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This review may contain spoilers
Made Me Unbelievably Mad
Overall: I'm a sucker (haha) for vampire BL. I was willing to overlook too many characters and a totally unneeded love triangle, but episode 8 made me start screaming at my computer in rage. Watched on Viki.Content Warnings: hypnotizing someone against their will and biting their lips, murders/death, gore/blood
What I Liked
- the premise of a vampire wanting to become human instead of the other way around (a la Twilight)
- I liked that the college student didn't just ghost/run away, but he's really pretty dumb to be alone with vampires...
- good production value
Room For Improvement
- this was some really awful writing, the ending was absolutely abysmal. They could have had some smart plot twists but did not. I need another vampire BL that is done well to destroy my memory of this one.
- they needed to cut characters and really build the relationship between the vampire and college student, they spend like 2 hours together and are soulmates...
- the explanation 10 years ago was disappointing, I thought there was more too it but basically the main vampire was just stupid
- the treatment of his friend (for hundreds of years!!!) at the end was awful. Jun Ho was actually worse when you think about it.
- I'm not even going to get into the just odd/unexplained/poorly thought out world building
- some odd camera shots, too many close ups
- way too many flashbacks that were used as filler
- the extreme blur filter that made the vampire look like a ghost
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enjoyable m/m reality dating series
Overall: pretty well done, however there was definitely some misleading/confusing editing (especially in the finale) to create additional drama which I could have done without. When watching "reality" series, I always keep in mind that producers might tell the guys what to do/say and that editing can be extremely misleading (not showing things, change the order, etc). My goals were that the guys have some fun and being on the show helped (or at least doesn't hurt them) in their personal and professional lives. I have zero problem with them promoting their businesses as being queer has likely given them personal and professional disadvantages (and perhaps more so after appearing on the show). 14 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on Gagaoolala & iQIYI (depending on your country)Content Warnings: discussion related to homophobia/life experiences
What I Liked
- I like how they started with a date and the twist gave a bit more drama
- the 30 second phone call thing was good (I personally think it's best if the guys say who they are and call someone they are romantically interested in to avoid mixed signals/increase the odds of a mutual match)
- the twists were well done
- once again a good decision to not let them say their age or occupation right away. I think people get fixated on those things when in reality personality, values and goals are much more important compatibility-wise and it will make a good reveal in ep 3
- jenga game was a good way for everyone to learn more about everyone else, and although it got kind of serious, it seems to have brought them together and is an important thing for viewers to see/learn about
- production value such as nice music, set design, editing, etc
Room For Improvement
- too many phone calls, would have liked to see some more larger group games
- needed a graphic at the end of each episode to see who called who/was interested in who because I get confused and wanted to see if there were mutual matches
- needed nametags or nametag necklaces at least for the first few episodes to get familiar with all of their names
- there was confusing/misleading editing that I don't think was needed
Life Advice: I really want to have heart to hearts with a few of these guys, but here are my main takeaways/advice
1. Being "nice" is frequently much more hurtful if you are leading someone on verses being honest and saying you aren't interested in a person romantically
2. (related to number 1) Honesty is the best policy - make it clearly known from the beginning who you are romantically interested in, I know it can be embarrassing, but if you aren't mature enough to be honest then you aren't mature enough to be in a romantic relationship
3. Be careful of changing yourself for a romantic partner - it's fine to change things that you want to change, but don't change yourself to fit someone else's desires for how you should be, otherwise you're at risk of losing yourself and your happiness
4. Work on your own self esteem - don't expect another person to complete you but rather complement you. Using another person to prop up low self esteem is likely not going to end well.
Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. Sparks Camp (Philippines) on YouTube. 10 guys, anyone can pursue anyone else, too many group games that are not getting to know you types, but overall done well
2. Love House seasons 1 & 2 (Vietnam) on YouTube (most have English subs, this is ep 1 of season 2 no subs though https://youtu.be/TKzT_nHfVTA ). I liked this set up more than Bromance because the guys could all pursue one another. I didn't like the "secret couple" aspect and dividing them up based on sexual position seemed odd (can't they discuss that in private???) Season 1 was also the most brutal "rose ceremony" I've ever seen in any dating reality show. Season 2 was better.
3. Bromance (Thailand) is also on Gagaoolala. This is the typical Bachelor/Bachelorette set up with a bunch of people competing against one another to be with the 1 bachelor. I didn't like this because they could have all been hitting on each other and we have multiple couples! I got kind of bored and skipped a bunch.
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heartwarming slice of life/romance series (need a Haruna spin off)
Overall: I enjoyed this friends/roommates turned into romantic partner stories, though it could have used slightly faster pacing (almost rated it 8.5 but I liked their dynamic so it ended up a 9). 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4215/living-with-him-2024-e01What I Liked
- caring/sweet moments
- clear flashbacks and enjoyed seeing them when they were young
- ex girlfriend wasn't a cliche, non-cliche female characters
- a character was a bit naive but he did figure things out and communicated
- supportive family members, dynamics felt realistic
- Haruna was such a good wingman and friend
- overall realistic with trying to maintain boundaries but also being jealous
- production value (nice color symbology which included their clothes, pillows, mugs, toothbrushes, etc)
Room For Improvement
- not a fan of starting a series with a voice over exposition dump
- episode 2 had a too long recap of episode 1 at the beginning
- some slow pacing
- Ryota did annoy me a bit but I tried to keep in mind that he had low self-esteem and was likely struggling with internalized homophobia and/or heteronormativity
- cliche almost told something and got interrupted, the running scene
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BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen
24 people found this review helpful
stellar comedy, need a season 2
Overall: this crack comedy made me laugh but it also made me empathize with Aoyagi. 3 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/3919/i-became-the-main-role-of-a-bl-drama-2023-e01What I Liked
- laughed many times, it has an exaggerated style of humor which I can struggle with, but they made it work
- the two managers (I need more info on their background)
- how they differentiated between the acting scenes and other scenes
- characters weren't unrealistically stupid, they figure things out
- sweet moments
Room For Improvement
- who falls asleep like that and then doesn't wake up in ep 1???
- needed 5 more seconds at the very end of episode 3
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This review may contain spoilers
That's A Failed Parody
Overall: I have really enjoyed parodies like The Boy Next Door (bromance) and A Man Who Defies The World of BL, but this was confusing and I did not find it funny. It looks like the company that funded the series is a live streaming app. They could have built a story just around that... an anti-fan and a livestreamer, a livestreamer and his manager, etc. Watched on Viki.Content Warnings: manhandling
What I Liked
- an established couple with a realistic problem (instead of a stupid miscommunication)
- a medical professional being realistically busy
- that they did show some skinship like the hug in public*
- I laughed...twice
Room For Improvement
- *I think it's a bit odd for one person in an established couple to be reluctant to kiss when asked by the other person at home. Also their kissing was really awkward for two characters in a long term relationship and actors who have worked together several times previously.
- many things that were nonsensical but not funny, i.e. potentially leaving someone who is injured on the side of the road, hugging someone while wearing bloodied scrubs, saying abracadabra while someone is likely dying...
- confusing things, Guy gives up but then they reconcile? Why introduce a fantasy element but then don't use it until the very end? Jing knew about the candy? WTH was that ending????
- many scenes were too long like the brushing teeth scene at the beginning, I watched on at least double speed
- I dislike both main characters, one was extremely immature (what a waste of medical resources) and the other apparently can't set phone reminders
- confusing relationship between the side couple, they were a fake couple and then became a real couple? Though he did clear things up relatively quickly, that's still being a jerk with your arm around your brother and making it look like you are dating.
- 5 minute introduction, with the recap and preview, episodes were about 15 minutes shorter than the listed time
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slice of life done well
Overall: this is a slice of life series set in 2005/6 and follows the characters from age 16-18. The writer is the same writer as Addicted (and the book it's based on). The plot/characters are extremely similar but I'm going to rate this on its own and not as compare/contrast. 24 episodes 30 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala & Viki.BL, Censored BL or Bromance? the answer becomes more and more apparent as the series goes on, I really hope that "lip balm" was brand new lmao
Content Warnings: past murder, attempted murder, attempted rape, sexual assault, torture, mutual bullying/pranks, violence/fights/beaten up/punches, blood, manipulation, intimate partner violence, side couple under 18 and over 18, non con picture taking/posting/cyberbullying
What I Liked
- clear characters/motivations (and showed realistically why characters' feelings towards one another changed, showed why the cousin made the decision that he did)
- showed why Wu Bi was immediately interested
- Wu Bi was impulsive/hot tempered but he did apologize for his actions (later in the series he says that he acts tough but is soft hearted which is true)
- sweet moments
- some funny moments
- happy Wu Bi did that to his uncle
- episode 3 fight scene was not realistic but it was super fun
- Wu Bi and Su Yu clearly communicated at the end of episode 4 and several times during the series
- production value (some really beautiful use of light and reflections)
Room For Improvement
- should have taken out that whole bizarre doctor playing/injuring thing with the kids in episode 4
- nonsense things: could have given the thugs a reason to target Su Yu (like his dad owed them money), also no one called the police with a group of thugs running with weapons in broad daylight? the guards just walked behind Wu Bi, how did Wu Bi know it was that 1 guard out of all the guards
- I disagree with Su Yu's dad, not all parents love their children and even when they love them, if they are awful people then the children do not owe them love in return
- the dubbing, especially with that Taiwanese character
- not a fan of the song with the little girl singing
- the series covers 2 years and it felt a bit choppy at times/more like vignettes
- the green screen at the beach
- although I understand the ending is true to the book, a second season is definitely not guaranteed and that's not a good way to end a series (maybe they could have made a short special episode in case season 2 didn't get made or something)
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traditional Thai romcom
Overall: this has a lot of frequently seen Thai romcom elements including a ton of comedy sound effects. My favorite was the last arc with Faifa and Wine. 24 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLszepnkojZI7tY-4JZhpydsT6fIpemt3l&si=f7ir8p1MqNiXYXtL and WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/feag2shxw6mx76l-Perfect%2010%20Liners For all parts, they should have aired 2 episodes per week instead of it taking 6 months to air and I was not a fan of the constant comedy sound effects.First Arc (episodes 1-8), actors Book and Force play Arm and Arc
Content Warnings: non con touching, non con picture taking/sharing
Watch Suggestions (if you're not a fan of the cold/jerk pursuer trope and if the comedy doesn't work for you)
- watch episode 1
- episode 2: part 1 6:15-7:35, 8:45-11:40, part 2 beginning to 1:30, part 3 2:40-5, part 4 4-end
- episode 3: watch part 1, part 2 watch 6:20-7:10
- episode 4: watch part 1, part 3 start at 3, watch part 4
- episode 5: watch part 3 starting at 2, watch part 4
- episode 6: watch part 1 (can skip or watch parts 2 and 3), watch part 4
- episode 7: watch part 1, part 3 9-10:20 and part 4 16:30-end
- episode 8: watch part 1 15-end, parts 2, 3 and 4
What I Liked
- I did laugh a few times
- subverted tropes
- easy to understand premise
- sweet moments
- nice to see a lot of GMMTV actors
- Pond & Sand breadcrumbs were sweet though some ignoring boundaries at the end of ep 5
- Tay Tawan cameo
- the friend groups
Room For Improvement
- started with the present, then flashback, the flash to the present and then back again the start of episode 3 felt jarring
- has the nonsense 'be a jerk to the person I like' "plan" (though it is nice that the other guy had a bit of a spine and pushed back)
- non con kiss in episode 5 part 4
- love rivals/jealousy
- the "I don't like you smiling at anyone else, I don't like you going around acting cute" in episode 7 part 4
- (neutral) the comedy sound effects didn't make me laugh
Second Arc (episodes 9-16) actors Perth and Santa play Yotha and Gun (dynamic is a hyper child-like character with a reserved stern character)
Content Warnings: punch, fight, non con kiss, blood, violence, non con touching, gaslighting
Watch Suggestions (to avoid one character being hot/cold)
- watch episodes 9 and 10
- episode 11: watch part 1, part 2 skip 2-7, part 3 skip 6:30-11, watch part 4 until 16:45
- episode 12: watch part 1 9:20-11 and 13min, part 2 watch 4-end, part 3 7-end and part 4 beginning-1:30 and 13:05-end
- episode 13: watch part 1 3-4:45 and 16:30-end, part 2 watch 1:40-2:30
- episode 14: watch part 1 beginning-8 and 13:40-end, part 2 5:50-10:15 and 14-end, watch part 4 5:30-9:05 and 14:45-end
- episode 15: watch part 1 2:30-14:15, part 3 3-end, part 4 9:20-end
- watch episode 16 (can start part 3 at 12:40 to avoid nonsense mom drama (why didn't she say something sooner???)
What I Liked
- caring moments like tying the tie
- supportive mom/sister
Room For Improvement
- the one character acts like a child (brings a blankie to university, sleeps with lights on, cat on his shirt, his childish mannerisms)
- a ton of new characters were introduced quickly
- how a character said another character had to take responsibility for his feelings
- a character was frequently drunk
- a different character punched someone for hugging his boyfriend
- the non con kiss to prove something
- treating a character like an object ie saying "quiet dog" in episode 13
- being hot and cold without communication
- "you started this"
- when asked why a character likes another character he can only come up with "he's cute"
- the cliche power of love magically healing deep trauma/phobia
- being pushy, "I don't know means yes", nope yes means yes or nodding your head means yes
Third Arc (episodes 17-24) Actors are Mark and Junior who play Wine and Faifa (dynamic is a peppy people-pleaser with a reserved character)
Content Warnings: slap, internalized homophobia, unwanted outing
Watch Suggestions
- watch episodes 17 and 18 (can start 18 part 3 at 11)
- watch 19-24 (can start ep 23 part 3 at 5:40 unless you enjoy the mom drama)
What I Liked
- caring moments
- one of the very rare examples that prominently features internalized homophobia
- good intimacy (though too much space between bodies which I think applies to all of the couples)
- nice finale
Room For Improvement
- the over the top character, though he at least doesn't feel like a 5 year old
- though it was nice to see previous couples, by the third arc they took up way too much screentime
- didn't care about the mom plot at all and wish the boyfriends would have first consulted their partners
- (Yotha & Gun had another round of "can I (have sex with you)" and "I told you before no one asks about that")
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GMMTV ensemble romcom
Overall: this was a Thai ensemble romcom with several sweet moments, but I wish they had increased the pacing. 16 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI exclusively for U.S., Canada and Thailand; on GMMTVs YouTube channel for everywhere else. Later re-aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40679c-we-are The director's more recent BL works include: Absolute Zero, A Boss & a Babe, Between Us and My Only 12%.Content Warnings: hit, hits played as comedy, punches in the past, vomiting, manhandling, manipulation
What I Liked
- seeing many GMMTV actors again
- whale spout hairstyle
- took a taxi when drinking
- the friend groups
- sweet moments
- the bloopers at the end of episode 16
Room For Improvement
- some lackluster kissing which in 2024 and a major production studio meant that I took off a half point
- slow pacing, the story could have been told in 8 episodes instead of 16
- voice over exposition dump/main character intro
- the myriad of comedy sound effects did not make me laugh
- nonsense "plans", cliched poor communication skills
- art students transported important paintings without any carrying cases
- because there were so many couples I (and likely others) had favorites and tended to fast forward/skip other couples
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romance at its core
Overall: I gave this a 9 because even with plot holes/nonsense stuff the romance remained strong throughout and I enjoyed the series. 12 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala in: US, UK, Germany, Australia https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4709/kidnap-2024-e01 ; Netflix Asia http://www.netflix.com/us/title/81927 ; YouTube in some countries https://youtu.be/KhSyfKC06J4Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, blackmail, violence, kidnapping, mental health struggles/trauma, past death, blood
What I Liked
- an engaging intro that for once wasn't a flashback or a flash forward
- clear and unique premise
- subverted meet cute
- tension
- supportive sibling/sibling relationship
- sweet/caring moments
- characters were aware of their own and other characters' feelings
- ongoing physical intimacy
- a character went to therapy and their partner was extremely supportive
- that the villain had consequences (though I would have preferred it had happened differently)
Room For Improvement
- the beginning scene needed a little more light
- why did the guitar have to make an appearance in episode 1
- a ton of nonsense stuff (ie had all the lights on when going to sleep, being in the rain led to colds, doing villainy in broad daylight, talking about illegal plans in a public place, a character didn't run away with another character in the past, and a lot more)
- "comedy" sound effects like the quack noise didn't make things funny
- the trailer made it seem more of an action series when it's mostly a romcom
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could have been amazing
Overall: imagine if Muffin was actually a police officer and we saw her beat up some baddies in one of her outfits, or what if the mafia boss was actually a secret huge romantic at heart? There were so many ways the writing could have been innovative with this premise, but the cliche writing really ruined it, especially in episode 6. It is based off of "The Ideal Relationship" which I have read but I reviewed the series on its own merits. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI.Content Warnings: deaths/murders, non con touching/attempted sexual assault, violence, drugging, manhandling, stalking, attempted murder, kidnapping, manipulation
What I Liked
- the intro credits style was an homage to the source material
- how Guy was set up as a queer character from the beginning
- the video gaming sequence, unfortunately we only saw 1 sequence
- cute/sweet moments
- Guy showed agency
- laughed a few times (although mostly at huge plot holes/nonsense writing)
- Wahl's girlfriend in episode 6
- (neutral) comedy noises
Room For Improvement
- cliched/nonsense writing (i.e. Tew's idiotic "plans", Guy probably had 6 bullets in his revolver but seemed to shoot waaaayyyy more than that in episode 8)
- Kenji's backstory makes zero sense, maybe if Tew had used him as a human shield then it would have made sense, they made him into a cliche cartoon villain with nonsensical actions/motivations, even episode 7 didn't make enough sense for his motivation, also way too much screentime taken by Kenji
- the voice over was a fast way to set up a character/beginning but not my favorite way to start a series
- the music was sometimes not what I would have preferred, also think they could have removed the comedy sound effects and just let the comedy come through on its own
- tropey (ie multiple accidental fall and catches)
- avoiding physical affection in episode 5 (although Guy was better by the end)
- cliche plot point in episode 6
- Wahl had way too much screen time, needed to devote some of that to Guy/Tew building their relationship
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a mystery/thriller series that tried something different
Overall: I appreciate that this series had a unique premise. This is more mystery/thriller instead of horror/gore, there are some very heavy topics and things shown. Aired 14 episodes about 45 minutes each on GagaOOLala. Make sure to watch the entire post credits scene in episode 14.BL content: I'll put this in a spoiler comment
Content Warnings: there are some really heavy topics, see my comment with a spoiler for the full list
What I Liked
- unique premise
- blended different elements well
- acting
- liked in episode 2 how Dan sought communication from Nai
- a few sweet moments (including the friend cuddle)
- production value
Room For Improvement
- unless I missed it, 2 characters should have been shown being arrested by police but the writing seemed to suggest that their own miserable lives were bad enough (but they should have been arrested)
- how much Josh & Nai believed Dan who they had recently befriended stretched credulity a bit
- where was the teacher at the pool???
- I dislike that the school priest tried to force forgiveness
- open ending
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Content Warnings: kick, maybe kind of something at the end?
What I Liked
- the friendship
- some of the humor was funny like the failed flirting with that girl
- cute moments
- that poor communication didn't drag on
- good kissing
- music, especially the rap song at the end
Room For Improvement
- the relationship/romance felt rushed, I think they could have cut out some other scenes and fleshed out more how/why they developed feelings with each other
- the ending is a bit open/wish they had gone a different direction with it
- how wearing glasses was considered less attractive
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This review may contain spoilers
I loved the second couple
Overall: I absolutely adored Ai Di and ended up enjoying their dynamic/story more. Aired 13 episodes about 25 minutes each on iQIYI, GagaOOLala (not in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, or SEA), Viki & WeTV. Later aired on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk2gvyPpHLRfpyBmdMhePR2ntRNk3GqGs&si=hjJj5M5ZwqmJN7Rm Watch the post credit scene in episode 13.Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, blood, violence, past parental abuse, trauma, non con kiss, dub con sex*, blackmail, manhandling, held against will, 17 year old/22-25? year old** (also teacher/student), stalking, manipulation
What I Liked
- more unique premise
- clear timeline (first scene starts in the present then the rest is 4 years before)
- sweet/caring moments
- styling, especially Ai Di
- secondary couple's dynamic
- cameos of HIStory actors, Be Loved In House actors and Plus & Minus actors
- Bai Zong Yi's family, and liked how they knew about most things regarding his decision/actions
- intimacy/nsfw
Room For Improvement
- overall it felt rushed, this covered a long time span but didn't feel that long, they could have removed some parts like the cliche wannabe girlfriend and spent that time explaining things more/showing time passing
- the ending felt especially rushed with cliche plot points tossed in and one plot point left open ended
- comedy sound effects in the beginning didn't fit with the very serious scenes/tone
- villain should have been smoking a cigarette not sucking on a lollipop (it's explained in episode 9 which was too late for me)
- evil wannabe girlfriend cliche
- I got pretty lost with the the gang plot stuff but I also fast forwarded a bit
- not a fan of manipulation/stupid "plan" between romantic partners
- *with the main couple, one was super drunk/on sleeping pills but it was the fictional scenario where he was an active participant and then seemed sober
- **I really wanted them to have aged up Bai Zong Yi but it actually was important to the plot that he was 17 and I do think 17 year olds can be mature enough to enter into relationships with those over the age of 18 so in this instance it didn't bother me and I didn't take off points, though they could have removed the teacher/student element
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the writing did not support the interesting premise
Overall: I was super excited for a twisty action thriller but the nonsense/cliche plot turned this into just another teenage GMMTV BL series. Aired on GMMTVs YouTube channel.Content Warnings: murders, attempted murder, beaten up/violence, bullying, blackmail, manipulation, unwanted public outing, drugging, kidnapping
What I Liked
- that the first scene wasn't a flashback or flash forward
- the beginning/first episode hooked me
- Chopper and Ben (Perth did a great job)
- production value (minus my quibbles in Room For Improvement)
Room For Improvement
- there is a lot of nonsense plot things, some of which could have been explained with a few lines or a short scene and that makes it even more ridiculous (one example, a highschooler is a full time fisherman and he happens to fight and shoot a gun really well)
- characters don't feel realistic or have realistic reactions (Palm's interaction with his mother as an example, both of them just chillaxing on their beach vacation instead of how I think most people would be feeling)
- I wanted some plot twists or for this to be different but it's a standard GMMTV romance with window dressing
- the night scenes were too dimly lit, a couple of times the music was too loud over the dialogue
- it dragged in many places, I wanted an action/thriller and this was not it
- Chopper and Ben felt very rushed at the end
- overall I just didn't end up feeling much of anything, scenes that were supposed to make me sad didn't because of the huge plot holes
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awesome setting/styling, slightly confusing plot (watch suggestions)
Overall: while I loved the setting/styling, there were way too many characters/plot for 12 episodes and I was ambivalent about the romance aspect with the leads. Because of the collaboration, actual kisses & wide release, this got a bit of a rating boost. The series is based on a book but I reviewed the series on its own merits. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired 2 episodes per week on: YouTube, GagaOOLala, Viki, iQIYI, WeTV, Loklok & Heavenly (more info at the end of this review)Content Warnings: murders/deaths, rape?/non con turned consensual?, suicide, non con kissing, strangling, manhandling, fights/violence, blood, torture, manipulation, drugging, theft, kidnapping
Watch Suggestions (focuses on the leads, takes out love triangle, most violence/angst/pain)
- watch episodes 1-5 (beware episode 1 has non con/dub con)
- watch episode 6 at 31 minutes if you want a plot explainer
- skip episode 7 (angst and torture)
- episode 8 watch 5m30s-9 for a side couple, the rest is angst, pain, love triangle stuff
- episode 9 start at 29 minutes and watch to the end to get more plot developments
- episode 10 skip 7:30-20 or watch the whole episode
- episode 11 start at 11 min to 14:40, 18:30-20:20, 23:45-25
- episode 12 watch 7:45-18, 26:30-30, 34:10 to the end
What I Liked
- an opposites attract dynamic
- sweet moments
- setting/style
- really happy that a character convinced another character not to see/forgive a truly terrible character in episode 12
- got actual, shown kisses
- the production really made an effort to get this on as many platforms and to as many people as they could, they also wrote out the countries on their social media that had access to each platform
- collaborative effort between China, Taiwan and Thailand; hope this was successful and we see more collaborations
Room For Improvement
- exposition dump to start the series
- too many characters and plot given and I was confused until finally in episode 6 at 31 minutes they explained the plot more clearly, spent too much time on the leads apart
- wish they had modified the scenes in episode 1 and in episode 6
- how no one was concerned about the sister's fate
- wanted more relationship development shown of the side couple, it seemed that it mostly happened off screen
- Su Yin was infuriating and had way too much screen time
- the dubbing especially with 1 character (I guess he was speaking Thai and then they dubbed over it)
- odd camera angles
Thoughts on Grey Characters/Their Romantic Relationships
Sometimes these characters and their dynamic work for me and other times they don't. Here are the factors that I think about:
1. was there a realistic reason why the character/s acted the way they did in the past (Huai En was tortured/abused/manipulated his whole life but that doesn't forgive what he may have done in ep 6)
2. how bad was/is the treatment (because this is fade to black and based on reaction afterwards, I'm not sure if episode 6 was rape or turned consensual but it was still terrible, and in episode 9 he was choking the other lead)
3. were both characters grey or was one squeaky clean (Xiao Bao was pretty squeaky clean, he's very dense, Huai En was a cold blooded killer)
4. was there some kind of apology/amend making (I don't think Huai En apologized, he did save Xiao Bao and his family and risked his life to do so)
5. was there character growth (episode 9 and Huai En was still physically violent, in episode 11 he did have a revelation of the tighter he tried to hold on to Xiao Bao the more he slipped away)
6. do I believe that the characters will stay together in a happy romantic relationship (maybe)
final verdict: I'm nervous that the first time Xiao Bao looks at another attractive person Huai En will rape/kill him, but they did seem pretty happy at the end
Airing Platforms/Links/Countries (country info was from the production company)
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkzvQsQu-ofvkwO5v1gax9jqOYNYvhWN4
Airing everywhere except: Thailand, Japan and South Korea
GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4541/meet-you-at-the-blossom-2024-e01
Airing everywhere except: Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong China, Vietnam, Philippines, Canada, Australia, India, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Brazil.
Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40650c-meet-you-at-the-blossom
Airing: Americas, Oceania, Middle East, Europe, India
iQIYI https://www.iq.com/album/meet-you-at-the-blossom-2024-1689d4pr2sl
Airing: USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Macau China, Brunei, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Brazil
WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/album/c5o1ffdwm6yhwy5
Airing: Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Macau China, United States, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal
Loklok - airing: Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, India, Mexico, Spain, Russia
Heavenly - airing in South Korea
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