MaintainingMama

Yes, I think those are the best kinds of shows, fluff with a bit of reality into it. I'm all for imperfect characters just trying to live and love.

I agree and disagree (a little bit🤣) . I don't think Diew has PTSD, more like social anxiety based on some of the points you made about his parents differing parenting styles, losing his father, his mother's forcing him to stay close after losing his father and then finally his boyfriend using who he is to make fun of him. And it kind of seems like Diew was naturally anxious to begin with. So much like a turtle, he does retreat to his "shell", to recharge, but to also escape having to do the hard work of "peopling". Much to your point, introverts are not fans of peopling to begin with, but like literally everything in life, practice makes perfect. I think you really did a great job explaining how deep this show actually is despite the cliches. Like the fact that alot of Diew's habits are things that if you don't practice them alot, you won't be good at it, like his new found love of art. He, at first, didn't think he would be good at public speaking, but I love how the show instead of giving the audience the cliche of Diew meeting Got (I simply cannot call this character God and am using the first episode spelling of his name) and magically being able to do extroverty things, they instead show us him trying things he had some interest in, like painting and eventually working his way up to public speaking when it came to a project that combined the two. To piggyback off another point you made about growth and learning, I love that although on the surface a character named God who loves to party, had lots of friends, plays in a band, and has six pack abs it literally the height of cliche. But at his core, he is the biggest green flag who initially was much like the puppy dog Diew called him, willing to go along to get along. I love how in this last episode, he set his boundaries, both with the band, his friends and especially with Diew. He asked for space from everyone, respectfully, but firmly and I loved that for him. Through the whole series, so far, Got has been happy go lucky, nothing bothered him, not even when Diew made the mistake with the drumsticks, so it was refreshing to see them create the "conflict', not just with a jealous Got, but like you pointed out, a hurt Got, because he created this safe space for Diew to let him in as his boyfriend but he didn't receive the same in kind.
This show is a whole lot deeper than it appears, so I'm so glad you shared your thoughts. It helped me organize mine, as I couldn't quite pinpoint what I liked about this show when it has all the tale tell signs of a lower thought out series.

That was my point. Even in shock, no one just stands there with their eyes open doing nothing. Either you push them away or you give in to the kiss. Or, let's give the benefit of the doubt and stay he was shocked, then at the minimum, I expect like a range of emotions showing in his eyes or face. Cause the blank stare looks like instead of being kissed unexpectedly, he was told to freeze. I just wanted more for that particular scene, since they were kind of our second couple.

Me too!

I was not expecting THAT to be the reason that Jiang Tian got that burn from his father or that being he reason they were estranged. Also wasn't expecting that after the lame kiss. I did disliked the eyes open, frozen on the spot kiss. I always have and I always will. Either push them away, cause you don't want the kiss or you are shocked or lean in and go for what you know. I refuse to believe anyone just stands there, eyes open and does nothing about the kiss, wanted or unwanted, unless in fear for their lives/well being. Which he obviously wasn't.
This episode had all the feels though and I'm so sad it ends tomorrow. I really hope we get to see the entirety of their story in a second season and the kissed they teased tomorrow!

Just binged the whole thing tonight. Definitely going to need to watch something with puppies and rainbows to be able to go to sleep. That was devastating. Really good series, can NEVER watch it again, but glad I watched it. Do not watch it unless you are prepared to be emotionally wrecked. This is no BL. This a gay film riddled with sadness, pedophilia, death, drugs, abuse and rape. This is about two deeply scarred and traumatized individuals who happened to find each other and find love for the first time with each other. They suffer before they meet, the suffer while they get to know each other and they suffer in love. While I cannot say it was a happy ending, cause unless they each get a shit ton of therapy, neither will be happy. But I was so relieved at the end that Haoren came and found Chihiro at the end. I'm also immensely glad that that crazy bastard Maya died as well. He deserved a much harsher end, but I'm just glad he isn't around anymore when they reconnect.
I loved the friendship between the ML and Kaji. Yes he was part of the reason why Keito/Haoren suffered so much, but like so many of the people who end up living that life, they don't really know another way. And even when they do, they don't think it is for them, or that it is possible. I think once he found Haoren again, he tried to atone for what was done to him, knowing that nothing could atone for what was done to that poor boy.
Now off I go to find something that scrubs the trauma this show displayed so grandly out of my mind for the night...

Man, I wonder how they are going to end this? I hope Af, Gina and Khing get their asses handed to them. All of them are deplorables! And now I believe that Khing has been terrible all along and Gina is just entitled and obtuse while Khing was the master manipulator this whole time!
I love that Cake and Kla just communicate with each other as well as their families. Kla going to Cake's parents before he took him on vacation, to make sure it was okay it the ultimate respect for both Cake's family but also for Cake, because he showed Cake that he would do the difficult work of making sure that started their relationship on the right foot by involving the family. Same for Cake with Kla's family. I also loved that when Cake got those stalker messages, he didn't hide them from Kla, he told him immediately and then let his computer savvy boyfriend try to solve it.
I enjoy this show and once again, will say that this show should have a higher rating.
I will say one thing I'm not so sure of is Poon and Gam. Like now that they are together, Gam is acting no so into Poon...and I'm not sure it's the script or the actors, particularly Tiger. They are losing the intimacy/caring they had for each other at the beginning, which sucks cause now they are together. I just hope their couple lands on a high note for the final episode.

They can just stop trying to make this drama. The reason the book was so popular was because these were too terrible characters who some how found each other and became much worse in their love. The reason it is called Addicted Heroin is because they were literally addicted to each other and they EACH did not so good things to be with each other. In every adaptation so far they have shown the "Poppy/Bai Luo Yin" character to be the the innocent of the pairing and the Hero/Gu Hai to be just deplorable. And some of that is true. But in the original story, once Bai Luo Yin fell in love with Gu Hai, he also went to the extreme for Gu Hai. Those two were crazy TOGETHER for EACH OTHER and THAT is what was popular about that novel. And why we wanted it adapted properly. And that includes the sex. Now I'm not for the noncon and one thing they could have changed about the novel and kept the rest was that the first time they have sex Bai Luo Yin stops fighting his feelings and willingly consents to being with Gu Hai/Hero. And I"m not sure if this version does that or not, cause it wasn't clear because they are literally showing nothing, but when they showed them both shirtless in bed, which they haven't done before, I'm assuming that means they had sex. And it seems Poppy consented. So that part they got right/did better. And they are staying faithful to the book and the other adaptations with the whole cousin bit and the girl wanting Poppy back. Even Hero hiring spies to follow Poppy around. All faithful to the book. What is missing from this version and wasn't only really present in the first version is the cockiness of Gu Hai. He was crazy and gave not one fuck. Not even about Bai Luo Yin's unless he was well and truly upset. And then not even then. He railroaded over Bai Luo Yin and his "wants" all the time. But it's clear that Bai Luo Yin liked that about him.
I mean the script is there. But because they hired someone who is way too young to truly commit to this story, it ruins the whole thing. All this day dreaming about phantom kisses are ineffective because as a viewer, if it's supposed to be important to the scene and the characters, but we don't see it, we aren't going to care. It will not have any impact.
So anyway, I really, really hoped that Thailand would finally do this book right, by giving us the best of both worlds, that was denied from the other adaptations and keep the actual BL in it until the end. But alas, it is more censored than the original censored version, and what is the point of that!?

Here is what this and only one other show that I've seen so far in 2024, Live In Love, have done amazingly at. Building intimacy between the budding couples. And by intimacy, I don't mean sex. It's all the quiet, innocuous moments that don't "mean" anything really. If you were to see them in front of you, their actions would just been seen or even written off as "Aw, they must be close, it's nice they get along!" and you would think nothing of it. But are these giant indicators of feelings. The casual arm over the shoulder, the asking Jiang Tian to wear the shirt, even Sheng Wang checking out Jiang Tian's booty during the streaking scene but my personal favorite moment of today's episode is the chin tuck during the piggy back ride. When Jiang Tian brought it up, oh so casually, the immediate chin tuck by Sheng Wang was so natural. It's these small moments that in the moment, no one would think anything of it, including the two of them. But it just showed how comfortable they are together and how much they rely on each other. And mostly, how much they want to be close to each other. I don't think either is fully aware of their feeling for each other, but it's like they are slowly drawn to each other and I'm living for the build up. It won't be long though, cause my dude Sheng Wang like what he saw during that streaking scene. 🤣🤣🤣 Gah, I love this show and am sad it's so close to the end of the series. I know they talked about a season 2, but I won't believe it until I see it or hear they are in production.

Now I need the after ULS to round out this drama. You can't give me this angsty beginning with tension filled middle and not tell me how they resolved their relationship issues. Great beginning though.

1000%

Seriously, she has to go!

This shows rating is trash! This show is actually good. Open communication, consent, AN ACTUAL ROMANCE! Like I just finished The Trainee and the ratings were way too high for that lame drama, and then I come to watch a show whose episodes so far have been great and see such abysmal ratings. SMH. The acting is the best, but it most certainly isn't the worst. The pacing is great, the story is great. But mostly, the romance is great! So many of the dramas that have come out this year have focused too much on either the back story or in including as many love scenes as they can. And while I'm a fan of both of those things, there must be balance. This show is giving us back story, in fact several, but it doesn't linger on them too long and they give us plenty of quality scenes between the main leads. And my FAVORITE part is how intimate they are with one another. So many dramas either have zero contact or intimacy or all the sex. Again, I say balance. Also, intimacy in ANY relationship involves touch, familiarity. If you are with your bestie, aren't you getting hella in their personal space to get the tea!? I love how in this episode, even before they became a couple, they kept leaning in each others space. And as soon as they became a couple, they began touching. Again, not in a sexual way, but just the way couples would touch. The sitting on his lap while he worked, they laying in his lap to rest, the small kisses to connect through out the day, the laying your legs across his body while simply chilling. All intimate acts that are lacking in almost all BLs.
I also love that aren't doing that God awful trope of the one character going through something but they don't tell the partner. I love that Cake immediately tells and shows Kla the messages and what is happening to him. I loved that when Kla was jealous, instead of being mad and accusing Cake, he simply expressed how he was feeling and then they worked together to solve the problem by communicating honestly.
I really wished this show got more love, it totally deserves it.

This was so lame and such a disappointment. While yes, I like the side characters, this felt alot like We Are, where the side stories and the "growing up" part took over the romance and you hardly got to see the characters together. And just like in We Are, that makes the ending lame. Like I am mostly here for the romance! Same thing happened in Remember Me, another drama that frustrated me, because it marketed itself as a BL and mainly was just a coming of age story. I'm okay with the side stories, but giving a time jump as great as 5 years and everything is back to normal and there is not big talk, no apologies, no catch up, just a proposal (that was cute, I won't pretend it wasn't) and some drunk dancing...once again. Like HUH?! This might have been okay, if this wasn't OffGun. They deserved what TayNew got with Cherry Magic. A well thought out, romantic mature series, that showcased that they were no longer going to be portraying super young characters, but rather adults who have experienced life, at least a little bit.
And the fact that all they got was 2 LAME kisses... I just can't. Sooooo disappointed. This rating is way too high for what this show was. OffGun deserved so much better. They were better than this series.

I love OffGun but once again, this isn't it. I need them to give Gun a character that is competent, self assured and not bumping, wide eyed and shy. Maybe that is why Not Me worked so well. It had what works for Off (him starting off a jerk and then morphing in to a cutie pie for love) and Gun being a bad ass. The chemistry between them is still there, but they haven't found either the script or the director to bring out what works for them since Not Me and it is a let down.
I'm not going to lie, I did not like Ba'Mhee at the beginning and didn't really warm up to her until mid way, character wise. Then she cheated and while I don't agree, I understood why it happened. I'm glad they are back together...but also, I don't care. I get that the internship side was the side story, but honestly, it should have been about Ryan figuring out who he was a person, more than the others, cause again, who cares. There was sooo much Ba'Mhee and the girl interest, and I was bored. I skipped all those scenes, and I'm not someone who skips normally.
It would have been nice, that out of 12 episodes, we would have gotten more of Jane and Ryan being in a relationship. Also, that kiss was lame. For how many series OffGun have done, and the fact that they are both adults in this series, it was lame.
I have to go back and review GMMTVs 2024 shows to see if any stood out, but off the top of my head, they have had some really meh BLs this year and that is disappointing.

I loved this show, especially how confusing it all was until the end. Having them finally get to be together exactly the way they wanted with zero drama only to realize that it couldn't be real because it was TOO perfect. Chef's Kiss! I loved the growth of Great. Him getting the 4 minutes to really reflect on his terrible decisions and see what would happen if he had been a better person, the impact his behavior had on so many lives in a single moment was amazing. Then to have him not necessarily be the shining super remorseful heroic person in the first "timeline" or remain the guy who made all the mistakes to begin with, but to end up being real person. Someone who made lots of mistakes, mistakes that honest could have ended his life, but who, when given a second chance, learned from them and also tried to make good for those mistakes, even when doing that would mean his life would be so much worse. Him providing evidence to help keep his parents from going back to a life of crime will, at minimum, alienate himself from the only people left in his family. But it could get them killed if the wrong people get caught up in the shenanigans of them trying to come back in the the country. But then he turned himself in, which could lead to him receiving jail time, deservedly, because he did knowingly participate in a crime. The fact that he did those things for the sake of repenting his misdeeds showed some real character growth.
The doctor didn't have a ton of character growth, but there was enough to point out. Remembering how mean and disconnected he was in the "first timeline". And how angry and manipulative he was in the real timeline. Both times changing because he met Great. In the end, he, once again, kind of was the balance of the two timelines. Still wanting to seek revenge, even kind of torturing the guy who killed his grandma (he's better than me, cause I would have turned them machines off and let that dude die his painful death for what he did to his grandmother and aunt), but stopping short due to ethics and morality.
I am sad about Korn and Tonkla and even Win. For Win, he really did like Tonkla, but I think its best that he never got a chance to truly be with him, as Tonkla would have ruined his entire life.
As Korn and Tonkla, Tonkla was a product of his growing up environment. No one can suffer the kind of abuse he suffered and come out with their mental health intact. And honestly, he killed folks who deserved so I'm not too mad at him. But him not being too bothered by deciding to kill them combined with seeing a dead cat all the time, tells me he would be killing for fun in the future possibly. As for Korn, man, he had it bad! His parents drag him in to an illegal business, get him involved in terrible things, abandon him when they got in trouble, find out his boyfriend cheated on him AND was the one who shot his brother and then watching his boyfriend die in front of him all within a matter of day is too much for the mind to handle. I was not shocked he killed himself, but I was so sad. And then the flash back to them wanting to run away lying in each others arms, and then dying in each others arms in the same positions...gah!
The cinematography of this show was top tier, of course, BOC would do nothing less. I wasn't a fan of cover of Why Don't You Stay, but it kind of was okay...
All in all, a great, thought provoking show. I really loved it!

So what they are saying is because Mac is only 16, we are going to get fake kissing scenes and NC scene (from the teaser). It's like no one can get this story right. So far, even cut short, the closest to the book in terms of true representation of both the story and the characters has been the first, but each adaptation brought another element that the other lacked. I like how Hero is already "crazy ' in love with Poppy. In the book both of them do extreme things for each other in the name of love, so with out that element, it really doesn't suite the title. I'm not going to lie, I think the actor playing Poppy is doing a great job, acting wise, but it is disappointing that we once again won't get the fiery passion from the original book. Sigh...

Well hopefully we get a season 2.

Well, that was a meh ending, in my opinion. It started off so strong, but here is where this show missed it for me.

1)I said this like mid way through, and it remained all the way til the end. It gave way more bromance than BL. I was so scared they were going to go the route of Silhouette of Your Voice and have Taichi not reciprocate Kohei's feelings. But then what would be the point of making this series. So held out hope. But it didn't deliver. There was literally almost no romance, except for the brief confession scene, which admittedly was beautiful and would have had me in a shambles, if they had done 2 more things in that scene, which I'll get to later. But most of the drama including the ending, if you watched it with out the sound on and didn't have the subtitles on, it would have looked like a buddy drama. There were very few moments when either one of them revealed or demonstrated their feeling for each other. It would have been so much better, if they had shown Taichi struggle with his feelings after Kohei confessed and kissed him. If they had shown him actually being jealous of Maya, instead pouting ever so slightly and then moving on and just being regular Taichi. Even him arguing with Maya didn't give, "I don't like this girl cause she is close to my "friend" Kohei" I really believe, if she hadn't been mean to Taichi from the beginning, he would have been fine with her and got along from the beginning. There was just not enough "moments", even individually from either of them, that made it seem like they liked each other, like "THAT", especially Taichi.
2) So on to the confession. I won't lie, that confession in front of the fireworks almost was perfect. For me, it came too late in the series, it would have been nice to get this confession maybe even last episode and then show them being together this last episode. I loved how passionate it was, and when Kohei was so in disbelief (I mean who could blame him, see above 😂), that he thought he didn't hear right, I was almost in tears. And here is where it could have been a top tier confession scene, but they missed the mark. If after Kohei had said that he didn't think he understood right, that he must be mistaken, if Taichi had then signed that he liked Kohei, said the line about repeating it over and over again until Kohei understood and then they panned to Kohei breaking down and then the move in to a MUCH better hug than they did in this last episode, that confession would have been in the top ten confessions. It was almost there, with the fireworks and everything, it would have been beautiful. But once again, they dropped the ball, especially with that lame hug. Like I don't need a kiss scene. MLMU Japan only had a hug as well, but that hug was intimate and loving. This last episodes hug, was like, "I guess we have to hug now and show we are homosexuals, but lets not align our bodies together in anyway that would indicate we like each other" It just could have been better.
3)As much as I liked the side stories, even Maya, it was too much of them and not enough of the couple. The time they spent showing the friends or Taichi's experience at Sign, in a 23min episode, we didn't need it. We barely got any time with them together, even in the last episode.

Overall, I really liked the start of the show, but then again, I like SOYV, and the best parts of this series was honestly the parts from there. I was hoping since they decided to redo it and continue from where it left off, we would get more, especially getting to see Taichi slowly starting to like Kohei. But we didn't really get that, so it was disappointing.
Would I recommend this...sure! But I would definitely say this was more of a Bromance than a BL.

Ahh, okay. Thanks!