Come on, that's what makes it so much fun. I mean how many stories there are where a guy pretending to be someone…
Yes, and I hope the drama keeps us guessing! I'm only mid-ep3 and all of them look like they could be double agents to me. Well, besides Long ge. I believe he's genuinely off his rocker;)
Not a bad start but this not so fake fake identity thing is too convoluted and not necessary IMHO.
Come on, that's what makes it so much fun. I mean how many stories there are where a guy pretending to be someone else needs to pretend he's his old self in a way one part of the crowd believes him and the other believes he's pretending:)) Now whether they can pull it off so it at least adheres to logic is another matter altogether;)
Well, well, well Long ge is one crazy cookie... I already like him:D In ep1-2 we have car chases, explosions, flying limbs, humour, adorable kid, badass chief and a convoluted story that weirdly makes perfect sense... I'm in:)
Frankly speaking, I don't get why Kuzumi even bothered with Rio after catching him with that boy. I'm completely…
So there's more development in the manga? I wish we saw that in the series - him actually having some breakthroughs and moving forward, or at least rearranging the narrative in a way that'd make me understand him better. To me, at times it looked like he cared deeply, just was too bogged down in insecurities, feelings of inadequacy, existential vacuum, with some lingering guilt tied to his father on top. And yeah, Kido's betrayal of trust added a brick into that heavy load, further undermining his confidence. Then at other times, his body language and words were so dismissive, you're right, it'd be hard to believe he gave a single shit...That's why I hoped this third installment would clear things up with him trying and finding a balance in his relationship with Kuzumi.
As I said, maybe sth got lost in translation for me, but I don't really see how he's more committed now, compared to the end of MI. That one ended on a hopeful and positive note too. Then after two years, he's still stuck in that mindset and has no trust or confidence in either himself or Kuzumi?! Seems like a waste.Honestly, that bar scene where they're talking with their backs to each other - each alone with their pain, was just too heartbreaking to watch...
I agree with what you wrote about Kuzumi. But that's a big part of why I feel they're not a good match, and there's 'no future' spelled all over this relationship. Kuzumi gives too much of himself emotionally while he himself is left starving. Imo you can't do it long-term without running dry and turning numb sooner or later. I mean there must be a limit to how many times you can get hurt before you just stop caring, right? Lol maybe I synced up too much with Kijima while watching this and that's why I see everything in bleak colours... Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, I'll put the manga on my list, but I'll probably wait a while to read it with fresh eyes:)
Just finished this flick. I first saw Mood Indigo, then Pornographer and I don't recall being confused by that…
I completely agree with the smoking and making out part:D Not sure if they were going for sexy or pretentious with all those close-ups of cigarettes...
I also found the opening confusing. At the end of MI it seemed those two were heading somewhere - but here Rio seems to be stuck in the same place both mentally and geographically?! Whatever happened to wanting to work hard to take care of Kuzumi? Plus by now, they should have enough trust between them not to jump to conclusions and just talk this out - even if it played right into R's insecurities. When he got on his lap, I thought it was a prelude to some interesting role-playing:) I really didn't expect the drama that followed.
About why he went there - he mentioned his senpai invited him, so I thought maybe he just felt compelled to go with them. Could be a thing about his work environment or this culturally ingrained compulsion to listen to your seniors. It used to drive me up the wall, when one of my best friends who's Japanese kept bailing on me, because a senior from her uni she barely even knew asked her to do sth. She even resigned from a trip we planned together for weeks, because her senpai asked her to go on vacation with her… Then, it could be sth K truly found hot. Maybe he actually tried to tell R about it, but when he saw him closing up, he backtracked fast.
Btw, I found Kido really annoying and the main reason why I put this series on hold for months. It was so hard to find the right mood so I could deal with that piece of… calculating selfishness;)
I liked how intensely erotic this series was as a whole, and the underlying existentialist message. That last…
Frankly speaking, I don't get why Kuzumi even bothered with Rio after catching him with that boy. I'm completely on his side here, cause I tend to get very territorial about things/places I consider 'ours' in a relationship. They've symbolic value to me. Honestly, I'd have given up on R as a lost cause at that point. But that's partly because there was not enough build-up to get me emotionally invested in their love. R was determined to make it work with Kuzumi at the end of MI. So how did we get back to this crippling insecurity here? I'd prefer it if they added a montage of their letters/meetings over the years to give us better understanding of where they were emotionally at the start of this movie.
Btw, when R said he doesn't get why K wanted to be with a man like him. I was like, my thoughts exactly! Just drop him and move on! ...which is probably not the reaction the writers were hoping for;) But honestly, the body language!!!! It's sth that bothered me in the Novelist as well. You beg someone to let them explain and then sit with your back to them and give a cop-out explanation?! I was actually boiling with emotions at that point ...just the murderous kind.
I wouldn't mind if there was a fourth part about K falling in love with someone else;) Sorry, I just can't help but feel their love is somewhat doomed. The ending didn't convince me otherwise. I don't trust R not to repeat his behaviour. You can't force people to give you things they're themselves unwilling/unable to give...
Other than that, I actually quite liked him as a character. That convo when he called K to his flat to apologize, and then started talking about rent?! Only this guy:D Btw the answer to his question whether he's a pain in the ass ..is a big fat yes!
I liked how intensely erotic this series was as a whole, and the underlying existentialist message. That last talk with old master reminded me about one of my favourite poems - Loneliness by RM Rilke:) But, imo all three parts suffered from problems with narrative structure ...or sth just got lost in translation for me about their relationships. This may get spoiler-ish, so I'll hide my letter of complaint below;)
Im just gonna interpret it as a happy ending despite the signs of it being sad. The car accident only wounded…
Same! It makes zero sense for A-ren to choose that jump, when they used the responsibility for the village and kids to stop him from leaving earlier. That girl recognizing the teacher with surprise could just mean he came back after a while. So happy ending seems perfectly possible to me too:) The last few minutes was just really a lot of contrived melodrama.
What an epic seduction technique in the wilderness! I'm totally stealing it. To think I always dissed people for bringing alcohol to the mountains. I just never knew it was not for drinking:'(
Can't believe it's been a whole year since I was flying high on WoH concert feels! Maybe it's because I was trekking then and I'm trekking again this year, just through different mountains... But the concert has been on my mind a lot today - getting sentimental over the failed singing, ridiculous games, shameless shipping, fandom going wild making the whole city wonder wth is happening and is this a wedding of two guys?!;) Then there's the complicated feelings when I recall our fervent hopes that things stay fun and positive and that no toxicity can touch those two precious goofballs… Well, below are some of my fav concert moments if anyone wants to join me on a stroll down memory lane...
That's one of my general problems with this series. It doesn't know how to set the mood. I keep wondering what…
A graph?! You're killing me😂 Also, make me do weird research. I read your comment above and checked J Wilby's wiki page. Apparently, he was born in Myanmar, so maybe he got circumcised as an infant there? Let's not ask him lol. And you were right on the money with cmbyn. Ivory said Guadagnino agreed to a more steamy intimate scene when they were going through the script, then axed it due to actor contracts. He was not happy about it lol. I liked a lot of things about that movie too, but it did feel to me awfully lacking in chemistry. And that tree zoom-in was just weird.Not British, but I think they generally have much less hang-ups when it comes to appearance, eastethics etc. Lol love the turn this convo has taken.
That's one of my general problems with this series. It doesn't know how to set the mood. I keep wondering what…
Sadly, not a good memory, just a really random one. My mind is a dustbin lol.
I almost rolled off a mountain, I was laughing so hard re R Graves's penis. I wish we were sitting in a pub somewhere to talk this out;) I think his gorgeous full frontal made it into the cinema version of both Maurice and a room with a view. I love that the 80s were so unapologetic about this stuff. Remember how J. Ivory was dissing 'Call me by your name' in one of the interviews for zooming into a tree at intimate scene and no nudity. He was like wth! They just had sex, they should be naked lol.
Also, circumcision is pretty rare in Europe I think. I'm not sure if there's even one country that has the policy of newborns circumcision. I'd say he's the norm. Also, wasn't S. Korea famous for having super high circumcision rate? Plus, muslim majority states I'm sure are high on that list too. You've got choices;) I prefer my men well build, so to me central Asia is like a land filled with wild beauty;))
That's one of my general problems with this series. It doesn't know how to set the mood. I keep wondering what…
Yeah, but the curtain scene was in ep4. I meant they should've told us about his aversion in ep3, so watching the kiss at the end would've had the right impact.
Sorry, I watched ep4 on my phone in low res cause I'm hiking. I thought P left a mark when he headbutted V, cause V kept stroking his chin in front of that mirror. Like a true villain lol.
OFFTOPIC
I just remembered we talked about dead ringers on the 'not me' thread;) I meant to write back that there's a fan edited version of Maurice with all the deleted scenes. The confrontation at the end should've never been cut. I found this in a quick search but I'm sure there's another version without embedded Viet subs somewhere. https://youtu.be/l5ALMylyrJ8
Just re-watched the end of ep 4 (and admit, you've all done the same), and have a question. Just why, exactly,…
That's one of my general problems with this series. It doesn't know how to set the mood. I keep wondering what emotions they were going for in this or that scene. Like I don't get why they didn't tell us K had an aversion to kissing before the pier scene - I couldn't read that kiss at all.
I thought he was just admiring and getting turned on by the mark P left on his chin. How much more interesting and sinister it'd be, if they showed us a blurry image of a naked body in bed or chained to a cross in the background:) We could assume he's naked cause he's in the middle ofrelieving himself by giving vent to his feelings;)
I feel like I should state my opinion on the sex scene more clearly. So here it goes.To put it simply, I consider…
I gotta say I have a hard time relating to your comment. Especially this part: "And while we can say everyone here can separate reality from fiction. I highly doubt that's possible. You might be affected by it subconsciously, in a way you won't realize. It's harmful."
If we were talking about mainstream media smuggling in harmful tropes/stereotypes, that can be internalised by the viewers and perpetuate undesirable behaviours, I'd agree. But for a bl show that's based on erotica involving non-con, that's clearly established itself as sth from a fantasyland in ep2, and is at least in theory aimed at titillating mature audiences? Imo you've both overstating its impact on the psyche and people who watch it know very well what they're coming for. In the context of MDL, this thread is so spammy and repetitive, I think anyone visiting at any time of the week would learn quickly there's gonna be at least dub-con between the main pair and can proceed at their own risk.
Personally, I think slightly dark-themed shows like this, containing erotic but not graphic content, are a pretty safe way for people to explore their fantasies involving dub-con/non-con. Having said that, I didn't like the way that scene flowed either. I'd prefer it if Porsche sobered up, except I'd wish he did that by having a longer pleasure-pain session with Vegas;)
Anyway, let's wait for the fallout - that'll be what establishes their dynamic for me. I generally prefer wholesome relationships at the center of a story, but if this show goes in a different direction, I'll accept it. I consider myself forewarned.
I don't get why no one talked/was concerned about what was P flying high on? First thing I'd do was call a doctor.…
Sure there are! As we say in my country - paper accepts everything:D
Those trailers are perfect bait. I honestly still don't get why they went for this weird mix of sitcomy humour with a crime setting. I guess they know their audience? I agree completely - I've had a hard time letting go of the more serious P too. I thought those two would go together into danger and battle it out between themselves, then it's gonna overflow into sex. But I'm already in the acceptance stage;) trying to get to know those two without preconceptions.
That tray scene was actually really funny! I thought V kidnapped P because of some rivalry with Kinn, who's staked a claim on him? But now probably got turned on by P fighting back. Honestly though we know so little about the background so far. Wish they weren't dosing out the information like it was precious diamond dust lol.
As I said, maybe sth got lost in translation for me, but I don't really see how he's more committed now, compared to the end of MI. That one ended on a hopeful and positive note too. Then after two years, he's still stuck in that mindset and has no trust or confidence in either himself or Kuzumi?! Seems like a waste.Honestly, that bar scene where they're talking with their backs to each other - each alone with their pain, was just too heartbreaking to watch...
I agree with what you wrote about Kuzumi. But that's a big part of why I feel they're not a good match, and there's 'no future' spelled all over this relationship. Kuzumi gives too much of himself emotionally while he himself is left starving. Imo you can't do it long-term without running dry and turning numb sooner or later. I mean there must be a limit to how many times you can get hurt before you just stop caring, right? Lol maybe I synced up too much with Kijima while watching this and that's why I see everything in bleak colours... Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, I'll put the manga on my list, but I'll probably wait a while to read it with fresh eyes:)
I also found the opening confusing. At the end of MI it seemed those two were heading somewhere - but here Rio seems to be stuck in the same place both mentally and geographically?! Whatever happened to wanting to work hard to take care of Kuzumi? Plus by now, they should have enough trust between them not to jump to conclusions and just talk this out - even if it played right into R's insecurities.
When he got on his lap, I thought it was a prelude to some interesting role-playing:) I really didn't expect the drama that followed.
About why he went there - he mentioned his senpai invited him, so I thought maybe he just felt compelled to go with them. Could be a thing about his work environment or this culturally ingrained compulsion to listen to your seniors. It used to drive me up the wall, when one of my best friends who's Japanese kept bailing on me, because a senior from her uni she barely even knew asked her to do sth. She even resigned from a trip we planned together for weeks, because her senpai asked her to go on vacation with her…
Then, it could be sth K truly found hot. Maybe he actually tried to tell R about it, but when he saw him closing up, he backtracked fast.
Btw, I found Kido really annoying and the main reason why I put this series on hold for months. It was so hard to find the right mood so I could deal with that piece of… calculating selfishness;)
Btw, when R said he doesn't get why K wanted to be with a man like him. I was like, my thoughts exactly! Just drop him and move on! ...which is probably not the reaction the writers were hoping for;)
But honestly, the body language!!!! It's sth that bothered me in the Novelist as well. You beg someone to let them explain and then sit with your back to them and give a cop-out explanation?! I was actually boiling with emotions at that point ...just the murderous kind.
I wouldn't mind if there was a fourth part about K falling in love with someone else;) Sorry, I just can't help but feel their love is somewhat doomed. The ending didn't convince me otherwise. I don't trust R not to repeat his behaviour. You can't force people to give you things they're themselves unwilling/unable to give...
Other than that, I actually quite liked him as a character. That convo when he called K to his flat to apologize, and then started talking about rent?! Only this guy:D Btw the answer to his question whether he's a pain in the ass ..is a big fat yes!
came back after a while. So happy ending seems perfectly possible to me too:) The last few minutes was just really a lot of contrived melodrama.
https://youtu.be/opwVWlRNqeI
Basking in the sun and Hei laoshi facepalming hard;) https://twitter.com/mmuk021/status/1389195528374689792
Day 2 shipping
https://mobile.twitter.com/lldszd/status/1389849275870310403
VohDoh concert crack
https://youtu.be/58NQ6Lv9528
'Bu man ni shuo' comedy skit
https://twitter.com/xiaobabiiwawa/status/1389671360713007105?s=03
Family singing compilation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4E8kd-kBdw
Legendary day1 performance singalong
https://youtu.be/Y6QfCe5G3-U
It was good to have you this Spring! Wo yong yuan dou zai...
https://twitter.com/littlejadebear/status/1520287607280009218?t=tiAb4vZdf8d5NcVTlIMkYg&s=19
得君为友，不枉此生💕
https://youtu.be/YfvVNpceIxY
Post concert depression:D
https://twitter.com/cocopines/status/1391070348997632003?s=21
I almost rolled off a mountain, I was laughing so hard re R Graves's penis. I wish we were sitting in a pub somewhere to talk this out;) I think his gorgeous full frontal made it into the cinema version of both Maurice and a room with a view. I love that the 80s were so unapologetic about this stuff. Remember how J. Ivory was dissing 'Call me by your name' in one of the interviews for zooming into a tree at intimate scene and no nudity. He was like wth! They just had sex, they should be naked lol.
Also, circumcision is pretty rare in Europe I think. I'm not sure if there's even one country that has the policy of newborns circumcision. I'd say he's the norm. Also, wasn't S. Korea famous for having super high circumcision rate? Plus, muslim majority states I'm sure are high on that list too. You've got choices;) I prefer my men well build, so to me central Asia is like a land filled with wild beauty;))
Sorry, I watched ep4 on my phone in low res cause I'm hiking. I thought P left a mark when he headbutted V, cause V kept stroking his chin in front of that mirror. Like a true villain lol.
OFFTOPIC
I just remembered we talked about dead ringers on the 'not me' thread;) I meant to write back that there's a fan edited version of Maurice with all the deleted scenes. The confrontation at the end should've never been cut. I found this in a quick search but I'm sure there's another version without embedded Viet subs somewhere.
https://youtu.be/l5ALMylyrJ8
I thought he was just admiring and getting turned on by the mark P left on his chin. How much more interesting and sinister it'd be, if they showed us a blurry image of a naked body in bed or chained to a cross in the background:) We could assume he's naked cause he's in the middle ofrelieving himself by giving vent to his feelings;)
"And while we can say everyone here can separate reality from fiction. I highly doubt that's possible. You might be affected by it subconsciously, in a way you won't realize. It's harmful."
If we were talking about mainstream media smuggling in harmful tropes/stereotypes, that can be internalised by the viewers and perpetuate undesirable behaviours, I'd agree. But for a bl show that's based on erotica involving non-con, that's clearly established itself as sth from a fantasyland in ep2, and is at least in theory aimed at titillating mature audiences? Imo you've both overstating its impact on the psyche and people who watch it know very well what they're coming for.
In the context of MDL, this thread is so spammy and repetitive, I think anyone visiting at any time of the week would learn quickly there's gonna be at least dub-con between the main pair and can proceed at their own risk.
Personally, I think slightly dark-themed shows like this, containing erotic but not graphic content, are a pretty safe way for people to explore their fantasies involving dub-con/non-con. Having said that, I didn't like the way that scene flowed either. I'd prefer it if Porsche sobered up, except I'd wish he did that by having a longer pleasure-pain session with Vegas;)
Anyway, let's wait for the fallout - that'll be what establishes their dynamic for me. I generally prefer wholesome relationships at the center of a story, but if this show goes in a different direction, I'll accept it. I consider myself forewarned.
Those trailers are perfect bait. I honestly still don't get why they went for this weird mix of sitcomy humour with a crime setting. I guess they know their audience? I agree completely - I've had a hard time letting go of the more serious P too. I thought those two would go together into danger and battle it out between themselves, then it's gonna overflow into sex. But I'm already in the acceptance stage;) trying to get to know those two without preconceptions.
That tray scene was actually really funny! I thought V kidnapped P because of some rivalry with Kinn, who's staked a claim on him? But now probably got turned on by P fighting back. Honestly though we know so little about the background so far. Wish they weren't dosing out the information like it was precious diamond dust lol.