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absolutebl · 1 year

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BL & Critical Analysis

Pop culture critique & a how to do it... or something

This meaty question came from the lovely @huachengeye Thank you!

Codicil: I do not get paid for pop culture critique (although I once wrote book reviews professionally, long story). So I’m entirely a dilettante.

The Question!

Q1: Can you can shed some light on your process (of critical analysis)

This is a little like training your eye to edit a document (I bet you can tell that's not one my strong points). Or training your mind to look at data and data collection in terms of the results it may yield and what the initial survey says about the questioner's bias (or can bias results).

First, I have to ask...

Do you really want to train your eye to critique?

Because it will become a lot harder to immerse yourself in a piece of media if you constantly feel obligated to step back mentally and think about it from various perspectives.

In other words, you may enjoy BL, or all live action dramas, LESS if you try to think about them critically.

I have an intimate who is a pretty well known writer. She mostly writes humorous fiction. She's open about the fact that this means every time she laughs, she stops and thinks about why that happened and whether is could be used in her prose. She never gets to be fully absorbed by narrative ever anymore because her critical eye is always turned on, especially for the written word.

What you may sacrifice for critique, is a certain level of childish wonder.

I’m not sure i would necessarily advise doing this.

My Process

My process is essentially now visible in this blog. As I watch a show I take a few notes on it (which show up in the weeklies) and then at the end I go through those notes, consolidate, try to be witty about it, and write up a review.

The review usually has something about:

characters, tropes, plot

narrative & story structure & pace

how this BL fits in with the greater BL genre & history

any thoughts I have on the quality of the production, acting, and/or directing

my own personal feelings about the show

Thus my reviews tend to take into account several criteria.

For #1-2 I have a background in lit crit as an undergrad (and, like I said, I did once review books for a living) so these are kinda ingrained in me. I’m working on seeing the influence of soap operas, fan fic, and non-western story structures as critically valid, so these are the things I’m actively learning more about the most these days.

For #3: How does this fit into the history of BL? Since I’ve made it point to watch pretty much all BLs, I feel like I’m set up to think and talk about this. AKA the spreadsheet made me do it. But since I also have anthropology in my academic history, I’m very interested in how a BL represents for its country’s BL oeuvre. I try to judge KBLs against other KBLs (and Kdramas) and look for patterns and trends in how that country’s interpretation of what it “means to be BL” shift over time.

For #4: my IRL job is tangential to the entertainment industry so that’s accidentally trained my eye for film. I don’t know that I like this part about myself, but it’s happened whether I like it or not. And I don’t have a proper background in film critique.

Final #5: will discuss further in a bit.

Suggestion? Establish A Rating System

Come up with your own personal 10 star (or 5 star) rating system.

Write it down. Don’t be afraid to modify or adjust it. It’s yours, your tastes change, nothing is set in stone.

Pick one ideal example BL for each category that you’re very familiar with for your reference point. Then you can ask yourself, after you’ve watched a new one, whether you liked it more, less, or about the same as that show. (relative rating, similar to grading on a curve)

I change my examples regularly as my taste changes and as new BLs are added. The bar gets shifted, so to speak.

My Rating System

Your reasoning for rating a BL will be different from mine, but here’s mine as an example.

(Also I never feel bound by this, sometimes I give a show a 8/10 just because it feels like that’s what it deserves.)

10/10 - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - my favorite precious squee!, faithful to tropes, happy ending, good chemistry, few flaws, high rewatch potential, makes me happy, examples: Semantic Error, Until We Meet Again

9/10 ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED - loved it and good rewatch potential but probably a few pacing issues or one big flaw, still made me feel good/comforted, examples: Cherry Magic, Bad Buddy

8/10 - RECOMMENDED - some concerns around tropes (like dub con) or story structure/filming but still satisfies as BL, moved me emotionally, rewatchable in parts or not rewatchable but important, examples: Love By Chance, Between Us

7/10 - RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS - i.e. isn’t quite BL, convoluted, not strictly HEA, too short/long, and/or chemistry issues, may have impact on other BL fans but not me (or on me but not others) examples: Make it Right, KinnPorsche

6/10 - WORTH WATCHING BUT FLAWED - probably around the ending or in narrative structure/cohesion or censorship, disappointed expectations, unlikely to rewatch, examples: My Gear and Your Gown, Love Mechanics

5/10 - WATCH IF YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO - but don’t expect much, it’s a total hot mess interesting only because it's BL and I'm probubly pretty conflicted about it, examples: Advance Bravely, Even Sun

4/10 - FATALLY FLAWED - but still basically BL, however... do we want to support this kind of behaviour? examples: Precise Shot, Work from Heart

3/10 - I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM WATCHING AND NEITHER DOES IT, just seriously why did this get made? examples: Blue of Winter, Physical Therapy

2/10 - IT'S DEPRESSING - they killed/tortured/etc the gay, save yourself, examples: The Effect, HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count

1/10 - IT'S AWFUL, I WATCHED IT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO, has all the flaws of 4-3 plus something even more egregious, personally triggering, example: My Bromance series, Round Trip to Love

dnf - self explanatory, but usually I drop because I feel like the narrative is already a #3 and/or headed for a #2 or #1 and then I’m told later that is went there, example: My Tempo

I hand out the fewest 1s & 10s. The most 8s and 7s. Everything else is pretty much on the bell curve you’d expect.

Q2: What resources do you use to build your reviews?

I listen to a lot of pop culture review critiques in podcast form, often about stuff I'd never watch. But I like the way professionals talk about these things, even if they aren't MY things or don't jive with my personal opinions.

Mark Kermode is my favorite film critic and we like the opposite stuff, but the way he talks about film is very interesting to me. His podcast mini series on the "business of film" is probably one of my must listens. For his main podcast (Kermode & May’s Take), I always skip over all the interviews, people talking about their own films bore me to death (especially if they are actors on the promo junket, save me please). His rants are some of my favorites of all time (try Pirates 3 or Iron Man 2). Someone else’s list.

I also like Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR because it brings in multiple perspectives and varied cast of critics who often disagree and the "things making me happy" is a grab bag of fun.

The Bechdel Cast is a feminist critique podcast from Hollywood insiders and they do recaps as well as critique, and it's always fascinating to me to hear what people latch onto in a narrative. However, I only listen if I am already familiar with the film they are discussing.

My background is in anthropology and I've lived all over the world so that helps train me to think in terms on culture's impact on narrative as well as linguistics and so forth. As a personality I’m also quite reserved and deadpan, grumpy, stiff, strict, and kinda cold. I think I gravitate to being an observer and an outsider which helps if you want to analysis stuff. Which is not a claim to objectivity, I don't think there can be objective analysis of pop culture.

But it does make me pause to think, "that made me FEEEL something" why? What am I feeling? How did the actor do that? The script? The direction?

These shows are meant to entertain, whether they are successful or not, for me (and what "successful entertainment" means to me) and how they are doing it is the first question I always ask myself.

Q3: What are the things you look out for when watching a BL?

I ask myself a lot of things I would when looking at any piece of art. Or even when shopping for clothing or a new car or reading a book.

Did I like it? Why did I like it?

Did it move me? Why did it move me?

Did I react? How did I react? To which bits? Why?

What tropes and narrative beats was it using to manipulate me and my expectations? Did it meet those expectations? The promises it set up at the start? Did it fulfill the watcher-contract during the course of the narrative?

Did the filming successfully telegraphy the journey I was meant to take? Did the actors?

But also... would I rewatch it? Am I tempted to do so the moment it ends? For which bits?

The statistician in me wants to point out that these questions say a lot more about me and my relationship to art than it does about the art itself.

For example

Did I like it? Means... I'm motivated by pure taste and personal preference and complete subjectivity. This is in part formed by a person's background, life state, whole experience with culture and pop culture and society, family, friends. Taste is also just "that" bit. You know, that bit? Likes lemon deserts over chocolate ones, gravities to spicy food, favorite color is green, decorates with potted plants. Just my taste is my taste. I like what I like.

Yes I have some criteria that subconsciously come into play: I look for clever story structure, subversion or manipulation of tropes, parody, not hitting any of my dislikes (like dub con). But also I have other biases impacting whether I like it (like physical appearance) which I can try to check but usually can't fix. (For example GMMTV's Gawin/Fluke looks so much like an ex of mine I really struggle with his screen presence.)

Did I like it?

The fact that this is the first question I ask myself also should tell you I'm motivated by the emotion these narratives engender. I want them to transport me and move me. I my case I want to feel comforted and satisfied and happy. The ones the make me feel discomfort, especially for too long in the narrative, I am simply going to like less. Sometimes less than I feel like I should (see my struggles with masterworks like ITSAY, YNEH, or The 8th Sense). The very BLs that most professional critics would tout as the best examples of the genre for a wider audience often turn out to be the ones I struggle with the most. (They are also, fortunately for me, the least representative of the bulk of the genre.)

In other words there is ALSO a part of me that genuinely likes and enjoys the trashy stuff. Even the trash I trash watch.

So I would advise you to come up with your own questions. Ask yourself what you want from these shows when you watch them.

What motivates you?

Why are you watching them at all?

What brings you joy from an art or entertainment experience?

What do you want them to do for you? To you?

You are going to experience them (and therefore analyze them) from this perspective whether you like it or not. So understand yourself is paramount. It's about your relationship to the art, not the art itself.

If I were to give you an assignment I would say start with one BL you really enjoyed, perhaps not your favorite but one level down. And then do one you really did not enjoy. And think about why...

Happy analyzing!

(source)

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c00and · 1 month

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Forever thinking about the way that Porchay never gets resolution for any of his questions. Porsche and him never get to sit down and have a real discussion about what their lives mean now, or why he disappeared for so long. Heck, does he even know the stuff about his mom? Sure, he’s seen her but did anyone tell him the full consequences of this truth? Does Porsche even know the full truth to be able to tell him?

And don’t even get me started on Kim. The way that Kim lead that poor boy along all in the effort of what? He attempts to solve the mystery connecting their families but what ultimately comes of it? Kim, in his misplaced, genuine pure effort to solve the murders of some “random” family associated with his own not only thoroughly traumatizes a child fresh out of high school, but also crushes his heart and his dreams. And the worst part? It’s not even his fault. I doubt that Kim ever thought that his plans would end up the way they did.

Thus, Kim and Porchay arrive at the end of their plot with nothing but anger and repression to show for it. No resolution is sight, and no hope for one.

If that isn’t tragedy, I don’t know what is.

#kinnporsche #porchay kittisawasd #porchay pichaya kittisawat #kim theerapanyakul #kimchay #kinnporsche kimchay #this is not a critique on the writing #i actually think this is genius #it’s tragic and unbelievably fxxed up but that’s the point #kinnporsche is about messed up people trying to navigate a messed up world #and the youngest ones are forced to carry the burden the heaviest with no one to back them up #and that is just so sad #having thai bl thoughts and no where to share them

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sapphicisland · 10 days

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I've seen some people talk about how 23.5 doesn't delve deeply into some of the serious issues it covered namely the catfishing storyline and how Sun moved on quickly. I agree with you they could have done more with that particular plot point but I don't think this show will focus too heavily on complex emotional beats I think its far more concerned with being a cutesy romcom. That isn't to say it won't cover more serious topics like Ongsa's insecurities and the internalised homophobia both she and Sun have but I'm fairly certain it won't be as "high stakes" as the catfishing storyline and it will likely be resolved quickly.

#praying the exclude the homophobic mom thing #as fans of the show we should acknowledge what it is #while critiquing what it could have done better #and appreciating what it gave us #it's not a perfect show but to me it's a 10/10 #23.5 #23.5 the series #ongsasun #gmmtv may be playing it safe with this series but I love it so much i dont care #I'm sure they played it safe with their early bls

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crehador · 21 days

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i don't know if i think it's really funny or kind of a shame that many people are going to know tadaima okaeri solely as "the omegaverse bl" when it's actually such a sweet slice-of-life about community, family, the struggles of the older generation to understand the younger and vice versa, recovering from social isolation and how recursive that recovery can be, forging lasting friendships as adults, and so on. it's so wholesome and drama-free that it barely has any plot to speak of, but what it lacks in plot it makes up for in themes and man. what beautiful themes

#since my recent reread i've been giving more thought to why i like it SO much #because on the surface it really is just fluff #and i love fluff! but usually require some substance to be completely invested in something #and hoooooo boy am i invested #and i think yeah it's the themes. the friendships the community the intergenerational family tensions that are resolved #in such a satisfying way to me #but yeah of course it is also the omegaverse bl lol #iirc my first read years back of only the first volume left me like ''awh that was super cute'' but it was not memorable #and that makes sense bc it's the community that takes shape in later volumes as the rest of the cast enter their lives #that really appeals to me #anyway! random thinky thoughts before bed #i'm already seeing some comments along the lines of ''this is so cute but why did it have to be omegaverse that's so weird and gross''#''it could have just been normal''#it's omegaverse because that's the story the author wanted to tell. you fools. you absolute buffoons #flashbacks to all the writing workshop critiques i've received that went something like #''this is really good but do they have to be gay. there's no reason they can't just be normal'' ah fun times :) <- sarcastic guy #goodniiight dashboard if you are for some reason still reading these tags here's a little surprise:#SUPER BOOP!!!!!!

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yourstormthlaylirahh · 4 months

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Tian in Khun Chai Episode 2

#khun chai #to sir with love #film thanapat #bl drama #lakorn #im not sure about my colouring #havent tried to gif since last christmas but im rewatching this show with my mom and i wanted to try giffing again #so im open to constructive critique #thlaylirah gifs

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obstinaterixatrix · 4 months

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hmmm I think Sonna Me de Mitekure does a more successful job than Obnoxious Hero at being a parody and a romance

#orlbs #misclb #I remember reading obnoxious hero #and it’s been a while but I feel like I remember being annoyed by how much it was like #‘look at this bad bl trope!’#or the emotions were parody-level but not romance-level #whereas I feel like this series just turns it up to 11 to be more ridiculous while managing to keep the focus on the characters & rship #well I guess obnoxious hero was more on the critiquing genre ish side while this was more exaggerating genre #I dunno obv there’s a lot abt bl that warrants critiqing but I don’t like when people are annoying abt it #I’d rather read good bl instead or at least something funny

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bnprm · 1 year

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my best friend said my school president is literally the thai version about youth and i haven’t been able to stop thinking about it bc he’s so right?? just add a bit more unseriousness which comes from the thai style..

#not a critique btw #bc i LOVED about youth #and i LOVE msp #my school president series #my school president #about youth #thai bl #tinngun #geminifourth #thai bl series

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heretherebedork · 2 years

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I'm so glad we got those Porsche and Chay scenes, no matter how brief. He needed to be with someone who genuinely loves and cares for him. Considering the fact the only other "nice" scene we had with Porsche, he was with the dude who drugged and would've raped him, if he wasn't alerted that Kinn found out. I also loved the lil nice moment with his friends, before Kinn showed up, and Jom getting a chance to boss Kinn around. lol

It was so nice to see and to be reminded of who Porsche loves and why he's trying to do this job. Because the only reason he's trying to do any of this is for Porchay and that reminder was so powerful and absolutely manipulative of Korn and beautiful because this is definitely his war.

And that was also good. Giving Porsche this chance to be reminded of who he is at his core and to give him a chance to relax. Korn knows exactly what his son did to Porsche and he absolutely does not approve but also doesn't care as long as Porsche keeps doing what he wants him to be doing.

Honestly, letting Porsche go home was just brilliant of Korn and the fact that Kinn doesn't see that or speak to his father tells a lot about how much his feelings towards Porsche are clouding his judgement.

I am very hopeful for the next steps of what happens to them because I think that Porsche and Kinn will finally have the true confrontation about what actually happened and why Porsche truly took that break.

I hope they do.

I want to see this trauma get faced and get talked about and not just swept under shame and other assumptions. I want to confront that darkness so badly and to see them move past it together, not just move past it because the story says it's over.

#kinnporsche #thai bl #thai bl series #thai series #bl drama #bl series #thai drama #thaibl #thai bl drama #i do love this show #i swear i don't write extensive critique and analysis for shows i don't enjoy mostly (sometimes I will i admit)#but kp has such potential and the characters and actors are so good #just because i say bad shit is going on doesn't mean the show is bad

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brazilian-whalien52 · 1 year

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I don't really like to compare bl dramas because they have so much different genres between them, the only thing in common is that they are about two men falling in love (and the actors). Saw for example someone comparing Not Me and Bad Buddy but like this are not the same genre? And they wouldn't compare for example with a story like a tale of a thousand stars. Of course I am not saying there weren't some that are in the same genre, for example bad buddy and my school president

#not me #bl drama #bad buddy #my school president #and I will judge this stories in different ways too #considering whay their message is #like in bad buddy to me its a big flaw the friend outing them #i dislike it in a deep level #but its way heavier of a flaw in eclipse to me because of the heavy political critique the story has

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absolutebl · 2 years

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Hey! I wanted to ask you about the bizarre imposition of "husband/wife" dynamics on BL couples.

This question first came to me when I watched my second ever BL, Bad Buddy (First being SE).

There, I thought the trope was just another way to demonstrate Pat still has some elements of toxic masculinity, but it gets shot down fast enough that I didn't think much of it other than as something that is part of Pat's growth with Pran's influence.

Then I fell down the BL rabbit hole and never looked back...

And I saw the trope EVERYWHERE

Particularly with Thai BL's. What is it with the bizarre need to apply het dynamics over a relationship that EXPLICITLY breaks the very foundations of them?

Why is the uke feminized against his will so often? Why the feminization at all? Not that femininity is bad thing, but rather, why particularly project the husband/wife dynamic?

A dynamic that stereotypically represents some of the bizzare aspects of the enforcement of gender roles with some other aspects of dominance and submission (and not in the kink way).

This became particularly alarming to me with BohnDuen in My Engineer. I'm at Episode 9 right now and the whole awful top/bottom discourse aside, this entire situation with the husband/wife makes me awfully uncomfortable.

Is there any particular reason for this?

Ah, heterosexual dysmorphia and the seme/uke dynamic. I talk about is quite a bit under the queer critique banner, here's some links:

BL Master Post (includes a brief history of the genre and its connection to yaoi, the source of this dynamic, as well as audience expectations)

Husband Wife Language in Thai BL

Femme Representation in BL

Sex negativity as part of the seme/uke dynamic

MORE seme/uke discussion including some coaching from P’AbsoluteBL on your sex life....

In which I talk a bit about the ubiquity of dubious consent in BL

Tropes that are seme/uke dysmorphic

Hope this is helpful!

#heterosexual dysmorphia #semeuke #thai bl #bl critique #queer critique

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gillianthecat · 2 years

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Thoughts on Love Mechanics: (very long and rambling)

I loved the first half of the series. The lead actors, War and Yin, are fabulous and have great chemistry, whether sexual, angry, playful, comedic. I just really like War's face and the way he uses his eyes and his smile. I find him compelling and charismatic. I also liked almost all of the side characters. Many of them didn't have a big part, or were mostly there for comedy or to move the plot along, but they still felt like fully realized people who were living their own interesting lives off-screen. (Perhaps it's because the series grew out of a set of interconnected stories, I haven't watched them yet.)

More thoughts, both praise and critique, below the cut. (Includes tons of spoilers):

I'm fairly new to BL, although I've read a lot of romance, including queer (mostly m/m) romance, and a lot of fanfiction. These, it seems, have overlapping tropes/arcs/conventions as BL but are not exactly the same. (I've learned a lot about BL conventions from @absolutebl's posts here.)

I've been binging BL shows this summer, and I'm starting to think I really dislike the traditional strong sense/uke dynamic. (Maybe I'll make another post of which shows I like and dislike.)

So basically, I like up until Mark sees Ploy kissing Vee because the VeeMark dynamic feels interesting and ever shifting. After that they seem to switch to a more standard seme/uke dynamic with bonus miscommunication, which I found frustrating, annoying and boring.

I'm only 20 minutes into episode 9, which I turned off because I was so bored with the pervert boxer plot line. So hopefully it will improve with the last episode and a half, but I'm afraid the show lost the courage of its messiness and went for standardization.

Love Mechanics caught my attention from the beginning. I like that the show begins with a drunken, dubiously consensual hookup, where Mark thinks he's fucking another person, and Vee is cheating on his girlfriend. It's chaotic, it's hot, the actors commit to the physicality of the sex scene, which I'm discovering is often not the case for BLs.

I liked Mark's immature pursuit of Bar, and the mean sneering way that War portrayed that. I liked that the conflict after that is that they don't want to be cheating but they are incredibly drawn to each other. I even liked all the implausible coincidences that threw them together over and over, so their connection felt like it developed naturally. Yes, Vee should have figured his shit out with his girlfriend, but it felt naturally messy that he didn't. He was young, in his first LTR, loved her but it seemed like he was somewhat passive in starting the relationship with her. I liked that it felt like he both still loved Ploy and at the same time was falling for Mark. That felt messy and real.

I even liked the plot twist of Ploy cheating on Vee; it didn't feel like a cop-out to excuse Vee's cheating but instead something that added complexity to the decisions Vee and Mark had to make. Should Vee look any closer at his relationship with Ploy, or just ignore it and coast on the giddy feeling of in love. (He choose ignore.) Should Mark tell Vee that he saw Ploy with another man? It might clear the way for Mark to be with him, but then again Mark is so uncertain of what Vee actually wants and would choose. Mark and Vee never talk about the cheating, almost never talk about Ploy. It's a terrible idea, it's messy and it's fascinating to watch.

I even liked the soap opera plot twists of the anniversary and the promise to tell and the car accident. Unbelievable, yes, but the characters felt believable so I was happy to have the hand of fate/scriptwriters maneuvering them into situations.

I liked the tension between their desire to be public about their relationship and the need to hide and protect it. I even liked Yawah's scheming, although normally that kind of thing annoys me. I think because a) it felt like it added useful tension and b) because Yiwaa felt like a real person, someone young, who made her way as a woman in an overwhelming male space by being dominant and a leader and who genuine wanted to protect her friends but was clumsy about how.

But then after that kiss the scriptwriters' choices mostly did not hold up for me. Yes it made sense that Mark felt hurt and betrayed, but the fact that no one told him Vee hadn't kissed her felt so contrived to add drama. And there was so much drama to be had without that "miscommunication!" Yes, he was hurt and this was a repeat of the last time Vee failed to keep his promise and so I get why he wouldn't want to hear from Vee. But Vee kept pushing at all of Mark's other boundaries, why wouldn't he just blurt out it he didn't kiss her! Or text him or something. It doesn't make sense for the pushiness we've seen in Vee to be so passive about this one thing.

It would still make sense for Mark to break up with Vee even knowing the truth about the kiss. He could decide that Vee has let him down too many time and he doesn't trust him anyway. That would totally be in character and create more tension without having them act like idiots. And the tension would higher because it was based on something real. Of course they have trust issues! They began with deceptions and lies and cheating and continued all that way.

My first choice would actually have been to have Vee kiss Ploy back when she kissed. Perhaps that's too much of a deviation from a one-true-love main couple for standard BL, but I think that would of created some fascinating tension for Mark and Vee to resolve and brought up the buried issues in their relationship (the ones that the show seems like it's just going to ignore and paper over).

It feels in character for Vee to have kissed back - he still has love and care for Ploy, even if it's not romantic any more, and he has a track record of bad sexual decision-making under intense emotions, and it was an intense day for him. I don't think he would sleep with her, but it's so easy to kiss somebody back who you used to kiss all the time.

And it gives Mark a much more plausible and compelling arc. As is, it feels like he's stopping up his ears and refusing to listen. And Vee has fucked up before, but in this case he's actually done nothing wrong! He's helping a friend who's being abused. Mark can be selfish (i like that about the character) but he seems like he would at least care about Ploy being safe even if she is his "rival." This storyline makes Mark feel more childish than I think he is.

A real kiss would give him a real reason to feel betrayed and hurt, real things Vee needed to do to repair them and hopefully force them to work through their real issues.

It would push them to figure out what they really mean to each other. It could push Vee to look at why he stayed with with Ploy for so long and why he was leaving her now. It could push them to look at a relationship that was an affair, was breaking someone else's trust, and figure out how to trust each other after that.

A real kiss could also force the screenwriters to acknowledge the looming specter of cheating. So far, the series hasn't acknowledged the cheating at all post-Ploy, and I'm actually quite annoyed by that. Not because I think cheaters need to be punished but because it was a big deal to them both and it should affect them! They felt guilty about it! It shaped how they related to each other! They hid it from their friends! Mark's hometown bf cheated on him! He had trust issues and wants people to keep their promises!

Vee's gf cheated on him! And I assume Vee had some thoughts and emotions around accepting all her "I'm sorrys" while hiding his own cheating from her, but the show never brings it up. It's so weird! I assumed for a while that they were repressing those feelings and it would come out later, but now it looks like the show is headed somewhere else and the drunken hookup and emotional affair will be treated like any other meet-cute and all the interesting juicy emotions to come out of it will be swept aside. How boring. Hopefully I'm wrong.

(Now, I don't know how they address those issues, other than the generic and boring "talk about it." It's hard! Probably that's why the series swerved away.)

The show replaces this honest reckoning with a generic (at least to me) quest for Vee to win Mark back. Mark gets to be either passive (accepting sunscreen and towel coverage) or resistant (enlisting his ex to try and scare Vee away.)

Some of its cute (the shitty old truck and the inadequate breakfast). Some of it infuriates me (the pervert boxer brought in at the 11th hour to give Vee something to protect Mark from.) War and Yin are good enough actors to make the character feel consistent and real. Their chemistry continues to sparkle. Their eyes can still break my heart. But this is so disconnected from their earlier story that we might as well be in a whole new series. Regardless of how I feel about this type of seme/uke dynamic in general (I hate it!) it has nothing to do with these characters or what they need to resolve.

Hopefully this is just a detour, but I fear it's the endpoint.

I was also going to write more about my dislike of this kind of seme/uke dynamic, but this is already super long and rambling. In sum, a) it's a distillation of my least favorite heterosexual relationship dynamic. b) I personally find that kind of boundary crossing and bossiness enraging. c) from what I see it creates a love interest whose main or even sole personality trait is the desire to win the uke, which I find makes an incredibly boring and yet also annoying character. d) and it makes the tension between the main characters a dully one-dimensional demand-resist.

#love mechanics - critical #love mechanics - spoilers #love mechanics #love mechanics the series #veemark #vee x mark #Thai BL #critique #negative #and positive #just lots of thoughts #wow that's a lot of words #gillianthecat reacts to bl #reaction by gillianthecat

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inviseapp · 2 years

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#invise.app est un magazine financier qui fournit des informations à jour pour aider les gens à devenir des investisseurs prospères. Notre bl #les investissements et l’épargne; nous avons également des conseils utiles sur la meilleure façon de gérer vos finances avec clarté chaque #des critiques et des analyses au secteur du financement des factures.#et la nuit !

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yourstormthlaylirahh · 1 year

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I love this little girl

#the star always follow you #Lấp Lánh Tựa Ánh Sao Trời #vietnamese bl #tw eyestrain #i am very unhappy with my sharpening but it was hard to figure out with the distortion effect when mai is pretending to be a ghost #and i was getting a headache #i have been trying to tweak this off and on for a few days but to heck with it #though if anyone has any critique to send my way feel free #thlaylirah gifs #my third gifset :)#they have the same colouring on all of them so I am not sure why they look slightly different ugh #whoa i just looked at these on mobile and they look so washed out wtf #i swear they look darker and more vibrant on my desktop

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perpetualcontrolleddrowning · 2 months

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The point is that they don't fall into the trap of an oppressive society

Svsss power dynamics are absolutely wild, and I've seen another post mention that already, about how every time you think you're seeing a fucked up dynamic, it's actually three layers deeper and flipped and more imbalanced than you could ever imagine

But the point! Is that they live in an environment that is Always giving each character some power over the other person in the relationship! And none of them ever use it

The novel is critiquing these power trip fantasies and the exploitation often seen as inherent in porn and BL and wish fulfillment stories

Sqq was lbh's teacher. There is often abuse inherent in the teacher/student dynamic. Sqq never even considers lbh as a romantic option until they have been apart for years and there is no age gap

Lbh has a tracking device on sqq and the ability to seize control of sqq's body at any time. He never uses this and only wields his blood parasites to heal

Mbj is sqh's boss who regularly heaps too much work onto him and would physically attack him. Mbj's role as boss is never utilized to coerce or manipulate sqh into a romantic relationship. Mbj was engaging in demonic bonding activities that were acceptable within his culture and stopped the Moment he realized that it was not received that way

Sqh invented the world and created his dream man who he is now romancing. He could be considered a god. It could be wish fulfillment. He uses his knowledge to protect mbj's kingdom and mbj himself and takes up a servants role

There are a thousand other tropes in this book like this. You hear student/teacher, god/creation, body control, fuck-or-die, demon lord/prisoner, age difference, corpse in bed, boss/employee, King/servant. You think you know what kind of book this will be, what kind of abuse and power differences there will be

But the point is that they all just love each other instead! The world is Constantly giving them the opportunity to abuse each other, manipulate, take power over another person. And the point is that they all choose to ignore those customs. The teacher just wants to relax and live a simple life. The god wants to serve. The king learns to serve. The demon lord wants nothing more than to leave it all behind and become a housewife

And it works! They get their happy ending! They fix the world by refusing the opportunities to exploit and abuse others

It's beautiful! And it also makes it absolutely impossible to recommend this novel to anyone!

#svsss #moshang #bingqiu #lbh #sqq #sqh #mbj

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saintunhinged · 6 months

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you find a picture of asra from long before the two of you met and you can’t stop admiring it.

You stumble into the room that both you and Asra shared, only to find colorful clothes scattered on the bed. You had no doubt that they belonged to Asra. On the edge of the bed was a framed picture, so close to falling off that a bump to the mattress could have made it fall and broken it.

He always was a bit messy, but you didn’t mind helping him straighten up his things here and there.

Making your way to fix it, your eyes fall on the young kid in the photo. A wide smile paints your face as you recognize what it is— or who. Bright purple eyes stared from the picture, yet these eyes belonged to a younger version of the person you knew. The white hair and golden skin gave it away, not to mention the signature scarf he always styled with his outfits.

You almost wanted to let out a loud “aw” at the sight of a much younger Asra smiling at you from the picture, but the familiar voice that came from behind you had spoke even before a could even get a word out.

Just as you marveled at the younger version of him, the familiar voice of your magician lover interrupted your thoughts. “I meant to clean this mess up.” Asra declared, appearing in the doorway with an apologetic grin on his face.

Instead, you turn around with the frame in your hand. “You were so adorable!” you exclaimed, unable to hold your excitement.

Asra’s eyes met yours, curiosity dancing in the violet depths. A soft smile graced his lips, the contrast between the past and present evident in the warmth that radiated from the framed photograph and the genuine connection between you and the person before you.

His eyes twinkled mischievously as he observed you holding the framed picture. “Ah, my youthful days,” he mused, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. “Care to share what you’ve found?”

You couldn’t contain the affectionate grin on your face. “Look at you! White hair, golden skin, and that signature scarf. You were absolutely adorable.”

Asra chuckled, a melodic sound that filled the room with warmth. “I suppose I’ve always had a flair for fashion.” He gestured towards the colorful chaos on the bed. “Although, it seems my fashion sense hasn’t evolved much since then.”

You playfully rolled your eyes. “Oh, come on. Your style is timeless. Besides, who doesn’t love a bit of magic in their wardrobe?”

“As much as I appreciate your fashion critique,” Asra began, a playful glint in his eyes, “I need help cleaning up. Not that I mind the distraction, of course.”

You chuckled, joining him by the door. “Cleaning can wait. I’m too busy reveling in the cuteness overload from this picture.” You held the frame closer to him. “Did you always have that mischievous glint in your eyes?”

Asra grinned, leaning in to get a closer look. “Maybe. Magic and mischief tend to go hand in hand, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely,” you agreed, a teasing tone in your voice. “Though I have to say, present-day Asra might have a bit more charm, if that’s possible.”

A playful gasp escaped Asra’s lips. “I hopre you’re not implying I wasn’t the epitome of charm back then? I’ll have you know I was quite the charismatic little magician.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “I’m sure you were. But now, you’re a charismatic, charming magician who also happens to share a room with me.”

Asra’s bright eyes sparkled with affection. “And how fortunate I am,” he replied, his voice dripping with playful sincerity. “Now, shall we continue this trip down memory lane or get back to the 'cleaning' business?”

You grin, holding the picture close to your heart. “Cleaning can wait. I’m too busy falling in love with the tiny, precious child in this photo... and the not-so-tiny, still-precious adult standing in front of me.”

His soft smirk deepened, his mischievous gaze locked onto yours. “Falling in love, you say? My, my, someone's being rather bold today.”

You shrugged, a playful glint in your eyes matching his. “Can you blame me? I mean, just look at this adorable face.” You pointed at the picture, then at Asra, emphasizing your point.

He feigned modesty, placing a hand over his heart. “Oh, you flatter me. But you know, present-day me comes with a lot more... intriguing qualities.”

You raised an eyebrow, a sly smile forming. “Intriguing, huh? Do tell, I’m all ears.”

Asra stepped closer, a layer of thick white hair falling down his forehead, eyes never leaving yours. “Well, for starters, this Asra,” he starts, pointing to himself with his index finger, “knows a thing or two about casting spells of the heart. And perhaps, just perhaps, he’s been under the influence of a certain enchantment.”

You chuckled, playing along. “Is it reversible, or am I stuck with the consequences?”

Asra placed a finger to his lips, feigning deep contemplation. “I guess that depends. Are you prepared for a lifetime of charm, wit, and an abundance of wonderful moments?”

You pretended to ponder, tapping your chin. “Tough choice. But if it means being swept off my feet by a charming someone every day, I think I can handle it.”

A genuine laugh escaped Asra, the sound like music in the room. “Very well. Brace yourself for a lifetime of love, with a touch of mischief, of course.”

You held the framed picture between you two, as if sealing the deal. “Deal. Now, about this cleaning business... any chance we can clean the mess with our minds?” You half-way joke, but apart of you seriously didn’t feel like doing the physical work.

The magician’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “I suppose a little magic wouldn't hurt. But only if you keep falling in love with the tiny, precious child and the not-so-tiny, still-precious me every day.”

You grinned, leaning in for a playful peck on Asra's cheek. “Deal.” And with that, you both set out to sprinkle a bit of magic on the chaos, leaving a trail of laughter and love in your wake.

#the arcana #asra alnazar #the arcana x reader #asrathearcana #the arcana x mc #asra the arcana #asra alnazar x reader #asra route #asra arcana #asra x apprentice #asra x mc #asra x reader #the arcana asra #asra alnazar x you #asra #asra the magician

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