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Stop! That! Train!

By Golu
Coming out of the same studio that gave us RuPaul's Drag Race, and stacked with a whole crew of former contestants, Stop! That! Train! plays like RuPaul basically taking a bow for the entire franchise she's built. It's not really a gay film in the traditional sense, but with so many drag stars from Ru's shows popping up alongside a few cameos from well known out gay actors, I figured it earns a spot on this blog anyway. The whole thing is completely over the top, packed with GenZ slang, loud flashy visuals, and humor that's constantly winking at you knowing how ridiculous it is. Going in you'd assume it's meant to be a laugh riot, and a lot of critics online seem to be eating it up, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've never really been someone who vibes with campy silly stuff like this, so honestly my reaction doesn't surprise me one bit. The setup follows Tess and DeeDee, two low level stewardesses who sneak onto the fancy Glamazonian E...
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Tadaima, Okaeri (Japanese Anime Series) [Welcome Home]

By Golu
Tadaima, Okaeri, translated to "Welcome Home" follows the home life of house husbands Masaki and  Hiromu, as they raise their children together and the series is delightfully gay. I have learnt new concept having seen this about Omegaverse. It is a fictional world where people have different reproductive and sexual biology. Alphas are those who impregnate others and cannot give birth, Omegas are those who can bear children, even if they look otherwise male. Betas are basically normal humans. The main prejudice in Omegaverse stories is against Omegas, where they suffer discrimination, violence, or sexual violence due to their type. This specific series was 12 episodes each of 24 minutes.

Masaki is an Omega who married an Alpha named Hiromu. They now raise their young children together, with Masaki as the househusband and Hiromu as the breadwinner. They start with one son named Hikari. The series is about everyday stuff of them raising their kid with many other people showing up in their life. We are introduced to Hiromu's parents who had been against this marriage, but hearing good things about the husband and their grandson, the parents eventually give in. A few episodes are spent on the couple rebuilding their bond with family. In next few episodes, we also get to see a bit of past of Masaki, when his uncle invites him over to visit his hometown. There is some drama there with Masaki's cousin but eventually all is ok. The show centers around Masaki's low self esteem and confidence but thanks to his husband and his loving kid, they grow out of it. We have two other important characters. One is a young boy who is the couple's neighbor and to whom the son takes instant liking and the other is a close friend/colleague of Hiromu. There is a light romance story but they are always hanging out with the couple. Over Tim, the couple has a daughter and Hikari is now a big brother. In last few episodes, we see how Hikari makes friends with another 3 year old kid from the neighborhood and how that relationship evolves.

The plot is extremely simple, but since this is a slice-of-life type anime, a complex story is not needed. There’s a lot of serious drama as well as cute fluff. The mix of substance and sweetness was excellent. In addition, the story themes were hopeful and wholesome. The prejudice Masaki and Hiro encounter make their bonds to each other stronger. Masaki slowly heals from being treated badly most of his life as an Omega, and Hiro’s father has a whole mini plot-line about accepting his son’s unusual marriage. But the biggest trump card of this show is the kids. They are absolutely adorable in their dialogues, in direction , the animation. I was constantly going 'aww'' whenever Hikari would do anything. In addition to cute anime kids, the visuals have a pleasant, soft feel to them. The face expressions are sometimes priceless. I really really enjoyed the show for its family dynamics, love and importance. I am not going to comment on the whole Omegaverse universe and its traits since this was my first time. I am giving in into the creator's vision and just objectively talking about series. Yes, the discrimination aspects are a bit jarring but I tried to enjoy it more for the relationship and the absolutely adorable kids. The show's focus on how healthy/beautiful and loving any relationship can be, if you really want it to be, makes this series for a wonderful and pleasant viewing. (7.5/10)
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