Homophobic stereotypes but in a BL?
Definitely not a bad series, but fairly mediocre. The two leads kinda seem like best bros instead of a couple, which defeats the whole purpose of the plot.Normally, I like a good fake dating plot. But the reason behind the fake dating scheme they come up with seems oddly homophobic? The stereotype of "predatory gay guy" coming on to a guy that has already rejected him in hopes of him becoming gay is just gross and unnecessary.
Then, once we start the fake dating plot, they are supposed to develop real feelings for each other (duh, that's the whole point) but it feels like that never really happens and they just keep pretending. Overall, fairly enjoyable but not one of my favorites.
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Frustrating conflicts but interesting relationship
The amount of BLs that begin with a drunken/mistaken hookup only for one of them to fall in love is a little alarming. Vee, who has a girlfriend, hooks up with Mark, who is too drunk to recognize who Vee is. Bad start.The building of the relationship is actually pretty good in this one though, and I enjoyed it for the most part. The chemistry between the actors is great. Unfortunately, the one major conflict throughout the entire series is the conflict presented in the first episode: Vee has a girlfriend. But somehow, Mark seems to be the only one that cares about this?
I feel like this would have been better as an 8 episode series, where they could have resolved some conflicts earlier and let them be happy for a little while. It got repetitive and frustrating after awhile. Definitely an enjoyable watch, but I feel like if I was watching this weekly as it aired I would've been frustrated enough to drop it.
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LOVE
High school dramas can be either really good or really bad. This is one of the really good ones.Both characters are easy to identify with and you sympathize with both of them for different reasons. Akk is the prefect president, who carries the weight of the school on his shoulders. While it may not seem like it, he struggles to keep up the "perfect child" persona he's always played. Ayan, the recent transfer, seems to be a rebellious troublemaker that Akk is tasked with keeping in line. However, Ayan's true intentions were never to cause trouble for Akk.
Not sure if you could really call this enemies to lovers, but they do start off as rivals of some sort. Akk and Ayan seem to be polar opposites, but slowly realize they find comfort in each other. This series also deals with issues of internalized homophobia, as well as outward homophobia from peers in school. The "Suppalo curse" storyline is a little unbelievable at times, but the way it is executed and the twists involved make up for anything it lacks.
My one complaint is the dream sequence. Why did they do that to us. Regardless, the tension between Akk and Ayan is perfect, the actors have great chemistry, and the pacing of the relationship is well done. One of my favorite BLs to date.
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People only like this because it's OffGun and you can't convince me otherwise
The only thing that made this worth watching was OffGun.Khai (Off) is a total player that Third (Gun) has been in love with for years. Unfortunately, Khai isn't into Third at all and refuses to date friends. But when Khai starts acting differently towards Third, he starts to believe that maybe Khai does have feelings for him.
Yeah the whole conflict between Khai and Third is bad. I get the whole idea they were going for, but they dragged this out for way. too. long. I don't know how someone could watch this and not be frustrated with Khai and Third. The classic miscommunication trope is always bad. If they just sat down and had a conversation, this show could have been half the length or shorter.
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Can't complain!
This show was simple. It was cute, fun, and lighthearted. No conflict lasted long and the relationship was a fairly happy one.I can't complain much about this show. Nhai didn't think he liked men, but when Ai and him become close, he starts to question himself. To see if it's true, he decides to move in with Ai as a trial run.
Nothing too special happened in this one. Gay people got to be happy and that makes me happy. There's no question of whether or not you'll be accepted for being gay when you've got two dads, so homophobia was never really an issue. The plotline between Ai and his mom was a little bit odd, but it didn't make a huge dent in the show anyways. Overall an enjoyable and easy watch.
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Slowburn but great development!
While I do think the relationship developed a bit slow, it was very cute to watch. Tian, who recently got a heart transplant, follows in the footsteps of the heart's former owner and become a volunteer teacher in a small village. There, he meets Phupha, the chief of the forest protection service. Tian learns that his heart donor was in love with Phupha, and realizes that he may be falling for him too.I loved seeing Tian's growth as a character. From a rich kid with no cares in the world, ready to gamble away all his parents money, to an independent adult who decides that he should use his time to be around people that he cares about and help others. Seeing his relationship with Phupha develop was very satisfying and enjoyable to watch. Though there are moments of heartbreak and conflict, the dynamic between these characters is wonderful to watch unfold.
It did feel like a lot of the show was spent waiting for Tian and Phupha to finally be together. If you don't like a slow burn romance, this one is not for you. Personally, I enjoyed watching each character grow and change after meeting the other, and seeing how this change finally led them to be together was very satisfying.
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Perfectly done!
I don't watch a lot of Korean BLs since they tend to be so short, but after all the hype over Semantic Error, I had to check it out. I gotta say, it lived up to expectations.Sangwoo is planning on making a video game and he's got all the skills to code it. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the graphic design talent to make it happen. He decides to work with Jaeyoung, a talented artist, to get this game developed. Sangwoo is annoyed by Jaeyoung to no end and tries to fire him, but Jaeyoung is persistent in his pursuit of Sangwoo, and not just because he wants to make a video game with him.
I loved both of these characters. They're both so different and so perfectly portrayed by the actors. The whole plot is done so well and I don't think there's anything I could comment on to change besides the fact that I wish the series was longer. Even though it was so short, they managed to pack in character development that was perfectly placed within the storyline. Overall a fantastic watch with a lovely relationship.
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A cute and fun watch!
GMM finally lets gay people be happy? My School President was way better than I first expected it to be based on the plot synopsis. Tinn, the new school president (Gemini) who has been in love with Gun, the "rebel" (who isn't really a rebel) from the music club (Fourth) for years finally gets a chance to pursue him now that he's the president and in charge of all the school's clubs. Unfortunately, even once Gun likes Tinn back, it's revealed that one of the rules of the club is that the members can't date until after the big music competition, Hot Wave.It's fun, it's cute, and there's way too much singing. Luckily, the songs are recorded and not the typical playing guitar and singing in a different key that BLs love to do for some reason. The relationship development was unfortunately slow, but it was still cute and fun to watch. While the vast majority of the show is light-hearted, the more intense moments help with the pacing of it and keep the characters real.
I will be watching anything else with GeminiFourth in it.
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WAY better executed than I thought it would be!
Did not think I was gonna like this one honestly. I wasn't hopeful in the ability of a BL to pull off a universe travel sci-fi theme but man they kinda nailed this one.I was super happy that there wasn't a bunch of back and forth between the universes. When Puen (Jimmy) and Talay (Sea) wake up in the bodies of people in a different universe, they have to find a way back to their own. I was so worried that we were going to have to watch their old selves as well, but the show only focused on Puen and Talay and their journey home.
Very well done with the right amount of sci-fi elements that didn't take away from the story. No crazy world building that didn't make sense. Overall a fun and pleasant watch without much heartbreak.
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No matter how many BLs I watch, I always come back to this one.
One of the best BLs I've seen, if not the very best. Gun's acting as both Black and White was phenomenal. The slight differences that he manages to portray between identical twins is so convincing, it feels like there are two actors playing them.The relationship is paced perfectly. Definitely a slower relationship development than a lot of shows, but that's exactly what makes it so convincing. The actors have amazing chemistry and really sell the development of the characters' relationship. No conflict is overly drawn out either, which saves the viewer from unnecessary frustration.
The plot outside of the romance is fantastic. You've got this gang of college students attempting to fight for justice in a way that they see fit, except each individual has their own idea of what exactly this means and how to go about it. Naturally, this causes conflicts between them. I thought this helped to make the relationships between all the characters that much more convincing. You really sympathize with the cause behind why they're fighting, and root for them even when they might not be in the right. Following them through this justice-seeking journey is a thrilling watch when paired with the development of Sean and White's relationship.
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Appreciate it for the history....
Genuinely, the only reason I watched SOTUS was because it's GMM's first series with a leading gay couple. I felt like with all the GMM series I watch, I needed to go back to the beginning. So while I understand how important this series was when it came out in 2016, that doesn't mean that it's still good in 2025.This show focuses much more around the ideas of SOTUS - the hierarchical values of the engineering school - than it does the romance. And frankly, the romance kinda frustrated me the whole show. Not to mention, this was DEFINITELY not an anti-hazing show. While there were moments where I felt like it was leaning that way, it definitely did not end with that message! In fact, parts of it felt....pro-hazing??? Weird take, but even getting past that, I don't love the whole "falling in love with someone who bullied you" trope. While Arthit isn't necessarily a direct bully of Kong, he definitely still bullies him along with the other first years.
Like I said, I'm sure if you watched this in 2016, it was great. If you're considering watching this in 2025.......I wouldn't. Unless you really like KristSingto, or you're curious about GMM's earlier work (and how much they've improved), I wouldn't watch this one.
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Simple, but cute
My Love Mix Up was super cute, light, and fun. Gemini and Fourth did a great job in these roles, and the side couple helped to round it out very well. No conflict was drawn out too long either. My only complaint is that it didn't feel like anything new, especially for Gemini and Fourth.It's said that if you write your crush's name on an eraser, the more you use it, the closer you'll get to them. Atom (Fourth) has a crush on Mudmee (Pahn), a girl in his class, but when he asks to borrow her eraser, he sees Kongthap's (Gemini) name written on it. As he's using the eraser, he ends up dropping it and Kongthap picks it up - leading him to believe that Atom has a crush on him. To prevent his friend's feelings from being exposed, Atom has to come up with another way to tell Kongthap that he doesn't like him, but the more time he spends with him the more he realizes he might like him after all.
This show was a very cute and simple high school romance. If you're a fan of Gemini and Fourth, you'd definitely like it. Mudmee and Half (Chokun) were also super cute and fun to watch! I do wish that Gemini and Fourth would branch out and play different types of roles though, as this show felt very similar to My School President (though less singing), especially in terms of the main characters. Overall though it was very cute and fun to watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
The Weight of Reality
[Spoilers will be tagged where they start]First of all, I know people were upset about this show for not having physical intimacy between the two leads, but frankly that is not the plot of this show at all. Is it still queer? Absolutely. This show explores the lives of two characters trapped by society and their own emotions, and how they try to overcome this together but are ultimately still victims of a harsh reality.
Ryu (Hayato), an ice hockey player, has no response when his friend and teammate confesses his feelings for Ryu. When the team learns of this, they make a mockery of the gay teammate, causing him to attempt suicide. Ryu, feeling guilty for not protecting his friend, runs away from his team and Japan to stay with his friend in Berlin. Burdened with the guilt of his friend's suicide attempt and dealing with the weight of coming to terms with his own sexuality, Ryu goes to a church to confess his sins. When the church catches fire, Ryu decides to burn with it until the man that overheard his confession saves him. This random encounter seems fleeting, until Ryu sees the man that saved him compete in a boxing match. In another chance encounter, Ryu meets Johan (Taecyeon), and the two become fast friends. Their lives become intertwined as they both deal with the hardships of being queer in an unaccepting society, and feel as though they need to find a way to save their souls through each other.
This show manages to hit you with a new tragedy every episode. I swear, any time someone seemed slightly happy, the writers decided to throw something horrible at them. I really loved the themes of found family and queer love, but my GOD they could not let any character be happy ever! As much as I love a sad drama, this one felt like a little TOO much.
[Spoilers start here]
I truly think the only positive takeaway from the show was the found family aspect. The way that Ryu steps in to support his best friend and everything she goes through, along with Johan, was truly the best part of the show, even when the entire group was having a rough time. However, for the finale to have Ryu marrying Sumiko for the sake of Kanau really hurt in an unexpected way. I understand why Johan left, and I think it made sense for all of the characters, but for Ryu to never truly be able to be with someone he loves because he knows it won't be accepted and frankly, even HE never accepted it himself, really really hurt. And honestly, I do not think the writing addressed this aspect well at all. I fully understand the idea that Ryu and Johan are never explicit about their relationship, even in private, considering what the two have been through. But for the show to end the way it did, with the "I love yous" right before Johan's death, felt cruel to the audience! It almost felt like a situation of "we're not allowed to really make this gay, so let's kill off the male love interest and have the main character marry a woman." While I don't think that was the intention, it still felt like they could have told this heartbreaking story of two queer men crushed by the reality they live in, but still manage to portray acceptance of oneself in these characters. All we see are two men being beat down over and over again, and never managing to live the lives they wanted. You REALLY need to want a sad show to watch this one.
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Not Worth It
Melody of Secrets was one of the shows I was really excited for when the original mock trailer dropped because it seemingly had a really unique plot. Unfortunately, the execution of the actual series did not live up to the hype. "Twists" in the story that weren't woven into the plot and were just there for shock value, and a plot that felt all over the place for no reason slapped together for a mediocre show. I don't even think I can give a proper summary, because it felt like the show kept changing directions every episode, and not in a good way.Overall, I think that Force and Book did a decent job acting in this, but the show was so poorly written that it didn't matter. Every plot point felt unrelated to the next, and the overall story just did not live up to any of the concepts that they seemed to be going with. The murders didn't even seem to be all that important after awhile?? And then it was just tragic backstory and random plot twists. If you like mystery, there are much better shows; and if you like ForceBook, I'd still recommend pretty much any of their other shows over this.
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THIS is the GL I want!!
I don't think I can put into words how incredible this show is. A tense, drama-filled plot mixed with a fantastic romance, all tied together with some of the best directing and cinematography I've ever seen in a Thai show. Just. WOW. This show had me locked in from start to finish. I love a show where the romance isn't the only plot, and the drama and conflicts in this show outside of the romance really drew me in.Bell is celebrating finishing college with her boyfriend and his friends at some club her boyfriend wanted to go to. Though it's not quite her scene, she tries to have fun. When the cops show up, Bell tries to find the car keys in her purse and instead finds drugs that aren't hers - but when the cops catch her throwing them in the trash, there's no way she can talk herself out of it (not to mention, her boyfriend is clearly not going to help her). Once in prison, she quickly learns the social hierarchy there: her and her cellmate Kae keep away from top dog Dao and her sisters, and Bell's told very clearly to avoid the murderer Claire, known as "rabid dog," at all costs. But when Bell gets in trouble with Dao's crew, it's Claire that ends up helping her. Once a loner, Claire starts to taking a liking to Bell, and Bell seems to feel the same way. However, between Kae's jealousy, Dao and her sister's business, and power-hungry guards, having one person by your side is never quite enough to keep you safe.
This show delivered on EVERY front. The tension, the drama, the romance, EVERYTHING was great. Prison plots can go either way for me, but this one was so good every episode that I cannot recommend it enough. I feel like there are a lot of mid GLs, but this is NOT one of them. I loved the characters so much, and thought their story was so well done. If you're looking for a GL that is totally different and still hits every mark THIS IS IT!
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