blackphillip

A melody of torture

I confess I watched this series out of sheer stubbornness because it had been a long time since I’d seen a show this bad and unbearable. How could a mystery drama starring Book and Force turn into something so bland, lazy, lifeless and devoid of creativity?

GMMTV urgently needs to stop investing in these adult-oriented mystery plots if they have no real interest in fully exploring those narratives.

Melody of Secrets is a patchwork of disjointed storylines leading to an anemic, incoherent resolution. Serial killer, multiple personalities, hypnosis, memory loss, identity fraud, corruption—this series has it all, yet it still manages to be incredibly tedious.

The direction is terrible and I don't think they knew what they are doing, the editing is shockingly amateurish and scenes start and end abruptly. Things happen out of nowhere and information is thrown at the viewer without any prior context.

The soundtrack, the cinematography and even the color grading are dismal, giving the whole thing a low-budget feel.

The relationship between the leads comes out of nowhere and not even Force and Book’s charisma and chemistry can save such aimless, uninteresting characters.

It’s a shame, too, because they clearly have immense potential to shine in a more serious series.

The serial killer—who only kills two people, so not a serial killer —and the entire reveal play out in such a banal way. It’s just a flood of information dumped on the audience without a shred of genuine interest.

The fragments of Botphleng’s true identity could have made for something fascinating; in the hands of a director like Anucha or a studio like Be On Cloud—even though 4 Minutes was a mess, its visuals and atmosphere were incredible—this series could have been truly magnificent.

The plot called for a creative, dark series featuring an unreliable narrator and mounting tension. All that serial killer nonsense adds nothing and just bloats the story with unnecessary plotlines.

And even with so much going on, the pacing is slow and doesn't work. I kept waiting for the big moment but it never came. Extremely disappointing.

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Not the straight grandfather

I already dislike these body-swapping plots but here they turn the story into something so strange that it's hard to really root for them.

The fact that he falls in love with Zefang's grandfather is hilarious. There were so many paths the series could have taken, but they choose one that really doesn't work.

The actors have excellent chemistry and it's an easy-to-watch series. The short episodes keep the series from dragging but the story doesn't really go anywhere.

I really dislike Xia Cha; he's an older, more mature man, but for some reason he acts incredibly innocent and completely unaware of the world.

There are some interesting moments, but overall it doesn't work very well. The whole plot with the grandfather creates a strangeness that the series can't shake.

Which is disappointing because the actors look excellent together.

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A mesmerizing and electrifying thriller

The romance ends up being left aside but on the other hand, we have one of the best Thai BLs of 2024. The intensity, the suspense, the character development and above all, the production of this series is impeccable.

The actors deliver memorable performances, the story is bold and is not afraid to explore the characters' mistakes and dilemmas, the photography is super stylish and the editing manages to maintain the suspense and create an electrifying climate of suspicion.

Some decisions that the characters make in the series are a bit stupid. Like the Boss killing everyone even with the police after him or him killing Somsak to exonerate Kan and then immediately killing again.

I think other points are poorly developed. Somsak and the forensic doctor knowing that Kan killed Phirot doesn't make much sense and the series never explores how they found out. Did Somsak simply see a photo and assume it was Kan?!!!

But there's no denying that Spare Me Your Mercy is the best Thai BL of 2024. The romance between the protagonists is weak and doesn't get much attention, but the actors deliver incredible chemistry and the script manages to overcome this problem.

The confrontation between Dr. and Thiu at the end is a bit rushed and I think it could have happened earlier. But nothing beats the beauty, subtlety and symbolism of the final scene where Thiu leaves a flower in Kan's handcuffed hand. A flower that symbolizes forgiveness.

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Cute but a waste of potential

I really didn't expect anything from this series and after the first episode I was ready to drop it, but Only Boo was a pleasant surprise.

The series is not a masterpiece and unfortunately, I feel like it's one of those series that you forget exists a few weeks after watching it.

But for a series composed almost entirely of new actors and being clearly a low-budget project, Only Boo manages to deliver a solid and very likeable plot.

Technically speaking, there's nothing very interesting here. The photography is too bright, the blur and brightness filter is exaggerated, the performances are very limited and the script is very safe, but the actors have enough charisma to hold the narrative together.

If the series had focused more on Moo's transition to becoming an idol and used his time at school and the beginning of his relationship with Kang as flashbacks, the story would have been much more interesting.

It's in the final episodes that the series really grows and has a very interesting plot, but it ends up being a bit rushed due to the lack of time to develop this part of the story. The script lacks balance, which makes the beginning weak and the ending rushed.

Kang is a character that I feel is very poorly explored here. His relationship with his father and his studies could be better developed and there was room to explore the character better. The secondary couple has excellent chemistry, but also suffers from the same simplistic and shallow development.

It's a series that's a bit too silly for my taste, the chemistry between the actors isn't the best and the series misses a great opportunity to tell the story of an idol's impossible love and ends up focusing more on a somewhat boring narrative but even so it's still a cute, light-hearted BL that's very enjoyable to watch.

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Confusa, mas apaixonante

Boys Be Brave tem todos os elementos de um bom BL. Uma direção competente, uma história caótica e apaixonante e personagens cheios de química e carisma. Eu gosto muito da proposta da série, apesar da execução ser um tanto corrida e confusa.

O casal principal funciona muito bem e eles tem uma dinâmica completamente caótica e de personalidade opostas que eu adorei acompanhar. Entretanto, eu sinto que o desenvolvimento entre eles é um tanto confuso. Toda a "amizade" que eles tiveram no passado e a forma como o Jung Ki Sub decide se mudar para a casa do Kim Jin Woo são pontos que realmente forçam a credibilidade da narrativa.

Outro ponto que acabou me decepcionando é o casal secundário. Eles tem uma narrativa bem picotada e mal recebem tempo de tela. O final entre eles é incompleto e eu realmente espero que eles lancem uma segunda temporada que desenvolva melhor o casal (já que a trama entre eles é de longe a melhor coisa da série).

No geral, é uma série divertida, com boas atuações, cenas engraçadas e uma boa química do elenco. A história não avança tanto e eu sinto que é um pouco comum e segura demais, mas o carisma dos atores e os momentos entre eles compensa. Uma excelente série para assistir sem muitas pretensões e outro excelente BL da Coreia lançado esse ano.

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Excelentes atores, mas uma trama carregada.

Não é uma série ruim e a curta duração de episódios ajuda bastante a não tornar a série cansativa, mas apesar dos excelentes atores aqui, o roteiro ainda falha em apresentar os mesmos problemas e as mesmas narrativas que vemos em todo BL.

Poderia ser facilmente uma série leve, romantica e focada na construção do relacionamento entre o Shin e o Peach, mas a série insiste em colocar personagens, dramas e intrigas que realmente não acrescentam nada e só tornam a história cansativa.

Ohm, o ator que faz Shin, é provavelmente quem tem o pior desempenho aqui. Mais uma vez ele interpreta o mesmo personagem calado, apático e frio. Os erros e o comportamento do personagem são tão agressivos que chega ao ponto de você sequer torcer para que eles terminem juntos no final da série.

Se focasse menos em brigas e intrigas e colocasse esse esforço em criar um drama leve sobre o Peach conquistando seu sonho de ser um confeiteiro certamente a série seria muito melhor.

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This is how you do a perfect BL

Without a doubt, the second best BL series of 2024 (behind only Happy of the End) and one of the BL series with the best cinematography I've ever seen.

The story grabs you from the first episode and builds a captivating, painful, melancholic but hopeful narrative. I found myself hooked on each episode, completely immersed in Minase and Hirukawa's story.

They give an amazing performance here and it's captivating to follow Hirukawa's transformation and the way he finds love and security in Minase, who at the same time breaks down his barriers and opens up to explore new perspectives with Haruki.

It's a simple series but with an impeccable execution. The subtlety, the violence, the construction of their love, the adversities, everything is done masterfully.

The direction is assertive and the cinematography delivers a beautiful work that manages to express the pain, love and nuances of each character brilliantly.

I confess that I missed them coming out to their friends and families at the end but the criticism about the ban on same-sex marriage in Japan is courageous and absolutely necessary.

Without a doubt a captivating story, a talented cast, a sharp production and an exceptional script. The perfect recipe for one of the best BLs of 2024.

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Great physical comedy but terrible characters choices

It's a breath of fresh air in the midst of a year of weak releases with obvious stories, childish characters and mediocre productions by gmm-tv.

Is the series a masterpiece? No, and it has many flaws, but it still manages to deliver a slice of life series with excellent physical comedy and hilarious timing that is elevated by the exquisite editing work.

It's impressive how everything that was wrong with My Love Mix-Up works here. The refined coloring, the intelligent cuts that only add more humor to the scene, the extremely catchy soundtrack, the very well-used sound effects and, of course, the cinematography also deserves to be highlighted with beautiful takes, frames full of references and style and a direction that knew how to develop and use each of the characters very well.

Is it a BL series? I would say no. It's more of a series about five interns trying to survive their internship and prove themselves worthy of their fields while facing life's problems than it is about a romance between a clumsy intern and a cold assistant director.

And honestly, that's not a problem for me. The series is fun, the characters are captivating and the crazy things they get up to in each episode are engaging enough to give the series a dynamic and interesting pace.

But if there's one thing the series failed at, it was in the development of the protagonists. Ryan is by far one of the most boring characters in this series. I like the development that all the characters have and the series really highlights this growth in them, but Ryan was created in such a way that it's simply hard to connect with the character.

He has no attitude, his whole sweet and innocent personality is a bit too cartoonish, he never stands up for himself, he has no charisma, he acts like a child who doesn't know anything about life or even how to perform basic functions at the beginning of the series and this really sinks the character and makes the main couple end up disappearing in the middle of the series.

And that's the problem. The main couple doesn't stand out at all and they simply disappear in the series, especially when all the drama with Bah-mee, Tae and Judy happens.

And this is another point that bothers me about the series. I particularly hated Bah-mae in the beginning and she was indeed annoying, spoiled and immature. The character has a very interesting growth and I love her chemistry with Judy.

I don't mind the betrayal plot because I like characters who are flawed and make mistakes, but it was a shot in the foot to put her in this plot only to have her get back together with Tae and act in the same annoying way as before.

They simply destroyed the character and made viewers hate her for nothing. It's a plot that takes up too much screen time and has such a weak and lukewarm resolution.

The friendship between them is the strong point of the plot because the romance is completely overshadowed by the narrative. The theft of the music video and the time jump of 5 years apart are two decisions that I can't understand why they were included in the series.

And this is another point that needs to end in GMM-TV's BLs. The time jumps with the characters separated because apparently they go back to the Ice Age when they move countries so they can't send a message or make a video call.

It's not the best, but certainly the most interesting BL they released in this weak year.

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The most cowardly and pathetic character of all time

Double Helix achieved a feat I haven't seen in a long time: creating a boring protagonist with a "poor me" syndrome who spends the entire series lamenting, crying, and moping around.

It becomes truly impossible to root for the main couple when Yi Chen spends the whole plot making one stupid decision after another.

The story has potential and is captivating, but the problem is a lack of editing and a lack of vision from the series' writer and director in condensing the story into an engaging narrative, cutting the excesses, and better balancing the emotions conveyed in the scenes.

The series has countless time jumps at key moments that could have been used to develop the characters, and this takes a tremendous amount of weight away from the series.

The number of times they break up, fight or have someone or something appear to separate them becomes boring and anticlimactic.

At times, the series becomes so rigid and dense that the plot drags. It’s 40 minutes of screaming, characters crying, musical sequences with someone making a pitiful face in the rain, and so on.

I understand that the series tried to adapt their entire story but it was unnecessary. At a certain point, it feels like they are just inventing tragedies and problems so the series can have a few more episodes.

And that makes the ending unbearable. The entire plotline regarding Lu Feng's bipolar disorder is excellent, had it been better developed rather than shoved into the final episode.

There are great points in the series: the secondary couple is excellent—but they are sidelined and don't get the spotlight or the development they need—, the acting are great, the cinematography is beautiful, and the chemistry between the actors is undeniable.

But it lacked direction, editing, and the ability to balance the series with more interesting characters and a more dynamic plot that treated mental health issues with greater seriousness.

A good BL that gets lost within its own plot.

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It was difficult to get to the end

I confess that I wasn't expecting much from this series because coming from Star Hunter we know that nothing good is going to happen.

But it amazes me how a series that apparently has a high budget, decent actors and a fairly competent production is capable of delivering such a dull and lifeless story.

It's not a bad series and it's not the worst BL of the year, but it's hard to find anything to praise here. It's all so cliché, so mediocre, so boring.

Mos and Bank honestly aren't good in this BL. I don't think either of them really fit the role. Sun is a character who doesn't have much to offer and is nothing more than a rich man in expensive suits. Salin kinda has a story, but it's completely disconnected from the narrative. The plot involving Naga and his soul is a blatant copy of The Sign that seems like an afterthought. They try to make him a cute but sexy character at the same time and this creates a conflict.

But overall the plot between them is so boring. They speak softly, have shallow conversations and the whole romance between them doesn't have a hint of excitement. The NC scenes are good because they really give it their all there, but they're so cheesy that it's painful to watch.

The series has 4 couples, but honestly it wouldn't make the slightest difference if they weren't in the plot. Sam and Yotha have good chemistry, but they practically have crumbs of screen time and end up being completely wasted.

Pim and Prim happen towards the end and they have zero chemistry. It's a relationship that comes out of nowhere and has no relevance whatsoever. Chan and Juldis are the comic relief and nothing more.

Overall it's a beautiful series, with excellent locations, but it wastes everything on a story that doesn't know what it wants to be and tries to be a little bit of everything. And nothing works.

The characters are shallow and at no point do you care about them. The costumes are exaggerated and completely disconnected from the characters (which has been a problem in Thai BLs, this habit of putting the characters dressed as idols on a red carpet). The fantasy elements are poorly constructed and lead nowhere.

It could easily have been an 8-episode series and focused more on the jewelry and built a more interesting plot. If Salin had infiltrated the company to steal a jewel that belonged to his family and in the process he fell in love with Sun, something simple but fun like that, the story would have been great.

But what we have are great NC scenes and 12 episodes of questionable acting, shallow dialogue, poorly directed scenes and a plot that goes from zero to nothing.

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Queer excellence

More than just a BL series, Marahuyo Project is queer excellence in its purest form.

For a low-budget series, the level of quality delivered here is astonishing. The cinematography is beautiful, the performances are impactful and full of nuance and emotion and the script delivers a story full of depth and realism despite the limitations and short length of the episodes.

It's a short series, but it manages to develop and introduce each of its characters and their stories. And what fantastic stories they are.

The representation here is not forced or unnatural, the series knows how to beautifully present and introduce each of its characters and their dreams and fears.

A much-needed series, full of symbolism and that addresses important issues for the LGBTQIA+ community. It's a series that has heart, that delivers moving scenes and dialogues, that shows the anxieties and fears of queer people, that explores love, friendship, respect and even prejudice and pain.

Congratulations to the creators of the series and the Philippines for once again delivering an exciting series, very well directed and that is not afraid to show its colors and positions.

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A mix of Scream and Saw with a mediocre result.

I honestly don't understand why GMM-TV insists on creating series with darker themes if they're going to stop halfway through to throw in a joke and have the characters kissing.

What's scary here isn't the killer but the weak acting and shallow protagonists who never convince in their roles as detectives. It's the extremely low-level production that delivers lazy cinematography, uncertain direction and a soundtrack incapable of evoking a feeling of terror.

And worst of all, the series had immense potential that is absurdly wasted by a script that doesn't know if it wants to be a silly romance between cops or a murder mystery.

For this series to work, it needed to invest a little more time in the other characters and better explore the dramas, secrets, fights, and betrayals between them.

Only then could we care minimally about their deaths. But the series follows an almost puritanical path, where all the bad characters are punished and killed for their sins.

And it's a valid path to follow but here it's developed in a rushed and secondary way, since the focus is on a bland romance that feels out of place in the story.

Their first kiss is right after a murder scene and that says everything you need to know about this series.

At no point do they manage to evoke even the slightest feeling of mystery, tension, danger, or fear.

The final revelation of the killer could have been good but there's no build-up to get there. The intrigues and discussions that the letters could have brought (by making the characters choose who should die) are sidelined and poorly utilized. The detectives are a joke and discover nothing throughout the entire series. The secondary characters have zero development. The deaths are creative but the cinematography is so bad that everything has an amateurish and low-quality feel.

There are so many mistakes, so many problems, and after watching Goddess Bless You from Death, this series feels like a childish version that tries at all costs to be dark and edge but only ends up being embarrassing.

An absurdly wasted potential. And a waste of time too.

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Should be a psychological thriller

It’s a fun series, the actors have excellent chemistry, and the story flows well enough, despite the first few episodes being a bit stiff.

The problem is that the narrative becomes somewhat repetitive and even forgettable, which is a shame because episode 7 is incredible.

And this shows that the series would be amazing if it were a suspense BL. The entire plotline of the obsessed fan who wants to destroy their relationship at all costs is simply perfect.

It would be a much more interesting and unique story within the BL universe. The series desperately needed a more original plot that actually explored these points better.

Because unfortunately, Gi Haneul's amnesia isn't strong enough to drive the narrative, and the series tries to fill that gap with excellent kiss scenes and a Yeo Sae Byeok desperate to win him back.

But something is missing, and that something is the madness, the mystery, and the flavor of a psychological thriller.

It's a good series to pass the time, but the script is shaky, the characters are a bit shallow, the motivations are poorly presented, and the technical aspects—direction, cinematography, and acting—though decent, aren't surprising.

A little more courage would have made this series catch fire.

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Feels like a summer dream

That Summer is a mix of a light and unpretentious script, beautiful cinematography that manages to capture the island's beauty exceptionally well, and a couple with great chemistry and fluid development.

I didn't expect this series to be so good, and it was a great surprise. The story manages to balance well without becoming repetitive or too childish.

It's not a profound script, but the direction and photography really elevate the series to a level where everything becomes poetic and like a summer dream.

The secondary couple, despite their rapid development, works very well. However, the entire plot involving the coup in Arantha is absurdly poorly developed.

In addition, the final conflict, besides being rushed, is very cliché. Again, GMM-TV resorts to the same pattern of series finales with a time jump and a forced wedding.

However, this doesn't spoil the greatness of this series. It's an easy series to watch and has so many interesting moments that you simply fall in love with it.

A great success and without a doubt, one of the best cinematographies that gmm-tv has ever delivered in a BL.

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It's good but could be great if GMM-TV had some nerve

It's excellent to see Great and Sarin in a series that truly showcases their talents. Memoir of Rati is a series that truly deserves more recognition. It's a very interesting story but unfortunately something is missing.

I love the chemistry between Great and Sarin and they're excellent actors, but the characters are very shallow here.

For a story with the depth and impact of a romance between two men from different nations in an era where such a relationship would be scandalous, to say the least, the script never manages to create the tension or the feeling of a forbidden romance.

The characters lack personality; they're there but they barely add any impact to the plot. They begin and end the series the same way. Rati could be a spoiled and arrogant boy sent to Siam as punishment by his father. Thee could be a man full of charm and dreams that conflict with his image and what his grandmother wants him to be.

But what we have here is a very subtle romance, a very peaceful narrative and characters who simply accept their status quo. Thee has an interesting arc and I like the conflict between him and his grandmother but there's no interesting development there.

The supporting couple works well and while they don't have any big moments, it's great to see Aou and Boom get more screen time and decent development.

It's a fun series, it's light, it has great moments but it lacks emotion. It's all very dull and I miss a greater depth. It lacks conflicts that take the characters out of their comfort zones, it lacks more elaborate cinematography that captures the beauty built there, it lacks courageous direction that can bring out more expressive performances that embody emotion.

Rati's departure for France and his return five years later is an example of this. This should be an impactful and moving scene but it's so boring and predictable with weak dialogue that doesn't convey any feeling.

And I'm really tired of GMM-TV's pattern of adding time jumps at the end of its series and its lack of courage to tackle more serious topics or create more impactful stories.

It's certainly much better and superior to Wandee Goodday and is far from being a bad series but unfortunately, it's a series that borders on forgettable and lackluster.

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