Pinoy BL Series

Another 10+ out of 10 episode! It would have been one of the best boys' love (BL) series endings but luckily we get 3 more episodes. I'm confident that The IdeaFirst Company will not ruin this episode and this series with lousy Episodes 11-13. Episode 10: Pass or Play 2 is the best episode so far. This episode had everything I love about this series. It had advocacies--shout-out to our frontliners in the Philippines and marriage equality in Taiwan! It had contexts--not only COVID-19 but also the poor internet connectivity in the Philippines was finally represented in this episode! And the last scene was shot in Pasig! I love Mayor Vico Sotto! This episode made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me get excited (kilig) a lot! The screenplay was impeccable as always! I also love the new OST "Ngayon" sang by Dex Yu. And this episode gave us not only shirtless Gav, but also shirtless Cairo! Man, those two are really, really good actors. They were able to convey a lot of emotions even with their masks on. Those eyes can speak! And just when we thought it's the last scene, we get an even better post-credit scene. The hugging with plastic (and the double meanings that went with it) and finally the kissing with plastic (maybe not as hot as we've seen in other BL series, but definitely one of the most meaningful and touching) were great! I'm excited for Episodes 11-13! Now, let me watch Episode 10 again, hahaha!

Thanks for the info! I edited the profile to include 2 cool 2 be 4gotten. It will probably take a few hours to get approved but it will soon be included in his list of movies.

Episode 10 tomorrow! :)

While I can understand the disappointments and frustrations over Mico and Xavier's reactions, I still found the Episode 6: Hello Heartbreak good because it highlighted the friendship among the Young Padawans which is probably what I most liked in this series. I also fear how the series will treat Crystal in the next episodes. But unlike others, I didn't expect much with regards to the plot/storyline of this series. It's a simple plot/storyline and if they're able to execute it well then I'm generally ok with it. In terms of production, it has so far been good. While they will not get recognized for their acting performance, all the actors were fairly decent. By the way, I love that they featured Roland Barthes but Mico and Xavier should have learned from him in reading signs so they didn't have to self-sabotage. So I'm just excited how they'll end this series. With two episodes left, I don't think there's really much more that will happen other than try to tie loose ends and resolve the main conflict of this series. I just hope it's a happy ending for all.

While Episode 2: Virtual Jowa improved from the pilot episode, it's still difficult to fully appreciate this experimental live and interactive series because of the lack of cohesion and focus in both content and form. There were additional details here and there but in general, the plot/storyline did not move much. Yes, the interaction with the Kumu app commenters was more purposive in this episode but it still hindered the overall narrative. There were still some corny and cringy lines but both lead actors improved on their acting and chemistry. In this episode, they were both more engaged without having to go overboard. Rapport between Thirdy and Bench was more evident in this episode. Needless to say, the banter and game that ended with both showing off more skin was the highlight of this episode. The cliffhanger wasn't that exciting. All in all, because of the live and interactive format, I don't think Kumusta Bro? will generate as many viewers as other Filipino (Pinoy) boys' love (BL) Series. Pinoy BL Series fans are just not used to this type of format.

So far, we've identified more than 30 Pinoy BL Series for 2020. Gameboys paved the way for all these :)

Marky in a new Pinoy BL series!

I'm super excited for this series!

According to Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP), In Between has 10 episodes :D

Is it Friday yet? :)

Getting to Know #KeyChen was fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRpvaafgm3U&t=3s

The official trailer is good :)

Similar to the previous episode, Episode 3: Pangako is a bit dragging. There were some scenes that could have been edited better for faster pace. While I generally like non-linear narratives that traverse different times, I prefer when they're done in a much quicker tempo. The episode was a bit slow for my liking. The episode highlighted perspectives on friendship, love, and same-sex relationships. While the dialogues could have been delivered better, it was generally ok. Acting still needs improvement but the chemistry between the lead actors was at least evident in this episode. It didn't matter if Migs was wearing basketball jerseys, shirtless or singing, he was oozing with sex appeal in this episode. Migs singing the OST "Mahal Kita, Paalam" was definitely a highlight of this episode. If indeed In Between has only two remaining episodes, I don't know how it can present a cohesive and complete narrative. Let's hope for faster pace and more episodes! I think eight episodes would be nice.

Just when we all thought it will be over by next week, we get news from Gameboys' Pinoy Reactors Meet that the series has been extended to 13 episodes. Frankly, I still don't know how I feel about it. Lol. But one thing I'm sure of, I really enjoyed Episode 9: Say It With Love. It was the cutest and sweetest episode of Gameboys. The pillows and the shirts got me giggling. Lol. While there were still some tearjerker scenes with, of all people, Terrence and Risa (both showed good acting by the way), it still was generally a fun episode. It was a bit cheesy but in a very endearing way. While the scenes with Terrence and Risa provided some sort of closures to their storylines, some storylines still need conclusion. Foremost of course is Cai and Gav's face-to-face meeting which should happen really soon. With the extension to 13 episodes, new storylines were also introduced. For example, who is Karleen Gregorio? Will her storyline extend to Pearl Next Door? Needless to say, the most surprising new storyline is Leila's request for her family to move to Bukidnon. I'm anxious on how they will resolve this new storyline. Production design, music, and editing were mostly ok. Initially, I didn't like the montage of touristy places that were shown because the graphics were not that seamless but after some more thought I realized that these places included Cairo, one of the places Cairo's parents wanted to visit and will not be able to visit anymore and with that, I think my heart skipped a beat. In a way, the montage also represented the Philippines and at the same time, it also showcased how international Gameboys has become. So, what's in store for Gameboys' Filipino and international fans in the next 4 episodes? Well, I'm excited and I can't wait for next week to come!

Paeng is also a Filipino nickname :)

I promote Pinoy BL Series and created most of the actors and series profiles here at MDL. I also like both Gameboys and Hello Stranger. But my backgrounds are arts and mass media so it's inevitable for me to make comparisons. That's why I don't like being told how I should comment. If people want to make comparisons, let them be.

There's what is called intersubjectivity in art. Standards are based on the intersubjectivity of the audience and the people creating the art. Everyone has an opinion, that's a given but what is more important for art is how artists themselves and the audience perceive them. Take for example acting, one or a few may think one's acting is good but if a vast majority of the audience and artists themselves think that it's bad acting, then intersubjectivity dictates that it's bad acting.

Who's arrogant here? You're the one demanding about how people should comment here as if you know better than everybody else. You're the one calling people dumb. And you're speaking as if you're the only righteous person here. The point is people can compare if they want to compare. You can differentiate all types of comparisons all you want but the point is people can make any comparisons they want.

All reviews (and studies) whether artistic or scientific are based on comparisons. That's even the logic why there's review of related literature in most artistic and scientific studies because of the need to compare current findings with related findings. When we assess plot/storyline, screenplay, acting, production design, cinematography, music, editing, etc., it is always in comparison with the artistic standards. If you don't like to compare, then don't, but don't impose your views on everybody else here.

Although the plot/storyline didn't move much in Episode 5: Hello, Sadness!, we did get to know more about the support cast. Kookai and Seph's relationship seemed to be progressing albeit slowly. I love Junjun. I think Migs Almendras is the best actor among the Hello Stranger cast members. I also love Meanne Espinosa's Miss Tina Moran. As for Xavier and Mico, they were only good during the start and end of this episode. In between, I got really bored. Frankly, I enjoyed the scenes with Junjun, Kookai, and Seph more than the scenes with Xavier and Mico. But I did enjoy Mico and Xavier taking off their masks at the start and Xavier saying in the end that the song he sang was for Mico. In terms of the technical aspects of production, I found some scenes grainier, particularly, the camera shots of Miss Tina Moran. They should have given Meanne a better phone with the best camera! Lol. Overall, I didn't enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed last week's episode. With only three episodes left, I hope they get to the main conflict of the story soon so that there's still enough time to properly resolve it.