alterkrmn: Nozue from the manga Old Fashion Cupcake. His expression shows confusion. (Default)
I haven't done an update in a while (again) because life has been busy (as always) and, normally, by Sunday night I'm completely exhausted. Sitting down to write can be fun, but it also requires a mental effort that I can't always muster. A few months ago, I was still doing reaction threads on my blorbo account, but I noticed that doing that can make it take me longer to get through an episode. That's why I haven't done it with the series I've watched lately, though I think that has also made me talk a bit less about the things I enjoy.


Since my last update, I've finished watching several series. And I'm watching a lot too... I don't learn, do I?

CURRENTLY MAKING
  • The Yuri on Ice embroidery - Yes, still

FINISHED WATCHING
  • Revenged Love ( Chinese BL) – 24 episodes [August 12]
  • Reset (Thai BL) – 10 episodes [August 22]
  • The Little Red Matchmaker (Chinese drama) – 24 episodes [August 25]
  • The Promise of the Soul (Taiwanese BL) – 12 episodes [September 5]
  • Memoir of Rati (Thai BL) – 12 episodes [September 5]
  • Century of Love (Thai BL) – 10 episodes [September 5]


Revenged Love

It's from China. It caused quite a stir. It's 24 episodes and I had a lot of fun with them. However, there's something that happened in one of the first episodes that almost made me drop it and that still bothers me when I remember it… The thing is, the story is about characters of questionable morality who do dubious things to get what they want, and then there’s chaos, so much. I enjoyed it a lot because the characters are completely unhinged and the actors are very beautiful. Plus, the entanglements between all the characters were delicious to me.




Reset

I started this series out of curiosity because a lot of people liked it. It's about an actor who is murdered and, after dying, wakes up in his body from 20 years ago (I think it’s 25 but I don’t remember and I’m too lazy to check). This gives him the chance to relive his life and correct past mistakes. I found it hilarious that when he woke up in his young body, he was very agitated and would confront people who would harm him in the future as if those things had already happened. I ended up getting hooked because I wanted to know what would happen next, but also because of Pond Ponlawit's precious little face (yes, I’m shallow). I thought it was a pretty entertaining series and I couldn't stop watching it. I finished it in eight days.




The Little Red Matchmaker

I watched this series because I wanted to see Tian Xuning (Chi Cheng in Revenged Love) in another role. The series isn't very good, but I found it entertaining enough to finish. It's about a pair of immortals who face a nine-tailed fox demon. They die in the battle and reincarnate: one as a famous mortal doctor and the other as a matchmaking immortal (I don’t know if I’m making a mistake about the categories of these beings, it’s still a bit confusing). The premise seemed interesting to me, though maybe it could have been a better production. Tian Xuning is very cute in it and he wears a wig… The upside is that its episodes are only about 10 minutes long, so watching it wasn't a huge commitment. I finished it in 10 days.




The Promise of the Soul

This one had a peculiar premise. A grandfather and his grandson die at the same time, but the grandfather's soul is transferred into the grandson's body. Finding himself resurrected in his grandson's body, the grandfather is forced to adopt his identity and, in the process, becomes very close to a guy that the grandson liked (but who didn't like him back). However, it seems the grandson wasn't very well-liked among his peers, and the grandfather has to face many challenges upon realizing this, on top of having to be a university student. The age difference between the leads put a lot of people off. It kept me entertained, though I must admit the last four episodes almost lost me. I ended up enjoying it, but I wouldn't say it will be one of my favorites. I watched this one week to week.




Memoir of Rati

A period romance set in the first decade of the 20th century. Rati, the adopted son of a French ambassador, arrives in Siam and stays to teach French to the officials of the time and to the king. He falls in love with one of them, Count Theerathon Wisut. Prejudices against same gender relationships, as well as class prejudices, make the relationship difficult. We also see the story of Mek, a Muay fighter and rickshaw puller, and Baronet Dech. Their story highlights that class difference that complicates everything even more. The series is very visually beautiful, and both GreatInn and AouBoom looked gorgeous in it; but in the end, I felt the story lacked impact (in my opinion). Maybe that's just my perception because I like tragic and sad stories. I enjoyed it while it was airing. It was cute and sweet, but I think the conflicts were resolved in a way that was too simple, but oh well…




Century of Love

In the early 20th century, San is saved by Wat and falls in love with her. They are in love with each other, but because of her status, she must marry someone else, but she doesn’t want to. On her wedding day, she escapes with San, whom she truly loves, only to end up dead after stepping between Trai (her fiancé) and San. San can't save her, but he performs a ritual in front of the goddess Nuwa using the five-colored rock, a magical object that grants immortality. This ritual allows him to live for a hundred years, provided he can find the reincarnation of Wat, his beloved. In exchange for not dying, every night he will suffer intense pain caused by the poison of the five-colored rock. Furthermore, every new moon, his body will completely regenerate to endure the torment each month, and the way it does this is by turning him into a small child. Just as he is about to lose hope of finding his beloved, since the time limit is approaching, with the help of Ton (the helper and guardian of the goddess's temple) they find the person Wat reincarnated into, only to realize that this time the soul was reborn in a man: Vee. From this point, many things happen before our couple can find a little peace. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit, but I must admit the fact that Pond Ponlawit appeared made it a little hard not to get distracted during the episodes and scenes he was in, because he is very, very beautiful. Daou also made me not look at the subtitles and having to rewind the episode to see what I had missed.





CURRENTLY WATCHING

Dramas:
  • Desire (Chinese Omegaverse drama) – Weekly, Saturdays – 11/16 episodes
  • 10 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 40 (Japanese BL) – Weekly, Fridays - 10/12 episodes
  • My Magic Prophecy (Thai BL) - Weekly, Sundays - 6/10 episodes
  • I’m the Most Beautiful Count (Thai BL) - Weekly, Saturdays - 6/13 episodes
  • Shine (Thai drama) - Weekly, Saturdays - 6/8 episodes
  • Khemjira (Thai BL) - Weekly, Saturdays or Sundays - 5/12 episodes
  • Secret Lover* (Taiwanese BL) - No schedule - 5/12


Desire

I’m enjoying the toxicity, though I feel like it’s a bit slow at times. I don’t really have an issue with that, but I know some people do. I loved seeing Hua Yong being the fakest bitch ever and now that the truth is out, I’m enjoying that too… he’s just so unhinged. And like every week, I feel the need to protect Gao Tu, but I’m also starting to be fond of Mister Shen “Chronic Foot in Mouth” Wenlang. He cares about Gao Tu; he is just very very very emotionally stunted that he cannot show it in a normal way. I also love Hua Yong and Shen Wenlang’s weird friendship.




10 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 40


The past two episodes have been my least favorite, but I understand their purpose in the narrative. I am looking forward to the resolution, and I need to read the manga because I’ve heard there are differences. And you all know I love 1) checking the differences between the source material and its adaptations, 2) el chisme.




My Magic Prophecy

It's quite cute, but there's also sadness and angst. What I like the most is the dynamic between the protagonists. I know it’s going to have a happy ending, so there’s no need to stress about it.




I’m the Most Beautiful Count

It's a very fun series that sometimes makes my heart hurt when it touches on themes of unjust laws and oppression. I am really liking Nut Supanut. I know there’s a lot of controversy about the adaptation and that Thai fans are not happy with it. I read some context, but I am still gonna finish it. I’m totally invested.




Shine

Gods, this show has been really good; every single episode has managed to leave me breathless and speechless. It’s beautifully filmed, and the story is compelling (for me). Also, the beauty of Apo Nattawin has me hooked. I am almost tempted to watch KinnPorsche just for him one of these days, but he looks very baby there and I kinda prefer how he looks as Trin. There are only two episodes left of this one, and I’m looking forward to them. I admit I don’t want a happy ending for this one, but as a person who tries to never set any kind of expectation, I hope it keeps surprising me. I’ve heard some people don’t like BOC because they think their stories are pretentious, and only having seen Man Suang, I could agree, but I’m genuinely liking Shine a lot. A LOT.




Khemjira

This one is so good, too!! I didn’t hesitate to start it even though it said it was going to be spooky, but so far it’s been fine for a scaredy cat like me. I’m enjoying it, and I would like to know more about the magic and rituals it integrates into the story. I’ve read some of the chats Pheem uses are actual rituals from Thai folklore. The mains are cute, and the side couple is cute, too. And the ghosts are mostly sad, except the evil lady ghost. She creeps me out.




*Secret Lover

I almost dropped it and I'm not caught up anymore, but I'm feeling curious to see what has happened. Is it FOMO or my obsession with finishing things? It's just that at some point it started to bore me, but if I watch a couple of episodes and it grabs my attention again, I'll consider giving it a second chance.




Anime:
  • The Summer Hikaru Died – Weekly, Saturdays – 8/?
  • Sanrio Danshi – No schedule – 7/12
  • 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


CURRENTLY READING
  • SVSSS Vol. 4 - Chapter 26
  • Counterattack - Chapter 189 (I actually managed to read a bit since the last update!)
  • Panguan - Chapter 6

I started reading Panguan last week for the Read Along organized by [personal profile] geraineon 

The thing is that I started it without having finished Counterattack... And when I started reading Counterattack, I did it without having finished SVSSS Vol. 4. That means now I have three novels in progress.

I don't make wise decisions... But... shiny new things.
alterkrmn: Nozue from the manga Old Fashion Cupcake. His expression shows confusion. (Default)
This week, the "currently making" part of this update makes a comeback! Yay!!

As I explained in detail in a previous post, my week was pretty hectic, so I took advantage of the weekend to catch up on my shows. But I also wanted to make at least a little progress on my secret craft project… and I did!

Currently making

I already have the pattern, and now all that's left is transferring it to the fabric so I can start. Though I’ll admit, this is going to be a test run because I’ve been going back and forth on the background color I want to use. I’ll try my usual style: black fabric with colorful contrasting thread. I’ll see how it turns out, but I think it might look better with a pale blue or even white background, though I don’t love embroidering on white fabric… If I make more progress during the week, I’ll share photos.


Currently reading

  • SVSSS Vol. 2 - Chapter 10

Currently watching
  • Winter Begonia (Chinese drama) – Weekly, weekends – 29/49 episodes
  • Break Up Service (Thai drama) – Weekly, Mondays – 8/12 episodes
  • Leap Day (Thai drama) – Weekly, Tuesdays – 8/12 episodes
  • My Stubborn (Thai BL drama) – Weekly, Sundays – 7/12 episodes
  • Boys in Love (Thai BL drama) – Weekly, Sundays – 7/12 episodes
  • The Ex-Morning (Thai BL drama) – Weekly, Thursdays – 2/10 episodes
  • The Bangkok Boy (Thai BL drama) – Weekly, Saturdays – 2/12 episodes

I’m really enjoying SVSSS, and I think part of it is that, despite it being one of the popular novels, I’ve been really good at avoiding spoilers. So I know the names of the main characters (some of them) and who the main couple is, but beyond that, I have no idea what’s going to happen or how. Plus, I love the meta-literary aspect, the commentary through Shen Yuan/Peerless Cucumber’s self-awareness, lol. It makes me think a lot about hypothetical scenarios where I’d be transported into different kinds of books and how I’d react. Like, what if I suddenly found myself in a gothic novel? How would my knowledge of the canon affect my survival in that world? Or, say, in The Witcher novels... as someone who doesn’t believe in the supernatural, getting dropped into a universe full of ghosts and monstrous creatures? Yeah, I wouldn’t last long, haha. But anyway, it’s fun how much this book makes me think.

I also wonder if I’d be enjoying it as much if this were the first novel of its kind I’d ever read. At this point, I’m at least familiar with some of the tropes and elements of the narrative. Maybe I haven’t read the exact type of novel Shen Yuan gets transported into, but having read Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know before, I know they exist, and that their protagonists would probably annoy me, lol. Though one of the fun things about SVSSS is how Shen Qingqiu’s intervention completely changes certain aspects of Luo Binghe. Maybe I’m just rambling, but I’m having fun. 

I just finished episodes 27, 28, and 29 of Winter Begonia, and they were intense. I cried during all three, though for different reasons. I adore Charmaine Sheh, and I love that Fan Xiang’er is such a complex character. Sometimes she frustrates me, but I can’t help feeling some sympathy for her, especially since she’s not some helpless damsel. Cheng Fengtai also drives me crazy sometimes, but in these episodes, he got into trouble for helping others, and well… I can’t deny I enjoy seeing him in uncomfortable situations. I also loved seeing him emotionally wrecked… frustrated, heartbroken, miserable. What can I say? I have a weakness for watching pretty men suffer (in fiction). I absolutely adore Shang Xirui, he’s THE character, and I love him. But yeah, these episodes made me cry. Not that it’s news… I’m an easy crier, lol.

Yesterday, I caught up with The Ex-Morning and Boys in Love, and today I watched this week’s episodes of Boys in Love and My Stubborn.

My Stubborn is turning out to be so much fun, and in the seven weeks it’s been airing (wait, what? Almost two months already? When did that happen?), every single episode has had at least one NC scene. But that’s not even its main appeal, it’s just genuinely entertaining to watch Sorn hopelessly obsessed, in love, and head-over-heels for Jun (whose name I’ve seen spelled at least three different ways in the subtitles…) without being able to say it explicitly (well, using words… because otherwise it’s been pretty explicit… okay okay I’ll see myself out) and how their relationship evolves (even if it’s just a little bit at a time). They’re both stubborn in their own ways, lol. And Sorn is a walking red flag, but he’s got his own charm. I’m dying to see him beg and suffer for Jun, but we’ll see. Sorry, this man totally brings out my mean side.

Boys in Love is still so cute, and I really like how they handle certain themes, like Mon’s rebelliousness and his mother’s concern. Sometimes it’s frustrating, I’ll admit, but that’s exactly why I like it… it reflects how being a teenager is complicated, how parenting a teenager is complicated, and how navigating that relationship isn’t always easy. I also love Shane’s internal conflict, Kit’s expectations, and how they deal with the struggles of their new relationship. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d get hooked on this teen-themed series because I usually prefer shows about adults dealing with adult problems (even in BL-land, which is maybe why I connect more with Japanese series in that sense), but I really like it. It’s a great Sunday watch. Plus, I love Papang, and even though Nut and Tan’s relationship is a subplot, I’m invested. In today’s episode, I couldn’t help but relate to Tan’s insecurities… I just wanted to hug him. I’d love it if they got their own spin-off series someday (though maybe that’s asking too much.)

Leap Day and Break Up Service are still really entertaining, though Leap Day gives me a bit of anxiety, lol. It’s stressful because so many bad things happen, and the main characters keep narrowly escaping death. But it’s made me appreciate Pond and Gun even more. I like seeing these guys in something different from BL, and I also wish they didn’t always have fixed pairings for BL shows. But hey, wishful thinking. I know that system sells, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t absolutely adore the mascots, for example. 

Finally, The Ex-Morning is really growing on me! I love that the couple starts off as exes with unresolved baggage (we don’t know why they broke up yet…), and it’s so obvious they’re both still hurting even though the love is clearly still there. Now they’re forced to work together on a TV show to salvage Padtaphi’s (Krist) reputation… and career. This series is my introduction to KristSingto, and I have to admit, I love watching actors in their 30s. Also, can we talk about Singto? So unfairly attractive. That black high-neck sweater in the first episode? Chef’s kiss.

I’m seriously considering waiting until The Bangkok Boy finishes so I can binge it, but I haven’t decided yet. I’m already way behind, and I haven’t had much time. Sometimes I feel like I’m juggling too many things, so every now and then, I have to let one drop :(

Anyway, that’s the weekly update!
alterkrmn: Nozue from the manga Old Fashion Cupcake. His expression shows confusion. (Default)
So... this is the third danmei I've read.

My first was Mo Dao Zu Shi. My original plan was to read SVSSS and then maybe TGCF because I was curious and a big part of my timeline on fedi seemed to be reading them. But then I didn't. I got distracted watching the MDZS donghua, reading fics and watching different shows, and then gradually I started following more people that were talking about other danmei.

I don't even remember the exact reason but I ended up choosing to read Lord Seventh (by Neon's recommendation) instead of another MXTX novel. I think it was because I wanted to know different authors and styles, and maybe a bit because I've always been a bit allergic to trends and many people talking about something makes me want to avoid the thing (I never watched GoT, for example, and I read a certain series of book about a wizard boy written by a transphobic brit woman only until I was in college and not in middle school or highschool like most of my peers, but I digress).

So, yeah. I loved Qi Ye. I loved the political intrigue and the fighting against fate and Jing Beiyuan is my kind of character. It still took me a while and I think one of the factors is that it's longer than the average book I'm used to read (if I don't count series of books or the good old bricks I had to read when I was a uni student like Crime and Punishment, Anna Karenina or Don Quijote... I enjoyed and still love some of those bricks but they're still bricks). But in the end I enjoyed it a lot. Back then I wasn't contemplating having a dreamwidth account to write my thoughts so I'm using this post to say something about it.

However, this post was intended to be about Devil Venerable Also Wants To Know, by Cyan Wings.

This one also took me a bit to finish for a number of reasons that go from mental health, workload, motivation and also the fact that in the first third of the book there are many elements I was unfamiliar with so I stopped frequently to take notes to remember later, like the different stages of cultivation it mentions or the names of the sects and characters. But once I was familiar with all these details, I felt comfortable enough and didn't get distracted so often. But besides this, I really enjoyed it.

First of all, I loved that everything starts with a mysterious book that suddenly appears in the hands of Wenren È, the protagonist (a powerful demonic cultivator and leader of the Xuanyuan sect), and then we see his inability to understand why Baili Qingmiao, the protagonist of the mysterious book (Abusive Romance: You Are the Unchanging One in My Heart, a romance novel) acts the way she does. But the thing is that the book talks about Wenren È's world and he is the second of the many love interests of Baili Qingmiao, so, naturally, he feels intrigued. In the novel inside the novel, Wenren È dies because of his love for Baili Qingmiao and Yin Hanjiang, his most loyal subordinate, loses his mind after that. So he goes and tries to understand and starts changing the events of his world, which end up changing the plot of the novel.

I hope I didn't write the previous paragraph in a confusing manner, but I got interrupted and got a bit lost.

Anyway, the concept of the story was fun, but then the characters enamored me. Starting with Wenren È and his curiosity and his determination, but I also loved how hopeless he is to understand Baili Qingmiao and anything related with love, until he finally does. I also loved my scary repressed baby Yin Hanjiang and how his relationship with Wenren È develops while his Venerable keeps helping Baili Qingmiao get over He Wenzhao, the main love interest in Abusive Romance.

Then we have Shu Yanyan (Xuanyuan's sect Right Protector), Qiu Congxue (one of four Altar masters) and Zhongli Qian (a hostage cultivator from a cultivation clan that ends up being kind of a guest Altar master in Xuanyuan sect) so much. Shu Yanyan and Zhiongli Qian are very smart and very competent, and I would say that the only real braincell havers. Qiu Congxue is also an excellent and tremendously hilarious character, I loved how straightforward and unsubtle she is, and the unexpected bond she has with Baili Qingmiao. I confess I ship them a bit. And I also ended up being very fond of Baili Qingmiao and rooting for her. They are such good characters.

It was a very fun read. There were many times when I really laughed out loud at something one of them said, or when Wenren È read the comment section of a certain chapter of the novel. And also how some comments reflected what I was thinking at the moment. I found those bits particularly brilliant. But then, as the story progressed, I also found myself having feelings and I even cried a little at some point (the betrayal!). I had a good time reading it and not gonna lie, I want to re read it, but I'm going to resist the temptation and read a different one, since my goal is to broaden my horizons when it comes to danmei.

I've never been good at writing reviews and I don't even know if this counts as one, but when I finished, I really wanted to say something about it. Now I'm running a poll on fedi to see what I should read next. We'll see how it goes and what I choose in the end.

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alterkrmn: Nozue from the manga Old Fashion Cupcake. His expression shows confusion. (Default)
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