3
Magnum Opus!
This is one of those rare journeys that comes along every so often that initially seems so straightforward but ends up becoming a transcendent traversal.This gently told paragon may be the best-written and best-acted BL of the year. The foundation begins rather mundane and, in a sense, ordinary. By its end, however, it may prompt you to reflect on your own life and think back to moments when you wished you had maybe disappeared or imagined being someone else who might have made you feel more understood and appreciated. What would happen if you really did disappear…. But in the process, you realize that what you had all along was exactly what you had been looking for and seeking? Is it now too late as the reality that one might drift into oblivion? It seeks to answer the question: What happens if what one impulsively wished for, actually came true? Yet not in the utopian sense one thought it would have.
This fantasy is a soft, gentle, deeply reflective, pensive, and introspective parable. Yet, it contains two of the most passionate love stories to come out in a long time, both with such genteel touches. Simply enjoy its themed message and ask yourself: What would happen if your essence suddenly disappeared, yet you remained? How would you sense having never existed yet here you are? It makes you think about this perhaps for your own epitaph.
Was this review helpful to you?
Love You Back
To be honest, this is one of the best BLs to come out of Thailand in a very, very long time. Not only is it entertaining from the beginning, it maintains its entertainment value throughout. The storyline is creative and novel, and I honestly looked forward to every episode because each was fresh and original. The story’s theme was not just saturated in love but decidedly rich in devotion, reverence, and fidelity to one another. It has been a long time since I have been wholly impressed with a Thai BL; this gave me hope that they can indeed get back to making quality series again. This is clearly a “must see” for everyone. Unquestionably, it should also be considered a nominee for Best BL of this year. The full devotion of its simple message to love, devotion, and dedication and the simple smart and entertaining way it delivered was astonishingly effective. It also shows the importance of recognizing the role of mental health in the development of healing our bodies. I might suggest in the future that the series not be afraid to ‘label’ the conditions that are being expressed, rather than merely painting a visual picture. It is “okay” for us to deal with real conditions that hinder us from moving forward in living and let those who love us and our communities support us in our efforts to improve. We must no longer feel ashamed or afraid or embarrassed. We are who we are. This is a BL series that will stick with you for a long time.Was this review helpful to you?
Deeply Contrasting
Frankly, I was surprised as to how deep this joint coming of age and coming out story was. It is certainly layered and complex. This had heart and soul and focused on the two main protagonists not just in the here and now but also on their intrinsic struggles that made them who they were. It was a unique approach to the rather typical superficial high school story. This narrative journeys the forming of a relationship between two high school young men in a society where their connection is neither respected nor valued. As sad as the story seems, it is detailed so poetically beautifully that it becomes mesmerizing to watch the two of them only see the beauty in where they are going. By the end, they have accepted each other for who they are and can now love. Their romance just now begins.Was this review helpful to you?
Never Forget This Story
I found the story’s premise irresistible. It had me hooked from the beginning. Usually, amnesia plots are a sign of weak plot development and thus ripe for confusion and boredom. However, this one was intriguing and held my attention. Why? Because everything about it was so unexpected, including how interesting the characters turned out to be. Additionally, the acting of the protagonists was tight and quite believable. Because they did not display the usual characteristics of individuals in the positions that were supposedly representing, that is what made it so fascinating for me. These two gave new meaning to being in a life-long commitment to one another. I loved the strength and symmetry of their love story. This is a very, very good BL.Was this review helpful to you?
An allegorical love story in a didactic fable format
I simply adored this series! It is so allegorical and deeply intriguing. All the characters are emblematic. This is a thoughtful and insightful delve into an intense psychodrama. Do not get sidetracked by the ornaments and trimmings around the superfluousness of its mundane filming technique. They are distractions. Its aim is simply trying to answer the proverbial expression: Can love conquer all? Unquestionably and brilliantly, I might add, this sequence displays that answer. Perhaps darkly and broodingly and in a quirky fashion, but romantically at the end, if you keep an open mind to the journey. This is an astonishingly disturbing and psychologically distressful as well as a painfully real portrayal of the reality of two men who are both aberrant. This is not a BL obviously but a story of love, certainly not in a traditional sense but nonetheless just as real. Their romance was displayed in a different format. Unconventional for sure but a love that is deeper than any of the loves that are portrayed in the so-called world of BL. For this one dealt with painful realities, psychological traumas, and a love based SOLELY on accepting the other for who and what they are. Is that not the truest form of love? So many missed this beautiful point. It is the strongest form of love between two men I have seen. So many missed the point.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the Better BLs; It's Sincere!
If you are expecting Hosannas to be singing from the heavens and trumpets to be blaring over a thunderous love story, you will be utterly disappointed. Likes its predecessor, this series remains serene yet is one of the warmest and most genuine BLs to come out of Japan in a long time. Its sincerity in creating a narrative of authentic love that simply grows stronger by the day is actually unprecedented. What is sad is that the protagonists are unable to rejoice in their love in any type of normal fashion because of the culture and society. While the story remains a happy one; its ability to be seen is overshadowed by taboos and social constraints which diminish its beauty without reducing its intensity. You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.Was this review helpful to you?
A Masterclass in Artistry, Acting, & Aesthetics
It is also a study in human ugliness. It is a story of how like-minded individuals, a hive mind if you will, (you will understand the reference) are all pawns to their worst instincts. In other words. The protagonists are the antagonists as well. Each has succumbed to their lowest common dominator which ironically is at the core of what made them successful. Is this counterintuitive? Oxymoronic? Yes, to both. This series is a masterclass in artistry, acting, and aesthetics. It is also a study in human ugliness. It is a story of how like-minded individuals, a hive mind if you will, (you will understand the reference) are all pawns to their worst instincts. In other words. The protagonists are the antagonists as well. Each has succumbed to their lowest common dominator which ironically is at the core of what made them successful. Is this counterintuitive? Oxymoronic? Yes, to both. These protagonists died emotionally a long time ago. They are only existing in the realm of trying to connect to one another simply to survive and get ahead. All three stopped living a long time ago. There is such emotional realism with moments of tenderness that you knew were not genuine. All of them were so broken they were incapable of feeling anything even close to concepts called compassion or sincerity and therefore love. This is not a BL; it does not even come close to any definition of love. Kudos for making, producing, and acting in this one-of-a-kind dynamic series. One of my early choices for best series for 2026.Was this review helpful to you?
