free to ignore me @waitmyturtles @elnotwoods @gilly-bean and if you see this and haven't been tagged consider yourself tagged now

#tag game #tagged

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bl-bam-beyond · 6 months

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A LOOK BACK at KIETA HATSUKOI (or My Love Mix Up/Vanishing My First Love)

This Japanese BL was one of my favorites. A comedy with a mix of drama also known as DRAMEDY

The story of Aoki (SHUNSUKE MICHIEDA) who was in love with female class Hashimoto (FUKUMOTO RIKO) and she was in love with his best friend Aida (SUZUKI JIN) though Aoki thought she was into Ida (REN MEGURO) a male student that sat directly in front of Aoki.

And it all stemmed from Aoki borrowing Hashimoto's eraser. Which had IDA on it because the AIDA that was meant to be on it was worn away by use.

Then we have the homophobic training teacher (SHIRASU JIN) there to learn from Taniguchi (TANABE SEIICHI) who took and issue with Ida and Aoki's relationship...but he did learn a lesson and apologized.

This series has a Thai version upcoming. I love GEMINI & FOURTH but can they deliver an "AOKI" AND "IDA" worthy of the original?

@pose4photoml @lutawolf @bengiyo @absolutebl

#A LOOK BACK #KIETA HATSUKOI #MY LOVE MIX UP #VANISHING MY FIRST LOVE #AOKI AND IDA #HASHIMOTO AND AIDA #My GIFS #MYGIFSET #MY-GIF-EDIT #BL-BAM-BEYOND FAMILY OF BLOGS #WILL THE THAI VERSION STAND UP TO THE JAPANESE VERSION?#I LOVE GEMINI-FOURTH #BUT..

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lakecountylibrary · 10 months

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Manga Spotlight: Fluffy Reads

If you are looking for a fun and easy read, try out these manga series!

They are all lighthearted, funny, and upbeat...just what you need to cheer you up, make you laugh out loud, and put a smile on your face!

Descriptions provided by the publishers

Those Not So Sweet Boys by Yoko Nogiri

When a hard-working Japanese high school girl falls for a bad boy, she discovers that he and his friends lead lives that are nothing like what she imagined.

Play It Cool, Guys by Kokone Nata

A bunch of dorky guys in school and life try to look cool every day.

My Love Mix-Up! Art by Aruko ; story by Wataru Hinekure

Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she's written the name of another boy - Ida - on it. To make matters more confusing, Ida sees Aoki holding that very eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him!

Find them in our collection in print or on Libby!

See more of Kate's recs

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gillianthecat · 2 years

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For the asks game: 1 (Kieta Hatsukoi and Theory of Love), 9 (Cherry Magic and The Untamed) and it seems you already answered the majority of the others but I hope no one asked 14 yet? 💌

hi! @midnight-sun16! Thanks for these asks!

1. name a drama and I’ll pick my favourite scene in that drama:

Kieta Hatsukoi - I'll go with the scene on the swing set (apparently I have a thing for scenes on swing sets?) where Aoki and his friend Hashimoto realize that they don't actually have a crush on the same person. I just thought it was very cute how they had resignedly agreed that they were love rivals and then when they finally said the names of crushes out loud they figured out that the eraser had erased part of the name. It was funny and cute and a good depiction of a sweet friendship.

In my drafts there's a gif of the scene where Aoki spill juice on Ida; that one is also very cute, so maybe this is a good excuse to post it. Honestly, while I enjoyed Kieta Hatsukoi a lot, the details didn't really stick in my mind. Perhaps if I rewatched a different scene would stand out.

Theory of Love - There's a scene in a train station in episode 11. I don't want to give spoilers so I won't say more, but... yeah.

9. name a drama and I’ll pick my favourite character oh, these two are both hard ones. I could have so many favorites from each, for so many different reasons.

Cherry Magic - ok. I've decided I'm going to use this opportunity to go on a mini version of my rant about Cherry Magic that I've been meaning to write. So I will pick Kurosawa, for who he was and who the story wouldn't let him be. He had so much interesting potential - this "perfect" guy who had a crush on the awkward one, the guy who thought he always had to be perfect and please other people... It's such an interesting character, but the show never allowed him to change. We got a glimpse at his own struggles in that flashback about the dinner where he was being sexually harassed, and where Adachi helps him catches Kurosawa's eye. But then it felt like that thread just got dropped, and Kurosawa never got to have his own story, it was all about Adachi.

I mean, it's also possible that Kurosawa was less static than I thought and I just missed some stuff. If so, please let me know!

Basically I wanted to this aspect of Cherry Magic to be more like Blueming. I loved Blueming for subverting this idea of the "perfect" love interest. Da-woon was very similar - someone commonly considered perfect, crush on an awkward guy, feels pressure to please other people - but the story allowed him to be flawed and change and grow. I loved Kurosawa enough to want to give him the same chance!

(The longer version of the still unwritten rant includes stuff about virginity, the title and the lack of focus on sexuality, Kurosawa's thoughts as heard by Adachi, stories as fantasies vs. stories as stories... probably some other stuff too. I did like the show! It just also frustrated me in ways that detracted from my enjoyment. I possibly went into it with expectations too high.)

And if I was just going to pick a pure favorite, it would be Fujisaki, their aromantic colleague. I liked how here they subverted expectations of her being a love rival, or a overinvested gossip or something, and had her be a sweetly supportive friend, but also with her own story happening so that her world did not revolve around the main characters.

The Untamed - Look this is really hard. I'm basically throwing a mental dart at a mental dart board to choose.

Wei Wuxian. His whole... everything. Self-sacrificing, arrogant, loving, brilliant, teasing, playful, clever... I honestly don't know how to write about him or The Untamed right now. I watched it just this spring and was obsessed with it for a time, but in many ways that seems forever ago. I feel like it's sunk into my psyche in the place before words. Perhaps someday I'll have more to say.

14. drama you dropped within the first 2 episodes (we’ve all been there) There have been several, but I'm going to say 2gether. This world, where everyone's approach to getting what they want seemed to be stalking other people and everyone ignores the word "no," just does not appeal to me. (Interestingly, this meant that the depiction of Green as a predatory femme didn't bother me as much as I expected, because a lot of people in the show seemed predatory.)

I ended up dropping it at the scene where Tine somehow manages to play porn on his classroom's projector; the secondhand embarrassment was too much for me on top of everything else. I had intended to pick it up again, and maybe I will someday since it seems to be one of the foundational Thai BLs, but it doesn't feel like a priority.

And yes! You were the first to ask for 14 :-)

List of Drama Asks

#kieta hatsukoi #my love mix up #theory of love #cherry magic #the untamed #2gether #2gether the series #drama asks #ask games #asks answered #midnight-sun16

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tm-trx · 1 year

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Tag people you want to get to know better

Tagged by the lovely @waitmyturtles - thanks!

Three Ships (I picked three from the year I started watching BL dramas)

Tian/Phupha [A Tale of a Thousand Stars] - One of the shows/pairings that set my expectations for the BL genre, for good or ill. LOL

Ram/King [My Engineer] - These two were the only reason I kept up with ME. A Perth/Lay-led series feels like a pipe dream at this point, but I’m keeping it close to my heart.

Ida/Aoki [Kieta Hatsukoi] - So cute I can barely stand it. I adore them.

First Ship

Tang Yi/Shao Fei [History3: Trapped] - Possibly the first BL I watched and these two set the bar high.

Last Song

Atlantis/SHINee - I adore this song. The vocals alone are killer (Onew long note!) but I also love their costuming. Link is to a live stage fancam with the smoothest transition from goofing off to professional performers I’ve ever seen.

Last Movie

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - I would have enjoyed it more if I’d been able to see more of it. Why are movies shot so dark these days?!

Currently Reading

The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao - This was a cover buy, but once I read the summary I was even more interested. I’m barely into it, but so far I’m liking it.

Currently Watching

911 Lone Star - TK and Carlos are worth keeping up with. Also Grace.

History5: Love in the Future - Pretty good. The side couple is the more interesting story right now.

A League of Nobleman - Binging 10 eps at a time as they drop because I have no patience.

The Lost Tomb 2 - Just started season 2. It has an all new cast, but the effects are better.

My School President - The two leads are very very good.

Never Let Me Go - Slow starter but has recently improved.

Currently Consuming

Welch’s Juicefuls (Gushers) - yum

Currently Craving

more A League of Nobleman!

Tagging some folks from my notes (but no pressure of course): @omarandjohnny, @yasisworld, @imaginationisveryrapid, @ablazenqueen, @poisoneevie

#tag meme #tmtrx watches dramas #tmtrx og

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bengiyo · 2 years

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Get To Know Your BL Mutuals

I was tagged by my favorite fellow clown @elnotwoods

Simple, answer the questions. @ some people. Include the tag 'g2ky BL mutuals 2022' on your post so we can find everyone's answers!

what have been BLs that took you by surprise this year?

I’d say Kabe Koji, My Ride, and 21 Days Theory both surprised me with how much I really liked the adult elders in both of them. Ghost Host, Ghost House surprised me with how much I bought the desire between the leads. Love in the Air surprised me by not only being an engaging watch, but also in helping me make friends with some of the kinksters in fandom.

I absolutely did not see Rainbow Prince coming, nor how much I would unironically love it.

DNA Says I Love you went to a queer space I hadn’t even thought about.

what have been BLs that you felt a bit disappointed with this year?

Bite Me. I will never stop lamenting how much I hurt for Mark Siwat that this project went sideways for no real reason. Star and Sky, too, because goddamn were those boring and irritating. Love Area the series.... just ugh.

what has been your favorite BL this year?

Hmm... this is hard. If I have to pick one, then Gameboys 2. The maturity that show had in the way they handled the complexities of a new couple and the dynamics with their queer friends is sublime. There’s a depth to the way the IdeaFirst Company approaches storytelling that I think gets lost in the conversations about tropes and chemistry.

Shoutouts for Kabe Koji, Minato’s Laundromat, Secret Crush on You, Old Fashion Cupcake, Cherry Magic the Movie, About Youth, Blueming, To My Star 2, and 21 Days Theory for getting 9′s or higher

favorite BL couples (not just of 2022)

in no particular order:

Oh-aew and Teh (ITSAY/IPYTM)

Mork and Tawan (My Ride)

Rain and Payu (Love in the Air)

Kenji and Shiro (What Did You Eat Yesterday?)

Cairo and Gavreel (Gameboys)

Dean and Pharm (UWMA)

Minato and Shintaro (Minato’s Laundromat)

Togawa and Nozue (Old Fashion Cupcake)

Pat and Pran (Bad Buddy)

Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi (We Best Love)

Key and Chen (Boys Lockdown)

Adachi and Kurosawa (Cherry Magic)

Seo Joon and Ji Woo (To My Star)

Xu Qi Zhang and Ye Guang (About Youth)

Tian and Phupha (A Tale of Thousand Stars)

Aoki and Ida (Kieta Hatsukoi)

Win and Tops (Ingredients)

Xia Yu Hao and Qiu Zi Xuan (History 2: Crossing the Line)

Frame and Book (Make It Right) - I will be taking no criticism about MIR.

what's your non-BL favorite this year?

So much. Koisenu Futari for sure, because we never get to see ace stories. Sleep With Me is my favorite GL of the year right now (yes, more than GAP). I enjoyed Extraordinary Attorney Woo a lot (even if I’m unsure how to talk about it due to feedback from autistic folks). Our Flag Means Death. Heartstopper. Young Royals 2. Abbott Elementary.

I absolutely came apart because of 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us. Cannot reflect on this year without talking about it.

Thank you for tagging me. I need to get back to my end of year post.

I feel like everyone I know has already done this or been tagged.... I’ll tag @yugiohio, @gillianthecat, and @sapphorarelyreads. Consider yourself tagged if you want to participate. No pressure otherwise

#tag meme #g2ky BL mutuals 2022 #bl asks

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brainbuffering · 1 year

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12 Days of Manga (2022)

Day 2: Top 3 Shojo of the Year

1) My Love Mix-Up by Aruko and Wataru Hinakure from Shojo Beat (T: Jan Cash L: Inori Fukuda Trant E: Nancy Thistlethwaite)

[ID: English Cover for Vol 3 of My Love Mix-Up! The main characters all stare down at the viewer from above. Aoki and Hashimoto are at the front, grinning broadly, Ida and Akkun at the back. Ida has his usual stoic expression, whilst Akkun throws up a peace sign]

“Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she's written the name of another boy-- Ida --on it. To make matters more confusing, Ida sees Aoki holding that very eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him!

Aoki has a crush on Ida, a boy in his class. Hashimoto's eraser, which caused so much confusion among friends when Aoki borrowed it, is also at fault for making him flunk a quiz! Aoki, Akkun, and Hashimoto meet up at Ida's for a study session where Aoki and Ida talk about what they are to each other-if they can figure it out?!”

I keep saying how I’m tired of High School Romance, and then I go and put My Love Mix-Up as my Shojo of the year. A series that is perhaps the most High School of High School Romances. I was drawn to the series through a combination of a £10 Waterstones Voucher, and the notion of a proper, actual love triangle that wasn’t just one girl trying to pick between her childhood best friend and an edgy bad boy(TM).

The confusion over the eraser* was an interesting plot device, and it’s been so much fun to see Aoki discover his bisexuality with the help and support of his friends. It would be really great to see them actually use the word “Bisexual” or even just “Gay” but I suppose I can’t have everything. At this point in time, just seeing a Queer Love Story in the pages of a mainstream magazine like Bessatsu Margaret is a joy! It helps place queer love as equal to heterosexual love, allowing teens to see themselves and their stories beyond specalist publications.

Whilst it was lovely to see how accepting their friends are of their relationship and not have them deal with any homphobic bullying, I think the strongest story so far has been that of Aoki and his Cram School Tutor. So far he had not had to face up against any sort of homophobia, but now he’s had someone he respects become suddenly prejudiced towards him due to his relationship with Ida: something that should have no actual baring on his education, or his relationship with his tutor! Whilst said tutor is called out for his prejudice rather explicitly, I do like that ther were no slurs or out right bullying involved, just a series of assumptions and a change in behaviour that hurt Aoki’s feelings in a meaningful way. It didn’t paint the tutor as an evil villain, but rather someone who had made some mistakes and needed to re-evaulate their position on life, which he does!

This is an important lesson for readers of all sexualtites. Queer readers learn that they don’t have to put up with this kind of behaviour, and that they are justified in their discomfort and anger; meanwhile Straight readers learn what is and isn’t appropriate behaviour. Prejudice is of course something that is ingrained in all of us, and isn’t something that can easily be changed over night. However it is something that needs to be changed! It’s something we should all address within ourselves, and work on so as to make sure we don’t hurt those around us. Because confronting those harmful beliefs is the responsibility of the individual, not that of the oppressed.

The art work isn’t perhaps the greatest as Aruko admits to taking their time to adapt to digital, but it has definetly improved as the series has progressed and is helped imensely by Hinekure’s story telling. I was a little concerned that the series might start to drag on after a while, but hearing that it has ended at nine volumes makes me more confident that this’ll become a classic we’ll still be recomending in years to come.

I hope that these silly kids will get a happy high school ending.

* I’m British, but I’m aware of how Americans work and “confusion over a rubber” would make for a very different kind of story. Please do not write your crush’s name on a condom....

2) Kageki Shojo!! by Kumiko Saiki from SevenSeas (T: Katrina Leonoudakis L: Aila Nagamine E: Shannon Fay)

[ID: English Cover of Vol 5 of Kageki Shojo!! Ai and Sarasa dance ballroom style wearing pink/yellow versions of their school uniforms. Sarasa has a black 1770s European style millitary jacket with gold brocade thrown over her shoulders. The background is bright green with confetti, balloons and stars.]

“The ongoing tale that began with the omnibus release of Kageki Shojo!! The Curtain Rises. Follow the drama on and off the stage with the girls at the Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts--and don't miss the anime adaptation!

Ever since she was a little girl, Sarasa has wanted to play the role of Oscar as part of the Kouka Acting Troupe, an all-female acting troupe similar to the Takarazuka Revue. But before she can do that, she has to attend two years at the Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts. As Sarasa practices singing, dancing, and acting, she grows closer to the other girls in her year, including her roommate, the stoic former J-idol, Ai. Though Sarasa is great at making friends, her outspoken nature and grand ambitions earn her lots of enemies as well. Can Sarasa keep her upbeat attitude and achieve her dream of stardom?”

I originallay picked up this series because I follow the translator on twitter and enjoy her threads on translation theory so was curious to see what a series translted by her would be like. And I haven’t looked back since!

The artwork is lovely, the stories are heartfelt and true to life. It doesn’t shy away from big topics like eating disorders, PTSD, and anxiety. The girls are all wonderful, but not always nice which is excellent to see! Even bitches like Hijiri are fleshed out and given reasons for you to love them.

Whilst the relationship between Sarasa and Ai leans more towards the classic “open to interpretation” side of things, on the whole the series is very queer inclusive. The very concept of it plays with gender so much, that it even started out as Seinen (manga for men) before transfering over to Shojo (manga for girls)! It says a lot about the series and how the inherent gendering of genres is outdated given how the first volume from its seinen days discussed bulemia in the entertainment industry, whilst the first volume of the shojo days talked about the long lasting pyschological damage the american fire bombing in WW2 did to innocent japanese citizens. Never has a turn page made me cry more than that one....

But High School Shojo is just fluff and nonsense, right?

As a former theatre kid, it’s also been lots of fun to learn more about the different traditons of Japanese Theatre, with paticular regards to comparing all-female casting and all-male casting. Which is becoming a tragically more relevant discussion given what is happening in the united states at the moment with regards to drag performances. Seriously, who’s going to tell them that the original Juliet was played by a teenage boy? Or do those TERFs simply not care one way or the other about child welfare, and just want to force their backwards beliefs onto everyone else? But I digress.

Within the series there’s an interesting discussion had about the freedom of actors to play the roles they want, and what things might stop them. Some girls dream of playing the beautiful feminime leads but find that biology has made them too tall and broad, others want to play the macho hero but are considered too short and busty. Then there’s other physical limitations to be taken into account. Andou-sensei achieved his dream of playing the Phantom of the Opera, but had his carer then come to an abrupt end because of a sudden injury that lead to a permanent disability. He’s therefore had to find a new way to express himself and share his love for threate, something that took time for him to accept. This felt paticualrly relateable to me, as I’ve also had to adapt to needing to use a walking stick just to walk 20m, where as before I was running up and down a field hockey pitch on the regular!

Then there’s Sarasa who had to give up her dream of performing in Kabuki due to her assigned gender, but whose new goal in life is to play Lady Oscar from Rose of Versailles: a character that is widely considered to be Non-Binary/X-Gendered by today’s standards!

This series teaches us that Gender is a performance, and Sarasa Watanabe is the Top Star.

3) A Sign of Affection by suu Morishita from Kodansha (T: Christine Dasiell L: Carl Vanstiphout and Lys Blakeslee E: Ben Applegate and William Flanagan)

{ID: English Cover of A Sign of Affection Vol 5 by suu Morishita. Itsumi wears a yellow short sleeved paisley button up shirt and gently holds Yuki’s hand. Yuki is laying back on a white sofa, one arm crooked as she looks at the viewer. She’s wearing a matching yellow dress with large puff sleeves and a white hearing aid. They are framed in a circle by red, white and blue poppies.]

“Yuki is a typical college student in all ways but one: She's hard of hearing. A chance encounter on a train leads to a serious crush...but will he give her a chance? A sweet and relatable manga romance from the creator of Shortcake Cake! Even with a hearing aid, the voices of others are an indistinct blur for Yuki. But she's never let that get in the way of a life arranged around her friends, social media, and cute fashion. She's browsing her phone on train when a tourist asks her for directions, and she's ready to panic...but the handsome Itsuomi steps in to help. It turns out her new crush is a friend of a friend, and Yuki's world starts to widen. But even though Itsuomi-kun can speak three languages, sign language isn't one of them. Can Yuki communicate her budding feelings? From the acclaimed author of Shortcake Cake, the hit shojo series with more than a million copies in print, this new work is sure to please fans of romantic stories like A Silent Voice, Kimi ni Todoke, and Love in Focus!”

The way this series uses lettering to enhance story telling makes me want to run around in circles and scream across the mountains like a cowboy. At some point I am absolutely going to be write a whole post about just the lettering, but for now, just trust me when I say it’s amazing. Heck, the reason I wait for the physical releases rather than reading the Simulpub is so that I can get the higher quality lettering experience!

In terms of the rest of the series though, it’s beautifully illustrated throughout and I love how everyone has such excellent fashion choices! I’m also reading Shortcake cake at the moment, and seeing the development in Morishita’s art and styling decisions really shows how well they understand the art of making comics! Nobody is doing it like them.

I’m always interested in stories featuring disabled protagonists where they’re not given magical cures or solutions to their problems, and seeing such a wonderful romance blossom between Yuki and Itsuomi has been delighful. It’s a series that really focusses on the importance of communication between couples, and how it’s okay to make mistakes but never assumptions.

Whilst I would agree with criticsim that Yuki is perhaps too isolated from the rest of the d/Deaf Community for someone who attended a Deaf School, I will say that she doesn’t feel that different to any other shojo protagonist as a result. She’s a “fish out of water” who, despite being wonderful and kind and inteligent, only seems to have two friends. Whilst that trope is overdone in a lot of Shojo, here it feels earned due to her disability! Or at least based upon some of my personal experiences as a teenager with epilepsy.

As the series has gone on, we have seen her reach out to the rest of the community, and I hope that we continue to see more of that. I find it very reassuring that Morishita credit their sign language consultant/collaborator, Yuki Miyazaki, in every single volume of the manga and promote her personal work on their twitter.

In terms of shojo, I think it’s also just really nice to read about university students rather than high schoolers. Not only does it mean that they’re closer to my age (Okay, Yuki is 19 and I’m 28 but ... still) but it also means they’re able to explore the world a little more, quite literally in Itsuomi’s case. Vol 6 is not yet out in English, but I gather from looking at some of the simulpub previews that their relationship is going to be developing into the more adult sector, both physically and in practicality, which makes me so happy to see! Not just because I myself am a disabled adult who has recently moved out of their parents’ place and look forward to some potentially relateable content, but because it’s so good to just see any disabled protagonist be allowed to be an adult and go through regular adult things!

Whilst I cannot speak for d/Deaf folks, i know from my experience with epilepsy that it can be incredibily isolating no matter how well meaning your ablebodied friends are, and moving from a place where your needs are always met to somewhere new is both frustrating, scary and -- to some extent -- reasuring as you learn what you can and cannot surive. That’s the journey Yuki is on right now, and I would like for the series to perhaps dive more into that element but equally seeing her relationship with Itsoumi develop is so delightfully romantic in a flower petals, stained glass window, Alan Menken Soundtrack kind of a way. It also feels like such a breath of fresh air for a disabled character to be allowed to be seen as desirable without it becoming fetishcistic.

I don’t think this series is some sort of big revolution in the manga world. I don’t think people will be writing essays about it in the same way they do with Ed’s prosphetics in Full Metal Alchemist, or Clint Barton’s Hearing Loss in the Aja/Fraction/Hollingsworth run. But it’s still an important series that I think people need to pick up, if only for the master class in lettering.

SERIOUSLY.

IT’S SO GOOD

YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!!!!

THEY USE DIFFERENT SHADES AND TONES AND POSITIONINGS TO DETERMINE WHAT SHE CAN AND CANNOT UNDERSTAND.

YOU GET SUCH A CLEAR IDEA ABOUT WHAT HER LIFE IS LIKE AND THE MISCOMUNICATION TROPE IS SO WELL EARNED HERE.

[ID: A old white man in a black cowboy hat and suit is superimposed over a desert mountain scape. He is screaming passionately,]

(End Note: Some of my enjoyment from this series also comes from the fact that Itsuomi used to live in Germany the same as me and so speaks in German sometimes, and since I can read German, I get to feel smug and knowledgeable.)

#Shojo #Manga #a sign of affection #kageki shojo #my love mix up #my love mix-up #kageki shoujo!!#kageki shojo!!#12 Days of Manga 2022 #12 days of manga #yubisaki to renren #actually disabled

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