etoks21

Why is "straight-washing" any less offensive than washing the gay out of a show and making it a bromance instead?

MAY BE authoritarian and homophobic? wtf?

It's 2024. Why do you want to watch "semi-queer coded material" out of anywhere, when you can watch thousands of movies and dramas that are full-on gay af from all over the world?

I'm not too worried about "punishing" anyone with my little personal boycott of Chinese, gay-bait trash that insults my existence. There are millions of Chinese people and others like you, assuming you're not Chinese, who will watch regardless of what I do.

I don't care if you think it's unfair of me to say, but shows like "Stay With Me," which I watched all the way through in hopes of something that wasn't there, ARE for homophobes and gay people whose lack of self-respect makes them OK with watching material that finds their existence too repugnant to be fully depicted on screen.

It gets to a point with stuff like SWM that I ask myself "Why am I putting up with this? Would I watch a show about straight people that treats straight romance and sex in the same manner?" Hell the fuck no, I wouldn't, and you wouldn't either. So why do you tolerate it when it applies to gay romance?

It's like Black people in the American South, who used to be made to sit in the back of the bus until finally, one very brave lady said "Hell to the NO" to that shit and refused to move. Then ALL Black people boycotted public transportation until the rule was changed.

"Stay With Me" and all shows like it are Gays-to-the-back-seats buses, and I say "Hell to the NO" to that shit. Meanwhile, people like you go ahead and ride, apparently unaware of where you're sitting. At least Black people were VISIBLE in the back seats. Watching Chinese Gay Bait is more like riding in the luggage compartment UNDERNEATH the bus, where no one has to look at you.

Finally, if SWM "resonates" with you like no actual BL does, I'm going to bite my tongue and not say what that says about you.

I'm watching it now because I've watched five eps so I might as well finish it out. It's not well-written. Motivations/dialogue/actions are all murky, indicating one thing one minute, something else the next.

WHAT relationship?! When did they become a freaking couple? All I've seen is verbal sparring above and below and around that question without a firm decision one way or another. Then in episode 5 all of a sudden Akihiro says "I'm his lover." I was like wtf? When? Who? What? How?

It was news to me that they were "together." Since when?

Why? He has a snake-ish affect just below the surface that colors every move he makes and word he speaks. He always seems as if he's maybe so/maybe not sincere, and he seems to LIKE fucking with Akihiro; which means Akihiro's instincts are right.

Even if it turns out Takashi IS sincere, the fact remains he seems to enjoy playing with people even now.

Weird show. Weird episode. And not in a good way.

Akihiro keeps saying shit about "breaking up," when it's not even clear they've been together. Now Takashi decides that yeah, some time apart would be a good idea, just after announcing to his sister that they're "lovers." These are the lamest pair of "lovers" I've seen in a while.

There's a slithery aspect to Takashi's personality that I can't shake. He is not to be trusted. On the other hand, Akihiro is more than a bit of a spaghetti-spine who I have trouble having any respect for. That cheesy red roses and house key schtick at the restaurant, followed by "I don't want this, but oh well, I'll take it anyway because you say so..." Then he shows up at Takashi's door? gag.

Akihiro's going to end up with an STD if he keeps hitting the sack with this slippery dude who's likely banging that ex-secretary and a few other characters we don't even know about. What's strange, and unexplained is WHY he keeps doing it. He doesn't seem to be passionately in love with Takashi; it's more like resignation to being screwed over one more time, if anything.

I realized during episode 5 I'm not rooting for anybody in this story. Takashi's a snake, Akihiro is weak and easily manipulated. I thought the wine guy might be interesting, but he's a classic BL villain. They got rid of the entertainingly bitchy secretary. The sister is a typical Japanese female mouse wearing somebody's stolen drapes sewn onto the arms of a pair of long underwear.

That hideous outfit is going to give me nightmares for weeks to come. The ugliest clothes I've seen on women are in Japanese BLs. Big, bulky, blousy, shapeless, circus-tent stuff that eliminates any hint of a woman's body beneath all the fabric.

Meh...this has had some good elements that kept me watching, but right now it's on the low end of average, about 6.5/10.

I like you, even though I don't like your taste in BLs.

It's not a medical condition. I had those ventricles installed to keep heart-clogging Thai and Pinoy garbage from entering. However, they are customized to admit BLs from Thailand or the Phillippines that receive good reviews and positive word of mouth from people whose opinions I trust. The last one granted entry was "Midnight Chicken."

"Censored BLs," are not BLs. They are wink-and-nod pablum for homophobes and self-hating gay people. If China's authoritarian dictatorship ever dropped its abominable gay ban, I'll be first in line.

A "censored" BL is more insulting and degrading than no BL at all. The message is "you fags are OK as source material for these stories about your twisted relationships, as long as we don't actually have to show anything that explicitly portrays your disgusting romances or revolting sex acts, not even kisses. Oh, and thanks for the $$$$$ we make while exploiting you and giving you the finger at the same time. We appreciate it (though we'd never say so openly)."

The three shows you list above are utter garbage to any self-respecting gay person. Just imagine making the exact same shows with straight characters. Think about how ridiculous that would be. That's how ridiculous "censored" BLs are.

Plus...why on Earth would any gay person or ally support the Chinese industry that makes such dreck or the authoritarian dictatorship that requires that be the case?

Not everyone at LG concerts is gay.

Gay characters can be the center of a story, which they are in BL by definition, without everyone, including the janitor, also being gay.

I don't need or like to be condescended to by gay-unicorn fantasy worlds in gay-themed stories. You do. That's fine.

You know what's "condescending?" The use of the word "we" when you are stating subjective opinions. Or are you pretending to be a Broadway theatre critic?

I rewatch my favorite movies and dramas because there are, if the production is of sufficient quality, always MORE details, angles, and perspectives to be discovered, not because I want to keep having the same experience over and over and over. The best art of any kind allows its audiences to see/hear/watch something NEW every time.

My heart has ventricles that automatically block Thai and Pinoy BLs from entering without heavy vetting. Generally, they are like cholesterol and only plug things up. China hasn't made a BL since "Addicted."

THANK YOU. :)

Yeah, well, no one, least of all me, said this was a "first-world problem, blah blah blah..." Nice try.

If you had any perception skills, you'd know the last thing I am is "outraged" about any of this. My entire comment is tongue-in-cheek.

I also never said anything about "guys getting the girl..." I prefer stories set in reality; you like fairy tales. Got it. You seem capable of responding only to things I never said.

There is NO "normal" in which everyone is gay...anywhere on Earth. It is a fantasy world. Surely even you can acknowledge that.

I am gay, so please take your lecturing BS and insert it properly.

Your last two sentences are everything that is wrong with BL, especially Thai BL. You see it as some kind of childish, pretend, silly genre in which endless, infantilizing repetition of what we've had thrust at us a thousand times before, is acceptable. It is, rather, a potentially powerful genre that when I first discovered it three and a half years ago, rocked my world.

There is no reason on Earth that BL stories need be told in shorthand as if its audience is ten years old on average, and also stupid. I've no idea why you're watching a Korean BL anyway. You are Thai BL's perfect, target audience member.

End of episode 2:

This should have been titled "Vampire Gay High School." There is so much white face powder on these guys that billowing, gossamer clouds are circling my laptop. Also, every guy is, you know...gay. Other things circling my laptop are tropes and cliches. I haven't seen a trip/fall/catch with a double-spin to the floor like that before, though.

The main protagonist seems just as much of a dick as the main bully at this point. His blue-haired bestie, who is either really bad at concealing his gayness or deliberately dropping hints with all his "boyfriend/husband/cute" chattter, must be a masochist to hang around him so much.

Supernatural/clown white/cliches aren't usually my thing, but there's enough potential dark shit beneath the surface here that I'll stick around for another episode or two.

Pretentious, dull waste of my time. Ugh.

4/10

Wow, that's one big-ass block of text. Ever hear of dramatic tension OR paragraph indentations?

Part of your OP was in the form of a question: "I want to like this series but why did they make him 17.. liking minors when you 25ish is crazy"

You should have added that you didn't really want your question answered unless in a specific tone, so you wouldn't feel "condescended" to.

It's hilarious that you made a one-sentence, humongous generalization about 17-25 age gap relationships, then ended up writing a huge block of text full of exceptions to your own generalization.

Thanks for the entertainment.

Don't use big words like "alienating" unless you understand what they mean. It's not possible to "alienate" someone you don't know and have never met or had a discussion with. Just as I expected, you're highly defensive out of the gate. "I can think what I want and you can't make me change no matter what, so there!!!" is the reply of a child who's afraid if they consider other perspectives they might have to change their mind and they don't want to do that, no matter what. lol

I don't have to put myself in the shoes of someone whose opinion makes no sense. Are you saying all people are the same at 18 and again at 25? What about all the 27-year-olds who are less mature than some 18-year-olds? Would you object to the relationship if the younger guy was 19? 20? 21? Or do 25-year-olds need to date only 25-year-olds?

You DO seem to be of the mindset that magical things happen at midnight on our 18th birthdays...19th...21st...24th?

Generally speaking, women mature more rapidly than men, so in a straight relationship the female should always be four or five years younger, right? That way, they would be at roughly same maturity level in your black-and-white fantasy world of how relationships and psychological development works, correct?

The issue is that there is nothing illegal or immoral about this seven-year age difference, and if it works for the people involved why would anyone else care? Yet, you're objecting to it. Furthermore, given the highly specific, and very different circumstances under which different individuals develop, there are thousands of 17-25 age relationships that would work just fine.

Consider that complaining about this kind of age gap in a drama or film is really just you leaping at an opportunity to display your moral righteousness and superior understanding of human development. Your defensive reply to my comment indicates that to be the case.

I would love to read your comment. Could you please break it up into paragraphs? Looking at that solid block of text is intimidating. :D

Ever heard of dramatic tension? People often fall in love without checking each other's ID for age verification. Do you think something magical happens at midnight on a person's 18th birthday that suddenly alters their psychological makeup from child to adult?

Furthermore, the age of sexual consent in Taiwan is 16, so what is it that you object to? And no, "that's my opinion!" is not a justification, it's a childish, defensive refusal to consider why you believe what you believe.

Hi Phuwin's mom.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

Korean espionage thrillers are the best in the world. Only the Korean versions of this genre can leave me tearing up DURING a vicious revenge scene wherein a despicable pos is cackling his ass off with glee as one spy he has trapped under his thumb approaches the hero from behind to kill him off. The twist here is a beautiful thing.

All the best, most kick-ass car chases I've ever seen are in Korean movies. Hollywood (I'm American) can suck it. Tom Cruise bores me. I never cared much for this kind of shit until I found Asian/Korean cinema. Now I can't get enough.

Gong Yoo, forever my badass zombie-killer, is the man. Park Hee Soon is excellent here, as is Jo Sung Ha, who makes my hatred and loathing for his character so delicious. Jo Jae Yoon and his bubblegum-chewing good guy, side-kick schtick is the best. Honestly, there's nothing not perfect about this flick, for what it is, other than the one time it seemed a hundred and fifty trained snipers could NOT seem to hit Gong Yoo even though he was running along the peak of a roof for 50 yards, outlined against the sky.

But OK, I'll let that slide. Just awesome. Highly recommended, even if I'm 11 years late to the party.

It's past time for the sequel, in which Gong Yoo's and Park Hee Soon's characters team up for another mission and become gay lovers, after which they raise Gong Yoo's little girl together.

9.5/10

I did not know that about Che. I'm well aware in a vague way, of who he was and what he did, but without much detail. Your statement doesn't surprise me though; I will do a little research.

In recent months I've been marveling at the far left in the U.S. (and I am pretty damn far left myself) supporting and idealizing Hamas and Palestinian Islam in general following its October 7th massacre of Jews and the subsequent Israeli response. Hamas and Islam, in general, would see all of us Allah-forsaken faggots thrown off buildings, hung upside down from cranes until dead, or having our heads chopped off, for the crime of existing. Meanwhile, the women out in the streets of NYC chanting their support for Hamas and Islam, were they to actually live under those monstrous mindsets, would be forced into the kitchen, shrouded in hijabs, and bearing children one after the other.

As grotesque as the "Christian" Right in America is, it is NOTHING compared to the anti-gay, anti-woman insanity of radical or even mainstream Islam. Whereas these "Christianists," as I prefer calling them, have little to nothing in common with the teachings of Jesus Christ, the prophet Mohammed was a murderous warlord responsible for the deaths, torture, and rape of hundreds of thousands of Jews, Christians and Gentiles.

Why are people so stupid? Well, because they've always been stupid.

I wish someone with a decent, feature film-level budget would get hold of this script, rewrite it as it so desperately needs, recast it, and do it justice on the big screen. There's a pretty steamy, solid noir plot going on here, but the straight-to-video look, a lot of lame acting, and that hideous sectional couch in the living room reduce the story to cheese.

6/10