This Has Been Part Of Conversations That I've Been Having With A Few Ppl Here In Recent Weeks, But I'm

This has been part of conversations that I've been having with a few ppl here in recent weeks, but I'm only in a tiny kpop corner of tumblr. I'm curious though if y'all are experiencing the same thing we have been?

I guess I expect more from those I interact with here since there needs to be some baseline level of humility to be willing to engage in content outside of your culture? There are definitely some great individuals with whom I've has wonderful conversations but it's just that much more disheartening when I have an expectation of being understood..you know?

Anyway, tagging @aspec-kpop to let any of you know that if you're having similar experiences, you're not alone.

Queerness is not just about sex and romance. Since the concept of queer has been around, so have asexual and aromantic people. Lavender marriages, voluntary spinsters, vows of chastity used to cover a disinterest in sex. “Monosexuals”, “anesthesia sexual”, “anaphrodites”, category "X". Queer-platonic relationships, asexuality and aromanticism are an undeniable part of lgbtq+ history. Before there were any terms, any flags or acronyms, choosing to not conform to society’s romantic and sexual guidelines has been the very essence of queerness. The inherent queer experience of feeling alienated because you don’t love the “right” way or feel the right feelings for the right people, of trying to meet the expectations set for you while trying to build a life that doesn’t feel like a lie. These are all part of the aspec experience. We aren’t “invading” a space we don’t belong because it’s a trend, or an internet identity. We’re not “spicy straight”. We’re making ourselves known in a community we have always been a part of.

Run BTS: 018 | Arcade Olympics part 2

Original Air Date: 18 APR 2017 Episode Length: 20:10 Total Parts: 2 YouTube English Subtitles: Yes Title Song: Blood Sweat & Tears

Synopsis: Gaming at an arcade continued

Production: I wonder if these were originally meant to be one episode and they took too long getting through the first two games...

Endearment: More hanging out with the guys. They're definitely all warmed up by now, and it's clearly a competition between the members and not between the members and the games.

Winner: RM

Loser: YG...and JM

Best Cheater: none...maaaaybe Jin for some of the shenanigans during the air hockey game but it was more entertainement and less cheating so I'm not counting it.

Member Moments:

RM: RM is soooo invested in the air hockey matches, loving the passion!

JN: Jin was on fire as an entertainer this episode...the less said about the air hockey incident, the better ;)

YG: Suga plays air hockey exactly the way I do...don't think I've ever won either lol

JH: Yes, Hobi...your costume for Dope absolutely imbued you with the spirit of a racer...of course!

JM: my poor lil chim chim. air hockey is definitely not your game but he absolutely made the match with Jin one of the most entertaining!

V: V has got to contain his strength! the man is a menace on an air hockey table!

JK: JK dancing on Suga during the 95z race was so cute!

Bonus Content: Just fun little extra moments

CQ Rank: 3

(CQ Eval Date: 29 SEPT 2023)

Check out this post for my Masterlist of all episodes and descriptions of how I'm evaluating these.

Previous Episode: 017

Next Episode: 019

QUICK COMBO: ABYSS | EPIPHANY (demo ver) | MOON

My Thoughts on the QC:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIN! I can't wait until he's back with us to celebrate properly!

I actually had a difficult time with this QC, at first I had no idea which songs I would even consider and then there were too many. Jin's ballads are right up my alley musically but I don't usually seek out his tracks in my playlist.

Abyss is a song I've featured in another QC of beautifully tragic songs that don't leave me actually feeling sad. It's also a song that I usually play when I'm around my parents as it's not too kpop-y if that makes sense...

Oh Epiphany...I'm going to confess something here, I actually don't like the released version of Epiphany...like at all. The MV doesn't really appeal to me either. BUUUUT the demo version!?! Oh man, yes, I realize the english lyrics have some issues but THE MELODIES!!! (This song actually competes a little bit with Letter in my preferences but since I can only listen to it through the discs or 'other' sources, I'll never have stats on it. Anyway, I just love it. Best demo I've ever heard (even in comparison to the DNA demo, which we all know is astounding).

Moon is one of those songs that sneaks up on me and immediately goes back into hiding. Every time I listen to it, I'm reminded just how good it is and I don't know why it's not frequently in my playlists.

I would also like to give an honorable mention to Take Two. That song almost made my Jin-Birthday-Combo post purely due to Jin's high note around 2:45. I melt a little more inside everytime!

Listening Links:

I'm not giving you a link to Epiphany... go find the demo version yourself. 😉

Well this post feels appropriate to bring back now... for anyone looking, here's a link to the Justin Timberlake remix of 3D.

On first listen, I absolutely hate it more than the original version. The lyrics aren't as crude but the sound in JTs parts are horrific. And I am so over ppl referring to JK like they're best buds. I'd be shocked if JT and JK were ever even on the same phone call at any point in this. There's absolutely no basis for the familiarity... but whatever. Definitely not entering my Playlist.

LAST CALL: Which Jimin Dance Time was your favorite?

QUICK COMBO: LETTER | SPRING DAY | YOU NEVER WALK ALONE

My thoughts on this QC (below cut):

Wasn't planning to make a combo post today but the of my state of mind and the Playlist made it need to happen. I'm generally not one to show emotion but if I'm on the cusp of expressing my feelings and need help pushing myself to get it out, music absolutely helps me follow through with it.

I think this combo is pretty self-explanatory and I don't really want to share any of my deeper feelings here today but I will say one thing:

How come NO ONE ever talks about You Never Walk Alone??? I only found out about that song in my initial journey after playing BTS World. There's a screen you can open and it will play an endless loop of the backing/instrumental of YNWA and sometimes I just open that because it's so absolutely lovely. I adore this song and I fond it a shame that it's not mentioned more. (It's the only reason I'm spending a ridiculous amount of money for a hoody that I may never actually wear but that's beside the point!)

💜💜💜

Listening Links:

Go find Letter, the album version.

I've said it before, but the ONLY reason Promise isn't #2 is because Letter is not on Spotify. There is no doubt in my mind that it would have dominated my stats by a landslide.

I do think it's interesting to see the commonalities and differences between everyone, so if you're hesitating to share yours, please know that I'd love to see it! 😀