Billy Regala

Consider me in love again because watching Gelboys just made me feel so many things all at once and I am so happy that I got to watch this. Yes, I am not sure if I can say this but Boss Kuno has done it again. I mean, my favorite BL is I Told Sunset About You and he is a big part of that story so when I heard that he wrote and directed a new series for iQiyi titled Gelboys, I am so excited to watch it that I really binged the entire show as fast as I can. I really am happy with this show and I think what I love is that it is very different from his previous outing but what I enjoyed most here is the way he used emotions of the characters to really express a story which is more than fascinating enough to really root for the characters and really fall in love with them. I think it is safe to say that we have four main characters in the show but it is entangled by one love story between Fou4mod and Chian but it will be branching out to include the love story of Baa Bin and Bua. Yes, this is a love square and I know that it might be hard for some people to really dig these types of story but I really have to give it to the writing of the show because, yes, they have given a square of love stories here but what makes it so enticing is how character-driven the storylines are with some of the episodes being focused on one character to really let them grow and give us a chance to really know them as part of the story that we are watching and not just side characters to the main storyline. The story is basically following Fou4mod as he fell in love with this charming upperclassman in Chian. They were able to bond through their love for gel on their fingers which le to the relationship to grow more and more. There a quintessential push and pull with the relationship of Fou4mod and Chian. I think what this really highlights is the uncertainty of being a teenager and how young love especially the first one you throw yourself into can really be a hard ship to navigate. We got to really see them try to understand themselves as they are trying to understand what they are all feeling because it all felt to them like they are in a sinking boat where the love that they chose is wanting to go towards another person. This is a kind of love that might be a bit hard to follow and swallow so I can fully understand the confusion that these characters are experiencing and we all have been there. Personally, the character I relate to the most is Baa Bin. I will be honest and say that I want to be like Bua who has an option with who to love but I am more like Baa Bin in an unrequited love. I feel like we all have been in these positions and we all been these kids who are unsure of their future and what they want. It is a tricky field to be in and what I enjoyed most about the show is that they are not trying to judge or justify the decisions of these kids but instead let them experience love the way that they are experiencing it. This feels like the first show that is totally set in these time because it felt young and new. I really am impressed with the creation of the series because it took many liberties not just in its storylines but also with how they presented the story. It is not just following one set of cinematography but instead they decided to really play on it and try on as many things as they can to replicate and produce which just made so much sense to me. It is fun and it felt young just like the generation that they are trying to represent. I think that it is safe to say that this creativity with cinematography and editing even made the series more engaging to watch not just to the younger audience but also to the older ones like me. It is engaging in the sense that you are visually pleased and entertained with what you are seeing that you want to see more. You are also engaged with the story of these young people that you want to know more and how their stories will end. The latter half of the show really gave the spotlight to Bua and Baa Bin and I am so happy for them because they are so good together and their scenes are just so lovely. I think the same can be said with Fou4mod and Chian but we got to see them more so we got a good amount of their chemistry and they have amazing chemistry and you will never be able to convince me otherwise because I really enjoyed them together. They are played by New and Pide respectively and I was not very interested with them at the beginning of the show but the charm and chemistry really pulled me in and the next thing that I know is that I am seriously rooting and wanting for them to be together. I know that the push and pull can be a bit tiring but I have to give it Fou4mod because he really tried his best with him but he was very hesitant too and it was a bit too late for him to decide. I know that people are a bit irritated with Chian as well but he is also just a young boy trying to understand what these feelings are and he is trying his best to navigate it all without the adult supervision that he needed. Again, we all have been in their position and I think that, even as adults, love is a very hard thing to be rational about because it is something that does not invite you to be rational. We have an amazing cast that truly captured what it means to be young and in love in that age in this generation. We have a story that fully captured what it feels to fall in love for the very first time and how awkward and hard to navigate this can be. I am just so happy with what this show accomplished and how they tackled the story because it was all worth it and I am happy to have watched such a beautiful and meaningful show. It is that good. I will really miss my Gelboys. Now, I should have some gel on my nails as well.