#starhunter

I keep hearing people talk about ‹hard science fiction› and ‹soft science fiction› as if they were categories.

First of all: science fiction hardness is a sliding scale. Consider Babylon 5 — space ships have inertia on that show. They need engine burns to get moving and also need engine burns to stop their motion. They need thrusters to start spinning and also to stop their spin. The eponymous station uses centrifugal force as gravity substitute. All this is much more grounded in hard science than Star Wars, but they also have hyperspace and telepaths. Babylon 5 is much softer on science that The Expanse. It's not either ‹hard› or ‹soft›. It lies somewhere on a sliding scale of hardness.

But also, many works of fiction occupy multiple points on that scale. One common template is to have a science fiction world on some point of the scale and characters who are familiar with that world — and then tell a story about something that is extraordinary for the world, that the characters don't understand and that can be further to the soft end of the scale.

2001: A Space Odyssey is set in a very hard science fiction world in which a nuclear powered space ship takes years to fly to Jupiter/Saturn, in which centrifugal force is the only usable gravity substitute. Putting humans in hibernation for the journey is the most speculative element of that world's science. The omission of the Discovery One's heat radiators in the film is unrealistic. And in hindsight we see that the time scale for space exploration wasn't as realistic as it may have seemed when it was written. — And then there are the monoliths left by advanced alien precursors. They extend beyond the three-dimensional space we exist in, have gifted our ancestors with the mental ability of tool use, and do incomprehensible things to help us further.

The Expanse also draws a scientifically very sound picture of the future with a speculative high-thrust high specific impulse fusion drive as the most phantastical technology. — And then there's the proto-molecule left by advanced alien precursors that can straight-up alter the laws of physics when it sees fit.

Starhunter leans a bit more to the soft side of science fiction by having artificial gravity on its ships, but is otherwise close to The Expanse in the scientific hardness of its ordinary world. — And then there's the Divinity Cluster, a set of genes implanted by unknown means into the human genome by advanced alien precursors which when activated gives pretty much supernatural space-time-bending abilities.

Space Precinct is a very soft sci-fi show. The baseline world is a cop show in space with casual space travel, orbit-going flying cars (how exactly do hoppers soar like that? Who cares?), pew-pew lasers as handguns (how would you power them? Who cares?), and even aliens that have psychic abilities as just a normal thing. But many episodes deal with phenomena that are to that world as X-Files are to ours. For example the meteorite that's alive and mind-controls people and doesn't come from another world like about everyone in Demeter City does, but fell through a temporary hole in space and probably comes from a different universe.

Babylon 5 has a multi-tiered canon of advanced aliens. Unlike Humans and Narn, the Centauri and the Minbari do have sci-fi-typical artificial gravity on their ships. The Great Machine on Epsilon III can enable something akin to astral projection. The Vorlons, the walkers of Sigma-957, the Shadows and other First Ones are narratively equivalent to the monolith/proto-molecule/Divinity Cluster creators, but they don't differ in science fiction hardness like those do. We're told that the biological ships of the Vorlons are impressively advanced from the in-universe humans' perspective, but in principle such technology is more in the scope of hard science than the telepaths who are common in the setting. The Shadows just phasing in and out of hyperspace without opening jumpgates goes beyond what's usually possible in the setting, but jumpgates and hyperspace as depicted on the show already aren't predicted by known science.

Another way works occupy multiple points on the scale is to construct within a relatively soft science fiction world a situation in which the characters need to apply real science to solve a problem.

Stargate SG-1 and even more so Stargate Atlantis frequently have episodes with such stories. Puddle Jumper stuck halfway in a stargate in space? Getting it unstuck is only the first step, because of Newton's first law of motion. You need to then apply Newton's second law to move forward.

A similar template is the use of just one science fiction element that may be very soft in a world that's otherwise like reality, and use of that science fiction element to explore actual science.

Fantastic Voyage doesn't much care about physics when it comes to shrinking. But it counts as educational about biology.

Jurassic Park is less serious about cloning than about paleontology. It includes some highly speculative ideas for its dinosaurs and is in many respects outdated in light of more recent discoveries. Yet it's further to the hard end of the scale than most dinosaur fiction.

A similar but distinct type of story is the ‘what if’ in which a science fiction element is used not to facilitate the exploration of a barely related subject, but to apply scientific principles and explore what the one fictional addition to science would entail.

Tenet asks: what if objects could be made to move backwards through time?

Torchwood: Miracle Day asks: what if people just didn't die?

The premise of these must be beyond the realm of known science for it to count. But how everything is affected by it can be measured on a different scale of science fiction hardness. You can apply known science in theory to hypothetical scenarios. And how strictly established principles get applied is different from how far the base hypothetical strays from science.

Peak hard science fiction is when you do the math. What fuel-mass ratio is needed for the mission? How large do the heat radiators need to be and at what temperature do they operate?

Space travel on The Expanse doesn't violate the known laws of physics, but the Epstein drive is so efficient that characters can mostly zip across the solar system without seriously worrying about the Tsiolkovsky equation, and they never go on long-range missions that require customised ships adapted to the mission profile. This gives it a soft science fiction flair.

More art under cut :D

So I saw a poll with multiply rounds going around on twitter and I was less then happy with how it was going so far. So I decided to make a same poll here for tumblr. This is just a single round poll tho. Poll is limited in answers so no Ultimate Troop here. Do share this around.

May 2023 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Thai Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 3 of 10 (MDL still says 12, but Gaga still says 10) - The subs are janky on YT, so you might want to watch this on Gaga. This is such a good show, it just feels so much more authentic to an office environment and first job then anything else I’ve seen in BL. Now that might be because it has western source material, or it might be because it is actually kind of old-fashioned (it’s been years since I worked as an office grunt). While the authenticity may be a little triggering for some, I love how much tension it adds to the leads’ dynamic and the quality of the narrative. I also really love the brothers’ relationship, now that we got to see them on screen together for a bit. Walk of shame was great! Oh look, character development, how novel. This is what Boss & Babe should have been. Not sold on the sides tho it’s nice to see a faen fatal as the main character in a dynamic for a change. 

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 2 of 10 - This one is really grabbing me by the throat. I love the starter concepts, what a fantastic twist on a meet cute not to mention soulmates. I hope we spend more time with the vet and his coworkers, they seem awesome. And another surprise, the guy we think is being set up to be the brother’s love interest is now clearly interested in the wrong brother. I love the trope subversions going on with this show! 

Our Skyy 2 (The Eclipse) eps 5-6 - FirstKhao are just ridiculously cute as a couple. Honestly? Aye just seems like he would be a lot of work as a lover. I’m not as wild about the premise of this installment, with the film clips and stuff (as I was of NlMG’s installment). And then, the singing. Oh well, you can’t have everything. I gotta say, First is a great crier, although I don’t think this story warranted his tears. In the end? My feelings on this installment were mixed, the movie storyline didn’t grab me and the birthday storyline seems a touch mean spirited, but I do think it adds substantially to the original Eclipse rather than feeling superfluous or slapdash like many of the other Our Skyys. So I’m going to go with 8/10 

Future (Thai Sun YouTube & Gaga) ep 6fin - More of the same (which I like) but I’m glad it ended. Didn’t need to get dragged out. Such drama over nothing. In the end? This is just a soft sweet cotton candy fluff piece about a younger boy who pursues an older boy and then manufactures silly gay drama. Nothing wrong with that. But I don’t think this style of BL really appeals to a very large market share. Will I rewatch it? Sure. Will anyone else? Nope. 7/10 RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS.    

Pastsenger (Thai Weds Gaga) ep 9 of 12 eps - And now the amnesia trope. I’m not a fan. This is such a pulp. At least it ends next week? Groan, no 3 more eps.  

A Boss and a Babe (Fri YouTube) ep 10 of 12 - one thing I realize I like about this main couple’s dynamic is that the seme/uke seems earned, where it didn’t in Echante. I don’t have much else to say except it’s crazy when a narrative betrays its characters like this and why to poor ForceBook keep having to deal with it? 

The Promise (Thai Weds YT & WeTV) ep 7 of 10 - Honestly, who wears an all white outfit to play around with coffee beans in the countryside? I LOVE the faen fatal, he’s so good, courageous, honest, and morally sound. He even gives his rival fair warning. Nan should totally go out with him. I made awwww noises over the faen fatal! I NEVER do that. I guess Phu was right all along? Nan won’t date a friend. Ultimate friend zone. Well shit. This show. Ouch. 

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) ep 1 of ?? - There seems a slight horror element which I do not like and it’s also confusingly like Melrose Place or something. Everyone is sleeping with, or wants to be sleeping with everyone else. It’s kinda hilarious to watch something where all the actors are supposed to be good actors but it’s a pulp so they just really aren’t. So far my main issue is I can’t keep them all straight in my head (pun intended). 

Tin Tam Jai (Tues Gaga) ep 10fin - There is very little I enjoyed about this show. The entirely forgotten side dishes gave us 5 min of excellent high heat and then vanished, but otherwise this show sucked in the wrong way. It’s forgettable and I intend to do just that. 5/10  

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - The way these two are very quietly yet thoroughly falling in love with each other is executed with such grace and subtlety that only Japan could have handed this out. It’s not even “falling” it’s more like sliding gradually into love. 

Love Mate (Korea Thurs Viki) eps 1-2 of 8 - Launched very much openly gay so that’s fun. Also very much bubble too, so no one around them cares. So: Seo is a player jaded older uke (fun character type we don’t see often) and his seme is a romantic if arrogant weirdo. Can you see my hands clapping? Combative trope activation! Absurdity. How fun. Also workplace harassment but hayho that’s BL for ya. (Also a nonBL Kdrama specialty.) ALSO whole office in on seme-stalker’s side? All in all, it’s odd and questionable, but I’m into it. Why am I like this? 

Happy Merry Ending (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 3-4 of 8 - OK I’m not super into the main couple but I love all of the surrounding characters. The overly protective best friend with a crush is giving bad advice but it’s understandable and he’s super hot so I forgive him. And the idol character is a wonderful addition, he is my baby. Also, evil ex is v evil. 

Vian the series (Vietnam YT ) - I thought this was gonna be Tiktok only but apparently it’s showing up on YT too. It’s cute! My cat boyfriend (which is more common that it should be) and this seems to be Vietnam’s installment (we got Thailand’s last year). The boy playing the cat is the prettiest human being on the planet. Fight me. No fight him, get scratched. Serious tho. Holy hairballs. Look I don’t really like vertical content but I am watching this for him. Meow, indeed. 

The Day I Loved You (Vietnam YouTube) eps 2-3 of ? - BL Express’s first impressions mirror mine. Niks is so flipping cute. Rich kid is so into him, so is bestie. So much gay macho posturing. So much bi fear and het shame. But also it’s killer to get a femme main characters who isn’t being mocked. Dancing trope continues (better than singing together). It is kinda Heartstopper goes Pinoy BL. Honestly, I prefer kids a little drawings to terrible sound effects. This is better than it or we have any right to expect. 

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 4 of 12 - There is a lot I like about this drama, except the weird central conceit of the naked dining. But the romance part is cute, if a tad simplistic. 

My Story (Pinoy Sat YouTube) ep 4 of 10 - chukchuk went missing and so did my interest in this show. I’m DNFing this one. 

Dancing together, the baby sub-trope of 2023. (The Day I Love You) 

It’s Airing But ...

Love Syndrome (Thai Sat WeTV) stopped at ep 2 of 12 - I’m just not into any aspect of it (except Lee Long Shi) - saving to binge if the end is solid.

Venus in the Sky (Sat YouTube) pilot/tester?) 0 of 10 - not entirely sure what’s up with this one distribution-wise, but the pilot was classic university-set pulp. I hope it happens because the leads are cute with good chemsitry and I thought it was fun. However, this pilot holds together as its own little short too.

Stormy Honeymoon (Vietnam) - meh

In Case You Missed It

Actors Bas Suradej (2 Moons etc...) and Copter Panuwat (so much BL) have left Starhunter. So Copter and Kimmon will part ways as an on-screen pair (RIP KimCop). Their upcoming show Boy Never Smiles will still air, but will likely be their last together. (source) 

Restart After Come Back Home (highly recommended), Athlete, Capture Lover, Tkumi-kun, His the movie (recommended) and also a bunch of the dark stuff like Forbidden Love and Shortest Distance are all leaving Gagaoolala soon. So watch ‘em while you can. A few are also on Viki, but many will be difficult to get hold of without Gaga. 

I finally finished the second season of The Reason Why He Fell in Love with Me (Japan Gaga) and gave it a 4/10. I just don’t like or recommend any of the installments of this franchise, but if I had to pick, it’s season one. 

Make a Wish finished at 6 eps. Stars Fluke Natouch (OhmFluke UWMA etc...) & Judo (The Miracle Of Teddy Bear) in medical-fantasy about a doctor who sees ghosts and a deity who resides in a Bodhi tree that earns merits whenever he fulfills a wish. Based on a y-novel by Sammon (Manner of Death, Triage). I will watch it if I get hold of it, but for now... who knows how it went? 

Here’s a really interesting podcast ep from 99% Invisible on captions and captioning.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming in May 2023:

5/18 - Starstruck (Korea ????) - A boy has had a crush on his childhood friend for a long time. Stars Zuho (Kpop SF9 - noted good egg) opposite rookie actor Kim In Sung (the one with the crush).

5/27 The Luminous Solution (Thai ????) 10 eps - Thana is having trouble at work and in his relationship. He can't seem to catch a break. So he makes a wish to change everything. The wish has a price.

5/27 Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan) - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS (but that has never stopped Japan before) and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I ?????  (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?)

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

Defining Gut Wrenching from The Promise

Honestly you gotta be so careful who you case as the faen fatal, sometimes he steals everyone’s hearts. I caught a BAD case of second lead syndrome. 

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Future reviewing itself for us. 

Tiny king of the GMMTV cameo. (Our Skyy et al)

Frankly if this weren’t such a bad story, Cher might be one of my favorite BL characters. (Boss & Babe) 

(last week)