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Semantic Error: Clear
This is a very good Korean BL series that got a bit archetypical in the end but it is still one of the better ones out there. The main couple was cute and had some great kissing scenes. However, I watched this series through rose-colored glasses as I had a different twist as to who Sangchu really was. Thinking of him the way I did put this series in a broader perspective for me. But no matter how you see these guys, it is still one of the better BLs out there. I am an avid fan of Korean drama. Indeed, they are the new "Hollywood".Was this review helpful to you?
I wanted to like this....
Honestly, I really wanted to like this series. The actors are stunningly handsome and are very good actors, really. But this story had so man logical flaws in it, that it was hard to really like. Also, I never bought their relationship as I did not see much chemistry between the two main actors. If you are going to have young guys supposedly in love, show us. Give us something relatable and understandable so we can see they are is something related to romance. There is also no need for side-stories that frankly go nowhere and are meant to pull at heartstrings. The premise of this story is good; it is just executed with too much meandering with no clear focus.Was this review helpful to you?
Lives Up to Its Name - TOXIC!
Dear God, this is so bad. Everything about this is bad. Acting, production, editing, sound, and story. The story is disjointed with self-indulgent characters that bully and intimidate others around them. Filled also with over-the-top gay characters who portray 'gay' behavior in the worst possible way. I really enjoyed Aki in MY DAY but this is just awful. Everyone’s acting was at best amateurish and at worst, looking like they were all ‘winging it’ on their own. There was no sense of direction, no help with timing or delivering lines, or rehearsal, for that matter. Honestly, I could not believe how badly this series was acted throughout.Skip it at all cost,
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Profoundly Moving Sometimes while Mundane Overall
This was a hard series for me to get through. Let me just say upfront that it is one of the best acted Thai BL series to come along in a long time. And they actually tackled some interesting real-life situations not in the usual manner but with some realistic approaches. Yet, the story all seemed so ordinary to me and I just did not buy the relationship between the two leading actors. In order for me to accept it, it has to look real and feel real but I just did not see that. However, who really 'stole' this series are the incredible supporting roles. These actors and actresses were unbelievably good and did a way more convincing job than than the main characters. I cannot say enough about how good these people were. Please do not misunderstand; no one did a bad job in acting. I just did not buy the relationship. If it were not for the supporting characters, this series would have been rather dull. I loved them a lot and they carried this series. There is also such a glaring flaw in logic in this story that is just not handled well at all. It will hit you in the face when you realize what it is. It simply made no sense. If you want to read my full review of this series (where I name specific individuals and how they 'stole' this series, go to BLBliss.com.Was this review helpful to you?
A Wonderful Non-BLthat is BL
I do not care what anyone else wrote about this series, but it is a very good love story. No, not in the BL sense of the word, but it brought love into the forefront of this amazingly good narrative about mental illness and compassion. It is quite a beautiful journey in which there parts that made me cry and at other times, made me bust out laughing. It is one of the most human stories out there and show how deeply you can love someone in other ways besides physically. I know that sounds odd but it is a deeply intense series and I for one appreciated its message of companionship, friendship, understanding, and yes love. I hope people watch it,But can understand why they would not The production is just awful. Disjointed and poor editing. PLEASE, PLEASE do something about translating these series into English with some sophistication. It was just awful. In one case, they had a translation that was not for that episode. I get that these series are not perhaps made for English speaking countries, but if you want to widen the audience, do SOMETHING about making the translations better. These series and actors are so good but it is cheapened by bad translations. I for one deeply appreciate the efforts that are being done in this genre. God, knows, the USA will not likely ever get on board of doing these kinds of series. (Ok, Love Victor, as one exception).
If you want to read my full review of this outstanding series, please go to BLBliss.com
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Phenomenal and Profound Work of Art
I watched this series quite serendipitously and was so moved by its message and acting that I can not stop thinking about it. It is soulful, profoundly sad, and a masterpiece of acting. The singing by Jeff Satur is excellent and is also profoundly moving. This is not your typical BL series and I know that it might not appeal to a lot of fans but this series is ACTING at its finest with a story that is as interpretative as you want it to be. YOU draw your own conclusions. You experience its emotions on your own. While short in duration (about 45 minutes in total), it will leave you questioning what happened before, during, and after.I am trying to write in greater detail the review of this series on my website but need time to process its complete impact on me. Please go to see it at BLBliss.com. I shall post it soon.
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A Classic
I transported myself back to that time and found the film to be remarkable. This story is deeply, deeply moving. Funny at times. A coming-of-age essay also. It is also profoundly sad reaching the core of one’s inner being. It grabs you and shakes you and tells you clearly that your life will never be the same and a small hole will exist where the heart is. But you still go on. The acting in this series is profoundly moving and is elevated by the supporting characters as well. While this movie may now be ‘older’, it is still relevant today as we all know that families can not and will not accept gay relationships or even recognize love between two persons of the same sex.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Angst, Passion, Rawness and Grit
This is a difficult series to review. On the one hand, it is filled with intense chemistry between the main actors and some of the most passionate romance scenes I have ever seen (nothing pornographic however). The story represents personal growth for each in their own way. However, two things is of concern to me and are bothersome. . One is the just too cavalier attitude of sexual abuse. The second criticism I have of this series, and it is a big one, is its overuse of physical abuse. You can read my full review on my blog at ppbongi.medium.com.Was this review helpful to you?
A Complete Miss
I desperately, and I mean desperately, wanted to like this ‘reality’ show about 10 gay guys from Hong Kong getting together for what was posted as a gay dating show. The production company seemed at least to me to be pushing issues where there were none and also contriving things that were not. Their interference either in the dating process or the control of the conversations was inappropriate, leading, and judgmental. This show also did not allow for the possibility that maybe just maybe none of them would want to date anyone on the show. If you are ‘selling’ gayness, then show it. Show these guys are real people not in some contrived or make-believe world that to some degree was unrelatable with an emphasis on what is wrong with them. They had a lot to say even if they did not say it. How? By being in it. That spoke volumes.That is what you should have shown. You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.
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I Felt A Lot!
This story covers familiar territory, but I still found it tantalizing. It captured me from the beginning to the end. It is mainly due to the mesmerizing impersonations from the actors and actresses, in particular the main protagonists. They kept the ‘slow-burn’ of their relationship just at the simmer stage with it never boiling over – until it was time for it to do so. I just loved the way they kept us entertained and engrossed until we were able to find out who they were. The build-up was such that we really did want to know about them. The overall splendor of this series is its consistency. It never wavered from its intent. Sure, it takes a long time for their relationship to develop but because these guys seem to make it feel fast, it was. And, given the time frame they were in, we understood their hesitancy. Slow-burn series will work if you have the right actors and a great screen chemistry and good dialogue. And this had all three. They were just on the cusp of developing a strong relationship when the series threw in a gut punch that I did not think it needed to. That is what diminished the impact of this series. A standard cliche twist, completely unnecessary.Was this review helpful to you?
This is Soooo Yesterday
This series is so appropriately named as the whole series is ‘so yesterday’. I know that may be parochial, as it denotes something ‘extremely outdated, unfashionable or irrelevant’. The thesis of this series has honestly run its course. Its story is banal, passe, and completely dysfunctional. In addition, it is further encumbered by suspect editing. It tried to encompass yesterday’s actions into current scenes; it did not work. That has to be done with flawless integrity to make the story flow with integrity. When one has a hard time figuring out what time frame one is in, that is a serious deficiency. When you do not have a smooth transition to a story, you literally have no story. The interest wanes and it begins to look like a manipulative tool rather than an explanative function of the happenings. I frankly got lost because I became disinterested. The jumping of the story is erratic and very confusing.You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.
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FourEver Bad!
Honestly, is it not time for a revolt against BL series wasting time on drivel? This is one of the most mindless, childish, dumb, cliché-driven, and trope-filled stories I have ever seen. In addition to being one of the more rancidly acted series, mainly because it exposed an incapacity to display the protagonists (as well as other major characters) adroit at growing, thriving, maturing, or even becoming an adult let alone being able to face any type of trauma or drama without completely falling apart or reverting to child-like behaviors. Most acted emotionally as if they were somewhere between 5-to-15-year-olds in bodies that are supposed to be young men. And do not get me started on how infantile, pre-pubescent and frankly non-existent they treated the whole concept of gay relationships.Was this review helpful to you?
My Destiny - Indeed It Is!
I loved this adaptation of virtually the same premise of the Thai story completed last year, which I disliked with enmity. The current version has so much more richness, depth, and dimension to it than the presentation from last year. It is an exceptionally good remake. Normally, I detest remakes as they are either unoriginal copies or perhaps only use the title for a completely new story. While keeping the basics, this version made the story so much more tenable and relatable. More importantly, it did not try and ‘fake’ us into thinking it was one thing but only to twist it into another, like the original Thai did. Yet this rendition did present just enough of a metaphysical twist to make me believe there could be indeed a parallel universe. Or, at the very least, believe in the possibility that one exists. Why perhaps I did not make this a higher rating is because the kissing, especially at the end, slipped into the usual Japanese mode of a dead-fish kiss. While not as bad as some Japanese BLs, it was still pathetic. Look, you had such a great passionate series, and you could not put the finishing touches on this series by making their kisses, particularly at the end, ones of passion and sensuousness. Shame and disappointment.Was this review helpful to you?
The Likay dance portion: Great; BL portion: Poor
Here again is another BL that I desperately wanted to like. And oh, did it have some fine moments in it. While I do not know if the performers were master crafters, they made it look professional and very accomplished. For that, the production ought to be commended along with all the performers. I am sure it took many, many hours of practice to display the nuances and subtleties of the dances and movements and I for one am deeply appreciative of those efforts. So, the story around the Likay dance was exceptional. Unfortunately, the romance and drama around the protagonists, sorry to say, was a whole different story. It was unfortunately weak. It got tropey, cliché, and formulaic. Then it took a deeply dark turn that it did not need to take; as a main theme for one of the protagonists was already somber. As long as the story remained on course to the development of Likay, it made sense and was entertaining. You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.Was this review helpful to you?
The Series Begins Beautifully And Then Crashes....
The story flowed just so aptly, up to a point and then it – just crashed and burned to the ground. As a gay man and despite how it is marketed, it is a GAY story! We must demand more from production companies, directors, and ACTORS! Stop doing trickery. You took an astonishing brilliant premise and made a sham love story out of it because apparently the two actors were unwilling to represent they were in love with even a modicum of intimacy. I, for one, am tired of watching this over-and-over and making excuses for it. It is time for this to be called out for what it is. A ruse. This would have been an exceptionally good series, but it is again another insulting sham. And it has nothing to do with cultural sensitivities or norms. These are all conscious efforts to present half-stories to look whole, and I am tired of this trickery.Was this review helpful to you?
