BL Compilations

a thin plot with some cute moments

Overall: this is what I would call a standard or traditional university Thai BL. Despite a thin plot built on poor communication that could have been remedied with a 1 minute conversation, I was prepared to rate this an 8/10. However, the first 3 things in my Room For Improvement section and the fact that this is a large production company and it's not a few years ago knocks this down to a 7/10. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: non con kissing, non con touching, domestic violence discussed (injury shown), punches, non con photos
 
What I Liked
- Daonuea's supportive/joking friends
- it was fun to see Sammy & Yacht
- the cute moments
- the funny moments (fyi the series does have comedy sound effects which are neutral for me)
- Khabkhluen's mom
- an example of good consent "can I kiss your cheek" in the finale
- good that they were physically affectionate, it wasn't just 1 kiss for an established couple

Room For Improvement
- the non con touching and kissing (on more than 1 occasion!) was totally not needed and was disappointing to see
- the very serious (sometimes deadly), common and world wide social problem of intimate partner violence was thrown in for some last minute drama. I was horrified watching that scene and again very disappointed that the writers used this topic in this way. The writers could have easily gone with something else like illness.
- the lack of the next video at the end of a video and the lack of subs for the finale premiere (would not bother me for a small company but this is not a small company)
- the full flashback scene was disappointing. Khabkhluen can't use social media? Can't contact Daonuea's friends to contact Daonuea?
- Khabkhluen's atrocious communication skills. I know very introverted people and they communicate with their romantic interests/partners. It took over 1 year to solve a problem that would have taken a 1 minute conversation to fix.
- there were too many characters and yet we didn't get a side plot or couple...
- why were 4 people attracted to Daonuea???
- Danouea has 1 conversation and sees 1 Instagram post and does a 180, it felt very sudden
- the finale was okay if a bit anticlimactic but that scene at the end was jarring and not needed
- that Daonuea didn't even suggest taking a cab to his possibly drunk brother who was going to drive a car
- I didn't like the intro sequence drawing/animation style, especially the lack of faces

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wish they had modified the plot/protagonist slightly

Overall: Fumiya is one of my least favorite protagonists ever which is unfortunate because the other parts of this series were well done. 6 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala and Viki.

Content Warnings: manipulation, gaslighting

What I Liked
- cute moments
- acting
- production value

Room For Improvement
- Fumiya, I disliked him right away because breaking up with someone on their birthday is an a**hole move. The flashback in episode 5 didn't redeem Fumiya. Because we haven't seen Ritsu forgetting a whole bunch of events and Fumiya never communicates, Fumiya is an unsympathetic character. Then instead of character growth he continues with terrible communication skills by lying and gaslighting Ritsu over a long period of time. In episode 5, Fumiya snoops and then eavesdrops on Ritsu's conversation with his friend, again no character growth.
- what a terrible brother for going along with that and then a terrible friend for telling Ritsu he should hear Fumiya out. Ritsu had every right to be angry and sit with his feelings for awhile. Fumiya should have texted an apology/explanation and then left Ritsu alone.
- plot holes/unrealistic things such as would a hospital really discharge a patient with a head injury that quickly? It seemed less than 12 hours, wouldn't Ritsu look back at his old photos/texts, talk to his friends/family, he just accepts that odd living situation???
- the subpar kissing for two grown men who are in an established relationship
- cliche 'they met when they were younger'

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jarring and nonsense plot elements (watch suggestions)

Overall: the writer/s spent too much time on a love rival and the very serious side plot didn't work for me. 12 episodes about 15 minutes each. Sometimes there was an extra scene during the end credits. Aired 2 episodes per week on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/39807c-eccentric-romance and GagaOOLala (Southeast Asia) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4853/eccentric-romance-2024 This production company also produced Love is Like a Cat and Peach of Time.

Content Warnings: past murder, attempted murder, blood, kidnapping, blackmail, manipulation, fight

Watch Suggestion for the last 4 episodes (I don't have the energy/desire to go back thru beginning episodes and write suggested timings, these suggestions focus on sweet moments with the MLs)
- episode 1 start at 1:40
- episode 2 skip 10:30-12:25, stop at 14:40
- episode 3 watch 3:20-8
- episode 4 watch the beginning to the intro
- episode 5 watch the beginning to 6:30
- watch episode 6
- skip episode 7
- episode 8 watch 13:45-end
- episode 9 watch the very beginning and 4-6:30
- episode 10 watch 2:40-3 and 7:40-10:15
- episode 12 watch 14:30-end

What I Liked
- dynamic between the leads
- sweet moments
- non cliche female character
- visuals
- language was realistic as people are generally more comfortable listening vs speaking, update: it was a bit unrealistic that all the side characters understood Thai but they did give explanations at least
- a bit better than dead fish lip presses

Room For Improvement
- the opening scene was confusing, it was actually a flashback not a flash forward as I originally thought
- exposition dump introductions for the characters, villain exposition dump, exposition dump at the end
- seemed to be a made up class (let me know if that's actually a class available in South Korea and I'll remove this)
- too much time spent on the love rival
- cliche drunk and didn't remember the night before and also drunk kiss
- should have put the scene at the end of 2 at the end of episode
- a lot of nonsense stuff, ie the hug was awkward with the trainer, why weren't police called sooner, the serial killer joke, the villain "plan" at the end etc
- the title didn't make sense but I didn't take off points for it (eccentric doesn't have a negative connotation)

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actors deserved a better script (watch suggestions)

Overall: with a better script/editing, I know that Mos & Bank would have been on fire, instead it was mostly failed comedy and cringe. The series was based on "Sunsetxvibes" by Rosesarin_ which I haven't read and I reviewed the series on its own merits (though I've heard the book is mainly smut). 12 episodes about 50 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI uncut https://www.iq.com/play/s2n3mgmw3x?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4 Later aired a cut version on the Star Hunter YouTube Channel https://youtu.be/H3HXsoNTltE?si=DeEZa915DK2L-njf (episode 1 was about 1 minute shorter than the uncut)

Content Warnings: thought there was one towards the end of ep 1 but then it wasn't (tried not to spoil things), past parental abuse, punch, coercion, blackmail, non con video recording/sharing/outing, sexual molestation, fight, blood, past death

Watch Suggestions (prioritizes intimacy, the side m/m couple and the side f/f couple once I jived with them)
- episode 1 you could start it at 10min-13min, 22-29, 32:40-36, 39:45-45, this is a dream 46:30-48
(I don't have the energy to go back thru eps 2-3)
- episode 4 watch 18-19:30, 33:30-42, maybe 55:30 to the end
- episode 5 watch 7-10:30, 14-18:15, 31-end
- episode 6 watch 16:15-21, 25-28, 39
- episode 7 watch 4:30-5:20, 13:40-16:40, 19:30-24, 37:30-39, 41:30-44, 46:30-48
- episode 8 watch 2:15-2:45, 15:20-16:20
- episode 9 watch 18-21, 27:10-30:50, 32:40-35:40, 38:10-45
- episode 10 watch 12-25, 51 to the end
- episode 11 watch 9:30-17:40 (excellent side couple steamy scene), 47:40-49:50 (didn't really feel the paint but the main couple steamy scene)
- episode 12 watch the whole episode

What I Liked
- the m/m side couple
- there was an established m/m couple
- the intro (and cinematography/styling)
- visuals
- GL rep (not a fan of the dynamic until later episodes though)
- supportive sibling, friends & mom
- a funny moment of a character talking about if it was a movie and then it went into a flashback scene
- good consent in episode 4 with asking for a kiss
- that a main character wasn't totally helpless in episode 4
- a subversion of a common characteristic with the pursuee
- mutual want

Room For Improvement
- the pervasive comedy sound effects that did not make things funny
- the fantasy element was not well explained or incorporated
- his friends were annoying at times
- did not care about the business scenes or backbiting coworkers
- a ton of nonsense/'because the writer said so stuff', i.e. the beginning scenarios were set up to be steamy but then oddly g rated, a very odd location for a first date and posing at the door, people who've never kissed someone do not try to kiss like that (and it wasn't funny), who goes into a person's dungeon looking basement like that?, remembering something very traumatic and then designing a necklace, transporting something super expensive at night by himself
- that the offender in episode 4 was darker skinned and the 'I won't press charges, tell him not to do it again' bs
- the styling didn't work because of the bowl haircut and how a main character acted so childlike (pinky swearing with his dad as an example)
- very cringey 'Khun Dad', their relationship felt like a child and a parent at times which was cringey
- a female character oddly had a boyfriend
- the poor communication cliche/run away plot

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So much potential, but the lack of character growth was disappointing

Content Warnings (not between m/m couple): physical abuse/assault, kidnapping, blackmail, having several previous partners shaming, drugging, manipulation

Overall: I really disliked Fiat (especially) and Leo from TTs2, but I was hooked after watching episode 1 of Don't Say No. Unfortunately the lack of character growth and the dreaded 11th episode plus a stupid ending for the side couple made it not reach its potential. Don't watch episode zero as there is some really messed up stuff that happens in that. All you need to know is Leo & Fiat are life long friends who recently became romantic with one another.

What I Liked
- communication*, Fiat & Leo actually communicate about their issues and work to resolve them. They even communicate during and after "fun" time, which I rarely see. However, episode 11 was a huge disappointment.
- the 2 main female characters are supportive friends and bonus the step mom is nice. I'm torn on Leo's mom who is supportive but almost in a manipulative/too invasive way.
- pacing was okay for the most part
- explanation for character motivation/faults, we get to see why characters are doing things (at times via flashbacks), and how different people interpret the same actions
- subverted/modified tropes with the side couple (hurt/care, sharing umbrella)

Room For Improvement
- *was really sad to see the lack of character growth especially from Fiat. That whole 11th episode was so dumb and unnecessary and they never even showed them actually communicate what happened with those events to each other!
- they should have made the family past trauma the final 4-6 episode arc and then show Fiat have some character growth
- the main couple (Leo/Fiat) don't look comfortable with kissing each other/being intimate, you can't be established boyfriends and not at least pucker your mouth for a kiss... these scenes were hit and miss for me.
- the side m/m couple: Pob should have been written as nervous/inexperienced, but instead he comes across as a jerk who thinks about himself only and plays games with Leon (like in episode 8 when he smirks after talking with Leon). And their ending was super stupid. I started out not liking them, liked them briefly and then ended up not liking them together.
- the overused cliche evil wannabe girlfriend
- Fiat's dad has about one brain cell, his actions were so toxic and stupid
- the comedy sound effects, they just aren't my thing but at least there isn't that horrendous gulping noise

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awesome styling with some lackluster writing

Overall: the writing was not what I hoped for, but I still enjoyed the different premise. 14 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired uncut on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/the-next-prince-episode-1-1bv2jjiv65o?lang=en_us ; 1st episode cut on YouTube (not in Japan or South Korea) https://youtu.be/5wUsrm8lZcI?si=_ZOtV42qRgEUm8Ia

Content Warnings: past deaths, manipulation, fights, blood, dub con kissing , slap, violence, child abuse, sexism, attempted murder, murder/deaths, torture

Watch Suggestions (to focus on the romance and less politics/competitions)
- watch episodes 1 and 2
- episode 3 watch 33:40-37:40 and 48-51:30
- episode 4 watch 8:30-9:40, 16-17:50, 22:50-23:45, 32:50-33:50, 42:30-45:30 and 48:30-49:45 (also extra scene after the end credits)
- episode 5 watch 29:50-31 (I'm conflicted about this scene) and 45-end
- episode 6 watch beginning-5, 8-21:45, 25-26:55, 38:15-39:30 and 42-end
- episode 7 watch beginning-11, 1hr3-end
- episode 8 watch beginning-27, 30:10-33:50, 34:35-35:50, 43-58
- episode 9 watch 22-28
- skip episodes 10-12
- episode 13 watch 43-47:15
- episode 14 watch 26-end (you could watch the fencing at the beginning if wanted)

What I Liked
- dynamics/chemistry
- enjoyed the beginning fight sequence in episode 1
- commentary on gender roles/sexism and environmental justice
- Chakri
- kissing/intimacy
- production value* (i.e. set design, styling)

Room For Improvement
- started with a world building exposition dump
- a ton of nonsense plot stuff: a dad didn't show any anger about being lied to about something, no bodyguards around protecting royalty, a very long hold in episode 4, nonsense plan in episode 4 (should have known dad would know what he did), a bunch of people perfectly spaced on a field in episode 12 and a lot more
- a character acted like a privileged brat for too long
- wish we would get a sane, safe and consensual BDSM relationship, I guess their ending was okay
- not enough of the side couples/relationship development, felt shoe-horned in
- *the camera was too shaky, wanted more stable shots

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sweet actors, not good writing (watch suggestions)

Overall: I really hope the actors get a better script next time. 12 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI for U.S., Canada & Thailand? https://www.iq.com/play/lobrkfltic?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4 and GMMTV's YouTube channel for everywhere else https://youtu.be/-sXShzisZTk?si=bdKzCuZhh_m6KlZf - both seem to be the same length.

Content Warnings: past death, grief, blood, manipulation

Watch Suggestions (to focus on the leads, reduce angst)
- watch episodes 1-3 (I don't have the energy to re-watch for timings but I think overall these episodes were good)
- episode 4 watch the beginning to 10:35 and 27:40-31:45
- episode 5 watch 25:30-29:40
- episode 6 watch 13-15:30 and 45:40-end
- episode 7 watch 14:45-21:35, 34:30-42:40 and 45:10-end
- episode 8 watch 29-30 and 37:30-end
- episode 9 watch 5:45-7:15, 13:25-14:33, 22:20-26:10, 31:15-33:20, 39:40-end
- episode 10 watch 15-17:55
- watch episode 11 (finale)

What I Liked
- a flirty/forthright protagonist
- supportive friend
- laughed at the "dancing"
- finale wrapped things up well and the cameo in episode 11

Room For Improvement
- tired tropes (i.e. too many kiss interruptions)
- slow pacing
- I didn't find most of the comedy funny and then it veered into serious/angsty territory with a very similar plot to a recent Taiwanese series
- the twist in episode 4
- love rival/jealousy for multiple episodes
- how characters pressured another character into forgiving his mom
- not remembering it in episode 9
- the plot with the side couple/characters, that they needed a man to fix their relationship
- the comedy sound effects didn't enhance the comedy
- (neutral) the dentist/client relationship, it didn't bother me

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overall not funny but with a few cute moments

Overall: although this is supposed to be a comedy, it didn't even get into the "so bad it's good" category. See my watch suggestion timing below for some cute parts. 6 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: manipulation, manhandling, punch/fight/violence, drugging

Note: the depiction of a person with disabilities in episode 4-6 was not funny. Humor can be used to dehumanize people, I think people should be very careful when making fun of groups of people who historically and currently face discrimination and dehumanization. Ryan O'Connell (who has cerebral palsy) wrote and acted in the Netflix series Special which was well done and funny.

Watch Suggestion, if you want to give this a go and see a few cute moments with the two leads I suggest:
ep 1, 28-29 and 33-36
ep 2, 13-25 and 28-37
ep 3, 16-24
ep 4, 7-18, 23-25
ep 5, 31-33
ep 6, start at 37 thru to the end (could watch earlier if you want more plot explanation and fight scene with terrible sound effects)

What I Liked:
- Luv's supportive friends
- Frank's abs and Long Lee's smirk
- that the two leads were mutually attracted to one another
- a few cute moments
- BTS at the end of ep 1 (though not subbed)

Room For Improvement
- some of the plot nonsense was intentional but explaining everything at the very end didn't work for me
- the depiction of someone with a disability was not funny to me at all
- didn't think most of it was funny (except the Muay Thai was fun and maybe a couple other bits like the slow accidental fall and catch at the very end)
- 3 minute intro was too long
- the voice dubbing (I think this was done for comedy but I really disliked it), and then the internal voices were odd to

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too many sound effects, not enough plot

Overall: thought this was a romcom but episode 3 took quite a turn. I also really disliked the "comedy" sound effects. 8 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired cut on UltimateTroop Official YouTube channel and uncut on iQIYI (eps 9 and 10 for premium members). Ultimate Troop also produced "Remember Me" and "The Yearbook".

Content Warnings: sexual assault/attempted rape (episode 3 part 2), self harm/attempted suicide (episode 3 part 2), manhandling, mental health struggles, beaten up, violence/punches, bullying, stalking

What I Liked
- Dino's singing and guitar playing sounded realistic
- awesome dance moves
- how the friend pointed out the difficulty of finding someone on a large campus
- happy Rak did something in episode 2 and did stand up for himself
- Mean's cameo in episode 2 with the angelic music was funny
- that they mentioned their series "The Yearbook"
- the idea of filling that jar to give Rak some time to recover (though this idea didn't work out)
- at least there weren't dead fish lip presses*
- Chalam and his eggs/pet snake

Room For Improvement
- that there were no consequences for the absolute despicable thing Mek did in episode 3
- the "comedy" sound effects actually make me NOT laugh, not a fan of toilet humor/conversations
- some scenes dragged on for too long like the scene in episode 3 part 2 and the terrible attempt at a redemption arc with Mek's sister
- strongly disagreed with Mek's sister saying an apology can fix everything, an apology can most definitely NOT fix everything and Mek is now beyond redeemable after episode 3
- Rak went from out of the frying pan and into the fire because Dino did not understand boundaries, "don't take too long to open your heart because I won't wait" and after Rak says for him not to touch him he....touches him...
- it's odd how the show depicted the stalker as bad but Dino did the exact same things (ignored boundaries, aggressive pursuit, extremely possessive)
- *in episode 8 the loud slurping noises not in sync with the movements was bad, plus I like some tongue but it was just too much tongue and licking
- Rak was reluctant even in the last two episodes, wish they had shown him with more agency/initiating physical stuff
- effeminate guy stereotype as hypersexualized
- at times the music was mismatched, there was a more serious scene and it had lighthearted music (hospital scene was a good example of this)
- ep 1 voice over exposition dump
- nonsense things: Rak's friends let him leave the club with some rando, say it's loud at the football field but it's quiet, lights on when sleeping, why did Rak stop running when there was an open doorway there in episode 3, etc.
- last 2 episodes were almost all filler and felt very unnecessary (and a new toxic character "you can't tell me to stop" bleh)

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well done coming of age/romance vertical series, needs an international release

Overall: I really enjoyed their different personalities and how they changed to be more compatible with each other. Official platform is the app Shortcha which is only available in South Korea. 50 episodes 1-2 minutes each. I saw it with parts unsubbed or rough translations so my rating might change in either direction with an official translation.

Content Warnings: punch, non con kiss, manipulation, non con picture taking/sharing, unwanted outing, slap, homophobia

What I Liked
- chemistry
- their dynamic
- how they had different personalities/goals but then they each changed because they wanted to and became more compatible with each other/their goals aligned
- caring moments
- the antagonists had their reasons, they weren't the typical cartoonish villains with nonsense reasons/actions
- it didn't seem as if everything was patched up with the mom which I liked and it felt realistic

Room For Improvement
- I was confused at the beginning with the punch, that was a flash forward that took place about halfway thru the story
- I wasn't sure about the sister/her reasoning and then change, perhaps better subtitles would help with that part

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coming of age romance that needed a part 3

Overall: I wish they had just focused on the two protagonists like A First Love Story (South Korea, 2021). Originally aired in 2 parts on Cul Drama YouTube Channel playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTzMpGBkGlIYOyVq-m3cPEdl4LBIh5hjX&si=ap-8RLV2rRZ0eFNA (watch the 8 minute one first and then the 9 minute one)

Content Warning: unwanted outing

What I Liked
- glad he didn't finish what he started at the beginning of episode 1
- sweet moment/tickle fight
- pretty good production value though too much blur filter

Room For Improvement
- cliche female character introduced in part 1
- felt bad for the female character introduced in part 2 as she felt like collateral damage
- the ending of part 2 was still fairly open, they needed 1 more video to wrap everything up
- I didn't take off points but the subtitles are a bit rough, I understood what was happening though

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short & sweet

Overall: this was really well done for an indie production, hope we see more series from them. 3 episodes about 15 minutes each. Aired on 1Camera Studio YoutTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF0HYZ-k2RyDMdysEo5OhQNMn9BaPl-B6&si=N372KF0mLKkUpE6M

What I Liked
- centered on the 2 male leads
- supportive female friend (non cliched character) and male friend
- illustrations for the intro
- funny how the friend instantly shifted his attention in episode 1
- good communication in the final episode
- nice way to end the series

Room For Improvement
- voice over exposition dump
- not clearly explained in the flashback why he didn't see him
- I didn't really take off points because this was their first series attempt and I'm sure had little to no budget but somethings they could improve on production wise would be microphones rubbing against clothes, needed more light on their faces in the last scene (even night scenes need light on the actors' faces)

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good chemistry

Overall: it was a simple premise with good chemistry/kissing. 30 episodes in total with each episode about 1 minute each. It took me 3 days to watch the series for free. Aired on the Shortime app by Code Crayon (my invite code is NKNIWI (those are all capital letters, that's the capital letter i)) Shortime also has Falling for My Boss.

What I Liked
- the premise
- excellent dreams
- good kissing (no dead fish lip presses)

Room For Improvement
- love rival (would rather have that spent time on the couple)
- whimsical background music didn't fit at times
- wish episodes were a little longer, even 2 or 3 minutes each

Shortimes App Information - Each episode costs 20 popcorn, 4 episodes are free and 26 need to be unlocked, need 520 popcorn to watch the whole series, you can't skip locked episodes and they will re-lock

My Watch For Free Plan
(on the popcorn rewards page) check in = 5 (increases over 7 days up to 25)
(on the popcorn rewards page, go to the very bottom of the page) = 80, watch all 7 ads each day, have to wait 30 seconds in between ads
(on the popcorn rewards page) turn on notifications = 30 (1 time bonus)
1 friend referral code = 20 (1 time bonus) My invite code is NKNIWI (those are all capital letters, that's the capital letter i)
3 random popcorn from the daily random box = 35 (I got 10, 10 and 15, normally it was around 30)
watch 5 episodes each day with ads
- there are other 1 time bonuses like following on social media or making an account so you might be able to finish in 2 days instead of 3 if you did more of the bonuses

Day 1 watch 1-4 (free), 5-16; Day 2 watch 17-27; Day 3 watch 28-30

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not the action I was hoping for

Overall: this 1 hour and 25 minutes follow up was fine, but it was very detective/action heavy and less character focused. Now available to watch on Idol Factory's YouTube channel. The first part of five is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfuX7Ln_m9U&ab_channel=IDOLFACTORYOFFICIAL (currently they don't have a YouTube Playlist)

Content Warnings: deaths, grief, violence/fights, blood, kidnapping

What I Liked
- 1 steamy scene was pretty well done though it could have been a bit longer
- element of fantasy though it felt underdeveloped
- they did explain 1 nonsense plot element that happened in the series which I appreciated
- addressed workplace gender discrimination

Room For Improvement
- main characters did not have any character growth, one was still lying and the other was being overly possessive
- many nonsense law enforcement things that took me out of the story
- odd goofy humor/comedy sound effects combined with a very serious plot
- presence of the little girl was not for me
- production needed to shorten up the time that they released it in Thailand/not international friendly streaming option (May 26th) to when they released it on YouTube (June 27th). At least it was only a day or two after it was for paid channel members that they released it for free on YouTube. The too long of a gap happened with the final episode as well, it would be okay if they just shortened the time between releases i.e. live in person event/thaiticketmajor online streaming May 26th, 1 week later YouTube channel members, 4 days after that free on YouTube

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