GayinYourArea

yes, there are times stellar acting and writing elevate the most dismal of storylines. the other times, i don't feel the need for yet another sad gay story to add to our collection of "queer" misery

real life provides ample opportunity for sadness and heartbreak

additional episodes might be needed to tie up loose ends. if that's not in the cards, the writers should, at the very least, show mercy to our gay couple by granting them a semblance of joy from the tribulations they've faced or a happy ending that brings closure to their story

real life is dark, so i ask the powers that be to let gay couples have their sunshine and rainbows in fiction

what a beautiful couple. i'm blown away by the chemistry between lee seon (ju yeong) and nu rim (do hoe), they created a masterful rendition of romance that's equal parts tender and stirring. it's my hope that these actors will one day return to the world of korean bl dramas. maybe in an unlikely future where society is less homophobic and misogynistic, where actors don't feel pressure to play "straight" roles to maintain their careers

i can't help but notice a resemblance between lee seon (ju yeong) and song kang of "sweet home." at times, i'm convinced i'm seeing song kang, so strong is the resemblance in my eyes!

"More K-actors need to be like her. Especially with the depressing birth rates in their country"

park shin hye's decision to marry and have a child shouldn't be a template for other women to follow. woman's decisions regarding "motherhood" are personal. some decide not to have children, or to limit the number of children they will have, for a variety of reasons

this is my take on the matter, perhaps my indifference to declining birth rates or the potential extinction of humanity has influenced my belief that men and women should be free to remain childless

if i'm not mistaken, a "sex" scene was present in the drama

netflix, master of forcing "romance" and "sex" into every storyline. they'd be eager to distribute a remake of a production replete with both. i'll have to scramble for the skip button in second-hand embarrassment or skip the drama altogether

you are correct, locking a person in a room to request "sex" is a violation of bodily autonomy that amounts to rape. the person would feel pressure to comply. any supposed "yes" or "consent" would be null and void

bl fans being targeted by homophobic, misogynistic keyboard warriors for their entertainment choices is a sad reality of the internet age. it happens and we should speak out against it

i agree with your comments, though, the difference between the idealistic, happy tone of bl content and the difficult, hyperrealistic tone of "queer" content is an asset. when sadness looms over us, bl is there to be our comforting refuge. when we wish to be confronted with reality, "queer" content is there to enlighten us. bl isn't flawed, and it's not wrong to label something as "bl." i personally prefer bl over other forms of entertainment

thank you for reading my comment and taking the time to respond

i appreciate your thoughtful perspective on labels and tags, and i will respect your request not to ask why you enjoy gay romance. your preference is your own and shouldn't be the subject of shame. don't let anyone make you feel otherwise

"straight" narratives don't have many labels for one reason. they're considered the "default" mode of storytelling, and have been since long before gay narratives began to gain attention. they don't fight for visibility, our gay narratives do. we have to use many labels to diversify the stories that are being told and assert their right to exist

it's a shame that some members of the bl fandom engage in the counterproductive practice of pitting themselves against one another, or differentiating bl from "queer" stories in a manner that undermines the significance of bl as a legitimate form of entertainment

disclosing the presence of bl/gl/gay content in media is a pre-emptive measure against potential harassment or discrimination from homophobic individuals. knowing the content isn't to their preference, they self-select out of the audience and choose not to engage with it. i've found that in instances where bl/gl/gay content isn't labeled, homophobes feel misled and lash out against members of the community

regarding your point about "straight" stories not having many labels, "straightness" is the dominant narrative in society and goes without saying/many labels. gay individuals and narratives exist outside of it. consequently, we use many labels to combat invisibility or assert the presence of our identities. it's our way of reclaiming power and representation

i'd stress that my comment wasn't intended to be dismissive of or derisive towards the bl genre. i was emphasizing the significance of accurate labeling and the freedom of interpretation. should an individual deem it appropriate to ascribe the bl label to "love in the big city," it's well within their right to do so. it's not wrong to label it bl, "queer," or both

the classification of a series as a bl is subjective and up to the viewer's interpretation. this series can be a bl, or not

i'm not mad that others have different opinions, i'm respectfully sharing my opinion that there's no superiority in either complex, intellectually stimulating bls or simple, digestible ones. they appeal to different audiences

erasing the labels does more harm than good. for some of us the existence of separate genres for gay stories is a source of comfort and pride. bl/gl/yaoi/yuri are a platform where gay narratives take center stage and thrive, free from mainstream media's narrow and heteronormative perspective

having separate genres dedicated to gay narratives helps us discover and enjoy gay content more easily. i wouldn't want to click on "romance" and navigate through a sea of heteronormative content in search of a single gay content

that, and the division of genres provides a valuable platform for marginalized groups to see themselves represented in media. bl/gl/yaoi/yuri have long been a source of positive representation for gay couples. they tell the happy gay stories that mainstream media has been reluctant to tell

it doesn't harm the community, and i'm saying this as a gay person. differentiating between genres (bl/gl/yaoi/yuri/gay/queer) doesn't imply that there's a difference in the nature of love, but rather that these stories have unique characteristics setting them apart from other genres

i noticed that the use of labels such as "bl/gl/yaoi/yuri/gay/queer" or any labels at all has been called into question by some commenters. i'd like to address their comments here

a label is a bridge that spans the chasm between the inexpressible and the knowable. we use labels to connect our private inner worlds to the shared outer world of language. to question the existence of this bridge is an extreme, paradoxical position that undermines the existence of language and communication, the tools through which that position is being expressed and articulated

"romance" is an umbrella label for a range of feelings and interactions. it's too generalized and broad to be a meaningful descriptor. a distinction should be made between the "straight" content that dominates mainstream media and the gay content that's marginalized and mistreated for a customized, tailored media experience. the specific labels of bl/gl/yaoi/yuri guide us to our desired gay content without the need to trek across the overabundance of "straight" content

the commenters have asked, "do we specify with heterosexual series that it IS heterosexual?" and i specify that. my distaste for heteronormative content is vehement. i propose that the specificity applied to gay content be extended to "straight" content. implementing specific labeling of "heteronormative," "straight," "het" or "m/f" would allow me to filter out said content and avert exposure to it

they do make a good point that neatly dividing gay content into two categories of bl/gl and "queer" based on the presence or absence of positivity and hyperrealism is a false dichotomy. both types of content are gay. the bl/gl narratives set in more accepting and welcoming worlds aren't less "gay" than the bleak, hopeless "queer" depictions of gay experiences

it's a matter of preference whether one engages with content that reflects the struggles of gay individuals in real life, or content that offers an escape from the struggles, if only for a brief moment. the escapism isn't a sign of immaturity, it's a healthy response to the harsh realities of existence

a label is a bridge that spans the chasm between the inexpressible and the knowable. we use labels to connect our private inner worlds to the shared outer world of language. to question the existence of this bridge is an extreme, paradoxical position that undermines the existence of language and communication, the tools through which that position is being expressed and articulated

"romance" is an umbrella label for a range of feelings and interactions. it's too generalized and broad to be a meaningful descriptor. a distinction should be made between the "straight" content that dominates mainstream media and the gay content that's marginalized and mistreated for a customized, tailored media experience. the specific labels of bl/gl/yaoi/yuri guide us to our desired gay content without the need to trek across the overabundance of "straight" content

you ask, "do we specify with heterosexual series that it IS heterosexual?" and i specify that. my distaste for heteronormative content is vehement. i propose that the specificity applied to gay content be extended to "straight" content. implementing specific labeling of "heteronormative," "straight," "het" or "m/f" would allow me to filter out said content and avert exposure to it

you do make a good point that neatly dividing gay content into two categories of bl/gl and "queer" based on the presence or absence of positivity and hyperrealism is a false dichotomy. both types of content are gay. the bl/gl narratives set in more accepting and welcoming worlds aren't less "gay" than the bleak, hopeless "queer" depictions of gay experiences

it's a matter of preference whether one engages with content that reflects the struggles of gay individuals in real life, or content that offers an escape from the struggles, if only for a brief moment. the escapism isn't a sign of immaturity, it's a healthy response to the harsh realities of existence

labeling a "queer" story as bl or not bl isn't an issue. the issue is that bl fans face ridicule for their media preferences. "this isn't bl" has come to unintentionally imply that bl stories are inferior or unworthy of being compared to "queer" stories

bl fans understand that light-hearted, feel-good stories should be given equal, if not greater, consideration and recognition than tragic, dramatic stories, so they felt it necessary to advocate for their position

the premise of bl content, that of two men engaged in a romantic/sexual relationship, is gay

gay content is content that features same-sex relationships. it can be tragic, painful and realistic, or happy, fluffy and less realistic. the criterion for categorizing a content as "gay" is the true sex of the parties involved. as long as the relationship is between two men, it meets this criterion and can be considered true gay content

the categorization of tragic, painful and realistic gay stories as "true gay content" implies that the less realistic gay stories are somehow less gay, when they are simply less representative of the more difficult realities of gay life. bls offer a vision of a world in which same-sex love is accepted and celebrated. they are a powerful, hopeful alternative to the one-dimensional, tragic representations prevalent in mainstream media that remind us in a more accepting world, the experiences of gay people and couples would've been drastically different