KAVO

You can find clips for invidual contestant performances on YouTube, such as searching for "Jeong Dong-won" or "Jang Min-ho." After the show the "Top 6" (winners) appeared together for a number of shows.

I loved this series. Usually these shows pair same-age hosts but Jeong Dong Won's (misspelled in his profile here on MyDrama List) chemistry with his senior (veteran Korean TV host) Lee Kyung Kyu is delightful. It works because JDW is exceptionally mature for his age (16 at the time of this was filmed) while still retaining youthful exuberance. His lobster fishing trip and surfing lesson are highlights. Kim Sook, another well-known Korean host, presents a different kind of chemistry with JDW. It's sort of a mother-son relationship but never quite succeeds on the same level as with host Lee. Given that JDW's primary career is singing, it's a bit odd that he doesn't get to display that talent much in these episodes; but it's a great showcase of his many related talents. You can find shows on YouTube on MBN Entertainment's channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmCMZLXCeQc

Sorry? I've seen dozens of Chinese BL dramas. They're among the better ones. In any case, a buddy or bromance twist would have lit the fire under what is a fairly predictable high school melodrama. As for length, I'm not a big fan of these long, episodic series because they rarely have enough of a plot to fill a 2 hour movie. I often wait for the edited "The Movie" version of that follows many of these multi-episode series. For Chinese BL dramas please see: https://theblxpress.wordpress.com/2021/07/05/top-ten-chinese-bl-dramas/

I'm not a big fan of drag as it perpetuates the stereotype that all gay men want to be women. But setting aside that aversion, Drag You & Me is a colorful and dark story about a drag contest and a love triangle with a bisexual man attracted to both male and female love interests. JC Alcantara, who is best known as one of the leads in the BL drama "Hello Stranger" creates another "gay" character that we never believe has any interest in a same gender romance, only this time, he goes overboard with gay camp. He's clearly uncomfortable in these roles. Similarly, Christian Bales manages to capture the persona of your textbook, effeminate gay man. It would have been infinitely more interesting to portray Charlie as a high school jock. Andrea Brillantes, as Betty, gives it her best shot with her rather two-dimensional character, as written in a script riddled with cliches. The standout performance is given by Noel Comia as younger brother to Alcantara's character. Alone, he rises above the gay cliches and gives a heartfelt performance in several scenes. But as much as I liked Noel, a better casting choice would have been Alcantara's real life brother Paolo, who is also an actor and bears a strong familial resemblance to JC. The production values, costumes and make-up are first rate and the script is sufficiently entertaining in the drag show sequences. Outside of this, the coming out scenes, parental rejection and the inevitable hospital scenes are paint-by-the-numbers gay plotting we've seen before. The main climax is the winner of the drag show, which is foreshadowed by the casting. The rest of the drama leaves us unsatisfied.

I'm sorry you disagree with my overall rating. While there are many things to like about this drama, thus the recommendation to watch, it really doesn't rise to the level of "Hello Stranger" or "Gameboys." Its main point of interest is the departure from the same age stereotype of the main characters. Beyond that, the title tells us how everything will resolve at the end, so there are no real surprises and it takes a lot of padded scenes to get us there.

I think that’s a fair observation. I’d also say “Hello Stranger” could have just been a straight bromance, where both guys had girlfriends but also fell in love with each other at a non-sexual level. That would have been a more interesting plot. I have seen the sequel now, but I didn’t think the kissing scene was very convincing. So, I still view this as a bromance series rather than true BL like “Gameboys.”

Thanks, I look forward to seeing it. I'd watch anything that JC is in ... and I'm looking forward to his equally handsome little brother, Paolo, getting into the movies. Actually, I'm ok with a straight bromance plot as long as the writer doesn't mislead the audience. If one (or both) of the guys is straight, fine, disclose that no later than the end of the first act and let the characters develop within those limitations. I think it's perfectly fine for guys to have a male soulmate separate from their traditional male-female pairings.

Here's a free storyline I'll gift to Pinoy BL producers, suggested by "Hello Stranger" - Two actors are asked to audition for the lead roles in a BL drama. While they need the work they struggle with severe gay panic. As they rehearse and film the series their anxiety fades.. Slowly they discover they are attracted to each other and fall in love. This has the side benefit of enhancing their on-screen performance -- taking the drama way beyond what the director expected.

Both "Gameboys" and "Hello Stranger" were both worth a second viewing. The storylines and lead characters are engaging. But "Hello Stranger" probably should have been titled “Gay Panic” because these two college guys spend 8 episodes denying they could be attracted to another man. At the end, we only get a hug and a handshake. If I were writing the sequel, based on the logic of this first series, I would say that Xavier can’t deal with a same gender relationship and returns to Crystal while Mico, who clearly has no interest in girls, finds a real love interest – probably Junjun. JC Alcantara really sells his part but I get the feeling Tony Lambrusca regrets signing up for a BL drama. I suspect the script did call for a kiss at the end, but I can imagine Tony saying to the director, “Can’t we just hug?” I would have cast Patrick Quiroz (who plays Seph) in Xavier’s role – in large part because Patrick can actually sing while Tony struggles with the song that is a centerpiece of the plot.

United States. I just check for May and it's still active.

If you're on Netflix in the U.S. search for "Toni Rakkaen."

Netflix. It's pretty hard to find with so many shows having the same name. Do a search for "Toni Rakkaen" instead. Netflix has a terrible interface for finding movies.

Above average BL Drama with a completely realistic plot. Too bad they left the ending unresolved. The main weakness is guys figure out their sexual orientation usually by early teens and certainly by the time the finish high school, so that part of Meng's conflict just doesn't ring true. Also the abrupt marriage seems to be a bit far-fetched. What was the rush? To force himself to be straight? Deceiving Nuch only makes Meng's character less likable. That aside, the relationship between these two guys is completely believable. Toni passes very well for mid-20s, even though he's almost 40 in real life. The love triangle is kind of a cliche. It might have been more interesting if Meng was established by the end of the first episode to be gay and Nuch went on a mission to make him straight. Oh well.

The "I don't know who I am?" theme is common in BL dramas because, I think, most of these are written by women. But in real life, guys who are interested in guys figure this out pretty early on in life. The issue isn't "I don't know who I am" it's "Can I act on it? How? When?" There seem to be a lot of these BL dramas that steer clear of anything beyond kissing. The two heroes in "Hello, Stranger" never get beyond hugging each other. To some extent, these present a more interesting dilemma to ponder: How can two straight guys express affection for each other while drawing a line in the sand at intimacy beyond hugging? The Korean drama "Mr. Heart" similarly suggested the intimacy wasn't going to go beyond kissing. To take it a step further, why can't two guys live together affectionately but unromantically? There are lots of straight couples choosing not to have children. I suspect there many same-sex, otherwise straight couples who partner for nothing more than companionship -- to not be alone. There's a whole sub-genera that's waiting to be explored here.

Got is an amazing actor. His characters in "The Underwear" and "The Judgement" are completely different. Let's hope he's just taking time out for schooling or military service and he'll return to acting.

The contest aspect of this show is a bit confusing but you can overlook that an enjoy the incredible social drama that develops among ten 20-somethings who live together for a week. If you're a student of social science, the interaction among the guys is highlighted when one is voted off the show by the girls. These guys have only lived together about 5 days at this point. They're all hyper-masculine to the point where they have a gay panic and scold Yeonwoo for entering the dressing area wearing just a towel around his waist. But the stress of one guy leaving turns these dudes with Teflon emotions into teary-eyed, cuddly bros.