BL Compilations

incompatible people try to make it work

Overall: I had no issue with the blond guy's love life style as long as he was upfront with partners about it; however, even by the end, I wasn't convinced their relationship would work long term. 4 episodes about 8 minutes each. Aired on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7BSona1dmx5eiWUyxj-bvOfDnEZ7fTY4&si=TrsBkG51QPqIQldd

Content Warning: dub con touching, drugging, manipulation, non con recording

What I Liked
- intimacy
- visuals
- sweet moments
- that they showed something on the floor in episode 2 (perhaps a record number)

Room For Improvement
- nonsense stuff: why is the one guy so obsessed with another guy that he just met, in episode 1 why did he put on gloves only to not use/have them, why is the other guy so attached in episode 2 to someone he just met
- that was way too much manipulation for someone he had just met
- not convinced they were compatible even at the end
- disagree with the title
- (didn't take off points) the English subtitles were not timed correctly

Read More

a darker themed martial arts romance

Overall: once again needed to focus on the leads and their relationship development. 33 episodes 1-2 minutes each, episodes 1-5 are free on the Shortime app and you can watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJy_-p0_tYE Aired on Shortime app which also has: Double Play, Please Teach Me, Falling For My Boss, Summer Indigo, The Secrets of Male Students, Accent, Ippon: Hold Me Tight, Influencer Love, Blue Complex and Buddy Boy. App information is below. My invite link is https://playground.shortime.app/en/invite/NKNIWI - the code is NKNIWI (those are all capital letters, that's the capital letter i)

Content Warnings: past suicide, past blood, non con recording, mental health struggles, violence, manipulation

What I Liked
- wandering hands
- kissing
- a villain actually received decent consequences though I would have liked to see even more consequences
- martial arts backdrop

Room For Improvement
- again wanted it to focus more on the main leads/relationship development instead of the present day villain
- time jump


My Watch For Free Plan (updated Feb 2025)
1 friend referral code = 20 (1 time bonus) My invite link is https://playground.shortime.app/en/invite/NKNIWI - the code is NKNIWI (those are all capital letters, that's the capital letter i)

On the Rewards (popcorn bag icon page)
- check in = 5 (increases over 7 days up to 25)
- create a login = 20? (I did create a login because otherwise you only get 1 Always Win box instead of 3 per day, I think this was 20 popcorn)
- do the 3 random popcorn from the daily Always Win box = 30 (I'd normally get 5-15, around 30 in total)
- Watch Ads, watch all 10 ads each day, have to wait 30 seconds in between ads = 110

When you run out of popcorn while watching, you can watch 5 episodes each day with ads

Read More

I'm watching so you don't have to (on hold as 3 months later there haven't been any more episodes)

Overall: I wish I could communicate to creators that the majority of us who enjoy BLs don't want to see abusive parents, cliche wannabe girlfriends/fiancees, love triangles and idiot/fickle MLs. I'm only giving it a 6 because it hasn't finished airing. 61 episodes about 2 minutes each. Airing on Stealing From My CEO YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPI1JWvmjRBKQdQr6dtkfhjV70qOc_r5j&si=AMF9kD-Ry2JtT4Eo

Content Warnings: murder, manipulation, slap, theft, child abuse/torture/violence

What I Liked
- the bond between the two guys (i.e. I'm rooting for the pair that is not the end game)
- that they are uploading it (eventually) to YouTube instead of just their app

Room For Improvement
- no desire to watch a very abusive dad
- the main lead is an idiot and I actively don't want him to end up with the other guy
- started with a flash forward
- mom did an exposition dump
- cliche female character
- nonsense things that aren't funny or enjoyable (that magic serum is one example)

Read More

Movie version is better than the series version

Overall: The 80 minute movie version focuses on Bank & Golf instead of the many characters in the bloated 270 minute 9 episode series (I dropped the series due to numerous random characters and not understanding or caring what was going on). This is set 5 years later from the movie My Bromance (2014) where I hated the ending but the retcon in this is so stupid. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked:
- acting from Fluke & Fluke
- Golf did apologize several times and Golf's dad apologized once to Golf
- Golf saying that he wants Bank to be happy even if that means Golf and Bank aren't together
- Golf & Bank's appropriate couple shirts towards the ends and also their sweet moments

Room For Improvement:
- that is the stupidest/non logical retcon I've ever seen. Why would Golf or Bank's friends ever agree to that? Golf could have at least had amnesia (after the brain operation) and the parents shipped him abroad and then made up the lie that he died.
- Bank is so calm when he learns the very shocking news that the love of his life is not dead and his loved ones lied to him for 5 years, I thought he would drop the phone at least
- Bank's lack of yelling, breaking some dishes, really anything at people who lied to him for 5 years!!!
- the love triangle was totally unnecessary and per usual, I didn't like it
- dismal set design, the bookcase/cupboard by the stairs didn't have anything it it, it looked like the house was not lived in
- the hardcoded subtitles went missing in a few parts

Read More

sweet MLs with nonsense plot elements

Overall: the two leads gave me fuzzy feelings, but there was a lot of nonsense plot stuff. 12 episodes about 23 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala (Americas, Europe, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, India, Southeast Asia) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5191/fight-for-you-2025-e01 ; Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/41043c-fight-for-you ; iQIYI https://www.iq.com/album/fight-for-you-2025-1cgc4effwtd?lang=en_us ; Heavenly (South Korea)

Content Warnings: manipulation, violence, past deaths

Watch Suggestions starting at ep 8 (to reduce angst/annoying stuff)
- episode 8 watch 3:30-6:05
- skip episode 9
- episode 10 watch 22:30-end
- episode 11 watch beginning to 5:30 and 22:15-end
- watch all of episode 12

What I Liked
- visuals/intimacy with the MLs
- cameo of Eternal Butler actors
- easy to understand premise
- caring/sweet moments
- clear communication in ep 7
- the grandma
- finale was pretty good though the sister stuff shouldn't have been resolved off screen

Room For Improvement
- starting the episodes with talking to the camera
- was initially confused because I thought they were friends in episode 1 only to learn that they just met each other
- unclear flashback in the middle of episode 1
- noble idiot trope
- the side couple had barely any screen time until the finale
- nonsense stuff like: sent the least capable person on a difficult job, a character with a major injury quickly left the hospital and was walking around at home, lying and then quickly telling the truth

Read More

could have been a 10/10 (need a season 2!)

Overall: I liked the nervous office worker compared to the collected bad boy gangster; however, there were too many flashbacks and there was a very cliche plot point towards the end. Runtime is about 30 minutes. Episodes 1-3 are free to watch https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIBpX20YnmIiP897j9WiDoGMXkS_5XZE5&si=pq9pgBL_1VRDtGEo
The rest must be watched/paid on the mov, Inc app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=movie.mov.app&pli=1 / https://apps.apple.com/us/app/short-movie-tv-mov/id6648779972

Content Warning: fight, blood, non con touching

What I Liked
- their dynamic/chemistry
- easy to understand plot
- visuals
- office worker cleared something up soon after he saw it

Room For Improvement
- with only 10 episodes they could have moved the story along a bit faster/had more relationship building between the leads, too many flashbacks, not needed side plot with the boss
- fight scene looked/sounded very fake
- the very cliche thing that happened towards the end of the series and I can't believe that's how the other character would respond when they barely knew each other

Read More

had hoped for more from this premise

Overall: an interesting premise that wasn't developed enough. 10 episodes about 20 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala & Viki. Note, there are extra scenes after some of the end credits.

Watch Suggestions:
- if you want to skip moping/flashbacks start episode 8 at 17:30
- unless you like (in my opinion) poorly done angst stop watching episode 9 at 5 minutes and then start episode 10 at 21:50

Content Warnings: non con picture taking, dub/non con kiss, non con touching, grief

What I Liked
- unique premise with a clear set up
- sweet/cute moments
- funny moments (the dream with the soap was a highlight)
- foreshadowing
- episode 6 Stay By My Side cameo

Room For Improvement
- slow pacing with a ton of flashback montages, also half of episode 8 was moping
- the only 2 female characters were cliches (repeatedly ignoring boundaries), too much time spent on them
- nonsense (and not talking about the obvious), do university students in Taiwan have their professor's personal cell phone numbers, his household supplies were stored in the living room on a bookcase, a supposedly intelligent and caring character is stupid and cruel
- they never really delved/explained the world building, and I realized this was a romance but there really wasn't any examination of ethics, only the human character focusing on himself and how he will be sad
- poorly done/cliche angst, there were many opportunities for drama but the writers chose the most cliche one
- that gap was waaayyyy too long and then there was about 3 minutes at the end???
- some of the camerawork felt low budget

Read More

An interesting plot ruined by choppiness/too broad scope

Overall: There was so much potential in this story, but the scope was too broad and the sequencing was jumpy/confusing. It is based on a short film which I also found confusing (it was like an art film).

Content Warnings: non con/dub con*, 2 punches, past trauma (kidnapping, maybe molestation? shown off screen)

What I Liked
- acting is good, the 1 actor switches well, the glasses help distinguish them
- production value is good
- music is nice

Room For Improvement
- *does this mean that Yu Shi has the mental age of a 5 year old? And they had sex together??? Ummm, I'm not a doctor and don't have any friends with this medical condition but that seems ethically wrong.
- a big issue is the choppiness/not knowing what was going on most of the time. Finally in the 3rd episode (of 4 episodes) we get some brief explanations for things (but he was just randomly attacked, when did the 1 month flashback end?) however, it still leaves a lot to be desired. Even at the very end, I wasn't sure what the 1000 day thing was until after they got home and it was more clear.
- I was disappointed at the resolution with Noah
- the doctor was super unethical, I don't think doctors can share medical information with non-relatives/spouses. Also later his boyfriend looks at a patient's chart/notes. I think Noah could have been the one to explain the situation earlier to Wu Zheng.
- the side couple was totally unnecessary, they came out of nowhere in the final episode with a few sentences about the cliched miscommunication and spending years apart
- once again we have a female character just thrown in to cause drama, she was totally not needed to the story, there's enough drama that could come along with dissociative identity disorder
- I dislike punches/slaps between romantic partners or really anyone unless in self-defense

Read More

what a special episode should be

Overall: we had 27 minutes of new content that was a progression of their story and fluff which is exactly what I was looking for in a special episode. Available on GagaOOLala & Viki (country dependent).

What I Liked
- sweet/fluff moments
- intimacy/physical affection
- styling
- continuation of their story

Room For Improvement
- the 2 cringey fall, catch and awkward holds
- some of the camerawork felt low budget/shaky
- needed the production to include the 2 characters at the end into the special's intro sequence to refresh viewers' memories, per the review comment they are the cousin/colleague and the driver from the series, I'm likely not the only person who had no idea who they were so their appearance felt random

Read More

rushed with some cute parts, loose adaptation of Why R U (Thailand, 2020)

Overall: This is a remake of the 2020 Thai BL Why R U (which in turn is based on a book) but I will review it on its own merits. 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Note: there is an extra scene after the next week's preview in some episodes. Aired on iQIYI & Viki (depending on your country). Idol Romance also produced: Roommates of Poongduck 304, The Tasty Florida and Kissable Lips.

Content Warnings: manhandling, non con touching, non con kiss?, slap (part of acting)

What I Liked
- I did laugh a few times (swearing at each other with their fingers)
- cute moments
- Max & Nat cameo
- the original Why R U series playing in the background in a scene
- the perspective change in ep 2
- Sun Woo & Yoo Kyeom (up until the end of ep 4 when that reaction made zero sense to me)
- good kissing

Room For Improvement
- the intro felt like a trailer/exposition dump, it didn't hook me
- another bad "plan" that belongs in middle school (from Ji Oh), however Ji Oh had a personality change around episode 5 and I liked his character more/the dynamic
- confusing, did not clearly differentiate the flashback from present (the widescreen is flashback, full screen is present), several fast cuts
- was too choppy/rushed, should have cut out the sister/book thing entirely
- interjecting women/love triangles, (she had such a stupid plan, why wouldn't she tell her friend?)
- why didn't Yoo Kyeom tell Sun Woo about the girlfriend situation, he knew that they are friends
- cliche overhearing something and not telling the person what is wrong, and then a few days later he says he believes in being clear and finally tells him
- long recaps

Read More

cute follow up

Overall: this takes place directly after episode 12 with the focus on the main couple. Watched on Gagaoolala, also on Viki.

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked
- cute moments (the jealousy, kissing, outfits, hairstyle, cuddle, etc)
- interesting concept for a special episode
- neutral on the season 1 flashbacks, it was maybe helpful to remind people of a couple of key moments but also kind of felt like filler

Room For Improvement
- I'm kind of confused with what the phone did because then doesn't that mean the 2nd hop would have changed their future?

Read More

poignant and sweet, a really well done short BL series (minor spoilers)

Overall: I really enjoyed this more realistic/subdued BL (similar to Life Love on the Line). This is based on a manga but I'm rating it on its own. Watched on Viki.

Content Warnings: non con kiss (sleeping), dub con kissing, manhandling, trespassing, theft? (I don't consider the 10 year age gap or boss/employee to be a content warnings based on how things went)

What I Liked
- acting (I especially liked that Togawa was snotty when crying which is realistic)
- cute and caring moments, also a few really funny moments
- the food/desserts!
- cinematography (that long take scene at the end of episode 4 was amazing)
- although Nozue made more changes, I liked that Togawa also made a change in episode 5 based on what Nozue had said previously
- the subtle vibe
- good intro and song, as well as other music to fit the mood

Room For Improvement
- there were two times when I was so happy that Togawa respected Nozue's boundaries and then Togawa violated those boundaries which was disappointing
- the series would have benefited from a slightly longer run time (the abrupt and unknown time jump at the end as an example)
- a missed humor opportunity in episode 3, they could have shown Togawa frantically trying to clean up
- I think we should have had at least 1 kiss in episode 5, especially considering their ages

Read More

Plot Rushed

Overall: They tried to make the plot too complex for a short runtime and I don't even think I'd call this BL. Because they did a 'Yoo Han is kidnapped' plot, Yeon Woo is not available to pair with anyone else romantically. Watched on Viki.

Content Warnings: bullying, side character deaths, fight scenes

What I Liked:
- good production value
- good acting

Room For Improvement
- very confusing/rushed/overly complicated plot - there's a secret bar, tea, pills, vantablack, fake candy factory, grayscale, probe surgery, a bunch of new characters introduced
- I really enjoyed season 1s vibe that was kind of dangerous/obsessive, this does not have that same vibe
- that kiss was mostly camera angle tricks and it was in a dream
- what idiot characters take drinks or pills from very shady characters, at least one could have faked taking the pill
- odd/non logical things such as: Yeon Woo just happens to leave around his very important notebook, also his aunt leaves something really important in a place that Yeon Woo can easily find (when has keeping secrets ever worked out well btw), if telling her bullies about her brother would stop her from being bullied why wouldn't she do that?, she suddenly dies (I'm sure there's a plot twist in that but it felt so random), the grandpa would know the truth wouldn't he tell the classmate? better to say nothing at all then a totally unhelpful "run away", the brother knew his sister was being bullied wouldn't he intervene?, no way the mom's headband would look brand new after years in the water, what exactly even happened with the mom? why would they do that elaborate candy factory thing when they could just go and kidnap monos?

Read More

Well that took a turn....

Overall: I'd rate the first part (until 8min 25sec, just end it there, trust me) an 8. It felt a bit contrived but the NSFW was done well and steamy (no fake kissing there). But the 2nd part just took such an unfortunate turn. Also I think a better summary is "a security guard meets a bartender and things go down south" (or was he actually a police officer? I don't know the uniforms...). Watched on Gagaoolala.

Content Warnings: stealing, trespassing, violence, murder?

What I Liked
- the first 8min and 25sec

What I Disliked
- everything past 8min and 25sec, this all seemed so unnecessary and done for shock value

Read More