Pinoy BL Series

Yes, biphobia is one of the issues that this series will discuss as confirmed by the creative consultant.

It's corrected now :)

The IdeaFirst Company YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paloSIbSQR0

Although I rated Fluid (8.5) and Chasing Sunsets (8.0) high, I didn't really feel that connected to any of the characters in those series. Don't get me wrong, I like those series but I didn't really relate to the characters. Maybe because I'm gay? But with Pearl Next Door, I just felt I knew the characters. At first I thought, maybe it's because of Gameboys? That maybe true for Pearl but Karleen, Alex, and Fonzy weren't even part of Gameboys so how come I can relate to them? I don't really know why but maybe I relate to them because I aspire to be them somehow. Paraphrasing what Twitter user niallei @KissuCuddle28 said, I wish I have the bravery of Pearl, the confidence of Alex, and the honesty of Karleen. Adding to that, I wish I have the happy and sunny disposition of Fonzy. I just love these characters which were made even more relatable by the realistic screenplay. In terms of acting, it was indeed a tour de force -- awesome thespians! Production value was also very good but I agree with @reefpicker, Pearl Next Door also needs to establish an identity separate from Gameboys. We already know it's related to Gameboys and share the same universe but it needs to shine on its own in terms of production value. Pearl Next Door also needs good OSTs. I hope they ask Rachel to sing one of the OSTs. Given all these, and especially because I love the characters, I will definitely watch the succeeding episodes. But for real, only five episodes for Pearl Next Door?

Yes, cast in the profile above needs to be edited. The role names are mixed-up.

I think this can be a stand alone but it would be better if you watch Gameboys first :)

While Episode 1: Problem Solving was ok, it didn't really wow me. The plot/storyline didn't quite stand out. Nevertheless, I did appreciate Gabriel and Giorgio's character backgrounds that highlighted their experiences with heartbreaks and losses but I felt that the series needs to be more interesting in the coming episodes. Screenplay was cringy at times because there were overdramatic and poetic lines. Dialogues need to be more conversational and natural. Gerome and especially Ely's acting requires refinement. The supporting cast members that served as comic relief made me a bit uncomfortable. Their portrayals were caricaturist and corny. They weren't funny at all. Hopefully, they'll be given more depth in succeeding episodes. In terms of quality, production design, cinematography, and editing were average. The OST "Halik sa Ulan" (Kiss in the Rain) featuring Kiko Verzosa was at least fine. All in all, the premier episode was ok but there are definitely areas for improvement for this series.

Episode 5 was a cute and romantic episode. On this episode, we saw how Karl and Vlad continued to develop deeper feelings for each other. The fantasy sequence of the two of them dancing was really beautiful. We also got to know more about Anna on this episode. We may agree or disagree with her views and life decisions but at least she's relatable. She seemed like a real person. Like Boys' Lockdown, screenplay, with its English and Taglish sentences, was generally natural -- at least for middle to upper class Filipinos (Pinoys). Admittedly, most Pinoys don't talk like Vlad but there are Pinoys who talk like him. So while I can understand that there are Pinoys who can't relate to him, there are also Pinoys who can. What I'm trying to say is that he's a realistic representation of a Pinoy -- so leave Vlad alone, lol! And besides, he's really gorgeous, that matters too... a lot, lol! Acting was also on point on this episode. Audio-visuals was mostly ok except the lighting. I know electricity was out but some of scenes were just too dark and too unclear. Still, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I just hope this series gets to the main conflict soon since there are only three episodes left -- or why not just extend the series for a few more episodes? That's a happier thought, lol!

Not that clear. What was clear, the leads do love each other.

The finale episode didn't feel like a finale episode. It was more like a preview to J.ACE's next series: One Night Stand บางกอก (Bangkok), coming early 2021. It did close on a hopeful note but it was more open ended. Episode 4 was the most sexual but the episode used a lot of camera tricks. Given it's on Youtube, to avoid violating community standards, it was more suggestive, rather than really sexual, in its scenes. Everything was tastefully done. One character also does sex work but again, nothing inappropriate, it was all necessary in its narrative.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/regalcinema

All episodes have advanced screening every Thursday via https://www.ticket2me.net/ - you need to register then buy a ticket; each episode is PhP 55 (around USD 1) and you can only view it on Thursday, 8-9PM (Philippine Time). They send you the link 1 hour before screening and the link will only work 8-9PM once you enter the code. After 9PM, the link's dead. You have to buy a ticket every week before screening. Since Episode 2 was already screened, what's on sale right now is Episode 3. Episode 2 is cute but in deference to the producers who requested no spoilers, I'll just comment on the episode this Sunday.

Both Ben and Jim are flawed characters. So far, they're not so likeable. On Episode 2: Banter, Banter, Ben took and uploaded a video of Jim without consent. He also came across as self-righteous. On the other hand, Jim wasn't so politically correct especially when he referred to Ben as "wifey" during the confrontation scene with Ben's abusive and manipulative ex-boyfriend Leo. By the way, the confrontation scene was oozing with machismo! It was quite annoying. Luckily, I generally like flawed characters as long as there's character development and redemption involved. Characters are more realistic that way. I hope both Ben and Jim are called out for their character flaws in succeeding episodes. Script was still relatable. Acting was good. Gorgeous guys Teejay, Jerome, and Johannes were all largely on point. This was the first time I've seen Johannes act so I was pleasantly surprised with his performance on this episode. He wasn't perfect but he did well. Production technicals were mostly fine. All in all, even with the irritating characters, I still liked this episode.

When they're not exaggerating and overacting, the cast of Oh My Sexual are pretty decent. Acting was the only thing that went well for Episode 10: Oh My Theatric. While the memorable lines from Shakespeare’s best dramatic works interspersed with the characters' stories were good, they didn't really help advance the main plot/storyline of this series. Production value remained below average. With two episodes left, I'm just hoping I'll get surprised with how this series will wrap things up.

Aside from Dave showing signs that he's falling for Terrence, nothing much happened on Episode 9: Positive, Infected. Screenplay was tiresome because of the long lines. Dialogues were cringy at times. If it's any consolation, acting wasn't as bad as last week. Production value's still of low quality. Split-screen transitions were very distracting. Hopefully, this series somehow improves next week.

Yes, check this out: https://youtu.be/nFQ85qoOQPI

Episode 5 via gagaOOlala: What did I just watched? Indeed, My Extraordinary is extraordinary. But in deference to the production company who requested not to release any spoilers, I'll post my longer comment on Sunday after the Youtube release of this episode.

Yes, I can’t get my head around it, lol!

It’s available on gagaOOlala (requires subscription) a week ahead of the YT release :)

They originally planned for 8 episodes but because of the pandemic and limited resources, they reduced it to 6 episodes. But as previously communicated to me by one of the producers, they plan to have a second season :)