UPDATE: 10/17/2013 – Just FYI, missfinlandia88’s original YouTube account was deleted on copyright violation grounds and is currently offline. You should know that missfinlandia88 DID have permission from Freemantle, the soap’s distributor to post the content. Like most annoying things, it may have been some anti-gay person or group who instigated the copyright “violation.” Meanwhile, they are working to get the original site back up. You can view new segments if you search “Elias Story” on YouTube. Those results uploaded by “Elias Story” are actually from missfinlandia88. Good luck and happy Finnish viewing!

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YouTube user missfinlandia88 has been uploading the storyline of Elias and Lari from the Finnish sudser Salatut Elämät for a good while now — and it has caught on with English speakers from around the world thanks to missfinlandia88’s captioning of the episodes. In the first video below, she explains how the Finnish media have picked up on the story.

I’ve watched some of this and I don’t think it’s half-bad. The writing and storylining are a little stilted at times, but the actors really give it their all. According to the translation of the article, above, the show’s production company feel that this type of content distribution can only enhance the show. More folks should get on board with this type of thinking, I believe.

Petteri Paavola (left) is out teen Elias and Ronny Roslöf is closeted hockey player Lari in the Finnish series Salatut Elämät.

Here’s a clip of the Elias and Lari storyline. For the record, I can’t begin to pronounce the title of the show in Finnish. I just call it “Lots of Umlauts!” Enjoy.