The Conversation

In our winter series, we hand out Ben and NiNi's Very Important Internet BL (VIIB) Awards for 2022 and discuss industry trends both artistic and commercial over the course of 3 episodes. In part 1, we award actors and ships, and Ben and NiNi go head to head over side ship of the year.

Our winter series continues with more VIIB Awards (Very Important Internet BL Awards) 2022! Part 2 is our industry deep dive, where we award all things technical and look at where BL's been this year and where it's going next.

In the conclusion to our winter series, we award our Best In Class VIIB Awards (Very Important Internet BL Awards) 2022, and hand out Special Class awards to two very special shows.

LAGNIAPPE LAN-yap noun: A French Creole word that means 'a little extra'. We discovered our two cultures have this word in common, so we absolutely had to use it for our bonus episodes!In our Winter Lagniappe, Ben and NiNi break down the shows we will be, won't be and may be watching in 2023. Will NiNi return to Taiwanese BL? Will Ben get his watchlist down under 50? Will this finally be the year Summerdaze comes out? Nobody knows what the future holds, but the speculation is always fun.

We're back! Welcome to our spring series! We were well-fed this winter so we've got a LOT to talk about, and we're really excited to get to it, and here's a little tease for ya.

We're kicking things off this season by looking at two wildly differing takes on high school romance. Ben and NiNi talk My School President, and Never Let Me Go.

These three shows are the stuff of HR nightmares, but we suppose the course of true love never did run smooth. Ben and NiNi talk GAP the Series, The New Employee, and HIStory 5: Love in the Future.

Yes, a whole goddamn episode. We've got a lot to say y'all, buckle in! Ben and NiNi talk Moonlight Chicken.

So nice you gotta do it twice? These three shows went back to the well for a second outing, with mixed results. Ben and NiNi talk Cutie Pie 2 You, Utsukushii Kare 2 and Between Us.

Everything old is new again, in four shows that might make you consider calling up an ex…or not. Ben and NiNi talk The Warp Effect, The Director Who Buys Me Dinner, The End of the World With You and Individual Circumstances.TW: discussions of suicide 30:06-36:12

In our Spring Lagniappe, Ben and NiNi look back at the winter season as a whole, catch up on some stuff we missed, and talk a little about what we're watching now, and what we plan to be watching over the next season.

Welcome to our summer series! Spring was a season of challenging and thought-provoking watches, and we're ready to get to talking about them. Here's a little tease of what's in store.

Korea cranked out a bunch of BLs in the spring, and we can't agree on any of them. Ben and NiNi talk All The Liquors, A Shoulder To Cry On, Our Dating Sim and Unintentional Love Story.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome01:02-Intro02:43-All the Liquors13:20-A Shoulder to Cry On31:54-Our Dating Sim57:25-Unintentional Love Story01:32:02-Conclusion

Ben and NiNi talk The Eighth Sense, and Ben explains the whole Hedwig thing.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome01:04-The Eighth Sense18:00-The Relationships Between the Seniors and Juniors27:45-The Hedwig Incident36:32-Ae Ri42:50-Ji Hyun and Jae Won50:38-Joon Pyo and Boss Lady56:28-Let's Talk About The Kissing (And Episode 6)01:06:21-The Party Scene and Forgiveness01:17:14-On a Possible Second Season01:24:10-Checking in Two Months Later

2 hours, 8 specials...it's the Our Skyy 2 episode! Ben and NiNi break down and rank all 8 stories from worst to first, and talk a little bit about why sequels matter.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome01:15-Intro06:07-Vice Versa14:23-Star In My Mind19:20-Never Let Me Go28:00-A Boss and A Babe36:45-The Eclipse49:50-My School President01:00:24-Bad Buddy x A Tale of Thousand Stars01:59:13-Overall Score for Our Skyy 2

Office romance is shaping up to be the trend of the year, with more shows this spring vying to put their stamp on the subgenre. In this episode, we pit former collaborators Cheewin Thanamin and New Siwaj against each other with their pretty much opposite takes on workplace romance. Ben and NiNi talk Bed Friend and A Boss and A Babe.TW: Bed Friend discussion 2:47-41:01 including discussions of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome01:15-Intro and Trigger Heads Up02:47-Bed Friend41:01-A Boss and A Babe01:25:16-Cheewin vs New

Japan is leaning into its cosy heartwarming bona fides and we're (mostly) liking what it's giving. Ben and NiNi talk J-BLs Jack O'Frost, Our Dining Table and Naked Dining.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome01:15-Intro02:01-Jack O'Frost23:40-Our Dining Table (Bokura no Shokutaku)48:00-Naked Dining (Zenra Meshi)01:02:50-The J-BL Victory Lap and the Food BL Flop

We haven't written this much meta since the Bad Buddy era! Thailand put out two brain-melters at the very end of the season and we added an entire episode just for them. Ben and NiNi talk Step By Step and La Pluie.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome01:15-Intro02:13-Step by Step 04:40-A Moment of Simping08:40-Big Themes16:52-The Romance25:45-Story Execution50:25-Where are we on Tee Bundit?53:10-La Pluie57:50-The Soulmate Myth01:08:22-Lomfon is Rude!01:13:30-Tai Also Deserves Some Smoke01:18:26-Tai's Dad Read as Queer 01:20:48-The Romance01:32:06-Male Anger01:35:50-Nara01:40:47-The Side Characters01:44:02-Sequel Potential01:46:02-Outro

In our Summer Lagniappe, Ben, NiNi and a special guest discuss the ups and downs of the spring season and speculate on what we'll be talking about come the fall.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome01:15-Intro03:14-Talk Nice to Us13:11-Catch Up Corner13:59-My Only 12%22:52-Roommates of Poongduck 30426:14-She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat30:09-The Shipper59:46-Next Watches01:02:33-Me, My Husband, and My Husband's Boyfriend01:15:53-Spring Roundup01:39:34-Girl, You Tried01:46:56-Looking Ahead

Welcome to our fall series! We're doing something a little different this season…

October marks the 3rd anniversary of the show that rewired the BL industry, and it felt like the right time for a retrospective. In part 1 Ben leads a panel talk on I Told Sunset About You.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Intro04:16-How did you come to ITSAY?11:31-Phuket as a setting19:00-Style and genre29:40-Characters36:18-Teh and Oh's dynamic50:07-Why do you care so much about ITSAY?01:04:08-Outro

In part 2 of our retrospective, NiNi leads a panel talk on I Promised You The Moon, and Ben and NiNi talk Last Twilight In Phuket.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome01:16-Intro08:00-Panel introduction08:45-How did you come to BL and ITSAY/IPTYM?14:35-Expectations of IPYTM22:40-Narrative structure31:36-Teh and Oh's characters37:57-Presence or absence of queer community42:33-Relationship conflicts47:05-That snake Jai01:01:38-The ending and character development01:15:23-Favorite scenes01:23:51-Outro

It's always time fuckery vs head fuckery when we head to the second chance romance well, and the fall was no different. Ben and NiNi talk Tokyo In April Is…and Be My Favourite.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome01:16-Intro03:10-Tokyo In April Is...11:01-TIAI: Comparisons with the manga14:15-TIAI: Strength of execution26:23-Be My Favorite34:00-BMF: The time travel mechanic44:47-BMF: Dings52:57-BMF: Jittirain and Gawin and Krist01:00:58-Outro

Y'all, MAME gave us one. Nobody's more shocked than us. Ben and NiNi talk Wedding Plan.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome01:16-Intro03:00-MAME's previous crimes15:18-Realities of the closet and fandom misunderstanding the show29:23-Things we love and final ratings37:26-And another thing! The Wedding Plan special

In our Fall Lagniappe, Ben and NiNi reflect on a relatively quiet season, discuss some old and new shows with Shan, and look ahead to the end of the year.Episode transcript available here.00:00-Welcome03:03-Letters16:15-The Pornographer29:20-Coffee Prince43:05-Be Mine, SuperStar49:40-Hidden Agenda56:14-Minato's Laundromat 201:06:47-Why R U? (Korea)01:09:51-Sing My Crush01:20:43-Heartstopper 201:30:45-Girl, You Tried01:40:23-Looking Ahead

Fall gave us a few absolute bangers and an assortment of fair-to-flops. We're ready to talk about them all with some very special guests, give out our VIIB Awards, and look back at 2023 one last time.Episode transcript available here.

It's the Only Friends episode and David is back! Ben, NiNi and David start the year talking about six fucked up boys, and how frustrating fandom can be.Episode transcript available here.00:00 Introduction01:20 Only Friends and What We Liked13:47 What We Wanted from the Show26:40 Where the Story Breaks Down38:40 Bottom Dementia™47:38 Do Not Take Only Friends Seriously51:00 Final Thoughts (Two Months Later)

It was an uneven year for Tee Bundit, but he clearly saved his best for last. Ben, NiNi and Ginny talk the epic romanticism of I Feel You Linger In The Air.Episode transcript available here.01:20 I Feel You Linger in the Air: Big Damn Romance21:35 Depictions of Intimacy30:21 Head v. Heart37:37 Beyond the Romance and Story Integration49:15 Anticipating the Special (Or Not)54:08 Final Thoughts

A second season provided the perfect excuse for us to finally GEEK OUT about our very top show. Ben and NiNi talk all things What Did You Eat Yesterday?Episode transcript available here.01:15 What Did You Eat Yesterday?: The Granddaddy12:08 Favorite Episodes19:22 The Show that Keeps Coming Back24:57 Season 2: Mortality, Family, and Hets43:10 WDYEY? is So Gay and Found Family50:54 Let's Talk About The Food56:36 Final Thoughts (And A Moment to Drag Nobu)

We gotta clear the decks ahead of the VIIB Awards, so it's a grab bag episode! Ben, NiNi and Shan talk a bunch of shows that we couldn't NOT talk about, and award the fall's Girl You Tried.Episode transcript available here.00:01:15 Tens and Chops00:04:20 Kiseki: Dear To Me00:12:20 Dangerous Romance00:26:05 Love In Translation00:41:14 I Cannot Reach You00:54:43 My Personal Weatherman01:07:01 If It's With You01:15:38 Absolute Zero01:21:05 My Dear Gangster Oppa01:33:32 Middleman's Love01:49:07 Final Thoughts, and Girl, You Tried

The Second Annual Very Important Internet BL Awards are here! In Part 1, Ben and NiNi award the actors and actresses who stood out among a crowded field in 2023.Episode transcript available here.00:00 Welcome01:23 Introduction04:43 Interlude: Norma's ready for her close-up - Sunset Boulevard (1950)05:29 Rising Star08:59 Best Cast12:49 Best Pair17:03 Best Actor19:57 Best Acted Scene24:10 Best Delivered Line28:43 Outro

The Second Annual Very Important Internet BL Awards are here! In Part 2, Ben and NiNi award the 2023 ships with real wind in their sails.Episode transcript available here.00:00 Welcome01:23 Introduction02:19 Interlude: Mr. Darcy proposes - Pride and Prejudice (1995)03:19 Best Ghost Ship07:11 Best Friendship12:10 Best SIde Ship21:10 Best Main Ship27:49 Outro

The Second Annual Very Important Internet BL Awards are here! In Part 3, Ben and NiNi get nerdy in the episode we look forward to most all year.Episode transcript available here.00:00 Welcome01:23 Introduction02:34 Interlude: Making a movie, Eddie Mannix style - Hail, Caesar! (2016)03:57 Best OST Song10:03 Best Music16:35 Best Production22:13 Best Writing27:17 Best Direction34:19 Outro

The Second Annual Very Important Internet BL Awards are here! In Part 4, Ben and NiNi award 2023's Best of the Best.Episode transcript available here.00:00 Welcome01:23 Introduction02:29 Interlude: The very best in nosy neighbours - Big Eden (2000)03:02 Best GL05:03 Best Genre Romance10:18 Best Workplace Romance16:02 Best Second Chance Romance21:20 Best High School Romance34:45 BL of the Year40:09 Outro

The Second Annual Very Important Internet BL Awards are here! In Part 5, Ben and NiNi award standouts that didn't quite fit into the QL genre but were just too good to NOT award.Episode transcript available here.00:00 Welcome01:23 Introduction03:03 Interlude: The Beach - Moonlight (2016)04:18 Honourable Mention: The Day I Loved You10:26 Honourable Mention: Chen Yi and Ai Di - Kiseki: Dear To Me15:44 Honourable Mention: Sasake and Miyano Graduation21:41 6th Man: Mark Pakin Kuna-anuvit31:33 Standout Queer Narrative: Moonlight Chicken38:02 Standout Queer Narrative: The Warp Effect 41:30 Standout Queer Narrative: What Did You Eat Yesterday? 246:54 Outro

Ben, NiNi, Ginny and Shan look back at 2023 and ahead to 2024 in QL.Episode transcript available here.00:00:00 Welcome00:01:15 Introduction00:03:24 Question: Holding back takes for the podcast00:05:39 Question: Under-discussed topics in the discourse00:12:44 Question: The draw of Japanese BL00:20:45 Question: Stories about older characters00:25:22 Question: Cross-country adaptations00:31:21 Question: Biggest wins and losses of the bl industry in 202300:36:38 Question: The next big BL trope wave00:40:30 Question: Welcome back, Kotter and go home, Roger00:46:45 Question: To all the lurkers00:49:31 2023 Headlines00:53:31 Best Boy and Best Girl00:56:17 2024 QL Resolutions01:01:43 The BGP!01:11:05 The Year Ahead (GIVE US LESBIANS!)01:24:58 Outro

Welcome back, it's spring! Winter once again left us with a lot to ponder, and ponder we shall. Ben and NiNi tease what's in store this season.Episode transcript available here.

GMMTV's OGs came out to play! Ben, NiNi and Shan talk Cooking Crush, Cherry Magic Thailand and how a decade of experience makes a difference with Off/Gun and Tay/New.Episode transcript available here.00:00:00 Welcome00:01:15 Intro00:03:58 Cooking Crush: A surprisingly good romcom00:08:02 CC: Comedy ain't easy00:16:59 CC: Dynamite's queer writing and Ten as a rare romantic lead00:32:08 CC: Final comments and ratings00:41:14 Cherry Magic Thailand: Beating expectations and simping for Tay Tawan00:54:13 CMT: Relationship development and the powers01:02:15 CMT: Other characters01:13:51 CMT: Ratings01:19:34 Outro

Another day, another Japanese sequel. Ben, NiNi and new friend of the pod Twig talk Ossan's Love, being influenced by fandom reactions and Old Man Yaoi.Episode transcript available here.00:00:00 Welcome00:01:15 Introduction and Some Context00:06:25 Ossan's Love History and Summary00:13:42 The Characters00:28:23 Love or Dead and In The Sky00:39:00 Ossan's Love Returns00:45:33 Final thoughts and Ratings

Japan said it's GL time and we said YES. Ben, NiNi and Ginny talk Chaser Game W and She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat.Episode transcript available here.00:00:00 Welcome00:01:15 Introduction00:02:41 Chaser Game W: A Flop00:18:31 She Loves To Cook, and She Loves To Eat00:23:14 SLTCSLTE: The Women00:34:18 SLTCSLTE: Yako and The New House00:39:17 SLTCSLTE: The Food and Nagumo00:43:02 SLTCSLTE: Depictions of Intimacy00:50:53 Final thoughts and Ratings

Thai BL has been suffering some...performance issues lately, so we're diving into why these shows can't seem to keep it up. Ben and NiNi talk Last Twilight and The Sign with friends of the pod Aiden and Captain Hands.Episode transcript available here.00:00:00 Welcome00:01:15 Introduction00:03:54 Last Twilight: Roses and Thorns00:09:35 Last Twilight: Failed Expectations00:15:54 Last Twilight: Ableism00:22:02 Last Twilight: Buds00:25:22 Last Twilight: Final Thoughts and Ratings00:29:26 Intermezzo00:32:43 The Sign: Roses00:39:32 The Sign: Thorns00:48:43 The Sign: Buds00:56:03 The Sign: WTFery01:04:24 The Sign: Final thoughts and Ratings01:10:02 Outro

BL is really leaning into genre in a big way, and we're too big nerds to let that go uncommented upon. Ben, NiNi, Ginny and Shan talk some successes and failures in genre blending over the winter season in Playboyy, 7 Days Before Valentine, Dead Friend Forever and Love For Love's Sake.**TW for Dead Friend Forever: discussions of violence and gore****TW for Love For Love's Sake: discussions of suicide and self-harm**Episode transcript available here.00:00:00 Welcome00:01:15 Grab Bag Part 1: Genre Shows00:02:37 Playboyy00:18:42 7 Days Before Valentine00:29:35 Dead Friend Forever00:50:03 Love For Love's Sake01:13:39 Outro

Japan is churning them out almost faster than we can keep up, so we dedicated a whole grab bag episode to give them the attention they're asking for. Ben, NiNi, Ginny and Shan talk what's working and what's not in Japanese BL as we discuss Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun, One Room Angel, Perfect Propose, Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro Ka, I Want To See Only You and I Became the Star of a BL Drama.Episode transcript available here.00:00:00 Welcome00:01:15 Grab Bag Part 2: J-BL00:02:22 Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun00:11:29 One Room Angel 00:18:54 A Note on MBS Tunku Shower00:26:01 Perfect Propose00:49:27 Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro Ka01:04:44 I Want To See Only You01:10:55 I Became the Star of a BL Drama01:26:16 Outro

In our Spring Lagniappe, Ben and NiNi and friend of the pod Twig answer some questions, drive-by some pulps, and award the season's 'Girl, You Tried'.Episode transcript available here.00:00:00 Welcome00:01:15 Inbox: Comparing Cherry Magic Adaptations00:10:17 Inbox: Remaking Het Romances into QL00:16:04 Catch Up Corner: Young Royals season 300:21:23 Catch Up Corner: Man Suang00:25:12 Catch Up Corner: DNA Says Love You00:29:23 Twig's Dispatch00:38:35 Winter Round Up00:44:45 Girl, You Tried00:47:35 Look Ahead

It's been awhile since we checked in on Taiwan, and the latest offerings have really run the gamut in terms of quality. Ben, NiNi, and Shan sat down to discuss the state of Taiwanese BL via two recent shows, Anti Reset and Unknown.Episode transcript available here.00:00:00 Welcome00:01:15 Introduction00:02:11 Anti Reset and VBL00:13:13 Unknown the Series00:20:16 Unknown: The Pseudo Incest Trope00:27:53 Unknown: San Pang, Li Li, and Family in the Narrative00:35:48 Unknown: The Ending Stumble00:43:32 Unknown: Adapting the Da Ge Novel00:46:15 Unknown: Final Thoughts and Ratings00:51:53 Whither Taiwanese BL?

Second chance romances, long-term pining, and their roles in queer narratives are our JAM, so we gotta talk about how two Japanese BLs should have been 10s but absolutely flopped for us. Ben, NiNi and Twig talk Love Is Better The Second Time Around and Living With Him. Join us to break down what it's like to watch a show fall apart in real time. Episode transcript available here. 00:00:00 Welcome 00:01:15 Introduction 00:02:38 Love Is Better The Second Time Around: What Worked 00:13:31 Love Is Better The Second Time Around: What Didn't Work 00:23:32 Love Is Better The Second Time Around: Final Thoughts and Ratings 00:26:54 Living With Him: How It Started 00:36:33 Living With Him: Where It Went Wrong 00:44:40 Living With Him: Final Thoughts and Ratings 00:52:03 Why The Queerness Matters

School's in at GMMTV, but we gotta put two series in detention for not fulfilling the assignment. The actors were charming, but the finishes were...rough. Ben, NiNi and Ginny talk 23.5 and Only Boo, the merits of high school stories, and the specific challenges of telling stories about queer high schoolers. Episode transcript available here. 00:00:00 Welcome 00:01:15 Introduction 00:02:18 23.5: Early Reactions 00:14:18 23.5: Supporting Characters 00:21:27 23.5: Frustration with the Writing and Execution 00:33:42 23.5: Final Arc and Ratings 00:38:42 Only Boo 00:48:06 Only Boo: Popping the Bubble 00:58:42 Only Boo: If You're Gonna Do An Idol Story, Commit 01:05:06 Only Boo: Final Thoughts and Ratings 01:08:45 Outro: High School Blues

Summer didn't give us a lot to say, but we ALWAYS got something to say. Ben, NiNi and Shan talk a highlight of the season, Twig reports from the field, and we award summer's Girl Who Tried. Episode transcript available here. 00:00:00 Welcome 00:01:15 Introduction 00:02:21 Twig's Dispatch 00:14:24 Spotlight: Tadaima Okaeri 00:20:34 Girl, You Tried 00:27:08 Celebrating 50 Episodes

Queer truth is on back on the menu, just as we were starting to get FAMISHED. Ben, NiNi and Shan talk Marahuyo Project and No One Cares For An Old Man's Underwear. Episode transcript available here. 00:00 Welcome 01:15 Introduction 08:40 Marahuyo Project: A Queer Activist's Story 20:24 Marahuyo Project: On Queerness 30:16 Marahuyo Project: Our Characters 42:09 Marahuyo Project: The Christina Story 48:52 Marahuyo Project: Parents and Children 54:54 Marahuyo Project: Final Thoughts and Ratings 59:48 Ossan no Pants 01:05:18 Ossan no Pants: Our Characters 01:26:30 Ossan no Pants: Key Character Arcs 01:36:49 Ossan no Pants: Furuike and That Fucking Guy 01:45:25 Ossan no Pants: Final Thoughts and Ratings 01:51:18 Importance of Variety in Media Consumption

It's a mailbag episode! Episode transcript available here. 00:00:00 Welcome 00:01:15 Introduction 00:02:10 Inbox: Surprises of the Season 00:07:07 Inbox: Does Categorization Matter? 00:11:42 Inbox: BL Fatigue? 00:15:51 Inbox: The BL Bubble 00:30:26 Inbox: Sex On Screen 00:41:07 Inbox: Fave Sex Scenes 00:51:24 Inbox: Worst Sex Scenes 01:04:24 Bonus Round: Best Sex in a Bad Show 01:06:54 Inbox: Critical Philosophy 01:18:31 Outro

The pulps are evolving in what seems like two distinct directions, and we have some thoughts on that. Ben, NiNi and friend of the pod Twig talk We Are and Knock Knock, Boys! Episode transcript available here. 00:00 Welcome01:15 Introduction05:56 We Are: Branded Pair Background14:37 We Are: A Rorschach Test of a Show30:47 We Are: Final Thoughts and Ratings38:21 Knock Knock, Boys!48:39 Knock Knock, Boys!: Sex Positivity55:51 Knock Knock, Boys!: Our Fab Four (and Jane)01:09:58 Knock Knock, Boys!: Final Thoughts and Ratings01:14:54 Importance of Pulps as Labs

More takes on the office romance, now with bonus miscommunication! Ben, NiNi and Ginny talk Ayaka Is In Love With Hiroko and At 25:00 In Akasaka. Episode transcript available here. 00:00 Welcome01:16 Intro02:52 Ayaka Is In Love With Hiroko10:45 Ayaka: A Split Narrative17:20 Ayaka: The Negatives24:25 Ayaka: Final Thoughts and Ratings29:08 At 25:00 in Akasaka35:34 At 25:00 in Akasaka: It's the Characters for Us43:18 At 25:00 in Akasaka: Hayama and Shirasaki49:05 At 25:00 in Akasaka: Filmmaking and Production53:25 At 25:00 in Akasaka: Final Thoughts and Ratings58:45 The State of J-BL

Korea swung big at the end of the year and hit it out of the park on both the queer romance and queer life drama fronts. Ben, NiNi and Shan talk Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo and Love In The Big City. Episode transcript available here. 00:00 Welcome 01:15 Introduction: Let's Talk Hallyu 06:01 Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo 12:36 Taekwondo: Themes and Patterns In Hwang Da Seul's Work 21:54 Taekwondo: The Separation 33:28 Taekwondo: The Reunion 38:22 Taekwondo: On Hyeon Ho 44:57 Taekwondo: Final Thoughts and Ratings 52:33 Love In The Big City 58:46 Love In The Big City Part 1: Mi Ae and the Film Adaptation 01:06:50 Love In The Big City Part 2: Umma and Young Soo 01:17:05 Love In The Big City Part 3: Gyu Ho and Kylie 01:28:31 Love In The Big City Part 4: Habibi and the T-aras 01:40:28 Love In The Big City: Final Thoughts and Ratings 01:48:25 Outro

Ben, NiNi and Shan discuss a weird year for QL and look ahead to 2025. Episode transcript available here. 00:00 Welcome 00:55 2024 Headlines: Industry Consolidation 06:49 2024 Headline: Self-Censorship 13:52 2024 Headlines: Vertical Format Micro-BLs and Other Shit We're Anti 20:14 Festivus Airing Of The Grievances 36:51 2024 Fan Awards 55:49 QL Resolutions 01:04:45 Affirmations and Hopes for the Future

It's our holiday special (because it's a holiday somewhere in the world)! Ben, NiNi and assorted friends of the pod look back on 10 years of BL as a genre and talk 10 shows that define the genre for us. Episode transcript available here. 00:00 Welcome 00:55 Celebrating the BL Canon: A Retrospective 02:08 Blueming (2022) | KR | dir. Hwang Da Seul (Megan) 07:35 Dark Blue Kiss (2019) | TH | dir. Aof Noppharnach Chaiwimol (Shan) 13:59 He's Coming To Me (2019) | TH | dir. Aof Noppharnach Chaiwimol (Captain Hands) 17:00 His (2020) | JP | dir. Imaizumi Rikiya (Twig) 21:12 Light On Me (2021) | KR | dir. Lee Yoo Yeon (Kyra) 25:40 Make It Right (2017) | TH | dirs. New Siwaj Sawatmaneekul and Cheewin Thanamin Wongskulphat (Turtles) 33:29 The Miracle of Teddy Bear (2022) | TH | dir. Paajaew Yuthana Lorphanpaibul (Pluem) 39:52 Theory of Love (2019) | TH | dir. X Nuttapong Mongkolsawas (Bookworm) 46:15 The Untamed (2019) | CH | dirs. Steve Cheng and Chang Ka Lam (Shan) 51:42 We Best Love (2021) | TW | dir. Ray Jiang (Twig) 57:59 Ben and Nini's Drive-by Faves

It's our 3rd Annual Very Important Internet BL Awards and we've changed up our whole shit! Ben and NiNi talk the best things we watched all year. Episode transcript available here. 00:00 Welcome 00:55 Introduction: It's Awards Season Once More 02:09 Acting! 08:00 Ships Ahoy! 16:31 Immortal Technique 29:05 Top Tings 41:43 Special Class Awards 43:11 Special Class: Honourable Mentions 47:36 Special Class: Mark Pakin 6th Man Awards 51:13 Special Class: Standout Queer Narratives 01:06:00 Outro

It's 'the biggest goddamn BL in the world', and we're finally going to talk about it. Ben, NiNi, Shan and Bookworm talk The Untamed. In Part 1 of our two-part episode, we talk censorship, the journey from MDZS to The Untamed, and the first half of the story.Episode transcript available here.00:00 Welcome00:55 Introduction03:55 Censorship in Media: A Global View12:37 The MoDaoZuShi Phenomenon24:33 The Big Picture33:36 The First Life40:07 The First Life: Thoughts and Impressions46:21 The First Life: WangXian and Other Fucked Up Love Stories01:01:17 The First Life: Various Random Musings01:11:02 Outro: Notes From the Future

In Part 2 of our Untamed discussion, Ben, NiNi, Shan and Bookworm talk our love for Jiang Cheng, our hatred for Meng Yao/Jin Guangyao, and why we will always hold out hope for more Chinese BL.Episode transcript available here.00:00 Welcome00:55 Intro: More Notes From The Future01:45 The Second Life09:23 The Second Life: The Fallout of Wei Wuxian's Choices16:52 The Second Life: Meng Yao's Dastardly Deeds26:52 The Second Life: The Tragedy of Wen Ning32:35 The Second Life: Two 'Fools'37:41 The Second Life: Various Random Musings48:18 Page to Screen (and Audio, and Anime, and Stage, and...)56:59 Afterlife: The Impact of The Untamed on BL and Fandom