This episode, we’re talking about the in’s and out’s of the Friends to Lovers trope. We cover what we think makes for a great friends to lovers story, what really really doesn’t, and throw in a ton of examples. (Only half of which are Kdramas.) 

What's Sparking Joy ran a little long this episode, so it won't hurt our feelings if you want to skip to the end (19:36).

Lit discussed this episode: The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir (webnovel & Cdrama version), Next in Fashion, Love Between Fairy and Devil, I'm The Villainess, So I'm Taming The Final Boss, The Romance Between Tiger and Rose, Avatar the Last Airbender, Soundtrack #1, Happiness, Law Cafe, Reply 1988, A Love So Beautiful, Fight For My Way, Le Morte d'Arthur, Hospital Playlist, The Kiss Bet, Veronica Mars, The 100, Bluebox, Hometown Chachacha, The Graceling Series: Winterkeep, Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Brooklyn 99, Semantic Error, Something in the Rain/Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food, Dealing with Dragons, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Nevertheless,..., Mass Effect 2, When Harry Met Sally, The Good Place, Romance is a Bonus Book, Someday or One Day, Crash Course in Romance, Your Name, The Story of Ming Lan, Ella Enchanted

Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @SexLoveLit.

The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What’s Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere |  https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective;  Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons  Attribution 3.0 Unported License;  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

E27 Trope Spotlight: Friends to Lovers

SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond.

Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature. on your favorite podcast platforms! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast

TV & Film

TV Reviews

Welcome to our mini-series on Divorce Comedies! Over the next 4-ish episodes, we’re exploring this genre that caught us off guard with how much its makes us laugh, cry, and yell divorce! In this introductory episode, rather than focus on any one show, we get into the defining features of divorce comedies, why we wanted to talk about them, and whether or not they can be counted as rom coms. 




Show Notes:
Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Lost You Forever, WWE: Wrestlemania, Nettle & Bone, The Legend of Shen Li, Romance is a Bonus Book, Grace and Frankie, Crazy Stupid Love, Let's Get Divorced, 500 Days of Summer, Stranger's Again, Mine, Rinko-San Wants to Try, Be Melodramatic
On Future SLL Episodes: Dr. Cha, Strangers Again, and Let's Get Divorced, and A Court of Thorns and Roses
Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast
Our cover art is by Charcooll (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠⁠⁠⁠). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What’s Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. 

E41 Divorce Comedies: An Introduction (Mini-Series, Part 1)

"See, on the road to Hell there was a railroad line..." 
It's time for a deep dive into the Broadway musical, Hadestown. We get into how the musical adapts the Grek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice & Hades and Persephone for a modern setting; the love stories–and tragedy–of the two core relationships; and the productive ambiguity of seeing it all happen on stage. 
Content Warning: Discussions of S*xual Assault from (1:06:41 - 1:14:05)
Show Notes:
Other Lit Mentioned this episode: The Story of Ming Lang, Lore Olympus, When I Arrived at the Castle, Speak, Beka Cooper Trilogy, Alanna the Lioness Quartet
On Future SLL Episodes: Divorce Comedies (featuring Dr. Cha, Strangers Again, and Let's Get Divorced), and A Court of Thorns and Roses
Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast
Our cover art is by Charcooll (⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠⁠⁠). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What’s Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. 


Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:08 Opening Banter
03:40 What's Sparking Joy
9:43 Introducing Hadestown
18:07 Characters and Plot
33:45 What We Loved about Hadestown
41:50 Is Hadestown a Successful Myth Adaptation?
44:57 The Cycle of Hadestown
49:57 Intertwined Love Stories
1:14:07 Hadestown's Other Themes
1:25:31 On the Climax...
1:31:29 Last Thoughts
1:34:56 Next time on SLL 



EP40 Hadestown

Corinne wasn’t feeling well this week, so Ayanni called in the cavalry. This episode, she's joined by her spouse (and friend of the show) Andrew Cooper to talk about the new action-dramedy series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They give their general impressions, think about the series’ adaptation choices, and muse about the show’s depiction of married life. 


Show Notes:
Other Lit Mentioned this episode: Jujutsu Kaisen, Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2009), Skip and Loafer, Dungeon Meshi, Tell Me That You Love Me, Let's Talk About Chu, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Ironman, Pen15, Blue Eyed Samurai, Pluto, Atlanta
On Future SLL Episodes: Hadestown, Divorce Comedies, and A Court of Thornes and Roses
Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast
Our cover art is by Charcooll (⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠⁠). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What’s Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. 
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:07 Saying Hi to Andrew
05:51 What's Sparking Joy
15:20 Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Smith
19:54 First Impressions
24:43 Spoiler Discussion Begins
1:05:47 Coming Up on SLL

E39 Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2024) with Dr. and Mr. Cooper

Happy New Year, y'all! We continue our annual tradition of checking in about what pop-culture is "sparking joy” in January,  our favorites of 2023, and what we’re looking forward to in 2024.
(CW: discussion of parental and sibling death.)
Oh, and did we mention we have a tumblr now? www.tumblr.com/sexlovelitpodcast


Show Notes:
Check out Charcooll--the awesome artist who did our cover art-- on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/) and on RedBubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/charcooll/shop?asc=u)
Lit Mentioned By Section: 

 What's Sparking Joy: Lady Liar, Ms. Abbott and the Doctor, Link: Eat Love Kill
 Joy Sparked in 2023 - Rapid Fire: Lost You Forever, The Boy and the Heron, Kiss Bet, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse, The Story of Kunning Palace, American Fiction, The Marquis Who Musn't, Being Monsters, Till the End of the Moon, A Guest in the House
 Joy Sparked in 2023 - Deep Dive: Call it Love, Ancillary Justice, A Journey to Love, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
 Future Joy Sparked in 2024: Lost You Forever: Part 2, The Prisoner of Beauty, All There Is (podcast), Jeong Nyeon, Baulders Gate 3
 Others: What If...?, The Marvels, Let's Get Divorced, Dr. Cha, Strangers Again

Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit, and on Tumblr @SexLoveLitPodcast
Our cover art is by Charcooll (⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What’s Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. 
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Opening Bander
09:11 What's Sparking Joy
16:37 2023 Joy Sparked - Rapid Fire
36:06 2023 Joy Sparked - Deeper Dive
1:02:37 Looking Forward to 2024 Joy
1:14:24 Pop-Culture Predictions
1:22:28 Closing Out/Future SLL Episodes





E38 Sparking Joy in 2024: A Pop-Culture Roundup

CW: Discussion of s*xual assault, and brief mentions of drugging and s*icide, from 1:00:27 – 1:04:15
You’ve made it to the third and final installment of our semi-accidental mini-series on the Chinese Drama, Lost You Forever. (You either really like us, or you really like Lost You Forever, and we appreciate you either way.)
We know you’ve been waiting for it, so this episode, we finally get to the last three main players fighting for Xiaoyao’s heart: Fenglong of the Central Plains; Xiang Liu, everyone’s favorite nine-headed sea snake demon man; and last but certainly not least, Tushan Jing, soft beta baby boy of the year. 
Don't forget to listen to part one, "E35 Lost You Forever Season 1 (Mini-Series Part 1, Spoiler Free)," and part two, “E36 Lost You Forever Season 1 (Mini-Series Part 2, Spoiler Filled),” if you haven't already. 
Show Notes:
Lost You Forever Soundtrack (on Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/6opCSvYhh5CiAioySGp0Nm?si=7a6e1432558947d0 
Other lit mentioned this episode: Till the End of the Moon
Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us on Instagram and Threads @SexLoveLit.

Our cover art is by Charcooll (⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠⁠). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What’s Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr; Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
SLL is a podcast relishing the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in pop-culture. English academics by day and podcasters by night, hosts Ayanni and Corinne take a semi-scholarly look at why the “sex-stuff” in media matters in the bedroom—and beyond. 
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:24 Opening Bander
02:32 What's Sparking Joy
6:30 Fenglong doesn't stand a chance
17:58 It's thirsting for Xiang Liu hours
41:14 Poor, sweet Tushan Jing
1:06:30 Some Final Thoughts
1:14:38 Closing Out

E27 Trope Spotlight: Friends to Lovers

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