jaydeejay

I'm actually very glad you called out the body language!

The nervous/anxious body language is prevalent in BLs with characters who are bottoms- especially in mangas and anime. And typically, it's honestly not that big of a deal mostly because it's just the character who's just like that not due to something like abuse; they're just anxious is all. But with how everything is in this show, Kuea and Diao doing it is very worrisome.

The friend I've mentioned before with the controlling mother? Does the same exact thing. I'm so used to seeing it in real life, that it didn't even cross my mind to point it out in my past comments.

I too will see you over at La Cuisine. New episode today, yay!

omg
I haven't watched either, but dang.

Theo.
It's revealed he kept up the charade because he wanted Akk to finally come out and admit he liked him.

I'll wait until next episode to see what happens, but they better have a reeeeaaally good reason why Nuea keeps saying this and stuff about gaining muscle.

I think what they done with Sky and Jao in terms of the fatphobia has been pretty good so far. So to go from that to lowkey body shaming someone's who's skinny is very odd.

A very chill episode. It felt like the "Calm Before The Storm" type episode. I'm expecting some shit to go down here on out.

I don't care for NueaToh, but damn the actors' chemistry is still amazing. Top tier.

I will say though: I've always found the huge lack of self esteem with the Juniors (Toh, Som, Daisy and Jao) to be very interesting. I do love that they've kept it very consistent. The reveal that Toh doesn't think good things every last for him was surprisingly depressing to hear, even from him. I was telling my friend that I do wish they revealed this or at least did a better job at hinting it a lot sooner. If they did that and toned down the collecting thing a bit, then Toh would've been a great character.
Having a main character who has very low self esteem and thinks they don't deserve their crush is a character type that doesn't pop up all that often in BLs.

Nuea keeps saying Toh needs to gain weight and I fucking HATE it. I have a feeling this will be a problem in the future.

SkyJao is still too damn cute for this show. Sky calling Jao "my plushie".....I actually almost died. THIS is how you do body positivity, Nuea.

I'm very excited to see more Touch and Daisy and SkyJao!!

Them revealing that Theo was Enchante was such a bad choice. Theo acts somewhat selfishly the whole time. And then it's revealed he's even *more* selfish and manipulative because he was the mastermind behind the (utterly pointless) Enchante game. And to make matters EVEN WORSE, instead of telling Akk how he feels, he flies off to France?? And the whole time they've been hinting that Akk and his sisters are poor/definitely not as wealthy as Theo. So to have Akk scrape up money to run after Theo like a dog was an awful choice.
And Akk being like (for the 100th time) "I would do anything for you" while Theo stands there blank faced and doesn't say the same back to him- Awful. Terrible.

This show was massively disappointing. So much so, I can only laugh.

Also, small complaint, but I am SO TIRED of seeing this damn house in BLs. I'm pretty sure this is the same house in Cutie Pie as well as in Don't Say No. Please never use this house ever again.

I never post full reviews before a show is over. But I plan on doing so once this one is done :)

Oh WOW! What a cute little show!

There are a couple of things that I can see some people disliking, like the large cast and the simple main couple. However, I actually love both of those things!

All of the characters are very interesting to me- yes, including NamNing. I don't like her, but I think she's interesting as a character. All of the other characters are very cute and lovable to me so far. I really do love the trope of super supportive friend group where each friend is pretty unique and adds some level of intrigue to the group and overall story. And we get not just one friend group, but two! AND we get to see them intermingle and eventually date amongst each other. I love their interactions a lot so far.

I also love some of the dialogue and dynamics a lot. We've had a couple of scenes so far where some people close to Ram supports him, but also are very firm about making sure he doesn't lead Lukchup along.
We also get to see Lukchup's friends helping him out and it's very sweet; clearly he's a pretty timid guy, and they speak for him at times and gas him up like know one's business. I love it.

Speaking of his timid nature: I LOVE that we get a nervous, shy male character as our main character. Main male characters in BLs (and pretty much in general) are expected to act """manly""", if you will. They're not allowed to be timid, soft spoken, or even some level of effeminate. Which just further emphasizes and adds on to the toxic masculinity that is so prevalent in way too many cultures around the world. So getting a character like Lukchup or even Wayu from Gen Y (a lot of people disliked Wayu because of this) is ever so refreshing.

I also love the simplicity of Lukchup's and Ram's relationship. It's pretty rare to have a simple main pair in a BL. The only other show I can think of is Gen Y with Thanu and Wayu: the point of their relationship was that they just wanted to be together, but outside forces kept bringing them apart. I believe RamLukchup may go down the same path with NamNing attempting to keep them apart and the fangirls and whatever else may be brewing.

I thing Pangji and Titan would be soooooo cute together! I also love a grumpy character with a more down to Earth, chill guy character, so I'm looking forward to Sky and Phai! ...And to be very honest, so far, I ship Sky, Phai, and Titan as an OT3. I also hope Super and Kitten become a thing. They're dynamic is very fun.

And about NamNing: I don't mind the Hateful/Jealous Female Villain trope so long as it's written well. And when I saw we were going to have one of those in the show, I kind of cringed a bit. But DAMN they took NamNing's character to a whooooole other level like I've never seen in a BL so far- and I find it VERY interesting. The scene we see her going so far as using multiple fake accounts to support herself was buck WILD. And we all know how crazy fans can get about something they love. They get so riled up that they create multiple fake accounts and all of that, and I thought it was interesting that they gave NamNing the same obsessive behavior. I'm curious to see what else will happen to her.

I'm enjoying myself so far! Can't wait for ep4 :)

"The thing is, even if they develop Lian's character away from the toxic behavior down the road, it doesn't change that right now he's a raging mess of bad, bad choices. Those don't become better or suddenly more understandable just because later he learns to act better. So there's no point waiting until the end of the show to call out his behavior, as some have argued, since even if he improves right now, in this moment, his behavior is still toxic."

Very true!
We've once spoken about how shitty people might change and how sometimes the change warrants a 2nd chance and how sometimes it doesn't and all of that stuff. And I mentioned my theory as to why he is the way he is; I'd be down for an attempt at redemption if what I theorized was correct. The point I was trying to make (and didn't quite do a good job at doing so) was that there basically could've been a chance of redeeming this character, of seeing him change for the better and do what he must to try to right his wrongs. I think there can be a lot of benefits to seeing an awful character apologize and change for the better.
HOWEVER...I wrote all of that prior to reading the spoiler comment about Lian's plot twist. Now that I'm aware of the possible backstory to Lian..yeah, he can go fuck himself and no amount of redemption could ever get me to like the guy ever.

YES omg how did I forget the damn cameras. I think I was so grossed out by the idea of it and the scene the followed, that I unknowingly deleted it from my memory.

I noticed a lot of people are only focusing on the good things Lian does. Like "oh once he realized he would see Kuea half naked sometimes, he got rid of the cameras! He's being respectful to Kuea!" But it's like....did we forget why he installed cameras in the first place?? So that Lian could watch Kuea's every move like a dog left alone at home?? If Kuea hadn't removed his shirt, then Lian would've kept the cameras. And based off of what they've showed us so far of Lian, we can promptly say that's a fact.

I get you!
First time relationships can be tough, that's very understandable. However, to be this level of mean- and on purpose, no less? Yikes.

With Yi, it's been fairly obvious from the beginning why he does the things he does: I actually assumed something traumatic must've happened between the two and it seems that so far that I'm correct. Going through something traumatic can change bits of someone's personality and make them do things they would've never done before. So there seems to be a reason as to why Yi is too overprotective, and that *maybe* he doesn't mean to come off as awful at all.

However, with Lian....if you can answer this for me that would be great, but I've been asking since the beginning why Lian chooses to be an asshole. And no one has been able to answer that. Which is concerning. And I say "choose" because there's no way you can see your fiance crying in the car on your way to your house after you forced him to move in with you and just...keep on going.
And when it comes to writing, if you have a character that does despicable things but the audience is meant to love them eventually, then normally as a writer you'd insert examples early on to showcase that this character isn't actually ruthless and/or they're definitely going to change. We haven't gotten that with Lian, which is odd. And because of that, it isn't surprising that a good chunk of people are very wary of him.

About Kuea's "true self": both can be true at the same time. His "real self" can be the guy who wants freedom and tries to do what he wants while also being the guy who must fold under his parents' and partner's control. I say this as someone who has a friend whose parent was and still is quite controlling of him, and I've seen how in the past 20 years it has affected him and how he has to try and navigate his own life around that. In situations like this, it isn't easy to just up and do whatever you want. A lot of how Kuea reacts and what Lian/his parents do is actually very real, not just exaggerated for comedic effect.

Lian's teasing on it's own and out of context isn't toxic, no. You're correct on that. But we have to add in the context, which is that alongside all the sugary sweet moments, there are also times when he acts gross. All of that flip flopping is *not* good in a relationship.
For example. the part where Lian was teasing about sharing a room together. Out of context, that's actually a fun scene. But then I remember that Kuea was crying on the way to his house while sitting right next to the man that supposedly loves him after being made to pack his stuff and, well...yikes. Yikes!!

And yes, Lian definitely could've just told him the truth and it wouldn't've made things worse. What Kuea needs in his life is someone who isn't mean to him and understands him, and that could've been Lian. Diao isn't mean, but Diao doesn't seem to quite understand him; probably because they aren't going through the same exact thing as far as we know. Kuea lying is not the same as Lian lying because Lian knows way more than Kuea does and thus Lian has upper hand here. Lian could've sat him down and explain what is up as best as he could. It might take a couple of tries, but it would've worked.
As a matter of fact, if the story was of them working together to help Kuea be who he wants to be and to try to get out of a controlling situation, that would've been interesting.

But thanks for explaining yourself! I've been genuinely interested in how people who enjoy LianKuea view them.
I'm willing to give the writers a chance to wow me with their development of Lian's character. Who knows, maybe they actually make him have a much needed heart to heart later on where he explains and apologizes for his actions and make appear to be a decent guy for once.

You're very much correct in stating what you have said about Lian's actions.
He has done all of those things, yes, and it wouldn't be an issue if it all stopped there- or at least was explored properly.

The issue is that he's doing all of these sweet things while also doing so many awful things. Kuea has stated and shown us several times that he is very confused by Lian's actions. If you truly love and respect someone, you wouldn't be playing mind games with that person like Lian does.
Lian knows very well how obedient Kuea can be at a drop of a dime. He knows this and takes full advantage of it but having him do what he is told: Lian forces Kuea to live with him knowing he wouldn't disobey. He tells him to stay put, and Kuea stays. Lian supposedly loves him, but instead of kissing while sober, so he did so while Kuea was absolutely drunk.
Lian is very clearly aware of most of Kuea secrets (I wouldn't be surprised if he already know about his real major), doesn't like that Kuea is understandably lying to him, but instead of going up to him and being real with him and stating that he'll help Kuea, he lies and pretends to be just as gross and controlling as Kuea's family has been to him growing up. All for what? So that Kuea can open up to him? Acting like the thing that Kuea despises is not going to get him to open up.

And the thing is that I absolutely don't mind problematic/toxic characters being utilized in stories at all whatsoever. But in BLs/yaoi, it's *very* common to romanticize and even sexualized their behaviors rather than frame it for what it is: shitty, abusive behavior.
The reason why I'm not as grossed out about Yi as I am with Lian is because with Yi, we can tell his character has some level of regret and doesn't seem to like his behavior and we see him acknowledging- not by much, but there's *something* there. Lian seeing Kuea cry and flinch and react negatively so many times up until the kiss in the end of ep6 and doesn't try to change his gross behavior. Sure, he sprinkles in some sweet moments here and there, but he doesn't try to get rid of his controlling behavior.

And all the while, the writer's romanticize it all to hell and back.
Unfortunately, people fall for this type of writing SO much that they think all of it is adorable and they unfortunately miss all of the warning signs and what have you. it's not just Lian and Yi who are toxic, but it's the writing as a whole that is too.

Has anyone found Eng subs for the trailer??

Yeah, it's kind of a problem how ambiguous the whole thing is, specifically on how drunk he was. I mean, usually people pass out/fall asleep when they drink a lot, so....It's hard to say, and I'm not crazy about that.

Also, you need consent in the moment, not when it's randomly stated earlier in thr day or days ago. Because when the moment comes, there's a chance that person may not actually want it anymore or just in that instance.

I forgot to mention on my post from last night, but I wanted to make a comment about the idea that LianKuea is a "cute, sexy dom/sub relationship" or has dom/sub tones to it.

Contrary to popular belief and massive misinformation, dom/sub and any other type of BDSM relationship actually requires a *healthy* amount of understanding and *consent* (!!!) from both parties; overall, despite what is done between them sexually, the whole thing is and absolutely should be healthy for the couple. Lian and Kuea's situation lacks understanding, firm consent, and isn't healthy. What some people are actually enjoying is the very clear power imbalance between Lian and Kuea; alongside the fact that Lian is very clearly taking advantage of the situation and of Kuea's lack of autonomy.

A lot of ill written romance stories (BLs included) would have you believe that being mean to your partner and taking advantage of them equals a sexy BDSM relationship, but that is *not* how it works. At all.

If Lian and Kuea were on equal playing ground both physically and, most importantly, mentally, then yeah I would have fun with this couple being petty and stubborn with each other. But that's not the case here.

Just wanted to drop my 2 cents on the matter.

Someone else said the same thing about the book- it might have been you? LOL I'm not sure.

But with all of the groping and whatnot, I assumed that *something* sexual outside of kissing must have happened. Maybe not full blown stereotypical sex, but something similar.

I try not to comment on LianKuea every time I leave a post but it's hard not to this time around.

When you think about it, there has been no change with them. Sure Lian attempted the whole date thing and it appears he's going to try to do so again next episode. But notice that despite all of that, it's only happening because *Lian* is the one controlling the narrative. Notice that he approached Kuea all gentle like with the date idea barely 24 hours after he manipulated Kuea into staying home. After he made Kuea miss an amazing and possibly life changing opportunity.

For those who can't understand Kuea, try and understand that his life has been controlled basically since he was born. When you strip someone's autonomy away and especially for so long, it makes it very hard for that person to push back. Mostly because they don't know how to push back and/or are afraid of pushing back too much (even though they should be pushing more). So it isn't surprising when Lian tells him to stay home and he stays put. It shouldn't be surprising when Kuea swoons for Lian after Lian woos him with very basic romantic gestures after Kuea is understandably mad at him.

The part that, to me, was very telling about their relationship is the comment Kuea makes when he states "[Y]ou make me confused." Lian then responds with "I guess we both have to make some adjustments". From this, it seems like Lian sees Kuea lying as equally bad as his own actions, which is not true; Lian's actions (forcing Kuea to live with him on top of also lying to him, knowing way more about Kuea then Kuea knows about him, etc) are far worse in my opinion.
Also there's the fact that Kuea was talking about Lian specifically and Lian deflected by making the issue about both of them. Ugh.

And sure, you could say Lian's trying by giving Kuea some things like his own room. But those are things Kuea needs: with how unstable their relationship is, Kuea should definitely get his own space. And Lian didn't have to buy him/give away all of those instruments to Kuea; he had his own instruments!
Lian is feeding sweets to Kuea but with dirtied hands while keeping him in a cage. And I still don't find any of it cute.

I'm still pleasantly surprised we're still getting some development with Yi and Diao. Although it was small, it was still great seeing Diao put his foot down; he definitely would not have done that before. And him brushing off Yi's monetary suggestions and instead asking for his time was both very sweet and very sad.
Max's acting comes off as a little stiff at times, but it works great for Yi. Yi has a couple of moments where he does something and then kind of flinches in a way that makes it seem like he understood that his actions were bad. With the conversation about the bicycle wheel, it seemed as though Yi wanted to say something kind and appear caring, but it still came out stiff.
Diao is learning to speak up. Yi should too. And not with his usual words, but rather with how he actually feels.
I can see a steady development between these two...unlike LianKuea.

Like I said last time, I still don't understand Nuer and Syn. Though it was interesting to see Syn be more assertive. And Kuea's friends trying to (though haphazardly) help him out was nice.

Overall, the pacing feels slow to me?? A lot happens but in reality, not really? We're already half way through and the only development we've seen is YiDiao and that's basically it.

My post below got quite messy, so I won't respond there and instead I'll make a new post to clarify what I meant when I criticized the drunk sex scene.

If Toh was perfectly fine with what Nuea (who was sober) did to him while he was drunk, then fine. It's not like similar actions have never happened to people in real life where they're groped by someone they like/are dating while they're barely awake and were fine with it. It happens, sure!

My issue is that BLs (and the romance genre as whole) are notorious for normalizing/sexualizing/romanticizing things they shouldn't be. The chances of people arguing about what consent is and straight acknowledging that they don't even know what it is would be slim to none if it weren't for these types of instances. And yet here we are.

At the end of the day, being the sober one and groping/having sex with someone who's drunk is assault- and I know "assault" is a nasty word, but it is what it is. And it's because the drunk person isn't fully in the right state of mind to fully comprehend what's going on and what they're "agreeing" to. But the person who is sober is, and it's their responsibility to control the situation and not take advantage of the person/situation.

If the point of the mushroom scene was to have Nuea take Toh elsewhere to then lead to them having sex, then there are dozens of other ways they could have gone about it. They could have had Toh trip and fall and scrape his knee. Then Nuea pick him up and whisk Tok away to treat his wound, which would then lead to sex. Both parties would be sober and both parties would be willing. However, the fact that they purposefully chose to keep Toh drunk is far more telling than a lot of people seem to understand.

Hell, I would go as far as to say that if it were Nuea that were drunk and Toh was the sober one groping him, I feel like *a lot* more people would be mad.

But anyway, that's my 2 cents. I'm still pretty excited for the next episode. I hope we get to see Touch and Daisy interact!

I would say he looks chubbier than the rest of the cast, even the actor who plays Sky. According to BL/yaoi stereotypes, bottoms in BLs are """supposed to be""" thinner/more frail than their tops. So I was very pleased to see that the actor for Jao was bigger (not taller) than Sky. And was even more pleased when they brought it up and had Sky defend him.

I see. Thanks for answering that!
I know it's a very common misconception to think that doing anything remotely sexual to someone who can't fully consent is not assault. But it actually is assault, regardless of the situation and intentions. And Toh manipulating things to this extent to get Nuea to kiss him actually makes his character worse in my eyes. Especially since they already kissed without Toh being drunk.
There are numerous other ways they could have written the situation so that it would lead to them having a steamy make out session. But going about it this way is gross, in my opinion.

Writing-wise, I'm surprised they switched it to mushrooms. Though guess it's a cultural thing?