Start around 38:00 (or a bit later) to see Jeff tricking Tay and New and the rest of the gmmtv crew in a very funny way. Tay's reaction after the two of them went after each other on running man every time is HILARIOUS
[Jacob on why ass eating happens in episode 2 unlike on the book]
Jacob: One of the things in MM romance written by women that I have never— I've always been like, that's not us, is like, fucking— you have to say I love you before you eat an ass. Not true. It happens very quickly. And there was no way I was treating it like some kind of fucking cake he was getting. I was like, they did it the first time they had sex. If Ilya is a good top, he eats his ass in episode two. Like, that's when Shane's legs go behind his ears. And that's what Ilya's doing.
Jacob: I was like, no, no, no, no. This is a part where I'm like, I feel like I have to go forward as a gay man and be like, enough. We do this on the reg. Everybody likes it. We're doing it here. We don't say— this isn't marriage. This is like, unfortunately, something you do to strangers. So just to be very clear.
Interviewer: Nice to meet you. Bend over, please.
Jacob: Nice to meet you is also very, very formal. What am I? A duke? [...] Yeah, I do have a whole thing about ass eating and stuff where I'm like, no, that happens. That'll happen with a blowjob.
source: Episode 9 We say, THANK YOU Jacob and Brendan! by LoonCallPod
[Jacob on why ass eating happens in episode 2 unlike on the book]
Jacob: One of the things in MM romance written by women that I have never— I've always been like, that's not us, is like, fucking— you have to say I love you before you eat an ass. Not true. It happens very quickly. And there was no way I was treating it like some kind of fucking cake he was getting. I was like, they did it the first time they had sex. If Ilya is a good top, he eats his ass in episode two. Like, that's when Shane's legs go behind his ears. And that's what Ilya's doing.
Jacob: I was like, no, no, no, no. This is a part where I'm like, I feel like I have to go forward as a gay man and be like, enough. We do this on the reg. Everybody likes it. We're doing it here. We don't say— this isn't marriage. This is like, unfortunately, something you do to strangers. So just to be very clear.
Interviewer: Nice to meet you. Bend over, please.
Jacob: Nice to meet you is also very, very formal. What am I? A duke? [...] Yeah, I do have a whole thing about ass eating and stuff where I'm like, no, that happens. That'll happen with a blowjob.
source: Episode 9 We say, THANK YOU Jacob and Brendan! by LoonCallPod
I just read your post about how fans are treating/demonizing William and Izaya's relationship because it's messier but also has a strong sexual component. I basically agree on every point, and I think even 'progressive' audiences who watch the boyfriend still can fall into puritanical thinking when it comes to sex in particular.
I watch a commentary channel that talks about BL and Queer Dating shows, and I found something they said on this topic very relevant. They said that their theory about why a lot of people glorify relationships that put the 'romance' first and then ignore or Disney Princess the concept of sex is that more people are on the asexual spectrum than realize it. Not that more people are necessarily sex repulsed or anything, but that a lot of people are in the gray area of demisexual or something similar So when they see, either in media or even in real life, relationships where people lead with sex or want to hook up very early because they truly are just super sexually into someone, it feels forced or fake because that's not how they experience life. And since asexuality really isn't a huge talking point in general audiences, people don't know that there are in fact people where sex is that forefront. Ironically, it wasn't until these commentors were literally saying "When I go out into the world for dating, I am looking at people are thinking about if they are sexually attractive to me or not. Like that is a huge focus" that I realized I fundamentally just didn't process human interaction that way.
There is also the other obvious culprit in all of this, which is that The Boyfriend has a large audience overlap with BL audiences, who still have a huge straight female fanbase. (They obviously have a queer audience too, but numbers wise straight women are a huge demographic.) And so they treat these dating shows like a BL, when they realistically need to be treated through a way different lense.
That's a point I haven't thought about.
It might also tie in with some of the things we've seen in and after season 1. Dai caught some flack by Shun for having nudes on his phone, because Shun has/had the same prejudices what "a guy like that" is like. So we can use Shun in a way as the audience. At the same time he pushed and pulled and did all that we saw before.
When it comes to sex, Shun clearly stated though that sex in a relationship is very important and if one isn't compatible that way, I can't work. Which I take that he isn't asexual, even though he and Dai are leaning very heavily into the innocent and cutesy vibe and avoid all things that could even allude to sex. I mean, they manage to sit in a bathtub naked or lie in bed together and kiss goodnight and make the audience believe it's all very cute and asexual when with cameras off, these moments aren't always this cutesy.
Now, when watching season 2 though, Shun once again leaned into his own prejudices and stereotypes and funnily enough hated William for something he though he was doing - which William wasn't, but Shun interpreted it the way he himself was acting. So he projected in William's behaviour what he probably hates in himself and then disliked William.
By meeting him and most likely seeing him with Izaya and seeing them as a couple in real life when he hasn't seen that side of him yet on screen, he had a problem: He liked him in real life, but he wasn't fully able to let go of his reservations. It's a fun thing to watch because Shun is honest enough to admit it and it also he is struggling with his prejudiced image and the very real person in front of him live on camera.
Do you think William would have received the hate he received if he was fully Japanese? I’ve seen many people, even fellow Latinos, claiming that ”Latin men are players”, and I can’t help but think that the fandom would have been kinder if he wasn’t partly Peruvian
That's hard to say. But, yeah, maybe ? I mean the things is that he is sleeping around when he is single, nothing wrong with that. But we know from their stories that so do Izaya, Dai, Jobu or Alan.
Jobu was even saying that he has cheated in relationships mainly because his own definition cheating is not what others think about it - something William strongly disagreed with.
However, people didn't turn on Jobu upon hearing that. Instead William was the one to be attacked. Which is funny, isn't it? Jobu's view (and I don't judge it!) is that it's not a big deal to sleep around when in a relationship unless one catches feelings. And b his laughing and joking around he admits to having done that. William is the one, the whole conversation who says "but if it's done to you it doesn't feel good and therefore you should have more respect for yourself and not do it to the person you love either". That was William's whole point. Yet, what many fans kept pointing to was his admission of "I cheated once" and they forget about the rest "and I regret it so much and am never going to do that again, even though it was only a kiss and not full on sex. Doesn't matter. I call it cheating and I hate that I've done that".
I can only speculate as to why that is, but I think it could be racism and stereotypes. What I know though is that's it's totally unfair.
What du you think about the Humi situation? Some say they are dating and trying to keep it private and others say they are nothing and just don't want hate by announcing it like Taeheon and Huawei get right now. I don't know so I thought id ask you
First – and I always feel weird pointing it out – I don't know anything about what they are or whether or not they are dating, together etc.
Looking at the overall situation though, I am not sure if they'd do themselves any favour by doing what they are doing right now unless it's the actual status of their relationship.
Why? well, if they weren't together, they could pull something like Tae and Huwei did, say we were busy and didn't get to se each other much, were at different paths, whatever, are still buddies, all is good. Fans would be ok, but hope that maybe they will become something. That lasts for a bit until it stops, especially if you stay away from providing more content.
Option two: They are together. Then by doing this now they'd rob themselves of simply "being" a couple. Because right now every time they post something people analyse it for clues, take videos of them, post them on social media and interpret them. If they simply admitted they are a couple and asked for respect and privacy, the pseudo sleuthing would mostly stop and they could also politely decline photos etc.
Right now, what is happening is actual increasing the delusions and invasions because it gives people the chance to interpret and read it as whatever they want. Those who want a romance see that, those who want a friendship go with this etc. And in order to find proof for their theories fans will cross boundaries and speculate to the extreme.
So my personal take is, that we should simply accept what they said and didn't say, be happy that they seem to be ok with whatever they are, stop speculating whether they are sleeping together or not and simply let them be. They seemed to get along well, they seemed happy and weren't uncomfortable – a vibe btw that I thought came across with Jobu and Tae a bit for whatever reason (but that's my speculation) and that's that.
As a tactic for privacy their current statements would suck though.
Lol did you watch the Boyfriend S2 reunion? They confirmed William and Izaya are still together, Jobu and Taehon went their seperate ways, meanwhile Bomi and Huwei were so vague that even Japanese viewers aren't sure what's up with them lmao. They mainly said they haven't been able to see each other much because they've both been so busy esp Huwei, but they did go see a movie together.
Yeah I watched it. Took me a second though to find a version with subs. It really pisses me off when they don't add them. Don't get me wrong, smaller networks etc who put out videos fast or market to a local audience only: no trouble.
but this is a international Netflix release. Being able to watch the content shouldn't be a challenge in internet sleuthing. They should put the reunions on Netflix as well, with subs. It's pre-recorded and not live-live so it can be done.
Anyway, I went back to my ep 15 post and looked at my final prediction. I wrote : "I think William and Izaya are solid. Tae and Jobu could definitely work, both as friends as well as more, depending on whether the outside world brings them closer or cools the romance. The biggest question mark for me is Bomi and Huwei."
So no surprise for me, I guess. I wouldn't be surprised one bit if Huwei and Bomi are still doing the exact same dance now as they did in the house just with less time overall. Bomi has a huge crush on Huwei, so this might continue until one of them finds someone else. Personally, just my opinion, I don't see this going anywhere. A casual friendship maybe if Bomi gets over his crush. That's it.
And I am really happy for Wiliam and Izaya. I think it was very obvious that Izaya had never really been over William as an option, not in a "he was always the love of my life" kind of thing. And even before William allowed himself to trust it, he always seemed to be around Izaya and seeking him out. And now I think William has total heart eyes when he looks at Izaya. It's very obvious how much he cares for him and vice versa.
So apparently Shun wrote a song about Izaya and William's love story. Izaya just posted it on IG. nearly all DS shippers are Team huwai and Bomi though so we can lean back with popcorn and watch this mess unfold
I just had to check my calendar to make sure it's not the 1st April yet.
Uhm... ok... like what?
Didn't Shun write a whole article about the fact that he disliked William at first? So the lyrics are going to be interesting for sure.
Also... at which speed does he work? Just checked the insta post and it says release is in a couple of days. That includes writing, recording and production. Uhm, that's fast.
Or did he have that song lying about with a winter vibe and it fit and now they are pulling this marketing stint? Which would also kind of mean that there are no other couples who survived the aftermath of the show, because then it would be marketed differently?
Jobu takes a while even after they go to bed, but then he explains his thoughts about the coming-out talk. Tae tells him that he could have easily said all that earlier when he asked him the first time. Jobu apologises and that’s that. Let’s see how they’ll act the next day.
It seems like Jobu is forgiven, as Tae wakes him with a kiss and a cuddle. Jobu points out later to the camera that he wants to know what Tae is feeling for him and that he wants to leave with him and see where this goes.
Next comes the fancy dinner for all. Tae’s suit looks amazing!
OMG! Will and Izaya are back! And oh good Lord, their suits look… wow! Did they have them tailored for this? Wow.
And Kazu is back as well! He also looks amazing!
Let’s hear what they’ve been up to, even though it’s only been a couple of weeks.
William’s summary makes me laugh: “We discuss things until he’s happy.” And they really used the weeks to spend time together. Izaya explains that they will go to Spain together for a couple of months, then go to Australia if possible. So they are really making concrete plans to make this work. I said it before, but I think they are a great match and I hope they can make all of this work.
Kazu says that he went to his ex and told him he wants him back, and his ex felt the same. So Kazu got his man back! Congratulations! He looks so happy. I wonder if we’ll get a glimpse of him during the reunion. Although, if he’s still not out, that would be unlikely.
They talk about their time there and William is really open about having trouble believing he could be so lucky to find so many new friends as well as love.
Jobu opens up as well and doesn’t laugh throughout.
They all say goodbye at a park the next day and Kazu, William and Izaya leave once more. Tae filming William and Izaya walking away hand in hand makes me feel like we might see that pic somewhere at some point :D
While the others walk away, the groups are Bomi in the middle of Ryu and Hiroya, while Huwei walks ahead with Tomoaki. So no progress there. Tae has his arm around Jobu’s shoulder, though, so I am hopeful Jobu will get his answer.
Back at the house, Bomi asks Huwei for a walk. This is going to be painful and like pulling teeth, won’t it?
After Bomi talks and talks, Huwei finally opens up a bit about what goes on inside of him, a tiny bit. Bomi then asks him to be his boyfriend and Huwei says he wants to ask that too, but then stalls replying and doesn’t really say yes… and can they just get out of the rain, please? They hug for a moment and when Bomi wants to hold hands walking back, Huwei can’t be bothered to take his hand out of his pocket. Now I want to slap him.
They leave together the next day and, once more, Bomi asks to hold hands. Even so, I have to say Huwei’s final speech gave me a bit of hope for them.
Tomoaki reads out a letter about him coming out to his family, but we don’t know the reactions yet.
Ryuki leaves next and also has plans on coming out. Hiroya leaves and then there are just Jobu and Taeheon.
Tae finally tells Jobu what he feels and why he chose him and what made him doubt, but also that he found himself thinking and worrying about Jobu and that he wants to get to know Jobu better after the show is over and spend time together. Tae tells him he likes him, finally, and starts crying. Jobu returns the feeling and takes his hand. So they leave together, both crying and sharing a hug and a kiss. And another, and another.
Now I am curious about the reunion and who actually made it.
I think William and Izaya are solid.
Tae and Jobu could definitely work, both as friends as well as more, depending on whether the outside world brings them closer or cools the romance.
The biggest question mark for me is Bomi and Huwei. If Huwei doesn’t do a 180 outside and finally put in some effort, Bomi will reach a point where he’ll be done. Simply because him putting himself out there all the time and being rejected at worst, quietly accepted at best, without getting any real feeling, love and appreciation in return will burn him out. And I’d hate to see that.
We are back in the heavy scene with Jobu and Taeheon, but other than Jobu taking it with a sad expression and saying that they still have six days, there is not much he can do. It’s especially confusing for him because Taeheon kissed him on the second date, but now complains about the first one. Jobu must wonder if he was just a convenient body in the bed that night.
The shirts arrive and next they learn that they are going on a two-day trip later, but first there is another coffee truck shift that they all go on together. Well, that will be crowded for sure. I think Ryuki is always doing a great job at the truck, being both friendly but not too pushy.
Bomi is confused about whether Huwei actually likes him, and going by Huwei’s behaviour, he has a right to be. Huwei is so standoffish, even more so than before. Before, one could say he was being friendly and a bit dorky; now he is pushing Bomi away. It’s odd, since before he left he was all “I think I might feel something for him, maybe”. In a way, at this point, I want Bomi to choose himself and stop chasing him. I know he likes him, but Huwei makes no effort at all. Leave it be, Bomi. Find someone who gives you the romance you want. It’s not even about romance, but Huwei is straight-up ignoring him and pushing him away.
The advice Ryuki gives is actually solid. Talk to Huwei and tell him how you feel, and then see what he does and says. And be prepared for Huwei being like this even in a relationship, which is something Bomi has to think about as well. Does he really want this?
During dinner we learn that Bomi and Hiroya have got close as friends. Hiroya did yoga with Huwei. Jobu talks about the goodnight hugs in the hallway upstairs.
Jobu later reveals he has taken to heart what both William and Tae said about him not being able to have a serious conversation.
On the bus, Bomi and Ryuki team up on Huwei and accuse him of being bad at romance, which is fair, and he says that once he is with someone, he’s just secure. He also doesn’t get jealous. He likes the person he likes having fun. I wonder if he was there during the “what is cheating” conversation. Bomi was, though, and was team “as long as I don’t know”. Huwei just makes no sense.
Tae and Jobu find out, meanwhile, that they are aligned in their views, which is nice and makes much more sense to me than whatever is going on with Huwei.
The twin bedrooms cause some semi-awkward shuffling. Thank God for Ryu, who points out they kind of all know who wants to go with whom.
Jobu takes it to the next level by pushing the beds together without asking Tae, and Jobu and Huwei look at them from the outside, which is a very weird scene.
Dinner becomes awkward again when Hiroya decides he needs to have a one-on-one chat with Tae. I do get their wish to be true to their feelings, I do, but at the same time the second-hand embarrassment I experience watching them confess to someone who clearly has no interest nearly makes me crawl under the table.
I have to give it to Hiroya, though, he makes it a lot less weird than it could be, and Taeheon is honest.
Next, Tae and Jobu spend some time together and Huwei and Bomi do too, of course, because Bomi initiates.
The other three talk about Bomi and Huwei and Huwei’s lack of a decent reaction. Tomoaki points out that it has to hurt, while Ryu says he does think Huwei likes Bomi, but that’s just Huwei.
The couple in question is sent out to make couple rings. I mean, seriously, team, isn’t that way too over the top no matter who goes on that date? Good Lord.
After some less trippy couple activity, Tae asks Jobu why he told him all that stuff during dinner that night. Jobu struggles to remain serious when answering, but manages, and so Tae reveals that the confession kind of came too soon for him and he’d have preferred getting to know him better. And I know many will say now, “but he kissed him!” Yeah, well, you can make out with someone or even have sex with someone without loving them or having any romantic interest in them. So the desire Taeheon might have felt and acted on doesn’t mean he was ready for a love confession.
Next, Huwei and Bomi are at the aquarium, and after last season one would have thought Netflix would have learned not to send couples there.
Bomi spells it out for Huwei and I wish he’d make it less about the present and more about the standoffish behaviour. We shouldn’t forget Huwei wasn’t on a holiday but at a funeral.
Huwei wonders what it means to Bomi being a couple and whether they’ll see each other again after the show is done. Bomi reveals what he thinks and Huwei agrees with that, so I guess they will really try to figure it out once the cameras are gone? Is that the result of that talk?
At night they all talk about coming out, because it’s on Ryu’s mind. Jobu is quiet once more and he has explained before that he feels weird talking about it because he never faced that struggle, which I think is legitimate, and finally leaves the table, which makes Tae look confused and follow him. Jobu doesn’t really explain himself even when Tae asks him, which won’t fly with Tae. And yes, there it is, the freeze-out begins. Tae wants honest, emotional connection and not placating behaviour. Jobu basically lying to him, saying he is fine, when he feels like they are building something, is a betrayal. Jobu will have to apologise and have a good explanation or Tae will freeze him out for real.
Ah, there it is, he is pulling the beds apart. That makes sense and sends a clear message. “You guard yourself emotionally, I’ll guard myself as well.” Easy as that.
So, Taeheon chooses Jobu, which resolves that mess.
Meanwhile, Bomi, Tomoaki and Hiroya are somewhere feeding cows for some reason, and they visit sulphur fields. If you know what these smell like, it’s perfect for a non-date.
Bomi talks about Huwei and that he wants clarity, and that’s why he came back.
On the date, Taeheon seems a bit livelier, or at least talks a bit more, and doesn’t let Jobu do all the talking. He even mentions William and Izaya and what role their relationship with Jobu played.
They stay at this very nice villa with their own sauna and get touchy in the sauna of all places. Jobu gets into another fanboy moment during dinner and it’s the moment when Tae becomes quiet once more. To me, it really looks like whenever Jobu mentions season 1 and how much he liked him back then, Taeheon draws back. If Jobu is just in the moment with him and compliments things that are happening now, Taeheon is at ease. Makes me wonder how many fanboys he met since last season and if he had any bad experiences with them.
Anyway, Taeheon also asks about Jobu’s crush on William and points out that he’s quite different from William. Jobu’s answer makes a lot of sense, and let’s see if Jobu will manage to stay away from fangirling again. Jobu ramps up the physical intimacy and they start making out. Good for them. They will at the very least have that. I’m happy for Taeheon. He deserved some romance, or at least some making out, this season. I am curious, though, if and how they’ll let the others in on that development or if they’ll keep it to themselves.
But the episode isn’t over.
It’s actually funny to see them dancing around saying “we made out the night before” in front of the cameras, and Jobu just starts laughing, which is hilarious.
We learn that Tae kissed him first and that they didn’t get to full-on sex through Jobu’s interview. Tae, looking adorably sleepy in the morning, just keeps talking with a completely straight face and you wouldn’t be able to tell he surprised Jobu by kissing him the night before.
They get back and rave about the great house, but don’t say anything about the kiss.
Hiroya chooses Jobu and I think he’ll want to know what went down and knows he’ll get the details from Jobu.
And yep, called it. Jobu says he hasn’t really told Taeheon anything directly yet. Hiroya says one can’t be in a relationship alone.
I am wondering about attraction and how funny it is. Izaya and William were very clearly attracted to one another right away, still. So they fit each other’s types, whatever they are. Then Jobu was into William. At first it was very clearly just “oh, he’s hot” on his part and he was in lust with him. Then he liked his “cute” side, at least that’s what he said to Tae. Then he liked Tae in season 1 and also finds him physically attractive. But with Hiroya, who first liked Huwei and now Tae, they are so different, both physically and personality-wise.
Tae is now wearing an Ami Paris jumper and I am wondering if they have a sponsorship with them. Either way, their stuff is amazing. Go check it out.
Ryuki and Huwei come back and Bomi is so happy to see Huwei. Huwei brought durian as a souvenir for Ryuki, like what the heck, Huwei? While I like durian, the smell will seep into every corner of the house.
Ryuki has to take the next shift and takes Tae, who looks very surprised.
Bomi takes the chance to catch Huwei up on what went on during the week. Huwei remains his usually detached self.
Ryuki and Tae are funny together, but the reason why Tae was chosen was that Ryuki wants to know about his coming out after the show. And the way Tae explains it all is really touching.
Next, Jobu cooks for himself and Taeheon and sets the stage for a romantic meal. Jobu uses the moment to tell him he likes him and, from what we see, Taeheon remains mainly silent for the most part. And then only says “I’m happy” at first, which is a reaction but not an answer. Then he opens up, though, and says that while he feels the same, the fact that Jobu dodges serious conversations or starts laughing is hard, and it doesn’t mean that just because they are attracted to one another they have to make this into something it’s not. It’s interesting because that’s the same note William had. He also said that he never guessed Jobu liked him because he can’t have a serious conversation with him.
