Carm's corner

I didn’t write this post on Sunday because my brain was still a little fried after nearly suffering heatstroke on Saturday, and I didn’t write it yesterday either because I wrote two posts… two! Many words were written and I think I demanded too much from my brain. But I’m catching up today because last week I watched a lot of things and added even more to my list orz (just as I’d said: I never learn my lesson, though it was only one more show).

Anyway, here's the update.

• The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System Vol. 1 (novel) - Chapter 4

Finished watching

• Yuri on Ice (BL anime) - 12 episodes
  
• Dakaichi: I'm Being Harassed By the Sexiest Man of the Year (BL anime) - 13 episodes
  
• Dakaichi: I'm Being Harassed By the Sexiest Man of the Year (BL anime) - Movie

Currently watching

• Winter Begonia (Chinese drama) - Weekly, weekends - 25/49 episodes
  
• Top Form (Thai BL drama) - Thursdays - 9/11 episodes
  
• Break Up Service (Thai drama) - Weekly, Mondays - 5/12 episodes
  
• Leap Day (Thai drama) - Weekly, Tuesdays - 4/12 episodes
  
• Boys in Love (Thai BL drama) - Weekly, Sundays - 3/12 episodes
  
• My Stubborn (Thai BL drama) - Weekly, Sundays - 3/12 episodes
  
• The Bangkok Boy (Thai BL drama) - Weekly, Saturdays - 2/12 episodes
  
• Perfect 10 Liners (Thai BL drama) - No schedule - 4/24 episodes

On Hold

• El Secreto del Río (Mexican drama) - No schedule - 4/8 episodes
  

Well, I have been reading this first volume of SVSSS pretty quickly, though I haven’t finished it yet, but I think there’s a good chance I’ll finish it this week. I still find it really entertaining. I don’t love the ghost spiders and other monsters that showed up, but thankfully they didn’t give me nightmares, hahaha. It’s funny how obvious it is that Luo Binghe is no longer interested in having a harem. His devotion to Shen Qingqiu is more than evident now, and I’m intrigued to see how else the plot of the "original" novel will be altered. I admit that reading transmigration novels has made me wonder what kind of novel I might end up in, and it’s kind of amusing to think about the possibilities. What are the rules? If I read a lot of danmei now, would that mean I’d land in one? Or would I end up in one of my favorite novels? I wouldn’t love ending up in Pedro Páramo, for example. Ghosts scare me. Or would I land in a novel I hated? The only thing that came to mind was something by Carlos Cuauhtémoc Sánchez, LOL. No, God… that would be boring, and I don’t even remember the plots of the only two novels I read by him (in middle school, as homework… ew). But getting back to SVSSS, it feels good to count a volume as a book, hahaha. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, though it also kind of messes with me because it’s not the whole story… if that makes sense.

I finished Yuri on Ice and loved it. I adored it so much that I started rewatching it right away. I made a separate post about it (which was originally part of this one, but it got too long, so I decided to do it that way... I think it works better).

I also finally finished Dakaichi because I reached a point in Top Form that made me want to compare how they handled things in the anime. And I can say I liked it… just liked. I wouldn’t call it a new favorite, especially since the animation didn’t strike me as exceptional. It’s a fun story (yes, including all the problematic elements I’ve mentioned in previous posts). I also watched the movie, and that was hilariously fun. Not so much because of the story itself, but because of the Spanish the characters spoke (the plot takes place in Spain since Takato and Junta are acting in Blood Wedding by García Lorca, and Takato decides to train there, learn more about the country, and especially, learn flamenco). I laughed a lot, but mostly because it was endearing. They made the effort and that deserves appreciation.

Speaking of Dakaichi… last Thursday, I watched up to episode 9 of Top Form… because I gave in to the temptation of Fast Track… but I had some credit to spare, so why not? I have to say, I like it, I really like it. I especially enjoyed one part, which I won’t specify because of spoilers, because without Fast Track, the episode won’t be out until this Thursday for VIP access and next week (if I’m not mistaken) for non-VIP users… I really like Smart and Boom as a pair. I can’t believe there are just episodes left. I wonder if they’ll also do Fast Track for the finale… I’ve never experienced watching a series like this before, hahaha. I’m such a newbie… sorry. I wonder what a Japanese live-action adaptation would be like… what they’d change, what would stay the same. Though I imagine (like with Cosmetic Playlover) they’d tone down or remove the dubcon parts with Junta… though with the Ayagi/Johnny scene, it’d be hard to cut without altering some parts of the plot...

I’ve caught up with the Winter Begonia watch party, partly because I ended up adding other things to my list, and I think that was a mistake, but sometimes FOMO gets the best of me, sorry, sorry. But we’re past the halfway point now. I have to watch episode 26 this week, but probably will end up watching one more. 

Since it’s Tuesday, I’ve already watched this week’s episode of Break Up Service. It’s just okay, but I still want to finish it. At least it’s entertaining, makes me laugh sometimes, and the breakups they handle have all been (somewhat) justified in one way or another. That said, yesterday’s episode was a bit hard to watch. I felt anxious about how they’d handle the OnlyFans topic, and the ending was pretty intense compared to the previous episodes. Again, I’ll avoid details because spoilers… I’m not sure if my aro (and definitely not straight) lens affects how much I enjoy this series. It’d be interesting to analyze once it’s over, when I can form a complete opinion.

Leap Day is also entertaining, though in a different way from Break Up Service. It tries to be more serious (and it is… there’s death, mystery, and some angst), but sometimes it makes me laugh. I really like the relationship between Ozone and Day. I don’t know, I have a soft spot for brotherly bonds in series… Is this something I should analyze about myself? Better not, hahaha. On the other hand, Dream is adorable, but her years of chasing Night while he ignores her make her seem a little… pathetic? (the word I have in mind is trending lately on the Spanish speaking side of the internet, but I’m not sure if there’s a term in English). I get Night’s motives for acting the way he does, but I’ve struggled to fully understand (or justify) Dream’s behavior. For now, I’ll blame it on the plot needing her persistence. We’ll see how it develops.

Boys in Love is adorable and simple enough. I like it. I guess it works well as my weekly dose of fluff. So far, I’ve adopted Kit. But I like Kim and Mon’s pairing a little more. And I really want to see how the teachers’ relationship evolves 👀

I’m still watching My Stubborn. It’s entertaining, and there have been NC scenes in every episode so far. Right now, I get the impression that the main characters are… not very smart. Sorry. Sorn is in complete denial or just doesn’t understand what "no feelings involved" means in a relationship he decided to label as "fuck buddies." I’ve read several times that the plot isn’t very clear, and every time I see that, I think "Plot? What Plot?" (not complaining, hahaha). We’ll see if it keeps my attention…

In a very bad decision on my part, I started another series because it caught my eye: The Bangkok Boy. Mafia, violence, revenge… It looks interesting.

I haven’t made any progress on Perfect 10 Liners… but I want to… I need to find a little time in my weekly schedule at some point.

And that’s it. I’ll try to restrain myself from adding anything else to my list... at least until Top Form ends. Instead, maybe I’ll try watching movies. I want to check out the ones on the JFF Theater site. I’ll set reminders and try to watch at least one every two weeks or once a month.

And… that’s the weekly update.