TOXIC!
This is one of those BLs where you will have quite a difference of opinions. Frankly, I am a bit surprised that anyone found this series even remotely entertaining, to any extent an affectionate BL story, or even well-acted. It actually sickened me to watch this series as a gay person to see so much toxicity detailed under the guise of love. And apparently audiences fell under its spell because it is presented so prudently.I do not want to spend too much time on the toxicity of this series especially for those of you that have seen this and still see it some sort of ‘love story’. Even if I numerically listed the breadth of examples, you will still not see its harmfulness. And that saddens me. For those of you who have not seen this series, then look out for them with an open mind; they are glaring and obvious and disgusting and you cannot sugar-coat their effects. Hopefully, you will see them.
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What's cooking? In this series, Nothing
This story is your standard Thai rom-com droll series, treating gay relationships like infantile, immature, puppy-love versions of Pollyanna tales. Not that it is not cute; it is. Not that it is not entertaining; some of it is. Not that it does not have good messages and themes; it does. But it is tedious, boring, and unchallenging with not a shred of originality to the story or plot, although the food looked awesome. And the actors all (save one) could have done this series sleepwalking. In other words, it is standard stuff, cliché-driven, with lots and lots of triteness thrown in for good measure. This series gives new meaning to the term ‘light-fluff’. Again, there is no point summarizing the story. Take parts from a slew of Thai BLs and you got it. Their love story weaves and bobs through many what seem like endless banal episodes. Both acting as if they are in grade school rather than in college. The acting in this series by the main performers is standard. It is cute and some parts of it were entertaining, and they delivered their lines well. In terms of intensity of a relationship, there just was not any.You can read the rest of my review of this series at BLBliss.com.
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This is a phenomenal story told tenderly and enchantingly
This is a simple basic story of love. Stated with great care with a complete understanding of the characters. And proves that even in a repressed society filled with rules, protocols, and defined traditions, you can still flourish love. And define clearly what that love is and subsequently earn a place in perhaps your own peaceful, loving world. This story is a remarkable, unpretentious tale of love between two rather sequestered men who know exactly what is happening to each other and in the end, summon just enough gritty determination to overcome the societal shackles of ‘acceptable’ behavior. Just remarkable in its softness and beauty.Was this review helpful to you?
Sound Message with An Awful Story
Just because the story was awful does not equate it with bad acting. It was a very sell acted and tight production. What was awful about it was its justification of emotional abuse to get its point across. This was one of the most abusive stories I have ever witnessed. Sure, you can euphemistically claim it was for their 'own good'. This is the reasoning for abuse and the excuse for using it. Worse yet, is the abusers think they deserve this. This was a hard series to watch and I wanted to dropped it several times but stuck with it because of its quintessence.See my full review of this series at BLBliss.com
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Refreshingly Different and Adult
This is an adult story not necessarily based on romantic notions. It is not ashamed of what it is. It is a love story that is sad yet hopeful at the end. This is a profoundly moving story shown through lustful eyes but with a realism that is so pensive. There are some profound enigmas in this story that leaves you with a sense of wonderment as to the depth of love one can have for another. There is such a wonderful blend of Italian food and music into this Japanese movie that is breathtakingly moving. But please be aware, it is not hide its sexuality.Was this review helpful to you?
Pit Fall
This series is full of lust and desire, but truth and honesty, not so much. I have seen my fair share of bad BLs, but this one stands out for having no scruples. None overall and none with any of the characters. In addition to one of the most idiotic and obtuse plots I have ever come across. In a nutshell, a completely unrealistic storyline with sinister characters and a lot of spurious acting as well. The screenplay is simply awful in this series. Most of these characters are caricatures and they come across that way. It is overblown with self-indulgent personalities, a poor script, mediocre acting, absolutely exasperating main characters with me absolutely loathing with a passion the entire characterization and approach of Charlie, a storyline that is sick and demented, but great very rehearsed love-making scenes. Absolutely none of this worked of me.Was this review helpful to you?
We Aren't
Overall, this is not a good series. It is simply too long. It droned on and on for no reason with the same old storylines. This story is cute. Certainly not deep. Entertaining for sure. Fluffy and sweet. Predicable and boring a lot of the time. There are way too many pairings of relationships and way too much idealism shown. What it did do right and what it should have concentrated on was the camaraderie of the group of friends. It is rare to have such a solid group of friends who know they are in the last throws of all of them being together before life has other plans for them. It could have been a much better story if it reflected more on the dynamics of friendships among friends. That would have been a good story instead of the contrived ‘love pairings’ that they thought we needed to see. There was a lot of great screen chemistry between the actors.You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.
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Trite, Tropey, Cliché-ridden
What can you say about another trite, tropey, cliché-ridden Thai series centering around a cooking theme that has not already been said? The story could have been an interesting one as it certainly did start out on an entertaining note. This series was disappointing. It could have been good but instead went down the usual path without any risk to storytelling to play it safe. I suppose many will find this enjoyable; I did not. The story moves too rapidly and unnecessarily bitterly to make any real sense; hardly any believable romance; a tease to a relationship that I would love to have seen extensively developed; and only spurious time for a character that deserved his own story as his conflict with himself as to what he wanted to do with his life and how to extradite himself from his controlling mother is worthy of a story. He was relatable at least.Was this review helpful to you?
Disappointingly bad
To be truthful, it is one of the worst BL series I have ever seen. Disastrous screenplay that made no sense. Bad acting. No chemistry. Disjointed story. In other words, just plain awful. It went around using the same trope, cliché-filled lines, and themes that I literally got bored out of my mind. This series was disappointingly bad, incoherent, insulting to its audience, loveless, and one of the least romantic BLs in a long time. Yet it also had a figure who was genuinely repentive of what he did, constantly tried to make up for his errors and mistakes, yet, still seemed to be projected as a villain. You have a rich rather indecisive individual who is gay and will never meet his father’s expectations yet still too timid to stand up to him (or his family) with any kind of real fortitude and a partner who quick-tempered, impulsive, and righteous and rather judgmental before knowing all the facts, and, in my opinion, might be prone to having a drinking problem. A cautious tale indeed.Was this review helpful to you?
Mesmerizing
Honestly, I was mesmerized by this short series. It captivated me from the beginning. Perhaps it was the way it was portrayed. In a real sense, there is a very sad augury about these characters that hangs over them like a shroud. Yet, an opening for a hopeful ending is bestowed if the task can be completed.If you take it simply as a cute fairytale of love, it really does work. What one must keep in mind is that this series is never meant to be in-depth.
If you want to read my full review of this interesting BL, please do so by going to BLBliss.com.
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A Good Ending
This series in my opinion has been mischaracterized. It is no more than what you see. It is contrived in parts and perhaps the story is a bit implausible, but it has character and a rather profound message. What appears to be a one night stand is not. Sure, the characters are flawed and the outcome is no shock. But to pretend that it is a one night stand is simply wrong. I know the ending got a lot of criticism but not from me. I thought the ending was creative and somehow fit the character of this short series. I liked the ending a lot and for me it seemed, well , a natural outcome.To read my full review, please go to BLBliss.com. Thanks.
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Magically Beautiful!
I surprised myself on how much I loved this story. (This series is also known as COME TO ME). It is way more complex than it first appears. It starts out as perhaps just another ‘ghost’ story, but it twists and turns into this beautiful and magical tale of friendship, love, trust but ultimate corruption and death. There are so many twists and turns to this series that I simply did not know how it was going to end. It is a story of friendships, of beautiful commitments to each other, to the realization of love, and to growing up and facing death. While this is a BL series (and it is), it is so much more than that. It is a beautiful tale of friendships, companionships, unrequited love, and real love. There is not a lot of overt romance but the subtleties of it are throughout this series. My full review of this beautifully acted and beautifully revealed series can be read at ppbongi.medium.com. Enjoy this series!Was this review helpful to you?
Think Back to When You Were Young.....
I am reticent to call them BL but they do involve the blossoming of very young feelings of romance between juvenile boys. I am not sure what the reason for their production except for simply giving these young actors an opportunity to hone in on their acting talents. They are simple stories of bromances, or maybe simple connections of friendship between boys, or even ‘puppy love’. There is nothing elaborate here nor is there is there any deep hidden meanings. It is just what happens sometimes with young boys when they realize that they may be ‘different’ or they now think differently about some of their friends or guys in their age group.Sure, these small vignettes are not very long and are not particularly well acted (they tended to be very wooden) and do look more like a training rehearsal for more roles for them, but that is not what made these stories very entertaining and effective. While they are raw, there are some spurts of genuine emotions able to break through and shine in each of them. They are soooooo young and I can imagine that roles like this would make them perhaps uncomfortable. However, they did a pretty good job of showing that in subtle ways they are attracted to another guy. We know it is ‘puppy love’. The production value of these tiny snippets is surprisingly good and so is the camera work. If you like, you can read my full review of this charming series at ppbongi.medium.com.
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Never Quite Got There
Overall, this series was a 'tease'. It could have been great but it never quite got there for me.. Thank goodness for the 5th episode otherwise, I would have been left hanging. There is an obvious intense relationship going on but when it really matters, it falls flat. Don't be afraid. Let us see some intensity in the relationship without necessarily going off the cliff. I know this series is short but things can be done without saying anything. Just a little more would have been so much more satisfying.Was this review helpful to you?
NOT a Dating Series
Contrary to popular opinion, this is NOT a gay dating show. It is a 'reality' show that allows individuals to explore feelings for others. It was established to see if two people after exploring and getting to know one another could date, especially away from the limelight and lure of the cameras. I think it was a stunningly creative and beautiful concept that permitted guys to see others and check out compatibilities. Then date - away from the limelight and into reality. There was no 'rose' here; only a chance for one.It took courage to expose yourself and to show the world that you are gay and proud, especially in a country that sees you differently. For that they deserve kudos.
But remember, this is a 'reality' show full of rules, regulations, and contrived situations that in essence is not real. Therefore, the chances of successful relationships developing are slim to none. That does not take away from its impact nor beauty. It was a breath of fresh air for the whole world to see that gay men, like their straight counterparts, act, do, feel, behave, and pain all in the same way.
But remember, always take these kinds of 'reality' shows with a 'grain of salt'. Life when the cameras are turned off is actually the real world.
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