TonyAndonuts

Oh, I know them. But that was like 4 years ago. Many of the recent televised Japanese BLs seem to be going for the cute and wholesome angle, which is nice, but I didn't know wholesome meant no kissing allowed. I was expecting this one to be the same, but it's so much better. Not just the kiss, but the premise and overall vibe.

Oh my god, FINALLY! A live-action Japanese BL where they actually kiss instead of slightly tapping their lips together and holding that position for an awkward amount of time.

Wait, this is NC-17? Really? The trailer made this shit look PG as hell. PG-13 tops!

I can't say I'd agree that there isn't any quality at all in Thai productions, because I've definitely watched some Thai BLs that I thought were legitimately great, whether it be because of the plot, premise, cinematography, or acting. It always just felt to me like a quantity over quality issue. So many BLs are being spat out of Thailand yearly now that most aren't worth a watch. Years ago, people would just check out whatever new BL is coming out from Thailand, but now, more people are opting to wait for reviews and recommendations because a few are well produced, unique experiences but most are the same shit we've been watching for years.

Okay, I was low-key defending episodes 1 and 2, saying that they were slow but they weren't THAT boring. But episode 3 was truly boring. And I might be able to handle it if the characters were at least likable or endearing, but they're not. I dislike almost everyone, especially the main two, they're awful. The only character I don't hate is Tee and I think that's only because I feel bad for him, not because of his actual character. His character is just the nice guy in a love triangle who will inevitably lose because no one wants a nice guy that tries, people want the bad boy with issues that likes to force non-consensual kisses on you.

I mean...episode 12 was cute and all, but episodes 10 and 11 really just ruined things for me. This show is a perfect example of things going too well, so they shoehorn in some drama at the last minute that feels like it came out of nowhere. And of course they're gonna resolve it in the end, so what's the point? And the "drama" was the laziest excuse to temporarily break them apart? To go from "I'll always be by your side" to "I'm breaking up with you because I think you'll be better off" to "My bad, I was wrong. Let's get married now". Like, really, are you kidding me!?

And I get it, family and societal pressure to live normal lives is a very real thing, especially in a lot of Asian cultures. But 1. I've seen this storyline way too much at this point and 2. They didn't do a good job of showing how much that pressure was weighing down on Fu Li Gong. Maybe if they did, then his actions wouldn't have felt like they came out of nowhere. Maybe then I'd be more sympathetic. But as is, I just thought he was an idiot.

I knew this show was gonna be messy, but not quite like this. They kinda lost me with the forced non-consensual kiss into steamy sex bullshit. And I feel so bad for Tee. If we're meant to like the main couple, they're not doing a good job at being likable.

Also, why are so many people comparing this show to KinnPorsche? What is there to compare? They're both completely different shows with different premises and different budgets. Is it because they're both rated NC-17 on iQIYI? Is that it?

What you described happening in the novel pretty much is my #2 option. What you described doesn't sound romantic at all, it sounds incredibly sad and horrifying. I'd prefer that than them spinning this situation into a genuinely romantic one, because it's not. Also, I keep hearing VegasPete fans saying what's happening with them isn't Stockholm Syndrome. But...how is it not?

So when I first heard about VegasPete's story, I thought it sounded awful and it made me less excited for the show. But when I heard that there will probably be changes, I got really curious how they would handle VegasPete. I was hoping they'd either 1. Tone down the torture and abuse and make Vegas less of a shithead. Or 2. Go all in on the torture and abuse, but not romanticize it. I was hoping they'd do something like Killing Stalking where it's more like a horror rather than romantic.
But so far it's looking like they're sticking close to the book and...I'm honestly disappointed.

First of all, I have zero sympathy for Vegas. None whatsoever after what he's done. I honestly don't give a shit what his dad has done to him. A villain having a tragic backstory only explains their actions, it does not excuse them. Ultimately, Vegas' actions were his own. I sighed real hard when Vegas and Pete were bonding about both being abused by their fathers...even though Pete has been suffering abuse and torture from Vegas himself. I was really hoping Pete would then call Vegas out and say that he sucks just like his father, but no. Instead it's turned into a "sweet" moment. >_>

I'm still somewhat hoping there's a twist at the end where Pete is only pretending to be submissive and obedient to let Vegas' guard down, kill him, and escape. That'd be great. Or maybe they'll save it for season 2.

The difference between Killing Stalking and VegasPete is that Killing Stalking was never meant to be romanticized. It's a psychological horror. I honestly really with VegasPete had went in that direction, I'd probably be more interested.

Episode 1 was slow paced and plain, but I didn't think it was awful like some are saying. It's just your basic set-up episode. By the end, you know what's happening and where it's going to go. I've definitely seen worse episode 1s than this.

Also, why is the poster for this show darkened? I know MDL does this for NSFW shows, but KinnPorsche doesn't have that. Are you telling me this show is gonna be even more NSFW than KinnPorsche!?

Oh, I'm angry. I was quite enjoying this show until episode 10 and I'm getting serious Paint With Love flashbacks. Fu Li Gong better have a daaaaamn good reason for what he's doing, but I seriously doubt he will.

I felt very similarly about this show as I did Kieta Hatsukoi. Both are cute and wholesome with main characters that're kind of annoying with how much they overthink and doubt themselves, making things way more complicated than they needed to be. Also, hardly any intimacy.

I've noticed with Japanese BL TV shows, a relationship rarely goes any further than innocent puppy love. They admit their feelings, they get together, they MIGHT kiss (and if they do, it's a really weak one), and that's the end. But Japanese BL FILMS on the other hand are a completely different story.

That was a solid Whatever out of 10. It was a plot I've seen done better elsewhere and OhmFluke weren't nearly as endearing as they were in UWMA. But KimCopter? Their characters were EXACTLY the same as Gen Y. They have different names and occupations, but they're the same characters. And if next season involves DunBas, dear god, that is a HARD pass for me.

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!!? Episode 10 made no sense. The whole time, I was begging for some kind of explanation, but we got nothing! Everything is suddenly crumbling down and they're not gonna tell us shit! Why!!?
I can only assume that the dad wants them to break up and of course you can't say no to parents in BL. Their word is absolute. Argue with them and YOUR the bad person. That's such a boring and tired cliche if so. I understand that this stuff happens in real life and that sucks, but I can only see this conflict so many times in a BL before it no longer has an affect on me. It also depends on the execution, and the execution this time is probably the worst possible way you could do it. To go from "I'll always be by your side" to "We're breaking up" only after one conversation with dad? Their love for each other must be mad weak.
Of course, this is all just speculation, because they ain't telling us shit!

Honestly, when I first heard about VegasPete's storyline, I thought it sounded awful. It sounded like everything I hate in BLs and it made me less excited for the series. But when I heard that they were gonna change some things, I was hoping they'd take it in one of two directions. Either 1. Soften it up and get rid of the extreme abuse, or 2. Go all in on the torture, rape, and abuse, but frame it in a way where it ISN'T romantic. Because it's not. Everything I had heard about VegasPete sounded more like a horror than romance. So if the series decided to rework VegasPete's story into more of a psychological horror about Stockholm Syndrome, I'd be down for that.

Oh, I loved this episode! It had everything I was hoping to see in this series. Action, suspense, major plot developments, brutality, 3 characters freaking died! I loved it! But...then I read some of the criticisms and now I hate it. >:(

....Nah I still really liked it, but I do agree that some parts could've been better. Like the KinnPorsche love scene at the end felt disconnected from everything else that happened in the episode. I wish these two could do what they did in episode 6 and have an honest heart-to-heart rather than fixing their problems with sex like in Cutie Pie. It would've fit the overall tone of the episode much better.

And them completely forgetting about Pete was really dumb. How could you forget Pete!? Kinn especially since he approved and sent him on that suicidal mission. Don't you want to know what happened to him!? I'll cut Porsche a bit of slack because he knew nothing of the plan and I assume that off screen he was with Chay and being told to quit being a mafia, so he may not have been to his room to see that Pete was missing yet. That's just speculation though.

Honestly, these are some of the best choreographed action scenes I've seen in a BL. Some of my other favorites like Not Me and HIStory 3 Trapped don't have action scenes quite like this. It's definitely not on par with big budget action films, but I never expected it to be.

I've seen people say Pete enjoys it. But a while back, I also read from novel readers that at one point, Pete begs Vegas to just kill him because he can't take it anymore. I don't know. Would a masochist say that? I haven't read it myself, it's just what I heard from people that read it.
I never shipped VegasPete, I was just curious what direction the series would take them. Would they soften them up or go all in on the torture, rape, and abuse. If it's the latter, I would hope it isn't framed as romantic, but as a look into the dark side of human psychology.

With Big, I kind of just chalked that up to the harsh nature of the mafia life. People die. Bodyguards especially. You're life is in danger everyday, but there's no time to mourn, you gotta just keep moving forward. They have so many bodyguards because they're so expendable. Plus, I think it was implied that a few days passed after the incident, so that could've given Kinn and Porsche time to process what happened.

However, I definitely agree with Pete. How could they forget about him? Especially Kinn since he's the one who approved and sent him on that mission. With Big, you know what happened to him. You DON'T know what happened to Pete. Shouldn't that be a concern!?