Jakksen

Leo and Neo made a 90s drama... thats almost cheating.

This is a Gay Story, censoring doesn't make it straight.

What's really sad is that you have to think of that way to allow yourself "permission" to enjoy it. This isn't a bold position, its rather the opposite.

Straight people can also watch and like gay content, in the same sense that I can enjoy straight content. I have plenty of gay friends that I'll never sleep with - I don't even know what's going thru your head in that second line.

This conversation is why my Grandma taught all of us - "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all" - Don't be a Karen is a better way of saying this for you... I'll explain.

You volunteered a negative opinion (trolled, that's what we call that) that doesn't add to or detract from the opinions of anyone at all (so entirely without social value) as you literally just stated what we all already knew + how much you don't like BL, so much so, that even tho its "your faave" actor, you will skip it.

Nobody cares Mizuki. That what Nico said to you - that nobody cares. I care only bc I want to lmao at you caring so much that you reply to me 😉

If you cant even try to watch a drama to support a favorite actor, bc it has men kissing, and one of them is even your "a favorite actor" - yeah, thats pretty self-evident homophobia. You can't watch bc it scares you. That what that discomfort feeling is - fear. You ought to realize that before you have a conversation like this again.

Between your "I'm not blank but here is my blank belief" comment to start off the conversation (with your foot in your mouth mind you) - your follow-up comment, where you tell a Gay man he overused the word homophobia, makes it incredibly obvious you've been called that before - but still don't know exactly what it means. Despite so - you still retort 🤣🤣

This just oozes insecurity and low self-worth - so much so, that despite the fact that I'm telling you I'm trolling you, that I'm explaining this to trigger you, how I'm able to write this bc you showcased me your insecurities, your prejudices, and then you annoyed me.

I totally totally do expect you really to care so much that you actually do reply to me 🤣🤣💯

Its funny you mention the yodeling - it seems super innocent but its actually a very bold move that I think went off without a hitch. We were supposed to notice it, exactly as we did, it was a flex in many respects.

I've noticed this now in a lot of Chinese media - they are aware they are making Global content now and they have every intent to make lots more. The US has been taking whatever from whatever culture and adding it to whatever for the whole time. We could do that bc the US has always been making globally distributed content. Now so is China.

Any and all of the worlds culture can now become part of a broader Chinese culture and thereby extension included. They put the yodeling from sound of music into the 5th most popular drama in China - which already made it one of the most popular dramas on earth, but it genuinely had a massive international audience as well.

So, how long until its the yodeling from Joy of Life?

I don't really kno thats something that can be disagreed with but... thats also fine 😁

Enough ppl that shows like this can be made to ride the coat tails of their success 😉

That Peter Ho reveal at the end - f*cking brilliant play.

This show just kept adding layers. I'm often writing really long reviews about how great things are... this show deserves an epic book of a rant. Its funny and sad, light and deep, a rather obvious plot and a mystery - its like all the genres. When its funny - it is actually so. When it is sad - you will feel stuff. When it makes a statement - its a powerful one. It has an incredible range that is very rarely well done. The cast pulls it all off with a sort of effortless embodiment of these very memorable characters - there really isn't any weak cast members, acting, or even side characters in this entire drama. Very well done!

edit: The music and the graphics too - tbh its really all 💯

I thought this was a very good drama. High quality production, sets and costumes. I liked the characters, the story - I really enjoyed the Father/Son dynamics - there are some quite memorable characters and the actors did a fantastic job. This is a character driven drama and the acting doesn't disappoint at all. There are a lot of familiar faces from JoL - which to me is a very good thing. I was quite surprised/happy to see Rong Zi Shan - gave me NiF Leo Wu vibes.

The Leads in this were excellent. Hu Jun is one of my favorites and I think this may be my favorite role of his. Zhang Ruo Yun delivered yet another very solid performance. I like him a lot actually, I like all the roles I've seen him in, I like his delivery and expressions - I've seen ppl hate on him a bit and I don't understand, I think he is very good at what he does. Lastly, Teresa Li - who apparently is contentious.

I spent most of the time watching Teresa Li's scenes thinking stuff like "Now this is how you play a Princess" , "How can she play this role so effortlessly" and "I've never seen a better 'Princess Next Door' trope" - I'm not kidding, I truthfully enjoyed her and her character. I think all the Directors that take their Adult Women Actors and turn them into prepubescent, helpless, boy crazed and stupid characters - they need to take notice of Theresa's performance in this, bc this is exactly how you portray this type of role.

Also - I have personally decided that I will never again deride a female actor's performance bc of the way they were made to play their character. Its one thing if they actually do act badly but in reality the widespread nature of this particular issue proves its a problem that stems from the overall direction and production leadership of multiple dramas, across different studios. Its like they think we have some sort of fetish for these ditzy princess types, or that women can't handle seeing a competent FL on screen, but obviously based on the reactions - they just need to move on and not make women act that way anymore.

I'm sorry that I have added to this increasingly problematic critiquing of the FL - I will do better 😅

I'm not done with it yet but this show is so good - its a lot of fun tbh. I'm on 32 now and I just some thoughts from this last episode. I'll prolly comment again on the actual show when I'm done - highly recommend btw.

I really wish China as a society would lean more into being a cultural power because I think they are getting very good at it. Truthfully, that is the most powerful aspect of the US and China has everything it needs to be incredibly competitive with us there. I'm an American that frequently watches Chinese media and I'm not the only by any means - thats proof of concept right there.

Also - I really can't say enough positive things about some of the rhetoric and language that has been center stage of the biggest dramas, like this one. That speech Xi Qian gave the Tianyu Monk during their fight - the one with "everyone doesn't have to be the same/what is the meaning of life" - that was fantastic and so aligned with my own values as a human being. In Joy of Life - the MC's Mother's Monument - thats like practically the Declaration of Independence, I had a hard time believing that was in the 5th most popular show in China. These are fundamental beliefs that it seems we share... seems...

I want so much for China to walk this talk if you will. I think a China truly allowed to be free and say and make whatever it wants would be an incredibly powerful creative force in the world.

Yeah - do you know how many times I've thought this about you?

Why do you think we are having this conversation 3 weeks after it happened? I wanted the show to be over and people to bury these comments.

See, I'm just pushing buttons bc I can - you don't actually bother me all that much but I've seen you bother other people, many times actually.

Tbh, I did actually think you were smarter than you turned to be. There was an element of curiosity going into this conversation but it turns out you are not all that interesting, just an overcompensating a**hole like sooo many others (some say I even fit in that category!) its a real tired trope you know.

Do better... or not - I'll likely never interact with you again.

Have a great whatever!

I'm just closing tabs and this just made me laugh again.

I do think I'm brilliant, well - I kno I'm brilliant is more like it, but in the context of this conversation, the economics I'm speaking are like the most basic, elementary principles of supply and demand - haha, that you didn't understand exactly that and thought you could do a jab about my "economic knowledge elitism" bc I kno like kindergarten stuff...haha.

Haha, like I said - think whatever you want 😉

Well, I'm not going to explain economics to you - there is nothing about this that isn't exactly understandable. Think whatever you want - I'd appreciate if you didn't speak so poorly of one my favorite cultures but again - do whatever you want.

I don't expect anyone to see as big a picture as I do - most can't.

OK - you are not looking at the whole picture. This is a new genre - it took Thailand by surprise. The reality is that BL is now the most lucrative media created in Thailand - by a huge margin. That means everyone has to make BL - those that want to and those that don't. Some projects are made to a formula bc they are only supposed to emulate the financial success - the production itself is secondary, obviously those are not as good.

Eventually, only those that make good BL will remain - but first the demand must drop to the point where the bad shows don't still make more money than a traditional Thai media production. So little of this is within Thailand's control - they are just reacting, riding a wave they didn't create and don't kno when, or if, will end.

Its relative for me. I've developed quite an appetite for culture and have developed the ability to appreciate things for what they are. Nobody creates anything terrible intentionally, often even the worse productions haves elements they do well. Intent matters quite a lot for me. This show had its flaws but the production did everything they could with the resources they had and that shows very clearly to me.

This is a smaller production with newer Actors leading the project - am I supposed to expect Hollywood polish from them? Thats just silly.

This was a beautiful show and I think everyone involved should feel very proud of themselves for their accomplishment.

Also - the "Turd Out of Thailand assembly line" - think whatever you want about Thailand but this Country is creating this content for US - NOBODY else is to the extent they are, nobody else ever had before they did, we owe a lot to Thailand - perhaps take that into consideration a little bit when speaking of the Country.

Yeah, your English is fine - I've never had any issues understanding you and tho the original comment could have been worded a little different - as is it couldn't confuse an English speaker. Anyone struggling with this likely has much worse English skills than you.

This is isn't English class - we are just trying to communicate with each other - as long as we kno what each other mean to say, it doesn't matter how we get there. The very last thing I care about when talking with International people is grammar.

I just really appreciate that we all have common language to use - I'm never judging anyone on how well they use English.

Blessed are the weird people -

poets, misfits, writers, mystics, heretics, painters and troubadours-
for they teach us to see the world through different eyes.

Blessed are those who embrace the intensity of life’s pain and pleasure -
for they shall be rewarded with uncommon ecstasy.

Blessed are ye who see beauty in ugliness -
for you shall transform our vision of how the world might be.

Blessed are the bold and whimsical -
for their imagination shatters ancient boundaries of fear for us all.

Blessed are ye who are mocked for unbridled expression of love in all its forms -
because your kind of crazy is exactly that freedom for which the world
is unconsciously begging.

Blessed are those who have endured breaking by life -
for they are the resplendent cracks through which the light shines.

— Jacob Nordby


...unless they make shows about penguin ppl - then f*ck them I guess.

😉

ForceBook have absolutely killed it - they did 💯 I have never liked them more and I really thought they had come into their own already with Only Friends. They played these roles so well - I don't how anyone could think otherwise.

tbh - these two kinda snuck on me, how much I actually like them. I didn't even realize until Book showed up in Only Boo and I wasn't expecting bc I hadn't looked at the cast and I was genuinely happy to see him in that show. Force and Book have been around awhile and they have improved with every performance. To me they have become a staple of the BL world and I feel that they deserve to be.

Yes!