FreshKicks

I don't think anyone could write a script like what we saw at the pool party, so I doubt these are actors, but one thing I believe happens in this kind of show is that the producers ask the participants to do certain things, like approach certain people and bring up certain topics. The conversation between Justin and Stanley being an example. It wouldn't surprise me if Stanley was urged to talk to Justin for the sake of capturing it on camera.

I'm curious about how they spend the overnights, too. Are they separated? Because when the cameras are off is when I think some really juicy stuff would get talked about.

Bong sees Alex as a trophy. Everybody praises him for going after what he wants but I can't imagine Alex opening up to him the way he did with Karl. It seems Bong might be in for a rude awakening next week.

Figures that what is probably the most interesting episode still has no subs. 😑

Off-topic, but your username is very clever!

It's the same series all over again. They even bring back the teacher that Minato was in love with -- the tortured storyline that almost crippled the second half of Season One. And of course Minato still jumps out of his skin whenever Shin gets too close, and you already know what he does when Shin manages to land a kiss on the cheek.

I guess nobody else cares, though, because it's fluffy.

I'm so done with crybaby Pat.

That company is so toxic to work at, and so stupidly managed.

The American counterpart to this series would be "Bachelor in Paradise", which is always a hornet's nest of gossip, shade, and back-stabbing. Not to mention hook-ups and morning-after betrayals.

That's what makes this series so refreshing. Everyone is likeable. Everyone gets along. The women cheer each other on and the men do as well. (It made the mud-wrestling challenge seem so out of place. These guys all like one another.)

I started to watch mainly because I'd seen Jin-young/Dex on "Bloody Game Season 2", but now I'll be checking out Season One of this series as well.

If you like high camp, go for it. For fans like me it's delicious.

Trust me, you're not alone! He grinds my gears, and I don't see why someone edgy and sexy like Gun would give him one second of thought.

If you've ever eaten that snack you know it leaves tiny particles of seaweed in your mouth and between your teeth. In that scene I was relieved when they didn't go for a kiss. That would've been nasty.

As a pairing I've liked them from the beginning, though.

Confession: I find Pitch to be one of the most annoying characters I've ever had to endure. I don't know if it's the actor or the writing, but he just comes off as insipid and boring. What does Zo see in him? Or for that matter, why is Gun attracted?

One of my beefs with the twist is that they didn't drop any hints in the earlier episodes. I think if they'd done that, it would have spurred some speculation and heightened interest in the series.

And come on, why not cast actors whose appearance is more in line with what their identities are. I mean, at least *some* resemblance, please?

And don't include the scenes at the grocery store, for reasons that @thecarterfilez pointed out a couple of days ago.

Or is he constipated.

Yeah. BL fans puzzle me. So many complaints about the same plotlines, over and over, but when this series tries something new it gets lambasted.

I wonder if part of the issue is that the "schoolboy" couple was suddenly tied inexorably to the adult couple rather than have their own separate happy ending. I admit that I myself would have probably done a BL Cut for them if the series had resolved differently, but now it would be logistically impossible without including the other couple.

There were other issues, like Gun's acting, and maybe some people will downvote any series that has anything less than a clearly happy ending, but I appreciate how ambitious this one was. I might even rewatch it to see how well it holds together now that I know the twist.

At the beginning of that shot I thought for sure they'd keep their faces off-camera and we'd just hear a subtle kissing sound. But then the camera panned upward and there was no use of clever angles either. When they showed their lips meeting it was definitely eyebrow-raising.

I think they were breaking the fourth wall, like joking that there's no story to tell so cue the final credits.

In all the confusion of that opening scene I think they're trying to show that we're watching a story within a story -- one that's being told by one of the drunks at the table.

Like with "Remember Me" there's the non-stop background music that repeats the same mindless tunes over and over.

Otherwise this episode was more enjoyable than the first one. Not really feeling the chemistry between Dino and Rak, though. Maybe that will improve as things progress.

Seems to me that Dino's got a hot body -- liked him in the sleeveless black tee -- but his condo looks like he hired his Grandma's interior decorator.

Agreed. How disappointing.

Good catch!

I'd have to go back and watch those scenes again, but do you recall whether the "young" and "old" versions of the characters were both on screen at the exact same time? The writers could wriggle out of this one by saying that when each was shown, they were actually shown in their own decade.

But not if they were on screen at the exact same time.

I guess Nack grew up to be the investor friend who ambushed Patis at the bar and started to get busy with him, and that's how he got his kiss from "Ryou"?

They should have cast actors for the young and old versions of the characters so that they at least resembled each other.

Gun's acting ... I have no words except that he needs to go to drama school.

The attempted rape scene was totally unnecessary. It makes Ryou's continued desire to be with Mai look disturbing. People who abuse their bf/gf would insist that they "love them with all their heart," even as they're punching them one more time.

One thing I ask from any fantasy series is that it follow its own rules throughout -- that there's no cheating with some random, new detail at the last second in order to get to the outcome. Offhand I think this series did follow its own rules. It's just that it was so sloppy.