It took 10 EPs for Wataru to finally say “yes”
This drama gave me so many kawaii feels. It’s a light, easy watch with little to no heavy plot, and I did enjoy it. Maybe not intensely, but just enough to appreciate the chemistry between the main couple. Kaname is undeniably handsome, and Kakeru is such a cutie. That said, there were moments when their acting felt a bit stiff, though that might have been intentional to suit their characters.Story-wise, I think it would have worked better with fewer episodes. The pacing felt stretched, with slow and minimal character development. Wataru’s hesitation, in particular, needed more depth. His fear of shifting from best friends to lovers wasn’t explored enough. I enjoy a good slow-burn romance, but it has to move forward, not just circle the same point.
The kiss was sweet, but it could have used more intensity. Their first kiss made sense as it reflected their gentleness and respect for their “just friends” boundary. But as a viewer, I couldn’t help wanting Wataru to finally cross that line and do more.
The cinematography was beautiful and really enhanced the story, especially with the characters’ shared love for cameras and photography. Minato stood out as a warm, caring presence, and I always enjoyed his scenes. And Wataru’s soft, almost “baby” energy made him incredibly endearing. I genuinely liked watching their dates and photography walks.
Overall, it needed more twists and emotional depth to feel fully satisfying. It’s an average BL drama; not groundbreaking, but still charming enough to capture my interest and heart. I did love the ending, though. Seeing them together. Almost like newlyweds, talking about their likes and future. It was a simple but heartwarming conclusion.
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Romance with an intense theme
I was in awe. This drama carries a profound depth and a sorrowful story I wasn’t prepared for. However, from the very first episode, I already knew it would bring me to tears when Chihiro says, “Life is like a box of chocolates. When I opened it, it was empty. Until I met Keito, who is both bitter and sweet, like chocolate.” That metaphor alone perfectly establishes the emotional journey the audience is about to experience.Both characters carry deeply traumatic pasts that continue to haunt them. One is neglected by his loved ones, while the other suffers sexual and physical abuse at a very young age. I didn’t expect the story to go that dark. Watching Haoren’s past was devastating. I felt so much pain for him. No one deserves to experience such cruelty.
Haoren having multiple names reflects the different stages of his life and the traumas tied to them. When he finally reveals his real name to Chihiro, it becomes a powerful moment. It signifies trust, healing, and the beginning of a connection where he can finally lean on someone, feel love, and be loved in return. Kaji also plays a vital role as a father figure to Haoren. Together, their trio forms a family bond that both main characters have longed for.
The storytelling is unique and emotionally impactful. I initially watched this drama because of Rei, and his portrayal of Haoren is truly admirable. He is an incredible actor. The ending left me emotional. After confronting each other’s deepest wounds, they reunite, finally free from the weight of their pasts. Haoren is liberated from Maya, and Chihiro finally achieves his dream of becoming a photographer.
A truly happy ending, indeed.
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Re-edited version did justice
I love this! Even with its short duration, the story is saving it. The actors are actually the ones who make me want to watch more. They just have the right balance of tension, chemistry, and likable acting performances. Face-paced as expected, but still delivers quality appeal based on the mentioned reasons earlier.The reel format is unsatisfying, and I’m so glad that they finally released the re-edited version with the usual landscape format of a drama. I felt so great watching it despite the obvious technical loopholes. Yet, the characters are just too cute that every scene they shared together, a ray of light has been flashed into my eyes.
It also has its own conflict to explore and emphasize how the MCs faced them. Aesthetically beautiful with eye-candy actors. I need a sequel with a longer time and more romantic scenarios from the two, especially since they finally became a couple.
Sweet and cute. The complaint from the majority regarding the reel format is reasonable, as the drama has a lower rating. But, after watching the story, especially in the re-edited version, it was a wonderful K-BL that just needed a minimum upgrade in its production area. Adorable story overall.
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Romance in winter: The artistic love and life of the youth
This is a piece of art. The combination of artistry and BL romance was so appealing. I love the drawings as much as I love the story. On top of that, the main couple is so handsome and really brings the youthful vibes around them. The chemistry had an impact, too.It can be dramatic and eventually lead to a mellow approach. Both of them have a distinctive and dejected reality that they are slowly trying to overcome throughout the story. With this factor, they share the romantic love that they badly needed for someone to overcome their sorrowful experiences in life. They became each other’s light and comfort.
The tension and how they built the characters’ conflict were good. Aside from the MC, consider Turtle, who started as a brat but eventually developed into a good supporting role in the show. One of the main highlights for me is how they feature an artist with a visual difficulty in identifying colors, yet still striving to create pieces of art, now and then.
It was somehow a sad ending, with the Dad sending his son to Russia, and the other guy not finishing the admission exam due to the injury from the gang leader. After the scene where both of them walk through their own paths, the scene where they got together after a year was just an alternate ending.
Nevertheless, I enjoy watching this show and adore how both Qi Lu and Qin Xiao embodied the life quote of “Do what we love! And love who we want to love!” Beautiful love story.
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A filler-feel sequel
Mob and his never-ending attempt to run away from the BL world will always be a fun and chaotic season. Yet, I am disappointed with the third season, as the age-gap story was the main contributing factor. I just didn’t like it.As usual, the opening song was an icon. They retained the whole sing-and-dance trademark from previous seasons. I like it. The environment where you live, surrounded by BL couples everywhere you go, with their cliche romantic scenes, was absolutely a great atmosphere for a BL fan. They still bring out their signature dramatic and comedic execution, which makes me laugh a lot.
Toujou is so handsome, especially during the Halloween party EP. The composition of short little stories featuring different men in this sequel was half good and half bad. A few good stories were about the physical contact arc, the scent arc, and the cinderella arc. The rest was either average or lame.
I miss the old feeling of getting fascinated by Kikuchi’s character. Fortunately, he came back at the end, but faced a young man as his love rival for Mob’s heart. I want him to end up with Mob in the final season.
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Almost beautiful
Funny and entertaining… until it gets so boring. I honestly have so much laughed during the first half of the show. Having Nut played as Woradet is the best part of it. He is such a goofy and dramatic queen who carries out the whole team’s success. Then we have Jet, and his sexy servant shorts are captivating. The set of casts looks so pretty.The most memorable scene is when Woradet, Jet, Kosol, and Banjong were captivated inside a prison cave. In which the MCs are trying to make each other jealous by doing so extra to the point that they kissed the other party around. These scenes were so hilarious. Peak comedy!
Unfortunately, they failed to polish a more reasonable plot twist and make the story much appealing. I was so bored watching the usual rivalry for the throne with deaths and killing involved. It even feels more annoying when the main antagonists are exempted from dying due to the MC's unreasonable kindness. Kosol, with Woradet’s influence, can easily kill a soldier, but decides to spare the life of the villain. Making it worse by letting him roam free around without shouldering the consequences of his evil deeds that just recently happened.
I was disappointed. I know that it became so bad when I did not give any attention anymore to what would happen to them, and by fast-forwarded the speed of watching the show. I just continue watching for the hope that the next EP will improve this, but it has not happened at all. From a perfect ten rating, I decided to give this show at least an eight of score for the fun time I had during the first half.
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Has the visuals, but hope they can show us better story pacing
As expected for a Korean BL, the visuals are serving! All four of them are considered to be handsome. However, my favorite among them is the cousin of the MC, manager Ji Kyu Sung, also known as Hong Jun in real life. He can be manly and cute at the same time. I also love his character here. I just wish the second couple had more screen time and story, because their story and chemistry are equal to or greater than the main couple.The story of a fanboy and a fan being together at the end sounds like a cliché. But in this show, I was invested in the plot twist that also became a double-edged sword for the main couple. I enjoyed the early days of flirting and slowly falling in love with the revelation that the idol star has its own motive for approaching Ae Jun.
Which also leads me to be disappointed in how they resolved this issue. It seems so fast, and the scenes were not convincing enough. I liked that they let Si Yeol hurt a little longer for what he deserved for betraying Ae Jun. But his character was just total trash when he tried to reconcile with the teacher without apologizing first. Also, Ae Jun forgiving him immediately after showing his room full of posters of his face seems unexciting and not well-written.
It is pretty enjoyable BL with a light story and an eye-candy set of cast. However, we can just disregard the lack of creative writing of the storyline, especially since the plot has the potential to be presented more entertainingly and reasonably. Nevertheless, I still had a great time watching this show.
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Love is round
A cutesy romance with an eye-candy set of casts -typical Korean BL. Yet, this show doesn’t just provide visuals, but rather the main objective of letting viewers feel the emotion of being in love. The setting around the sports player was cool, but I just hope that they will showcase more of it in the story, especially the main reason why Han Ji Won quit gymnastics. There are some hints given, but they don’t resolve. The same case about the couple’s public image of confirming that they are dating.Nevertheless, the chemistry of the couple and the intimate kissing scenes were enough to fill up the cons of the show. They keep kissing anywhere after reconciliation, and I love it. Choi Jae Hyuk is such a super duper handsome and sexy man. He fits the role of a basketball player that much. I can’t even forget how intensely he kissed her ex-girlfriend, and when Ji Won accidentally saw it.
The best part about the couple is that they know how to communicate their feelings with one another. Not just communicate but also comprehend their thoughts, give some time to cool down, and always speak so softly despite the big problems encountered. It is just so sweet to witness their healthy relationship and so delicious to see them kiss afterwards. Even the supporting cast is so cute together.
Glad to see more quality BLs lately. This might not be a perfect ten for me, but the important thing is that they make me feel the feeling of being involved in the story, and keep giggling at how romantic the show is.
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Maximalism and the inexperienced love conflict of Gen Zs
Teenagers tend to experiment and are easily swayed by minimal affections, disregarding the red flags. This is a story of four boys who face a complicated yet common discord among their generation. But before anything else, everyone probably knew that the aesthetic approach was the most notable element of the show. It was shown throughout their promotions and the creative set of OSTs. The appeal of colorful designs from accessories to their high-fashion outfits was all pleasing. They reintroduced gel nail art as a new trend, and I even want to try it myself.Going back to the new gen topic, young people utilize technology and the internet not just to connect with one another but as a new platform to flirt and date. It is fun to witness a relatable scenario such as posting some random story to get the target audience’s attention. Setting up a playlist to add songs to listen to was also entertaining.
Building up the tension was the most explicit emotion I got from watching the series. They know how to spice up things and produce fiery plots. It started from Fou4Mod liking Chian, to Chian liking Bua, to Bua liking Baabin, but Baabin liked Fou4Mod. Then they gave us the cycle of who fell harder, lost the game, and the I-do-everything-to-make-him-jealous EPs.
Fast forward to EP05, it was probably the big pause from the four of them. The closure of the love triangle between Fou4Mod, Chian, and Bua was satisfying. But then, they level up the intensity on that one single video call scene at the end of EP06. They surely love to play with our minds to the point that I am content that no one should end up together at the end.
At the final episode, we got the conclusion for everyone’s story. Baabin and Bua ended up together while Fou4Mod and Chian reconnected. The confrontation scene during the random dance challenge was too perfect. All actors performed their roles so passionately.
Shooting the film through an iPhone was a brave decision for the production to come up with. However, it obviously has its cons. The majority of the shots are long distance, and it feels so draining that they break the 3-second rule when it comes to the duration of each sequence. Nevertheless, the story is so unique and bold that I found myself getting used to the camera setting.
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DaouOffroad translates syncing chemistry
This is a light BL that blends romance and comedy. They give us a set of loveable cast. Daou and Offroad’s first drama as a couple is surely a success. They look so baby here and their undying charms never disappoint. Even the supporting characters, from Phumjai’s family to their grocery store crew members, performed pretty great and they're all adorable.Revolving around the store set-up, mini upside-down scenarios, and slowly falling in love were the pros of the show. However, the plot of debt at the end, unfortunately, ruined the fun and quality of the drama. Specifically, for them to leave the brother in the den of a scary business owner was an annoying turn-of-event for me.
Nevertheless, the show was good enough to include its unique element of the Mandarin-Thailand language as one of its major sources of love. It was a fine watch and offered feel-good BL vibes.
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Cute but that’s all it has
We got another light and fluffy BL from Japan. I’ll never get tired of a soft-to-charismatic pairing as it has a potential they can explore to spice up their romance. In which, the drama showcases at least half of my expectations.The innocent Taishin is undoubtedly a personification of the Japanese term, kawaii. Yet, at some point in the drama, I get bored. The lack of plot in the story created a bland flavor to the overall outcome. Takara is handsome but not enough to save the show and his character isn’t even that loveable.
Subjectively, the creepy old man stalker was the best climax of the show. I wanted him to be put behind bars. The next scenes after this were just mediocre. I’m not even interested in watching the sequel version from the end-credit scene. Takara no Vidro was another average stress-free BL show if you’re looking for a quick binge-watch.
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Make the best out of the limited-time drama duration
It is another short but fun web series that executed a well-presented love story from a lovely pair. The visuals and the chemistry are surely top-notch. The leads can surely know how to act and deliver their script flawlessly.I was in awe during one of their passionate kissing scenes; he lifted his head back to continue the attempted kiss was insanely great. They got closer the more alcohol they drank together. Also, the “good night” from the fifth episode was charming.
Jealousy can make the romance spicier in a good way. I love that sudden entrance of the male second lead. Although he only lasted for a single episode, it was enough to add flavor to the romance of the main couple.
In the finale, I think creating a history from them in the past was unnecessary but it was still cool. Nevertheless, ending the series in another fiery kiss like they wanted to eat each other so badly was phenomenal.
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Appreciate the effort
An average BL drama that does not feel bland yet not great either, it was just an ‘okay’ kind of show. They started well as I find the characters interesting but that’s it. I think the first to second episodes were the best ones out of the twelve episodes they had. I can see that they all did their best but the overall outcome for me was just fine, nothing less and nothing more.I can sense the chemistry from the four of them but it lacks appeal. The way they bring us back when Neil meets the younger version of Sea is not cute at all as they end up being paired together. They should at least hired a teenager version of Neil to make their pairing pleasant since the age gap was shaking them out.
Reese and Orca's language barrier was a nuisance. They should just at least stick with using English when they speak to each other. Although the non-verbal communication, specifically the drawing, was charming. Reese is a giant cutie and I did not expect to see his hot naked body with him having a delightful young face.
When it comes to music as their genre, I just hoped that they presented more songs without repeatedly singing the same set of songs throughout the whole show. I got bored many times but still glad that I finished this without dropping. Love the cast but they should polished the script and execution prior to releasing it.
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A feel-good BL
I had a fun time with this short yet loveable BL. Having their romance boost from their professional job as a print media reporter and having fieldwork alongside each other was great and enjoyable to see. The plot and tension were just light but still satisfying.Watching this after a year of release was a pity because I’m late yet still grateful for another quality BL produce from Japan. Jyutaro and Keito pairing sent out a good amount of serotonin. One is alluringly handsome and the other one is undoubtedly a cutesy. Sometimes, I feel that a few scenes needed huge acting performances that they both lacked at some point. Yet, the overall portrayal of their roles was enough for me to overcome with joy from their chemistry.
The supporting cast and guest roles also delivered a flavorful addition to spice up the story and connect the couple from getting to know each other. So this is mainly an office-based romance roaming between a simple yet smooth flow of love story. It was enough for me and I loved it!
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Their heartbeat of love and life is heard; it is loud and concise
Its first scene from the first episode was a pouring rain and it already had an impact on me, associating with the main couple’s emotional life story. Japanese BLs always give us a heart-fluttering show with a distinguished script, truly a gem to the industry. The concept of “notebook taker” was fresh and adorable. It also showcased the struggles of people with hearing disability.An elevated narration that focuses on Kohei’s POV. Living his life tenderly and emphasizing that living with special needs does not make someone not normal. It serves as an eye-opener to its audience that they do not desire pity but instead need warmth and embrace to treat them belong to the world.
We also got Taichi’s POV - a jolly young man with a touching background. As a child with divorced parents, this boy manages to be positive in life all thanks to his grandpa. His decision to quit the university is understandable. Education is an important part of someone’s life but not everyone has the privilege to pursue it. He even wears the same shirts revolving with text from different U.S. states throughout the show but still acts beyond grateful for all the delicious meals he has eaten. From taking numerous part-time jobs to fully committing to focus on his new employer which provides a well-compensated salary, earning money became his top priority.
Their chemistry and pairing were adorably great. An energetic cutie meets a shy and reserved lover boy. I love them so much! But as the episodes went by, I felt that the drama failed to provide a romantic progression. They focus on the youth life drama so much that I badly needed to see more of Taichi and Kohei’s slow-burn romance. They should at least give us a more passionate ending for a couple instead of just confessing and finally accepting each other’s feelings. Nevertheless, there’s no doubt that this is one of the top BLs of 2024 that brings authentic charisma and a teary-worthy life story.
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