ariel alba

Forgive me for going on, but the issue needs to be analyzed together. I doubt I can even summarize all my thoughts on the matter in this comment.
If there is sexual harassment and other serial issues like this, it is not to applaud it, to warn others that sexually or socially harassing someone is very healthy. The objective is the opposite. It is to make visible this and other social problems existing in contemporary societies. In this way the creators put their finger on the sore spot and generate debate.
In front of the uncle's bar, Tae Yi does not sexually harass Se Hun when he reaches under his clothes and touches him. It is Tae Yi's internalized homophobia that is acting at that moment. Very subtly the creators of the series expose internalized homophobia again, again and again. One of each member of the three couples in the series suffers from it. They are not able to admit their own sexuality. They are in love with another man and do not allow themselves to love him, to the point of causing the suicide of one of them. This other problem is also addressed in a very sensitive way. I don't see anyone, perhaps less than absolute, talking about suicide. The series denounces a conservative country with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions. Three of the protagonists suffer from internalized homophobia, a common problem among people who have grown up in societies that stigmatize or repress sexual diversity. This behavior harms others around them.
Tae Yi suffered a traumatic and painful experience with the death of his brother. Why did your brother commit suicide? Why does Tae Yi ask his uncle, “Was my brother weak (in character)”? When I saw the scene I wondered if the two brothers had sexist and even homophobic teachings from their father and if this teaching was the reason for their suicide. It's just great how this topic is addressed in the series.
Tae Yi has been homosexual since before he met Seo-Hu. Tae Yi rejects all approaches from Song Joo Hee, Song Joo Ha's sister, but he feels attracted to Seo-Hu, but he also evades him, distances himself from him, rejects him. Because? Because they are a victim of discrimination, rejection or shame they feel towards their own sexual orientation or gender identity. The creators avoid all moralizing sermons and didacticism. And that is the greatness of the series.
Until the moment he meets Seo Hun, Tae Yi was unaware that he was a victim of internalized homophobia. But once she meets him and falls in love, her world collapses and she doesn't know how to react to him. Tae Yi doesn't know what the consequences will be of his actions of admitting to himself that he loves another man. That's why he prefers to sacrifice himself and condemn Seo Hun to unhappiness before accepting that he loves a man.
Tae Yi lives two separate worlds. That of the talented high school student, that of a genius with a trumpet on his lips, on the one hand, and that of a gay boy in love with the jazz-loving student, on the other. This is brilliantly portrayed in the series very intelligently.
Social harassment in the series does not come for free. Its objective is to denounce the existence of this in current societies. For sexual harassment to exist, there must be aggressive behavior; There must be a power imbalance, that is, people who bully use their power (such as physical force, access to unpleasant information, or popularity) to control or harm others. In South Korean schools (and throughout society) there is a hierarchy enthroned in which students (and the rest of the inhabitants, especially in workplaces) who are in lower grades owe respect to those above them. This is the dynamic that moves Tae Yi and Song Yoo Ha. Added to this is that the latter boy sees how Tan Yi does not pay attention to his sister. What happens between the two students is not social harassment either. It is a very personal matter between the two, and Yoo Ha, who has understood Tae Yi's interest in Se-Hun, does not seek to harass this boy who has just arrived at school, but rather to punish Tae Yi.
The other component for the existence of sexual harassment is repetition. Harassing behaviors occur more than once, or have the potential to occur more than once. Sexual harassment includes actions such as threats, rumors, physical and verbal attacks, and intentionally excluding someone from a group.
Seo Doo Yoon is attacked at some point (in one of those attacks is when he meets Yoo Ha), but it is not sexual harassment nor can we say it is social harassment, since the cause that motivated this fight with beating is not explained. It was probably introduced to justify how these two boys met, how one was grateful to the other, and how the "savior" later recognized the one he once helped. Seo Doo Yoon does not sexually harass Yoo Ha either. She tells him that she loves him, kisses him, and due to his indifference, she chooses to distance herself.

The show could be good or bad regardless of whether or not there are notable differences between the play and the adaptation. In the same way, making a faithful copy of the original text would not mean guaranteeing the quality of the film work. We base our criteria on subjectivity and the intellectual tools that each person may have to analyze the work. That said, personally I cannot give a rating above 10 because there is no possibility to do so.

I perceive many making negative criticisms of the series based on its differences with the webtoon. I only value the series. I am completely sure that I will never read the work from which it is adopted. Why reject audiovisuals when they propose to debate and reflect on complex issues, such as internalized homophobia? Are we able to understand, as spectators and critics, that creators seek with their works to spark debates and reflections on complex and taboo topics? Doesn't the creator have creative freedom when adapting a work, as long as they respect copyright?

Why did Thai allow Kham to be tortured and then rescue him gun in hand? He could have done that from the first moment and saved pain and suffering for the poor boy who I highly doubt could withstand even a broken nail. But if it is assumed that everything he is doing, which includes being tortured and risking his life in a thousand different ways, such as drowning in the waters of the waterfall, is for love of Phupha, is it logical that he would cast such lustful glances at Thai after be rescued by this? Those are not looks of gratitude, but of lust and desire.
MaxNat have a lot of history in common after so many years acting together as a couple. Actors must know how to separate their personal lives from the story being told, when it demands it, as on this occasion. When the relationship between Thai and Kham has to be developed later, the close bond between the two can be used to give life to their characters and their relationship as a couple. At this time it is a huge mistake. Creators must be aware of this when actors overact and express something foreign to what they want to express.

That battle has been fought by LGBT+ people themselves and activists defending that community. The achievements, when they appear, since it is too early to claim victory, will be on a path that has literally cost blood and sweat and tears. They will not have fallen from the sky. We shouldn't romanticize about it.

The conversation between Khemthis and Wela was very explanatory and argumentative. He confirmed everything:
The two boyfriends have this conversation. I watched two videos from two different platforms. In parentheses what appears in the second video. I had to watch both because of the translation. They have Thai audio videos, but the translations are terrible from Thai to English. What do you think?
Khemthis - You are the number 1 host here (at the Club). Do you still have to do this? (Refers to doing acrobatics on the trapeze).
Wela - Did you hear this before? It is difficult to become number 1, but it is more difficult to maintain it. Clients support me to be the number 1 host, so I have to work much harder.
- It seems like you really like this job.
- What I want most is to return the favor (repay your kindness). How many host clubs can take such good care of their clients so that they don't have to go out and have sex with them (spend the night with clients). My responsibility is to take good care of the clients and also entertain them (give them entertainment). The nightclub only expects that from me (it needs me to do this). Why can't I give it to him?
Khemthis remains in denial. Wela does not want to take clients to the VIP room, after having paid for her sexual services.
Wela is going to have to need 5 thousand bodyguards to protect him with those drunk clients. They are going to be eaten alive. Well, they paid for it.
Khemthis loves to kiss Wela after he has been groped and groped by the clients.
Wela and Seiji are going to have to go to the temple more often to see if they can purify themselves.

Did you not notice my review and assessment of the series with the highest grade in all aspects to be evaluated? But, if we were talking about a topic, why did you abandon it after my previous comment? Is there anything about this that bothers you personally?

You have taken a phrase out of context to express that I intend to dissuade others from watching BL.
No, I'm not here to discourage others from watching BL. I come to make use of my right to express my ideas, my opinion, my right, like everyone's, to exercise criticism from subjectivity, academia and respect for others. Someone with common sense who analyzes my comments and reviews, all about BL series and LGBT+ dramas, will be able to understand my defense of these film and television genres. But that doesn't stop me from pointing out his moles.

I do not rule. It's precisely like that: it's the closest they've ever been. Until laws are passed to eliminate discrimination, Thai LGBT+ people will continue to be oppressed as is the case in their Muslim neighbors, in Malaysia or Indonesia. In reality, very little is known about their difficulties, their struggles, their reality, beyond the stereotypical image that the official voices are careful to support and the BL series contribute with their silence.
On the other hand, religion holds back the LGBT+ community. 94 percent of the population professes Buddhism. Buddhists think that transsexuality and homosexuality are punishments from destiny because in one of your previous lives you did something bad. For this reason, Buddhism tends to look down on LGBT+ people. According to this religion, homosexuality is a divine punishment. The racist (another factor to take into account) high society of that country does not see LGBT people as equals, but rather as second-class citizens. And that will not change despite the law allowing equal marriage. I hope I am wrong for seeing a panorama that does not inspire me, but the upper class, racist, xenophobic and discriminatory will continue to see homosexuality as taboo and they will continue to suffer the stigma so it will be difficult for them to find work, etc., like today.
Even in the United States, which prides itself on being a paradigm of freedom and human rights, and where same-sex marriage has been legal for years, there are laws, such as Florida's Don't Say Gay Bill, the Kentucky Senate Bill 150, Michigan House Bill 4257; Arkansas Senate Bill 270, Tennessee Senate Bill 3, West Virginia House Bill 2919 and many more already in force or awaiting approval by state congresses, which attack freedom of expression and prohibit the registration and opening of premises with LGTBI themes; the reading and exhibition in primary and secondary schools of books and audiovisual content that show homosexual relationships, and even allow the removal of books with this theme from university libraries. In the United States, laws are passed or exist that deny homosexuals the right to access any service, including medical and educational, or their right to conscientious objection. What could we expect from a country governed by successive military junta that emerged from successive coups d'état?
In the United States, Alabama Public Television censored the episode "Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone" of the legendary children's series “Arthur” because it shows a gay wedding between two teachers, or scenes from the latest version of 'The Beauty and the Beast', considered the first "exclusively gay moment" in Disney history, for showing the intimacy between the servant Le Fou (played by Josh Gad) and Gaston (Luke Evans), the knight he serves and desires.

As the BBC text says: "It still needs Senate approval and royal backing to become law."
At another point he says: "It will cement Thailand's reputation as “A RELATIVE REFUGE” haven for LGBTQ+ couples in a region where such attitudes are rare. What are rare? LGBTQ couples? Of course they are rare: THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO EXIST right now. That is what I have stated in my comments, that is, the fact that the right to relationships between people of the same sex does not exist.
The newspaper article itself states: “It is the beginning of equality. IT IS NOT A UNIVERSAL CURE FOR ALL PROBLEMS, but it is the first step towards equality." In other words, even if it is approved, it would not solve all the problems suffered by LGBT people. By the way, it will It will take almost 9 months to be evaluated, ratified or not, by the Senate and the king. Too much time, I say, in that immobility.

They have been heading in the right direction for years. Several bills have been submitted to Parliament to legalize same-sex marriage and all have been shelved and have not been approved. And on the other hand, LGBT people and activists themselves, even when they recognize the value of the law, question it for various reasons.

Gays SHOULD have a happy life, like all other people, but right now many cannot, for the reasons stated above. Yesterday I gave it as an example: If Junior and Fluke, the protagonists of To Be Continued, wanted to get married right now in search of the desired happiness... could they get married? Could they get married in a society whose laws only accept marriage between people of different sexes? Imagine that they want to adopt a child? Imagine that they want to inherit their spouse's assets? Imagine that after 20 or 30 or 40 years of living together one dies? Can the survivor decide where his remains will be buried or with what mortuary rites he will say goodbye? Wouldn't this be a “family” decision, since the “husband” does not count as such? Imagine that the survivor does not have the right to the home and the car that he and his partner bought, or the bank account where they both deposited their savings, or the life insurance that the deceased left him as the sole beneficiary? Imagine that you don't have the right to the refrigerator, the television and the electric coffee maker that you bought with your first salary when you moved in together? Is that the happiness you talk about?
How could they be happy then? Words and desires are often empty and do not express anything, no matter how much some pretend they do. To achieve this social change, the efforts of many, if not everyone, are needed. And turning your back on this harsh and crude reality is not achieved.
So, we can see how BL series represent the lives of some people and at the same time they ignore them and are not interested in them at all. The series manipulate and give a completely distorted image and reality.

As has been shown in research, BL has evolved, perhaps more profoundly in other latitudes, and serves to, in addition to entertaining and being marketed, make LGBT people and their struggles and daily lives visible.
The “fights” to which I refer can be treated and made visible in the series in various ways. When an actor, if he is the protagonist, better, because he is in the center of public attention, wears a distinctive rainbow flag of this human collective hanging on his shirt, cap or backpack that he takes to school, or that says or write on your mobile phone a phrase like “tomorrow I will participate in the Gay Pride march” or “I am going to the bookstore to buy the magazine dedicated to transsexuals” would be a good step to start this fight in BL series. In Twins the boys, volleyball players and jiu jitsu fighters, went to an ice cream parlor in their free time and these symbols hung on the walls of the establishment. None of the actors ever pointed to a flag or said anything about it. It was not necessary. Maybe if you are not part of that group you will not be interested, but many, even without being LGBT people, mobilize as anyone can mobilize for the environment, climate change or the genocide against the Palestinians. Keep in mind that while some are looking for the "happiest" point, millions of people in the world are living in a "point" that is not at all happy. And these people have the right to happiness, dignity and life itself.
As for the kind of LGBT+ movies you got bored of years ago, I'll tell you that I prefer them over BL ones. Especially if they are social dramas that, unlike BL, tell reality. I am convinced that sadly it is these stories that you prefer to ignore the reality of what is happening in the world. And yes, many gay guys experience that misery, but I doubt they enjoy it. It is imposed on them by those who discriminate against them, murder them, exclude them, harass them, before the eyes of many who prefer to fold their arms while enjoying a BL series.

It was initially made by heterosexual women and aimed at heterosexual women, but this has evolved over time. Specifically in Thai BL there are more male filmmakers, many of them queer people. Although it is an "open secret" that many actors (writers, directors, producers...) are gay, almost none have explicitly declared their sexual orientation.
BL series, as well as BL mangas and novels, emerged as a form of representation of the LGBT community. However, they progressively included the problems that LGBT people face in their society: Discrimination, rejection from families, suicide, bullying, etc.
The BL producer, whose target audience is women between 14 and 25 years old, aims to play with the fictional morbidity that these stories produce. It would be like lesbian porn for straight men in lesbian porn. And this means that BL does not seek to generate greater empathy towards the LGBT community.
Typically, the BL narrative features two attractive young people who come to fall in love and have an idyllic romance. But they also present women as the interest of one or both characters. In this way, he plays a lot with the idea of ​​apparent bisexuality, to finally resort to the fact that the boys are not bisexual and perhaps were never even heterosexual, and after meeting the other boy he "discovered" his sexuality. That is why the word "gay" like kisses between the protagonists, are usually avoided. When the word "gay" is used, it is used in a pejorative manner. And kisses and even hotter scenes have been added lately. Nor are references made to anything related to or identified with the LGBT community, such as the rainbow flag. 'Twist', 'Last Twilight', 'Cooking Cook' did incorporate this symbol in several scenes. Maybe other series, but I don't remember right now.
Directors, actors, producers, everyone involved, as well as the general public, are aware that this is a strictly commercial product. Many are even homophobic, as stated by Aam Anunsorn, an actor and audiovisual communicator. The millionaire income is what makes television companies continue producing these series, they have even reached Netflix and are expanding their market to the West.

You are still wrong. On the one hand, at no time have I said that I don't like the series. I rated it with high marks on MDL and other platforms. Secondly, I make use of my right to express my ideas, my right, like everyone's, to exercise criticism. It is you who are bothered by my opinion, however, I have not acted as others have done, by not disrespecting others. And thirdly, I don't come here to seek an audience, but to express my opinion.

Another common point of Thai BL is the obvious homophobia and misogyny. Many of the characters are designed with a strong homophobic and misogynistic load. I give an example: A Secretly Love. Why does a handsome, rich, athletic young man with a good body, good character, sensitive, at 22 years old, have had 20 girlfriends and all of them, without exception, end up breaking up with him? Why does a young man with the aforementioned characteristics and marked masculine attributes end up being publicly slapped by each and every one of his ex-girlfriends, and he ends up crying to them, literally begging them not to abandon him and get back together? Why is he shown as a faint-hearted, ridiculous, weak-willed, poor-spirited, unhappy, shameful being, who crawls on the floor while chasing them and making his supplications?
In this, as in other examples, homophobia is observed when the character, who has always believed that he is heterosexual, comes to understand that only after meeting a boy of the same sex and establishing an emotional bond with him that goes from friendship to romance, is that he manages to feel happy and fulfilled, he manages to be himself.
Misogyny is evident when characters like Pluem, continuing with the example, come to justify their sexual orientation by the fact of having been rejected and despised by women, giving this the reason to despise the representatives of the gender who until that moment were of their interest and attraction.
Sometimes we have seen in Thai BLs that “they stop being heterosexual and become homosexual” only because of having been deceived by the girls, since they only have an interest in the character because he is popular, rich, etc. In that series, Khonprot, the other protagonist, is the “prince charming” who will come to rescue the “beautiful princess” from her destiny of unhappiness of remaining heterosexual and will show her that “being homosexual is what suits him best.” finger".

Wouldn't it have to do with the community that consumes it, that is, the public to which it is directed? We see BL from other countries dedicated, within the genre, to creating a space for LGBTIQ+ activism. Why not ThaiBL? Is it a complex topic that takes time and dedication to study? Thanks to you and JohnGotti for being interested in the topic.

Hi. In other comments I have addressed the interest of these series only in generating profits, in advertising, in contributing to the image of Thailand as a country where gays are free and where human rights are respected... the image of a paradisiacal destination to convene millions of sex tourists, while nationals are harassed, excluded and discriminated against. It is not conceivable that these series offer an image of homosexual boys and at the same time the series do not defend the interests of the real people that these boys represent on screen and even many of them in real life because they are queer people. Let's imagine that Fluke or Junior, the protagonists of To Be Continued, would like to get married. Could? And adopt a child? Could they enjoy the rights that heterosexual people enjoy? No. Imagine if they want to change their sex? They can, if Thailand is considered the country in which the largest number of sex reassignment operations are performed in the world. And then they can get a new ID, driving license? No. They couldn't even, with their new name after the operation and the new photo with the new makeover, go to change the photo and name on their work or student record. Where are all those young college high school students who populate BL series whose fates in life are so uncertain? In Be My Favorite, although somewhat lukewarm, and in Not Me, here much more strongly, the struggle of LGBT+ people is denounced and contributed to, but few or no other series do so. And do you think it's right to prioritize profits over the desire for social change? I don't think it's right. Cinema and television in other latitudes also seek profit, but even so, both audiovisuals and actors and actresses denounce discrimination and these films and series contribute and seek to raise awareness in societies.

Hi friend:
The story of the second couple, Ji's brother Ki and Kambee, has not been developed. In episode 6 they had the disagreement at the beginning and the situation was not resumed from that moment on. Two episodes left. They will surely rush the relationship if they finally decide to have a second partner.

With only two chapters left to conclude 'To Be Continued', we still don't know why Ji has rejected Achi for more than 10 years. Yes, it is believed that the reason lies in the fact that relationships (including marriage) between people of the same sex are still not recognized in Thailand.
It is evident that while Achi fully accepts her sexuality, Ji hides it and does not want to acknowledge it. That's why Ji approached a girl, but still doesn't decide to make her fall in love with him. It can't be any other way: he is gay. He hides his homosexuality and denies his love to the person he loves.
Ji knows his place in an inhospitable world, but he doesn't dare to position himself in it. Ji lives in a world built by and for the heterosexual man. He lives in a heteronormative society that still discriminates against homosexuals, harasses them, persecutes them and excludes them. Ji, like other members of the Thai LGBT community, lives surrounded by heterosexual stimuli everywhere. And everything that goes beyond the "normative" is viewed with suspicion and incomprehension and even hatred. Anyone who dares to feel differently runs the risk of being separated and excluded from the group. As an animal of habit, Ji is afraid of the unknown, he doesn't really know how to act when faced with what is different from him and those who are like him. That is why he tends to sacrifice his love to try not to be attacked.
In series like 'The Promise' a boy hides being in love with his friend, but he justifies his decision not to confess his love for fear of breaking the relationship between the two, but he also damages the friendship by putting distance between them for 10 years. which is also excessive.
But that's not the point in 'To Be…'. Here the two boys are in love. And while one is open to having the relationship, the other does not dare to take the next step. They are in a world and a society that prevents them from leaving the established rules. Going outside the norm has always implied social exclusion. They know each other and love each other. But out of fear Ji does not open himself to love. The series has not even proposed to explain why two men who love each other and have no other impediment than the one indicated above, can declare their love and be together.
When will the creators of BL series stop being afraid to demonstrate in their works that love and feelings have no borders?
The question is that Thai BL series have not yet decided to address the reality of LGBT+ people in that country. Until now, BL dramas tell us two very different realities. Although the "positive representation" of relationships between male characters is celebrated, in the sense that they are no longer always synonymous with tragedy or come with a strong load of stereotypes, the genre of love dramas between boys does not show representations close to the Thai reality. BL series generally focus on “young love,” omitting the realities faced by gay men in Thailand, who still do not have basic rights such as equal marriage. This leads many viewers to misunderstand that Thailand is a gay paradise. And that is not true.
Even homosexual romance dramas are broadcast with the intention of not disturbing "the tranquility and sleep" of the most conservative sectors of the country. The episodes of the BL series are broadcast on alternative platforms through smartphones and digital devices, in order not to interfere with the usual TV soap opera programming.
When will BL series come to reflect the real diversity of the LGBT+ community in Thai society? While dozens of BL series are produced and broadcast each year, stigma and discrimination against LGBT+ people continues to occur. When will the creators and directors of television channels understand that making homoaffective representations in BL series more nuanced and political could bring important and positive changes in a society that is beginning to observe its diversity through television creations?