PPBongi

A Different Twist to a BL Story

I liked this movie. Normally, I detest occult and ghost stories but this one brought me into it. Mainly because of the excellent acting by the main characters. They were not easy roles because they required a lot of internal intensity to portray. It is filled with a lot of quixotic characters in bizarre settings but it worked. The chemistry and connection between the main characters is so evident. They are physical yet no physicality is involved. They are emotional without emotional attachments. They are individuals but function like an entity. Intriguing? Absolutely. But this is not for everyone. If you are looking for a love connection, move on. It's not here. Or is it?
You can read my full review at BLBLISS.com.

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One of the Best for 21

This is an astonishingly good BL series that is way too quick for its own good. It simply moved to fast to process its complete story. I wanted more. This is one of the best acted series of 2021 and no doubt THE best BL series from Thailand so far this year. It is, frankly, outstanding. Its caption at the end says that “this series is a dramatization inspired by actual events.” While it is not shocking (since I live in the Los Angeles area and know people in Hollywood and have heard similar stories personally), it was surprising that such a production was made. Kudos and applause for doing this and for exposing the underbelly of what happens in the film industry no matter what county it is produced in.
You can read my full review of this series at BLBliss.com.

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Adorable

The issue with this series is NOT acting but the story line. Stepbrother relationships have been done ad nauseum. There are just so many ways to present stepbrothers falling in love. This one does have some unique approaches to it, and the story between the mother and father is a first and different, so there is just enough here to make it entertaining and fun to watch The two main actors are so adorable and cute and really can act. They honestly made this series flow nicely. However, it needed more depth to character development and it certainly needed more attention to some serious traumatic issues that arise. But it you want to watch pure adolescents' "love" unfold, this is the one for you. You can read my full review of this cute BL series at BLBliss.com.

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Near Perfection

I loved this movie as it presented the love between two men in a very realistic manner given the societal and cultural norms we have to live under (even here in the so-called free state of the USA). There is a message of hope here and this stories and others like this one plant the seed of change in more closed societies. (I live in California which is way more progressive that other parts of the USA).

It is a continuation of Present Perfect but with a mature and more definitive approach to life and what constitutes a family. This is not your typical BL series and is quite a journey into what (gay) love is all about. It shows clearly that love is the determinant.

The acting is superb and the story is organic and literally is in the moment (present).

My full review of this great movie is at BLBliss.com. Leave comments if you like.

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Yawn

I am so sorry to sum this series up this way, but it just did not capture my imagination as much as I thought it would. It seemed so enticing in the beginning but then it got twisted in its own story plot and for me, predicable. Let us establish up front that the leading men are some of the handsomest men on the planet and have such good chemistry together, but it is not an overly romantic tale. In fact, the romance is rather anecdotal (until the end). The storyline is rather complicated, and it is so belabored in detail that you have to see it to believe it. It felt too much like a cop ‘soap opera’ which I know of course it is. I would, however, still recommend this as it has some delicious plot twists and some evil people and some very handsome men.

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Bleary, Ill-defined, and Sadly, a Mess

I am utterly disappointed and devastated by this promising BL series, that never materialized at least not for the main couple. I loved the original MY BROMANCE as it was done in 2014 just at the beginning of these BL stories burgeoning. That was brilliantly acted, brilliantly produced, and brilliantly told. But something happened that made this particular story fall flat. This series simply was a hot mess that meandered with so many different male couples, that I frankly was getting lost. All of them being dealt with sometimes superficially and sometimes with a little bit more thought but none of them effectively. So upsetting to me as I am a huge fan of Natouch Siripongthon (Fluke). This is a total miss. If you want to read my full review of this series, you can do so at ppbongi.medium.com.

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Brilliant, Moving, and Full of Pain

This is a phenomenally good BL series that touches the human connection in a way I was not expecting. The series starts out very much as a ‘cops and robbers’ scenario but turns way more intense and personal . This love story is secondary to the development of the main characters forming a bond based on honesty, trust, and basically doing the right thing. It is essentially based on higher ideals and goals not just for life but for their love. It is truly a beautiful story. This is a great story, solidly written and beautifully acted. All the supporting roles are so good and add both to the flow of this series and to its content of making it more of a human story that a love story. It is filled with emotions, painful past memories, and a plethora of unsavory aspects of what makes us human. The beauty of it was that it did not define them, merely explained them. You can read my full review of this very interesting HIStory series at ppbongi.medium.com.

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Fun and Entertaining but Shallow

This story is just plain fun and entertaining. It is likeable, perhaps not very deep in emotional impact but a very good story. There is incredibly good eye candy here for all those guys are so cute and adorable and look pretty good in their volleyball shorts. (Hey, listen, I am still not dead yet). The major drawback to this story is the lack of character development of the major players. I get tired and annoyed when only the last few minutes in the series does one of them succumbs to his own feelings for the other while they rest of us have known how he felt from early on. I understand the need to focus on volleyball but seriously, not focusing on other things seems like a waste of getting a point across. That is what makes this story so shallow. It wasted so much time when more character development could have occurred where we might have cared more for them.

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Profoundly Thoughtful

This is a very interesting story of soul displacement that is full of irony and deep reflection. When you switch bodies you find out what it is like to be another person in reality. you discover that its aspects are both good and bad and you have to learn to cope in society in a whole new realm. You also find out a lot about other people. And in that process of learning, you may have discovered that you were not as nice as you thought you were. Even harder, you discovered that hidden feelings never surface when you do not want them to surface. Can you make the supreme sacrifice for the happiness of the one you love knowing you were really not the one he loved? Will you put his happiness about yours? Profoundly challenging and a sacrifice that only a real hero would make.

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Cute, Pleasant, but Full of Indecisiveness

Much like ‘ 2 Moons’, this is not some in-depth character study. On the contrary, it is an ordinary and mundane story about 3 couples. For some weird reason, it is the same story as '2 Moons' but from slightly different perspectives and not using the same actors. So if you liked '2 Moons' you might be drawn to this. What bothered me about this series is the characterizations of supporting roles. All too often they are treated as ‘throwaway’ characters but that is unfair and painful to watch. As a proud older gay man, I get weary of effeminate, campy over the top gays as superficial characters who have no feelings. They do. And I especially dislike heavy set one being called derogatory terms like Fatty or Hippo even by their same community. We are better than that. This has nothing to do with culture or country but it has everything to do with humanity and acceptance. Let's do better.

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Cute, Adorable, and Sweet

If you want sugar, watch this series. (However, you just might go into a diabetic coma). If you want something deep, this ain’t it. It is a simple story of unfulfilled love told in an adorable way. There are no deep holes in this story nor real pitfalls of emotions. It is like a freight train moving slowly towards its destination with an occasional slow-down because of congestion. I really liked the story, although I should not have. Seriously, it is not that interesting or creative but in a weird way it works. I can tell you that what makes this work is only one reason (for me). That is the adorableness, and cuteness of its main character. He is utterly and totally charming, and you simply can not keep your eyes off him. He captures the screen like no one else can. He does not even need to speak to know what he is saying. I have not seen screen presence so captivating in a long, long time. I am talking about Suradej Pinniwat (Bas) who plays Wayo. I could simply watch him breathe on screen for hours and be captivated by him. My full review of this series is at my free blog site at ppbongi.medium,com.

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Forgiveness and Redemption

While technically not a BL series in the classic sense of the word (this story revolves around an older gay married couple), it is one of the best versions of what BL should be about. It is quiet, reflective, soulful and profound. It is a work of art and beauty. This is by far one of the most beautiful series I have ever seen in terms of message and storytelling. It is such a good story of redemption and a kindling of change. It is bittersweet but never melodramatic or melancholy. It is soulful and reflective and in essence life-affirming. The screenplay is brilliant. The acting is top-notch by everyone including the minor characters. . It is a beautiful human story that I think is truer to life than we might imagine. This is as close to a superb series that you can get. It is a tearjerker but never melancholic. My full review of this excellent series is at ppbongi.medium.com. Check it out.

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No Real Growth or Development

This series is also known as “A CHANCE TO LOVE.” (It is all so confusing but apparently it is supposed to be a stand-alone series). This series is just a hot mess for me. Maybe I needed to watch the other series to get the gist of this one but honestly as a stand-alone series, this fell flat. This series tried to do too much, and its screenplay was all over the place with no real sense of direction. I honestly did not understand the relationships or why they were even together. Very few of these characters are relatable or that you honestly care about them. Ironically, the only story that was dealt with in any kind of understanding was between Tul and Gonhin. That would have been a very good story because these actors did show emotion and commitment to their roles and had chemistry. Unfortunately, the rest seemed to be just ‘there’.

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