Worth Watching for the Kissing!
This is best described as an anecdote BL. For me it was a bit cryptic and hard to follow. The screenplay might have made sense in Korean. Maybe it was due to translation issues or merely not understanding Korean culture very well, but I did not understand the nuances of the plot. The overall story, however, is a familiar, tried and true, standard one. Tropey. Cliché. Stereotypical. Parts of it did intrigue me and I kind of liked it, despite not fully grasping where it wanted to go. The connection between the two protagonists is surprisingly strong, more so in the beginning. I give them props also for not making this series too polished. It does show the grittier side of Korean society and the not-so-easy aspect of living the life of an aspiring idol trainee. What was really done exceptionally well in this part of the series was the kissing. There was a warmth and a sincerity to those scenes that felt organic and unpretentious and very, very genuine. It was quite refreshing to see kissing, especially in Korean Bls (honestly in all BLs as of late), to be so authentic and straightforward. No silhouettes, stuffed animals, or pillows to hide behind and the shots were clear and close-up. It felt real and surprisingly unrehearsed.Was this review helpful to you?
Silly and Unnecessary
This diminishes and takes away from the story. Perhaps it is just me, but I found the narrative with the spin-off to be a bit too contrived and unnecessary. It slips the story back into banality. It is completely unnecessary. This series is a remarkable study of the character development of two rather asymmetrical individuals who needed each other, found each other, and for lack of a better term and become the epitome redefining the term, soulmates, a term I truly detest using. What is further astonishing is no one else sees it except one – at the end in the spin-off. And all this did was took away from the story; not add to it. Do not bother to watch this. It is unnecessary and takes away from the impact of the story iteself.Was this review helpful to you?
Standard Stuff
This series is a dichotomous BL, bordering on being oxymoronic. Sometimes brilliant then slipping into utter banality. Occasionally poignant but mostly filled with mundane trite tediousness. Sporadic displays of serious adult behaviors but mostly overshadowed with adolescent/pubescence behavioral patterns acting like petulant teenage children instead of adults in a serious sexual relationship. Occasional storylines eliciting tears and then in the next dialogue nothing but endless dribble of clichés and platitudes. In other words, not generally reflecting real life but an idealized sanitized world peppered with a whisper of reality and an occasional homage to authenticity. The best word to describe this series is: puffery. I simply had a hard time relating to this story.You can read my full review of this pretty standard BL at BLBliss.com.
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A Series That Spins Its Wheels
This series looks and feels good, superficially. It had all the earmarks of being a very good story but fell so flat as the story progressed. It seemed to lack an ending that wanted to make a definitive statement; so, it chose to go cute. The series is just too short to develop any meaningful characters, which is a serious problem. It tried to be light fluff with a serious matter which I wish they would have treated with solemnity. Also, quit treating gayness with kit gloves. If you are going to show two men trying to be in love, give us something that shows that. It languished so much.Was this review helpful to you?
A Trilogy Masterpiece
If you had asked me way back when if I would have given this whole trilogy a thumbs-up, I would not have. I dislike intensely exploitive and abusive-themed series, especially gay ones, for entertainment purposes, but this one was so beautifully choreographed and focused. It is a love story defined by them, experienced by them, and simply words are inadequate to identify their relationship. I do not know how to describe their relationship beyond inadequate words like fervent, inseparable, and unending. Their ‘red string’ to borrow a concept is tied inexorably between them. If there is a connection greater than ‘soulmates’ these two share that. This, along with the other two, are masterpieces of artistry and cinematic storytelling.Was this review helpful to you?
Immature and Silly With No Plot
Honestly, I do not think this series was deliberately trying to make itself look bad, but it sure ended up summarily looking that way. There seems to be a whole host of reasons for this. A bad script. Unchallenging acting. Really bad editing. And a story that is so full of stereotypical, overused, trite behavioral patterns that all it seemingly did was repeat itself over and over again. The characters never grew. Never matured. And the plot simply went from one silly scenario to another. Sadly, this series played everything ‘safe’ and therefore went nowhere. The same silly plot and triteness spun around and around.Was this review helpful to you?
Despite the production issues, this one has heart!
I can feel my ears burning now because I liked this series. Why, you might ask, as this series has been panned? Because it had character and guts. Sure, I know what is wrong with this series. It has production issues galore. This was obviously done on a shoe-string budget. It screamed for more rehearsals and an acting coach to guide these young actors/actresses into drawing out more from them than superficialities. When I look at a series like this, I am hoping something captures me to want to make me finish it and the story did just that. It is a good rather solid story. They have heart; they needed direction.Was this review helpful to you?
Beautiful in its simplicity
This mini-movie I know appears to be more like an ‘after-school’ project and perhaps held together with chewing gum and glue. This is never going to win any awards nor be on any top 10 list. However, it did do something for me that so many BLs, especially Thai, do not do for me anymore. And that is, it made me smile. Made my eyes tear up. It also made me reflect. Further, it made me see how so, so many everyday ordinary gay relationships begin. This gem captured the heart and soul of a humanity that is not often portrayed. A humanity of individuals whose beauty lies within, not without, whose goodness is inherent, not extrinsic, and whose fortitude is who they are, not guess at. It is a story of genuineness and strength of character. It is a story of life. And most importantly, it is a simple basic story of love. This is just plain fun and gives us the bright side of humanity and shows us the limitless purity of unconditional love.Was this review helpful to you?
The story captured me from the beginning
This BL series has gotten some bad reviews. I thought it was brilliant. Its message was perhaps lost in the way the story unfolded. That is too bad because its message and meaning is quite significant. For sure, this story twists and turns in sometimes strange ways and does not smoothly transition from beginning to end. But if you understand the intent behind it, it is quite an impactful and moving story. Remember, this is yet another never-ending Thai BL about high school boys. But with this one, I took the time to see it from the perspective of a Thai teenage boy. And guess what? It is messy, uneven, illogical, immature, and chaotic. Just like a teenage boy IS. This was one of the few times that I thought these endless school BLs finally captured the essence of a teenage boy. Silly, impressionable, vulnerable, passionately committed, searching for truth, making mistakes, failing, and falling deeply and hard in love. Have we forgotten?Was this review helpful to you?
Full of moral character and direction
This BL series tackled a usually taboo subject and that was a May-December relationship. And it handled it with distinction and moral fiber. Not once was there any impropriety and while the temptations were there, the adult did not give in. So many people misunderstood his decision making as indecisive but I completely disagree. Minato always weighted the consequences of his actions against the effects on the other person. I found that refreshing and showed he was moral and upstanding. A good story filled with ethical behaviors. It also has a cast of characters who are quite quirky and I found them to be very entertaining.Was this review helpful to you?
It Fills You With A Sense of Warmth
This is not an earthshattering BL series but there is just enough cuteness and warmth in it to make you feel good. Like a blanket on a cold winter's night. The story, despite the logical holes, is told well and the acting is surprisingly good. Look, I know it is a fantasy, but some logic has to be applied and a more realistic reaction to what is happening should be part of the story as well. Too much of that was glossed over. None of that, however, negates the entertainment of this series. Honestly, who would not want their childhood dog or cat pets come back looking like these guys? It is just a fun series to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
A Very Adult Series
This series is an adult-oriented story so if you are easily offended, perhaps this is not the series for you. It is a romp through a deep dark secret fantasy with feelings ranging from revulsion to secretive salaciousness. It is a forthright LGBTQ series tackling forbidden subject matters. I think with a bit more tightness to the script, less theatrics, and a more honest portrayal of the real story here, this series could have gone down in the annals as a pivotal series of seeing human sexuality, desires, and fantasies in a whole new light. It is a great series that just falls short of being superb.Read my full review of this amazing series at BLBliss.com.
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Greater than a 10! Kudos!
This is an exceptional and phenomenal series that is not only riveting, but thought provoking, sensitive, and portrays the life of someone on the Autistic Spectrum with precision. Having worked in this field for decades, I was impressed with its accuracy. The story telling is unique and beautifully told. The characters are so noteworthy but in every sense of the word, absolutely relatable. This is must-see viewing Each story can stand on its own yet they are all a part of an entire picture. The warmth and growth each character displays, albeit on their own individual terms, is a thing of beauty to watch. You honestly care about these individuals and you want them to be themselves and accept the faults and short-comings of each other. That really is their story. This series is a masterclass in showing what humans really are. Flawed. Imperfect. Weak. Yet, capable of caring and loving each other on so many different levels despite the shortcomings. Kudos for a near perfect series.Was this review helpful to you?
Cute story That Derails Itself
It is an enchanting story between two young students. Both guys are so adorable and cute and exude such charm on the screen that they could probably just recite a telephone book and I would watch them. But the story itself takes strange twists that are just not realistic or believable. But then it goes south for me very fast. I simply have a hard time at one point in the story where physical abuse is used to convey anger and frustration. While I understood the anger, I did not and will not accept that as a reason to resort to hitting to convey one's level of hurt feelings. It seemed incongruous and unnecessary and degraded the story. It is a beautiful love story to be ruined by physical abuse? I understand anger issues and even hurt feelings but to resort to hitting just seems so wrong to me and sends a bad and unhealthy message. . I loved the two main actors and the first part of the story. Just make the story about their relationship. It does not have to be complicated and you do not have to cheapen it by abuse in any form.Was this review helpful to you?
Stunning Series
This is a most endearing series that is NOT BL in the classic sense of the word. It is an 8-episode series about friendship. What makes this story so unique is that all the characters are named Tee or have Tee in their names. The writing and directing for the most part are pretty solid. It has spots of humor but mostly concentrates on the pathos. There is no romance in this series but their is intense friendship and it is a solid gem of very, very good acting. This is very different for all of these actors and they get to take their acting abilities to a new level. I for one appreciated it deeply.Was this review helpful to you?
