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An Enjoyable Ride As Always
The natural tendency is to want to compare this to the first season of “Ossan’s Love” or the movie. I know the mind naturally gravitates towards the comparison. But once you get into this second season, within about 5 minutes, your mind will readjust itself and begin to process that you are watching something very distinct, very different, and very original. For those of you who have not seen season one, you do not need to watch that to appreciate this series. It is nothing like the first season, yet it does feel recognizable. Some faces are indeed familiar. Tanaka Kei reprises his role as the bumbling Haruta Soichi while Yoshida Kotaro also remains as Kurosawa Musashi. However, the setting is very different. Kurosawa Musashi is a Captain for the Kenku Peach Airlines and by sheer luck and a little bit of personal tenacity, Haruta becomes a CA (cabin assistant). Typical of Haruta, he is ‘late’ on his first day on the job. Yet his lateness is for a reason that envelops Haruta like an aura – his compassion. His overriding need, almost compulsion to help people above anything else. And his unwillingness to explain/defend himself as he knows it is futile. He is unequivocally late.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/27/ossans-love-season-2-love-in-the-sky-2019-japan-8-episodes-2-special-episodes/
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Be on Cloud's Attempt at Scripting a Thriller Fails
“Dead Friend Forever” (DFF) started out rather slowly paced, gained a lot of momentum in the middle, however, by episode 8, the show provided too much unnecessary exposition and plot that did not quite tie in, and fell short in their resolution which resulted in a subpar finale. However, as a slasher/horror series, it delivered on the scares, gore, and delved into the horrors of the human mind which acts as a cautionary tale against bullying and being complicit in the face of others’ wrongdoings.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/21/dead-friend-forever-series-review-ep-4-to-12/
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A Delectable Slice of Life
Short and Sweet, Coming of Age Story!!“You and My Stars” is a Thai BL miniseries about three boys who are experiencing their first crush, first love & first confessions where you feel shy and worried (basically it is a depiction of puppy love at it’s cutest). The webseries is so sweet and short that you can watch it without thinking too much. Win (Poom Jittipat) has a crush on his classmate Time (BM Chanatip Aumpu), who instead has crush on Win’s best friend Hunter (Photo Patawee), who is a casanova. To confess his love to Hunter, Time asks Win to deliver 999 stars he handcrafted to Hunter. Even though Win feels heartbroken, he delivers them without any negative thoughts. Hunter in my opinion is a very good friend and Win, even though in love with Time does not show any negative emotions towards anyone which depict a healthy and positive personality. Time’s struggle with his first heartbreak and his emotional turmoil is well portrayed; the actors, who actually do look like high schoolers, did a good job in acting shy and awkward.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/01/20/you-and-my-stars-series-review-ep-1-2/
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The Best Sequel in 2023
I’m literally in tears because the drama ended too soon and there is STILL so much left to explore!Have you ever felt this inexplicable connect to a storyline or characters that keeps you coming back for more? If you are an ardent fan of the “What Did You Eat Yesterday?” franchise, you will understand the connection. I have been religiously following this show for almost 5 years now and everytime, they make an announcement, my heart skips a beat. That’s how much I love this melodrama and I’m really invested in each and every character in this show. Starring veteran Japanese actors Nishijima Hidetoshi & Uchino Seiyou in the lead roles, this slice-of-life romance focuses on the daily lives and struggles of a middle-aged gay couple. You ask, what is so special about them? Shiro and Kenji are probably the most realistic depiction of the problems faced by a gay couple, in an idealistic, closeted society. Their renditions are so heartwarming and inspiring, you can’t help but get roped in their lives. For now, join me as we reminisce some of the finest moments from the sequel!
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2023/12/27/what-did-you-eat-yesterday-2-series-review-ep-3-to-12/
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An Angsty Saga of Lost Love & Redemption
For better or worse, we don’t choose who we fall in love with, but we can determine what we do with that love.And there’s no better example of this than the Thai BL My Stand-In, a series that explores not only love but finding the path to starring in one’s own life.
Starring Poom Phuripan as a stuntman and double named Joe, My Stand-In takes viewers on an emotional ride as Joe develops feelings for Ming (Up Poompat), a complex figure who sees Joe only as a stand-in for the famous actor Tong (Mek Jirakit). Tragedy strikes when Joe dies in an accident, but fate intervenes, and he awakens in another man’s body, also named Joe. When he reencounters Ming, they start on a rocky path of love and forgiveness.
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/07/30/my-stand-in-series-review-ep-3-to-12/
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An Intricate Web of Self Discovery!
The hardest person to face is often the one staring back at us in the mirror.In the new Japanese GL drama Call Me by No-Name, adapted from Shasendo Yuki’s acclaimed novel, viewers are invited into a poignant and emotionally intricate journey of identity, trust, and self-discovery. The story centers on Megumi Yotsugi (Kudo Mio), a bright yet unassuming student at Eichi University, whose life is forever altered when she encounters Kotoha Furuhashi (Osaki Ichika), a mysterious and enigmatic girl abandoned at a garbage dump. What begins as Megumi’s earnest desire for friendship takes an unexpected turn when Kotoha proposes a peculiar wager: Megumi must act as her girlfriend and uncover her true name to achieve the bond she seeks.
Read the complete article here-
https://theblxpress.wordpress.com/2025/01/23/call-me-by-no-name-first-impressions-ep-1-2/
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A Beautiful Pairing with a Complicated Romance
Adapted from a novel of the same name, this mini-series is a spin-off of the famous GL “Gap The Series”. This an age-gap GL between Khun Nueng (Faye Peraya) and Anueng (Yoko Apasra), though I want to make it clear that the characters are at the right age to date, so the age difference doesn’t seem inappropriate. The series is a fresh breath of air in between lots of cringy and plain situations. The chemistry between the leads is cute and Yoko’s acting has an innocence to it that will make you adore her with all your heart. Faye as Khun Neung is brilliant, her acting is commendable, her expression doesn’t seem forced or awkward and is very detailed. She has put a lot of effort into her role and while watching the series you won’t find awkward pauses, forced acting, or expressions. Faye has grasped the very essence of Khun Neung’s character, who can mask her feelings.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/06/07/blank-series-review-ep-1-to-6/
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Was this a Dating Show or Casting One??
A weird amalgamation of a dating show which was used for casting purposes or was it the other way around?After you get done watching the odd 12 episodes, you are left with the question- “What did I watch? Was it a dating show? Were they trying to choose a cast for their next BL project? What exactly happened here?”. We have an odd bunch of self- proclaimed “Aunty Squad” who are supposedly experts on BL culture (or not, most of the times, they sound like avid squealing BL shippers or fudanshi’s in the literal sense). Tagging along are our crew of eight contestants vying for their one shot at stardom. Joining this crazy crew are industry stalwarts who waltz in as their trainers. This show had some unique concepts unseen before. But then the whole premise is new, I have never been privy to the casting process and it was refreshing to watch a show focus on the technicalities.
Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2025/05/08/love-casting-series-review-ep-1-to-12/
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An Entertaining Horror Comedy Indeed!
Hidden gem. That is what this series is. While it is not perfect, it certainly is one of the more entertaining BLs of this year. To be sure, most Filipino BLs are a bit more adventuresome in their amorous scenes, which made this series surprisingly tame. Yet it does have a smorgasbord of everything in it. Horror, comedy, romance, pathos, redemption, and a heaping amount of love. And for me, it will be something I shall watch around Halloween every year. It is one of those series that makes you feel good about a holiday and in this case that is most definitely Halloween. It shall be my Halloween BL classic to watch every year!Read the complete article here-
https://theblxpress.wordpress.com/2025/01/07/haunted-hearts-series-review-ep-1-to-7/
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Not So Good, Not So Bad!!
This series is best described by the beginning line from Charles Dickens novel, “A Tale of Two Cities”: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” In other words, this story had such salient and poignant moments in it and then it slipped into cartoonish and hackneyed over-the-top silliness, not worthy of the story. It almost seemed schizophrenic in nature.No matter how hard I tried, however, I simply could not dislike this series. Perhaps I became enamored with the two main protagonists’ love story and conveniently then ignored the rest of it. Honestly, this could have been a great series and to some extent, it showed promise. But then there was always something that made it crash and burn.
Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/10/29/sky-valley-series-review-ep-1-to-13/
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A Angsty Romance with Dark Undertones!
The end. Two words. Sometimes sad, sometimes happy, and sometimes left open to interpretation.Yet, all of them are endings.
Adapted from the manga series Happy of the End by Ogeretsu Tanaka, Keito/Haoren (Sawamura Rei) and Kashiwagi Chihiro (Beppu Yurai) are both broken men whose only experiences with “love” have been through abuse, rejection, and pain.
Their life together begins at “the end.” It’s as if both men are merely existing, waiting for the inevitable, even after they find each other.
Each comes from different circumstances. Chihiro has been raised in a world that rejects him because he’s gay. He’s been beaten down by the love he desperately tries to cling to, until he believes he’s worth little more than the garbage he steals. Keito, on the other hand, is raised in a world of abuse and anonymity, one that has stripped him of his identity, his body, and his heart.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/10/10/happy-of-the-end-series-review-ep-3-to-8/
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A GL Romance At its Best!
Starring Faye Peraya and Yoko Apasra in key roles as Khun Neeung and Aneung, Blank is an age-gap love story between two women, who find comfort and love in each other when no one around them understands their love. Whenever they feel like they have no one who understands them, they end up in each other arms where they feel complete, happy and at home. Of all the Thai GLs that I have watched I can say that “Blank” was one of the best. It has good acting, a moving plot, and hot chemistry between the actors.Since Season One, I have been appreciating Faye’s acting and I think as the series went forward, she has evolved more and more as an actress. Her expressions, the way she lets her eyes emote whenever she is with Anueng shows how much she has grasped the depth of character. The way Nueng expressed her love through radio was mesmerizing and adorable, the way she conveys her love shows that it’s alright to accept and love whoever you want without worrying about the world. Aneung’s adorableness has been a constant from Season One, and she always has hearts in her eyes for Nueng. She is beautiful, strong, mature, and clearly knows what she wants.
Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/08/21/blank-season-two-series-review-ep-3-to-6/
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A Must Watch for Ardent Gun Atthaphan Fans
This is a serendipitous find and what a find it is. Sometimes one needs to go back in order to proceed forward. Admittedly, this is a movie that goes way back and by today’s standards in the BL world might be considered ‘old’ and maybe thought of as remote. Its reviews were less than stellar, which is incredulous, and I think based on a misunderstanding of what this movie was all about. I hesitate to reference it as a BL, however. More aptly, it certainly is a gay film. A gay film highlighted by elucidations from the inner thoughts of a mind of a tortured young gay boy, struggling with his ‘coming out.’ If you see it as that, it will have more meaning.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/08/01/the-blue-hour-movie-review/
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A Reflection of Queer Relationships
I could not sleep early on a Saturday morning, and this movie’s review came up on YouTube feed out of nowhere. So, on a whim, I decided to watch it. Before you know it, I had finished it and had become so engrossed in its plot and story, I found myself caring about these characters with a certain sense of affection. I found myself teary eyed and gently weeping for them. It is an intensely gut-wrenching film that is deeper than it is given credit for.I was shocked and dismayed at how poor the reviews were for this movie. I do not understand. I loved it. To be sure, it does not move mountains, but it is not meant to do so. It is a story about two misfit loners who happen to find each other at exactly the right moment in their lives in exactly the right space that connected them to a feeling of fruition. They found each other’s treasured one.
Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/04/19/does-the-flower-bloom-movie-review/
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A Mother's Struggle For Her Son
“Monster” is an intriguing movie, told from the perspectives of 3 individuals, a single mother who is overprotective of her son and wants justice for him, a well-meaning teacher who finds himself in the middle of an almost impossible situation in which he is falsely accused of hitting a child, and a young boy who is coming to terms with himself and his feelings for a friend. Although not quite the psychological thriller one would expect, “Monster” does a great job in shifting our perspective, in as much as we are constantly being asked “who is the monster?”, while viewing the movie. We are not looking for a monster, but rather seeing victims of circumstances that we empathize with throughout the film and the question of who the monster is becomes the furthest from the audience’s concerns.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/04/03/monster-movie-review/
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