Ina_2021

3/3. Sorry if it's messy to read as different replies, I wanted to make it more readable, but it starting to look like an abstract painting:) I'm not a frequent user of MDL, so don't really know how things have been going on here. When I first came across the BL community on YouTube several years ago, it seemed overwhelmingly respectful, caring and supportive, nicely self-policed, with every third poster or so reminding to watch on legal platforms to support the creators and ensure their future projects. Here, it feels like the tables have been turned upside down... All in all, for those of us who care for our different reasons, let's hope that it's possible to talk it out.

BTW, about Gagaoolala, as a straight female I mostly care about BL, but before subscribing, I briefly checked it and noticed it has The Wedding Banquet and some movies of the South Korean director who filmed No Regret (one of the most impressive gay movies I have ever seen), so, for me it felt like an extra bonus, the real cinema, if I could say so.

I share all of your concerns, but from a different perspective. As an adult straight female viewer I'm constantly about to give up on BL, it mostly shows a teenage romance aimed for the teenage audience; it rarely features grown-up characters or more complicated plots (say, a detective BL like Trapped or Manner of Death, an action story like Long Time No See, etc) and when it happens like in this series, it seems it isn't likely to thrive as a profitable independent subgenre (like romcom for adults). I hoped before that adult international viewers could make a difference by watching on legal platforms, could become a force whose preferences are accounted for if we vote with our money for the content different from the mainstream teenage one, but not sure anymore if there's such a demand.

The question of a smooth convenient legal accessibility you have raised is so important, I don't know where to start. I'm not that knowledgeable about the streaming business market all over the world. If there's no big LGBT/BL worldwide streamer, it seems inevitable that even having a subscription to one/several platforms, most people will watch some shows illegally (not to mention those who are short on money or live in the countries where such content isn't approved by the society). I hope the BL industry will work on new ways to convert some part of the illegal viewers into caring stakeholders (now I guess product placement is the only way to offset the losses?), but as I understand it, the ball is in the international BL community's yard. BL is a booming Asian phenomenon, dependent on and catering for their Asian markets to raise the actors' visibility, earn them ad contracts for their regional audience. If international viewers bring in no income in comparison to domestic ones, for the BL industry there're no reasons to actively vie for few viewers scattered all over the world. Thus, imo, if paying for watching is our main lever, it's in our best interest to actively pursue it to make our voice heard.

Hi, I do appreciate you answer explaining your concerns. It seems like some things between you and the other commenter are a misunderstanding, please consider that your message was read against the background of many others publicly enjoying themselves about harming a business promoting LGBT/BL content. I cannot comprehend what's been happening here, why the BL community want to disadvantage a dedicated legal LGBT/BL streaming service. (I'm going to post several paragraphs separately, sorry it's difficult to type in this narrow space and to read as well.)

I'll wait, I usually start watching not until after the last episode is released (no heartbreaks policy).

Guys, please behave as adults. If you steal daily from certain stalls on the market, the owners will be soon out of business because of you. It's no different with creative products being stolen.

If the BL market cannot self-regulate and more consumers go on stealing as corrupt minors instead of buying and showing they are responsible law-abiding adults, probably only a communist-style massive purge could fix it. Please, support, and don't show publicly disrespect to the creators in their face by flaunting their works being stolen from them. This is disheartening to witness.

On the official platform (Gagaoolala for international viewers I believe) - in case you are looking to support the production team.

Well said. At the same time, it's ironical that most people here apparently watch this drama from illegal sources, knowingly robbing the production team. Unfortunately, it's not like the people who enjoy harming others in real life could have a good moral judgment when it comes to fiction.

If you mean the links to illegally reuploaded episodes, normally most law-abiding resources delete such links. In many jurisdictions, I believe, it's a crime.

From the point of view of the BL viewer it's an act of pushing everyone involved in the production out of business, by stealing from them instead of buying their work (=watching on legal official platforms) and helping them to recover some production costs and secure future projects. It makes BL not sustainable.

Physical violence towards anyone isn't normal. But women being physically weaker in general are biologically disadvantaged in a case of a fight against men. Well, maybe for the showrunners the chances were considered equalized if it was a feminine man character hitting a masculine female character in a caricature fight. But, overall, it looks disturbing.

I think there could be cultural differences at play. In Thailand apparently sexual assault and physical violence towards women is the norm on major TV dramas (so probably with Thai BL we have it light) https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3121603/violent-sex-thai-tv-finally-not-acceptable-after-wife

I agree with another comment that violence against men is disturbing as well.

It's fair. Eastern Europe, also charged $4.99. Wages aren't the same in Western/Eastern, Northern/Southern Europe.

Just briefly checked the series so far, haven't watched yet. Seems like with this setting it could be made as entertaining as Call my agent! And probably aimed to some degree to make fun of behind the scenes of the entertainment industry. If it's true, it would be complementary to some other Thai BL series being ironical of the stereotypes of the BL audience and the excess of shipping culture.

As I understand Viki has volunteer translators (and it sometimes even interesting to see different segments translated with different approaches), while Gagaoolala must be hiring paid-for translators since they work so quick.

Was shocked by the scene as well. But, I only briefly checked episodes 1 and 7 to dicede if I'll be watching the show and the first impression is that this series aims to be ironical of how the industry is managed (like, say, BB addresses the stereotypes of the BL audience). Apparently things like this happen in real life?.. Nobody's perfect, but I agree physical violence doesn't look good.

@SaruwatariMayu Thank you for the insight as a creative industry employee. Totally support, as an international viewer I'm happy that I could contribute little with a monthly subscription to a legal streamer or diligently non-skipping ads on official youtube channels. It's in the BL audience best interest to keep the industry afloat.

There's a monthly subscription, very affordable. I recently subscribed to Gagaoolala, it cost $4.99 a month for my country, for some countries apparently the cost is a bit higher; I pay slightly less monthly for a Viki Rakuten subscription. Could cancel any time.

Those international viewers who wish the BL genre to produce more shows, they invest in the BL genre by watching it on legal platforms. Though I sometimes also watch on illegal platforms when I don't care enough about the drama or don't wish the production team well (if they promote rape or violence). It's just you know that by watching a drama not on a legal platform you wish and push the production team out of business.

Thai BL dramas are also a business, not a charity I guess. It's such a pity that some part of the international BL audience doesn't care to ensure this very genre's survival and doesn't support it by watching on legal platforms.

I don't know about their situation, just read elsewhere that Line TV Thailand went out of business in Thailand in 2022.

They are literally the same. If you wish to watch one more time, it's up to you, in which format. The movie flows seamlessly, no opening and closing credits interruptions.

Love your thoughts, I think you perfectly nailed it regarding Shao Fei being treated as a plot device. It doesn't make sense when he, being an honest guy who's so passionate about law and order, wasn't profoundly shattered by (like Shorty was)/did no deep soul-searching/didn't apologize to Tang Yi upon the discovery that he had been chasing him for four years for wrong reasons, while the real evil was one of his own parish.

I do hope so!🤝