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  • Last Online: 4 hours ago
  • Location: swimming in the BL vortex
  • Contribution Points: 66 LV2
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  • Join Date: July 6, 2021
  • Awards Received: Finger Heart Award4 Flower Award10 Hidden Gem Recommender1 Clap Clap Clap Award1

BL Compilations

swimming in the BL vortex
Completed
HIStory5: Love in the Future
21 people found this review helpful
Dec 29, 2022
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 2.5

had potential, but cliched/nonsense writing ruined it

Overall: the weak script hurt what could have been a unique premise. It has twenty 25 min episodes on GagaOOLala and ten 50 min episodes Viki. I'll be referring to the longer Viki episodes in my review.

Content Warnings: bullying, fight, attempted murder, fight, death, grief, dub/non con kiss

What I Liked
- the intro/music
- clear about when this takes place at the start and after the jump
- that magic dude (who vanished for a large chunk of time)
- the friendships between characters
- sweet/caring moments
- the final episode was better than several episodes previous to it and the NSFW scenes were done fairly well

Room For Improvement
- my main complaint is the weak script, characters are doing things "because the writer said so" not because they would actually do them in real life, I don't want to list all of the nonsense things out but there are a bunch like what kind of warehouse has a kitchen (and a bathroom?!?)
- several characters are too unlikable/hot and cold
- cliches abound including the flamboyant guy as a villain and the evil ex girlfriend cliche
- the boss/employee dynamic had a bit of a grooming aspect to it and it was difficult for me to see past it, wish they hadn't been boss/employee
- the total nonsense with the freezer and lack of consequences
- awful communication
- I like cameos but was not into the stepbrother cameo
- a lot of filler/slow pacing

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Completed
The Immeasurable
21 people found this review helpful
Oct 22, 2021
Completed 4
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 4.0

Great visuals with a choppy plot

Overall: So don't read the summary on gagaoolala as it gives away what is supposed to be a plot twist in this short film. I've noticed very similar weaknesses with m/m romance from Taiwan (i.e. Because Of You, Light, Innocence, Papa & Daddy) which try to cover too much plot and often have flashbacks/forwards that add to the choppiness. I wish Taiwanese writers/directors would learn from Strongberry in South Korea on how to put a cohesive/realistic story into a short run time (i.e. Some More, Step For You).

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked
- acting
- production value
- the scenes of physical intimacy

Room For Improvement
- choppiness, starts with them yelling at one another, then a guy is in bed, then motorcycle riding, then basketball playing...like what is going on???
- for the basketball playing scene, how did they meet? The story should have started here and given some footing for the rest of the story.
- unrealistic responses/conversations, who doesn't ask what a person does for a job, it's one of the first things you ask someone. Also, if someone tells you not to do something don't they normally give a reason or wouldn't you ask what their reason is?
- how much time has passed, there isn't a sense of how long they've know each other, a few days, a few weeks?
- I didn't like the ending and think there could have been an honest conversation about the challenge/s of their relationship and how they want to proceed.

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Completed
A Shoulder to Cry On
24 people found this review helpful
Mar 14, 2023
7 of 7 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

could have been amazing...

Overall: I would have given it an 8 if they had ended this at ep 6, but I deducted a half point for ep 7. It could have been poignant with exploring more serious topics, but there were several missteps. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala (depending on your country).

Content Warnings: self harm, harassment/bullying, slaps, held against will, trauma/grief, vomiting, another major content warning that happens off screen in the past

What I Liked
- intro with the music and the animation/style of it
- archery integration and Da Yeol's plotline related to it was well done
- happy Tae Hyun told off his aunt but wanted to see more resolution
- Da Yeol's actions in episode 6/standing up for himself
- production value (but the too light make up and red eyeliner was not for me)

Room For Improvement
- struggled with their initial dynamic, it did get better though
- they tried to cover too much plot and as a result there was not enough resolution (aunt? dad? did Tae Hyun try to work on himself/go to therapy???)
- toilet humor and the comedy sound effects did not mesh well with the serious parts
- time jumps scream lazy writing to me, it should have been shorter and then not have episode 7 or saved that for a second season, speaking of....
- episode 7 was a huge letdown, these are 2 guys in their 20s, I think the production chickened out and catered to the minority of these idol actors' fans which was detrimental to the story/their characters, it felt so unrealistic that it took me out of the story
- the production also modified (unfortunately) that beginning scene in the nurses office from the source material (it was exactly what Da Yeol thought it was), it also made the "friend's" actions in the series kind of head scratching
- not clear how much time passed in the beginning episodes

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Apr 14, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 7.0
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 2.5

started well, went downhill at ep 6

Overall: somehow an awesome slice of life/cooking/comedy series devolved into cliched plot points. My advice is to watch episodes 1-5 and then episodes 11 & 12. 12 episodes about 20 minutes each, aired on GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: past death not shown, non con kiss, slap

What I Liked
- funny moments (the undressing, the van driving off, that look and the crow sounds at the end)
- realistic reaction to an accidental fall and catch
- cooking/the food looked delicious
- Mahiro's friend/coworker (wish we had seen more of that love story in the present)
- the villagers (much rather have had more screentime with them)
- Mahiro supportive of the naked dining
- managed to subvert something in ep 11 but it was due to (yet another) miscommunication

Room For Improvement
- they used cliched plot points including poor communication in order to drive the plot (and how in the final episode do they still have terrible communication skills)
- I ended up disliking Mahiro, wish they showed more in the flashbacks so we'd understand Mahiro better because he seemed very selfish and immature
- Souta was too dumb, at first I thought it was a bit endearing but they pushed it into the unbelievable area
- the pacing could have been better, I think 8 or 10 episodes instead of 12, plot went in circles, why on earth did episode 12 start 1 week after episode 11
- the non con kiss and slap both felt dated and not needed
- comedy mostly vanished
- odd things: why is the house just sitting there for 6 months? why did he have that band aid, they could have easily shown him find it as he went through those boxes, the boss and wife took a train how far for dinner? that potential buyer was oversharing to fit the plot, what was with that thing with the grandma? at the end
- based on the title, I expected a certain scene and I'm disappointed we didn't get to see it
- so she's all good now with dating the boss???

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Completed
Playboyy
71 people found this review helpful
Nov 16, 2023
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed 6
Overall 3.5
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

didn't work for me

Overall: the creators tried to be edgy, sexy, funny, sweet and mysterious but managed not to do any of those things well (I did laugh a few times but some of that was not supposed to make people laugh). 14 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on GagaOOLala (note there is a very important scene after the initial end credits in episode 14). Later released on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/album/playboyy-the-series-season-1-2025-1okp2nvz0rp?lang=en_us The production company Copy A Bangkok has also produced: War of Y, Y Destiny, YYY and Make It Right

Watch Notes: I'm not even sure what to write here. There is an exposition dump at the beginning of episode 14 so you could watch that and then the final episode (through to the very end because there is a scene after the end credits), which won't make a ton of sense but neither did the series

Content Warnings: (pretty much all content warnings) murders, death, rape, sexual assault, abuse, suicide (it's complicated), grooming, manipulation, kidnapping, torture, coercion, blackmail, kink shaming, homophobia, drug addiction, non con video recording/sharing/outing, beaten up/violence

What I Liked
- a person can definitely be horny as a virgin and a person can be more comfortable giving pleasure rather than receiving it
- saying that wanting it rough was fine (though I didn't see any rough play until later...)
- a mystery
- appreciate that they tried something different from what we normally see (i.e. fluffy romcoms)
- that sports guy was upset about non con recording/sharing
- at least safe words were mentioned and after care was shown
- realistic friendship between the rich guys and the not rich guys

Room For Improvement
- the two false statements right at the beginning annoyed me
1. not everyone enjoys sex and that is totally okay
2. research does not prove that people think about sex 388 times a day https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140617-how-often-do-men-think-about-sex (the average for a college-aged man was 19 times a day which was less than thinking about food and sleep) and that study suffered from the "white bear problem" ie telling someone not to think about something makes them want to think about it
- negative and stereotypical portrayal of sex workers
- the NSFW scenes were at times tossed in (especially in the beginning) and definitely felt they were there for a shock factor rather than an integral part of the story
- NSFW were painful to watch because they felt simulated, everyone was always wearing underwear and they didn't use clever camera angles to leave the viewers' minds to fill in the rest, overall the scenes didn't make me feel anything at all, perhaps because I hadn't connected with the characters yet which leads into...
- there were a bunch of characters and I didn't get a good sense of who they were/didn't connect with them, I finally figured a few out and they tossed in more characters
- there was some nonsense stuff that veered into camp and I think it was intentional but it wasn't enough so just felt awkward
- the Japanese voice overs (think ended after ep 2) and randomly speaking in English which made an unfortunate comeback at the end
- exposition dumps in episode 2, 11 and 14
- super disappointed about talking about a safe word but then forgetting it
- cliche poor communication and not clearing it up right away also "let me explain" and doesn't explain
- styling
- characters shared 1 brain cell, characters just believed someone because they said something
- characters had poorly done redemption arcs/personality transplants
- not clearly explaining a very confusing plot and hinting at a season 2 to explain things

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Completed
Never Let Me Go
80 people found this review helpful
Dec 13, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 3.5
This review may contain spoilers

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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Completed
LoveSick 2024
17 people found this review helpful
Sep 15, 2024
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 7
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.5

started strong, but way too many characters

Overall: I was pleasantly surprised with the first few episodes and the tension/yearning; however, the relationship progression stalled and the 24 support characters including several love triangles had me confused/not interested in the side relationships. I have watched the original series adaption; I have not read the book. I tried to write this review based on the current series' merits. Aired uncut (~1 hour) on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/love-sick-2024-episode-1-1mki2ks9q5g?lang=en_us and cut (~45 min) on Tia51's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR99-9wCOObG0rFQTm5mqfiLeR0eyARyx&si=dU0m-CXh1LffpvC8 Later aired uncut on Tia51's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Rt0y1j7QI

Content Warnings: bullying, joking about attempting suicide, homophobia, fight, non con picture/video taking/sharing, cyber bullying, child abuse?, slaps

Watch Suggestions (to center on the 2 leads/get rid of love rivals/music competition, these are the uncut timings)
- watch all of episode 1
- episode 2 watch the beginning to 53:35
- episode 3 watch the beginning to 11:15, 28-50 and 54-end
- episode 4 watch 8-9 cameo, 25:30-27:30 and 38-45:45
- episode 5 watch 11:45-13:50, 26:15-28:35, 53-54 and 58:15-end
- episode 6 watch 17-19 and 37:50-42:30
- episode 7 watch 14:40-15:40, 39-40:30 and 56:30-58:10
- episode 8 watch 18:30-21:30, 28:30-30, 35:45 to 49:30
- episode 9 watch 41-43, 1hr5 to end
- episode 10 watch 5-20 and 45-end
- episode 11 skip 35:30-51
- episode 12 watch 6-8, 16-17, 29:30-35:45 and 44:30-46
- episode 13 watch 4-6, 24:45-36, 40:15-42, 46:25-47:25
- episode 14 24-17:15 and 56:15-end
- episode 15 watch 30-31:45, 36:30-37:45, 40:30-43:20 and 1hr6:40-end

What I Liked
- how the first episodes are focused on the 2 leads
- sweet/caring moments
- staring/tension/chemistry
- that Noh didn't do something in episode 3
- cameo in episode 4
- a trans character wasn't a comedic character
- character growth
- production value

Room For Improvement
- the intro was beautiful but it made me confused about the context for it (they do explain it in later episodes, not a favorite way to start a series), then the 2 year time jump
- a ton of characters (says 24 support roles in addition to the 2 main characters) were introduced and I was fairly lost with everyone except the leads, just when I'd get into a side couple romance it would jump to other characters
- new characters and love rivals introduced in the last two episodes instead of resolving other plotlines
- tension was great at the beginning but seemed to stall, there wasn't a good enough reason for me as to why the characters couldn't get together for so long
- a few fast cuts/scene jumps even in the uncut version
- the scene with diarrhea
- in episode 14 a character lectured about not trusting him and then soon after didn't trust the person he had lectured
- so pg that it felt unnatural, the refusal to shower together even when an established couple, doing a nose kiss instead of an actual lip kiss, multiple near kisses with a lame non-kiss at the end
- (neutral) comedy sound effects

Cut Version Differences (it seemed that the cut version removes some of the scenes with the female characters which I liked but it unfortunately removed some of the scenes between the male leads which I didn't like, I watched the uncut only after episode 2)
- in episode 1 it doesn't have that first scene from 2 years ago which I liked because I found they looked older 2 years ago, in part 2 they cut out Noh trying to get thru the gate, in part 3 they cut out the sister entering the room and them jumping on the bed/fighting over the sheets, cut out a group scene with the girlfriends, end of part 3 they cut out a scene with Noh's family, towards end of part 4 they cut short phone call with friends and with some other guys moving chairs
- in episode 2 they cut a scene that interrupted their cuddle, but then they cut the head on the shoulder in the taxi, in part 2 they cut out a girlfriend scene and some of the evil mom stuff

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Completed
Roommates of Poongduck 304
17 people found this review helpful
Oct 13, 2022
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5

very enjoyable K-BL

Overall: there was sweetness, angst, realism and non-realism. I waffled between an 8.5 and 9 but I'm feeling generous so 9 it is. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala (varied by country).

Content Warnings: violence off screen, punch, manipulation

What I Liked
- the premise
- acting
- sweet and cute moments
- mostly realistic relationship trajectory
- the supportive female friend
- physical affection once they were officially together
- was happy with how Ji Ho Joon handled his dad in episode 8
- production value

Room For Improvement
- wish they had told the story in linear fashion as the flash forwards and flashbacks made things unnecessarily confusing, was also kind of choppy, we'd jump from one scene to the next
- unrealistic elements (dad said to sell all the cars but he still has one? no hotel rooms in what looks like a large city?)
- was sad about the cliched lying at the end of ep 7/beginning of 8, there would have still been drama if the character had been honest

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Completed
Minato's Laundromat
17 people found this review helpful
Jun 29, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

good character growth

Overall: I liked seeing two flawed characters (and yes Shin is flawed as well as he pushes and ignores Minato's boundaries multiple times) and Minato's character growth. Watched on Gagaoolala.

Content Warnings: non con touching/kissing, manhandling, internalized homophobia, non con photo taking, a high school senior (17 then 18) and a 28 year old (this aspect did not bother me personally)

What I Liked
- cute intro and closing credits/songs (watch the final episode closely as they are different!)
- that they actually communicated with one another, talked about their thoughts and feelings
- the food shirts that Minato wore
- how scenes towards the end of the final episode mirrored scenes in earlier episodes
- acting
- production value (cinematography, music)

Room For Improvement
- the pacing was a bit too slow with the whole teacher near conversation multiple times, that should have happened sooner
- I actually wished Shin had had some character growth and the ending had gone a slightly different direction
- I liked the sister and friend, couldn't care less for that depressing lump and did not enjoy the side couple
- continuity error with sheet placement
- the technique at the very end needed improvement but I'll give them a break as it might have been both of their first times

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Completed
Choco Milk Shake
20 people found this review helpful
Oct 25, 2022
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 8
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

short sweet/bittersweet romance, need a season 2

Overall: this could have easily been a 9.5 or 10 from me except how they handled the ending (information in my comment under a spoiler, I'll bump it up to 9.5 if they have a season 2 and explain things more clearly). Aired on YouTube. Watch the extra scene after the credits.

Content Warnings: threatened violence, past pet death, stalking, mental health struggles, kick

What I Liked
- cute and funny moments
- some subverted tropes*
- Jung Woo's very realistic reaction to the situation
- the actors did an amazing job
- excellent production value (feels very Kdrama with blurred backgrounds, close ups), the music was very well done
- cameo from Long Time No See actor

Room For Improvement
- the explanation for how it all happened is in a separate video and it would have been better to incorporate it into the series itself
- they spent some of their valuable screen time in unnecessary plot threads like the blind date
- *the ending was a letdown and I'll say more in my comment under a spoiler

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Completed
Love Is Science?
26 people found this review helpful
Oct 22, 2021
18 of 18 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 5.0

Awesome m/m couple 10/10 - need their own series!

Overall: I'll divide this up into three couples but keep things general to not spoil things. I didn't like the commercial breaks (without the commercials) in Viki and wish they would have edited those out. On the plus side, the styling was on point especially with Mark. And I liked that differences such as ages and income were addressed.

Content warnings: homophobia, fat shaming, bullying scene in a flashback, a few slaps, non con/dub con in one scene were a romantic partner is avoiding/said he did not want a kiss and the other person continued

M/M Couple - Best Boys (note: this official video is just their scenes ep 1-10 https://youtu.be/lIdngsUoa1M, but if you watch just the official cuts after that you'll miss out on important context/characterization, so watch the whole thing and fast forward parts you aren't interested in)
- character growth!!! Mark has some major character growth as he starts out as homophobic. He is impulsive but wears his heart on his sleeve.
- communication, it was great how especially Mark sought communication to resolve issues
- for the other half of this couple, loved defying stereotypes with the rescuing Mark scene and you can see the reason why he is really nervous/doubting their relationship
- favorite line "even though I like guys, I still have my standards"
- for the bad, this hovered very close to the "gay for you" trope
- their relationship was very rushed/not enough screen time (need their own series)

Older M/F Couple
- two sweeties, was a bit sad we didn't see any of them in the final episode other than a picture on the wall at the very end

Main M/F Couple
- started off really sweet and I was enjoying their story but then two unnecessary love triangles popped in and I became bored. Also the flashbacks weren't my thing. The age gap with the one set of flashbacks also disturbed me a bit as he was 10 and she was 18, granted she was thinking platonically, but he was thinking romantically. I disliked the overall fat shaming vibe. At one point the extremely thin FL steps on the scale and screams about too much bubble tea. Also the nickname little piggy when he is an adult seemed very condescending. Random pet peeve but I cringed every time I saw that self portrait.

Other characters that I enjoyed were the independent Joanna, the mom (who grew on me as she wanted the best for her daughter), Ou Wen's colleague Yan Wu Chun Feng and the married couple/daughter.

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Completed
Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan
29 people found this review helpful
Nov 3, 2024
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 6.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 4.5
This review may contain spoilers

zero boundaries and a lot of trauma

Overall: at times I liked the faster pacing, but there was too much pain/trauma/ignoring boundaries. This was an adaptation of MAME's book which I haven't read (but believe she writes bodice ripper type books with the fictional mouth says no but body says yes). There was already a Thai adaptation. I tried to review the Japanese version based on its own merits. 8 episodes about 15 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4928/love-in-the-air-2024-e01

Content Warnings: rape, past gang rape, sexual assault, intimate partner abuse, trauma, non/dub con kissing/touching, manipulation, harassment, manhandling, kidnapping, violence, blackmail

What I Liked
- fast pacing (though the first couple could have perhaps used more development/screen time, and less with the past stuff for the second couple)
- hair drying was cute
- the dream kiss
- NSFW scene in episode 4 was fairly well done (though more enthusiastic kissing from 1 person would have been nice)
- Kai was a supportive friend
- non cliche female character

Room For Improvement
- not really sold on the chemistry with either pair, Kai and Fuma actors should have been switched and Fuma's hideous suits made him look younger
- starting in the present and then going to an extended flashback
- the "plan"/nonsense approach
- the spanking was cringey
- odd progression with the flashback in episode 5 and then the devotion in the present, felt very "because the writer said so"
- (neutral) the hyper/over acting type character

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Completed
Century of Love
41 people found this review helpful
Jul 10, 2024
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

excellent chemistry in a fantasy/soap opera-y plot

Overall: Daou and Offroad did a great job with a more soap opera type aka lakorn plot. 10 episodes 1 hour each. Aired 2 episodes per week on YouTube except SE Asia with delayed English subtitles https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXopbKxiivxq9qaU0XyhJiHY5za79C2ev&si=qAIRIqP0gomWPMe2 ; GagaOOLala everywhere except SE Asia, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and Macau https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4563/century-of-love-2024 ; Netflix for SE Asian countries. Later aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/album/century-of-love-2025-18jnrov7xy9?lang=en_us

Content Warnings: please see my comment with a spoiler tag as there were several in the first episode, theft, attempted kidnapping, attempted murder, blood

What I Liked
- clear set up
- a character said she could dress how she wanted to
- supportive group, supportive grandma
- that one character was a bit flirty/mischievous and was not a pushover
- the scene at the end of episode 1
- child actor did an excellent job
- need a whole series of that demon fox scene
- a character clearly stated that he was bisexual
- two complex characters and not just stereotypical villains
- non cliched female characters

Room For Improvement
- the sound effects during the fight scene
- too many flashbacks of recent scenes
- too many catch & falls
- some cartoony villains that were extremely obvious
- low budget CGI
- nonsense stuff: a character was smart about hiding something and then none of them were smart about it later
- they kind of kid a cop out with the world building at the end but I guess it goes with the "live in the present"
- the angst/pain stuff went on for too long
- (neutral) there were comedy sound effects

Note: I was not bothered by a character's reaction to learning something in episode 1, he had a very long time to build up in his mind what that person would be

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Completed
A Boss and a Babe
44 people found this review helpful
Mar 3, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
This review may contain spoilers

unexpectedly dark for a lighthearted romcom

Overall: I was okay with this as a 'turn your brain off' romcom, but then there was an extremely dark plot line (also zero consequences for a trash character?!?) and the plot ran around in circles (definitely could have been 8 episodes instead of 12). I'm rating this more harshly because GMMTV has the money and experience to make an excellent series. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed with this one. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel. Later re-aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40373c-a-boss-and-a-babe

Content Warnings: past rape for 3 years involving a child/step parent, past suicide, mental health struggles, non con/dub con touching, homophobia, fight/beaten up, non con picture taking/posting, unwanted public outing

What I Liked
- good friendship dynamics (and that they raised the difficulty of the boss/employee romantic dynamic)
- Yacht with his blue hair
- the established couple is adorable (but they didn't get enough screen time nor a plot)
- addressing mental health struggles (except that Cher should not have talked about Jack without Jack's prior approval and they also made it seem like everyone was happy that Jack stopped taking medication when in reality as I understand it medication is something to be taken as a management strategy, it's not a long term cure)
- a supportive ex
- neutral, comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- this was oddly very dark, I think they still could have had some serious parts (focusing on the mental health struggles as an example), but it almost felt disrespectful to have the rest be a light romcom, I'm not sure how to explain this but I didn't like the combo of extremely serious plot with silly plot
- lack of consequences for a trash character and instant forgiveness for the mom
- Thup, there are things that even if your loved one says you should keep secret that you don't keep secret and tell the authorities/school personnel and what was going on was one of those things. Thup wasn't a young child, he should have been around 12 to 15 when this was happening and then afterwards to let rumors circulate about Cher, he did not seek justice for his sibling and he had the gall to blame Cher....ugh
- paper thin plot that went around in circles
- cliche poor communication with fully grown adults, Cher's totally stupid "plan" in episode 11
- consent problems: there were some things they did really well but there was also poor consent including Cher ignoring Gun's physical boundaries in the beginning, Gun locking Cher in his car, "if you don't let me touch you I'll kiss you instead"
- I realize they were going for comedy, but many jokes didn't make me laugh
- Gun letting Cher be jealous for his own entertainment instead of clearing up the miscommunication
- nonsense things (we won't get into the hr headache this would be in reality), Cher is never shown to be doing anything with his ASMR channel, we barely see him gaming
- the cringey title

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Completed
Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart!
37 people found this review helpful
Sep 9, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 10
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

tried something different

Overall: though it was cool how they tried something different, the tonal shifts and writing didn't work for me. 12 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired uncut on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/jack-joker-u-steal-my-heart-episode-1-l2dlqwi91c?lang=en_us (I watched the uncut version which originally was the only MDL listing, if there is a cut version released at a later date that I can watch, I'll try to update this with the differences)

Content Warnings: past suicide, suicide, attempted suicide, theft, violence/beaten up, blood, bullying, attempted kidnapping, coercion, manipulation, punch, kidnapping, blood

Watch Suggestions starting at ep 5 (uncut timings) (to take out nonsense plot, brutality and focus on the leads' relationship, I might go back thru earlier episodes for suggested timings later)
- episode 5 watch 5:30-9:30 and 16-50:50 if you want to see a caper, otherwise watch 9:30-12:40 and 50:50-56:55 for 2 hurt care scenes
- episode 6 watch the beginning to 9:10, 16-21:40, 24:45-29:30 and 38-1hr2m30s
- skip episode 7
- episode 8 watch 1hr10m45s to the end
- episode 9 watch 1hr4min to the end
- episode 10 watch beginning to 5 and then 12-12:45
- skip episode 11
- episode 12 watch 53:30-54:20 and 1hr 24 to the end

What I Liked
- best grandma ever
- unique premise
- sweet/flirty/caring moments
- fight/action sequences
- grey protagonists
- how Jack called out his coach and then the coach apologized and got his karma
- non cliche female character

Room For Improvement
- tonal shifts between inept comedy caper and brutality/action
- the romance took a backseat to the nonsense plot
- characters were stupid and inept
- because 2 characters relished in violence at the beginning of episode 5, it made me uninterested in any romantic pairings with them involved
- ep 1 started with a flash forward
- I didn't laugh at most of the jokes including the food poisoning/farting
- there were a ton of nonsense things, one example being it didn't make any sense why a character was so angry at another character when the result would have been exactly the same
- failed redemption arcs
- the character acting like someone with less money and then having fake dirt on him was in bad taste and the knock off Squid Game video game thing was completely uninteresting
- a character's instance on something in the NC scene in ep 10 felt dated
- characters just stood around while a character was hauled off by very shifty looking dudes
- lack of trust between romantic partners
- lack of consequences for several characters

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