Flypsyde

I started watching this series today after re-watching TT1 to get set for this experience. Thought I might drop in here every episode or so and leave some thoughts behind.

I don't like the "wifey" thing at all. The idea that one half of a gay couple is the "man" and the other is the "woman." I was hoping they'd drop that for this second season. It's homophobic, it's demeaning to women as the implication is that one of the guys is the bottom, the weaker, feminine, receptive one, all that crap and the other is the manly husband. I wish these two would switch it up on the bottom/top thing. That would be very interesting as a development. I think Tharn would bottom for Type in a minute if he thought he'd lose him otherwise. :D I don't get why it's so hard to understand that in general, in a gay marriage you have two HUSBANDS, there is NO need for a wife. The wifey thing is extremely sexist. We also saw this trope in the elevator early in the ep when another gay couple did the "the husband is strong and the wifey is weak.

I like that they bang away every chance they get, like young men do, but again it would be great if Tharn would give it up once in a while...I worry that Type's butt will fall off if this continues.

The episode felt pretty draggy...I know they have to establish the mood, vibe, timeline and introduce characters in an early ep, but it felt slower than it had to be. Maybe in Thailand people speak comparitively slowly, I don't know, but in TT and now TT2 there are odd pauses between dialogue thta feels odd.

Overall rating: 7

Thank you for the directions. I've only been here three weeks or so and haven't taken the time to check everything out.

Thanks for your post. I learned what a "makjang" is! lol I don't see WBL as a makjang at all. I don't get where the idea that it was would come from.

TharType is one of my five top favorite BLs, so thanks for the info on TT 2. I just rewatched TT1 to prepare for #2 but haven't gotten around to it yet. I love me some over the top, messy, PC-incorrect drama.

I REALLY enjoyed the first season of WBL. I'm surprised at the low number of views you cited here. Where do those numbers come from? Is there a way to watch BLs through MDL? On what site or sites are the views counted that determines a show's success or failure? I've been watching shows through gncee.com but just lately find out those shows are all pirated. I was clueless. I do want to watch where my view will count toward the success of a show I like. What about blofficial.com? Are those pirated? I pay a monthly fee there and would prefer not to support pirated videos.

Got your eye on any other BL or gay-themed Asian film? (I think I was Asian in a past life.)

Why did I include ITSAY in that list, since it's the one we're discussing here? duh lol You know, I find myself charmed by the BL cut of "Love Sick" even though it is twice as long as it needs to be. With a lot of editing, I'd put that one on the above list. Oh, and "Love by Chance."

Thanks! :D

I get you about there perhaps not being enough time in this short drama to fully flesh out the bad behavior of a flawed protagonist and then realistically trace the pattern of his betterment. Which is why the addition of a side-couple annoys me. There is already not enough time to do justice to the main couple, why do we need a side?

I'll just have to admit I disagree that the show to this point is a celebration of bad behavioral choices. I see nothing but sadness, frustration and regret (along with arrogance, presumption and obnoxiousness) as things Shi De has gotten as a result of his bad behaviors. Of course we don't yet know how the consequences of his physicality and drunkenness with Shu Yi will play out. The first one I can think of is that, if he really did have sex with Shi Yu which would be an amazing source of joy to him, he doesn't remember one way or the other because he was wasted. So if it happened, he's been deprived of the gratifying memory. However, I don't think any sex happened at all. I think he probably threw up and passed out while still laying on top of Shu Yi. Shu Yi stripped him down and threw his clothes on the floor just to mess with his head. :D

As far as not caring about the characters, that's a tough one for me. I remain interested in what Shu Yi will do going forward. I know they'll end up together, though I wish Shu Yi would dump Shi De for good. I liked his original plan to get back together with, then dump, Shi De. Does that make me a bad person? :D

You do get that these are fictional characters being played by actors in a studio/set environment, right? This is NOT reality. I am OK with almost anything being depicted. It is all about HOW the depicting is done. And yeah, drunk acting is a foolish/dangerous thing on any set or stage, anytime, anywhere, anytime in the world.

Good lord, it's a movie for adults. You could have stopped watching at any point. Did you? Our entire construct of homosexuality and pedophilia did not exist in ancient times. The boy/man thing was common in early civilizaations.

EXACTLY. We did not have the PC police in ancient times either. They were fortunate.

Another aspect that to me made this film awesome. I spent the final third alternating gasping in horror, crying, or holding my breath in anticipation of one or another devastating plot developments. Utterly powerful.

Those are many of the things that made the movie so powerful! lol To me, it's a stretch to say the king is a pedophile. He is not THAT much older than the guard in my opinion. Besides which, every year young adults and older minors have sexual trysts. It's not the end of the world.

Thank you for putting into words almost exactly how I feel about this film. I sympathized with everyone and no one and maybe that's part of the point: None of us is without serious flaws. I don't see the king as a pedo at all, he wasn't that much older for it to make a difference.

I would argue that is an oversimplification, but yeah, to present the king's lover as going from firmly committed gay lover, both physically and emotionally, to hot to trot 24/7 straight dude didn't ring entirely true. I'm gay and found the film extremely moving and powerful, even so. To me, the general was fascinated by this straight sex, which he'd never had before and the queen came sniffing around constantly, so what's a guy to do? Prior to fucking the queen, the general and king were shown in several scenes interacting as romantic partners, in and out of the sack.

I think you make some valid points, but mostly disagree with your take on the film as a whole. I do remember thinking that the emotional side of this straight "love" was not well-established and that it was like the general was kind of intrigued by this new and unfamiliar kind of sex. Hell, he didn't know the queen as a person at all, how could he love her?

I'm gay but met one woman in my mid 20s with whom I had sex for two years and I was really into it, no need to pretend she was a guy or anything...then that wore off, whatever it was, until I was all-gay again. lol I had never had successful straight sex before I met her.

Also true however, that by the time of the fateful library scene, the general had resolved to end the affair with the queen, but she accosted him there and started acting all hot and bothered until there they were, fucking on the floor.

If I were the king, I might have thrown the general in jail for a while until I calmed down, but I would never cut the goods off that beautiful boyfriend of mine. The king's authentic love for the general was all mixed up with macho posturing, a sense of betrayal by both the queen and the general, and his absolute power. You might remember the guards did NOT want to follow thru on the castration and even hesitated, but he roared at them that they had better fucking follow his orders. That scene wrecked me. I was gasping and crying and you name it...

Regardless, I continue to think of this film as powerful, beautiful and well-acted by the king and general.

Ha. I was losing my shit by the time of the library scene...and totally freaked out at the testicle-related development which immediately followed. Yikes.

What is an "FL" and why do you object to the actress being it? What do you mean by "queer-baiting" as it relates to this film? Do you mean the film being misrepresented as a gay-positive piece?

omg. I did NOT say Sam has Yu in a "choke-hold." A choke-hold is applied from BEHIND with the entire arm and elbow wrapped around the opponent's neck in an effort to cut off the air supply. In this footage you provided, which maybe you didn't watch, the second time thru the action, Sam clearly puts his forearm across Yu's neck and appears to apply pressure. What are you so touchy about? I didn't say he was purposely trying to kill Yu, but it was an improvised audition and things can get messy.

Since you seem to know so much, WHY was the audition muted? So that we couldn't hear the gurgling/strangling noises coming from Yu in an effort to breathe? lol KIDDING!

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it, but don't consider myself a victim here. I definitely feel unwelcome, but I am invested in the show, mostly enjoy the banter and it doesn't bother me that most disagree with me. Like I said, the words of the attackers speak for themselves.

Ummm...so you somehow didn't see the offensive and rude things directed at me? Of course you did. But that's OK with you because you don't like my opinions. duh.