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Not So Good, Not So Bad
“Bad Guy My Boss” started off as an interesting and provocative watch, however, as it progressed, it became quite monotonous and resulted in a tedious show that lost me as the audience. While the story of a situation-ship between a boss and their subordinate is titillating, and the progression of the relationship dynamic can be interesting, the way in which the show tackles the relationship and the characters was subpar, and with little to no character growth, the story seemed to be stuck on the first half of the series, and the relationships did not grow organically, but the growth was moved by outside factors pertaining to the business, instead of internal factors affecting the relationship.Read the complete article here-
https://theblxpress.wordpress.com/2024/12/17/bad-guy-my-boss-series-review-ep-4-to-12/
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There’s something undeniably magical about War Wanarat and Yin Anan when they share the screen. It’s more than just chemistry. Maybe it’s their friendship. Maybe it’s their uncanny ability to tap into nuanced emotions while weaving romance effortlessly into their performances. Whatever the reason, they consistently bring a depth to their characters—a depth that resonates even when the story itself falls a little short.The Thai BL Jack and Joker: U Steal My Heart is a perfect showcase of the magic Yin and War create together. But it’s also a reminder of how much more they could achieve with a series that truly challenges their abilities—one as well-written as the performances they deliver.
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https://theblxpress.wordpress.com/2024/12/03/jack-and-joker-u-steal-my-heart-series-review-ep-3-to-12/
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Bromance with Added Sismance, Truly Perfect!
Guo Jing Ming’s projects are always fraught with homoerotic tones; starting from Painted Skin: The Guo Jingming Edition, Wuliang, L.O.R.D 1, L.O.R.D 2, The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity and the recently concluded Fangs of Fortune, all stand testament to his amazing prowess to pass Chinese censorship.Some stories leave you exasperated whilst others leave you with a ray of hope and earnest longing; that someday, you might be able to meet these characters again. “Fangs of Fortune” was one such drama for me. It taught me valuable life lessons- you can redeem yourself once you accept you were in wrong; love should set you free, not imprison you. Also, you can love someone despite hating them in the past. Adapted from the classic text and the mythology and geography collection “Classic of Mountains and Seas” (山海经), the show has the most endearing characters that slowly become a family. The best part is that they aren’t all human- we have a makeshift family made of a Great Demon, two powerful Demon Hunters, a Half God and a Mountain God. The only thing that connects them is their yearning for familial ties and bonds. They become each other’s solace and peace of mind; they evolve and mature together, drawing inspiration and courage from one another. Another important aspect of Guo Jing Ming’s shows is the magnanimity of the settings and the mesmerizing locales. The costumes are posh, keeping in line with the stature/position of the characters. We bring you the evergreen queer romance that is characteristic of most Guo Jing Ming’s stories.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/11/20/fangs-of-fortune-series-review-ep-1-to-32/
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The Most Realistic Depiction of Queer Community
Adapted from the manga series “Smells Like Green Spirit” (スメルズライクグリーンスピリット) by Nagai Saburo (永井三郎), the show is set in the 1990s era where homophobia wasn’t any less prevalent than it is now. In the midst of a school setting, we have “Coming Of Age” storyline which retraces how transgenders were hugely perceived. The ridicule coupled with rampant bullying made their existence rather difficult. There were many who succumbed to this pressure while few daring ones choose to live their life fearlessly. This story belongs to one such brave persona, Mishima Futoshi. The subtleties of this character are portrayed so boldly by Araki Towa, that you want to celebrate their independence and freedom. MBS is engaging in stories that are intrinsically interwoven with the dynamics of the queer community. They are thought-provoking, mindful and also captivating. One man’s struggle against societal prejudices becomes the crux of this storyline. From the way you dress to the way you behave, society judges you on everything; but who are they to judge others & are their opinions that important?Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/11/16/smells-like-green-spirit-series-review-ep-1-to-8/
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A Story that Should Not Be Missed
This Pinoy BL is everything one can wish for in the genre. It’s witty, inclusive, empowering, shows the power of solidarity and strength in numbers that is fundamental to the queer community, while also highlighting the challenges most societies still face with backwards thinking homophobes and transphobes. While queer representation is quite high, there are rising sentiments of queerphobia throughout the world, even in the West and it is important to continue to highlight and uplift queer voices that are too quickly erased in the world, as was done to Baylan Nalundasan in Marahuyo.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/09/13/marahuyo-project-series-review-ep-1-to-8/
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Was this Remake Worth the Effort??
“My Love Mix-Up!” is a youthful romance that begins with a comic misunderstanding.Based on a Japanese manga, the plot follows high school student Atom (Fourth Nattawat) who has a crush on his classmate Mudmee (Pahn Pathitta). One day, he borrows her eraser and sees the name of their classmate, Kongthap (Gemini Norawit), written on it. They have a superstitious belief that if you write the name of your crush on an eraser and use it, your love would be reciprocated. Matters become complicated when Kongthap sees the eraser with Atom, and in order to protect Mudmee, Atom falsely says that the eraser belongs to him. This leads to the titular love mix-up as Kongthap assumes Atom has feelings for him.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/09/04/my-love-mix-up-series-review-ep-3-to-12/
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An Inspiring Dating Show, Best of the Lot!!
I never thought that I could get addicted to a reality dating show, but “Sparks Camp” proved me wrong!Black Sheep and ABS-CBN Studio’s “Sparks Camp Season Two” ended on a high note and I’m already suffering from the withdrawal symptoms. Honestly I really loved the contestants this season, it could be the quirky Miggy Ruallo, brave Pipoy Oreiro or the fabulous Ejay (doesn’t mean, I didn’t like the other contestants). Each camper bought a different flavor to this potboiler that was wildly exciting and spontaneous. The sparks were sparkling yet meaningful, “Moment of Truth” was honest and insightful while Mela Habijan as Mother Camper was a soothing presence. Directed by Theodore Boborol (whom we recently interviewed), the show was bigger, bolder and more versatile; and we are not just talking about the contestants who were from different walks of life. They had stories to share; some endearing, others remorseful. We are going to talk more about the intricacies of this show in our review, so buckle your seatbelts!
Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/08/15/sparks-camp-season-two-series-review-ep-3-to-8/
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A Century of Waiting for Your Love!!
Love is a powerful thing. It is powerful enough to bridge generations, erase hate, and overcome prejudices. If we let it. Love is powerful enough to bring two people together so intimately that it’s hard to tell where one begins and the other ends.Thus is the story that the Thai BL Century of Love tells.
Starring Daou Pittaya (San) and Offroad Kantapon (Vee), Century of Love follows a devoted man named San who spends a hundred years waiting for the woman he loves to reincarnate after she died to protect him only for her to return as a man named Vee. This begins an unforgettable love story that becomes much more about who we are and less about the bodies we’re born with.
While I’ll admit I initially had trouble becoming immersed in San and Vee’s story, I found that, with time, San’s love and his interactions with Vee aged well. Ironically, a story about a man who spends 100 years not aging and trying to rediscover his first love becomes a love story that ages slowly on screen before suddenly capturing the heart.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/08/13/century-of-love-series-review-ep-3-to-10/
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I Liked The Previous Two Seasons Better
This season was fickle, defiant and definitely a double-edged sword!It’s very unlikely that people might find true love in a dating show, much less stay together after they leave the show. Surprisingly, “His Man Season Three” delivered a verdict that was obviously oblique and yet predictable. Some might have enjoyed the predictability, but let’s accept the truth- pitted against strong contenders like “The Boyfriend” & “Sparks Camp Season Two”, the sequel had veritable shortcomings that portray the glaring differences. Reality television has an upside that it isn’t mostly scripted, we are looking at real expressions or emotions; but that doesn’t mean it deviates from the normal melodrama that is so typical of love stories, especially love triangles (this show had two, frankly, twice the melodrama). Complexities were a galore, because the crew seemed to come up with diffident tasks that meant pitching love interests against each other. It was interesting to watch in the beginning, but with time, it became boring and outdated. Simply following the same format and creating unwarranted tension doesn’t mean improved ratings!
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/08/03/his-man-season-three-series-review-ep-5-to-14/
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Could Have Been So Much Better
When I first started watching this show, I was very excited to see a Korean-Thai crossover BL series, especially with Mew in it. But as much as I wanted to enjoy the show, it was disappointing, to say the least. There was no plot, no chemistry, no romance, no anticipation to watch the next episode and I really didn’t care about what will happen next. If you are watching a romantic drama, you can ignore all the emptiness if the romance, chemistry, and interaction between the two main leads is toe-curling but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here which ruined the show. It felt forced and awkward, even the confession part, I didn’t feel anything watching it.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/05/24/love-is-like-a-cat-series-review-ep-1-to-12/
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An Impressive Watch Indeed
Watching this series is like wrapping yourself up in a warm cozy blanket on a cold winter’s night as you are reading a romantic allegory. While the sensation is comforting, the fable still provides you with enough stimulation to keep you awake. But you suddenly realize that you reach a part in the story where one of two possible endings can happen. Either a fairy tale one or a tragic one. While I certainly love a fairy tale ending (and these two guys deserved one), I was preparing myself for a tragic one as the series did seem a bit dark overall. Unfortunately, I got neither one. And I threw off my warm blanket and started to cry with disappointment. Let me elaborate.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/05/23/memory-in-the-letter-series-review-ep-1-to-6/
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Totally Unimpressive
Admittedly, this series is perfectly named. It did seem to continue to go on and on endlessly. It was like being adrift in a rudderless boat floating in an ocean of tropes, cliches, banalities, stereotypes, and platitudes. Sooner or later, you would bump into one of them on your way to wherever it was you were supposed to be going. Unfortunately, this series went nowhere because it had nowhere to go to.Honestly, you have seen this story hundreds of times if you are an avid BL watcher. If not, you will no doubt run across its plot again because it is standard. It is another high school love story between two best friends. Ji (Fluke Pongspat) and Achi (Junior Kajbhunbitt). Both are handsome with each focused on wanting to be successful in different ways. Ji is obviously in love with Achi as he is a bit more overt about it. Achi senses it. Although he likes it, Achi is understandably terrified of reciprocating. This is all such a confusing time for teenage boys.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/05/21/to-be-continued-series-review-ep-1-to-8/
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Could Have Been Better
This is the real thing. Acting that does not look like acting.” – Quote from The StarThere is honestly so much to unpack here in this short series that goes way beyond the plot or story. Reality and fiction merge together to make this series unique. As the abstract states, this series is based on a ‘true story’. Perhaps a more apt description might be closer to a docudrama.
It begins with a hapless and sad young man, ironically named Hope (Night Yodsakon), who sets up his vendor cart selling fried meatballs in front of a BL production company. He looks and acts defeated and forlorn. Yet maintains a sense of optimism outwardly; merely for show. Inwardly, he seems to have given up ‘hope’.
One day he is approached by the owner of the BL production company who asks if he would like to star in a BL series. Indeed, there is something enticing about Hope that draws you to him. His face tells it all and there is something about his demeanor that is raw and organic. If he could learn to act, channel his difficult life experiences into real meaningful and believable enactments, he could evoke a freshness about a series. Hope knows nothing about acting or even what a BL is but is willing to try.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/04/25/the-star-series-review-ep-1-2/
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A Love Story Full of Yearning & Longing
Sometimes beauty is born out of tragedy, out of a broken place that doesn’t seem capable of growing something beautiful.And yet, even roses have thorns.
The Taiwanese BL Unknown, adapted from the web novel Da Ge by Priest, is a stunning example of a relationship built from a broken place. Starring Chris Chiu (Wei Qian) and Kurt Huang (Wei Zhiyuan), it delves deeply into a story about two boys who don’t belong anywhere but whose hearts seek a home and family in each other’s brokenness.
And it succeeds.
From the moment a young Yuan follows Qian from the darkness surrounding him in the streets to the warmth of Qian’s home, Unknown becomes a story about finding light in a period of darkness. It’s a concept that threads well throughout the series; from youth to adulthood, strangers to brothers to lovers, light and darkness balance each other, intertwine, and then become one. It’s a transformative experience that grips the soul and doesn’t let go.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/04/23/unknown-series-review-ep-3-to-12/
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Could Have Been Better
Simple, Sweet but OrdinaryGu Jing (Stan Huang) is a good chef who owns a creative and retro restaurant. He opens his restaurant anytime he wants. Gu Jing finds that there is a young man who always gets the quietest seat, and that is Liu Li (Chen Xuan Yu). Liu Li is a gay-themed novelist who rents a room upstairs from Gu Jing’s restaurant. Gu Jing starts to send Liu a bowl of spicy beef noodles. Slowly, Gu Jing becomes the person that Liu Li confides in, the person who keeps him company during his hard times. Gradually, Liu Li realizes that his fantasies may be different from reality.
Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/09/vip-only-series-review-ep-3-to-10/
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