Eliot_Rulez

One of the Taiwanese shows which disappoints...

This show started with one of the worst openings in BL history...
Force one of the boys to do things he doesn't want... It's just rape but mentally. Even when a show gets better after this, it can never ever be a good show. It was simply disgusting, regardless if it's a "fantasy" or not. It should not have a place in any drama imho.

As always the side couple is the more interesting one but their inability to communicate was a bit annoying. The rest of the plot was more on the boring side. The actors did the best with the script but Mr. Chang was not really believable,. The cinematography was the best of this show.

While I thought this will be a nice show, it's not. It's just banal and boring and you could have done something more interesting than watching this.

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What a mess...

This series did not know if it would like to be a serious drama or a comedy. So they cobbled all of that together which of course does not make sense in the slightest. The comedy parts are overacted and cringy and the drama parts sometimes gives us a glimpse of what should have been possible and often they feel forced. The plot is also a mess, even when the core itself could have been good and interesting, but they butchered it. For eight episodes there are too many story elements not brought in a coherent form, jumping from one place to the other. It would have been better just to concentrate on the main & side couple.

I have no idea how the director of this show thinks he did a good job. What a mess. Of course MDL would not be MDL if even this crap (overall) gets a rating over 6... 6 means in my world at least medicore to decent, but the only decent thing in this show are the actors doing their best with a wacky script.

If you are time-constraint, just skip it and if you are not, you should skip it as well. Cute faces alone is not a reason to watch any show.

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Simply cute & meaningful

People with disabilities are under-represented in the world of the entertainment-industry. Rich kids are overused in many love dramas. But here it was a bit different. The deaf "kid" was not a helpless stereotype and the rich kid is not a shallow one-dimensional character. Both leads did an amazing job in bringing to life the vision of the creators. The side couple is a typical stereotype but not in a bad way.

The only downer for me was the finale, where I thought "really"? Are there no other option of conflict resolution with his cousin? And the conflict with the rich kids father was not solved either. It's nice to have a happy end but I felt a bit underwelmed by the story while all the other episodes were more thought out. I don't think it was necessary to put a GL part in it, but it's ok as it is and the bitchy fiancé was not a typical "bitch" as portraied in so many BLs.

The stand-out of this show is the chemistry of the leads, the training which went into learning sign-language and an overall "sunny" touch on the cinematography. Also most NC scenes had a place and didn't look forced or out of place or just fan service which is typical in especially thai shows.

Overall that was a very enjoyable show with great leads, with dark undertones on a light story. Also to give a minority of a minority a representation is important and meaningful.

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what a messy story with unnecessary drama...

Hmmm... on the one hand for some this was entertainment pure, for others, that series does not make much sense and is frustrating. I lean to the group who thinks, the whole series was unnecessary when Iljo had talked in the first episode. Then maybe the could have expanded on how to bring Iljo's brother down. Iljo wallowing in the victim role was a bit much at times. Of course SeoJeong is not free of fault either. While under pressure from his father he does not know how to express his feelings at all. I think he did not receive any love from his family at all, but I would have prefered also to see some backflashes in his childhood.

Overall this is a mixed bag. You may like it or you may hate it or like me, it's more positive then negative but the story is messy. Production quality was good, but it was not a high polished one. It has raw edges, but what works is the chemistry between the leads. Both did a very good job and together they did even better. So, if you like it toxic, this is a show for you!

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cliché story, bad lip-syncing, bad sound-effects, no happy end

I thought, that could be nice, but it isn't. Even indoors they do not record the original audio, they lip-sync everything which ruins the flow and on top of it, they add foot-steps and other effects as well. The story is quite easily told. The older "boy" "adopted" the younger one - but of course a child can not adopt anyone... it's not really explained. But for arguments sake we asume the younger one was adopted and the older one took care of the younger one and they grew up together. And because they are so close the younger one falls in love with his brother, but is refused, even when it's obvious he is also in love.

That is quite similar to the series "Unknown" but with a big difference. The story was way way better and made sense, the older brother confronts his own feelings even after he refused him also. Also a difference, the older one was not styled as metrosexual or gay... at least for me he had more gay vibes compared to the younger one. So to run away from his brother and ask for a date with a girl was weird to me.

Overall this is not a series to recommand and the weird audio made it even worse and imho ruins the acting, which was not bad. If you can cope with a "bad" ending, you can watch it, but it would be better if you watch something else.

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OMG did it go bad in the end

While I expected the show to be good after watching the first two episodes it went downhill from there. The story has no logic and no cohesion.

First, why does Lin have a crush on Ryu? I have no clue and why does she not try to help her father much earlier? It's not ok, for team members to risk the club, but it's also not ok, to publish it without consideration for all the other members. Maybe going to the director first would have been a better solution, so the club does not get disbanded because of the actions of a few.

Second, why did Ryu not ask his mother many years earlier to watch a match? I don't get it, when BLs create "evil" one-dimensional parents.

Third, why did they need Atom to make a love triangle and do things, you don't do, when you know your interest already is taken? To have Atom kiss Zen head was appalling.

Forth, the gangster arc was interesting in the beginning but the ending was beyond stupid. Why is Que not in prison? Is the police so incompetent that they did not get it?

Fifth, while they struggeling for money, nobody gets the idea to sell their Samsung Flip phones which costs around $1000-$1300. Especially Zen and his grandma could never ever afford such a luxury item and here we also see, that in that case the director should have stepped in to say, Zen can't have it, Atom should have it, because his father looked well off.

So overall the story was a plunder as always. The MLs had a bit more to act compared to their previous shows, but they still don't shine because their roles are quite one-dimensional as well. The finale was cringe as well. Why did Zen return? What happend in Phuket? Nobody knows and the writers didn't want to know also. Such lazy writing is incredible. It's a waste of time to count more of the negatives, because there are some positives as well. Cinematography was excellent especially while the actors played basketball but in the later epsiodes the quality declines. Maybe time-constraints because Golf had to direct two shows which aired at the same time. Of course there was some fan-service but nothing eath-shattering and no sensual scenes imho. The fuck scene in the finale was over the top as well. I don't think the grandma is "poor" - she had headphones 🤣 and with her support for them, it's a non-issue. Yes, grandma was the best. And why the club still existed after they lost - nobody knows as well - it's stated in the script I assume 🤣.

Especially Ping is locked in a character-set, either a pushover or a diva or just annoying - or a combination of all, so not a chance of growing with his acting even when his third outing was better then the previous ones. For Frank it was new territory and he did play his role well and we all don't like him. Of course Meen is booked for the cool and rich one, but also his character is always similar in all the shows and some of his parents are always "evil". To summarize, the show started strong with the first two episodes and fell of a cliff because the writers had no clue what to do. You have four writers and don't manage a coherent story - that's really sad.

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A slow burn to an happy end!

This series is on a very low budget and they made it a simple story with just two characters.

We have an extrovert and an introvert - so far nothing new - and they get closer just by talking and little bits of action. The two boys are not the cutest ones of a series, but they also look more real compared to most other actors we see in BLs. And I guess that's the charm of this series. It's simple, straightforward and it just does what a BL should do. No extra drama even when there are some conflicts and miscommunication. Also no overdramatized acting.

This series is best consumed when you had a stressful day, it calms you down and you will get an happy end. It's a short series with only about 8-10 minutes per episode with 8 episodes total. So, what is there not to like?

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Lovely setting, Nut going overboard...

While that's not my cup of tea normally, I found this series better than I would have expected. Nut had the role of his life but for my taste it was overbording most of the time. It's a mixture of comedy and drama with a touch of time-travel with too much focus on the comedy part. I would have wished they would have tuned it down, then I could have enjoyed it even more.

The side-couple was underutilized, they did not even resolve their story in the end and left them open-ended. We can assume they are also together but they had no romantic moment in the finale which was disappointing for being the more interesting couple in my eyes. I'm a bit split if they had to change history and make the country a democracy at that time. That seems a bit silly, but I approve that "Prince" went not back when he had the choice and stayed because of love. I also wish they would have condensed the story a bit more, so around 10 episodes would have been enough.

Overall, production quality was very good, the setting was something different than usual and it may entertain you. The first half of the series was imho better than the later half which is also a downer. But it's not a series that I would watch again.

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childish, boring, no development...

The three episodes can be considered "fan-service" without much of a "service". There is only forced drama and certainly not much character development. After 1.5 years together you may assume that "Teerak" changes his speaking especially in his confidence, but it's the same old, same old.

So for me this "stories" are mostly boring even when the couples are cute. It does not add to the dynamics and only the side couples show a minimum of development. But maybe it's the right stuff for all the fangirls who don't expect a story at all. Just watching cute couples is enough for them, but it isn't for me.

Production quality was top notch, but they skimped in the music department re-using already known background music which is disappointing as well.

Overall more or less a waste of time and if you have seen the series, you have seen it all.

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condensed story meets bland and chemistry free MLs

This is one of the disappointing JBLs in 2024.

What was the most lacking is the chemistry between the couples and that for me "Kai" does not work as a freshman. "Kai" looks much too old for his role. Besides that, they only had the "bad stuff" culminating at the same time compared to original and they do bike races instead of cars. Other than that, they cut out a lot of fluff and some persons like the silblings of "Fuma".

The chemistry is so lacking they can't convince anybody about their feelings. "Fuma" beating up the "bad guys" alone was also unbelievable, they cut the friendship part between Arashi and Fuma in such an important scene. Also in the original series the organizers had a much bigger role which made the setting much more believable. So they cut too much and they did not invest in any fluff between the couples. Cutting out the scene where "Fuma" calls his mom to ask about how to take care of a sick person is also crucial to the story.

Overall the worst JBLs in 2024, with no creativity or spin on the original story, lacking chemistry , no fluff at all and feeling very sterile. So if you haven't seen it, forgo it and watch the "original" which has more punch to the story, is believable and doesn't miss the fluff of a BL which you would expect in such story.

Update: Ep 9 and 10 are "special" episodes. If you think it will get better, you are wrong, it went worse. Don't waste your time with it.

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medicore show with a good vibe

OMG, was 2024 a hard year for thai shows. Many shows were childish, immature and poorly written with forgettable storylines and often boring as fuck.

What this "university" show did different: It was not as childish, it was not that immature, it had a 2:1 screen ratio (loving it because I don't have a TV since forever) and the vibe compared to all the similar shows (yes I mean all the GMMTV/Sabi Wabi crap) was miles ahead. I can't explain it really, but when watching this, I had a smile on my face regardless of some clichés & forced drama (ep 11) and some cringe scenes. And of course they did polish the presentation to new heights. Not only are the actors cute/handsome as fuck but also the cinematography did everything to perfection especially in the emotional scenes.

Makes this a good show? Of course not. The story is still poorly written without hights and with forced drama. But everything else was executed in a very good way, had a good vibe and was still enjoyable to watch. Overall I expected less and got more :)

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One of the few JBLs which is guilty of lazy writing...

The start of this series was not bad at all, they are building even a dark past for both characters. But the solution for both of the traumas for each character is a) unbelievable and b) just vanishes in a puff of smoke. Especially Kos'ke is traumatized since childhood because of his Mom, but the writers did not find the time to have a serious conclusion and waste lot of time with long-winded static scenes which do not progress the story.

The chemistry between the two leads was just ok, but there was not really the feeling of longing for each other conveyed. Besides that the dead fish kiss at the "wedding" ruined most this. It's ok, if they don't want to do a NC scene, but in 2025 you should kiss otherwise don't act in a BL, period.

So production quality was very good, but the story wasn't. Just "cute" does not cut it nowadays. While not as bad as some Thai shows, it's only medicore with a weak story compensated a little bit by acting and cuteness, but overall a big disappointment for me. It's one of the shows I have no interest in watching again, but your opinion may be different.

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sexualising toxic relationship, forcing the partner in an uncomfortable way all the time

This is a very hard series for me. The first scene started already bad, forcing a sexual contact. Red flag characters are not my cup of tea especially if they do not grow or turn 180°. The counterpart is too naive and too cliché and just let it happen, because he is especially horny. This is one the most sexualized BLs in history but without a story to speak of. While the NC scenes are based on reality, the toxic behaviour is not. I'm sure there are some relationsships like that, but I don't feel they are healthy.

The side chars are extras, some as toxic as the lead red flag (yes, that girl) and some just stupid and some just "stiff". Why they had a cliché bitchy woman which turns lesbian is beyond me. Only the acting of the main couple is convincing. Both play their characters to perfection with nuanced facial expressions especially on Oats part. The rest is forgettable. There is no real story that needs to be told, but the production quality was superb.

The finale feels shallow and non-essential after the injection of needless drama in ep 11. Both Oat and Boat did a good job considering what the script has given, but overall it was just a bad series. Their acting increased my rating, otherwise that would be a disaster. The NC scenes are imho too much, if I want to see something like this I can watch any p0rn available and have not to ask myself WTF was that for or why does Jun allow this? Again, a disappointing thai show, but as I can see in the reviews some fangirls did this.

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Not as cute as Only Boo and a red-flag character...

As always when "New" Sijaw is directing, most series glide into childishness and cringe. In this case it was more subdued then in most other series (Fourever You Part 1, Perfect 10 Liners) but it's still there especially in the first two episodes. There are times when childish beheaviour is appropiate but in most cases it's not.

The script is a mixed bag. The solution of the time-travel was a bit weak and Mr. Redflag (Van) side-couple felt a bit unrealistic. How he handles the situation is dispicable but also the script was quite lazy depicting it. Also there was not the budget to "age" the actors to make them distinguishable from now and the future selfs. So the production is ok, but it looks constraint by the few locations they had.

So overall it's on the "good" side of BLs we had last year. At least Sea "Junior" did improve a lot with his acting which is also a plus for me. Keen has the talent, it looks like it's easy for him. I will not criticize too much in this case, it's pleasant enough to watch and many will have fun with it.

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The final season which may not be final...

I can't help myself, but I liked this season the most. While normaly not so much into the bizarre overdriven japanese humor I felt, this season they dialed it back a bit and made it more "compatible" at least with me. Also the opening song this final season was by far the best imho :) Because it was not just silly I felt the acting was improved and the plots more interesting... but of course in the end, he failed to defy the world of BL.

As they are teasing a sequel, I would wish for them to show us the everyday life of the "background" lead (yeah, he does not have a name or if it was mentioned once I forgot) with Hatano in a "normal" series. Production quality was excellent as usual and I had a lot of fun watching this. So, if you have nothing to do and enjoy silly stuff, it's a recommandation from me :) (To understand the story with Hatano you need to watch the season before, but to understand all, all four seasons are required.)

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