The Conversation

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/747218135483121664/ben-and-nini-spring-2024-teaser-spring-2024?source=share]

Ben, NiNi, Ginny and Shan look back at 2023 and ahead to 2024 in QL. Episode transcript available here. 00:00:00 Welcome 00:01:15 Introduction 00:03:24 Question: Holding back takes for the podcast 00:05:39 Question: Under-discussed topics in the discourse 00:12:44 Question: The draw of Japanese BL 00:20:45 Question: Stories about older characters 00:25:22 Question: Cross-country adaptations 00:31:...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/740683579544256512/the-viib-awards-2024-special-class?source=share] 00:00 Welcome 01:23 Introduction 03:03 Interlude: The Beach - Moonlight (...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/740530190357331968/the-viib-awards-2024-top-tings?source=share] 00:00 Welcome 01:23 Introduction 02:29 Interlude: The very best in nosy neighbours - Big Eden (2000) 03:02 Best GL 05:03 Best Genre Romance...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/740421559761747968/the-viib-awards-2024-immortal-technique?source=share] 00:00 Welcome 01:23 Introduction 02:34 Interlude: Making a movie, Eddie Mannix style - Hail, Caesar! (...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/740330360977702912/the-viib-awards-2024-ships-ahoy?source=share] 00:00 Welcome 01:23 Introduction 02:19 Interlude: Mr. Darcy proposes - Pride and Prejudice (1995) 03:19 Best Ghost Sh...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/740238151164067840/the-viib-awards-acting-by-ben-and-nini?source=share] 00:00 Welcome 01:23 Introduction 04:43 Interlude: Norma's ready for her close-up - Sun...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/740060316509044737/tens-and-chops-vol-1-a-grab-bag-episode?source=share] 00:01:15 Tens and Chops 00:04:20 Kiseki: Dear To Me 00:12...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/739602595178594304/om-nom-nom-the-what-did-you-eat-yesterday?source=share] 01:15 What Did You Eat Yesterday?: The Granddaddy 12:08 Favorite Episodes 19:22 The Show tha...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/739243878275792896/swoon-the-i-feel-you-linger-in-the-air-episode?source=share] 01:20 I Feel You Linger in the Air: Big Damn Romance 21:35 Depictions of Intimacy 3...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/738968288664731648/bottom-dementia-the-only-friends-episode?source=share] 00:00 Introduction 01:20 Only Friends and What We Liked 13:47 What We Wanted from the Show 26...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/738604275548192768/winter-2024-teaser?source=share]

Transcription team takeover! Ginny and Shan pull back the curtain and talk some of their favourite outtakes from the past year of conversations in our holiday clip show special. Episode transcript available here. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/737688506309165056/julies-greatest-hits-vol-1-the-holiday-clip?source=share] 00:20-Transcription Team Takeover 06:57-Goofing Off 14:45-Sex in...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/732627173164335104/fall-2023-lagniappe?source=share] 00:00-Welcome 03:03-Letters 16:15-The Pornographer 29:20-Coffee Prince 43:05-Be Mine, SuperStar 49:40-Hidden Age...

Y'all, MAME gave us one. Nobody's more shocked than us. Ben and NiNi talk Wedding Plan. Episode transcript available here. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/732261894841417728/in-your-lavender-the-wedding-plan-episode?source=share] 00:00-Welcome 01:16-Intro 03:00-MAME's previous crimes 15:18-Realities of the closet and fandom misunderstanding the show 29:23-Things we love and final rati...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/731991891180208128/on-time-and-memory?source=share] 00:00-Welcome 01:16-Intro 03:10-Tokyo In April Is... 11:01-TIAI: Comparisons with the manga...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/731625229802258432/the-itsay-anniversary-show-part-2?source=share] 00:00-Welcome 01:16-Intro 08:00-Panel introduction 08:45-How did you come to BL and ITSAY/IPTYM? 14:35-Expectations of IPY...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/731368755449495552/the-itsay-anniversary-show-part-1?source=share] 00:00-Intro 04:16-How did you come to ITSAY? 11:31-Phuket as a...

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

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/724378470843645952/summer-2023-langiappe?source=share] 00:00-Welcome 01:15-Intro 03:14-Talk Nice to Us 13:11-Catch Up Corner 13:59-My Only 12% 22:52-Roommates...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/724015787647680512/adult-swim?source=share] 00:00-Welcome 01:15-Intro 02:13-Step by Step  04:40-A Moment...

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-Welcome 01:15-Intro 02:01-Jack O'Frost 23:40-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

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 phy...

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. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/723109825220919296/welcome-back-my-boyfriend?source=share] 00:00-Welcome 01:15-Intro 06:07-Vice Versa 14:23-Star In My Mind 19:20-Never Let Me Go 28:00-A...

Ben and NiNi talk The Eighth Sense, and Ben explains the whole Hedwig thing. Episode transcript available here. [https://www.tumblr.com/the-conversation-pod/722747117899251712/summer-2023-ep-2-the-eighth-sense?source=share] 00:00-Welcome 01:04-The Eighth Sense 18:00-The Relationships Between the Seniors and Juniors 27:45-The Hedwig Incident 36:32-Ae Ri 42:50-Ji Hyun and Jae Won 50:38-Joon Pyo and...