i agree that i also judge how much the actors actually want to be telling a BL story vs just want the fame/fandom of being in a BL based on the kiss scenes. you can tell who wants to be telling an authentic story vs those that dont want to be kissing a man but are forcing themselves to. it always makes me feel so uncomfortable.
And he’s actually rlly open about the thing that he played gay roles and doesn’t have any shame for it unlike some other actors! I think he also said ‚if I had a boyfriend or girlfriend‘ in a P1harmony interview not sure tho
@@frida.svt.17 I know of at least one actor who did that yes... Sigh. I enjoy Jaechan for being open about his projects, wish him much success! And he recently did an interview where he mentioned that he rewatches Semantic Error the most. Love him for that
We all wanted a second season. And the source manhua has tons of material. But the actor who played Jayoung had to do his military service not long after this came out. Hope to see them together again in any case.
20:15 the nearly two-minute commentary on whether kiss quality indicates whether the creative professionals are "true" to the BL genre? Brilliant! Love that you take time to unpack this idea! I have a slightly different take on this question. More of a difference in nuance than a major departure. Perhaps rooted in the particulars around how/where lines get drawn between overlapping genres. Perhaps rooted in a distinction between "true" (realism) and "better" (quality). Before I explain why I partially reject the choice of "true" in this analysis, let me open with my fundamental premise about "what is "BL" (and this terrain is contested, so my take is hardly definitive): To qualify as BL, a series needs to have a same-sex romance/courtship at its core. Other common attributes associated with BL are not foundational. Such details (age of characters, sexual identity, prior experience with guys or girls, degree of "fluffiness," how quickly the romance proceeds) are variables that flesh out a specific plot, but so long as lead character interaction incorporates romantic/sexual tension (in an Asian series), the label "This is BL" may be applied. Kiss quality (measured by timing, frequency, dramatic catharsis of the First Kiss, actor chemistry and execution, cinematography) ranks among those variable story elements that speak to whether or not a story works rather than to whether it qualifies as BL. The BL series may (doesn't have to) dabble in other genres as well (mafia, crime solving, time travel, supernatural, etcetera) but romantic tension between guys must be present.* It also may (doesn't have to) portray characters and events in a manner that is "true" to the life experience of actual gay men. BL, for example, seldom bothers to depict a wider gay community or acknowledge the existence of a romantic gay subculture (mores, manners, customs) distinguished from heteronormative ones. Coming out (a fundamental moment for self-realization for individuals raised with the expectation of compulsory heterosexuality) also seldom occurs in BL series, whereas nearly any queer person can pinpoint a transformative moment in their life in which a "coming out" occurred. [And, no. No. No. Announcing to others "I have a boyfriend now" is not what the term "coming out" means in this usage.] In short, authenticity in portraying "gay" isn't a requirement for BL. [Somewhat paradoxical, that.] Therefore, for me, the infrequent series whose actors deliver genuine kisses ("wow! Those guys are really making out!") Is not more "true" to the BL genre....because the only "truth" the genre requires is the depiction of a plausible same-sex romance. Any series that includes such high-quality smooching has presumably cleared that low bar before lips locked. I do not disagree that better kissing makes the romance storyline easier to root for, but at that point I am evaluating the series not for truth but for how convincing the romance is. A series with dead fish kisses, camera angle kisses, or other cop outs (including actors who look uncomfortable) is not less of a BL for these flaws. Even if those flaws detract from how compelling the story otherwise may be. By contrast, the gay genre (and the wider LGBT+ umbrella genre that encompasses the G) exists to tell queer stories in an authentic way. A gay story may (doesn't have to) include a romance. When it does, a series may also qualify as BL. The better kissing valorized in the commentary certainly strengthens a BL series's gay bona fides because authentic kissing makes it more "true" to the gay genre by being more "true" to telling a gay story. So in that sense, I do agree that "real kissing " makes for a more "true" realization of story and character, but the "truth" I see accrued to the gay genre components rather than the BL components. And in some series, it can be hard to separate the gay from the BL. In fact, those are the series I tend to appreciate the most. However one chooses to define lines between genres or ponder how BL increases queer visibility, the central point of the commentary was to argue that better kissing makes a better series. And I cannot quibble on that. *-- *Spare Me Your Mercy* (Thailand, 2024) provides a recent example of a series that minimizes the obligatory same-sex courtship to borrow from other genres (medical & crime solving), but nevertheless fits the BL moniker because the sexual tension between Doctor & Detective is omnipresent even if the duo spends more screen time Doctoring and Detectiving than kissing and courting. (Some BL fans will downgrade it for its stunted romance; however, my argument is about definitions. It is enough to qualify!)
i agree that i also judge how much the actors actually want to be telling a BL story vs just want the fame/fandom of being in a BL based on the kiss scenes. you can tell who wants to be telling an authentic story vs those that dont want to be kissing a man but are forcing themselves to. it always makes me feel so uncomfortable.
Chemistry on top. I've been following Park Jae Chan's acting since this, and I love that he's played another gay role after this show.
can you share the drama name please?
@@kuroastea Bitter Sweet Hell, Jaechan plays the son of the main characters
And he’s actually rlly open about the thing that he played gay roles and doesn’t have any shame for it unlike some other actors! I think he also said ‚if I had a boyfriend or girlfriend‘ in a P1harmony interview not sure tho
@@frida.svt.17 I know of at least one actor who did that yes... Sigh. I enjoy Jaechan for being open about his projects, wish him much success! And he recently did an interview where he mentioned that he rewatches Semantic Error the most. Love him for that
@@samsbin yeah he’s also rlly brave for being rlly open about it in public since Korea is like rlly conservative!
Love your reactions! ❤️ I would highly recommend the BL Jack and joker. It’s definitely one of my favourites :))
We all wanted a second season. And the source manhua has tons of material. But the actor who played Jayoung had to do his military service not long after this came out. Hope to see them together again in any case.
you need to watch cherry magic if you want to watch more simping 🤣
To my star next pls it has 2 seasons ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE
If you enjoyed semantic error, i highly recommend watching cherry magic next! Trust me you'll love it ❤
Don't know if you watched it already but I'd love to see you react to Light On Me. One of my fav KBLs
Queria muito ver ele assistindo algo como spare me your mercy, manner of death, 4 minutes ou our youth
20:15 the nearly two-minute commentary on whether kiss quality indicates whether the creative professionals are "true" to the BL genre?
Brilliant! Love that you take time to unpack this idea!
I have a slightly different take on this question. More of a difference in nuance than a major departure. Perhaps rooted in the particulars around how/where lines get drawn between overlapping genres. Perhaps rooted in a distinction between "true" (realism) and "better" (quality). Before I explain why I partially reject the choice of "true" in this analysis, let me open with my fundamental premise about "what is "BL" (and this terrain is contested, so my take is hardly definitive):
To qualify as BL, a series needs to have a same-sex romance/courtship at its core. Other common attributes associated with BL are not foundational. Such details (age of characters, sexual identity, prior experience with guys or girls, degree of "fluffiness," how quickly the romance proceeds) are variables that flesh out a specific plot, but so long as lead character interaction incorporates romantic/sexual tension (in an Asian series), the label "This is BL" may be applied. Kiss quality (measured by timing, frequency, dramatic catharsis of the First Kiss, actor chemistry and execution, cinematography) ranks among those variable story elements that speak to whether or not a story works rather than to whether it qualifies as BL.
The BL series may (doesn't have to) dabble in other genres as well (mafia, crime solving, time travel, supernatural, etcetera) but romantic tension between guys must be present.* It also may (doesn't have to) portray characters and events in a manner that is "true" to the life experience of actual gay men. BL, for example, seldom bothers to depict a wider gay community or acknowledge the existence of a romantic gay subculture (mores, manners, customs) distinguished from heteronormative ones. Coming out (a fundamental moment for self-realization for individuals raised with the expectation of compulsory heterosexuality) also seldom occurs in BL series, whereas nearly any queer person can pinpoint a transformative moment in their life in which a "coming out" occurred. [And, no. No. No. Announcing to others "I have a boyfriend now" is not what the term "coming out" means in this usage.] In short, authenticity in portraying "gay" isn't a requirement for BL. [Somewhat paradoxical, that.] Therefore, for me, the infrequent series whose actors deliver genuine kisses ("wow! Those guys are really making out!") Is not more "true" to the BL genre....because the only "truth" the genre requires is the depiction of a plausible same-sex romance. Any series that includes such high-quality smooching has presumably cleared that low bar before lips locked. I do not disagree that better kissing makes the romance storyline easier to root for, but at that point I am evaluating the series not for truth but for how convincing the romance is. A series with dead fish kisses, camera angle kisses, or other cop outs (including actors who look uncomfortable) is not less of a BL for these flaws. Even if those flaws detract from how compelling the story otherwise may be.
By contrast, the gay genre (and the wider LGBT+ umbrella genre that encompasses the G) exists to tell queer stories in an authentic way. A gay story may (doesn't have to) include a romance. When it does, a series may also qualify as BL. The better kissing valorized in the commentary certainly strengthens a BL series's gay bona fides because authentic kissing makes it more "true" to the gay genre by being more "true" to telling a gay story. So in that sense, I do agree that "real kissing " makes for a more "true" realization of story and character, but the "truth" I see accrued to the gay genre components rather than the BL components. And in some series, it can be hard to separate the gay from the BL. In fact, those are the series I tend to appreciate the most.
However one chooses to define lines between genres or ponder how BL increases queer visibility, the central point of the commentary was to argue that better kissing makes a better series. And I cannot quibble on that.
*-- *Spare Me Your Mercy* (Thailand, 2024) provides a recent example of a series that minimizes the obligatory same-sex courtship to borrow from other genres (medical & crime solving), but nevertheless fits the BL moniker because the sexual tension between Doctor & Detective is omnipresent even if the duo spends more screen time Doctoring and Detectiving than kissing and courting. (Some BL fans will downgrade it for its stunted romance; however, my argument is about definitions. It is enough to qualify!)