PaMiKa

I am curious, whether there is a MDL user bias against Thai bl series…
• BB is rated at 8.8 (albeit in progress)
• ATOTS at 8.6
• ITSAY at 8.4
• IPYTM at 8.2
• Not Me at 8.3 (please, go watch it! The first three episodes look very promising and there is a not-so-subtle social commentary about current state of affairs in Thailand).
Now, compare it to pleasant, though anodyne, KR or JPN fluff like:
• Cherry Magic at 8.3
• Kieta Hatsukoi at 8.4
• Light On Me at 8.4 (I don’t think you could walk possibly any slower that that gang…)

So, they are rated at the same level, even if Thai production values and story developments are superior to me. Therefore, THA seires should be rated higher, or KR & JPN ones should be valued at no more than 8.0… Unless markets are different…

Since there are still three days to go - it's barely early Tuesday here, I wanna throw a little reflextion around. BB, being a product of intelligent movie making that doesn't take viewership for granted, is breaking so many bl moulds. It goes beyond simple bl and plants itself in an unabashedly gay territory very firmly. It is happeninig maybe for the first time since Gaya Sa Pelikula, albeit on a much larger scale. I am thinking now of the epic rooftop kiss... Most of the comments gush about it as the best in the bl history. Now, I am just wondering aloud, how about being it one of the best kisses in the recent cinematic history ever, all the genres combined... For me, it is not just the 7:12-13:10 rooftop scene, but all that happens from the confrontation at 2:00 onwards... I think we have been served a complete package that flows flawlessly (except maybe the continuity error at 4:57) due to acting, directing, camerawork and visuals, bgm, dialogue (no word is wasted) or silence, when you need it exactly, reaching its peak during the kiss scene! Would you think of any other cinematic kiss, be it gay or straight, that has spoken to you so deeply, that you cry with them, rather than because of them?

Correct me, if I am wrong, but I haven’t seen so much commenting frenzy across social media about any BL since, perhaps, Heroin: Addicted! I was lurking on soompi then. Those were times…! GMMTV should be very happy not just with the viewing numbers in THA and abroad, but also with the audience engagement and appreciation across the continents. #BadBuddySeries trending on twitter in such disparate places like top spot in Brazil, trends in Greece, Italy, Colombia, Panama, and UAE, of all places? Brilliant!

I’d say it is quite safe to assume BBS will break the MDL Golden Fifty by the end of the run on January 21st, if not even earlier than that. Some viewers may reserve their judgment once the series are over, which is fair enough. There could be unknown unknowns to derail the overall feeling of a lesser production. However, BBS are in a very capable pair of hands IMHO! I gave the overall score to the series last week already, for example! Also, the BBS hype is nowhere reaching the end and more rating scores shall be expected later on.

Furthermore, ep. 9 had the highest (“terrestrial”) Thai TV audience average share at 0.158% (ep. 4 was the lowest (?) at 0.058%). It is doing exceptionally well on streaming instead, it seems.

BBS has an extremely solid 9.6/10 on imdb.com (slowly, but surely, ticking up with it & overall popularity), and and 5/5 on Google reviews, where 98% liked this show

Utsukushii Kare aka My Beautiful Man - a six-episode series from Japan that has finished its short run last week. It has a different vibe, so it may be not to everybody’s taste.

When you smash Taylor Lautner & Bright Vachirawit together, you’ll get “Kim” Kimberley Thitisan Goodburn. Interestingly enough, he was/is a legit rugby player. As a matter of fact, he was a Thai team captain during the 'Asian Schools Rugby Sevens Championship' in Hong Kong in 2016.