Lys

I was hesitant to watch this because of people saying the girl and guy end up together, but the other guy ends up with a different dude. I spoiled the ending for myself, though, and I don't get why people are so convinced that's the ending. It seemed to me that the implication was that they all still loved one another and would be together when possible. One of them has a busier life that requires him to move around, and he may have an additional love interest, but the three of them even say at the end that love doesn't have a gender or number. Other than them running a business together, there was nothing that suggested the guy and girl paired off in a monogamous sense. I think people are just so unused to poly representation that they take a more cynical and rigid approach. Why would the love between them just vanish after all they went through? Shin isn't into girls, so outside of sex, I would imagine they're both only dating Neo. It's not weird for Shin to also have another boyfriend, if that's where that's headed. None of them thought their relationship was one on one from the start.

I don't know, I just think Shin is young and finding his footing, and the other two are letting him do that while they, previously trying to find their own foundation, are finally settling. When he's ready, Shin can settle with them too, or he can come and go as needed without his importance in the relationship diminishing. I appreciate that the show didn't try to define what it is to be in love or in a relationship by such binary terms.

Oh god, when I graduated from high school, this guy's mom was still pregnant with him. The BL industry is making me feel decrepit.

This was five months ago, so maybe it's too late, but if someone else comes along, it might help. The person who answered before made it sound like it's something from the character's past. Both main couples start with rape, one due to how drunk one of the boys is, the other because the boy keeps yelling for him to stop and saying he wants to go home while he fights the boy on top of him. The sex in these shows isn't graphic, but the rape definitely starts onscreen, so if you're uncomfortable with that, you should probably avoid the series. Also, he makes him bleed from the assault, but they still have some sort of cutesy romance like none of that happened.

Is there another place to watch it other than iQiyi? I'm having trouble with it, since everything is locked behind their VIP service, but for whatever reason I can't seem to set it up.

It's more like a series of little snapshots than a cohesive story, though I think part of that is the translation. I always appreciate anyone taking the time to translate, so don't get me wrong, but a lot of moments require you to piece things together based on context, and that might be where it gets confusing. It sort of reminds me of a student film, just little clips of two guys being sweet with each other. Nothing too intense. It's short, and you can sort of gauge early on if you can tolerate the simplistic style. I think the rating is about right.

Right? I felt the same way, that he was the only non-offensive gay character in the show. And seriously, hearing Off say that really irked me. I'm glad that isn't a common thing in BL, but I do recall in My Dear Loser having the characters say nasty things about being gay. The standard has changed a lot in a short amount of time, though. Stuff that would fly in 2017 or so would never be made today (generally speaking), but it's definitely cringe when you run into it. And same! I didn't add you for that reason, but I thought it was cool we were from the same state. ^^

Oh dear lord, SOTUS is a perfect example of that toxic, "no homo" vibe, where the *actual* gay men are almost exclusively flamboyant and predatory, while the main pairing is not only two straight guys, but also includes a guy who spends the majority of both seasons acting like they're roommates, even when they're alone. I had started it several years ago, before I was aware of what Thai BL dramas even were, and I just recently finished it. I think the love it gets is heavily tied to nostalgia and the fact that, at the time, there weren't as many options for solid BL. No hate on those who love it, but it definitely didn't age well.

I'm with you, I like toxic when the show knows it's toxic and doesn't try to pretend it's romantic. And sometimes I can excuse things because I've been in the yaoi game for so long, haha. Like TharnType, since the creepy stuff doesn't last too long. And it's a crying shame how little eastern GL there is out there, but I do have to say that in every country I've seen it, it does seem to be healthier as a rule. They get way more happy endings in western culture, for example.

Hey, not to be creepy, but we both live in California. I hope you don't mind if I add you. You seem cool. ^^

I absolutely agree that he brought a stronger angle to the story. And yeah, talent and perspective certainly isn't limited to a specific gender or sexuality, but I've discussed this before with like-minded friends and totally feel the same way. I think, and I say this as a female (not straight, but still) author of m/m stuff, that there can be a bit of a disparity between the more tropey nature of some women's depiction of gay relationships and the healthier element that Aof, and others like him, bring to the table. The novel for Bad Buddy is absolutely toxic and full of cliches. Aof took something that isn't especially original and made it feel fresh and interesting. He removed all of the crap that so many of us, male and female alike, have been wanting to see eradicated for years. To be fair, I've seen awful depictions of gay relationships from gay male authors, but in BL specifically, it seems like more voices are coming forward to break a stale trend. This is just speculation, but part of the issue might be the narrative pushed by most media and society that being gay equals misery. It can also tie into my least favorite trope in the world, the "it's okay if it's you" theme. I hate a "no homo" love story, like how is it possible to be both pro-gay romance and homophobic at the same time?

Sorry, I'm rambling now, but my point is, I think it's a combination of his own experiences and the fact that he's just a better writer and director than a lot of the people out there. I would love to see more people like him taking over the industry. We've had the doom and despair, the tragic gays, far too long. We've had the mindless fluff and the constant misunderstandings. We've had the shallow stereotypes and formulaic conflict. Change the record already. Aof is proving that he can make a solid story without falling into tired traps. I'm so glad his career is growing this rapidly.

Yeah, he's pretty great, and you can tell his actors really respect him. I have faith in what he has his hands in.

I am! Totally ecstatic, the new line up looks really promising. I feel really spoiled as a fangirl right now, haha.

Haha, I was just thinking about that yesterday, that there are people who've never even touched one. But I'm 35, so I remember. Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Right? The industry is really expanding, and it's wonderful. Fluffy school romances and dramatic relationship dramas have their place, but I want to keep up this level of variety and complexity.

Don't worry, he's in like six things in 2022. I would like to see him continue playing gay/bi roles, but I watch anything he's in, because I love him. Might be tough for me to get through this fluffy romcom he's in, but... for him, I'll do it. Heh.

Oh, I didn't know he was dating Godji! That's really cool. It looked like he was dating a different girl from the pictures both he and she had. But dating a trans woman doesn't make a person bisexual or gay. She's a woman, not a man, meaning Mike is proven to be attracted to women. If he came out as bi, awesome, but otherwise we shouldn't assume or potentially out people. I see a LOT of rumors and speculation in the BL fandom, and it bums me out, but I'm curious to know if that really is a source of conflict between Mike and Toptap. At any rate, it's their business in the end.

Do you have a source for that? People like to say things like this without ever verifying it, and I feel like if Mike were openly bisexual, I would have seen that everywhere. I'd love for it to be true, at any rate. That being said, I want to give Krist the benefit of the doubt. That was years ago, and I believe people can grow and change. It isn't fair to hold the past against someone who may have just needed to be educated and given a chance to mature.

Haha, they must be, because there are like 10 new ones coming out in 2022. If you add in bakery/cafe specific food shows, it's even more.

There are quite a few with shows coming up, like EarthMix, OhmFluke, BounPrem, SantaEarth, and all the ones the other people mentioned (with the exception of MikeToptap because I guess they had a falling out, sadly). There are way more, though, both current and past.

Thanks!

Lol, what?

I feel like I have to watch this because, you know, Gun. But I don't wanna. D: Actually, the brother dynamic will be nice to see. I don't know, it might not be that bad. Luke's love interest seems kind of amusing. I feel like the chemistry with Gun and his love interest is gonna be the het equivalent of the romantic high five.