haitangkitty

Bling Bling Bitch!

2026-04-20T14:36:20Z

I previously talked about how i can't stand true crime these days but i do have a lighter alternative to satisfy my curiosity for crime: scammer stories targeting the rich. The Bling Ring is not a scammer story but a celebrity burglary story. Luckily they only got 1-2 years in prison or community service but that might also been because of media exposure and connections. The Bling Ring is the perfect crime entertainment containing obnoxious teenagers, fashion, and fame all set in LA in the time of the birth of reality tv stars and Myspace. The crimes(+50 homes!!) happened during 2008-2009, but what people most know about is the fictional film based on these events:

The Bling Ring (2013)
Sofia Coppola Film

"I wanna rob"

The film has sort of gained a cult status. It is so so bad on all aspects. Direction, cinematography, script, acting, editing, costume - it's all ass. TO ME it does not elevate itself to a "so bad it's good" status. Sofia Coppola based it on an Vanity Fair article in which one of the Bling Ring members Alexis Neyers was interviewed. The Bling Ring is depicted as shallow fame hungry teenagers with no personality or emotions.

If it was done today i believe it would be a neo noir. As a writer myself i think that there's few things that seem easy to write but are actually very difficult: troubled and entitled addict teenagers and the effects of social media and reality tv. What i find interesting about the Bling Ring is that they did not come from poor backgrounds but still had issues feeling like outsiders being close to extreme wealth and fame. They were not satisfied with their lives.

Fun detail that the documentaries don't have is that the some of the same celebrities they robbed were also later arrested for robbing or driving under the influence (the famous mugshots of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie) becoming part of iconic pop culture images.

I guess the film tried to capture the iconic pop culture of the time. The whole thing is so media sexy it's difficult to find what feels real about it.

The Real Bling Ring Hollywood Heist (2022)
3-part Netflix documentary

This documentary was also ass. It was so in your face. Trash entertainment like the film. It's a sensationalist documentary with the message that "fame is bad". Am i looking for depth in a story that doesn't exist?

What was interesting is that it gave lot of space for two of the Bling Ring members to tell their stories: Nick Prude and Alexis Neyers.

You want to know the mind of the criminal, their original story, their traumas, their motives.

Both Nick and Alexis talked a lot about how they used lot of drugs and were not doing well mentally at that time. Alexis had become the face of the Bling Ring which she clarifies is a false image since she only took part in one robbery(for what we know). BUT she was filming a reality show of her own at the same time when police found out about them, so to media she became the perfect face for the crime (Emma Watson played her in the film). She tells she had been painted as a shallow teenager when really she was an addict and exploited by the entertainment industry and by her own mother. Although what is interesting is that she sold the rights of her interview for Sofia Coppola and was a paid to consult in the film.

If someone from the Bling Ring actually enjoyed the fame it brought it was definitely Nick. He ratted out the whole group and told the police about crimes they hadn't even discovered. In the film he is kinda depicted as an awkward gay best friend, but in reality he did play a bigger part in the burglaries although he says everything was influenced by his friendship to Rachel Lee - the ringleader of the group whose absence in the documentary becomes a mystery. Nick and Alexis have conflicting statements and everyone is kinda blaming each other or the drugs, which is understandable since I don't think there's one objective telling of this case especially in hindsight.

The Ring Leader: The Case of the Bling Ring (2023)
HBO documentary

I was excited to find out that there was a documentary about Rachel Lee. She was the missing piece. During the trials she did not speak to media at all or try to gain attention in any way. She was not part of the Netflix documentary but she got her own more quality documentary on HBO, kind of getting the last say on the topic which is a very powerful move(if it is one). The documentary has the depth i was looking for, or maybe i mean emotion. You can see that talking about the Bling Ring is not easy for Rachel but she does give insights to her life. At one point she confesses she believes she was a psychopath at the time because she had no regrets and did what she wanted. She highlighted the friendship between her and Nick, two troubled outsiders talking about the darkness they shared. I think that would have been most interesting to see on film, a toxic codependent friendship that is doomed. That is also a very common teenage experience. I think it's also interesting how Rachel had troubles feeling like an outsider due to her Korean heritage in a time when the media (and all the IT girls everyone looked up to) were very much white and rich rich. I'm a bit younger than her but i remember being poc teenager during that era had a specific feeling of being so outside of everything. But the Bling Ring burglaries or most scammers are not some Robin Hood stories about punishing the rich but wanting to emulate the life that they have, wearing their skin and getting that rush of adrenaline and power for committing a crime and getting away with it. Rachel is the only interviewed member who doesn't give a clear motive for her crimes because she is not so sure of it herself. I also think she's extremely smart and maybe smarter than she lets people know.

I do not have nostalgia for that era. I think it's funny how young people now love early 2000's and the pop culture of that era but i remember it being trashy, misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and exploitative. I gotta admit i did watch a lot of MTV, both music videos and the reality series back then. I wanted to be American! I have to admit after watching the Bling Ring film and documentaries i had to check how Calabasas and the beaches of LA look like. One girl from my high school moved there because her family was in the film industry and she went to study film at UCLA, I was so jealous and maybe I still am. Being at the heart of it all, and being part of it!

Anyway next I'm gonna watch the Netflix reveal documentary of America's Next Top Model, another reality i also actively watched as a teen.

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New Music

2026-04-19T16:38:29Z

TXT - 7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns
TXT's music is always comforting to me.This album didn't have that grandiose single but regardless I liked it. Favorite song: Take Me To Nirvana (ft. Vinida Weng)

Yves ft. Lolo Zouaï - NAIL
I'm so happy for Yves' solo career. She has been able to collab with such cool artists. She really found her niche audience from kpop gg gays with elite taste. I really loved this song. It's catchy, unexpected, futuristic, fresh. Loved the music video too! The whole EP is elite.

Min Jiwoon - Feel It Too
First release this year from her. She's a singer-songwriter at SM/Krucialize. This song too has that classical and romantic R&B feel. She clearly has her own style and i love it. I've liked every release from her!

Tyla ft. Zara Larsson - SHE DID IT AGAIN
Song and music video are so 2000 and Shakira inspired. The beat and hip movements are hypnotic. I feel like i will be hearing this song a lot this summer. Tyla and Zara are really becoming the next pop girls. It's not 100% my thing but i prefer them in the mainstream than some other pop girls.

KARLEE GIRL - Right Back!
This was released few weeks ago but i only found it recently. She was also in Dream Academy and has made her own songs since but hasn't been able to pop off until now so I'm happy for her! Some people say it reminds of Tinashe but I wouldn't say so (closest is Superlove maybe?). Perfect song to put to your summer playlist.

Adéla - KGB
Passion with gritty teeth and glamour, that is what Adéla is about and i love it. KGB is a catchy electro pop song about her Slovakian roots. She had teased the song for a while and i knew i would like it. Extra love to her for standing up for Ukraine<3

Rosalía - Focu 'Ranni
New song for her deluxe album. Petra Collins directed the music video (only available on Apple Music). It has similar feeling to Daughters of The Dust(1991). White vintage wedding dresses, forest, sisterhood, lake, white horse - nostalgic, spiritual, and feminine images. The song is very beautiful, letting go of your love and choosing yourself.

Kelela - idea1
I LOVE KELELA!!! This song takes you to another world. It doesn't really fit into one genre: i would say it has R&B and shoegaze influence. It's my favorite out of all new releases.

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look closely, listen

2026-03-13T20:18:37Z

Life is so scary but i have to live it.

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WALK THE LINE

2026-03-05T22:11:50Z

Today I went to the cinema to watch Enhypen Walk The Line concert/documentary. The concert is from last summer in Japan in a big stadium. The audience was really amazing, unlike some concerts i've seen (Fate Tour and WTL finale day1 were a bit lame). I loved the atmosphere and you could see the boys had fun too. There were also short interviews where enha shared their thoughts about that concert as well as reflected their goals and development, and of course their love for engene.

Favorite parts

HEESEUNG - it was so shocking seeing him performing on a big screen at the cinema. He's such a good performer and has insane sex appeal. I really felt embarassed because that was one of my top fangirl moments.
PASSION - as i said the interviews opened up about their passion for performing and you could really see it - they are very captivating and that desperate longing and passion is at the core of their performance.
SWEAT - sexy sweaty men singing and dancing....yeah
Jay bias wrecking me - he's such a great singer and i also loved his guitar solo
Lucifer!!! one of my favorite enha songs and performances. Sunghoon, Jay, and Jake in priest outfits being serious. It starts them being still, then walking at at the end they're dancing - i really love how dramatic it is.
XO - the lightsticks were a sea of pink during it, how lovely. It started with Heeseung playing the intro on piano<3 Also one of my favorite enha songs(first one i heard). It's romantic in a magical way.
Bad Desire - such a powerful performance
Shine On Me - from their Japanese EP. It has that hopeful summer feel.
Sunsun waterfight - they literally couldn't stop teasing each other as usual :D
Ending fanchants: Orange Flower and Highway 1009 - this is when i got emotional

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Februariness

2026-03-01T14:29:47Z

The UK girl group FLO recently did an amazing Tiny Desk Concert!

February has come to an end.

It has been an emotional month and I'm super tired, but at the same I've felt inspired to write more than usually. I'm also finally going to cinema next week to watch a couple of new films (+Enhypen Concert Cinema). I need to keep moving, because when I get stuck in a depressive phase it's really hard to get out of it.

This weekend I binged a new series: (spoiler-free review)

The Art of Sarah
South-Korean, Thriller, Netflix, 8 episodes

Netflix has made some interesting scammer stories like the fictionalized series about Anna Delvey and the love scammer documentary Tinder Swindler. Recently there was another viral love scammer targeting a tiktok influencer: The Danish Deception. The worst scam story I've heard is about the cancer cure hoax/fraud by Elizabeth Holmes. I'm obsessed with scammer and cult stories in the same way some people are about true crime (which i have complex feelings about. i rarely watch it).

The Art of Sarah is a fictional story about a scammer building a luxury bag brand. It's both a murder mystery and a scammer story: the two main mysteries(murder and identity) are linked together when the police investigate who really is Sarah Kim.

Scammer stories pose the question of what is real. If people believe in the scam, doesn't that make it real? Legit businesses are also scams, frauds, they make fake things, and unethical choices. At the core these stories deal with status, desperation, corruption, and social mobility in capitalism. Scam stories targeting poor people are always unpleasant, but this story (like Anna Delvey's story and the love scammers) target (mainly) upper middle class women wanting to be top elite. Scammers and abusers study their victims really carefully, they're master manipulators.

It was a very easily bingable series. The investigation/mystery part wasn't super complex but that's fine for me, I don't need everything to be like Mindhunter. The series doesn't try to be too realistic. My only complaint is that by the end of the series the episodes were too short (around 40min), and there wasn't enough exploration of the most interesting part of the plot!

Overall I enjoyed it. It was a very woman-centric story with a crazy evil woman as a protagonist. The K-dramas I prefer are rarely romance/romance-focused, but South-Korea also makes excellent thrillers and stories about class.

One of the central places in the story is a luxury mall. That reminded me of my own experience working at one when I was 19. Being a young person from a working class background who couldn't afford to buy anything I was selling and being surrounded by luxury items was sure an interesting experience. Also how during sales "normal" people thought they were being sold stuff for a cheaper prize (because they were never actually advertised as sales, they were campaigns lol). I actually once thought about writing a novel or a film inspired by it, and I think I'm gonna start this project now. Maybe I will only write a short story, we'll see.

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ily diva

2026-02-19T13:36:24Z

I recently finished the new Rachel Senott HBO series I Love LA. It's an American satire on influencers. I've watched only romance media these past years so this was a nice change.

The characters are almost as insufferable as in Girls (2012-2017), but gladly this series is more fun and sympathetic about the characters. The series is about a young talent agent and her influencer friend and how she ends up being her client. The influencer, Tallulah (played by Odessa A'Zion), is a very magnetic character who cannot be restricted, which causes a lot of dilemmas throughout the series. In order to please sponsors and talent agencies the main characters have to play by their rules. Lot of the conflicts have to do with whether to dim your light and make money or be yourself and broke? The influencer is just a tool to get money for all these people. Only person who sees her worth is her friend, who struggles with having her best friend as her client. Does capitalism get in the way of friendship and genuine connection and self-expression?

I also like how the critique isn't just about "these dumb talentless women get rich on social media", but about how the industry/culture works in general. The power imbalances, money hungriness, backstabbing, and desperation are all depicted as something quite normal and annoying rather than dramatic. The series is really well written, Rachel Senott being Gen-Z and niche online celebrity herself she really understands it instead of someone looking from outside and being like "social media is bad". It's so interesting to look inside of it since I'm just a basic person scrolling and watching all the trends and controversies.

What I loved about this series is that at the heart of it it's really about friendship.

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I keep thinking, "Surely, somebody will save me"

2026-01-28T16:42:50Z

Some stuff I've read and watched lately:

After The Rain (manga)

Recommended by Karafami readers, another slice of life manga about an age gap that isn't really romance(in the traditional sense) or smut. This was a beautiful read how it portrays the passage of time and emotions. It really encompasses the beauty and difficulties that come with each age and how we can inspire one another. The manga is really about dreams - giving up, rejection, distractions, inspiration, and finding meaning.

Call Me Chihiro (film)

Like the previous work, the film's synopsis is more scandalous than the story: A former sex worker starts working at a bento shop and spreads kindness to strangers. I was a bit hesitant how the female main character would be portrayed but she isn't a sexy tragedy or a manic pixie dream girl (or whatever quirky female characters are called). That being said she is an exceptional person who changes the lives around her, but she carries deep sadness inside herself. A very heartfelt film.

I used to find slice of life very boring but it is the perfect genre for me right now that i'm looking for comfort. The beauty of mundane life, eating together, found family, changing seasons... even though there's trauma and difficult situations in life, it's not the focus in the story even though it affects the characters. Stories that feel like swimming in the ocean. I would like to try writing a story like that, a character study where small moments are extremely meaningful.

The Summer I Turned Pretty S1 (series)

I've watched Jenny Han's other tv adaptations To All The Boys I've Loved Before and XO Kitty, but this was the only one I hadn't seen. The series is a classic YA story about a girl growing up and suddenly her two childhood friends (who're brothers) like her. Suprisingly, this is probably the best YA series I've watched (after SKAM Norway ofc). Is the story a cliche? Yes, but it doesn't have that 2010 teen drama trashiness, the series is really well made and the cinematography is so beautiful. The series manages to be natural and emotional, and the characters seem very real. A true comfort series. Watching it I felt somehow normal. When it's summer and your childhood crush likes you back and Taylor Swift's "Style" starts playing... incredible. So yes, I will be watching the rest of the series.

Currently watching: I kept my 2026 fandom goal and finally started watching a C-drama! I'm halfway through Lighter&Princess, i will write about it more after I've finished it. I chose it because of Chen Feiyu (who played Mo Ran in the unreleased 2ha adaptation Immortality). It's a modern romance and I'm having so much fun with it.

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Welcome to my Delulu World

2026-01-15T08:29:33Z

KiiiKiii has become my favorite 5th gen group. This is their new release for their upcoming album "Delulu Pack". I love both the song and the music video, this might be my favorite release from them. Overall i loooove house music. I really love their creative vision and the girls are very funny and sweet. They updated their website for the comeback and it's really cool and interactive way of marketing.

Dark Moon: The Blood Altar (anime): EP1.
So the Enhypen anime based on their manhwa premiered last week. I really liked the first episode, it went by so fast it felt like 5 minutes. I can't believe the main love interest Heli is based on my bias Heeseung :D The main character Sooha is a kind of self-insert for engene. I think it's a funny concept. Vampire romance was big part of me when I was a young Twilight fan. I've re-entered my vampire phase with Enhypen and Interview with the Vampire. I think I'm also gonna start watching Castlevania soon, since it has vampires as well.

Enhypen will have a comeback tomorrow. I'm so excited!

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Yaoi Christmas

2025-12-27T20:57:20Z

Yunjin<3

New BL:

Burnout Syndrome EP. 5

Dead man and the angel's kiss,
money and status all gone when asleep, when dead,
they could they leave the human world and hierarchies behind and enter a fantasy realm of love where work doesn't exist.
Jira bringing comfort and tenderness to Koh despite all the bickering.
There is sexual tension, Koh could buy sex but doesn't want to.
These small moments between them possible because of art, human creation that transcends mortal boundaries

Heated Rivalry EP. 6 (final)

Beefy dudes being tender with each other... not what i usually watch but surprisingly i've enjoyed it very much. Very warm finale for a steamy series! But i gotta say coming out to your parents/getting caught always makes me anxious.

I'm glad a western MM series got so popular! Heated Rivalry was overall a great romance. Good balance of romance, smut, and realism. It also had the trope of "slow burn with fucking" which i realized i really like but haven't read/watched that much.

10Dance (film)

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this has similarities with the two other BL's i wached: art and competition, my favorite subjects.
passion, dedication, ruthlessness
challenging each other, being inspired by each other,
being changed by the other
great critique is to be seen, to help you to succeed
artists in love: so dramatic!

i think the acting and chemistry was great
there was a lot of amazing dance scenes i loved watching.
it's been a long time since i've watched something that was full of PASSION!
i could've watched this for longer!
apparently it's based on a manga that hasn't even finished yet so i understand why at times it felt like there could've been more, but i'm not sure if tv series adaptation could have been as dramatic and emotional? idk.

BONUS:
Le sserafim did an incredible performance at Gayo Daejeon!
The intro is so cool! I've never seen anything like it. They also brought drag queens on stage!
I really love how they always show support to the queer community.

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unlocking superpowers

2025-12-23T20:48:12Z

Irene's "Like A Flower" was my comfort album last December, truly a beautiful album<3

New BL from last week:

Burnout Syndrome EP. 4

I love the shifting power dynamics in this series. The muse is also the boss. Koh shows his vulnerable side more and more to Jira, who is inspired by him and feels sexual attraction towards him. He sees Koh like fans are fascinated with handsome morally ambiguous characters. The series also posed an interesting question about the difference between work and desire - and can they be the same thing? That is what is happening currently in the relationship between Jira and Koh. Another interesting thing is that in their relationships they kind of switch the roles they have in society - Jira plays Koh in his work and Koh keeps himself home and dwells in his memories and angst. They constantly challenge each other. Also, the significance of art and human emotion are important parts of the story, something foreign to Koh but a key to his character's liberation.

Heated Rivalry EP. 5

I loved this episode, it was very emotional and hopeful. I was pleasantly surprised that this series wasn't just a steamy romance but it also deals with homophobia, and family and career pressures. Shane and Ilya are such likeable characters, they're so different from each other and their dialogue always keeps me hooked. I loved the ending of this episode!

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Frankenstein (2025)

2025-12-08T22:32:04Z

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I'm not gonna talk about the novel, I read it when I was 14 and remember nothing of the plot. I remember the very lonely and isolating feeling the Creature has throughout the book. The film does not portray that angst as deeply, and the focus is on relationships (as it is with films). The same could be said about Interview with the Vampire book vs series version.

The creature is a pitiful monster in the human world. The audience's empathy is on his side. He does not fit into a family and does not fit into society. But he is one with nature, unlike his creator. He is the underdog, the abandoned child, the misunderstood monster. He is my friend, he is me. The Creature is portrayed by Jacob Elordi, and he gives life to a monster who is both adorable and at some times scary.

Family relationships are at the core of the film. The father and the son, the creator and the creature. The mother and the lover, women who are not main characters in the story but change the trajectory of both Frankenstein and the Creature. Like in Interview with the Vampire, there is the dynamic of "you made me a monster in a human world and thus gave me all this suffering i didn't ask for". The film has been very much read as an allegory of an abusive family and the cycle of violence, which Guillermo del Toro actually confirmed is his vision of the story.

Victor Frankenstein, the hubris of the western/white man. His delusions funded by slavery and war. The Creature is built from men fallen in war. He is made from the skin and suffering of the common man. It could be said that the film comments how Western science and progress is possible because of exploitation.

To me, Victor Frankenstein is also a monster, he seems inhumane, not meaning only his selfishness but also his isolation from rest of society as well, he believes himself a genius above others and thinks he can act like God. The creator and the creature, both outside humanity in their own ways.

The film's ending is very beautiful and hopeful.

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be my eternal companion of the night

2025-12-07T08:56:46Z

I binged Interview with the Vampire S2 yesterday.
Oh God... i wanna scream.
It was so so so good.
Season 1 was one of my absolute top tv experiences and second season didn't disappoint.

Second season was all about memory and controlling narrative of past events and how they finally unravel in the present moment. Lot of lies and manipulation. The presence of Lestat haunts the narrative throughout the whole 70+ years he hasn't been in Louis' life. All the immense pain and sufffering and yet Louis and Lestat always come back to their most beautiful moments when they fell in love and lived together in New Orleans, when they had Claudia and they were a family together. They have a hard time accepting they are completely miserable and meaningless without each other.I would say it's a pretty painful season. I did enjoy watching the charismatic Armand and his doe-eyed manipulation as well as Theatre des Vampires. Vampires living through history and yet staying as their own isolated community is so interesting to me. At the heart of it is the feeling of absolute loneliness of a vampire and the need for a companionship. Having a special and usually a traumatic and codependent relationship with your maker is a big part of each vampire. How can predators form a community, and how can they truly love?

Season 3 comes out next year. I still have time to finish The Vampire Lestat, which I started at the beginning of the year.

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BL time: Burnout Syndrome

2025-12-04T18:04:51Z

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I started another Thai BL! There's only 2 episodes out but it might be already one of my favorites.
It's a classic love triangle with powerful male leads(the good guy, the bad guy) and a poor main character PAIRED WITH a great social commentary about capitalism. Even though there is that basic romance trope the series doesn't feel like a cliché, there's actual substance to it.

There's a lot of suspense and mystery surrounding the antagonist of the series. He's a rich tech CEO who plans to replace his work and workers with AI. It's a very hot topic currently. That paired with dread of unemployment, financial troubles, and feeling like you're not good enough. Money is a big part of how the plot moves forward and i always find that interesting because it makes relationships transactional and complex. The stakes are high.

A very engaging series that holds our attention. Based on the plot description this could be a thriller but it actually has a very realistic and down-to-earth feel to it, just a guy in his late 20's trying to figure out how to make money and go for his dreams and the mundanity of capitalism crushing everything. The series has a clear artistic vision.

Bonus is that the main actors are all very good looking and portray their characters well!

+I also recently started the new Canadian BL series "Heated Rivalry". I will post about it more tomorrow after episodes 3-4 drop. I'm not sure if i should read the book this weekend or wait until next week to finish the series first...

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new music

2025-11-15T13:46:35Z

i've been super tired lately and felt ashamed that i haven't been able to give my all at work. even though i like my internship and it's not mentally draining like other jobs i've had, the difficult part of working is really that you have to show up every day. i love to sleep and i have troubles getting out of bed. i nap every day. maybe it's not a bad thing, most adults are super tired. but most importantly i'm not mentally that tired and i finally have dreams and goals i'm actively working towards, even though i always feel like i should do more and feel so limited by my disability. kpop and bl have been even more important to me now that i'm working, they really give me energy and help me rewind after work. when i come home from work and don't want to fall asleeep immediately, i put on my le sserafim vinyl and it gives me an energy boost. i've also been playing enhypen world, the enhypen mobile game/gatcha.

New Music:

f5ve - Sequence 01.5
Deluxe album with remixes + 3 new songs + new mv:

This low budget serve! Only iphones and swaggy styling. I think the song has a sample of some song from my childhood?
f5ve has a very distinct brand that is super cool and also nostalgic to me. Someone said the remix album is like Charli XCX's Pop2, reviving the hyperpop scene. From the new songs Snowman is actually my favorite and the remix version with Hannah Diamond. I really loved all the remixes! I ordered the LP even though the shipping was a bit pricey.

FKA twigs - Eusexua: Afterglow

I need to look into the lyrics more but so far i've listened to the album a few times and really enjoyed it. As FKA twigs told, Afterglow is not as grandiose as Eusexua, which was like finding a new world and being shaken by it. In Afterglow we're fully immersed in that new world. My favorite song is "Stereo Boy", which is surprisingly a very angsty song. "Sushi" was also super good, i actually heard it before during her concert for the first time. I also loved the PinkPantheress feature "Wild and Alone". There's lot of sadness in this album. But her music has always been very emotional.

BONUS:

The Deep - Lucky Star

I loved her debut EP "Electric Pink". With her new releases the vibe is more 2010 swag, which is very nostalgic to me because it was the aesthetic when i grew up (i think i'm around the same age as her?). She's coming up with a new album next month!

Also, Happy 23rd Birthday to Jake from Enhypen<3

One of the most gorgeous men in the world, a kind and soft-spoken sweetheart! He got me into Enhypen :)

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happy yaoi friday!

2025-11-14T18:42:10Z

Some BL i've watched and read lately:

The Summer Hikaru Died (anime)
obsessed. took me a while to finish because i got emotional watching it. premium quality series. also not necessarily a BL but horror with queer themes. reminds me of the Hirokazu Kore-eda film Monster (2023). i'm gonna start the manga next.

Goddess Bless Me From Death (Thai series)
new pavelpooh series! i didn't watch any horror for halloween so this will be only horror watch this year because i can't watch it too much. PitBabe was mostly fun so it's interesting to see the actors in a more darker and serious role. so far there's a nice balance between flirting and jumpscares :D

Karaoke Iko/Famiresu Iko (manga + anime)
new obsession... there's a discussion about this series if it's more lgbtq+ story than bl but the main pair definitely has a complex relationship and repressed feelings much like in The Summer Hikaru Died. it also has a new anime (only 5 episodes)!! i was surprised i only now heard of it but the story has a large age gap so understandable why it's not that mainstream.

Master-Peace (manhwa)
was advertised to fans of saezuru (my favorite bl manga) so ofc i had to check it out and was not dissapointed. a more quality manhwa with a plot focused on politics. it has a bdsm element too so ofc i love it.

Desire (Chinese webnovel)
i loved the series it was so much fun, the only BL series i was able to watch on release time. i want more of the story so i started reading the novel it's based on. My first omegaverse novel!

+ New Thai omegaverse "Knot The Series" pilot dropped.
+ Thai prison GL "Clairebell" started airing!
+ Japanese BL film 10Dance trailer dropped, premiere 18.12 on Netflix.
+ Tomorrow (Sat 15.11) premieres two BL's im gonna check: Tide of Love (South-Korea, Gagaoolala) and To My Shore(Chinese, Viki), i can do first impressions post later~

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new music

2025-10-29T16:32:01Z

Albums

Kpop
NMIXX - Blue Valentine (i really loved this album, super cool and versatile, the title track "Blue Valentine" feels like a first time listen every time)
Hearts2Hearts - FOCUS (super cute)

Other
Ashnikko - Smoochies (i really love her vibe)
Lexie Liu - Teenage ramble
Sudan Archives - BPM
Rochelle Jordan - Through the Wall (i love this album!)

Singles
Jae Stephens - Boyfriend Forever
Magdalena Bay - Human Happens/Paint Me A Picture

LE SSERAFIM - SPAGHETTI ft.J-Hope/Pearlies(My oyster is the world)

Super fun comeback i was so excited about and i went crazy when it was announced that J-hope is featuring it. The buildup for the release was fun, i love the promo pics. The song and the music video are super fun and colorful. People thought this was going to be a Gnarly copy when i immediately thought this was going to be like Crazy part.2. This song is a fun way to diss haters who always tune into their music even though they claim they hate them. Fun brainrot kpop songs are literally one of my favorite ones.

Inkigayo performance: i love the choreo

They also released a beautiful song My Pearlies(My oyster is the world) dedicated to their fans who stood by them during the hatetrain.

Rosalía - Bergain

Pre-release from her upcoming album "LUXX" out next month. I got into Rosalia during her second album "El Mal Querer" and absolutely loved it, she is incredibly talented musically and she was classically trained too. Her third album "Motomami" got her more commercial success and it went viral on tiktok several times. It was a experimental reggaeton album, but it seems that with the new album Rosalia is going back to her roots. She learned German Opera for this song. The song also features Björk, who fits in the song perfectly. Also Yves Tumor, who's vulgar lyrics take you off guard and really add to the feeling of the song shaking you up. The song and music video are masterpieces in my opinion. Rosalia is a true artist!

Next month there's gonna be deluxe releases for both FKA twigs and Oklou, which i'm excited about. Besides new releases I've been listening lot of Kelela's and Tinashe's discographies. Also relistening lot of Lorde's Virgin, that album has really stayed with me and it has actually inspired me to write a very self-indulged fic :D

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more kpop stuff: engene era going strong

2025-09-20T19:16:47Z

Enhypen performed today at The Fact Music Awards and won 3 awards!!

Here's their amazing performance: Criminal Love, Bad Besire, Heeseung dance break, No Doubt

Heeseung was incredible and he looks so good in center. Sunoo and Ni-Ki's styling are also so cool. Enhypen are all really the most handsome men of all time.

They recently finished touring in USA and Europe. I was following closely their touring even though i couldn't participate myself this time. It's been fun watching concert clips and concert vlogs from engene.

They're preparing for a new album currently! They're also gonna have an anime based on their webtoon Dark Moon: The Blood Altar. It airs next year. As Halloween is approaching i'm really shifting into Dark Blood era and searching for vampire fics (sunsun ofc).

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kpop stuff vol.1

2025-09-19T14:37:59Z

Hi guys! Haven't updated for a while. I started an internship this week which i'm very excited about. I've been physically tired and getting used to new routine but overall i'm very excited to finally do something i'm passionate about and learn something new every day.

I've still kept up with kpop stuff. I deleted tiktok at the beginning of the week (yes, again) and haven't used it. I'm not sure if i'm gonna leave the app forever, but for now i want to start a new chapter of my life without brainrot lol.

People say they grow out of kpop when they get older or get employed, but i feel like this kpop life will stay with me forever.

Some music i've enjoyed lately:

Min Jiwoon - pink, then grey
SM's new R&B artist. I really loved her whole album, and also her first singles she released last year. She has a very beautiful and calming voice. The album also has very nice design and i'm considering buying it.


XG 1st world tour "the first HOWL" live
It's nice to have an album with all their releases and bonus for it being a live album! Their energy is next level!

+ new song out today:

This gotta be maybe my favorite release of theirs, it's on the same level as Woke Up. I'm obsessed with this aliens x fashion concept. This is also one of the coolest music videos i've seen. House music and rapping = perfect combo. A true power anthem.

VVS - D.I.M.M

Their song D.I.M.M was used in some really good kpop edits and i got obsessed with it. They've recently gone viral again with their song "Touch it" with the banger line "I got the curves with the Barbie anatomy, and yall bitches mad at me", i gotta say it goes hard. So i had to check the EP. I usually haven't been into kpop with heavy rap influence like YG groups haven't been for me, but VVS songs simply sound better to me. They kinda have the vibe i wished for MEOVV. Apparently the leader Brittney was trained under Blacklabel. Their debut EP is banger after banger!

Also been getting into NMIXX, i really like their latest album "Fe304: FORWARD" , but i've been listening their whole discography and they have so many good songs. I also started watching their own variety "PICK NMIXX" and it turned out they're all really funny! They're releasing their first full album "Blue Valentine" next month, i already preordered the album :D

Part.2 coming this weekend~

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Summer bops

2025-08-22T11:26:46Z

This bop was released today. I've listened to Pabllo Vitar before but not much NMIXX, should i get more into them?

My Summer Playlist (most repeats):

LE SSERAFIM - Different, Kawaii (+whole discography)
Hearts2Hearts - Style
KiiiKiii - Dancing Alone, Strawberry Cheesegame
ILLIT - bomb (album)
TWICE - This is For, Mars, Battitude (whole album really)
BLACKPINK - JUMP
TXT - Beautiful Strangers, Upside Down Kiss
Yves - White Cat, Soap (whole album)
Kesha - Boy Crazy ft. Jade
PinkPantheress - Fancy That (mixtape)
BIBI - EVE: ROMANCE (album)
horsegiirL - My Blunt My Rules
J-Hope - Killin' it Girl
BoA - Crazier
EXO - Cream Soda
Tame Impala - End Of Summer
JVKE - butterflies ft. Taehyun &Chaewon
d4vid - Always Love ft. Hyunjin
ENHYPEN - Bad Desire, Echoes, Shine On Me (whole discography really)
FKA twigs - Perfectly
f5ve - Television, Sugar Free Venom
Rebecca Black - Cygar Water Cyanide (+her whole album)

what i've been playing lately:

Ashnikko - Trinket
MNL48 - Oh My Pumpkin!
CORTIS - GO!, What You Want
Charli XCX - Lipgloss ft. Cupcakke
Charli XCX - Rewind ft. bladee
KAYTRANADA - AIN'T NO DAMN WAY! (album)
Sudan Archives - Freakalizer
Tyla - MR. MEDIA
Shygirl - Room 2 RMX (album)

So, lot of kpop and new releases.
Also just gave a first listen to ADÈLA's debut album "Provocateur". She was done dirty by Popstar Academy doc and the online hate definitely affected her and she does touch upon it in her songs "Machine Girl" and "FinallyApologizing". I really liked her album, she has her own vibe and i hope she can become successful!

If i had to pick one song i've been obsessed the most it definitely would be "Different" by LE SSERAFIM.
The second one would be "Soap" by Yves ft. PinkPantheress since it had Rebecca Black's sample of Sugar Water Cyanide.
Album/mixtape of the summer is definitely "Fancy That" by PinkPantheress, i even bought the CD+zine.

Good news: f5ve didn't disband! I was scared..
Few weeks ago i went to Flow Festival. I saw Air, FKA twigs, bladee, yung lean, Sudan Archives, and Charli XCX! It was an amazing experience. I also got to know more djs in my city and i have a new event lined up i'm excited about. It was a 3 day festival and i was really tired and overstimulated afterwards but it was worth it.
I got my grandpa's old record player! My old one didn't work so i've been playing my few records and planning my next steps in collecting, but this means i have to budget better and buy less kpop albums because it can be an expensive hobby...

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'Cause i really need somebody/tell me you're that somebody

2025-08-05T14:41:34Z

This past month I've watched both films Celine Song has made. She is a Korean born Canadian director/playwright and both her works have sparked lot of interest. Apparently both films have been strongly influenced by her own life, the first film being autobiographical and in the second film she has done the same job as the protagonist. As she has made her relationship public it has sparked discourse about her personal life too and her notions of love since her husband is a screenwriter who also has also made love triangle films :D However, I'm not interested in the psychology of the director but the films as their own works.

Both films are romances with love triangle set in New York, but they are very different kinds of films. Song talks about love and dating a lot in her interviews and of course the topic interests me as someone who watches mainly romance media (although not heterosexual).

Spoiler free reviews:

Past Lives (2023)

I was supposed to watch this when it was in the cinemas but somehow i missed it, but luckily it was just added to Netflix. I have seen previous work of the main actors: Teo Yoo in the Russian band film Leto(2018), and Greta Lee had a minor character role in the series Girls(2012-2017).
I really enjoyed this film, it made me emotional. Growing up in two cultures, especially the immigrant experience, might seem like you have two completely different lives. The film is a bittersweet romance and it deals with issues such as connecting with your heritage and growing up in a white society, how our partners shape our lives and our culture and success, what is familiar and what is foreign, and of course - what is love. It is all done very beautifully. There's a lot of yearning in this film! After watching it i thought about it a lot in the following days.

The Materialists (2025)

I'm personally not that interested in the actors in this film, and i only watched this film because it sparked lot of discourse online and i liked the director's previous film. This film is a love triangle as well. Of course when people engage with the film they don't think about which character they want, they think about do they want Chris Evans or Pedro Pascal(who seems to be the fan favorite at the moment). I don't consider Dakota Johnson a good actress, she's a bit bland.

The film is not a beautiful romance like Past Lives, this is more like a satire(i mean not exactly, but it has that exaggeration and emotional distance). Some people have pointed out that the dialogue makes them feel stupid, but it is done so in purpose. The protagonist is a matchmaker for the very rich. How the clients behave are similar way to what online dating is: how tall and fit they are, their ethnicity, salary, how "high value" they are. The protagonist has a very cliche love triangle between a poor man and a rich man - does she choose love or money? The film talks a lot about how dating the right person makes them feel valuable, or dating the wrong person makes them feel worthless.

This film sparked lot of outrage on social media because of which man the protagonist chose at the end of the film. The film is definitely a conversation starter, but it doesn't have that much artistic value to me. It did make me think about my agony over heterosexual dating and online dating. The current dating life makes people very desensitized to not see people as people but as categories. It's very harsh and disconnected from humanity in my opinion, so i do agree with Song's message of the film.

The online discourse made me realize how far i'm from the "normal" straight women even though i'm bi and have dated men i feel like i'm not as traditional and have that many rules about dating and gender, and also i don't consider money to be a big issue when it comes to dating. Personally, i connected more to the protagonist of Past Lives.

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First impressions

2025-08-03T21:28:41Z

New MileApo series started airing already! I'm excited. Kinnporsche is one of my favorite BL series.

Week ago i finally watched the historical MileApo film Man Suang (2023). The topic was really interesting and i like historical dramas, but the pacing of the film was kinda all over the place :/ I didn't mind that it wasn't a BL, i was just expecting better quality.

Shine the Series
(on wetv: first episode out)

Also historical series. Set in the late 60's: music and hippies - I'm sold!
This seems more like a HBO drama than an average BL!
Romance in the midst of societal changes is so interesting to me, the story is not only about the main pair but also the times they're living in(which is a topic they kinda debate in this episode)
The drama also deals with class issues and the student movement, which i really enjoy
Even though the drama has a more serious tone the start of the romance is portrayed in a very cute and lighthearted way
MileApo simply has great chemistry and they're also very nice to look at :D

For the first time i've really gotten into the real bl series fandom experience of following multiple series as they air every week. I've usually just watched one series at my own pace and haven't interacted with the fandom really.

Japanese GL

I finished the second season of "Ayaka is in love with Hiroko". I was dissapointed that it was only 6 episodes, there seemed to be enough drama for multiple episodes. Little bit of troubles about coming out to family and possible cheating, but the main conflict for them was that Hiroko refused sex with Ayaka, and all this stemmed from insecurity of being too sexual and losing her first real romantic relationship. I think it was an interesting storyline that could have been explored even more. I'm gonna miss this series it's the funniest GL i've seen. I really liked how it also had side characters from the local lesbian bar, i would have gladly learned more about them too.
I started the new series "Even though we're both adults". It seems to be more realistic and mature and really touches upon lesbian relationships in heterosexual society. The leads are both 36 years old and one of them is married to a man. The other lead has dealt with bi women who have chosen men instead of her and that is a fear for her with this relationship as well. It's a painful experience. The storyline of being married to a man while having feelings for another woman was also explored in the GLs "Fragrance of the First Flower" and "Chaser Game W".

+ I have two new Japanese Netlix series on my watchlist: Glass Heart (rock band drama) and Asura (family drama by the famous director Hirokazu Kore-eda!)

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EN-SUMMER

2025-07-30T16:29:47Z

At the end of last year i slowly got into Enhypen even though i said to myself i don't have time or money to get into a new group, but Enhypen has completely captivated me and i became more than just a casual listener. They're such an interesting group to me.

Few days ago Jake sang a cover of Harry Styles' Watermelon Sugar. I'm obsessed. Just like i was obsessed with Heeseung's cover of The Weeknd's I Can't Feel My Face from earlier this year. Jake was my og bias and i still have soft spot for him but i have to say every single member of Enhypen has bias wrecked me.

I loved this performance of Bad Desire, it's so dramatic. It has dance solos from Sunoo and Sunghoon. The outfits are pretty cool. It's my top kpop songs for this year.

They recently released a Japanese mini-EP "Yoi" containing two new songs: Shine On Me (above) and Echoes.

They're coming to Europe next month but i have no money so i can't go :( hopefully next time they come i will be employed...

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Hot summer, a hot, hot summer

2025-07-29T18:19:44Z

July is coming to an end. I haven't been able to do anything productive, the hot weather and my fatigue has really affected me.

Luckily I've found new series to obsess over:

Desire

Second omegaverse tv-series after Pit Babe! This one is non-traditional as well as the main lead is enigma x alpha, but there is a omega(fake beta) x alpha side couple.
This is my new favorite series, the main leads are simply gorgeous and the manipulative and beautiful enigma played by Eliot Huang is such an interesting character.
I'm watching this on Gagaoolala, it's also on Viki but it was getting deleted/censored on other platforms :/
Currently 5 episodes up

Revenged Love

This one is a fun drama too (Chinese BL). It's quite popular at the moment.
You can watch this on Gagaoolala and free on Youtube.

Secret Lover

Taiwanese childhood friends to lovers drama. I really like this one too. It goes straight to the point. The main leads have great chemistry!
3 episodes aired on Gagaoolala.

The Summer Hikaru Died

Anime on Netflix based on the manga of the same name. I've heard about this for years and i've been meaning to read the manga but for some reason haven't
The animation is gorgeous and unique
There's only 4 episodes aired but i already got emotional over it
Grief, homophobia, small town secrets, body horror... topics that i really enjoy and get to my feels

BONUS:

My Melody & Kuromi: New stop-motion animation series on Netflix. The series is eye-candy and unbelievably cute. I watched this when i was feeling really bad and had trouble sleeping and it made me feel better. I also recently watched another Sanrio Neflix stop motion animation Rilakkuma&Kaoru, which is also very wholesome.
Ayaka is in love with Hiroko S2: I'm having lot of fun with this GL drama. It's still interesting even though the main couple are already in a relationship. I also love how it has focus on the lesbian community. I could watch this for multiple seasons. You can find it on Gagaoolala.

****

+Digital minimalism/anti-brainrot diaries #6

On some depressing news there's more censorship restricting nsfw/queer content online now. It started with games on Steam, then Ich.io(there's current campaign to pressure mastercard/visa to cancel the censorship), even google docs have been restricting content(but it has been like that for a while). UK has passed censorship law and there's talk about KOSA again. Also recently danmei authors have been arrested in China...

Ever since i saw the documentary Citizenfour(2014) about Edward Snowden I've been really paranoid about being tracked online and thought even back then what happens if/when governments suddenly turn towards fascism and they have access to all this data about us. We seem to be in that phase now, at least in some parts of the world. I'm not the best with computers but i've managed to use adblockers, vpn,complex passwords, telegram instead of whatsupp, duckduckgo/startpage instead of google, other emails than gmail. I don't use Meta apps or Twitter anymore. Unfortunately i've used lot of Tiktok these past years but tried to delete it and use it less this year.

On Bluesky there's a lot of talk about decentralized web and learning to make your own websites. Apparently there's lot of the same sentiment of people missing the old web.When i was younger i learned some html to edit my Tumblr but i don't remember those skills anymore. I know nothing about coding. I do want to check out Neocities. I've also really missed Blogspot, it's how i really learned and got into different j-subcultures and artists online when i was young.

I recently for the first time got Substack but i was a little dissapointed, i've read more intelligent takes on Tumblr. There also seems to be this performativity of being an intellectual there but i've rarely come across good writing or any new insights. Lot of people seem to be saying the same things. Both on Substack and on Youtube there seems to be lot of others who are also tired of the current state of online life. This is what i've talked about this whole year in this series, how to un-rot your brain and get back into your hobbies and out of the algorithm, the mainstream, the zeitgeist.

One article I really enjoyed(not on Substack) was "Bringing Sexy Back" i found recommended on Bluesky. It touched upon pathologizing the human experience, especially sexuality, in the age of surveillance.

Where to give my attention and money is what i've thought about this whole year, i'm more selective than before.

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get a taste of something...different!

2025-06-16T15:44:49Z

It's been almost a year since i got into LE SSERAFIM.I've gotten into many new kpop groups in the past year and a half but they're the only one that i have the same amount of excitement after the honeymoon phase. I would say that they're my ult group. I actually listen to their music every day i haven't gotten bored of their songs they are just so good. The members, visuals, message, lyrics, vibe, fandom - i love everything about them, they are just a very lovable group. I'm so happy that this year has been successful for them and the hate train ended. They recently published their Japanese single "Different". The new JP album will also have a single "Kawaii", that will be a title track to Netflix My Melody&Kuromi series!

Right now they have been touring in Japan and Yunjin was on a one month break because she had back issues. Luckily she is recovered now and they will continue touring: they will do two concerts in Tokyo Dome for the first time! It was actually my dream to travel to Japan to see them there but unfortunately i'm unemployed and have no savings ;_;

I love this song! Fresh vibes for the summer. I'm only annoyed that it's so short...
Fans have already pointed out how they put a song about being different during Pride Month! They also performed it with rainbow visuals. Both Yunjin and Chaewon have showed support for the community this month (and Sakura earlier in her career).

I had to put the English version too because the visualizer is just so amazing. I need a le sserafim game asap!

I feel like i'm at a point in kpop where i've found the artists i'm really into. I've been checking new 5th gen artists just for the excitement of something new but i feel like i've found my thing now. Before i got back into kpop last year i actually only listened/stanned SM groups and now it's almost only Hybe groups. I've talked earlier on my blog about digital minimalism and curating my social media experience and how i engage with art. Kpop can be very consumerist, fast paced, chaotic hobby if you want it to. Luckily i left twitter and i use less tiktok and i only watch edits and don't care for fanwars, South-Korea "lifestyle" or recycled discourse. I really only buy stuff i'm 100% into and i don't collect multiple versions of the same album, i just get my favorite version. I also recently joined a kpop dance cover group(my first one!) for "older" fans and it has been super fun. I've been thinking about taking more dance classes next autumn now that i got more confidence to dance.

For Rolling Stone Japan August issue. I need to get my hands on this. I started collecting physical magazines when i got into Stray Kids (been collecting magazines with Hyunjin covers). I've been slowly getting into fashion and overall appreciating and looking for different aesthetics/visuals. I recently found shoes from a thrift store i manifested: silver sneakers with pink laces!

Also the new ILLIT song that dropped today "Do The Dance" has Yunjin credited as one of the songwriters! Even though i'm not ILLIT's target audience they do have a really cute vibe and i love the magical girl concept for this comeback.

Also if you're interested in getting into Le Sserafim i recommend this site !

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Album review: Bad Desire by ENHYPEN

2025-06-05T19:01:30Z

"A heaven without you must be like hell"

The concept photos and concept cinema for this comeback were really amazing: bdsm, horror, scifi. Based on them lot of fans speculated this album was going to be like Dark Blood given the dark vampire vibes. But compared to that album, Bad Desire is more emotional, desperately romantic, and the sound is more fresh than dark. I would say this is top3 album from them. Dark Blood is number one and second is Romance: Untold daydream version. Based on the concept photos i had excepted maybe a little bit more from this album. But it's still very good overall. One thing that annoys me is that the title track Bad Desire is too short! It's a beautiful song and i feel like it should have been longer since it's an emotional song (if it makes sense?). Some people said it was underwhelming, but i see it as a similar emotional title track as Le sserafim's "Hot". But it definitely goes to my top Enhypen songs!

This album really makes me want to get into their vampire lore that their manhwa is about. (and also read more vampire sunsun fics...)

My favorite part is of course my bias Heeseung's heavenly vocals. Apparently he's been making a mixtape for a year now and recently posted a photo with a producer. I'm super excited for his solo because he is so talented.

Song ranking:
Bad Desire (With or Without You)
Helium (this is such a good song and Jay was one of the producers! Apparently he came up with the idea and had a major part in making this song)
Flashover
Loose
Too Close
Outside

Also with both Bad Desire and Loose i prefer the English version.

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