Eliot_Rulez

Coming of age - again :)

This season let me remember of "At 25:00 in Akasaka" - an continuation of the story after they had "their happy ever after" moment... But this season focuses on personal growth especially for Natsume. At the end of season 1 he became chief of the store and he has now to struggle to be the best chief possible. With it come challenges he did not expect. And quite early in the season there is the gloomy feeling over all the stories because Toma got offered an apprenticeship in Paris by the #1 Romy makeup-artist and this will take three years.

I like that the couple has several really heartwrenching moments, they talk out their problems and it feels really grown up between them both. Of course there is some comic relief in the person of Tomas father (played my "Mama" from "Therapy Game"), who suddenly appears to make Toma furious because he doesn't want him in his life. Natsume also got furious because the father sees no value in Tomas work and for Natsumes normal subdued appearance he "explodes". That was a pivotal moment to strengthen their bond even more.

And in such moments you can look at their partners faces and really feel how proud and full of love they are. So the acting is also imho better than in season 1. Production quality was also top notch, there is really nothing to complain about.

Many viewers do not like that season that much, because a) there is no real drama in it, b) it's slow and c) imho it went from a BL to a queer series. I enjoyed it at lot, because it is outside the norm we normally get to watch. That we got two shows of such a kind is remarkable. Also many expected there might be a time-jump "after Paris", but there isn't. So there is a chance we get either a special which will resolve that or even an unheard season 3. For me that was even better than the first season, but that maybe just me and I have to recommand it :)

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unique story, great acting, best thai show 2024 (so far)

First I was intrigued to get a different story every episode or so I assumed. But after two stories, the stories get expanded. And when you watch ep 6 you know there is something different going on. That's a novel concept to watch many BLs in one BL :)

Both MLs are very good at their jobs conveying different characters with different mindsets and with many emotions.
Both are standing out from most other thai BL actors playing the same character over and over again. So this show stands out in creativity and execution. While not perfect it's exceptional in the year 2024, where we got so much trash. Without a doubt, it's the best thai BL series in 2024 so far. Update: Spare me Your Mercy was a notch better in my book, but still this was great.

I don't want to spoil the fun for you, but you should watch this. Yes you will cry, but you will also feel happy.

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Better than expected, less cringe than expected and some fluff...

With WeTV it's always a gamble, either we get crap or we get medicore and only sometimes we get something good. In this case I would say it was "good". While the first two episodes did not catch me it got better with every episode after but of course the finale did disappoint me. Not because it was very bad, it was just lazy writing. Solving conflicts with drama and of course the bad guy had to die and lots of fanservice. This could have been resolved in a better way.

In this case I won't be too tough on them, because besides some cringe, they depicted the characters very well, all of them grow throughout the series and there were even subtle moments which I like the most. If facial expression and eye contact can tell a story without words, it's perfect for me. Compared to "Monster Next Door" this was lighyears ahead. Both actors excelled in their roles and they felt so much more into it too. The side-couple was the secret star of this show, because while they had not so much screentime, they did the best with it and the "cat and mouse game" was funny to watch.

Other reviews will depict all the ins and out, but I'm quite busy today so I will keep this short. Cinematography, music, settings, props and so on was top notch. I felt entertained and storywise they put some thought into it. The only shortcoming is the finale which felt rushed in the drama-department, because they needed time for the fanservice. But overall worth a watch.

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Deeper than expected and not all is fluff and sometimes 2nd chances work out...

This was a surprising series. While the premise was nothing we hadn't seen yet, it was done in a good way. Some things can't be changed even when you try and some things change without you doing anything. While they could us not spare all of the clichés, most of the time they approached all the problems and conflicts in a mature way which is rare in thai BLs.

We get a new cast which was not experienced but did a good job with the help of veteran actors in the form of their pas and mas. Flute playing "Win" is the only young actor with experience but he was also the executive producer and he founded his own company to bring this show to life which is quite impressive. And he did something right. It's not just fluff, it's also serious, it's not childish but the emotional stress of all the characters was played out very nicely. Of course they have room for improvement but for a first installment it was good. While chemistry was good, they struggeled a bit with intimate scenes. Of course the show did benefit that they could play the instruments and they can sing. The only thing not resolved in a satisfactory way imho was Nuts conflict with his father (and his dislike for music). It's quite open-ended but I won't nitpick too much on that.

Overall this was an enjoyable series with dark undertones, good OST and a nice vibe. If you have passed up this show so far, you should give it a chance.

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Not from the novel, rushed ending

If you thought it is an continuation of "Addicted" and have read the novels you will get disappointed. This version has nothing to do with the novels at all. It's a story of what might have happened. The story is a bit confusing and till the end there is no resolution especially with the woman who "drove Yoki to the ground".

Instead of wasting 6 minutes with a long intro and credits they should have invested more time in the actual story telling. Because they did, especially the last two episodes felt rushed, even when the finale got 11 extra minutes or so. I still have no idea what the contract was with the village chief because the translation was not clear enough. Also the subtitles had timing issues, so sometimes they subs where only shown for a second or two which is annoying because you have to stop the playback and go back and stop at the right moment.

The most positive about the show are the actors which did a really good job and the music. The negative is, that the show in a show did not feel like it... Normally you have tons of crew. multiple cameras, boom microphones and lights and nothing was present. I guess they had budget constraints, but they could have build in their own crew/stuff into the scenes to make it believable. Overall, this is an ok show, but nothing special.

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standard 08/15 BL stuff...

After At 25:00 in Akasaka - Season 2 - this is the episode most of the girls will prefer. It's just 08/15 stuff, quite cute, not that deep and what's worse, it's the story of the fictional couple of the fictional BL.

How nice would it have been if they were not the fictional couple but the fictional actors having a story and of course much more than just one episode. That would have been much more interesting, but we can't have it all.

I can't write much because it's quite underwhelming compared to the series. We don't have any character development and just 22 minutes is not much time to add depth to a story. So it's just a nice watch and you can escape your troubles for 22 minutes :)

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The same old, same old...

When you think you get something like "To My Shore" - no, you don't. It started interesting but then degraded rapidly. We have the same 2D villain fathers and the brother Ken as in many other shows. While not as over the top like in "Wicked Game", it's still not satisfying at all. There is no sophistication in either the script or the villains. It's all very stereotypical. And of course the finale is quite ridicilous as it's typical with thai shows.

At least the MLs got to play something different and in most parts they succeeded with the acting. Nobody can deny their chemistry. The NC scenes are the same old, so nothing new or interesting there. I guess that is the second time we got a GL side-couple, this time not stupid or silly as in "Love Sea". Also the action scenes were not as amateurish as in many other shows, so that got them on my good side 🤣. Production value was high. The timejumps made the story not easy to comprehend.

It's an "ok" show for me, it's watchable but of course can't come close to "To My Shore" which had a much more refined script and even more tensions between the MLs. As usual the viewer gets an happy end and the end scene may be a hint of a coming show in the same universe or a special. But beware that some scenes might be very disturbing (psychical abuse, selfharm) and mentally unstable people should not watch it.

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"Watered down" BL, which is disappointing...

While the manwha was about four boys, this was "heterofied" for unknown reasons. They changed a lot and cut a lot which did not do the manwha justice. Because there are not four boys anymore they also changed the dynamic between the characters drastically.

While I get the teenager angst to confess, this was sometimes frustrating to watch.
Please, for god's sake just say it and be over it. But no, it dragged on for 9 episodes.

The rest of the show was not bad, the actors good and the cinematography top notch. But overall they invested too much into the hetero pairing imho. After the confessions, we did not even get a kiss 😭. So this is a bitter pill to swallow and kills the BL imho.

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That's how an manga adaption should always be...

Once bitten, twice shy - I thought "please let it be at least decent", but compared to GMMTV this show blowed any other thai manga adaptation out of the water. Of course this show is also not perfect with some characters less developed then they should be, but: SmartBoom saved the day. There acting is far ahead of what we often get served nowadays, because the script was good. Their chemistry is excellent and once I wish they end up together 🤣. One show which does not play at an university, one show which is not absurdly cringe or stupid or childish and one show that tells a meaningful story. I have not read the manga, because I don't like spoilers at all, but everything in the story makes sense for me, so I have no need to do so now.

If your are sensitive like me, you need a tissue-box for sure, it's an emotional rollercoaster between dreadful sad to happy to enthusiastically overjoyed. And don't forget the honey NC scene, which got even artsy. So even the fangirls get served (I mean the fangirls not caring about a story of course).

Production quality, cinematography was perfect as well. All the other reviews will depict the story for sure, but the only thing which is important is, I hope we get season 2 and season 3 asap. This is also a novum at least in the thai industry, to plan a series for 3 seasons and not compromise on the story-telling.

Overall, this thai series is highly recommanded!

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No bullshit BL but wholesome...

While I did not expect much from this series, it was very refreshing. It's many stories about many bizarre people which will grow on you the further you watch this series. They all have their quirks but most of them are just good people regardless.

The center pieces are a soon to be gay couple and a girl which is neglected by her parents for different reasons. The stories tell about the life of the people, all the struggles they face and how they grow together. The gay romance is not the focus of the stories, it just happens naturally without much fanfare and I would have wished for a bit more focus there and some intimacy.

But overall that was fun to watch, educational to watch and a series needed for Japans society. This is of course on my "must watch" list, even when the beginning seems to be very comedic, the stories have depth and meaning and will warm your heart. This is a series for the whole family.

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A generic BL with a weak story and no highlights.

To say this is a short series is an exaggeration because every episode is around 50 minutes and drags on like a chewing gum. There is not much of a story and the acting is medicore, so it feels more like an ad with some BL mixed into it. While they did try to make it a cute story, I did not feel any spark. The characters are trivial, they are very 2D and it feels just boring.

So maybe this was an outing for new actors but with a weak script there is nothing they could do. There is no drama, there are only some clichés. When I see some people rating this show as high as "The Proper Way to Write Love" I don't get it. It's a far cry from the other series and offers nothing of value. So, watching this, is a waste of time.

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very well done production leaving the standard storyarcs of BL...

We all know the tropé of love as a teenager which will come to fruition may years later on. But in this series, they have done it in a mature dramafree way. The story progresses naturally and you may need to watch it twice to get all of it, but this was a very needed change of pace to normal series. I would consider this more a gay story than a BL, it feels more real then most.

The acting and chemistry was great, you can always feel some tension between them and even it feels like a slow pacing show, it's quite fast considering 3 episodes around 8 minutes and the finale with around 14 minutes. Production quality was also much better than any shows before even when I doubt they had a big budget. They just made the most of it. Yes there are some lapses with unlit monitors and cuts/countercuts not fitting exactly, but it does not take away from the storytelling.

So for me this is a little marvel outside of the normal bounds a "BL" has. It's a slowly, meticulously told story without any drama at all, it's mellow and relaxing and everything makes sense and they do not have a kiss just to cater to the fanbase. I recommand to watch this!

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Boring as hell ...

How can such a short series be so boring? Strongberry is not back with a solid BL. The finale was split in two parts, just a cash grab because it added only 7 Minutes more to episode 12/1... What a waste of money. They even did not complete the story of the side couple. So this series has only 12 episodes where the second one is extended to around 23 minutes.

So overall, while the actors are cute to handsome, they were as good as the script let them. The story started with a nice premise but it got boring fast, because there was not much character development for a long time. The also added the kinda "bad" woman for too long imho. I don't like people medling in other peoples affair. Especially bad for the side couple, they are "floating" in the air and we don't know if they did get together or not. At a positive note, they did really kiss :)

So this is a medicore show which did not kept me interested past the 6th episode. For a KBL it's quite disappointing, but after "The Idol" it's an slight improvment.

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I am glad it ended.

What can you say about a show which does start with sexual harrasment and mentally abuse?
It's a trope nobody needs, a trope nobody asks for and a trope which was lame 10 years ago.

Besides the cinematography and the title song this shows has nothing really likable. The characters are plain, the story is awful and everything is so full of clichés. If you want to know more other reviewers will detail all the points which are bad, but I have no time to waste on this show anymore.

It's one of the dissapointments of 2024. Nice production quality meets aweful script, boring acting, some fan-service and nothing more. You should avoid it, if you haven't watched it yet.

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oh sooooo boring....

While not really a bad show, man was it boring.
The writing was predictable, there were no real challenges and if you do food, why is the "super monster chef" just the jury verdicts?

At least one fresh face with Aungpao who did a good job but most were acting like highschool kids and not like grown up humans. I am also not a fan of the weird sounds used in Thai romcons, but at least they did not overdo it.

The kissing scenes with OffGun looked strange for me. I mean they kissed really well in other shows but here it feels shallow without the feeling of love or desire.

This show is a good downer if you have seen something like "Not Me", to calm you down and turn your brain off, because the story does nothing to challenge it.

The finale was an all around happy end, all the parents are soooo nice and so understanding especially Fire's mother. Of course grandma was always cool and always supportive but for the rest I would have wished a more rocky ending or more episodes to see them come to terms and less of the earlier meaningless stuff.

All in all this show was a disappointment.

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