3
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.Was this review helpful to you?
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.Was this review helpful to you?
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.Was this review helpful to you?
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.Was this review helpful to you?
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.Was this review helpful to you?
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.Was this review helpful to you?
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.Was this review helpful to you?
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.Was this review helpful to you?
Love by Chance Season 2: A Chance to Love
1 people found this review helpful
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’.Was this review helpful to you?
Mixed Bag
I am so ambivalent about this series. For me, it just does not rise to the top. Remember in the old days when you had to put a key in the ignition, and you would hear the grinding before the engine started? Well this series is that. It grinds but never quite turns over. It just grinds on and on. One keeps hoping for something to happen but it does not. It is a little too sleepy for me and there is so much wasted time on silly things. . It just is not enough to have ‘cute’ characters; they have to be relatable and so far, only a few of them are.Was this review helpful to you?
A Beautiful Love Story
A profound series. There are only 8 episodes, consisting of about 15 minutes each. It is amazing what great story telling can do in a short period of time. How could one not fall in love with this series? Its pace is swift, intense, and utterly believable. There are no wasted scenes here or fillers. Just raw drama and an intensity of feelings that develops. Also, the chemistry between these two (very handsome) actors is a thing of beauty. This is truly a must series and I hope people watch it. (There are not many of these from Korea, so enjoy!) Each episode has an aptly named title and you will get the message clearly. I very much want to see more of their story because in the end, love is really what matters no matter how you define it.Was this review helpful to you?
A Feel-Good Series
This is a lovely simple story of almost instant attraction leading to love. It is different from other Korean BL series (of which there are not many) in that there are no fatalistic or painful roadblocks to hinder the fruition of love. And they made it a part of the normal makeup of living. And the added addendum to making this series so good was that these two can actually SING. They are professional singers and it showed. Their singing and the songs in this series were quite good. If you want to review my complete review of this charming BL series, please go to ppbongi.medium.com. Feel free to comment. Thanks.Was this review helpful to you?
Soft, Sincere, Emotional
This really is an amazingly beautiful love story told softly, subtly, and with great understanding of male bonding. Not every relationship starts with a big bang but more like a slow burn and is almost metaphorically like cooking. All the ingredients must be there and prepared just right for the final outcome to be indelible. These guys are very good actors and conveyed a deep sense of commitment to their roles. This could have been fatalistic, but it does not go there and in fact feels hopeful. These guys are also stunningly handsome with such a boy next door charm about them. These are hard roles because they must carry the whole series since there are only very minor characters otherwise. You can read my full review of this nice series at ppbongi.medium.com.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Surprisingly Charming
This is actually a pretty good series. It was charming, sensitive, and had some very good characters in them. I loved the unusual story line about the married man and his companion. That was quite interesting and they made it plausible. It is a sweet love story that culminates in family acceptance as well. You can't get any better than that. Thanks for the English translation. I just love these off-the-wall series with no real big budget but great story lines. They were also not afraid to show some everyday scenarios between gay couples that I really liked (sneaking a peek of his friend naked body; the guy invading the shower space surprising him doing something creative). It is entertaining but could have done without the over-the-top male gay character in the story. A bit much. I also found using 'Fatty' to describe/call one of the female store clerks cringeworthy. This may be a translation issue but those terms are just not appropriate and should not be used. I have posted my complete review of this cute little BL on my (free) blog at ppbongi.medium.com if you are interested in reading it. Hope you enjoy!Was this review helpful to you?
Love Like On A Three-Wheeler
Summarily, this series intrigued me for its content and subject matter. There were several dynamic and powerful relevances going on all at once. Thus, this series tackled way too much with way too many for it to be efficacious. Its major significancy was deeply scarring and wounding. My issue with series that tackle such emotionally charged and psychologically damaging or traumatizing issues is that they never go far enough. Simply ‘glossing’ over the issues or only gingerly handling the sensitivity of the subject matter is really not doing it justice. And it tried too hard to take a cavalier and too lighthearted approach to three themes that are quite serious and daunting. So, I was not sure what it was trying to actually be. Each of these love sonnets could be a series and was a premise for a stand-alone story. For me as well, it was the secondary couple, in this case two others, that outshined the primary couple, yet again.Was this review helpful to you?
