Feardorcha

LOL. No argument there.

Ah, so you've finally worked up the nerve to address me directly. Congratulations.

That said—

I am obligated neither to mirror nor validate your cognitive paucity. Shuffle on, you're mucking up my thread.

"Playboyy" is a whole other...other. Hope I'll see you over on that comments board because I have expressed THOUGHTS.

Obviously we need to write something on A03 and wait for Thailand to get wind of it.

I've had the same thought about Kenji. Nothing about his hatred of Tew makes sense unless it's connected to more positive feelings he has or has had about Tew. It's clear their mob boss never rated Kenji, and he's made no secret of it (everyone in that organization who doesn't work directly for Kenji seems to regard him as a laughing stock), so Kenji can't have thought he'd ever be considered to take over. Surely even he isn't THAT stupid. And Kenji's vitriol and aggression was a lot more pronounced toward Guy, to the point it came off like jealousy rather than using Guy as a bargaining chip.

I just think, overall, the story between Tew and Kenji is just more interesting, even if it's mostly our headcanon, lol.

Wouldn't that be spicy? Like the whole conflict between them is less about vying for their boss's approval or taking over the business and more about latent unbridled attraction they've been forbidden to act on because they're pseudobrothers.

And that attraction has smoldered so hot and so long it's twisted what was once a loving if strained platonic relationship into a psychosexual quagmire that can only end when both of them fuck and/or one of them is dead but they can't bring themselves to do either.

Damnit, I want to be watching THAT show.

I couldn't resist.

Discipline him hard, daddy Tew. So hard that wig falls in line too.

Everyone's tastes are different. Frankly, I'm happy to see BLs getting more daring with intimate scenes, in general. Watching modestly shirtless dudes flopping about like mackrel on top a well-made bed gets a bit stale.

I want that. I want that for all of us. It would almost redeem Kenji's wig.

Almost.

Yes! This is a show best watched with two bottles of wine and an obscenely massive bowl of assorted chocolates and the sexiest fruits. Just full on decadence.

If the series ended with Tew and Kenji sex-battling to the death, I would give the series 10 stars.

That's what's so frustrating for me. It feels very close to being genuinely good but something went wrong somewhere. It really does feel like the production was muzzled, maybe by the producers or other investors. It gives "studio meddling" vibes from time to time.

If it weren't for that terrible wig, I might've crossed over to Kenji's side after that stupidity. Tew has had three opportunities to put Kenji down, despite Kenji repeatedly, actively trying to kill him. Almost makes you want Kenji to get him out of pure frustration.

I mean, Tew is a grown man, not a pubescent teenager. If you tell someone to get out of your life, you have no further claim on them or their emotions. Whether they move on in two years or two days, that's their business now. Sucks to be you but you did it to yourself, you numpty.

LOL, I suspect we are not alone in this sentiment.

On one hand, there is a dangerous thriller about poisonous paternal love, violent sibling rivalry, and the external/internal duality of self as symbolized by family power struggles.

On the other hand, is a condensed Wish version of every BL story ever written about having the hots for your oblivious idiot of a best friend.

Unfortunately, what we're watching is "My Dear Gangster Oppa", the congealed salad cobbled together from the most leftover of leftovers.

This series is like a deadly-serious parody of the early aughts psycho-sexual indie cinema fervour that gave us films like "Shortbus", "Wrecked", and whatever Scud was up to before he went international.

This series is trying to do and be three dozen things but it's absolutely unable to commit to any of them because it's so afraid of straying too far from the BL genre to become a legitimate work of LGBTQ cinemedia. It almost feels like the director was followed around on set by a nanny appointed to prevent every aspect of the production from becoming "too": too sexually explicit, too erotically charged, too explorative of sex work, too violent, too nude, too drug-laced, too psychologically twisted, too mysterious. Even the lighting and colour correction were prevented from becoming too vivid.

Somewhere behind the poor director's bridle is a potentially intriguing series of interlocking stories about the role of libido at the intersections of conflict theory and symbolic interactionism—and maybe even some decent sex scenes—but this is not it. Also—is someone dead? Is it Nant? Is it even important?

I am going to keep watching because I have got to figure out what all *gestures at everything* this is.

The first episode NC scene was "meh"; this episode's was hilarious. All the frantic quick-cuts to avoid anything too overt, the misplaced public pool/gym shower water noises, the weird angles. Sex in any body of water is generally awkward but this was just silly; the boys over at "Be Mine Superstar" should be giving lessons. That show was utter nonsense but they fully committed to fucking in all the waters.

Nail was far less grating, that was nice. But I think this is one of the show's you check-in on every few weeks or else binge all at once. There is nothing engaging enough to warrant weekly watching. As an aside: I think fans of "Bed Friend" might really like this one, for those seeking recommendations. I didn't care for "Bed Friend", though I did watch most of it; perhaps why I'm less than lukewarm to this series.

Well, you certainly put all that out there with your whole chest.

I am going to assume you're new to the genre. And to how people work. And possibly to being Human, in general.

BL, as a genre, was created by hetero women for hetero women. It's been screamingly heteronormative in its depictions of gay romance since its inception. It hasn't been very long since genre authors and the industry (particularly the Thai BL industry) started breaking away from those early tropes, and it's only recently they've started presenting femme-spectrum male characters as fully-realized complex individuals rather than insulting "comedic" relief.
Further, one partner in a gay pairing demonstrating stereotypically gendered traits doesn't inherently make the coupling heteronormative. Men are men in all sorts of ways, and gay men have gay relationships in all sorts of ways without anyone involved looking to assume the "role" of a woman. Believe it or not, the HimNail character pairing is as much a sign of progress in actual LGBTQ representation in the BL genre as the MaxTul ship works were (two overtly masculine men being overtly gay together).

Men like Nail exist. Nail is not a ladyboy. Ladyboys exist. They have their own identities. And they all are attractive to and attracted by all sorts because they are people with personalities and preferences, just like everyone else.

And I say all this as someone who doesn't like Nail either (but because I don't like petty, not because I expect Queerfolk to Queer in specific ways that appeal to only my personal Queer sensibilities).

I would be perfectly happy if the series ended with Guy and Wahl together. It won't, obviously, but that ending would actually be more realistic and, I think, more mature than this show actually warrants. Now that Guy has figured out how to friends, and (assuming) Wahl has actually pulled himself together, they make way more sense as a couple. Dopey, a bit dull, averagely awkward University kids happily leading fairly routine lives without being kidnapped, shot at, or stabbed. That's their speed. It is a good speed for them. I wish them all the happiness in the world.

And I don't feel the slightest bit of sympathy for Tew. I understand why he did what he did but it stills boils down to: you told Guy to fuck off, and so off he fucked. You loved him enough to realize he's not cut out to survive in your world and you set him free (with some truly cruel if necessary words). Good for you, you mostly noble asshole. Now, let's leave Guy and Wahl to their world and get back to the actually interesting story stuff that's all about you, Tew.

What are you going to do about this Kenji mess? Are you sure you can actually start a new life in the territory of your old mob boss? Will you be emotionally prepared to handle it when Tul and Boss get together? Have you considered maybe executing your old mob boss, seizing the throne, and dismantling the organization from within? Or maybe even taking the whole outfit legit? I mean, if your boss stubbornly won't let you go, and Kenji ungratefully refuses to appreciate the mercy you showed him TWICE, well...start shooting these bitches in the face and just taking what you want. Diplomacy is not working. You've killed before, I think it'd be fine if you led one last bloodbath to break out of your chains. I certainly wouldn't hold it against you.

Also, I could be projecting a wee bit here. The MeenPing ship does nothing for me, and it feels like Ping is holding back the more talented and charismatic Meen. Neither of them are particularly good actors but I think Meen could grow with better material. Material it's clear Ping couldn't handle. And that's fine.

Everyone has to find their right speed.