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waitmyturtles · 1 month

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Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: KinnPorsche, and Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist Edition (Part 2)

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. Today, I conclude a two-part series on my thoughts on KinnPorsche, my very first Thai BL, and the impact that I think KP has had on the Thai BL industry since 2022.]

Top of the morning (or whatever time zone you're in) to ya! Yesterday, I ruminated on KinnPorsche's foundation in regards to how the show wasn't as innovative as newbie members of the Thai BL fandom, like myself, may have thought in 2022 -- but was rather a great example of a show that derivatively used a lot of excellent past Thai BL influences in order to make a newly stylized show that I think, for the most part, worked well.

Harkening back to the outline for these two pieces that I laid out yesterday, this post will concentrate on:

3) How I think KP has impacted how other studios approach, market, and write Thai BLs now, and 4) A quick passing thought on BOC's own continued influence on the Thai BL genre and industry since 2022, particularly by way of Dead Friend Forever.

Before I get fully into point 3, I wanted to take a second to offer one more thought on an element about the KinnPorsche series itself that I didn't unwind on much yesterday, and one that'll connect with point 3 in a second. I mentioned yesterday that I personally (in my own opinion, I am accountable here) don't think that some of the VegasPete elements of the show helped the show's flow and continuity at all times. After my rewatch, I think the show could have stood for more episode editing to better its flow. I very much know how beloved VegasPete are in much of the KP fandom (thanks so much to dear friend @wen-kexing-apologist for the conversations about this during my rewatch!), so I don't want to pooh-pooh very hard, because at the same time, I think Bible as an actor was valuable to the show regarding Vegas's interactions with Porsche -- that side storyline offered intrigue and depth particularly into Porsche's mindset at the end of the series. At the same time, I think the VegasPete scenes contained enough questionable takes on trauma and attraction that I think now contribute to the show's legend and status as a uniquely heaty drama, but (in my opinion, people, I own this!), I think some of those takes could have been removed, smoothed, or tamped down for editing's sake, vis à vis those questionable takes in particular.

Taking VegasPete's trauma-and-kink-driven storyline, and KinnPorsche's romps and unravellings, into consideration, along with the show's excellent use of comedy as a plot driver: I think that KinnPorsche has clearly had an impact on how subsequent "heat" BL dramas have been created and marketed since KP's run. I'm thinking in particularly of some big ones (heh heh), including 2023's Only Friends, and 2023-24's Playboyy (which I did not finish, FYI).

Heat -- and the increasing use and management of it -- has long been an important element of the Thai BL industry. Like I said yesterday, MaxTul (my beloved) were pioneers of it in Together With Me and Manner of Death, and MAME consecrated episodic heat in 2019's TharnType, and even introduced enough of it notably in 2018's Love By Chance by way of those awesome spicy AePete scenes. And the WONDERFUL Lovely Writer offered meta commentary about the dependence that the Thai BL/Series Y industry has on heat in order to drive in fans, oftentimes to the detriment of more interesting and/or fulfilling and/or emotionally complicated plots.

KinnPorsche's lengthy marketing, from its Filmania days in 2020 and 2021, to its eventual 2022 premiere through Be On Cloud, certainly helped to drive interest and intrigue in the show, from the debut pairing of MileApo, to the clear use of heat that the show was promising before its airing. (Red Peafowl could never.)

Looking at the moment we are in right now -- early spring of 2024, with the ability to look back on the conclusions of both Only Friends and Playboyy -- I see the influence that KinnPorsche had on these shows being HUGELY marketed as cutting-edge-entrées to a high-heat and high-interest slice of Thai BL, particularly for Only Friends, which was GMMTV's own first step into really high-heat territory.

Both of the shows ended in meh territory (and both shows were written by the same writer in Den Panuwat, who may very well have a monogamy kink). Both shows ended up putting pure monogamy on a pedestal, and seemed to judge extra-monogamous sex as a "mistake" that was worth rectifying through "true," i.e., monogamous, love.

I posit, and I'm glad, that KinnPorsche did NOT go this route. Extracurricular sex wasn't even in the show's genes anyway, but -- the heat that KP marketed at the time of its premiere was solely associated with the centralized romances of the two main pairings. KinnPorsche didn't have to get extra-monogamously messy in its bones (huh huh) in order to be hot -- and it makes me curious to wonder why shows like Only Friends and Playboyy felt the need to promote relational messiness as a way to hype up their heat, all of which kinda putzed out in the end run of both of those shows.

Of course, we've still had heat in many other shows since KP's premiere, including in directions that roundly surprised the larger fandom, such as Pit Babe's take on omegaverse, and maybe even the vets Earth and Mix getting hot and heavy in Moonlight Chicken, a direction that Aof Noppharnach has been known to not take for the sake of keeping the ratings on his shows kid-friendly. But I do find it interesting that the heavy promotion of Only Friends and Playboyy led the fandom to think that these shows were going to have progressive takes on sex and sexuality, when they ultimately did not (I'd even argue that both of these shows ended up being judgemental of sexual experimentation). And while I don't think KinnPorsche's takes on heat were necessarily progressive, I do think the marketing of their actors getting into that, particularly as compared to Apo's previous career path in leaving acting for a while, was notable -- and as well, the care that the show took to depict heat scenes with excellent cinematography makes many of those scenes so memorable today.

I want to make one final note about KinnPorsche's and Be On Cloud's general influence on the Thai BL industry, in that I'm impressed by their investment in generally good-to-great writing and directing. As I overviewed yesterday, KinnPorsche heavily featured veterans from across the BL landscape, and Be On Cloud's latest serial offering, Dead Friend Forever, continued that trajectory, having an OG BL director in Ma-Deaw Chookiat partly take the helm of that show. Very importantly, Ma-Deaw Chookiat has been the screenwriter and director of a number of seminal Thai queer films and shows, including 2019's Dew, and more impactfully, 2007's The Love of Siam, which is considered a harbinger of the television Thai BL industry, and a film that has notably influenced important Thai BL creators, especially New Siwaj, who doesn't hesitate to include references to LoS in many of his shows, including Until We Meet Again, My Only 12%, and more. Chookiat has also screenwritten and/or directed three shows written by the notable Thai Y novelist, Sammon, in DFF, Manner of Death, and Triage. Sammon has been on a tear recently, as she will be the screenwriter for BOC's upcoming drama, 4 Minutes, as well as Spare Me Your Mercy, the hugely anticipated BL drama starring Tor Thanapob and singer Jaylerr.

Going back to my thoughts earlier about big marketing of big BLs: we've seen some duds recently from shows that were marketed at a big tip, from OF, to Playboyy, to Idol Factory's The Sign. From what I've gathered from the Tumblr tag regarding The Sign -- it seems that show suffered mostly from a lack of editorial context and plot sensibility and tightness, and that there could have been a good show, if the show had spent less money on CGI, and more money on the script.

Be On Cloud seems to mostly be putting its money where its pen is. I say "mostly" as a caveat. Was the ending of DFF fantastic? No, and I totally admit as much: while the show mostly stuck to its slasher genre conventions (thank you so much to @lurkingshan, my genre guru, for explaining this to me), the show seemed to poop out in the end by giving us a PheeJin BL ship, instead of Phee's and Jin's gruesome deaths. Womp womp. The pull of BL, and the need for clean-ish endings for the fujoshi crowd, may still be too economically enticing for studios, including Be On Cloud itself.

But I'm optimistic for BOC's upcoming shows, with the talent and money they're putting into scripts and directing. And we know that BOC's first film, the non-queer Man Suang, was an important artistic point for the studio as it continues its investment in MileApo and experimental content to market within and outside of Thailand. It was important enough that Dead Friend Forever, emanating from the Thai BL world, took on an entirely different genre instead, and literally presented that back to BL fans on a silver platter. I hope 4 Minutes can tread similar experimental territory. And I'm glad to see Be On Cloud being able to invest in high-quality writing and directing after the publicly major obstacles the studio experienced last year during the Build Jakapan scandal.

From the time I discovered Thai BLs in 2022, to now: I would not have expected KinnPorsche and Be On Cloud to start such a journey in my personal drama fan life. As well, considering how many damn shows I've now watched from Thailand, I also didn't expect this rewatch of KinnPorsche to be so much fun. AND, I truly didn't realize I had this much to say about it -- but there was a lot of say, especially by way of how referential the original KinnPorsche series was, which touched my little nerdy BL heart.

With that, I say ta-ta to my entrée to this fun world of Thai BLs, and move on to the next one!

[OKAY! We are kind of back of the grind, although my ability to watch dramas has really been hampered by real life obligations and schedules. BUT: I'm trucking along through War of Y, and I have some fun rewatches coming up in The Eclipse (my first-ever GMMTV BL), as well as two new-to-me dramas in GAP (the first GL on the list, WOO!) and My School President, which I can't wait for.

I've made a few tiddly adjustments to the list below, including adding Dead Friend Forever as an important addition, and I'm deep in my giggles with 23.5, which I am LOVING. ONWARDS! For more details about the ongoing list, please checkity-check here!

1) The Love of Siam (2007) (movie) (review here) 2) My Bromance (2014) (movie) (review here) 3) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 4) Gay OK Bangkok Season 1 (2016) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 5) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 6) SOTUS (2016-2017) (review here) 7) Gay OK Bangkok Season 2 (2017) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 8) Make It Right 2 (2017) (review here) 9) Together With Me (2017) (review here) 10) SOTUS S/Our Skyy x SOTUS (2017-2018) (review here) 11) Love By Chance (2018) (review here) 12) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) (no review) 13) He’s Coming To Me (2019) (review here) 14) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) and Our Skyy x Kiss Me Again (2018) (review here) 15) TharnType (2019-2020) (review here) 16) Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey (OffGun BL cuts) (2016 and 2017) (no review) 17) Theory of Love (2019) (review here) 18) 3 Will Be Free (2019) (a non-BL and an important harbinger of things to come in 2019 and beyond re: Jojo Tichakorn pushing queer content in non-BLs) (review here) 19) Dew the Movie (2019) (review here) 20) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) (review here) (and notes on my UWMA rewatch here) 21) 2gether (2020) and Still 2gether (2020) (review here) 22) I Told Sunset About You (2020) (review here) 23) YYY (2020, out of chronological order) (review here) 24) Manner of Death (2020-2021) (review here) 25) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 26) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake Of Rewatching Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (re-review here) 27) Lovely Writer (2021) (review here) 28) Last Twilight in Phuket (2021) (the mini-special before IPYTM) (review here) 29) I Promised You the Moon (2021) (review here) 30) Not Me (2021-2022) (review here) 31) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 32) 55:15 Never Too Late (2021-2022) (not a BL, but a GMMTV drama that features a macro BL storyline about shipper culture and the BL industry) (review here) 33) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) and Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (2023) OGMMTVC Rewatch (Links to the BBS OGMMTVC Meta Series are here: preamble here, part 1, part 2, part 3a, part 3b, and part 4) 34) Secret Crush On You (2022) (review here) 35) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here) 36) KinnPorsche (2022) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For the Sake of Re-Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist (part 1 here)

...interrupting the OGMMTVC list here to watch War of Y (2022) (watching) in chronology to decide if it gets listed...

37) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 38) The Eclipse OGMMTVC Rewatch to Reexamine “Genre BLs” and Internalized/Externalized Homophobia in GMMTV Shows 39) GAP (2022-2023) (Thailand’s first GL) 40) My School President (2022-2023) and Our Skyy 2 x My School President (2023) 41) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here) 42) Bed Friend (2023) (tag here) 43 La Pluie (2023) (review coming) 44) Be My Favorite (2023) (tag here) (I’m including this for BMF’s sophisticated commentary on Krist’s career past as a BL icon) 45) Wedding Plan (2023) (Recommended as an important trajectory in the course of MAME’s work and influence from TharnType) 46) Only Friends (2023) (tag here) (not technically a BL, but it certainly became one in the end) 47) Last Twilight (2023-24) (tag here) (on the list as Thailand’s first major BL to center disability, successfully or otherwise) 48) Cherry Magic Thailand (2023-24) (tag here) (on the list as the first major Japanese-to-Thai drama adaptation, featuring the comeback of TayNew) 49) Ossan’s Love Returns (2024) (adding for the EarthMix cameo and the eventual Thai remake) 50) Dead Friend Forever (2024) (thoughts here) 51) 23.5 (2024)]

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absolutebl · 10 months

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I'd like to specify a request for good Thai shows that just finished. They're my favorite for many reasons, and I also enjoy getting to learn more Thai words.

Good 2023 Thai BL That Recently Finished (to Binge!)

(I actually held off answering this one until a few had ended this week because I didn't have many for 2023. It's not been great year for Thai BL so far IMHO. Now South Korea is KILLING it. So is Japan.. in a different way.)

My School President

9/10

GMMTV gave us a classic high school set Thai BL with tropes like messy boys singing their feelings that made this one Love Sick for the modern age with all the gentle sweetness and pining ache, but none of the dated damaging tropes or issues.

Yes, we’ve seen it all before, but I still ADORED this. And there is a lot to be said for the classics being re-executed perfectly. Who let my BL be this wholesome and funny? This show was fantastic, it’s only flaw was the singing (and that’s my baggage).

My favourite GMMTV BL offering to date. And yes, I've watched them ALL. (YouTube)

Step By Step

9/10

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one.

This was an office romance between stern boss and sweet subordinate that felt more authentic to an office environment than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. And that authenticity added tension to the narrative and character development (how novel). Now that might be because it has western source material, or it might be because it is actually kind of old-fashioned (it’s been years since I worked as an office grunt). I also really enjoyed the brothers’ relationship, and kinda wished they hadn’t attempted (and failed) to give said brother his own side BL.

(Gaga & YouTube & Viki)

La Pluie

9/10

This BL takes to task the fated mates trope and what it means to have love chained intimately to predestination. It’s about how faith in destiny before choice diminishes the authenticity of emotion, relationships, and connection. This is a high concept to examine through the lens of a BL.

By activating + examining the soulmates trope this show is challenging a foundation of romance: the idea that there is one person meant to be your one romantic partner all your life. This means that we, as viewers, spend much of the show worried about it having a happy ending, and that’s the source of both its brilliance and tension: would the narrative have the strength to truly challenge its own romantic core?

But, ultimately, all this elevated complexity was executed in a somewhat shaky manner with the narrative derailing into some serious pacing issues and characters manipulated by miscommunication. However, with good chemistry and decent acting all around, plus some excellent high heat and representation of consent and a few other rare tropes, this one has to (like it’s sibling show My Ride) earn a 9/10.

I enjoyed it even as it made me think. (iQIYI)

Make a Wish

8/10

PNR (from Sammon: Manner of Death & Triage) about a doctor who can see the dead and strikes a bargain with a wish-granting irreverent tree angel - naturally they fall in love.

Stars Fluke Natouch opposite not-Ohm, but who cares bc Fluke has chemistry with everybody. Once again the Thai afterlife is incredibly bureaucratic but I enjoyed the premise and the unfolding of the story (it’s not predictable but still satisfying and with nice little twist). I like that the doctor is just gay af and has a fag hag bestie and everything.

The cast is excellent but the comedic stylings are too overblown and tonally off. It had sad parts and did make me cry but is ultimately happy with a great sex scene, good smiley kisses, and all the agency. (grey)

Moonlight Chicken

8/10

I enjoyed this complicated little show, even though it’s spectacularly messy gay with lots of shrapnel and authentic pain.

I thought EarthMix turned in their most compelling performance to date. But it was GeminiFourth who stole my heart.

That said, the most interesting central relationship was that of Jim & Li Ming, their father-son angst mixed with evident affection made me tear up.

This was more slice of life than it was BL, but it ended happily so I’m not mad at it. (YouTube)

Never Let Me Go

8/10

Bodyguard romance where poor boy must watch over rich boy for family obligation reasons. Simple premise well executed with a few bumps that made it feel like it was trying to tackle too much (when it wasn’t).

Still, an enjoyable show that benefited from being handed to PondPhuwin who did a stellar job with their roles and chemistry. Is it going into permanent rewatch rotation? No, but a solid GMMTV offering. Of GMMTV passing out new series to established pairs this has been the most successful IMHO. PondPhuwin were about 10000x better in this than FUTS (and that's FUTS's fault, not theirs).

It's typically Thai in that its a bit bloated and has a confusing plot, but at least it HAD a plot and the central relationship is solid and loyal. Their Our Skyy 2 follow up is great. And very much adds to the cannon in a fun way rather than feeling superfluous - making this show ultimately 14 eps rather than the usual 12. (YouTube)

Destiny Seeker

8/10

A darn near perfect pulp featuring 3 likable grumpy/sunshine pairings with uncomplicated iterations of enemies to lovers. At least one half of each does a decent amount of pining and there’s good chemistry, classic tropes, and communication rep. It’s fun and full of linguistic jokes.

Sublimely cheesy but a good rainy day offering with tons of rewatch potential. (WeTV)

Bed Friend

8/10 (Triggers include: child abuse, attempted rape, family abuse)

Office frienamies transition a flaming hot one night stand into a f-buddy relationship that is built on a puppy/cat dynamic (and kinks into it at one point). Our puppy is loyal, smitten, and protective with endlessly longing eyes, while our cat is snarky, prickly, and deeply damaged (ALL THE TRIGGERS).

NetJames give lovely high-heat with excellent chemistry and tuned-in performances of surprising depth, unfortunately the story ultimately failed them. Had the show had the strength of its convictions and kept to a tighter, darker, harsher 8 eps it would have been the first high heat to earn a 10/10 from me, but once they fussed with it, it dropped to a solid 8/10.

Could have been great but was overworked. Still if high heat is your thing, this one will not let you down. (YouTube)

Between Us

8/10

Featuring the hugely popular side characters from 2019′s Until We Meet Again, Win Team (played by Studio Wabi Sabi's most popular, and commercially viable, pair BounPrem - Long Khong, You Never Eat Alone, Seven Project, Even Sun), adaptation of the y-novel Hemp Rope.

It’s a serviceable series about hot swimmers flirting and dealing with family drama in a sweetly earnest manner, but ultimately it squanders the talent in play. I would’ve preferred a cleaner narrative arc, less angst and more plot, fewer couples, and a shorter series.

That said, there’s nothing objectively wrong, sub-standard, or off-putting about this show. And it has lots of consent and other good qualities.

It’s fine. Watch along here. (iQIYI)

This list dated July 16 2023, not responsible for anything that came after, that'll probably be in end of year wrap ups.

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wen-kexing-apologist · 10 months

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Bengiyo's Queer Cinema Syllabus

A few months back I was chatting with @bengiyo when the subject of queer cinema came up (unsurprising considering…ya know, the whole being BL buddies thing). As a semi-recent queerness realizer, and a Certified Baby Gay(™), Ben took it upon himself to share a post between himself and @shortpplfedup that inspired @the-conversation-pod and which also included a Completely Hypothetical Queer Cinema Syllabus Build Up to BL for Baby Gays. According to @bengiyo this started as a thought experiment.

But, unfortunately or…fortunately? for him, I constantly crave queer media, and @waitmyturtles and her Old GMMTV Challenge have inspired me to try my hand at working my way through this syllabus. I cannot guarantee that I will finish all these films. I have no idea how long it would even take, but I wanted to at least try!

I have been saying I would do this for months now, but I am inundated with BL content, and getting more every day, so I have been pushing it to the side. BUT! This evening a local movie theater played The Birdcage (1996) and I went and bought tickets and decided now was as good a time as any to get this started, I am hoping to take a page out of Turtle’s book and write notes/thoughts on the movies I end up watching. Forgive me the long winded introduction, but I figured some context would be nice if this ends up being a thing I stick with. So without further ado…

The Birdcage (1996) [Comedy]

Syllabus Unit 6: Gems

Summary: A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false straight front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancée's right-wing moralistic parents.

Characters: Armand: Gay cabaret owner, played by Robin Williams Arnold: Drag queen partner, played by Nathan Lane Val: Armand’s son, played by Dan Futterman Agador: Armand and Arnold's maid? friend? live in slutty pool boy? played by Hank Azaria Katharine: Val's biological mother, played by Christine Baranski

Overall Reflection

This is a film I had never seen before. Hell, I didn’t even know it existed until around the time Ben shared his syllabus, and someone reblogged a scene from it that ended up on my dashboard. This was an interesting film to experience in theaters, because while watching with an audience made the funny bits funnier, there were also moments that I absolutely did not read as funny that other people did, and I didn’t know how I felt about that.

This film is set primarily in South Beach, Florida and partly in a drag club, which meant that the only thing I could think about whenever the drag club was on screen was Palace, the gay bar, drag brunch, queer club spot in Miami. On the other funny casual note, as a Floridian I feel seen by the moment where Katharine calls and says she’s going to be late, and it zooms out to show she is stuck at the bridge. Real.

I feel like the majority of gay media I have consumed in my life very much centers around two very masculine characters. So it was really nice to watch a story that involved more femme characters, and that the femme characters were not left as the butt of the joke. Which I recognize might be ironic considering this is a comedy and therefore there are jokes abound. But, when you compare the femme character in something like Legally Blonde, to the femme characters here, they are allowed to be dramatic, and they are allowed to trip and fall, but the love that Armand has for Arnold is palpable, they squabble and they get annoyed at each other, and they hurt each other, but they are partners, and they love each other too, and it shows throughout the film.

This sounds fucked up, I guess, but I love the undercurrent of pain that is threaded throughout the story. The way that Val starts off seeming like he is very content with the way he grew up, the parents that he had. The way that Val feels so so loved by his Dads, and he hurts them anyway. Because he is scared, because he loves Barbara and he knows that she is good, and that her parents aren’t, and that he has to hide his family. But in making them hide who they are, he is hurting them and at first you can see and feel the ways that Armand is trying to rebel against it. You can tell that initially he is angry, disappointed, upset, incredulous:

“Yes, I wear foundation. Yes, I live with a man. Yes, I'm a middle- aged fag. But I know who I am, Val. It took me twenty years to get here, and I'm not gonna let some idiot senator destroy that. Fuck the senator, I don't give a damn what he thinks.”

gifs by @hellboys

It is one of my favorite lines in the film. Because Val needs to be called out on exactly what he is asking his father to do for him. Because Armand's pain is visceral in this moment. But Armand loves his son and so eventually he relents.

Arnold’s presence and importance in Val’s life are constantly disregarded and he is allowed to be upset, and Armand is allowed to constantly put his son’s engagement and wedding in jeopardy to prioritize his partner and his partner’s feelings, because Arnold is a part of this family, and to hide him away is unfair.

I certainly had to grapple with some complicated emotions around the character of Val. I could understand where he was coming from, that he loves his fiancee and that their families have to meet, and that it is almost certainly physically safer for everyone if his parents are not visibly and obviously queer around the ultra conservative moralist senator. But the ways he ends up exhibiting casual disdain, anxiety, and judgment around the aspects of his parents’ home, his parents’ friends, his parents’ themselves makes me kinda hate him a little bit. It is hard for me not to see Val as entitled, not to consider him low-key dickish, because of how frequently he seems to get annoyed and disappointed that Armand and Arnold are not acting straight enough, that their house isn’t straight enough, that their family isn’t straight enough. But the film does not shy away from the mental toll it takes.

Were there aspects of the film itself I didn’t like? Honestly, not really. There are some jokes and terminology that do not fully stand the test of time, so if I watch it with a modern lens I think I would give it a 9.5. If I watch it in the context of the time it was written, I would probably give it a 9.8. But watching it in theaters certainly altered the way I engaged in certain scenes.

Mostly with the “I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking dressed like this, I’m even more obvious” scene.

gif by @rosalie-starfall

Because people in the theater were laughing during this moment. Which is not to say I am judging them, I’m not mad at them for finding the moments leading up to that scene funny. I can understand how Arnold constantly having to catch himself and change his body language could come off as funny. But there is a weight to that scene for me that made the laughter feel incongruous. It is, in my opinion, an incredibly impactful scene. And it was hard for me to fully embrace that moment the way I know I would have if I was alone, after I realized that not everyone reads that scene as a serious one.

(Side Note: When I was looking for pictures of the movie poster, I found three different versions of it, and I chose the one above because it was the most intriguing to me in the way it presents Arnold. Because it is the only one of the posters that puts Arnold in a suit.)

The other moment, that I think I would have had a stronger response to if I was alone, was the moment near the end where Val takes off Arnold’s wig and introduces Arnold as his mother.

gif by @nicholasbritel

If I had watched this scene alone, I think there is a very high likelihood I would have gotten teary eyed during that moment. Because Val has spent so much time throughout this film trying to hide Arnold away. Wanting to send him off for the evening so they didn’t have to worry, trying to replace him with his biological mother, who he had never really met just for the sake of maintaining appearances.

Arnold LOVES Val. It is glaringly obvious from the first moment they share a screen that to Arnold, that is his kid. And I cannot imagine what it must have felt like for Arnold to literally have his every move critiqued and criticized for acceptable levels of gayness by his son and his partner. To feel unwanted by his son and his partner. To feel replaced by his son and his partner. He deserves to see and hear his son choose him, to know that Val considers Arnold his parent. Especially when Val’s biological mother is standing right there.

And as for the comedy aspect of this movie? I mean, it’s Robin WIlliams and Nathan Lane so it is obviously going to be a truly hilarious film all the way through.

gif by @argentinosaurus

Where does it fall in my By, For, About Queers Categorization?

For and About

Any piece of media that places queer characters at the center of it is something I would categorize as “About Queers”

As far as I can tell, the writers and director are not queer. I consider films to be made By Queers when a queer person has a role in controlling how the story unfolds, usually this means a writer or director for me, actors too if they have any influence over changing the story. (As an example, The Last of Us Episode 3 would be something that I would place in a By Queers category because Murray Bartlet who played Frank is gay and also was consulted to shape the way the characters were written and the story played out.) While Nathan Lane is gay, and I am sure a number of actors who play side characters are as well, I do not know how much influence they had over the film itself. Which is why I am currently excluding it from the By Queers categorization.

And as for the For Queers aspect? That moment where Arnold appears in a suit and tie before the dinner party, where he appears so much more obviously gay when he’s in “masculine clothes” that is written for the people who understand. The undercurrent of pain I mentioned, that exists to be recognized by the people who understand. Also, I watched this at the movie theater and I saw what kind of crowd it drew lmfao.

Favorite moment in the film?

Well, I could go sappy with it and pick one of the scenes I referenced above, but I would be lying. My absolute, hands down, no contest favorite moment in this film was seeing Agador in this cropped tank top:

gif by @thevelvetgoldmine

Now, I know that Ben told me that the Units could be done in any order, but I think I want to start from Unit 1 and work my way through from there, so stay tuned for a write-up about Pariah (2011) from Unit 1: Coming of Age Post Moonlight.

#the birdcage #robin williams #nathan lane #bengiyo queer cinema syllabus #wka long post #queer stories #queer #lgbtqia

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lurkingshan · 7 months

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Shan! One of the things that I’ve loved learning during my Old GMMTV Challenge project is discovering filmmakers and watching through their project lists. Do you follow specific directors or screenwriters for Asian dramas? If so, who are they, and why? And which dramas of their do you recommend?

A fun one, and an area where I know we actually differ in our approach. In short, my answer to your first question is yes, but also no. :)

By which I mean, I generally do pay attention to who creates the shows I watch, because when I am impressed or infuriated by a drama I like to know who is behind it so I can look into their other work, either to pursue or avoid it. Sometimes I have to go looking for that information, but there are some creators who have such an obvious style that it sets them apart and makes it near impossible to miss the connections between their shows (Kim Eun Sook in kdrama, Aof Noppharnach and Jojo Tichakorn in tbl, Hwang Da Seul in kbl, Lin Pei Yu in twbl, etc). With those I might start something unknowingly and then be like wait a minute is this X’s work? I do maintain awareness and keep creators’ other works in mind when I watch something new because it's fun to look for themes across a body of work, and frankly, to know where the pitfalls are likely to come in.

That said, I do not feel any need to be a completist about any one auteur's resume, I don’t intentionally sit down to watch a creator's work in an organized way, and I actually prefer not to know that much about their personal lives, because I like to focus on the fictional stories without too much real world gunk getting in the way and clouding my reads. I am a "let the art speak for itself" girlie; I'm less interested in authorial intent than in allowing stories breathing room to be interpreted by the audience. I do believe in the Death of the Author school of thought and I don't think it's great when creators try to do too much to control how their work is perceived. One of my current beefs with the Only Friends watch experience is that there is so much real world gunk (branded pairs, shipping and actor stanning, creators posting on social media with context that is not included in the actual canon) getting in the way and messing with interpretations of the show.

Once you get into a fandom at all you will inevitably be exposed to a ton of this kind of thing whether you like it or not. And it comes up a lot in bl because so many shows are adapted from pre-existing source material and rely on known actor pairs, which inevitably affects discourse because people come to these shows with a lot of baggage even before they begin. But I am always interested in story first. I dove into I Feel You Linger in the Air and Absolute Zero with zero hesitation because timey wimey soulmate shit is my jam, not because these shows were made by Tee Bundit and New Siwaj (in fact that would be more of a deterrent than anything if I let it dictate my viewing choices).

So while I am interested in the undercurrent of melancholy across Aof's works, and Jojo's devotion to messy ensemble pieces where everyone is a little bit of an asshole, and Kim Eun Sook's uncanny ability to tap into the zeitgeist and create banger after banger across a range of genres, I don't need to know too much about why their areas of focus are important to them or how it relates to their personal experiences. I prefer not to use fiction as a means to psychoanalyze the real people who create it; instead I just try to engage with and appreciate their art as art and afford them respect as creative geniuses without making assumptions about how each work is meant to reflect their real experiences. Understanding some basic demographics about creators (as in, do they have the appropriate lived experiences to be telling the stories they choose) is about as far as my curiosity goes.

Question 1 TL;DR: I do like to pay attention to who creates the shows I watch so that I can follow the themes in their work, but I am not interested in following the creators themselves closely.

Question 2: who are the creators I recommend following? I have mentioned a lot of them above, and my overall recommendation is that if you are invested in a show, you should look to see who writes and directs it, not just who stars in it. Actors are of course important but usually it's the creative team behind them that really makes or breaks a drama, because they are the ones ultimately in control of the story. Having that grounding can be really helpful for setting expectations and in interpreting and processing what you watch, and also just for helping you find more of the kind of thing you will probably like. I’m extremely glad, for instance, that I watched Gay OK Bangkok before Only Friends, because it gave me a framework for understanding the themes they were likely to dig into. I also just finished watching Rainless Love in a Godless Land, which I was interested in due in large part to it sharing the same screenwriter as my all time favorite Taiwanese drama, Someday or One Day, and being able to pull out the similar themes and ideas across the two projects made it all the more interesting for me.

#drama creators #shan answers

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nieves-de-sugui · 1 year

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My personal experience with BL history for @waitmyturtles

After reading through the posts of your Old GMMTv Challenge, I decided to add my own perspective, as a watcher, of how BL has evolved as a genre as time went by. I hope this “history from the perspective of the viewer” might shed some light in some of the questions you might have or bring up interesting things for your viewing and understanding of the shows. I will try to not repeat what has already been said through your posts by all the wonderful people in this fandom and keep it as concise as possible (turns out it’s still super long).

I’m gonna use ABL’s chronology of the shows as a timeline guide for easy understanding:

Context: How I made my way to Thailand

I’ve always been into BL (yaoi, gay shows, whatever you wanna call it), but I became commited to it around 2008. The options for queer content back then were very limited, as I’m sure we all remember. But for the sake of adding context this were my go to:

Youtube playlists of cuts of “the gay storyline” from western shows (Brothers and Sisters, Hit The Floor, Shameless, Skins and soap operas (Salatut Elamat, Days of Our Lives), etc),

Queer as Folk,

bad japanese live action adaptations of yaoi mangas (Takumi kun) or just sad/melancholic movies about lost men,

sad chinese movies (usually with fucked up plots),

indie queer movies (Were The World Mine, Judas Kiss, Shelter, Yes or No, Love of Siam etc).

But I was starving for more. I wanted shows.

In the search for more content, through Love of Siam enters My Bromance (very sad ending, also pseudo incest?, still part of what I thought were just indie movies with yaoi influences) and then appears Lovesick (S1 and S2), with very questionable subs, but finally a show with a gay couple as protagonists.

Lovesick was for me the first show that finally put a queer story as a main thing to focus on, finally breaking free of the eternal side story filled with drama and hurt that was never comforted. After that only Make it Right was around. It was more of the same thing but this time the cast was a lot more reduced and everyone is gay. Also, it showed some of the sexual aspects of the genre (which now feels wrong for so many reasons, but alas).

One day, SOTUS is on youtube with subs, plus it’s the official channels (yay! finally we can be legal!).

First shock, there’s an actual plot centered around these two people, who are their own characters besides being gay, and they actually kiss (I remember it was so impactful to me (in a never seen before way) that I did fanart of it). Thai shows became my guilty pleasure, they were bad but they were telling the stories I wanted to see and no one else was doing it. Only Thai shows cared to show cute love stories that ended well, without the big drama we were used to in the west. My thoughts were “It’s bad but I’ll take it, I’m staying here”

Living through the different booms

When Together With Me came out it brought proper making out session and high heat to the genre. Sround here is when I started watching everything that I could find because I had finally found my jam. So I watched all that now I could not watch again (because, man! they’re bad) like 2moons, Puppy Honey S2, What The Duck, My Dream,... And then, with Love By Chance we got the first signs of consent and communication with AePete. It finally felt like we could get stories with healthy relationships.

Also, Our Skyy came in! Great moment! Treats for everyone! And honestly, it was such a fun project to watch. Iconic side-couples from straight shows getting their moment of spotlight on the same level as the main couples from BL shows. To me, Our Skyy comfirmed the importance of the main 3 (OG, TN, KS) and cemented the path GMM was taking with their BL shows. It started to be part of the norm and not just some shows here and there. It was no longer waiting for someone to make a BL once in a while, but an assurance a small but constant flow of BLs.

Also Taiwan started the HIStory franchise.

BIG BOOM#1 - TharnType! Also, Ossan’s Love.

TharnType comes in. The 1st episode ends and everybody hates it for the lack of consent, but everybody loves it for the high heat and the chemistry (also for those of us who had liked Mew in WTD it was nice to see him in this show, that seemed to have less drama around it). Plus, the hype of knowing more about Tharn from LBC, who was such a nice older gay character when he was palyed by Earth (Pirapat).

I think to me, TT was a mix of a lot of the usual flaws with the very new (only achieved before by MaxTul) high heat chemistry (which despite the controversy is an important part of the BL genre, you can’t take the sex out of BL) and an interesting idea for a plot.

Also I watched Great Men Academy for Captain (Noh in Lovesick), and he slays. Plus the BL in the show is good (even tho technically not bl, but queer enough)

Simultaneously Japan gets Ossan’s Love, it’s first mainstream BL boom, with very well known actors and gets talked about by the regular drama watchers. Everyone was watching Ossan’s Love in Japan, it brought the genre to the mainstream for the first time. (And prepared the grounds for Cherry Magic, imo)

Other shows that left an impact at the time were He’s Coming To Me and Dark Blue Kiss. HCTM was the great Ohm comeback (who I though we would never see again), paired with Singto doing a BL again. Besides the chemistry, the change in themes was very interesting, it was the first thai bl that showed thai culture for me. For its part, DBK had an interesting opening and Aof personal queer touch to the storyline (which made it wonderful) Especially for MorkSun. It was the first taste of what we know Aof for, but it was also the first time BL had such mature and nuanced themes to it.

little BOOM#1 - Until We Meet Again and Theory of Love

UWMA and TOL, to me were surprises. I thought that like KirstSingto and TayNew, OffGun would never do another BL with new characters. That BL was still just an undervaluated stepping stone that people didn’t treat as a proper genre (as everybody had been doing up to that point, do it once and never be seen near the genre again).

However, UWMA confirmed that BL was here to stay. It was growing, it was exploring mixing with other genres and famous thai actors were in it. It was also moving away from the usual university storyline. And TOL was the comback of the year. I remember everyone losing their shit (me included), it was the lengendary OG afterall. Up until then they had done cameos and Puppy Honey season 1 and 2 but that was it. TOL also did something interesting with its theme, and the romcom references. AND! it was the first proper kiss in a gmmtv BL. From dead fish PickRome to full on make out with KhaiThird.

BIG BOOM#2 - 2gether and Why R U?

The BL expansion thanks to the pandemic was very very noticeable. Everybody was seeing 2gether and WRU. First time anything BL trended on Tumblr. Everyone was descovering thailand.

Also 2gether was again a first, it felt like the story made more sense. It was more believable, with tolerable tropes and a cute main pair (this was the first thai show I dared to recommend to someone who was not into BL), plus the music. The ending of the show ruined it for me, however Still2gether Fixed everything that was wrong from the 1st season and showed quickly how the show could’ve been. WRU’s plot was directly affected by the pandemic and bettered what TharnType had started with the high heat chemistry. The whole success of the show is due to SaintZee having amazing chemistry and going with it.

My engineer was the surprise of the year, it had nothing going for it promising but it managed to be good (I think thanks to some parts of the story and the cast mainly).

little BOOMS#2 - Cherry Magic and ITSAY and others

The riples of the pandemic 2gether boom were felt in Japan. Nothing breaks throught the japanese content barrier. Japan only consumes MADE IN JAPAN, and yet 2gether made it there. And showed the Japanese show runners that there’s an interest there. Cherry Magic aired a few months after and it was big success, like OL had been. Korea starts with Where Your Eyes Linger here too.

The thing about I Told Sunset About You was that nobody knew what we were getting. I had heard about My ambulance, I even saw some of the clips, but it seemed to be side couple queerbaiting and honestly I wasn’t expecting much. But they had promised a BilkinPP series. I think it’s no wonder it blew our minds, nobody was expecting that!

Then the big comeback of MaxTul with Manner of Death, broke our minds just as OF had with TOL and bringing again the mature themes to the genre (they are called the daddies of BL for a reason). No one thought they’d come back.

Around here I started watching the GMMtv end of the year announcements. All the build up we had had from the growing of the BL genre and p’Aof culminated on the annoucement of A Tale of Thousand Stars. Because of how it breaks the rules of thai bl (no engineers, no university, no highschool, no city, no 2000′s yaoi tropes just regular shoujo tropes) and tells a compeling story that tasted so new the hype didn’t die even when it came one year later than it should have.

And Lovely Writer, was the first to present the criticizing of the industry as well as expanding on the mature themes outside of university and the lack of need for fanservice off screen between the actors. They acted like normal people :D

Light on Me appared around here too, and showed us that korea can do better than it had. And Taiwan gave us We Best Love.

BIG BOOM#3 - Bad Buddy and Kinnporsche

BB was the biggest annoucement GMMtv has ever made. The thing about it was the combo AofOhmNanon. Always grazing BL and forever ghost shipped with Chimon, Nanon decided to do his first (and probably only) BL with none other than Ohm (with who he had great chemistry since they became friends in Blacklist) and under the guidance of Aof. Here I want to add that Aof considers BB to be his first Y series, the ones before were dramas, so I assume by that that the thai public makes a difference between the more mature tone series and the more highschool/university BLs (??). Such a year that was! Accompanied by the epicness that was the annoucement of Not Me (confirmed to be the last OG show... but then they went and annouced another).

And last but not least, Kinnporsche breaks the internet, everyone knows about thailand now. It entered the realm of darker themes and violence. Accompanied by other shows exploring other themes like: You’re My Sky (sports), Something In My Room (ghosts), etc...

Which is the flow we have now, some of the known old stuff some of the new expanding stuff, waiting for the next boom. My, what a journey!

I hope this was an interesting read and that I managed to show how these shows were perceived when they came out, even though now they might not be as groundbreaking. If anybody else wants to add how they perceived these shows when they came out, feel free to add to this!

#bl viewing history #thai bl history #I hope it's not too heavy of a reading #let me know if it was helpful or interesting #I love reading your reactions to old shows

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hughungrybear · 5 months

Text

Me while watching Last Twilight Ep. 4

At this point, I might as well accept that P'Aof will be making me cry every episode. I guess, that's his new modus operandi 😅

1. Sidenote: I only noticed that the disclaimer part starts out blurry, then eventually becomes clearer at the end. It's a cool (but totally unnecessary) detail.

2. Sorry, as an avid black coffee drinker, that's a lot of coffee. The fvck. I also didn't see Mhok add any sugar in it 😂 Also, Day's way of asking if Mhok is single is just 🤭🤭🤭☺️ It seems, all of Mhok's tenderness are directed towards you, Day.

3. Oh? Mhok is introducing Day to his family's most valuable possession - his dear sister's car. That's the closest Day can get to "meet my family" tradition in a lot of Asian cultures.

4. Ngl, I laughed out loud when the DJ just started to (unknowingly and mercilessly) trigger Mhok's barely hidden feelings towards Day. How apt. 😂 Also, how many times will GMMTV murder their artists' voice just to make them sound like horrible singers in a series? 😅😅😅

5. At least, Porjai knows that her fiancé is a cheating piece of sh*t. Also, Mhok introducing Day to every important person in his life is just 🤭🤭🤭

6. Porjai did say "No return". I kennat 😂😂😂😂 <Aaaagh, Gee is finally heeeere!!!!>

7. Ah, fvck. I knew it. I'm crying again. 😭😭😭 I just feel sad for Day and all that he has lost when he became blind. But then, Gee, spoiled it all by playing wingwoman for Mhok lol 😂

8. This is what I'm talking about - since nobody knows about Day's condition, it will be difficult for him to show his face in public. Why didn't the family just tell everybody? Or at least Day's friends and teammates? 😭

9. That's a roundabout way to hold hands 🫢🫢🫢😳 Also, the fvck, not only is this Keng a cheater, but also a mooch? Why am I not surprised? Mhok, hit him harder!!! 🤬 <after 5 seconds> Oh, my gods. Porjai is pregnant??? By that bastard??? Mhok, go back and murder that fvcking assh*le.

10. I don't know why, but it looks like Day doesn't want his old partner, August, to know about his condition yet. The way his face looked relieved when Gee said the names of those who attended their coach's farewell party says a lot. 🤔

11. The way that Mhok knows where to exactly find Day 😅😅😅 Also, Day shouldn't have challenged Mhok like that. Now, it is solidly established that Mhok is indeed "hot" while singing Day's song. I kennat 😂😂😂

12. Gee just doing a wingwoman's work. Again, I kennat 😂😂😂

13. Day getting properly curious of Mhok's face after that waist holding photo op? 😲 and the way he smiled when he confirmed what everyone was telling him. Also, even when blurry, Mhok's face is just <chef's kiss>.

Yes, Porjai, be very suspicious of perfume-wearing Mhok 😂😂 But also, ugh. I guess it is only a matter of time before they introduce us to August. I wonder what kind of chaos he will bring to Mhok and Day's relationship?

#last twilight the series #last twilight series #last twilight ep 4 #mhokday #mhok x day #jimmysea #jimmy jitaraphol #sea tawinan

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gunsatthaphan · 1 year

Note

I understand that fixed couples can be boring for some people but I personally think that some couples have too good chemistry to be in only one series together. If a couple works really well together, I'd take at least 3 series with them. After that if they want to move on, then I'll move on too. However, I do understand that it can be frustrating if the couple is playing the same roles in all of their series to the point where the differences between the characters are non-existent. But some couples I think did really well portraying different characters and dynamics.

GeminiFourth, for instance, while you did see some of TinnGun reflected in HeartLiMing (which I think was mainly because of GF's closeness off-screen), the characters were different from one another, so you could see the difference between the two couples' dynamics.

Same with FirstKhaotung. AkkAyan and AlanGaipa (although not a lead couple) have completely different dynamics and the characters are distinct from one another too, which can also be said for SanRay from Only Friends (based on what we've seen so far). So I don't really mind seeing them together because although they are playing a couple again, the characters are challenging enough and distinct from one another which leads to a new facet of FK's chemistry.

The main criticism with fixed couples is that it's boring because you don't get something new, but if a couple is able to play distinct challenging characters and portray a different side of their chemistry in all of their series, then I really don't mind if they have 3+ series. And to be honest, this applies to non-BL series as well. If an actor and actress have great chemistry, then they should be in more than one series together because I've watched some of GMMTV's straight series where the couple has good chemistry. Like I won't mind if MilkLove have another series next year.

But again, they should not milk the hell out of the couple because that does become frustrating.

If a couple works well they should definitely take advantage of that. but only if there's some variety to it and only as long as they're not overdoing it.

if pairs like OG or FK act in multiple shows together and play diverse roles and they do it well then that's enjoyable to watch. But if pairs like KimCop, who have chemistry, but keep playing the same roles over and over again then that's just frustrating and annoying lol.

couples with good chemistry should utilize that but they should also retain a middle ground. with OG it has become a bit of an overkill imo; I still like them after all these years but after the 5th or 6th show it gets a bit old. no matter how good they are. probably just me but oh well. and it's something I don't wanna see happening to FK; they're already milking them to a point where I'm like calm down a bit lol so as hypocritical as that sounds, I hope they don't end up in 5 more shows together instead of doing other things. and I'm saying this because I love them lol. but I'm repeating myself.

GemFourth on the other hand are just getting started so I hope they get the chance to act in something completely different, following a similar path as PP (but with better shows lmao) that would be nice to see. and I wouldn't mind seeing others expand their horizon as well such as JimmySea f.ex. which we will hopefully get with Last Twilight though.

xxx

#gmmtv #firstkhao #opinions

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gennianydots · 5 days

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Genni Screeches about GMMTV Part 2

Here’s my take away from yesterday’s hullabaloo. I reserve the right to change my mind if cast changes or shows are cancelled or inconvenient to watch.

Hell Yes! I will be watching:

Us (give me lesbians or give me death☠️)

ReVamp (YES YES HELL YES (I miss BounPrem!) GIVE ME THE GAY VAMPIRES NOW!🧛🏼🏳️‍🌈)

The Heart Killers (It’s the mafia, high heat, shakespearian-esque be-gay-do-crimes series FirstKhao has been begging for, I am all in for JoongDunk in roles that challenge them as well and I love that Joong and Khao will be brothers in this)

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist (MARKOHM?! IN THIS ECONOMY? GIVE IT TO ME!! These are both TERRIFIC actors who deserve main roles 🙏🏼 amen amen)

Heart That Skips A Beat (watching with Abby @abstractelysium! An Idol BL?! New couple? Looks cute!)

Perfect 10 Liners (to borrow from @respectthepetty, I am a ForceBook fan first and a human second, the college engineer plotline is old but JuniorMark is ALSO THERE and PerthChimon!!!)

Ossan’s Love (I will be watching for Earth Shenanigans™️ and Earth Shenanigans™️ Only. But Mix is also here and he’s just So Pretty to look at…)

Scarlet Heart Thailand (Tell me More about this GMMTV?! My MAN Nanon AND Fourth AND Force AND Tay, Perth, Phuwin, Win and Tu? Holy moly this is HUGE but I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS EXCEPT ITS HISTORICAL ALSO WHY IS TU THERE? Is this a Harem? TELL ME MORE NOW😫😫😫 I’M IN YOUR WALLS GMMTV)

Meh? I will (probably) check it out:

The Ex-Morning (I didn’t hate Be My Favorite though this feels very meta for gmmtv with a second chance romcom with literally a second chance couple)

Break Up Service (I might pass on this one? I’m a sucker for Godji tho)

Leap Day (neurodivergent Gun interests me)

The Dark Dice (I’d like to see Gemini and Prom acting in different roles where they get to be a little rougher around the edges)

Pass:

Hide and Sis (as much as I’d love to see Jan covered in blood again, I can catch this through my dash)

Friendshit Forever (no thanks, seems like a straight telenovela and it’s just not my speed.)

#gmmtv part 2 #gmmtv 2024 #gmmtv series #gmmtv bl

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melto · 10 months

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@the-evil-pizza it is such a stupid system and so deeply unfair to normal viewers and the actors. they literally trapped and will never be able to be challenged and grow with other actors. like i understand that sometimes there are just a pair of people who do really really well working across from each other specifically (like yinwar and bbpk. i realize neither of these pairs are gmmtv. nor do they ever have work lol) but its sooo boring and limiting. bl rpf culture i hate you i hate you i hate you!!! get something new for a change. take some risks. sell actual shows and not gaybaiting. let me pair people up based on if i think it would be funny or hot for them to kiss. i can fix you.

and ur sooo right. idt they can do these roles really even if it is based more off the manga. even if i like the idea of seeing tay tawan cute and stupid in love his best role is something that would make him a better fit for adachi. (which is why i think arm wc paired with him for this would he the saving grace bc he could not do adachi. it would be sooo funny and i want him too.) ik some people are like new can do adachi bc he played a weird virgin in the warp effect but like. that character is not the same as adachi they are different breeds. i get he’s 31 (idk how old new is idc enough to google) but it just. idk it feels like a weird fit and like they just wanted taynew back and had to pick their oldest couple pairing since everyone else is so baby. iirc when the director was talking about wanting to do cherry magic tay like listed off like every other person in their damn company and never once said his own name and then the director was like Uhmm what about you (: if u needed to bring taynew back just fucking. make petekao 3 or something. just get OUT of my house.

this place is a fucking nightmare and i will never be able to go back into the cm tag again

#isaac drama posting hours #i am a known softie for petekao. sorry for bringing them up with such dismissial xoxo

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invisiblegarters · 8 months

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Hidden Agenda Ep 7

Word on the street (lol) is that this is actually going to be 12 eps, which I am thankful for because Only Friends is going to start bringing that promised messiness beginning next week (I hope) and I will need more time with a palate cleanser.

Oh don't get me wrong I'm going to love every second of OF, but also I know me and I know I am going to be very frustrated so it'll be good to have this cute tropefest to look forward to after the mess.

Would a promotion to win headphones get me? Yes it would, because I am one, cheap, and two, always up for a challenge. Also I like rollercoasters so it wouldn't be too much of a hardship for me. Unless I had to get on the swings. *shudders* We don't do the swings here.

Is this the same theme park they go to in every drama? It's just making me want to ride rollercoasters.

Lol there's always the one who can't handle them.

Ah, my old friend product placement. It's weird to miss you but there you go.

These rides are not that challenging! Boo. I was hoping the fourth one was a free fall ride - I love those and it would be hilarious to see the faces Joke would make - bet he would scream too - but alas.

Pfft Joke definitely has Zo's number. He totally liked that line.

Wait is that a wild Title? Yes, yes it is. Pfft, now that GMMTV has him in their stable they're just gonna put him in all the things, huh? Not complaining. Although he's again playing an ass, lol. Are we gonna typecast him already?

Aw, heartbreak at a theme park. I am sure that there are worse places to have that happen, but still. Yeesh.

I find it interesting that Zo's hesitance with Joke wasn't due to freaking out about these new bi feelings though. That's nifty.

Sometimes, I just love me an uncomplicated, cozy romance, and honestly I feel like these two deliver on that front. They did it in SIMM too.

I love how they're always alone in mazes like this. In reality it's a freaking crush, and there's always the two or three girls in front of you who scream at literally everything so they cast all jumps at them and you're just kind of behind them feeling a little bored and checking out the decorations. I still love 'em, though.

If he doesn't go for the photo cheek kiss...

Huh. Literally every other trope but not that one, show?

AOU AND BOOM! I almost forgot they were in this show. I want to care about this hiding plot. I do. But the problem is we get so little of them that I just...don't. I don't know if there was supposed to be more of them and then they cut it out or couldn't film it for whatever reason or what, but I just don't feel like I've been given enough to care. And that makes me sad because I was especially looking forward to Aou.

Okay so is grandma homophobic or just not impressed that Joke didn't tell her that Zo is his boyfriend? My guess is the former since the whole thing with Jeng but who knows, really. At this point it could swing either way, really. I would guess it's the latter because this show is fairly straightforward romance but! But. Sometimes the straightforward romances will hit you with that kind of serious thing out of nowhere.

Aw go Zo. I like his optimism.

HEH. Nope we're going simple. That is not a complaint. Grandma is fun. Also what do you mean you're not dating, Zo? You literally just went out on an amusement park date! There was a headphones winning montage and everything!

Yes you know what I agree. Competence is hot.

Hahaha okay I love Joke. Literally any chance to get his shirt off around Zo. And his pathetic attempts to clean himself like he's never done it before. Oh Joke you transparent fool.

Oh yes the academic scholarship. I forgot all about that too. Why is he so devastated? Does he think that he surely won't get the Finland trip if Nita is also competing for it?

Joke dude. Chill out he probably just passed out after studying all night. Good lord. You are embarrassing.

Pottery date!

I am Old but all this paying by QR code freaks me out.

Oh hey Title's back. I guess I knew that would happen.

Okay NO. No, it is not your place to go off on the asshole former friend, Joke. Come on. What he did was wrong but it's been ages and if Zo wants to know what happened then it's on him to find out, not you. I do not like his high handedness sometimes. He really really needs to quit it with that.

Yeah I'd have blocked him too. I am super petty and I have blocked people for less.

JOKE.

"You could have been honest without being cruel." No but for real. This should be printed on a card and distributed because I swear sometimes people just don't get that memo.

Oh just make out already.

Thank you.

Hahaha all right, point to Zo. That was a good one. And since it ain't OF, I'm pretty sure Joke's not gonna turn around and sleep with someone else lol. So you know, it's a win. :D :D

Look, I make fun but like I said, sometimes you just need something sweet and uncomplicated and fun. And i firmly believe that there's room for both this and stuff like OF or even Dangerous Romance. We can have gritty and realistic, mean and fraught, and sweet and simple! They can coexist. In the same weekend even!

#hidden agenda #episode 7

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waitmyturtles · 1 month

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Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: KinnPorsche, and Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist Edition (Part 1)

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. Today, in a two-part series, I offer my thoughts on KinnPorsche, my very first Thai BL, and the impact that I think KP has had on the Thai BL industry since 2022.]

Hot damn! It has been a MINUTE since my last OGMMTVC review, so I'm glad to be back. I've been very much looking forward to writing my thoughts about my recent KinnPorsche rewatch: I enjoyed this ENTIRE process, especially in regards to watching KinnPorsche in the context and chronology of past Thai BLs, and man, did I ever see KP WAYYYYY differently than the first time I watched it.

Why's that? Welp -- *KinnPorsche was my first-ever Thai BL*. (Not my first BL drama ever; that award goes to the GOAT, Kinou Nani Tabeta?/What Did You Eat Yesterday?)

But when I joined Tumblr officially in July 2022, just about a year and a half ago (in the heat of passionately obsessing over Old Fashion Cupcake), my dash was awash, AWASH, in KP posts. AWASH.

I had no idea what the fuck the algorithm was telling me.

I went into KinnPorsche knowing absolutely NOTHING about Thai BL tropes, the history of the genre, the actors in the roles, what made KP so innovative by way of its storyline, NADA. Dudes -- I'm half-Malaysian, and I had never even watched a show from the Southeast Asian region, let alone Thailand, and I was unaware of how prolific the Thai drama industry was (at least compared to the Korean drama machine).

When I first watched KinnPorsche, my perspective was that I had watched a pretty good show, and I was left surprised back then in particular by the No Homophobia Bubble (well, almost no homophobia, Big) that I now know is so much more common in Thai BLs than I realized.

It was through KinnPorsche that I discovered Thai BLs, and it was subsequently through Bad Buddy that I realized that I NEEDED to understand the development of this national genre -- so back to the history annals I went, through my OGMMTVC project, starting from 2014's Love Sick, and here we are at this moment of the timeline, the hot hot late spring and summer of 2022, enjoying the ✨vibbbeeezz✨ between Mile Phakphum and Apo Nattawin, and leaving me wondering why there was a national shirt button shortage in the midst of a Thai mafia crime drama. I'm glad I have history on my side now as I think about KinnPorsche as a standalone drama, and as I also think about the impact it has had on the Thai BL genre and fandoms prior to its premiere, up to today's moment in time.

I took my time to draft this piece partly because I was busy watching Be On Cloud's second and latest serial drama in Dead Friend Forever. I think BOC is doing something very interesting by way of their acting and contracted scripting choices, which I want to ponder by way of the context and aftermath of KP's airing. As such, while I had intended to write just one post about KP, I have a bunch of thoughts that'll spill over to tomorrow. So here we go, a quick overall outline for the lovers for today and tomorrow on my ruminating thoughts:

1) My critical thoughts on KinnPorsche as a standalone drama in the context of the history of previous Thai BLs, 2) My thoughts on how new arrivals to the wider Thai BL fandom shaped the perception of KP vis à vis older Thai BLs, 3) How I think KP has impacted how other studios approach, market, and write Thai BLs now, and 4) A quick passing thought on BOC's own continued influence on the Thai BL genre and industry since 2022, particularly by way of Dead Friend Forever.

I'm going to concentrate on numbers 1 and 2 in this piece, and they're actually going to be a touch conflated, because I want to lean into a now-obvious fact that the BL Elder community knew all along about KP when it first aired in 2022: there was not much that was new about what KinnPorsche was doing. (This is not necessarily a bad thing, as I’ll get into below.)

When I was a newbie on Tumblr, and the algorithm was feeding my dash, I remember seeing posts about how Be On Cloud, the studio behind KP, was doing things differently than the rest of the Thai BL field -- I recall posts about the studio hiring the best acting coaches, how the cinematography was nothing like what we had seen in other shows, and how Be On Cloud was committed to creating safe environments for its actors, particularly Apo Nattawin, who had reportedly faced discrimination in his past acting career, reportedly leading him to leave the Thai drama industry for a number of years.

While some very early Thai BL studios were known to not have the safest or friendliest environments (the filming of What The Duck comes to mind by way of this lore), by the time of KP's airing, GMMTV had strongly established itself as the leader of Thai BL productions, and other players, including New Siwaj and Cheewin Thanamin, had produced quite the number of dramas under each of their respective studio outfits. The industry, by 2020 and 2021, when KP was in its development origins, wasn't new anymore. Acting coaches, such as Aof Noppharnach, were now also regularly writing, directing, and producing original shows, and major BL studios had introduced workshopping as a regular step to production. On the artistic end, studios and writers had established expected artistic tropes -- 2018's Love By Chance is the first example that comes to my mind of when the Thai BL genre crystallized in a structurally derivative piece of art by way of containing and using prior trope references and dynamics.

Be On Cloud, in picking up the KinnPorsche script from Filmania during the pandemic (I use these posts here and here for my non-primary sources of KP lore) clearly knew it had something innovative on its hands by way of producing the genre's first mafia-based BL romance.

But 2020's Manner of Death had already introduced crime and mystery to BL, and 2021's Not Me continued a multi-genre perspective somewhat successfully around romance. And regarding sex and heat: KinnPorsche didn't do that first, either. MaxTul brought it first in 2017's Together With Me, and MAME has owned this corner since 2018's Love By Chance and 2019's TharnType. (Props to MaxTul for being in both Together With Me and Manner of Death; MileApo owe those dudes some beers.) By way of cinematography, which KP does extremely well: we had already begun seeing prestige cinematography in 2020's I Told Sunset About You, and 2021's I Promised You The Moon and A Tale of Thousand Stars.

It was natural, I think, for much of the KP fandom to think that KP was innovative in a lot of these categories, because, like me -- KP was our first-ever Thai BL. By way of money clearly spent on the show, the directorial purview of the show, the utterly gorgeous cinematography (man, that nighttime pull-away shot when the guys are in the roof pool, oof, why couldn't I find a gif), a new fan might think, geez, this has never been done before! But it had, and not just in Thailand, but for years prior in Japan, and more recently in Korea.

This is ALL not to say that KinnPorsche “suffered” because of what I'm uncovering by way of KP's misunderstood innovation. I think a perception of KP being entirely “new” in the BL field has contributed to its lore and enduring influential status. On this rewatch, I appreciated the mafia-based storyline as a support system to the central KinnPorsche romance. Yok being centered as an important mentor to Porsche, played by the inimitable Sprite Patteerat, was refreshing to see. Porsche accepting his bisexuality, especially with Yok's support, without the typical BL head-spinning queer revelation, was a welcome element to the show. And, frankly -- I had, on my first watch, missed, of course, the clear references to Thai BLs of the past in this show, references that I really loved seeing this time around.

From the old school, we got Kob Songsit, the OG BL dad, no longer Tong's dad in the seminal movie, The Love of Siam, nor Dean's dad in Until We Meet Again. This BL veteran is now a damn dad don, weapons and all.

We've also got Na Naphat, who played important side characters in IPYTM and UWMA. We have former BL lead guys in Jeff Satur and Perth Nakhun. We've got guitars and singing, we have underwater smooching, we have a cute-cute first date. We arguably have questionable kabedon in Kinn's and Porsche's first intimate moments. We have cooking for your lover, we have feeding your lover, we have the towel-drying of the hair. KP, by 2022, keeps up with Idol Factory's Secret Crush On You in prominently featuring a femme-presenting side character in Tankhun, PHENOMENALLY ACTED by Tong Thanayut, who we had seen previously in TharnType.

KP was, in part, directed by Pepzi Banchorn, who served as an assistant director on 2019's Dark Blue Kiss and 2021-22's Bad Buddy, and had a quick guest spot in 2022's The Warp Effect. KP was also, in part, directed by Khom Kongkiat, who played Uncle Tong in Bad Buddy, and subsequently directed The Promise in 2023. AND, finally, one of the KP screenwriters is Bee Pongsate, who has co-written so much flippin' BL: Last Twilight, Bad Buddy, Dangerous Romance (😬), Vice Versa, My School President, A Tale of Thousand Stars, 2gether and Still 2gether, and that's not even scratching the list -- you get it.

KP's supporting cast and crew was simply stacked with BL vets, who clearly knew the scene, and who helped to support Mile Phakphum's rookie acting and Apo Nattawin's return to the screen. I'd posit that this group of people knew EXACTLY what references they were putting into KinnPorsche, from actors to tropes, and also knew when, where, and how to innovate around those references to still make this show unique.

Certainly, KP's approach to sex and heat -- by way of Kinn's and Porsche's first drunken encounters (hi again, MaxTul), the uncut intimate scenes between them, and Vegas's and Pete's union by way of, well, semi-torture and/or kink -- was bold enough to be overall quite notable. But again: Thai BLs had been pushing that envelope for years past, and it has continued to do so in shows like MAME's Love In the Air and GMMTV's Only Friends.

In other words: after this rewatch, with the history of the older Thai BLs I've watched under my belt, I don't see KinnPorsche as firstly innovative. But I appreciate the show differently now, in particular for how very obvious it worked to include past Thai BL references in its production, and I actually gained a different appreciation for it.

I also want to made a quick tangential note about Apo and Tong specifically by way of innovation. Dr. Thomas Baudinette, a long-time BL fan and academic researcher on Thai and Japanese queer media, notes in his book, Boys Love Media in Thailand, that an ideal trajectory for a Thai BL actor is to debut in BLs in order to transition to more popular primetime het Thai dramas, as Gulf Kanuwat of TharnType, and Ohm Thitiwat and Kao Noppakao of UWMA and Lovely Writer, respectively, are notably doing at the moment. Apo Nattawin did this the other way around: he had established his career in het lakorns, most notably in 2015’s major hit drama, Sut Khaen Saen Rak, and subsequently left the Thai drama industry after reportedly being discriminated against for his skin tone and fashion choices. And his way back to the industry was through BLs. Taking the lore of Mile Phakphum recruiting Apo for KP out of the picture for a moment: I think this indicates a shift in how BLs are increasingly perceived in Thailand, and even globally, as being a career-worthy genre of content on its own for actors. (Apo's exploding fashion career is proof of this.) And BOC has now recruited another lakorn vet in Jes Jespipat for its third upcoming drama, 4 Minutes.

As well, Tong Thanayut’s very public coming out after the conclusion of KP’s airing is notable for how Be On Cloud has continued to center Tong in its productions after that fact, most notably in 2023’s film, Man Suang, while other out BL actors are not as lucky by way of guaranteeing and attracting future work.

I have a lot more to say about KinnPorsche's and Be On Cloud's impact on the current Thai BL industry, and how I think that impact has affected the marketing and creation of more recent shows like 2023's Only Friends, and 2023-24's Playboyy. But this first post has gotten long, and I actually haven't written much about the actual show itself, HA. So let me say this:

I think it's notable that the first shows that played around with themes outside of romance, like 2020's Manner of Death, and 2021's Not Me, were not perfect shows. We see now how multi-genre BLs are just exploding, what with Dead Friend Forever and the upcoming slew of vampire BLs that are going to drop (and let's not forget the first omegaverse BL drama in Pit Babe -- or should we forget it, I dunno). Not all of these shows are perfect, but the genre has only been around for a decade. There's a lot of time, and a tremendous amount of interest and funding, that upcoming shows can leverage to become better, especially these multi-genre shows that we're seeing more of.

KinnPorsche as well, was not a perfect show. I have some thoughts particularly on VegasPete to offer tomorrow, and I think, overall, that KP could have easily been a shorter series with more impact.

But I'll still give the show some of its flowers, because I think, unlike MoD and Not Me, that KinnPorsche did a better job of centering the Kinn and Porsche romance for dramatic effect, particularly by leveraging comedy. Were there many moments of hibbly-jibblies? Oh, totally. Dudes, also, Kinn fucking forgot about Pete! Pete coming back to the house and reminiscing about Vegas while holding his neck? Eeeeyikes, no thanx. There were a number of these weird bumps that I think could be explained by way of intentional camp (which I think KP did pretty well), but I do believe the show could have been tighter with more editing.

But, I gotta admit: I had a great time re-watching KP. That says something. Was it the heat that tiddled my dopamine cycles? Probably, somewhat. (No shame in my game.) Or -- a more reasonable theory, ha, is that Apo, as a veteran actor, demonstrated more range than I originally remembered. He can really do comedy well, and he timed his comedy perfectly for the absurdities that peppered KP through the series (the bread crawl, the constant throwing of hands, the jumping-on-Kinn when the ghost of Pete showed up, oh shit we're in the forest now, etc). Apo and Tong, in particular, stayed true to the bit many times during the show, and I think the series benefitted greatly from their collective comedic talent and timing -- which I thought was nicely refreshing for the genre.

With that, I'll have more ruminating tomorrow about the show itself, about how I think the impact that KP and BOC have had on the genre after KP's airing, and other thoughts about the cultural moment that KP demarcated when it aired -- see you tomorrow!

[MORE MORE MORE KP tomorrow! And I'll have more thoughts about the watchlist then. But for now, here's the classic OGMMTVC list for you to chew on!

...interrupting the OGMMTVC list here to watch War of Y (2022) (watching) in chronology to decide if it gets listed...

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #be on cloud #mileapo #mile phakphum #apo nattawin #kinn x porsche #porsche x kinn #tong thanayut #bible sumettikul #turtles catches up with old gmmtv #turtles catches up with thai bls #turtles catches up with the essential bls #the old gmmtv challenge #ogmmtvc #pond krisda #dead friend forever #kinnporsche meta #kinnporsche the series meta

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mountphoenixrp · 1 year

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We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

Sundrop Thanawat, a 23 year old son of Artio. He is a groomer and vet tech at Stop&Paws.

FC NAME/GROUP: Khaotung Thanawat / GMMTV Actor CHARACTER NAME: Sundrop Thanawat AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 23 / October 23rd, 1999 PLACE OF BIRTH: Chiang Mai, Thailand OCCUPATION: Full-Time Groomer / Part-Time Vet Tech at Stop&Paws HEIGHT: 5’5 WEIGHT: 125 lbs DEFINING FEATURES:

Piercings: Ears, One in each Lobe.

Tattoos: One on his upper thigh - “엄마 아무 걱정하지 말아요” (Mom, don't worry about a thing), One on his abdomen - “From Tomorrow Onღ”

PERSONALITY: A literal bundle of sunshine. Sundrop is warm and welcoming, gentle to a fault unless triggered into a more protective or defensive nature. He’s friendly and bright, energetic and open to most fun or venturous escapades. He’s also very open minded and understanding. There are times when he does shift into a more mischievous nature.

He chases after challenges with a single minded form of determination, if someone tickles his tendency to tease or awakens his enjoyment of a challenge he will be more prone to challenge them back while also taking advantage of anything he can do to playfully tease them at the same time.

All around, Sundrop is a multifaceted individual with endless sides that he’s even still discovering himself every day.

HISTORY: Unlike most demigods, Sundrop had the good fortune to be raised by his godly parent for the first few years of his life. After all, the maternal instincts of a momma bear far outweigh the sometimes frivolous attitude that most gods were proficient in enacting. Of course, that might not always be the reason why most godly parents leave their children with their mortal ones. But it can’t be argued that a lot of gods took things a lot more lightly than mortals do. Artio, at the very least, had a bear’s instinctive need to keep her cub close for a while. She taught him a number of things and made sure that Sundrop knew exactly what he was. He grew up in a remote mountain forest village in Thailand, the nearest city was a few hours away but the village he was raised in was still remote enough that Sundrop was surrounded by nature. It was the perfect place to learn about himself and the things he could do.

After a time, while Sundrop was feeling comfortable in who he was and had a decent amount of control over what he could do… his mother sent him to his father so he could finish growing up around others and learn the things the goddess couldn’t accurately teach him. With his father, who lived in the city at the time, Sundrop learned how to socialize and survive in a more fast paced setting. He made new friends, one of which he even got close to but he eventually lost contact with them. It was nice, living with his father and learning other new things. Though the village was still his home and he did go visit the villagers as often as he could... His mother had warned him before he left to live with his father, that she needed to move on.

So, for a while he didn’t have much contact with her.

Over time, Sundrop went to school. Learned the things he needed to learn, gained a varied number of hobbies, and eventually went into a technical school. He decided to go into grooming, with an extra study of veterinary medicine as well. He knew he could help best when working with animals given his unique skill in communicating with them. Once he finished his studies in grooming and was about to get into a little more depth with veterinary medicine, Sundrop had a dream.

In this dream, the demigod saw his mother once more. She told him that in her travels and wanders around the world she had heard of a place for demigods like himself. She told him to go there, to see if that's a place he’d flourish in where he’d be free to be exactly who he was. He could never tell anyone he knew now everything about himself after all. He couldn’t fully show his skills or be all that free. He was older too now after all, he’d learned much and it was time for him to try to find his own independence and to figure out where he wanted to be.

He’d snapped awake after that, not fully sure if the dream was actually real or not but he had a location in mind and started packing that morning. He spent the day giving his goodbyes, he promised his dad he’d send letters, and eventually he was off to South Korea.

Off to find new things, new friends, a new area to explore… off to Mount Phoenix.

PANTHEON: Celtic CHILD OF: Artio POWERS:

Able to communicate with all animals.

Animals are drawn to them, forest animals in particular.

STRENGTHS:

He’s very good with animals given his natural ability to communicate with them.

He’s fairly comfortable with himself and is very good at self care and self love.

He’s got the kind of accepting presence that comes from someone who really knows what they want to do in life.

WEAKNESSES:

He’s not the best at refusing people in need.

Sometimes he can hyperfocus on someone else’s issues to where he really wants to help, even when it’s not the best thing to do at the time.

If someone else starts crying or gets emotional, depending on if he’s friends with or close to that person he might end up crying or getting emotional himself in return. He basically suffers from emotional contagion if he knows someone really well or if he feels a strong sense of connection with a subject.

#kpop rp #krp #khaotung #thanawat rattanakitpaisarn #mp; welcome

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absolutebl · 1 year

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I have never been one to think that acting seems like a fun job, so I’ve never been one to think much about whether the actors in these series are having fun with their characters or what characters I would want to play. However, I think Choc Milk Shake is the first series where I’ve thought “oh that would be fun to act in.” The actors for Choco and Milk portray cat and dog turned human so well that I can’t help but imagine the actors were having a blast on set. My question is, do any other characters/roles come to mind that you think the actors probably had a ton of fun getting to portray? Or any that you personally think would be the most fun to portray if you were an actor?

BL Actors Having Fun With Their Parts

Hilariously that was the first thing I thought in the first episode: the actors playing the cat and the dog must be having such a good time.

I think with some of the other roles that might spring to mind, it kind of depends on the personality of the actor and their costars and the rest of the cast. Also, we as viewers tend to make the mistake of assuming that comedies are more fun to act in than dramas or horrors. When in fact, it's often the opposite, comedy is most challenging on actors.

However, knowing that, and going in under the auspices of pure speculation...

It's obvious that the whole cast had a really good time filming I'm Tee, Me Too. I think that for all its seriousness, the GMMTV boys probably had a really great time on the set of Not Me, and probably the Eclipse as well. On the other hand, while it's one of my favorite Thai BLs, I think you can tell that it was a really tough and taxing location shoot for ATOTS.

In terms of actual parts?

I think Seng seemed to have fun with Toh in SCOY. In Thailand in particular, especially if the pair is familiar and relaxed with each other, I think they probably just enjoy the working experience more. I'm thinking about pairs like MaxNat, who just give the impression of being fun and breezy on set. Or an actor like Perth (My Engineer) who everybody else just seems to enjoy being around.

Also actors tend to enjoy something that adds to their range. So if they've typically been typecast in one role, like Khaotung was prior to The Eclipse, it's fun for them to get to play something completely different. I think we can usually see that when it happens. The actor is just sparkles more when he’s into the part.

Sometimes when an actor is handed a taxing physical role, and is particularly into fitness, he ends up really enjoying it. Like parts that come with fight sequences, or martial arts. Quite a few of the boys in KinnPorshe had more than their fair share of fun in some of those fight scenes. Like it tapped into their little kid sense of playing cops & robbers. Even knowing fight scenes are incredibly hard work.

I get the feeling the set of Trapped was a really good time for all. I think Chris and Jake both seem to be having fun with their roles, another cops & robbers thing. Similarly SCI.

Some of the Japanese super slapstick leads spring to mind. I think if you have the right personality to portray physical comedy, you can probably lean into it. I get the impression that Nakao Masaki is really enjoying playing Issei (Kabe Koji), because it's the polar opposite of every role he's ever been handed before.

It seems like Takara & Amagi was a difficult set, while Old Fashion Cupcake comes off as probably quite easy - working environment wise. That just means that in the second example, everyone on set is likely to have a bit more fun, including the actors.

It seems like both the leads in Word of Honor were having a blast most of the time.

The Korean actors are much more difficult to read. I think it's easier to tell when things were more challenging on set than when the actor enjoyed the role. Color Rush, for example, comes off as an extremely formal, even stiff, working environment. Where as Semantic Error and 304 were (what amounts to the) Korean version of relaxed (which still isn't very). And Ji Sung is clearly having the time of his gd life with Devil Judge.

All that said, these are actors. And with the best actors it's really hard (if not impossible) to tell how they feel about playing a role, because they are inhabiting it. This is one of the reasons I get annoyed if I can sense that the actor is uncomfortable with telegraphing gay chemistry. It means either that they're not a very good actor, or something about the set culture, director, and/or filming environment is making it difficult for them to fully inhabit their part.

Thanks for the thought provoking question. (Sorry I couldn't tackle the second part of your question, of all the careers I could have in the universe acting is very near the bottom of my list.)

(source)

#asked and answered #filming industry #thai actors #korean actors #taiwanese actors #Devil Judge #Semantic Error #HIStory 3: Trapped #taiwanese bl #thai bl #korean bl #Word of Honor #Old Fashion Cupcake #Kabe Koji #Nakao Masaki #KinnPorshe #The Eclipse #I'm Tee Me Too.

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wen-kexing-apologist · 11 months

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I’m watching Make It Right at the request of @lurkingshan and @waitmyturtles

I am beginning to suspect this is an elaborate ploy from Turtles to do the Old GMMTV Challenge

#make it right #mir #make it right the series

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juneviews · 2 years

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I'm a rather casual viewer when it comes to Thai BL, I mostly just watch them without really checking fans' reactions or don't look the series up on tw or tumblr. But this series... Not me? Well that's just something else. I've come across posts and stuff and I know main actors have filmed stuff together before and they've been portraying various couples for years. I'm curious about something tho. Some people on tw said that the actor playing Sean is actually lucky because the actor playing White "chose him"? From what I've read people keep praising how much the actor's performance has gotten better and how they are extremely impressed while the actor playing White seems to have been always known for his skills. I'm curious if it's a thing? Like did the actor playing White choose him and therefore they stayed together portraying various couples?

okay, there's a lot to unpack lol. so firstly yes, off (sean) & gun (white) have very different experiences with acting. gun has been acting since he was a child, so literally for most of his life, which has of course made him be a really strong actor really early in his career. he's globally considered one of the best thai actors out there & has won awards for it, notably for his role as punn in the gifted. now for off, things are a little different. he never wanted to go into acting but was actually found on his university campus by p'x, the director of theory of love (another offgun series), who offered him to host a show on gmmtv's predecessor channel. that company ended up closing up & off signed to gmmtv in 2014, literally being one of the first actors to do so. and that's when his acting career started, at 23 years old. so off has always said that he couldn't compare to gun as an actor bc gun is a professional & he just accidentally became an actor, which is why a lot of the fandom have launched onto this idea that only gun carries the talent in the ship. which... is obviously bullshit lol, and it seems to me like the comments you've seen are people who like offgun but dislike off which is actually very common in the offgun fandom for some reason. so gun didn't CHOOSE off at all, they were paired up together as soon as gun entered gmmtv in 2016, they got big as pickrome in puppy honey, and the rest is history. to imply that gun has basically been putting up with off's incompetence this whole time is literally a fabricated lie bc 1) I could literally point you every instance of off acting his ass off before not me, and 2) gun has said times & times again how grateful he is for the offgun ship and having off as his partner. the fact that they're one of the only ships who are actually, genuinely friends... proves that even further. so yes, off has finally reached his full potential as an actor in not me whereas gun had reached it long ago in the gifted, but it was never about his skills. off literally had a super compelling crying scene IN HIS FIRST ROLE EVER, when he had never acted prior to that. it was about the fact that off was given shitty roles for most of his career & he's FINALLY getting to a place where most of his roles are actually interesting & challenging. so gun didn't choose him, they both stayed together in many series bc they're amazing together, fans love them and they're genuinely close friends when the cameras aren't rolling. the reason they’re still acting together 6 years later is because THEY CHOSE EACH OTHER <3

xxx

#answers #offgun #seanwhite #not me #not me the series #sorry that got long & a little heated but I can't stand backhanded comments about off... I never got why people dislike him that much #(not that your ask is backhanded anon! I'm talking about the posts you're referring to)

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butterflyheart-me · 4 years

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Tagging Challenge

So I’ve been tagged by my lovely friend @gelreads <3

The challenge is to post 5 favorite actors and actresses from dramas. You can choose from any dramas, not just thai dramas like my list :)

Took me a while but here they are:

Top 5 Actors

1. Tommy Sittichok

I know I only seen him in Why R U series but he already have my heart. His good looks and charm just got me snatched. Aside from he’s godly adorableness, he’s acting is on point. He’s great playing this adorable, gay panicking and clumsy Zon. In real life, he’s still adorable but more mature and bad-ass (he served in the military).

Notable Series/Film I know he is in : Why R U as Zon (hoping he will have more projects w/Jimmy )

2. Fluke Pongsatorn

This actor is one of the best BL actors of his time. A really versatile actor. He can play comedic, cute, dramatic, serious and even very mature roles. I love him best as Pharm. He was just so adorable and whenever he cried, I cried with him

Notable Series/Film I know he is in:

1. Until We Meet Again- Pharm

2. My Bromance the Movie - Bank

3. Red Wine in the Dark Night (R-rated) - Wine

3. Gun Attaphan

Another actor that really pulled my heartstrings. He is such a great actor. He’s probably the best actor in GMMTV ( just my opinion). He’s also a very versatile actor. I love him most as Third because he’s just so lovable yet so savage at the same time. However, his acting really shined through in his role as Punn in the Gifted because his character is very complicated and multilayered.

Notable Series/Film I know he is in:

1. Theory of Love - Third

2. Puppy Honey - Rome

3. The Gifted - Punn

4. The Blue Hour (i know he is in it but I haven’t completely watched it)

4. Gong Yoo

Since the challenge said any drama, I’m going to Kdramaland a bit. He is one of the best actors in Korea. My heart swooned when he played as Choi Han Kyul in Coffee Prince. My heart fell in love when as he played as Kim Shin in Goblin. My heart broke when he played as Seok-woo in Train to Busan. Such a great actor

Notable Series/Film I know he is in:

1. Coffee Prince - Choi Han Kyul

2. Goblin - Kim Shin

3. Train to Busan - Seok-woo

5. Ohm Pawat

I just love this pup okay! He’s adorable! When he smiles, I smile! When he cries, I will definitely cry!

Notable Series/Film I know he is in: 1. Make It Right Season 1 and 2 -Frame

2. He’s Coming To Me - Thun

3. War of High School - Pound

Top Five Actresses

1. Park Min-young

I love her so so much She’s beautiful and I love her roles. She’s such an amazing actress. I love her best in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim when she played as Kim Mi-so because she’s just an icon of women independence and femininity

Notable Series/Film I know she is in:

1. Sunkyunkwan Scandal - Kim Yoon-shik/Kim Yoon-hee

2. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim - Kim Mi-so

3. Her Private Life- - Sung Deok Mi

2. Yoo In-na

This actress is just amazing. She can play a supporting character and still root for her. She can be the chic and sassy lady or the bubbly actress. The duality is awesome

Notable Series/Film I know she is in:

1. Secret Garden - Im Ah- young

2. My Love from the Star- Yoo Se Mi

2. Goblin- Sunny

3. Touch Your Heart- Oh Jin-shim

3. Ella Chen

Ok this one is pretty old and isn’t very active anymore but I still love her anyway. She has a very unique charm because of her androgynous look. She’s awesome when she does her dramatic scenes and very cute when she’s in a romcom.

Notable Series/Film I know she is in:

1. Hana Kimi - Lu Rui Xi

2. The Rose - Zheng Bai He

3. Down With Love- Yang Guo

4. Song Ji Hyo

Technically she is an actress who did act in dramas so she counts but I love her because of Running Man. She is the Ace and also known as Mong (Blank) Ji because she looks out of it sometimes. I just love her okay.

5. Gong Hyo Jin

The queen of romcoms. I just love her. She’s just so natural.

Notable Series/Film I know she is in:

1. Master’s Sun - Tae Gong Shil

2. The Greatest Love - Gu Ae Jung

so i would like to tag @multifangirl28 @bl-crossingtheline @no1readsmyblog @bookscoffee75 hope you guys dont mind

#tommy sittichok #fluke pongsatorn #gun attaphan #gong yoo #ohm pawat #kim min young #yoo inna #ella chen #song ji hyo #gong hyo jin #asian dramas #asian actors #lakorn #korean actors #thai actors #taiwanese actors

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