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Felt Manipulated and Empty
I am perhaps in a minority here. While I liked the series, I do not think it is great nor a masterpiece of any sorts. Sure, it is well-acted but the story itself was so convoluted and contrived. This series simply tried too hard to get us to like it. It certainly tugged at our heartstrings. It had all the right elements - children, poverty, bad-guys, redemption, guilt, and a stab at romance. And many, many people certainly liked this series. But it all felt so empty to me, and I felt manipulated. I know that is what stories are supposed to do but I wanted and needed to feel something - a strong connection, something relatable, an emotional link. I simply just did not get it. What bothered me the most was yet again a BL story refusing to consummate its relationship with any kind of romantic gesture (i.e. kiss). Dear God, when is this going to stop. If you love one (or even like someone a lot), a simple kiss on the lips is not a commitment to enteral love or even marriage, Kissing one's forehead is an insult to everyone who is in a real relationship.Was this review helpful to you?
Provocative, Fervent but Relatable, and Just Missed
This is a surprisingly effective series that is deeply rooted in the realms of movie making and BL specifically. The more light that is shed on who represents characters in movies, specifically in the BL genre, hopefully fans will gain a better appreciation not only of the work that is involved in the making of a movie but also understand the complexities of the underlying production to a movie. And a lot of it is ugly. I do think the story is a relevant one to tell because it represents the ills that go on in this industry. It can be a brutal, impersonal, and cut-throat industry and make no mistake, it is an industry.And we also get to see that the ‘idols’ can be messed-up, insecure, vulnerable, and have many of the same problems that the rest of us have. Sure, I do think what was displayed in this series is a bit over-the-top and not necessarily representative of the industry as a whole. Living near and having friends in Hollywood and the entertainment industry, I do know some of these accounts are legitimate, but the nefarious deeds as presented are exceptionally rare.
Hidden in the production is a love story, because of happenstance and fortuity, is expressed indiscernibly, yet increasingly and steadily sensuously accentuated. Indeed, we have seen versions of this theme before. But this one felt intimate, genuine and honest. It also felt wonderfully unique as it created a world where they alone existed. And we got to see inside that world.
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Standard Cliche-Filled BL
Perhaps I am becoming so jaded by the similarities in Thai BL stories that I found this series to be yet another standard typical cliché-driven saga. Except that the protagonists, of whom there are many, were all drop-dead gorgeous and this time did not lack talent in singing and dancing, which made it more entertaining to watch. Again, like so many of these series, either I do not understand its aim, or I am in a glazed over state of mind that I just did not get the message. But perhaps I am projecting my own prejudices upon a culture that I do not fully understand. Admittedly, I am of a generation that does not regard the dynamics of the generational infantile and juvenile behaviors of the times as normal. However, I did finally get to comprehend and understand the deep encroachment that fans have on entertainers. It becomes clear why the term ‘fanatic’ is attached to the term ‘fan’.Was this review helpful to you?
Another Inane Infantile BL Except Good Love-Making!
Because I binged watched this series, I gained 5 unnecessary pounds from all its sweetness coming from its plot. This is one of the most saccharine-filled series I have ever watched. And of course, it employed every BL cliché, trope, and stereotypical hackneyed ploy scriptwriters could possibly think of utilizing. There was absolutely nothing original in this series, except in a few instances in which they really excelled in storytelling. However, that was not enough to even make this series fully entertaining. The plot was excruciating, and the script was jejune. These kinds of BLs are getting stale and tedious. Yet I hypothesize they will remain popular. For me, I see wasted talent and storylines. Sure, there are occasionally good subplots here, but they are few and far between. How about maturing the protagonists. Take out the fluff, even half of it. Added more angst and reality even a little to the storylines. Enrich the story and give it some gravitas. These BLs are likened to movies way back in the 50s – fantasy romances of rich idealized couples, wishing it were us. Only this is for straight people (I am guessing mostly females) who think this is how young gay men live. It is an idealized version of a gay world. (Oh, we might WANT to live like this, but it just ain’t so). Far, far from it. Not even close.Was this review helpful to you?
It Is What It Is! Nothing More! I LOVED it!
Frankly, I am astonished this series has gotten such poor to mediocre reviews. I loved it. I loved it for two reasons. First, it tells a full story, albeit short and sweet but to the point. Sure, its brevity is both a hinderance and an asset. I wish there would have been greater character development. Nonetheless, this mini-BL accomplished more in a short period of time than most droning on-and-on BLs characteristically do. It had a beginning, middle, and a fine end. Secondly, we saw flawed characters. These are not individuals who are straight from the trope play book. In some sense, they are not at all likeable individuals, yet they are so relatable to who we are as people. In other words, they are untruthful, blemished, and maybe disingenuous. Traits, I am afraid, we all share at one time or another in our lives.Was this review helpful to you?
Never Reached A Pinnacle; Awful Ending
This is a series that got so close to the mountain top but just fell short of reaching its summit. That is too bad as the story itself was original and creative and very likeable. But it all crumbled at its denouement. My own suspect was that they did not want to make it too gay for reasons that elude me. This series had so much potential. The relationship between the disabled and ‘normal’ worlds was captured with good accuracy. You had a protagonist that found his calling from this experience in wanting to devote his professional life to helping others. We see that individuals with a disability can and often do use their disability for the wrong reasons or use it as an excuse for inappropriate behavior. This series would have been an outstanding one if it had taken it to a greater intense level in which we were shown that an actual and genuine real love relationship could occur.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the Worst for 2023!
he series begins interestingly enough. Even with a worn-out theme of a withdrawn boy who has an unrequired love for his best friend, it was charming for a while. However, this series very quickly falls apart when it tries to get into the nitty-gritty of an actual story. The supposed Thai Mafia underworld was filled with laughable caricatures of epic comic proportions. They looked silly, acted silly, and frankly were silly. Sometimes over-the-top trying to look bad (while always coiffed impeccably) but never really able to shake the sanitized version of a what has to be seen as nothing more than an after school special. I continue to state, there must be at least a minimal standard for acceptable acting and for me that is the ability to cry when necessary. So, if you cannot cry you cannot act and all you are doing is performing. This is such an underwhelming series that I am astonished at how bad it really is. But it presents well. Its theatrics are perhaps intoxicating but this time, I am not buying into it. The screenplay is so second-rate. The acting is at best mediocre. The story itself is so lame that it looked like it picked ideas from other BLs and stuck them in and hoped it all worked.Was this review helpful to you?
Pretty to look at but Illogical
The universality of this series being praised as a ‘masterpiece’ or ‘the best so far’, makes me reticent to be critical of this series. As indeed, I had so looked forward with great anticipation to watching this series, thinking my reaction would be the same. I understand that it is a fantasy and I love fantasies, specifically time travel, as you have to suspect your beliefs and embrace your disbeliefs. And I could easily do that but not with this series. It left me feeling empty for some reason. I hate to admit this, but I felt nothing for the main couple whereas everyone else seemed to see their love destiny. All I saw was cute acting to deliberately set-up scenarios to pull at heartstrings, mostly at an agonizingly slow pace then filled in between with a density of immaturity defined by a constant sense of deference that made no sense. The only ones having the courage to fight that mindset were the ‘servants’ who were nothing more than slaves, and the women, who had the courage to stand up for themselves but paid a very heavy price for their convictions. The men, including our main characters, cowered, and are ‘waiting for destiny’ to save them.Was this review helpful to you?
So Much Fun!
This is a lakorn of Biblical proportions but honestly so much fun to watch. It has such family drama that soap operas fans will cherish and others will admire. Its love story is gentle but is the driving force for this entire series. It also has a deep, strong, and abiding connection between two brothers than can also not be broken. It is just fun to watch and before you know it, you are invested into what happens. And its message is clear and precise. Respect. Acceptance. And love.See my full review of this awesome series at BLBliss.com.
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There Is Really Nothing to Say About This Series
Even if I wanted to summarize this series, I could not as it is incomprehensible and ridiculous. It drifts some some sort of a BL to ending up being a series of jumbled random thoughts of someone's bad dream. This could never be labeled as a Spoiler as there simply no coherent story here at all. If you are looking for a romantic BL, move on. This ain't it. If you are seeking a story of one-dimensional, wooden, characters, then this is your story. There is no plat, no coherent story, and worse than all of that, no romance. Frankly I do not know what this series is. One this is for sure. You will need physical therapy after watching this because your mind and undoubtedly your body will be twisted in unnatural positions trying to figure out what their message and story is.Was this review helpful to you?
Soft but very endearing
There is something so endearing about this series. It is short, sweet, and entertaining. I think others are turned off by its non-dynamic story of love. It is simply not an in your face saga but one with a slow burn and a flash of inevitability about it. I like it a lot and lets face it, it has some of the most beautiful ensemble of men starring in it on the planet. That is really not the story but it certainly enhances it. The message at the end is composed of true friendship over a possible momentary lustful encounter.You can read my full review of this quiet soft-spoken BL series at BLBliss.com.
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Too Formulaic
It had such potential but ended up being so formulaic and boring. There are some good parts to it but it drags on endlessly, I do not think this is a spoiler but they tried to make out one of the main characters as an 'ugly duckling', Oh please! He could not be ugly even if you wrapped him in a burlap sack and rolled him in mud! Why do they have to take up endless episodes to develop relationships? There are so much more to stories. These actors are good; they just do not have the material to work with. If you want to read my complete review, go to BLBliss.com.Was this review helpful to you?
A Masterpiece
Soulful, emotional, and brilliant. This is absolutely one of the best BL series I have seen. It is an epic love story more than a BL series. The acting is perfection and captured the essence of each of their characters flawlessly. For me, this is a masterpiece and is a cinematic gem. The screenplay of this series is nothing short of brilliant. This series left me emotionally drained and in a real sense feeling heartbroken. This series presented characters that are flawed, victims of others AND themselves, but also willing to sacrifice. Getting to love and giving love is not always straightforward or a series of rom-com events. The way this series presented love was imaginative, real, and profoundly moving. If you want to read my full review of this brilliant series, please go to my free blog site at ppbongi.medium.com.Was this review helpful to you?
Does More Harm Than Good
This series attraction simply confounds me, honestly. To be sure, the acting is not the issue. But we have seen good acting before in mediocre series without any sort of recognition. Yet, this series seems to be inordinately ‘liked’ which to me makes absolutely no sense. Let me try and explain in reasons that both summarize the story as well as exhibit its massive flaws in the series overall – both in terms of its script and message. Let me emphasize that I have nothing against the acting, per se. It is satisfying but with no one really rising to the top to claim any accolade for outstanding performance. It all seemed rather predictable and pedestrian. You can read my full review of this BL, which for me does more harm than good, at BLBliss.com. It is filled with toxicity, abuse, and exploitation, and I find none of that 'loving'.Was this review helpful to you?
Cute but Toxic and Abusive!
Honestly, you have to suspend this series’ entertainment value from any sort of connection to reality because if you do not, your mind would be twisted into a pretzel of contradictions. It is a cute, entertaining BL at face value but if you dig deeper, it is a series that has so many incongruities in it and abuses, that it is hard to ignore those aspects of it. I know this is a BL and that portion was done in an entertaining way. While they made a cute couple, I never bought they were a couple, which of course did not happen until the last episode and then the screen was filled with moonbeams and hosannas. It was just a bit too Pollyanna and rushed.Was this review helpful to you?
