#grumpyblogging

[collapsedsquid]

All these tech magazines doing various panic pieces on AI bullshit when I really need to know what the fuck is going on with these Captchas that I need a fucking strategy guide for. What is the point of these, what goal is being served with "identify all the squares with a train" on crowded pixelated image or trying to figure out if the tiny smidge of a van means I should select that square or not.

[gillianthecat]

Fahlanruk episode 12

my mostly negative thoughts while watching the final episode

Sher really took off his shoe to throw at Fah. 

This ending is making me appreciate Big Dragon's finale even more. 

The problem with Fah and Sher is that their story keeps reminding me of other shows that do whatever trope or plot better. Tending a cut on the bottom of the uke's foot -> Between Us made it more interesting. "Don't let me chase you away" -> I cared much more when Ji-woo said this to Seon-joon in To My Star 2.  The shoe throwing I haven't seen before though. 

I feel like Fah and Sher aren't actually going to do anything to solve their problems. Like have a conversation about... whatever their problems are, I don't even know at this point. Not trusting each other I think is at the base of it, and that's not going away just because you're being cute and calling each other faen. 

Tap and Ping have such good pajama game. They're so cute in their coordinated old man jammies. I've seen very few repeats, and I've loved every one. Do you think Ping has been buying them for them both all along? Excited about getting into bed next to his crush in the couples pajamas he got for them? 🥺

Ok, this scene in the kitchen where Fah is about to feed Sher porridge and asks Sher to be his boyfriend is pretty cute, I will give them that. 

Ping and Tap tagging tagging each other in their relationship status on Facebook is adorable. I love the way they're looking at each other here. (But do university students in Thailand even use Facebook anymore? I thought it was passé for that entire generation.)

I'm annoyed that even in late 2022 even sexually voracious uke characters still turn reluctant about sex once the relationship is established. It makes no damn sense! First Big Dragon and now this. I mean, it does sort of fit both their characters and dynamics (and Yai better than Sher), but I'm so annoyed by the trend overall. 

But at least even the sweetest most innocent of the three couples get to have sex. Good for them. And interestingly, these actors seem most comfortable with the physicality of it, out of all three pairs. Well done, Gear and Prince.

There is no way that Sher's cut was that serious. This is ridiculous. 

Are these music people cameos by actual famous music people? Otherwise there is no reason to listen to their extremely boring conversation. 

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. Will anyone in this fucking show just let Sher live his own fucking life the way that HE wants to? Now that they're all done pressuring him to give in and date Fah they can't be content that they won that round and have to start pressuring him to reveal himself as a singer songwriter. There are a lot of good reasons for someone to want to remain anonymous and not be a pop star! Just because it doesn't fit your idea of how he should be living his life it doesn't mean he's not "embracing his own uniqueness" or whatever the fuck. I am getting much angrier than I should about this on behalf of a character I don't even care about. But it really is pissing me off. 

Wait, this play is about how toxic social media is and how gossip can fuck up relationships? Didn't Pink write this play? I... I don't even...

I'm still kind of rooting for Pie in all his campy villain glory. At least he's not pretending to be anything other than a selfish asshole and not trying to justify his interfering behavior as anything other than self-interest. 

Does no one teach the children basic internet safety anymore? Sher, why are you talking to this rando who messaged you out of the blue instead of blocking him. Maybe everyone SHOULD be making all of Sher's decisions for him after all. 

I know 80% of BLblr is relieved not to hear singing in their BLs, but it weirds me out when the characters are singers but we never or rarely hear them singing. Or, even worse, they play other music over footage of the character singing or playing. At that point, why even bother. 

See. These idiots never actually dealt with the fact that they don't trust each other! Shit like this is going to keep happening. Unless they somehow manage to have a real conversation in the last ten minutes of this show, but i I highly doubt that. 

Ok, I guess they did manage to sidestep the jealousy and work together. Whatever. I still don’t buy that they figured it out.

This episode is taking me forever to watch because I keep getting bored and/or irritated and going off to do something else. I could just not watch it of course, but I keep telling myself, just 30 minutes left, just 20 minutes left, just 5 minutes left of the whole fucking series, just get it over with so you never have to watch it again. So I am determined to watch it and be miserable. I am starting to actually hate the show now though, perhaps because of it.

They even did the thing with the play that I hate, where the dialogue is a barely veiled metaphor for the main characters relationship. And who is this woman in the white dress that they thanked? She was also the music... producer? that Sher met, I think? I feel like she must be a cameo because otherwise the focus on her makes no sense. Maybe the novel author? (She's certainly not an actress; she's even stiffer than all the other terrible acting in this show.)

Since I'm already being mean about it, I will take this opportunity to get it off my chest: the acting in this show is, with few exceptions, pretty awful. Sher and Fah feel like the worst offenders, but that's probably because they're awful characters that have no other redeeming features to save them. It's part of what's making this last episode such a slog. Them being "cute" together is not actually cute because I keep noticing how awkward and fake the acting is. 

And even Ping and Tap, as much as I adore them, are not doing very good acting most of the time, I hate to say. Ping is the best by far, and has moments of brilliance, but also a lot of awkward fake moments. I do blame the director for a lot of it, because it's so universal, and it often just feel like he's been given bad direction, and odd instructions regard timing/pacing. I would love to see him in something else with a better director because he's still pretty young and I think he has a lot of potential. As for Tap, I think he's the prettiest out of all the actors, and better than most of them, but he's still not that good unfortunately. But again, perhaps with a better script/director...

I do not understand (well 80% of this show to be honest, but specifically) why Sher and Fah are friends with Pink. Why they tolerate her sobbing and screaming "my ship has reached its destination." That is CREEPY. She is a fucking CREEP.  If I was them I would take out a restraining order. 

Speaking of things I don't understand, why is Fah doing an instagram live for the general public? He's not an influencer or anything like that as far as a can tell. Just a random popular kid on campus. Is this a real thing in the real world? Anywhere? Or in Thailand specifically? Do college kids these days treat the popular students like minor celebrities and follow their every move? It could well be, I am old™️ and don't understand how the youths are using social media. 

I do find it hilarious that for whatever reason they decided Fah and Sher needed a last minute separation. But only were willing to do it for a week(?). I couldn't actually tell you why or for how long because I'm seriously struggling to pay attention at this point. 

Yay! It's fucking over. I made it. Now I can let everything about this show slip from my memory, as it’s already trying to do. (Except for Ping and Tap, them I’ll keep.)

I will say that this final episode is making me appreciate Big Dragon's more. That one I did love, because the show has my heart and they did do many things very well, but I was also aware of several things I wished they'd done differently. But any flaws it had paled in comparison to the nonsense mess that was Fahlanruk ep 12. 

[gillianthecat]

The latest apple update reset my wallpaper and made changing the wallpaper ridiculously complicated and confusing, and I can't figure out how to make separate wallpapers for the home and lock screens anymore. 😡

And it's really pissing me off.

Mostly things are going well today, but I am slightly stressed and that is what my brain has decided to focus all its anger on right now.

Edit: I figured it out! Still many ridiculous things in this update, but at least that mystery is solved.

[gillianthecat]

What are you thinking Tap? Do you too have a secret crush on your bestie but think he's into someone else? Are you just oblivious and awkward?

You don't have a Greek Chorus following you around narrating your every emotion so you remain a mystery to me. I love it!

These two are by far my favorite (at least when their story is allowed to be about them).

I 💙 Ping&Tap

[gillianthecat]

I wonder if Fahlanruk is what Love Mechanics would have been without War and Yin? Would the plot or characters have made any sense if their amazing acting and chemistry together hadn't made me believe in it?

Or if conversely, Fahlanruk could have been made compelling with really good acting and chemistry? Because the whole thing seems to hinge on believing that Fah and Sher are wildly attracted to each other and uh... I don't see it.

Or did even Love Mechanics have a better basic script than this one does?

#grumpyblogging #but i haven't seen anyone who thinks this show is good so i don't feel guilty #and i think even love mechanics' biggest fans acknowledge plot problems there

[gillianthecat]

I'm in a bad mood. Therefore...

Fahlanruk trash watch time! Either it will cheer me up or it will be the perfect vehicle for venting my grumpiness.

[gillianthecat]

Fahlanruk - episode 9 the first third

I dislike everyone in this show besides Ping and Tap. (well, i'm indifferent to mildly positive about Gear and Prince, but I don't spend much time thinking about them, tbh. And Anna, but she's hardly in it.)

Pink I loathe most of all. Which is unfortunate because I really like the actress's face; it kept me believing in Pink long past the time I should have. But now I detest her and every time she tries to give Fah advice or *shudder* asks him what's happening with him and Sher I want to throw something at my screen. Perhaps she's acting out of the goodness of her heart but it just feels like she's mining data for her creepy little cute boys page. Which she's lying about and pretending is not her. 😱😡

I am generally annoyed at people telling Fah and especially Sher what to do though. Especially his brothers. There's a way that people can intercede and give advice that feels loving and helpful (Kabe Koji pulled it off beautifully this week) but Fahlanruk is not managing it, at least in my eyes. The brothers just feel like they're riding roughshod over what Sher wants and needs, based on what they think he should need. I was briefly hoping to ship Sher and Apo, in sheer defiance of Fah and Sher, but unfortunately they seem pretty boring together. 🤷🏻‍♀️

But Ping is breaking my heart sobbing alone on the beach. 😥 I want them to find love with each other. 🥺

[gillianthecat]

Fahlanruk - episode 9 the middle third

Fah, you were so drunk you thought Pink was Sher and tried to kiss her less than an hour ago. (I think, time is confusing. But still.) You should not be driving please and thank you.

Sorry Fah, you've lost all my good will you'd slowly gained over the past few months. You don't get to go looking for Sher's hookup like you're going to beat him up just cause you're jealous and pissy.

Also why are they having these intimate private emotional moments in front of the creepy stalker Pink. Oy vey. I realize they don't know she's the main campus paparazzi stalker, but they must notice she's creepily over-invested, no?

Oh Tap. Oh Ping. Tap is waiting outside Ping's apartment and leaps up when he sees him. So relieved, look at that smile. And Ping. So honest and yet of course he can't say the most essential part. My poor heartbroken darling.

Oh baby. The uniquely exquisite pain of having the person who's breaking your heart comfort you over your broken heart, and he doesn't even know it's him. Just. Ouch. These boys. The way they look at each other. Tap's confusion and worry and heartbreak on Ping's behalf. The way Ping just crumples and sobs as soon as Tap touches him. You're breaking my heart. My baby.

Ping's actor is MVP this series for me, no question.