BL Compilations

Be Loved in House: I Do... want the plot to progress faster

(minor spoilers)
Content Warnings: none that I can think of...

Episode 12 bumped up my score to 7.5/10 overall. If you want super slow pacing and breathtaking visuals, then this is the show for you. Otherwise watch the 1st two episodes, imagine in your mind every single romance/bl trope multiple times (accidental falls, getting out of the shower, healing time, etc) then skip to ep 11 to watch most of those happen in flashbacks and then episode 12 for the ending. 

What I Liked
- amazing visuals
- acting
- the cat
- production
- the cameo
- the love triangle (I think the only 1 I've ever liked)
- the coworker/friend stopping the other coworker/friend from taking a picture of an intimate moment without the participants' knowledge
- the 12th episode
- the intro song*

Room For Improvement
The pace is sooooooooo slow. I watched it on 1.5-2x speed and it still felt slow. There is so little progression with either couple. I can like a slow burn done well, but this was not it. There is also little sense of time. Is this taking place over days, weeks, months? Why does the 2nd couple go soooo slow and then rocket ahead???

The plot - I'm used to plot holes and non logical things but this drives me nuts. So basically the new boss (Jin Yu Zhen) puts up a rule that no employees can be in a romantic relationship with anyone (even outside the office, is that even legal??) A m/f are about to get engaged so they want him to get rid of the rule. Logical response by the other employee/manager (Shi Lei) should be to get the boss to fall in love with him and then he has to remove the rule, right? Nope, I honestly can't even say what their plan was. Get more intel on the boss???

Boss - is attracted to Shi Lei. Logical thing, don't put up that rule and instead try to win him over. Actual response - move in with him, make some moves, then reverse your moves over and over again. Basically a ton of mixed signals. Also disappear off to places with no follow up explanations. Things are kind of explained in the last episode, but it still didn't do it for me.

Poor characterization of the boss - he started out super cold, then he went to really awkward/nervous, then he went to a pursuer, whaaaatt, I got whiplash. 

Music - there is legit one and only song that plays over and over again. It's a nice song but it's like "This Is The Song That Never Ends..." song. 

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too many characters

Overall: I wanted to give this indie (aka low budget) production a chance but there are just too many characters/confusing/non existent plot and I don't want to watch the remaining 7 episodes. 12 episodes about 16 minutes each cutting out the credits. Aired on KMD Studios YouTube Channel.

Content Warnings: fight, (possibly more)

What I Liked
- OST
- the school nerd and the guy who wants to make money seemed promising (not much movement by ep 5)
- consent, asking for a kiss

Room For Improvement
- there were way too many characters, who are they, who do they like, what is their relationship with one another? I wish they had focused on just 2 characters and made it shorter instead of having so many characters/relationships
- music was too loud and it drowned out the dialogue, though in ep 5 it seemed not as bad
- intros/outros too long

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enjoyed the unique premise

Overall: I was impressed with the horror/supernatural elements in the first episode, but several plot elements/pacing were disappointing. This series was based off of a book which I haven't read and I reviewed the series on its own merits. 12 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/khemjira-episode-1-wraawu50u8?lang=en_us Later aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/4enpn88aboslcbo/n4101eq14v2 and Netflix Thailand.

Content Warnings: jump scares, attempted murders, blood, intimate partner abuse and violence, punch, suicide (it's complicated); (past: infanticide, torture, suicide, blood, manipulation, death on and off screen, grief, kidnapping)

Watch Suggestions (to focus on sweet/steamy parts)
- read the synopsis
- skip episodes 1-4
- episode 5 watch 8-end
- skip episode 6
- episode 7 watch 7:45-20:40 and 49:20-end
- episode 8 watch 37:30-end
- skip episode 9 (many major content warnings in this)
- episode 10 watch 21-23 and 57:30-end
- episode 11 watch 7-13:20 and 52-53:10 (watch all of episode 11 and 12 to get the whole plot resolution)
- episode 12 watch 38:30-end

What I Liked
- Jet as a supportive friend
- mystery of what happened in the past, how things came to be the way they are
- that Khemjira helped someone (or rather 2) in episode 1
- good consent and intimacy with the side couple
- the Thai culture and spirituality (not sure if that's the right word) aspects
- the finale
- production value

Room For Improvement
- the second domestic violence was handled very poorly, why didn't Khem tell him right away, it seemed like they only stepped in to help her because the guy was possessed and then how everything seemed fine and dandy at the end
- there is a difference between a slow burn and one character constantly rebuffing/hurting a sweet character, it was not enjoyable to watch for several episodes
- the horror aspect kind of vanished during some episodes
- love rivals
- a few writing tweaks would have made a character's actions much more understandable (specifically with ep 9 flashback of who did what/was at the most fault in that scenario then not being the ones punished forever)

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A cheesy musical that was almost so bad it was good

Overall: I wish they had really leaned into the "so bad it's good" but it didn't quite make it. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: a slap, non con touching/sponge bath (guy was unconscious), kidnapping

What I Liked
- the orchestral music was great, some of the musical numbers were okay
- a flirty protagonist who is clear about his intentions*
- made me laugh in several parts
- I liked Mikey's friends and they weren't just played for comedic relief

Room For Improvement
- the remarks about other people's weight
- there was some rough acting which I found hilarious but I don't think it was intentional
- invasive sponge bath while someone is unconscious
- *Mikey's reluctance was dragging on for too long
- too many characters

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I've checked out of this series

Overall: I'm sad because they took everything I liked about episode 0 (fast paced, likeable characters, great music) and wrecked it. The series should be called "Boring Cheaters." Watched on iQIYI.

Content Warnings: non con kissing that turned consensual, dub con kissing and non con kissing that did not turn consensual, stalking, manhandling, harassment, drunk driving?, slap, manipulation, possible past suicide attempt/s

What I Liked
- the outro song
- I think the actors are trying their best with a terrible script

Room For Improvement
- very confusing, we start with a scene at the end of the first episode, then jump back and forth several times between present day and flashbacks (also too many flashbacks in later episodes)
- meh intro
- boring/slow paced, I watched at 3x speed. The cut episodes were slightly less boring (around 40 min vs 1hr 10) but still boring
- unlikeable main characters, I don't mind flawed characters but I especially don't understand Nine at all
- switching back and forth from a steamy scene where both people are cheating to a scene where a boyfriend is setting up a nice dinner was not appealing at all
- I don't normally notice the music unless it's really good or really bad and this was the later, sometimes the music really didn't fit the vibe of the scene
- the toilet humor (twice in the first 4 episodes!!!)
- I don't know why they are going to OnlyFans, have they seen some of the stuff on Gagaoolala? Also it seems like the actors had to act in the 18+ scenes totally naked when previously they were told they'd have socks... I hope the actors find something with a better plot, editing, really better everything

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wrong characters get redemption arcs/don't have consequences

Overall: it's obvious from the title of the series and the trailers that this isn't going to be a fluffy romance series (which is fine). Unfortunately the wrong characters are receiving consequences and the wrong characters are receiving redemption arcs. The 20 episodes are broken up into 4 stories, each one has 5 episodes. Aired on Gagaoolala and on AIS Play's paid Youtube channel.

Content Warnings: attempted suicide, manipulation, non con touching and kissing, homophobia, mental health struggles, fight scenes/violence, non con video recording/posting, sex trafficking, blackmail, cyberbullying, homophobia, drugging, kind of attempted murder

What I Liked
- intro/OST
- kissing/steamy scenes from Pan/Nott
- acting from Seng/Billy
- the sweet moments
- shout out to marriage equality

Room For Improvement
- it really bothered me that the wrong characters were receiving redemption arcs, I wanted to see jail! maybe this is supposed to be realistic but it's not my thing
- the kissing from the side couple was not good
- there are quite a lot of characters
- how would the manager not know what NC stands for?

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confusing with some dark and sweet parts

Overall: 10 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLszepnkojZI6XS68TbMnSxkKingYfxiXv&si=f3hz9MktxKrIILB- (not available in Thailand)

Content Warning: episode 1 part 1 has a jump scare around 16:30, multiples murders shown, kidnapping, manipulation, near murder, trauma; past (murders, suicide, child abuse, near suicide shown)

What I Liked
- mystery
- sweet moments
- the setting, countryside vistas

Room For Improvement
- confusing start with multiple time jumps/memories
- love rival
- a lot of nonsense things
- the wrong character apologized in episode 10

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"fake" dating vertical series

Overall: it was fine, but dragged at times and they should have focused less on the love rival/antagonist. 54 episodes about 2 minutes each. Aired on Lezhin Snack app and GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/verticals/8389/bad-kid-good-partner-2026

Content Warnings: past trauma, mental health struggles, non con video recording/sharing/outing, punch

What I Liked
- visuals
- sweet moments

Room For Improvement
- should have either taken out the love rival or the other antagonist
- not a fan when he kissed him during a panic attack
-nonsense of why he didn't tell him the truth of what happened in their childhood much earlier

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joyful, emotional & drama-filled (reality m/m dating series)

Overall: Sparks Camp contestants bare their souls, get hurt, heal, laugh, cry and love. 10 episodes 45 minutes each. Aired on Black Sheep YouTube channel. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL87uyU6xM7Lft-Lpwbv5G3ZQJZDvxC9_p&si=gVVHvglgds-tTvix Here is my review of season 1 https://kisskh.at/profile/blcompilations/review/278749

Content Warnings: past death, grief, trauma, past coercion

Reality Series Note: with any "reality" series I keep in mind that what the audience sees doesn't necessarily reflect what actually happened. There can be guidelines the audience doesn't know about, parts are edited out or ordered in different ways to show a certain narrative. I read in the YouTube comments of season 1 that the director said it wasn't scripted, but I always take that with a grain of salt. My goal for reality dating series is for people to have a good time and maybe make a new friend. Any actual pairings at the end of the show are icing on the cake.

What I Liked
- really good diversity with the cast, it wasn't all actors/models/influencers
- that the guys had name tags on which was helpful to remember who was who
- the initial game of guessing who the items belonged to was much better than the oil game from season 1, they made items easy enough they were guaranteed to get a few correct but not super easy so there was a bit of a challenge
- the deepest darkest secret game was fine, I'm assuming the guys knew it would be recorded/aired publicly
- Mother Mela is a good emcee*
- the trivia game

Room For Improvement
- the platinum gay thing was cringey
- having them repeatedly draw the sparks publicly was really sad and they should figure out another way to accomplish this (like write letters and the production crew see who has matches and then sends them on 1 on 1 dates)
- a contestant asked to sit something out and the emcee* said no, people should have the right to pass in situations like that
- putting 1 person on the spot to answer all questions was definitely to make things messy/drama-filled

Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. The Boyfriend (Japan) on Netflix. Guys run a coffee van and live together for 1 month.
2. His Man (South Korea) on iQIYI, currently on season 3. Anyone can date anyone. Beautiful production and conventionally attractive guys.
3. Boys Like Boys (Taiwan) on GagaOOLala, had a very similar aesthetic/vibe to His Man
4. 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.
5. 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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In Your Heart?

Overall: choppy BL with a bad ending. Watched on Gagaoolala (also on Viki).

Content Warnings: rape (portrayed as romantic), non con kissing/trying to kiss, punches, beaten up (off screen)

What I Liked
- the OST and intro sequence was well done
- there were a few funny moments like the music when they were sitting on the wall, broom fighting
- good production value

Room For Improvement
- the non con was totally unnecessary and the ending was stupid, it didn't make me throw my computer in rage but I was disappointed
- the female love interest part was confusing and unneeded
- that mom looked the exact same age as the high school student (actor is 29 apparently, the mom should have been an older actress)
- choppy editing/plot
- the side characters needed more development
- continuity error, after being beaten up with visible injuries, they are injury free in the next scene
- the scene in the principal's office/that money thing were too long

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"friends" with different personalities

Overall: visuals are stunning, not sold on the dynamic though. 10 episodes about 22 minutes each. Airing on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/summertime-episode-1-wcrrbix90o?lang=en_us ; GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/8745/summertime-2026 (not available in Japan, Korea, Americas, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde Islands, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Macau, Timor-Leste, Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom and Oceania)⠀and Wavve (S. Korea)

Content Warnings: bullying, homophobia, manhandling, past death, grief, violence of screen

What I Liked
- best dream/start of series
- different personalities
- visuals
- fingers at the end of episode 4 and episode 4 overall

Room for Improvement
- one character treats the other character like an object to possess instead of a person with his own thoughts/desires
- he yelled at the friends and snitched to the dad when he did the same thing
- the dad beat him so badly he had bandages and everyone was chill about it???
- love rival

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darker vibe that needed to narrow the focus

Overall: the writers needed to narrow the focus (like leave out the whole shipping port part) to better explain motivations/plot. 8 episodes about 13 minutes (with 4 minute credits) each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/8026/unfold-2026-e01 (not available in Japan or Korea)

Content Warnings: murders, past suicides, blood/gore, manipulation, torture, organ trafficking, kidnapping/child trafficking?, sex trafficking, slap, choking

Watch Suggestions (to take out seeing content warnings)
- episode 1 watch 3-6:30 and 8:15-end
- watch episode 2
- episode 3 skip 9:10-12:35 (there is a spicy scene here but a character has something on his shirt and you can guess what he just did)
- episode 4 skip 5:10-5:30
- episode 5 skip 5:20-6:40 and 9:50-10:10
- start episode 6 at 7 minutes
- episode 7 skip 7:30-8:15 and end at episode 8
- don't watch episode 8

What I Liked
- unique premise
- mystery
- visuals

Room For Improvement
- there were 4 main characters and they didn't devote enough screen time or clear up enough of the confusion
- neutral on having sex after a character was traumatized (i.e. not in his right mind)
- a lot of things didn't make sense/weren't explained. Examples in the finale: if all they needed was a thumbprint, why not threaten him at his workplace or knock him unconscious to get the thumbprint, why kill him after they got the thumbprint, why didn't the guy investigating ever involve the police along the way or at the end, how did he know what abandoned warehouse the other guy was at, etc.
- left at to be continued, where most series never get a sequel

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missed the mark

Overall: wish Boat and Oat had a better script/editing.12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/knot-episode-1-c3hbjhxtcg?lang=en_us?lang=en_us

Content Warnings: non con touching/attempted assault, fight scenes, murder off screen, non con kissing turned consensual

What I Liked
- chemistry
- styling (sometimes it was awful like cravattes and 70s wannabe gangster flair pants)
- unique premise
- a character had fighting skills and was not just a damsel in distress

Room For Improvement
- world building dump and character info dumps (text on the screen), later episodes had several exposition dumps including a cartoonish villian word vomiting while everyone nicely let him do so
- the end of episode 1 had nonsense/too coincidental (characters happened to be at the same place at the same time in what appears to be a large city), also how rare/secret is the secondary gender that a character has no knowledge of it (and then later in episode 3 a woman made it seem that it was common knowledge)???
- more nonsense and "because the writer said so" stuff: characters had powers until they didn't, they had guns until they didn't, they had bodyguards until they didn't
- comedy moments did not work (comedy sound effects did not help)
- odd camera angles/close ups (obsession with nostrils)
- at times odd music
- Phatsa's lack of agency, no one told him something might be a possibility?!!!
- some things maybe worked better on the page, on the screen they looked cringey such as the nest making and the frantic humping
- the 2 leads didn't feel like leads (they first interacted around 18min of 40min in episode 9 and only had 7 minutes on screen together), the 2nd couple has more relationship development/dates than the main couple

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too slow paced for me

Overall: I skimmed several episodes (5 and 6 were okay) but it was too slow for me and then I skimmed the final episode and am happy I didn't watch all episodes (not a fan of the ending) 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Watching on GagaOOLala

Content Warnings: non con picture taking, harassment, manhandling, fight scene, manipulation (potentially more)

What I Liked
- clear premise
- how Kiao actually felt like he was from the past and not knowing several things like cell phones
- the other characters' reactions felt fairly realistic with the situation
- addressed transphobia/homophobia in a natural way (Kiao was using an older term)
- character friendships
- how the adults resemble the actors who play their younger selves
- neutral, there are comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- was really slow, scenes dragged on too long, a lot of unnecessary stuff
- set up for the 'gay for you' trope
- the plot, especially towards the end
- that ending

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