BL Compilations

cringey characters/plot with some sweetness and spice

Overall: (after a couple of days knowing each other) "Why don't you stay and complete this place. Complete me. Give me a new life." There is some truly cringey dialogue, but it's a fast watch and had some enjoyable moments. Two episodes about 1 hour each. Airing on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/lvdxvdkso18fdfe-The%20Renovation

What I Liked
- sweet moments
- good intimacy
- resort setting
- the last few minutes of episode 1 came out of nowhere but it was fun (also a couple scenes in ep 2, one after the first end credits)

Room For Improvement
- character dumps and the voice overs (it made a little more sense once we discovered his job but I still didn't enjoy it)
- didn't care about the characters or want them to be together in episode 1
- tropey, 2 sponge baths in 1 hour
- nonsense dialogue, the flowers in the bathtub
- not a fan of characters who play games like towards the ending of episode 2

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watch at least thru episode 3

Overall: I was not impressed with the plot or characters in episode 1 but now I'm enjoying the different perspectives of past events. This is based on "Eul's Love" which I haven't read and am reviewing this series on its own merits. 6 episodes about 25 minutes each. Note there was an extra scene after the initial end credits of episode 1. Airing on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/41031c-business-as-usual ; GagaOOLala (not in the Americas, Europe, Oceania, Japan or South Korea) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5233/business-as-usual-2025-e01 ; Line TV in Taiwan ; Rakuten TV in Japan ; Heavenly in South Korea

What I Liked
- intimacy in the first few minutes
- sweet moments/their relationship development in the past
- how they each saw the same situations very differently, I don't think that a character saying he can't remember a phone call is gaslighting, sometimes we don't remember things the same or remember them at all compared to another person, this isn't always intentionally malicious/gaslighting

Room For Improvement
- dislike plot drama where a 5 minute conversation would have cleared everything up, very cliche plot point in episode 1
- what happened around 11-12 min in episode 1 was too long (keeping this spoiler free for now), should have been 1/4th of that

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meandering plot and incomplete feel

Overall: I was intrigued in the beginning, but it lost my interest with the large amount of staring and lack of meaningful dialogue. Began airing on YouTube November 20th https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Njz75725bXKH1h92Yn-RCgu5EZb_SW-&si=P7Jx-VCWqEIUqr_b, then moved uncut episodes to a different platform and then moved an uncut version to WeTV in January https://wetv.vip/en/album/dd8g63nmfpkqdwg

Content Warning: sexual assault, non con touching, death off screen, self harm

What I Liked
- unique premise
- caring moments
- steamy scene in ep 4 uncut version was well done but it seemed to go on for too long
- production value for what I assumed was a very indie production

Room For Improvement
- voice over exposition
- too much staring/flashbacks, they needed to talk/learn about each other more
- I'm not familiar with the Thai prison system but it seemed odd they had a fully stocked music room and library based on the other facilities and the whole music video/the voice thing, how some characters had those numbered shirts and others wore regular clothes, also they were packed like sardines for sleeping but then magically at the water area there was no one around
- showing a character defecating was not needed
- the ending was a non-ending, apparently there was supposed to be a special but months later and there's no special, the series feels extremely incomplete
- made viewers wait a month for the last 4 episodes, the release platform/schedule felt like they figured it out as they went instead of it being preplanned

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it's not funny, it's offensive

Overall: this was a remake of a 2015 series (on YouTube unsubbed). It felt like it was stuck in the past (or even farther back than 2015) with its colorism, body shaming, effeminate male/trans women stereotypes and sexual assault played as comedy. 16 episodes about 35 minutes each. Aired on WeTV.

Content Warnings: colorism, trans women/effeminate men stereotypes, body shaming, bullying, cyberbullying, sexual assault played as comedy, sexual harassment, sex shaming, transphobia, held against will, non con picture/video taking and sharing

What I Liked
- Jet/New until the end of episode 6 which is what made me drop the series even though I wanted to give this a complete watch/review
- one of the teachers (the one who didn't sexually harass/assault a fellow teacher and didn't bully a student)
- it was good attempt with the message about being able to wear a uniform to match your gender identity, but then that character wore something out of a Japanese manga, would have been much more powerful if that character had worn the Thai school uniform for women
- episode 2 had good sex ed with using condoms correctly

Room For Improvement
- sexual assault played as comedy, it went on for so long and was not funny
- the two teachers who bullied a student and sexually harassed a fellow teacher
- the stereotypical male guys had love interests while the effeminate male characters were constantly fighting with each other and bullying a trans student
- way too much catfighting and bullying
- too many characters (there are 21 on the poster) and I couldn't figure out their names/who they all were
- comedy sound effects
- cliche overheard something and didn't talk

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meta BL comedy

Overall: a fun meta story where the main character is in a BL comic/world. 4 episodes about 30 minutes each. Aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/37904c-a-man-who-defies-the-world-of-bl and GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/2420/a-man-who-defies-the-world-of-bl-2021-s01e01

Content Warning: manhandling, spying

What I Liked
- awesome dance/music intro sequence
- the mini side couples/BL tropes
- the flowers and blinding light
- I chuckled a few times

Room For Improvement
- was going to say I liked the sibling relationship but in episode 3 Mob says goodbye to his brother and he also tried to take his brother's agency away
- lip press in episode 3
- not sure if it was an error in translation but Mob bordered on homophobic at times with how he talked about his brother being contaminated and not helping someone lest he get in a relationship with a man and be contaminated, on the flip side he wished other guys happily ever afters
- (neutral) normally I'd take off a half point or more for a cliffhanger ending; however, there was a season 2 (and season 3 though as of 2025 hasn't had an international release)

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a modern day bodice ripper with a fantasy twist

Overall: I rated this a bit higher than I would normally as it aired in 2017 and I believe it's supposed to be viewed as a bodice ripper type story aka the fictional mouth says no, body says yes. Available on YouTube https://youtu.be/OnCD6xSzUP8?si=4PGL8PAcHyHRhvBq and Viki (episode 3 runtime 70 min) https://www.viki.com/tv/35898c-history-1

Content Warnings: death (it's complicated), grief, blood, harassment, held against will, sexual assault/non con touching & kissing, blood, manipulation, choking/neck grab, non con turned consensual

What I Liked
- that he decided to change in the past and there were other things that changed (butterfly effect)
- funny with the gate in ep 1 and "how could he know it was me?" when his name was on the page
- caring/sweet moments
- supportive friend
- side couple though it was very rushed
- non-cliche character that was supportive, albeit maybe could have figured out another plan
- chemistry

Room For Improvement
- in the present/future there's no reason why he couldn't have told him about his stupid "plan"
- wish they had been mutually obsessed, because it was mostly one-sided and it felt like intimate partner abuse especially the lines towards the end
- voice over exposition dump towards the beginning
- flashbacks to recent scenes
- overly dramatic music

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a decent special

Overall: 1 hour and 30 minutes continuing the story in Addicted Heroin (Thai adaptation). Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/pgahblq3qny0xuz-Addicted%20Heroin%20(Uncut%20Ver.) and via YouTube membership https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML9gUn_WWWU

What I Liked
- the mom
- sweet moments
- the side couple

Room For Improvement
- the 9 minute recap (start at 12:45)
- Pop didn't tell Hero the truth about what happened with his brother? cousin?
- nonsense with the swat team, no one reported that to the police?
- odd moment with a random woman
- Hero had no character growth, still shown as hot tempered

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surprising depth for what I assumed was a comedy

Overall: I ended up really enjoying this indie series. Originally aired on YouTube, unfortunately it appears videos are now gone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3To3tqb3kw&list=PLSQPiMoYAX3iVDfDFhi_BI_paXO0T9GFG&index=3&ab_channel=%E5%93%88%E5%88%A9%E7%9A%84%E5%B0%8F%E5%89%A7%E5%9C%BA

Content Warnings: non con video recording/sharing, past death, grief, non con touching

What I Liked
- sweet moments
- supportive friend
- good kissing
- made me laugh a few times
- poignant

Room For Improvement
- a cliche plot point of seeing something but it was resolved quickly
- cliche swimming and got a leg cramp
- continuity errors
- (neutral) comedy sound effects

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a ride (watch suggestions)

Overall: I was mostly entertained but the huge tonal shifts were not for me. I gave this a rating bump because they did attempt something different with the plot even though it was filled with nonsense. 12 episodes about 1 hour each (uncut). Aired uncut on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/2elmpcfm17c?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4 ; aired uncut on GagaOOLala in Germany, UK & Australia - US starting Dec 21st https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4985/the-heart-killers-2024 ; airing uncut? on GMMTV's YouTube channel not in the US, Canada or Japan https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLszepnkojZI6Bo6a1yZ8iqQTM_A7AiYxQ&si=R4ODeKuWn7AV-SQh

Content Warnings: murders, blood, manipulation, non con picture taking, blackmail/coercion, non con kissing, harassment, homophobia, bullying, teacher/student relationship/grooming/pedophilia, stalking, beaten up, blood, intimate partner abuse, kidnapping, attempted murder, past murders, vomiting

Watch Suggestions (focuses more on sweet moments with the main couples)
- watch episodes 1-5 (likely won't go back for timings though I overall enjoyed the first several episodes)
- episode 6 stop at 1hr1min30s
- skip episode 7
- episode 8 watch 54-end
- episode 9 watch beginning to 16 and 30 to the end
- episode 10 watch 19-40 and 51-end
- episode 11 watch all or can skip 11:30-18:15
- watch ep 12

What I Liked
- an engaging start
- unique premise (non school setting and actors get to play characters closer to their real age)
- flirting/physical intimacy
- sweet moments
- how characters weren't blushing maidens
- styling
- glad they turned the teacher in and there were consequences for that
- that they subverted a very common trope in ep 12
- director cameo in ep 12
- overall wrapped up well

Room For Improvement
- the huge tonal shifts between sweet cinnamon rolls to cold blooded killers (the graphic dream murdering was too much), did not enjoy the amount of times characters pointed a loaded gun at their love interest and it made it difficult for me to root for the couples
- I've never seen a mechanic with that much grease on their face/body before, felt like a fictional way to say "this person is an auto mechanic"
- some of the sound effects/background music
- a couple of odd mouth/face close up shots
- crashed a grief support group and made a mockery of it on multiple occasions
- too much accordion music
- not a fan of the level of harassment, luckily it ended in episode 4
- random couple in episode 8 when they could have spent more time developing a third couple
- ep 12 poor communication lead to more hurt than if he had just said what his plan was
- a ton of nonsense plot stuff that pulled me out of the story also cliched things such as saying "let me explain" over and over again but not explaining, a character saying "trust me" and another character trusting them because of it

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not a fluffy BL

Overall: centered on an established couple and it was not a fluffy type plot. I watched this 22 min short movie on Flying Penguin's YouTube channel with membership https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p81bh_UQUow&t=584s&ab_channel=%EB%82%A0%EC%9C%BC%EB%8A%94%ED%8E%AD%EA%B7%84flyingpenguin

What I Liked
- good kissing/intimacy
- camerawork with going wider and making the guy look smaller

Room For Improvement
- too dim, needed more light on actors' faces
- they didn't translate texts
- perhaps in part due to the non-translated texts, I wasn't 100% sure what was going on

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spooky/campy/romantic

Overall: the dynamic was good but I'm neutral on the ending. 7 episodes about 15 minutes each. Aired on Regal Entertainment YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7SneaZWMW0pKKXwXHp9rjxF-KSh9m5Cp

Content Warnings: death, grief, manipulation

What I Liked
- dynamic between the leads
- caring/sweet moments
- chuckled a few times
- good dream
- non cliche female character (the ghost)
- blooper reel at the end of ep 7

Room For Improvement
- the pace could have been tightened at some places, for example I'd suggest starting episode 1 at 3:15
- an abrupt transition from night partying scene to both of them shirtless
- that peck needed to be a little longer
- not a fan of the ending though it's about what I expected

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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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