Have an unpopular opinion about a BL? Don't worry, we probably do too. Saying all the things you do or don’t wanna hear Part 5 (of 4), A BL Podcast, is here to engage with BL media from Japan, Thailand, China, Korea and more! We're talking film-making techniques, narrative analysis, fandom woes, while asking questions like, hey why don't the bottoms move their arms? We may not be experts, but we are loud, chaotic, and full of opinions.
We'd like to take this moment to congratulate ourselves because self-love is important according to Instagram Influencers. And we all know they're never wrong (/s).
Self-love is almost - not quite but almost - as important as the love of yaoi and yuri, bendiciones 🙏🙏 In the words of the immortal Supernatural because its a show that refuses to allow it's fans to move on gay love can pierce the heavens or whatever.
Check out any of our episodes where we continue to fumble the intro but know what it's part of our charm~
We'd like to take this moment to congratulate ourselves because self-love is important according to Instagram Influencers. And we all know they're never wrong (/s).
Self-love is almost - not quite but almost - as important as the love of yaoi and yuri, bendiciones 🙏🙏 In the words of the immortal Supernatural because its a show that refuses to allow it's fans to move on gay love can pierce the heavens or whatever.
Check out any of our episodes where we continue to fumble the intro but know what it's part of our charm~
So we heard that folks are looking for some darker romances, romances about two people who are just weirdly, maybe even murderously, intense about each other. Stuff similar to Hannibal, The Devil Judge, and some 4 Minutes thrown in. Plot heavy, a sprinkle of action with some blood for flavor.
Here's our list but if you have your own dark romance BL (and GL!) please throw it out there! Spread the grotesque love about like the eggs Americans can't afford anymore.
Sidenote: Please research each of these series as they'll all contain some manner of violence (at times including sexual violence), gore, murder, abuse, and other potentially triggering topics. As always, Does the Dog Die is your friend, friend.
(shoutouts to @chamomileteaandpen who unknowingly inspired us to make this list!)
The Actual BL/GL
What it's about:
Ahn Geum-hoo needs a butcher to provide fresh animal blood for his sickly brother’s medicine. While most of the butchers seem reluctant to provide him with what he needs, Nobody is willing to do Geum-hoo’s bidding. With striking features and a strong build, Nobody has quite a reputation amongst the village folk. Yet, Geum-hoo finds a way to tame this wild tiger. First, he gives him a name—Beom. Then, he invites him to a world that this nobody’s never experienced…
Where to read: Lezhinus
What is it about:
Deep in the heart of 19th century London, a young nobleman named Cain walks the shadowy cobblestone streets of the aristocratic society into which he was born. Forced to become an earl upon the untimely death of his father, Cain assumes the role of head of the Hargreaves, a noble family with a dark past. With Riff, his faithful manservant, and Mary Weather, his 10-year-old half sister, Cain investigates the mysterious crimes that seem to follow him wherever he goes.
Where to read: VIZ Media
What is it about:
Since birth, Na-kyum was an exceptionally talented painter. However, though he had published a few collections under a pseudonym, he had decided to quit painting. Then Seungho, a young nobleman, barges into his life. An infamous tyrant notorious for his insatiable lust for creativity, Seungho forces Na-kyum to become his private painter. However, the nights that await Na-kyum are beyond anything he could have imagined…
Where to read: Lezhinus
Katsuragi, an elite office worker who fell from a perfect life, drunkenly attempted to jump and commit suicide. Suddenly, he was suddenly he
What is it about:
Katsuragi, an elite office worker who fell from a perfect life, drunkenly attempted to jump and commit suicide. Suddenly, he was suddenly helped by a mysterious man, Yoda, but that was the beginning of a horrible life of confinement training.
Where to watch: Gaga
What is it about:
From PARK Chan-wook, the celebrated director of OLDBOY, LADY VENGEANCE and STOKER, comes a ravishing new crime drama. PARK presents a gripping and sensual tale of two women - a young Japanese Lady living on a secluded estate, and a Korean woman who is hired to serve as her new handmaiden, but is secretly plotting with a conman to defraud her of a large inheritance. Inspired by the novel Fingersmith by British author Sarah Waters, THE HANDMAIDEN borrows the most dynamic elements of its source material and combines it with PARK Chan-wook’s singular vision to create an unforgettable viewing experience.
Where to watch: Amazon
Haruto is a freshman and a loner high school student until the arrival of the new teacher Aoyama. Aoyama cares for Haruto and starts to exch
What is it about:
Haruto is a freshman and a loner high school student until the arrival of the new teacher Aoyama. Aoyama cares for Haruto and starts to exchange letters with him, as something more grows inside both of them. But one night, an unexpected kiss ends their beautiful relationship. Three years later, Haruto has become a male prostitute in order to pay back his debts, when he reunites with Aoyama by chance. How will Haruto face his feelings for Aoyama when given a second chance? Should it be 'noir' or should it be 'blanc'? Two versions. Two completely different fates.
Where to watch: Gaga
What is it about:
Joe, a stuntman for Tong, a famous young actor. Met Ming by chance. The two have a deep relationship that Joe doesn't know that Ming had always seen him as Tong's replacement. When the truth is revealed Joe has to work on a foreign film set and an accident takes his life.Joe wakes up in the body of a young boy named Joe who had an accident on the same day with his mother taking care of him and Wut helping him. Everything brings Joe back to living the same life as before, with the same people, and Joe meets Ming again.In this life, Ming wanted Joe to come back to his side as before. Ming trying to find out the truth about Joe still being alive In order to get Joe back by his side and tell him the reason he didn't have a chance to tell Joe before it was too late...
Where to watch: IQIYI
What it's about:
1-3: Bi no Isu (The Coercion Chair)
Kabu and Nirasawa have a troubled relationship, to say the least. Harsh yakuza lifestyle, torture, and violent sex are everyday occurrences for the volatile couple.
4: Tokage to Choutsugai
Emiri is impotent, thanks to his trauma of being molested by his childhood friend, Fuyu. Years later, Emiri is finally seeking treatment for his condition, but why is Fuyu wearing that white coat?! And why is the nurse's skirt so short?
5: Seiritsu Shinai Asa (The Morning That Will Never Happen)
What will happen years later when senpai and kouhai meet again? Is loving someone that frightening?
Where to read: This one y'all might have to find grey
What is it about:
We can't live without each other. You're my other half. "I killed a woman." An unexpected call from a Ichikawa Mitsuo to Ichikawa Mitsuo makes the latter recollect his long forgotten past –– back in high school when he fell for the boy whose name sounds exactly the same as his. Now that this man has committed murder, Mitsuo is forced into complicity. Perhaps not so much by the man, but by his own desire for submissive pleasure……
Where to watch: Grey
Honorable Mentions (in that they're not technically queer but is Beyond Evil counts...)
What is it about:
Grieving the loss of a best friend she could not protect, former bodyguard Ok-ju sets out to fulfil her dear friend's last wish: sweet, sweet revenge.
Where to watch: Netflix
What is it about:
An aspiring writer, Yoon Jong-woo, was getting sick and tired of his miserable life in the countryside. One day, he is offered an intern job in Seoul from his college senior. Seeking a new life, he accepts the offer and comes to Seoul right away. The only place he could afford to stay was 'Eden Sharehouse', a small and rusty place in the outskirts of Seoul. But from the day he arrived, strange and creepy things begin to happen. The neighbors next doors seemed okay at first, but he comes to realize that they are weird and strange as hell, Will it be possible for him to escape such place, full of strangers from hell?
Where to watch: AppleTV
What's it about:
Jae Ho is the prisoner who makes rules and wields the most power among the inmates. Outside of prison, he was the #2 guy in a criminal gang, but he is ambitious enough to go after the #1 spot upon his release. One day, Jae Ho meets a new prisoner, Hyeon Su, who doesn't follow the rules of the prison and doesn't submit to anyone.
It's uncomfortable and claustrophobic and I like that a lot.
What's it about:
IMDB summary: "THE BLUE HOUR is a sexy supernatural love story about a bullied loner, Tam, who finds solace in the arms of Phum, a boy he meets at a haunted swimming pool. Phum reveals that his family's land has been stolen and the new found lovers imagine a perfect life together on the disputed land. Haunted by a ghostly presence, Tam struggles to stay connected to reality. An official selection of the Berlin International Film Festival, THE BLUE HOUR is a dark atmospheric tale of love and distress."
Where to watch: Looks like it's on Amazon Prime and Apple TV in some regions, but not mine. I had to go look for it when I watched it a few years ago.
So 2024 is over or whatever but that doesn't mean we don't still have a ton to talk about! So much so we had to split this episode into two parts! Part 2 incoming when we get funding, watch our pilot trailer we promise it'll happen when The Next Prince hits screens.
There's the shows we loved, shows and films we thought deserved an honorable mention and then there were some Big BL Topics we wanted to cover. 2024 was just a year of so much; so much in fact we didn't even get a chance to cover everything!
So here we are in 2025, talking about 2024 BL because screw the rules [finish the meme].
Maybe this year we'll get the intro right and be a real podcast~
So we heard that folks are looking for some darker romances, romances about two people who are just weirdly, maybe even murderously, intense about each other. Stuff similar to Hannibal, The Devil Judge, and some 4 Minutes thrown in. Plot heavy, a sprinkle of action with some blood for flavor.
Here's our list but if you have your own dark romance BL (and GL!) please throw it out there! Spread the grotesque love about like the eggs Americans can't afford anymore.
Sidenote: Please research each of these series as they'll all contain some manner of violence (at times including sexual violence), gore, murder, abuse, and other potentially triggering topics. As always, Does the Dog Die is your friend, friend.
(shoutouts to @chamomileteaandpen who unknowingly inspired us to make this list!)
The Actual BL/GL
What it's about:
Ahn Geum-hoo needs a butcher to provide fresh animal blood for his sickly brother’s medicine. While most of the butchers seem reluctant to provide him with what he needs, Nobody is willing to do Geum-hoo’s bidding. With striking features and a strong build, Nobody has quite a reputation amongst the village folk. Yet, Geum-hoo finds a way to tame this wild tiger. First, he gives him a name—Beom. Then, he invites him to a world that this nobody’s never experienced…
Where to read: Lezhinus
What is it about:
Deep in the heart of 19th century London, a young nobleman named Cain walks the shadowy cobblestone streets of the aristocratic society into which he was born. Forced to become an earl upon the untimely death of his father, Cain assumes the role of head of the Hargreaves, a noble family with a dark past. With Riff, his faithful manservant, and Mary Weather, his 10-year-old half sister, Cain investigates the mysterious crimes that seem to follow him wherever he goes.
Where to read: VIZ Media
What is it about:
Since birth, Na-kyum was an exceptionally talented painter. However, though he had published a few collections under a pseudonym, he had decided to quit painting. Then Seungho, a young nobleman, barges into his life. An infamous tyrant notorious for his insatiable lust for creativity, Seungho forces Na-kyum to become his private painter. However, the nights that await Na-kyum are beyond anything he could have imagined…
Where to read: Lezhinus
Katsuragi, an elite office worker who fell from a perfect life, drunkenly attempted to jump and commit suicide. Suddenly, he was suddenly he
What is it about:
Katsuragi, an elite office worker who fell from a perfect life, drunkenly attempted to jump and commit suicide. Suddenly, he was suddenly helped by a mysterious man, Yoda, but that was the beginning of a horrible life of confinement training.
Where to watch: Gaga
What is it about:
From PARK Chan-wook, the celebrated director of OLDBOY, LADY VENGEANCE and STOKER, comes a ravishing new crime drama. PARK presents a gripping and sensual tale of two women - a young Japanese Lady living on a secluded estate, and a Korean woman who is hired to serve as her new handmaiden, but is secretly plotting with a conman to defraud her of a large inheritance. Inspired by the novel Fingersmith by British author Sarah Waters, THE HANDMAIDEN borrows the most dynamic elements of its source material and combines it with PARK Chan-wook’s singular vision to create an unforgettable viewing experience.
Where to watch: Amazon
Haruto is a freshman and a loner high school student until the arrival of the new teacher Aoyama. Aoyama cares for Haruto and starts to exch
What is it about:
Haruto is a freshman and a loner high school student until the arrival of the new teacher Aoyama. Aoyama cares for Haruto and starts to exchange letters with him, as something more grows inside both of them. But one night, an unexpected kiss ends their beautiful relationship. Three years later, Haruto has become a male prostitute in order to pay back his debts, when he reunites with Aoyama by chance. How will Haruto face his feelings for Aoyama when given a second chance? Should it be 'noir' or should it be 'blanc'? Two versions. Two completely different fates.
Where to watch: Gaga
What is it about:
Joe, a stuntman for Tong, a famous young actor. Met Ming by chance. The two have a deep relationship that Joe doesn't know that Ming had always seen him as Tong's replacement. When the truth is revealed Joe has to work on a foreign film set and an accident takes his life.Joe wakes up in the body of a young boy named Joe who had an accident on the same day with his mother taking care of him and Wut helping him. Everything brings Joe back to living the same life as before, with the same people, and Joe meets Ming again.In this life, Ming wanted Joe to come back to his side as before. Ming trying to find out the truth about Joe still being alive In order to get Joe back by his side and tell him the reason he didn't have a chance to tell Joe before it was too late...
Where to watch: IQIYI
What it's about:
1-3: Bi no Isu (The Coercion Chair)
Kabu and Nirasawa have a troubled relationship, to say the least. Harsh yakuza lifestyle, torture, and violent sex are everyday occurrences for the volatile couple.
4: Tokage to Choutsugai
Emiri is impotent, thanks to his trauma of being molested by his childhood friend, Fuyu. Years later, Emiri is finally seeking treatment for his condition, but why is Fuyu wearing that white coat?! And why is the nurse's skirt so short?
5: Seiritsu Shinai Asa (The Morning That Will Never Happen)
What will happen years later when senpai and kouhai meet again? Is loving someone that frightening?
Where to read: This one y'all might have to find grey
What is it about:
We can't live without each other. You're my other half. "I killed a woman." An unexpected call from a Ichikawa Mitsuo to Ichikawa Mitsuo makes the latter recollect his long forgotten past –– back in high school when he fell for the boy whose name sounds exactly the same as his. Now that this man has committed murder, Mitsuo is forced into complicity. Perhaps not so much by the man, but by his own desire for submissive pleasure……
Where to watch: Grey
Honorable Mentions (in that they're not technically queer but is Beyond Evil counts...)
What is it about:
Grieving the loss of a best friend she could not protect, former bodyguard Ok-ju sets out to fulfil her dear friend's last wish: sweet, sweet revenge.
Where to watch: Netflix
What is it about:
An aspiring writer, Yoon Jong-woo, was getting sick and tired of his miserable life in the countryside. One day, he is offered an intern job in Seoul from his college senior. Seeking a new life, he accepts the offer and comes to Seoul right away. The only place he could afford to stay was 'Eden Sharehouse', a small and rusty place in the outskirts of Seoul. But from the day he arrived, strange and creepy things begin to happen. The neighbors next doors seemed okay at first, but he comes to realize that they are weird and strange as hell, Will it be possible for him to escape such place, full of strangers from hell?
Where to watch: AppleTV
What's it about:
Jae Ho is the prisoner who makes rules and wields the most power among the inmates. Outside of prison, he was the #2 guy in a criminal gang, but he is ambitious enough to go after the #1 spot upon his release. One day, Jae Ho meets a new prisoner, Hyeon Su, who doesn't follow the rules of the prison and doesn't submit to anyone.
So 2024 is over or whatever but that doesn't mean we don't still have a ton to talk about! So much so we had to split this episode into two
Showing Up to 2025 Late With BL From 2024 - Transcript Edition
D: How do you do the intro this time?
S: Oh, shit. Um, I like blue screening. I don't know what to do. Okay. Okay, so do you have an unpopular opinion about BL? Don't worry, we probably do too. Saying all of the things you do or don't wanna hear, part five of four is here to engage with BL media from Japan, Thailand, China, Korea, and wherever else we feel like. We're talking about filmmaking techniques. We're talking about narrative analysis and fandom woes and asking the really important questions like why aren't the bottoms moving their arms? So we may not be experts, but we are loud and chaotic and full of opinions.
D: That was fantastic. That was so much better than whenever I've done the intro. Folks, leave a comment on this episode about how much better that intro was than any of mine. Bless.
S: It's just like my many years of high school theater training coming up from the ether.
D: This is what Shakespeare wanted. This is what he wanted.
S: So now you get to tell the people what we're talking about this episode.
D: I do. So hey folks, we are at the end of the year, which is absolutely bonkers, phenomenally fucking crazy. We are going to be in 2025. So this episode, we wanted to do a reflection of 2024 of just all the queer media that we've watched, read, and just engaged with overall, and also talk about some of the things that we've seen in fandom this year, because it just feels like 2024 for the genre of BL and GL really was a year of so much. Just so much happened.
S: So many strong opinions expressed very loudly.
D: Yes, very, very strong opinions. And a lot of shows came out, a lot, a lot of shows. A lot of shows came out. If we tried watching many, well, no, I'm not gonna lie to you all. I tried watching a few.
S: What's funny is I have a long list of ones that I started and haven't finished, but that I actually do want to go back to and finish, and not just ones where I tried it, and I was like, I can't live like this. What's the fucking one with the Gawain in it, Love Writer?
D: Oh, Lovely Writer?
S: Lovely Writer! I got 17 minutes into that and was like, I can't do this.
D: How dare, that is a BL classic, I say, with a slash of sarcasm.
S: It's such a waste of Gawain. Who is always such a good time. And then he's always so delightfully Pennsylvania in the behind the scenes stuff, and I always forget that he's Pennsylvania, and it's a Pennsylvania jump scare.
D: I got through seven episodes of Lovely Writer, and I hated it. If we were ever gonna do another hyper overhyped episode, we should do Lovely Writer, so I can talk about how much I did not like that show, and just get banned from fandom, as I'm just working towards. But we're not gonna talk about that. We do actually have a list of picks of shows.
S: And there were some beautiful highs this year, I will say. The stuff that I really, really liked, and I'll take that.
D: So do you wanna start us off?
S: Sure.
S: So obviously on my favs list are stuff that we've already talked about in an episode, I'm not gonna go too deeply into. Unambiguously, my favorite show this year was Playboyy. I love everything about the show. I like the story, I like the characters, I like the really cool production design and set choices that were made. I love the writing, I love how tight it is. I love that it has such great rewatchability, and I love that we're getting another fucking series.
So hopefully 2025, maybe 2026, will bring the next round. Honestly, when that thing went out, what they were talking about, the top shows of the year, and it was Pit Babe, Playboy, and Unknown, I was like, validation, my taste is impeccable, and I'm never wrong about anything.
D: Like, I can't remember what the poll or what stats that came from, exactly. But yes, when they dropped the announcement, and we haven't dropped the Playboyy episode by the time folks are listening to this, but we do have a Playboyy episode.
S: And I forgot that we promised we'd do a part two of that too, to where we more talked about the show itself.
D: Yeah, because we spent a lot of time talking about the filmmaking and also fandom reaction to the show, which I definitely think Playboyy got a really weird and bad rap from fandom, and yet we are getting a season two.
S: So we are.
S: I think so GagaLaLa, where Playboyy was streaming, was breaking records for them in terms of streaming. Yeah. Which was very validating, when so much of the fandom opinion was like, the show is gross and nasty, and no one's watching it wrong.
D: Like, it very much feels like Captain Holt, Brooklyn99vindication.gif.
S: I use that gif so often, when I talk about that show. So smug about it. So yeah, Playboyy, we have a whole episode about it. Hopefully we'll have a part two, where we just talk more about the characters in the show and the mystery.
It'll be great. And then kind of in there with Playboyy, like the other highlight for me was Pit Babe, of course. I really like Pit Babe.
It's another one where I really like the cast. It's never gonna stop being funny to me, that they just lied about the Omegaverse part. Just like, I've never heard of Omegaverse.
I don't know this man. And then the first episode, it's immediately like, mm, your Alpha scent. It's the funniest possible way that they could have handled it. I think it's hilarious, and I respect them immensely for it. So yeah, I love the mix of like, Evil Professor X powers stuff, with like the weird found family stuff. I love the cast too. Like, they're all great, and they're also very like, funny and charming behind the scenes, which I don't care about as much, but it's nice. And they're also getting another series.
And that one has like a pitch trailer. Me and other people in the group chat are manifesting. Someone on that show will be knocked up by the end of series two. Don't be coward, Pit Babe. Embrace your genre. We deserve this.
D: Like, I was not as much of a fan of Pit Babe as you were. And yet I am still so rooting for someone to get knocked up. Like, I am right there. I am manifesting it with y'all. Like, I am in the bleachers cheering this on.
S: And I love this energy from you so much. It's how I feel about a One Piece, where I'm like, it's not for me, but like it is beloved of my dear friend. So I want it to succeed.
D: I appreciate that so much, because I'm so mad that I'm into One Piece. I will forever be salty about it, about how much I deeply love that show, considering I don't watch a lot of TV shows. But anyway, continue with your list. Awesome choices to start off with.
S: Thank you. And then my other like, favorite television show of the year. I went with Unknown, which I believe was a Taiwanese production, I think. I'm almost positive it was. Anyways, so Unknown is an adaptation of a, I think it's called Da Ge, as the name of the title of the Danmei, by Priest who also wrote, what else is Priest wrote and wrote in?
S: What else is Priest written?
D: Far Away Wanderers.
S: Far away wanderers, which became Word of Honor. Word of Honor. I'm doing great. She also wrote Guardian too. She's very prolific. So this show kind of surprised me because kind of looking at the synopsis of it, I was like, yeah, it seems fun, but it seems like kind of a family drama. And those don't always super grab me. Like one of my favorite shows this year was like, Two Pit, Two Babe.
Like I like a racing car. And then this show just like every single minute of it is so deft and so well constructed. And like I actually cried watching the show a couple of times just because like the emotions were so much.
And also I'm also an oldest sibling, deeply burdened with the responsibility of dealing with my younger siblings without the, you know, sleeping with the step sibling thing, not step sibling adopted sibling, whatever. It was very ambiguous. It was very ambiguous. They're sworn brothers. Basically the same thing as being blood brothers. So yeah, so unknown, just very brief synopsis. It is about a family that has an older brother and a little sister. And in the middle, there is like their Dick Grayson, like their orphan that just kind of like followed them home one day and they're like, great, you're part of the family now. And it is about like growing up. And obviously falling in love, it ends up being a romance between like the eldest brother and the adopted one. And it's not just romance.
It's so much a romance about like falling in love, but also like allowing yourself to have things that make you happy when your whole life has been about sacrifice, about seeing worth in yourself, about making choices that scare you, about being open to things that could hurt, but could also be wonderful. It's a fantastic cast. It's really well filmed. Like not in like a super flashy way, but like it has such like an aura to it, I would say. And the chemistry between characters is absolutely phenomenal. And one of my new favorite little sisters in all of BL. So yeah, absolutely fantastic. I loved it.
D: I was really excited to see this on your list because this was one of my favorites this year as well. And it is, it's filmed in a way that's both very competent while still retaining a real like stylistic kind of rustic appeal to it, in my opinion.
I liked Taiwanese BLs because they know how to use their budget, which is usually pretty small. Another fave of mine from Taiwan is Kiseki, Dear to Me. And it's such a silly bonkers show, but it's very sincere. Yeah, yeah. It doesn't have a big production value. They cannot film a fight scene because they clearly just don't have the budget for it.
S: No, there's nothing left for fake blood after Ai Di’s sweaters. It was all blown on Ai Di’s sweaters.
D: They could not afford like a stunt coordinator and stuff, but they repurposed like their budget to like their costumes and such. And Dear to Me had great costumes. And I felt like the Unknown also had really good costuming. And I just, yeah, it's a more low stakes kind of quiet. BL, which I felt like is a really good adaptation of the tone of Priest's work.
S: Yeah, I agree, definitely. I think too, like it does such a good job, I think of sort of making like the place another character in a way.
So like their apartment house is so like integral to who they are and how they relate to each other. Like there's a very specific orientation of like the bedrooms upstairs where you see people going back and forth and in and out and popping out and listening. And it's so well used to like create character through the use of this house that is, you know, just a house that it shows that they don't have a ton of money, but there's a lot of care. And I really, really enjoyed that.
D: I did too. And it also has some of like my favorite comedic moments.
S: The whole like going into the kitchen to get a knife thing to stab the sisters.
D: Boyfriend, boyfriend.
S: It's so fucking funny.
D: It's so funny. Like the actor's comedic timing is just, it's so good. Like that and the sonogram scene where he finds out that his little sister is pregnant by the boyfriend and he like puts her hands over her ears and he just goes, you know, and his boyfriend has to pull him away and stuff. And he's like, I'm gonna get my knife. I'm gonna get my, where's my knife? And I'm like that as a Latin, I felt all of that in my soul very deeply.
D: That shit got me.
S: I'm just jiding the knives afterwards. It's just a case.
D: So funny. So good.
S: So yeah, that was, that was my other like favorite filmed TV show of this year. And then moving into things that are not TV shows because I feel very strongly about including BL stuff that's not just TV shows.
So like you said, this isn't necessarily stuff that lonely came out this year, but this year I read Remnants of Filth, which is a danmei by Meat Bun, also noted for Husky and His White Cat, Shizun, and which I have also read and loved. And then like Case File Compendium, which I have not read.
So Remnants of Filth, oh my God, it's so good. It is about this guy who was a general in this country who had a beloved friend and boyfriend partner who was also a general, but he was from like the streets who betrayed his country after initially unspecified wrongs were done to him who our main general finds like stashed in like the world's weirdest fucking brothel.
D: Not stashed.
S: And it's just like, I hate him so much. I must express my hatred of him by moving him into my house so I can hate him directly every minute of the day. It's so good. It's such an interesting premise. Like so much danmei is obviously about the like, you meet and then they like each other and then drama and bullshit and flutes and zombies and, you know, and then they come together in the end and they kiss. There's so many flutes. It's a lot of fluting, okay?
And this one I love cause like there's this past relationship like where they were like lovers and they were having sex and they were very close and then it's all been shattered. So it's absolutely fantastic. I've loved every minute of it. And like the most recent volume I think we even get into like sex pollen. There's a really strong cast of like side characters and friends and they have like their own fail son who's like my favorite stock character in danmei, the like younger loser child, like Jin Ling and feathery bangs.
Like there's always like the younger loser child. I love them. And I don't want to spoil it, but like then you find out that like there were reasons for betrayal that are much deeper than they seem and there were secrets and lies and I really love it. So I think the first five I want to say, no, so the first four volumes are out and the fifth one is coming out shortly.
So yes, highly recommend Remnants of Filth.
I also read Husky and His White Cat Shizun this year as well, which I also enjoyed immensely. For it's kind of bringing the same energy as like a Scum Villain Self-Saving System, but like flipped where the person who's getting another go is the student. It's also wonderful, very, very fun.
D: I loved Husky. Like I've only gotten through volumes one and two and I'm really excited to read the rest. I have Remnants of Filth volume one and I've been wanting to read it and I just haven't had the time. So I'm really excited to read it, especially with like your endorsement. And I just, I like Meat Buns writing. Like I like, I like their work.
S: I like Meat Bun is just fun to read.
D: Yes, like it's, they just, they're balls to the walls, man. Like, you know, they just feel like a playlist that I can shake my ass to is the way I feel about their work. Yeah.
S: And like I have, I don't know if she has other stuff than just the three that are like available officially in English, but I like that like her characters tend to have sex a little sooner than like in other danmei. I like that her characters are kind of allowed to be mean and shitty to each other. And then still work it out. Like I like that her, it's not like a necessarily a smooth ride.
It's often butting heads and being bad and having to forgive people and looking at your life and looking at your choices. And she does it in such a fun way.
Then my last pick for this year is Painter of the Night, which is a bonkers, fucking bonkers, a comic that is about a nobleman who's a Libertine, if we're gonna put it really mildly. And then like the tiny little twink fucking porn painter that he finds and is immediately obsessed with for like, how many episodes is it?
Like 130 episodes of this comic. You recommended this one to me and you told me very much, you very much were like, it's a lot, like it's intense, like the fucking nobleman is deranged. And I was like, yeah, absolutely. And I still was not prepared for how fucking deranged.
D: Oh, he's great. I do, and this one is on my list as well because it ended this year, like it completed, it's run this year. And I just, for comics, especially for webtoons, they tend to be very, very, very, very long. And I love comics, I'm a big comic reader period, but like webtoons in particular are a little difficult for me to read, because I don't like vertical scrolls personally.
I prefer like, I'm old school, I prefer to have the book in my hand, I guess. But Painter of the Night, I always wanna say Painter by the Night, what attracted me to it originally was the artwork.
D: Yes, the artwork is so, so good, and it's very unique from other webtoons that I've read. And I've read all sorts of webtoons across the board and genres and such, but what I really liked about this one in particular was its use of texture and color.
A lot of webtoons, if you kinda look through them, the colors are very flat. They don't have a lot of depth to them, probably because people are doing like a specific sort of digital type of coloring. And this one, this comic in particular has a very, like a, it almost looks like watercolors at sometimes, like at certain points. And the line work is a lot lighter and a lot thinner than a lot of other webtoons, which kind of favor like a more thick line work. And all these little things, like there's just such small details. And not every episode is gonna be like, this like crazy high level because webtoons are very, very difficult. And a lot of them have to be delivered weekly.
It's a very, very difficult process. But Painter of the Night, like overall, the artwork is just so captivating to me. And I love their use of color. And I love their use of like texture. It looks like it's almost been like painted on a page, really, like at certain points. And the story is a lot. It's a lot. It's gonna be one of those.
S: It's hashtag problematic.
D: Yes, yes. And I definitely.
S: It's kind of beauty in the beast. Like a little bit.
D: Oh, that fuck ass scholar. If you know, you know.
But yeah, like I found just the, because with webtoons, this is how I feel about comics in general, but especially like the longer comics and such. I love one watching an artist, their skill set grow. It's one of my favorite things about comics is watching how their art changes and develops over time. And then I also love just seeing how like the story develops.
Cause especially for kind of weekly comics, if you read a lot of manwha, you probably already know this, but a lot of times creators, because they're going on that weekly basis, they have only like a bare bones kind of outline, rather than like a really robust, you know, like Stephen King-esque, like novelist-esque outline where it's like, every little point is, you know, plotted out. So that's why you get like lots of arcs and such. And I really liked just kind of seeing the progression of their relationship in the story, cause they, they honestly go through so much.
S: They go through so much. And it's also like, I always like stories where it's very freak for freak. And what I love about this comic is that it tells you upfront that the painter is a freak. Like he's known for drawing like gay porn. Like that's his career. But then he, like you kind of forget about that at the beginning, cause he's still like, me, I would never, I've never, I can't, and then eventually get to the point where he's like, oh, unfortunately now I just want to fuck you all the time.
I can't even live like this. And I love that.
Like in terms of the art too, like two of the things I really love, I love the way skin is colored, which is great. Which is great because they are naked a lot. But there's like, they get like a very like beautiful, like flushedness to skin. So it feels very like, like you can tell a character is like physically hot. Like it's, it's really beautiful.
And I don't see it in like comics ever generally. And also perfect expressions. Absolutely fantastic facial expressions that managed to convey an emotion that I couldn't even describe with words, especially from the fucking deranged nobleman. Like some of the faces he makes when people like contradict him or he's really turned on, they're amazing. They're like, I have one of them as like the lock screen on my iPad just cause it makes me laugh every time I look at it.
D: Yeah, truly like they, the expressions are really, really well done. I totally agree with that. I'm so glad you brought that up. Cause there are just certain scenes, especially when he's just like hit his beast mode of derangement and it's just great. Like it's just fun. Like, and it's, it's a period piece too. Like it's, it's set in
S: Like, there's my favorite, like some of my favorite little hats that ever pop up in a historical really like Korea really, really had like a lock on like the fun little hat game.
D: Yeah. And, and then there's, there's the whole class differential too that I see played a lot. And I liked that aspect as well. And it's just, it was, it was cool to see the fruition of this very long running comic. I would argue that probably Painter of the Night is one of the most popular like webtoons.
S: I think it is the top one on, so I watched it on Leshen, Leshzin, I don't know how you say it, US. And last time I like was reading it, I think it was like the number one ranked of like the site. Yes.
D: Yeah. Cause I, I follow the, the creator on their Twitter and they're very funny. I can't, obviously I don't speak or read Korean, but from what Google translate translates for me, they are very funny. They also drew a Kingdom fan art with their two characters.
S: Oh, that's what I was gonna say.
I love creative people who would get fun and silly with their own work and creators willingness to like draw these two in fucking cosplay of other shows. This is one of my favorite things about them.
D: Yes. Yes. And, and Kingdom is one of my favorite like Korean shows of pretty much all time. Cause I mean, it's a zombie TV show for folks that don't know. It's on Netflix. It's got two seasons and a prequel movie. It is phenomenal. I recommend it to everybody that I know that is willing to watch anything with zombies and/or horror. And they drew fan art with their characters from Painter of the Night with two characters that I also ship from the show like in cosplay. It was great.
It was great. But yeah. So, so Painter of the Night. Yeah. I really recommend that.
That was definitely one of my favorite things that I read this year. Yeah. That was kind of my thoughts on it. I don't want to cut you off on your thoughts. Like if you had any.
S: I like, I have a couple like honorable mentions that I just kind of wanted to throw out there. Like stuff that I liked that, I don't know, didn't make the cut.
So like other, so obviously other things I like this year would be like Dead Friends Forever. We did a whole episode about that. It was wonderful. Perfect.
I stand by everything I said. The Sign was also really good. I think the sign didn't totally nail the ending and I didn't love the special episode, but I still enjoyed it immensely.
I loved the mythological elements of it and the really great fucking sex scenes in that show. What else? What else was good? I also liked We Are. That's kind of my like GMMTV.
D: We're gonna, we're gonna put a pin in that. We're definitely gonna discuss that later.
S: So I really liked We Are. Not all of the couples totally captivated me, but I really liked the older brother and God's perfect extrovert. It was just a good watch. It was another very low stakes, like found family, friends in college being gay and falling in love and shit. It was fun. I liked it.
What else? Love for Love's sake, which is a Korean like Isakai story where a guy gets put into like a video game. Falls in Love has feelings. Really love that one. A lot of fun. Also has the one instance I've ever seen of like someone having a bisexual awakening and then still getting shot down, which is very funny. What else was good? I also really liked Love Sea. I liked Fort and Pete and I like Mame, like no one shocked, but Love Sea was a lot of fun.
What else? Oh, and then one that I watched this year that I is not from this year that I really liked does a Japanese BL called End of the World with You. And it is about these two guys who dated in college, I think it was, and broke up spectacularly.
And now that there's an asteroid coming to hit Earth, now they're like together for like the last seven days that the Earth will ever have. I really liked that one. It was a lot of fun. And I'm watching Jack and Joker right now and I'm enjoying that immensely.
D: I didn't realize so much came out this year.
Like I'm listening to your list and I'm like, oh, I liked that one. I liked that one. I'm like, fuck, did they all come out this year? Yeah, I guess to, I have much less on my list just by the fact that like one, I don't watch a lot of shows. I try, I try so hard, but like.
S: But there's 700 episodes of One Piece to watch.
D: Don't call me out. All right, look, look, my friend gave me their Crunchyroll account. I had a lot of catching up to do, okay, I had an entire Wano arc to catch up on and that was like 300 episodes, okay? And they were all amazing. And then I had to watch the movies. And that was also really fun.
Just sitting here at my desktop in shame. So yeah, and then the second part of it is like, I'm really picky.
I'm such a fucking pretentious film person. So like.
S: What's your favorite movie again?
D: Oh, that's, there's so many, I don't know. Don't ask me that at the moment.
S: I can't. Is it Jason, Jason?
D: That's why that's my favorite Friday move. That is one of my favorite Friday movies. Jason X is so fucking funny. Like, all right, like that's, that's taste, okay? It was filmed on a Power Rangers set, like mixed with some Star Trek sets. All right, they just cobbled them together.
S: It's definitely the movie you have most frequently brought up to me.
D: Like my pen pal will text me and once they texted me and they were like, do you, do you like watch good things? And I'm like, I was really, I was very hurt by that because I couldn't argue against it. Like.
S: It's good to me.
D: Like I watch plenty of good things. Don't talk to me, whatever guys. Like I saw, I was like the 16 people that saw the Green Knight in the movies. Okay. All right. I don't want to hear it.
S: I also saw the Green Knight. I saw the Green Knight twice in theaters actually.
D: Like it's so good. It was so good. And I will never go with the group that I went with again, except for like my one friend. Cause they were, they were very confused. They were like, I thought it'd be like Gladiator or something. And I was like, what?
S: Oh, oh, baby. No. Oh, honey. No, it's not like that.
D: I was like, okay, you're not my friends. So somebody set your expectations up to fail. That's not my fault.
But yeah, so I don't have a ton on my list just because I am, I am a little picky. And for me, like, I don't often put things into like categories of this was the best. Like the whole, what's your favorite movie question? It's actually very difficult for me because I judge films on different kind of parameters. You know, like Jason X is one of my favorite movies, but it's trash garbage. Like, and Titanic, I think is one of probably the best films I've ever watched on the big screen. But I don't know if I would say my favorite, you know?
S: Yeah, I mean, like, Schindler's List is a beautiful movie that made me cry. I don't know that I would call it my favorite movie.
D: Oh God, yeah. I feel that way about, um, Grave of the Fireflies.
S: Oh God, no, never again.
D: Yes, exactly. Like, never again. A beautiful film, beautifully animated, beautifully directed, beautifully written, but like, I've watched it twice and that's kind of like enough.
But yes, I try to like follow that kind of like Roger Ebert School of Thought where like, he judged films on like what their goals were and if they accomplished their goals, which is why I love the fact that he gave Space Jam like three stars and he gave Godfather Part II, like two and a half stars or something like that. It's amazing to me.
S: I think his review of The Mummy is also like the most accurate description of what I like about The Mummy, where it's like, I don't know if the script makes sense.
I don't know if it's good. You know, especially now in 2024, we probably wouldn't be casting Rachel Weiss to play a half Egyptian woman, but it makes me so happy. Like there are just so many moments where I'm like, yeah.
D: Yes, exactly. Like, so when I was kind of putting together my list, like one, I had to figure out what I actually had like watched this year or like read this year and whatnot. And then which ones those like, I felt like were really good.
And then also like the mummy happy. And like what I came up with Painter of the Night was definitely one of them, just because it was a comic that I had been sticking with for a very long time. And like I said, I love the artwork and I really liked the story and it was such a culmination of everything. And I thought the ending was really strong.
And then another thing that like borrowed into my brain this year was a movie called Taboo. And it's a Japanese movie from 1999. So I know the youths are like, oh my God, it's vintage.
But it's fascinating. Like I watched it once and I would love to, I'm trying to find like a DVD copy because I would love to watch this movie like again and again because like the more I thought about the more I kind of was like thinking about it in different ways. So the story is basically, it takes place during, I believe like the 18th century of Japan. And it's about the shinsengumi. And if you're like an anime fan, you probably know or you know, or if you're a Kurosawa fan or you just like samurai shit, you probably know who the shinsengumi are. And they're basically like a, like the group of samurai, you know, and...
S: And these are like the real guys, right? Like it's not fictionalized. Okay, yeah, very important. These are like actual real people.
D: It's historical in the same way that like a Queen Elizabeth movie is a historical, like the real people. Yeah. But is it accurate?
S: But who's to say what's actually happened? This could be real.
D: So, but the film is about like the shinsengumi is looking for new recruits and they find these two new dudes. And one of these dudes, I think his name is Kano or Kano, he's like really, really fucking pretty. Like, and all the other samurai are just down bad, like instantly and Beat Takeshi is in this film.
And he is also like down bad. Like there's a whole scene where his character, who's another historical figure is looking at Kano and is like focusing on his lips and focusing on his eyes. And like he's got like the most subtle eyeliner. Like, I don't like that's probably not historically accurate, but I understand like the vibes that we're going for.
S: And I mean, honestly, eyeliner is one of the oldest like makeup things like in history.
S: So maybe it is like it's entirely possible that it could be.
D: But yeah, so he basically like all of these other samurai start like pursuing him. And it's got like a erotic 90s thriller tone to it. And the plot is very much in line with like a 90s erotic thriller. And you basically don't know if Kano is a spy. And he's like trying to kind of dismantle, you know, this the samurai internally by causing discord. Because a big theme that Beat Takeshi's character talks about a lot is like, you can like, what a bone him down. Like, but you can't fall in love with Kano. Like that's the big thing. Like, because love is like the death of duty type of thing.
And the ending is very ambiguous. Was he a spy? Was he not? There's murders that happened. Did he kill these people? Did he not?
Was it someone else that killed them? You know, and they don't give you any clear cut answers, which I feel like would be very, very frustrating for some people. But for me, it set my little brain afire. The cinematography is gorgeous. I think the direction is also just really well done.
Like the director is very prolific. He has one of my favorite quotes that I've ever read of all time, where he talked about Japanese businessmen. And this is a paraphrase. So I'll link the actual like interview and quote in the description and such on our read reading further further page.
But he talks about like, you know, why did Japanese businessmen do like work overtime? It's because they want to be around other men. It's very homoerotic. Like, don't lie to yourselves. And I was like, damn,
S: It's also something that's actually very interesting too. Just like, I didn't watch this one, but I watched Kubi, which is same guys. Like just very interesting examples of like when a society is so like sex separated that you cycle around a homoeroticism. Because women are so removed from men. And if you only think you can have meaningful deep relationships with men, then yeah, you're going to end up with men fucking each other.
D: Like it's misogynistic. And then like, like you're so misogynistic, you just wrap back around to being homosexual.
S: Like what it kind of reminded me of in the vibe oddly is a little bit of Oz, which is a HBO TV show that's set in a prison where there was a lot of that too. Of where it's like, well, there are no women to fuck. So men will fuck each other.
D: Oz is such a deep cut that the youths won't get either.
S: Oz is such a deep cut.
D: Yeah, if you guys want to see Stabler from SVU show things, show lots of things, watch Oz.
But, but yeah, I really loved Taboo. That was definitely a film I watched this year that like I want to own the physical copy so badly. And it just burrowed into my brain. And like, especially because it takes place, I think like four or five ish years before the shinsengumi like disbanded. So it was also like this through line of like, you know, because they talk about classism in the film, like that's a thematic. And that's a thematic in a lot of this director's work as well.
Other folks might know his other movie, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, I think it's called with David Bowie. Beat Takeshi is also in that one. Beat Takeshi was in Kubi, too. Like he's been in a lot of like queer films and he directed Kubi like.
S: Did he really?
D: He was like, what if the reason why Nobunaga got overthrown was because one of his vassals was mad jealous of him and his twink like.
S: Kubi does also have one of the funniest moments in any movie I watched this year, which is like the main guy just having to kneel there. Well, Nobunagi is absolutely railing his twink and he just is sitting there like disassociated.
S: Like this is not my beautiful. This is not my beautiful samurai. So this is not my beautiful Japan.
D: And it's very - describing that scene to you and you texted me back. And you were like, "I was not prepared".
S: So funny, just like the look on his face. It's just so funny.
D: Neither of these films, by the way, are “happy endings”. I should clarify just in case anybody thinks they are. They are not at all. I think Kubi is I didn't love Kubi. I loved the direction. I love the costumes, especially the costume designer was actually Akira Kurosawa’s daughter.
Or granddaughter, I think it was his granddaughter. So that was cool because from what I've read, Beat Takeshi actually maybe knew Akira Kurosawa.
Don't quote me on that, but I'm pretty sure I've read that somewhere. But Kubi is was very, very harsh. I'd say Taboo is I'm going to stick with my nineties erotic thrillers to me.
S: Like that's very much that's fair.
It's kind of like, you know, do you want to watch Krillin Tensions or, you know, Gladiator?
D: Like that's a really good comparison. So OK, so that was one of them. And then another series that I read this year, this is a comic. This is a Korean webtoon. It was called Taming the Tiger.
And how do I explain this? It has a similar vibe that Painter of the Night has with without the art styles are very different. I would say Taming the Tiger is more of like the mainstream webtoon style art, you know, thicker lines, more like flat, like solid coloring and such. But the nobleman in this one is also very deranged.
He's just the bottom this time.
And it also deals with like class and such, because basically this nobleman, he goes off and he finds himself a butcher. And I don't know much about because it's another time period. It's another period piece.
So I don't know much about this time period exactly as far as like, you know, Korean history goes. But from this comic, butchers are apparently like very low class and they're kind of looked down upon and kind of seen as like bad luck.
So he finds a butcher and it's, you know, the tallest, hottest dude in this butcher village, because of course, and he brings them back to his estate and stuff and situations abound, you know, as they fall in love and things like that. And I like how it plays on the dynamics in a lot of different ways, like, you know, one character being rich, the other character being like poor, the way the sex is and like, you know, how their dynamics switches in that sort of sense, how they slowly grow to like really actually care about each other and such.
All the crushing nature of being repressed in that society and like not being able to make your own choices because of like your family ties is a big plot point as well. Like there's this whole subplot with the Nobleman's younger brother who's sick and like he can't be let out. And he's kind of smothering the younger brother and he slowly learns to like let that go and such.
And yeah, they go through they go through a lot of situations. And I just found the relationship really compelling. It's one of those that definitely like lingered with me. The ending honestly actually made me cry. Like I was reading it like fucking four in the morning because that's that's my life.
That's these are the choices I decided to make. And like it's it's bittersweet. I wouldn't say that it's it's tragic.
They I guess spoiler alert, they do both die, but they die of like natural causes. They just die young and they die like, you know, one character dies first and the other character kind of just follows. And I thought that was just like really beautiful. Like in the way it happened and the way it occurred. I know people are going to be like, oh, gross, like they both die.
Don't worry. There's an epilogue of side stories where they're reincarnated into the modern world. Like and the Nobleman wears lingerie. So like we all win still in the end, you know, but like the actual ending.
I like me a bittersweet ending if it's done well. And I did feel like that was done. Like I could have that that could have been the end without the epilogue for me. And I would have still been really satisfied.
I did enjoy the epilogue and the side stories of them like being reincarnated and stuff, you know, and then being kind of like on more equal terms, like within a modern day society, they're able to be like open about their relationship. There's another subplot where the Nobleman's mom was actually in love with one of her servants, who's also a woman. So there's even some like side yuri, which was really cool.
Actually, they don't play a huge role, but it was really cool. His mom is dead by that point. And again, it was just kind of like this through line of like generational things and like that that repression and such that I really liked. But they get their they get their happy ending in the epilogue.
So it's fine, guys, it's fine. And then the the last one, the last series, this was this was the big one for me.
Was 4 Minutes.
S: It's so good.
D: Like out of all the series that I actively watched this year and I've watched more than I thought I did. And I do have some honorable mentions.
I did love a lot of stuff on your list, too. But for me, 4 Minutes was just it. Like it was the the filmmaking alone sold me like as a film nerd. I was just enthralled.
S: It's beautiful.
D: Like I loved the aspect ratio that they filmed it in because it gave it such a cinematic look. I loved the coloring, like the color grading of a lot of the scenes and how they changed. I loved the like fish eye lens that
S: They as I was just saying, they use like very well placed and subtle camera effects. So it just kind of like sparkles on the edge of your vision that this looks a little bit weird.
D: Yeah, they definitely knew how to use an aperture. I think I'm saying that correctly. I think we might have talked about this briefly in like an earlier episode. Like what that is. So basically it's the amount of light that will come through like your camera lens. And it will blur things out.
So in 4 Minutes, like it's there are certain scenes that are blurred out more on the edges and other ones that aren't. And it's one of those series where like I'll go back and watch just to catch stuff like that because I love stuff like that. Like I love me. I love a show that will challenge me and I love a show that we're like, I can rewatch it and pick out things even if I know the ending or I can be like, oh my God, like, OK, I missed that the first time around. Or I didn't notice this in the background the first time around. That stuff I just absolutely love. Like to me, that's what makes the show like rewatchable.
S: Do you want to give like a brief synopsis of what it's about?
D: I wouldn't. How do I? How do I summarize this? Help me out here. I'm not really sure.
S: So 4 Minutes is about a guy named Great, who wakes up one day and can suddenly see four minutes into the future. It is not as simple as that. It is a show where there are multiple timelines and multiple versions of events.
Yeah, I think that's pretty much all you could say without super spoiling it. Primary love interest is a doctor named Tyme, who has has like some like deep kind of traumatic connections to Great. And then there is also kind of the secondary couple is Great's older brother, who is being put in a position of like power and having to do real shady shit as part of the family business, his older brother's secret boyfriend, who to me kind of stole the show a little bit.
And then there's also Inspector Meow Meow. But you know, so yeah, it's it's so good.
Like Sammon is so good at constructing plots in ways that unfold really beautifully. And this one was just so tightly done and so good.
D: Yeah, it's by the same screenwriter as Manner of Death and
S: Wrote Triage too
D: That was the other one. Yes. Yes.
S: And she worked on Dead Friends forever.
D: And it's from the same studio as KinnPorsche and Dead Friends Forever. So be on cloud, I always want to put a “the” in there. And I'm like, that's not a part of it. But it's from B.O .C.
And I feel like I've made it no like surprise to anybody that's been listening that I am quite a fan of B.O .C.'s like filmography thus far. Even the stuff that I haven't loved, like I didn't love the movie that came out. The plot was thinner than it needed to be. I feel like the film should have been like maybe 30 minutes longer.
S: Yeah, I wanted it to be more about Tong's character.
D: Yes, honestly, yeah.
S: Like I wanted it more about Tong's character.
D: A very controversial opinion, but like I feel like the film could have cut out Mile’s character and been better for it and been more streamlined.
S: Yeah, yeah, probably.
D: He's trying. Yeah, like that's the type of take that'll get us harassed on Twitter. But even though I didn't love the story of the film, I loved the filmmaking of the film and I love the acting. And I like that in B.O .C. projects, I get to see these actors act, which sounds like an oxymoron and, you know, like shade against other studios. And it's not meant to be. It's just that I tend to find a lot of takes and fandom a little overblown on how good some of these actors are. And it's not even necessarily them so much as like the scripts that they are given.
And I compare it to - God, I can't believe I'm going to say this. I compare it to glee? Because. Hear me out. Hear me out.
S: OK, tell me why it's like glee.
D: Because look, look, the youth probably didn't watch Glee, which bless your souls. Don't bother. But for those of us who do who did like the thing of it was you had a lot of you had a lot of actors on that show, period. But you had a lot of actors that actually were pretty good actors. They tell you we're good actors because some of the stories and some of the lines that they had to deliver were absolutely fucking stupid.
Like I will never forget because it was such a bad episode. But Amber Riley, who played Mercedes, had to like she had a whole episode where she was just her character was in love with Tater Tots.
S: And oh, God. Oh, come on.
D: The point of the episode was that she was supplementing, like, you know, being distant from her bestie because he got a boyfriend with Tater Tots. And if you think that sounds stupid, it was it was worse in motion.
S: Relatable as a high school thing, though.
D: Yeah. So. And you're watching this and you're like, this is garbage. And she's trying so hard to make it work. Like and I know she can act because I've seen her with better storylines acting a lot better, you know, and I saw like actors that would go on like Darren Chris was in the show and he had a lot of moments where he just was overacting, but he went on to win an Emmy for his work on American Crime Story.
S: And he was amazing in that one.
D: Yeah, he was really good. So when it comes to acting, it really depends on like the director and the scripts. There's a lot more factors in an actor's performance than I think people realize.
So. Like. To go back to the B.L. of it all, it's just that I see a lot of scripts where like they're not actually challenging the actors and they kind of are playing the same roles over and over and over again. And they start to develop bad acting habits. This isn't like just B.L. either.
S: No, like you see the same thing in like long running procedurals, like supernatural, especially like you can kind of see Jensen Ackles especially start to get bored with it toward the end. Like it's just the repetition of it. If you doing something for 15 years, eventually it's going to, you know, phone it in a little.
D: Yeah, like and if you're working with like the same batch of, you know, collaborators, like same directors and the same show runners and, you know, over and over and over again, you're going to you're going to start to develop habits. And I do see this with like actors from GMMTV because they do kind of get boxed into these typecasts.
Yeah, mostly for like merchandising reasons, honestly, you know, I'm not. I'm not going to I'm not going to play like it's definitely so they can sell those weird ass plushies and like they're light sticks.
S: I think with GMMTV, a lot of the time, if I hear what the BL is, I can usually about 80 percent of the time guess who's going to be the couple in it because it sounds like them, like The Heart Killers very much sounds like First and Khao.
D: Yes.
S: And that's actually like you said, one of the things I love the most about 4 Minutes is that one, the main love interest is like primarily with another studio, but liked the script and got brought in to play this main love interest. So it was like a brand new actor to this like crop of actors. That was really fun.
And even the ones who'd been in other BoC projects, so like Bible, Bas, Fuaiz, JJay, they weren't they were playing characters that were very different from other characters they had played. And it was really wonderful because it it kept the story still a surprise because it didn't feel like, well, I know what a Bible character acts like. It was like, I mean, I can guess what Vegas would do, but Vegas wouldn't have been in the situation in the first place.
S: Vegas would have just killed his way out of the situation by now.
S: He would have if he would have grabbed his murder poncho and had a time.
S: And I love that about him.
S: And I think also to be as he doesn't go for branded pairings as much. And that's what I really loved about Fuiaz's character is that he'd been with JJay and Dead Friends Forever. They were Tee and White. And there is still a relationship there between those two, but it is not the primary like romantic relationship for Fuiaz's character all the way down.
And it was very surprising because I wasn't sure if they were going to go that route. But it was really wonderful to see like, oh, OK, if the story is better, not doing the branded pairing thing. I like that B.O .C. will go the way that makes the story better.
D: I agree. And that's that was basically like, yeah, you provided all the like the answer to all the context that I just gave. Like, because, yeah, that's that's my thing.
Like, that was one of the things that was exciting about 4 Minutes. I felt like this was such a challenge for Bible because it required a lot more subtle acting than a character like Vegas would require. I really liked, you know, seeing Fuiaz play such a different character from White.
Like this, I mean, it's deeply, deeply different. And I thought he knocked it out of the park. Yeah, I thought Bas also knocked it out of the park. I've seen him now.
This would be his third project that I've seen him in because he was in the movie and he was also in KinnPorche. And every character he's played in all those have been very different. And it's as someone that just likes film, like I enjoy seeing actors challenged and I enjoy seeing them playing different types of roles. That's just exciting for me.
So aside from just liking the story and liking the filmmaking of 4 Minutes, that was another just win for me. 4 Minutes by far was my favorite live action series that I watched this year. And those were like those were the top things for me.
S: Sorry, one final thing I do want to add about 4 Minutes because of who I am as a person. I also think 4 Minutes had some of like the most interestingly filmed and choreographed sex scenes of anything this year up there with Playboyy. And some of it is just like what they're willing to show on camera. So like you see Bas naked ass, like actors are clearly not wearing like underwear while they're having sex.
D: They’re wearing socks, guys. I don't want to think like
S: And fucking like Bible's thighs spread like that. That's just a good visual. And then also like the conversations around sex, I really liked. Like there's characters mentioning that they're on Prep. There's characters saying asking to fuck without a condom.
S: Like there's a much more like grounded in like the reality of sex.
D: Yeah, great. Taking a shower before hooking up.
S: Great taking a shower. Yeah, that is very like often, I think, missing from GMMTV, that kind of thing, where there's no like soft filter over sex.
It is something people are doing and they're filmed really beautifully and they're acted really beautifully too. And like again, shout out to Fuiaz because I think he had the most sex scenes of anyone in the show and some of like the really intense ones. And he absolutely nailed them.
D: Yeah, and shout out to like the intimacy coordinator and like the crew of 4 Minutes. 4 Minutes has a really cool documentary too on the filmmaking.
And I love that they highlighted like the director. They highlighted the costume designer. They highlighted the cinematographer who were all women too.
They need to keep that team on other projects because like whatever projects BOC comes out with next, like they really need to keep the team that they have because they're just very talented.
Like the costuming was also really good on 4 Minutes. And the cinematography was just phenomenal to me and the direction was really, really good. So I really am excited to see more work from like that team. Because I think when B.L. fandom talks about shows, they talk about like the one director and or screenwriter that they know.
S: And show writer, that they I attribute everything.
D: And sometimes he's just holding a boom mic, but somehow is able to get queer angst to a show. But yeah, like the team that is on a show often gets, you know, kind of sidelined and it happens even with like Western media too. I'm not going to pretend that this is like a specific B.L. thing or whatever, even a B.L. fandom thing.
You know, people are always attributing all of Martin Scorsese's work to just Martin Scorsese, but he has like a longstanding cinematographer partner that he's always worked with and such and a longstanding like editor partner that he's always worked with.
Anyway, so yeah, those were my top top picks, but honorable mentions. I definitely want to give a shout out to Century of Love. I really, really enjoyed that show this year. Yeah, I thought I've never seen those actors in anything before. Apparently they had like some other B.L. that came out, but I'm lazy and I didn't watch it.
But I did watch Century of Love and Century of Love is kind of like what I wished that until we meet again was.
S: Yeah, honestly, if you're if you're going to go with like fated to be together after tragedy, watch Century of Love.
D: I liked this so much. It has the reincarnation thing after tragedy, blah, blah. It has that like magical real.
S: Magic stones.
D: Yeah, it's great. I love the family aspect. Like the family is they are rooting for these two dudes so hard. I loved the great, great granddaughter. She was phenomenal.
S: The inherent comedy of like a 75 year old man calling a man who looks to be 27, uncle.
D: Yes, yes. And I love that too, because like, you know, in like America, at least like we don't have like that language, you know, that yeah, like that hierarchy language and such.
So but in Thailand, you do and it was such a great play on comedy. Like it created so many comedic situations. And that was also just really enjoyable. I really enjoyed the great granddaughter calling her 25 year like old looking great, great grandfather, a boomer because. She showed belly button and stuff. And she's like, oh, you're such a boomer.
Like God, the two leads had really great chemistry. And, you know, the there's a whole bit where like the great, great granddad or whatever, who's cursed or something like that. Magic bullshit. He turns into like a little kid and the little kid actor was also in 4 Minutes. And he is very talented. And I hope that he goes on to do more things because he is very talented. I'm wishing him the best.
S: Oh, I love that.
D: Go for it small child. And then shout outs to meet you at the Blossom.
Yes, I didn't love love the show. Like there were some things that I just didn't vibe with entirely with the show. But I loved its gumption. I loved that it's another danmei adaption that was able to be produced. I loved the dedication and the passion that the cast and crew had for it. So it's one of those things where it's like, did I absolutely love the narrative? No, but I have a lot of respect.
S: Yeah, I like that it didn't look cheap because that I think was kind of my fear because it was such a it was such like an interesting combination of like it was made in Thailand, but like financed through Taiwan. But like based on like a Chinese property, like there was there was definitely some like limboing to get this show made. And
I had been worried that it was just especially with like danmei that are like the genre of like sword stuff. It's so easy for that to look cheap and to start looking like a spirit Halloween. But it didn't. It looked very good for like the budget it had, which I appreciated.
D: Yeah, and I believe I read that like the director even put up like her house is collateral and stuff, to get it funded.
And yeah, so I want to give a shout out to that because I was like one of the other shows that I'd watch. I'd also watched Love Sea. I did enjoy Love Sea. Enjoyed it. I love it. And I did really, really like the Sign.
I did really, really like I agree with you that it didn't really nail the ending. But I love anything fantasy. I love anything mythological. So I also thought that the CGI in the sign was done very well and very smartly. So I had to give a kudos there. And then the two leads had a lot of chemistry. So I am looking forward to their next show. I hope they get to play again. That whole thing like I hope they get to play characters that are different from the characters in The Sign.
And then Dead Friend Forever was another one that I really, really enjoyed this year. And we've talked about that, so I'm not going to dive too deeply into that one. But yeah, all the ones on your list, I except for End of the World with you, I haven't watched that one. So I can't can't say anything for that one. But I'm sure it's very good because you have impeccable taste.
S: Thank you. There are also a couple of movies I think that we both watched that I think are worth throwing out there.
Creation of the Gods, fucking fantastic. I think it technically came out in 2023, but I looked it up and I watched it the first week of January. That's fucking amazing. I don't even know how to describe it. It's like there's like evil emperors and gods and fucking enlightened beings and two men who are definitely, definitely familiar with it what the other one looks like naked.
And God's perfect like rope, titty, harness thing, which had to have been tied by his best friend because no one else at that temple was tying it like that.
So we have to tie this man's hands behind his back. We should do this by putting the rope around his neck. And then we're going to like do like a spiral of the rope down the clavicle, draw it around the boobs. Like we want like we want like lift and separation. Like this is this is a wonder bra fucking rope harness. And then we will tie his hands together.
And at no point apparently was anyone like that feels like it's elaborate. We just want his hands to be demonstrably tied behind his back. Whoever did that was not taking notes at the structure.
D: Yeah. So a quick aside, like I showed this movie through a gif set because a gif set passed my dash on like Tumblr or whatever. And it was of that scene, like with the rope, the rope bra. And I was reading the comments because I was like, what is this? And there were so many comments that were like, why is he? Why is he tied up with the rope bra?
And the context is it's because he wants to show that his evil father at this point, who he still believes is good, that he's not holding any weapons, that he that he's that he's not armed in any way. And somebody in the comments was like, was this all necessary?
S: It was necessary to me.
D: So I want to clarify, creation of the gods isn't a BL or anything like that.
S: No, it's not. It's it's not even a danmei. It was just a love story to me.
D: Yes, no, I agree. Like and it's it's not queer like Taboo or Kubi is, but it is very, very fun. And it's very I feel like it's very fandom worthy, to be honest. Like all the fanfic on Ao3 for it is all in Mandarin, but it's like 5000 fics. And I have to go through Google Translate just to read anything because nobody has written anything and I'm very salty about it.
S: The vibe of it is kind of it's kind of the epic fantasy vibe, right? So it's kind of in the like fucking Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, kind of like epic stories and gods and monsters and demons and, you know, betrayal and all kinds of stuff.
S: Great, great.
D: This is really just us pleading with people to please watch.
S: Please write in English, please, please so much.
S: Or or if you can read Mandarin, translate. Mandarin, fake in English.
D: Like we're starving. We're starving.
S: In the same realm this year, I also watched Yin Yang Master Dreams of Eternity.
D: Yep.
S: Something like that. That is also a very, very fun one with, again, excellent little hats and two dudes who are definitely, definitely wildly into each other. Also, some of the best like antagonists like design for the snake guy with the scales and like the whole vibe. Absolutely wonderful.
D: And I would say that that one actually is like very queer subtext because there is that whole scene with the Fox demon guy where he's hanging out with the ladies and then he's hanging out with the dudes.
S: Yep.
D: In context, it makes more sense, guys. But the director is also like a gay man himself. And I do feel like you could the the two main characters very much parallel to two antagonists who are like essentially star-crossed lovers and such. And it's I love Dream of Eternity. There's two Yin Yang Master movies. They're both on Netflix, or at least they both should be on Netflix.
I don't know because Netflix fucking kicked me with their stupid anti-password sharing bullshit.
Anyway, but there is two Yin Yang Master films. Dream of Eternity is the one we're talking about. And that one I've watched them both because, of course, I have. And that one is better. The other one is very boring. I believe they're both based off a video game.
S: Oh, really? I didn’t know that.
D: I believe so. It's either a video game or a novel, but I'm pretty sure it's a video game. But Dream of Eternity is the one where like it's it's better films. It's a better story. It's very queer, subtextually, in my opinion. And it was just a blast to watch. Like I've rewatched that movie many, many times.
S: Like the costumes are also really, really gorgeous. Like, yeah, it's just the CGI is also really, really good. It's just a lot of fun if you like big action fantasy.
D: And it's it's also genuinely heartfelt.
S: It is like the ending is like with the like arrow shooting thing. It's very like meaningful.
D: Mm hmm. Yeah. Like the Empress, she got me. That story got me. So so, yeah, so those were those are my honorable mentions.
S: The only other specifically Asian movie that I would like to mention is Marry My Dead Husband.
D: Yes, yes.
S: Which is about a I didn't know about this practice. And I think it's very funny of like where the family of this kid, this guy who has died leaves like a red envelope on the ground and whoever picks it up. They're like, half you have to marry now. And it's very funny to me because it's like, I'm a man. And they're like, so what could be homophobic about it? It's twenty twenty four. You picked up the red envelope, motherfucker. You're obligated.
D: The grannies are amazing. You have to you have to put in the context of this is a group of grannies that are telling this to this stranger.
S: Who's like a cop. Very like toxic masculinity, like, and he's like, you're marrying our dead, my dead grandson. And he's like, no. And they're like, no, but you picked up the envelope and you are.
D: Like, you don't you don't have a choice, honey. Yeah, Marry My Dead Husband is also on Netflix. It's also very good. I like what they did with the female character, too. I would say that it's like an interesting film for like it's a lot of subversions that are going on. Yeah. And I believe that's hot. That Thailand is remaking it with the two actors from I sunset about you.
S: I Told Sunset about you? Oh, yeah. With P.P. Krit and Billiken because I never lose.
D: You truly don't like.
S: This was like a year of wins for me in terms of like future projects. It's also like in the movie, he marries this guy and then like the ghost of the guy actually shows up and is like, you need to help me figure out why I died and also help me do things like make sure my grandma doesn't unlock my phone to see all of the dick pics that I've received in my life.
D: It becomes very heartfelt.
S: Yeah, like it becomes very heartfelt. There's like confronting an old ex and like that fucking line, like you're making Mao Mao cry, like, oh, my God.
There's like the ending is very much about like sacrifice and when you just like fucking move in the cars out of the way, like there's a moment where the straight cop like is asked a question and he like calls the ghost his husband and it's very it's very sweet. It's very heartfelt. Mm hmm. Also, he was the in previous lives, they were a master and his dog, which is another very funny thing that comes up.
D: Yeah, it's a very, very heartfelt film. It's genuinely funny. I like both actors a lot. Allegedly, there is going to be a sequel. I don't know how that's going to work unless they bring Mao Mao back to life because I would love to see them get together, to be honest. I would. So much.
But yeah, they're remaking it with the actors from I Told Sunset About You. I don't know if it's going to be a TV show or if it's going to be a movie, this remake. I don't think there's a ton of information.
S: You'd have to add a lot to pad that out to be a TV show.
D: Yeah, I would rather it just be a movie personally. I think I'd like to see more movies from like just be a movie in general. So but yeah, that's a good one to add. Like because I also really, really enjoyed that. Also, there's a music video that's kind of like a it's kind of like a to the movie, but it's about Nalao and his grandmother and his he and him telling his grandmother that he's gay and like it's it's a misdirection in the music video and you have to watch it because it's amazing. She becomes DJ pride grandma. It's phenomenal. It's it's absolutely great. And I definitely recommend that as well. Okay.
S: So yeah, sorry. That was the final thing on the list of stuff that I wanted to make sure to mention.
D: Thank God your memory is peak because mine is not.
S: It was just me scrolling back through my tumblr being like, what did I watch? What did I watch?
Hey guys. So while we were recording this, we learned a really fun fact, which is that three hours is the maximum length of recording we can do. So because of that, we are actually splitting this into two parts.
So this is part one, part two with everything else we talked about will be at some point in January. All right. Thank you so much for listening. We will see you in the next year.
So 2024 is over or whatever but that doesn't mean we don't still have a ton to talk about! So much so we had to split this episode into two parts! Part 2 incoming when we get funding, watch our pilot trailer we promise it'll happen when The Next Prince hits screens.
There's the shows we loved, shows and films we thought deserved an honorable mention and then there were some Big BL Topics we wanted to cover. 2024 was just a year of so much; so much in fact we didn't even get a chance to cover everything!
So here we are in 2025, talking about 2024 BL because screw the rules [finish the meme].
Maybe this year we'll get the intro right and be a real podcast~
So 2024 is over or whatever but that doesn't mean we don't still have a ton to talk about! So much so we had to split this episode into two parts! Part 2 incoming when we get funding, watch our pilot trailer we promise it'll happen when The Next Prince hits screens.
There's the shows we loved, shows and films we thought deserved an honorable mention and then there were some Big BL Topics we wanted to cover. 2024 was just a year of so much; so much in fact we didn't even get a chance to cover everything!
So here we are in 2025, talking about 2024 BL because screw the rules [finish the meme].
Maybe this year we'll get the intro right and be a real podcast~
D: We spent a lot of time talking about the filmmaking and also fandom’s reaction to the show [Playboyy] which I definitely think Playboyy got a really weird and bad rep from fandom and yet we are getting a season two.
S: I think GagaLala where Playboyy was streaming was like breaking records fro them in terms of streaming. Which was very validating when so much of like the fandom opinion was like, this show is gross and nasty and no one is watching it. Wrong.
D: Like it very much feels like Captain Holt Brooklyn99 vindication dot gif
S: So yeah, Playboyy we have a whole episode about it.
Can't be sincerely dark without being called edgy, can't be sincerely emotional without being called melodramatic, can't be sincerely silly without being called stupid. They're gonna hate every emotion you put in your art no matter what so make it anyway and be as sincere as you can be
You like watching BLs and GLs? You like reading fanfics? Join us for the QL Fic Rec Fest 2025, starting on February 23rd!
What is QL Fic Rec Fest?
We want to bring a little more community and appreciation to the creative side of the QL fandom by giving each other fic recommendations. We also want to make it fun!
Every Sunday (starting Feb 23rd), we will post a prompt for the week and ask you to recommend great QL fics that fit the prompt.
How can you join?
If you want to rec fics, follow us or check our tag #qlficrecfest2025 for the prompt of the week. Make a post where you recommend one or more fics for the prompt. You can include as many details on why you like the fic as you want, just make sure to link the fic and tag your post! Go through #qlficrecfest2025 or check our weekly round-up posts to see what others like and find new fics to read.
Everyone is welcome! No matter how little or much you read, no matter how many shows you watch! You don't have to rec a fic for every prompt – just choose the ones that work for you.
Which fics can be recommended?
As the name suggests, we're looking for fics from the QL fandom – BLs, GLs, but also other queer Asian shows like 3 Will Be Free or censored shows that heavily imply queer relationships like The Untamed or Beyond Evil. Apart from that, there are no restrictions! (The fic should fit the weekly prompt of course.)
So 2024 is over or whatever but that doesn't mean we don't still have a ton to talk about! So much so we had to split this episode into two
So 2024 is over or whatever but that doesn't mean we don't still have a ton to talk about! So much so we had to split this episode into two parts! Part 2 incoming when we get funding, watch our pilot trailer we promise it'll happen when The Next Prince hits screens.
There's the shows we loved, shows and films we thought deserved an honorable mention and then there were some Big BL Topics we wanted to cover. 2024 was just a year of so much; so much in fact we didn't even get a chance to cover everything!
So here we are in 2025, talking about 2024 BL because screw the rules [finish the meme].
Maybe this year we'll get the intro right and be a real podcast~
For further reading check out our full list and references on ko-fi!
Nagisa Oshima Quote: A Japanese Film Master Returns to His Camera
The gifset by @xinyuehui that inspired us to watch Creation of the Gods
Have an unpopular opinion about a BL? Don't worry, we probably do too. Saying all the things you do or don’t wanna hear Part 5 (of 4) is her
In this episode we discussed Dead Friend Forever, a series that caused a surprising amount of discourse as the youths call it. Especially over that ending.
Some questions we wanted to ask were: is DFF a slasher? Why or why not? If not a slasher what type of horror is DFF? Where the concepts of catharsis vs retribution fall in horror. Tee's redemption and what horror themes it represented. And what were some fandom theories that just...were unrealistic.
If you want to know more about the topics we discussed in our episode on Dead Friends Forever check out some of the links below!
Further Reading:
‘Scream’: not your average horror movie
The 13 Key Elements of a Slasher Movie
The psychos down the street
Who is Junji Ito?
The ‘Midsommar’ Ending Explained
Midsommar: The Horrors of White Sympathy
When Horror Was Cathartic
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ANTS PLAYWRIGHT RAMIZ MONSEF
I am so so late to this party, but I just found this podcast and ran to listen to this episode. So great, I resonated with the whole conversation so much and I loved hearing from seasoned horror fans (the recommendations at the end were just what I needed).
Thought I'd send a recommendation your way if your interested in getting more insight into Thai horror as a genre: Mary Jane Ainslie's book Contemporary Thai Horror Film. It just came out last year so it might be hard to come by cheap, but if you can get access it's a really informative read. It has some great overview of different genre expectations and covers various shifts including the tension between class dynamics in both narrative and form.
It particularly made me think of a comparison you made during the podcast to haunted house horror. Because Thai horror has a really established tradition of supernatural or Nang Phi tales that are different from more western style slashers (Nang Sayong Kwan or terror films). It's interesting that as much as the early episodes throw established slasher tropes our way only to subvert being placed in that genre, these episodes also are throwing recognizable haunting tropes our way as well with the story of the cult and then Tee and Top's fear of it being a ghost (Top even specifically says "Thai ghosts can do anything). I can't speak for Thai viewers, but it strikes me as interesting that western fans prioritized the slasher label even early on over supernatural/haunting possibilities which are as much gestured to as the slasher tropes. In either case, I love how the show sets up genre expectations before deliberately shifting into the psychological horror aspects through the flashbacks, making us question all our assumptions, including those about genre.
We looked up Contemporary Thai Horror Film and while pricey it's def a book we want to check out. Wondering if local libraries have it For folks who also may want to see if their local libraries has this title (or others) you can use this site (US based) to find them.
Thank you SO much for that recommendation it's def up our alley.
You make a great connection about how western vs Thai viewers may have differentiated from the show. Specifically in terms of supernatural vs slasher. In my personal experience, slashers aren't as common a horror sub-genre outside of America, which makes sense given the very Americana roots of slashers - though debated what the "first" slasher is, some argue it's Black Christmas (1974) which is a Canadian film, others say it was Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), others still argue Texas Chainsaw (1974) or Halloween (1978) - in a lot of the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai horror we've watched supernatural/hauntings seem more popular as a sub-genre rather than slashers.
It reminds me of how western viewers saw Nanno as a demonic and/or Satan like figure in Girl From Nowhere while some Thai and other Asian fans (from what we observed in general) saw her as a more karmic and spiritual figure. Which follows similar discussions I've seen of Tomi - whom Nanno's costuming is based off of - from Junji Ito.
I love how the show sets up genre expectations before deliberately shifting into the psychological horror aspects through the flashbacks, making us question all our assumptions, including those about genre.
Fully agree with this; the show uses flashbacks very purposely and very effectively. It continuously builds up one set of expectations, pulls back on them to reveal new information, builds back up those expectations, and then reveals yet more information that keeps the audience both on our toes and questioning the thematics of morality.
Its still a show worth discussing in detail and personally, really glad the show didn't go for the by-the-by route of moral absolution and chose a much harder, difficult ending that favored staying true to it's own themes than providing the audience with easy answers and a sense of "justified" revenge.
The show has more in common with Midsommar's ending rather than Scream in my opinion.
Ok so you’re looking for a BL but with a specific flavor, like all you’re seeing at the cookout is potato salad but what you’re craving is some mac ‘n cheese, or maybe some tostones, or maybe a fresh off the grill burger? But the only thing people keep offering you is different styles of potato salad when damnit you asked for a burger! Don't bamboozle us here!
Well, luckily BL is a pretty vast genre, with a lot to offer in terms of substance and variety. If you’re up to expanding what stories you engage in, we’re up to both share and listen! Feel free to share any BL or GL that fall under today's genre highlight from tv shows, to comics, to novels, to film; we love and eat it all up, baby.
Today’s recs are for all things horror! Happy Halloween send your love to Ghostface, Chuckie and the Babadook.
Dead Friend Forever
What is it?
A Thai horror bl tv show that ran for 12 episodes each at 45mins of length. Available to watch on iQiyi.
Ok but what IS it?
A show about the horror of friendship that has a literal body count, but you can read the official summary here:
"Eight school friends take a trip to a vacation house in the mountains. It's supposed to be a last sendoff to a friend who's going to study abroad. The farewell has them revisiting old memories and they discover hints there's a ninth person hidden somewhere in the house. Soon, they're contending with life-threatening incidents and realize this is no ordinary farewell; a dreadful party of disaster awaits them."
Shadow
What is it?
A Thai tv show that ran for 14 episodes at 45mins of length. Available to watch on VIU and Gaga.
Ok but what IS it?
Nobody does horror like an oppressive Catholic school OR the full summary below:
"After his father's cancer diagnosis, Dan transferred to an all-boys boarding school. While navigating a new school, he learns about a mysterious student who disappeared last year, all while dealing with his own Shadow that shows up every night during his dreams..."
The Summer Hikaru Died
What is it?
An on-going seinen horror/slice of life manga series available via Yen Press.
Ok but what IS it?
Small town boy's bestie dies in a hiking accident and an eldritch being walking by says "hey, neat body sir mind if I steal it?"
Or:
"It has Hikaru’s face. It has Hikaru’s voice. It even has Hikaru’s memories. But whatever came down from the mountains six months ago isn’t Yoshiki’s best friend. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous. Carrying on at school and hanging out as if nothing has changed—as if Hikaru isn’t gone—would be crazy...but when it looks so very like Hikaru...and acts so very like Hikaru..."
After Sundown
What is it?
A Thai supernatural horror film running at 1hr and 45mins and not currently legally available online.
Ok but what IS it?
Know those two dudes from Cutie Pie? Zee and NuNew? Of course you do, well they did a ghost horror movie where they fall in love in between being haunted, good for them.
Or:
"Set in 1961, Saengrawi Raemsawang lived with Luang Lung Janthakorn until he turns twenty-one and is sent to live at Sitthikornkan Castle in Phra Nakhon. The castle is owned by Phraphloeng, currently living abroad. Heading the words of a sage, Phloeng's parents urge him back to Thailand. About to turn twenty-five, a prophecy requires him to soon find his soulmate to secure his safety; they may not be a woman, nor born in Phra Nakhon. Throughout his stay with Phloeng's family, Rawi is plagued by nightmares and haunted by a spirit. When he begins staying close to Phloeng, however, the spirit is quiet. It soon becomes clear that whatever is haunting the house is focused entirely on Rawi."
Kaleidoscope of Death
What is it?
A Chinese horror supernatural web novel, 139 chapters in length with 10 bonus chapters, unofficially translated.
Ok but what IS it?
Do you know how much it would suck to be stuck in a horror video game?
Or:
"It started off peculiarly; first, his domestic cat refused to let him cuddle it.
Lin Qiushi soon found that a sense of disharmony and incongruity began to pervade everything around him.
Then, one odd day, he pushed open a door, and he discovered that the hallway he was familiar with turned into a boundless corridor.
At both ends of this corridor were twelve, identical iron gates.
Thus, the story began.
Ruan Nanzhu said to Lin Qiushi, “When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Qiushi sank into deep contemplation. He then pulled down the zipper of his trousers and aimed at the abyss…
Ruan Nanzhu: “…Put your pants on properly!”
Super shameless, ill, pampered gong X Shameless, calm shou; a combination of double [or extreme] shamelessness."
The Spirealm
What is it?
A Chinese horror mystery show based on Kaleidoscope of Death, 78 episodes at 20mins of length. Available on iQiyi and VIU.
Ok but what IS it?
Once again, do you know how much it would suck to be stuck inside a horror video game?
Or:
"Ling Jiu Shi finds himself inexplicably thrust inside a mind-bending reality dictated by an enigmatic Virtual Reality game where he must pass twelve doors to escape. The catch? Each door initiates new mysteries to solve and conditions to abide by."
Goddess Bless You from Death
What is it?
An upcoming Thai tv show from the same studio that brought you Pit Babe, starring the leads of Pit Babe. No official release date yet.
Ok but what IS it?
No clue yet, but the vibes are immaculate.
If you have recommendations drop them below.
You can also listen to our podcast episode on Dead Friend Forever as well!
