So I note you say you're not keen on Fish Upon the Sky and I'm curious as to why. I know it was a bit meh and lots of people hated it but I've never got why (besides the shippers sub plot which was just dire). I liked the premise - that the hot boy actually fancied the geek first, and the geek whilst shy etc. doesn't run away from his feelings. So I think there was a lot there that could have been done better. Anyways your thoughts (or link to your thoughts at the time).
Not keen is an understatement.
Fish Upon the Sky was my least favorite BL of 2021 because it depicted a terrifyingly realistic abusive relationship in which Mork ignored every single boundary Pi tried to lay down, repeatedly gaslit him regarding his own wishes and feelings, never acknowledged Pi's feelings unless they agreed with his own and generally set himself up as what should have been the villain but instead was lauded as the romantic hero.
Some links!
Mork is the worst kind of nice guy
Mork has no real character outside of his obsession with Pi
Mork constantly tells Pi how he feels while ignoring what Pi says
Mork claims that Pi never needed to change to be seen but literally did not approach him until after he changed and also constantly demands that he change.
The FUTS Ultimate Challenge
Just fuck Mork, seriously
When does Mork ever show that he listens to Pi (spoiler: he doesn't!)
Pi has a genuine reason to be paranoid and scared and Mork dismisses it out of hand while manipulating him
All the ways FUTS failed at what it could have been
I like the premise as well.
But we didn't get the premise.
Because Mork literally did also run away from his feelings, hiding under a fake persona LONG after he was talking to Pi and then using his popularity to repeatedly manipulate Pi into the relationship, into his arms, into revealing their relationship, into staying in the relationship.
It's horrifying. I put Mork on a similar level to Kengkla but at least Kengkla was admitted to have done something wrong even remotely while Mork was put on a pedestal.
Anyway.
As I said so many times as it aired.
Ugh, FUTS.