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Disappointing, tries to do too much in too little time / do not convey a convincing BL story
This BL drama is centred around the encounter of Toki, delinquent highschooler and Sahara, his homeroom teacher for which he develops a one-sided love...The premise of the series was super interesting and there were quite a few good ideas in terms of characters background and even regarding a storyline for secondary characters that was super promising (another rather taboo romance that went regrettably nowwhere).Unfortunately, the overall scenario is a deception at several levels. First, they really embraced a comedical tone for the first part of the drama instead of really deep-diving into the more taboo aspects of the various relationships...The writing and directing wanted to keep things light and relatively surface level which is clearly not the direction I wanted the show to take. Secondly, the series tried to do too much in too little time. We get a lot of background story on some side characters or on the past but in fact it is to the detriment of the build up of the relationship of the main couple.
I was utterly unconvinced by the relationship between both main male leads. They had no romantic chemistry. Separately they were a bit better (especially Hachimura Rintaro who managed to make his character rather endearing when he could have been very annoying) but sadly it was very difficult to feel engaged into their relationship...The others actors playing secondary roles were quite okay overall, nothing really remarkable but nothing bad neither.
The production value was rather poor, you can feel the limits in the budget with the repetition of the sets and decors, as well as the limits in the directing (fight scenes were just cringe). The music was forgettable but I enjoyed listening to the opening and ending generic.
I would not recommend this to people as there are better school BL out there. This series had some really nice tropes but completly failed to exploit them. I wish they would take the two same storylines (teacher/ student as well as the other side romance) and make it very gritty and dark...I wish they focus solely on those two relationships and give them enough room to develop and be believable. Anyway, too many wishes...It could have been really special but was rather plain instead.
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Incredible side characters & secondary romance that stole the show to the detriment of main couple
This BL drama is about the encounter of emotionally closed-off almost 40 years old Jim (the owner of a Hainanese chicken rice diner) and charming late twenties Wen. There are multiple storylines as the drama follows the evolution of their relationship as well as the ones of their entourage.I had some issues with the pacing of the scenario as well as the distribution of the scenes between the various relationships. I truly enjoyed most of the secondary stories but it was to the detriment of the main relationship of Jim and Wen. I love the ensemble cast but clearly some of the secondary storylines interested me more than the main one. I particularly liked the Li Ming and Heart story: they kinda stole the show for me. I also found myself caring a lot about some other sides characters: Kaipa, Alan and Saleng...much more than the main couple.
Regarding the main relationship, Mix managed to make Wen a likeable and endearing character. He is beautiful and sincere that you can completely understand why the other male main lead would fall for him despite his messy arc. The opposite was less true to me. Jim is a hard worker with seemingly good intentions but he is really closed off and has big walls (for good reasons). However, it is really difficult to root for him and to understand why Wen is so smitten by him. I wonder if the script would have given more room to them, it would have made a difference in making the growth of the relationship more romantic. Here, it felt that the relationship was working thanks to Wen hard work, in a rather unilateral and sometimes frustrating way.
The whole cast did a good job. Khaotung is once again very impressive and full of nuances: even in a side role, he made me care so much. Some of his scenes are gut-wrenching and I know that it is thanks to his great skills that the emotions flowed through so well. I also found First amazing in a very different and difficult role : he carried it very well given the context of his narrative arc. Fourth and Gemini chemistry continue to be really excellent, they had the best romance.
I liked a lot Mix performance but I wish that Earth would have been more charismatic in the role of Jim. He was not helped by the script but still, he was clearly the weakling in terms of acting skills among the main cast. I also wished that the age gap thing would have been better addressed. Here, it was a bit strange as Earth does not seem to have a 10 years age gap with Mix (in real life, they are only 4 years apart and are both still in their twenties)...Earth's character is supposed to be going on forty but sometimes his character talks like he is 70+ years old and that any change is impossible like he is at the end of the road...This creates clearly a disconnection in the story because you really need to suspend your disbelief when you look at Earth attempting to play that part...
I loved the cinematography despite some editing hiccups between scenes...Sometimes, there are jarring cuts in the music when switching from one scenes to another...The soundtrack is rather average outside of the generic which is very nice because of the song as well as the images displayed with it.
I would recommend this to people looking for a more slice-of-life BL with nuanced storylines and very good ensemble cast. The cinematography is good despite some editing hiccups and there are some really memorable scenes in terms of acting and stakes. The pacing could have been better and the main romance is a bit lacking story-wise (especially compared to the other storylines) but the series has enough qualities despite its flaws to be worthwhile.
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Delightful waste - objectively bad but enjoyable
This movie is about the story of cellphone novelist Yukina Himuro who decides to blackmail the most popular boy from her high school to gain romantic experience through various "love missions". It is a condensed version of old school shojo manga tropes, so despite the overall toxicity, woman manhandling and non-consensual elements, I quite enjoyed the movie because (or thanks to) the nostalgia throwback.The acting is overall okay but far from stellar. The main actor and actress are charismatic enough especially when playing the more "odd" and "dark" parts of their characters but the script does not give them a lot of room to show growth or realistic emotions. The antagonist role would have really benefited of more nuance in the acting as well but it was clearly not the vibe the director was going for. The overall production value is pretty low, you feel the low budget in the background and decor. It is suitable for the genre but also quite uninspired.
I would not recommend this because it is objectively not good. It enters the category of delightful waste, you might hate it, watch ironically (or even maybe unironically enjoy it for what it is) but there are for sure better high school romance out there.
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Heroine falling in love with her older brother's best friend: such a wholesome and romantic story
This drama depicts the story of Sang Zhi secretly in love with her brother's best friend Duan Jia Xu, who is five years older than her and how their relationship build and develop itself overtime. I really liked the premise of the series as well the pacing of the scenario. There are three acts to the romance and I was particularly seduced by the first one with the introduction and contextualization of the relationship: it kinda broke my heart a little bit but in a wholesome way.It is a really cute age gap romance and the screenwriter managed to make it sweet, believable and not creepy-like. The several part of the story are well done and allow a slow burn that I felt was quite earnest. It was super rewarding to see the male lead figuring out his feelings and the one-sided crush of the female lead evolving as well.
The two main leads were really great with a beautiful chemistry together. The romantic scenes were lovely and convincing and the character were also interesting outside of the romance, with growth storylines as individuals. The main actress make me care about her character, I liked a lot the heroine with her princess attitude, her relationship with her brother and her cuteness. It was never annoying to me and it could honestly have been too much but the actress really found the right balance even in her voice tone and all the little quirks. The male lead was just super swoon-worthy, it is impossible to not get why she fell in love with him and he is kind of clueless, just there at first as a protector which I found really lovable.
The production was quite beautiful...Some scenes were just dreamy and I enjoyed a lot the little drawings and animations over the course of the series. The OST was participating well to the surreal, dream-like atmosphere of the drama, with some appeasing and sweet ballads.
I would recommend this to people looking for sweet romance with an age-gap trope done really well and convincingly without any cringe factor, just wholesome. At its core, the story is super classic. There is also not a lot to be found in terms of secondary characters and layering of storylines. It is super simple and direct, and sometimes, that is just what you need. A wholesome romance, not too long and sweet to the eyes.
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Culmination of an addictive master-servant BL Story
I truly enjoyed the movie which is the culmination of the story of Hira and Kiyoi. After two seasons which I definitely appreciated, I was left really wanting to see more of them. The movie was highly satisfying therefore as it reaps the rewards of all the build up done by the series.The story was well paced and encapsulate pretty well how their relationship as evolved while keeping in a kind of poetic way an S&M undertone with the subservient vs. dominant aspects of their dynamics. It also approaches (even if not that deeply) interesting topics around the entertainment industry and its darker aspects regarding fans and excessive idolization.
The casting did a good job. I still think that Hagiwara Riku is the main highlight acting-wise. The way his expression can shift and his eyes darkens at some points were properly shivering and kind of captivating. I will for sure be looking through his body of works to see more of him ! Yagi Yusei has improved compared to the two seasons of the drama: I think he made real progress in showing and expressing feelings in his role.
The film-making and production value were very good. There are a lot of scenes beautifully filmed that leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. Some of the darker sequences had a big impact and the romantic moments were really lovely shot. The music is not overly present but the few songs were nice and kept the same ambiance as in the series, doing the liaison between the drama and the movie.
I would recommend this to people that loved the series. It is the culmination of the love story and is pretty satisfying. I still feel that I'm left wanting to see even more of them, so that they can even go deeper into the psyche of the two main protagonists and the evolution of their interesting dynamic. I'm a bit sad that it is probably the end of the road with those characters... But still what an enjoyable ride ! I think I am going to read the novel if possible !
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BL around a dating sim app and characters design: what's not to love ?!
The drama is centred around an office romance in a video game development company. The two main male characters share an interesting past together and I found the various flashbacks very well done and put at the right place all along the series. It allowed the viewer to understand easily the dynamic of their relationship, the trauma of their past still impacting their present. It made perfect sense and was very thoughtful. Given its length, the story is appropriately paced: it is never boring and manage to have some peaks and valleys, making it a really good and exciting show to binge-watch.After watching this drama, I become really fond of the two main actors. They were both excellent, their friends-to-lovers storyline was super believable with well-executed kissing scenes as well as proper relationship development. The other cast members were likeable even if they are not that present given the shortness of the show.
I loved the format of the series with each episode ending on a typical multiple choices sequence as in many visual novels and dating sim games: it was super cute and totally in line with the thematic. The soundtrack was really nice with a couple of songs full of soul and emotion. The making made the drama even more enjoyable: it was simple and efficiently supporting the storytelling.
I would recommend this to people looking for a different kind of romance, it takes some very well-known tropes and manages to make something fresh from it. It kind of gives similar vibes to the manga "Otaku x Otaku". If you love office romances, friends-to-lovers stories and have an interest in games development and art design, go for it!
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Did not live up to my expectations
I expected a lot more from this BL : hidden identity, punk fashion, design school, night life...There was so much that could have been better exploited. For example, I wish they would have developed more the fashion arc but it remained quite surface level. Instead of spending time on some random characters at the part time job of one of the lead, the script should have focused much more on fashion and the triangular relationship(s) between the two main leads. Indeed, I think the romance itself could have been better with maybe longer runtime of the series. Chemistry was really good at first but felt pretty tame by the end. It lacked attitude, life and passion, especially given the context of the drama.Even if some suspension of disbelief is required regarding the secret identity of one of the main lead, I found Fujibayashi Yasunari, quite good at portraying this dual role and creating two very credible characters (Enaga Ayumu / AE). It made the big secret of the series quite believable. Unfortuntaly, I was much less convinced by Nagano Ryota playing the other main lead Sumiura Chiaki. I did not vibe at all with the way he interpreted his role: trembling lips, scared doll eyes...I felt he wore the same expression most of the time facing AE. I must admit he was not helped at all by the script, the character being unbelievably naive...Still, would have appreciated to see more range in his acting.
I would not necessarily recommend this to people because I was disappointed by the end as the series lost its steam along the way. There are quite a bit to enjoy with its refreshing context for a BL and nice soundtrack very fitting for the theme. I think if the beginning did not made me raise my expectations quite high, I might have been less critical...But it is what it is.
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Really lackluster, I was so bored by the end of it with the anticlimactic scenario
I was super disappointed by this BL action drama. The first couple of episodes were interesting enough when they were training and I kind of liked the mythology with some of the fantastical elements. However, it quickly got very boring with the various investigations...I got so bored by the script that I had trouble to finish it. The conclusion was super anticlimactic for both the investigation part as well as the fantasy plot.It is unfortunate, I wish they developed much more the part of the story relating to the supernatural elements as well as done a better job with the "fated mates" trope. Overall, I wish the scenario would have made the characters spent much more time at the Police Academy. Once outside of it, all we had was relatively amateurish police work, no interesting side cases and not enough tension with the villains being really one note.
The visual FX were okay but not great. The action scenes were overall good but not remarkable. The acting was also clearly a let down for me...The chemistry between the leads was okayish but the scenario really did not offer a lot of room for development of the characters and their relationships. The side characters were really just there to be there and fill a bit the void...And I really wish the actors playing the enemies (especially for the fantasy role) had been better and more compelling to follow to amp the angst.
I will not recommend this to people as I was pretty bored for most of the drama. The mediocre scenario and acting, as well as the anticlimactic ending totally brought down my enjoyment of the series which missed the mark on the compelling elements that could have been developed. Indeed, there are too many things I wish would have been done differently especially on the fantasy aspects of the story. I would have loved the focus to go there and not on tedious and amateurish investigation.
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Over-the-top cringy, I completed it out of sole stubborness
Full disclosure, I have not seen the original Japanese drama from which this series is an adaptation. I unfortunately really disliked this BL drama centered around "Heng", a real estate agent (with the IQ of an oyster) that discovers that his boss is in love with him. Strangely enough (because the main character is not that appealing in all his dumbness glory), "Boss" is not the only one pursuing intently "Heng", as "Mo" (one of his colleague) also declare his feelings to him... It could have been interesting but the writing, the over-the-top acting (for sure a directing choice) and the comedic aspects really did not made it work for me !There were so many elements intrinsic to the core of the story that I found very cringy, especially because of the power imbalance in the office setting. Indeed, the "boss" character irked me so much : he clearly uses his hierarchical position in the company to take advantage of the main character's naivety. In addition to the boss that uses coercion to make his employee literally date him, the evolution of "Heng" is so slow that until almost the end, it seems that he has not progressed on anything and still make the same mistakes until the conclusion. Last but not least, "Mo"'s character might have been my fave despite me having issue with some of his choices as they were based on noble idiocy and miscommunication tropes that I loathe.
My main issue is with the directing that made actors like Mix and Earth, whom I both liked a lot in other titles, acting in such an over-the-top / comedic manner that I did not bought the relationship between their characters. The acting was not atrocious but I truly feel it is not a very strong point because of the writing and directing leaving them with nothing impressive to do. I also was annoyed quite a bit by the soundtrack : mainly the opening song that I found absurdly annoying.
It is not all negative of course. In terms of production value, it is quite classical for a Thai BL, nothing outstanding but it good enough for the story. I found the set when they travel in the North of Thailand pretty nice. I had fun discovering some actors that I love playing cameos in the series. I also found the last 15 minutes of the last episode pretty enjoyable.
I would not recommend this to people unless over-the-top comedic BL in an office setting is in your alley. If you are a fan of "Middleman's Love" (-which I also disliked), you might want to give it a try as it is pretty comparable with the directing choices, dumb main character and cringy aspects. Overall, it was a miss for me but I think I might not be the right public for that kind of BL drama.
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A repetitive tale of lies and deceptions
This Xianxia drama focus on the intertwined fate of Tantai Jin, the demon Lord and and Li Su Su who goes on a quest into the past to destroys him while he is still in human form. I found the premise of the series very interesting as the main lead is almost a "Cinderella" weak hero at first before becoming more and more cunning. It is almost a character study about wickedness and how a jinxed fate can entrap someone into the way of evil. I also loved the heroine from start: a strong and intelligent female lead which does not sound or act like a child: a real breath of fresh air.Unfortunately, the drama was not able to keep me interested all across its 40 episodes. There are some narrative arcs that I found less exciting. Some of the plotlines felt repetitive to me even if the timelines are different. There were always lies and deceptions between the main leads, conducting to so many misunderstandings. Some could have been easily avoided by communicating and trusting each other...It really frustrated me to see what felt as very low progress on that side as mistakes were repeated and repeated again.
The acting was quite good overall. Sometimes I felt that a few characters were a bit heavy-handed in terms of acting. Other than the main lead, the actors playing "villains" roles made it so obvious from scratch that they were bad guys, I would have appreciated a bit more subtlety in the acting and in the writing for those parts. Bai Lu and Luo Yun Xi carried the show on their backs, when I felt a bit bored during some arcs, it is their charisma that brought me back to care about the fate of their characters.
The production value was quite good, I like the variety in the costumes depending on the realms in which the characters were evolving. The special effects were not that great, especially the CGI animals. Some of the decors could have been better as they felt a bit plastic to me. I quite enjoyed the OST: there were a few good songs balancing well with the epic part of the story.
I would recommend this to people that love Xianxia drama. Even if it is a recent one, it certainly feels like a staple in the genre. There is a lot of qualities to the series overall but it unfortunately did not work enough for me to enjoy it all throughout my watch. There were a lot of things repetitive in the story that either frustrated me or bored me. The noble idiocy trope is a pet peeve of mine and I must say there was clearly too much of it for me in this show.
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Entertaining but the romantic aspects were weaker, I was rooting for some people to NOT be together
I enjoyed less this third season than the previous ones. I appreciate the effort made by production in switching up and spicing up the concept which aimed for people to be less stucked on one person and to have more options. But on the other hand, I felt that the relationships were much less compelling...I was really not invested in most of the relationships (except maybe one) and I found the romance aspect relatively weaker.The cast was pretty diverse and with interesting personnalities but it felt really like the focus was on one of the guy becoming really the "main" character of the show. He brought a lot of drama with him and honestly carried the various storylines but I did not find his behavior appealing at all...Therefore making it very difficult for me to root for his relationship(s) within the show...The endgame left a bit a bitter aftertase for me on numerous pairings except maybe one...I do not remember rooting as much in the previous seasons for people to NOT be together...
Regarding production choices, there were some great ones: I really enjoyed the decors on the island, the protagonists had really nice and very picture-perfect spots to hold conversations. However, I'm a bit disappointed by the hotels selection for Paradise, it seemed less "dreamy" than in the past seasons...More city-like, something was clearly missing in terms of atmosphere.
I would still recommend this TV show to people that are looking for a good dating show. If you have liked the previous seasons, this one takes a different turn that might feel more enjoyable (or less if like me you are more interested in romance, angst and pining than in strategy and exploring options).
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A revenge drama that took way too long to have thrilling stakes: finished it thanks to hot main lead
Let's be real : without Park Hyung Sik in the main role, I'm not sure I would have completed this revenge drama. Indeed, the story progressed in a sluggish way, after a (long) but somewhat gripping introduction, it took almost up to last quarter of the drama for the stakes to get really thrilling. The choices made by characters are often dumb and feel contrived by the pacing of the series : often there to add artificial drama rather than making real sense. The hero could have had his revenge multiple ways but writing purposely seemed to slow down his progress. Then when the story really picked up in its last arc, it seemed a bit too quick on the conclusion and handling of its aftermath.The romance was not good : at no point of the story did I manage to care for the heroine : not sure what's the most at fault here : the scenario offering almost nothing to do to the character or the very bland way the actress Hong Hwa Yeon portrayed the role. Park Hyung Sik is the highlight of the series : he reaches here an upper level of hotness and charisma, each of his slow motion arrival feel like an angsty runaway. Among the remainder of the cast, I was particularly impressed by Lee Hae Young who played the most interesting antagonist among the foes that want to harm the main lead. Their interactions were the best part of the series.
One of the undeniable strong point of the series resides in its high production value. The sets and decors in which the characters evolve are quite magnificent. The hanok house of one of the villain, the company office...there are a lot of picturesque sets highlighted by a good directing and amazing job of the lighting department. The way that light frammed the characters was really striking over the course of the series.
I would not necessarily recommend this drama unless you are a fan of Park Hyung Sik or are truly an aficionado of revenge drama. The romance felt too bland to me and other than the hero, almost no secondary characters on "the good side" is interesting because of lack of solid background. The real stakes and angst come a bit too late and feel to short-lived with what felt like a rushed conclusion after a sluggish set up.
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Not enough screentime for interesting elements + subpar acting: underwhelming overall
This BL series is centred around the encounter of two high school music students as they met and develop conflicting feelings for each other in the midst of their common interest / link with jazz music. Honestly, I'm not the biggest connoisseur of jazz music but I decided to give this drama a shot anyway. Unfortunately, this show missed the marks on many aspects in my opinion.Story-wise, it was super disappointing...I have the feeling that the most interesting part of the drama was not given enough screentime. There was a nugget of information regarding a specific relationship toward the end of the series but it was clearly not enough...I also had some issue with how the main and the secondary relationship evolved. All the heavy lifting were done (for both couples) mainly by one of the character and the evolution felt too abrupt to be believable. There was also on the last episode a "noble idiocy" move that makes no sense at all and just frustrated me a bit more...
Acting-wise, the actors were too bland. The scenario had some quite angsty moments as well as toxic scenes between the characters...Nothing against that, it can be entertaining and it is all fiction, so I'm not looking for always all green flags characters...But in order for it to work for me, it requires for actors to be emoting so much more than what was the case here. They needed to pour much more passion into the acting in order to make the chemistry much more exciting. The best performance on the series was Song Han Gyeom as Seo Do Yoon and I wish his character had been even more central to the story as it was my favorite.
Production-wise, it felt a bit cheap which is not really an issue for a school series. Here the main default is relating to the music scenes and soundtrack. The couple of pop songs that were used as opening and ending songs were okay to me but all the scenes were the actors were playing instruments felt totally unrealistic. The songs / tunes they used as playback for the music sequences were not really matching and it looked quite fake overall. A bit of a shame when the plot is focusing so much on music.
I would not recommend this to people as there are better BL in high school out there. There are a few moments that are cute (mainly relating to the friendship building between two characters rather than the romantic relationships), as well as some elements that could have been super interesting if more developed and better acted. However, the numerous flaws in terms of scenario, acting and production (especially of the music scenes) make it a series that I would not recommend.
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Memorable movie...even if the plot never fully reach destination
I truly loved this movie centred around 2 ballroom male dancers, one (Sugiki) being specialized in "standard dances" and the other (Suzuki) specialized in "latin dances", as their rivalry relationship evolved as they work teach each other. It is very much a characters-centric film with the main focus being on Suzuki and then Sugiki. I loved to see the ennemies-friends-to-lovers bond that formed in a very organic way, even if the reason for them to work together is a bit forced.I loved the production value, there are some memorable and impactful scenes, with the chemistry being excellent between the two main actors. Overall, the cast did a great job at emoting and at dancing and showing proper dance stances and figures. The two secondary female roles were ultra interesting and it is a bit of a shame they are not put in a more central position in the movie.
My main regret regarding this movie that I truly enjoyed is that the main characters never reach the destination of their journey. The movie never got to the 10Dance event and the other competitions felt a bit like a letdown. I also had the feeling to always watch the same kind of dances rather than the full variety of each of the style. It is understandable as the cast are not professional dancers and might not have been able to carry more challenging moves or to cope with a lot of variety in addition of showing properly emotional luggage of their characters. Still, I would not have minded a bit more of variety in the dances themselves.
I would recommend this to people looking for a ennemies-to-lovers BL with a dance twist. Despite the fact I found some elements odd or contrived for scenario purposes, the payoff was worth it for the journey that the characters are going through... Even if the destination (with the goal of the story set up from the beginning) is never really reached.
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Sweet and youthful story but strong deja vu feeling
This SP drama of about 2 hours features the encounter of high school girl Jang Dan Bi who on her way to pass her college exam is by magic brought back into the past, in Joseon Kingdom, where she met with King Lee Do. This drama requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief regarding the survival of the heroine in the rought past, with her thin knowledge. The humor helps a lot as it makes it pretty clear that nothing should/can be taken seriously, except maybe the budding feelings between the King and the high school girl.A lot happens and the SP is overall well paced, but I must admit that it took me several sittings to watch it because of a lack of investment in the fates of the main characters. It was pretty obvious where everything was going and the fact I saw similar stories in the past did not really help me in grabbing my attention. I felt no angst at all regarding the characters as the solid rom-com tone made it clear that no worries were expected from the viewer.
Acting was good and chemistry worked, even if probably not as much as I would have wanted. It was my first time seeing the leads and I cannot say they left me a super strong impression but it was a real pleasure to see Ahn Hyo Seop in his debut role, bringing eye-candy to the screen. The production was good and I quite enjoyed the OST with his modern songs, very fitting the "fun" vibe they were going for.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for an historical rom-com with a fantasy twist. If you enjoy back to the past romances like Scarlet Heart (much more serious and dramatic) and "Queen and I", this might be a good pick. It is very light with little surprise but it is a sweet watch.
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