Currently reading/watching/making

[alterkrmn]

Things are finally calming down a bit here (for now, I don’t trust the universe anymore). The kid started high school today, and he’s excited… at least that gives me some peace of mind. We’re still waiting to see if his conservatory schedule can be switched to mornings; only after that’s sorted will I finally be able to breathe. Oh, and if it gets resolved before classes start (they’re on summer break now), I might even make it to the BillyBabe fanmeeting on September 1st… yes, another one, oops. Anyway, here’s what I’ve watched/read/made this past week.

Currently making

• The Yuri on Ice embroidery - The top is done, but I haven’t taken pictures

Currently reading

• SVSSS Vol. 4 - Chapter 26 (still here, my brain hasn’t been friendly to me and reading is hard these days)
• Counterattack - Chapter 122

Currently watching

Dramas:

• Revenged Love ( Chinese BL) - Weekly, Mondays and Tuesdays - 23/24 episodes (Tomorrow’s the finale)
• The Promise of the Soul (Taiwanese BL) – Weekly, Fridays – 8/12 episodes
• Memoir of Rati (Thai BL) - Weekly, Fridays - 8/12 episodes
• Desire (Chinese Omegaverse drama) – Weekly, Saturdays – 7/16 episodes
• 10 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 40 (Japanese BL) – Weekly, Fridays - 6/12 episodes
• Secret Lover (Taiwanese BL) - No idea when the episodes air - 4/12
• My Magic Prophecy (Thai BL) - Weekly, Sundays - 3/10 episodes
• I’m the Most Beautiful Count (Thai BL) - Weekly, Saturdays - 2/13 episodes
• Shine (Thai drama) - Weekly, Saturdays - 2/8 episodes
• Khemjira (Thai BL) - Weekly, Saturdays or Sundays - 1/12 episodes

Anime:

• Sanrio Danshi – No schedule – 7/12
• The Summer Hikaru Died – Weekly, Saturdays – 6/? (I haven’t checked how many episodes this will have)
• Komi Can’t Communicate – No schedule – 4/24
• Rokuhōdō Yotsuiro Biyori – No schedule – 2/12

On hold

• The Bangkok Boy (Thai BL drama) – Weekly, Saturdays – 2/12 episodes
• Perfect 10 Liners (Thai BL drama) – No schedule – 4/24 episodes

First, let me talk about the ones that have me completely obsessed… in a chokehold, lol.

Revenged Love

The week before last, I binge watched episodes 2 through 16 of Revenged Love, and I caught up just in time to watch episodes 17 and 18 on Monday and Tuesday. I was fully prepared to wait weekly for the remaining episodes… until Gaga announced that episodes 19 and 20 would drop on Friday (august 8), followed by daily releases starting on Saturday, all the way through tomorrow (august 12).

On one hand, the news was thrilling: no more weekly waits! On the other hand, it completely wrecked my carefully balanced viewing schedule. Still, I think I chose a good time to start watching, since it meant I wouldn’t have to wait long to finish the series. That said, I’ll admit there’s a certain charm to weekly anticipation: more time to theorize about what’s coming next and dissect the characters’ motivations and shenanigans.

But honestly, given all the bizarre behavior from certain fans (I only hear about it secondhand… I don’t even have a xitter or weibo accounts, or whatever other platforms host these “controversies”) and the looming threat of censorship derailing the show, I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when the full series’ release was confirmed.

I started this show out of curiosity, and before I knew it, I was completely hooked. It’s got everything that keeps me interested in a story: toxicity, comedy, angst, morally questionable characters… what can I say? It even made me curious enough to start reading the novel it’s based on, and… well, that’s a whole other beast. Sometimes I have to put my phone down and question my life choices, wondering, what the hell am I even reading?

I have so many thoughts about the novel, and not just about the dubcon or the rampant manipulation between characters, nope. From what I’ve heard, even the author has warned people not to read it, and I totally get why. But between my morbid curiosity and wanting to see how much they changed for the adaptation, I’ll probably finish it… eventually. Maybe I’ll take a break first and finally finish reading SVSSS to appease my conscience.

Desire

Then there’s Desire, another show keeping me on the edge of my seat week after week. It still feels surreal that we’re getting a live action omegaverse series… and a deliciously toxic one at that (at least for me). Every week, I’m impressed by Hua Yong’s masterclass in manipulation, and every week, my heart breaks a little more for Gao Tu (this week’s episode revealed we share our birthday, so now I have even more reason to root for this poor omega pretending to be a beta)...

And can we talk about the non-con body modification? The fact that an alpha pregnancy is central to the plot (in a world where alphas dominate) is fascinating. The implications are ripe for deep analysis, maybe even a serious essay… but not from me. I’m no academic, and while dissecting these themes sounds really tempting, the idea of actually writing something like that is overwhelming. Still, I’d absolutely read it if someone else did it.

10 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 40

EpAnother series that’s completely charmed me is 10 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 40. At first, the premise’s similarity to Old Fashioned Cupcake threw me off, but by the second episode, I was sold. Office romance? Age gap? A nearly 40 year old protagonist wrestling with insecurities and emotional repression, embarking on a journey of self discovery alongside a handsome younger man? Yes, please. And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that I, too, am nearing 40 with my own set of insecurities. Nope.

Shine

Then there’s Shine. SHINE. Only two episodes in (and they’re an hour each!), but it’s SO good. The historical and sociopolitical context is fascinating, and reading about it to better understand the story is one of my favorite parts of watching dramas and movies from other countries.

This week’s episode started intensely, with the terror of a forbidden relationship (defying an oppressive system) and the loss of it, followed by the constant (if futile) threat of never being able to break free. I love how each character’s backstory unfolds and connects to the bigger narrative. Also, it’s visually stunning, and the soundtrack? Chef’s kiss.

I didn’t have any kind of expectations like some fans that are more informed and have been following the news about it (I just learned about it when they released the teaser, and this is, in fact, the first BOC series I watch), but I’m so glad I started it. There’ll be only eight episodes, but I’m eager to see where it goes. And of course, obligatory mention of Apo… because good lord, that man is unbelievably handsome.

I’m also keeping up with The Promise of the Soul, Memoir of Rati, My Magic Prophecy, and I’m the Most Beautiful Count. I’m enjoying them all, but right now I don’t have the energy to write more in detail about them… I used it all up writing about the others. Is anyone else watching these? I’d love to talk about them!

And, of course, I’m incorrigible… I’ve added two more shows to my list: Secret Lover (it’s okay, but I’m not fully connecting yet) and Khemjira (supernatural horror with ghosts… which terrify me, but the curse/karma themes have me intrigued enough to keep watching).

I’m also following The Summer Hikaru Died, and I really want to read the manga. I just need to make time for it (I haven’t checked where to read it legally, and I refuse to buy the digital version on amazon because of reasons)

There’s also an idea for a post I’ve been thinking about a lot… about Sanrio Danshi and a viral video of the lawyer/school director who loves Pompompurin. The thoughts have been there for weeks, but between time and my usual "how do I even start writing?" paralysis, it hasn’t happened yet. But I want to.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Are we back to long posts? We’ll see… we’ll see…