SinGood

This is not the best way to make a comparison. I love both. It's surprising for me that I don't instantly like both during its first few episodes but I ended up loving them.

Both have stories based on realities. I even consider both to be 'art' series, in the same level with art films as both series have scenes that have qualities similar to what I have seen in indie art films.

Both series deal with subject matter on identity crisis. GSP handles it well though. Meanwhile, ITSAY has scenes that I have found to be over-dramatic yet understandably acceptable. The main characters in ITSAY go through the internal turmoil of accepting their emotions and themselves as portrayed in scenes that take up several minutes of over 1-hour long episodes.

Furthermore, GSP is more straight-forward with the identity labeling while ITSAY is subtle.

Honestly though, both have quality production. Cinematography-wise, ITSAY won in this aspect. But GSP won in the perfect editing of scenes and musical choices for soundtrack. There are a few scenes in ITSAY that are dragging while GSP has none.

If you ever make a comparison between GSP and ITSAY, then next time, make it more specific.

I have read some comments here and I understand some of you are disappointed about the ending and that's fine. However, I still feel that the ending is perfect. Karl and Vlad still have to go through a certain process before they have to be officially together. What I do know is that they both love each other and that's what matters at the season finale... for me.

As for lazy writing, I don't think it is. I can detect lazy writing through the dialogues and yet I have never noticed in any scene where the dialogue is subpar. That's why I commended the creative aspect of this series including the writing. Knowing I don't see eye-to-eye with the writer/creator, I am still impressed with his art form manifested in this series.

I am a bit sad that people downgraded the rating from 9.2 to 9.1. This series deserves to have a rating of at least 9.5 similar to I Told Sunset About You. Both series are SUPERB. I finished watching these series this week and I am happy we really get that quality series of this genre.

As for argument about labeling this as BL or Queer series, I don't care anymore. I Told Sunset About You has a poignancy to it that can be apt to be labeled as Queer series as it has subjects that deal with identity crisis similar to Gaya Sa Pelikula. What I like about GSP is that it's more straight-forward. Meanwhile, I Told Sunset About You is very artistic in its conveyance to the subject matter through subtle yet somewhat disturbing actions of the characters. Both don't have antagonists but have main characters that are polarizing, with flaws and yet are also lovable.

Anyways, so much for comparison. These god-tier series from the Philippines, my country and Thailand deserve the recognition and accolades.

I HATE THIS SERIES.!!!!!!

IT LITERALLY MADE ME CRY, FUQ!!!!!!

Honestly, it's BEAUTIFUL. It is one of my top 2 Thai BL series of all time. But this has the best quality of all that I have watched. Best cinematography so far. And the actors are amazing, I have an instant crush on Teh's brother, Hoon. Damn!

That part when Teh revealed his feelings to his brother made me tear up.

It deserves to be in the list of God-tier series in this genre.

BL has been evolving if you ever research about the genre beginning from its inception as yaoi in Japan.

Yes, Wikipedia may not be the best reference for this but the information about yaoi on that site contains aggregates of views from different authors and perspectives.

"Although gay male characters are empowered in yaoi, the genre rarely addresses the reality of socio-cultural homophobia. According to Hisako Miyoshi, vice editor-in-chief for Libre Publishing, while earlier yaoi focused "more on the homosexual way of life from a realistic perspective", over time the genre has become less realistic and more comedic, and the stories are "simply for entertainment".[111] Yaoi manga often have fantastical, historical or futuristic settings, and many fans consider the genre to be escapist fiction.[112][112] Homophobia, when it is presented as an issue at all,[94] is used as a plot device to heighten drama,[113] or to show the purity of the leads' love. Rachel Thorn has suggested that as yaoi is primarily a romance genre, its readers may be turned off by political themes such as homophobia.[20] Yaoi author Makoto Tateno expressed scepticism that realistic depictions of gay men's lives would become common in yaoi "because girls like fiction more than realism".[114] Alan Williams argues that the lack of a gay identity in yaoi is due to yaoi being postmodern, stating that "a common utterance in the genre—when a character claims that he is 'not gay, but just in love with a man'—has both homophobic (or modern) temporal undertones but also non-identitarian (postmodern) ones."[115]

And that's why I said Gaya sa Pelikula is what BL is and should be because yaoi has also started that way---depicting realities of gay men. Sadly though, as one pointed out here it is used as escapism because some women are put off when the actors who starred in a BL show are also part of the LGBTQIA community. Meanwhile, others see the genre to be similar to lesbian porn, consumed not just by lesbians but also straight men who are turned on when two girls get it on and then having fantasy imagining themselves to be 'in between'. And I am sure some women consuming BL have been thinking of it that way, similarly.

Again, BL has been evolving in Japan and as it spreads globally, there can be a definition of what BL is in a specific country where contents of this form are created. It's not just a homoerotic form consumed by women but a form where it can be used as expressions of what gay love is depicting both realities and fantasies.

"BL's are not going anywhere'.

LMAO.

I am sorry. The way you always argue with me always gives me an impression that you're intelligent but I think, from that statement, it proves otherwise. I am sorry for arguing with you. It seems what I have been doing is pointless.

I guess you have internalized homophobia you are afraid to share with. I am glad you're in a safe space here but wait for someone to take you seriously now.

Do I need to share with you the psychological and political viewpoints?

Anyways, I would like to make it simple. Why some would like to make BL a genre with full of fantasies about guys falling in love and living a happy ever after it's because of the notion or rather an agenda that being gay can be cured. The idea for BL that some fans would like to really promote indirectly conveys a perception that straight guys falling in love is a phase and that it just happens in fantasy. But what if a character or two characters of a series are identified as gay and ended up together? It's where some promoters of BL would then reclassify the series as just '-gay-themed' and not BL. An example of that is in here.

BL as escapism may only be applied to 'certain' female audience who wanted to see two guys falling in love and making out. That's why some would call them for out for 'fetishizing'. I actually don't have a problem with that but when someone tries to make a distinction of a genre as BL separate from gay-themed category and want this genre to become mainstream and more straight people would see it, it would then create a perception setting a certain standard for same-sex couple to be like this as what is portrayed in 'BL' for these straight people. Most, if not all, BL series have masculine main characters, even though there is always one in a BL couple that takes the feminine role. That idea for a BL genre somehow offsets what the gay advocates are trying to educate to the society.

From your question, why do BL's have to be realistic?

Is there any genre in movie industry that is not based from realism?

Even popular horror movies are based from real stories. Some sci-fi movies have scenes that have become realities years after those movies are shown. People are more drawn to films when they are based from real stories.

Those are my points.

And yet you're still in your fantasy bubble for BL being a story of 'straight' guys falling in love and still refusing to label their relationship being gay as what they have is love and identity is less relevant. Anyways, the 'genre' you want for BL is flawed based on set principles.

That's what I like about GSP. It helps you think and it encourages you not just to be a passive audience. Almost each object in the scenes of the series has a certain meaning. It is rich of symbolism. Haven't you wondered why they made a reference to Y Tu Mama Tambien? If you have watched the movie, it would help you analyze the ending of Tenoch and Julio. I watched that movie more than a decade ago that I almost forgot about it. Even though that movie was not really similar to GSP, but there was an ambient there that was kinda similar on GSP's last episode.

Indeed!

Amen!

You fabulously said it!

I love those lines. It's heart-breaking but beautiful.

Gaya Sa Pelikula is what BL should be. It is right to be tagged as BL. If you remember our previous arguments in some pages, I always shared the sentiment about BL taking into differentiation and contrast of BL and 'gay-themed' shows. Gladly, GSP is a manifestation of what I've shared of what BL is and should be as the gay audience are getting empowered again and the straight allies are given the right education of what it means to have friends in the LGBTQIA community.

That's great!

To be honest, this is the only BL series in which my tears were flowing without me knowing as it happened as I watched the finale. I only knew it when I suddenly realized the wetness on my cheeks and jaw. There was a subtle feeling of this emotion. It happened during the 'alternate ending' and "on the bed scene".

There are many things to learn from the series as personified by the main characters for people who are still afraid in expressing their identity to others; who fall in love at the wrong time but then have found the right person for them but the timing is not right; who feel like they don't have allies or support system but then they just didn't recognize those allies who are just beside them; and who are out and proud but are still vulnerable as they fall in love.

The ending is perfect because it shows the reality and not the fairy-tale one we always expect in a love story.

I wholeheartedly agree. Though this is an art form, I feel like the story and the characters reflect the stories of people in the LGBTQIA community. I was at point a Karl and then a Vlad then back to being a Karl. LOL. I can really relate to the main characters and it's painful for me to see these characters reflecting my past situations in life. But then, these characters have determination to be in-charge of the ending of their own stories which I have been doing currently as I pass through near middle age.

And it also helps that the series is very well-directed. Even if we think there's a flaw in some scenes, but then it seems to become a good flaw eventually as it helps in forming the wholeness and beauty of the art form despite of the imperfections.

This is by far, the most well-directed BL series for me. It's a masterpiece.

Remember, this is a prequel. It's a beginning of something. It's not yet the end of Karl and Vlad's journey but rather, it's a Start.

I like the ending. I've expected it to be less predictable because from the start, this series is a reflection of a certain reality. That's why it's Gaya sa Pelikula, Like in the Movies. We prefer movies that have unpredictable endings and we don't want spoilers. We like surprises.

Both Karl and Vlad have a lot of things to do: Karl in his coming out journey while Vlad is working on mending his broken heart after having his heart broken twice. So, in essence, it's not yet time for them to be in romantic relationship as both of them have hang-ups and baggages in life. But the good thing is they have become friends, which is implicated during the conversation with Paolo and Anna.

If you follow closely the lyrics of the song, Unti-unti, you can surmise the parallelism of the show to the song's lyrics. At the end, they will meet again. It's what happened in the last episode.

There are many things that I like about the last episode of this season. It's a very well-directed BL series for me.

True. Very true.

Gaya sa Pelikula is created with perfection.

True. Both actors are rookies though Ian has been a stage actor prior to taking the role. But Paolo's performance is surprising. I never thought he could be this good in acting.